masak-masak

Monday, June 08, 2009

The Bread Shop @ Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur

1. simple yet sublime tomato sauce with fresh basil leaves to be eaten with slightly toasted baguette slices, 2. minimalist rules here with brown paper bags stamped with the logo

"We love our bread, we love our butter, but most of all, we love each other!"

Fans of sweet little Madeline from her book by Ludwig Bemelmans and the cartoon, will know of this famous line, which the 12 little girls used to chime out at every meal they had in an old house in Paris covered with vines. Seems incredibly apt in these circumstances for this bakery we discovered after a tip off from my friend S. In fact, the whole weekend has been a long drawn doughy affair.

working hard; a study of reflections

At this 2-month old The Bread Shop, tucked in the affluent neighbourhood of Damansara Heights, this is where we both found dough heaven. Opened by GDP architects whose offices take up most of the space in this single row of shophouses (where the original Decanter is located), the bakery boasts a modern unfinished look that reeks of an artistic touch. We love the cool unpolished cement interior, the stainless steel kitchen with in-built ovens, the long sinks, the cool mirrors you can play with the reflections, the tall wooden tables and cement sidebars to sit at and the delicious breads found here. Sadly, we couldn't capture the look unless we had a better lens (I reckon a fisheye lens will work well here), but hopefully these pictures will tempt you to visit it soon.

1. simple works best with delicious tomatoes perfumed with fresh basil leaves 2. thick cafe lattes perk up the afternoon

Choose from an array of breads and buns to eat here or takeaway in brown paper bags. You can dine here by sitting at one of the 4 tall wooden tables in the middle or at the side cement bar counters. It's not a very big space and can probably fit about 20 persons (if pushed). Since it was for lunch cum tea, we ordered loads of buns - the sausage cheese roll (RM4.80), garlic bun (RM2.80), chocolate danish (RM3.80) and cinnamon swirl (RM3.80).

1. Unravel the cinnamon swirl to discover its fragrance 2. Delicate and flaky chocolate danish can be chomped down in seconds

We loved the soft breads, which we finished in minutes. My favourites were the soft fragrant cinnamon scented swirly bun. Not too sweet, the bun could be easily pulled apart and demolished in seconds. Best eaten with their cafe latte (RM6.80). If you want something more delicate, the chocolate danish with a thin layer of chocolate within is a good choice.

inspired by Bill Granger's Feed Me Now cookbook (a birthday present, thanks S!) - the rustic lamb sausage, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella melt with torn basil leaves using the organic wholemeal studded with pumpkin seeds bread from the Bread Shop

Aside the array of baked goodies, they also offer all day dining within the bakery; either 4 baguette slices or 2 pieces of toast with either kaya, butter/jam, 2 halfboiled eggs, tomato & basil sauce or chicken curry. Prices range from RM4.80 to RM9.80 for these selections. We ordered the tomato and basil sauce with baguette slices (RM5.80) and loved it. A simple chunky tomato sauce with torn basil leaves complimented the slightly toasted baguette slices so well, we were scraping the sides of the ramekin it was served in.

Not satisified with bread eaten there, we even took away some loaves - organic wholemeal for RM6.80 and cranberry walnut for RM8.80, which we shared with my friend S. The organic wholemeal bread went well with a Bill Granger inspired recipe of tomato, mozzarella and sausage melt that was a quick dinner from his latest cookbook, Feed Me Now!. Cranberry walnut is also excellent with chunks of walnut and dried cranberries that adds an interesting touch to the chunky rustic bread. I'm keen to also try their wholegrain (it was sold out when we were there) the next time. Reckon, I either have to make a point to get there earlier to sample that. Thanks S for the tip! I reckon The Bread Shop is going to be THE place for me to indulge in some bread bliss. For more pictures of The Bread Shop, see my Flickr set.

The Bread Shop
11, Jalan Setiakasih 5
Damansara Heights
Kuala Lumpur

Tel No: 03 - 2093 8734

(Pork free. Open from Monday to Fridays (8am-7.30pm) and Saturday (8am-5pm). Closed on Sundays. Located 2 doors away from the original Decanter, within Damansara Heights. See this link for the Google Map. If coming from the Science Centre from Kiara highway, at the traffic light at the top of the hill, which is Persiaran Bukit Kiara, take a left hand turn onto Jalan Beringin, go straight and take a left at Jalan Setiakasih 5 when you see this sign that says Bukit Damansara. It's either the second or third turning on the left hand side. You will see the shophouses on the right hand side, The Bread Shop is next to M.M Mini Mart. )

*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: Bread + Damansara Heights

Others who have also visited here:

Me, Myself & Tammy loves the minimalist look too.

Friday, June 05, 2009

Nasi Lemak Famous @ Bangsar Selera, Kuala Lumpur

Let's wind down for the coming weekend with everyone's favourite dish, nasi lemak. I actually had these pictures for sometime but never got round to blogging about it. Yesterday, when I was flicking through Fay Khoo's new guidebook, Best Eats (such an adorable girl with the curry puff on the cover!), I spied Datuk Tony Fernandes' favourite eats. Amid a plug for his airline (he listed Air Asia canteen and the inflight food as one of his favs!), he had Nasi Lemak Famous on the list. Guess it is truly famous since the famous in Malaysia even list it down as their favourite nasi lemak stall.

Those with long memories will remember Nasi Lemak Lee - the stall that was located at the corner of Jolly Green Giant (the old Medan Selera in Bangsar), where they served scrambled soft eggs with yummy fried chicken. That stall is actually Nasi Lemak Famous who was asked to move in to Bangsar Selera's foodcourt during a massive cleanup and relocation exercise of the street stalls in Bangsar. They have abandoned serving the eggs that way but the fried chicken with the crispy batter bits still remains very good - crunchy and tasty from the marinade. I also liked the steamed rice, aromatic with coconut milk with seperate grains. While fried chicken is their specialty, they also have a very good beef rendang, cockles, chicken curry and etc., for you to choose from. The owner also runs the mee bandung stall next to the nasi lemak place. Even though the ever famous Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa may have opened nearby in a modern cafe style round the corner for this, I'm all for this version of nasi lemak to be eaten on melamine plates and under the cool night sky. For bigger pictures, see the Flickr set.

