Ramadan Bazaar 2010 @ Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya

sweet jelly for breaking fast

It is that time of the year...the unmistakable plumes of smoke signify ultra-delicious ayam percik, satay and ikan bakar being cooked on the spot, the crazy queues of people lining up for famous popiah basah or murtabak and of course those irritating double parkers who think they own the road! Yes, it is ramadan bazaar time where you get your pick of a smorgasbond of Malay delicacies (with a few Western influences).

cutting potatoes into a spring, coating with sauce, ready to be fried, deep frying in hot oil till crispy

It takes me a while to get into the groove of doing the bazaars probably because I tell myself every year that I shouldn't do it anymore since it drains so much energy from me plus the conditions are never too great for picture taking i.e. if it is not the hot sun casting blasted shadows on everything, it is the torrential rain that threatens to dampen out the whole bazaar.

spring like fried potatoes

However the lure of so much great food available is too tempting for a foodie like me that resistance is futile despite all those mental promises. As I have been quite busy, I only managed to visit the bazaars during the weekend. Most places such as this favourite bazaar in Kelana Jaya have not changed much as the same old stalls are still there like the colourful jelly stall I featured last year. This bazaar seem to have an overabundance of jellies though - all in various colours. Right next door to the fruit jelly stall is a rival one who does not boast colourful fruit enhanced ones but does offer some tempting delights like another colourful marbled jelly.

adorable kid

One stall nearer to the front will definitely be the draw of little gals...as they have adorable and colourful small jellies set in agar agar. According to the owners, the mixing of the two means different textures: a softer jelly within a harder agar agar. Those colourful sprinkles on top seem to bring out the kids as I spied two little gals ogling over the stall and pointing out what they want to their mother.

I want some of these uber cute agar agar jellies

Besides jellies, we stumbled on another new creation - the Kentang Spring. This family was using a contraption to create a spring like effect to small potatoes that would be stuck on a long skewer. The potatoes will then be coated in a sauce and deep-fried till crisp. They claim to have different flavours: tomyam, cheese and BBQ. We tried one stick and it was pretty nice and crispy, keeping through the hours. It can get a little difficult to peel the potatoes out as it tends to stick to the skewer. If you want something a little different, go for this unusual snack.

mangosteens

If not there are loads of traditional favourites like cencaru sambal - fish stuffed with a fiery red sambal that is pan fried. There's loads of ikan bakar stalls and ayam percik ones. Spotted two stalls selling ayam golek - rotisserie chicken that is roasted in those portable ovens. There are quite a few stalls selling mini roti boom and another stall selling deep fried oyster mushrooms.

sweet broths, oyster mushrooms ready to be deep fried, mini roti bom, cencaru sambal

When we were there, we even spotted Health Ministry officials walking around asking the stall owners questions. I guess there is a concious effort to ensure that the food is kept healthy but one wonders whether the stall owners will be answering since they are all so busy prepping for their business.

ribena jelly with grapes

One item that seems to be gaining popularity in almost every bazaar is Nasi Ambang - a wrapped up packet of rice and fried beehoon with meat. A complete meal on its own, this kind of rice parcel originates from Jawa.

health minister officials, satay, nasi ambang and apam balik

You can also find roasted ducks from Sabri Hoi who has a stall in Shah Alam. Last year, he first started his business in the Shah Alam Ramadan Bazaar and they have expanded the business. While the Shah Alam outlet keeps the ducks behind a counter, this one seems to deep fry the ducks and sell them chopped. There seems to be quite an interest for these halal roast ducks.

deep fried popiah

There's also quite a few stalls selling Kelantanese food here - nasi kerabu, laksam, solok lada and etc. You can even get the sweet akok made from duck eggs and sinfully sweet jala emas or golden threads that is soaked in syrup.

jellies and more jellies, roast ducks and screaming fishes

If you don't feel like eating much, just grab some fresh fruits as there is one stall selling mangosteens, duku langsat and rambutans. Other regular stalls include the kek batik and creme caramel stall, the roti jala stalls, the sata man and etc. Take your pick as there is just so many that the choices are mind boggling.

Ramadan Bazaar

Jalan SS6/1

Kelana Jaya

Petaling Jaya

Selangor

If coming from the LDP, turn left at the Taman Megah turn off from the highway. Go straight at the first and second traffic lights. Take the first right after the second traffic light. Drive straight down and you will see the bazaar on the left hand side just next to the government quarters. This is just before the small Giant supermarket in Kelana Jaya. For more pictures, see my Flickr set.

