Bites:Hoi Bo @ Bedford

Ask what constitutes a good chicken rice and you will get different answers from different Malaysians.  Some say it’s the rice, maybe the chicken, or the chili sauce and some might even say the beansprouts.  Despite it being a weekly affair for most back in Malaysia, there are few which I would eat frequently.  What more when I am a few thousand miles away from home now where quality Asian food is scarce.  Luckily enough, my cousin’s husband introduced me to Hoi Bo in Bedford.  Few have blogged or mentioned about it possibly due to its location, but this felt truly like a hidden gem for those living outside the vicinity.Buddha statue at the counter! Nom nom nom!

 

Preserved vegetable soup is complementary!I think this is easily one of the better tasting complimentary soups around town!

 

The Hainanese steamed chicken!Words are best kept simple when having such delicately cooked dish.  No-overcooking, smooth chicken meat and a tasty soy based sauce to  bring it all together!  My only complain would be that I hate steamed chicken skin because it has absolutely not taste.  I still my love KFC and roast chicken skin more:P!  However, most would beg to differ citing the smooth texture of the skin is a good enough reason to eat it! 

 

The other chicken we ordered was the Soy Chicken which tasted quite special.  The chicken has the same taste like the steamed one but packed a darker color and a much thicker soy sauce. Perhaps not exactly the same because the dark soy flavor/smell was definitely more apparent.  For me, I would definitely prefer the steamed one!

 

As for the rice, the one at Hoi Bo is pretty damn good.  Smells great, taste great and it even eats great.  Really hard to fault with the rice.  To me,  it even outshines some of the more popular chicken rice places back in Malaysia.   As for the chili sauce, it was the best I have ever tasted in Perth!  It was sweet, and salty with a hint of sourness all in the right proportions!  Noms!!

 

Finishing of the meal with beancurd pudding was the way we decided to go that afternoon!Sorry for the mess in the background haha. The beancurd came with a sweet syrup with a hint of ginger flavor.  Would not call it the best because it definitely lacked the textural smoothness.  Layers were cut too thick but it was OK! Definitely had worse ones in town before where the instant powder grittiness was still present when served!  Definitely wanna KO the restaurant owners who dare serve those!! *pukes*!

 

Overall, it is obvious enough that Hoi Bo is easily one of the places I would go to more often in the future.  With many other Malaysian delicacies on the menu, there is definitely more that could tempt us back to this humble eatery in the Bedford suburb in the future.  However, if I had to list my top  three chicken rice places, Hoi Bo definitely does not hold the crown alone!

 

My top 3:

1/2 Hoi Bo(Bedford) , Old Cathay (Vic Park)

3 Tak Chee (Northbridge)

 

In Hoi Bo, definitely the steamed chicken, at Old Cathay the roast chicken and at Tak Chee, the roast chicken.   Some merits of Old Cathay Chicken Rice is definitely its delicious rice, chicken and a really well-presented dish.  Parking there is really easy too!  But beware!!! It can be oily at times!  As for Tak Chee, this is the cheapest place for chicken rice when eating with friends.  For 8 bucks a head, this places packs enough bang per buck to make it to my top 3!

 

Regards,

WenY

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Bites: Dim Sum @ Café Delight

Last week, the lads and I had a little dim sum adventure where we tried a new Yum Cha place called Café Delight nearby my office.  I have to say, the interior looks pretty damn good as it has just recently opened.  But the layout of the entrance obviously showed that the restaurant expected long queues which hmm lets just say that has not turned out quite correct yet.

Its food was not the tastiest and at best, most were mediocre.

The prawn dumplings felt rather typical.  Not that it tasted bad but after having so many, most seem to taste the same.  One point to note was that the dumplings were cooked spot on as the skin did not break when we brought it out.   Prawns were springy not powdery I guess this it a good thing.

Another thing we ordered was the chicken feet which I found was well marinated.  It was sweet, and salty with just the perfect amount of heat which is not too much at all.  I liked the way the skin was puffed and fell right of the bone when I ate it.  This to me is the most important thing for a dish like that.  No bad smell as well, so yay!

We also ordered bean curd skin rolls and congee which were all ok but then again, mind blowing it was not. Too many thing here felt rather typical.

