I'm sure you have heard already that Equatorial Kuala Lumpur will be soon closing their doors.
The target date is 31 March, when they start tearing the old hotel to make way for the new.
While rumours are adrift on whether the hotel returns or not, one thing is sure we will be missing this stalwart when it is gone.
I have fond memories for the whole hotel since I was a kid.
Long ago, the Golden Phoenix Restaurant was THE Chinese restaurant in Kuala Lumpur.
Every time we had an occasion to celebrate, it would be held there. So many fond memories for its dishes such as the onion chicken (crispy skin chicken topped with aromatic onions), the apple fish (their sweet and sour fish with sliced apples instead), the sponge-like tofu with its holes and the sharks fin soup. Their yee sang was also the best in town.
However things went pear shaped for them as the old chef retired and most of the loyal staff also left to join one of the off shoots i.e. Pik Wah at MABA Building. Even though the hotel kept serving the old dishes, things were never the same.
I also loved Chalet as a child and it used to make me laugh whenever they served the sabayon since they put up such a performance whisking the cream until one of the waiters would dance around the trolley.
Etoile for us was where we got our goodies and birthday cakes. Then for Kampachi, it was for maximum Japanese pleasure especially their buffets. When I was a kid it would have been the Sunday all you can eat one but nowadays I prefer the Saturday version where you pick and order what you like.
Hence we decided to give the place a last hurrah before it closes.
Friends of mine have been visiting it regularly to relish its last moments. Best you all start jumping on the bandwagon too.
The selection is small but good enough to satisfy our hungry tummies.
We order loads of sashimi - salmon, yellowtail, butterfish and tuna. Everything is super fresh and delicious. They also do hand rolls.
There is also a selection of appetizers laid out on a table for us to select and of course, we all get plates of edamame to snack on. There are also makis (rolls) and deep fried soft shell crab.
I love the teppanyaki steak, cooked to medium juicy perfection. There is also sukiyaki and assorted tempura.
We discover that the cold soba noodles are wonderful and bouncy that we all order bowls to slurp it down. The hot cooked ones don't stand a chance against the cold ones as they seem almost flaccid compared to the more elastic tasting strands.
To end, it was green tea ice cream and something not on the menu, mini dorayaki or pancakes.
They are beautifully cooked and look more like blinis except we slather on creamy peanut butter and red bean paste to enjoy the Japanese sweets.
Kampachi Equatorial Kuala Lumpur Jalan Sultan Ismail Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2161 7777
(Pork Free. The buffet set lunch for Saturday is from 12 noon to 2.30pm for RM90++ per person. For the full set of pictures, see the Flickr set.)
*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.
That is how I felt with numerous visits I did to this place, where I sneakily took pictures of all their great food.
There is always a lot of excitement when I discover something new.
With this place, I was thrilled to discover it served a rare being in Kuala Lumpur i.e. the duck kway teow soup noodles.
From what I understand from Penang-nites, that dish is not so common also on the island.
At Penang One, you get to relish the Cecil Street Market's noodles in the modern comforts of a kopitiam.
Rather than travel four hours up to Penang, they bring all those yummy street food right to Puchong. (not really your doorstep if you live far far away from that suburb).
There are also loads more....curry mee, char kway teow, Hokkien prawn mee, cendol, ais kacang, rice dumplings from Cintra Market, assam laksa, nyah kuih and my big favourite i.e. Macalister Lane's prawn paste chee cheong fun.
So go forth and enjoy all these Penang goodies. For the full story, click on this link.
Penang One G5, Jalan Puteri 2/1 Bandar Puteri Puchong
Tel: 03-80520181
(Non Halal. For more pictures and the location map, see the Flickr set.)
*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.
I seem to be haunting the 1 Utama shopping mall lately.
Kinda weird since I've actually stopped visiting it for some time already ever since I discovered looking for a parking space during the weekend is virtually impossible unless I employ devious secret ways to score a spot.
I guess the draw of new eateries to explore is too strong too resist just like Superman reacts to all those kryptonite.
I was a little curious about this organic spot within the mall.
A rather brave thing I reckon especially since mall goers tend to prefer binging on other treats since they hang out in that air conditioned space to relax during the weekend.
Moreover, everyone's pockets nowadays seem a little leaner than usual.
Maybe that is why we found ourselves being the one of the few tables there during the weekend.
It is rather a pity since the general public don't seem to take to this kind of food as they would have discovered a delicious meal within these mod looking walls (and a funky uneven ceiling) here.
