Coca Steamboat, Subang Parade

I have heard about Coca Restaurant many years ago while I’m still residing in Ipoh e.g. through promotion leaflet distributed by Jusco. I also still remembers how I used to say, “All these eateries are in KL, it’s not that we can go.” Yeah, Ipoh is seriously deprived of some higher end eateries.

When I shifted here in KL, these memories seems to be sealed somewhere in my brain and it never came across my mind to try these places which once regarded as “too far” until I received an email from Coca’s Marketing Manager, Ms Andrea Chua few weeks back, inviting me over to their Subang outlet for a dinner for two.

Calvin got to tag along and since I’ve read about Coca from other bloggers’ experience, we were not expecting for steamboat. True enough, as soon as we met Andrea, we were told that they have prepared a la carte dishes for us. We got to choose our drinks; I had the Roselle Juice while Calvin opted for fresh coconut. Good to perk up an appetite as the Roselle juice was sourish, yet refreshing and sugar free.

The first appetizer to arrive to our table was the Coca Stuffed Prawns (RM 9.00). The meat of these two large prawns (longer than my palm!) were removed, minced and mixed with onion, mushroom and some other ingredients and stuffed back into the prawns before being deep fried. Lipsmackingly delicious, the stuffing were juicy despite being deep fried and not greasy at all. Definitely a good start to the meal.

Next, was the famous Pandan Chicken (Kai Haw Bai Toey, RM 8.80). We both loved this a lot! Almost as big as my fist, the meat were well marinated, tender, succulent and exudes a lovely pandan fragrance.

We have been informed that Coca encourage healthy eating, hence they substitute coconut milk with yoghurt in their curry-based dishes, such as this Green Curry Chicken with Homemade Fish Balls (Gaeng Kew Wan Loke Chin Pla Kap Nuer Kai, RM 11.80). Overall, the dish looked exactly the same as the original version, only the gravy appeared to be slightly thicker. The chicken meat were, again, very tender and came in big chunks. Served together with aubergines and home made fish balls, I could taste that it was a bit different from the version cooked with coconut milk. If you’re not keen to have it cooked with yoghurt, you still can request them to cook it with coconut milk.

The Steamed Siakap in Thai Style was another hit. Prettily garnished with chopped scallion, cili padi, garlic, coriander, ginger and lime sauce, the flesh were fresh and firm but not overcooked. I just can’t stop to “bathe” the meat with the tangy and spicy lime sauce before putting it into my mouth. Absolutely delish.

Usually come drenched with gravy in Chinese restaurants, the Thai Butter Prawn was prepared the opposite way. The large prawns were prefectly cooked with a savoury butter “crust”, elevated with curry leaves and other spices. We polished the plate clean.

Calvin doesn’t fancy Tom Yam, hence I had all the Seafood Tom Yam (RM 13.80) to myself, except the prawns. Not too oily and brimming with oyster mushroom, squid, onion and large prawns, I just love the taste as soon as the spiciness started to kick in. I even drenched my bowl of rice with it.

The Pattaya BBQ Chicken (Kai Yang Pattaya, RM 11.80) might seem burnt and dry but do not let it fool you. Similar to the Pandan Chicken, the chicken thigh was grilled to perfection; slightly crispy skin while the meat remain tender and juicy. The marinade were sufficient, with a little smoky flavour.

And finally, the last dish of the night. A new item, as claimed by Andrea herself; the Steamed Live Crab with Beer! A gigantic Phillippines crab was chose for this dish, where the crab was steamed with beer, ginger and basil leaves. Do not worry about the alcohol content as alcohol will evaporate once exposed to heat. The crab absorbed much of the beer essence, which was quite refreshing. Definitely something new to try especially if you’re a crustacean fan (hint hint to Precious Pea).

Both of us were literally stuffed but Andrea insist that we must have dessert. One of Thailand’s popular dessert, Red Ruby or Tub Tim Krob (RM 7.50) and Honeydew Sago in Coconut Milk (RM 7.50) were presented before us and we found out that, resistance is futile. I like Coca’s version of Red Ruby as it served with jackfruit and not cloyingly sweet or lemak. The honeydew sago however, was quite lemak as it came with a thick layer of sinful coconut milk.

It was certainly a fun dining experience at Coca. The service was good, polite and friendly, although they might be slow in clearing the table during peak hour. The prices were a bit on the high side but we were amazed by the freshness of the seafood and the vast choice of a la carte dishes available.

Coca is currently running these promotions:

1. Live oyster – RM 32++ for 1/2 dozen. Add another RM 7 for a glass of white wine. Promotion runs till end of December 2008.

2. Steamboat with buffet spread (appetizer and desserts only) at RM 68++ per person on Friday – Sunday.

*We truly thank you, Andrea for the invitation!

Coca Restaurant (Subang Parade)
Lot G28, Level G, Subang Parade
5, Jalan SS16/1,
Subang Jaya, 47500
Petaling Jaya.

Tel: 03-5632 8766
Fax: 03-5632 8767

Coca Restaurant (One Utama)
Lot G38 & F40,
1 Utama Shopping Centre,
1, Lebuh Bandar Utama,
Bandar Utama, 47800
Petaling Jaya.

