danny writes...

Pho Hoa, The Curve - 21 Sept 2009

2009-09-21T03:24:00.000-07:00

Today is a public holiday in view of the Hari Raya Aidil Fitri and as expected the malls were bustling with people and car parks were full. Well, I was craving for a bowl of steaming noodle soup and Pho Hoa just came to mind naturally.

It is situated on the Ground floor between The Curve and Ikano Power Station. It is opposite the courtyard away from Sakae Sushi and Kim Gary.

I have had the vermicelli with spring rolls and grilled beef cutlets and the rice with grilled lemon grass chicken but today, I was craving for something soupy.

For those who are new to Pho Hoa, pho is vietnamese for rice noodle soup. Here, at Pho Hoa, you get to choose what you like in it. To be more specific, you can choose between being safe or being adventurous. Safe means having only beef brisket and beef balls. Adventurous means adding tendon, flank, tripe... basically innards which will make some squeal.

Well, I am the adventurous type and will always opt for the "all-in" version. I think most people choose otherwise for 2 reasons i.e. the thought of eating innards and secondly, the strong beefy tasting broth, which most people also attribute to the innards. I can't help you with the first reason but for the second one, I can assure you that, you need not worry.

Pho Hoa adds french onions and chopped coriander in their broth and such that it not only enhances the flavor but also rids of the beefy after taste. Furthermore, if you add on the other condiments i.e. sweet basil, bean sprouts, freshly squeezed lime juice and cut chilly, that would definitely do the trick.

Other than being able to choose your choice of meat or innards, you can of course choose which size you want. You can also custom make the pho exactly to your own specification e.g. if you didn't like coriander in it or you didn't like bean sprout etc, you can specify. This is all stated on the menu... not kidding.

As customer orientated as the menu, the staff were attentive and service was brisk. I was very impressed, when I requested for a glass of ice water, the waiter asked us whether we wanted another glass since there were two of us brunching (and my friend already had a glass of ice water). No big deal it may seem to most but for me these are the tiny service detail that makes me tick ; )

Pho Hoa Noodle Soup

G34, The Curve, Mutiara Damansara

Petaling Jaya 40870

Tel No. : 03-7725 9880

Apartment, The Curve 13 Sep 2009

2009-09-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

Sunday brunch... wanted something healthy, so went for the passion fruit, garden greens with vinaigrette dressing. It was interesting that the chef mingled some spring onion with the usual salad greens. I didn't think that it enhanced the flavor in anyway but I really like the passion fruit addition. It is a bit overpowering but at the same time refreshing. Bringing along the bitterness that you normally derive from the red endive or lollo rosso. If you don't know what I am talking about, look this up:

http://www.foodsubs.com/Greensld.html

I ordered the pasta as my main.... It was sort of like a stir fry spaghetti with lean chicken slices and tomatoes. It was disappointing... too bland, too dry. I think it could use a bit of gravy or at least a bit more oil. Maybe if they substitute the olive oil with peanut oil, then perhaps it will be more fragrant. Maybe it is me, I like my char kuey teow too much.

The baked fish was recommended in the menu and it was such a delight. The fish was slightly coated with cheese and oven baked. So, the fish is still juicy and moist. The cheese adds to the flavor and besides the cheese, the chef also mashed and added some cherry tomatoes which further enhances the flavor. Very nice... rather simple dish but extremely delicious. I think this can be easily replicated at home for parties or gatherings.

Restoran Pun Chun, Bidor

2009-09-16T07:03:00.000-07:00

Great place to stop for breakfast when you travel up north to Ipoh, Penang or Cameron Highlands.... exit Bidor and after the toll, turn right at the junction. Heads towards town which is about 2KM away.

Town is two row of shops and you will find Pun Chun on your right. Parking is available behind the Caltex station.

Must try.... the herbal duck drumstick noodle, the dim sum especially the "wu kok" (yam puff) and the selection of dim sum... You can also buy chicken biscuit, "pong peah" and local produce there.

You will also find stalls selling petai, guava and other seasonal fruits outside the shop. ; P

Yik Kee, Fresh Water Prawn Noodle

2009-09-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

Very nice fresh water prawn noodle from Yik Kee (Jalan Besar, Karak). RM30!!! The prawns are so fresh... Local from Triang, a small town near Temerloh.

Krabi and Phi Phi Delights (31 July - 2 Aug, 2009)

2009-08-31T07:38:00.000-07:00

Just want to share some food shots from my Krabi trip. Nothing extraordinary for those who have been to any Thailand cities or towns. I mean, You can find about the same in any part of Thailand but nevertheless, it is such a delight for me to savour this goodies in Krabi... from the sidewalk food stall to the tourist class restaurant to the al fresco thai dining eateries. Well, enjoy... these are what I discovered in my short holiday in Krabi and Phi Phi Island...

Krabi Day 1

Street food... as greasy as they come. This is the Thai version of roti canai (for my fellow Malaysians) or prata (for my Singaporean friends). Sorry, more like roti telur (bread with egg) with dollops of butter inside. Served with a drizzle of condensed milk and sprinkle of sugar... rolled into a cigar with a piece of yesterday's newspaper. Yes, isn't that interesting... peel the paper and munch like you are having a crepe or popiah.... Hmmm go figure.

Next stop, was to try the oyster omelet. Actually, mussels rather than oysters and the omelet is more like a crusty pancake instead of an omelet or even different from our local "ho jian" which is more starchy in texture. It is nice especially with the thai chilly sauce. The taste reminds me of our local "cucur udang".

Then I decided to be a bit more adventurous and ordered the barbeque chicken... grilled over an open charcoal fire. More like smoked... For those hygiene conscious folks, you will probably pass or reconsider but I must say, the chicken was really well marinated and the "smoke" does add to the flavor and I guess that's what gives it the ummphh...

