Seafood & Fish Noodles @ B & Best, SS4, Petaling Jaya

delish and very fresh red snapper fish & oysters noodles (RM15)

One hopes to get back to the groove of daily blogging this coming week. Apologies for last week's hitch since I was busy and a little too tired to blog every night. This week, it is not going to be easier though (shuttling from 2 houses, as I'm house-sitting) but hopefully I get a little better organised (fingers and toes crossed). On to this place, which I has been on my "to-do" list for some time but I never got around until recently, when I was around Kelana Jaya for work. A favourite of KY Speaks, this place may not offer the cheapest or the best value of noodles in town (cheapskates, please avoid this!) but it works for me since they serve fresh stuff and a kick-ass sambal belacan I can't get enough of.

the yummy sambal belacan & oyster on a noodle strand

They serve a variety of fish here (red snapper and the large grouper fish known as loong tan) that you can choose to eat with clear soup, tomyam soup and even porridge. Being a little greedy always when I dine here, I've only gone for the special stuff and not the usual fishball noodles. I can never resist oysters and seeing them in a bowl on a counter, I ordered a portion with my red snapper fish slices - absolutely light & delish. The clear soup is served with vegetables, seaweed and preserved radish or choy poh to add flavour to the soup. Even though the soup is not super sweet, it still has traces of MSG (detected after a few hours). Nevertheless, you can counteract this with a dose of coffee or coca cola.

turn up the spice with the tomyam version (assorted seafood noodles for RM12)

For those who prefer a spicier alternative, they recently added tomyam soup to their repertoire. It may not knock your socks off but the soup is still tangy and delicious. For these noodles, I had the assorted seafood - a mix of lala, 3 white prawns (not very big but fresh) with fish pieces. Alternatively, order the clear soup version and eat it with the sambal belacan packed with chillies and loads of flavour from the dried shrimp paste. I'm addicted to it, even eating it on its own.

B & Best Restaurant
No.12, Jalan SS4C/5
Taman Rasa Sayang
Petaling Jaya

Tel: 012-295 8948

(Non halal. Place opens for breakfast and lunch. Closed every alternate Thursdays. Best part of dining here is the ease of getting parking. To get here from the LDP, if you're traveling from Sunway towards PJ, take the exit near Giant Kelana Jaya, where the Shell Station is on the left hand side. At the traffic light, take a right and the first right turn. Go straight and take a left hand turn at Jalan SS4C/5, you will pass by a petrol station on the left hand side, take a first left and the shophouse is at the corner.)

*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.

Tagged with: Seafood Noodles + Petaling Jaya

Others who have also dined here:

• Food Point of Interest who had the long tan noodles, something I have been eyeing also.
• SoShiok, which picked an old story Sam Cheong did for the Star
• Mouthwatering Food who had the dried version of the noodles
• Sixth Seal who has the google map to here.
• Food4Thot who enjoyed her fish noodles.

Molecular Cuisine by Jeff Ramsey @ Pacifica, Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur

salad Jim Lambie...in the same style as the famous installation artist

It's a kind of magic...(aka Queen's iconic song) seems to describe the experience you get with a Jeff Ramsey dinner. The Japanese-American whiz kid from Mandarin Oriental Tokyo's Tapas Molecular Bar (he's only 33 years old and the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star this year) was in town last week, dazzling everyone with his molecular interpretations. I admit I was a little hesistant to join this year's dinner (I had experienced it already last year when he first visited KL) but numerous SMSes from my friend EHK and a very descriptive phone call from another fellow foodie, CS who attended one of the earlier sessions, tempted me so much, we both just gave in. Literally a case of "resistance is futile"...in the words of the Borg from Star Trek.

