CHASING FOOD DREAMS

Starry Arabian Nights Dinner Buffet

This coming holy month of Ramadan, Pullman Kuala Lumpur Bangsar is proud to present this year’s spread of Buka Puasa feast themed Starry Arabian Nights at Link All Day Dining. From 21 June to 16 July 2015, Link culinary team lead by Executive Chef Johann Ong together invited Arabian Chef is set to tempt many with their feast of Arabian and Malay cuisine.

When one mentions of Arabian cuisine, one immediately thinks of the aroma and flavours of spices, herbs, nuts, dates and more. What is today regarded as Malay food is the results of centuries of outside influences where the Malay absorbed a tradition of Arabic dishes.

The Arabs also enjoy a lot of lamb in their cuisine so it is without any doubt that one of the highlights of the Buka Puasafeast is a whole Baby Lamb with Arabian marinade. Slowly grilled over hot charcoal, the lamb fat slowly drips onto the sizzling coals and let the heat steam gently cooked the lamb to keep it nicely moist. Slow cooked for hours, the lamb yields tender meat with aromatic spices.

Another highlight of Middle Eastern cuisine is Shish Tawook which is a traditional shish kebab. Here the chicken kebabs are well marinated and nicely grilled and served with flat bread, fresh vegetables and lemon.

There is also Lamb Kofta of minced lamb shaped into kebabs and grilled. These are juicy and nicely spiced up. Enjoy them with rice or bread and an array of dips and salads.

More meat dishes like Sharwarma, which is a Levantine Arab meat preparation where meat or chicken is marinated, piled on a large skewer and placed on a spit and slowly grilled as the skewer rotates. The meat is then shaved off on the cooked edges and serve stuffed into flat bread together with fresh shredded vegetables.

All these Middle Eastern dishes beckons with classic dips and salads of Hummus, Baba Ghanoush, Tabbouleh, Fattoush, Beetroot Salad, Yoghurt with Cucumber and more. It was a treat of flavours and textures in Arabic cuisine.

More signatures of the buffet include Saffron Rice with Braised Lamb Shoulder, Couscous with Braised Arabian Lamb Shank, Spicy Marinated Sea Bass Fillet, Lamb Meatball Stew and more. The Saffron Rice with Braised Lamb Shoulder is delicious. Fluffy long grain rice nicely flavoured with stock and spices and served with tender lamb shoulder is a dish that is just so good on its own.

Save some room for the King of Fruits, the Durian! Enjoy treats of durian available at the al fresco area of the restaurant.

Besides all the above, there are definitely more dishes of international favorites at all the stylishly designed live cooking stations.

Desserts are going to give everyone a sweet ending! From kuih muih to cakes, puddings, cookies, ice cream and more, it’s going to be a tough choice choosing on the sweet treats. There will also be some Arabian sweets and dates as well.

Besides the feast, there will be live ‘Ghazal’ performance to add to the ambience and mood throughout the buffet dining experience.

The whole Starry Arabian Nights dinner buffet is priced at RM140 nett per person with 50% discount for children aged 6 to 12 years old. The buffet dinner is available from 21 June to 16 July 2015 from 6.30pm to 10.30pm. Enjoy the buffet with early bird discounted price at RM 110 nett per person if you purchase early bird voucher from 1 May to 12 June 2015. Offer valid for limited time period.

For reservations , call Link All Day Dining at +603 2298 1855 or check out their website for more information.

LINK RESTAURANT

Pullman Kuala Lumpur Bangsar

No.1, Jalan Pantai Jaya, Tower 3,

59200 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 603 2298 1888

Email: info@pullmankualalumpur.com

Website: www.pullmanhotels.com/gb/hotel-7962-pullman-kuala-lumpur-bangsar-/index.shtml

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Pullman-Kuala-Lumpur-Bangsar

The Eatery Makes A Delicious Debut!

Malaysia’s latest opening by Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Four Points by Sheraton Puchong is one of the latest hotel in the area. The 249 well-appointed guest rooms including 12 executive suites hotel is an ideal choice for leisure or business travelers for a comfort and convenient stay in the area, which is close to Puchong Financial Corporate Centre (PFCC) and is also within distance of Multimedia Super Corridor while offering quick access to both airport and downtown Kuala Lumpur.

Four Points by Sheraton Puchong signature restaurant The Eatery offers more than just a kaleidoscope of delicious dishes, it offers a beautiful dining experience with its modern contemporary ambience and sumptuous signatures from Executive Chef Yap Kim Hon and his culinary team. Dining the beautifully sectioned dining area or private room, the ambience is bright and warm, filled with soothing colors from the wood and spots of fabric colors.

There’s lots to enjoy at The Eatery. The all-day-dining restaurant offers breakfast to lunch, hi-tea and dinner buffet together with a la carte signatures. The live open stations offer diners over 100 choices in the buffet on daily basis or simply order Chef’s signatures from their a la carte menu. From international to local dishes, there’s plenty to offer diners a feast in a smart casual ambience.

Signatures from the a la carte menu including a list of local and international favorites such as Sang Har Meen, Oriental Hawaiian Pizza, Salmon with Pasta and more.

The Sang Har Meen or River Prawn Noodle is a delicious treat! Large and succulent freshwater prawns are gently poached in superior broth and crowned the crispy eggy fried noodles. It’s beautifully satisfying.

Seared Tuna with Mango makes a great appetizer with its the meaty fish and sweet juicy mangoes.

Taking an East meets West approach, the Oriental Hawaiian Pizza has Satay chicken paired with sweet fresh pineapples, onions, fresh tomato sauce, cheese and herbs. The pizza crust is just right, nice and crusty together with the ingredients, it is definitely a winning combination.

The Eatery’s buffet offers various dishes on various days of the week. Diners would definitely enjoy the Seafood & Grill BBQ Dinner buffet with its splendor of oceanic delight. From Seafood on Ice to lots of Seafood on the Grill, dinners are also treated to other seafood dishes from the warmers. Each dish is preferred in small portion straight from its live interactive cooking station.

Seafood on Ice in full glory!

Indulge Baked Oysters, Seafood Stew, Whole Baked Hoisin & Ginger Salmon, Steamed Fish and more…

Don’t forget to save room for a sweet ending!

The Teppanyaki Ice Cream is simply a must-have so put in your order of your favorite condiments for an icy delicious treat.

Whether it’s for business or simply leisure, indulge in The Eatery and the Lobby Lounge’s tantalizing flavours together with Four Points by Sheraton Puchong’s renowned Best Brew™ program of worldly collection of beers.

To offer diners a treat, Four Points by Sheraton Puchong’sWeekend F&B Offer has diners enjoying the Seafood and Grill Buffet every Friday and Saturday evening at just RM75+ per person (normal price at RM92_). On Saturdays and Sundays until 31 May 2015, guests can unwind in style at The Eatery with their Hi-Tea Buffet at only RM48+ per person (normal price at RM68+).

For more information or to make a reservation, please call +603 5891 8888 or email fourpoints.puchong@fourpoints.com/ res.fourpointspuchong@staystarwood.com

THE EATERY

Four Points by Sheraton Puchong

1201, Tower 3, Puchong Financial Corporate Centre (PFCC),

Jalan Puteri 1/2,

Bandar Puteri, Puchong,

47100 Puchong

Phone: + 603 5891 8888

Malaysia Toll-free: 1-800-18-1220

Website: www.fourpointspuchong.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Four-Points-by-Sheraton-Puchong

A Chandon Excursion of Flavours!

I can’t believe it… it’s been two years since I had my first Chandon! Where did time went? My first taste of Chandon was so fabulous, I can still vividly remember the Chandon’s SummerEdition Party back then. It was simply unforgettable. So when I received an invite recently to an afternoon’s Chandon wine pairing with Dan Buckle, senior winemaker for Chandon, I made sure I make time for the event!

Held at Eight Gourmet Gala (EGG) at Bandar Sunway, the exclusive wine pairing was a grand affair. I arrived pretty early and was immediately handed a gorgeous Chandon Brut to relax and unwind before the event started. As everyone began to trickle in on the Friday afternoon, the room began to be filled with lots of laughter and cheering. Chandon Brut soon worked its magic into everyone’s moods as we all soon began to get comfortable and bubbly!

Dan Buckle, the ‘meticulous’ winemaker, made his rounds, introducing himself to everyone and getting us all excited over the coming wine pairing. It was only logical that Dan wound up in the wine industry. After all, Dan’s father is the proud owner of a Mornington Peninsula vineyard and taught Dan everything about planting, pruning and harvesting grapes. It was also while studying at Melbourne University and working in wine retail that further cultivated Dan’s passion for wine and so he completed a Bachelor of Applied Science (Wine).

