Thai Pork Noodles & Som Dtam @ Lai Thai Market, Section 17, Petaling Jaya

I'm always a big believer of sniffing out good food with some help of those who know best. Hence, when Chef Korn from my favourite Thai restaurant, Erawan (we just did a revisit for the umpteenth time and discovered more yummy dishes!) mentioned this place I knew I had to give it a try. I was told that there's links between this Section 17 place with the other Thai products market in Pandan Indah.
      This tiny space is primarily a store with goods laid out haphazardly but on the side they also serve up simple Thai fare like pork noodles (RM5) and a Northern Thai specialty, Som Dtam (RM5). Expect no frills, limited table space mingling with Thai voices gaily enjoying their country's specialties when they drop by to pick up supplies. There's a communal feel to the place especially when it gets crowded with a group of Thai women who seem to know each other.
       The pork noodles is quite similar to the Chinese version except the broth has a cleaner taste. You add the Thai flavours by helping yourself to the condiments on the table like a dash of chilli flakes, a sprinkle of sugar and a shake of the fish sauce bottle. I slurp down my bowl happily since it includes my favourite silky smooth kuey teow noodles. Since I didn't speak Thai and the owners weren't too fluent in English, I was a little lost on what else was on offer until I saw the ladies ordering Som Dtam or green papaya salad.
         Thud, thud...went the long wooden pestle in the clay pot as the lady prepped the salad. Everything is done once an order is made hence the salad was very fresh. She'll add a dash of lime juice, chuck in the lime halves to pound it further to let the aromatic oils to mingle with the shredded papaya. Chillies are added to your liking and you can even taste the seasoning halfway through the making of the salad to make sure it was to your palate. A dash of fish sauce, long beans, tomatoes, peanuts, a sprinkle of dried prawns and the salad is ready. The whole pounding exercise helps the papaya soften and absorb the dressing. The Thai trinity of sweet-sour-spicy flavours are all in this salad, making you crave for a little more of the crunchy shreds.
          Aside from the salad and the noodles, you can also pick up these parcels wrapped in banana leaves that contain a banana stuffed glutinous rice dumplings. I admit I felt it was quite bland even though the rice was a nice soft texture. I reckon I'll stick to my noodles and the Som Dtam for my return visit.
         The place works on an interesting schedule, as they're only open for Thursday to Sunday, from 10am to 5pm. The rest of the time, the owners travel back to Thailand to source for their fresh supplies. Usually their regulars know the schedule well and patronise them on Thursday to get the freshest vegetables.


Lai Thai Market
AG-3, Block A
Happy Mansion
Jalan 17/13
Section 17
Petaling Jaya


Tel: 03-7954 4688


(Non Halal. Same row as MM Cafe. More pictures 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.

Two Michelin Star Chicago Avenues Chef Curtis Duffy @ Senses, Kuala Lumpur Hilton

