Pillow Talk with Bangsar-bAbE

Bloggers Choice Awards - Burger Bobby Simpang 3

2011-09-22T08:00:00.000+08:00

It's that time of the year again...for the Time Out KL Food Awards! This year, TOKL is allowing bloggers to recommend their favourite eating places in the new Bloggers Choice Awards category. I'm nominating Burger Bobby Simpang 3 (better known as Bob Burger) for this category.

Voting starts this Friday, September 23, 2011 at 9am. To be fair, you are not allowed to vote multiple times a day. But you can vote once a day. If you're a fan of Bob's burgers and want to see him win this category, please vote for him every day! Bobby Burger for the win!! :)

Here's a short intro to Burger Bobby:

Ramly burger isn’t as simple as two buns and a patty. Over the last decade or so, almost all Ramly burgers have been improvised. As a burger lover, I’ve tried all kinds of burgers – special cheese, special double cheese, crab burger, banjo double special cheese, deer meat burger, green apple burger, pineapple burger, black pepper burger; you name it, I’ve probably tried it.

To me, Burger Bobby deserves a place in the Top 5 Best Ramly Burgers in Malaysia. The man behind this stall is Bob, who has been making burgers in front of his house for the past 7 years. Like another famous burger stall in Ampang Jaya, expect to wait for a good 30 minutes if there are many customers. When I found Bob’s stall, the queue wasn’t as long as it is today. Bob jokes that it’s my fault for promoting it to my readers, but I feel that good things should be shared with everyone.

There are a range of patties for you to choose from – chicken, beef, rabbit, deer and fish. All patties are pan-fried with pepper and Worchester sauce before getting wrapped with egg and cheese. Besides making his own special sauces, Bob goes the extra mile by stir-frying the onion slices with butter and Worchester sauce.

Don't just look...try it. And remember to vote!

His burgers (whichever you choose) are big, messy and utterly delicious. Popular choices are the lamb tiesto, ayam double special cheese and roti john special. Go there with a big appetite and tissue paper….lot of them!

Say hello to Bob :)

Lamb Tiesto...in the making

To see how massively delicious Bob's burgers are, check out my video blog below!

Address:

5, Jalan AU 5C/1,

Taman Lembah Keramat,
54200 Kuala Lumpur

Contact (they do delivery for RM0.50)
Bob: 013-6402237
Caer: 017-2681781

GPS Coordinate: N3 12.118 E101 45.278

Payment Terms: Cash only

HALAL

Jassal Tandoori Restaurant, Brickfields

2011-09-21T10:45:00.000+08:00

rif and I hardly venture into Brickfields because of the congestion and parking problems. But we found ourselves in the area recently for a job assignment, and decided to have dinner at Jassal Tandoori Restaurant. The place was packed with diners, all tucking into baskets of naan and plates of chicken tandoori.

We followed our waiter's recommendations and ordered enough for two pax -- chicken briyani (RM13.80), palak paneer (RM15.90), butter naan (RM3.50) and chicken tandoor sizzling (RM18.80 - medium). Our food came quite quickly despite the crowd and service was friendly throughout.

However, I found the food subpar in general. The chicken tandoori was dry and tough, especially the breast and wing area. A shame really, as it was flavourful from the marinade. The mint yogurt sauce gave the meat a tangy contrast, which rif enjoyed and I didn't.

I expected the butter naan to be fluffy and light, but this was flat, chewy and hardly worth raving.

The palak paneer was adequately prepared. Portion was smallish, but they were quite generous with the paneer cubes. Tastewise, the paneer was tender and mingled well with the smooth creamed spinach.

Despite its appearance, the chicken briyani tasted pretty 'meh' to me. The rice lacked spice and flavor, and was missing the fluffy texture I enjoy in good briyani. That said, the chicken pieces were incredibly flavorful and cooked to a tender state.

Skip the bru coffee, as it is more milk than coffee. At least for me. A better bet would be their lassi, judging from the glasses of lassi on the other tables.

Ambiance: 5/10
Price: 5/10
Food: 5/10
Verdict: Cosy place, but the food was average on a whole.

84, Jalan Tun Sambanthan,
Brickfields 50470,
Kuala Lumpur.
03 2274 6801

Restoran Choon Sun, Star2Sunday September 2011

2011-09-20T08:00:00.001+08:00

Here's my recent column in Star2Sunday.

I just realised my column is always put together with some sort of music instrument advertisement or worse, a slimming ad! *chuckles*

*Blogpost on Choon Sun HERE.

Padang Brown Food Stalls, Penang

2011-09-19T09:00:00.000+08:00

At a recent concert, Jeev and I took a break from ushering and talked about what we did over the weekend. He just got back from Penang, and was raving about everything he ate, including this "awesome" popiah he had in Padang Brown. I had no idea where Padang Brown was, but was determined not to be left out when it came to food.

Since I was visiting Penang with my makan gang, I asked one of them (who lived in Penang for 4 years) if he knew where this popiah place was. We found it yesterday, but 30 minutes too late. They ran out of crab meat which - I was told - was the highlight of the dish. I settled for the normal popiah (RM3 for 2 pieces), which tasted just average in my books.

The roll comprised a combination of sengkuang, fried beancurd, diced egg and fried shallots, and drenched with some gravy from the vegetable filling. Takes a bit of getting used to, but if you like your popiah dry, do inform the uncle to hold off the gravy.

While the popiah failed to wow, the oh chien was quite delicious. For RM10, we got a large plate with plenty of oysters. I counted almost twenty plump and sweet oysters in the omelette. The egg mixture was cooked till crisp around the edges, and light yet fluffy at the centre.

Very moreish, especially with the garlic chilli sauce provided at the side. I had to stop myself from ordering another serving as I was trying to keep some stomach space for other dishes.

Based on the number of tables ordering char kuay teow (RM4 for large), I figured it should be good. My char kuay teow, which took quite a while to arrive, tasted rather bland. It was adequately fluffy and spicy, but the chilli was all I could taste. I also didn't like that the cockles were cooked till a rubbery state. rif had to finish this for me.

Fluffy in texture but disappointing in taste

The Ais Kacang rif and I shared was nothing to shout about, at least for me. I know rif enjoyed it because they were pretty generous with the attap-chee -- another ais kacang stall we went to the day before gave us only one attap-chee in our ais kacang. That said, I found the combination a bit too sweet and the ice wasn't as fine as I liked it to be.

All in, the food was decent. I came for the popiah, but it was the oh chien that wowed me. The food court is located opposite Convent Dato Keramat School, at the junction of Perak Road and Anson Road.

Ambiance: 5/10
Price: 6/10 (non-halal)
Popiah: 5/10
Oh Chien: 7/10
Char Kuay Teow: 4/10
Verdict: Make sure you add crab into your popiah. I heard it makes a difference. You have to try the oh chien!

Padang Brown Food Stalls 
Gerai Gerai Padang Brown (Dato Keramat Stalls)
 GPS Coordinates: N5 24.861 E100 19.004 
Opens: 1pm to 7pm

8TV Feature - Best in the World

2011-09-16T07:31:00.004+08:00

Hi all,

Sorry for the lack of updates. Things have been crazy on my end with the wedding approaching. Anyway, here's another video I would like to share with all of you -- my guest hosting gig on 8TV's Best in the World Food Show. Enjoy!

*Video was taken from my computer screen using my compact camera so pardon the slight hints of background. You can watch it on Tonton, but have to pay lor. Your choice. ;-)

Wedding Video - Introduction

2011-09-13T08:00:00.001+08:00

Wei Jien + Sue Lynn // Follow Them from Nigel Sia on Vimeo.

Hey all,

We are getting hitched really soon. Keep watching this space

and visit our wedding blog for more info!

Xoxo,

rif & Bangsar Babe

Ricetaurant, Bangsar Village II

2011-09-12T14:30:00.000+08:00

I never got around to trying For Goodness Sake, and now I never will. It has since been replaced with Ricetaurant, a Chinese restaurant that is part of Canoodling in Bangsar Village II. The restaurant boasts an old school décor and the menu comprises Chinese tai chow and rice dishes. Ricetaurant is a part of Canoodling, as you can dine on either side and order from both places.

Service at both the restaurants has been consistently good throughout my visits – the staff were friendly, polite and attentive. rif had the Hainanese Chicken Chop set (RM15.90), which came with a complimentary soup. It was mentioned in the receipt that dessert was included, but we didn’t get any. I only realized this once I got home.

The soup that night was old cucumber soup, which was nothing to shout about. I would have preferred it to be hotter, but rif likes it warm.

The chicken chop reminded me of the sweet and sour pork served at tai chow restaurants. Except, it’s chicken. That said, the chicken was crisply fried and the sauce had the right balance of sweet, salty and tangy flavours.

Since rice isn’t my favourite thing to eat, I ordered the curry laksa (RM12.90) from next door. Portion was hearty – the noodles came with a large piece of drumstick, brinjal slices, long beans, tofu puffs and beansprouts.

I liked that the curry broth was spicy, thick and packed a wallop of flavours. It actually tasted better than many substandard curry laksa sold at hawker stalls.

Instead of our usual Inche Kabin, we ordered the Deep-fried Nam Yue Chicken (RM18.90). I found this rather ordinary. The chicken was a tad over fried and the fermented bean curd flavour wasn’t pronounced enough. I prefer the Inche Kabin as it has a more robust flavour and juicier texture.

The bubur cha cha (RM4.90) was creamy and mildly sweet, but portion was small and there were very few yam and sweet potato cubes in it.

Ambiance: 6.5/10
Price: 5/10
Food: 5/10 (pork-free)
Verdict: The rice dishes didn’t wow me, but I love the curry laksa and Inche Kabin from Canoodling.

Ricetaurant
2F-29, 2F Bangsar Village 2.
03-2287 1566

www.thebiggroup.co/ricetaurant

Food Vlog: Canoodling, Bangsar Village II

2011-09-09T09:00:00.002+08:00

Canoodling with someone else isn't a good thing, but tucking into a bowl of noodles at Canoodling in Bangsar Village II is. rif and I have been frequently Canoodling of late, not to canoodle with one another, but for their hearty bowl of noodles.

Here are some of the dishes we enjoy eating at this restaurant/cafe. Enjoy!

Canoodling from Sue Lynn Tiong on Vimeo.

Sponsors:

Peep Boutique (wardrobe)

The Aura (accessories)

Kiss Me (Makeup)

Lucido-L (Hair)

Don't forget to follow me on Facebook HERE.

You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel HERE.

Subscribe to my Vimeo channel HERE.

Tweet me HERE.

SPECIAL DISCOUNT ANNOUNCEMENT:

Get 10% off your purchase from Peep Boutique!

Simply mention the code "ilovefood&clothes!"

and be the first 10 lucky customers to enjoy this discount.

The Aura is also giving Bangsar-bAbE's readers a 20% discount on accessories.

Just mention the code "Bangsar-bAbE" to be eligible for that discount.

HAPPY SHOPPING!

Little Korea, Sunway Mentari

2011-09-07T14:15:00.002+08:00

In Korea, making good kimchi was (and still is) considered a key skill for all potential brides. A Korean woman’s culinary abilities are judged based on how good her kimchi tastes. If I were to be judged on my kimchi-making abilities, I doubt anyone would want to marry me. But if it were based on my kimchi eating abilities, I think I’d make a pretty good wife candidate.

Like I mentioned in my video blog and blog post, Little Korea is my favourite place to go to for Korean food. The owner Jun Ho emailed me in January this year to inform me of his latest outlet in Sunway Mentari. However, I don’t see why I should brave the traffic and/or toll charges when the Mon’t Kiara outlet is so nearby. When I was in Sunway Pyramid during the Raya holidays recently, it made sense to visit Little Korea in Sunway Mentari.