It turned out to be one of our best dining experiences - a combo of molecular cuisine with intense flavours (and unexpected forms) coupled with great dining companions that included the fun group of Robert Danhi, a chef cum cookbook author who wrote South East Asian Flavours, a James Beard nominated cookbook. The whole setup for the dinner sessions (twice every night for about three hours) is small and intimate, with about seven people (we had ten that night on a special request) allowing you to interact with the chef while he works behind the bar prepping the dishes. While Ramsey was descriptive about what he was doing, I must admit I wasn't taking notes but just soaking in the whole atmosphere, hence some descriptions of the items can be a little sketchy.


1. coating corn pellets with caramel, 2. apple tuiles with manchego cheese - a tasty bite, 3. the best ever melt-in-the-mouth caramel corn, 4. drinking umami, the fifth taste from ice shooters

It was my first time visiting Pacifica after their designer makeover by uber famous Stephane Dupoux, the man behind swanky places like Buddha Bar in New Ork, Cocoon in London and Opium in New York. Dupoux also designed the Sultan Lounge, the club located just below Pacifica. The lounge was definitely an eye-popping sight with its surreal red glow and unusual shell shaped chairs, when we dropped by for our welcome drink (Laurent Perrier champagne). At one side of the wall, you had large comfy booths to sit and mingle. If Sultan Lounge is all swank and hip, Pacifica on the other hand, strikes me as more intimate and ideal for those romantic dinners. Long fringed curtains envelope the tables, that seem to cocoon you in and cutting you away from the other diners. Motif highback chairs add a touch of elegance while fishes play peek-a-boo with you from jewelled glass portholes on one side of the wall, from their watery home.

For dinner that night, we dined at the circular and more intimate bar counter - a vast improvement from Pacifica's old long bar counter as I could peer down from my very comfy high chair and easily see what was happening behind the scenes. Kicking off the meal was a hot shot of umami - the unique and fifth taste presented to us in shooter glasses made with ice. While the taste was a little ordinary (probably because our tastebuds are so "ajinomoto-ed" already from eating so much MSG, the artificial re-creation of umami), it was still very comforting. Next, we had the caramel corn - corn pellets coated with caramel. Simply ethereal and light as air to the taste, while retaining the flavours of caramel popcorn! How I wish I had a bag of this, while watching the next blockbuster movie. Even the bite-sized apple tuiles wrapped around manchego cheese was awesomely delish.


1. grouper fish with fennel & fresh lily bulbs, 2. xiaolongbao with a twist, 3. ramsey at work, 4. warm sizzling beef, so incredibly good someone started proposing marriage

Most of Ramsey's creations are based on his personal experiences, like the crab dish - one of the lightest ever soft shell crab tempura I have ever tasted, served with a coriander sauce, inspired from his childhood days in Maryland, USA where crab is super popular. I loved the watermelon item, which is based on a traditional Japanese beach party game called Suikawari where blindfolded participants whack a watermelon with a stick (like a pinata). Our version looks like an ice ball that Ramsey quickly flambes to allow it to melt a little. A thwack with our spoons reveals watermelon flavoured dust making it a cool refresher break from the other dishes.

In between bites of a light but very tasty fish powder crackers, Ramsey assembles the next items including this weird looking contraption with multiple syringes to make carrot caviar. Involving loads of chemicals like sodium alginate and calcium chloride, the syringe drops the liquid (carrot juice mixed with sodium alginate) into the calcium chloride to form droplets that resemble ikura (fish eggs). For those who wish to experiment at home, do check this site out that details out specific instructions on how to recreate this. Prior to our "caviar" being served, Ramsey served us this season's "red" dish. Every year Ramsey creates a dish based on a red coloured food item and this year it is a tomato captured within a bubble similar to the carrot caviar (but much bigger) served with a yuzu bubble, tomato water and nori flakes. I loved the tangy yuzu flavours mixed with the very mild tomato taste.