After years of experience in various stints with industry luminary James Haliday, Yering Station and Mount Langi Ghiran, Dan is back in Yarra Valley. His meticulous approach to winemaking has seen him progress to become one of Victoria’s and Australia’s, most prominent winemakers.

Our dining room was elegantly dressed with simplicity and class. Everyone couldn’t wait to capture the beautiful moment at the elegant set table. A quick glance and I knew the day could only get better. A menu to be paired with five Chandon wines pretty much won many hearts that afternoon, including mine.

As we all settled in happily, Chandon Brutand Chandon Rosé was immediately served to everyone. Dan quickly made a speech, telling everyone that there is no rules on pairing wine with a dish. There are general guidelines in wine pairing but he encourages everyone to try the various Chandon wines with each dish to see which one we prefer. The knowledgeable winemaker proceeded to share his wisdom of Chandon to enhance our wine pairing with more principles of wine tasting and also Chandon’s heritage, vineyard and wine making process.

Our first course from the menu was Seafood Platter. Going raw, the platter consisted of oyster, sweet prawn and raw sashimi fish paired with Chandon Brutand Chandon Rosé.

Oyster and sparkling has always been a favorite pairing of mine. The salty briny mollusk is boldly enhanced with Chandon Brut. A chardonnay led méthode traditionnellesparkling wine, the Chandon Brut’s soft citrus notes lifted the oyster’s oceanic flavours really well. I also enjoyed the succulent sweet prawn with its gelatinous texture with Chandon Brutimmensely. Its crisp finish balanced the sweetness of the crustacean. I enjoyed the Chandon Rosé with the sashimi fish smeared with a little wasabi. Since the Chandon Rosé has hints of autumn fruit notes, it kept the palate fresh when savoring the raw fish.

The next course was Smoked Duck Salad and we were encourage to explore with all five Chandonwines and sparkling wines. I couldn’t decide between two of my preferred pairing with the duck. I never expected the Domaine Chandon Chardonnay to work so well with the smoked duck but it did. There’s something unusually soothing with the Chardonnay’s crisp and luscious notes with the edgy smoked duck flavours that I really enjoyed. The second wine that also paired well was the Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir, a medium bodied red with palate of dark rich plums and vibrant tangy raspberry. Plums and duck are a majestic match for each other. Though never one to enjoy red wines, I do have a soft spot for this particular Pinot Noir. It was probably my adoration for plums and raspberries that I sensed in the red wine that nurtured this sensation.

Our main course was Grilled Salmon with Mint Sauce. Again I am faced with an indecisive favoritism of two pairings that I enjoyed with the rich oily fish. I thought the salmon with its crispy skin paired so well with Domaine Chandon Chardonnay and Chandon Brut. The Chardonnay with its summery citrus fruits lifted the richness of the fish while the Chandon Brut fresh and crisp notes also balanced and contained the richness of the salmon well. The reds were a bit too heavy with the fish while the Rosé took on more sweetness with the salmon.

In between the main course and dessert, we were surprised with an additional ingredient to go with our wines, Smoked Salami! It was an undeniably a favorite pairing with Domaine Chandon Shiraz with the few of us that day. Shiraz is renowned for their bold and vibrant notes so it took an intense red of berries and plums to match up with the salty rich cured meat and briny olive. I also adored the appearance of the Shiraz’s rich deep purple density as it is quite an unusual colour.

With all meals, it had to end somehow. And with every ending, it is only plausible that we end it with a sweet note. Raspberry Crème Brulee happens to be one of my favorite desserts! And this one was exceptional delicious with the essential cracked on the caramel crust, unfolding luscious smooth baked custard. Set just right, the crème brulee is gorgeously rich and just sweet enough. The richness of the custard was a match made-in-heaven with both Chandon Brutand Chandon Rosé. It seemed that sparkling wines makes a good starter as well as a solid ending. Both elegant aperitif style wines balanced out the richness of the dessert beautifully with their respective crisp finish.

That afternoon after the lunch pairing, there were more surprises to unfold. I will leave that for another story as it seemed only fair to tribute this post with full concentration on the beautiful wine pairing with Dan Buckle and Chandon…

Stay tune for Chandon Limited Edition 2015 and a Cocktail Masterclass!

A Traditional Feast by Chef Budiman

When it comes to a feast, Latest Recipeat Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur goes all out! It’s my first visit and it was a delicious sight to behold. Armed with a recent refreshed look, Latest Recipeboasts of a plethora of international fare gorgeously spread out at all the stations in the beautifully designed restaurant. The restaurant is cleverly spaced out with different levels and sections to offer diners privacy as well as a beautiful contemporary ambience. High ceilings, bright lighting and coupled with its vibrant color theme, Latest Recipe’s new refreshed look is attractive and cheerful yet stylish.

Latest Recipe 5-cuisine concept of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Japanese and Western continues to be a favorite with many foodies. Live interactive cooking stations with the respective cuisine is constantly serving up hot and fresh food to ensure a delicious dining experience. The dessert bar is scrumptious and offers a huge selections of beautiful desserts as well.

It is that time of the year for a traditional buka puasa feast of home-cooked food by Kedah-born Executive Sous Chef Budiman Bistari Bin Mohamed and his culinary team at Latest Recipe.

“Food has more than just flavour… it unites people.”

The friendly and ever-grinning Chef Budiman has worked his way in the various culinary industry for more than 17 years. His philosophy on cooking is inspiringly filled with lots of love, to be respectful to the gifts of nature, to be passionate and generous with cooking and to unite everyone through food. With a few accolades under his belt, Chef Budiman continues to strive to serve diners with an unforgettable dining experience at Latest Recipe.

For this holy month of Ramadhan, diners are treated to his traditional buka puasa feast of authentic Malaysian dishes with taste and flavours inspired by 10 states in the country. He is also bringing his family recipes to the table to share his childhood memories of authentic kampung dishes he grew up on. “My mother is my beloved role model and one of the main influences in my cooking. I will do my best to share her love through my dishes,” continues Chef Budiman.

Executive Chef Antoine and Executive Sous Chef Budiman

A Traditional Buka Puasa Feastincludes several signatures of the festive month – Roasted Baby Lamb with 10 Spices served with garlic cumin sauce, Baked Sea Bass with Creamy Curry Sauce and Bird Eye Chili, Grilled Stingray and Sea Bass with Java Chili Paste and Oven-Roasted Spring Chicken with Sesame and Fenugreek Trigona Honey Sauce.

The Roasted Baby Lamb is so tender and juicy, well marinated with a good dose of spices. It is simply a must-have at Latest Recipe. The Baked Sea Bass with Creamy Curry Sauce and Bird Eye Chili is another good choice as the fish is cooked nicely with a creamy and spicy sauce, perfect savored on its own or with rice and bread.

From the 10 States in the country, traditional Malay dishes such as Lamb Bahmia with Dates & Green Peas, Deep Fried Sliced Beef with Java Chili Paste, Chicken Briyani, Patin Fish in Coconut Gravy with Turmeric-Preserve Durian Paste, Quail Rendang with Kaffir Lime Leaves, Flower Crab with Blackpepper and more are available on daily rotation.

The Australian Beef Rendang and 60 Days Grain Fed Chicken Rendang are another must-try as well. The Australian Beef Rendang oozed with great depths of spices beautifully harmonized through hours of slow cooking. The beef melts-in-the-mouth and has a rich and creamy flavour that makes me want to keep eating it. Simply delicious!

The Salad Bar is laden with lots of authentic Kerabus and salads together with other delights. Some of the Kerabus available are Chicken Salad with Cashew Nuts, Young Papaya & Carambola Chili Paste, Fish and Prawn Terrine with Grated Chili Coconut Paste, Sliced Roasted Beef with Tamarind Chili Dip and more. Savor Gado Gado, Ulam with Assorted Sambals and various Ikan Masin together with Telur Masin and Aneka Keropok.

Don’t miss sampling Mee Kak Lah, Chef Budiman’s signature Beef Soup Noodles! The flavours are amazingly complex but truly satisfying with lots of hot and sour notes.

From the Western buffet, diners can enjoy a lavish spread of Seafood On Ice, Pasta Station, DIY Salad Bar and other Western dishes from the hot buffet counter.

The Japanese station is a sure crowd-pleaser with its Sashimi offerings of Salmon, Butterfish and Octopus together with freshly fried Tempura Prawns, Fish & Vegetables and Teppanyaki of Beef, Prawn, Chicken and Fish served with Fried Garlic Rice and Sautéed Vegetables.

The Chinese station showcases Dim Sum, varieties of Noodles, Fried Rice, Fried Hokkien Noodles and more.

From the Indian station, a sumptuous spread of fresh baked Roti, Murtabak, Tandoori Chicken, Tandoori Prawn, Tandoori Fish, Briyani Rice, Curries, Chutneys and more will tantalize your senses with rich and robust spice flavours.