Nasi Lemak Famous

Corner of Bangsar Selera Food Court

Jalan Telawi 1

Kuala Lumpur

(Halal. Open from the evening till early morning. Perfect after clubbing, when the tummy rumbles from all that partying.)

Others who have tried this:

Jules Eating Guide to Malaysia did this place twice after clubbing.

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Dining Out @ Hakka Republic, Menara Hap Seng, Kuala Lumpur

4 June, 1989 - 20 years on from the Tiananmen Square and China somehow seems to have not lost some of its craziness to control everything. (They just banned Twitter, Flickr and Hotmail about 2 days back!) While China has made some great steps in the economy and etc, these actions seem to suggest a step backwards for them in terms of accepting how the world has changed. Today's main picture also seemed appropriate since coincidentally we dined last night at Hakka Republic, a relatively new restaurant and wine bar in Menara Hap Seng, which has a picture of a Mao-lookalike on its logo.

the starters were nice and light. Must-try here is definitely the steamed wagyu beef with ponzu sauce. They also serve these cute buns that reminded me of tau sar pneah!

Back to the food, we have heard good things about this place from friends and I was eager to try out their wine enomatic machine, hence we dined there last night. The place was a little quiet of patrons as most of them were inside a private room having a riot of time with their wines (2 old bottles around the 1980s were being decanted on the bar counter). Since we were the only patrons there, we had top-notch service and recommendations from the management there.

main courses, the dining area and the red wine, of course

Contrary to what everyone thinks, this place does not serve Hakka or Chinese food but they serve Western food. Some of their items have a Japanese slant to them, as the chef used to work in a famous Tokyo restaurant called Fujimamas. The steamed wagyu beef (RM120 for 100g) was highly recommended by friends and the restaurant. We absolutely loved the thinly sliced tender wagyu beef slices that topped cabbage leaves and sliced carrots. Steaming vs grilling the wagyu beef, seems to bring out its flavour more. Dip the thin slices with their own ponzu sauce (a mix of yuzu juice and soy sauce) or the creamy sesame sauce. They only use grade 9 wagyu here, as it has enough marbling to be tender when steamed. No lower grade supermarket quality wagyu beef served here. The marinated tuna tartar with cold green tea soba noodles and japanese citrus dressing (RM25) was refreshing with light tangy flavours. Even though the noodles were slightly overcooked and soft, we liked the tangy dressing it was tossed with.

our tummies were groaning from the food, hence it was a light ciku sorbet for dessert and complimentary rich fruit cake from the owner. See that tree, it is a reflection of the chinese words on the bar within the restaurant.

For the main course, we went with their recommendations and ordered the crispy duck confit with fig compote and potato galette (RM44), the miso marinated black cod with braised baby kailan and sesame dressing (RM44) and the grilled garlic, mustard, herb crusted angus beef tenderloin with chili roasted baby potato and portobello-marsala reduction (RM72). I was a little skeptical about the duck confit but was pretty good and not oily. One difference from the menu's description was, instead of a potato galette, we were served mashed potatoes, which I prefer since galette is not a favourite of mine. The cod was fresh, cooked perfectly and flaked beautifully when cut. Our only complaint was probably the part we were given was not fat enough as it a tad not smooth. Nevertheless, we did enjoy that dish and wouldn't mind returning for their kampachi fish dish (which was unavailable that day as they had rejected the fish since it was not up to their par!), in the future. The angus beef tenderloin was slightly overcooked (we asked for medium rare but it came more on the medium side) but still very tender and delicious. For light eaters and those watching your waistline, the menu can be quite treacherous as it has creamy soups and quite a lot of meat dishes.

I didn't get to snap Hakka Republic's enomatic machine since it would have been too obvious but here's some pictures I did take of the machine in Italy

Feeling very very full from that dinner, we opted for a light ciku sorbet as desserts were too heavy (bread and butter pudding, chocolate fondant and etc). The nice lady owner, who was at hand most of the night with recommendations, gave us some of their rich fruit cake drizzled with brandy sauce to try. Based on a family recipe, this version was the light brown type with fruits. Since most of us preferred the dark brown and alcohol laden version, this was a little too light for us but nevertheless, it is still very good especially for those who don't like their fruit cakes too rich.

For the wines, they claim to have the first wine enomatic machine in Kuala Lumpur (I've been told this may be bending the truth a little as some people claim to have seen the machine here before!). Having sampled the machine in Italy (per my pictures), I was fascinated to give it a try here. The machine can store a variety of wine bottles preserved with a revolutionary inert gas, that allows you to try wine by the glass. Depending on the machine, you can set how much to pour out (10ml, 20ml, 60ml, a glass and etc).

At Hakka Republic Bar, they have 4 white wines and 12 red wines in the machine. You can opt for tasting portions (about 20 ml) or half portions like what we drank (60ml) or the full glass. It is a great way to sample different wines (she has a selection of Australian, Spanish, French, South African and Italian wines including a Super Tuscan here) and not waste your monies if you don't like a particular wine. Unlike other places in town, the menu here is also a little different as below each food item, they recommend the appropriate wine to go with it by the glass with the price. Great for those who are very adventurous and when they are dining with friends who don't want to drink as sharing a bottle may be too much. We sampled two red wines; an Australian Robert Parker (RM24.50 for 60ml) and the highly recommended Spanish Bodegas Rejadorada Novellum (RM37 per 60ml). Preferred the Spanish one as it was more well rounded vs the Australian wine that felt a little too young.