1. this year's red dish in tomato water, 2. Pacifica's new look with fringes, 3. smoked chicken oyster with cape gooseberries, 4. smoke it baby

Next is the prettiest ever salad inspired by Jim Lambie's installation work. The bold graphic lines that decorate the bottom of the glass plate is a mixture of parmesan cheese and bamboo charcoal, which is essentially your salad dressing. Assembled to look like a piece of art is a juicy raspberry, thinly sliced poly radish, mantis prawns and a pink coloured cauliflower. Seems like a shame to even eat it, as it looks so pretty. After the light bites, Ramsey features the more substantial items like the grouper fish served with thinly sliced fennel cooked sous vide and served with fresh lily bulbs. Splashie Boy's favourite dish was the warm sizzling beef - tender beef that slightly sizzles on your tongue when you bite into it. Another experimentation begins with smoking our food by burning mulberry powder. While the smoky flavour didn't infuse the chicken dish served with young gooseberries (or what we know as cape gooseberries), I thoroughly enjoyed it as it used the "oyster" part - the highly sought after tender and juicy meat above the chicken thigh in the spoon shaped section of the backbone.

Ramsey also featured his famous electric eel dish, a creation that helped him win Eat-Japan's 2006 Sushi Year of Award. The colourful dish consists of grilled eel, roasted pineapple and avocado sauce with lime, which you eat together and the combination of the ingredients give you the slightly salty flavour of miso. Amazing stuff! I liked his interpretation of xiaolongbao made with lamb cutlet. Watch out when you cut into your tender lamb cutlet as it spurts out a sauce made by boiling lamb bones till it is concentrated with flavour. I also loved the baby peach - green in colour but oh so sweet! The meat dishes definitely dazzled and made the earth move for one of the dinner guests, as she started proposing marriage to Ramsey!! (He did jokingly say yes to her at the end of the meal.)


1. Flame on! - burn baby burn, 2. thwack!, 3. watermelon before, and 4. exposed

My favourite part of the evening was just before desserts, when Ramsey and his Japanese sidekick whipped up some green tea "dust" like some alchemist. Ramsey gives us strict instructions on how to proceed with the dish known as Uji Kintoki i.e, warm our mouth with the red bean paste and eat the green tea "dust", we discovered we could snort out smoke through the nostrils. Hilarious stuff! It felt like a Harry Potter potions class!


1. The elements of warmed red bean and freeze dried green tea, 2. puff goes the magic dragon, 3. cool cool green tea, 4. nose job

Last but not least were the desserts - another roller coaster ride of flavours. First we were served an innocent looking fruit platter consisting of passion fruit, grapefruits, orange, lemon and lime. On one side, we spied an innocent red berry. Ramsey has us tasting the sour citrus fruits first and then chewing on the red berry for about one minute. He asks us to chew it slowly without biting into the seed, to try and coat our tongue with the juices. Once that is done, he asks us to try our sour citrus fruits. Now, instead of a tangy and sour taste usually associated with grapefruit, everything was sweet tasting. Somehow weirdly enough, it didn't seem to change the taste of the calamansi lime as it remained sour. Someone even asked for Tabasco sauce and claimed it tastes similar but less sour. These berries known as the miracle fruit that Ramsey brought in are grown in Japan but imagine if we bring these in - perfect party food to spice up things and even perfect as a murder weapon (CSI NY featured how miracle fruit was used in a flavour-tripping party to mask the deadly taste of sodium hydroxide.)


1. Miracle fruit anyone?, 2. black truffles on a rice tray, 3. assorted desserts including the melt-in-the-mouth NY cheesecake, 4. fruits

Feeling a little confused on whether we were eating savoury items, Ramsey brings out these large black truffles on a tray filled with rice - his interpretation of black truffle risotto. Chew on these babies and you will a delicious chocolate liquid centre. Made from dark chocolate, cream and truffle oil to form a mousse, it is frozen in liquid nitrogen and dipped into hot caramel. To create the black truffle look, it is dusted with charcoal bread powder. A little deceptive, hard on the teeth but damn delish stuff. Other items on the dessert platter were an olive oil gummy and Splashie Boy's favourite - the light-as-air NY cheesecake. How I wish my cheesecakes would be this light. We end the meal, with personalised messages written by Ramsey on our menus to take back as momentos and a wonderful taste experience that will linger long after.

