Roti Canai @ Valentine Roti, Jalan Semarak, Kuala Lumpur

light fluffy and crispy roti canai from Valentine Roti with Joshua Redman jazz just made my night

Joshua Redman rocks big time! We watched him last night at the MPO (Thanks to the Bald Eagle and Lyrical Lemongrass!) and it was excellent. I reckon I have become a big fan of his music. If you love jazzy tunes with saxophone, bass and drums, it is your last chance to catch him tonight at the MPO. Believe me, you should not miss it.

Despite being very "filled" with all that great music, the tummy was craving for something else, i.e.roti canai at that late hour. It was been ages (I reckon about 12 years ago) since I dropped by Valentine Roti at Jalan Semarak. Ironically, I was introduced to this place by an Australian expatriate who lived around the Bukit Tunku area. Being so long ago, I have vague memories of good roti canai here and was surprised to discover how incredibly good it is.

Here the texture of the roti biasa extra garing (crispy in Malay) is similar to the fluffy stretched out versions you get when you order roti planta. However, unlike roti planta, this is non greasy hence it is a crispy, light and fluffy version (90 sens per piece). I also loved the dhal, sambal ikan bilis and curry sauce they gave on the side. We enjoyed it so much, we had to order an extra one more to share between both of us. Aside from rotis, they also serve mee goreng, nasi lemak in packets and etc. While it is different from Raju's roti canai, I like this especially late at night when I want something light but not too filling.

Valentine Roti
Stor No. 1
Jalan Semarak
Kuala Lumpur

(Pork free. Open from 4pm to 2am daily. Place is diagonally opposite Wisma Celcom and along Jalan Semarak or Gurney Road. Can't miss the brightly lit stall on the side of the road and their sign that claims they are the best roti canai. Turn in from Jalan Tun Razak and make a u turn to get to this stall.)

*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: Roti Canai + Jalan Semarak

Other reviews:

• Reiko
• Shell Food Station

Sake & Yakitori @ Ri-Yakitori, Gardens Hotel, Mid Valley City, Petaling Jaya

let us kick off dinner with some ice cold sake served in pretty glass cups

As you know, I never say no to Japanese food, hence when I heard wind of this brand new outlet in Gardens Hotel, it was the perfect place for a girls night out. Located on the seventh floor of the hotel, this place has minimal furnishings. You choose to sit at the bar counter where you can see the chef behind the grill or at the tables. The place reminds me of Sage probably because Sage's assistant manager, Jason and one of its waiters have been posted here. If you're lucky, you may also catch Sage's genius chef, Takashi having a late supper here as it seems the Japanese chef is a good buddy of his. (Seems Cilantro is earmarked to open end of this year, so it will be interesting to watch where Takashi goes.)


grill master gets to work with omakase skewers

One of the sake specialties here is grilled fugu fin with sake - one cup for a whopping RM38, if I am not mistaken. Since it would be a very long night, we settled for a 300ml portion of Kamotsuru Nama Sake (RM64) instead. It came in an interesting contraption to keep it icy cold, which you could press to dispense it out yourself. Even the glasses they gave us for the sake were uber pretty and delicate. The scary thing about sake is you tend to kick it back quickly and it slowly hits you at the end.


kampung chicken egg and chicken porridge was superb too

The menu is relatively small focusing on the chicken skewers - all different parts including the very sinful chicken tail and skin plus the trachea. There's also wagyu beef, beef tongue, foie gras that comes with strawberries, maitake mushrooms, prawns and etc. We were recommended the omakase skewers (you choose either 5 or 12 for RM58), where the chef decides to give you what is good that day. Hence we got a nice variety of chicken skin, chicken tail, chicken wing, chicken thigh, wagyu beef, chicken with leek, minced chicken, jumbo prawns, eggplant and shitake mushrooms. They only use free range chicken here, so expect the meat to be completely different from those antibiotic stuff we regularly eat. Here chicken is sweeter with a firmer texture. The tail was very sinful, all melt in the mouth fat when you bit into it. I loved the wagyu beef cubes that came with a piece of sinful fat. Everything is grilled to perfection here so no tough and chewy parts. Definitely a lot of time was spent cutting, cleaning and choosing the parts to ensure the skewers were delish stuff.

Aside from skewers, we had a refreshing daikon salad (RM12) with mizuna leaves, bonito flakes, grated radish, nori flakes and cherry tomatoes. The kampung chicken egg (RM9) was delish as the yolk is soft and slightly creamy. I wonder how they marinate it as the egg is still quite white but one bite of it yields a distinct soy sauce taste. Addictively good stuff. We also had the chicken congee or porridge (RM12), a comforting bowl of chicken soup with rice and the unusual tororo konbu, a kind of kelp that look like shreds but melts in the soup to add a silkiness you will get addicted to. To end, it was a very creamy home made white sesame and matcha ice cream (RM7 each) with freshly made mochi and red bean paste.

Great place to kick back as it opens only at night and till very late. Last orders are at 11.30pm, so it makes a good place for me to grab food if I wish. Do give it a try and experience something different. For more pictures in full size, see my Flickr set.

Ri-Yakitori Bar
7th Floor
Gardens Hotel
Mid Valley City
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2268 1188

(Pork free. Open from 5pm to 1am. Closed on Sundays.)

*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 + Gardens Hotel

Other review:

• Eat Drink KL
  

Italian Food @ Pimento, Tropicana Golf & Country Club, Petaling Jaya

wine, spaghetti with homemade meatballs and crispy crackers with balsamic vinegar

Weird but true fact no. 1 - I can still eat Italian food even though I spent 2 weeks eating it nonstop in Italy. True fact no. 2 - Italian restaurants seem to be popping up in the city like mushrooms after a heavy rainstorm.

yummy pizza - salmon with gorgonzola

For those who know me well, they should know how easily I get bored with my food. After a few days of eating mundane food in the canteen (cheap but not so cheerful fare of chapati, fried beehoon and chicken), I was dying for some good food. Since this place was relatively near plus far from the maddening crowds and traffic down in Kuala Lumpur city, it was deemed ideal. The pretty good review on Sean's Eat Drink KL blog also helped me make a quick decision. Even though we had to make a monetary contribution to the PLUS coffers, we thought it was well worth the trip.