For me, the draw here is definitely the enomatic machine since it gives me an option to try various wines I won't usually order by the bottle. Especially since most of my friends don't want to try the pricier wines or just don't want to drink, when we dine out. With my glass of wine, I reckon, my order would be their steamed wagyu beef, which I love and the refreshing tuna tartar.

Hakka Republic
Lot 2.05, Level 2
Menara Hap Seng
Jalan P.Ramlee
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03 - 2078 9908

(Pork free. Open for lunch and dinner till late. On Sundays, they have a brunch buffet. Place is located on the same floor as Elegant Inn and Xenri D'Terrace. For more information on their menus, wine list and other reviews by magazines, see their website.)

Other people who dined here:

Jean who says their set lunches comes with generous portions even though she was a little confused about the name.
Eat Drink KL who had drinks there only but his post has loads of interior shots.
Kimthing who had her birthday celebration there.

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Steam Cuisine @ Restoran K.T.L, Taman Segar, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur

fish glorious fish - from the market to the table

Oh dear! I think I have blip fever. Instead of editing pictures and writing today's blog post, I have been searching for songs to blip. Weird stuff you find when you search. I even found some French music I used to listen to long ago aka the infamous Betty Blue theme song from Gabriel Yared. There's everything on blip; English, French, Chinese and Malay songs that I listen to. Most importantly they also have Zee Avi's songs, which is my current flava of the month. We absolutely love Kantoi, a mix of Malay and English lyrics.

everyone dines here - families and even fellas with ties despite the heat. Best dish ever, the smooth steamed egg custard

Back to food, which is what all of you tune into this blog of mine for and definitely not for my eclectic taste for music. Since Precious Pea is about to leave on a jetplane for Down Under, we have been cramming events with her. One was a long promised food crawl around Cheras (a place that I am perpetually lost!), we have been talking about for the longest time. Led by Precious Pea's Makan Gang, they took us for a whirlwind trip around the place. Our first stop was this shack in front of shophouses in an old area of Cheras where they get weird monikers like "lemak or fat in Malay" or "manis or sweet in Malay". Seems appropriate for this place since food is in abundance everywhere.

steamed chooks and pork come with loads of delicious sauce to drizzle over white rice so be prepared to load up your carbs here.

Famous for their steamed dishes, you drop by here for a taste of homecooked nostalgia. Their most famous dish here is the humble steamed egg custard (RM3 for a small portion). Albeit simple to make, perfecting it is a task that most cooks can't master. Here the wobbly custard (a mix of water and egg) is steamed to wobbly perfection that slides down your throat.

Another specialty here is the steamed fish (RM27 for steamed tilapia). Fresh from the market, we were so early that we saw the fish arriving by lorry before they were prepped for that day's lunch session. You get a variety of tilapia, pak soo kong (catfish) and etc here, that swim in their temporary tanks before ending up in the customer's tummies. The fish's flesh is smooth after steaming and goes so well with their own made cheong cheng (soybean paste) sauce. Other items we tried were the steamed chicken with chicken herbs (RM9), steamed pork with salted fish (RM6) and vegetables drizzled with fried garlic (RM5). While the chicken was nice, we thought the pork was slightly overcooked and the salted fish lacked much taste. Nevertheless, this place is a great find with its smooth egg custard and silky smooth steamed fish with a kick ass spicy sauce with soybean paste.

Restoran KTL

Stall No. 3A

Jalan Manis
Taman Segar

Cheras
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 017-8727567, 012-308 7311

(Non halal. Open for lunch only and closed on Tuesdays. Place is in front of a 4D shop. For the google map, see this link. Sorry, no GPS as my phone's Maxis 3G decided not to work the whole day in Cheras!)

Tagged with: steamed fish + Cheras

Other reviews:

SC from Food4Thot got lucky with the last fish of the day.

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Dining Out @ Max.@ iHaus, Jalan Jati, Off Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

Recently, I was suprised to discover from Precious Pea that Max! Kitchen & Wines has relocated from their Tengkat Tong Shin place. Instead the restaurant is now housed in a bungalow, which also doubles up as a furniture showroom called iHaus. The spacious double-storey bungalow just behind Noble House and off Jalan Bukit Bintang/Jalan Imbi comes with ample parking space and a large garden, making it ideal for barbeques, weddings or even parties. I for one welcome the parking arrangements as dining at Max! used to be treacherous with the lack of spaces and the dodgy carpark nearby.

Within the bungalow, you will find the space within is divided into a main dining room area with different types of tables, cosy little nooks and corners filled with comfy chairs to lounge in and a show kitchen area for the serving staff to work at. Hidden within from prying eyes is also the private wine room, where we dined at last Friday night. For the upstairs area, there's plans to convert the space to include a pool table for parties. Unlike those days in Tengkat Tung Shin, you can't see Max cooking away at the stove since the kitchen is now hidden away.

While waiting for dinner, we chilled out with a bottle of prosecco (Italian Batasiolo Cascine 7 for RM120 with medium bubble intensity, dry and short finish) and relaxed on the comfy sofas and chairs, making ourselves very much at home. Luckily time flew away quickly and it was dinner time before we could even finish our bottle. Most of Max's regulars know about his shift and that night, the place was packed to the brim. To kick off our meal, we had the seasonal lokam clams prepared two ways; grilled and drizzled with lemon oil and grilled with a creamy cheese sauce. In terms of taste, we were split between the 2 cooking styles, some loved the creamy cheese sauce while others preferred the cleaner and sweeter taste of the simple lemon oil drizzled clams (RM35 for 10 clams). Note that these clams are seasonal and not always available at Max.