To catch Jeff Ramsey, visit him at Tapas Molecular Bar, Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, Japan. This marks his second visit to Pacifica, Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur. Hopefully he returns next year, as experiencing the whole molecular gastronomy in such a fun and intimate way is definitely a magical experience. The flickr set has the full set of pictures.

*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.

Tagged with: Molecular Cuisine + Jeff Ramsey

Moroccan & Middle Eastern Food @ Tajine, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

waraq ainab - grape leaves wrapped rice, delish appetizer (RM8)

Sunday, Monday, Happy Days....! (from the iconic Happy Days theme) Let's start the week, off with some colour and a little out of the ordinary. The weekend was good, kicking off with a fantastic dinner (more on that magical experience this coming week), a little cinema magic with loads of steel (and too little human involvement or nary a plot) and ending with one of the most touching movies I've watched for a long time, the award winning Departures.


1. coloured lanterns, 2. mint tea, 3. busy traffic on Jalan Bukit Bintang, 4. tangy tabbouleh

Feeling a little adventurous last weekend, we took a walk down the busy touristy streets of Jalan Bukit Bintang. Expect to catch tourists from all over (Phillipines, China, Indonesia, Middle East and etc) down this infamous strip of reflexology joints, pungent perfume shops, budget hotels and etc. Arabic words on signboards stamp out Middle Eastern joints (and influence). If it wasn't for the local city council's famous logo, "Sayangi Kuala Lumpur", I would think I've wandered into some foreign land. I have been eyeing Tajine, this Moroccan place for quite some time - visible when you're dallying away at the traffic lights on busy Jalan Bukit Bintang. Ironically, the day we visit it, the cops seem to be guarding this place (since two of them were monitoring the situation right in front of the restaurant's entrance). Kinda reminds me of my first Nepalese experience in Khukri on Jalan Silang, where the day I visited it, the FRU raided the street for illegals.


1. the closest we got to the tajine, 2. hummus tahina, 3. pretty tiles, 4. comforting lamb kofta tajine

Not surprisingly, the place is quiet with no other customers. Located on the first floor, the restaurant is quaint with a large glass window to let you spy down on the busy ongoings of Jalan Bukit Bintang. I love the little touches here - colourful tiles decorating one portion, plates on the wall as decoration, a tagine and coloured glass lantern on the windowsill and carvings on the ceiling. Great to add atmosphere in my pictures.


pretty baklava and plates on the wall

The menu is a mix of Middle Eastern and Moroccan dishes like pastilla, couscous and etc. We order a mix of Moroccan dishes with familiar Middle Eastern favourites for appetisers. The waitress looks Chinese and I almost want to rattle out to her in Cantonese but her weird accent stops me from uttering a word. After we place our orders, there seems to be a commotion down at one end where a Middle Eastern lady is arguing with people. We're a little too far to eavesdrop on their conversation but luckily that ruckus does not interrupt our service, as appetizers arrive fairly quickly. Thumbs up to the Waraq Ainab (RM8) - grape leaves wrapped rice drizzled with oil and served with diced tomatoes and lettuce. A little cold but not frozen to death, it's light and delish to kick off the meal. I liked the tangy flavours of our Tabbouleh (RM10) - chopped curly parsley tossed with teeny weeny bits of chopped garlic, lemon and oil.

