Jim's Place

Z.G.M Ramen @ Jln Imbi

2011-04-19T20:20:00.005+08:00

Yes, it has been 2 bloody long years since I've updated this site :( I must confess, I inially started this site as a hobby and always procrastinated when it comes to updating. Well, since I'm back now, I will try to update as much as possible :)
Today, I'm gonna blog about a restaurant which I have frequented more then a year.

Z.G.M Ramen is situated along Jalan Imbi opposite Sakura Restaurant and specializes in szechuan cuisine. It's recently refurbished and takes up two shoplots. The old section serves as a smoking section while retaining the old furniture while the new section is decked out banquet style. To the uninitiated, szechuan food uses mainly garlic, chili and szechuan peppers while some dishes is garnished with peanut flakes and sesame seeds. Szechuan pepper has a very unique flavour. It has a slight soury overtone and creates a tingling numbness when bitten.

Pickled cucumber in chilli oil and szechuan peppercorn

Pickled cloud ear fungus in chili oil

These appetizers have a similar spicy sour tang. I am guessing they used the same marinade. Certainly whets my appetite :)

Stir fried chili beef

This is a pretty standard dish. Beef stir fried with dried chilies, carrots, onions and capsicum. The meat was juicy and not overly cooked and the medley of vegetables really brings out the meaty flavour. A one time only dish for me though.

Steamed lamb ribs

Le Dip

This is hands down my favourite dish at Z.G.M. The ribs were lightly seasoned and then steamed until the meat literally falls off the bone. Some of you might be put off by the amount of fat but this is the way I like it :) This dish is a prerequisite everytime I come here and sometimes the meat may be a bit more 'gamey' than usual.
The dip consists of chopped garlic, chili oil and vinegar strained with szechuan pepper and goes really well with the lamb.

Direct translation : water cooked fish

This is another highlight of Z.G.M. Fish fillets cooked in..you guessed it, szechuan peppers, dried chillies, chili oil, cabbages and water spinach. A lot of the dishes uses the same type of ingredients but different preparation makes each dish unique. This dish also comes in variations or pork, beef and frog legs. By the way, the fish is not exactly cooked in water, what you see is mainly oil -_-

Mixed vegetable

I find this dish rather unique, taufu cooked with century eggs, capsicum, cabbages and some other stuff I can't make out. It has a very light and cooling taste despite having century eggs, something nice to counter all the spicy and oily dishes.

Basil chicken

I used to like this dish until they decided to stinge on the basil. The chicken is cooked in finely chopped basil with sliced potatoes and pickled chillies. This dish didn't used to be soupy and a lot more basil was used so the whole dish is green in colour unlike what you see now :(

Despite some letdowns, I will still frequent this restaurant and there are heaps more dishes I haven't tried. It's nice comfort food especially during cold rainy weathers but be warned, szechuan food is heavy on msg, salt and oil.. not exactly a healthy meal.

Z.G.M Ramen

Lot 124, Jalan Imbi

Kuala Lumpur

Open daily : 11 - 10pm

Tel : 03-2145 1211/2141 1195
0122376919

KFC Double Down Sandwhich

2009-09-17T22:56:00.000+08:00

No, you will not be able to try this here. It's only availabe on Rhode Island in Nebraska. Bread replaced with 2 pieces of fried chicken ?? Damn, bring it on ! I want me some of that awesomeness.. Gotta try it at least once rite :)

Matsuba Shokudo @ OBD Tower

2009-09-17T16:40:00.001+08:00

OBD Tower is situated along Jalan Desa Utama in Taman Desa. Yes, it is another restaurant in Desa :) OBD Tower is made up of a majority of Japanese occupants. I was pleasantly surprised to know that their cafeteria is actually a Japanese restaurant and even more surprised that the food is above average :)

Nondescript entrance

Ah Pek sushi chef

The interior is okay if you want to eat and leave. Not a recommended place to chit chat over drinks though.

Agadashi Tofu

Soft Shell Crab

The softshell crab was delicious and only cost Rm15. The body is juicy and has a bit of roe. Yummm.. It should be eaten as soon as it arrives because after awhile its not crunchy.

Sashimi Moriawase

I opted for the normal sashimi platter since I've tried their specialties such as kampachi and the hamachi ( I forgot to bring my camera ). The fish is delivered twice a week and freshness is guaranteed. The highlight this dish is the scallop. It's very sweet and melts in your mouth.

The pork belly here is FANTASTIC!!!! How fantastic ? I would have came in my mouth if I could.. It's that good.

This came together with my pork set. You have 3 choices of noodles to choose from and I went for the Shio ramen. This was quite tasteless. Its basically noodle in boiling water and the 'cha siu' has the consistency of cardboard.

The Unagi set came with salad and tofu in shaved bonitos ( usually smoked tuna ). The Unagi was very good, not overly sweet and the eel is very fresh.

Oodles of noodles

Specialty items displayed at the entrace

View of the pool

I really like Matsuba. The prices here are affordable and the food above average. Most of their customers are also Japanese so you know they are doing something right. There's a smoking section and a good selection of sake. I am definitely eating here again :)

Matsuba Shokudo

OBD Tower Garden Condominium, (lookout for their signage next to guardhouse)

300-0-4, Jalan Desa Utama,

Off Jalan Klang Lama, Taman Desa

58100 Kuala Lumpur

open everyday lunch : 12:00 - 14:30

dinner : 18:00 - 22:30

Tel : 03 - 7987 7088

Non-halal

Sanuki Udon @ Taman Desa

2009-09-09T18:14:00.016+08:00

There's quite a few hidden gems in Taman Desa and one of them is Sanuki Udon. Situated opposite Desa Villa Apartments, it occupies a shoplot in an unassuming neighbourhood.

The no-frills and non-pretentious interior at Sanuki makes you feel right at home.

Udon is a type of thick wheat flour noodle popular in Japan and the ones at Sanuki are freshly made.

Dry 'Cha Cheong' style Udon

House special with Egg

The Udon has a very nice chewy consistency and manages to retain the flavour of the toppings well. The 'cha cheong' udon does not taste authentically Japanese but it was tasty nonetheless. I personally prefer the house special with egg although some of you might think it's a bit bland. I just love spicing it up with heaps of chilly paste :)

Prawn Kakiage

Chicken Karaage

The prawn kakiage was so-so. The batter was moist and not much in the taste department. The chicken was nice though, very crispy and tasty.

Green Tea Mochi

I don't think Sanuki Udon is a place that will appeal to everyone. Those looking for a healthy alternative to their meals should definately try it out. I do hope they will include more items on their menu as the current selections will hardly satisfy the those who like to have variety.
Sanuki also sells their Udon at Rm15 per kilogram.

Restaurant Sanuki Udon
9, Jalan Bukit Desa 5,
Taman Bukit Desa,
Jalan Klang Lama
58100 Kuala Lumpur
( Closed on Mondays )

Tel : 012-241 8131 ( Seiji Fukimoto )

Halal

Back

2009-09-04T18:01:00.001+08:00

Yes it has been ageeees since I have updated and with my friends constantly yammering on me to update, I have decided to bring this blog back to life albeit some changes. Tune in soon :)

Classic Arnie

2009-04-19T18:07:00.005+08:00

I was surfing around and found this vintage Arnie from 70's crime drama The Streets of San Francisco. We all know Arnie does not have a whole lot of range when it comes to acting but this is the first time we get to see him act as an emotionally unstable man-child you don't want to fuck with.
What the heck is up at 00:37 ? I know of steroid related rages but it makes you talk funny too ?

Pimp my ride - KL

2009-04-17T17:11:00.011+08:00

I noticed this car parked next to mine at Midvalley.

Ok it's Pink..Nothing out of ordinary

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the emblem is a customized Hello Kitty emblem.

Im stumped trying to figure out if this car belongs to a guy or a girl. All evidence points to the owner being female but then again, those are macho speakers and the ''tong turbo' sticker just looks out of place.

I really wonder how your room looks like..

Toilet training with Shimajiro

2009-04-08T19:49:00.003+08:00

Shimajiro is the toilet training tiger. When either of the two buttons are pressed, he exclaims a short burst of pro-toilet-training rhetoric. "Crap! Crap like a champion!" and "RRRGGHHHHH"

Buonasera @ ss2

2009-04-07T20:54:00.013+08:00

SS2 is home to a wide variety of restaurants and cafes. Local cuisine makes up the majority of choices available so I was quite surprised when I came across this restaurant which prides itself in serving authentic Italian cuisine and not using MSG in their cooking. Buonasera (which means good evening ) is situated next to Restaurant Hoppy, Herbal Roast Duck. If you have difficulties finding this place, just keep a lookout for this famous landmark..