Visiting chefs are often a touch and go situation. Put them in a different environment away from their comfort zone aka their own restaurant kitchen and things seem to go haywire. Occasionally we get a rare incidence where the food tastes exceptional no matter what as the chef upholds his standards despite being a 1000 and more miles away from his hometown.
         I must admit I was blown away by Curtis Duffy's cuisine. He impressed us all with his harmonious flavour pairing with a touch of molecular gastronomy and his beauteous plating that made every creation a masterpiece. Even though he's pretty young, the chef had already chalked up a few accolades such as working with Grant Achatz at Alinea and subsequently moving on to Avenues, which was awarded two Michelin stars. Definitely a man to look out for in the future for greater things.
         I was lucky to get a double dosage of Duffy's food, a sampler taste from his cooking class and the full ensemble for dinner which I shared with good friends, the elusive Paranoid Android and the charming Aly's Wonderland. Dinner started off with a chilled amuse bouche that numbed the tongue a little since the green pellets were frozen. The flavours like anise hyssop blooms were a little unfamiliar to us except the umami-laden sea urchin but we all enjoyed it tremendously. Subsequently, we were served the slow poached salmon cooked sous vide, a dish he had also demonstrated for his cooking class. It's paired with the liquorice like flavours of fennel in various layers - firstly an intense fennel sauce, followed by fennel fronds and the poached fennel slices. On the side were chopped black olives, a mustard vinaigrette and absinthe green foam.
        Next it was our big favourite of that night, the scallops served with a white poppy seed milk that was paired with a romaine lettuce marmalade and nasturium flavours in the form of leaves and pretty blooms. It's hard to describe this dish but the soft sweet scallops went beautifully with the creamy and slightly sweet hot broth extracted from white poppy seeds and the romaine lettuce marmalade. We all wished for more just like Oliver in the musical.
        The next dish was a familiar one for me since I also had it for lunch. A hearty wholesome dish named grains, seeds and nuts, this dish warmed our tummies with its protein rich ingredients. It's essentially a barley risotto with a layer of amaranth, quinoa crunch and a block of hazelnut oil in a form of powder. The dish comes with a sunflower seed broth. Finally, we reach our main course and on paper you won't expect coconut flavours to pair well with wagyu beef ribeye except in a rendang but this version works so well especially when it is paired with preserved kumquats and yuzu puree to cut through the rich creamy coconut taste.
        With a blink of the eye, our wonderful dinner was almost at the end. To clear our palate in a fun way, it was time for the sudachi liquid ball. Encased in a thin white chocolate layer, you pop one in the mouth and crunch down on the thin shell to let the tangy liquid out. It can be a shock to your senses like Aly's reaction, if you don't expect the liquid. I reckon this will be perfect party poppers to get the mood going. Last but not least was the chocolate ganache piped out like spaghetti strands. The rich chocolate taste is paired with a hazelnut financier, cacao rocks, an intense cassia caramel, huckleberries and stevia leaves.
        We were pretty lucky to also meet up Duffy and his sous chef, Steven that night since it was their last stint before they flew back to America. I also did my civic duty and took them over to Bayan Indah to introduce them to Rohani Jelani and her wonderful local herb garden. Hopefully there'll be some interest in incorporating local flavours in their dishes since Duffy loves Thai and Japanese flavours already. Who knows? Maybe the next time when you dine at Chicago's Avenues or Duffy's soon to open restaurant, you may find teh tarik sorbet mingling among bold American flavours on your plate.


Senses
Kuala Lumpur Hilton
Sentral
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2264 2264(Pork Free. More pictures are 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.

Taste of Nonya Influence with Debbie Teoh @ Chatz Brasserie, Parkroyal Kuala Lumpur

Craving for some Nonya food? Here's your chance to scratch that itch for Straits Chinese cuisine at the "Taste of Nonya Influence" promotion by Debbie Teoh from Friday (May 13) to July 3 at Chatz Brasserie, Parkroyal Kuala Lumpur. 

       Avid foodies will know it is rare to get good Nonya food in restaurants since most Nonya recipes are jealously guarded family secrets only passed down from each generation. These dishes are often cooked using estimations or by taste that can sometimes make it difficult to recapture the same flavours. Moreover, a lot of work and of course, love goes into the food giving it the homecooked taste that surpasses a commercial kitchen's efforts.
       Debbie is a true blue Nonya who is well known among the food circles for her cookbooks, recipes and home catering business. For the promotion, she'll be cooking up various Nonya specialties for the buffet lunch, dinner and high-tea. There will also be a la carte selections that you can order, if your appetite is not hefty enough to tackle the buffet spread. For the high-tea, Debbie will be putting up teatime specialties such as laksa, roti ayam (the halal version of roti babi), kuih paiti and etc.
       We previewed a few of the showcase dishes from promotion. Kicking of the meal, we started with appetizers, the quintessential Nonya kuih paiti, more popularly known as tophats from their shape. Remember how I said Nonya food needs a lot of work, well this is one of the many examples. First, the cases need to be made. Using a brass mould to form these "tophats", it takes lots of skill to get them perfect (too much batter, they're too thick and too little there'll be holes). Even the shaking of the cases from the moulds, the right oil temperature and the batter mix all count towards these perfect fragile cases. That's only step one as the filling is also important. In the olden days, Nonya brides had to please their demanding mother in laws by learning to cook. One of the prerequisites was of course, cutting the vegetables finely just like this yam bean filling. Following tradition, Debbie's paiti filling includes crabmeat and small prawns for flavour that is usually omitted commercially to cut down costs.

