Canton-I @ 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya

Canton-I exterior

Along the Promenade, which connnects the old wing to the new wing of 1 Utama Shopping Centre, a number of new eating places have opened - Pasta Zanmai, Carl's Jr, a vegetarian restaurant and Canton-I.

Canton-I interior

Canton-I is supposedly owned by the highly popular Dragon-I and opened in December 2007. A different menu is served here - noodles, rice, congee, dim sum items (fried, pan fried and steamed) and desserts. Similar to Dragon-I outlets, part of the frontage of the restaurant is the open kitchen. Here at Canton-I, you get to see the barbequed meats and the chefs cooking noodles. A small take away area for pastries is tucked at the side.


Roast pork

I like the way the place is decorated - bold splashes of red in the form of lights in cages with cherry blossom motifs everywhere. The lights remind me a bit of Delicious except they are a different colour and have tassels. Tables and chairs are all white. All along one side of the restaurant is their open kitchen. You can see the chefs cook the noodles, chop the barbequed meats, make chee cheong fun and spoon out the congee. At one side of the restaurant, it is mirrored and has rows of clay teapots as decorations.


Char Siu

However, space is definitely a problem here - hence they put the mirrors to try and make it look bigger. I didn't like how they arrange the table and chairs in the middle and in one row. Makes it so difficult to get in to the tables at the end. I suspect kitchen space is also limited as I spied a chef making wantan and sitting on high stools, which face the open kitchen.


Shrimp Wantan

On to food, we ordered the highly recommended char siu and roast pork - a mixed combo for RM22.80++. The char siu was tender. However, I found it was a bit sweet as they had drizzled the sauce all over it. It was also quite full of fats. The roast pork was served with mustard and a bit of caster sugar. You're suppose to dip the roast pork slices with the spicy mustard and the sugar. I loved the crispy skin but felt the roast pork was a bit too high and full of meat.


Wantan Noodles

My favourite part was their wantan noodles. RM3 for the plain version and served dry, the noodles was springy and a nice bite to it. We loved it so much, we had seconds of the yummy stuff. Only complaint was they added too much sauce in the first bowl but in the second serving, the sauce was just nice.


Egg Tarts

We also ordered a bowl of shrimp wantan (RM10.80++) to share. Unlike wantans in the stalls, these were big ones chock full of shrimp and minced meat. In their menu, Canton-I claims wantans were known as "clouds" among the Chinese. Said to be tiny and can be gulped in one go (hence the name - wan tan, i.e. one mouthful), these were the opposite of what was described. I quite liked the wantans as it had lots of ingredients inside it.


Double Boiled Milk with Ginger

Last but not least, we had desserts. Saw a lot of people ordering the egg tarts (RM3++) hence I ordered a portion. Served in a heart shape plate, I liked the flaky pastry and smooth egg custard. Also spied the popular Hong Kong dessert - double boiled milk with ginger. Smooth like tau foo fah ( soy beancurd), ginger juice is added to hot milk to allow it to curdle. It was nice but a bit too watery.

Overall, I quite liked the food especially the noodles. Saw braised beef noodles, so that will be my next try. Also saw interesting congee with crabs. In the dim sum section, they have cute piggy steamed buns and buns with flowing custard. Even their char siu sou is shaped differently here - in a form like an abalone. If you prefer, you can also pack these items back. Do note items here are not cheap though and they charge you RM1 for a glass of plain water, which is refillable. Don't take their Hong Kong milk tea as it tastes horrible.

Canton-I
G-208, Second Floor
1 Utama Shopping Centre
Bandar Utama
Petaling Jaya

Tel No: 03- 77297888

(Non Halal. Open from 11.00 am to 10 pm from Monday to Friday. Weekends, open from 10.30 am onwards.)

*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: Malaysian Food + Char Siu

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Prawn Mee @ Taman Sri Sentosa, Off Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur

When one wanders around an unknown territory, it is always rewarding when you discover all that looking and driving around is worth it. Finding the Pan Mee stall previously was rewarding but this extra good Prawn Mee just right down the road from it was a great bonus.



I got a whiff of this stall's existence after I read Waisikkai. He mentioned a very good prawn mee, which sold out so quickly he never even got to taste it. That statement definitely got my tastebuds tingling hence I was all geared up for yummy prawn mee (RM3.50). Luckily this stall didn't dissapoint as the prawn mee was very good. My favourite part was the sweet broth made from prawn shells and pork bones. Very good down to the last spoonful!

Aside from prawn mee, the stall also serves pig's stomach soup with noodles and loh mee. With no signboard, this stall is recognised by the small signboard with two prawns. If you're feeling adventurous, do give this place a try. Definitely worth the drive and wrong turns taken.