They must have did away with the alcohol after reading Sean's review. Definitely needed loads more to make it more happening. And those are not worms on top but chocolate curls that resemble it.

Since it was late at night, we just went with the flow and took the staff's recommendations hence we had the spaghetti con polpette (tomato sauce with homemade meatballs, RM24) and the smoked salmon with gorgonzola pizza (RM28). The pasta was tasty stuff and came with 3 huge meatballs sprinkled with loads of chopped curly parsley. Not a very big portion compared to the giant portions I got in Italy but still good nevertheless. We also enjoyed the thin pizza shaped in a rectangle and topped with tomato sauce, gorgonzola cheese, mozzarella cheese and smoked salmon pieces. I did find the smoked salmon a little bit salty for my liking though but it was still tasted good especially with the thin crackly crust. The gorgonzola cheese is not very strong hence this will be ideal for those who don't like smelly cheeses. For sweets, we ended up with the tiramisu (RM18). Seems it is homemade stuff in a bowl - coffee soaked sponge with a layer of whipped mascarpone sprinkled with cocoa powder and chocolate curls resembling curled up worms. I guess my alcohol tolerance is pretty high as I found it lacked much alcohol taste. Instead to me, it tasted more like coffee soaked sponge.

We both won't mind returning for the other items (seems the lamb shank in balsamic vinegar is pretty good too). The menu is not too large with appetizers, a focus more on pizza and pasta, a smallish selection of main courses and desserts. The place also acts as a bar hence a few people were around for drinks. Do give this a try the next time you are around the area. I also thought prices are quite reasonable too for what we ended up with. Oh and for grappa enthusiasts they serve it here too but for a whopping RM16-RM22 per glass. Makes me fully appreciate all that free flowing grappa I had in Italy! For bigger pictures, see the Flickr set.

Pimento
Pizza-Pasta-Pollo-Pesce
Tropicana Golf & Country Club
Jalan Kelab Tropicana
Petaling Jaya

Tel: 03 - 7804 0565

(Pork free. Open for lunch from 12.30 to 3pm, 6-11 pm but kitchen closes at 10.30pm. Place is at the lower level of Tropicana's clubhouse and right next to the Havana Bar. Take the stairs next to Cuisine Studio to get here.)

*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: Italian Food + Tropicana

We Love Fatboybakes!! Thank You So Much.

we love these drink labels (thanks to my hand model, the Bald Eagle fresh from a trip to UK)

Dear Fatboybakes

Thanks so much for hosting brunch, dinner and from what I heard even after dinner entertainment (sadly I missed that!) on Saturday for all of us. You helped celebrate Splashie Boy's birthday - a milestone that I would have been lost in organising being the very awful girlfriend I am. I reckon for as long as I have known him (which is very long!), I have never properly celebrated his birthday with a party. He was thrilled when you all greeted him at the door by singing out the birthday song.

the wonderful spread

When his birthday cake was brought in, he had the biggest grin on his face. He really loved your black forest cake creation - soft chocolate sponge layers with pure cream (not that fakey white stuff!) and black cherries topped with a velvety smooth chocolate ganache. I also heard that Paprika's Hunky became an immediate fan also.


Splashie Boy's birthday cake - the yummiest ever black forest cake

Of course the party wasn't just to celebrate his birthday, it was also a time for all of us to catch up and have fun with the others. And indeed, we had loads of fun catching up. The spread was excellent as usual - I loved the hearty beef chunks hidden within the puff pastry crust (Splashie Boy's favourite dish also), the tender roast lamb, your infamous quail egg salad (had to grab the last bits as it finished so fast), roast chicken (which we had no idea how to carve up, duh!), ju hu char, siu yoke and roast duck from Sze Ngan Chye.


Just Heavenly's fantastic creations and my little own lemon sabayon tart (pssst, it is the not nice looking one that is about to crumble away...)

We also got a chance to savour Allan & Nigel from Just Heavenly's cake, tart and quiche - very yummy stuff too. I do hope you liked my lemon sabayon tart as I spent the better part of Saturday morning baking it. I was so worried the lemon sabayon would not set, I was actually pleading it to set or else I will be in deep trouble. It looked a little awful though with crumbs all over after it was cut though. I wonder how do the pros do it, as theirs always look so perfect in the magazine or cookbook!

Thanks again for your generosity for hosting a great party. We both had a stupendous time and am looking forward to the next time. Thanks also for inviting new faces like J from Memoirs of Chocoholic and the Bangsar-babe, it was great to meet them.

Lots of love, hugs and kisses

Boo & Splashie Boy

p/s can I get your autograph?? You know you are super famous???? I just got my May issue of Harper's Bazaar (yes, one does need to keep up with the fashion world to look trendy) and you are in page 187 where they feature their hot and happening parties. It seems the Bazaar team loves your Spencer four seasons chocolate cake, chocolate pavlova, lemon meringue tarts, tiramisu in cups and Mars cheesecake. Gosh, I guess we should recruit them also for the Fatboybakes Fan Club.

p p/s bigger pictures are in flickr, if you want to see all the food in their full glory.

My Wish List - the World's 50 Best Restaurants by San Pellegrino

Here's to wishful thinking that I can dine at these places. I guess the nearest I can get to would be Iggy's in Singapore. My aim for this year, is to dine there vs. wishing I dined there! The list was subject to loads of controversy as a certain loud mouthed Brit chef known as Gordon Ramsay failed to make the list. So what do you all think? Does he deserve this snub?