It’s a feast to enjoy to the fullest but do make sure to save some room for the awesome Dessert Bar filled with loads of savory and sweet treats.

Indulge in traditional Malay desserts such as Apam Balik, Kuih Lompang Warna Warni, Kuih Seri Muka, Pulut Inti, Bubur Durian, Bubur Kacang Merah and more.

The buffet spread is inclusive of free flow of Date Juice, Sirap Bandung, Sugar Cane Juice, Iced Lemon Tea and hot Teh Tarik as well as ABC and Cendol Mamak.

Other international desserts are even more luscious with lots of beautiful Cakes, Pastries, Eclairs, Mousse, Fruit Tarts, Dark Chocolate and Pink Chocolate Fountain and more. Savor fresh cook-to-order Belgian Waffles served with your choice of condiments or simply add on icy soft serve ice cream for extra indulgence!

Young or old, many will also favor the candy bar filled with lots of sweet candies.

A Traditional Feast Buffet Dinner @ Latest Recipe

*available from 22 June to 16 July 2015

Monday to Friday

RM173 nett (adult)

RM87 nett (child)

Saturday & Sunday

RM161 nett (adult)

RM81 nett (child + senior citizen)

BOOK EARLY from now until 14 June 2015 at

RM110 nett (adult)

RM55 nett (child)

Additionally SPG members will receive a 20% discount off total food bill.

A Feast Under the Stars BBQ Poolside buffet Dinner@ Pool Bar & Grill@8

*available Daily

RM110 nett (adult)

RM55 nett (child)

Festive Delights such as Roasted Baby Lamb Brushed with Arabic Spices, Australian Beef Rendang, 60-Day Grain Fed Chicken Rendang, Chocolate Chip & Dates Cake, Hari Raya Éclair and more are also available for order and take-away.

For reservations, visit www.lemeridienkualalumpur.com/diningor email: dining.lmkl@lemeridien.comof call Dining Reservations at +603 2263 7434.

LATEST RECIPE

Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur

2 Jalan Stesen Sentral,

Kuala Lumpur Sentral,

50470 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +60 3-2263 7888

Website: www.lemeridienkualalumpur.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/lemeridienkualalumpur

Delicious Penang Street Food

Whenever someone mentions Penang street food, I am always up for a taste. Growing up from the island, it’s only fair to be a bit bias when it comes to Penang food, especially street food. A few weeks back, when I first saw a plate of Char Kway Teow on a few foodies’ FB page, I was practically salivating. And the best part of this was that these foodies had it in Klang. It looked so good and it certainly had me yearning for it. At times I am quite a picky eater. I usually prefer Char Kway Teow from Penang as there is a different taste to the dish compared to the ones here in this city. So it’s hardly an order I would call for unless it says Penang Char Kway Teow.

So when I was told that Angcle Peoh is serving up Penang street food in his little café in Bukit Tinggi, Klang, some of us foodies snagged an invite to try out what Angcle Peoh has to offer in his humble café. With anything or anyone in life, there is always a story behind the existence. With Uncle Peoh, it was poverty that had him growing up helping his mom who makes a living to support his six siblings by selling homemade Fried Bee Hoon and Asam Laksa during 1950s. Starting from lugging a rattan basket with ingredients for her ware on a 4km journey each day to Ayer Itam in Penang, Uncle Peoh who was only seven years old then, help his mom on often because it is a truly hard and physical job.

While other kids grew up with education, Uncle Peoh decided to drop out of school at the age of 14 years old to assist his mom full time. The life-changing decision was hard but he has never regretted it as it was crucial for his family’s survival and also to lift his mom’s burden. Soon, business improved and Uncle Peoh and his family was able to purchase a bicycle which made the journey better and easier. Then later on, they could afford more and business took off when their Asam Laksa became one of the most popular Asam Laksa stall in Ayer Itam.

Fast forward to current, Uncle Peoh has decided to semi-retired now and lives in Klang with his daughter and son-in-law. Forever grateful to his mom for always striving to give him everything, he hopes to continue his family’s legacy of their Asam Laksa through the help of his daughter and son-in-law. Angcle Peoh was then born with the combination of the Ang family name and the word uncle. At Angcle Peoh, it is not just Asam Laksa one can savor but a list of other classic Penang street food.

That said, we visited Angcle Peoh one Sunday for lunch and looks like word sure got out fast as the crowd filled in the café real quick! The simple no-frill café was comfortable. Walls are plastered with Angcle Peoh’s history and menu. The dining room was spacious and set with tables made for small or big crowds. It was cool and comfortable for a quick bite of street food. There is an open kitchen in front of the café where the noodles are whipped up plus a small al fresco area for dining.

The menu is a large two-sided laminated card. It does seemed to have quite a good list of street food available together with drinks though I saw most diners came specifically for his Asam Laksa and Char Kway Teow. With our orders locked in and beverages served, service is brisk and courteous. Uncle Peoh together with his family is seen running around as fast as they can together with some helpers in serving up the dishes. Generally diners do not linger so just wait a few minutes and tables would be freed up pretty quick.

Our Hot Honey Lemon (RM3.80), Winter Melon with Sea Coconut Basil Seed(RM4.90) and Passion Fruit with Basil Seed Popping Jelly (RM4.90) was pretty decent and satisfying.

Lunch took off with a great start of Pork Noodle Soup (RM6.90). Though I ordered this for my little fella, hub and I enjoyed this so much, we had to reorder another bowl because we kept stealing bites of this from the little fella bowl! The Pork Noodle really evoked home cooked comfort. Good porky broth with simple yellow noodles and smooth kway teow noodles topped with tender sliced pork, homemade pork meatballs, pork liver and topped with fried garlic and spring onions. It’s a hearty bowl of soothing flavours!

I never expected to enjoy the Prawn Mee(RM6.90) since I thought it wasn’t their main signature but I did. It’s got decent prawn stock that is nicely flavoured. The other essentials were there as well such as the pork slice, egg, prawn, kangkung, fried shallots and the noodles. It’s a decent bowl with good prawn essence balancing up other spice flavours.

The Curry Mee (RM6.90) looked rich and red at sight but it is not as spicy as it looks. Penang style curry mee has a light sweet coconut stock with delicate hints of spice paste and it needs the heavy pungent chili sauce and oil to give it its signature curry mee style. This one was mediocre at best as it was not quite the same as the Penang style or the KL style here. I would say it’s somewhere in between Penang and KL style. That said, it’s good to try this yourself as you may enjoy the style of this curry mee at Angcle Peoh.

The Fried Kway Teow with Duck Egg(RM8.90) is as good as it looks. This is pretty near perfect to the Penang flavours. Good hit of breathe of wok in the kway teow. Nice spicy savory with hint of sweetness in flavours. Lots of crunchy beansprouts, chives, cockles and prawns in the noodles. We had this with duck egg which is more prominent in eggy flavour but you can also order the chicken egg version. Extra points goes to the banana leaf as it added a nice aroma to the dish. Faultless and pretty darn good!

Asam Laksa (RM6.90) is what we came for and sure enough, it is super yum and addictive! The laksa broth is sourish and moreish and filled with loads of fish flakes. It also has a good balance of herbs, spices and aromatics in the broth. Laksa rice noodles, shredded pineapple, onions, cucumber, mint leaves, torch ginger bud, chili and a heavy lashing of their special shrimp paste sauce (har koh) summed up the bowl. The har koh is a tad sweeter than I like but luckily the broth is so tangy and piquant that it balanced out the sweetness of the har koh.

The har koh is specially made to a secret recipe for Angcle Peoh so it explains the sweetness. Uncle Peoh is bent on making sure his mom’s recipe is just as before and this is how they have been serving up the flavours for years. I find myself polishing off this bowl happily. No laksa gravy was left… only pure satisfaction of a darn good bowl of Penang Asam Laksa!!

Make sure to order this and sharing is NOT recommended… hehehe!

Rojak (RM6.00) was the only dish that didn’t work for me. It went well with others but I found it a tad too watery in the har koh sauce and again here, it was a tad too sweet. I love the super pungent heavy har koh where it literally sticks to the cuts of fruits type. The rojak has good cuts of mango, cucumber, jicama, pineapple, crunchy fried dough and crushed peanuts.

Our lunch ended with Ais Kacang (RM5.00) and Cendol (RM5.00). Both were decent and good enough to cool us down after all that bowls of hot soupy noodles. I prefer the Cendol better than the Ais Kacang just as a matter of taste preference.

I wished Angcle Peoh was located nearer to my home. It’s going to be tough to get my regular fix of Asam Laksa and Char Kway Teow. Maybe one day they might open a branch near my place if I am lucky. Service is brisk and decent. Prices are very affordable and definitely good value for money. Visit Angcle Peoh for a delicious taste of Penang street food in KL… and yes, make sure to order their Asam Laksa and Char Kway Teow ok!