While the restaurant was more spacious compared to the Mon’t Kiara outlet, ventilation wasn’t as good. If you dine inside, you will walk out smelling of grilled meat (and sweat, if you perspire a lot) - rif and I opted to dine alfresco. I wasn’t feeling particularly greedy that night, so we skipped our usual mo dum ku ee and ordered the pork belly, marinated pork (dwaegi galbi) and kimchi jjigae.

Compared to the Mon’t Kiara outlet, we were given less banchan in this Little Korea. Also, they were a bit reluctant to give us a second refill. That said, the kimchi was crunchy and vibrant in flavours. I also liked the sweet corn with ham, potato salad and steamed egg. The rest of the side dishes tasted pretty average.

Pork Belly

The pork belly and marinated pork were both delicious, but we both enjoyed the latter better. It was slightly sweet from the marinade, tender and juicy. The fats of the pork belly were slightly crisp from the grilling, making each mouthful incredibly satisfying.

Marinated Pork

When dipped into some bean paste sauce and eaten with lettuce and garlic slices, both the pork tasted even better.

Kimchi Jjigae is something I have to order whenever I’m having Korean food. To me, Little Korea’s version is by far one of the best I’ve tasted. The stew was thick and fiery with a delicious aroma from the kimchi, scallions and sesame oil. I especially enjoyed the thinly sliced of pork belly – fatty and meltingly tender.

They did not serve is sik hae that night, which I found rather disappointing. I usually look forward to a nice cold cup of sik hae to cool me down from the heat of the grill.

Ambiance: 5/10
Price: 5/10
Food: 6.5/10 (non halal)
Verdict: The food is consistently good but service could be friendlier.

Little Korea
28, Jalan PJS 8/18,
Dataran Mentari,
46150 Petaling Jaya

The Marriage Preparation Course - Support Couple (Part 2)

2011-09-06T16:47:00.000+08:00

In the duration of our marriage preparation course, rif and I had two sessions with our support couple – to learn the ropes of marriage and get their valuable input on solving problems. After dating for 8 years, we thought we knew each other inside out. But when our support couple posed a few difficult (and possible) life scenarios, we struggled to solve them. Our different personalities and backgrounds became a problem in dealing with issues.

Us at Perhentian Island, after our 8th Anniversary

Over coffee, we talked about finances, life goals, marriage cracks, children, parents and trust. In my opinion, we’re doing ok with finances. Most people who know me would know that I’m quite thrifty with money. And rif is an auditor, so he’s also quite good at budgeting. Our support couple painted a realistic picture of the future – with kids. One of us might have to stay home to care for them while the other brings home the bread. When that happens, we will have to survive with one income. So a lot of adjustments have to be made. It would be good to learn to live with just one income, so that the change isn’t too drastic.

It is important to have similar values and life goals as these will contribute to a healthy marriage. They also talked about trust; not just emotionally, but financially as well. Most couples keep separate bank accounts “just in case” something bad happens. “If you enter a marriage, enter without leaving the back door open,” our support couple said. I think financial backup is something mothers would teach their daughters – to always keep an umbrella/raincoat just in case the storm comes.

We also spoke about religion – rif and I are not from the same religion – and how it might affect our children. That’s still under discussion, but we’ve sort of decided on a solution when the time comes. And as always, communicating with each other is important in preventing ‘cracks’ in a marriage. Over time, there’s bound to be hairline cracks cause by stress, conflict, finances, children, parents...etc. It is always best to face the problems in their early stages than to leave them until there’s no return. Accumulated hairline cracks will lead to collateral damage in the marriage.

At the end of this session, rif and I realized that 8 years isn’t enough to know each other inside out. We’re constantly changing as individuals and it is good to keep up (or at least be in the loop) with the changes in each other’s lives.

*The 11th Run of The Marriage Preparation Course starts this September 24, 2011. If you’re interested, register here. Trust me, it does help in preparing you for marriage.

Restoran Bubur Goreng, Klang

2011-09-05T08:00:00.001+08:00

*from my Star2Sunday column

When I go on food hunts, I sometimes come across restaurants with quirky names. Since I’m not very good at memorising names, the quirkier the name, the more I’m likely to remember it. Like Restoran Bubur Goreng in Taman Berkeley, Klang, where Rif and I stopped by for a late dinner last week.

The place was relatively crowded – people were having the fried porridge with beer and whisky. I even spotted a table of men having a bottle of Martell Cordon Bleu. Talk about the good life!

As the name suggests, this restaurant specialises in bubur goreng, also known as fried porridge. I’ve never been huge on porridge. When I was a child, Mum used to feed me porridge whenever I was sick, so I grew up equating porridge to illness. Putting my reservations aside, I ordered a portion of the highly recommended fried porridge, a plate of Hokkien Mee and siong tong lala.

The lady boss took one look at me and decided (on her own initiative) to cancel my porridge, thinking there was no way I could finish all the food.

The Hokkien Mee portion for two (RM9) was huge and could feed three people. It was quite good. Unlike most common dark Hokkien Mee, this version came with more gravy and mee hoon. Despite it being wetter, it packed plenty of wok hei (“wok’s essence”) and had a generous amount of ingredients.

Generous portion

The restaurant’s signature green chilli sambal was spicy, fragrant and incredibly addictive. I enjoyed this very much, especially when paired with the bubur goreng.

The porridge (RM12) was cooked with minced pork, tofu cubes, yam, dried prawns and fried shallots. I liked how the pork lard topping gave it a good aroma and a crisp bite – every spoonful was meaty, fragrant and flavourful. Some people might find this a tad strange in the beginning, but the taste grew on me.

I’m glad I ordered the siong tong lala (RM15). The clams were cooked with plenty of minced ginger, garlic and bird’s eye chilli, resulting in a broth that packed a punch. Although slightly small, the clams were meaty and tender. The dish was piping hot and delicious.

Another popular dish here is the crab mee hoon (RM44 per 1kg of crabs). I ordered this on my second visit with Rif’s family together with the dishes mentioned above. The mee hoon came with 1.4kg of crabs (RM61) and could feed four to five people. To me, this was probably the highlight of the meal. The mee hoon packed a wallop of flavour from the crab juices and wok hei. Cooked just right, it was springy and had good bite.

The crabs were medium-sized, sweet and meaty. It was fairly easy to eat as the shells had been cracked, and I didn’t ruin my manicured nails. We all enjoyed this very much. rif’s mother reckoned this was even better than the crab mee hoon from our favourite restaurant in Kuala Selangor.

Feeling greedy, I heeded the lady boss’ recommendation and ordered half a Pei Pa duck (RM23). This wasn’t a good choice. The duck – which came drizzled in a sweet plum sauce – was tough, dry and bland. Pei Pa duck is usually thin, crispy and tender in the centre with a hint of smoky flavour. Maybe that’s the way it’s prepared in Klang, but I didn’t like it one bit as it gave my jaw a good workout.

The bill came up to RM130 for six inclusive of drinks, with the crab mee hoon being the most expensive dish. Portions are generous, which is something I love about eating in Klang.

Read Star2Sunday version HERE.

Ambiance: 5/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 6.5/10 (non-halal)
Verdict: Interesting bubur goreng, delicious crab mee hoon and generous portions.

Restoran Bubur Goreng,

32 & 34 Lorong Lang,

Taman Berkeley,

Klang

016-686 8579

Opening hours: 5.30pm-2.45am

GPS coordinates: N03 03.404 E101 27.832

Upper Deck, GTower Hotel

2011-09-02T16:13:00.000+08:00

Crab Salad

When I dined at Tanzini, GTower Hotel earlier this year, Upper Deck was still work in progress. I was informed that it was going to be a contemporary fine dining restaurant using fresh and quality produce. Six months later, rif and I received an invite to fine dine at the Upper Deck with a few bloggers.

Bread Basket

The menu is seasonal, so you probably wouldn’t see the same dishes in subsequent visits. Décor was simple, yet tasteful and the ambiance was conducive for proper conversations.Our amuse bouche was a tastefully presented crab salad. The flavour of the crab was almost unadulterated – it was sweet, salty, flaky and lively all at once.

The Baby Lobster Tail Salad came with an interesting basil ravioli on an assortment of heirloom tomatoes, garden greens and aged balsamico. I enjoyed the tomatoes, which were fresh and sweet with a slightly tangy centre. My only complaint was the sharing of appetizers as the halved portions were too small to enjoy. The lobster tail would have been crisp and incredibly succulent as a whole, but eating only half of it meant halving that experience.

Also good was the Duo of Hokkaido Scallop, which comprised a caramelized scallop, edamame purée and scallop carpaccio with crab roe emulsion. This dish had a very Japanese touch; the carpaccio was sweet and tender with salty accents from the crab roe, while the caramelized scallop was as succulent as it should be.

Between the Momotaro Tomato Gazpacho (served cold) and Smoked Duck Tea (served hot), I liked the latter.

Although light in colour, the duck consommé was flavourful and went well with the ox tongue ragù ravioli.

The momotaro tomato soup tasted of spring – green and lively with a meaty bite from the tiger prawn salsa.

I really wished I didn’t have to share the Butternut Squash Cappellacci with Sea Urchin and Avruga Caviar. The already flavourful cappellacci was given a decadent touch with the sea urchin and caviar. Delicious!

I didn’t care much for the pacific rainbow trout, although I reckon rif liked this. Black truffle (oil, I reckon) gave the fish an earthy, pungent flavour and the sweet corn risotto helped lighten the dish.

Citrus Sorbet

After an intermezzo of citrus sorbet, we were finally at our mains. Unlike the appetizers, portion of the mains (shared between two) were quite generous. We shared the 1824 Beef Tenderloin and Cheek, Lamb Rack in Granola Bar Crust and Fillet of Yellowtail King Fish. When I cut into the lamb, the meat looked rather rare so I thought it was undercooked. Turns out, the chef used the sous vide method to cook the lamb, hence the reddish outcome. I wasn’t aware of this, so I asked if they could cook it ’just a little longer’.

According to Executive Chef Johnny Fua, the lamb was sous vide for 48 hours, resulting in its even tenderness. It was unbelievably tender. This was my first time trying a sous vide lamb and I enjoyed it, despite the seared exterior. After a bit of research, I learnt that sous vide is a cooking method that combines the gentle, steady heat of poaching and an airtight seal, so the food literally stews in its own juices with no air, no water and no evaporation. I especially enjoyed the granola bar crust, which tasted a bit like cookie dough.

rif liked the tenderloin, but I’m more of a ribeye girl. That said, the zinfandel reduction was both savoury and fruity, which paired quite nicely with the beef. I enjoyed the beef cheek more than the tenderloin, as it had a creamier and richer mouthfeel.

Like the trout, I wasn’t a fan of the Fillet of Yellowtail King Fish. The fish was seasoned with lemongrass and served with braised kohlrabi and fennel broth. I thought the lemongrass flavour was very faint and the fish was too fishy for my liking.

Dessert – profiteroles with banana-coconut sorbet and chocolate sauce drizzle – fell short of my expectations. I thought the sorbet was too icy and the profiteroles had a rough texture. Presentation however, was good.

The four course dinner is priced at RM155++ per pax, five course dinner at RM185++ per pax and six course dinner at RM215++ per pax.

Ambiance: 7/10
Price: 5/10
Food: 6/10 (pork free)
Verdict: Appetizer portion aside, the food was quite decent and presentation was commendable.

Upper Deck, Tanzini
Level 29,
GTower Hotel
199 Jalan Tun Razak
50400 Kuala Lumpur
03-2168 1899
www.tanzini.com.my

Salam Aidilfitri!