The world's 50 best restaurants 2009 (and 2008 ranking in brackets)

1 El Bulli, Spain (1)
2 The Fat Duck, UK (2)
3 Noma, Denmark (10)
4 Mugaritz, Spain (4)
5 El Celler de Can Roca, Spain (26)
6 Per Se, US (6)
7 Bras, France (7)
8 Arzak, Spain (8)
9 Pierre Gagnaire, France (3)
10 Alinea, US (21)
11 L'Astrance, France (11)
12 The French Laundry, US (5)
13 Osteria Francescana, Italy (new entry)
14 St. John, UK (16)
15 Le Bernardin, US (20)
16 Restaurant de l'Hotel de Ville, Switzerland (27)
17 Tetsuya's, Australia (9)
18 L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, France (14)
19 Jean Georges, US (17)
20 Les Creations de Narisawa, Japan (new entry)
21 Chez Dominique, Finland (39)
22 Ristorante Cracco, Italy (43)
23 Die Schwarzwaldstube, Germany (35)
24 D.O.M., Brazil (40)
25 Vendome, Germany (34)
26 Hof van Cleve, Belgium (28)
27 Masa, US (re-entry)
28 Gambero Rosso, Italy (12)
29 Oud Sluis, Netherlands (42)
30 Steirereck, Austria (new entry)
31 Momofuku Ssam Bar, US (new entry)
32 Oaxen Skargardskrog, Sweden (48)
33 Martin Berasategui, Spain (29)
34 Nobu, UK (30)
35 Mirazur, France (new entry)
36 Hakkasan, UK (19)
37 Le Quartier Francais, South Africa (5)
38 La Colombe, South Africa (re-entry)
39 Asador Etxbarri, Spain (44)
40 Le Chateaubriand, France (new entry)
41 Daniel, US (41)
42 Combal Zero, Italy (re-entry)
43 Le Louis XV, France (15)
44 Tantris, Germany (47)
45 Iggy's, Singapore (new entry)
46 Quay, Australia (new entry)
47 Les Ambassadeurs, France (45)
48 Dal Pescatore, Italy (23)
49 Le Calandre, Italy ( 36)
50 Mathias Dahlgren, Sweden (new entry)
Source: S. Pellegrino

Revisiting Japanese Food @ Tomoe, Subang Jaya

I have been craving for Japanese food for the longest time. In fact, when I was in Italy for 2 weeks, it was the only thing I felt like eating especially after I faced my umpteenth plate of carbo-filled risotto. And you will be surprised, there's actually quite a few Japanese places in Italy that I walked past. Hence last night, after a long day at work wrestling with reluctant vegetables, I was all out for Japanese. It was apt since it was Tuesday - the night when fish is the freshest after their flight from Tokyo. We settled for good old Tomoe. It was my first time dining upstairs, we seem to have been only dining downstairs, which ain't happening at all. What you'll notice around Tomoe are rabbits everywhere - on the hanging decorations, figurines and etc. Seems the owner of Tomoe is born in the year of the rabbit hence the cute little bunnies everywhere. Incidentally, when dining here, do check out their toilets - they have a brilliant sink that I would so love to install in my own bathroom. Definitely will impress the Toilet Queen aka Tummythoz, I reckon.

Back to food (of course that is more important!), since we're both on a regime to eat less especially for dinnertime, it was a very light (but heavy on the pocket) meal. We kicked off with the unfamiliar Nogoguro Sashimi (fresh blue fish, RM65) that was very fresh and delicious, especially with my favourite purple cress. Next was Ike Asaea Sakamushi aka steamed asari clams (RM25), another favourite since I love clams - the soup is so sweet, I can't resist and show bad manners by slurping it down. My clam-love-affair does not end there as our katakuri karashi bitashi (boiled spring vegetables with clams and mustard, RM20) also has sweet clams. We actually thought it will be a little spicy from the mustard used but the taste was bearable. I so wanted the grilled oysters with curry and cheese - sounded so amazing but unfortunately everyone else also thought so, as they sold out that item. We had to instead settle for the mini tomato fry (RM22) - mini tomatos wrapped in beef bacon (no pork here!), coated in panko breadcrumbs and deep fried. Absolutely delish stuff especially if you dip it in the curry powder and salt on the side. To end, it was a plate of cold cha soba (RM18) to share over a wasabi-spring onion filled dipping sauce. Overall, food was good but of course, a little pricey since portions were small. Service was a little spotty though - initially good but sadly, at the end, they messed up our order of cha soba. For more on Tomoe including how to get there, read about my previous visit.

Dining Out @ Blackboard, Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur

kicking off with tapas

A quick one for today - my meal with friends last Friday. A relatively new place in Desa Sri Hartamas, the Blackboard has no fixed menu; you order from the handwritten dishes on a big blackboard. Items are based on whatever is fresh from the Pudu market and run by an French Canadian chef. However old favourites are usually found on the blackboard like the chicken liver parfait and tortilla. We kicked off with tapas items first. Chicken liver parfait (RM9.50) was a little misleading - I expected a tall glass of a mix but got pate. Luckily the chicken liver pate was smooth and nice. However, we felt it lacked much kick aka a little brandy would have been better. Marinated sardines (RM10.50) was not bad and the potato tortilla (RM9.50) was nothing fantastic either. What we really liked was the grilled chicken hearts (RM9.50) as they were tender and a little on the spicy side. To drink, we had Californian Robert Mondavi Rose 2007 that was light, fresh and very pretty to look at.


main meals to share

We fared better with our mains, that we all shared. All-time favourite was the glazed mirin salmon served with an assortment of fresh mushrooms (RM32.50). Everything was light tasting, not overpowering and very fresh. Next favourite was the braised lamb loin with a tamarind sauce and couscous (RM32.50). While we didn't like the couscous (the water they added was too strong tasting, probably unfiltered), the lamb chunks were tender (but not overly) and the tamarind sauce was delicious. The braised beef loin with potatoes (RM29.50) was pretty good too even though I felt some chunks were a little lean. If you went for the fatty bits, it was delectable as they melted in the mouth. Least favourite was the roast chicken leg (RM26.50) as we didn't quite like the sauce. However the mashed pumpkin with the chicken was yummy stuff.