Well, of course I must try the pad thai (Thai fried kuey teow).... street version. The ones I had in the restaurant normally is served with pounded peanuts but this version, had "tau kuah" or fried bean curd slices and of course, lots of bean sprout. The noodle was a bit sticky but the taste was great... squeeze the slice of lime and drizzle the juice all over... add your favorite condiments, pickled chilly, chilly flakes, little bit of sugar and fish sauce. Yummy...

Krabi Day 1 Dinner

Dinner at Wangsai Seafood Restaurant... highly recommended by the bartender at the hotel pool and it was only 5 minutes walk from the hotel. Very popular with the locals. Ordered a stir fry Thai vege, looks like a cross between spinach and morning glory. Simply delicious with prawns and egg. The beef green curry was very tasty. Generous slices of bamboo shoots, fresh thai coriander and cut red chilly to spice up the curry.

The fresh water prawn was a bit of a let down. Ordered one barbequed with salt and another buttered with garlic. The prawns were slightly over grilled and came out a bit tough. I was reminiscing the fresh water prawns I had in Bangkok, at Bahn Klang Nam, this wonderful traditional Thai restaurant by the Mekong river... Hmmmm....

Day 2 Phi Phi Island

I had a very touristy lunch... so was not really worth posting the photos here but discovered this very quaint looking pastry shop along the streets of Phi Phi Island. Thought this is worth sharing.

Day 2 Dinner

This is probably the highlight of my trip in terms of meals... Please check out this stall Potjawon's Restaurant, specializing in traditional Issan dishes i.e. dishes from the northeast region of Thailand bordering Laos. It is along Aonang Beach. From the hotel (Red Ginger) walk towards the night market or the main shopping stretch and you will find a few stalls on your left. About 10 minutes walk. You won't miss it... quite prominent because this is the only centralized food stalls I found.

Potjawon's steamed siakap is so good... the fish was really fresh. Steamed thai style with chinese coriander, lemon, garlic and chilly... it was best steamed fish I have had for a long time. Not too expensive... can't remember exactly but I think it was around 250 baht.

The "Suup Nua" or beef broth cooked with tomatoes, coriander, lime, lemon grass, onion and chilly was superb too. Very appetizing, very spicy.... and for only 100 baht.

The Scarlet (18-19 July, 2009; Singapore)

2009-08-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Located behind the famous Maxwell Food Centre. Somewhere amongst the beautifully conserved colonial shop lots. The Scarlet is situated at the corner, all the way up Erskine Road.

The entrance to the hotel lobby is situated on the second shop lot. The corner lot is where the hotel restaurant is. The decor at the lobby was mysteriously gothic? I don't know why I feel that way... maybe because it was very dimly lit. Heavily carpeted. Dark furnishing but nevertheless, the front desk personnel greeted with so much warmth. I bet they could melt and iceberg. I was most impressed with the service.

Another impressive discovery was how big Scarlet actually is. I thought it was a small boutique hotel and occupies probably 3 shop lots and possibly housing 20 rooms. But I was so wrong. As I was led to my room, I went through a good 50m walk through a maze of rooms and apparently Scarlet occupies the shops all the way down to 7-Eleven. That must be a good 10 lots at least. If I remember correctly, they have 60 rooms?

The room however was a bit of a let down. Really small. I mean it was so small that the sink has to be out side the bathroom. Maybe, because I had a normal deluxe room. For SGD150, it was alright. What more can you ask for but I am sure they have bigger ones.

I am not really complaining by the way. The room was comfortable. Bed was nice. Sadly, my window view was on of the roof top because I was on the second floor.

Anyway, two thumbs up for their service. I enjoyed my stay and would definitely return.

Red Scarlet

33 Erskine Road

Singapore 069333

Tel: +65-6511 3333

Fax: +65-6511 3303

http://www.thescarlethotel.com/

Red Ginger Chic Resort in Krabi

2009-08-14T23:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new series on boutique hotels around the region. These are some pictures taken at the Red Ginger Chic Resort in Krabi. I stayed in the "Clubhouse" room, which is really a loft. Spacious.

I really like the day bed in place of the conventional sofa settee. Really nice for afternoon naps or even card games with friends.

Nice view of the pool. Service is great. Not a big resort, so you can be assured of peace and tranquility.

5-10 minutes walk to the night market and also to the seafood restaurants.

For more details on pricing and booking, please look up the website.

http://www.redgingerkrabi.com/

Ikan Cencaru at Mum's Place... June 26, 2009

2009-07-03T22:22:00.000-07:00

I ought to really carry a sling bag with me every time I go out. So that I have no excuse for not bringing my camera and uploading blurry pictures here. Blurry photos does not do justice to the food... My fault... I'm bad... I'm bad... You know it! (bereavement of MJ's passing... still).

Anyway, Mum's Place is one of those eateries that is so reputable that people are willing to travel the distance to have dinner there. Though the menu has grown over the years but what most patrons return for are the local nyonya dishes which I refrain from calling simple because the preparation required to present an unpretentious looking dish does not necessary mean that it is any lesser. Well, Gordon Ramsay don't have to pound red shallots, chilly and belacan for his fillet mignon. Not to undermine western cooking but I believe all form of cuisine deserves it's place in this world. Maybe I am just being argumentative, I am sure may people would agree with me. Gosh, it is the weekend... why am I so sensitive?