Prawn Mee Stall
Next to Pusat Video Shanker
Jalan Sri Sentosa 9A
Taman Sri Sentosa
Off Old Klang Road
Kuala Lumpur

(Non Halal. Open from 8am to 12noon daily. Follow directions to Pan Mee stall in link above.)

*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: Malaysian Food + Prawn Mee

Weekend Cat Blogging (WCB) 135 - Take Me Home Please

We have been missing from the WCB scene for a few weeks. Apologies to all! Time to restart again this year. Puddy and Kate from A Byootaful Life are hosting this weekend. Hop over there for the kitty update.



This weekend, I thought I'll introduce you to the kitten from across the road. She's one of the cats abandoned by the neighbour. Bit difficult to snap her pictures as it was late evening, hence pictures are not very sharp.

She's a real sweetie, loves to be cuddled and petted. At the moment, we have relocated her and her mother to a cage in the house. One more cat remains at the house as it has been difficult to capture it. Hopefully I manage the catch the last one as I do worry the house will go through renovations with the new owner. If you do wish for a cuddly kitten to brighten up your life, she's perfect with her sweet little face. Drop me a line at boo_liciouskl@yahoo.com, if you wish to take her home. You'll be doing a great deed by giving her a loving home.

Japanese Pasta @ Pasta Zanmai, 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya

Chopsticks with pasta?

Regular readers of my blog should know I am a great fan of the Rakuzen group of restaurants and Japanese food. Hence, when I heard about their latest venture at 1 Utama Shopping Centre, I knew it would be where I'll be dining on my day off. Instead of sushi, this time round, the place serves pasta, hence the name Pasta Zanmai.


Grind your own black sesame seed

Right opposite Sun Moulin Bakery and next to Carl's Jr on the Promenade side, which connects the old and new wings together, it can be hard to spot this place as it is hidden behind Shojikiya's Japanese foodstuff. The place is quite small with tables and chairs on the side and smaller booths in the middle. The open kitchen is at the back, allowing you to observe the chefs cooking your pasta.


Onsen Tamago (RM3++)

I had met up with an old friend of mine, hence we ordered loads from the menu to sample. Her niece, Taira is a great fan of mine who also goes around snapping pictures of her meal, so everyone was very patient and nice, allowing me a few seconds to snap their food.


Grilled Sotong (RM15)

For starters, we had Onsen Tamago, an old favourite of mine. I often make this at home whenever I get fresh eggs. Just a simple half boiled egg in dashi broth, this got everyone's thumbs up! Only complaint is this place's air conditioner is very cold, hence food tends to get cold very fast. I did mention this to the restaurant people but they advise it is centrally controlled, thus they can't change the temperature. We also had grilled sotong - didn't think much of it as it was quite dry.


Chefs in action at the open kitchen

Another cute item we get before our meal - a small Japanese mortar and pestle to grind black sesame seeds. Unlike the usual mortar and pestle, this is just a bowl with grooves within. You use the wooden rod to grind the seeds within the grooves. In Japan, monks grind sesame seeds on a daily basis while meditating. Here at Pasta Zanmai, you grind the black sesame seeds and top your pasta with it. It is very aromatic and can be quite addictive especially, if you love the smell of sesame seeds.

Asari Pasta (Clams Pasta) - RM25++

We had fun choosing the various types of pastas - they have Japanese ones (topped with ikura, served with salmon sashimi), ones with wafu dressing, pastas with squid ink, sesame sauce, fried pasta, pastas with soup or curry sauce, pastas with tomato and cream based sauces. This mix of Japanese and Western food is called Yoshoku in Japan. They also have Omu Rice - fried rice wrapped in an omelette. A Japanese version of the Nasi Pattaya we are more familiar with.

Goma Gyu Shabu (RM25++)

The goma (sesame sauce) versions were very popular with the guys. Splashie Boy had the beef version. Kinda reminds me of Shabu Shabu - beef slices mixed with creamy sesame sauce. Very nice stuff! Definitely the best pasta of that day. My friend's husband, had the Soft Shell Crab version. It was nice too but somehow, I preferred the pairing of the beef slices. According to the waiter, the Kani Avocado version with the sesame sauce, is a popular order.


Goma Soft Shell Crab (RM22++)

I ordered clam pasta, which was served with a broth. Reminds me of Spaghetti Vongole, except it was soupy. The soup was sweet and I sprinkled lots of crushed black sesame seeds on top. Seems you can have this with curry sauce but I decided not too. I guess when they mean curry sauce, it is the Japanese version, which tastes mild and sweet.