The ambience of the place is a little stark - two seperate areas with the bar in front and the restaurant at the back. The bar is all black with a live band while the restaurant is all white walls and mirrors with black tableclothed tables. People seem to be packed in the bar area while the restaurant was relatively full of people. Our only complaint was the air conditioning is not enough for the space as it was quite stuffy and hot within. For bigger pictures, see the Flickr set.

Blackboard
No. 60, Jln 27/70A
Desa Sri Hartamas
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 017- 7353 0953

(Pork free. Restaurant used to be where Lanna Thai restaurant and Strudels used to be. Same row as Char Siew Bistro and Celicakes.)

*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: Blackboard + Desa Sri Hartamas

Other reviews:

• Voize
• NST
• Eat Drink KL

Taiwanese Comfort Food @ Fong Lye, Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur

hear me roar, says the dragon!

My friends and family have all been very sweet in pampering me with good Asian food the past week, knowing how I ranted about food in Italy. Hence, last weekend for lunch with my mother, she smartly picked my favourite comfort place i.e. Fong Lye that serves one of the most aromatic Taiwanese food in town. I reckon I have blogged about this place and never found fault in anything I have eaten here before. While some others have complained that portions here are small for what you pay for, I never have complaints about that since it means I get to try a greater variety in one meal.

my ultimate comfort food

Typical of my family, we all have our ultimate favourites to indulge in everytime we dine here. Everything is my favourite but I have a very soft spot for the aromatic basil fried clams (I'm usually the one they keep changing the plates for as I pile them with empty clam shells). My mother's ultimate get-her-happy dish is the scallion chicken - juicy and tender free range chicken. It is fast becoming both of our favourites. Another must-have here for all of us, is the sliced bittergourd with beef and recently it has been the fragrant salt and pepper prawns. No fiddly shells to mess with here, hence you can slowly munch on every bit of the crunchy prawns to get utter bliss. Do give it a try, if you are ever in the neighbourhood. Lunch was a little quieter than I remember though, not sure if this is a sign of times. Guess the true test is dinnertime, when the whole world usually descends on this place. For bigger pictures on the dishes, see my Flickr set.

Fong Lye Restaurant
9, Ground Floor, Plaza Prismaville

Jalan 19/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas

Tel No: 03 - 6201 7998

(Non-halal. Food here is served in individual portions and unlike the Gardens outlet which is mainly set meals.)

*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: Taiwan Food + Desa Sri Hartamas

Durian Crispy Roll @ Tropifruits, Low Yat Plaza, Kuala Lumpur

The King of fruits takes centrestage today! I inadvertently stumbled on this place last Saturday when Splashie Boy dragged me to Low Yat Plaza to do his computer "business". Couldn't miss it as loads of people, were queueing up at this brand new store (opened a week ago) as they were doing a promotion of 2 crispy rolls for RM1, which was valid for the weekend only.

The modus operandi is marketing the frozen durian flesh in various manners: in a portable box they call Nonya cube (RM4.90), where you can eat it on the go, placed in various crispy rolls and buns and deep-fried. I tried the crispy roll (there's 3 flavours: durian, cempedak, redbean and banana) filled with durian and it was not too bad. Filled with a light and crisp pastry, the durian filling was a little too rich yellow to be au naturel but nevertheless it was still very tasty and extremely pungent. Also tried the other fried items (you can order 3 pieces for RM5.90 or 5 pieces for RM10.90) - the golden durian, cempedak fireball and the white custard snowy bun. Absolutely hated the snowy bun, too sweet and somehow the texture was weird - gooey soft. The golden durian and cempedak fireball was not too bad but I felt the ratio of filling to the bun was not enough though. Wouldn't mind returning for the crispy roll, as that was the best of the lot. Apologies for all the finger shots as this place is strictly a take-away kiosk, hence we had to eat these on the go.

Tropifruits
Lower Ground Floor
Low Yat Plaza
Jalan Bukit Bintang
Kuala Lumpur

(Halal. Located opposite the Japanese okonomiyaki place.)

*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: Durian + Low Yat Plaza

Previewing Krispy Kreme's Original Glazed Doughnuts

Sugar High Tuesday! These hot and sweet babies arrived in the office just after lunch, hence we had a chance to pre-taste them. Based on earlier emails and messages I have been receiving, there's definitely a buzz going on about Krispy Kreme's opening on 10am, 27 April, 2009 at Berjaya Times Square. For more details, go see the Facebook group.

Eager beavers stand to win prizes - the first person gets the golden ticket with 1 year's supply of the original glazed doughnuts. Second and third in line, get 6 months and 3 months' supply of the sugar coated treats while those from the fourth to hundredth get 1 month's supply. I can imagine people camping out outside the store on the 26 April to score that prize!

Tastewise, they were pillowly soft and very sweet. Nuke them in the microwave for 8 seconds and they become even softer. We liked them with a cup of hot unsweetened coffee to balance out the sweet taste and best of all, unlike other doughnut brands, the glaze sticks to the doughnut vs your lips, when you eat them.