For previous Ramadan Bazaar pictures, see these links to 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006 posts.

Mandarin Oriental Mooncakes 2010

white coffee lotus paste baked mooncake

This year's Mandarin Oriental mooncake choices especially their new flavours don't feel very exciting compared to what I have already sampled from other hotels. For 2010, they have introduced a baked mooncake with a white coffee lotus paste, white chocolate mooncakes with coconut ganache and gula melaka, white chocolate mooncakes with green tea ganache with black sesame and mini snow skin mooncake with corn paste. They have retained last year's milk chocolate with peanut butter crunch and raspberry center but omitted the chocolate with durian.

chocolate mooncakes (white is the coconut and green for the green tea with black sesame) and old fashioned Chinese calendars

Compared to last year's prices, the baked mooncake and chocolate varieties have maintained their prices but the mini snowskin variety has seen a price increase (about RM1 to RM2). I enjoyed the baked variety with the aromatic white coffee lotus paste (medium sized for RM15++). I also liked the melon seeds within giving it a nice texture contrast with the smoothness of the paste.

Mini snowskin mooncake with corn paste, pretty white flowers from the garden, the bright gold and red boxes

The mini snowskin mooncake with corn paste (RM12++) was super tiny. This didn't fare too well with me as I felt that the corn flavour wasn't too distinct even though the filling was nice and smooth.

white coffee lotus paste mooncake revealed

Mandarin Oriental has always been famous for their chocolate mooncakes and these are well made with a smooth and not overly sweet fillings. I enjoyed the smooth taste of the white chocolate with coconut ganache and gula melaka (RM18++). They have kept the coconut aroma a tad lower than normal but I think it works well since a too strong coconut element would have made it overpowering. You don't get much of the gula melaka flavours but the silky smooth ganache does not make you miss it much.

chocolate ganache mooncakes

The other variety, white chocolate with green tea ganache and black sesame (RM18++) was a little on the sweeter side with a not very distinct green tea flavour. It didn't have much of a strong flavour to it making this mooncake kinda forgettable. Quite sad actually as I am sure the pairing of the sweet white chocolate would be perfect with the slightly bitter green tea flavour. Maybe it is best to stick to the old favourites from here like their famous mini snow skin mooncake with durian paste.

Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur City Centre

Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2179 8885 (Lai Poh Heen)

(Pork free. White lotus paste bake mooncakes and mini snowskin varieties including their famous durian paste is available at their lobby and Lai Poh Heen. They will also be selling mooncakes at Tangs Pavilion KL, Isetan Suria KLCC and 1 Utama Shopping Centre. For more pictures, see my Mooncake Flickr set.)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

Time Out KL Food Awards 2010

Cilantro Friday lunch's salad of summer seafood drizzled with ohba vinaigrette

The Time Out KL awards are back for their second year. Announced in their August issue, the awards work on a two step basis. Step one starts with everyone nominating their favourites from now until 15 September. Subsequently, step two involves another round of voting on October 1. This time, one must pick a winner among the top five nominees from each category (there's 14 categories from Chinese, Indian, Italian, Malay and etc to keep you busy). Winners will then be announced in their December issue. This year, I noticed they had dropped the burger category and there's a mamak/hawker category so those humble food operators get to finally shine.

Cilantro Friday lunch's poached grain fed chicken with foie gras in mushroom jus

Last year, I made a fuss about some of the nominees as I deemed them to be an unfair selection since some very good restaurants failed to make the cut. In order to avoid this from happening again, I reckon the only way is to spread the word around so more discerning people would vote for those that are worthy. Of course, there's no full proof method to prevent a skewed list but rather than sit back and gripe about it, I should do my part by highlighting the awards this year.

Cilantro's Friday lunch's mascarpone ice cream with espresso jelly and tuile

So, go forth my dear blog readers...be responsible citizens of KL. Cast your vote for truly good restaurants, mamaks and hawker stalls that deserve this accreditation. Click on this link and start voting. I'm crossing my fingers (and toes) it'll be a list of winners that we will be proud of.

Pssst, the pictures are a selection from Cilantro, which serves these amazing Friday lunch sets, and should of course be in the running for the awards. Initially when it re-opened, I must admit I thought Cilantro was a little off the mark, but their Friday lunches have restored my faith that they have now found their groove just like Stella.

