Thursday, May 22, 2008

Dining Out @ Amuleto by Crystal Jade, Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur


I can't wait to get my hands on that slurpilicious soup

Like I mentioned earlier this week, food selections last weekend seemed to be pretty dissapointing. I reckon it was all bad karma as almost everything we tried was just mediocre or plain terrible. However, at the end of the weekend, I did get to sample D'lish's new menu offerings. Didn't snap any pictures at all but that was definitely the most satisfying meal. I love the new salads - the roast cauliflower salad is my favourite and the Vietnamese pho beef noodles is also great comfort food for the soul.


dissapointing spaghetti alio oglio


We were looking for a new place to try and found this place along Mid Valley Megamall's row of restaurants that face the Boulevard area. Next to Seed Cafe, this is the Western attempt by Crystal Jade, the Singapore restaurant renowned for their Chinese offerings especially xiu loong paus, roast pork, roast duck and dim sum.


ok-lah cheesy baked rice

Although they claim to serve "casual chic dining", the food here is a mish mash of current trends i.e. the Hong Kong cafe style food aka char chan teng food, chocolate fountain, chocolate fondue, tapas items and etc. However, instead of the noisy casual experience you get in the chan teng cafes, dining at Amuleto is peaceful and more pleasant with their red sofas and flower decorated glass topped tables.


We started pretty well with the Quartet of soups(RM12) - mushroom, pumpkin, French onion and broccoli. Served in small glasses with straws, you get to taste all their different varieties with this one order. Our overall favourite was the thick and creamy mushroom soup, followed by the robust tasting French onion soup. Although it is an interesting concept to use a straw to drink your soup, on practical terms, it does not work well since it is hot soup you're slurping down, which can singe your tongue, if you're slurp too fast. Even though the soups were tasty, I didn't like how they left quite a bit of fibre in the soup like stray bits of bay leaves.


The menu has steaks, tapas items (which looked good for a quick bite), fried rice (with olive oil), pastas, rostis and chan teng staples like cheesy baked rice. As we didn't want a heavy meal, we opted for light meals like pasta and cheesy baked rice to share. My seafood spaghetti alio oglio (RM16) was mediocre - I didn't like the overcooked texture of my spaghetti, definitely not al dente. When it was served hot to me, the taste of the olive oil with the seafood was not bad but it got cold quite quickly and turned out pretty blah at the end. Splashie Boy's cheese baked rice with sliced beef (RM19) was ok-lah. Nothing much to shout about and just good as a tummy filler.


Somehow, I don't think I will be rushing to return to dine here for a long while. Not sure whether I ordered the wrong items but I just didn't think their menu items will make them stand out amid the sea of Hong Kong chan tengs which are found all over the place. Prices may make them exceptional as they are offering the chocolate fountain and the salad bar for RM16, hence you won't need to patronise the hotels. The only one thing I really liked of this place was the deep red colours they used on their walls and the chairs. They also have an outside area with televisions, which got a few customers who wanted to drink in peace while they watched the Thomas Cup final.

Amuleto
Lot G (E)-015
Mid Valley Megamall
Kuala Lumpur

Tel : 03 - 2287 4128.

(Pork free. Open till 1am on Friday, Saturday and eve of public holidays.)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from the restaurant for writing this review.


Tagged with: +

Other reviews:

|

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Braised Chicken Feet with Mushroom Wantan Noodles @ Restaurant Wah Cheong, Section 17, Petaling Jaya


my comfort food......that I reach for whenever life feels a bit blue

A short and sweet (or shouldn't I say savoury?) post today.

I've blogged earlier about
K.Intan, one of my favourite places for wantan mee (we often buy back the noodles for home use) but sometimes when I get bored with the toppings there, I eat at this stall located at Kedai Kopi Wah Cheong.

Run by an old man with a grumpy lady with glasses, they serve wantan noodles with a variety of toppings. I've eaten the basic char siu version, which is also good but my favourite is their braised chicken feet with Chinese mushrooms. The chicken feet is tender and tasty (from the deep frying). Add chewy wantan noodles and I am in heaven.

I also love the Tong Kee stall selling egg tarts and sweet things here. Gives me a reason to take a break during work and indulge in some sinful egg tarts without driving down to Kuala Lumpur.

Wantan Noodles Stall
Kedai Kopi Wah Cheong
Jalan 17/29
Section 17
Petaling Jaya

(Non halal. The stall is either closed on Wednesday or Thursday. The coffeeshop is the same row as Restoran Hong Seng which serves siu yoke, teochew braised duck and etc.)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from the restaurant for writing this review.