       Another dish that is literally a labour of love is the buah keluak kay (chicken). It is a dish rarely seen in Nonya restaurants since it takes days to prep. Those hard brown nuts need to be soaked overnight before you can even open them. Careful precision is needed to chip them open so the flesh can be dug out. The nut flesh is pounded with seasoning until smooth and sometimes even binded with a little beaten eggwhite. The pounded flesh is then stuffed back into the hard brown shell and cooked with the chicken. We relished digging the treasure of brown flesh within those hard nuts as its "chocolately" taste is simply addictive. This dish is available on alternate days, so call Chatz Brasserie to make sure you're not dissapointed.
       Some dishes may look pretty simple and ordinary like the steamed ladyfingers or okra but Debbie's side dips of soy sauce with fried garlic and garlic oil, followed by the tau cheo (soy bean paste) with chopped chillies give the humble vegetable a salty spicy taste that made each "finger"-licking good. The sambal goreng sounded simple but turned out to be creamy lemongrass flavoured sambal prawns dish. I loved how the dish was paired with the lesser known belimbing buluh (blimbi) for a slight sourish flavour to cut through its richness. The coconut rich sauce has hints of belacan and tamarind, while chopped cashew nuts give it a crunchy texture. We also drank hu pioh t'ng, a fish maw soup usually reserved for Nonya celebrations like birthdays and Chinese New Year. The chicken broth is tummy comforting with homemade shrimp paste balls, crunchy fish maw and vegetables like yambean and carrots.
       Another treat was the nasi kunyit (turmeric flavoured rice) with chicken curry and the addictive salted fish sambal (sambal kiam hu) that we all secretly coveted to take home its leftovers. This nasi kunyit set is available on a daily basis from the a la carte menu. We ended the meal with a refreshing O'Giou jelly made from Taiwanese ai-yu jelly powder. This old fashioned dessert used to be served by the hawkers in Penang during the olden days. I love its refreshing calamansi lime taste and the soft wobbly texture. We also had yummy Seri Muka to sink our teeth into that looked so pretty with its bunga telang (butterfly pea flower) coloured rice.

         Last but not least, was a special treat from Debbie's - her Nonya rice dumplings or puah kiam ti chang. Sadly this is not in the promotion. These bamboo leaf parcels are prepared yearly for the Chinese dumpling festival and available by pre-order. Tinged a distinct blue from the bunga telang, the soft glutinous rice parcel hides a yummy center of chicken and candied melon cubes flavoured with coriander powder, garlic and cekur ginger root. Even though we were full from dinner, each one of us managed a few bites but fatboybakes trumped all of us by going for the whole rice dumpling, relishing each bite of it and making us wish we had to stomach to follow him. His expression as he chomped down the dumpling was simply priceless. For more pictures, see my Flickr set.

For weekdays, the buffet lunch is priced at RM58++ per person and the buffet dinner is at RM78++ per person. During the weekend, the Nonya selection is available for high tea at RM52++ per person. UOB, American Express and Standard Chartered credit card holders get a 20% discount promotion. A special Father's Day brunch is available at RM65++ per adult and RM32.50++ per child with a interactived children's cooking workshop. Nonya dishes will also be available in the a la carte menu during the promotional period. For more details, call 03-2782 8301. 

* Thanks to cumidanciki and fatboybakes for being my "models". 

**  Note that this was an invited review by Parkroyal Kuala Lumpur. 

Three Cows and a Bull

Birthdays is all about granting wishes, those that you carry in your heart and secretly wish it'll magically appear. Since Splashie Boy's birthday precedes mine by a month, I get the head start in kicking of the celebrations. It also sets the scene on how extravagant I'll want my birthday present to be since I know a certain person gets a little guilty on the attention he is lavished upon.
         The annual job of fulfilling his wishes reminds me a little of a Bewitched television series, where Samantha will wiggle her nose (so enchantedly one must add) to grant the wish. While I don't think I can wiggle my nose to conjure up his favourite car at least I can deliver on his favourite food since he is such a red meat lover.
         This particular year was a really fun experience since we went on a steak hunt around town. First up was a daring experiment, trying out the beef in a Chinese restaurant. It's not the usual run of the mill Chinese eatery since Elegant Inn prides itself for having high quality produce. In a world where there are fake eggs and recycled past their sell-by-date steamed buns, it's always important to know the food on your plate. At Elegant Inn, it's only the best for them hence they serve up Japanese Kobe Beef grade A4 (radiation free since stock is pre-earthquake). Instead of a pan grilled version, they wok up a fantastic cubed version with garlic slices (RM138 per 100g). Each cube is perfectly cooked with a soft and almost buttery texture. We relished every teeny weeny bit including those crispier bits mingling at the bottom of the plate. Keeping with the bovine theme of the night, we also ordered their organic beef slices and tendon soup, a slurpworthy bowl of goodness that had our tummies well satisfied.
        Since we both had the day off, the best place to lunch during a weekday of course is at Sage with its lunch set at RM100 nett. It was especially fun since we also joined a friend from England, whom we had met for our first Instameet that took us around the sights of KL the weekend before. As we tucked into foie gras with grilled mango, ocean trout and of course grilled Angus beef, we were regaled with stories about her colourful life. While the beef was pretty decent, the highlight of the meal was the wonderful company and the refreshing dessert of a melon with calpis and white wine jelly. 
          Dinner time saw more beef on the table, this time at Prime, Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur's crown jewel.  Last month, they were running the Blackmore Wagyu promotion, something we had enjoyed last year hence we were keen to give it a try. He opted for the 220g Blackmore Wagyu striploin (RM398) while I had the 220g Australian Master Kobe sirloin for RM380. Both steaks were charcoal grilled. Even though the Blackmore Wagyu had a lovely sweet taste, we thought the whole experience was ruined since it was a little too thin (less than 1cm I think) to qualify as a hefty bite. Moreover the cut he got was on a fatter side. My sirloin was a little thicker at 1cm but definitely not as good as the Japanese version. This month, Prime is also running the Blackmore Wagyu promotion but a different part side by side with their Imperial Wagyu from US promotion.
       So what's with the bull you ask? No eating was involved there but instead the big Formula One fan got his Geox Redbull shoes. He had spotted them at Sepang's Formula One when we did the pit walks and been talking about it non stop so that got one dream fulfilled and my mission accomplished for the year!