Not wanting to overload ourselves with food, we ordered a Lamb Kofta Tagine (RM21) to share. Before I could even snap a picture of the tajine with its famous funnel, my Chinese-looking waitress whisks it away to reveal a bubbling hotplate of lamb meatballs, an egg in a rich tomato sauce. Since the portion was for one person, they gave us only one measly piece of bread to share between both of us. We both loved the tagine with its rich tomato flavours, soft lamb meatballs and the slightly overcooked egg in the middle. Not the best date food ever (tomato sauce tends to slop all over) but it was comfort food at its best. It can get quite rich after a while, hence I was happy with the tangy tabbouleh to balance out the rich taste. My earlier order of Hummus Tahina (RM9) was waylaid, but eventually it was served. Always a must for any Middle Eastern meal, I love the smooth chickpea puree drizzled with olive oil and flavoured with lemon juice and garlic.

Last but not least, it was dessert time - baklava (RM8) with flaky pastry soaked in syrup and showered with pistachio shreds and Moroccan Mint Tea (RM8) served in pretty glasses. We're supposed to drench our tea with sugar but feeling a little health wary, I just sprinkle a little sugar instead. Baklava here may not be top notch but they make a pretty sight to behold and a not too sweet ending to a pretty satisfying meal. Will we return? I reckon so, since I still need to try more traditional Morrocan dishes like pastilla and couscous here. For more pictures, see the Flickr set.

Tajine Restaurant
132 Jalan Bukit Bintang
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03 - 2142 4214

(Halal. They serve non alcoholic beer here also. Place is at the shophouses next to the iconic McDonalds in Jalan Bukit Bintang. Another outlet is opposite BB Plaza.)

*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.

Tagged with: Moroccan Food + Jalan Bukit Bintang

Nonya & Penang Hawker Food @ The Wok Cafe, The Strand, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya

aromatic and slurp-licious till the last spoonful Prawn Mee (RM7)

I'm in love with this place!! Ever since I discovered it, I've been back two more times, once for a late lunch and recently this week, with friends for dinner. Packed during lunch and dinner, I reckon this is definitely THE place for great Nonya food (aside from homecooked goodies!). I've always been a fan of Hot Wok Cafe, having dined at the one along Tanjung Bungah during my visits to Penang. This new place opened by the same family retains the same charm with Nonya touches, antiques, kopitiam marble tables and chairs decorating the place. While ambience is always great, the best thing about this place is the food tastes awfully good.


1. dragon & phoenix tea cups for wedding ceremonies, 2. tangy assam prawns, 3. full of flavour kapitan chicken

Hmmm, where does one start? The menu is divided into items to eat with rice or one dish meals. These one dish meals consists of hawker favourites - assam laksa, prawn mee and char kuey teow. I love the aromatic prawn mee here, served the traditional way with a mix of yellow mee and beehoon. Topped with pork slices, sliced prawns, deep fried shallots, half a hard boiled egg, and spinach, it makes a fantastic tummy satisfying meal for RM7 per bowl. Char kuey teow (RM8) here is pretty good too with bits of deep fried lard and lap cheong slices. Seems to be the classic favourite too as I see quite a few tables ordering this for lunch.


1. fingerlicking good & crispy inche kabin, 2. perut ikan for those who dare, 3. gold coloured details on the panels covering the kitchen

Best to come here with loads of friends and families, so everyone can share the food. We did the mistake of overordering one night (we thought there was 4 of us eating vs 3 of us who ended up eventually polishing almost 80% of the food still!). I love the hong bak (RM14 for small portion) - tender braised pork with aromatic spices that goes so well with white rice. Heavenly stuff and definitely the ultimate comfort food for the tummy. Inche Kabin here is also good passing the crispy test (nice and crunchy on the outside) but juicy within.


the ever popular char kuey teow with deep fried lard bits and lap cheong

Perut ikan is not for everyone since most people don't like fish roe and stomach but I love this tangy tickling dish with loads of spices and herbs. Jiu hoo char here is served with the lettuce leaves and sambal belachan. Another thumbs up to the finely shredded yambean cooked with mushrooms and cuttlefish. Sambal paku pakis (RM10 for small portion) was also good, not too spicy and came with a few large prawns.


