When my girl was home last weekend, she mentioned that she loved the mashed potatoes here…
…so very much, much more than the ones we make ourselves at home. I guess this place needs no introduction now and despite being hard pressed for time, shuttling between my parents’ house and our own and the medical centre and trying to cope with every little thing in between, I made it a point to take her there for that (RM8.00)…
I guess nothing pleases a father more than seeing his child enjoying something that is made available to him or her.
I noticed that they had mushroom soup (RM5.00)…
…on their menu and I ordered that to try. Yes, it was so very nice and no, you will not catch us eating those in the cans and packets ever again after this. We did check the ingredients to make sure it was gluten free and indeed, it was – just mushrooms, potatoes and milk, the boss said – no flour was used in the making.
We got one huge bowl of the soup but of course, that was specially for us. I understand that the usual serving would not be so big. We enjoyed it a lot, thick and rich and nice and we imagined adding prawns and squid (sotong), clams (lala) perhaps or mussels and we would have one very delightful bowl of seafood chowder.
Other than our usual pomelo salad (RM8.00)…
…I also wanted to try their sour chicken (RM16.00, with rice)…
…which is their variation of the Cantonese sour duck. No, it was not the same as the sour duck that I had before – it had all those herbs and other ingredients so as to make it a cut above the rest. I wanted to try it as I saw an article in a Chinese newspaper sometime ago – they interviewed Peter, the boss and this dish was the main feature in that publication. Personally, I would go for our favourites here, the spicier and stronger tasting delights that they serve, but I thought this would be all right sometimes for a change, a good option for anyone who is not into anything hot and spicy.
After that quick lunch, we had to rush off quickly to…where else but the medical centre.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Not all potatoes mash well. I believe russet potatoes from the US are great. I’d love to find a local breed though that did equally well.
Yes, we’ve encountered that too – some are simply not great for mash. The one here is cooked – I could detect the taste of butter and the fragrance of garlic, quite unlike the regular mashed potatoes, ours or elsewhere.
From the 1st pix, I know the place well. Am not so keen into mashed potatoes but yes, mushroom soup & pamelo salad, love them to bits. Sour chicken??…..as in cooked with vinegar. 1st time heard of this dish.
Dunno how the Cantonese do it with their sour duck but the one here, I saw in the newspaper that day the photo of the ingredients used, there were a lot of limes, not calamansi – the bigger green ones.
No rojak this time?
No, right now we’re hooked on the pomelo salad, very nice. Wait till we get tired of it.
Try to get US Russet potatoes if u can, they’re the best for mashing. If you like the garlic taste, then powdered garlic would be best.
Here, at best they will tell you where the potatoes are from – from China, from Australia…and so on. We will just have to buy and keep our fingers crossed.
Hope everything will be well soon.
I still like their pomelo salad the most
Thanks. I certainly hope so too. Dragging on for one month already, I’m worn out – not young myself anymore.
Yes, still our favourite, the pomelo salad.
The mashed potato looked very thick. Was it heavy on the butter?
The sour chicken was an interesting spin. It looked good but a tad greasy.
No, not greasy – probably the reflection of the light on the thin layer skimming the surface. In fact, with chicken these days, it is virtually impossible not to have some oil, never mind if you boil or steam or fry or stew even if you go through all the trouble of removing all the skin and trimming off all the fat. Sometimes, there is so much I would need to get rid of it using my oil/fat separator. That is why I like roasting – all the oil would drip off the bird.
Nope, could just get a hint of the butter and the garlic, not strong and definitely not over-powering. Could still enjoy the taste of the potatoes.
If not wrong, heard about US Russet Potatoes being best in mashing as what Baby Sumo mention…
See my reply to Baby Sumo.
I’ve been reading your blog for so long, I can recognise the restaurant from your first photo.
Yes, their centrepiece. Only at Payung!
Lovely photos, and the food looks delicious! 🙂
Thanks for your compliments.
The mashed potatoes and mushroom soup are two comfort foods that I would also enjoy.
I guess we’ll be back there again soon – stuff my girl enjoys a lot!
I like some texture in my mashed potatoes. Not too mash but still have some bits to bite. That is how I like my mashed potatoes.
Long time didnt make mash at home.
That is why I do not use the blender, mash by hand. I don’t like it too fine and too smooth either.
I like the salad and the chicken, prices still reasonable to me. Hope your mom is recovering…
Not about to go home soon, from the look of it.
Ooo I’ve never heard of Cantonese sour duck before … the closest thing I’d know is sweet and sour pork! 😉
Oh? It’s a favourite delicacy among my ex-students in Kanowit, they’re Cantonese. Will cook it specially and bring to our reunion gatherings. Maybe their ancestors were from a different province from the ones in KL, I wouldn’t know.