I got a call from my friend/ex-classmate, Robert, inviting me to dinner here…
…and of course, I happily accepted as with all that has been going on in my life, I hardly have time to socialise, get together with friends so this would be a welcome break.
Robert’s wife, Angela, brought this special dish…
…of phak lor (five-spice braised) pig’s tongue that she cooked at home. I love this delicacy but I hardly get to eat it anymore. In my younger days, it would be among the selections in the leng pua (cold dish) at every Chinese banquet and I used enjoy this at what they called the “roadside cocktails”, the stalls outside the pubs in PJ where they have everything on toothpicks and after one had had one’s fill, they would count the number of toothpicks and pay accordingly. The very small eggs were the first-laid ones, just a little bit bigger than quail eggs. Needless to say, I feasted on both and loved them so much.
Robert ordered the salt-baked fish…
…that I did say I would go back and try. It was very nice but towards the end, it got kind of salty with all that loose salt underneath so we did not enjoy it all that much.
We also had the kampung pork…
…which, of course, meant that the meat was organic like what people call the kampung chicken or kampung eggs. It may be tough if one buys and cooks one’s own but what we had that night was very nicely done.
Their own-made tofu…
…was a hit too. The way they cut it in slices like that made it look like French toast.
We had the sweet potato leaves…
…and the cangkuk manis fried with egg…
…for our vegetable dishes and both were good.
Our friend, Philip, who runs the coffee shop here treated us to these finger foods, the fried sotong (squid/calamari)…
…and the fried mushrooms…
They were great. We did ask the guy and he said they would use tapioca flour, not wheat flour so we certainly would be going back there again for these – my girl loves them a lot!
We were already very full when we heard it mentioned in passing that they had wat tan hor here so Robert insisted on ordering it…
…to share so everybody could try. Yes, it was good, as nice or nicer than many that we have around town but no, like most of our so-called Penang char kway teow, our KL Hokkien mee or Kuching kolo mee here, it was not quite the same as the real thing and the one I had here would win hands down – too bad they do not have it on their menu.
Of course, most importantly, the company was good and I sure had a great time enjoying the food and chatting with everybody – there were 8 of us altogether that night. Thank you so much, Robert, and thanks also to you, Angela – that pig’s tongue dish was awesome!
DRAGON DOOR (2.279520, 111.839882) is located along Jalan Aman, among the (new) shops on your left if you are coming in from Jalan Wong King Huo or on your right if you are coming from Lanang Road.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
I can’t say that pig’s tongue is something I’m hankering to try 😉 . all of those green veggies look good though.
Bet they still have those at the roadside cocktail stalls over at your side. Wide range of selections!
I agree with Monica’s comment on the pig tongue! 🙂
There’s this joke that if Adam & Eve had been Chinese, we would still be living in the Garden of Eden. Nothing goes to waste. 😀
All the dishes are to my liking except the pig’s tongue, give it a miss. So generous with the egg in the cangkuk manis dish. Love them heaps.
The char siew ones at the roadside cocktail stalls and also in the leng pua at the Chinese banquets in the old days were very nice. Texture like abalone and no taste of its own like the intestines, not like liver – the taste may put some people off.
I’m fine with liver but I’m not a fan of the ears because of the white layer, the bone or whatever in it. Kidneys must be well-cleaned or there will be a horrible smell like the kueh chap I had before in Kuching, so put off by it. For one thing, you would not find me buying any of these to cook my own at home, high cholesterol, they say…so once in a while when I come across any outside is fine..
Haiz…. Me wish also have more time to socialise…
If I am not wrong, we are more or less in those same shoes, having to care for the elderly. Well, you can go for your zumba sessions, mingle with your kakis once in a while. The much-needed break is good.
Pictures 2,3 and 4 made my mouth water.
Ahaaa!!! You like pig’s tongue, eh? Does not seem to go down too well with the rest, looking at all the above comments. I enjoyed it phak lor…and I do miss the char siew ones that I used to enjoy before. Very nice.
i don’t think i’ve ever tried pork tongue prepared this way … i’d love to see a three-tongue dish someday … a plate loaded with pork tongue, cow tongue and duck tongue, all together for different textures! 😀
Never tried nor seen cow tongue, duck I’ve seen on tv, tiny small bits, right?
Oh! So that’s how pig’s tongue is cooked! I have seen pig’s tongue sold at the supermarket and they looked, well, hideous. I have tried cow’s tongue and it’s nice, so I would enjoy pig’s tongue too.
Never tried cow’s tongue or any other tongue. Thank goodness I’ve never seen pig’s tongue uncooked. I probably would not want to eat it after that…like the very nutritious black chicken. Eyewwww!!!!
What is the white sauce over those fried mushrooms and sotong? Can hardly see the sotong or mushroom anymore. Must be really yummy.
Mayo. Next time, I will ask them to serve it in a bowl, dip if we feel like it. Nice stuff, no need for sauces or anything, just eat like that…though my missus will not agree. Mesti ada cili, pedas pedas!