The menu has gone a much needed revamp featuring new dishes. Rather than choose our items individually, we opted to get Max to choose the best for us and share them among 6 of us. We also loved the salads - the meli-melo mushroom with soft poached egg topping fresh mesclun salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar reduction (RM28) and the roasted beet salad with warm haloumi cheese, sunflower seeds and all drizzled with an apple vinaigrette (RM25). Break the soft poached egg and let the yolk drizzle over the salad! Unlike the one I tried before in Marmalade, Max's haloumi cheese has a nice crust and is great paired with the sweet beetroot.

We all couldn't get enough of the seared sea scallops on grilled provencale vegetable-baby octopus ragout with olives and lobster oil (RM48). The big sweet scallops were slowly relished while we had to ask for more bread to wipe down the plate clean. The ragout tasted fantastic with the lobster oil and strangely enough, like it had a pinch of curry powder.

The mains were the matelote of codfish in red wine jus with shallot, fresh tarragon and wild mushroom (RM55), lamb roulade with cutlet grilled zucchini and eggplant tart, garlic confit and rosemary jus (RM60), Australian veal chop served with cognac flambeed chanterelle and cepe mushrooms melange (RM95 for 300grams). The cod was thick and flaked off in pieces when you ate it with a rich tasting red wine reduced sauce. For variety, Max serves 2 kinds of lamb on the plate - the tender lamb cutlet and the lamb roulade. I preferred the lamb cutlet and soft garlic cloves but was not a fan of the polenta stuffed tart topped with grilled zucchini and eggplant. The veal chops were fantastic! I did the cutting for everyone and it was so tender, the knife went through so easily.

For the meal, since it was a lot of meats, we had a selection of red wine to drink - a Trapiche Argentinian Malbec 2007 aged in oak casks (RM130). Smelling of ripe plums, the wine was my favourite of the 2 bottles we opened. However the South Australian Peter Lehmann Weighbridge Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2007 (RM130) was very drinkable with its soft tannins. To end, this time, we decided not to have any desserts as there was nothing new in the menu but we were all very well satisfied after the meal and excellent company.

Do pop by Max. @ iHaus for a great dining experience, as I reckon all of you need to update your blogs since most of it is about the old place. Since we dined here on Friday, I already got Julian to drop by for a great time. Psssst, they also have their value for monies set lunch for RM22++ and its available from Monday to Saturday now! Definitely an easy thing to do during the weekdays now since parking is so ample here. He also has a degustation menu of 5 courses with a glass of prosecco for RM120++ per pax. For more pictures of the place and etc, see my Flickr set that also includes the map to the place.

Max. @ iHaus
Lot No. 32, Jalan Jati
Off Jalan Bukit Bintang
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03 - 2142 9720

(Pork free. Open for lunch (12-3pm) and dinner (7-11pm) daily. Set lunch is available for Monday to Saturday. To get here, from Jalan Imbi coming from Jalan Bukit Bintang, take the first left turn and drive down Jalan Inai. Take the first left turn and then a right turn, go straight and you will see iHaus on the left hand side where the restaurant and iHaus showroom is located.)

Monday, June 01, 2009

Korean Food @ Zens Korean BBQ, One Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur

stone bowl (dolsett) bibimbap (RM22) for a comforting meal

All eyes are focused on the Koreans this past week. First, it was the unfortunate incident with the South Korean ex-president Roh, then the North Koreans got a little overzealous with their nuclear policies (incidentally I love the Economist's cover of Kim Jong Il holding a book titled "Little Book of Ransom Notes"). Luckily, there was a snippet of good news, when Korean Park Ji-Sung from Manchester United became the first Asian to play in a Champions League final. Unfortunately his team lost in the final to Barcelona. This week, in Malaysia, South Korea will definitely be the flavour of this week, since today marks the first day of the Asean-South Korea summit at Jeju Island where our Prime Minister is attending. Hence I thought it will be most apt to post, our latest Korean food discovery in honour of all these incidents.

the sublime pork ribs (doe ji galbi for RM30) with its grilled fatty bits, kimchi on the side and barbequed rib eye (deung sim for RM65)

Thanks to Paprika of So Much Food, So Little Stomach we discovered this little gem in Bangsar. The food here is so good here, it has become a regular hangout every week with us slowly discovering what the menu has to offer. Moreover, you find more Koreans dining here vs locals - always an excellent sign of authenticity. Run by a family from Seoul, we like this place as you dine at long wooden tables leaving you loads of space, to fit all the numerous side dishes they give here. Someone in the family is obviously a golfer, as the pictures on the walls feature golf courses around the world.

Hae mul panjeon (RM28) here is chewy and thick with ingredients, just like their kim chi jigae (RM20). For something unusual cool off with the chewy cold buckwheat noodles (mul naeng myeon for RM22)

For our first visit here, it was tender rib eye that they cooked on the charcoal grill for us. However, on my second visit here, I discovered the juicy and decadent pork ribs (doe ji gal bi, pork ribs with house seasoning - RM30). The best bits were the fatty portions where it melted in your mouth. Absolutely delicious and very addictive with a bowl of white rice, that my friend and I were so tempted to order another portion for the night.

side dishes are good too, especially our favourite spring onion shreds which we keep asking for seconds.

The pa jeon (pancake) here is pretty good too and filled with loads of spring onions and seafood making it a very substantial portion. The kimchi soup is filled to the brim with loads of ingredients - thick slices of pork belly, clams, cabbage and mungbean noodles but seems to lose out to the other place in the Gardens in terms of taste. They also serve the unusual cold noodles to cool off from the grilled meats. A little on the sparse side, the thin greylike chewy noodles can be quite a chore to eat daintily. However, the slightly tangy and cold soup (made with ice cubes) is nice and refreshing to drink at the end. The other soup we tried, the gal bi tang (beef ribs soup - RM20) didn't fare too well with us even though we did drink it up. I found the beef ribs inside the soup a little too chewy and hard to be edible, while the soup was a little boring and borderline bland. Bibimbap also seemed to lack much of the fiery taste we like. Nevertheless, they have an excellent selection of banchan (side dishes) with cabbage, courgette, beansprouts, konnayaku, egg tofu, cockles and etc.

finally at the end, leave room for dessert in the form of snow ice mixed with red beans and canned pineapples

Once you're done with your meal, cool down with their complimentary dessert - an icy cold confection of crushed ice mixed with red beans and canned pineapples. They'll mix the dish right in front of you ensuring it does not melt straightaway. I love the refreshing dessert, seems to make it a perfect end to a good meal. While service can get quite chaotic (due to language problems), the quality of the food here will definitely make me return for more the next time. For more pictures, see the Flickr set.