Tagged with:
+

|

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Roast Duck @ Chef Onn Guangzhou Roast Duck, Damansara Uptown, Petaling Jaya


Quacks in a row.................


What a weekend! Unfortunately, it wasn't a weekend for great food, as the places we tried were dissapointing. Don't worry, I will share with you all the sordid details later this week. I did get to try something I have been meaning to sample for the longest time ever. I first read about this place in Damansara Uptown from the Chinese papers. Seems the roast duck here is so popular, there will be a long queue waiting patiently for their turn.


juicy roast duck, too bad about the skin

I inadvertently found out it opens pretty early during the day, when we drove past yesterday afternoon. Splashie Boy spotted his dream drive - the Hummer parked nearby at the luxury car showroom. While he drooled over the Hummer (just RM580,000, a song compared to its original price of RM630,000), I took my time at the roast duck stall. There was a small wait, which gave me a chance to check the place out.

Sharing the same premises as Damansara Hokkien Mee, the ducks were fresh from the oven. Everytime, the fella split the duck open, to tip the juices out, there would be small puff of smoke. I asked the owner, what was the difference between Guangzhou roasted versus the ones we get, and he was very non-comittal, just saying that it is the same. A whole duck is RM40, a half is RM20.

As I packed the roast duck home, I quickly snapped pictures of it before sampling a piece. The meat was juicy and tender. However, the skin wasn't crispy. I suspect this could be due to them not bathing the roast duck with hot oil, before serving it. Nevertheless, the roast duck still tastes pretty succulent. I would imagine, it will taste sinfully good (and cholestrol laden) with a plate of fresh-from-the-wok midnight black Hokkien noodles with super guilty deep-fried lard bits.

Chef Onn Guangzhou Roasted Duck
No. 121, Jalan SS21/37
Damansara Utama (Uptown)
Petaling Jaya

Tel No: 012 -238 3325

(Non halal. Same place as Damansara Hokkien Mee, opposite the police station. Starts from 4pm onwards. Closes on Tuesdays.)


*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from the restaurant for writing this review.

Tagged with: +

Other reviews:

|

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Vote Now - The Miele Guide needs you!



Nope, it is not Mao's Little Red Book but for enthusiastic foodies or culinary adventurers, this will be THE holy bible on what to eat in Asia.

Sponsored by Miele, the guide is set to be Asia's first truly independent regional restaurant guide when launched in October 2008. Unlike other guides you find on the bookshelves, this guide involves no free meals or advertising from restaurants (something I absolutely believe in!). Instead, it will be based on food lovers votes i.e. people like you and me!

For the 2008/2009 edition, the guide will cover restaurants in 16 Asian countries—Brunei, Cambodia, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

So how do you get involved in a part of culinary history??

A shortlist has been drawn from the region’s top food critics and all you need to do, is vote which restaurants you think are the best. And if your favourite restaurant is not on the shortlist, you’ll have the option to nominate and vote for it too. From these results, a list of Asia’s top restaurants will be drawn. The people behind the guide, will rank and profile in detail the top 20 in Asia. The rest will be categorised by country, city and cuisine.

To get your fingers clicking, there's a sweet treat also for your efforts - a chance to win an opportunity to dine at Asia's best restaurants and stay in one of the region's most luxurious hotels. You also get special discounts for the guidebook. So what are you waiting for, just click this link to vote and start creating some history. I have in some small part, got involved in the guide, hence it will be great for your votes to also be counted.


For more details, you can go to the Miele Guide's website, Chubby Hubby's post on this (he and his wife are the people behind it) and their facebook site. If you wish to see what it looks like when you vote, Popagandhi, who did the web development has screenshots also on her blog.

|

Friday, May 16, 2008

Malay Food @ Restoran A. Hassan, Section 13, Shah Alam


cooling pegaga salad

Working in Shah Alam can be a real pain sometimes as good food is not easy to come by. One day, when I was exploring Section 13's shophouses, I discovered they had my favourite Malay stall - Restoran A. Hassan. Ever since then, it has been my regular lunch time place.


local vegetables pucuk paku

Restoran A. Hassan made its name with the famous ayam kampung goreng. You can find a stall or a restaurant open at quite a few places - USJ Taipan, Puchong, Cheras, Taman Desa, Kampung Baru and etc. I've blogged about the Kampung Baru outlet before, which still remains my favourite outlet as the dendeng with the percik sauce is to die for!


sinful but oh so good! tempoyak with rice

If you plan to eat here, do come early as this place gets super packed with people after 12.30pm. Since the shop is quite small (just a single lot), tables and chairs are laid out at the walkways. You will find students from the nearby university, office workers and even high ranking police officers dining here for lunch.


yummy ayam kampung goreng

Just select what you wish to have for lunch from a spread, which consists of ayam kampung goreng, clams, ayam percik, fried fish, various ulam and etc. I often go for the clams, which is my favourite.


kelantan style ayam percik

They also have all types of sauces including the smelly but oh so yummy tempoyak. Made from durian, the smell can be pungent but when mixed with chillies, it is a spicy treat great with white rice.


my fav dish - the clams

The place mainly caters for the lunch crowd but for breakfast, they do sell nasi lemak. If you crave for good Malay food, this is definitely the place to be during lunchtime.

