The pork-free Hu Ji Chinese Restaurant in the Copthorne Orchid Hotel in Tanjung Bungah is one of my favourite chill-out places, especially at their weekend (and public holiday) Taiwan Porridge Buffet, where you’ll often find me hanging out there with a few girlfriends. I like it because it’s a place I can go for as much food as I want, when I want it, and it’s in clean, comfortable air-conditioned surroundings with (usually) lots of parking, without having to battle the traffic going into town.

Now run by Chef Raymond Yeoh who recently took over, the buffet always has 3 types of congee on the boil – plain, with sweet potato or flavoured with chicken or pei tan (century egg) – as well as plain rice and a noodle dish or two.

There are always about ten main savoury dishes on offer which change weekly, but usually comprise several vegetable dishes, chicken, fish, steamed egg custard and tofu cooked in different ways, together with a whole host of condiments laid out on a separate table. These cover the spectrum from red-and-white salted or black pei tan egg, pickled radish and chopped spring onions to the ubiquitous chopped chilli padi, but of course, and our local must-have chilli paste, sambal belacan.

[Read more…]