Zens Korean BBQ
One Bangsar
63G-G, Jalan Ara
Bangsar Baru
Kuala Lumpur

Tel No: 03 - 2282 9007

(Non Halal. Open for lunch and dinnertime.)

Updated: Seems to be a Korean day today - Cumi & Ciki did Little Korea and Eat Drink KL did the first ever North Korean restaurant in KL.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Luxe Lunching @ Sage, The Gardens Residence, Kuala Lumpur

flower power

I often get asked by strangers and even friends, where's the best place for fine dining or a special dinner for someone? My reply is always Sage - my all-time favourite dining spot in town. Reserved for special occasions, it's where I love to indulge in for some pampering of the soul.

the gorgeous foie gras

Lunch has been on the agenda for quite some time. I even plotted to have days off just to squeeze in some lunchtime here but inevitably something always cropped up on those days. Finally, I got to do a little lunch (more of a work lunch though but I wasn't complaining since I didn't have to pay) recently and was blown away as usual. It felt so different to dine during the day (of course the pixs of the food turned out gorgeous!) and it was relatively quieter than dinnertime.

kick the meal off with the addictive basil puree with Sage's bread. One dip and you never stop asking for more. Virgin mojitos cool you down and Sage's smoked salmon appetizer.

Priced at RM100 nett, the fixed prixe lunch is great value for the excellent food you get in return. You get two choices for the appetiser, main meal and dessert. What I had this time won't be what you will having this week, or next week since the food choices changes every week. We absolutely love the slightly warm bread and the basil puree served with it. They also served us a refreshing virgin mojito.

rich and satisfying wagyu beef cheek and chocolate tartlet to round off an excellent meal.

Since they had foie gras on the menu, that was a must as Sage does it so well (another place is Cuisine Studio). The trick of cooking foie gras, which I learned at a class with Chris Salans before - cut a thick slab about an inch, sprinkle flour, put in the fridge for a while and then remove to pan fry. This will yield a nice crust and tender soft middle. Most of the time, restaurants always make the mistake of cutting foie gras too thinly hence you lose the tender oozing middle part. The foie gras topped 3 pieces of chicken on a puff pastry with mushroom duxelles. Yummy and rich, this was my favourite. The other selection for an appetizer, was the much lighter smoked salmon with fennel and vegetables.

Portions were generous that I was so stuffed (loved my stewed wagyu beef cheek, so tender and rich). You have a choice of cheese and dessert at the end. Having had more than enough cheese in Italy, I choose the chocolate tartlet. It's not very chocolatey though and resembled more like a mocha tart with a coffee mixed within. Nevertheless it was still delicious especially with Sage's creamy smooth ice cream churned from their own kitchen.

Take my advice, give yourself a day off and do lunch here. You'll find that it will perk up your whole day! Lunch may lose a little of the night romance but the impeccable service (since it is less busy during the day) and the generous portions totally make up for this. For more on the dinner experience, see my previous blog post.

Sage Restaurant
The Gardens Residences
6th Floor, The Gardens
Mid Valley City
Lingkaran Syed Putra
59200 Kuala Lumpur

Tel No: 03- 2268 1188

(Pork free. Open for lunch, Monday to Friday. Open for dinner for Monday to Saturday. Closed on Sundays. Reservations are recommended for dinnertime, as it can get packed. Remember, take the lift from Isetan side at the Gardens to the 6th floor.)

Tagged with: Sage + Gardens Residences

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Banana Leaf Rice @ Sri Paandi, Petaling Jaya

Come Sunday or any day where you can kick back, make time for a little banana leaf rice action. An institution in Petaling Jaya, this place was once under threat by a wicked rival who named themselves Sri Paandi too. Totally confusing customers and etc, that "curry war" as it was previously termed got loads of attention and even spanned a television commercial based on that infamous feud. Luckily now the whole debacle seems to be over, as the other Sri Paandi is gone leaving the "real one" there.

Dining here is always a great experience and service is impeccable. Once your bum touches the chair and you tell them you want banana leaf rice, you get mobbed by a team of purple shirt guys. First, it's the banana leaf chap, this affable fellow (who was very pleased with my picture of him) who carries a stack of leaves. As soon as the leaf is laid out, the symphony starts - "rice, curry vegetables, all kinds of crackers, rasam (that sourish soup), yoghurt to cool your tongue down and the various types of curries." Everything gets laden down as fast as you can blink and shout out yes or no.

Then there's the tray of deep fried goodies - the fish cutlets, chicken pieces, that always seem to go perfectly with the curries. It's not hard to spot him, as the fella who mans the tray walks around with his goodies perched high on top of his head. Don't forget the chutneys and the all important curry to drown your rice with. My favourite is the chicken varuval here, pieces of chicken coated in a not overly spicy paste that is bursting with flavour.

Go wash your hands at the sink and dig in slowly to the mound of rice, flooded with curry and dhal to start your meal. Once the purple-shirt fellas have served you and the others, you find them relaxing and even asking you if they can look at the back of the Sunday papers to check the 4D scores. While he takes down the numbers, Splashie Boy is so amused he had to ask him, "ada kena tak?" (did you strike?).

Sri Paandi

Jalan Dato Mahmud 11/4

Off Jalan Universiti

Petaling Jaya

(Halal. Open from 8am to 11pm. Banana leaf rice is for lunch and dinnertime. GPS N3 06.664 E101 38.961. Google map is here.)