Maybe all this is to put things into perspective. The blurry photos aside but I must admit that the dishes were really not well presented. No fancy carved carrot and turnip figurines or assortment of garden salad by the side. Nothing that will wow you at the first instant. But of course, the restaurant itself is nothing less than classy and yet exudes the warmth and homely environment. Every piece of furniture is wood. The restaurant is spacious. Good mix of tables, whether to seat a couple for a romantic dining getaway or a rowdy family gathering partitioned away by indonesian teak wood dividers . Staff were very attentive and the service is quick and brisk.

Of course, what we are really after is the delicious home cook flavors from the kitchen. I have had dinner here several times already and I try to sample new dishes each time I come but one thing for sure, without fail, the Stuffed Ikan Cencaru will always have my divine devotion and make it to the order.

I am going to be really objective here. How good can fry fish be? You might giggle, sniggle or laugh out loud as I say this... but it is truly damn good. Fish fried to perfection... crispy on the outside while maintaining the moist fish flesh infused with sambal which is totally cooked through unlike some sambal stuffed cencaru where the chilly is still raw. You will also find a delicious stock oozing out from the fish flavoured by the spicy sambal which is likely to be pounded chilly, shallot, belacan and various other spices. To really push the needle, Mum's has added petai to the fish but I am not sure whether it was part of the sambal or it was fried separately but the flavor is just amazing. The slight bitterness of petai with the savory flavorsome fish and spicy sambal. My mouth is watering as I am typing this... gosh.

After all the banter on my sambal stuffed cencaru, I am not going to do must justice to the rest of the other dishes. Ha! Favoritism... so what? Shoot me? Ha ha... I think we all deserve to have our favorites and it is just a representation of our own preference, choice and perhaps a reflection of our individualism. Yes and mine is Mum's Place Stuffed Ikan Cencaru. ; P

You know what.... as I am not going to be objective from this point onwards since I am so in love with my sambal stuffed ikan cencaru, I mind as well just stop here. You can look up the rest of the photos. There are two only by the way - the first one was creamy soft shell crab and the second the otak-otak with thai sweet and spicy chilly sauce. There are both good in my view... of course not exceptional, as that proclamation has gone to nothing other than my beloved Stuffed Ikan Cencaru.

Enjoy... Anyway, Damansara Perdana is not too far away from town. Just take the Penchala Link, without traffic 20-30mins from town. While you are here, you can shop at the Curve or Ikano Power Station. What a wonderful weekend! Yahoo...

Mum's Place

31-1 to 39-1 Jalan PJU 8/5A

Damansara Perdana

47820 PJ

Tel :+603-7727 8443/ 7727 8449

Website: www.mumsplace.com.my

De Maw Chinese Restaurant (Next to PGRM, Cheras)

2009-06-21T03:10:00.000-07:00

De Maw is fairly new... I think probably less than 2 years old and the chef was from one of the notable 5-star hotel. Some say Mandarin, some say the former Ming Court on Jalan Ampang. Though fairly new but it has already created quite a reputation i.e. extremely huge serving, great taste and reasonable price.

It is not hard to find. From town head towards Cheras via the old Cheras Road. The easiest and least confusing way would be to take the Jalan Pudu. If you are in town, from Pudu Jail, head towards Cheras until you pass Jaya Jusco at Taman Maluri. Then keep left and when you see PGRM but do not turn into the road leading into Taman Shamelin. Instead just go straight into the secondary road. De Maw is the first shop lot on your left.

The restaurant is air-conditioned but it seats probably around 10 tables. So, reservation is a definite must.

The must-try in De Maw.... the shark's fin soup... No offense to our animal protection activist friends but if you do not mind, the soup is not to be missed. It offers generous amount of crab meat and bits of other seafood in it. The taste is just right and perfect with a dash of red rice wine vinegar.

We were not really sure what was good, so we ordered the braised beef , tripe and tendon, the creamy prawn, steamed kampung chicken, claypot tauhu and a stir fried vege. The braised beef, tripe and tendon and claypot tauhu was alright. Big portion but taste wise, average. The Kampung Chicken had very nice herbal soup stock (sorry no photo la). The chicken comes in small chunks and is wrapped in aluminium foil and baked. The mixture of chinese herbs and chinese rice wine produces this fantastically tasty broth. The chicken should have been in bigger chunks, otherwise it would have been the perfect dish. The creamy prawn was ok, well, I think the sauce was not quite there but it wasn't bad either. Don't get me wrong. Just that I have tasted better.

Though out of the 6 dishes we ordered, only 2 scored well with me, I would still highly recommend De Maw for a fantastic chinese dinner with friends or family. Especially if you do not want to pay too much or if you have some really hungry friends (remember, the big portions)... Average RM40 per head. Not bad, huh?

Restoran De Maw

Address: No.18, Jalan Pudu Ulu, off 3rd Mile Jalan Cheras,

56100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03 9285 6833

Open : 12PM - 11PM

Lau Heong at Sentul

2009-06-05T07:36:00.001-07:00

Lau Heong, is a hidden gem. Tucked in the hustle and bustle of Sentul. Very popular with some 98.8FM dee- jays, of which I had the privilege of dining with. : )

Well, I shall not name who he is but he has been telling me about this place for the longest time but of course, due to his busy schedule, we never quite made it here until this fortunate day when heavens part and the sky rained gold and silver ingots... so drama, right? And this is only for a meal...

Anyway, Lau Heong is located in the middle of the shop lot, Jalan 3/48A, Sentul Perdana. A bit difficult to find but if you ask around, I think you will get there. It has alfresco dining and non-air conditioned area on the ground floor and air-conditioned upstairs.

As good as it sounds, the place was very busy and we were lucky to get ourselves a table upstairs. Since I was there with a celebrity dee-jay, I enjoyed the little bit of attention that deflected my way. Little bit la...