Korean Food @ Kung Jung Restaurant, PNB Darby Park, Jalan Binjai, Kuala Lumpur

a riot of colours in the Dolsot Bibimbap

Backlogs - the bane of my life! I just realised I have stacks of photos to edit through and subsequently piece together in coherent form before I can blog about all the places I have dined at. Time to start clearing them especially since work has eased up a little this week that I reckon I can see a faint flicker of light at the end of that dark tunnel.

a liberal dose of gochujang (chili pepper paste) goes a long way before it is all mixed up

I'm a little of a Korean food addict...in fact come to think of it, I'm a Korean-anything addict, ever since I got hooked on those K-soapdramas that offer a voyeur's view of Korean society (still very old fashioned, as divorcees are looked down upon, older women go for younger men, they love their coffee, family dicates their life and etc.). While I have yet to book a flight to see what life is really like there, especially since Air Asia just launched their flights to South Korea, I usually quell my rumbling tummy with doses of spicy kimchi.

tummy warming and mouth burning kim chi gae soup

A few months back, I had the opportunity to work with people from the local Korean Tourism Organisation. Being the ever curious (especially on where Koreans love to eat locally), I asked where do they go for Korean food and the reply was Kung Jung, this not-too-new place well tucked within the office block area of PNB Darby Park. We ventured here one rainy evening and was suitably impressed with the food to return again for a recent second visit.

beef ribs kept warm over the charcoal, anchovies from the banchan selection

Most Korean restaurants practice high service standards as there's no need to lift a finger to do something as basic as grilling your own order of meats. Even though it is most likely a foreign worker from Myanmar, the Koreans seem to have gotten them well disciplined and trained that there is rarely a hiccup in service. In this vast spacious restaurant, the service element is pretty high as a waiter seems to hover around your table, literally at your beck and call. 

cabbage kimchi, golden brown pajeon and green vegetables to keep us healthy

For our first visit, we went for the grilled meats - beef ribs and lamb cutlets, that was lightly marinated, juicy and cooked perfectly to be sandwiched in lettuce leaves. The restaurant seems to have strange little policies (we discovered recently in our second visit) such as the grilling of meats is only done in front of you should you order a minimum of two different types of meat. If one order is placed, it is done in the central kitchen, thus there's no sense of a "dinner theater" - always a plus point for food bloggers when there is some action as it means the cameras will go into a kinda orgasmic high similar to paparazzis chasing after a picture of Paris Hilton together with our very own Malaysian, Low Taek Jho.

Meats are not the only star in this restaurant, the pan fried pajeon - an eggy spring onion laden pancake is also well cooked through with no doughy bits. Eat it while it is hot though as when it is cold, it metamorphs into a rubbery and slightly oily pancake you may not want to eat. On our second visit, we enjoyed more traditional Korean favourites like the perennial favourite Dolsot Bibimbap (RM22)served in a hot stone bowl. It is Splashie Boy's favourite Korean food item. I'm a big fan of kimchi especially the tummy-warming kim chi gae (RM22) - a fiery red soup with cabbage kimchi, chopped green chillies, thinly sliced beef and chewy rice cake slices. Even though the food is good, my only gripe is the side dishes (banchan) aren't too exciting except for a radish kimchi that went so well with grilled meats. No free icy cold dessert is also served at the end to cool down my tummy. Nevertheless, we do enjoy this place and wouldn't mind returning again for possibly a third and even more visits soon.

Restoran Kung Jung

Lot No. 3.1, Level 3

PNB Darby Park

Jalan Binjai

Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2166 7181

(Pork free. Place is open for lunch and dinner. It is at the office area, on the side entrance of PNB Darby Park and not located at the service apartments area. More pictures can be found in my Flickr set)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

Shangri-La Hotel Mooncakes 2010

gorgeous white chocolate snow skin with bits of kumquat

I reckon I'm in love....with Shangri-La Hotel's mooncakes. Being early this time in my sampling session has meant I got the cream of the crop including their highly sought after durian snow skin mooncake, something I missed out last year.

green tea snow skin mooncake with candied ginger pieces

I was impressed with the snow skin selection - flavours were well paired with most of them except the green tea one (I expected the ginger to alleviate the sweetness but instead they used the sweet tasting candied ginger). Since I'm more a snow skin gal, I didn't sample any of the traditional mooncakes except the assorted nuts and sun dried fruits one.

