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Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Jogoya @ Starhill Gallery, KL

Ever since Jogoya, the famous restaurant from Taiwan opened in Starhill Gallery, there has been a buzz around town saying how great the food selection is. Recently a whole group of us managed to catch the action there and I must admit the food is excellent even though the restaurant still has a few hiccups to look into. We also took the opportunity to savour the seafood delights at discounted prices since they were running an opening promotion of RM10 off their usual charges. The promotion ends on 31 March, 2006.


The restaurant is located on the third floor (also known as the Relish Level) of the newly revamped Starhill Gallery and is enormous with 30,000 square feet of space. It's advisable you book a table but you will still need to queue in front to pay for your meal in advance. The restaurant is pretty dark and full of little corners and nooks and can fit up to 580 people. I took this sneak view of the restaurant from the outside through the wooden slats that front the place hence you can see the slice of light from outside versus the dimly lit restaurant.


Since it was a big group of us, we got a round table to ourselves tucked in one little corner. If it's two of you at this place, they give you a nifty sized booth with not much of a view as it faces a wall. There are also VIP rooms with special titles like reunion, giving, I love you and etc. Each of these rooms can be used for different purposes, for instance the reunion room is perfect for families to spend time together at the dinner table. Every table gets a portable burner that is great for keeping your food warm and cooking certain dishes like the claypot items. You also get a metal clip (seen above) with your table number on it. When you peruse the different counters and want a cooked meal, drop this metal clip at the basket and they will send you the food once it is ready. Be warned though, it takes quite a while.


As the place is huge, one gets really confused on what they have and where things are located around the different counters. I spent quite a bit of time at the sashimi/sushi counter since it is my favourite food plus it had great light there. There were a small selection of makis, nigiri sushi at one side like this California Maki. You could also order a California roll to be hand rolled from the counter. Next to it is a selection of cold appetizers like winkles in chilli sauce, wakame seaweed, cold cha soba noodles and etc.



Their sashimi and raw seafood is packed on top of beds of crushed ice and a layer of dry ice that emits this ghostly smoke from underneath. It's an excellent idea as it keeps the seafood like these raw oysters so fresh.


There is a huge selection of sashimi but my favourites were the buttery salmon and scallop which I took loads to be dipped in soya sauce and wasabi.




A selection of the sashimi counter: amaebi (sweet prawns), scallops, stuffed inari beancurd pouches or battleship sushi and tuna. You get a lot of fresh seafood at this place so load up on oysters, prawns (they use freshwater ones with the big heads), crabs, scallops and etc here.


This is one of the counters they have dotted around the restaurant. At this counter, they serve dimsum, chawan mushi and the paper pot soup. You choose from a selection of crabs, freshwater prawns, scallops, an interesting fish cake (has two layers) and vegetables for your soup. There is also a selection of soup broths i.e. miso seafood, chicken and tomyam.


Once you select the items for your soup, they will blanch it at the counter and pour it inside the paper pot. The hot soup broth is then ladled inside the paper pot. You can keep your soup warm at your table with the portable burner.




Another snapshot selection of items they have at Jogoya: baked cheese seafood, scallops and oysters which you can cook on clay pots at your portable burner, chawan mushi and xiao long bao. They also have excellent prawn tempura which comes encased in a light crispy batter.


Oysters are in abundance at this place - besides eating them raw, you can also get them baked with cheese. There is a cooked food section that allows you to select from drunken prawns, oysters with black bean sauce and etc. Another section has steamed fish and there is even an Indian section if you prefer your food spicy. I probably did not cover the entire selection as the place is so huge.


Special mention must be made about the desserts here. Although they have no traditional Japanese sweets like green tea matcha ice cream and mochi, they made our day with their Movenpick ice cream. We liked the maple walnut flavour best of the lot (as seen above) and kept going back for numerous tiny scoops. (Note that Marche serves this ice cream at about RM8 a scoop so this is a real good deal)


They also have a large selection of desserts behind a glass counter for you to choose from - tiramisu, cappucino mousse (seen above), fruit tarts, cheesecake, almond tuiles, herbal jelly with honey, puddings and etc. The cakes were nothing exceptional and after a nibble here and there, we just concentrated on the Movenpick ice cream. Another great thing about this place is their neverending supply of juices. We liked the sweet coconut water you get from tiny cute coconuts. There is also coffee you can make from their machines.