ANGCLE PEOH

42, Lorong Batu Nilam 21B,

Bandar Bukit Tinggi 2,

41200 Klang, Selangor D.E.

Tel: +6017 – 936 2223

Facebook: www.facebook.com/restoran.angclepeoh

Business Hour: Mon – Sun: 9.00 am to 9.00 pm

Inspired by the recent post about Kimball’s Pasta Cook-off here, I was certainly excited to try out the new Kimball’s range of 3 new Asian Pasta Sauce – Kari, Rendang and Tom Yam. These sauces are the quick solutions for a hearty home cook meal at any time of the day. Being a wife, a mom and juggling a few jobs, I still want to be able to whip up a home cook meal when I reach home in the evenings. Now we all know making pasta sauce takes time to achieve its rich earthy flavours. Since Kimball has already prepared the pasta sauce, it is now up to us to get creative with the sauce.

My family loves pasta and we do enjoy this often. I try to make several options of pasta for choices and one of my favorite is baked pasta. It does take a little more time but once you have tasted ooey-gooey cheesy pasta, you’ll know it’s worth the extra steps.

So today, I am making a short video to show you my version of Kimball Sos Spageti Tom Yam Baked Pasta. It’s my first video shoot so I hope you enjoy the quick video on how to whip up my pasta!

In case you have missed out the video bits, here is the full recipe of my Kimball Sos Spageti Tom Yam Baked Pastainspired by my family’s love for pasta.

Kimball Sos Spageti Tom Yam Baked Pasta

Ingredients

1 bottle Kimball Sos Spageti Tom Yam (350gm)

200gm Kimball Spiral Pasta (or Kimball Spaghetti)

100gm Prawns (shelled and cut into chunks)

4 pieces Crab stick (diced)

2 pieces Chicken Hotdog (cut into small pieces)

100gm Cheddar Cheese (shredded)

150gm Ricotta Cheese

1 small Onion (minced)

2 cloves Garlic (minced)

1 small Carrot (diced and lightly parboiled)

1 handful Cherry Tomatoes (cut into half)

A few sprigs Fresh herbs chopped – Parsley

2 tbsp Cooking Oil

Method

Prepared and cut all ingredients.

Cook pasta according to package instructions and take it off 2 minutes earlier since we have to bake the pasta again later. Drain and put aside.

Preheat the oven at 200 degree Celsius.

Heat up a pan and sautéed minced garlic and onion with oil till soft and translucent for about 1 minute.

Add in carrot and sautéed for another 1 minute.

Add in the Kimball Sos Spagheti Tom Yam to the pan and let the sauce come to a light boil.

Add in the prawns and hotdogs and let it cook for another 1 minute.

Add in the cooked pasta and mix everything to coat it well. Turn off the fire.

Add in the crab stick and chopped herbs. Mix everything well again gently.

To assemble the dish, have a large baking dish ready together with both cheese and pasta.

Pour in half the pasta into the dish, add in half the ricotta cheese in dollops and half the cheddar cheese over the pasta. Spread them out evenly.

Add in the remaining pasta and repeat with both the cheeses to cover the pasta.

Baked the pasta in the preheated oven for 30 minutes till everything is nicely melted.

Just before removing the pasta, you can also broiled it for 5 minutes to crisp up the top cheese layer.

Serve it hot.

Go ahead and try this recipe and do feel creative to switch up your favorite cheeses like mozzarella or parmesan or cream cheese. I used cheddar and ricotta because it’s my family favorites. You can also add in chicken or seafood or simply go vegetarian. Use any dry or fresh herbs you have on hand. If you use kaffir lime leaves, make sure to shred it very finely. I had parsley on hand so I used that.

The finishing dish is comfort food at its best. The pasta is nicely flavoured with notes of light spiciness and tom yam flavours. I tasted hints of lemongrass notes and subtle tangy flavour together with the tomato sauce. The sauce is not spicy at all and my little one even enjoyed it with us.

The best part of all, the dish can be kept as leftover and reheated or if you are just like my family, we polished the dish off between three of us off happily that evening!

For more information on Kimball, visit website: www.kimball.com.myand Facebook: www.facebook.com/KimballMalaysia

More Than Just Boat Noodles…

Boat noodles really seems to be the craze with many places popping up all over our city serving up mini portions of the Thai classic street food. We found out about Riverboat from OffPeak.com and was curious about this Thai joint packed into the busy suburb of Taman Danau Desa. One evening, some of us head on over to Riverboat for a taste of Thai cuisine.

We were told that Riverboat was serving boat noodles but when we got here, we saw that their menu offered more than just noodles. It was a full list of many Thai dishes together with the noodles. Run by a Louis and his wife, Riverboatserves up authentic Thai dishes as well as some Thai BBQ. The restaurant’s ambience was basic and simple. Off white walls are left bare. Simple tables and stools made up the seating. Thai steamer baskets are converted into lamp shades and provided warm lighting for the place.

On the way into the restaurant, we saw these scrumptious and tempting items on the grill! Now how can we not order these…

For drinks, we decided on Thai classics of Iced Lemongrass (RM2.50) and Iced Pandan Paradise (RM2.50). It was decent and thirst quenching.

The first dish to arrive was Som Tum Thai(RM9.90). I love papaya salad and its raw and robust flavours. This one is really appetizing. Crunchy shredded green papaya soaked in pungent salty garlicky lime and fish sauce dressing pumped up with loads of heat. There was also carrots, long beans, tomatoes and peanuts added for textures.

BBQ Pork Neck (R14.90) was just divine. It tasted as good as it looks. The pork neck was undeniably gorgeous as it was so tender and tasty. The flavours were moreish and the aroma lightly smoky. I like the little bits of charred edges too. There is a sweet and spicy sauce served on the side but the pork neck was just really tasty enough on its own.

The next dish of Kaeng Som (RM24.90) is truly a unique dish in central Thailand. Its quite hard to find Kaeng Som here but I was glad to see this dish on the menu. It is almost like a curry as it has spice paste but it is a non-creamy one. It’s my first time tasting this dish. Though it is usually cooked with fish and vegetables, Riverboat’s version uses prawns and has cubed omelette with petai leaves in the tangy spicy sauce. I loved it a lot. The tamarind in the curry really gave the dish its delicious character. The more I enjoyed this dish, the more I got addicted enjoying its spicy and sourish flavours. Damn shiok dish!

Another must order and drool worthy dish was BBQ Talapia Fish with Salt Served with Vegetables, Vermicelli & Sauce (RM38 per set) that came looking and smelling so good. The salt crust and skin on the fish has been removed, unveiling a delectable looking fish with smooth and sweet flesh.

The way to enjoy this dish is to put some fish on the crisp lettuce with some rice noodles and herbs, topped it with some of the sauces and enjoy this. One gets lots of texture and the flavours were simply amazing. It was like a delicious party of taste going in my mouth. It is definitely worth waiting every minute for this dish so be patience and order this …

The Tom Yum Goong (RM22.90 – small) here is pretty kick-ass in flavours. A sip of this will literally awaken your sense of flavours in full throttle. Super spicy and sour, the soup has a nice medley of seafood.

Another signature of the restaurant is Riverboat’s Clam in Thai Sauce (RM13.90). Using large hard shell clam, the dish is beautifully flavoured with a sweet, savory and spicy Thai sauce. The sauce took limelight here and I couldn’t help scooping up the sauce to go with rice. The sauce was moreish, the clams were fat, juicy and tender.

We also had Fried Rice with Chicken, Basil & Egg (RM10.90). It was mediocre only in flavours but the rice was nice and fluffy,

We tried an order of their four variations of boat noodles of Pork Soft Meat Boat Noodle (RM2.00), Pork Fresh Meat Boat Noodle (RM2.00), Beef Soft Meat Boat Noodle (RM2.50) and Beef Fresh Meat Boat Noodle (RM2.50). The portion is really value-for-money. It was certainly a debated decision as we enjoyed both the pork and beef broth. The broth was nicely robust and lightly sweet with meaty essence and lots of spices. We thought the meat was quite generous for the price. These are really good so if you just feel like a lighter meal, go for the boat noodles.

Dinner ended with classic Mock Pomegranate Seeds with Coconut & Jackfruit or Tub Tim Grob (RM4.90). It was decent with crunchy pearls of water chestnuts with slivers of jackfruit in a sweetened coconut broth.

We certainly got more than we expected at Riverboat. Dishes here are pretty authentic and the price is very affordable. Make sure to come early as seats are limited due to space. Most diners don’t linger so it’s never too long a wait for a taste of Riverboat. Signatures to order are their BBQ Pork Neck, BBQ Talapia Fish with Salt, Kaeng Som and Riverboat’s Clam in Thai Sauce.