2011-08-30T15:14:00.001+08:00

*picture credit: google.com

Wishing all my Muslim readers Salam Aidilfitri and Happy Holidays!

xoxo,

Bangsar-bAbE

Te Chang You Tiao Wang, Penang

2011-08-29T10:40:00.000+08:00

Yau Char Kwai/You Tiao is one of those simple snacks people enjoy eating, especially with porridge. It is a long strip of dough, deep-fried until golden brown and commonly made in a pair. I used to love eating it as a kid, simply because I could tear it into two. That said, I would rather eat ham chim peng as it contains sweet red bean filling.

rif and I discovered Te Chang You Tiau Wang in September 2009 – this was subsequently featured in my StarMetro column. Since it was mentioned briefly, I thought it was only fair that I did a proper write-up on this place. Te Chang You Tiau Wang is located along the main road in Paya Terubong. Getting there is pretty easy - drive past Air Itam and you will see the you tiau stall on your right as you enter Paya Terubong.

Larger than usual you tiao

What we love about this place is the “out of the box” way of preparing you tiau/yau char kwai. The crullers are longer and larger than usual – 14” to be exact. For some reason, the you tiau here is lighter and crispier. I reckon it might be because I ate this on the spot.

While the plain crullers were good, I liked the ma keok (black and white sesame twins) better. It was fluffy yet bread-like, with a mild sweetness and a fragrant aroma from the sesame seeds. Priced at RM2 for three pieces, it was pretty good value for money.

The chicken floss + mayonnaise you tiao (RM3.20) was tasty, especially when eaten hot. They didn’t stinge on the chicken floss and the mayonnaise gave it a satisfying finish. Simple yet tasty, I reckon this was like a Chinese version of Subway.

The tuna salad you tiao (RM2.80) had too much salad, making it taste similar to coleslaw. It would have tasted better with just plain tuna and mayonnaise.

If you’re around the area, do drop by and try the you tiao at Te Chang. It really is quite an interesting treat. I’m definitely going back for more on my next visit in September!

Ambiance: 5/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 6/10 (I'm not sure if it’s pork-free or not. Please call to check.)
Verdict: An interesting way of eating fried crullers. Don’t forget to try the ma keok.

Te Chang You Tiao Wang Enterprise
1250-A, Jalan Paya Terubong,
11060 Penang, Malaysia.
016-433 7301 (Mr. TH Tan)
Opens: 1.00 pm – 8.30 pm (Closed Alternate Tuesdays)
GPS Coordinates: N 5 23.657 E 100 16.587

The Marriage Preparation Course (Part 4)

2011-08-28T13:50:00.001+08:00

Resolving Conflict

Conflict happens to us all the time and it gets more frequent when we enter a marriage. That’s because we’re all different and selfish by nature. In our marriage preparation course, Wei Jien and I learnt how to identify and deal with our differences. When we did the personality test during the first session of TMPC, one of our weaknesses was our inability to resolve conflicts effectively.

First, we identified the type of anger we have – rhino (explode) and hedgehog (bury). We both have rhino and hedgehog tendencies, but in general, I’m more of a rhino and he’s more of a hedgehog. Next, we were encouraged to look for solutions to the problems we faced.

The important thing we both learnt in this session was never to use words like, “You always…” and “You never…”. Many couples are guilty of making this mistake and it is going to take time (and effort) to change this. We're still guilty of making this mistake, but hope to overcome this in time. Prior to this, either one of us would have give in to the other whenever we faced conflict. This “I win, you lose” situation got us through the years, but it was hardly ideal. Now, we sit down, talk and listen to one another, and identify the issue. Once we agree on an action plan, we work on it together.

Marriage involves sharing everything. We’re moving from “I”, to “us”. It’s no longer my money, my car and my home. Instead we have to look at things from an “us” perspective – our money, our car and our home. That’s going to be difficult for many people, especially if you’ve been living independently for a long time. We also addressed our attitude towards money – Wei Jien and I are both ‘savers’, so that made things a bit better. It’s also good to discuss about who will manage the finances and do a yearly forecast of your expenses. Obviously, Wei Jien will be doing that.

With conflict, there’s bound to be hurt. That’s when we need to learn to put away our pride and say sorry. Asking for forgiveness and giving forgiveness is the only way a marriage can move forward. It makes sense, although I find it difficult to just forgive and move on in general. Yes, I’m one of those people who keep unresolved issues buried until shit hits the fan.

This session, together with sagely advices from our support couple (I’ll talk about that soon) gave Wei Jien and I pointers on how to deal with our differences. We’ve reduced interrupting each other and attempt to be more reasonable when it comes to finding a solution – the “US” solution. Not quite there yet, but it's only a matter of time...

*Read our wedding blog HERE.

Vlog Feature in Star R.AGE

2011-08-26T08:55:00.001+08:00

*A bit late, but read about my video blog feature in Star R.AGE two days ago.

Tiong Sue Lynn, a writer, content editor and blogger (Bangsar Babe) who has always wanted to host a TV show about food, started vlogging a year ago using just a compact camera. “I’ve always wanted to host food shows, but because I lacked experience, it wasn’t easy scoring a hosting gig,” said Sue Lynn, 26.

“My fiance and best friend have been persuading me to start my own food video blog, and after six months of their nudging, I finally did it. I created my own food series.”

Putting herself in front of a camera wasn’t a big challenge, as she has had experience competing in beauty pageants, but it took a little time to get used to talking into a camera.

“I do food video blogging, where I go to interesting eateries and present what I eat in front of the camera. It’s like my mini food channel,” she said. So far, Sue Lynn has even managed to get sponsors for her vlogs.

For Sue Lynn, both blogging and vlogging have their pros and cons.

“A balance of both is ideal. I feel that most people love looking at pictures and videos. And after a long day at work or school, the last thing they would want is to read a long essay. Video blogs are perfect because they just need to watch,” she shared.

Sue Lynn does almost everything herself (except hold the camera), and finds that food videos are more tedious to do as compared to blogging as she needs to figure out new ways of presenting.

To read more, click HERE.

Dancing Fish, Bangsar Shopping Centre

2011-08-25T14:00:00.001+08:00

Indonesian food is not something I crave for often. rif however, feels differently. It is always him who suggests nasi padang meals, Balinese platters and more recently, Dancing Fish in Bangsar Shopping Centre. We actually tried Dancing Fish when we attended a wine tasting at O Gourmet two months ago, and found it to be quite good.

I ordered the barley lime (free refill) while rif had the Teh Koci (RM5.90). His tea was nothing to shout about. I thought it tasted like Jasmine tea. My barley lime (RM5.90) was alright, but it could have done with a bit more sugar.

Unfortunately for us, they ran out of a few items that day, so we didn’t get to order the bebek goreng bali. Instead, we settled for the ayam panggang (RM18.90 – whole bird), heavily seasoned, deep fried and coated in a thick chilli paste. If you’re a chilli wuss, you’re going to sweat buckets as the fiery flavour creeps up slowly but surely. The chicken leg was lovely and tender, but the breast and wings skewed slightly to the dry side.

Fiery Sambal

Daging Rendang (RM13.90) comprised tiny chunks of beef cooked with a lavish amount of spices, seasoning and coconut milk until a glorious dark brown shade. This was delicious; the meat was flaky, moist and ‘lemak’ from the coconut milk.

I ate this with nasi berempah kuning (RM3 per person), essentially yellow rice cooked with coconut milk and turmeric. The rice was fragrant and fluffy with a creamy aftertaste. We both had another serving of this (RM3 you pay includes refills).

Balado refers to spicy dishes in Indonesia, and the terong balado (spicy eggplant - RM9.90) at Dancing Fish was that, and more. The fiery gravy was almost painfully spicy, but it was excellent with the juicy eggplant slices. After a few mouthfuls, my mouth started to tingle and tiny beads of sweat formed at the back of my neck. Good stuff, really!

For desserts, we shared the caramelized bananas (RM8.50) and cendol (RM5). The latter – although majestic looking – was a disappointment. The shaved ice was coarse and didn’t melt nicely with the thick palm sugar. What we got were spoonfuls of crunchy ice bits with sweet beans and chewy cendol strips.

The caramelized bananas tasted better. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and generous drizzles of palm sugar, this was sticky-sweet with a deep, coffee-like flavour.

Lunch came up to about RM80 for two pax. Not cheap, but I reckon it is affordable by Bangsar Shopping Centre’s standard. Service needed a bit of work, because some of the staff were not properly trained yet.

Ambiance: 6.5/10
Price: 5/10
Food: 6/10 (pork-free)
Verdict: Pretty good food, fair service.

Dancing Fish
3rd Floor,
Bangsar Shopping Centre
Kuala Lumpur
03-2095 6663

Sweet treats @ Food Foundry, Section 17

2011-08-24T10:15:00.008+08:00

What type of cookie eater are you? Are you someone who:

1) Eats 2 to 3 pieces of cookies slowly and your cookie box lasts for almost a month?

2) Can't stand seeing a cookie box half full and simply must empty it by the end of the day?

No prize guessing which category I belong to. I've never been able to stretch my cookie jar for more than 3 days. A bag of Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies can only last me up till the end of a movie. I remember reasoning with rif -- my reason for finishing the whole pack of cookies in one go – is so that it won't be less nice the next day. He never understood my crazy logic.

While I generally eat any type of cookies, chocolate chip and oatmeal are my two favourites. Unless I’m paying a premium price, chocolate chip cookies are often less than satisfactory. I reckon it’s the quality of chocolate and ingredients used to bake the cookies.

My recent cookie indulgence came in the form of Food Foundry’s cookie series – Maria (Pecan & Raisin Cookies), Umi (Almond Cookies), Hanna (Cornflakes Cookies), Sara (Oatmeal Coconut Cookies), Elina (Butter Cookies) and Yasmin (Chocolate Chip Cookies). Yes, they name their cookies!

All six cookies were tasty in their own way, but I liked Yasmin and Sara best. What differentiates a good chocolate chip cookie from an average one is the amount of good chocolate added. Crunchy on the outside with a rich and gooey centre, Yasmin had a bittersweet flavour and a hint of salty finish. I like a bit of salt in my cookies, for it gives the cookies more dimension in flavour. Sara was just as yummy. It was very crunchy with chewy bits of oats and coconut. Very addictive, but I wished they were larger in size. Ok fine, that’s my greed talking. Both Yasmin and Sara disappeared within two hours.

I’m used to the super crunchy cornflakes cookies, but Hanna wasn’t that. It was soft and buttery with crunchy bits of cornflakes in every bite. Since it had a crumbly and soft texture, the cookie melted in my mouth almost immediately. Umi was similar to Hanna, but instead of cornflakes, almond flakes were used. My parents enjoyed this as it wasn’t too sweet, but I prefer this to be sweeter. That said, the almond flakes were lightly toasted and imparted a delicious aroma to the cookies.

Butter cookies are a must-have during festive seasons but the taste of these cookies greatly depends on the quality of the butter used. While I don’t care much for butter cookies, these were crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth and mildly sweet.

If I’m not mistaken, there were hints of coffee in Maria, the pecan & raisin cookies. Either that, or the pecan was toasted to release such an aroma. This cookie had the same buttery /crumbly texture as the cornflakes cookies but with chewy raisin bits inside. The chopped pecan gave it a bit more bite, so there’s a bit of action in every bite. The cookies are priced at RM10 (small), RM15 (medium) and RM25 (large). I’m definitely getting a large jar of Sara and Yasmin!

*EXCLUSIVELY FOR BANGSAR BABE READERS:

Enjoy a 20% discount on cookie purchases of RM100 and above.

Get a 10% discount for purchases below RM100.

To be eligible for the discount, just mention my blog when you place your order.