Krispy Kreme
Ground Floor
Main Entrance
Berjaya Times Square
Kuala Lumpur

For more details, go to their website. There are various flavours - chocolate iced, strawberry filled, green tea twist, with almonds, hershey's cookies & cream, New York cheesecake and glazed crullers (a crispier type of doughnut). Prices are RM2.50 for original glazed and RM2.80 for assorted doughnuts. A dozen original glazed doughnuts are RM19.90 and if you get 2 dozen, it is RM33.90. A dozen of the pre-assorted varieties are RM23.90 with an offer where you can get a dozen of pre-assorted varieties with a dozen of original glazed for RM37.90.

5 + 1 things I learnt in Italy

1. Italian cities have a lovely rustic charm to them

There is something so charming about their towns and where I was at i.e. Verona was rustic, even though it got a little damp from the occasional shower. The main focus of the town is the arena, where the opera is held. It looks like a mini Colliseum and whatever time you go, expect a crowd there. Most importantly Verona is known as the city of love as William Shakespeare named it as his setting for Romeo & Juliet. Hence there's Juliet's house (with her statue that everyone insists on touching her breast to get true love!) but weirdly enough, it is full of graffiti and declarations of love. Loads of statues around also with fountains and of course, those vespas that the Italians go around with. Bicycles are also popular hence you see them parked all over town. And while you are wandering down the cobbled streets, indulge in a little creamy gelato. Pistachio was my favourite and I love how you get 2 varieties in a cone, for 2 euro. Every opportunity I had, I gave it a try - even when it was pouring with rain!


2. Too much risotto and polenta makes an Italian meal dull

Since the trip was for work, I had little say on what meals I had and unfortunately, I found out there was just a little too much carbs for my liking. Italians seem to eat a lot! 4 courses where the appetizer will be cold meats, first course is either pasta or risotto and second course is the main meal followed by dessert, usually a dry cake or a selection of cheeses. I reckon for the first few days, all we had was risotto until I was shuddering whenever I saw a waiter approach with a serving dish of the creamy stuff. The only exception was amazing and creamy risotto we had with indulgent shaved black truffles. That made those carbs go down really well. Am not sure how the Italians keep so slim with all the food they eat. Portion sizes remind me of America as we are always served with laden plates. Aside from risotto, it was polenta that tasted just like baby's food - gloopy and kinda tasteless. Occasionally, we will get fantastic fresh pasta that makes a meal worthwhile.


3. Nothing beats the pizza here.

One item I have no complaints about is the pizza. Every place I tried for pizza didn't dissapoint me. Whether it was a thick slab from a touristy spot near the arena (they bake them upon your order) or paper thin pizzas from a restaurant that used to be a church or an out of town trattoria, they have all been impressive. My favourite pizza was one topped with paper thin slices of ham with a creamy truffle centre as an appetizer. Another good thing I noticed is you don't get rubbery mozzarella cheese here.


4. If you don't take pork and cheese, please avoid Italy at all costs

Throughout my 2 weeks in Italy, I just realised I didn't eat a single piece of chicken. Instead it was cold meats, beefsteaks, horse meat even (tastes like beef!) and seafood instead. Cold meats, thinly sliced like ham and salami are very popular. We also discovered hot sandwiches filled with caramelised onions, zucchinis, mushrooms and pork slices. A little salty, these hot meals were a welcome change from cold lunches. Aside from prosciutto, they have this very sinful stuff called lardo. It reminds me of jellied pork fat that they place on top of polenta or bread slices. Delish but extremely cholestrol-laden. Cheese is also great here, had a number of fantastic parmesan, wine marinated cheeses, blue cheeses and etc. Usually we eat this with bread and a glass of wine. At the end of the trip, we discovered this great little trattoria where we had a change, a tomato based seafood soup that made our day as it was tasty and hot. Everything from that place was good, whether it was pizza, seafood spaghetti and grilled meats. We must have eaten there almost every night after we discovered that place.


5. Grappa (or a little too much whisky and wine) gets people a little crazy

When in Italy, follow the Italians hence it was non-stop drinking of wine and something a little stronger aka grappa. Not for the weak hearted, you down grappa in one go and it hits straight to your stomach and then your head. The people I was with on the trip developed a taste for this lethal stuff and after a few shots of grappa, it led to crazy stuff like Bruce Lee and Michael Jackson moonwalk imitations. Nevertheless it was damn good fun and I reckon I got over jet lag pretty quickly with all that drinking every night.

6. Friends made over drinks stick together no matter what

Best of all, in Italy, I met a group of crazy Asian people who love to drink and party. No matter what happened during the trip, I reckon we became fast friends and hopefully this means, when I have the time to visit Hong Kong, China, Japan and South Korea, I can count on them to show me around the local foodie haunts and of course, the drinking holes. Like one fella's motto says, "drink till you die"!

Hummingbird Cake @ The Daily Grind, Bangsar Village

the star at the moment

It's good to be back home...catching up with friends and indulging in good food, as you can see from this upcoming week's posts. While Italy was pretty exciting, food in general wasn't too fantastic probably because we got fed a little too much risotto for everyone's liking. Nevertheless I got to taste fantastic cheeses, fresh pasta, pizza, cured meats, weird stuff like horse meat and of course, loads of great wine and grappa. I'm still sorting out the pictures and wondering how to blog about my experience there. There's so many pictures I need to spend loads more time to sort all of them.

indulging...

The weekend has been great getting all the errands done and meeting up friends to catch up. Since yesterday was Easter Sunday, we took it leisurely and ended up at Bangsar Village. They had the cutest rabbits for petting which the kids were manhandling, freshly baked hot cross buns and cupcake decorating by D'lish in the foyer and decorating eggs upstairs.

going going gone...