1. comfort food at its best, hong bak, 2. cendol packed with goodies, 3. sago gula melaka 4. antiques for anyone?

Assam prawns (RM20 for small portion) were also good (peeled partly so less finicky to eat) but then I'm always partial to tangy food flavoured with tamarind. I did find the otak otak (RM4 per packet) a little watery though but it was chockfull of fish and daun kadok leaves. While some dishes they do really well, like the kari kapitan chicken (RM14 for small portion) served with potatoes (another dish requiring loads of rice), I didn't quite love the lorbak (RM8) here. Felt the one at Little Penang Cafe is nicer since it is crispier (I love my lorbak with a crunch!) even though the taste of this lorbak was good. Kiam chye boey soup (RM9) was also a good tummy filler but wasn't earth shattering great stuff.

my fav way to end the meal, the refreshing sago nangka

Last but not least, we have the desserts. They serve ice kacang, cendol, sago gula melaka (RM3.50), sago nangka and etc. I've tried the cendol (RM3.50), which I thought was average tasting. Instead I prefer the not so common sago nangka (RM3.50) - sago pearls with mango puree and diced bits of nangka. Simply heavenly stuff especially to end a great meal with friends. Do go and give this place a try but be sure to bring a huge appetite with you as once you start eating all those dishes, you'll end up asking for extra rice. For more pictures, see my Flickr set.

The Wok Cafe

26, Jalan PJU 5/21

The Strand

Kota Damansara

Petaling Jaya

Tel: 03 -6142 7388

(Non Halal. Closed on Mondays. Open from 11am-1opm. To get here from the Kota Dsara NKVE Toll, after the toll gates, take the first left turn. Go straight and at the end of the road, take a left turn. Go straight until you hit a traffic light, take a left turn. Go straight and take a right turn and proceed straight again. You will see signboards to Giant Kota Damansara. On the left hand side is The Strand, while the right hand side is Sunway Kota Damansara. Take the first left, go straight and take the second left turn. The cafe is on the left hand side on the row behind CIMB.)

*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.

Tagged with: Nonya Food + Kota Damansara

Others who have dined here:

• Food Point of Interest
• Malaysia Food Blog, Malaysia Travel Blog
• mimi's dining room
• Thule food quest ordered non-Nonya food and got a raw deal the fish

Japanese Food @ Kuriya, Bangsar Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur

teeny weeny mentai cheese avocado spring rolls (RM22)

Third time lucky - that's how many times it took us to get to Kuriya, the new Japanese outlet in Bangsar Shopping Centre. Sean of Eat Drink KL had enthusiastically mentioned to me about this place hence, it crossed my mind to check it out last Saturday when we were searching for food. Sadly, since it was too late, we didn't make it for their lunch session, and ended up having a lazy lunch cum tea at Alexis instead. Vowing to return, we made an effort to revisit on Sunday and our luck fell through as they unexpectedly closed due to unforeseen circumstances. Hence on Tuesday, when we decided to give it the third try, I was a little hesistant on what we will discover here. On hindsight, we're lucky we ended up here on Tuesday, since it is the day the fresh fish is flown in from Tokyo - definitely way much better than Saturday or Sunday.


making soba noodles - slicing them into thin strands after rolling them out

Kuriya is huge in Singapore with branches everywhere on that red little dot of an island. Here in Klang Valley, they also run Ichiban Boshi at Pavilion, where they make their own soba noodles. On that day, I visited here, I managed to catch them going through the last part of the noodle making i.e. the cutting of the soba noodles. I caught a little on the camera just before I got a gentle reprimand from the management of the restaurant to stop snapping pictures. Guess it is a trade secret? They don't make that many noodles (about 15 portions for that night) and it's super fresh - within 10 minutes from the time they cut it, I was slurping down my noodles. If you want to see the whole process of soba making, see this link to a class taken in Tokyo.