Like any other restaurant, this place is not perfect so there were little quirks here we thought entailed a little development. Since the place is so huge and confusing, suggestions to add a location map to the various counters would be appreciated. We also felt that the staff behind the counters were too busy to explain to us the various items served and how everything worked as there were moments of confusion. For instance, I was only able to work out how to get my paper pot soup when a nice lady waiting for her soup told me how it worked when she saw my confused face. They probably need a few wait staff circulating around the counters to explain how things work. Another gripe was although the wait staff was extremely polite and helpful, they could not really speak English well. What I like about the place is they seem to change if things do not work, for instance initially when they started out they did not blanch the items in the soup and it took forever to cook it at the portable burners. Another plus point is you can see the top management of YTL keeping an eye of things by patrolling the premises.

The restaurant also runs a VIP members program which entitles you to privileges such as special menu items. To qualify for the VIP membership, you need to purchase coupons for fifteen seatings in advance from the restaurant. The fifteen seatings allows you to visit the place at three different times. Once you have the coupon book, you can use this to order the special items on the menu. To give you an idea of it in monetary terms: You pay RM1,020 for fifteen seatings that is 5 @ RM68, 5 @ RM78 and 5 @RM88 (the various prices is due to the various times you are allowed to eat there). If you purchase the coupons after their 31 March, 2006 promotion, the price goes up to RM1,170.

If you love Japanese food especially fresh seafood, head over to this place as it won't dissapoint. Be prepared though to camp out at the place for almost two to three hours to get your money's worth.

Jogoya
T3, Relish Floor
Starhill Gallery
Kuala Lumpur

Tel No: 03 - 2142 1268
(Halal)

Prices are RM78++ (Lunch - W/day is 11.30 am to 1.40pm, W/end is 11.00 am to 2.00pm), RM68++ (Late Lunch - W/day is 1.40 pm to 4.20pm, W/end is 2 pm to 4.20pm), RM88++ (Dinner - W/day and W/end is 5 pm to 9.30pm) and RM78++ (Supper - W/day and W/end is 9.30pm to 1am). Kids are charged RM10++ or more depending on their individual height.

*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.

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Other reviews:
  1. Xtra Peri2 Mentality - 15 January, 2006
  2. Juan's Not So Mundane Life - 22 January, 2006
  3. Din and Yus' fotopages - 26 January, 2006
  4. Life's A Square - 5 February, 2006 (scroll to the main site for the pictures which is posted as individual postings)
  5. KYspeaks - 7 February, 2006
  6. Wiwiwetwet - 28 February, 2006

Monday, February 27, 2006

Marmalade Cafe @ Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur

When it comes to eating out, sometimes I opt for restaurants which serve food I love and don't mind going there all the time. Marmalade Cafe in Mont Kiara is one of them as everytime we eat there, we have not been dissapointed. It's taken me quite a while to blog about it partly due to my difficulty in getting nice pictures. Last weekend, I managed to score some very nice pictures when we had an early dinner there.

Formerly known as Gecko Cafe which operated in the Desa Sri Hartamas shophouses, Marmalade is now at the tiny Mont Kiara shoplex annexe they share with Kiosk, Baskin Robbins and Star Hill Bistro. The cafe can be quite cramped inside as a large area has been cordoned off for the kids to play with. However you can sit outside on the wooden deck under an awning and billowing fans. It gets loads of people patronising them for lunches and weekend breakfast.


The cafe serves a wide variety of superb salads, sandwiches and quiches but since it was dinner time, we ordered the heavier meals. Splashie Boy had the beef stew(RM16+) which came with two slices of home made multigrain bread. The stew is tomato based and full of beef chunks, mushrooms, carrots and potatoes making it a very substantial meal. What I love about their dishes is they also add fresh vegetables like alfafa sprouts and lettuce on top of it.