I also sampled their new cakes (yes, they sell more than just mille crepe) – the Chocococonut Cake, Butterscotch Pecan Cake and Hummingbird Cake. Of the lot, I enjoyed the Chocococonut Cake best. This comprised alternate layers of coconut sponge, cream cheese frosting, a layer of dark chocolate glaze and generous sprinkles of toasted coconut shreds. Sweet, light and creamy, the addition of coconut gave the cake is a tropical touch. Think pina colada mix chocolate dream. Mmmm....

Sticking to the tropical theme, the hummingbird cake also came with sprinkles of toasted coconut shreds. So…coconut, pineapple, banana and pecan nuts with a cream cheese finish. I recommend warming the cake up slightly as it tasted better after 10 minutes in room temperature. This was less sweet compared to the Chococococonut Cake, so if you like your cakes only slightly sweet, this is your best bet.

The Butterscotch Pecan Cake was as sweet as it should be. I loved the almost silky frosting between the three layers of butter cake. And the crunchy pecan nut topping gave it a delicious crunch. I wonder if it will taste better caramelized… If I had one gripe about this, it was the slightly dry sides. But don’t let that stop you from enjoying this cake. The layers of butter cake and smooth butterscotch frosting will make you swoon.

This Raya, you can buy one cake (RM85 for 7", RM130 for 9") and get the next cake at a 30% discount. It’s the perfect excuse to treat yourself, friends and loved ones this season.

WANT SOME COOKIES?

As a special treat this Raya, I’m giving away FIVE (5) jars of Yasmin (chocolate chip cookies) to five lucky Bangsar Babe readers.

All you need to do is visit Food Foundry’s Facebook page and complete this slogan:

This coming Hari Raya, getting a box of Food Foundry cookies will make my day because __________________________________________________________________________

Contest ends this August 31, 2011. Hurry hurry hurry! :)

Location:
Food Foundry
BG-8, Happy Mansion
Jalan 17/13
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7955 3885

Lim Aik Chew Prawn Curry, Nibong Tebal

2011-08-22T08:00:00.000+08:00

Seafood and directions. These were the two things I disliked when I was younger. I never enjoyed crabs and prawns, mostly because they were a hassle to eat. And geography was one of my worst subjects in school. I remember being really upset at a former employer who took me to dinner at a very expensive seafood restaurant as a show of gratitude after a good job done. That night, I hardly touched my food, and ate only the vegetables.

Everything changed once I started a food blog. I became more adventurous and was willing to go through plenty of hassle in search of good food. Seafood soon became one of my favourite things to eat and I would have it at least two to three times a month. Sadly, my geography is just as bad as before, so asking me for directions is akin to asking a tech-challenged person to assemble a computer. By the way, the latter also describes me.

My recent short trip to Penang allowed me to make a pitstop at Nibong Tebal, where a restaurant called Lim Aik Chew is reputed to serve the best fresh water prawn curry or kari udang galah. This restaurant is very popular among locals and tourists alike. It was actually Rif who suggested this pitstop, after a friend of his talked about their “damn nice prawn curry”. We were advised to call ahead to book the prawns as they run out pretty quickly, especially during weekends.

Since we pre-ordered our dishes, they didn’t take long to arrive. The river prawn curry (RM36 for ½kg) was divine – I’ve never tasted anything like this before. It smelled wonderful, from the generous addition of curry leaves. The gravy was thick, spicy and sweet from the juices of the prawns. We ate this with steamed white bread, specially made to go with the curry.

“The bigger the prawn head, the more roe it has,” said Rif. He was right. Underneath each prawn head was a generous amount of roe. Thick, soft and smooth, the orange-bright roe gave the curry a richer flavour. I especially enjoyed eating the prawn head – it was crunchy and addictive. The flesh of the prawns was firm, juicy and sweet. This curry was so good, I mopped the last bit of gravy off the plate with my bread.

Another dish worth ordering is the ikan masak tiga rasa or three-flavoured fish (RM26). Diners can choose between the ikan bawal (pomfret), ikan siakap or ikan kembung. We went for the bawal, which was deep fried and cooked with a flavourful gravy, which was a combination of spicy, sweet and sour flavours. I liked that the fish was firm and meaty. If you’re worried about the spiciness of this dish, I’m glad to report that it was only slightly spicy.

The stir-fried lettuce with garlic (RM4) was a simple, fuss-free dish that we ordered to balance out the two other dishes. That said, the greens were fairly crunchy and lightly seasoned to bring out their crisp flavour. For drinks, we had fresh sugar cane juice. Very refreshing on that hot day!

The bill came up to RM71 for all the above. Considering what we ordered, I thought it was reasonable. We left the restaurant feeling incredibly satiated. Lim Aik Chew’s river prawn curry is now the king of all curries in my books.

*Read it in Star2Sunday HERE.

Ambiance: 5/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 7/10 (pork free)
Verdict: Big, fresh prawns and thick, spicy curry. Need I say more?

Lim Aik Chew

436 Tanjong Berembang,

Nibong Tebal, Seberang Perai,

Penang

Tel: 04-593 2957 / 016-5904 8912 (Mr Lim)

GPS coordinates: N05 09.049, E100 27.748

Lim Aik Chew Prawn Curry, Star2Sunday August 2011

2011-08-21T11:24:00.002+08:00

Good morning folks! Check out my column in Star2 today! :)

Merdeka Makan-Makan Food Trail, Jaya 33

2011-08-19T13:32:00.004+08:00

“Someone left a box outside the house gate for you! I think it’s a bomb!” my mum called me when I was at work. I wasn’t expecting any parcel that day and I’d like to think that people don’t hate me that much to want to harm me. Long story short, mum instructed the maid to place the box on the road…and use a stick to open it. LOL!

There was no bomb. Instead, it was a bowl with an invitation from Kim Chew Communications to attend the Merdeka Makan-Makan Food Trail in Jaya 33. I thought the invite was clever, despite my mum freaking out initially -- PR agencies are getting more and more creative these days!

The food trail was a carefully planned eating spree comprising six restaurants in Jaya 33 – Shyet Li’s, Nagomi Japanese Restaurant, Deutsches Haus, d’Italiane Kitchen, Vietnam Kitchen and Vintry. Each restaurant prepared a few special Merdeka dishes which are available from now until 15 September 2011.

At Shyet-Li’s, we sampled the kunyit fried chicken, sambal sotong, beef rendang served with nasi lemak, fried egg, kangkung and keropok ikan (RM19.90), on top of a few of their best sellers. I can’t give an overall rating for this as I only managed to sample the chicken, which was tender enough. Cendol (RM4.90) is also on offer.

At Nagomi, we sampled two popular set meals; Miso Tori Itame (RM22) and Teppan Seafood Set (RM59). Every set meal comes with complimentary salads, Chef special dishes, desserts and fruits from the buffet bar.

The chicken, cooked with mixed vegetables and bean paste sauce, didn’t wow me. I enjoyed the seafood set, which featured teppanyaki king prawns, cuttle fish, fish and vegetables. The prawns were plump, juicy and richly flavoured by the creamy topping.

We then moved on to Deutsches Haus for a feast of Honey Pork Knuckle (RM59) and Sausage Platter (RM88). The knuckle came with streaky bacon, a generous serving of sauerkraut and potato ragout. This tasted decent, although I would have preferred the skin to be crispier and lighter.

Of all the variety of sausages, I liked the Nunberger and Thüringer sausage best. Both had a strong flavour and went well with the garlic and Habanero mayonnaise.

I would have stayed and eaten more of this apple strudel, but we had a pretty tight eating schedule so I had to leave 2/3 of it behind. *For every RM60 spent in Deutsches Haus, you get a complimentary scoop of premium ice cream.

At d’Italiane Kitchen, we tucked into Butternut Shrimp Soup (RM18.90), Puttanesca Pizzinis (RM20.90), Pemento Lamb Cutlet (RM62.90), Broiled Sesame Cod (RM78.90) and Steamed Pudding with caramelized orange (RM18.90).

The soup was delicious – thick, creamy and aromatic with chunks of shrimp, I finished my portion...as well as the portion meant for photography.

I didn’t care much for the pizzini/pizza, which tasted a bit bland for my liking. Then again, I’m someone who loves strong flavours so you might feel differently about this.

Between the lamb (main picture) and fish, I enjoyed the former. Cooked to a lovely tenderness, the meat – rimmed with fat – had a juicy centre. I’ve never been a fan of sesame, unless it’s used in Chinese cuisine. The fish was cooked just right and given an oriental touch with the sesame seasoning, but I wasn’t a fan.

I was however, a fan of the steamed pudding. Simple, yet decadently moist, this reminded me of the spotted dick pudding.

Our next stop was Vietnam Kitchen, to sample the Vietnamese Seafood Salad (RM12.90), Lemongrass Fish Fillet (RM20.00) and Braised Pork in Coconut Juice (RM19.90). I don’t care much for Vietnamese food unless it’s pho, as they tend to be very ‘ch’ng’.

Vietnam Kitchen’s braised pork made me eat my words. This was very delicious (despite its rather plain outlook). The meat was melt-in-the-mouth tender, from the layers of creamy pork fat. I liked how the coconut juice added a sweet touch to the meat.

These salad and fish paled in comparison to the pork. I found the lemongrass flavour too strong for the delicate fish and salads were never my thing.

The last stop of our food trail was Vintry, for their signature dishes – Spicy Caramelized Roast Pork (RM9 per 100gm), Deep-Fried Pork Strips (RM12), Honey Fried Cheese (RM16), Blue Cheese Pork Burger (RM26) and Fried Korean Noodles (RM18). For this Merdeka promotion, Vintry is offering a 20% discount on the dishes mentioned above.

Despite feeling ridiculously full (that’s usually the case when I go for buffets), I still managed to squeeze in the honey fried cheese, pork belly, roast pork and a bite of the Korean noodles. The fried cheese had a crisp outer later and melted centre; delicious when eaten piping hot.
But it was the roast pork (siew yuk) that stole the show here. Crackly skin with alternating layers of meat and fat, this was very moreish. I could have eaten 200gms of this...if I didn’t eat anything else before.

I love food reviews like this and was pleased that this PR Company treats bloggers and media fairly. The review comprised a small crowd of 3 medias and 3 bloggers. Thank you Kim Chew Communications, for extending the invite to me. I had a really good time.

Think you can out-eat us? Go prove it. Otherwise, just go and try the special dishes created for this food trail. This makan-makan promotion ends on September 15, 2011.

List of participating restaurants:

Shyet-Li's Kopitiam
Lot No: PG-16
Tel: 03-7960 3563

Nagomi Japanese Restaurant
Lot No: PG-02B
Tel: 03-7956 2330

Deutsches Haus
Lot No: PG-01A
Tel: 03-7960 5736

d'Italiane Kitchen
Lot No: PG-01B
Tel: 03-7956 3684

Vietnam Kitchen
Lot No: PG-02D
Tel: 03-7957 1126

Vintry
Lot No: PG-02C
Tel: 03-7960 6737

Wedding prep: Make-up artist

2011-08-18T08:00:00.000+08:00

I’ve been looking for a good make-up artist cum hairstylist for my big day. The make-up artist of my choice would cost me RM2K (discounted price) PER SESSION excluding hair since he’s a celebrity make-up artist. One of my readers recommended a makeup artist, who quoted me a reasonable amount for two make-up and hair sessions (morning and night). For the trial session, she charges an extra RM150.

The second make-up artist I found does the job for slightly cheaper (2 sessions + trial). He is a hairstylist by profession and does a lot of makeup shows. I like how he does my hair, but I’ve yet to see his makeup portfolio. I was at a concert when I saw the works of the third make-up artist. She did the makeup for the performers, and it was exactly the style I wanted. Her price quote was also reasonable for 2 sessions. Trial session requires and additional RM150. That said, I’m not sure about her hairstyling abilities yet. Both the second and third make-up artist do not own a website so it’s hard for me to gauge what they can do.