RIVERBOAT

23 Plaza Danau Desa 2

Jalan 3/109F

Off Jalan Klang Lama

Taman Danau Desa

58100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 011 2629 2779 / 012-9302839

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Riverboat

Business Hours:

Monday–Sunday: 11 a.m.–11 p.m.

Closed on Wednesday

Book with Offpeak.my!Offpeak.my is an online platform that helps diners save money and time when booking great restaurants online. Once a restaurant is available in the Offpeak.my directory, you can simply book and enjoy unlimited discount on your favourite restaurant, every day, anytime. No more waiting for the right deal or coupon to come by. It’s easy to book and instantly confirmed.

Book now by downloading Offpeak.my App available on the App Store and Google Play, or visit our website www.offpeak.my or Facebook: www.facebook.com/offpeak.my

Ramadhan Selera Kampung

This holy month of Ramadhan, Chatz Brasserieat PARKROYAL Kuala Lumpur is presenting their buka puasa dinner buffet themed Ramadhan Selera Kampung. A list of nostalgic kampung dishes will bring back memories of a mother’s homecooking during this month. The chefs and the culinary team has set a new record for their buka puasa buffet this year with a staggering list of highlights which includes 18 types of porridge among the spread.

Kicking off the buka puasa feast is Barbeque Whole Lamb! Tender pieces of spice marinated meat, savor the lamb with black pepper, mushroom, barbeque sauces of sambals.

There is also the Ayam Percik Iftar where chicken is also marinated in spices, roasted and then smothered in Percik sauce.

Nasi Kerabu remains as one of the restaurant’s favorite highlight as the rice is wonderfully aromatic from all the herbs in the dish. Savor the rice with assorted condiments as well as the Kerabu.

The Kerabu station offers Kerabu Pucuk Paku, Kerabu Soo Hoon Berudang, Kerabut Perut, Kerabut Ikan Bilis, Umai Ikan, Kerabu Pegaga, Kerabu Jantung Pisang, Kerabu Ayam Daun Kesom, Kerabu Mangga Muda, Kerabut Nangka Sambal Kelapa, Kerabu Daging, Kerabu Rebung, Acar Timun Tumis, Rojak Buah, Pecal with Peanut Gravy and more on rotation basis.

Let’s not forget the Ulam Ulam Mentah dan Rebus to be savored with the sambals such as Sambal Belachan, Sambal Mangga, Sambal Kelapa, Sambal Tomato, Sambal Tempoyak, Budu, Cencalok and more. There is also lots of Ikan Masin, Jeruk Buah, Telur Masin, Telur Pindang,. Lemang, Ketupat Palas and Serunding.

The main highlight of 18 types of Bubur include Bubur Lambuk Sayuran, Bubur Lambuk Daging, Bubur Asyura Johor, Bubur Asyura Utara, Bubur Ayam, BuburBubur Menguh Bali, Bubur Telur Masin, Bubur Nasi Keledek, Bubur Isi Ketam, Bubur Ikan, Bubur Singgang Kupang, Lobster Porridge, Teow Chew Porridge and more.

There is also a Local Griled Fish bar showcasing assorted Ikan Bakar with sauces like Asam, Kicap Pedas, Thai Chili and Kalasan.

Main hot warmers has a gorgeous array of kampung delights of Ayam Kapitan Nyonya, Kari Telur Ikan Sentul, Udang Goreng Mamak, Ikan Duri Masak Berlada, Rendang Paru dan Hati, Ikan Masin Lemak Nenas, Tempe Kacang Pajang Berlada, Ikan Duri Masak Berlada, Itik Masak Halia, Asam Pedas Tetel, Rendang Puyuh, Patin Gulai Tempoyak, Ayam Kuzi, Daging Kerutub, Kurma Kambing, Sotong Sambal Petai, Udang Goreng Kunyit Bawang, Rebung Lemak Udang, Ikan Keli BErlada, Udang Lemak Belimbing, Daging Rendang Kuning, BUrung Puyuh Goreng, Ketam BOrlado Nogeri, Daging Bahmia, Sayur Manis Masak Lemak Putih Keledek, Satay and more available on rotation menus.

To go with all the list of authentic Malay dishes, there is Briyani Tanam Daging and Briyani Tanam Ayam served with Acar Buah, Dalcha and Papadom.

Other international dishes are also available such as Seafood on Ice, Western Salads, Fettuccine Marinara, Baked Oysters, Seafood Thermidor, Seafood Aglio Olio, Hungarian Chicken Paprika, English Roasted Beef Dim Sum, Chicken Rice, Char Kway Teow, Noodle station, Roti andMurtabak station, Chinese dishes and more.

End the buffet with more delights but this time in sweetness. Savor Nyonya Kuih-Muih, Sago Gula Melaka, Agar Agar Bersantan, Tapai Pulut, Ondeh Ondeh, Kuih Cara Berlauk, Puteri Mandi, Badak Berendam and more. Sweet hot bubur such as Bubur Kacang Hijau Durian, Bubur Kacang Merah, Bubur Pulut Hitam, Pengat Nangka and Pengat Pisang. For the buffet there is a Ramadhan Special Beverage of Fresh Coconut Water with Palm Sugar.

There is also other desserts of cakes, waffles, Durian Ice Cream, Kurma, Pudding, Ice Kacang, fresh fruits and more.

Ramadhan Selera Kampung at Chatz Brasserie is available from 18 June to 16 July, from 7:30pm to 10:30pm. With unlimited flow of juices and soft drinks, the buffet is priced at RM128 nett per person from Sunday to Thursday, and RM138 nett per person on Friday and Saturday.

Guests staying at PARKROYAL Kuala Lumpur and PARKROYAL Serviced Suites Kuala Lumpur are entitled to 20% savings on Ramadhan Selera Kampung. Special savings also apply for selected bank cardmembers.

The hotel also organize ‘Berbuka Puasa’ banquets for a minimum of 50 persons from RM128 nett per person at our two ballrooms and 12 meeting rooms. For reservations or enquiries, please call 03 2782 8389 or email agnes.kok@parkroyalhotels.com.

On Hari Raya, celebrate with the family and enjoy a potpourri of Malaysian and international flavours on 17 and 18 July. Festive dishes include Ketupat Palas with Sambal, Lemang with Serunding, Chicken and Beef Satay, Ikan Bakar Lebaran, Roti Jala with Chicken Curry and Serawa Durian, Roasted Sirloin and Ayam Rendang Sri Aidilfitri. Priced at RM78 nett per person and inclusive of unlimited flow of juices and soft drinks, the buffet lunch is available from 12:30pm to 4:00pm at Chatz Brasserie.

Prior reservation is required for all promotions. For reservations or enquiries, please call 03 2147 0088 or email chatz.prkul@parkroyalhotels.com.

CHATZ BRASSERIE

PARKROYAL KUALA LUMPUR

Jalan Sultan Ismail,

50250 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2782 8301

Email: chatz.prkul@parkroyalhotels,com

Website: www.parkroyalhotels.com/en/hotels-resorts/malaysia/kuala-lumpur

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Parkroyalkualalumpur

Inspirasi Masakan Melaka

One of my favorite places to Buka Puasahas to be Melting Pot Café at Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur.Melting Pot Café is synonymous with their scrumptious spread of buffet for the holy month of Ramadan. For this year’s buka puasa feast, tuck into a myriad of mouth-watering delicacies from the historic state of Melaka at Melting Potfrom June 18 to July 16, 2015.

Savor a list of authentic Malay and Nyonya inspired dishes prepared by Chefs Rogayah Sharif and Mohd Ridzuan after a long day of fasting. Enjoy dishes cooked with lots of herbs and spices that will guaranteed robust and moreish flavours to whet the appetite.

Main highlights of the Inspirasi Masakan Melaka includes kawahs filled with various Asam Pedas curries like Daging Tetel Asam Pedas, Lamb Chop Asam Pedas, Ikan Merah Asam Pedas, Ekor Lembu Asam Pedas and Ayam Daun Limau Purut Asam Pedas. These are utterly delicious and addictive. All of the asam pedas have their own unique flavours. The Ekor Lembu Asam Pedas was super delicious with the oxtail cooked till tender and flavourful. The Lamb Chop Asam Pedas was quite different and is very piquant with good balance of sour and savory with umami notes.

There is the Ikan Siakap Cili Garam has a moreish and spicy chili sambal that is jazzed up with calamansi lime to accompany the crispy fried fish.

Whole Roast Lamb is also a favorite during this month and is available every day for lamb lovers. Savor the nicely spiced rub lamb pieces carved to your order and served with brown or mint sauce.

More curries are also available such as Rendang Ayam Nyonya, Kari Kepala Ikan, Udang Lemak Nenas, Paru Goreng Berlada, Sambal Sotong Petai, Daging Lemak Mangga Muda, Ikan Bawal Bersambal and more to go with Nasi Portugis Daging or Briyani Kambing. The myriad of curries with its various distinctive flavours are some of the best curries I had, especially the Rendang Ayam Nyonya.