The huge roast duck signage

Story has it that a couple of customers liked Chef Enzo Dente's cooking so much that they decided to invest in his restaurant. Thus, the new Buonasera was born after major renovations.

Oooh fairy lights and its not even Christmas

The setup is modern, simple and comfortable. You can catch the waiters attention easily while maintaining a comfortable level of privacy from other diners. I notice some people like to evesdrop on other peoples conversation. I secretly wish that the waiter would accidentally pour hotsoup onto their crotch.

Dude, where's my croutons ??!

The plain caesar salad, just like what the name suggests, is plain. Garlic bread is usually served on its own, along with soup or the maincourse but this is the first time I am having garlic bread with salad. Don't get me wrong, I love garlic bread and the ones here are full of garlicky goodness. But dammit man, you never substitute salad croutons with garlic bread !
I would have preferred it if a more pungent cheese was used but then again, this is called 'plain caesar salad'.

The escargot was huge and juicy at Rm19 for half dozen but it did not taste garlicky enough. It lacked the 'oomph' factor. I personally prefer the escargot at Monte's.

Rm26.90

I chose spaghetti puttanesca as my main dish. It you think puttanesca sounds like a crude word, it's because it loosely translates to 'spaghetti the way a whore would make it'. I don't really know why they named it that, maybe whores in Italy are real good cooks ? I think its because this dish is hot, spicy, sour and pungent, just like Italian whores.
After complaining that the other dishes lacked 'oomph', this dish certainly made up for it. This dish is filled with fresh cut bacons, ripe tomatoes and olives. Delicious albeit a tad bit sour/salty. I can't help but wonder if the smell of it also plays a part in naming of this dish.

The penne arrabiata is almost similar in taste to the puttanesca. The flavour is rich and intense. It's amazing that these dishes are made without any MSG. The penne is topped with chopped garlic, bacon, olives tomatoes and chilli flakes. Again, it tasted it a bit more sour/salty than what I'm used to.

Rm29.90

I simply have to order pizza when dining at an Italian restaurant. I even gauge how good an Italian restaurant is based on their pizzas. The Napoletana pizza here certainly did not fail to impress. The dough is perfect, crunchy, not too chewy and not too oily. It's a very simple pizza topped with olives, basil, garlic and anchovies. I will certainly come back here for their pizza.

Restaurant Buonasera
42, Jalan SS 2/66
47300 Petaling Jaya

Tel : 03-78778586

non - halal

Reccie in Genting

2009-03-23T14:30:00.000+08:00

Last weekend me and my mate decided to head to Genting Highlands for a reccie. It's been awhile since I've travelled to Gentings for leisure, I'm usually up there for work. Well, here are just some random pics of our journey.

The scenery to Gentings through Batu Caves used to be picturesque. Now its filled with commercial buildings. This place could have become a tourist haven but now it's just another wasted opportunity by our local governments.

The weather was very nice and chilly so decided to stop at Gohtong Jaya for curry fish head.

Piping hot curry fish head, goes well with the weather but it didn't taste as good as the last time I had it. Not spicy enough :(

Gohtong Jaya

After 2 hours, we have finally arrived. The weather was not as cold as I expected but it was great to be away from the heat in KL.

Salem High Country

Yup, that pretty much concludes my trip. No casino and no binging, only thing interesting was the diarrhea inducing steamboat dinner we had on the way down..

Next post will be more.. interesting, I promise :P

The Battles @ kL

2009-03-22T16:46:00.000+08:00

The Battles gig happened last thursday (19/03/09) at Orange, KL! The turn out was far better than expected for indie event team, SoundScape. All credits to SoundScape for bringing previous post-rock/math-rock bands like Toe, Mono and Mogwai to the usually mainstream pop-oriented concerts we get here in the cunt of Asia.

Opening the night at around 9pm was local act Killeur Calculateur (another case of dyslexia common to Malaysian rock outfits). I was looking forward to see this band again because they were great fun to watch in previous (smaller) gigs. I personally appreciate their energry and their esteem sense of presentation. This energy-driven quartet lashed out styles reminiscent of Fugazi, At-the-Drive-In, and other Action-Rock/Neo-Punk bands. A single distinction that separates this band from their American-UK counterparts is that our homeboys are still learning to piece together the parts and riffs they've learned from their musical predecessors. Each song seem to be simply made up of two to three short parts, mostly done in the same beat/count, added with the singular tone of the vocals resulted into a drooning 45-min set.

To makes matters worse, the event team decided to hire a deaf sound man for the night. Another common problem of gigs in Malaysia is the audio setup for live bands. Partly due to dance era of yesteryear, most venues/clubs here have sound systems only adequate for DJ sets. Lots of good performance failed simply because of the audio set-up provided at the venue (e.g Architecture in Helsinki @ Zouk, KL). And The Battles that night will be another classic example. I wonder how many of these bands brought their own sound systems+audio engineer?

The Battles: sucked. boring and monotonous. and the price was Rm108! i am not complaining of the price, because it Is difficult to bring bands like these that aren't heavily funded by major beer/cigarette companies. But is it not possible to at least provide a decent sound system for a live-act? And don't tell me that I was not standing in the right place, its an small enclosed area, how weak are your amps?! For a band that emphasizes on sound texture and quality, the set-up sounded as though it was more for Dj-team Twilight Action Girl, who played in between the two live-sets. The band did look like they did gave it their best. John Stanier sure loooks older from The Helmet days. All dressed up in khaki bermudas and a buttoned up polo-tee, he looked like he's ready to hit the Beach Club after the gig.

And Rm20 for a bottle of Tiger beer!?! These venues should be making the same amount on drinks and rental!

-TakBernama-

Let's All Get WariActiv!!

2009-03-22T14:42:00.000+08:00

LETS GET HIGH! *the alternative to glue sniffing! :)

I was introduced to this in HK, but if u ever find this muscle-relieve spray called WariActiv, BUY IT! This 6" white spray can contains some chemical that produces a short burst of euphoric head rush. Its similar to sniffing glue, but it doesn't last as long. Fun for a few giggles!

DIRECTION TO USE: Spray a small amount in to a small towel. Immediately press towel to mouth/nose and inhale deeply. Use as displayed in cryptographic instructions found on cigarette box!

Sichuan Village Restaurant

2009-03-22T14:22:00.000+08:00

Hi guys, sorry for the very very long hiatus. I have been busy with work and tend to procrastinate everytime I have freetime to update this site. Well, I have recently finished a tiring shoot and will be taking some time off so here I am :)

Lately there have been an abundance of Sichuan restaurants opening up around Klang Valley. Most of these outlet owners and their staffs are from Mainland China. Me and a few friends wanted to look for an ayam penyet restaurant at Dataran Mentari but found this place by chance.

Sichuan Village is situated along the shoplots right opposite Sunway Pyramid. Parking is ample. Just keep an eye out for Baso Indonesian Cuisine, Sichuan Village is at the right hand corner.

Like most other Sichuan establishments, you are greeted with cabinets filled with Chinese rice wine and fermented sorghum.

Kweichow Moutai is one of the most famous fermented sorghum brand and is available at most establisments serving authentic Chinese food. It comes in two variations of alcohol content, 53% and 35% and it leaves an aftertaste similar to soy-sauce.

The appetizers served here is not up to par with other Sichuan restaurants. Peanuts coated with flour and sesame seeds, pickled papaya and not sure about the third dish. Looks like jellyfish but taste like tree bark.

Pork and chives bun

I would definately not recommend this dish. It tastes as though the bun has been left out for days and microwaved to be served.

Pork belly in garlic

I really liked this dish. The garlic wasn't overpowering but added a nice zing to the cold pork belly. A slice of cucumber is included in each piece of pork so you won't be overwhelmed by the pork fat.

Stir-fried french beans

This is another winner. The beans are fresh and crunchy, stir-fried in shrimps and dried chillies.

Fresh hand-cut noodles

I have mixed feelings for this dish. The texture of the noodle is awesome, soft,smooth and not too chewy. The taste is something else though. I don't taste anything besides the spicy broth ! I wonder how a dish which looks this tasty can end up tasting so bland.

Smoked duck Sichuan style

This will go so well with beers. The aromatic smoked duck is stir fried in dried chilly, Sichuan peppercorns and spring onions. Absolutely delicious. A spicy dish that complements all kinds of alcoholic beverages.