Earthy tones are my best bet

Any of you know a good makeup artist (who can do hair as well) who charges reasonably? To save money, I’ll be doing my own make-up and possibly hair for my ROM. If I had a choice, I'd do my own make-up for the "jip san leong" and wedding dinner too. But I'm only worried I'd mess up...because I might be nervous.

Oh, and here are a few hair tips for bride-to-bes:

You know the saying styling dirty hair is easier than freshly washed hair? It’s a myth. Oily hair doesn’t work well with hairspray.
Based on my personal experience, don’t use synthetic hair extensions if you plan to style it with your real hair. Human hair is a lot easier to style.

Yuzu Japanese Restaurant, The Gardens

2011-08-16T14:50:00.001+08:00

Steamboats/Hotpots are one of the best things to eat on a rainy day. If I could, I’d eat steamboat at least once a week. Besides the traditional steamboat dinners, I love going for shabu shabu (Japanese for hotpot).

I find the Japanese version more elegant; with thinly sliced meats, fish and vegetables. Of late, I’ve been frequenting Yuzu at The Gardens for their shabu shabu promotion. Christy and I chanced upon this a few months ago when we were looking for a place to eat.

The all-you-can-eat shabu shabu promotion cost RM98 for a minimum of two pax. If you’re dining in a group of odd numbers, the extra one person only needs to pay RM49 to enjoy the shabu shabu. The promotion gives diners a choice of beef or fish (salmon and yellowtail), or both. No prize guessing which option I went for. You also get udon and fresh vegetables to cook in the soup.

Dipping Sauce

Basically, everything is DIY. You take raw strips of thinly sliced beef and swish it into the boiling pot of soup. Shabu shabu also stands for “swish swish”. Since the meat cooks quickly, do not leave it in there for too long or it will become rubbery. A good 15-20 seconds will do, in my opinion. Compared to the other shabu shabu places I’ve been to, the beef and fish at Yuzu is of better quality. The meat is tender and lightly streaked with fat.

I also enjoyed the yellowtail and salmon – both were fresh and succulent. Fish cooked just as quickly as beef, so make sure you remove the fish slices when they are done. Otherwise, you won’t be pleased with the outcome.

The vegetables at Yuzu were crunchy and sweet, which helped flavour the broth. Once the broth has been flavoured with the fat of the beef, fish and vegetables, add in the udon for maximum satisfaction. That is if, you’re not too stuffed from the unlimited supply of beef and fish.

Service has been consistently decent and for slightly over RM110, it’s pretty value for money. When we were there, Christy and I polished off 8 plates of beef, 4 plates of fish, 2 bowls of udon and 2 servings of vegetables. Beat that.

Ambiance: 7/10
Price: 5/10
Food: 6/10 (pork free)
Verdict: Good value for money, considering the quality of the ingredients used.

Yuzu Japanese Restaurant
T236, 3rd Floor
The Gardens
Mid Valley City
Tel: 03-2284 7663

Papillon 1973, Solaris Dutamas

2011-08-15T14:30:00.004+08:00

With so many group buying sites around, we now have plenty of options when it comes to getting good deals. That said, I feel some deals are often not worth buying, like the manicure + pedicure deal I purchased a few months back. Instead of having quality nail polishes like the promotion claimed, there were more cheap-quality nail polishes compared to the branded ones. My most recent group buying deal disaster was at Papillon 1973 in Solaris Dutamas.

This deal offered diners a 60% discount on Papillon 1973’s ala-carte buffet, so we paid RM28.80 instead of RM63.40. Soon, customers who bought the same deal started complaining about the restaurant and food on the “discuss this deal” section of the page. This has since been removed from the site. When I tried redeeming my deal last week, I was told (rudely) by a man named Sam that there was no such promotion! I then called the next guy Peter who asked me to text him my reservation details.

Deal highlights

Long story short, rif and I went to the restaurant with our expectations set low. Upon arriving at the restaurant, I was told by the waiter that there were no tables available since I did not make a reservation. After showing them my SMS reservation, they relented and seated us right behind the restaurant (near the kitchen). From then on, both the service and food set a new standard of low for us.

A customer who was redeeming her voucher came up to my table and clarified the deal with me. She too, wasn’t happy with the way the restaurant handled things; we were there on a Thursday (Grill & Barbeque Day).

Terms & conditions

Only two waiters were present and frankly, I thought the guy waiter was useless. He took our orders repeatedly but never put them through the kitchen. Needless to say, anything we ordered with him never got delivered.

Instead of three types of soup, only two soups were available – carrot and onion. Both the soups were terrible, especially the onion soup which tasted really sweet. The former was very grainy and had barely any taste.

Our mains took ages to arrive. Portion was a joke, and no thought was given to the presentation at all. The deal promised diners a choice of sauce, fresh corn and broccoli. What we got was a fixed sauce and some fries. The grill barramundi fish was crisp on the outside but slimy on the inside. It was as though the fish wasn’t properly thawed.

Worse was the chicken, which was dry, tough and burnt around the edges.

We actually thought the lamb was nicely marinated, but the choice of cut was abysmal. The lamb was way too fat (80% fat, 20% meat) and the meat was way too tough to cut.

If you ask me, the aglio olio wasn’t worth ordering as the noodles were overcooked and tasteless.

Our drinks never got refilled despite countless reminders and my coke tasted funny. It tasted like the economy carbonated cola you find in supermarkets. rif’s ice lemon tea was merely tea-flavoured water. There were no mixed fruits for dessert; all we got was a measly serving of mint chocolate chip ice cream.

My dining experience at Papillon 1973 was both frustrating and disappointing. Despite the 60% discount, the food quality and portion was not worth RM28.80. If any of you plan to redeem your voucher, please keep your expectations to the bare minimum. If you’re not bounded by the voucher, I suggest you spend your hard-earned money elsewhere.

Ambiance: 4/10 (poor ventilation)
Price: 3/10
Food: 2/10 (halal)
Verdict: Come here for lousy food and pain-in-the-butt service.

D2 G3 3, Solaris Dutamas
1 Jalan Dutamas 1
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 017-680 6515 (Sam), 010 432 8522 (Peter)

Food Vlog: Precious Old China, Central Market

2011-08-12T07:30:00.000+08:00

Since I featured Hock Chew food in my last video, it’s only fair I did a food video on Peranakan food – rif is Peranakan. I was pretty pleased with the outfit from Peep Boutique as it really matched the ambiance. Getting this video done was a real pain because we visited the restaurant on the wrong day. The weekend we went, there was a book launch at 3pm. That really messed up the audio for my video. On top of that, the jewellery that The Aura sent to me got lost/stolen halfway through the mail, so I had to make do with some of her older items. Thank god they matched!

As for the audio correction, I was lucky that Anthony of Big A Productions offered to fix my damaged audio file. While the outcome isn’t perfect, it’s way better than the original file (trust me). At least you get to hear my voice, rather than the unpleasant muffles of the emcee on the microphone from the room next door. Enjoy!

Sponsors:

EcoFirst Products Sdn Bhd (Wellness)

Peep Boutique (Wardrobe)

The Aura (Accessories)

Kiss Me (Makeup)

Lucido-L (Hair)

Big A Productions (Audio Editing)

Don't forget to follow me on Facebook HERE.

You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel HERE.

Subscribe to my Vimeo channel HERE.

Tweet me HERE.

Wedding Video - Behind the Scenes

2011-08-10T10:35:00.005+08:00

Over the past few months, I’ve been watching quite a bit of wedding videos to get a rough idea of how I want our video to be. As most of you know, we’ve engaged in the services of Nigel Sia, who will be our videographer for the ROM as well as the actual day. Apart from that, Nigel will also be coming with up with a video teaser and a special video highlighting our dating days…leading up to the proposal. So far, things are looking very positive.

Behind the scenes

We filmed our wedding video in July, and the whole process took 10 hours and spanned across 5 locations. Remember our meet-up with Nigel? That was when he talked to us about how we met, the highlights of our relationship and what we wanted for our video. A week before the video shoot, Nigel emailed us his proposed storyboard and things took off from there. I won’t reveal this special video until the wedding dinner (video will be uploaded on my blog after the wedding), but here’s a sneak peak/behind the scene of what we’ve worked on.

The school scene was a bit difficult because I had to get permission to enter our old school (new headmistress) and a decent looking classroom – government school, go figure – to do our filming. When I got that part settled, the next issue was getting a school uniform. Sylvia, my wedding planner’s assistant managed to find me a pinafore that fit just right. For this scene, Nigel told me I needed to look the part, so I skipped the make-up and changed my hairstyle (don't worry, I didn't cut my hair -- it's just a wig). I don’t know you, but I think the wig did the trick! I got mine from My Dream Cottage.

Nigel came with a team of ‘actors’ – Kel Li, Harinder, Jenkin, Daphne, Simon, Jason and Ren. Jason and Ren were there throughout the shoot, helping Nigel with the videography. The others helped make the school scene more believable. Thanks guys, for the effort! The one thing that struck me about Nigel (apart from his ability to conceptualise) was his attention to detail and structure. Things were done efficiently and with structure from the storyboard. He had a checklist of what we needed to do, which he used as a reference.

He came equipped with five DSLRs (plus tripod, mike, slider…etc) for our video which he changed as and when he felt was needed. We had good fun throughout the 10-hour shoot as Nigel was very accommodative and easy to work with. For those who are looking for a videographer to do your wedding video, give him a shout via email (hello@nigelsia.com) or twitter (twitter.com/nigelais)! You can also give him a ring at 016-384 4617.

*If you’re looking for a less conventional wedding video (ie: boring, bridal studio compilation), Nigel’s your man. But before you engage in his services, let me kindly remind you that he’s off limits on October 8 (first half of the day) and November 19 (full day) 2011. :)

Selera Kampung-Ku Buffet @ Cinnamon Coffee House, One World Hotel

2011-08-09T08:00:00.003+08:00

While buka puasa bazaars boast a variety of food items at affordable prices, the hungry, aggressive crowd swamping my favourite murtabak and ayam percik stall scares me. I worry for my shoes (and feet!) constantly. If there was one thing I’ve learnt over the years, it’s never to fight with a hungry man. Ever. I reckon that’s one of the reasons why I haven’t made my way down to Ramadan bazaars this year. I did however visit a ‘bazaar’ last week – at Cinnamon Coffee House in One World Hotel.

Nasi Kerabu

Themed “Selera Kampung-Ku”, the buffet spread was mind-boggling – stalls were even placed at the front entrance of the restaurant. They even had food stalls set up at the alfresco section; talk about going all out! There are 8 rotating menus for the buffet, so there’s no need to worry about too many repeated dishes. Besides traditional Malay and kampung fares, the buffet also comprised Western, Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern, Fusion, Japanese and a pasta station.

Most popular that day was the carving station – whole roast lamb with roasted vegetables and briyani rice and sauce condiments (mint sauce, black pepper sauce and dalcha). By the time I got to this station, the whole lamb was gone. But this was quickly replaced with another freshly roasted lamb. I had a large slice and it was juicy and tender with a tasty layer of fat. The meat, seasoned with herbs and spices smelt wonderful and the briyani rice was as fluffy as it should be.

There was a variety of kerabu on display and I especially enjoyed the kerabu pucuk paku; spicy with just the right amount of flavour. I’ve never eaten nasi ulam, but this was incredibly addictive. Redolent of spices and herbs – notably lemongrass – this went well with the Ayam Tangkap Malaysian Style. The chicken pieces were juicy and richly flavoured, but try to choose the drumstick or thigh. I found the breast a tad dry.