Tagged with: Banana Leaf Rice + Malaysian Food

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Chicken Kuey Teow Soup Noodles @ Ipoh Chang Jiang, Section 17, Petaling Jaya

patience is much needed here especially during peak hours

Searching for food now has become incredibly easy - just a click on the Net or open the papers and you will see reams of information regarding places to eat. Sadly though, not everything is to be trusted hence the only way is to give it your own taste test since everyone has their opinion on what tweaks their tastebuds. With regards to this place that recently got highlighted in the Star, I was a little curious about it as I thought I knew every nook & cranny of Section 17, until I read about this place.

the kuey teow soup that comes laden with goodies

This small unassuming restaurant can be found at the flats that face the main road, which joins the famous Rothmans roundabout (a misnomer since Rothmans now is BAT) to Jaya One and Sultan Samad school. Packed with people, they seem to be enjoying fame from the newspaper article (the owner was proudly displaying it all framed up and some customers were even referring to it). Most of the people who dine here work around the factories and office or are the flat's residents. Don't be surprised to see old men sitting in tables just kicking back with their pot of Chinese tea.

you can also order the meats seperate for a very satisfying meal

Come during the peak time (i.e. lunchtime) and except to wait very very long (about 1/2 hour). When you place your order they give you a little queue number to hold on to. Here you get a variety of noodles cooked in a clear soup with various toppings - whole chicken chopped, chicken shreds, fish paste (yee wat) and thin slices of poached pork belly. Those who come in larger groups or a very hungry tummy, can opt to place an extra order of poached chicken seperately. What make them unique here is they use the bright yellow skinned chickens signifying free range chooks, that have more bite to their meat and less fat.

I love the soup here, not overly sweet that signifies no use of any additional MSG and etc. Portions are also quite big as you can get a hearty meal for RM5 to RM11 per person depending on how much you order. The fish paste is also very fresh and bouncy. Even the white coffee here is pretty good, making the wait a little bearable. Give it a try the next time you're at this area and you won't be dissapointed. Thumbs up to Sam! Good one!

Ipoh Chang Jiang Restaurant
Along Jalan 17/1A
Section 17
Petaling Jaya

(Non halal. Closed on Mondays, open from 7am till lunchtime. To get here from Rothmans round about, go straight like driving towards Jaya One. Take the second left turn and then the first right turn. Drive down and you will see the flats on the left hand side with Ipoh chang Jiang there. Parking can be quite horrendous here too. Google map can be found here.)

Monday, May 25, 2009

Green Patty Love - Ana Burger @ Kemensah Heights, Kuala Lumpur

ordering burgers can get a little sticky here, as they ask you "nak kawen tak???" (Malay for, "do you want to get married?")

Quirky, is the best word that describes this out-of-the-way place we were first introduced to by the Fried Chillies team. Utterly passionate about street burgers in all shapes and sizes, they're definitely the Indiana Jones of burger hunters, as I would not have ever discovered this small stall tucked inside a housing estate behind the zoo! Surprisingly, we remembered the turns taken in the middle of the pitch black night (we came once with them!) and managed to retrace our steps back to this place without any GPS coordinates. No guesses on who was navigating (it wasn't me!) since he usually has a sixth sense when it comes to tracking his way around.

watching the pro work behind the grill is always fascinating

Green seems to rule at this stall! You have a green fluorescent light brightening and casting an eerie hue all around it. Then, unlike the other Ramly places in town, this fella adds a slice of green apple and shredded cabbage on his burgers. Seems the grill master decided adding cucumber and tomatoes will be too watery hence he switched to green apple. The addition of the fruit adds a freshness to the burger but it would have been even better, if more slices were given though.

so satisfied! even though the wait is a little long

The fun does not stop there either, as the stall owner has a type of burger called Kawen (Malay for married) where you get to mix 2 types of burgers - the chicken and beef patties. While it is nothing special in terms of taste, the guy behind the grill obviously gets a kick of asking girls, "you nak kawen tak? berapa kali you nak kawen?" (Malay for "do you want to get married? how many times you want to marry?") Needless to say, I took the plunge and "got married" here!

While you're waiting for your burger, just observe how he makes the burgers - splits them in the middle to grill them thoroughly, spreads French's mustard over it, adds a dash of Lea & Perrins sauce and a generous sprinkle of black pepper before removing them to be sandwiched between grilled buns. One bite of it will definitely send you to patty heaven and who knows, maybe this is what marriage is all about - a little grilling on the hot stove by the potential in-laws, a dash of love & romance and a sprinkle of patience, faith & trust to seal everything together. For more pictures, see the Flickr set.

Ana Burger
Jalan L8
Taman Melawati
Phase 6A
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 017-2670924

(Halal. Open daily from 5.30pm -11.30pm. Call ahead to order your burgers. GPS Coordinates: N3 13.000 E101 45.622. To get here from the zoo, take a left turn after the zoo and go straight on Jalan Taman Zooview until you see a signboard on the left hand side that lists out Kg Kemensah, Taman Bkt Kemensah, Taman Ukay Prima, Taman Kemensah, Taman Pesona Indah and etc. Take a left turn, this will be Jalan Satu and go straight. Take another left turn at Jalan Kemensah and a right turn to Jalan L5. You need to look for Jalan L8 on the left hand side and turn in. The stall is in front of this soon to be built bungalow hence it is a construction side with cladding around it. Google map to the place is at this link.)