At the end of the meal, we also ordered things like the egg tart, chicken pie, rice flour rolls and chili pepper squid.  All of which were under average compared to its peers with the exception of the chili pepper squid.  Chicken pie felt certain as if they were trying to copy New Moon/Dim Sim Café all of which I believe are related to Hoi’s Kitchen when I try certain dishes.  The fillings of the pie were shadowed by what seemed like an eternity of pastry! Rice flour roll was deceptive with a thin layer of the roll on top ending with 3 layers at the bottom.  My dim sum comment shall always be the same about rice flour rolls in Perth! They suck so bad!!  But what made me happy was the squid which was crispy and really tasty which to some would equate to very salty.

When I asked the guys what they thing about the food, Mr Cincai said “OK” which he always does,  while Chau said it was OK, but felt really bland at some point.  Win reckon’s Dragon Palace is better.  To me, many things that day felt lucky.  Well cooked chicken feet and good dumpling skin has always been a matter of luck for most diners.  Sometimes if you are lucky it is good, sometimes everything feels overcooked and falls off the dumpling.  Chicken feet always has the issue of being too tough.  Fry it more! Soak it in colder water! or just braise it more!  But when intimidating crowds of 100s queue outside, I guess dim sum business really becomes the hardest!  Would this be a valid excuse for us to pay continue paying $20 per head when the quality fluctuates so much?  I wonder.

WenY

Bites: Superstar Waffles

Hidden unsuspectingly in a quiet lane is a little dessert place called Superstar Waffles.  Without a doubt, the name gives it all away.  However though, the claim of title Superstar makes me go WHATTTTT?  Anyways, having had dinner at Hawkers last Saturday, my homies and I decided to make a trip to Superstar Waffles since it was really nearby.  For those who find it hard to find, Superstar Waffles is located along the Arcade behind KThreeG/Kakulas Bros Shop.

 

STRESSED = DESSERTS?

 

Claim to fame?

 

Entering the premises, we wondered why was not there the usual buttermilk aroma which is typically present in most waffle shops. To be exact, the “Gelare” aroma.  Despite that, we were in no way demotivated to order.  Among ourselves we called 4 waffles to share.  Here is what we ordered and what WenY thinks!

 

First in was the Sweet Milk waffle and this surely was one of the best Superstar combination. Drenched in a condensed milk X butter sauce, there is nothing more Asian than this classic finish.  It was good! The delicious waffles absorbed the sauce giving it a pleasant moisture with a very tantalizing butter aroma.  One thing I liked about the waffle here is that the outer bit is a little crispy with a soft inside.  Whenever I do a trip to Gelare, it always feels crunchy through.  More like a biscuit. For me, this consistency is pretty spot-on!

 

My pick for the night was the peanut butter mousse and Oreo waffle.  I really like what I had there.  The peanut butter mousse was light, airy and not sickening.  For me, it was perhaps a little less rich than I would like it to be.  Furthermore, only half the waffle had peanut butter.  Next time, it will be peanut butter over the whole waffle! hohoho!  And I felt like the Oreo felt more of a textural component but felt somewhat lackluster! Next time, peanut butter ftw!

 

Darling decided to go berrylicious with a waffle paired with berry compote, crispy oats and double dose of vanilla ice cream.  This one might be for those who seek a more balanced flavor. For me, the berry compote felt a little to acidic but when mixed, you get the aromatic waffle to blend in with the sweet vanilla flavor and a good compote to wrap it all together.  Pretty good in that manner.  Oats the little darling did not feed me so I had not idea how it tasted.  But if crispy, it adds that little sugary crunch that would be welcomed!

 

Overall, Superstar Waffles lived up to its hype.  I liked its décor, very nicely done in a way where one feels homely.   Its waffles lacked in the “Gelare Aroma” but never failed to give that delicious texture I look for in my waffles.  But not everything is so green at Superstar Waffles. The downside was picked up by my whipped cream expert who found that the cream was perhaps a little overwhipped.  It was missing the light consistency along with a more milky taste.  We found the cream slightly stickier than usual.  Nonetheless, I who love my peanut butter would not bother with the cream in anyway.  But those who like their waffle with cream and syrup might say otherwise!  Notwithstanding the high and lows of my night, I would definitely welcome this little café to join the ever improving food culture in Perth! :D!

 

WenY