My plate, piled high

Clearly, this wasn't my plate. It looked too 'bare' to be mine! :P

I found the chicken murtabak just alright but the shawarma was tasty enough from the ample filling. The selection of curries and rendang went well with the nasi kerabu and nasi ulam; I piled my plate with a scoop of each. Almost everyone made a beehive for the beef rendang and roti jala, so I followed suit. The beef chunks were cooked till slightly flaky and the rendang gravy was thick and ‘lemak’.

Round 2 (or was that 3?)!

My thick slice of beef from the grill station was tasty enough, but hardly as memorable as the Malay selection. What looked like bubur lambuk turned out to be a thick and heavily spiced mushroom soup – I liked this.

The squid ink fettuccine with mushrooms and beef bacon which I ordered from the pasta station was slightly under seasoned, but a few shakes of salt and pepper fixed this.

Dessert selections were plenty, but there was only so much I could fit into my bulging tummy. I selected a few desserts carefully – opera cake, cheesecake, chocolate mousse and fruit tart. Of the lot, I most enjoyed the opera cake and cheesecake.

Sadly, the local desserts didn’t mark up to my expectations. The kuih talam was too sticky while the kuih ketayap had too thick a skin. I was also disappointed with the onde-onde as the Gula Melaka filling wasn’t liquid enough.

That said, I did enjoy the fried ice cream – pistachio and cookies & cream. This reminded me of the times I used to pay RM2.50 per piece at the SS2 pasar malam. Only difference is, you get to eat as many as you can stomach at Cinnamon Coffee House, and in different flavours. I capped off my meal with a cup of teh tarik. Not bad, but it would have been perfect if the tea was frothed.

By the end of the night, I was gastronomically comatose-d that I could hardly make my way to the parking lot. Thank you Florence, of One World Hotel for the gracious invite and for accompanying me throughout the dinner. Thanks Charlie, for tagging along so last minute. It was fun catching up! So for those of you who want the luxury of an extensive Ramadan spread minus the night market feel, give Cinnamon Coffee House a try. One advice though: Make sure you have enough stomach space to sample all the traditional Malay and kampung fares on offer!

*The Selera Kampung-Ku buffet is priced at RM108++ per adult and RM54++ per child age 4-12 years old. For dining reservations, call Cinnamon Coffee House at 03-7681 1157.

Ambiance: 6/10
Price: 5/10
Food: 6/10 (halal)
Verdict: A bit pricey, but the food is pretty good in general and selections are aplenty.

Cinnamon Coffee House

Concourse Level,

One World Hotel

03-7681 1157

Fish Farm Thai Restaurant - Hulu Langat, Ampang

2011-08-08T08:00:00.000+08:00

*from my Star2Sunday article (August 7, 2011)

It was, literally, a food discovery in the middle of nowhere. Getting to the Fish Farm Thai Restaurant in Hulu Langat, Selangor, was a mini adventure as the road was bumpy, winding and narrow. The journey took us almost an hour but we managed to get there before it got dark. Despite the crowd, we got a table on the wooden planks above the pond.

rif and his parents enjoyed the table location more than I did; the wooden planks shook every time people walked on them. There were so many kids running and jumping on the planks that I was worried they would give way!

But I soon put my fears aside when the four of us ordered the seafood tom yam (RM18), baked crabs (RM55 per kilo), steamed tilapia in Thai lemon sauce (RM30), batter-fried spinach (RM8), salted egg yolk squid (RM28, large) and pandan chicken (RM10, small) to share. Greedy and ambitious, I know.

The tom yam was spicy and tangy with a sweet flavour from the prawns. Rif and I didn’t think it was as spicy and tangy as we would have liked. That said, the seafood was fresh and succulent. I especially enjoyed the large prawns and tender squid slices.

The batter-fried spinach was moreish and I ate more that I should have. The batter was wispy and lightly coated the spinach leaves. Despite being deep fried, they were not very oily.

We all enjoyed the steamed tilapia, which came swimming in the Thai lemon sauce. This sauce is not suited for those with butter-tongues. It was laden with plenty of chopped cili padi! Almost each spoonful of gravy had two or three pieces of these fiery bites. But chilli lovers will be thrilled. We ate the fish – which was meaty and had hardly any muddy smell or taste – and lapped up every drop of the gravy.

The one dish I didn’t like at all was the pandan chicken. It was dry, crumbly and tasteless. I found it very disappointing. It felt as though I was eating chicken flavoured sawdust, not that I've tried sawdust.

However, my disappointment quickly went away when I tried the salted egg yolk squid. Unlike most versions of salted egg yolk squid, this version comprised deep-fried squid rings generously topped with salted egg yolk sauce. Creamy, savoury and decadent, but a nightmare for the waistline.

The crab took a while to arrive because it was cooked slowly and carefully over a charcoal fire. But our wait was worthwhile – the flesh was sweet and flaky with a nicely charred flavour. Yum!

The restaurant sold pandan coconut (RM5) which was sweet and refreshing especially since it was served chilled. I didn’t quite like the Lord Chong (RM5), the Thai version of cendol. This tasted a bit weird as I wasn’t accustomed to having bits of agar-agar in my cendol. rif, however, thought it was quite nice.

The weather was breezy that night, which made our dining experience more enjoyable. The bill came up to RM143 inclusive of drinks and rice, which is pretty affordable considering the amount of food we ordered. Don’t be put off by the distance and bumpy roads – think of it as an exciting (and hopefully rewarding) food adventure!

Ambiance: 5.5/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 7/10 (pork-free)
Verdict: Fresh seafood enhanced by simple cooking styles.

Fish Farm Thai Restaurant
(open 11am-11.30pm, seven days a week)
KM4 Jalan Ampang,
Hulu Langat,
Ampang, Selangor
017-251 5235 / 019-260 6493
GPS coordinates: N03 07.784 E101 48.308

Wedding Update: BUDGETING

2011-08-05T12:02:00.000+08:00

Read what rif has to say about our wedding budget on our wedding blog!

We tried to make sure our wedding budget is within control as things are ridiculously expensive these days. Who on earth pays RM200 for a bouquet of flowers?! Flowers can lay eggs meh? He also addressed factors that affect the wedding budget and ways to solve them.

Click HERE to read more!

Conservatory, Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur

2011-08-04T12:50:00.004+08:00

Having the Starwood privilege card is no longer a must to get good deals at Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur, so I learnt a few weeks back. CIMB credit card holders (world, infinite and signature only) can now enjoy similar dining discounts as the Starwood card. But, you only get a 20% discount in Prime with the CIMB card. For Favola, Latest Recipe and Conservatory, the 50% discount for 2 applies. (Note: This isn’t an advertorial for CIMB Bank. I just like their dining privileges.)

Conservatory was the only outlet I have yet to try at Le Meridien, probably because the selection didn’t entice me as much as the comprehensive buffet spread, excellent steaks and hearty pastas did. But dinner at Prime wasn’t until 8pm and I was feeling peckish at 4pm. rif being the loving fiancé decided to treat me to some afternoon tea at the Conservatory. They were having the choco-art promotion that month (June 2011) – 2-tiered Choco-Art of pralines, truffles, mini cupcakes and hot cocoa shots, and a Monbana Chocolate drink for RM 48++.

For no apparent reason, (our waitress was vague and impassive), the Starwood card discount wasn’t valid at the Conservatory. But we didn’t want to spoil our afternoon arguing with the waitress, so we let slip this matter. I don’t know if I had set my expectations too high for Le Meridien, but the choco-art failed to impress. The pralines and truffles were nice, but they were also available in the buffet spread at Latest Recipe.

I liked the rich chocolate cupcake, but again, that was also available in the buffet. The cocoa shot was a bit too gloppy for my liking; it tasted like a cross of jelly and chocolate. I think rif felt the same way.

On another note, the Monbana Chocolate drink was lovely. It had a buttery aftertaste that wasn’t too heavy on the palate. Despite the somewhat mediocre treats, teatime allowed us to spend uninterrupted time together just talking. Something we were encouraged to do on a weekly basis when we enrolled in the marriage preparation course.

Ambiance: 6.5/10
Price: 4/10
Food: 5/10
Verdict: I found the choco-art average and portion was a tad small.

Conservatory
Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur
03-2263 7434

Snippets of Bangkok

2011-08-03T12:20:00.001+08:00

It's been slightly over a week since I was in Bangkok with Christy. Here are bits and pieces of things I miss there:

First motorsai (motorbike taxi) experience.

Long top/dress: Peep Boutique

White cardigan: Peep Boutique

Do I look like Einstein?

Wacky glasses for 200 baht. Don't know how much that light bulb was...and no, I didn't buy them. Imagine wearing that to work. LOL

Who on earth owns underwear in almost every colour?!

Beer session after clubbing at Bed Supperclub

Dress: Forever 21

Christy turned 21. Legal enough to drink and club. Woohoo!!

'Boria' bersama-sama. Hahaha...

Super yummy ham & cheese sandwich from 7-11 Bangkok. For 22 baht.

I miss Bangkok. And Christy. :'(

Ana Ikan Bakar Petai, Kuantan (revisit)

2011-08-02T19:16:00.001+08:00

There are many ikan bakar stalls in Kuantan, but one of the more popular ones around is Ana Ikan Bakar Petai. Finding a place to sit can be difficult during peak hours, so it’s best to get there earlier or later. Problem with going later is, you might not get the fish you want. When we got there at 9pm, they were out of ikan pari (stingray) -- only siakap and tilapia were available.

It was a full house that night and we had to wait for more than half an hour before we were served. Instead of cooking the kangkung belacan with sambal, the kangkung at Ana Ikan Bakar is cooked with belacan and chili slices, making the dish mildly spicy and light in flavour. I enjoyed this, more so with white rice.

Whenever I eat ikan bakar, I always opt for the familiar cooking styles like, the ikan bakar sambal petai or just plainly grilled. According to rif who dines here more than I do, the ikan masak tiga rasa is also quite popular among the crowd. The fish is first deep fried and then topped with the tiga rasa gravy. Tastewise, the spicy-sweet-savoury flavours didn’t rock my boat. I would have preferred this spicier for more kick. The others however, enjoyed this.

I liked the Ikan Bakar Sambal Petai better. Grilled with thick sambal sauce, onion slices and fresh petai, the fish was well-seasoned and fragrant from the banana leaf wrap. It had a smoky-char flavour which I found delicious. I slathered plenty of kicap hitam on my fish and ate it with white rice. My only gripe was the annoying bones in the fish; if stingray is available, just go for that.

Although nothing special, the sotong goreng was properly fried, resulting in its crispy exterior and tender centre. It was very addictive, and our large plate was wiped clean within minutes.

I ordered the seafood tom yam because I was craving something soupy and sour. I found this very watered down. The soup was hardly spicy or sour, much to my dismay. Skip this if possible.

Ana Ikan Bakar Petai
Pantai Selera,
Tanjung Lumpur,
Kuantan
Tel: 019-987 8155 (Haji Baharin), 013-9989175 (Fairuz)
GPS Coordinates: N3 47.898, E103 20.388

Kuantan Eating Spree

2011-08-01T08:00:00.002+08:00

*from my Star2Sunday article (July 31, 2011)

Kuantan is relatively alien to me when it comes to food, except for a few regular eating places such as Hoi Yin Curry Mee and Ana Ikan Bakar Petai. However, Rif and I decided to stop for a night in Pahang's capital after a good beach vacation at Perhentian Island. The next day, we tried the much talked about Cendol Air Putih, also known as the Kuantan Cendol. Since it's a small shop along the main road, you will need to keep an eye out for it.