Cattle tendons

This is a tricky dish. I love tendons and it's a healthy substitute to fats. The sauce again is Sichuan style mixed with celery. The tendons... is unlike anything I have seen or taste. The tendons I've tried is usually gooey or chewy. This..this abomination tastes nothing like the ones I've had. It feels like I'm chewing on bear hide and it doesn't help that the pieces look like friggin cow nipples. My tastebuds will never be the same again.. I would not even think of serving this platter of nipples to my enemies.

Complimentary desert after torturing our tastebuds with the previous dish

This has been an interesting experience. The good dishes actually equals the bad ones. I will probably try out other items on their menu and their steamboat when I'm in the area and can't decide on anything else to eat.

Sichuan Village Restaurant
42A-2, Jln PSJ 8/2
Dataran Mentari, Bandar Sunway
46160 Petaling Jaya ( opp. Sunway Pyramid )
Tel : 03-5631 8220
Web : www.jscmsb.com ( It's in Chinese so appreciate it if someone out there could translate )

Do you want to have children?

2009-03-15T14:44:00.000+08:00

WHO PUT THIS AD UP?

source: an full-page advert found in a Malaysian mainstream newspaper !

Really? You want to have children?
Scroll down to check out what else this company is selling.

i really want to know what this is! since when have they been selling these things so openly in malaysia? and so well-placed, right below the photos of those innocent women! hahaha!

BOYCOTT MAINSTREAM MEDIA IN MALAYSIA!!

2008-09-22T13:17:00.000+08:00

Yellow Cab Pizza is a chain of American style pizzarias with a branch in Jln Raja Abdullah near Heritage row and opening soon in Ampang and Midvalley Megamall. The name Yellow Cab is inspired by the famous yellow taxis of New York City and many of the pizzas have New York themes. This is a novel idea as most of the pizza outlets in KL have the same look and feel.

I was greeted by the cute delivery vespas upon entering their premise.

Yellow Cab Pizza is reminiscent to the 70's tv series 'Taxi'.
I almost expected Danny Devito's character 'Louie' to jump at me. Yellow Cab Pizza exudes an unrivalled Americana charm and with their choice of nostalgic music makes me feel as though I've stepped back into time.

Diners are advised to dine al fresco for dinner and supper as it can get awfully hot and dusty during the day.

The Four Seasons Pizza is a gourmet sampler which consists of New York Classic, #4 Cheese, Anchovy Lovers and Roasted Garlic & Shrimp. New York Classic is basically beef pepperoni pizza and #4 Cheese has mozzarella, cheddar, romano and feta toppings. The other 2 are self explanatory. This pizza is highly recommended for those who likes to try different types of flavours.

Tribeca Mushroom Pizza is topped with shiitake, button and oyster mushrooms and it's a must-try for mushroom lovers. It's heavenly as the juices from all the mushrooms blends with the cheese.

Yellow Cab Pizza serves mean ass pizzas ! Prices range from Rm19 for 10" to Rm69.70 for the 18". It might seem pricey but the ingredients used is definately better than your run-off-the-mill pizza (domino, pizza hut anyone ?)For those of you who likes pizza after a night of partying, Yello Cab opens until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays :) with exception of Ramadhan.

Yellow Cab Pizza
#50, Jalan Raja Abdullah

Tel : 03-2694 2003 (Delivery within town area)

Super Exclusive Ghostrider 2 Trailer

2008-09-05T16:52:00.000+08:00

Love generation

2008-08-18T18:13:00.000+08:00

What's the world coming too ? There's hardly anything good on the news nowadays. Wars being fought in so many countries.
Even in Malaysia with the political instability and the bullshit racist remarks being uttered by the very people who is supposed to represent us, the Rakyat.
Take a chillpill people....

Enjoy the video and spread the love !

Ho Weng Kee @ SS2, Petaling Jaya

2008-08-18T16:34:00.000+08:00

I love beef brisket noodles and will not hesitate to travel far in search of them. I didn't have to travel far this time as Ho Weng Kee is situated in SS2.

No frills dining

Tasty choi sum marinated in oyster sauce.

This dish may look simple in both preparation and aesthetics but you would be surprised that the taste and consistency varies from different restaurants. This is one of the better beef brisket noodle I've tried even outranking the famous outlet at Kam Heong in PJ State (next to UOB Bank opposite Menara MPPJ) with the latter being too soft and gooey.
The star anise leaves a pleasent after taste and the consistency of the brisket is just perfect, chewy without melting in your mouth.

Beef brisket with soup. Taste blander than the dry version but good nonetheless.

Ho Weng Kee's specialty is wantan mee and curry wantan mee. I haven't tried those since I don't have a particular liking for wantan mee. You will have to ask the waitstaffs for the beef brisket dish as it is not listed on their menu.

32, Jalan ss2 / 66
47300 Petaling Jaya
(same row as Hoppy Duck Restaurant)

Just keep a lookout for the huge duck !

Business hours : 7am - 3pm ( Closed on Tuesdays )

John's Bistro @ Uptown Damansara

2008-08-08T15:58:00.000+08:00

I used to hangout at Damansara Utama mamak and pool halls in the mid 90's, honing my snooker skills and catching up with mates over roti canai and teh ais.. I miss those days. Now, Damansara Utama or better known as Uptown has nothing much to offer besides some descent bars, cafe's and bistros.

I chanced upon this gem of a bistro when I was out on my usual foodie hunt with my mates.

Stepping into John's Bistro is like a walk through memory lane. The interior is filled with memorabilias from the 60's and 70's.

Relax in a game of pool while waiting for your food

Newspaper clippings and Magazine covers of historical events ?

Quaint little bar with impressive choice of imported beers

Old vinyls

John is a chef with a penchant for old vinyls as you can see from the pictures. He has lived and worked in Germany in the 70's and that explains his specialty in German cuisine. He also specializes in Italian and local curry dishes.
One thing that stands out is that the dishes are cooked fresh. How fresh ? Well, he would prefer if you call a day ahead to make your order so John can gather the freshest ingredients on the day of your arrival. Pastas and steaks are usually on the menu for people without reservations.

Garoupa curry fish head

This is definately the highlight of the night. The fishead is extremely fresh without any hint of fishiness. It is cooked without santan. I know some of you who prefer to have your fishead swimming in curry but the freshness of the fish is not lost with this minimal amount of gravy.

King Prawns with sambal and a hint of Asam

The prawns is cooked to perfection with well balanced spiciness and sourness.

Stir-fried vege with liver and gizzard

NZ Lamb Curry

Awesome rassam !! This dish goes so well with white rice. So spicy :)

John basically runs the whole place himself with his wife. He would occasionally drop by the table to check up on us and strike up conversations with his patrons. Coupled with the nostalgic ambience, this place just makes you wanna loosen your belt and enjoy your pint.
I will definately be coming back here for John's German and Italian cuisine.

John Benson : 016-6659874
1st Floor, 95M, 21/37
Damansara Utama (Uptown)
(same row as Perodua showroom)

Xenri D' River View @ Old Klang Road

2008-08-01T14:19:00.000+08:00

My favourite Japanese Restaurant has expanded with the old under renovation and the new lot next door catering for a more intimate dining experience.

Seating area next to entrance

Just like Dragon-I at Cititel, waitstaffs will attend to you at the touch of a button. Three buttons, one for water, bill and waiter. Very thoughtful as this place is like a maze.

You might see Sadako cleaning these floors at night!

Matsusaka beef promotion. Highly prized for its fat, these female cows are raised in Matsusaka and are considered to be superior to other Japanese wagyu including kobe. Didn't try it though since I couldn't justify spending for such an exorbitant dish during lunch.

Niku Soba

Gyuno Tataki

The menu is the same as the old Xenri, the only new is the monthly promotions, in this case it was the Matsusaka beef.
The seating area is partitioned to keep the customers privacy in mind. The water feature added the Zen factor to the whole dining experience.
I will definately throw a party in one of the private rooms but those with stinky feet beware, shoes are not allowed.

