The Tasty Tangles

It's always strange to me that tables at Tasty Tanlges remains empty while its neighbors (Toscano's, Subway, Cafe Noir, and Rajthani) are packed during meal times. They have a nice-looking indoor area, and also a spacious open-air section that is great for people watching especially on weekend evenings. Their exposed kitchen is quite entertaining; you can observe the slightly self-conscious cooks as they prepare your food. The reviews they have from burrp website are fairly decent. So, why is the place so empty?

I was craving Chinese food during lunch one day and remembered my in-laws saying that this place serves yummy Peking ducks, which I came to know is a rare find in Bangalore. To my disappointment, they were not serving duck that day, and on top of that they have an "Asian" menu, instead of a Chinese menu.

So here's what I ended up eating.

Siu Mai - it was just okay, considering there aren't too many options in town for dim sums. I know it's very easy to screw this up, but they managed to get the flavors as close as a siu mai can be. Nice little trick replacing orange fish roe with finely chopped carrots.

Har Gao - nicely steamed with dumpling skin still intact. The prawns used as the filling was decently cooked so there was still a slight crunch to it.

Penang Curry Laksa - disappointed but to be fair, the last time I tasted curry laksa, I was actually in Penang, hence there is really no comparison. This dish tasted more like the Burmese "khao suey" but with a thinner broth. Basically, I was looking for a punch and I wasn't finding it in this bowl of red coconut noodle soup.


Nasi Goreng - not bad except it's also missing a few ingredients that makes up a good nasi goreng like sambal and eggs. Served with a piece of chicken satay, which was also so-so.


Stir-fry lamb, kung-pao style. Pretty spicy and not too drenched in sauce, which I like.


Stir-fry bak choy, which tasted like it was pre-boiled and then had some oyster sauce stirred-in.

My conclusion: I guess the reason why the restaurant always seems quiet even though the location is great and ambiance good, is because the food is really just so-so. And since they can't compete with Rajthani and Subway prices, they end up being the last choice. That's what I think.

Overall Ratings:
Po's: 6.5/10

Would we return?
When we're really hungry and the other restaurants in UB City are full.

Address
UB City, Vitay Mallya Road

Malaysian Street (or Stall) Food

I've been getting a lot more questions from random people recently about where to go and what to eat in Malaysia. My guess is since Air Asia started flights from Malaysia to India, more Indians are planning travels to my home country. To share the "where to go" will make this post too long, but I can certainly share the "what to eat".

Here are some delicious foods that I have happily stuffed my face with during my last visit to Kuala Lumpur (KL) and Penang. Some of these foods can be found in restaurants but most of them are street foods and even though it's a big no-no for most of us to eat on the streets of India, it's generally OK to eat on the streets in KL and Penang. In fact, there is a local saying, "the dirtier, the tastier!" But to be on the safe side, you can find these foods in any food courts. I recommend the Lot 10 food court in KL.


Street stalls in Penang.


Wan tan mee - Usually eaten for lunch. This is a slightly bigger serving size. I asked for a double order because one helping is just not enough for me! The egg noodles were quickly cooked in boiling water then dipped into cold water (a process to make the noodles slightly chewy) before mixing with a soy sauce concoction. Served with slices of char siew (barbecue pork), some choi sum (chinese brocolli) and a small bowl of wan tan soup on the side. Delicious and very satisfying!


Chee Cheong Fun - generally a breakfast food, at least for me while I was growing up. A very simple meal made out of broad rice noodles, and served with sweet hoisin or shrimp paste sauce, chili sauce and sesame seeds.


Claypot chicken rice - When I was studying in a college in KL, I used to have this at least twice a week for lunch. Rice cooked in a claypot with chinese sausage, marinated chicken pieces and a soy sauce concoction. The authentic claypot chicken rice will come with a side of salted fish, to be mixed into your rice to make the rice even more savory than it already is.


Pan Mee - Hand-made noodles in clear pork and anchovy broth. Served with spring potato leaves, fried anchovies and some seaweed. For some extra kick, eat every bite with a bit of sambal belacan that comes with the dish. It's a simple bowl of noodle soup, but so very satisfying.