Rif ordered the cendol pulut (RM1.80) while I got greedy and ordered the cendol campur pulut (RM2). Turned out, my greed served me no good. My cendol was nothing to shout about -- the mixture of ais kacang ingredients didn't do justice to the cendol strips.

Rif's cendol tasted much better. The cendol strips had a mild salty flavour which enhanced the richness and sweetness of the coconut milk and palm sugar mixture. One of Rif's friends had the cendol kacang (RM1.70) and it was also tasty due to the well-marinated beans. While this isn't the best cendol I've eaten, it is however, one of the good ones around.We also tried the karipap, pulut ikan and temosa (RM0.50 each) on display. These were just average in my books. It's best to just stick to the cendol. I heard of another cendol place in Kuantan called Mustafa cendol, but since we were pressed for time, I shall leave it till my next visit to Kuantan.

Cendol Air Putih

(Opens: Tuesday to Sunday from 12-5.30pm)

B-260E,
Jalan Air Putih
25300, Kuantan,
Pahang
GPS Coordinates: N03 49.579, E103 20.178

Next, we had lunch at Restoran Zaman. This restaurant is reputed served the best nasi lemak in Kuantan and it is advisable to get there in the morning (the restaurant opens at 6am), as the rice sells out fast. According to Rif, they serve pretty good mee jawa and mee soto but all were sold out by lunchtime that day.

For RM1.70 per small packet, I found the nasi lemak expensive. Heck, I'm already complaining when I pay RM1.30 for a packet of nasi lemak in KL, so what more, RM1.70? In all fairness, the nasi lemak was delicious. Plenty of coconut milk was used in preparing the rice, resulting in its delicious creaminess. Apart from being 'lemak', the rice had a fragrant aroma from the addition of lemongrass in the cooking process.

The sambal packed a wallop of flavour. Cooked using cili giling, it was spicy and sweet with a lingering aftertaste. Even the banana leaf wrap played an important role; it imparted a nice fragrance to the nasi lemak. Good stuff! I would have eaten two packets, but decided against it as I wanted to try their nasi campur too.

I piled my plate of white rice with some ayam masak merah (RM3 per piece), kari perut (RM1.50) and sayur masak lemak (RM1.50). Coming from someone who isn't a fan of innards, the perut was delicious. Tender, slightly chewy and nicely flavoured by the curry gravy, this went really well with white rice. Don't underestimate the colour of the curry; it was rather spicy.

I found the chicken a tad too sweet for my liking and didn't care much for the sayur masak lemak.

Restoran Zaman

Batu 9 , Jln Gambang,

Kuantan, Pahang

GPS Coordinates: N03 45.738, E103 12.820

After lunch, we stopped to buy some keropok lekor and keropok ikan from the stalls along Jaya Gading. If you're too lazy to buy the uncooked keropok lekor, just get the freshly fried ones like I did. At the end of this trip, I found a few more food places in Kuantan which I plan to try. So this isn't the end of my makan spree in this state. If you have more food recommendations in Kuantan, do share them with me!

Jaya Gading Stalls

25150 Kuantan, Pahang

GPS Coordinates: N03 45.874, E103 12.790

Simple Staples in Kuantan, Star2Sunday July 2011

2011-07-31T21:59:00.005+08:00

For more good eats in Kuantan, check out my food column in Star2Sunday today!

*previous Kuantan features HERE and HERE.

Hai Peng Kopitiam, Kemaman

2011-07-29T08:00:00.001+08:00

Stopping for Hai Peng in Kemaman is something rif and I do on a yearly basis. We always make it a point to stop for the coffee here, on our way back from Perhentian Island. Over the years, the prices have increased but the food and drinks quality taste relatively the same. Even service remains the same -- slow and uninterested.

Ice Blended Mocha Breeze

Since we were suppose to have dinner in Kuantan, we decided to just have a drink and some snacks. Otherwise, I would have gone for the full monty -- kaya bun, soft boiled egg, ice blended, fries and if any left, nasi dagang. I did however, order some fries (RM7.90) and toast bread with special curry (RM6.90) to share with the gang.

The ice blended coffee breeze (RM6.90) tasted just as good as we remembered it to be. Thick and smooth with a creamy aftertaste from the ice cream. While the fries were ordinary, I enjoyed the mustard-mayo dip it came with. The mustard gave the mayonnaise a kick, and made it less cloying. Very moreish.

The potato curry which came with the toast was quite spicy, so if you're not big on spicy dishes, you might want to go easy on this. I found the spiciness just right, and the gooey egg yolk gave the bread a creamy-rich texture and flavour. However, I would choose nasi lemak or nasi dagang over this. A pity they were not available when we got to the shop at 5.30pm.

We didn't hang around for too long, as Hai Peng swept us out, literally. Even though we were still halfway through our food and coffee, the staff started sweeping the floor near our table, causing dust and dirt to fly around. I think when we come back next year, I'll be getting my coffee and toasted buns to go. That way, I can enjoy my snacks minus the lousy service!

*Read my write-up on Hai Peng in StarMetro August 2009 and on my blog!

Ambiance: 5/10
Price: 5/10
Food: 6/10 (halal)
Coffee: 8/10
Verdict: The ice blended coffee is good, and so is the hot Kemaman coffee. But service is a nightmare.

Hai Peng Kopitiam
3753 Jalan Sulaimani
Chukai, 24000 Kemaman
Terengganu
Business hours: 6.45am – 6pm
09 - 859 7810

Restoran Sari Ratu, Kota Damansara

2011-07-28T10:55:00.003+08:00

When discussing on what and where to eat, I usually go for my favourite/regular cuisines such as Italian, Thai or Chinese. So when rif suggested Nasi Padang for dinner, I wasn’t as keen as he was. But I’ve been having Pad Thai and tom yam for 4 days straight in Bangkok, that I didn’t mind a change of cuisine.

The restaurant was relatively empty when we got there; people started streaming in from 7.30pm onwards. We shared a serving of gulai asam ikan (RM7), ayam goreng special (RM7.50), sambal terung (RM3.50) and rendang daging special (RM6). Quite a bit of food for two people, but I was famished.

Sari Ratu serves two types of sambal; sambal merah (RM3) and sambal hijau (RM3). Both were good accompaniments to the dishes, but I liked the sambal hijau better. It was spicy with a gingery aftertaste. The sambal merah was sweeter and spicier than I expected it to be. It was also richer is flavour and paired nicely with the fried chicken.

The ayam goreng special was slightly on the dry side, but I liked the crunchy fried bits around it. My favourite dish that day was the rendang daging. Unlike the Malay beef rendang, this Minangkabau version is thicker and spicier. The beef could have been more tender, but I soon understood why it was only fairly tender. When I chewed the meat, the flavour of the gravy was prominent – a sign that the beef was cooked in the gravy for hours.

We both agreed that the sambal terung was average. It was drenched in oil, which got a bit cloying after a while. Good thing the spicy sambal reduced the cloying effect tremendously.

The gulai ikan tasted similar to our local asam curry, but spicier, tangier and thicker. Decent, but I didn’t care much for it.

I’m not a fan of teh o’ais, so rif’s teh botol (RM3)was hardly memorable. My Es Teler (RM7) however, was good. It came laden with jackfruit slices, avocado, coconut, jelly, sago and sweet milk. Sweet, creamy and refreshing, especially after so many spicy dishes.

Dinner came up to about RM50 for all the above. Truth be told, I found the food pretty average and prices were on the high side. Oh well, at least I can now say, “Been there, tried that.”

Ambiance: 6/10
Price: 3/10
Food: 5/10 (halal)
Verdict: Stick to the favourites and you won’t go wrong. The Es Teler is a must-try!

Restoran Sari Ratu
47-1 GF, Jalan PJU 5/12,
Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara,
47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
03-6141 6165

FACES Magazine July/August 2011 - The Proposal

2011-07-27T08:00:00.001+08:00

A little bit of self-pimping:

rif and I were featured in the July/August issue of FACES Magazine. Go grab a copy today!

For more wedding updates, check out our wedding blog. Kthxbye!

Restoran Sun Ming, Cheras

2011-07-26T08:20:00.001+08:00

When I worked in Cheras a few years back, my then colleagues kept talking about this famous char siew place called Restoran Sun Ming in Taman Connaught. However, I resigned from my position before they had a chance to take more there for lunch. That restaurant was buried far behind my mind, as other new char siew places cropped up.

Last weekend, the fiance decided it was time to "get out of our comfort zone" and drove to Taman Connaught in search for the restaurant. It wasn't difficult to find the place; Sun Ming is located along the row of shoplifts after the Taman Connaught BHP petrol station. Since it was already 2pm, we expected the crowd to die down. We were wrong -- the restaurant was packed with patrons and we had to share a table with an elderly couple.

Only two people were manning the chopping station that day, and our food took slightly longer than 15 minutes to arrive. We shared a char siew and siew yuk platter (RM15 - small), 1/4 a roast duck (RM16) and a bowl of choy keok (RM3). I liked that they had oil rice (RM1.20); it was a delicious alternative to the bland white rice. Sun Ming's version was fragrant and had a firm yet fluffy texture.

The elderly couple next to us ordered a serving of lean char siew, but rif and I decided 'half lean, half fat' was the way to go. The char siew had smoky-charred sides and a caramelized fatty center. Hardly any chewing was needed; the tender pieces melted in the mouth after the first bite. The seasoning for this was less sweet compared to Toast & Roast's char siew, so if you like your char siew less sweet and sticky, you would like this better. A pity portion was rather small for this.

I didn't think very highly of the siew yuk, for it was dry at the sides and the skin wasn't as crackly as I liked it to be. The roast duck was also pretty average. While it was fairly meaty, the skin wasn't crispy or flavourful enough. Even the duck meat lacked seasoning, I felt. The thick duck gravy was its saving grace.

Choy Keok (RM3) is a dish prepared by cooking leftover meats with preserved vegetables, tamarind juice and dried chilli. Sun Ming's version was quite tasty, but it was only warm when served. I like my choy keok piping hot. On a whole, I found the char siew to be quite good but the other dishes were only average.

Ambiance: 4/10
Price: 5/10
Char Siew: 6.5/10
Others: 5/10
Verdict: Come for the char siew and remember to eat it with oil rice.

Restoran Sun Ming (NON HALAL)

137, Jalan Sarjana,

Taman Connaught

Cheras, 56000

Kuala Lumpur

GPS Coordinates: N 3 04.933, E 101 44.246

Jake's Charbroil Steaks, Starhill Gallery

2011-07-25T08:10:00.000+08:00

My first experience at Jake's Charbroil Steaks wasn't a pleasant one. rif and I went home feeling ripped off; service-wise, price-wise and food-wise. That was in 2008. I never went back to that restaurant, until a few weeks ago when I was invited by a friend for a wine tasting dinner.

This time around, my dining experience was more pleasant as the service bucked up tremendously (possibly because it was a planned event) and the company was good. Pre-dinner wine was an easy drinking De Martino Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2010. Not particularly memorable, but good enough to whet my appetite.

For starters, we had the freshly shucked oysters and vegetable consommé. The oysters tasted seemingly fresh and the latter was served in a mini cup. And by mini, I really meant mini. I finished this in two sips. Tastewise, I found the soup boring.

The grilled salmon with lemon cream sauce fared better. Paired with the Shinas Estate Innocent Viognier 2008, the fruity-sweet wine went nicely with the tangy sauce. It gave the dish a richer flavour. Without the wine, the salmon was just so-so.

I enjoyed the second pairing -- Shinas Estate Guilty Shiraz 2008 with Grilled Sirloin. This wine had a good nose and a vanilla-oak flavour with a peppery aftertaste. According to the sommelier, the wine had chocolate/mocha flavour but I didn't taste that. My sirloin was cooked medium rare and served with two types of sauce (worcestershire-based and cream-based). To me, the cream sauce was a better fit.