assorted nuts mooncake sliced, pink roses, dark chocolate snow skin mooncake with dulce de leche centre, avocado with custard mooncake hidden within the box

Known as "Ng Yan" in Chinese, the assorted nuts and sundried fruits mooncake (RM22.50 per piece, RM90 for 4 pieces) was chock full of goodies-winter melon, sesame seeds, almonds, kat paeng (candied mandarin orange peel), melon seeds, walnuts, hazelnuts, with a dash of rose wine. While we loved the taste of the nuts, we found it to be a little on the drier side that may indicate it wasn't too fresh.

chock full of goodies - assorted nuts and sundried fruits mooncake

The mini durian snow skin (ping pei) mooncake (RM16 per piece, RM96 for 6 pieces) was superb!! A must for durian lovers indeed as it contains the highly sought after and aromatic "Mau Sang Wong" durian within. There's not much of an aroma from outside but cut through the soft snow skin and the strong distinct heady aroma hits you to slowly draw you in. I was so glad I had bought two pieces of this decadent mooncake for my mother to savour with my aunt later this week.

divine durian snow skin mooncake

Another favourite of ours was the mini ping pei snow white chocolate with orange kumquat (RM16 per piece, RM96 for a box of 6 pieces). The small chopped pieces of kumquat scattered within the white chocolate filling seemed to add a lovely tang and of course, made it less rich.

white chocolate with kumquat, silk covered box, Russian dolls, durian mooncake with saga seeds

We also gave our thumbs up to the fragrant mini ping pei snow dark chocolate dulce de leche praline flavour with almond and hazelnut (RM16 per piece, RM96 for 4 pieces). There seemed to be a hint of coffee within the fragrant chocolate snow skin that made it irresistible, like a chocolate truffle.

dark chocolate snow skin mooncake with a dulce de leche centre and almonds with hazelnuts

Even though it sounded like a weird combination, the mini ping pei avocado with custard (RM14 per piece, RM84 for 6 pieces) made perfect sense once you popped a piece in the mouth - silky smooth with a hint of the avocado taste. The only dissapointment was the mini ping pei white green tea flavour with candy ginger (RM16 per piece, RM96 for 6 pieces) - a little on the oily side and too cloyingly sweet with the chopped pieces of candied ginger. This year, they also retained last year's mini ping pei bird's nest with custard with a RM1 price increase to RM23 per piece, RM138 for 6 pieces.

As usual, Shangri-La Hotel's packaging is regal looking with six pieces or four large pieces encased in a silk brocade covered box. They have retained that lovely folding boxes too, hence everything looks elegant enough to be presented to your clients or the family. When I was buying my mooncakes, I spotted this lady who was carting away a whole trolley full of mooncakes!! You also get two rebate vouchers at RM20 each to be used in Shang Palace and Zipangu when you purchase one box of mooncakes. However like all vouchers, there are conditions attached to it. Zipangu's voucher requires you to spend a minimum of RM96++ per voucher before it is valid, while the Shang Palace voucher user must spend a minimum of RM50++ per voucher. Both vouchers are valid until 30 November, 2010. Discounts are also available if you bulk purchase the mooncakes. A note on the prices, last year they ranged from RM12 to RM24 (the priciest was the truffle) for the snow skin varieties, this year there is definitely an increase as the cheapest one starts from RM14 with the most expensive being the birds nest variety at RM23.

Shangri-La Hotel Mooncakes

11 Jalan Sultan Ismail

Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-20743560 to order or enquire

(Pork free. Red bean paste, lotus seed paste, white lotus seed paste and spirulina paste with salted egg yolks are also available from RM17 to RM22.50 per piece. For more pictures, see my Flickr set.)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

La Dolce Vita - Champagne, Cooking Demos and Culinary Competitions

Prego's divine roasted Brazilian figs with Gorgonzola cheese

This particular weekend seems to be one of the most interesting from a culinary perspective. There's loads to keep us occupied that you don't really need to go watch Inception (for the second time!). So toast to the good life with a little bubbly or get down and dirty with some kitchen action by chefs from all over the world.