We both thoroughly enjoyed the quinoa salad (RM20). Given a modern look, since it was shaped in a nice ring mould, the fluffy ancient grains were tossed with local herbs, diced avocado and mango. A spicy reddish sauce, prawns and a salad were served on the side.
I loved the contrast of textures - fluffy with a slight bite that melded well with the creamy green cubes and the slightly sweet mango squares.
Quinoa is always a preferred choice for both of us since we had ditched rice for that healthier grain long ago for our daily meals.
Splashie Boy love his beef hence it was the Swedish meatballs (RM28) for him while I had the nasi ulam with ayam percik (RM30).
The meatballs were perfectly done - with a nice crust on the outside and a juicy beefy centre. I only managed to get a small sampler piece since he polished everything from the word go.
I enjoyed my aromatic nasi ulam made from brown rice and herbs. Toasted grated coconut and dried shrimps seem to give it a nice toasty flavour. The ayam percik was also very well done - made from ayam kampung hence there was no fatty bits but still juicy and tender. I liked how they dressed my plate with soft salad leaves too and crunchy lotus root chips.
Dessert was a revised black forest cake (RM14) and a scoop of their artisan ice cream (RM6.90).
The cake was decent stuff with a chocolate sponge layers and bits of cherries with shaved chocolate but I preferred the soft vanilla ice cream. This tasted very homemade with a nice soft texture and the aroma of the vanilla beans.
The space is huge as it stretches to include a market that is not fully stocked up at the moment.
A word on the juices, they also do a rather good selection of them that we enjoyed. The mixed varieties are priced around RM17.90.
While I feel the food is wholesome and cooked with a lot of love and care, I hope more customers will patronise the place in the future since things were rather looking quiet here. Maybe more organic food lovers will drop by this place once the Farmers Market starts in earnest. That is set to kick off from the first Sunday of the month from March onwards from 8-11am at the Central Park.
Opika Organic Market and Restaurant Lot No. 105 & 106 Lower Ground Floor One Utama (Old Wing) Bandar Utama
Tel: 03-7732 2581
(Pork Free. Place is where the old food court used to be. For more pictures, see the Flickr set.)
*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.
One of the best things about January is the annual windfall of winter truffles that start to grace our tables in Kuala Lumpur.
This year, saw a bonus dinner hosted by my friend CS who gifted us with a truffle she had bought during her travels. The big time foodie does this yearly sojourns somewhere over the ocean that often see her coming back to our city bearing wickedly good food gifts like this prized truffle.
Babied with a little dampness to keep it from drying out (seems that keep it in the rice trick does not work), we enjoyed that black gold in the most unusual combination - Chinese food.
That hefty piece of black "diamond" was entrusted in CS' brother aka "The Chef and he ingeniously came up with a pairing of steamed kurau fish lightly tossed in an egg white sauce and an extremely generous sprinkling of black truffle shavings.
Honestly they looked like black butterflies flitting around the fish that it was a pity to even sink my teeth in it.
A whiff of the woody aromas waft up to my nose that I can't resist...
Indeed, this was a brilliant combination since the egg white sauce seemed to complement the truffle beautifully while the fish was silky smooth being steamed to perfection.
We also enjoyed the truffle on a classic combination, tossed in al dente pasta with crab meat.
I really loved how they served it in an old fashioned style to us...the wait staff all in unison opening the top of the lids to unveil the beautiful pasta... that reminds me of yesteryear Kuala Lumpur.
But, like the title says. I totally digress from its true intentions i.e. this year's truffle menu at the venerable dining place.
As usual, the same group of friends flock together to enjoy this special occasion. More people came along to enjoy the trip and with some persuasion, Sage kept us nice and cosy in their newly renovated private rooms for a lovely dinner.
Prized at RM260 nett per person, the menu offers an abundance of black truffles but bear in mind, these are not the Italian ones but their Tibetan cousins. While the far relatives are a little lacking in the aroma department (I noticed that the lighter ones seemed a bit aromatic but maybe it was just me), Sage made it up with the excellent preparation of their food.
Where is the best steak in Kuala Lumpur? I often get asked..occupational hazard I guess.
While the brain processes steak houses, I often forget that the best steak is from this place.
Only when I taste their aged Angus tenderloin perfectly cooked, it jogs that part of my brain to say, "this is THE place for steak".
I didn't really eat the whole steak since I ordered the pan roasted New Zealand Pink snapper (drats, double drats!) but I tasted Splashie Boy's plate and wished I could have eaten all of his.
My fish with its sweet sauce Perigueux and stuffed zucchini blossom paled in comparison to that awesome steak.