Tel : 03-77838118

I'm back :)

2008-07-03T20:17:00.000+08:00

Sorry for the long hiatus, so much has happened for the past few months and there are tons of updates.
Feels kinda weird blogging after such a long break. I think I'll start off with something light :)

Say hello to Poocha :) woof

Doggie Diaper

Look forward for my next postings :)

Long Hiatus

2008-05-31T18:47:00.000+08:00

Sorry people, I've been rather aloof in my updates due to my hectic work schedule. Hardly had enough time to sleep and the last thing on my mind was food and fun :)
Fret not ! New updates coming up next week

Xenri @ Old Klang Road

2008-04-23T17:52:00.000+08:00

I eat at Xenri at least a few times a month. Not only is it close by where I live, Xenri also prides itself as having one of the freshest sashimi in town.
I still remember the first time I saw Xenri's signboard along Old Klang Road while thinking to myself, 'Who in their right mind will go to such a location for Japanese food'. Well, after eating it the first time, I was hooked.
At Xenri, their seafood is flown in twice a week from Japan, so customers can be assured of their freshness.

Xenri with its unassuming decor. It's all about comfort baby..

Tako Shiokara

For appertizer, we had octopus entrails pickled in salt and spices. I would advise those with weak stomach and non-adventerous to skip this dish. The texture is an acquired taste but I personally love this dish. It's kinda like the Japanese version of kimchi, tastewise that is, sour, salty and spicy. Yumm, goes down well too since it has the consistency of a big fat loogie :)

Tuna Belly & Shinma Aji ( Yellowjack )

This is freshness at its best. The fish has just arrived two days earlier and came highly recommended by the chef. You can really taste the difference in quality and freshness.
Yellowjacks is a highly regarded white meat 'tane' ( sushi ) and it is claimed that they are tastiest in June, just before spawning.

I can't remember the name maki

Unagi Bento

This comes with a generous portion of tempura consisting of prawns, brinjal, green bell pepper, pumpkin, okra and fish. Cold tuna appetizer, pickles, chawan mushi ( steamed egg ) and miso soup are also included.
The unagi tasted just nice without being too sweet or too chewy. The tempura is one of my favourite dishes here, the batter is light and not too oily and retains the freshness of the ingredients used.

Beef Sukiyaki Bento

This dish was so so. There pot consists of spinach, taufu, shitake mushrooms, glass noodles loooots of cabbage and only a few slices of beef. It tasted too sweet for my liking and they didn't use good beef.

Sashimi Bento

I would rather go for a seperate order of sashimi than this bento since the sashimi here is of a lower grade and cut in thin slices. Salmon, hamachi ( yellowtail, butterfish and tuna make up the sashimi platter and the side dishes are the same as the other bentos.

Hamachi ( Yellowtail ) fish head

I really liked this dish. Yellowtail fish head is not as oily and fat as salmon but costs about 3-4 times as much. The meat is grilled to perfection, tender and sweet.

This is another grilled fish but I can't remember what it's called. It is bigger than saba
( mackeral ) fish.

Chef's Special Sashimi

This is certainly the highlight of the meal, wonderfully fresh sashimi consisting of salmon belly, tuna, scallops, mackeral, baby lobster, sea urchin, squid, butter fish and green oyster.

Stirfried beansprouts

More Salmon Belly, yesss I love this dish

An ice cold beer to end the night :)

I've been a loyal customer of Xenri for many years now and I still look forward to coming back.
Xenri also offers Sunday lunch buffet at $50+ per person but I have yet to try that out. Good food coupled with friendly service and a nice atmosphere gets two thumbs up from me :)

Xenri Japanese Cuisine (opposite Pearl Point Hotel)
9, Wisma Elken, Lorong 4/137c, Batu 5,
Jalan Klang Lama
Kuala Lumpur
Tel No : 603-77838118
Business Hours 11am - 10pm daily

Bangkok part 2

2008-04-23T15:36:00.000+08:00

Kill Time @ Khao San

Kill Time is one of my favourite watering hole while I was in Bangkok. Tucked in a quiet and non-discreet lane in busy Khao San, Kill Time is a gem with the best cocktails I've tried even compared to some hi-end bars and clubs. It's also a good place to get away from the hectic pace on main Khao San road and not to mention the 'tourists'..

Ooh, alcoholic slurpee

Breakfast next morn... No Delhi Belly :)

Chillout day @ National Gallery on Chao Fa Rd

Remind you of someone ?

After lunch, I decided on a dive with the sharks

Well no.. I went to Ocean World in Siam Paragon

Alaskan Deep Sea Crabs doing the tango

Lots of fishes

You can take a boat ride with see-thru bottom to check out the fishes habitats

Eels vogueing

Ever wondered how turtles sleept ?

The piece d' resistance - A freakin giant squid 3 meters long encased in an ice block weighing 6tonnes

Ticket pricing is kinda steep at Rm60 per person but this entitles you to a free drink that comes in a sippy cup and an Ocean World tote bag.
It also includes a free boat ride to examine the fishes
up close at their habitats.

Ocean World is divided into 7 zones, Weird & Wonderful, Deep Reef, Living Ocean, Rainforest,
Rocky Shore, Open Ocean and Sea Jellies. There's so
much to see that I've ran out of space on my phone for pics.

That's it for now folks, my next update will be coming soon :)

End of part 2

New Years in Bangkok

2008-04-12T17:28:00.000+08:00

Thought I'd share some of my Bangkok pics with you guys before my next update. Enjoy :)

Yup, it smells of fish.. (smarties choc @ airport)

NY 08' countdown on Khao San

That's a Corona inflatable you pervs !

What are the chances of bumping into a friend in a madhouse..

Suffice to say, it was a night to remember

Breakfast of Champions ( Chargrilled chicken with spicy ass sauce)

Mini-me's pickup

“Powerful you have become, the dark side I sense in you.”

“Soon will I rest, yes, forever sleep. Earned it I have. Twilight is upon me, soon night must fall.”

Pink taxicabs everywhere

Bedsupper Club

Mango Tango @ Siam Square

End of part I..

2008-04-12T16:44:00.000+08:00

Sorry for the lack of updates peeps, I recently lost the pics on my phone after it crashed.. Will be updating again next week :)

Daidomon @ Great Eastern Mall

2008-03-31T17:58:00.000+08:00

I found this gem of a restaurant while surfing the net one day. Daidomon specializes in washoku ( traditional style Japanese food ) and yakiniku ( grilled meat ). They are located on the third floor of Great Eastern Mall along Jalan Ampang.

Daidomon has a very nice and chilled out ambience and I especially liked the red lanterns which gave the restaurant a warm glow. The seating arrangement is very well thought out too as each table have their own privacy.

Sushi bar and beverage bar

As you can see, Daidomon takes their sake and shoju pretty seriously, even the walls and pillars are decorated with bottles of sake. They have an extensive selection of sake and shoju and the price ranges from $50 to $500 for premium grade.. They even have shoju made of buckwheat. Since it was lunch, I skipped the alcoholic drinks but I am definately coming back for their sake !

Garlic sauce for the meat and soy sauce for wasabi

Me and my mates decided to go for their buffet at $68 per person. I usually do not have buffet lunches but I was hungry since I skipped dinner the night before and also because the waitstaff will take your order from the buffet menu and bring the food to you. Awesome ! No queuing up behind fatass aunties loading up their Mt.Everest sized plates.

First thing on the menu is of course...sashimi. The salmon and tuna tasted fresh, not the best but definately better than some of the other buffets out there.

The unagi sushi is delicious. The sauce was not overly sweet and the unagi didn't have any bones in them.

Yukke Sashi

Marinated raw beef with egg yolk. It tasted much better than it sounds. I couldn't taste the rawness of the beef after being soaked in the sweet sauce and egg yolk. It has the consistency of a big wad of phlegm.

Gyu Tataki

Marinated and lightly grilled raw beef. I prefer this dish with loads of raw garlic, here they give you a seperate dipping sauce with garlic instead. The meat was fresh and tasted..well...like how you would imagine raw beef to taste.

Reba Sashi

I've always wanted to try raw liver but could never find it. After noticing it on the menu, I decided I have got to try this dish ! I didn't know what I was expecting but it tasted exactly how I imagined it to taste. I do not like the taste of cooked liver but this was something else. The only thing I didn't like about this dish was the consistency of the liver. I was trying my best not to spit it out while chewing on it but once I swallowed it, it tasted quite nice, especially if its dipped in the sesame sauce.

A refreshing change after all the raw meat. I feel my stomach rumbling, I hope it's not the liver working its magic.

Oysters meant for the grill

Karubi and Harami

This was also meant for the grill. Karubi are short ribs served without bones and Harami, the tender meat around the diaphragm.