Restoran A. Hassan
Jalan Lawan Pedang 13/27
Section 13
Shah Alam

(Halal. Closed on Friday. Open for breakfast and lunch. The restaurant is at the same row as Rafi Mamak and faces the new TTDI development, Laman Seri.)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from the restaurant for writing this review.

|

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Vegetarian food @ Nature's Vegetarian, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur

delish handmade noodles for RM10


A year ago, I decided to work on an index. Sadly I abandoned that as it was too tedious. I'm reviving it again but to kick start my project, I decided to publish what I have categorised so far. Not much, I know but it is a start. It is currently a work in progress, so expect additions to the list, as and when I have the time during the night.


chicken or mushroom - weird hairy looking monkey head mushrooms masquerading as soy sauce chicken (RM18)

Something to tempt you carnivores with. Sadly pictures were taken indoors so quite low light situations again. My mother has been raving about this place to me for some time. A bit weird since my mother is of the belief, Malaysia has no nice vegetarian food (all starch only).


Kar Heong Choy - literally meaning home cooked vegetables, just the way I like it (RM15)


Recently, she has taken to frequenting a reflexology and massage place in Desa Sri Hartamas. Manned by masseurs from China, she told me it is the best, as they are well trained to look for the massage points. Coincidentally, the owner of this place also owns Nature's Vegetarian. Although there is one at Desa Sri Hartamas, the workers recommended the Bangsar outlet instead as more choices are available.


Walk into the restaurant just opposite Alexis Bistro, and it is like you stepped back into the past. Heavy Chinese rosewood tables and chairs are used by the diners while, the walls are decorated with figurines of Chinese folk tales and legends. There is even a small stage in front with a karoke machine, perfect for those who think they are the next Frank Sinatra.

High on the recommendation list was their home made noodles. A bit weird looking with lots of black soy sauce but believe me, these noodles are great with the slight chewy texture. I enjoyed the accompaniements - choy sum and fu chok. Next on the list was the recommended "soy sauce chicken". Instead of the gluten type of food substiutes, they used monkey head mushrooms. The mushrooms can look scary with their long hair but it is delicious, and chunky (like meat) especially with thin slices of fried ginger. Next is the home cooked vegetable dish, fried with cloud ear's fungus, tung fung (thin mungbean vermicelli), carrots, gingko nuts, tofu puffs. Redolent with nam yue (fermented bean curd), it is best eaten piping hot.

Overall, a satisfying meal even though no meat was present. For lunch, they serve dim sum and another popular dish seems to be vegetarian steamboat here, as a few tables for dinner had this item.

Nature's Vegetarian Restaurant
24, Jalan Telawi 3
Bangsar Baru
Kuala Lumpur

Tel No: 03 - 2283 5523

(pork free.)


*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from the restaurant for writing this review.


Tagged with: +

|

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Index - by Food Item

Abacus Seeds


Ais Kacang (Ais Batu Campur)



Apam Balik



Apong (Appam - Chinese)



Asian Fusion



Assam Laksa




Banana Leaf Rice



Bakso



Bak Kut Teh



Beef Noodles



Bistro and Cafe Food



Burger



Burmese Food



Brazilian BBQ (Churrasco Brasileno)



Botok-Botok



Chapati



Char Kuey Teow



Char Siu



Chee Cheong Fun



Chee Chap Tong (Soup)



Chicken Chop



Chicken Wings



Chinese Restaurant Food




Crabs



Dim Sum



Egg Tarts



Fishball Noodles and Fishcake



Fishhead (Steamed)



Foochow (Fuzhou) Food


Hainanese Food



Hainanese Lamb Stew



Hakka Mee



Ikan Bakar



Indian and Punjabi Sweets



Indochine Food



Ipoh Hor Fun



Italian Food



Kebab



Kolo Mee



Kong Piah



Kuey Teow Th'ng



Lai Mian



Laksa



Lam Mee



Lemang




Lontong



Lui Cha (Hakka Thunder Tea Rice)