The awesomeness of that piece of meat was only slightly overshadowed by another favourite: the fedellini pasta tossed in the truffles and parmesan cheese.
We had kicked off with a lovely scallop carpaccio in a piquant dressing and dusted with truffle. To end, for that day, we had the dessert of the day - truffle dusted ice cream with mango feulleteine.
Ahh...there goes another season of truffles...till we meet again next year!
Sage Restaurant and Bar 6th Floor The Gardens Residences Mid Valley City Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2268 1328
(Pork Free. The truffle menu is available until end of February and for dinner unless special arrangements are made. More pictures in the Flickr set. For the full details, see their website.)
*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.
Means more time to explore new places like this Korean restaurant.
Located at the quieter side of town aka The Intermark since 28 January, they claim to be serving Korean fine dining. Their name Onsemiro means, "taste of nature."
While I can't claim to be an expert in Korean fine dining, service was definitely top notch and they do offer some unusual items I have not seen in other Korean places.
One unusual item was the yukhoe bibimbap (RM45).
Instead of cooked beef, the rice dish is topped with beef tartare.
You mix everything together with your chopsticks - the vegetables, beef, rice and the Korean chilli paste gochujang for a satisfying meal.
Another unusual dish was Ganjang-gejang, marinated crab in soy sauce (gejang). On the menu they are stated as market priced but that amount served was around RM30.
Not for the faint hearted, these are raw crabs that are lightly fermented in the salty mixture.
You eat it like a cold appetizer with a bit of porridge to alleviate the saltiness. Rather nice to eat amid the heat from the BBQ grill since it is cool.
They have a few sets including a grand opening dinner special (Modumsaenggogi set) for RM60 per person that features assorted grilled meats, cold dish, soybean paste stew, three kinds of pan-fried fish and vegetables, cold buckwheat noodles.
The meats are of premium quality including wagyu and Korean premium beef.
We settle for the Hanudeungsimsukbul-gui set (RM200 per person) that uses Korean premium beef sirloin.
All the side dishes are exquisitely prepared such as the vegetable roll. I love the cold ginseng side dish with bits of tangy citrus to uplift the salad.
There is spring onion kimchi, a cold cabbage kimchi and this leaf that has a nice smoky woody taste to it.
We also enjoy baby pajeon (pan fried pancake), a beef skewer and crispy light tempura vegetables, while they grilled the beef.
The beef is tasty wrapped with the lettuce leaves with a dab of the tangy sauce and garlic cloves.
To end the meal, it was a cup of Korean green tea and this cooling dessert that resembled a sherbet of sorts. Very refreshing after all that heat from the kimchi and the grilled beef.
Prices are definitely on the higher side here but the restaurant seems to also cater for all sorts of budget with the introductory set. The set lunches also look reasonable being priced at RM20. There are not many choices though (four if I am not mistaken) but they serve a bulgogi stir fried beef with vegetables, and a tempura one. The sets are served in a bento box.
Onsemiro 2nd Floor The Intermark Jalan Tun Razak Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2161 2461
(Pork Free. Open from 11am to 3pm, 5pm to 11pm. Located on the same floor as Royal India. Currently they have a 30% discount on all items including drinks until 12 February. Introductory menus are also available. 10% discount for CIMB, Maybank credit card and 15% discount for premium credit card. For more pictures, see the Flickr set.)
*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.
"Good things to eat...one of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating." says Luciano Pavarotti in Pavarotti, My Own Story
How apt indeed coming from that man with the great appetite.
I must admit I often find myself rushing in between work assignments, grabbing a quick bite that I find that meal so unsatisfying like I never ate anything.
At Petite Millie, the baby sister of the fine dining stalwart Millesime, I reckon I may have found new life to eating since everything from our lunch definitely sated us completely.
The bistro is one of the many new faces in the 1 Utama mall that recently went through a cosmetic nip and tuck. Earlier known as the "old wing", it has gone through a big revamp that seen some old timers fade away (what happened to Mark's Assam Laksa?) and new places crop up at every corner.
Fervent diners would have visited Millesime where Max Chin holds court. Well known for his creativity and respect towards ingredients, it is no surprise that the bistro offers a breath of fresh air in the KL dining scene.
While in terms of looks it bears not much difference with what is currently in vogue - cement minimalist walls, black boards and etc, it is the menu that draws us in.
First of all, their secret weapon is the Poutine. "Apa tu?" you may ask.