Shika Niku ( Venison )

Mino ( Mountain Chain Ox-Tripe )

Tan - Ox Tongue

Oh yeah, did I mention the table comes equipped with our own personal bbq grill ? Daidomon serves a wide variety of meat for bbq including seafood. The meat is much better than I expected for a buffet. Good quality and generous cuts. The ox-tripe was deliciously crunchy.. just make sure you leave it on the grill until it turns white with slightly charred sides. The aluminium tray is used for cooking the venison meat.

The ox-tongue was super yummy ! The tray is used for cooking the oysters.

The tempura was a disappointment. The batter was bland and it wasn't crunchy. At least the prawns were fresh.

Karubi Soup

Spicy beef with vegetables and egg soup. Tasted exactly like the soup that comes with Korean instant ramen. The beef was flaky, probably been simmering in the soup for awhile.

More meat...

Salad

Tori Nankotsu ( Soft chicken bone )

Unlike what the name said, the bones aren't soft at all ! It was too salty and not crunchy enough. I'm definately getting constipation from this dish of bones.

Green tea ice-cream

After two hours of non-stop eating, there are still many items on the menu which we didn't get to try. I am definately coming back here to try the rest and also their ala-carte menu.
Daidomon prides itself as the only restaurant in Malaysia to serve the highest grade of wagyu beef. I'm definately coming back for that too, and their sake hehe.

Daidomon Restaurant
Lot 4, Level 3, Great Eastern Mall
No.303, Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur

Tel No : 03-42528155

http://www.daidomon.com.my

Film Shoot @ Kuala Kubu Baru

2008-03-20T18:45:00.001+08:00

I was recently involved in a short film with a few of my friends. The location of the shoot was at the beautiful and picturesque waterfalls of Magic River in Kuala Kubu Baru.
Here are some pictures I thought I'd share with you.
There are a lot of beautiful places to explore in Malaysia and Kuala Kubu Baru is one of them. The drive there takes about an hour and a half and is highly recommended for a quick getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life.

I went home around 3pm to get ready for the trip. It rained throughout the whole journey to KKB and the drive was surreal, rain against beautiful scenic backdrops.

After driving for more than an hour, we arrived in KKB town. First thing's first though, we looked for a restaurant to quell our hunger. We left KL around 9pm and by the time we arrived most of the restaurants were closed except for mamaks. Luckily we found this quaint little Chinese restaurant which was still open and most importantly, served beers !

Fried Calamari

Umm..Deep Fried Calamari

Japanese Tofu on hotplate

Steamed freshwater fish

We were famished and the food tasted really good. I was so busy eating that I forgot to take note of what the last two dishes were hehehe.
The bill came up to $108.00 for 6 people.
We went to a mate's place to prepare for our early morning shoot and also to crashout.

I can't remember when I last woke up as early as 7am.. When people tell me it's good to wake up early or make idiotic statements like 'The early bird gets the worm', I will usually tell them to sod off. Here in KKB, I actually look forward to waking up early, the air is so refreshingly clean and the birds here chirp.. I mentioned the birds cos' the ones around my apartment cackles..
Next stop... our shooting location :)

Scenery from KKB town at 7am

Road leading to Kg.Pertak, our shoot location

Scenery from Kg. Pertak

Setting up for our first scene

Before the director got to yell 'ACTION', someone decided to pay us a visit.

The director had to bribe a certain official to let us shoot on location *sniff*...*sniff*. Suffice to say, he didn't take the crisp.

Road leading into Kg.Pertak

View of orang asli chalets in Kg.Pertak

'Alamak bang, kena bayar lagi ke ??'
'Janganlah tunjuk muka toyaaa'

'Ok..ok janganlah marah, saya bayar nih'...
'Nah ! Biskut cap pelempang satuuu'

We finally arrived at our destination but we weren't the only ones there. A group of orang asli kids were already playing in the water, swimming like dolphins. These kids take to water just like birds take to the air, they are so adorable and curious :)
It is so cool experiencing this firsthand compared to watching it on our tourism adverts.

Here we are fishing for dinner orang asli style.

We can't be arsed to change into swimwear, wanna swim now !!!

Say hello to my leetle friend..Mr.Goldfeesh

We have finally come to the end of our journey. We are done and I'm already missing everyone :( Although it was tiring, I can't remember the lastime I had so much fun !
I'm definately coming back to KKB to unwind.
I hope you all had fun reading this post as much as I had fun sharing it with you :) I will post the video up once it's done.

Kg. Pertak Magic River
Kuala Kubu Baru

Here's a map.

For more information, please visit http://www.magickriver.net/

Restaurant Jaring @ Sunway

2008-03-12T19:07:00.000+08:00

I've been craving for Malay food for awhile now and I finally got to satisfy those cravings after my mate told me of this restaurant in Sunway.
I'm really bad with locations especially in Subang/Sunway area but finding Restaurant Jaring was a breeze as it is situated at the shoplots right opposite Sunway Pyramid next to Domino's Pizza. Getting there only took me 10 minutes from Midvalley using the New Pantai Expressway.

Restaurant Jaring is usually full from 12pm onwards till 2pm but getting a table is not difficult as they have 2 floors.

Mak Cik Boner

What you're seeing in this picture is called gearbox mainly because it looks like the gearbox in your car. Using the leg bone from a heifer, it's cooked for around 12 hours till the meat is soft and tender.

Various types of curried fish and meat

Sorry the pics came out blurry, had to rush as it was peak hour.

Jaring serves a very wide selection of food especially vegetables which ranges from Malay to Chinese style of cooking.

I had roast chicken, fried liver, fried squid, sambal terung ( brinjal ) and the awesome tasting sambal tempoyak pucuk paku (wild fernleaf cooked in fermented durian ). The chicken was alright tasting, they did not use free range chicken which I prefer. The fried liver and squid is delicious and juicy. The sambal tempoyak pucuk paku is definately not for the fainthearted. Spicy, pungent and asskicking. Imagine durian flesh being kept in a jar for weeks in salt, that is how tempoyak tastes. It was so strong the hairs in my nostril literally curled up.

Sup Gearbox $20.00

The gearbox here ranges from $15.00 to $25.00 depending on size. They all look huge to me with generous chunks of meat and ligaments stuck to the bone with green chillies instead of pepper, giving you a spicier and more appetizing taste.
I expected the meat to be dry and stringy but it wasn't, it was very tender and flavourful.
It comes with a straw for you to suck up the marrow... decadent indeed. Apart from gearbox, you can also choose from ox tongue, tripe, ligaments and sup lemak ( fat soup ).

Desert Counter

Grill fish counter

Jaring restaurant certainly serves a huge variety of food. I admit not all the food are cooked with authenticity ( eg. grilled ikan sembilang ( catfish ), ayam percik, rendang ) but patrons will still find something that suits their palate. I will certainly come back here again whenever I feel the need to have lots of different types of food at one seating.

Restaurant Jaring
48, Jalan PJS 8/2
Bandar Sunway Mentari
Petaling Jaya
( shoplots opposite Sunway Pyramid next to Dominoes Pizza )

Tel No : 03-56366366

Hours : 7am - 7.30pm Mondays till Saturdays but be warned that most food will be sold out after 2.30

Sarpino's Pizzeria @ Plaza Mon't Kiara

2008-03-12T17:47:00.000+08:00

Sorry for the lack of updates folks. If you followed my previous posts, you would know that I haven't been feeling all that good. Was on a diet of healthy/boring food not worth blogging about. I've also been too busy with work to go out partying.
I'm happy to say I'm feeling 100% so the first thing I decided was to treat myself to a pizza meal.

When I was studying in Australia, pizza was my staple diet but when I came back to KL, Pizza Hut and Shakeys were the main pizza outlets available. You know the feeling of having ice-cream for the first time when you were a kid and being told right after that you will not get to have any more ? Well that's how I felt and I wanted to bawl ! Thank goodness a few months flew by and we got to see more outlets serving good pizza.

I decided on Sarpino's Pizzeria. It has been a year since I've eaten here and I'm eager to see if the food is still as good.

Sarpino's is a tiny one shoplot pizzeria with open seating arrangements. You can't miss it as you walk along Plaza Mon't Kiara, it's right next to Subway sandwiches.

Open kitchen

Primo Capicollo

Primo Capicollo is one of my favourite pizza at Sarpino's. It's topped with spicy Italian sausage, pepperoni, roast garlic and hot banana peppers ( pepperoncini ) topped with cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Although not as spicy as before, it still had the zing from the garlic and the banana pepper added the perfect spicy finishing to it.