I left the ordering to you-know-who and I must say he didn't let me down.

The must-try, "Nai Yau" or Creamy Sotong was out of this world... I am normally not a big fan of squids because the big squids can be really tough and that's what you normally get. I prefer the small ones. In this dish, the squid was medium in size and was probably grilled and served with the creamy sauce. The sauce is so appetizing, thick, creamy with a hint of indian curry leaves flavor. In the course of writing this, I found out that the sauce is really made of butter and evaporated milk with garlic and curry leaves to spice it up. Not too difficult to make actually...

Next came the Spicy Stingray... I was expecting a BBQ stingray wrapped in banana leaves but instead it was poached or probably steamed and generaously laden with a spicy aromatic gravy. You know how you would pick your BBQ stingray and dip-in the cincalok chilly dip? This is like the stingray swimming in the cincalok chilly paste... no need to dip...

The lala or clam soup was pretty standard but very generous portion of clams and wolfberry... I thought it needed a bit more chinese rice wine.

Saving the best for last, you will be surprised but the Prawn paste fried chicken is really good... I have tasted many good prawn paste chicken and I must say this is amongst the best. Finger lickin' good...

Lau Heong is worth every penny and it is quite affordable. Another no frills, great food destination... Dinner for 3 with all the above and a stir fry vegetable thrown in, all for RM62. Come one, come all.... Enjoy.

Fusion Pan Mee at Noodle Shack

2009-05-16T05:50:00.000-07:00

Located on the basement of Ikano Power Station. A few stores away from the Taiwan Shihlin Street Food. New addition to the wide selection of local eateries. This one is not ordinary by the way... Different versions of 'Pan Mee" (handmade noodle) in mince meat with sambal and raw egg or with chicken rendang. All sorts on the menu, but these were the two i tried. Don't forget to dose it with the spicy, fiery sambal... A bit pricey but worth a try or two...

Overseas Restaurant, Jalan Imbi (May 1, 2009)

2009-05-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

Where do you go when you have a bus load of hungry guests coming to town?

What else? Bring them to Overseas Restaurant. Convenient location, delicious food and reasonable prices. I must caution you about reasonable price though, play save and go with the all-time favorites. Stay away from the fish because the price is seasonal and can be very expensive.

So, what to order? Advanced booking is required for the char siew and siew yoke (roast pork) and if you would like steamy serving of soup, best to also order in advance. Other favorites include the homemade beancurd with petola (seng kuah), the prawns in special sauce (ask for the normal prawns and not the big head prawns, if you are on a budget). The spinach or "yuen choi" in soup is also good.

The "captain" recommended the herbal duck which turned out to be our favorite that night. The meat is soft and infused with explosion of herbal flavours... simple and unpretentious dish. Simply delicious. The other recommendation was the dried shrimp and brinjal, which was nice as well... Not only was dried shrimp found as one of the ingredient, it was heavily laden with little chunks of lard as well. No wonder, so tasty.

7-course dinner with complimentary dessert (cold sea coconut and longan) thrown in for RM50-60 per person... Works out to be less than S$30 per person.

I left the restaurants with 3 tables of very happy and contented Singapore friends... : )

Best Hokkien Noodle in KL?

2009-03-28T23:08:00.001-07:00

I have often been asked, where is the best Hokkien Mee in KL? Or is the Hokkien Mee in most KL stalls are generally good or about the same standard?

Good question. I think it is hard to determine which is the best unless we hold an annual hokkien mee cooking competition (may not be a bad idea). I guess it is really up to individual preference. Some like it wetter and some like it dry. I think generally everyone would agree a good Hokkien Mee must have the "wok hei" and must contain pork lard, at least for the non-health conscious foodies. How ironic? Health conscious foodies?

Anyway, here's my favorite pick. Conveniently located at Jalan Imbi, Win Heng Seng Coffee Shop. Yes, the same shop for the pork ball noodle. The Hokkien Mee stall opens in the evening. Besides, Hokkien Mee, must also try the Lo Mee and Cantonese Char Yin-Yang. You may also want to ask for bee hoon and mee mix for the Hokkien Mee. The bee hoon tends to absorb more liquid, so the Hokkien Mee will be drier. Note, eat while it is hot or else the noodle may become too dry. Some patrons even replace the mee with kuey teow.

The other to try is the green chilly sambal. Spicier than the red sambal and extremely good with the Hokkien Mee.

Kau Kee Beef Noodle, Hong Kong (Mar 19, 2009)

2009-03-28T21:53:00.000-07:00

Not only is this place legendary but if you google for Kau Kee , you will find that it is the benchmark for the best beef noodle in Hong Kong. Of course, most would suggest other better alternatives. It is hard to tell, unless you taste Kau Kee's beef noodle yourself and I am glad I did.

Kau Kee is tucked away on 21 Gough Street, Sheung Wan, somewhere amidst mid-levels in Central. Along the street you will also find some unique and quaint ID and furniture shops. Don't mistake Kau Kee for Ngau Kee, which is also located on the same street. Kau Kee opens for lunch and then closes in the afternoon and reopens at 830PM.

We were there at 8:15pm and it was not opened for business yet. However, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the restaurant opened a few minutes earlier and we were the lucky early birds to have a table.

I was warned that the serving is very small and so, normally two bowls will be just right. So, I ordered a bowl of beef brisket in clear soup and a beef tendon in curry soup, both with "yi mein". By the way, "yi mein" is not the deep friend yellow noodle that we are familiar with in Malaysia. Instead, it is like a flat egg noodle but with softer texture.