Another classic favorite at any buka puasa dinner will be the Sup Gearbox, Sup Daging Singgang and Bubur Lambuk. These are the perfect dishes to start your meal after a long day of fasting. Comforting and soothing, these dishes will warm up your appetite.

There is also an assortment of Ikan Bakartogether with the other seafood at the Teppan Theatre. Simply choose prawns, salmon, chicken, beef or squid and the chef will cooked your food to your likings.

Kerabu station is set with a long and delicious list of authentic Kerabu salads such as Kerabu Udang Tha, Kerabu Mangga, Kerabu Isi Kerang, Kerabu Ayam Berkerisik, Kerabu Pucuk Ubi, Kerabu Udang, Kerabu Hati, Kerabu Limau Bali, Acar Rampai, Ulam Ulam Kampung, Rojak and assortment of sambals. Other condiments to go with the kerabu and curries are Sambals, Telur Masin, Ikan Masin, Telur Ikan Goreng, Jelatah Harian, Kerepek Pisang, Kerepek Ubi Pedas, Keropok Ikanand Spicy Papadam.

Besides the Kerabu station, there is a cold appetizer and salad station that has Summer Roll, Tandoori Spiced Chicken Galantine, Smoked Duck Breast with Mango and Asparagus, Thai Seafood Salad, Roasted Cherry Tomato and Chicken, Shrimp and Rice Noodle Salad, Crab Salad with Green Mango, Roast Beef and Spinach Salad with Horseradish Cream and more.

From the Wok corner, savor Wok-Fried French Beans with Spicy Conpoy Sauce, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Kai Lan with Chili and Salted Fish, Kangkung Belachan and other dishes available on rotation basis.

From the Goreng station, there are Samosa, Popiah Goreng, Crispy Vegetable Fritters, Prawn Tempura and more.

Besides all the local dishes, there’s also must-haves like the Chilled Seafood bar filled with Fresh Flower Crab, Tiger Prawn, Oysters and Green Shell Mussels.

The Noodle station is offering Nyonya Laksaand Mee Udang. The Nyonya Laksa is scrumptious with its creamy curry gravy laden with spices.

The dinner buffet ended with a high note as the Dessert Bar is laden with a gorgeous spread of local and international desserts.

For local desserts, there are assorted Nyonya Kuih Muih, Tapai Ubi, Tapai Pulut, Serawa Durian Pulut, Talam Gula Melaka, Seri Muka, Sago Gula Melaka, Putu Piring and more. Then there’s the sweet dessert broth of Bubur Pulut Hitam, Bubur Jagung and Bubur Kacang Hijiau and Cendol. There is also a live station of freshly made Apam Balik.

International desserts such as cakes, puddings, mousse, jelly, madeleine, fresh fruits, tarts, ice cream and more.

Drinks such as Air Tebu, Air Soya or Air Bandung are also included in the buffet.

Inspirasi Masakan Melaka

BUFFET DINNER– RM138.00 nett per person

Time: 7.00pm – 10.30pm

BUFFET SUPPER/STEAMBOAT– RM70.00 nett per person

Time: 11.00pm – 4.00am

CORPORATE BOOKINGS

15% Discount for CEC members (max. 10 persons)

15% Discount (June 18-21) and the last 5 days (July 12 – 16)

For reservations, please call 03 2717 2233

MELTING POT CAFE

CONCORDE HOTE KUALA LUMPUR

2 Jalan Sultan Ismail,

50250 Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia

Tel: +603 2717 2233

Fax: +603 2149 2659

Email: fbkl@concorde.net

Facebook: www.facebook.com/concordehotelkualalumpur

Website: www.kualalumpur.concordehotelsresorts.com

Selera Malaysia Buffet

As the holy month of Ramadan starts, many will refraining from food and drinks throughout the day. That is why the buka puasa dinner is important and is usually a treat to unwind the day during this season. For an unforgettable Buka Puasa dinner, head on over to Gobo Chit-Chatat Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur and chill out to a beautiful and scrumptious feast themed as Selera Malaysia. Gobo Chit Chat is a stylish all-day dining restaurant that offers a new dimension of gastronomical cuisine.

Selera Malaysia offers a plethora of dishes that Malaysians love from our melting pot of cuisines in the country. Savor lots of dishes from the Seafood on Ice Bar to the Salad Bar, Main Buffet Bar, Live Cooking Grill, Dessert Bar and more. Every dishes are prepared fresh and some to order to ensure that the food is delicious and hot.

Main highlights of the Selera Malaysiafeast include the classic favorite Whole Roasted Lamb marinated in spices and cooked to moist and tender perfection.

Besides the lamb, there are pots of scrumptious Nasi Briyani, Ayam Masak Merah and Rendang Daging which is beautifully delicious in every bite.

More along the same counters, diners will definitely enjoy the Goreng Goreng station where Quail, Prawn and Crab are seasoned with special rempah and fried till golden deliciousness. There is even Otak Otak Panggang, Goreng Pisang and Goreng Cempedak as well.

Diners should not miss the luscious array of seafood at the Grilled or Panggang Station. Marinated and chilled on ice are a gorgeous spread of Tiger Prawns, Assorted Fishes, Squid and more. Make your choice and hand over to the chefs to grill them before savoring them with the choices of sauces. The Ikan Bakar and other grilled seafood are divine in flavours!

Along the same counter, there are more pots of curries, rendangs and more to be savored with rice or roti. There is also Roti Jala with Chicken Curry too.

More dishes to be savored are Satay, Kangkung with Sotong, Curry Laksa and a host of other dishes from various cuisines local and international.

With all the meat and seafood, there is the Kerabu station to balance up the meal. The assorted Kerabus are a kaleidoscope of colors and flavour together with lots of texture. Besides the Kerabus, there are also lots of Sambals, Jeruk Buah, Acar, Ulam, Rojak Buah, Gado Gado, Ikan Masin, Telur Masin and more.

Besides the local cuisine, there is the Seafood on Ice bar filled Prawns, Crabs, Mussels and Scallops to be dipped in creamy sauces and cold cuts to go with salad bar. There is also Japanese station for Sashimi and Sushi.

To quench your thirst, there is local favorite beverages such as Air Bandung, Lychee, Citrus Mocktail, Ice Lemon Tea and more.

It may be quite a task to save room for dessert but it is worth the effort as the Dessert Bar is amazing and filled with lots of local and international desserts to end the meal with a sweet note. From Chocolate Fountain to cakes, puddings, tarts, jelly, macaron to local Assorted Kuih Muih, Dodol, Kuih Baulu, Kurma to Bubur Manis, choices are plenty to keep everyone happy.

The Selera Malaysia Buffet Dinner is available from 6.30pm to 10.30pm daily. Throughout the promotion, for every group of six persons, one dines for FREE.

18 – 21 June 2015

RM119 nett per adult

22 June – 16 July 2015

RM129 nett per adult

GOBO CHIT CHAT

Level 5, Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur,

Kuala Lumpur City Centre,

50088 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03- 2332 9888

Website: www.shangri-la.com/kualalumpur/traders

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TradersHotelKualaLumpur

Ramadhan Dinner Indulgence

More places to buka puasa and this one is a really value-for-money treat! China Treasures of Sime Darby Convention Centre (SDCC) is offering a sumptuous buka puasa promotion aptly named Dinner Indulgence. It is indeed a lavish treat as the buffet offers diners the best treasures the restaurant has to offer from 60 all-you-can-eat a la minute dishes, 69 delectable dim sum and 22 hot pot steamboat items. It is indeed mind-boggling in choices and even the dim sum choices alone are huge!

It is my first time visiting China Treasures and the fine dining Chinese restaurant is beautifully decorated in Oriental grandeur. There are private rooms for dining as well as the main dining hall which is spacious and plush in design.

First up, with 69 varieties of Dim Sum, this is alone a treat. From the Steamed Dim Sum to the Deep-Fried Dim Sum and other small Dim Sum dishes, it is a plethora of well-made Halal dim sum. The Steamed Dim Sum was plump and decent in sizes while the flavours and textures is quite excellence for Halal Dim Sum.

To name a few of the choices available, there are Steamed Chicken & Shrimp Dumpling with Dried Scallop & Cilantro, Steamed Chicken Dumpling with Sweet Corn, Steamed Crystal Shrimp Dumpling, Steamed Crystal Shrimp & Scallop Dumpling, Steamed Rice Roll with Shrimp, Steamed Beef Ball & Beancurd Skin, Steamed Szechuan Hot & Spicy Chicken Dumpling, Steamed Squid Ball, Steamed China Treasures Glutinous Rice, Steamed Chicken Feet with Black Bean Sauce, Steamed BBQ Honey Chicken Bun, Steamed Butter & Salted Egg Yolk Bamboo Charcoal Bun, Deep Fried Prawn & Mango Roll, Deep Fried Shrimp & Fish Paste Cheese Ball, Deep Fried Yam Puff, Stir Fried Radish Cake with Dried Scallop, Baked China Treasures Mini Egg Tart, Baked BBQ Honey Chicken Puff and more.