Best of all, we stopped by the Daily Grind for a spot of tea to indulge in their latest cake - the hummingbird cake (RM12 per slice). It may look like a carrot cake but it is made from bananas and pineapples. Really delish stuff - light layers of cake sandwiched with decadent cream cheese frosting and topped with dried pineapple flowers. They also have an equally moist and delicious lemon drizzle cake redolent with tangy lemon flavour.

mr. bunny says hi everyone...

Apologies for the very short post but I am slowly getting back into the hang of blogging. It was quite difficult to blog in Italy as Internet was so expensive in the hotels. By the time, I had free internet, I was too busy to write blog posts. Will also be doing a few backdated posts from previously that I had uploaded earlier on.

The Daily Grind
LG8, Lower Ground Floor
Bangsar Village
1 Jalan Telawi,
1, Bangsar Baru,
Kuala Lumpur

*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: Cake + Bangsar

Coffeeshop fare @ Sun Yin Loong, Sunway Damansara, Petaling Jaya

nope, this ain't Ipoh but it is the next closest thing - aromatic white coffee from the famed Sun Yin Loong in Sunway Damansara

Let's start this week with something simple, local and very affordable. Sigh! I must admit, I am missing Malaysian food a lot - all I get here is risotto, pasta, prosicutto ham, cheese and etc here. If it is nice I don't mind sacrificing rice and etc but some items are so dissapointing.The rainy weather is not helping though as everything is dreary - in fact, I spent the whole afternoon trying to snap pictures in the rain and it got so heavy that I was soaked to the bone.


value-for-monies at RM5.50, fried spaghetti set

Okay, back to local food, which is always the best in my opinion!! I read about this place from ling239's blog and decided to check it one day. Was glad I did as it serves affordable and pretty decent food here. I love the white coffee here, it is the closest thing to the mind-blowing version they serve in their Ipoh oulet probably because they use the same coffee powder.


crack....crunchy intestines to get a normal pork noodles going

The layout of this place is a little weird; 2 shophouses with one being the corner, where one is occupied with tables and chairs, the economy rice people and a few stalls on the corner while the majority of stalls are next door. I've only tried a few places - the Western stall, the supposedly famous Imbi market porridge stall and the curry mee stall. Generally, all were good - the fried spaghetti was al dente and aromatic since fried with herbs. They do a version with luncheon meat or bacon. The porridge place is also good - smooth porridge and noodles topped with very sinful crunchy intestines. I quite like the curry noodles too; topped with roast pork slices just like Ipoh. So, if you are around the area, drop by for great coffee. Flickr set has more also for all of you to see.

Sun Yin Loong
Opposite Pappa & Pak Li Kopitiam
Sunway Damansara
Kota Damansara
Petaling Jaya

Dining Out @ Restaurant Chef Choi, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur

aromatic duck (heong soo arp) pancakes - the bones are also very delectable

Time to clear that huge backlog of blog posts I have. Better do them now, or else knowing me I will forget what the food tasted like. I'll start with the very memorable ones. My friends have been asking me to try this place for the longest time ever so recently I finally got a chance. Plus I was drooling from the descriptions in Malaysian Insider. Some may say this place can be pricey but I honestly think it is worth every sen you pay for it, as it is top-notch.


aromatic and simple fried tung fun with dried prawns

We went a little crazy that night with our selections as my friend wanted to share her favourites with us. I doggybagged the food for my mother who really loved the food too! Always a good indication if it can excite my mother's palate who loves her Chinese food. The aromatic duck pancakes were delicious stuff even though I only managed to eat a little and the bones were even better - so crunchy that I had to resist eating it all up. The fresh prawns with a creamy Chinese wine sauce was also good - we asked for a small one since we knew it will be impossible to finish. I enjoyed the vegetarian sweet and sour pork - made with beancurd sheets and it was so good with their fluffy fried rice with egg white.


vegetarian sweet and sour "pork" that was so good with fried rice

I was a little sceptical about the tomato noodles hence my friend also ordered the fried tung fun for me. The tung fun was simply fried with large dried prawns (har kau) and it was so aromatic that I have been hankering for it since. The verdict on the tomato noodles - it was also very good. A little tangy from the vinegar so the balance is not there but nevertheless since very good stuff. It reminded me of these tomato noodles from Sarawak but somehow this version is even better. And it did taste better the next day as the flavours seep it.


the unusual but delish tomato noodles that tastes even better the next day

I wanted to try out their steamed fish since it is a favourite of mine especially the bamboo fish (ikan bodoh in Malay and soon hock in Chinese) - really good, steamed perfectly and it even had the decadent fish liver. Yums especially with the sauce drizzled over rice. We also had the obligatory vegetable - jade green and crunchy kailan.


sweet ending - almond milk in papaya

Last but not least, the warm almond milk in a papaya that Malaysian Insider raved about. Very aromatic, not overly sweet with a bit of white fungus, I loved this too especially with the papaya. Overall, I didn't have any complaints about this place and I will definitely return as I want to try the lobster yee meen, I heard so much about. Plus those tomato noodles are addictive, I can imagine me running down town to pack that home and I suspect there won't be any leftovers to savour the next day. For all the pictures, see the Flickr set to drool over.

Restaurant Chef Choi
159, Jalan Ampang
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03- 2163 5866

(Non halal. House next to Pelita Restaurant.See website for more details.)

*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: Chinese Food + Jalan+Ampang

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Weekend Japanese Food Buffet @ Xenri D'Garden Terrace, Menara Hap Seng, Kuala Lumpur

part of the fresh seafood section

A thousand apologies on abandoning the blog for a while. Been very busy and Internet access is not that cheap to get here (extremely different from the USA where it seems to be free!). Where's here you ask? Somewhere in Italy where it is a little chilly. Prior to leaving, I managed to upload pictures of previous food I ate so I'll continue to blog about that first instead.

my fav stuff - grilled cheese oysters

Remember the very much talked about cheap deal, Xenri D'Terrace was having? Well, we went and was very pleased with what we got there. Besides being great value for money, I also liked the set up of the place in Menara Hap Seng - less people so no need to jostle with others for food. I also did see people walk in and get impromtu seats when it was later i.e. a couple with their 2 kids who took over a group of Japanese around 1pm plus (it stops at 3pm). You still have this weekend (the last one of the month for the 50% discount to try!). They replenish most of the food and you also can order from a list, a selection of teppanyaki and tempura items.