Tel: 03-7727 3180
Fax: 03-7728 2151

Read more about Coca at:

• I Am BM Kia
• KampungBoyCityGal
• Food 4 Thot
• Cumi & Ciki
• KY Speaks

Gui Zhou Garden, Pudu

Geographically, Gui Zhou is a mountainous province situated at the southern part of China, surrounded by Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangxi and Hunan. During the reign of Ming Dynasty, many people from the neighbouring province migrated to Gui Zhou and brought along their culture and lifestyle into Gui Zhou.

Wholly owned by Gu Tou Guan Restaurant which is located further down the same street, Gui Zhou Garden is located next to Hong La Qiao at Changkat Thambi Dollah. Similar like Hong La Qiao, most of the patrons here are China Chinese who just love to talk loudly, hence this place could be a little bit noisy during peak hour. And same like its neighbouring restaurants, remember to bring along a friend/relative who can speak Mandarin!

We were recommended by the si tau poh (lady boss) to try this starter, Fried Lotus Root in Hot Plate (RM 20). Seasoned minced pork and turnip were sandwiched in between two pieces of thinly sliced lotus roots, battered, deep fried and served with chilli sauce on a hot plate. The lotus roots were sliced with just the right thickness which retains the crunchy texture but it is advisable to eat them as soon as possible as the coating batter might turn soggy if left around too long.

There are two types of specialty for fish available; both are spicy but one of them is prepared with broth. If you’re not into something soupy, you can order their Steamed Fish Head with Special Sauce (RM 48). The humongous portion of fish head is steamed to perfection, and then topped with spring onion, grounded ginger, a special type of chilli pepper brought from China (green yellowish in colour with slightly thicker skin that gives a crunchy sensation) and soy sauce. Do keep in mind that this dish might need up to 20 minutes to prepare.

I prefer this more than the steamed fish. Sliced Fish with Special Spicy Broth (RM 35). Tilapia fish fillets were first marinated with Chinese wine, while the head and bones were pan fried and added to chicken broth. The broth is then boiled with dried chillies, garlic, spices, spring onion, Chinese cabbage, cucumber and large bean sprouts before the fish fillets were added to the broth. The result is a spicy but sweet fish broth that made us slurp till the last drop! The spiciness level is adjustable on request.

Steamed Towel Gourd (RM 15) might look plain and rather uninteresting but this simple dish, served with glass noodle, superior soy sauce and minced sautéed garlic is a good source of fiber (that’s according to what the lady boss told us).

Another simple Chinese dish, the Stir-Fry Pork (RM 18) is once regarded as the “poor man’s dish” in China, where the family will stir fry the pork together with whatever vegetables they can get from the farm or garden (according to the lady boss, again). The thinly sliced pork were stir fried with lard, green peppers, red peppers, ginger, garlic and shallot. Good to go with rice.

We end the meal with some home made Pumpkin Pancake (RM 2, minimum 6 pieces per order) which does not sweetened by sugar. Old pumpkin were chosen for their natural sweetness for this dessert; they were skinned, steamed till soft, mashed, mixed with flour and breadcrumbs and then deep fried till golden brown. Surprisingly, it doesn’t get fibrous (as some people claimed that old pumpkin’s flesh might be a bit hard and fibrous).

Total bill amount? Forgotten as someone else forked the bill. :) If compare to Hong La Qiao and Dong Bei, Gui Zhou’s prices are on the higher side. But next time if you’re looking for a place to celebrate birthday or other small occasion, why don’t give Chinese food a try for a change?

GuiZhou Garden Restaurant
No. 57, Jalan Changkat Thambi Dollah,
Off Jalan Pudu,
55100 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2148 5950
Fax: 03-2148 7950
Business Hour: 11.00am – 3.00pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm daily
Non halal.

Read also the post by Tummythoz here.

Klang One Day Tour, Part Two – Klang Cendol

*Continue from Klang One Day Tour, Part One – B.H. Bah Kut Teh*

After the heavy morning breakfast, we dropped by AEON Bukit Tinggi (claimed as the largest AEON or Jusco store in Southeast Asia. Or was it Asia?) for a walk. We then had lunch at BBQ Plaza which uses lard to grease the grilling pan. A chain restaurant from Thailand I guess, since the ads were showing Siamese language. It wasn’t really a good lunch, though.

Calvin then brought us into Klang town for a particular shop for cendol. He said the proprietor used to sell it at the roadside on his motorcycle but it has moved into a shoplot now. It’s easily recognised with its large green Klang Cendol signboard.

As you can see here, the original cendol costs RM 1.40, with glutinuous rice or ice cream will be RM 1.90 each. However, this photo was taken 3 months back. With the current economic slowdown and raise of food price, the price might have gone up a bit. Serving portion was slightly bigger than the one in Restoran Muar.

Nothing beats slurping a cooling ais kacang or cendol on a hot afternoon. All four of us had the original cendol which has a thick, creamy coconut milk with soft but not mushy cendol, red kidney beans and sufficient gula melaka syrup. For RM 1.40, it’s certainly a small treat everyone could afford.

And that ended our brief makan trip to Klang. I’m sure I will be back again.

Cendol Klang
78, Jalan Nanas,
41400 Klang.
Business hours: 11am – 7.30pm