Teriyaki Chicken Onsen Wafu (RM18++)

My friend opted for the simple Teriyaki chicken. Topped with a soft boiled egg, it was nice and light. She enjoyed the bits where the yolk mixed with the pasta.


Black Sesame Ice Cream - part of Sansu Mori (RM12)

Then it was desserts and we went crazy with our orders. I guess loads of people were also ordering as they had run out of a lot of items. They had Green Tea Tiramisu, Green Tea Parfait but unfortunately it was sold out.


Chocolate Ice Cream Wafer - part of Sansu Mori (RM12)

We had the Sansu Mori - a platter of mixed ice creams. One was the black sesame ice cream, which was melted by the time it reached us. Tasted not bad, but not as good as Zipangu per my friend who is a regular there. We all liked the chocolate ice cream, sandwiched between these thin crackers. It had bits of chocolate inside, that melt in your mouth. Green tea ice cream was not bad, but very small portion.


Green Tea Ice Cream with Red Bean - part of Sansu Mori (RM12)

I had the Ichigo Ice - frozen strawberries filled with ice cream. Pretty unique but I thought it was nothing fantastic. The strawberries were quite frozen, hence we had to wait a while to allow it to thaw a bit before biting into one.


Ichigo Ice (RM8)

As it was a busy time for the restaurant during the festive season, service was quite slow. Seems everyone was ordering desserts at the same time.


Strawberry Parfait (RM15++)

Next was the Strawberry Parfait. I liked the tangy strawberry sauce at the bottom, that complemented the not so sweet strawberry ice cream. They had added cornflakes for extra crunch.


Chocolate Banana Parfait (RM15++)

We had the Chocolate Banana Parfait, which uses the same yummy chocolate ice cream. Yummy stuff with the chopped bananas.

Overall, we enjoyed ourselves a lot. I would definitely return to try the other pasta dishes. One thing we didn't like was the hot green tea was served in a tiny pot. Although it was refillable, this meant we had to keep calling the wait staff to fill it up with hot water for us.

Pasta Zanmai
G210B, Ground Floor Promenade
1 Utama Shopping Centre

Bandar Utama
Petaling Jaya

(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: Japanese Food + Pasta + 1 Utama

Maushi-Maushi!

Japanese theme

Every year, we celebrate at our friend, Mau's house for New Year. It is an invitation, we cherish as it means yummy food from her. This year, we went Japanese at her Maushi-Maushi! party. The name of the party is a play of the word "moshi moshi", which the Japanese term as hello but using her nick, Mau. Even the house was decorated with a Japanese theme - cherry blossoms, Japanese geisha pictures and etc.


Tomato Asparagus Soup Shooters topped with Tobiko

For starters, we had these soup shooters. They're not exactly Japanese with the exception of the dollop of Tobiko on top but very delish. Inspired from the Spanish dinner at Max! Kitchen and Wines, this has tomato and asparagus. Instead of crabmeat, Mau added Tobiko, which tasted just as yummy.


Spread rice throughout nori

We even learnt how to roll our own maki, which was great fun. Sarah, a friend of Mau's who has experience from working in a sushi restaurant in Adelaide, was the expert maki maker that night. She was very nice to give pointers to Splashie Boy, who helped roll the maki. As the rice was very sticky, she taught us to use olive oil to keep the rice off your fingers. First, spread the nori seaweed sheet on the bamboo mat. Add rice to spread all over the sheet (about half around till the sides)


Adding the vegetables, pickles and ebiko

Add chopped vegetables - carrots and Japanese cucumber. Also add pickles in one line. Cut them off if they are too long. Top with a dollop of ebiko.


Adding Japanese mayonnaise

Drizzle along the vegetables and ebiko, Japanese mayonnaise from the squeeze bottle.


Rolling sushi with mat

Then it is time to roll. Use the mat to help you roll it properly, while pressing down the mat to form a roll.


Rolled sushi

Once you have pressed firmly down, you will have a rolled rice roll.


Slicing the maki

Use a very sharp knife and slice the roll into maki pieces. Discard the ends or just pop them in your mouth.


Vegetarian maki

We had a few varieties - the vegetarian version with no ebiko, topped with pickled ginger gari to distinguish them.


Salmon maki

Some had cooked salmon within with a piece of cucumber. Very oishi!


Futomaki

The futomaki version, had ebiko on top of it as they had dipped each slice with ebiko. Also very oishi! I liked this maki so much more compared to Kampachi as the rice was moist versus the dry tasting maki.


Teriyaki chicken

It would not be a Japanese dinner without teriyaki chicken. This was baked in Mau's oven and was the first dish to be finished. I didn't snap the picture of another dish, the pan fried cod, which was also very yummy and served with a creamy sauce.