Prego's beetroot ravioli with poppy seeds

Prego's Sunday Bubbly Brunch, Westin Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Bukit Bintang

An incentive to crawl out from bed before lunch time, the Prego's bubbly brunch just got even better as they have now started serving GH Mumm champagne. I must admit that I've not had the chance to sample the brunch (probably because I'm not an early riser) but I do vaguely remember trying Prego's brunch eons ago when there was a Westin hotel in Singapore. A recent trip to Prego to sample some of the new goodies left me incredibly satisfied. I was blown away by the lovely looking (and tasting) beetroot ravioli and the supremely divine roasted figs with cheese. These two dishes literally had me salivating for more. Hopefully all these items make it to the Sunday menu as they're so gorgeous that they should be highlighted.

*Post note: A little bird just sent me more information on the brunch - simply mouthwatering: there's a cheeseboard to make any Italian happy, free flow vodka (Smirnoff, Skyy & Grey Goose) and Italian prosecco, if you wish to be loyal. Personally I prefer champagne paired with the Irish oysters served there.

Available every Sunday, 11.30am-2.30pm

RM268++ per pax with selected free flow of alcoholic beverages

RM 168++ per pax with selected free flow of non alcoholic beverages

RM 84++ per child (4 to 12 years)

 

pink is the colour

Femmecity, KL Convention Centre

Star Clove has organised a series of events to celebrate all things female this weekend. While the idea of a Misteria Lane with fortune tellers to predict your shaky future sound very interesting, I'm sure you, dear blog reader is more interested in the culinary part. There's going to be free cooking demonstrations throughout the three days at Caffe La Femme, Hall 5, KL Convention Centre. Kicking off tomorrow's demonstration is Chef Matsubara from the Loaf, then the next day you can catch Amy Beh, Debbie Teoh and Edwin Yau from Daikanyama, one of my favourite Japanese late night hangout places. On Sunday, there'll be more classes by Amy Beh and Debbie Teoh. More information in the Femmecity website.

Friday (30 July) - 1pm

Chef Matsubara from the Loaf will make puffy choux and caramel pudding

Saturday (31`July) - 1pm

Chef Edwin Yau from Daikanyama will show how to make tuna tataki salad

4-6pm

Amy Beh shows how to make steamed herbal flavoured fish with mushrooms

6-7pm

Debbie Teoh shows how to make Roti Ayam, Kueh Dadar and Pulut Inti

Sunday (1 August) - 2pm

Debbie Teoh shows how to make nasi ulam, rempah udang and Nonya curry chicken

4-6pm

Amy Beh shows how to make home-style braised lamb

Prego's red wine

The World Golden Chef Competition and Expo, MIECC, Mines, Seri Kembangan.

Who needs Iron Chef on AFC when the real thing is happening at our doorstep? Here's your chance to catch some kitchen olympics as 55 teams from all over the world vie for the title of World Golden Chef. Particpants such as United States, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong are confirmed attending. The teams of four will prepare six dishes including dessert and four types of hot dishes.

oozing cheese from the Calzone

During the event, there will also be culinary demonstrations by local chefs, acrobatic performances, cutting-noodle on stilts stunts while spinning hula-hoops, a lion dance performance and kung fu-tea-pouring competition. Admission is free. First 100 visitors will get a trolley worth RM60.

Opening hours: 10.30am till 8.00pm on 30th and 31st July, 10.30am till 7.00pm on 1st August

Call 03-8024 6500 or 3-2144 8791 for enquiries.

*Note: This is not an advertisement but just a community message for all

Malay Food @ D'Cengkih, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur

nasi dagang

Curveballs...don't you think life often throws us weird situations that we just have to make the best out of it? Our visit to this place was one big curve ball since the visit was prompted by the pursuit for Johor food but instead we discovered amazing rice dishes. C'est la vie!

nasi lemak in a packet

I was recently asked where do you get great Johor laksa? You could hear silence on my end when that request came through. I could feel the brain cells processing its internal search system and coming up with no results. Oops! Internal error? Nope, it ain't no error as honestly, my exposure to Johor laksa has been pretty bad since the great ones I have tasted have only been the homecooked varieties.

johor laksa

D'Cengkih has always been on my horizon, probably because we do a compulsory weekly visit to Taman Tun Dr Ismail to stock up pet supplies (yup, kitties don't just cat nap all the time, they also eat the house down!). One weekend, I finally made it here as like my friend M pointed out to me, this place is supposedly famous for its Johor food. A word of warning though about dining here - bring your earplugs if you love your peace and quiet when you're chewing your food - live music sessions go on within the narrow confines of the restaurant - thwang goes the guitar!! I honestly don't mind having an old tune (no Lady Gaga or Keisha ok?) to hum to when I'm chowing down but not when the acoustics bounce around so much that I can't carry a conversation with my friend about the merits of their food.