Zesty Italian

Those of you who like your pizza wet and cheesy will probably like this. It didn't do miracles for me and I thought the taste was a bit bland. The only saving grace to this dish is the amount of cheese they put on it. It's topped with pepperoni Italian sausage, chicken strips, sun-dried tomatoes and banana peppers.

Freshly squeezed mango juice

Umm.. it's really fresh :)

I gotta admit, Sarpino's isn't as good as it used to be but it still beats alot of other pizza outlets *cough* Pizza Hut *cough* Shakeys *haaaack* Luca's Pizza ( worst ever ).
They also have more than 15 types of pizza's including gourmet pizza and the option to create your own. For those not into pizza, fret not as Sarpino's also serve veggie fettucine, baked seafood portofino, lasagna, various types of spaghetti and your usual side dishes.
I just found out that Sarpino's new owners are of Middle-Eastern descent and they've introduced Donair ( Kebabs ) to their menu. I will definately be back to try that.

Sarpino's Pizzeria
E-01-16A, Blck E Plaza Mon't Kiara
2, Jalan Kiara, Mon't Kiara

Tel : 03-62012727 ( delivery )
Hours : 11am - 11pm daily

Elections @ Desa

2008-03-05T15:05:00.001+08:00

The elections are coming ! And you can tell from all the mudslinging and immature remarks made at each other through the media. Sometimes I wonder if the candidates even passed high school with their remarks of 'You're stupid' and 'You're a liar'. Is that the level of intelligance and maturity you are looking for from someone who is to help solve the rakyat's problems ?

I went out yesterday morning and realized they've erected a new billboard infront of my apartment in Taman Desa. It shows DAP incumbent Teresa Kok leaving Mr. Seputeh to have an affair with a macho Mr. Kinrara..WDF !!?! 0_0
Not only is Barisan Nasional spending millions of tax payers money to print propoganda adverts in local papers, tv advertisements, buntings, banners and billboards but this is the only idea they can come up with ?

Next billboard shows DAP Teresa Kok riding on a DAP rocket leaving a confused looking Mr. Kinrara back to Mr. Seputeh.
I wasn't gonna involve politics on my blog but I had to after seeing such ridiculous childishness.
Don't even get me started on the TV adverts. Why hire actors to play real people when you can just interview 'real people' from the streets ? Couldn't they find anyone who has nice things to say about the current administration ?

People, let's try to make a change and vote wisely this year. I do not need to tell you who to vote for or who I am rooting for, I think that pretty much speaks for itself.

Soo Kee @ Sea Park

2008-03-03T18:44:00.000+08:00

I've been getting stomach problems lately which can be attributed to my late nights, supper and spicy food. Well, I've decided to go on a diet of non-oily food and alcohol free week and what better way to start it with Soo Kee. Their specialty here is Ipoh Hor Fun.
I have been coming to this restaurant since I was 7 years old. I do not really know when this restaurant first open, but the business was run by the patriarch of the family for as long as I can remember. Now he is no longer with us and the restaurant is run by his wife, her two almost identical sisters and her son.

No frills interior

I am not a big fan of grandiose Chinese restaurants. To me, there are only 3 winning formulas to good chinese food :
1. Operating from dilapidated old shacks, stalls or shop houses (cockroaches optional)
2. The cook must be sweating balls while cooking ! (some say it enchances the taste)
3. Screaming contest between cook and staff (you know you're in for a treat if you also
get scolded)

A simple dish... beansprouts topped with spring onions, fried garlic and sprinkled with white pepper.

Kon Lou Hor Fun

I didn't want to risk having more stomach problems so I opted for the dry hor fun.
Hor fun is a typical Chinese rice noodle which originated from the town of Shahe in Guangzhou.
The hor fun here is served fresh with slices of prawns and their secret soy sauce.

The reason people come to Soo Kee

This is the piece d' resistance. The main reason people flock to Soo Kee.
Chicken as smooth as babies bottom lathered in home made oyster sauce.
You're probably going..'Uuuh, that's it ? What's the big deal ?'
The big deal is the simplicity of its presentation and the complexity of its taste. This is the epitome of good street food.
The chicken blends so well with the hor fun. Typically, I would order the wet hor fun and let the chicken soak in its soup but this is really good too.

I have been coming here for so many years and I do not plan on stopping. I really enjoy good food minus the formality of fine dining and I sure do hope restaurants like these last for a few more generations.

Soo Kee Restaurant
33, Jalan 21/17, Sea Park
Petaling Jaya
( it's located opposite Sea Park wet market along the same row as Ayam Mas )

Tel No : 03-78767736

operating hours : 8.30am -2.30pm

Dragon-i @ Cititel Midvalley

2008-02-27T19:47:00.000+08:00

Today I brought my mum to lunch at Dragon-i in Cititel. If you're in Megamall, you can access Cititel through Coffee Bean on the ground floor.
Dragon-i specializes in flavours from the regions of China such as Canton, Szechuan and Shanghai.
Spicy food is on my list of favourite foods right next to sashimi so I will be indulging in Sichuan style cooking today.
Sichuan food can basically be described as being extremely hot, sour, sweet and salty. Common ingredients in Sichuan cooking includes chili, ginger, spicy herbs and the famous Fagara (Szechuan peppercorn). The peppercorn is indigenous to Szechuan Province and produces a fragrant and numbing effect to the mouth almost like getting a novocaine jab from your dentist. (Overdose on these peppers and you will be drooling like a buffoon )

The entrance to Dragon-i

Interior

Open concept kitchen

The idea of having these three buttons is ingenious. Patrons need not wave like a raving loon with this device. Press any button for whatever service you need and a waiter will pop up ala' Houdini. Very fun, but I have yet to try pressing all three buttons at once. Hmm.. maybe three waiters will appear at once ?

How does one tell the difference between vinegar and soy sauce in a Chinese restaurant ?
( besides looking at the label lah ! ) Well there's an old Chinese proverb, 'Kou Chou Ngai See Yau' which literally translates to 'Tall Vinegar Short Soy Sauce'. Now you can tell the difference :)

Appetizer

Hot sour soup La Mien $14

La Mien means hand pulled noodles. Patrons will get to see how this noodle is prepared at the open kitchen.

The whole process looks like the chef is trying to skip rope while whacking the person if front of him.
This hot sour soup La Mien is self explanatory.. It tastes just that. Very spicy, very sour and very appetizing. The thick broth is cooked with shredded mushrooms, bits of prawns, tree ear fungus, red onions chili oil and white pepper. Definately not for the faint of heart.

La Mien with brazillian beef brisket Rm15

This dish is nothing to shout about. The soup is quite bland with a layer of chili oil. Nowhere as spicy as the Hot Sour La Mien. The beef although very tender is tastless in the soup.

Sichuan cold spicy chicken $14

Last of all is the Sichuan cold spicy chicken. I did not particularly enjoy this dish as it was not spicy enough and didn't numb my mouth. The roasted peanut bits lends a bitter taste to the dish and the chicken was too dry. It seems like the chef made a toned down version of this supposedly spicy and numbing dish to suit the locals. Bah ! I am paying for authenticity so give me the real deal !

Although there are many other items on the menu I have yet to try, I will probably think twice before returning to this restaurant as these three very simple dishes was a big disappointment. I've eaten authentic Sichuan cuisine in Szechuan Province and this did not come close to the real thing. I also prefer Red Chili Restaurant in Pudu (review coming soon).

Dragon-i Restaurant
Main Lobby Cititel Hotel
Ground Floor Midvalley

Tel No : 03-2282 0155

Soba-Ya @ Ara Damansara

2008-02-24T14:40:00.001+08:00

Sorry for the lack of updates. I have been busy eating and didn't have enough time to blog.

Today I wanna share with you my experience at my mates Japanese restaurant. Soba-Ya is located in Ara Damansara just before the roundabout heading towards Subang airport.
Soba is a type of Japanese buckwheat noodle either served cold with dipping sauce or hot in broth. Soba-Ya's specialty is of course handmade Soba.

Chef Uramoto san

Chef Uramoto Katsuyuki is from Toyama Prefecture in Japan and has more than 20 years experience as a chef both in Japan and Malaysia. His most recent post being at the Holiday Villa in Subang. He is also a consultant for Kampachi restaurant at Pavilion.

The interior at Soba-Ya

Appetizer

Sashimi Moriawase $45.00

This dish consists of Salmon, Saba ( mackeral ), Hamachi ( yellowtail ), Maguro ( tuna ), Butterfish and Mentaiko sushi ? ( pollock roe ). The slices of fish is so fresh you can almost taste the ocean.

