Review: Good, hearty Breakfast @ Restoran Win Heng Seng - Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur

Kays & I were back in his hometown KL over the weekend for brother-in-law Yew & ST's wedding celebration. It was an extremely short trip so we've not been able to cover much grounds on the food front. I still have on my list Soo Kee KL Hokkien Mee & Beef Hor Fun, Klang Bak Kut Teh, SS2 Mi Goreng special!! Unfortunately these are all located very far from one another so I will probably take a few trips to fulfill them all.

One of the Woo-boys' comfort food is the Pork Ball Noodle Soup, and Yew brought us specially to Win Heng Seng coffeeshop @ Jalan Imbi which is one of the better known stalls in KL.

If you're staying in the KL city area, this place is just a short walk/ cab ride around the corner from Jalan Bukit Bintang. This coffee shop is located prominently at the corner of Jalan Imbi, next to an open air carpark in the day (that magically transforms to even more food stalls by night) so it's hard to miss.

Pork Ball Noodle Soup

The rice noodles (kway teow) was cooked al dente, topped with fresh chopped scallions, marinated minced pork, pork balls that somehow were never round. What made the most lasting impression were interestingly their dark, flavourful sausages. 

While their soup base didn't have as much oomph as our regular stall in Petaling Jaya, this is no doubt a favourite breakfast haunt for many locals.

It's usually packed so be prepared to wait a while for a table

this is the stall we bought from - just look out for this uncle and the stack of sausages at the side!

Do also try the Sio Bao and egg tarts at the little pastry stall around the corner, which seems to be another crowd puller in the morning.

Next trip in December, so I will attempt at fulfilling my list again!

7 out of 10
Restoran Win Heng Seng 永興成茶餐室
Jalan Imbi
Kuala Lumpur

Review: Brunch @ Cafe Hacienda - Dempsey

Under XQ & Jack's recommendation we checked out Cafe Hacienda @ Dempsey for brunch a couple of weeks back. I'd been to Hacienda (the bar side) several years ago and they've since expanded to include a cafe/bistro arm at a separate "barrack" which used to belong to Wine Network. These are the same guys behind the now defunct Brown Sugar, located at StarDus along River Valley road, Prive @ Keppel Marina and Superfamous @ Chulia St.

The decor is rather rustic, with basic furnishings and checkered table cloths. We were seated near their book shelves and were happy to see our favourite childhood Roald Dahl books on display! 

Mental note to return for my favourite Brown Sugar Hand-chopped Wagyu burger (there used to be a + foie gras version as well!), but since it was still a little too early for that sort of decadence, we opted for more "breakfasty" food instead.   

XQ's pretty Banana + Chocolate milk shake

The lattes - flower pattern for me, some wavy one for Jack!

All Day Breakfast menu - this is their Ultimate Breakfast with perfectly done sunny-side up eggs. Our Yeh Yeh would love this!

Fluffy Strawberries + Banana Pancake stack wth thick gooey maple syrup and whipped double cream

Eggs Royale with Smoked Salmon & Arugula - Even though the symmetry of this dish seemed a little disturbing, it was one of the best poached eggs + hollandaise sauce I've ever tasted! Lightly scorched on top and with a hint of tanginess, not too over-powering!

The star of the day was definitely the straight cut truffle fries for us! (we succumbed to the temptation afterall, with some urging on from one another) Ah Mak says: MUST ORDER THIS!!

Yet another lovely place for a relaxing weekend brunch. In fact, we're planning to go again this weekend so Kays gets to try too!

8.5 out of 10
Cafe Hacienda
13/13A Dempsey Road
Tel: +65 6476 2922