Make your own sushi

We also had another version of sushi - just grab a few nori sheets and make your own hand roll. Top it with the sushi rice, pickles, seaweed, cooked assorted mushrooms and prawns.


Salad of baby kailan, cauliflower and corn niblets

I liked the salad with the bright yellow, white and dark green colours


Chicken miso soup

This may not look fantastic but believe me, this was such good stuff. The chicken miso soup was chock-full of chicken cubes, shitake mushrooms, radish, carrots, celery, seaweed and miso. Such yummy stuff, I had two bowls of this.


Matcha Men

My other friend, S made these adorable Matcha Men. I love their little red hearts and the texture of the cookie - very soft and melt in the mouth. Must try this recipe again at home as it is so good.


Matcha Cupcakes

She also made Matcha cupcakes - this one was a bit dense but nice also. Will try this version one day topped with white chocolate. We also had yummy fried noodles - cha soba mixed with tobiko and pea sprouts after the countdown. Mau rented a projector and we watched Top Secret, that slapstick comedy with Val Kilmer when he was super skinny. It was great fun meeting and catching up with old and new friends. Thanks so much to Mau and S for a great time.

Welcome 2008

Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a great time last night partying away 2007. I did at my friend's party - will post the pictures of the food later on as everything was super yummy.

One of my New Year resolutions, join Facebook. I did just at the end of 2007, so add me as your friend. My profile name is Boo Lee. Who knows, we may find out we know each other, hence the beauty of networking.

Not much work done on the blog layout but I have added new blogs on the blogroll. Seems like food bloggers are increasing all the time as my list is growing super long. Really excellent as it means more yummy food places featured.

Revisiting Kampachi @ Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur

Soft KaniMaki (RM36++)

We had lots of fun last Friday - another Floggers get-together. This time, it was a big big party for Christmas at My Elephant by Doodee at Section 17, Petaling Jaya. I was late hence by the time I got there, all I had was bits and pieces of food served. I didn't get to mingle much too (very sorry people!) as I was sitting at the non food blogger's table plus when I started mingling, I realised I kinda lost my voice with all the shouting I had to do to be heard. Sigh! Apologies to those who were there, whom I didn't meet. Special thanks to Lyrical Lemongrass, Precious Pea and WMW who organised the coolest party ever. Do visit their blogs for the blow by blow accounts.


Ishikari Soba (RM25++)

Back to food glorious food. When it comes to Japanese food, if I don't get my regular dose, I get withdrawal symptoms. Hence I was ecstatic, when I finally did get to eat some, even though it was revisiting Kampachi.


Rainbow Maki (RM32++) - Side View

I got a bit too over enthusiastic, when it came to ordering, hence the huge spread of food for just two of us. Since I didn't get to try their soba in my first visit, it was a must-have this visit. Thumbs up to the handmade soba noodles. Made daily at Kampachi from buckwheat flour, these noodles were so good, I could just sit and slurp bowls and bowls of it. Unlike the soba noodles we get in packets, fresh ones are softer. These noodles in Kampachi are not round but have a squarish look to them probably due to the cutter they use. The broth served with the noodles was very good too - sweet and tasty. The Ishikari Soba, I ordered was served with pieces of salmon, wakame (seaweed), spinach, two pieces of pink and white kamaboko (fishcake), chinese cabbage, shredded spring onions and two cherry tomatoes. If you fall in love with the soba noodles, they even sell them by the packet(RM26) to take home.


Rainbow Maki (RM32++) - Top View

We went a bit maki crazy. First, it was the soft shell crab maki (soft kani maki). Thumbs up to the super crunchy soft shell crab they used in the roll. Usually, the makis I have tried, the deep fried soft shell crab is soft, when served. At Kampachi, their version does not soften as they don't use so much mayonnaise in the maki. However, as a compromise to crunchy crab, the maki tends to be quite dry. I also ordered the Rainbow Maki, their recommended maki. It came topped with avocado, salmon and tuna slices. Unfortunately, they didn't get this one right - avocado slices were not ripe enough hence no buttery taste. Sigh!


Kinoko Butter Shoyu (RM18++)

Last but not least, I had a special order of pan fried mushrooms. I love this mix of mushrooms (enoki, shitake and honshimeji) fried with butter and soy sauce. Add a dash of shichimi (Japanese chili pepper), if you like a bit of kick to the dish.

Definitely not my last visit to Kampachi as I want to try the other soba items. I reckon the next one I should try is the cold version, so stay tuned...

Kampachi
Lot 6.09.00, Level 6
Pavilion
Jalan Bukit Bintang
Kuala Lumpur

Tel No: 03 - 2148 9608

(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: Japanese Food + Pavilion + Jalan Bukit Bintang

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