1. the condiments, 2. noodles so good, 3. yummy stuff

The best way to enjoy fresh noodles - just plain and cold with the tsuyu dipping sauce (RM18). I wanted my kamo seiro noodles with duck but decided I better eat it plain since Splashie Boy is not very into duck meat. One can't help to compare it with the other place in town that does fresh soba noodles aka Kampachi. While this one pales in comparison with Kampachi - a little less bite in the noodle strand probably indicating less buckwheat flour used, it was still very good noodles compared to packet ones. I especially liked the fact, I could order (by special request) the hot water the soba noodles are cooked in (sobayu). Once you finish with your soba noodles, you can add the water to the tsuyu dipping sauce and drink it down like soup. As the soba noodles are cooked in the boiling water, it retains some of the nutrients in the water making it healthy and tasty to drink.


the gorgeous tai (seabream) sashimi

Feeling very adventurous, we ordered the mentai cheese avocado spring rolls (RM22) - teeny weeny rolls filled with creamy avocado, very little cheese and a bit of mentai. Not much taste on its own, it needs the spicy wasabi mayonnaise dip on the side to give it a little oomph! Also sampled was the wagyu kushiyaki (RM16), tender wagyu beef slices with peppers that we thought was average tasting. The yakitori (RM5) wasn't too fantastic either hence we doubt we'll return for their skewers.


milking the tai fish to the bones (literally!) - 1. slightly tangy ginger soy sauce dip, 2. sashimi array, 3. tai fish head soup with miso, 4. deep fried tai bones.

Unlike other restaurants in town, Kuriya seems to offer a great deal when it comes to preparing the fresh fish flown in from Japan. For our fresh tai (seabream - RM150 for a fish), we enjoyed it prepared 3 ways. First, it was prepared sashimi style, pieces of delicate fish for us to enjoy with a tangy soy sauce ginger dip. Once we finished the gorgeous sashimi pieces, it was time to whisk the fish away and cook the fish head in a miso based broth. Sweet and tender, I reckon it would be better plain with konbu seaweed as the miso tends to be slightly overpowering (I once had an excellent tai fish head soup in Sushi Dokoro Maeshima with just seaweed). Last but not least, the bones were deep fried till crunchy giving you loads of calcium. A little care is needed when you eat the bones though as they're not very fine and can be a little too thick to chomp them down.

Overall, we had a great experience here and definitely won't mind returning to try the other items. A very modern and pretty place, I especially liked sitting outside facing House & Co, as one could hear the trickling water sound from House & Co's new water feature that is very soothing. Incidentally, if you do visit here, remember to take the "disco-like" glass lift near Chillis - very psychedelic with the blueish light.

Kuriya
Lot T2
3rd Floor
Bangsar Shopping Centre
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-20939246

(Pork free. Restaurant is located at the same level as House & Co and Grand Imperial Restaurant.)

*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.

Tagged with: Japanese Food + Bangsar

Bamboo Noodles @ Nippy Noodles, Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park, Kuala Lumpur

mixed pork noodles, perfect for those who want everything on their bowl - char siu, siew cheong and sui yoke (RM9.20 for a small portion)

I reckon people who live and work around Kuchai Entrepeneurs Park never starve. There's so many choices around that small square area known vaguely as a park (minus any trees!) - dim sum, Sarawak laksa, kolo mee, fish head noodles and the list carries on. While I was sorely tempted to venture into the newer outlets, I have been desperately craving for a dosage of bamboo noodles (jook sing meen in Cantonese) hence I stuck to my guns (or more likely my grumbling tummy).

slurp me up...don't play with me!