I had the chicken pie (RM16+) which came with mashed potatoes and a salad with a tangy dressing. Although the pie may look small, it packs a punch as it's full of chicken chunks in a creamy sauce. Sadly we were too full to eat their famous Carrot Cake which I hope to feature the next time we get to sit al fresco. If you have kids, do visit this place as it's very child friendly with it's large play area - you can eat in the cafe and let the kids draw whatever they like. Once their masterpiece is finished, it can also be displayed on the glass walls of the cafe.


Marmalade Cafe

LG-1A, Shoplex at Mont Kiara

2 Jalan Kiara

Mont Kiara

Kuala Lumpur


Tel No: 03 - 6201 1743
(Halal)

*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.

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Links to other reviews:

  1. Day Dreymer's Carrot Cake review.

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Weekend Cat Blogging (WCB) 38



Where's my mummy?

Meow everyone!

The kittens are growing up pretty fast, this week they have learnt how to sit up and wander around the box Mum has made for them. She tried to carry them a few times to take pictures but it was so difficult as they were yelping so loudly until their mother started getting anxious. They are so fat from their mother's milk, they seem to roll around their unsteady little legs. Mum calls them fluffy balls as they have such fluffy fur. She says I looked exactly like them when I was young, one big fluff ball of fur. Anyway, if you want these little cute fluff balls, drop Mum a line at
boo_liciouskl@yahoo.com as they are looking for homes. I definitely do not want them as one cute cat in the household is good enough.

Lotsa love, hugs and meow kisses

Boo the Cat

P/s see how Kiri does his kitty yoga with Auntie Clare at eatstuff and my other kitty friends.

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We want to go home!

Friday, February 24, 2006

Wantan Mee @ Lai Foong, Kuala Lumpur



Whenever I am down town, I usually make a pit stop at this wantan mee stall which is next to Lai Foong along Jalan Tun HS Lee where you get the famous
beef noodles. My mother says as far as she remembers, the shop is not known as Lai Foong but somehow the signboard above it says so hence I am using it for a reference point. The shop only has two stalls; a chicken rice stall and the wantan mee stall which gets really full of people during lunch time. My usual order is their dry (kon lo) wantan mee (RM3.30 to RM3.50). You can also order the noodles with braised chicken legs.



The wantans that accompany the noodles are really yummy and made from "sai to" fish (known as ikan parang in Malay).



Another essential order when I am at the shop, their local coffee which I love, a steal at RM1.10 as usually the ones in Petaling Jaya are RM1.30.

This place gets a lot of traffic as they face the bus stop and you will see lots of buses lining along the road. Everytime whenever I am down town, it amazes me how things change around there as modern development takes over. My uncle's old shophouse has now been pulled down in for a larger building that will house a budget hotel in the future. The goldsmith shops nearby are now boarded up and may share the same fate as people favour modern ones at the shopping malls. It's sad how old shophouses do not get preserved but are torn down for more commercially inclined buildings. If you have the time, do walk around the whole area before they convert it and discover all the hidden restaurants before they dissapear.

Wantan Mee
(next to Lai Foong Restaurant along Jalan Tun HS Lee)
(Non Halal)

*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.

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Thursday, February 23, 2006

Sweet and Sticky Chicken Wings




I'm currently reading
The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater and realised that he really loves his chicken wings as there will always be one recipe popping up every month or so. It got me hankering for some hence I decided to make them one night. It's probably not the best season for chicken as everyone is running scared from the bird flu panic but somehow it hasn't hit me yet and I am still sub-conciously eating it still.

The recipe for these chicken wings are extremely simple and best of all, easy to whip from items like honey, lemon and grain mustard which I always have lurking in my fridge. Another great thing about it is all you need to do is bung them in the oven and wait for the yummy smells to come from the oven, turn them once and then you have dinner all ready to be eaten in front of the television. My wings were not as dark as the picture in the book as I messed up my oven settings. However they turned out to be very nice especially with the honey mustard sauce.