Moving on to the Hot Pot Steamboat, there is a choice of Clear Chicken Brothor Tom Yam Soup for the hot pot. Then one can simply choose from the various ingredients such as Sliced Fish Fillet, Tiger Prawns, Mud Crab, Green Mussel, Cuttlefish, Fish Ball, Crab Claw Ball, Salmon Beancurd, Sui Kow Dumpling together with a variety of vegetables, mushrooms, noodles and egg. The Sui Kow Dumpling is excellent!

Heading towards the main Chinese dishes, there are selections of Soup, Appetizer, Seafood, Meat & Poultry, Beancurd, Vegetables and even Vegetarian dishes plus Dessert.

Szechuan Hot & Sour Soup is deliciously sour and piquant with lots of finely shredded ingredients in the thick broth.

The appetizer of Deep Fried Shimeiji Mushroom with Salted Egg Yolk is also yummy with its crispy mushrooms coated in the unctuous and sinful salted egg yolk sauce.

From the fish section, we had the Steamed Tilapia Fish Shanghai Style and Steamed Tilapia Fish with Minced Chili Soya Sauce, I love the Steamed Tilapia Fish Shanghai Style for its spicy and robust flavours balanced by the sweet smooth flesh of the fish.

We also had lots of prawns that evening. Choosing the various choices is indeed difficult as both Steamed Tiger Prawns with Egg White and Baked Tiger Prawns with Salt & Pepper is equally good. Both prawns were fresh, juicy and sweet. I am glad we chose the classic choices as they are these testament to the chef’s skill in cooking these crustacean right.

We had Braised Soya Sauce Chicken and Sweet & Sour Chicken. Although both are good, the Sweet & Sour Chicken won by a little with its crispy chicken pieces coated in a lovely sweet and sour sauce. I must say that platting was indeed elegant and lovely.

Roasted Duck Pi Pa Style won votes from everyone for its flavour and texture of the duck.

We also had a beef dish of Black Pepper Beef. It’s decent and there is also venison for those who are more adventurous.

We savored Stir Fried HK Mini Kai Lan with White sauce and Stir Fried French Bean Szechuan Style. There are more vegetable and beancurd dishes too.

For Dessert, we had their Steamed Salted Egg Yolk Custard Bun and Chilled Snow Skin Dessert.

That’s not all, diners can choose between a choice of a plate of Chili Prawn or Chili Crabcomplimentary from China Treasuresper table of paying diners. Its indeed pure indulgence and lavish treat all the way…

To seal off this great offer, guests of Dinner Indulgenceare entitled to purchase Sime Darby Convention Centre’s Citarasa Ramadhan 1 Malaysia Buffet vouchers at only RM79 nett per person, instead of the full price of RM120 nett per person (T&C applies).

Dim Sum Buffet is also available daily from 11.30pm to 2.30pm at RM69nett per person. Due to popular demand, the restaurant will be extending two additional dim sum buffet sessions on weekends and public holidays, priced at RM49nett per person from 10am to 11.30am and 3pm to 4.30pm.

Special banqueting packages for Ramadhan Buka Puasa, Hari Raya Open House and Outside Cateringservices are also available. Book early to avoid disappointment.

Ramadhan Dinner Indulgence at China Treasures

Buffet Dim Sum, Hot Pot Steamboat and All you can eat a la minute dishes

Available from 19 June 2015 to 16 July 2015

Price: RM118nett (Adult) RM59nett (Children)

Dinner: 6.30pm to 10.30pm

For reservation, please contact 03-2089 3788 / 03 2089 3688 or email to chinatreasures.sdcc@simedarby.com

CHINA TREASURES

Sime Darby Convention Centre

1A, Jalan Bukit Kiara 1,

60000 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: (603) 2089 3688

Fax: (603) 2089 3699

Website: www.simedarbyhospitality.com

Refined Malay Cuisine for Buka Puasa

It’s my first time at the Bijan, a restaurant with multiple accolades, is famous for its refined Malay cuisine located in the bustling area of the metropolitan city along Jalan Ceylon. I have always heard good ravings of this place and was pleased to be invited for a sneak preview of their Ramadhan Buffet promotion for this holy month of fasting.

Walking into the restaurant, it was indeed a pleasure as I was enchanted by the gorgeous and warmth ambience of Bijan. One would certainly never expect such a calm and peaceful setting amidst the bustling city area. The concept was elegant and minimalist with lots of dark wood mixed with rich purple wall panels. The restaurant is spacious and has a beautiful long bar at the entrance. One can choose the cool dining inside or simply enjoy the al fresco garden dining at Bijan. Private dining rooms are also available. Large posters of dragonfly and local traditional dressed women added more charm to the ambience of the restaurant.

For this year’s Ramadhan Buffet, Bijan’s Sous Chef Mohd Shawal and his culinary team will be preparing a range of dishes of mix recipes handed down over generations and also marrying the traditional recipes with modern day ingredients to create a delicious dining buka puasa experience.

There will be 5 Ramadhan Buffet menus on daily rotation. The buffet spread includes live-cooking stations and grill station serving up fresh and hot food for the best flavours. Savor appetizers, kerabu, meat & poulty, seafood and vegetables prepared with authentic flavours injected with modern ingredients. A la carte menu will be available daily after 9pm onwards.

We savored delectable appetizer morsels of Cucur Bijan, Daging Bungkus, Otak-Otak, Keropok Lekor and Acar Tofu. The Cucur Bijanwas superb… crispy fritters of tempeh, sweet potato, tofu, bean sprouts and spring onions in light crispy batter served with a drizzle of chili sauce. And so was the spiced seafood mousse of Otak-Otakserved on tiny squares of Hailam bread. The Otak-Otak was creamy, spicy and beautifully laden with rich spices.

A bowl of Laksam, an East coast favorite, was served after the appetizers. Don’t be fool by this plain looking dish as the flavours are superb! House made steamed rice noodles are rolled and sliced and doused with a rich fish and coconut milk gravy laced with pungent shrimp paste and spices. The noodles are served with raw vegetables and chili sambal. The version is so utterly delicious with its robust, savory, tangy and creamy gravy flavouring the soft melt-in-the-mouth rice noodles while the raw vegetables provided texture and the chili worked its magic on the heat. Though it is usually eaten for breakfast, I would be please to enjoy a piping hot bowl of Bijan’s Laksam anytime of the day!

Kerabu is simply a must in any Malay cuisine as it is a salad medley of flavours and textures. We had three kerabus of Kerabu Daging Salai, Kerabu Sotong and Kerabu Jantung Pisang. Each one is unique in flavours and textures but they all share the same savory, sweet, spicy and sour flavours that comes from the different ingredients used. My favorite was the Kerabu Daging Salai with its smoky and spicy flavours.

For main dishes, we savored Ayam Ketumbar Sambal Tomato, Kambing Masak Hitam, Sotong Hitam Manis,Daging Berempah Sambal Dendeng, Rendang Udang Nogori, Ketam Masak Tempoyak and Pucuk Paku Goreng Tahi Minyak.

The Ayam Ketumbar Sambal Tomato has golden battered fried chicken smothered in a tasty and spicy coriander spiced tomato sambal. It’s not overly spicy but is moreish and perfect with rice. The chicken was moist and flavourful too.

I like how Bijan uses lamb cutlets in the Kambing Masak Hitam. It is a good cut of lean and fat lamb that is beautifully marinated with spices and chargrilled till cooked. A savory and sweet black sauce added more depth of flavours to the rich lamb. Must-try…

The Sotong Hitam Manis reminded me of a dish my mom used to cook. Squid is cooked in a rich and sweet black sauce cooked from chili paste, lemongrass and squid ink. I can’t quite detect but there was some kind of herbs in the dish as well.

There is also the Daging Berempah Sambal Dendeng that won many diner’s hearts that evening. Cooked in lots of aromatics such as lemongrass, turmeric, ginger, chili and other spices, the sliced beef was tender and tasty. I would be happy with this dish alone with rice!

Rendang Udang Nogori is a signature of Bijan’s and I can see why. Prawns are cooked in a creamy yellow coconut curry spiced up with lots of spices, herbs and chili. I can still taste the fresh sweetness of the prawns as the curry is not overpowering but just right on flavours.

I steer clear of the King of Fruit and so I didn’t try the Ketam Masak Tempoyak but I know it was good because other diners polished this off with much happiness.