Tagged with: Ramly Burger + Malaysian Food

Friday, May 22, 2009

Dining Out @ Subak, Bukit Lanjan, Kuala Lumpur

enjoy nature at its best here

Finally, we got to visit Subak last weekend. In fact I made it a point of my weekend to drop by to sample the food. Having heard good things through the blogs and our friend, SMI who is the PR there, we were very curious about the food prepared by a former chef of Avillion, Port Dickson. We had spotted Subak quite some time back even before my Italy trip but never got round to trying it since we have been busy. Even though, we were warned off the mosquitoes (that only seem to come out at dusk) by Sean, we ended up arriving just before the sun went down. It became a blessing in disguise as I managed to capture Subak in the bright light and the candlelight glow, hence the contrast in the pictures.

start off with gado gado and the addictive peanut sauce

Getting here is not too tough (especially if you use the Country Heights Damansara entrance from Damansara Perdana). First you pass by kampung houses and car workshops selling half cars, go up and down some seriously steep roads and you will find Subak perched on a the side of a hill surrounded by greenery. There seems to be 2 levels to Subak; a lower level where the restaurant is located with a wooden deck and an upper level where it looks like someone's personal residence. The place is popular for private parties - we saw birthday party balloons all set up when we got there and people trickling in for a dinner party.

excellent rich tasting soto, braised lamb shank masala that wowed us with the delish sweet potato mash, es teler and candle

The menu here is a mix of Asian and Western items. Occasionally there are specials depending on the availability of items. For instance they had a durian dessert for the weekend. While we were given a list of what is good from my friend, I did venture away and ordered the Ibu Yati's gado gado (RM10) and Pak Ajelan's Balinese Style Chicken "Soto" (RM10). Served in a long white plate, the shredded yambean, tender potato leaves shoots, tofu cubes and half a hard boiled egg were placed in a popiah skin cup with the bumbu peanut sauce in a bowl. Next to the salad was a tangy relish of jackfruit and long beans tossed with chopped bird eye's chillies. We absolutely loved the peanut sauce, which was mildly spicy but rich with peanut taste from the chopped nuts. The soto or chicken soup was very tummy satisfying down to the last spoonful. We also found nasi impit (compressed rice cube), chicken shreds and bergedil (potato cutlet) within the soup. I especially liked the spicy soy sauce dip that came with it, as it added oomph to the whole ensemble.

grilled cod with prawn served on top of baby potatoes and vegetables

For the mains, we took our friend's recommendation and went for the braised lamb shank masala (RM40) and the pan-fried medallion of cod fish and butterflied prawns (RM45). When we were enjoying our appetisers, there was still light hence snapping pictures was pretty easy but by the time the mains came, it became so dark, I had to snap a few shots to make sure it wasn't blur. The lamb shank was a generous portion that was served with yummy sweet potato mash, vegetables and a tangy green apple salad. We loved the fork tender lamb shank with the tomato based masala sauce. The sauce tends to be more on the mild side though so those expecting a fiery red hotness will be dissapointed. My pan-fried cod was a better alternative, if you're watching your waistline but they were very generous with the baby potatoes and vegetables on the side. I liked the sweet taste of the cod fish with the grilled prawn on the side.

For desserts, I was very tempted to try the tapai with ice cream (an all time fav of mine) but went for the kuta es teler (RM8) - a refreshing assorted fruits concoction with icy cold coconut milk. What I loved about this simple dessert was the quality of the fruits added in it - just ripe avocado, tender jackfruit and sweet young coconut flesh. In fact, that theme seems to be redolent in all their dishes, as the chef definitely picks the best for his dishes like the tender sweet potato leaves in the gado gado and the fruits in even the simple dessert (usually people just dump unripe and hard avocadoes and etc!).

In terms of atmosphere, Subak definitely enthralls when night falls as it is breezy especially when you dine on the wooden deck and you get to hear the crickets. Don't worry about mosquitoes though as at night, there's none but be warned if you go at dusk. During the day, I found the place to be a little sparse of decoration. What I found most interesting, was their collection of traditional kitchen items - the batu giling, rice grinder and a wooden pounder for rice. Do give Subak a try for a special occasion or even a party but go at night and discover nature (far from the crazy rat race city life we all lead!). More pictures of Subak are available in the Flickr set.

Subak

Lot 3213
Jalan Penchala Indah
Bukit Lanjan
Kuala Lumpur

Tel No: 03 - -77299030 or 77299031

(Halal. For detailed directions, refer to Subak's website for the map. The place is open from 11am to 12 midnight, making it ideal for those who love to party all night or enjoy a late night dinner. For menu details and other reviews, please check their website.)

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Lan Je's Steamed Tilapia Fish @ Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya

the main star of this place - steamed black tilapia with a generous soybean paste with chillies

Recently at my friend's wedding dinner, I overheard some one mention the magic words, "Lan Je" and "Kota Damansara". Further probing revealed that the infamous steamed tilapia stall from Rawang has spread their wings and opened a branch in Petaling Jaya. Whoopee!! Now one does not need to travel to the other end of the world for a steamed fish fix.

the fish is delivered table by table, watch out as it is piping hot and some very satisfied customers next to me with cleaned out fish bones.

Discovering this place is quite simple especially after you get your bearings right. Located well hidden from the main road, this shop is packed every lunch time with patrons. Everyone waits patiently for their steamed fish (about 1/2 hour or more, if peak lunch times) to arrive at their table. Once the fish hits the table, everyone's tummy is growling so loudly, you can see them tuck into the fish even before the plates of rice appear.

The steamed fish (large one is RM17) here is good stuff, soft and topped with a slightly spicy chilli bean paste sauce. I did feel the fish was a tad harder than Rawang, where it is usually silky soft but nevertheless it was still good stuff, which made a very satisfying lunch. It seems they also have a branch in Balakong (per address below) hence those who stay around that area can go sample the steamed fish there too. They also have other dishes (that look different from what I ate in Rawang), which is only mediocre, so just stick to the steamed fish.