The 90 years of history did not fail to impress. The beef brisket was cut to bite size. The meat was really soft and it melts in your mouth. The soup was delicious and it was surprising that it doesn't really have a very strong beefy flavor. True enough, the serving is extremely small. It is probably equivalent to a regular bowl of instant noodle. The curry beef tendon was great too. The curry is light, not oily, not spicy and the tendons were very soft.

Clearly, this is the best beef noodle I have had in Hong Kong. Only downside, is the shop is really small and normally you will have to share a table and be prepared to finish your food in 15 minutes to avoid darting eyes from the long queue. Try swallowing hot, steamy curry beef tendons without burning your tongue... boy, was I sweaty or was I really sweaty...

Hong Kong (Mar 20-22, 2009)

2009-03-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

You have not had "HK dim sum" if you have not been to the City Hall Maxim's Palace. Must go... By the way, this is also the first batch of photos taken with my new Canon PowerShot G10. I will let the photos do the talking. Only piece of advice is if you are going to City Hall Maxim's during the weekend... make sure you are there before 11 am. Understand that they do not take reservations. Good luck and enjoy.

Nagomi, Hartamas Shopping Center (Mar 9, 2009)

2009-03-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

We had a choice between the Chinese steamboat and the Japanese shabu shabu... which was not a difficult decision, since the Nagomi was a much funkier, bigger and contemporary looking restaurant. Large tables with individual hotpot and stove. One of my friend, Keith was recovering from a flu and it was not a good idea to cook in a communal hotpot... who knows, maybe the germs may survive the boiling soup and get to us...

For Shabu Shabu, you have a choice of wagyu beef, the premium stuff and the ribeye beef, the affordable stuff, chicken, duck, salmon and tuna... I wonder how does the salmon and tuna taste like in a Shabu Shabu??? You can order it as a set which comes with your choice of soup i.e. beef, chicken and vegetable; a bowl of rice and a huge serving of assorted vegetable, mushroom and udon. Besides the Shabu Shabu, the menu also offers sashimi, sushi and the other regular japanese dishes.

We ordered 2 Shabu Shabu dinner sets - the ribeye (yes, the affordable beef) and the duck; and an assorted nigiri sushi platter.

The soup was poured from a long neck kettle... reminds me of Si Chuan Dou Hua restaurant in Park Royal Hotel i.e. staff will perform acrobatic tea pouring stunts with this long necked kettles... (I am just exaggerating) but any how, it got me a bit excited.

I must say the portion was pretty generous, if you can accept that the beef will be sliced to the thinnest milimetre possible. The two sets were enough for 3 person. The soup was fabulous, we ordered a beef and a chicken. Additional soup and rice is chargeable for the third person since we only ordered 2 sets. 3 type of dipping sauce is served peanut sauce, chilly garlic and ponzu (citrus based soy sauce).

The ribeye beef was good but the duck meat was not very well sliced. It was too thin and when cooked, breaks into tiny bits. Along with the duck, were pate duck balls which were difficult to cook... tasted like soggy luncheon meat. I think it was made from mince duck meat which was mixed with an egg. On the hindsight, we should have ordered another plate of beef instead.

The soup as expected, got better after a few round of replenishing the vegetable and meat. After finishing the meat and with some remaining vegetable, we poured in the rice and let it boil for awhile more. Now towards the end the soup is extremely tasty and is so good with the rice.

Including drinks, it came up to about RM55/head. It would have been cheaper, if we didn't order the sushi platter which was RM55. The Ribeye Shabu Shabu set was RM39 and the duck RM31.

If you are interested to find out more about Shabu Shabu and want to check out Nagomi's latest promotion, look up their website http://www.nagomishabushabu.com

Nagomi Shabu Shabu Restaurant

Lot G11A&11B GF Hartamas Shopping Center

60, Jln Sri Hartamas/Sir Hartamas KL

Bora Asmara, Sg Penchala (7 Mar 2009)

2009-03-07T05:14:00.001-08:00

I have heard once upon a time, there is this wonderful restaurant hidden in the midst of the forbidden forest of the Kampung Sungai Penchala. According to the legend, Bora Asmara, was the gateway to the magical Balinese Kingdom of... blah blah blah... Sorry but I can't help it but that's how I felt... the sense and excitement of discovery. You really have to be there yourself to believe it. The moment I reached the entrance, I felt like I was transported back to Ubud in Bali and it was only a 10 minutes drive from Damansara Perdana.

I was impressed. As you walk through the balinese swing door entrance, you are greeted by this elevated lobby which unfolds to a courtyard. On your right were several little thatched roof huts for private dining that seats 6-8 and on the left of the courtyard, you can also enjoy your meal indoor. The elevated lobby itself houses several tables for those who doesn't mind the humidity and mossies. As for "moi", the indoor dining was "ze" preferred choice.

As I turned the menu open, reality hits me... huh? fish and chip? "Apa ni?" Yes, the first page of the menu was the western selection... so I flipped on... frantically... and there I found some familiar names... Well, Bora Asmara is not exactly an indonesian or balinese restaurant. It is a Malaysian restaurant la... So, you will find a mix of western and malaysian food.

Anyway, we went on to order the Balinese dancing fish, kailan with "ikan kering" (salted fish) and pandan leave chicken. Sounds boring, huh? As for drinks, we ordered the lemongrass chiller and Indonesian Bandrek. I chose the Bandrek because the descriptions says "a good night cap". It is actually a ginger and lemongrass drink with brown sugar. Not sure if it is really a good night cap but it does help get rid of wind in my stomach.

The balinese dancing fish was most impressive. The meat is sliced off the bone and deep fried. Normally, kerapu would be the fish of choice but I am quite sure, ours was "tilapia merah". The fish was served with a bowl of chilly and garlic sweet soy sauce but the fish was so fresh, it was good by itself. It is lightly battered. So crispy on the outside and the flesh piping hot inside.

