Me recommending you an accommodation to check-in and stay? No - not in this post, as I will be reviewing one new hidden gem restaurant in the heart of Petaling Street Kuala Lumpur in which I had just paid them a visit recently.

 Yes, I know I'm slow when it comes to catch-up of new restaurant, cafe or whatsoever and I also considered that I have no match against Time Out KL or eatdrinkkl blog. Nonetheless, Chocha Foodstore has been operating weeks ago, under Mah Lian Hotel disguise. I was attracted by their restaurant concept of preserving the existing interior environment that had utilized in the past and their ideal of delivering casual, comfort and unique food to the diners based on fresh local ingredients, makes it even more attractive and a spot to die for.

Yes, the entire sensation is pretty calming as you step into the doors of the old shop, occupied with furnitures, old-classic props and floras that made you feel like home. Somewhat, it express the vibes of the oldie oriental that you can no longer experience elsewhere unless you replicate it based on this concept.

Kerabu Mango Slaw @ RM 15

A plate filled with green mango, cabbage slaw, fish sauce, chilipadi, peanut, lime juice and dried shrimps. The flavor is vibrant and the heat is there that it won't hurt your mouth. The onion slice, peanuts and chives helps to elevate the aroma of the dishes.

Aglio Olio with Duck Breast @ RM 22.

Homemade noodle, spiced duck confit, garlic confit, thai basil and lemongrass.

Honestly, the homemade noodle was mediocre as it just simply taste like the ordinary yellow noodle where you can obtain from the Chinese hawker stall. All in all, the other ingredients such as spiced duck confit and the garnishes helps to improve the taste of this dish.

Ulam Stew Barley Rice @ RM 28 

A bowl of ulam pesto, shaved salted egg, crispy dried shrimps, sauteed fresh squids.

This dish stands out among the rest of the items that I ordered mainly because the flavor of the overall dish itself was perfect and unique. Ulam pesto was just nice (not  too overpowering from the herbs) when it infused with the barley rice and perfect synergy with the rest of the ingredients such as sauteed dried squids and shaved salted egg.

Cold Brew Tea - Gold Rush @ RM 16.00

There's no way you can withstand hot weather except cold stuff like this. I had this bottle of Hojo's original blended tea, using natural farming black tea from Yunnan mixed with natural flowers and spices. Despite its brewing method, it managed to give me sweet fruity aroma such as dried peach or mango and mellow taste.

Note: Hojo is a Japanese tea brand that specialized in premium Japanese tea, Taiwanese tea and Chinese tea. The store can be found in Mid Valley shopping mall.

Personal verdict

Ulam stew barley rice is the best dish by far and the cold brew tea is great. Loving the environment, as it reminds me of Merchant's Lane (few steps away). Would like to drop-by again in the future to try their hot brew tea and other food item.