As I was enlightened by Splashie Boy (not the most gourmet of persons), this is something found in the east side of Canada (he ate it before in Ottawa) - chunky french fries drenched in brown gravy. He once had it for lunch just off a food truck (termed roadside chip wagons per wikipedia). While wikipedia describes it as being served with cheese curds, he remembers just eating it without any. Nevertheless, it stuck to his food memory since it was one helluva tummy satisfying meal.
Here the humble Canadian fast food snack gets a stylish revamp with all those luxurious flourishes that pushes it up the gourmet track.
We sampled the Poutine Cheek (RM26) - a deadly combo of six hour braised beef cheek, freshly ground pepper and a dash of truffle oil. Incredibly comforting for the tummy, who can say no to such a lethal mix of ingredients. I especially liked the sliced onions and the two types of mushrooms added in the whole mix - shimeji and button mushrooms.
Aside from this variety, you can choose from five more types including one called Daniel B (I suspect it is named after a certain Mr. Boulud) that has an egg mollett, ratatouille. There is even a cute one called Very Atas One! with thinly sliced beef, blue cheese crumbs and caramelised onions. Prices range from RM20.50 to RM26 for these items and will be enough to feed one starving tummy or two not so hungry persons.
If Poutine is not your thing, don't worry they have the Tarte Flambee - their version of pizza that reminds me of Flams. These thin dough smeared with creme fraiche and different toppings. We try the Avocado & Crab (RM19.50) that is topped with crab meat, avocado slices and lemon thyme oil. I like the thin texture of it and its combination is not too overpowering so it makes a nice appetizer or a light meal for a small eater. On its side, they serve salad leaves, sliced cherry tomato and olives, dressed in a little olive oil. There are more varieties (5 more) such as the classic Pissaladiere with a price range from RM16.50 to RM19.50.
There were only two of us but we stuffed our faces in. Since one could not leave without ordering the mains and desserts, the tummies were filled to the brim.
For the main, we choose the "Mac and Cheese" that is described as twisted in the menu (RM34.50). This was essentially penne tossed in gorgonzola cheese cream with a scatter of sunflower seeds and topped with two perfectly seared scallops. Eat this hot as it tastes so good - creamy and aromatic that you keep scooping it up to the mouth even though we were so full.
Since Petite Millie is very new (she only opened her doors to the world last week on the third day of Chinese New Year), the dessert menu is not ready yet. Instead we had their solo dessert, an apple crumble (RM16.90) served with amarena cherry ice cream. We love this - soft and crumbly pastry that encases apple slices with raisins and of course the ice cream is to die for. I reckon we will be back for desserts next week when they unveil it. Just reading the menu makes my mouth water - I spy sticky date and toffee pudding, lemongrass pumpkin creme brulee, blueberry ricotta beignets (that french cekodok), caramelised packham pear and salted caramel bread pudding and etc..., you get the gist why I am making a return trip here.
There's loads to eat here, they serve tartine sandwiches on buttered country breads, there are salads and nibbles such as Max's classics like romaine lettuce and smoked piquillo pepper wrap with seared tuna loin, crushed feta and gazpacho vinaigrette, soups, mains such as oven roasted lamb loin served with aubergine lentil mash, bourguignonne style beef bavette and etc.
Prices for the Tartine range from RM20.50 to RM38. The RM38 one is big enough for two to share that comes piled with gourmet garnishes. Mains range from RM28 to RM40.50 which is the beef bavette. Sweets are priced from RM12.50 to RM16.50.
Service is polite and fast. I like how they also replicate Millesime's bag "container" that lets you store your handbag at the bottom of the table. You may need to keep your eye on it if you sit near the entrance. However if you sit near the corner, it should be safe enough if you keep it close enough.
Petite Millie Lot LG146 (Next to Sun Moulin and opposite Pasta Zanmai) Ground Floor 1 Utama Shopping Centre Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7732 0395
(Pork Free. For February until the 29th, they have a special promotion where you can have dine on a Poutine, Tartine or Tarte Flambee of the day on them. All you need to do is produce a valid name card with an office address located at 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Sri Pentas, KPMG Tower, Plaza IBM, One World Hotel and 1 First Avenue. Terms and conditions do apply so ask them for further details. Keep in touch with their facebook page. More pictures are in the Flickr set.)
*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.
I just remembered these pictures and since Lap Mei Fan is seasonal, I better post this now.
Hua Ting is a must for the family and usually when I drop by Singapore, we end up having lunch here. Headed by the talented Hong Kong Chef Chan Kwok, we have our usual favourites here so most meals look identical.
For those who want to ever try Chef Chan's creations, keep an eye out in the middle of the year as he usually does a pilgrimage up to the Grand Millenium Kuala Lumpur's Chinese restaurant to cook for a week or so.