The pandan chicken was marinated with tumeric and deep fried. Slightly different from the ones I have had in the past. A bit too oily, rather tasteless , saved by the sweet chilly sauce but didn't really create any impression for me. The kailan with salted fish was alright... maybe because of the kurau salted fish.

Anyway, the service was very good. The meal arrived in a mere 10-15 minutes. Staff were very attentive and were quick to clear the plates and wipe the table etc.

The Balinese dancing fish and pandan chicken was RM19.90 each an the vegetable was RM11.90. Total bill inclusive of drinks RM78.65.

I am still impressed with the place itself, the ambience and of course the balinese dancing fish was very good. Excellent place to bring family and friends. I think Bora Asmara is also available for corporate events.

Bora Asmara

Lot 2933, Kampung Sungai Penchala

Jalan Damansara 60000 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +603-77260964

TGIF, Plaza Damas (Mar 1, 2009)

2009-03-07T02:14:00.000-08:00

Second advanced birthday dinner with Soon Yoon. Of all places, TGIF? Hmmm... ya, it was one of those days. Craving for something Americano... so, what the heck.

Well... service was still good. I remember it was such a novelty to have the restaurant staff sing you a happy birthday song. Of course, I would have killed Soon Yoon, if he requested for it.

Anyway, we were both craving for some red meat... so he ordered the lamb chops and I ordered the strip loin with mushroom sauce by the side and mashed potatoes.

I requested for my steak to be medium cooked. I think it is important that the restaurants get that right and TGIF didn't screw up here. Though it was served on a hot plate, the hot plate was actually cold... so, it was missing the sizzling, oil splattering effects. The steak was so heavily seasoned that it turned out to be quite salty. The pepper were quite coarse, so you have slightly charred residuals all over your piece of steak. The mushroom sauce was too oily and not sure, if was from a mix or was it made from real pureed mushrooms. Anyway, to sum it up my meal was too salty for my liking.

The lamb chop was also heavily seasoned but it was bearable as it had some gravy and stir fried vegetable as garnishing. Again, the hot plate was not exactly hot. I wonder why, they bother serving it on a hot plate...

Overall, it was alright... I think quality of the food is slowly deteriorating but I think the atmosphere is still there. Great place to bring your kids and family.

Chiaroscuro, Jln Bedara (behind Istana Hotel) 28 Feb 2009

2009-03-01T01:01:00.000-08:00

My dearest friends, David and Cindy insist that they buy me my birthday dinner in advance, since I will be away for work in JB on the day itself. David suggested Chiaroscuro, an Italian restaurant, situated at the Bidara apartments behind Istana Hotel.

Chiaroscuro has been opened for a year now and like other restaurants, it is feeling the impact of the economic downturn. Business was especially bad for the month of January and February, partly due to the Chinese New Year. Chiaroscuro has both indoor and al-fresco dining and boasts of a full size wood fired oven, which is ideal for making good pizzas. Opened by Andrea Zanella, who is the owner and chef who hails from Vicenza, northeastern Italy.

The menu has a good selection of appetizers, pastas and mains which are permanent features on the menu plus a chef's recommendation which is seasonal depending on the produce that is available. Chiaroscuro also cures some of their own parma ham which is highly recommended but unfortunately, they ran out of it when we were there.

While waiting for us to deliberate over what to order, we were presented with a basket of freshly baked assorted breads and sun dried tomatoes in olive oil as the dip. It is common for Italian restaurants to serve balsamic vinegar with olive oil to go with the bread but this was quite a refreshing idea and the sun dried tomatoes dip was very good.

We ordered the Australian tenderloin carpaccio with mushroom salad and parmesan sun-seed "tuille" for the starter which was Cindy's pick and I ordered the slow-roast pork with mash potatoes, which was on the chef's specials and David ordered the Gorgonzola and Speck Ham pizza.

I like the caparccio and mushroom salad. The mushrooms were thinly sliced lightly drizzled with olive oil and the "tuille", which actually means a lightweight, crispy cookie which is normally flavoured with sesame seed or other of nuts. Instead of a cookie, the tuille in this recipe is parmesan cheese with sun flower seeds perched on top of the mushroom salad, just like how you would decorate the tuille in desserts. Quite clever... The mushroom salad is light and goes beautifully with the carpaccio and the parmesan cheese adds a sharp balance to it.

The pizza was made of tomato sauce, speck ham, gorgonzola and mozzarella cheese. Speck ham is a lightly smoked raw ham. Some can be seasoned up to 22 weeks. It has a very intense dry-cured flavour, slices like prosciutto and cooks like ham.1 We asked for the chilly flacks to go with the pizza and I believe the chilly flacks may be home made too because they were abnormally huge chunks of flacks and was quite spicy. Not sure, if we left the pizza too cold before we gobbled it down but I was not that impressed with it. Maybe it was a bit too dry or maybe I prefer my pizza with more cheese and tomato sauce on it.

As for the slow-roasted pork with mashed potatoes, the pork was very soft except for the skin which was suppose to be crispy but instead came out a bit too hard and tough for our liking. I think the skin has to be crispy and crunchy like our Chinese "siew yoke" and not too rubbery. Besides that, I was quite alright with it - flavor was nice, pork was not too lean, some fat here and there. The mash potatoes has grated orange peel in it, which was quite a nice twist as well. Not sure, if this is truly an Italian trade secret but I liked it.

Cindy gave the meal a 5 out of 10 and glared at David for picking this restaurant. I am going to be more generous because I really did enjoy the ambience and I thought, the service was very good. Staff were very attentive and were quite knowledgeable. I also like the location. Right in the middle of the city but kind of tucked away from all the bustle and bustle. Though we were too full to have dessert or coffee, we spend the next hour just catching up. It was great... I love it and would definitely come back.