We discovered Nippy Noodles some time back, when the whole of town was buzzing about this place that used a long bamboo rod to make their noodles. Run by a Chinese family, they decided to continue this age old tradition of making springy noodles by hand after learning the craft from an old worker of theirs. Wantan wrappers are also made using the bamboo rod. Back breaking or maybe more threatening to someone's ability to have father children in the future, noodle making is carried out at the restaurant every day. Not able to catch them in action for the blog, the nearest reference point I have is Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations Hong Kong clip, where he was taken by Cha Xiu Bao, one of the food bloggers to witness how they make the bamboo noodles. For that particular episode, see this video reference.

what happened? The dissapointing the pan fried fish paste and prawn bamboo dumplings (RM5.50 for a small portion)

So what's so unique about this method vs the rolling out in machines? By setting the long bamboo rod on the table, and using the body weight to rock the rod, it creates an elasticity no machine can imitate. Hence, noodles here are supremely different - springy yet light and so tasty especially tossed in loads of lard. Feeling a little indecisive, I went for the mixed pork noodles (RM9.20) that offers a little bit of something - char siu, home made tender pork sausage (siu cheong) and roast pork. While the char siu and roast pork didn't knock my socks off, I loved the tender sausages. I also ordered a pan fried dumplings stuffed with prawns and fish paste (RM5.50), which was very dissapointing as they weren't crunchy anymore. What a letdown! Nevertheless, I was satisified with my bowl of noodles, slurping down every thin strand and enjoying it tremendously.

Nippy Noodles
No.25, Jalan Kuchai Maju 7

Kuchai Entrepeneurs Park

Off Jalan Kuchai Lama
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03 - 7982 1781

(Non Halal. Finding a carpark space is a major issue here and locating road signs are also difficult as loan sharks have plastered all the signboards. Google map is per this link.)

*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.

Tagged with: Bamboo Noodles + Kuala Lumpur

Others who have also eaten here:

• Chefspiration
• Food Point of Interest
• lost in my reality
  

Funnel Cake & Churros @ Molten Lava, 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya

the light as air banana caramel funnel cake, which we both love to bits

Confession time again! It has been ages since I dropped by 1 Utama. I must admit I absolutely hate battling with loads of people for a carpark space and jostling with others when the mall is packed. While I have found one way to easily find a carpark space during weekends, it still does not mean I'm ever eager to drop by this minefield of people.


let's go spanish with these churros

After a long absence, we finally braved the traffic and ended up here to sample these unusual snacks for a quick dessert. I have had this small place in my "to-do" list for the longest time ever but never got around to it until last weekend, when I finally got some time to r & r away. Located just opposite Cold Storage, this small store serves interesting churros (RM5.80) - that Spanish deep fried snack one can never get enough. Best thing about these "doughnuts", like some term them, are they're made fresh and as and when you order them. Crisp on the outside, these were nice on their own sprinkled with cinnamon sugar or dipped in molten chocolate lava. While the texture of the churros was nice, we were a little dissapointed with the watery and lacklustre chocolate dip we received that just didn't add any oomph!

Instead, we found our epiphany with the very unusual funnel cake they served here. Made from a flour batter that is drizzled in hot oil to form a flat cake, the funnel cake (RM8.80 for the banana caramel ice cream) won us both over with its light as air but crunchy texture. Simply heavenly with chopped bananas, a drizzle of caramel and vanilla ice cream. Only problem would be to eat this elegantly, so don't order this on a hot date, unless you don't want a second date with that guy or gal ever again. The stall also does roti paratha, thick toasts, various flavours for churros including ones that have fillings, glutinous rice, cupcakes and etc. Seating is quite limited within the area and some tall tables outside.

Molten Lava
Lot LG312B
Lower Ground Floor Oval
1 Utama Shopping Centre New Wing
Bandar Utama
Petaling Jaya

(Pork free. Open daily from 10am to 10pm [Sunday to Thursday] and 10am to 10.30pm [Friday and Saturday])

*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.

Tagged with: Funnel Cake + Petaling Jaya

Others who have also eaten here:

• Eat Drink KL who is always everywhere who ate the roti paratha and churros
• Wanderlust who ate churros here, liked them but think they're pricey