Lan Je Steamed Fish
F-50G & 51G, Jalan Teknologi 3/9

Bistari "DE" Kota
Kota Damansara
PJU 5, Petaling Jaya

Tel: 012-669 9919, 016-6189919

Lan Je Steamed Fish
No. 10G & 12G, Jalan Kasturi 3

Plaza Kasturi
Batu 11, Jalan Balakong
Cheras

Tel: 016-2482009, 012-3662434, 012-3962953

(Pork free. From the NKVE exit of Kota Damansara, go straight and up the ramp. You will pass by 2 traffic lights and see a row of shophouses with Gulam Mee on your left hand side. When driving here, on the right you will pass by a Mcdonalds and Shell station. Go straight and take a left turn towards the shophouses, an immediate right turn, go straight and another left turn to get to the back of the shophouses. You will see Lan Je's shop in front so go straight and park around the area. The Kota Damansara outlet is open from 11.30am-3pm, 6-9pm. Closed on Tuesdays. The Balakong outlet is open from 11-3pm for Mondays to Fridays and during the weekends, open from 11-3pm, 5.30-9.30pm. Also closed on Tuesdays. Google map to Kota Damansara is here.)

What do others have to say:

awhiffoflemongrass - posted like 2 hours ago, so I guess great tummies think alike??? Avoid the other dishes and just stick to steamed fish. There's even a poem.
wanderlust - also said the other side dishes are not fantastic except the prawns in cili padi sauce.
tiny piece of me gives some sound advice, don't come here if you are hungry as the wait is long and longer still.
happy happy gives the thumbs up to the fish and a tofu with prawns. Warning this site comes with music.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Addictive and fantastic rojak sauce Mak Bee, Alor Setar, Kedah

addictive fruit rojak that you can keep eating every day

Those from Kedah or up north, would have heard or tasted Mak Bee's rojak sauce - a household name since it started out in 1979. This thick rojak sauce is highly sought after by the locals who have migrated over to the Klang Valley like Adly of Fried Chillies (Congratulations to their team as their street food video has been picked for the New York Food Film Fest for June 2009!!!). When he heard Splashie Boy knew the current proprietors of Mak Bee's, he quickly ordered 5 containers of that prized rojak sauce. I also jumped in and got myself 5 containers, thinking it must be damn good for Adly to put in such a large order.

it is all in the sauce; made from belacan, chillies, soy sauce, sugar and peanuts

After procrastinating for a few weeks, I decided to give it a try by buying a selection of fruits from the nearby stall. The stall proprietor thought I was real weird I didn't want any sauce with my fruits - a mix of pineapple, yambean, cucumber, guava and mangoes. Oh my, how I wished I had tried it earlier as the thick, sweet, peanut laden and spicy sauce was so addictively good. Yesterday, my colleague gave it a try and she kept asking for more! So much more, that she even ventured down to the canteen to see if she could get some fruits to go with the sauce. We reckon, this indulging in fruit rojak made from Mak Bee's amazingly good rojak sauce is going to be a daily ritual. Slurp!! More pictures of the rojak are in Flickr.

If you wish to get your hands on this amazing rojak sauce (we bought each bottle at RM3.50), their distributor, Pak Lang Dodol is at NS. 32, Lorong Kelapa, Central Market, Jalan Hang Kasturi, Kuala Lumpur. The place is open daily from 10am to 9pm. Alternatively if you want to make bulk purchases contact Rue Jacque Enterprise by emailing them at ruejacque@gmail.com or call Aslan Abdullah (013-392 5005) or Nadiah Abdullah (019-6625005).

Tagged with: Malaysian Food + Rojak

Other fans of Mak Bee's:

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Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Satay @ O Mulia, Jalan Tun Razak/Jalan Semarak, Kuala Lumpur

satay sticks on the grill

From yesterday's wok power, let us move on to the charcoal grill effect, which we discovered last Saturday. Having to make a stop late at night to Suria KLCC since a certain someone had to work, we picked O Mulia satay to grab a quick bite. The fellas manning the grills were putting on a pyrotechnic show, hence we both managed to grab excellent shots of their fire power.

incredible fire action all the way

I've been a patron of O Mulia since I was a teenager (was introduced to this stall by my sister) and it has been a favourite stop-over for satay long before Haji Samuri became super famous and built his enormous empire of satay outlets. The wait is often long especially during peak hours but don't worry, as you can also order other items like chicken chop, fried rice and noodles, steamed or grilled cockles, yong tau foo and etc, if your tummy grumbles over the long wait.

satay, pick me up sticks and a little vegetables with ketupat to make a whole meal

We prefer snapping loads of pictures of the men behind the hot grill, splashing oil with a brush fashioned from lemongrass to get the oil smoking hot. After a while, it was beginning to resemble the sparks of a Hokkien Mee stall owner. Here the satay is served in large meaty chunks with charred bits on the outside and juicy tender centers within. This makes it a very substantial meal when coupled with ketupat (sigh, I would prefer leaves vs plastic though!), cucumbers and onions. Everything is eaten with a chunky peanut sauce (way better than the watered down gunk in a certain famous satay restaurant), where you can add super spicy sambal, if preferred.

Sadly though, I had to rush through my meal at the end, as someone sent an SOS call saying their UPS died! Nevertheless, I enjoyed my chunky satay (even though the beef version was a little too charred and tough), the steamed cockles and the antics of an adorable Siamese kitten. For more pictures of everything else, look into the Flickr set.

O Mulia Satay
300-1, Jalan Tun Razak
Kuala Lumpur

Tel No: 019-371 3639

(Halal. Open from 5-11.30pm, closed on Sundays. Each stick is 60 sens. Get the google map here. To get here, if you are coming from PWTC on Jalan Tun Razak towards KLCC, you will pass by Istana Budaya and the National Blood Bank. Keep left when you see Wisma Sejarah and Hospital Pusrawi, pass by National Library and you will hit the traffic lights. Just after the traffic light on the left hand side, at the corner is O Mulia satay. It is opposite the Marinara building and near Celcom building.)

Tagged with: Malaysian Food + Satay