Chiaroscuro

Ground Flr, 38 Bidara,

30 Jalan Bedara

50200 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel. +603-21448006
www.chiaoscurokl.com

1 - www.ingredientsgourmet.com

Mmm Express, The Waterfront, Desa Park City (28 Feb 2009)

2009-03-01T00:43:00.001-08:00

After the disappointing visit to the Desa Park City show gallery, I decided to have brunch at the Mmm Express restaurant at the Waterfront mall. The show gallery was only showcasing the new projects i.e. the Southgate luxury condominium and the Desa Park City Club House. Staff were not really friendly nor helpful. There weren't any show houses to view. That's what happens when demand is too good for a new development. The properties were seriously overpriced. Even though, the developer, Sam Ling does an excellent job with the up-keeping and maintenance of the amenities... it is still too expensive to pay RM1.4m for a ~1400 sq. feet apartment in Malaysia, at least.

Mmm Express is under the Sri Melaka group of restaurants. The menu consist of local delights and a la carte nyonya dishes. We ordered the set lunch menu which comes with a main, drink and dessert. For the main, we ordered the nasi lemak kapitan chicken and nasi lemak kapitan sotong.

Service was quite alright as the restaurant was not that busy. The food however was not great. The kapitan sotong was boiled cuttlefish with curry gravy... like your sotong with kangkung but with curry gravy. The kapitan chicken was average. Taste was ok but portion was a small. The rice was quite "lemak" i.e. a lot of santan but a bit too soggy for me.

I have had better nasi lemak... so paying close to RM10 for a nasi lemak meal is not the best value for my money. The nasi lemak kapitan chicken set lunch was RM9.50 while the nasi lemak kapitan sotong set lunch was RM8.50.

Waroeng Penyet, The Curve

2009-02-27T23:22:00.000-08:00

I haven't had ayam penyet for awhile now. The last time was in Singapore, at Lucky Plaza. So, just out of curiosity and of course hunger, thought I will give this rather fancy looking ayam penyet franchise a try.

It is a self service restaurant. You are handed a paper menu - you tick what you want and then pay at the counter and they hand you a number standee and your order will be send to your table. Hmmm... so much for service... and have the rest of the staff standing around "looking extremely busy"...

We ordered the ikan penyet, ayam penyet and the tauhu, telor and tempe. Strangely, the penyets does not come with the nasi (rice) and had to order separately... Apa punya nasi penyet ni???

Nevertheless, the fish was quite tasty because of the sweet sauce. Not a lot of flesh and perhaps can be more crispy. The chicken was nice too, taste wise but again, not very generous portion... maybe it is "ayam kampung", hence so skinny.

In terms of the price... really not cheap. The fish penyet was RM9.90, the chicken RM7.90, the tauhu, tempe and telur RM5.90, the nasi RM1.90 (!!!) for a small miserable bowl of rice and es cendol was RM3.90. Total meal ~RM35 for two. That's what you have to pay for simple indonesian food in a fancy franchise outfit.

The only notable thing about this meal is the sambal... boy, the sambal is so "pedas" (spicy) that it burns...

Waroeng Penyet

Lot 132, 1st Floor

The Curve

No 6, Jalan PJU 7/3 Mutiara Damansara

47800 Petaling Jaya.

Tel: 017-2003 988

www.waroengpenyet.com

Maria's Cafe, Metropolitan Square (24 Feb, 2009)

2009-02-24T06:04:00.000-08:00

I was having lunch with my colleagues and one of them recommended Maria's Cafe, for it's home cooked western meals. Even though, I have been living in Metropolitan Square for slightly more than a month now, I haven't had the chance to go there for a meal. So, with that reminder, I dropped by for dinner just now.

Maria's Cafe is at the commercial block facing the main road. Take the lift near Citibank to the 3rd floor.

It was quite a cosy restaurant. Since it was a weekday, only around 4 tables were occupied. I think the restaurant can probably cater for about 15 tables.

So, it didn't take too long for our food to be served. We ordered the chunky beef pie and the spaghetti alia oglio. The beef pie was nice... I like the chunky beef filling and the creamy sauce. I was expecting a red wine base brown sauce because the creamy white sauce filling normally goes well with chicken. Nevertheless, the beef was soft and juicy while the pie pastry was just right, not too crusty.

The spaghetti was very spicy and a bit too salty. The portion was really small. Probably only half a portion. For RM15, that's a bit of a rip-off. The pie was RM9.

The desserts, the moist chocolate cake (RM8) and the banana walnut cake (RM9) were average. I think the chocolate cake could be a bit more moist. The chocolate sauce was quite watered down. The banana walnut cake was also quite dry.

The meal with drinks came up to ~RM56. Alamak... too much to pay for a rather mediocre meal and the worst thing was I left feeling hungry still...

Maria's Cafe

C313A, Centre Wing

Metropolitan Square

No. 2, Jln PJU 8/1

Bandar Damansara Perdana

47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Tel: +603-77252313; Fax: +603-77252315

Heaven, The Curve

2009-02-15T01:43:00.000-08:00

Stumbled upon this place while I was shopping in the Curve. It is a HK style eatery with a life band. Parked at the corner adjacent to Sakai Sushi on the Ground floor, near the escalator from the Curve to Ikano Power Station.

Quite an extensive menu. All day a la carte meals or full course dinner. Reasonably priced.

What drew me to the restaurant was the band. Actually, a singing duo playing acoustic guitar. They were very good. Singing chinese and english repertoire. Both had excellent vocals. Perhaps, only area of improvement would be their english diction. Other than that, they were great.