mee rebus

On to the food, apologies for taking so long to reach that point since it has been spiel for the past paragraphs. During the weekends, Johor laksa can be found here, which we promptly ordered. When they plonked the bowl down, it looked promising with the thick sauce, a dollop of sambal, a mountain of vegetables and the pre-requisite spaghetti strands. A spoonful of the laksa though revealed it was just an illusion as it way too sweet. Was my sweet ice tea corrupting my tastebuds? I took another spoonful and yup, it was too darn sweet despite it being thick (a plus point) even though it didn't have enough shredded fish. The next dish we tried was the mee rebus. I braced myself for the sweet attack and yes, there it was mingling among the thick broth garnished with crunchy fried shallots, sliced hard boil egg and crumbled crunchy prawn crackers.

Hold on, something is not right, my brain was screaming to me. Isn't this place packed with people? They must be here for the spread (all laid out at the back for you to pick and choose) since I don't think they're here for the music? A glance around the tables revealed rice dishes and nasi dagang that looked foreign here since they claim to be specialising in southern food versus the northern fare. Never mind we thought, throwing caution to the wind (or more the tummy) and M went to get a plate of the reddish brown and white rice. Visually it was promising with the pre-requisites of an excellent nasi dagang: halba or fenugreek seeds, finely sliced ginger and shallots, and each grain seperate, not mushy with a sheen only obtained from coconut milk. One taste and bingo! we confirmed that we were in the presence of greatness - amazingly good and authentic nasi dagang. Served with a fruit and vegetable acar and ikan tongkol (tuna curry) this was heavenly stuff that I could eat all day.

M's friend had also pre-warned her about the nasi lemak. We expected it to be served in a plate but instead it came in a humble little brown packet. Opening it, we discovered sambal slathered on a piece of banana leaf. Pushing that aside, we discovered the RICE. Looking a little compressed from the packing, a mouthful revealed a rich coconut milk taste and a hint from the fenugreek seeds - simply gorgeous. The sambal that was vying for our attention was also a little too sweet but decent tasting.

Conclusion of the day: zoom in on the rice dishes since they seem to excel in those versus the noodles unless you have a very higher tolerance for sugar. I reckon I'll be back for more especially their fascinating array of dishes at the back. Maybe the briyani rice since its also a weekend special or nasi ambang that is served daily.

D'Cengkih

No.6, Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad
Taman Tun Dr Ismail

Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 012-4999908

(Halal. Open from 7am to 10pm. For more pictures, see the Flickr set.)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

Other reviews:

• Fried Chillies
• Unpredictability and Surprises

July's menu @ Nathalie's Gourmet Studio, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur

Norwegian egg (RM27)

A series of mishaps led us here one weekend. While the place is damn hard to find (my friends got so lost since there are non existence signs from the carpark), the food is totally worth the trouble it takes. Must admit that its simply brilliant that they do a monthly menu as it entices one to keep visiting to sample all their fare. One wonders if they'll repeat the menus again, since there's only so many recipes she has in her cookbook.

porcini cream soup (RM25)

One tip for ordering - if you're not too sure what it'll look like, just sneak a peek into her cookbook available at the front and you can find visual indications there. It was a late lunch of brilliant choices (only one failed so 9 out of 10), which is pretty great I reckon!

Tuna mille-feuille (RM29)

The tuna mille feuille was simply divine - the black olives tapenade on the side seemed to lift the gentle flavours of the tuna, tomato, mozzarella and flaky pastry into something so heavenly that my tastebuds were salivating from that one mouthful. Drats! I wish I had ordered that instead.

Lamb loin (RM55)

My Norwegian poached egg was only slightly less desirable I reckon (I console myself!) - salmon pieces draped around the poached egg with a surprise find in the form of an artichoke shaped like a bowl. A quenelle of herby cream top my salmon cocooned egg . Break into it - mix the runny egg yolk with the creamy bit -it's a recipe for messy but an oh-so-yummy! appetiser that whets your appetite for more.

