[Kuala Lumpur] Third Serving at KLGCC Mall

[klyeoh (Peter)]

Back in KL, in time for tomorrow’s 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗞𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗮 𝗟𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘂𝗿 & 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 awards ceremony. In the meantime, I’m taking advantage of my time here to explore the latest developments in KL’s food scene.

The most exciting one has to be ex-Oriental Cravings’ proprietress, Fay Cheng, and her former head chef, Lau Lib Seng, renewing their 18-year working relationship at Oriental Cravings at the new, two-week-old 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 on the 3rd floor of the spanking new KLGCC Mall. It’s been packed since it opened on 24 Oct - Oriental Cravings command an almost cultish following amongst KL-lites.

Again, the dynamic duo presented some very, very good comfort food. We ordered too much, then surprised ourselves by licking everything clean. What we had:
Claypot 𝘭𝘰𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯 - rice noodles braised in an unctuous, utterly delicious sauce, then topped with a raw egg, to be stirred into the noodle casserole and bind everything together, whilst adding to the richness of the dish. A firm favourite - 75 kg of 𝘭𝘰𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯 or 250 claypots of this dish alone were sold last Saturday!

Golden bean-curd, with its crisp-exterior, silken-soft inside, topped with minced pork and preserved vegetables. My fave for today’s lunch.

Pig’s trotters with black vinegar and ginger - good to the last drop.

Braised bitter-gourd with eggs. This is a very “Penang” tze char dish - to get any better, one needs to make a 350km/ 217-mile trip up there to Penang itself.

Steamed minced pork & tung choi (preserved vegetable) patty. My grandma used to make this for me 50 years ago. I could eat this every day!

Chee cheong fun with curried pork & potatoes. This is one of those dishes we conceptualize in a dream. This is one made real.

Water spinach (kangkung) with sambal belachan. Best version ever, with the most tender green shoots used.

For dessert, we tried their ultra-light 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘪 𝘨𝘰𝘶 sponge cake, lightly pan-fried in butter. This is a variation of Elegant Inn’s billowy-light, cloud-like Golden Custard Cakes, but a caramelly one. A delicious variant indeed.

If I live in KL, I’m sure to eat here 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 day!

Address
Third Serving
Lot 3F-03, Third Floor, KLGCC Mall, 1, Jalan Bukit Kiara 1, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +603-2011 9187
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm, daily

[klyeoh (Peter)]

Off-topic - KLGCC Mall itself is hardly 3 weeks old. New shops and eateries are opening every other day.

This about-to-be-opened Italian restaurant’s name caught my eye. I have seen a few places which call themselves “The Godfather”, but this is the first one I’d ever seen which calls itself “Al Pacino”!

[Harters (John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)]

That all looks really good.

[medgirl]

- do you think they have the actor’s backing? Otherwise they might find themselves in a bit of trouble using his name?!

[medgirl]

Looks amazing. That sponge cake - wow! I’ll bookmark this for the next time I’m in KL.

[klyeoh (Peter)]

@medgirl

Otherwise they might find themselves in a bit of trouble using his name?!

My thoughts precisely!

[klyeoh (Peter)]

Always a pleasure to introduce visiting relatives from Singapore to some of the best food in Kuala Lumpur here at Third Serving.

My Uncle Ronney, in particular, was totally blown away by the big, big flavors he encountered here. A passionate foodie, he is always on the lookout for good food in the region.

Our dinner spread:
BB Chicken - batter-fried chicken with the savory-smokey glaze. One of the house signature dishes - the complexity of the sauce has befuddled many other top chefs in KL who wanted to copy this very popular dish. But no one seems able to crack its secret recipe, and the well-balanced flavors here continue to delight us diners.

Sweet-sour Pork. - there are so many renditions of this dish in KL’s tens of thousands of Chinese eateries, but the rendition here is definitely up there amongst the best I’d ever had.

Claypot Loh Shue Fun. - THE house special that everyone seems to order here. We licked every drop clean from the claypot serving vessel.

Claypot Fish-head & Aubergines. - another winner here: the kitchen’s strength here is reproducing “homecooked” flavors in a commercial eatery environment. This one tasted like one’s mum or grandma had just brought it out from the home kitchen to the family dinner table. Sheer comfort food.

Scrambled Eggs with Bitter Gourd. - owner, Fay Cheng, is a frequent visitor to Penang, and this is one of the Penang-Chinese dishes she successfully transplanted to Kuala Lumpur.

Dessert: Pan-fried Malai Gou with Butter.

Coffee with Salted Cream.

Wished I live in KL, to be able to come here more often.