We sampled their trademark a la carte meals. The kung pao squid rice and sea cucumber scallop abalone rice. The squid rice was RM8.90 and the latter RM16.90. The kung pao squid rice was a bit too starchy, while the sea cucumber scallop abalone rice was missing the main ingredients. The taste was good but I am sure I didn't find a single slice of sea cucumber and abalone. Maybe, what they meant was abalone flavored gravy. The scallop was dried scallop or conpoy instead of fresh ones. Nevertheless, it was tasty and because of the band, I would go back.

Chawan, Bangsar, Jln Telawi 3

2009-02-14T00:31:00.000-08:00

For those familiar with Bangsar, Jalan Telawi eateries, Chawan is situated at the corner lot, formerly Devi's... opposite Bangsar Village.

Quite a stylish up-market kopi tiam... minimalist decor, ample tables both indoor and out along the walkway. Spacious and airy.

Chawan which means cup in Malay, has a menu that comprises of everyday local delights from all around the country. The coffee selection is extremely interesting. You will find coffee from Kemaman, Batu Pahat, Ipoh, Sabah etc. Quite a change from your usual Arabica beans, or fancy branded coffee names from Colombia, Ethiopia to Brazil etc. What more, Chawan provides a description of each local coffee flavor. Available hot or cold. I chose the Kemaman coffee, which was buttery and smooth... almost with the intensity of buttermilk. So yummy... My friend sampled the Ipoh coffee, which tasted a bit watered down after the Kemaman, but still have this sharp local coffee taste.

Since, I haven't had my lunch, ordered the nasi lemak bungkus. The rice was very fragrant, warm, anchovies was crispy accompanied with a generous amount of peanuts and sambal. The sambal was the typical "cili giling" sweet type of sambal... so shiok.

Then, we sampled the pisang bakar with sambal and grated coconut. I thought the banana was suppose to be fritters, which is quite common in Batu Pahat... yes, goreng pisang served with rojak sauce or sambal. This is quite peculiar for me and the taste was quite weird... sambal with pisang "lembek" (soft) because it is cooked over charcoal fire. On the other hand, it went really well with the grated coconut. Still a very good attempt at a dual i.e. sweet and savory tea time snack.

The keropok lekor was very nice... fresh and chewy. Keropok lekor is made out of fish and before is fried looks like a long piece of sausage. It has to be kept refrigerated, otherwise it will go bad. It is cut into slices before frying. Once fried, it is crispy outside and chewy inside... and of course, taste like fish keropok but more satisfying and especially good with a good sweet chilly sauce.

Chawan is not your regular mamak or kopitiam when it comes to prices. Not surprising. The nasi lemak bungkus was RM3 but I think it is worth it, since you are really paying for premium quality.

As we were walking out from Chawan, can't help but to spy around... the curry laksa looks good too... Must come back. : )

Overseas Restaurant, Jalan Imbi (Feb 5, 2009)

2009-02-13T07:43:00.001-08:00

Overseas Restaurant is a great place for business or reunion dinners. It is extremely busy during the weekends though. So, advance reservation is necessary.

I was still entertaining my colleagues from Singapore and since we were leaving for dinner from the office, Overseas is a good choice because of the close proximity. Even though it was a weekday, the restaurant was extremely busy. I suppose most were still having their CNY dinners or gatherings.

We were seated on the second floor. Overseas occupies 3 floors in 2 or 3 units merged shop lot along Jalan Imbi. You can't miss it.

Since we were still in the CNY period, we decided to order the yee sang. We were recommended the snow pear yee sang which was Overseas' specialty and we ordered other trademark dishes like the char siew, kampung chicken soup, big head prawn in special sauce and a stir fry vegetable. I wanted to order the petola and beancurd but it was not on the menu due to the CNY... "Seng kua" i.e. petola, the second word "kua" means death in cantonese, so they were cognizant of that. So, instead we had the golden mushroom and house beancurd. Also found out from Wikipedia, petola is what your loofahs are made of.

The yee sang was very refreshing. You will find it strange in the beginning because the pears were sliced into long juliennes..... and when you perform the traditional yee sang toss, it gets in the way. So, it can be rather messy. Taste wise, very nice... the sweetness and the juice from the snow pear really does bring an interesting twist to the yee sang.

Though I didn't get my "seng kua taufoo" but the taufoo is still the same homemade taufoo. They just replace it with the mushrooms but I still prefer the "seng kua" because of the texture it brings to the dish.

The kampung chicken soup with "lobak" or chinese white turnips was average. I thought it was a bit bland. I think pork ribs will be better in the soup and if they add some dried cuttlefish, the flavor would be fantastic. The other thing is the "lobak" will absorb the flavor from the stock... since the kampung chicken is actually a rather lean poultry, the "lobak" was also quite tasteless.

The big head prawn is one of the Overseas dish that I seem to have a diminishing liking for. The first time I had it, I remember I even ate the shell. The sauce is quite special, similar to the Marmite sauce but probably not. The prawns were fried crispy so, ideally you can eat the shell but as a result, most often than not, you will also find the flesh a bit too tough. Well, I think it is time to move on to other better dishes.

Char siew... glorious char siew. Please be reminded that you have to also reserve the char siew in advance. Apparently, same goes for the "siew yoke" or roast pork. Be warned, Overseas' char siew is fat, not for the faint-hearted but personally, lean char siew is not char siew. So, if you want to eat char siew, go for the real thing.

Overall, though only the char siew and yee sang really scored with me this time but I would still rate Overseas highly, because I am sure they have other fantastic dishes to offer. It is still one of the better chinese restaurant in KL and that, I am 100% sure.