Har Mee - also known as prawn mee or prawn noodles. Noodles of your choice (thin rice noodles, egg noodles, lai fun or hor fun or mix two!) served in a slightly spicy but savory prawn-based broth. Served with slices of prawns, pork and quartered boiled eggs.


Char Kuay Teow - This has got to be one of my (and possibly "A"'s favorite) Malaysian Chinese street food. Kuay teow (rice noodles) fried with eggs, bean sprouts and sometimes, Chinese sausages. If you find a good stall, you can actually taste the wok hei (breath of the wok) in your noodles!


Indian Mee Goreng - Egg noodles cooked with kicap manis (sweet soy sauce), chili sauce, tofu, bean sprouts and eggs. No, I haven't found the equivalent in India. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's the many generations of Malaysian Indians who had invented this dish. This dish can be found in any mamak (a slang addressing tamil muslims in Malaysia) stalls.


Mee Rebus - Same place you find mee goreng, you will also find mee rebus. Instead of frying the egg noodles, the noodles are submerged with a savory-sweet-spicy sauce and topped with a boiled egg, some crisps, tofu and spicy squid.


Roti Canai - Anyone who has been to a Malaysian restaurant in the US, UK, Australia or anywhere else in the world would have eaten the infamous roti canai. In Malaysia, instead of serving the roti with chicken curry, it's normally served with dahl and if you request, you might get extra fish, mutton or chicken curry sauce. You can find this in any Indian or mamak stalls or restaurants at any time of the day.


Nasi lemak - loosely translates to "fat rice". It's not because it's fattening but "lemak" literally means the fat from coconut milk, a popular ingredient used in Malaysian cooking. Coconut milk is added to the rice, hence the wonderful flavor. Eaten with a bit of sambal (spicy chili condiment usually made from belacan or shrimp paste), a sliver of boiled egg, fried anchovies and fried peanuts. It's served wrapped in a piece of banana leaf.


Yong tau foo - vegetables stuffed with fish paste and then boiled or deep-fried. Usually eaten with a bit of sweet (or hoisin) sauce and chili sauce.


Or-chien - baby oyster omelette, generally sold on the side of "dai chow" eateries ("dai chow" is a kind of restaurant that cooks their food (generally noodles) in a big wok, on top of charcoaled flames). It's usually eaten with a bit of tangy chili sauce.

There are many more street foods (like Curry Laksa, Asam Laksa, Wat Tan Hor and the list goes on...) that I didn't get a chance to photograph while I was on this trip. Hopefully, this will keep you full (but wanting more!) while you are in Malaysia!

Chinese New Year in Malaysia

In case I haven't mentioned, I was born and raised in Petaling Jaya (commonly known as "PJ" by the locals), which was developed as a satellite town for the overpopulated Kuala Lumpur back in the 1950's but has been since granted city status not too long ago. To me, it always has been and always will be, the residential suburbia I grew up in. There are a handful of mega malls, but if you ask me what's there to do in PJ, I'd say eat.

Last month, I went back to PJ for Chinese New Year, and as much as I wanted to see my family and catch up with many of my childhood friends, I have to admit, I was equally excited to stuff my face with much-craved Chinese food.

Chinese New Year, is one of the more popular, and perhaps the only celebration we have in our home. The celebration lasts for 15 days, but the busiest day in our house is the day before the first day because it's the day where members of the family come home and have a reunion dinner, hence, the day where we (mainly my dad) spend many, many hours in the kitchen preparing the feast. There is no limit to how many dishes we make, as long as each dish symbolizes something auspicious.

Unfortunately, I don't remember the symbolic values of each dish, but I do remember them being super delicious! Here's what we made this year.

Here's dad's game plan.


Braised Chicken Feet.


Stir-fry vegetables with scallops.


Braised pork with shiitake mushrooms and sea cucumber.


Pak gai (or steamed white chicken).


Sweet and savory prawns.


Dung Gu Pau Yu (Braised abalone with shiitake mushrooms).


Woo tau kau yook (steamed yam with roast pork).


And last but not least, my dad's signature dish, fried tung fun which has been passed down from my grandmother. Usually eaten wrapped with butter lettuce. Yum!


And here's the full meal.

One very important point about Chinese New Year reunion dinners is that it is an absolute must to have leftovers because it symbolizes abundance of food available for the rest of the following year!