It's chicken..it's gyoza..NO ! It's chicken gyoza

Gyoza is a type of Japanese dumpling usually made from meat or vegetables. Chicken wing is self explanatory. What's amazing about this dish is the chef somehow managed to fuse this two items together and Chicken Gyoza was born. The bottom part of the wing is chicken but the top part is the gyoza infused into the chicken. This is a very innovative dish with an awesome taste to boot. The meat is very tender and with the juiciness of the gyoza... heaven....

Pork yakitori

With subtle amount of fat in between the crunchy skin and tasty meat, this dish is a winner. The pork is perfect with just a hint of salt.

Pork ribs

Grilled to perfection.

When I barbeque ribs, the meat is either too charred on the outside or too bloody on the inside. At Soba-Ya, the ribs are crunchy on the outside and the meat is pink on the inside.

Garlic fried rice

Hamachi fish head

Another simple yet wonderful tasting dish. Unlike salmon fish head, hamachi has a nice balance of fat and meat. Grilled and lightly salted, this dish retained all its fishy goodness.

Not a bong !

We decided to have a rest from all the eating and indulge in some sake from Chef Uramoto's hometown.
The basis of good sake is water. Some people call it ' The stock soup from the mountain' ( direct translation from Japanese ). Rain or snow which has fallen on to the mountain soaks through roots or rocks and flow underground after many years and ends up in pools of natural spring water. These water are also called 'shrine water' and in Toyama Prefecture, premium sake are made from these water.
The high is unlike other sake's I've tried. Sweet tasting and does not burn the throat. It gave me a very happy buzz.

Chef's surprise

Halfway thru drinking and chatting, Chef Uramoto brought out a container of fish and plonked it in front of us. I've never had sashimi served from a plastic container before but Uramoto san said this was one of his specialty which he keeps for himself ( hence the container ). It was Hamachi belly ( yellowtail belly ). I have tried Hamachi belly at Sushi Zen and it was nothing like this. The meat is very sweet and firm.

To end the night, Uramoto san fixed us this very unique drink. Dried flying fish fin in hot sake. The glass is then flamed to kill off the alcohol from the sake.
It tasted like essence of sharks fin and leaves a very pleasant after taste.

I really enjoyed the food here and there are a lot more items on the menu I would like to try. I am definately coming back here for Chef Uramoto's soba.

Soba-Ya
No. 27, Block D, Dataran Ara Damansara
Jalan PJU 1A / 20B,
47301 Petaling Jaya

George and the Dragon @ Bangsar Shopping Centre

2008-02-20T15:09:00.000+08:00

On Sunday, me and a couple of mates decided to try a new English pub in Bangsar Shopping Centre called George and the Dragon. The name's weird all right but then again it's opened by the same good people from Finnegans in Bangsar Telawi.

The entrance to George & the Dragon

The bar

With a name like George and the Dragon, I expected the place to look like something out of a fantasy movie but sadly there was nothing magical about it, there wasn't any brownies sitting on toadstools and the toilets weren't enchanted.

G & D looks like a typical English pub reminiscent of Fawlty Towers. With its burgundy carpeting, thick wooden framed windows and prominent cross gables on its walls ( except there are no sloping roofs ) G & D does somehow make you feel like you're sitting in an old english tavern.

Softie Snake Bite Black

I made a mistake with my first drink. I thought this was gonna arrive pre-mixed with Guiness Stout but it only consisted of Strongbow, Carlsberg and Ribena.. Wtf !!! Who in their right mind mixes ribena with carlsberg ?? Suffice to say, it tasted lame... berry juice with perrier makes a better drink.

Carlsberg Extra Cold

I decided on a Carlsberg Extra Cold to get rid of the sickeningly sweet taste from the Snakebite.

The Extra Cold tap is sheathed in ice and uses glycol-based technology to dispense beer at –1°C but it didn't feel that cold as my beer was left waiting at the bar. Tastewise, I couldn't tell the difference between a normal Carlsberg and the Extra Cold.

Poor Man's Black Velvet

Next was the Poor Man's Black Velvet. Sounds like a real ass kicking, throat burning drink but it tasted just like the Softie Snake Bite albeit a stronger cider taste. Argh ! I was beginning to feel gypped since these drinks did not come cheap and I was getting really sick of the ribena taste.

Real Snake Bite

My mate and I decided to go all out and we shared 2 half pints of Real Snake bite with a pint of Guiness Stout. Halfway through this drink, conversation went up double the speed and saliva was flying everywhere... Yup, its getting the job done :)

Victoria Bitter

My mate used to study in Australia so he opted for a VB. They have weird slangs in Australia and this short necked bottle is called stubbies.. Cans are called 'tinnies' and 750ml bottles are called 'tallies'. Go figure..

Author talking to the fairies

So was I plastered..blasted..bladdered..cabbaged..hammered..tanked..spiffed..wasted..sloshed..
loopy..shemzmit..troooollsdd..assshaaaced....zxczsdcasc...efsdfdfsf.... ?
Fo shizzle my dizzle !! Another productive Sunday spent.

This is a very nice chillout place perfect for lazy Sunday afternoons. Traditional english food such as Pigs in Blanket ( sausage roll ) and Toad in the Hole ( sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter ) is also served. I did not mention earlier that G & D also has an al fresco seating area. I can foresee many a' Sundays spent here playing bridge while having tea and crumpets.

George and the Dragon
New Wing Ground Floor opposite WIP

Tel No : 03 - 22878316

Japanese Viral Video

2008-02-19T22:24:00.000+08:00

Another thing I like besides Japanese food is their sense of humour. This video is not food related but I thought I'd share with you anyway. Enjoy !!

Extreme Sashimi Chef

2008-02-19T21:47:00.000+08:00

Sorry, haven't had time to update my blog so I will leave you with this video of the best sashimi chef ever. Enjoy :o)

Hadhramawt Restaurant @ Chulan Square

2008-02-17T12:48:00.001+08:00

The weekend is here and my parents finally came back from Bangkok. My dad had food poisoning and was spewing ala' Linda Blair throughout the trip so I decided to make it up to him by taking my parents to Hadramawt Restaurant.

Interior of Hadhramawt

There's not much decoration at Hadhramawt besides these. Hadhramawt serves a mixture of Yemeni and Arabian cuisine.

pita ( flat bread )

hummus

Hummus is a dip made out of blended chickpeas, sesame paste, garlic and lemon juice. The ones served at Hadhramawt comes with olive oil and cumin. Vegans and vegetarians rejoice, the hummus served here is definately better that the ones I've tried at other middle eastern restaurants.

Tabbouleh $8.00

We ordered tabbouleh as the other meaty dishes does not come with vegetables. Tabbouleh is a Lebanese dish which is made up of tomato, parsley, mint and bulgur ( durum wheat ) served on slices of romain lettuce and doused it lemon juice. The ingredients is very fresh and come together really well. The zing from the lemon juice complemented the mint and parsley. ( Sorry I had to use flash, there was a blackout halfway through our meal )

Mendy Lamb $20.00

Wow, this dish is aweesome. The lamb is very tender and did not have a strong gamey flavour and will definately appeal to meat eaters. My dad is a briyani fanatic and he gave this dish two thumbs up. Arabian rice is used and it is not oily and has a nice subtle flavour which complemented the lamb.

mild chilly dip

haneed lamb $21.00

Our next dish was haneed lamb. The same type or rice is used but the lamb is cooked in its own juice wrapped in foil. The lamb is juicier and has a stronger and smokey flavour compared to lamb mendy. Personally, I prefer this dish if you don't mind being thirsty throughout the night. I think msg was used to enhance the taste of the lamb.

liver $10.00

This dish is another sure winner. The liver, stir fried in tomato and eleven secret herbs and spices ( j/k, I have no idea what else is in the ingredients ) tasted absolutely wonderful. The liver is so crunchy but it still manages to let the flavours seep in.

author in the toilet

No, I am NOT taking a whizz. I am merely giving you an idea of how big the toilet is. I am not humping the wall either.

This is a good place to go especially if you're in the mood for simple and no-frills meal. Service is prompt and friendly. Hadhramawt has another new outlet in Beijing and the host which lived in China for three months can speak a bit of Mandarin.
I will definately come back and try out the rest of the bbq dishes.