I loved this - the grilled fish sushi with the right amount of saltiness you can pop it in to your mouth

The food was great and we liked their selection - not too vast but just nice to keep both of us well satisfied. The fresh seafood section had cooked mussels, prawns, teeny weeny scallops, squid, fresh oysters with a large variety of sauces for you to choose to have them with - ponzu, chili sauce and etc. I had my fresh oyster with ponzu (soy sauce flavoured with yuzu juice) and it was very good stuff with the mild citrus taste. The sashimi and sushi section was also good - butterfish, salmon, tuna at the sashimi "boat"and various makis on the sushi section (we loved the cream cheese maki with a nice thick cream cheese within and the grilled fish versions as it gave a slight smoky flavour). You can also ask for handrolls - we had one with soft shell crab.

prettiest ever dessert - two toned jelly shot with a lychee

There was a starter counter with all the Japanese pickles and their lobster salad made with mayonnaise. I didn't eat that, since it looked so fat laden with the creamy stuff but Splashie Boy loved that. Other grilled and fried items were placed in hot plates to keep warm - I absolutely loved the grilled cheese oysters. Had so many that the girl at the next table stared at my plate - especially since I got them when they brought it out from the kitchen. There was a fried scallop with breadcrumbs which I thought was not bad (good for the kids, as they kept eating it), fried chicken, soft unagi, very juicy grilled salmon, saba, chicken teriyaki, chawan mushi and etc.

Next to the sushi counter was the soup section - loved the kimuchi nabe, made with spicy kimchi, salmon head and crab. Very sweet soup and I had fun eating the salmon bones and crab. Splashie Boy had the beef sukiyaki, which was pretty good too. We also ordered off the menu - beef teppanyaki, which wasn't too great as it was a little tough but the mushrooms teppanyaki was nice. The shishamo was done tempura style here - a little salty I felt so I didn't enjoy that. Soft shell crab tempura wasn't as good compared to the piping hot one from Mizu. Last but not least, desserts were very tempting and extremely pretty! No premium ice cream here (only Kings and from what I understand, the ladies loved the red bean as that finished ASAP!). Didn't like the green tea ice cream as the taste was flat and lacked any of the bitterness taste I crave for in my green tea ice cream. I loved the pretty puddings ranging from a jelly shot with a lychee inside, the creamy mango and strawberry pudding, creme caramel shooters, kame jelly and fruits for those who don't crave sweet stuff. Drinks are also available so help yourself next to the dessert section.

Overall view of the whole buffet, it was not too harried and you could eat at a leisurely pace since there was enough for everyone hence no need to queue! Even the Japanese thought it was a good deal as they came for it and ate loads. I guess times have changed also. Personally, I won't mind returning even without the 50% discount promotion as food was just nice for me. For a lot more on what we indulged in, see my Flickr set. Yikes, now I see the pictures, my tummy is rumbling for Japanese food but nope, it will be pasta, risotto, pizza, cheese, salamis and wine for 2 weeks!

For more details on the Xenri buffet promotion, see my previous blog post on it.

*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 + Buffet

Cooking @ Home - Grilled Organic Steak with Saffron Carrot "Pasta"

smoking hot...

When it comes to meals at home, I reckon the easiest meal is just grilling a steak. I recently bought a chargrill cast iron pan from Ikea (that great place, which sells the best deals in town) and have been obssessed with grilling food on it. Initially, I experimented with lamb cutlets and steaks but nowadays I am trying to change to a healthier tone by grilling fish instead. For instance, I just had grilled red snapper and button mushrooms on top of a nice meslun salad last night.

saffron carrot "pasta" for a not so sinful meal

What I love about my chargrill pan - the attractive ridges that appear on my food and how the flavour seems to seal in better. It needs very little oil (just a spritz on top of the meat or fish) and instead the oil drips through the ridges, so the items are free from soaking in the oil.

Back to red meat, that sinful good tasting stuff. We love the OBE beef found at Village Grocer. Somehow, the meat is sweeter and less gamey. My belief for steaks, just spend the monies on a good cut or type and grill it at home instead of wasting monies in a restaurant. Nowadays, we have so many choices; Black Angus beef, wagyu beef (though not always grade 9 so be careful what supermarkets term as wagyu!) and organic beef. A good piece of meat really needs no expensive sauce but just a dash of freshly grinded black pepper and sea salt.

With all that sinful stuff, I like to pair it with vegetables or a salad. This time I discovered the joys of David Tanis' famous saffron carrots. I love this simple yet flavourful way to cook carrots from his book, A Platter of Figs. Rather than cut them into "rounds", I like to peel them with a peeler to create a "pasta" effect. Do try the recipe as it is a doodle to make and very good. While saffron is pricey, the flavour is definitely worth it. Just imagine honey and buttery tones with a touch of citrus from the lemon zest - so damn good stuff you suddenly forget it is carrots aka the dreaded vegetable.

Kindori Ice Cream @ Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur

creamy mango and pineapple flavoured ice cream

A sweet but healthy filler for today. We had this creamy ice cream when we visited Papa John's ages ago. A Taiwanese innovation, it uses blast frozen fruits (said to help keep those good vitamins we need inside it) that are mixed up with milk to form this creamy and soft ice cream, as and when you place your order.