 

Ricotta and herb raviolis in a carrot and ginger broth (RM30)

Even the porcini mushroom soup was a comfort for the soul. Thick and rich in consistency, it seemed to resemble a rich sauce that was lightened by its foamy top and a perfectly grilled scallop.

revised apple tartin (RM19)

The only failure I reckon was the flavours for the ricotta herb raviolis as the sweet carrot puree hidden underneath my raviolis didn't kinda meld with me. Somehow the ginger aroma was lacking as that would have been a welcome relief from all that natural sweetness. It was made up by the excellent cooked lamb loin - pink in the inside and served on top of these can't-stop-eating fava beans and a frothy goat cheese foam. We especially enjoyed the slices of artichoke hidden within the beans that were also pan fried to perfection.

macaron skewers with sorbet (RM15)

For desserts it was the revised apple tarte tatin - a take on the classic French version - stewed apple pieces, piped cream topped with a nutty brittle cracker that nestled a scoop of caramel ice cream. Another friend who is all for sorbets choose the macaron skewer and sorbet selection. Taste wise, the passion fruit sorbet won us over with its tangy refreshing flavour.

It's the last week for this menu so drop by to get a taste of this menu. As a bonus, Nathalie's is also opened on 30 July for dinner. I also heard from a little bird that August's menu is even better, so I shall wait with bated breath for that affirmation.


Nathalie's Gourmet Studio
Unit A4-1-5
Solaris Dutamas
Jalan Dutamas
Kuala Lumpur


Tel : 03-6207 9572


(Pork free. Open from 9am to 6pm, breakfast is in the morning. I think lunch starts about 12 noon. Reservations recommended. For previous pictures on the past month's menu, see my Flickr set.)


Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

Chinese Home Fare @ Wai Kei, Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur

fish paste stuffed yong tau foo

No matter how many times I indulge in the guilty pleasures such as foie gras, oysters or sea urchin, I still crave for good honest Chinese cooking offered by no frill places such as this restaurant. Discovered by my mother who in turn was brought here by her friends, I've been eyeing this place for quite some time. It fascinated me purely because I could see how packed it got every night whenever I drove past.

simple yet satisfying fare of deep fried ma yau fish

The food has a Hakka slant to it but adapted to the family who runs this place. For instance, instead of the traditional Hakka yong tau foo stuffed with a paste made from fish, pork and bits of salted fish, here it is just pure fish paste. There is a certain earthiness to the hearty portions of vegetables and tofu stuffed with the springy fish paste especially with its simple homemade soy bean sauce.  

vinegar pork trotters

A favourite of ours is the yellow rice wine chicken that comes in a thick rich tasting sauce. Laden with ginger shreds, kei chi and just cooked chicken pieces, this version also includes a fluffy fried omelette that complements the tummy tickling broth best eaten with a big bowl of white rice. Another item that needs loads of carbs to complement it is the pork vinegar trotters - a concoction that is less sweet and not so sticky but with just the right amount of vinegar to make you crave for another spoonful. We especially liked the meat - fatty bits mixed with ligaments and meat - making it a very substantial meal.

fried yau mak with "wok hei"

Even the humble fried vegetables gets a special touch here....literally the breath of the wok that infuses it with such a wonderful flavour that one piece is not enough. Savour it when it is piping hot.

boiled choy yin kai

Another item highly regarded here is their boiled kampung chicken (choy yin kai) - smooth meaty pieces that are a far cry from the mushy texture of battery raised chooks. We also tried their deep fried ma yau fish, another home-like yet simple dish that was tummy satisfying.

tummy warming concoction of yellow rice wine chicken

Recently, the restaurant expanded to Damansara Uptown, opening up for business on 28 June. I understand the owners closed this restaurant for one week so their chefs can show the branch's chefs the ropes. While the Damansara outlet is probably nearer, I reckon this place is still the one to visit since the original chef is still helming the kitchen.

Restoran Wai Kei

S/Lot 2, 4 1/4 Miles

Old Klang Road

Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 013-391 8269/016-227 6210

(Non Halal. Open from 11.30am to 3pm, 6 to 10pm. Closed on Mondays. They have also recently opened a branch at 87, Jalan SS21/37, Damansara Uptown, next to HSBC. The restaurant is on the same row as Nasi Ayam Hailam and the bak kut teh stall. If coming from OUG towards KL, it is on the left hand side just before the turn off to Taman Desa.)

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.

Other reviews:

• Foodbin
• Small Kucing
• Health Freak Mommy
• Just Phood