Sweet and Sticky Chicken Wings (Serves 2 to 3)


12 chicken wings (abt 600grams)
2 heaped tablespoons grain mustard
1 heaped tablespoon runny honey
1 large juicy lemon
3 large cloves of garlic

Set oven to 220C/Gas Mark 7. Check the chicken wings to make sure there are no stray feathers and place them in a roasting tin. Mix mustard and honey with the juice from the lemon. You will get approximately 5 tablespoons of juice from the lemon. Peel the garlic, crush and add it to the honey mixture with a grinding of pepper and salt. Toss the wings in the honey mixture and roast for forty minutes. Turn them over and continue for ten minutes.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Bakin' Boys @ Suria KLCC



I spied this little place just outside Little Penang Cafe in Suria KLCC recently and decided to indulge in their cookies. The cookies are huge and remind me of the ones you see in American magazines. Surprisingly this is a
Singapore franchise as I thought it was American based. Pretty good timing in opening at Suria KLCC too since Mrs. Fields cookies have closed leaving no cookie competition.



The main deal at this place are their cookies which comes in a variety of flavours and nifty names with price ranges from RM3.60 to RM3.90. I chose the Milkman Meltdown(RM3.60) which is described as a chewy cookie on the inside with a chunk of milk chocolate within it. I thought this was average as there was not much taste to the cookie besides the milk chocolate bit.



For my second cookie, I decided to go for the really chocolately ones and had this nifty little chap called the Martian Fellow(RM3.90). This was superb - lovely chocolately flavours with a melting center that had gooey chocolate bits. I think I am in love with this little fella as he is so yummy. The best bit about this cookie is it's not overly sweet as they use at least 55% cocoa content chocolates. This is great for me as I am totally obssessed with chocolates with high cocoa mass. Now I am eager to try their other chocolately cookies to see if they are just as nice as this particular one or even better. However, I better go slow on eating them or else I will be growing sideways!

Besides cookies, they also serve muffins, coffee and milkshakes for takeaway. Check their local website too for the many flavours and there is a promotion that allows you to get a free cookie if it's your birthday.

Bakin' Boys
K43, Level 4
Suria KLCC
(The booth outside Little Penang Cafe)

*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.

Links to other reviews:
  1. Living My Dreams - 11 January, 2006
  2. Fairytales do come true - 26 January, 2006
  3. Lolyta - 17 February, 2006
  4. One of the owners is also a blogger - Phases

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Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Thai Express @ The Curve, Mutiara Damansara

During the weekends, we always end up at Mutiara Damansara whether it is meeting up with friends for lunch or just shopping for groceries and etc. Although we both have established favourites around the place we keep eating all the time, we thought of trying something new. I have read some pretty dismal views about Thai Express, a chain originating from Singapore but we decided to try it for ourself as the place is forever packed with people eating there.



The restaurant has an inside area and an al-fresco dining area where you can sit under an awning. For picture taking purposes, we sat outside and the furthest away from the wait staff so they will not give me dagger stares when I took pictures. Maybe I sat too far away as I felt the wait staff wasn't too attentive but since I didn't want them hovering around me it was a blessing in disguise. We ordered the plain mango salad(RM6.90++) that came with less chillies. For the spicier version, they have a similair one called Chiang Mai mango salad. I liked the salad which came with mango shreds (weren't too raw) and a pretty sweet sauce.



Splashie Boy ordered this unusual dish - soft shell crab curry with white rice (RM15.90++) which was also one of the most expensive dishes on the menu. It turned out to be really yummy with an eggy curry sauce topping that was not too spicy for him.



I wanted to try the laksa and was at a dither choosing between the different curries that came in traffic light colours i.e. red, yellow and green and the khao soi. I ended up getting the yellow curry seafood laksa (RM11.90++). Bad idea as I ended up having to fish around the large bowl for my food as they gave me such a small portion. They also overcooked my laksa noodles and everytime I tried to place them in the spoon with my chopsticks, it kept breaking. I was ranting about their noodles that I am sure the next table could hear me complaining away. Although the portions are tiny, the yellow curry was tasty.