Elegant Inn
2.01, 2nd Flr
Podium Block
Menara Hap Seng
Jalan P Ramlee
Kuala Lumpur


Tel: 03-2070 9399


Sage Restaurant & Wine Bar
Level 6, The Gardens Residences
The Gardens
Mid Valley City
Kuala Lumpur


Tel: 03-2268 1328


Prime
Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur
Sentral
Kuala Lumpur


Tel: 03-2263 7888


*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.

Japanese Food @ Hanare, The Intermark, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur

I'm hooked on Japanese food, a fact that was even pointed out by one of my blog readers I had met for the first time last week. In fact, Japanese is always the preferred choice for both of us. Usually it is a weekly affair - elaborate kaiseki meals or just plain home cooked meals like a hot niku (beef) soba noodles. 
         Initially, I admit I was a little wary when I first read about the radiation fears in the imported seafood but that fear of giving up my favourite food gave me more reason to educate myself on the source of my food. Strangely enough, I discovered most Japanese restaurants don't really source for their fresh fish from Japan as it's pricier. In fact, almost all the salmon served in Japanese restaurants are from the icy fjord waters of Norway. Only a small handful high-ended Japanese restaurants like Hanare bring in their catch from Japan, which helps support the ravaged nation at their time of need (Hanare's source is from Fukuoka). There's also no need to worry about radiation, as the seafood goes through stringent checks in Japan and here, with certificates issued to prove its radiation-free-worthiness.
        In a bid to support Japan and to herald the arrival of their new sushi chef, Tsutsumi San, Hanare started a special promotion called "Ganbarou Japan" or "Go Japan" this May.  Note that they have also done away with their Sunday buffet as they have finished with that particular promotion deal. Instead, this promotion is valid for Saturday dinner, Sunday lunch and Sunday dinner only, whereby you can order sushi for RM5++ per piece. A darn good deal I reckon. 
       There are four types of sushi to be ordered: nigiri sushi, aburi (seared) sushi, gunkan (battleship type with seaweed) and maki. You are given pieces of paper to place your orders with a choice of wasabi included or not. There's coveted tuna belly (toro), sea urchin (uni) and salmon roe (ikura) available. Other types within the nigiri sushi selection include tuna (akami), bonito fish (katsuo), flounder (hirame), sea bream (tai), salmon (sake), prawn (ebi), sea eel (anago) and etc. Maki selection consists of the ever popular california maki, tuna and minced tuna belly (negitoro) versions. They also do the simpler ones filled with pickles, natto and cucumber. 
        We thoroughly enjoyed our meal here (our second time since it first opened) as the food is always exceptionally good. A favourite is the delicate black sesame noodles and the beef dishes such as the tummy satisfying beef sukiyaki or the perfectly cooked teppanyaki steak zen. These lunch selections range from RM35 to RM70 per set, which includes an ultra smooth chawan mushi, miso soup and a refreshing dessert.
        Pass the word around on this great promotion since it is for a great cause. From what we understand, it may not last long too, about two months as Hanare looks to revise their promotions to keep it fresh (just follow them on Facebook to see what's up). While last Sunday was relatively quiet, I kinda suspect once word gets around about this promotion, it won't last for long especially since next week marks the Mother Day's celebrations, so be warned to book ahead. 


Hanare
Lot G06, Ground Floor
The Intermark
182 Jalan Tun Razak
Kuala Lumpur


Tel: 03-2164 2133/ 2164 2633


(Pork Free. For more pictures, please 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.