Personally I found the fruits taste not very distinct and subtle, which means it is au naturel vs artificially enhanced with preservatives and flavouring. We also had the banana ice cream that was a little stronger tasting. You get to pick and choose what kind of fruits you prefer and they also allow mixing two fruits together. If fruits are not your thing, go for classic chocolate and matcha flavours. Pricewise, it is not cheap and I remember paying about RM6-8 for this.

Kindori Ice Cream
3rd Floor
Near the cinema
Berjaya Times Square
Kuala Lumpur

(Pork free. Kiosk is near the cinema. For more details, go to 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.


Tagged with: ice cream + Berjaya Times Square

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Gossip & Seafood @ Robson Heights Seafood Restaurant, Kuala Lumpur

crabbie time again....yums!

Catching with friends over dinner is always more fun especially when the food is awesome. Last Friday (defying all odds that it was an unlucky Friday 13th!), we all made it safely to Robson Heights Seafood, chosen for its highly lickable salted egg yolk crabs. I was first introduced to these luscious crustateans last year by Lyrical Lemongrass who is a regular here.

large water prawns + glass noodles = great prawny tasting slurpy soup

Perched on a hill, this place is easy to spot especially if you are chugging down the Federal Highway in one of its infamous traffic jams, where time stands still. Even though it was a Friday night, I made it within 1/2 hour from Shah Alam - a miracle indeed. The specialties of this place is not hard to spot, as the enterprising restaurant has them printed on their wet towel packets. Since I did do some research on this place (after some prompting by Precious Pea, who was hungry at 5pm!), I ordered the pork ribs, which Kampungboycitygal raved about. Also added the interesting sounding fried intestines with dried prawns.

very lickable salted egg yolk encrusted crabs

The pork ribs came in a jiffy (the kitchen is definitely super efficient here!) with meat that was falling off the bones. I felt it was just a tad sweet probably because we ate it on its own vs with rice. The fried intestines was a big dissapointment - not crunchy and lacked much taste even though they did laden it with lots of dried prawns and chopped green cili padi.

We got lucky with the claypot glass noodles with water prawns, which turned out to be the winner of the night. Usually, the norm is to order the black pepper udon and since it wasn't available, this was recommended by the waiter. Filled with large water prawns (3 pieces sliced into 2 for the 6 of us), the soup was rich from the prawn roe making the glass noodles slurpworthy.

The crabs were the finale of the night with us attacking the very lickable salted egg yolk encrusted crabs. While the steamed crabs were large and sweet, it would have been better with more liquid vs egg as the crabmeat was a little dry inside. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful meal especially catching up with everyone. For more on what we demolished that night, see my Flickr set.

Restoran Robson Heights
108, Jalan Permai
Off Jalan Syed Putra
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03- 22746216

(Non Halal. Place is parallel to Federal Highway. To get here, go up the Brickfields ramp on the highway, turn right at traffic lights, go straight and take a left at first traffic lights. Go straight, do not turn left back to the highway, you will see the restaurant on your right hand side.)

*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 + Malaysian food

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Masakan Nogori @ Kak Rose 911, Kg Pandan, Kuala Lumpur

very delish daging salai masak lemak...Splashie Boy's favourite must-have

Last weekend, since both of us was free to do some exploring, we decided to visit Kampung Pandan to try and locate this infamous place, which serves Negeri Sembilan food or masakan Nogori. I accidentally found out about this place from this blog. With the vague directions, we set off to locate it and surprisingly, it was pretty simple to find the restaurant.

the very unique rendang pegaga

Although the place is quite simple, I was surprised to see they had an air-conditioned section. The restaurant is extremely popular with everyone including the rich and famous. We spied these bloggers there when we dined here (couldn't miss the camera action right next to us) and on Splashie Boy's second visit there, he spotted a Porsche Cayenne. According to Splashie Boy's colleague who lived around the area, the reference 911 in the restaurant's name is because when they first started out, there was a discarded police car parked outside the restaurant (911 was the old number to call police last time). However, after they expanded, they had to dispose it but the name 911 stuck. Usually people park around the restaurant but opposite the place is Kak Rose's residence, which also acts as a car park.

the "sunken hippos" or badak berendam is definitely a must-try

What's good here? Well, almost everything we ate was very good including the desserts. They do a really good daging salai masak lemak - tender beef pieces in a slightly spicy and coconut milk rich curry. Another famous Negeri Sembilan dish is the teluk itik masak lemak, duck eggs in the same kind of curry. Then, I spied the unusual rendang pegaga, a mix of pegaga leaves and stems with chicken feet, gizzard and liver. Takes a while to get used to this dish. The tofu and ayam goreng also seem to pretty popular.

I love the desserts here and couldn't resist getting a large selection for just the 2 of us. The lepat pisang tasted like bananas vs those ones you get that taste only of flour! Another must-have is the badak berendam or literally translated as sunken hippos. They're actually dumplings filled with grated coconut with gula melaka; absolutely heavenly stuff. We also had tapai that was pretty good too. Prices are also very reasonable, for the amount of stuff we ate, it only came up to RM20 including extra orders for drinks. I'll definitely revisit this place again for their food and also to try the other dishes. For more on what we ate, see my Flickr.

Restoran Kak Rose 911
No. 25, Jalan Satu
Kampung Pandan

Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-9281 2996

(Halal. Open from 11am to 4pm except Sundays. To get here from bulatan kampung pandan take jalan kampung pandan, stick to jalan kampung pandan abt 800m from roundabout take left, which is still jalan kampung pandan. On the left is the golf course, right is sekolah aminuddin baki. Go about 1.5 KM, make a right at the traffic light. On the left is a big NAZA KIA, go about 400m and Kak Rose 911 is on the right. Below is the location map. For a bigger picture, go to my Flickr set on Kak Rose)

*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: Negeri Sembilan food + Malaysian food

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