Drinks at this place are super expensive (we had limeade and coconut water at RM6.90++ each) so be aware of the prices as sometimes the food is so spicy that one will end up ordering quite a few orders to quench the fire within. Will I come back again? I guess I would only when I am sick of eating at the other places since choices are so limited within that area. If any of you have any food recommendations around that area, do drop me a comment.

Thai Express Restaurant
G50, Jalan PJU 7/3
The Curve, Mutiara Damansara

Tel No: 03 - 7710 9629
(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:

I am starting this new section, links to other bloggers' review as you can also see what others think about the place. This is to give a pretty fair view since everyone has differing views of the taste of food depending on their tastebuds and experiences.
  1. Jasemaine Gan - 12 August, 2005
  2. ...life is lived forwards but understood backwards - 12 October, 2005
  3. Obsession - 31 October, 2005
  4. Chicks and Pea.com - 14 January, 2006
  5. Life of a Food Lover - 18 January, 2006

Monday, February 20, 2006

Revisiting Crystal Jade Lai Mian @ Lot 10



It has been quite a long time since I have been to Crystal Jade Lai Mian Xiao Long Bao (read my
May 2005 review). Somehow, bloggers haven't raved about it as much as Dragon-i even though I reckon the food here is much better. It's probably the location of the place as more people tend to visit Mid Valley Megamall and 1 Utama Shopping Centre. I am happy to report that the food is still just as good at this place especially the Xiao Long Baos(RM7++) - THE essential order at this place.



Although we had one order of dumplings already, we felt like eating lots of them hence we also ordered the wantans(RM8++) which was very nice. One thing I prefer at Crystal Jade are their plain noodles and dumplings come with a tasty broth.


We decided to be different and ordered fried rice (RM18++) as it looked good on the menu. Well, we weren't wrong as it was really yummy with fluffy rice grains mixed with bits of egg, pickled vegetables and crunchy prawns. Unlike the usual fried rice, this one felt like a lighter version especially with the pickled vegetables.


This time round, we tried the mango pudding(RM6++) which was pretty tasty but came in a lurid yellow that screamed artificial food addictives and colouring. Eaten with a dash of evaporated milk, this was an indulgence we tucked in quickly while waiting for the souffle egg white balls to be fried.


I love these little deep fried souffle egg white balls(RM8++). Eat them with the icing sugar or else they can be tasteless. Some people have expressed their dissapointment of the lack of red bean and banana filling inside it but I reckon that if you overfill the insides, it won't puff up like this.

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao
R2 Annexe Block
Lot 10 Shopping Centre
50 Jalan Sultan Ismail
50250 Kuala Lumpur

Tel No: 03 - 2148 2338
(Non-Halal)

*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.

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Links to other reviews:
  1. Chris-zY - MemoirZ - 1 September, 2005
  2. She's Jess - 7 October, 2005
  3. Julie the Biscuit - 2 November, 2005
  4. Everything That is Or Was Began in a Dream - 19 November, 2005 and 26 November, 2005
  5. Acrix69:Realmz of Fantasy! - 7 January, 2006 and 5 February, 2006
  6. What goes around comes around - 26 January, 2006

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Weekend Cat Blogging (WCB) 37

Meow everyone,

This weekend, I am featuring the latest additions to Mum's "cat shelter", teeny weeny calico kittens just born beginning of February to the neighbour's cat.



Mum is not sure why but this time round, the mother cat transferred them from her own house across the road to our house. (Usually the kittens grow up to a certain age and then start creeping over to our house) She suspects it could be that she did not like her other nest due to the heavy rains we are experiencing every day. Anyway, Mum has made her a new nest with a huge printer box which she seems to like.



The kittens are very very tiny hence Mum had to hold them up to take pictures. They're both calico just like their mother and highly likely to be female.