Hadhramawt Restaurant
Lot 7 & 7A, Block B, Chulan Square
92 Jalan Raja Chulan
50200 Kuala Lumpur

Tel No : 03-2142 2744

Raja Sup @ TTDI

2008-02-14T14:46:00.000+08:00

Chinese New Year is over and after a whole week of eating chinese food, me and my mate decided to pay a visit to Raja Sup ( King of Soup ). Owner Sabri Salleh has a lot to live up to having named his shop 'King of Soup' , luckily he does not disappoint.

Exterior of Raja Soup

This restaurant not only serves nasi goreng, bihun, ikan bakar, briyani and nasi kukus but also tasty nasi kerabu, nasi dagang, ayam dara !!! ( virgin chicken ? it's actually free range chicken which hasn't produce eggs ) to the more exotic air belacan perut muda, kerutuk itik and lot's more. Their specialty here is of course soup. You will find the usual sup tulang, sup ekor, sup daging and more interesting parts such as tendons, brains, heads, tongues and the infamous sup torpedo ( bull penis soup ).

Tongues and Lungs...Gene Simmons, dat you ?!

liver, intestines, whole tongue and oxtail

tripe and ribs

Patrons get to pick the parts they want buffet style and the cook will prepare the soup for them. Trust me, it tastes much better than it looks.

huge pots of mutton, chicken and beef curry..diarrhea heaven !

ulam ( raw veggie filled with chlorophyll goodness )

lauk-pauk

piece de resistance $20.00

We picked tendons, ribs, oxtail and ox tongue for our soup. The soup is constantly boiling in a huge pot tastes very yummy and not too spicy. The tendons is so soft to chew and the meat comes right off the bone. For the uninitiated, ox tongue has a melt-in-your mouth texture with an intense beefy flavour. Eating tongue here is not like french kissing a cow as the meat is cut into small slices. Definately the best part of the soup.

Ayam Kampung Goreng ( kfc kampung style )

The chicken retained its juicy moisture and flavours.

Nasi Kerabu $4.00

Nasi Kerabu is a healthy malay dish with rice mixed in a combination of traditional ulams and vegetables such as daun kadok ( similar to betel leaf ), bunga kantan ( ginger flower ), daun kesom ( laksa leaf ) and fresh red onions. The nasi kerabu served here is as close to the ones you will find in Kelantan.

What the heck is that in the soup ??!?

This place is a real gem. I usually come here a few times a month to satisfy my cravings for meat.

Raja Sup
No. 46, Jalan Datuk Sulaiman,
Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur
(behind Secret Recipe)
7am - 11pm

Tel No : 012-2469211

Wang Solo @ Taman Dagang, Ampang

2008-02-12T21:33:00.000+08:00

I hate travelling to Ampang. When my hairstylist decided to move his salon all the way to Taman Dagang in Ampang, I was totally not looking forward to it. It's not the drive I'm dreading but the bumper to bumper traffic.
My friends wonder why I can't just go to another salon but the difference is whether you end up looking like Donald Trump or __________________ (insert hair hero's name)
The first time I went there, I noticed a restaurant tucked in between art galleries but didn't give it much thought. It had a funny name which stuck with me for awhile.
I found out later from a friend of mine that Wang Solo is a franchise from Indonesia famous for its ayam penyek ( flattened chicken ).
A week later I went there with some friends to sample their food.

The interior of Wang Solo

The interior at Wang Solo is minimalistic. Antique looking wooden tables and chairs gives Wang Solo a rustic feel. It also features wooden figurines, traditional carvings and weavings. The double decker seating area is very spacious and lets patrons dine ala Kampung style ( seated on the floor ).

Sup Bontot ( Cow ass soup )

First to arrive is sup bontot ( oxtail soup ) When I heard of this dish, I literally thought it was cow ass soup. The soup came garnished in coriander and fried shallots with big chunks of oxtail and carrots. It is not as spicy as our Kelantanese version but tasted good nonetheless. The meat was very tender.

Balado Petai

Next came the balado petai. This was delicious. The sambal is not very spicy and doesn't overpower the flavours of the petai.

Ayam Penyek

And now, the main reason I came here for. Ayam penyek ! ( flattened chicken ) I was kind off dissapointed as it wasn't as flat as I expected. I thought they drove over live chickens to make this dish. The chicken tasted awesome nonetheless. The chicken used is kampung chicken ( free range chicken ) and the chilly is super spicy. I heard that chillies from Indonesia especially those harvested from Srumbung is exceptionally spicy because it grows near Mt Merapi, an active volcano.
The chicken is marinated to perfection and came with raw cucumber, long beans and cabbage.

Pecel Lele

Our next dish pecel lele ( deepfried catfish ) is a sure winner. My favourite dish for the night...heck, I will even go as far as to say that this is the best fried fish I've ever had. It was fried to perfection, KFC can learn a thing or two from these guys. The fish is very fresh and it maintained its juiceness despite being fried till the bones were edible.

Sambal Terung

The last dish was sambal terung. This was good too as the brinjal was not overcooked and retained it's firm texture. The sambal on this dish is alot spicier than the balado petai. Sorry for the blurry picture, i was getting spasms from the spicy sambal.

The infamous Jus Poligami..Yoikss!

To wash it all down, I had the jus poligami ( poligamy juice ). Ok, there's a story to this drink. The owner of the restaurant, Puspo Wardoyo has four wives and hence jus poligami was born. Who says nothing good comes out of poligamy. This juice is the perfect solution for the spicy and fried food as it contains manggo, papaya, melon, soursop and avacado.

I would definitely come back again to try out their daging dendeng ( indonesian beef jerky )... sayur asam soup... ikan tiga rasa ( fish cooked in three types of sauces )...bla..bla..bla.. Yes they have quite an extensive menu.

http://www.wongsolo.com

Ayam Bakar Wong Solo
No. G18 & G19
Jalan Dagang B/3A
Taman Dagang
Ampang
Kuala Lumpur

Tel No: 03 – 4270 1947

The restaurant also has another outlet in Jalan Raja Alang near Masjid Jamek in Kg Baru.

map compliments of http://izreenii.blogspot.com

Yuzu at The Gardens

2008-02-12T17:40:00.002+08:00

I have been meaning to try this restaurant ever since my first visit to The Gardens. In case you didn't know, I'm crazy over Japanese cuisine, especially sashimi. Whenever I go to Gardens I will satisfy my sashimi cravings at Sushi Zen on the lower level but I finally got the chance to sample the food at Yuzu during Chinese New Year.

Yuzu is spacious and feels very comfortable. The tables offer a certain degree of privacy from other diners and the waitresses are mainly from the Philipines. Quite cute too. Sorry for the lack of pictures as my phone was running low on memory.

Salmon Roe $18

For appetizer, I decided to order the salmon roe. It was okay, tastes exactly like the Salmon Fish Oil tablet I take every morning.

Mixed Sashimi Platter $150

Next was the sashimi platter. I opted for the special which consists of salmon, tuna, hamachi
( Japanese amberjack ), toro ( tuna belly ), scallops and Iwate ( Japanese sea snail ). The wasabi they use is grated from horseradish, but pity they serve you the normal ones when you ask for more. What cheapskates !!
This dish costs $150 and the restaurant is currently offering 25% off their sashimi dishes.
The salmon was mediocre. It lacked the sweetness and firm texture you get from fresh salmons.

Where do I start with the toro... There are two grades of toro, Chu-toro which is slightly to the rear of the tuna and is less fatty, therefore less expensive and O-toro the ultra premium, uber fatty tuna belly from bottom half of the fish. I do not know what kind of toro this is. It has the coppery taste of blood and the texture of horsemeat. Definately the worst toro I've ever had..Period !

The rest of the dish was so-so..

Beef and Tempura bento $48

For the maincourse, I opted for the beef and tempura bento. The beef tasted quite nice grilling on a hotplate over a small flame but the amount was pathetic. The tempura didn't taste authentic because the batter was too oily and it killed the taste of the vegetables and prawn.
The cold fish from the platter was the worst ! It's fried and doused with a funky tasting sauce..served cold. *shudder*

But on the upside, they included a slice of macha cream cake... Wheee !

Unagi bento $36

My companion choose the unagi bento. It was similar to mine except it came with yam rice and soba. The rice was quite nice actually and it complemented the mediocre tasting unagi. Personally, I've never been a big fan of unagi since I don't like eating anything that is remotely sweet.

Overall, I did not enjoy the food at this restaurant and it definitely wasn't worth the amount they charged but I sincerely hope they will improve the quality of their food since I enjoy the ambience here.

Location: T236, 3rd Floor, The Gardens Mid Valley City.
Tel: 03-2284 7663/7763