The roast leg of lamb was next; paired with the Shinas Estate Verdict Cabernet Sauvignon 2007. This was my favourite wine that night, and I had three refills.

The wine had a lovely nose with a deep, fruity flavour. However, the pairing with lamb was debatable. I liked it better with the beef. The roast lamb on its own was delicious. Topped with Rosemary sauce, it was tender and had a layer of tasty fat. A pity portion was small for this.

Dessert was a mascarpone cream crepe, which tasted more like vanilla cream to me. This tasted rather ordinary, if you ask me. One of my dining companions enjoyed this, because she liked cream fillings.

We capped off the meal with the much talked about Shinas Estate The Executioner 2007. While most people went "ooooo and aaaaaah" over this wine, I thought it was just ok. Production is small for this wine, so I reckon that increases the appeal for it. This was well-balanced with a resonating fruity flavour.

The food was decent and wines were good, but it really was the company that made dinner enjoyable. Come to think of it, it's been a while since I've had wine -- 2 weeks to be exact!

Jake's Charbroil Steaks
Starhill Shopping Centre
LG11 Lower Ground Floor,
181 Jalan Bukit Bintang,
55100 Kuala Lumpur.
03-2148 1398

Proposal Places - FACES Magazine, July/August 2011

2011-07-22T09:45:00.000+08:00

This month's feature in FACES Magazine was a bit of a challenge. Since it's their bridal issue, I was assigned to review 4 places that I find are proposal-worthy. Thing is, I never did the proposing! With limited budget and certain restrictions, here are the four places -- 2 posh, 2 budget. You can grab a copy of FACES Magazine from the nearest newsstand, or opt to read it as a jpeg file here. Enjoy!

Spasso Milano, Ampang

Yuzu, The Gardens

Teeq, Lot 10

Samplings on the Fourteen, Berjaya Times Square

Klang Eating Spree

2011-07-21T09:00:00.001+08:00

*from my Star2Sunday (July 17, 2011) article.

I'm blessed that Rif would go the extra mile just for me. And when the extra mile is food-related, the more effort he puts in. This eating spree was organized by him, after I talked about featuring a few good eating places in Klang. "Dress comfortably and ditch your high heels," he said, before picking me up from my home.

Our first stop was Fatty Mee Hoon Kuih House in Taman Berkeley, for some supposedly 'really good' pinched pan mee. At about 1.30pm, the place was ridiculously crowded. Finding a place to sit was difficult and more than 3/4 of customers have yet to get their noodles. According to Rif, there's less people during weekdays.

This has got the be the longest time I've waited for a bowl of noodles; 1 hour and 10 minutes. I never knew people were so crazy over pan mee and didn't understand why they had to cook one bowl individually each time!

By the time my large bowl of noodles (RM3 - small, RM3.50 - large, RM4 - extra large) arrived, I was famished. The noodles had an incredibly smooth texture and each piece was evenly cooked and of just the right thickness. To describe this simply, it was al dente. I also noticed how each piece didn't stick together, making the experience more enjoyable. The soup although clear, was sweet and flavourful from the boiled pork slices, anchovies and choy sum. For an extra RM0.50, you get an egg in your pan mee. I should have gone for the extra large bowl -- to make the long wait slightly more worthwhile. In my opinion, the noodles were delicious, but I don't think I'm ever going to wait 1 hour and 10 minutes for a simple bowl of noodles ever again!

Fatty Mee Hoon Kuih House (NON HALAL)

19, Lebuh Bangau,

Taman Berkeley,

41150, Klang

Opens 10am-10pm daily.

After the pan mee lunch, we headed off to look for the Cendol Klang. I don't know if my sense of directions is poor, or that the signboards in Klang is confusing. I kept navigating Rif to all the wrong places! After 20 minutes of driving around, we finally found the Klang cendol place. Like most famous places, the queue was long. Rif looked for a place to sit while I waited in line for a bowl of creamy concoction. If there was one complaint about this place, I'd have to pin it down to how some people don't know what a queue is.

See, instead of joining the long queue for the Klang cendol, this rather big-size man walked straight to the front of the line and demanded for four packets of cendol. The Indian couple obliged.

The young chap (I'm assuming he's the son of the owner) who prepared my cendol did it very efficiently. After 15 minutes, I finally got my cendol pulut (RM2.20) and a plain cendol (RM1.70) for Rif. Tastewise, I found this pretty good. The green jelly strips were soft yet firm, while the palm sugar was adequately thick and of just the right sweetness. I seldom come across cendol in Klang Valley that contains good kidney beans, but the beans at Cendol Klang hits the spot -- tender, sweet and thoroughly marinated. Another thing I liked about this cendol was how fresh and creamy the coconut milk was. It had an almost silky texture. My nasi pulut was aromatic and softly chewy.

On the other hand, I found the rojak (RM3.50) very disappointing. The gravy although spicy, was diluted and lacked flavour. I also didn't like the prawn fritters as I found them more doughy than crunchy.

Cendol Klang (HALAL)

No.78, Jalan Nanas,

41400 Klang

Selangor Darul Ehsan

On our way home, we stopped by Restoran Ong Fah Meru to buy some roast duck. Granted this isn't the best roast duck I've eaten, it's still pretty good. What I like about the roast ducks here is their good fat to meat ratio and crisp skin. The duck was also quite large -- there was plenty of meat to eat. Even after packing it home, the duck still tasted good after 5 minutes of light roasting in the oven.

For RM38, I reckon this is possibly one of the cheapest roast ducks around.The shop also sells siew yuk (roast pork), char siew (barbecue pork) and roast chicken. If you ask me, I'd say stick to the duck.

Restoran Ong Fah Meru (NON-HALAL)

No. 117, Jalan Cokmar,

Taman Mutiara,

Bukit Raja Off Jalan Meru,

41500 Klang

Opens: 8am - 7pm daily

In general, I found the food in Klang more affordable and of heartier portions. I'm planning to try the mee jawa, fried chicken and Klang famous pau in my next visit.

Klang Eating Spree, Star2Sunday July 2011

2011-07-20T09:00:00.001+08:00

I've been away the last few days, so I missed out on my recent Star2Sunday article over the weekend. Anyway, here's the article for your reading pleasure. :)

Daidomon Restaurant, Great Eastern Mall

2011-07-19T10:00:00.001+08:00

Daidomon has been frequently advertising its "all you can eat buffet" promotion in the newspapers. The only thing that interested me in that promo, was the different cuts of beef one could eat for RM49.90++. The restaurant was rather quiet; only 1/3 of the shop was occupied that night.

Selections from the buffet section

Despite that, service was pretty slow. I found the buffet section unappetizing, except for the chicken karaage, cheese sausage and prawn ball. The buffet is mostly ala carte style and you can order whatever you want from the menu provided. Tastewise, the food was nothing to shout about. After a while, they all started to taste pretty similar.

Seafood on grill

That said, I enjoyed the beef belly, tataki and striploin. We made a few orders of these. The seafood was just alright for me. I found the butter fish a tad fishy but the salmon was fresh. Strange, the butter fish sashimi was fresh and sweet. We also tried some lamb slices, which had much fat and became chewy after grilling. The chicken was under-seasoned.

Drinks station

For dessert, we had some mango and lychee jelly and assorted ice cream. The ice cream counter wasn't visible to customers. It is located behind the bar counter so you will have to notify the waiter of the flavours you want.

All in, the food was nothing to shout about but if you love beef, this promo is a good way to indulge in as much beef as you want.

Ambiance: 5.5/10
Price: 5.5/10
Food: 5/10 (pork-free)
Verdict: The food is so-so, but if you are big on beef, it's good value for money.

Daidomon Restaurant
Lot 4, Level 3,
Great Eastern Mall
No. 303, Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur
03-4252 8155
www.daidomon.com.my

Chinese Wedding Dinner

2011-07-18T12:30:00.000+08:00

Since our wedding is in another 4 months (gasp!), rif and I have been a bit more observant of what others serve during their wedding dinner. Most of the time, it is the dinners held at Chinese restaurants that triumph over hotel wedding dinners. And it's so much cheaper compared to the cut-throat prices we are paying for our wedding dinner.

My cousin recently got married and she had her dinner in Kemayan, Pahang. It was done in an assembly hall, so decor was minimal and too Chinese for my liking. I'm not big on decor, but it has to be presentable by my standards. Unlike hotel portions, we had plenty of food that night. The six seasons comprised smoked pork sausages, oyster fish ball, deep-fried yam fritters, mixed vegetables and jellyfish. I only liked the sausage, oyster fish all and deep-fried yam fritters. The rest was just so-so.

I didn't like the shark fin soup. It was too starchy and I didn't think much real shark fin was used. Anyway, we won't be serving shark fin soup during our wedding dinner. I'm replacing it with another soup of an equivalent value. Reason being half of my guests are boycotting shark fin soup. I love shark fin soup, but I hate wastage more.

rif loved the suckling pig, but I found it a bit too fatty around the sides. I like my suckling pig thin and crispy with a small layer of fat. While most people at my table enjoyed the pun choy (my dad especially), I didn't care much for it. The only thing I liked was the abalone.

My favourite dish that day was the butter oat prawns. The prawns were fresh, succulent and well-coated with the buttery mixture. I took my time and finished more than 1/3 of the plate. rif peeled most of the prawns for me. :)

The steamed red snapper was quite good, but I was too full to eat this. My parents ate my portion. I hardly touched the mixed vegetables as I was stuffed to the brim. According to rif, the fried rice was good. It was fluffy and had a good wok hei flavour.

I did find stomach space for dessert -- ice cream cone. Nothing fantastic, but I preferred this more than the usual red bean soup/honeydew soup served at most weddings. If there was one thing I don't like about Chinese wedding dinners outside of KL, it's how some guests love to 'tapau' the banquet food back home. o_0

Paris, Day 4

2011-07-15T10:00:00.000+08:00

*backdated post. Pardon my slack!

"Excusez-moi, where can I find the Sacré-Coeur?"

rif and I wandered along the streets for about 15 minutes, feeling rather confused with road signs. We wanted to see the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, also known as the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in English. I know we were suppose to climb a hill. Problem was, which hill was the right hill?

One of the things that annoy me about rif is his reluctance to ask for directions. I believe it's a guy thing, because my brother and father has the same annoying ego. I decided to ask a nice elderly lady who was crossing the road with her freshly baked French loaf. My attempt to pronounce Sacré-Cœur was so bad, she didn't understand me!

So I decided to point out the basilica on my map to her, and she immediately know. "Ahhh...Sacré-Cœur! Oui, oui. Go up this road and you will see the basilica," she replied. After thanking her, rif and I walked uphill, past some cafes, bakeries and souvenir shops. In no time, we were standing in front of Sacré-Cœur.

rif, outside of Sacré-Cœur

The basilica was a beautiful white colour, from the Château-Landon stones which were used to build the monument. During rainy days, the stones react to water and secrete calcite, which acts as a bleacher.

Later on, we went to Musée d'Orsay on the left bank of Seine river to admire some paintings. I was pleased to see so many of Claude Monet's artworks. He was my favourite artist when I studied art history in college. And his art series: The Water Lilies were more beautiful in real life.

We stopped for a late lunch at rif's favourite kebab place in Jaurès. He loves kebabs and they are one of the cheapest meals in Paris. Since we've been to all the places we wanted to see in Paris, we hung around Champs-Élysées (and I bought my LV bag) until it was time to board the train back to London.

I guess that explains why I was so annoyed when my parents only wanted to hang out in Champs-Élysées when we were in Paris last year. They were missing out!