Fort Garrison — Restaurant in Petaling Jaya

I'll put this upfront: I grew up with Hainanese chicken chop way back in the 1980s. Today, I can only eat Yut Kee's version (the breaded fried chicken is sweetish, and still my absolute fav) and "Chicken Chop", which used to be Michael's when the shop was still non-halal and called Kuan Yew (SS3).

I was hoping Fort Garrison could at least give me a third regular go-to Hainanese chicken chop option. Sadly, it didn't happen. The whole dish was extremely salty. Maybe the crew overdid it? I did go at 8.20pm, which was close to their 9pm closing time.

The chicken chop might have touched the bottom of the batter bowl, which may have extra salt since it's the end of the day. I was willing to give the average sauce a pass (might have been baked bean ketchup).

Price for the Hainan chicken chop is reasonable. RM22.50 before tax etc is good, for a PJ mall establishment. The chicken thigh was pretty voluminous, with minimum batter.

Shame though, as the place is very comfortable, cosy and they do seem to have a very impressive menu. I do love places that try to give us old school kopitiam food at modern-day pricing. That's how we keep our heritage alive.

I still plan to be back to try the other items. Was a bit late to drink any caffeine during this visit, so I skipped...

25 May, Sat, 12 pm, 2 pax

The shop is at the ground floor of Seventeen Mall, and has ample space for large or small groups. It has a open space an chill vibe, reminiscent of old hainanese kopitiams where people can sit in for a extended period for conversations. Service was quick and efficient which is a plus point too.

We ordered the Hainanese Chicken Chop and the Cham. The food was on point in every aspect. Sauce was authentic, using baked beans, green peas, onions and L&P Sauce. The chicken was fried to order and the coating was perfection. The real reason it was good, was eating this reminded me of my own Hainanese grandfather who made this in his own kopitiam.

The Cham was made by the boss himself, and just the right mixture of coffee and tea. It's the right amount of sweetness, and they have a much larger cup if you're that thirsty.

This was at RM 32+, and for this authentic quality food is a steal!

So thankful that the boss, JJ, was there today. After introducing myself he took time to sit with me and shared some Hainanese history, which made this restaurant experience even better. Will be...

I noticed this eatery in an IG review first. Eagerly came to sample it on my first free day. We had :

Nasi Lemak Ayam Masak Merah Lontong Kering Waffle - butter & molasses Kopi panas Teh C ice

The nasi lemak was served hot 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Rice had a delicate flavour of santan, portion was perfect. Sambal was mildly sweet, not as oily as most and tasty. Chicken was well cooked, had sufficient sauce, tasty and a good size (whole leg).

The lontong was served hot 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 which was a lovely change as most places served it either cold or room temperature. Everything that came with this dish was packed with flavour and in sufficient quantity so that every bite of lontong had something to go with it.

The waffle was a little 'lighter' than I prefer and we were trying molasses for the first time. We would have preferred honey or maple syrup. They served the butter grated over the top which was a unique way of getting butter all over the waffles 👍🏻👍🏻

Our local coffee & tea were smooth and tasted as it should 👍🏻

We will definitely be back to try more of the menu as the slight twist they put on the food is...