One has more brown hair versus the other one who is darker. Both will have fluffy longish hair like their mother and straight tails. Sadly, the neighbour does not want them at all - she has also threatened that she does not even want the mother cat so Mum feels she is running a temporary "cat shelter" at home. We will have to put up the calico kittens for adoption so if anyone of you are interested to take them home, drop Mum a line at
boo_liciouskl@yahoo.com


Take care and lots of love, hugs and meow kisses

Boo the cat

P/s join my kitty pals especially my secret Valentine, Kiri at eat stuff for a rip roaring Weekend Cat Blogging.

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Friday, February 17, 2006

Nasi Kandar Bestari @ Kelana Parkview, PJ



Yesterday, we both had to run some errands and ended up having a pretty late lunch at Kelana Parkview after visiting Clickers, TM Net's main office. Nasi Kandar Bestari must have recently opened here as I do not remember them being here the last time I came to sort out my modem problems.

Nasi Kandar originates from Penang and is essentially like banana leaf rice where you choose from a selection of curries and vegetables to eat with your rice. The name for this type of cuisine comes from the unique way they served in the early days where the vendors would carry their food in two large containers balanced by a pole known as a kandar. There are lots of different Nasi Kandar places in Kuala Lumpur now and some can have huge spreads of curries for you to choose from.

Nasi Kandar Bestari is just one of the many who originates from Penang. They seem to have an interesting way of placing their restaurants within office complexs offering easy access to the office workers. I often eat at their other outlets at Desa Sri Hartamas or Plaza Mont Kiara and my absolute favourite is their creamy chicken korma curry. It must be everyone's favourite too as only one piece of chicken was left after the lunch crowd. Sorry for the not so nice picture as I slathered it with lots of the sauce which is a must have with my rice. Korma curry gets it's creaminess and rich taste from adding coconut milk. There are different variations and some even contain "nut milk" made from straining soaked cashewnuts. The taste of this curry is mild with less chillies and spices like cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.



Splashie Boy had daging kicap which is beef cooked in thick soya sauce that gives it a mild flavour. I had a taste of it and thought the beef was too tough to my liking.


When I was at the counter choosing what I wanted for lunch, I saw these black little bits in a tray. A lady was anxiously asking the man behind the counter to pack some for her. Since there was so much excitment about it, I asked her what it was and she said it was rendang daging that was unbelievably yummy. It seems she will always pack a portion home which she eats with bread. On her advice, I tried a small portion of it and wow, I thought it was yummy. Flavoursome with coconut bits with tender beef cubes - these were excellent. Usually the dry rendangs I have eaten always have chewy beef bits.

Hope you will give Nasi Kandar Bestari a try. I think they are pretty reasonably priced too and another unique thing about them is they're the only Nasi Kandar place I have seen with a tagline: "Everybody's Favourite Place".

Nasi Kandar Bestari
Kelana Parkview Tower
(They also have other outlets at Desa Sri Hartamas, Plaza Damas, Plaza Mont Kiara, Giant Taman Connaught and Damansara Intan)

*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.

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Thursday, February 16, 2006

Food Recommendations are Appreciated

As you can see from my post below, I love discovering new places to eat. If you know of any great places within the Klang Valley that you think serves excellent food or something unusual which I should blog about, do drop me a line at boo_liciouskl@yahoo.com as I would love to give the place a try.

Thanks too for your support as I made 100,000 hits recently. I'm still amazed that my little blog has built up a steady pool of readers as I never envisioned it to get much of a response. Comments are always welcome on what else you would like to see me feature or change in my blog. I for one would love to change my blog design and move to my own domain but I'm a dunce in any form of designing or programming hence I am still scaling that steep learning curve.

Thanks again and Happy Eating to all of you!

Assam Laksa @ SS4C Night Market




I love discovering new places to eat hence when I heard about this wonderful assam laksa in Kelana Jaya, I decided to swing over there last night to give it a try. It was a good idea as it meant me using the highway to get home instead of my usual route vide Section 17 which was jammed up with flash floods due to the heavy rain in the evening.