Celebrating Songkran Festival @ Erawan Classic Thai & Fusion, Kota Damansara

Apologies for the lack of blog posts lighting up your RSS feeds. Blame it on work (always a fantastic excuse), the lack of great eats or more likely the laziness in editing tons of pictures. I can imagine rotten tomatoes hitting me soon if I don't get my act together.
      Kicking off my return to being a respectable food blogger that effervescently raves on about her daily meal coupled with lickable droolworthy pictures, I start off with one of the best (and probably the only one I go to constantly) Thai places in town, Erawan Classic Thai & Fusion.
      The occasion for my epiphany was appropriately the Thai New Year aka Songkran festivities. The Erawan "brothers" Anan and Korn had invited us to share with them, their big celebration...an afternoon of never endless pleasurable delights that tickled our tummies and knocked the socks out of us.
       Everything was exquisitely prepared by the talented and dedicated Korn who loves to pamper us with the magical dishes he conjures from his kitchen. It was also time for us to savour some specially prepared dishes, they don't do all the time like the eye pleasing lotus flower salad and the silky smooth power packed water lily stem soup. The whole idea of a lotus flower salad is just so amazing as who knew those pink petals could be eaten. There's no distinct taste to the flowers but it acts like magical vessel that  felt like something the fairies would have eaten. In fact, it felt truly magical especially when we donned jasmine garlands for the festivities (no water was thrown though). We all loved the water lily stem soup -slightly crunchy stems coupled with smooth cod fish, bird eye chillies and the fragrant coconut milk scented broth.
       There was so many more goodies we had the whole afternoon that I couldn't stop eating. The liat was endless: huge Thai otak-otak laden with flaky white fish, the crunchy love letter salad, the crispy papaya salad, Thai laksa, crispy salmon, the delectable banana seafood spring rolls, deep fried flaky catfish, deep fried stuffed chicken wings, Thai fishcakes, beef and eggplant salad. Even the sambal with the vegetables had all the guests gasping for seconds. We also had a chance to sample the cockle salad, an unusual pairing of mango shreds with blanched cockles and a fusion style pandan parcel, not stuffed with chicken but the more luxe salmon.
        Before we knew it the afternoon was almost over and it was time for desserts - a selection of homemade ice creams including this gorgeous black rose ice cream (they bring in special rose syrup from Europe), teeny weeny bananas with a salty tasty thick coconut sauce and pandan sago that looked like frog eggs mingling with black beans (possibly the tadpoles?) in coconut milk broth.
         I could wax on lyrically about the food but I'll spare all of you. The food here always seem to weave its magic around me and as usual, we have already made plans for the next visit with special dishes. One can't wait as I can imagine what a wonderful evening it'll be. More pictures are in the Flickr set.


Erawan Classic Thai & Fusion
No. 22-1, Jln PJU 5/16
Dataran Sunway Kota Damansara
Petaling Jaya


Tel: 03-6141 2393


(Pork free. See their website for the menu and pre-ordering.)

Cream and Fudge Factory @ Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur

The heat is back with a vengeance. Balmy days get a shot of cool rain that never seem to be enough. Most of the time, the crazy weather gets my tongue wagging like a dog in Pavlov's experiment for cool relief or something like this new fangled ice cream sundae at Cream and Fudge Factory.

        It may sound more like a confectionery sweet shop but this Thai-based franchise serves up creamy ice cream with various flavours. Their specialty is a few flavours or just one flavour all mixed up on a cold plate with various sauces or toppings. While the thought of it sounds fantastic, I must admit it makes a darn messy looking sundae. Kinda like what kids do in kindergarden I reckon.

        Nevertheless, the taste (which is more important vs its looks) gets our thumbs up even though it does burn a hole in the wallet (RM18.90 for two scoops sundae). I had the sinful oreo peanut butter with a hot fudge ribbon while the other half indulged in a more healthy sounding peach melba. Served on a waffle cup, I had fun playing and getting my fingers sticky while I tried to eat (as daintily as possible) the crunchy waffle bits with my ice cream.
         While the ice cream is not the most ultra creamiest in town, it is pretty decent stuff that can be on par with those fellas who boast of 31 flavours. You get to choose from some pre-mixed flavours or if you are bored with those, go for the custom made mixes. They also do one scoop or two scoops sundaes.

Cream & Fudge Factory

Lot K23B, 2nd Floor

Suria KLCC

Kuala Lumpur

(Halal. Place has taken over The Lawn's kiosk. Another outlet can be found at Fahrenheit 88. More pictures are in 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.