McDonalds



Mee Goreng



Mee Rebus



Middle Eastern Food



Mongolian Food and Steamboat



Murtabak



Nasi Briyani



Nasi Goreng



Nasi Kandar



Nasi Lemak



Nasi Padang



Oyster Omelette (O Chien)



Pan Meen



Pei Kueh (Nien Gao)



Prawn Noodles



Popiah



Pork Noodles




Pork Noodles (Sam Kan Cheong)



Porridge (Chee Chap)



Putu Piring



Rice Wine Chicken



Roast Duck



Roast Goose



Roast Pork (Siu Yoke)



Rojak (Penang Style)



Roti Babi



Roti Canai



Roti KLCC



Sang Har Meen (Fresh Water Prawns Noodle)



Satay



Shanghainese Food



Steak



Steamed Soup



Swedish Food



Sweet Potato Balls



Tai Chow



Taiwanese Food



Tapioca Noodles



Tauhu Bakar



Teh Tarik



Teochew Duck Porridge (Loh Arp)



Thai Food



Thosai



Tong Sui



Vegetarian (Indian)



Wantan Mee



Western Food



Woon Chai Koh



Xiu Loong Bao



Yam Cake (Wu Tau Koh)



Yong Tau Foo


|

Curry Mee, Lam Mee, Loh Mee & Har Mee @ Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur


the unassuming shack, which serves all kinds of Penang goodies


I am often amazed at how resourceful people are. Take for instance, this abandoned condominium site at Desa Sri Hartamas (which I almost bought!). For years, it has been left empty, with a few pile caps to indicate its existence but now, the old sales office houses this stall, which serves all kinds of Penang goodies. Right next to it is an open carpark that caters to the parking woes of people who work around here, since Desa Sri Hartamas does not have sufficient parking spaces.


curry mee, just like the Penangites love with mint leaves

To sample each of the goodies, you need to memorise their schedule by heart. Just remember, Mondays when life is at the bluest, they serve their very popular Penang curry mee. Then for Tuesday and Thursday, it is thickish Loh Mee, while Wednesdays when things are beginning to look up for the week, you get the clear and very healthy tasting Lam Mee. At the end of the week, on Friday, you celebrate it with Har Mee/Hokkien Mee/Prawn Mee.


light but delicious tasting prawn mee aka Hokkien mee

Unfortunately for those who don't work or live within the vicinity, the stall takes a break during the weekends and public holidays. You can however see the stall or the old sales office, open as it acts as a place for the open car park attendant to stay. There is even an air-conditioned section within the sales office.


rare find - the birthday noodles known as Lam Mee

I totally enjoyed trying each type of noodles and my conclusion at the end of the day was this was great tasting stuff minus any MSG. The taste of the soups feel very home made and not overly sweet indicating the prescence of artificial items like MSG.


the kick ass chilli sauce for Lam Mee and Loh Mee

The curry mee is authentic, per my Penang colleague as they serve it with the mint leaves. I love the clear tasting soup full of coconut milk. You can ask for cubes of pig's blood, if you fancy. If not, the noodles are served with brown cuttlefish, cockles, prawns and tofu puffs. Extra sambal can be scooped from the bottle on each table. The sambal adds the much needed spiciness to the noodles.


loh mee with minced garlic


Loh mee is also served the traditional way with finely minced garlic and a hardboiled egg and pork slices, which have been cooked in a soy sauce broth. The broth served with the noodles is not overly starchy and fried shallots are added for flavour. The chilli sauce served with it is also good. This is the same sauce served with the healthy tasting Lam Mee. A clear soup is used that is a great favourite of the fitness buffs who frequent this place after working out at True Fitness next door.


Most of the noodles use similar type of toppings with certain exceptions. Last but least, it is the prawn mee. Not too thick, the broth is aromatic and delicious. It was so good, I slurped all the broth down, until it was almost empty. Definitely an indication on how delish the whole bowl was. On Friday, Loh Mee is also available as some Penangites love to mix the prawn mee with Loh Mee for unique pairing. Yet to try it but it sounds great.

Stall
Lot No. 48632
Jalan Sri Hartamas 22
Sri Hartamas
Kuala Lumpur

(Non halal. Open from 8 am until 2pm or when noodles run out. Closed during weekends and public holidays. Prices range from RM4.50 to RM4.80 for a small sized bowl of noodles. To get here, from Petaling Jaya, drive down Jalan Kiara pass KLGCC and go straight towards Hartamas. Keep left and end up at the traffic light. Go straight and keep left. You will pass by True Fitness on your left hand side and make a turn at the end. You will see the shack on the right hand side of the road, after the turn.)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from the restaurant for writing this review.

Other reviews:

|