Since it had just stopped raining when I was at the stall, there were no long queues but a steady stream of people ordering their assam laksa to be packed. I eagerly got home (in pretty good time too as there was not much jam since everyone was stuck in town) and heated up the soup base and had it piping hot over the laksa noodles. Very nice and I thought this is by far the nicest assam laksa I have had from the night market. It's also super reasonable as the big portion cost me only RM3.50. I love the fact they did not skimp on the vegetables unlike the other night market stalls. Not sure if they also open shop at the other night markets but if you are in the area, do visit them as their laksa is really good.



When I was wandering at the night market which is tiny, just one row of stalls along Jalan SS4C/5, I spied two satay stalls. One had just started their fire but another had gotten his satay ready hence I decided to supplement my dinner with a selection of beef and chicken satay. Usually the satay you get from the night markets can be pretty forgettable but I was pleasantly surprised when I ate them and they were excellent. They were perfectly cooked and tender. The peanut sauce that accompanied it was not spicy enough though but extremely thick with peanuts. Excellent stuff which I must try again another day to see if the quality of this stall can be maintained.

Jalan SS4C/5 Pasar Malam
The assam laksa van is parked at the end of the road, opposite Ying Siong hardware. Beware that there is another assam laksa van on top of the road called Cheow Yang assam laksa. The satay stall is nearer to the assam laksa stall (not the one near the junction).

*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.


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Full Moon Package @ One Joy



I love receiving full moon packages. The last time I featured the traditional one we get in Malaysia with the red eggs, pickled ginger, curry chicken plus the turmeric rice known as nasi kunyit. This time round for my niece's full moon, the parents went non-traditional and opted for a modern approach of candy and heart shaped cookies. I love the packaging as the butterflies on it is so adorable. Although this was purchased in Singapore, you can get them here in Malaysia at OneJoy from Ampang. Do check it out as I love how you can personalise the baby's name and picture on the packaging.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Restoran Busy Corner @ Damansara Jaya

Claypot rice is a favourite of mine and sometimes I just hanker for something different hence I head on to Busy Corner just off Kolej Damansara Utama for my fix of rice and soup.



The shop only sells claypot rice and steamed soups, a perfect combination as one can drink soup with their rice. I ordered an old favourite, the old cucumber soup(RM3.50) that came with red dates, dried octopus and oysters, chicken feet and pieces to make it a sweet tasting soup.



This place serves unusual claypot rice combinations. The traditional way is with chicken with additions like mushrooms, chinese sausages, eggs and salted fish but this place takes their combinations a bit further. Besides the usual chicken version(RM5.50), there are spicy thai(RM5.50) and black pepper(RM5.50) versions. Instead of chicken, you can also have prawns(RM12), beef(RM8) and fish slices(RM8) in their claypot rice.

To cook the claypot rice, the rice is pre-soaked and then cooked on a gas stove as and when an order is placed. Pre-soaking the rice helps it cook faster. The toppings are also pre-cooked and will be added on top of the rice when it's almost cooked. The best part of the claypot rice is the layer of crispy rice on the bottom that can be scraped and mixed with the fluffy rice on top adding a nice crunch to the whole ensemble when you mix the topping with the rice. The above claypot rice was the black pepper beef(RM8) that was mildly spicy and came with slices of beef and raw onions. The small version is big enough for a hearty meal for two people with the inclusion of the soup.

Restoran Busy Corner
83, Jalan ss 22/11
Damansara Jaya

Opens for lunch and dinner. Closes on Thursdays.
(If coming from the LDP from Sunway, turn left into Kolej Damansara Utama. You will see a Petronas station, turn right and the shop is at the row of shophouses next to the station. It's directly opposite the Damansara Jaya Residents Association)

*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.

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Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Happy Valentine's Day


Happy Valentine's Day!


Instead of hearts, I thought this tree with hanging red apples from Mid Valley Megamall will be something different. I love the way they kinda remind me of the tree in Eden that Eve tempted Adam with.


Do enjoy today with your loved ones and remember it's the thought that counts rather than the size or the price of the gift. Have lots of fun.