He does different menus each year but I've always loved his roast duck (the best evah I reckon) and his politically incorrect but oh so good, double boiled shark's cartilage soup.
Our main aim for lunch that particular day was their waxed meats rice.
It's done a little differently here versus what is served in Kuala Lumpur.
At this place, they take it one step further than just the rice and the waxed meats...you have the option of cooking the rice crust with a superior soup broth (siong tong).
It's rather comforting to end the meal with the hot broth mingled with the rice grains and bits of dried radish (choy poh) in it.
Before hitting the carbo heaven of the waxed meats rice (it takes a while to cook), we hit the dim sum selection and their yummy roast meats.
I love the roast pork neck char siew - tender thin pieces of pork that melt in the mouth. How one wishes that a Chinese restaurant starts serving this. Maybe when Singapore's Imperial Paradise opens in Petaling Jaya this year, they will bring this dish since it is not commonly found in Kuala Lumpur.
Their roast pork is also incredibly good with a crunchy top that one piece is never enough. Other yummy eats were the crispy fried skin, crunchy wood ears and the salt and pepper deep fried fish with nary any excess oil.
The dim sum here is also good (no pictures though since everyone was tucking in) and my favourite was those vegetable dumplings.
We end the meal with dessert, a chewy and not overly sweet red date cake and a thick fluffy pastry covered egg tart.
Must admit I think I've not had a bad meal here ever as everything has been top notch.
*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.
Sugar high time...I'm a big fan of sweets (if you have not noticed.
Not one to past up a sweet treat, I kinda fell for this teeny weeny cafe tucked in Lucky Gardens, that forgotten part of Bangsar away from its glam side.
I love their "old fashioned" bakes or real cakes as I like to call them. None of that frou frou sponge cake layers made from mixes and mousse layers. Here you have cakes that I you can just eat on its own (au naturel) without lashings of fakey pearly white non dairy cream topping. Even if icing is anointed on its perfect crumb, it is just a little to enhance its taste.
It is thanks to fellow food blogger, A Whiff of Lemongrass, that I discovered this place.
Since the place is super small (just a half shop), it can be quite hard to spot. We found it nestled between a clinic and a reflexology centre. For those familiar with Bangsar, it is on the same row as the infamous coffee shop everyone stops for their Sarawak laksa fix.
The space is narrow and wide. Tables first in front but walk to the back for their treasure trove of goodies. For a wider look, mirrors were placed on one side while the other side of the wall is decorated with pictures from their launch and friends.
It has a rather whimsy charming air to it with the clothes peg stringing the pictures and of course, their moustaches. I'm not too sure what is the story behind it but their trademark is a bushy mustache that reminds me a little of Groucho Mark's trademark look.
We sit down for tea - salted caramel brownie (RM5) for him and baby lime cake (RM4) for me.
The sweet treats come in plates that remind me a little of Easter eggs.
I love my tangy cake with a slightly rough crumb and that slick of cream cheese frosting on it. The cake is a little sourish from the lime syrup that I like but the other half does not (he is of the type who hates sourish things but leans towards the sweet)
He prefers his brownie flecked with salt crystals and drizzled with caramel. One can't resist bites of that chocolate goodness and I end up stealing quite a few bites of it.
On another occasion, we raid their shelves for cakes to share among family (who loved it too!).
I love the cheesecakes too - with a biscuit crumb and a not overly dense cream cheese base that is still soft. Two flavours available, a peach and ginger and white chocolate blueberry (RM6.50 each). The ginger is not that pronounced though but you get bits of canned peaches within the creamy layer. Both flavours are not overly sweet.
For the Chinese New Year, they have a mandarin brownie (RM5) flecked with mandarin jam. It is fudgey and has a slight tang to it but I still prefer the salted caramel version. We also sample the pumpkin carrot cake (RM5). I admit I left it in the fridge for some time before I got around to eating this but after leaving it out for a while, the crumb was soft and not dry. My only complaint is the brown sugar seemed to dominate more versus any carrot or pumpkin taste. Nevertheless the crumb of this cake was still rather nice and moist.
I reckon I'll return again to try more sweets. On the last visit I spotted vanilla creme brulee (yum!) and they also serve sandwiches, which we have yet to try.
Cafe Crumbs 10, Lorong Ara Kiri Dua Lucky Gardens Bangsar
(Halal. Located along the same row as Pappa John's pizza, Nam Chuan coffeeshop and the Alliance Bank Berhad. Closed on Mondays. For more pictures, see my Flickr set.)
*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.