The Pucuk Paku Goreng Tahi Minyak is pretty decent. Wild paku ferns are sautéed in a chili coconut and shrimp paste sambal.

There are various choices of rice available at Bijanand we savored small tasting portions of Nasi Ulam, Nasi Tomato and Nasi Briyani.

I really enjoyed the Nasi Ulamtremendously with its herb aroma and flavours. The rice is well seasoned and makes a great dish on its own as it is already very flavourful. I wanted more of this Nasi Ulam. The other two Nasi Tomato and Nasi Briyani was decent by the Nasi Ulam was certainly more outstanding in my books.

For desserts, Bijan also has a solid list of sweets to end each meal with sweet pleasures. That evening, we had tasting portions of Manisan Putri Mandi, Pandan Pudding, Corn Brulee and Pengat Durian with Glutinous Rice. I enjoyed all the dessert except the Pengat Durian which I happily donated to my neighbor since I don’t enjoy durian.

We were told that the Durian Chocolate Cakeis another signature at Bijan and before we know it, we had orders of the rich and sinful chocolate cake filled with D24 durian flesh. Many were certainly raving about this dessert so you might want to order this if you don’t see this in the Ramadhan Buffet.

Our mocktails are not included in the Ramadhan Buffet but do order these refreshing fruity mocktails as they are simply thirst-quenching delights!

Ramadhan Buffet

Available from 22 June to 12 July 2015 (6.45pm to 9.30pm)

Price @ RM 90++ per person

Early bird promotion at RM90 nett per person for confirmed reservations before the 22nd June 2015

*A la carte menu is available from 9pm onwards.

For reservations and enquiries, please call 603 2031 3575 or email admin@bijanrestaurant.com

BIJAN

No 3 Jalan Ceylon

50200 Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

Tel + 603 2031 3575

Fax +603 2031 3576

Website: www.bijanrestaurant.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Bijanrestaurant

Simply Delicious Italian!

There’s certainly plenty of Italian restaurants around the city but to find one that really impress is not many. So when I came across Enorme, a modern Italian restaurant serving Italian cuisine and wood fire pizza located in the new PJ Centerstage mall, I was pretty stoke. And this one serves pork… need I say more?

Enorme looked deceptively plain from the outside but as soon as one enters, the ambience is really modern and contemporary. It is also stylish as the interior is themed with lots of black, red, white and earth tones. The warm lighting gave the ambience a stylish comforting mood. Dark and light artistic posters together with a large mural of artistic rendition of a musical band added lots of charm to the restaurant. There is also a long bar that adjoins to a pizza bar where diners can catch glimpses of some pizza actions going on before it is baked in the wood fired oven.

As soon as we settled down, we logged in our orders of mocktails and smoothies of Virgin Pinacolada (RM16), Mango Lassi (RM15), Watermelon Cooler (RM15) and Avocado Smoothie (RM15). My Virgin Pinacolada is delicious and creamy.

Dinner kicked off with Insalata Aragosta(RM22), a signature of Enorme, is diced lobster meat dressed in a creamy mayo based sauce with apple and celery on a bed of green salad. I can taste the sweet small chunks of lobster meat in the salad and it goes really well with the tangy creamy dressing. Its quite a simple dish but I enjoyed the flavours of the dish.

Portobello (RM23) turned out to be another hit! Golden and crispy fried portobello mushroom has a crowning glory of chicken and onions in au jus. The Portobello mushroom is so juicy and meaty inside. The chicken and jus is wonderfully flavourful with a good balance of savory and earthy flavours. It’s just a winning combination from every aspect of the dish.

We also had their Zuppa di Mare (RM38), a robust seafood soup filled with tiger prawns, fish, squid, clams and crab meat. There is also cherry tomatoes and grilled baguette with the soup. The soup is bursting with loads of seafood essence, unctuously rich and tasty. Every sip of the soup is a filled with pure oceanic sensations. Each seafood is cooked beautifully too. The cherry tomatoes added fresh juicy notes while the crispy baguette is perfect to soak up that glorious soup.

Carbonara Pizza (RM14/RM33/RM63) was the piece de resistance of that evening for me. Just look at that pizza and tell me it’s not beckoning to you! Enorme wood fire pizza rocks like big time. This version is actually a bianco pizza which means it is a white pizza with white sauce. Inspired by the luscious carbonara flavours and ingredients, this pizza has lots of streaky bacon pieces, mushrooms, egg yolk, cream sauce and mozzarella cheese.

The thin pizza base was crusty on the edges and lightly chewy on the inside. The salty and creamy notes of the bacon, cheese and cream is utterly sinful and so scrumptious. A nice sprinkling of herbs gave this pizza more aroma. The egg yolk added more lusciousness to this already sinful pizza. Simply gorgeous!

Anatra (RM32) attracted our attention as it had pulled duck confit in it. Tossed with the pasta was also sun dried tomatoes, garlic slices, parsley and parmesan sauce. We enjoyed this too as it is not overly heavy and yet there is a nice richness from the duck confit which is balanced out with the tangy sun dried tomatoes and soft garlicky notes. I wouldn’t mind ordering this again.

From the main course section, we had Carre di Maiale (RM51), 250gm of US pork rack beautifully chargrilled to perfection. It may looked a little pale but rest assured, flavours are there. Cutting into the pork rack, I can see how moist it is. It is also very tender and tasty. Served simply with jus, a side of orzo pasta with green peas and baked tomato. Porcine lovers will be pleased with this dish.

Piatti di Agnello (RM55) has three generous cuts of lamb rack crusted with pistachio crust and baked till medium. It is served with a tomato caponata and sautéed lentils. The lamb is also pretty good. It is succulent and tender and has good solid meaty flavours. It goes really well with the tomato caponata. Although I am not a lentil person, I didn’t mind this as it added a nice textural touch to the lamb.

Dinner ended with Deconstructed Tiramisu(RM19) and Passion Fruit Granita(RM16).

The Deconstructed Tiramisu is a signature dessert. Taking the classic Tiramisu and give it a modern deconstructed twist, one get soft creamy whipped mascarpone cheese served with sponge finger crumbs, coffee jelly and coffee sauce. The coffee elements is pretty strong and gave this dessert a big hit of coffee notes.

Though it’s pretty straightforward, the Passion Fruit Granita is beautifully refreshing and fruity. The topping of fresh berries and citrus slices topped with mint lime coulis, this dessert made a light and vibrant ending to the meal.

It’s a great Italian restaurant! Enorme sure got lots of potential to be a big hit as the food here is made with lots of thoughts and loves. Resident Chef William Teh certainly did a delicious job in constructing the menu for Enorme. Must-haves at Enorme are the Carbonara Pizza, Carre di Maiale, Anatra and Zuppa di Mare. What a great find….

ENORME

P-G-20 Podium PJ Centrestage

No.1, Jalan 13/1,

Seksyen 13

46200 Petaling Jaya

Tel: +603 7661 0651

Facebook: www.facebook.com/enormemalaysia

Business Hours: Mon-Sun: 10am-11pm

Book now by downloading Offpeak.my App available on the App Store and Google Play, or visit our website www.offpeak.my or Facebook: www.facebook.com/offpeak.my

Juadah Iftar

As the holy month continues, embrace this buka puasa ritual with more mouth-watering spread at The Westin Kuala Lumpur at The Living Room’s Juadah Iftar Buffet dinner. Savor wonderful indulgences as of Malaysian cuisine’s vibrant melting pot of flavours and aroma whipped up by the culinary team in a modern and elegant ambience.

The all-day-dining restaurant Iftar experience promises a full Malaysian fare with over 15 live cooking station. Savor sumptuous spread of Malay cuisine together with Indian cuisines as well as Chinese and other international fare.

Chef Boobalan Arumugam and Chef Halim Sultan, who are the main chefs responsible for the amazing Juadah Iftar Buffet

Taking center stage at the Iftar buffet spread is traditional Malaysian spread of sumptuous Roasted Lamb with Westin Briyani Rice, Ayam Percik, Ikan Bakar, a host of curries, kerabu, ulam, sambal and more.

Enjoy tender spiced up Roasted Lamb with fluffy spice-infused biryani crowned with cashews and raisin. There is also the tender and succulent Ayam Percik, nicely baked with spices and then smothered in unctuous peanut spiced sauce. Besides the lamb and chicken, a beautiful masterpiece of Roasted Beef Rib makes great enjoyment with grilled vegetables and baked potatoes.

Hit the pots of Daging Gulai Nusantara, Gulai Ayam Kampung Pucuk Ubi Kayu, Ekor Asam Pedas, Ayam Rendang, Sayur Lodeh, Ayam Rendang, Sotong Sambal Petai, Ketam Masak Lemak and Sayur Goreng Jawa with Prawns as these are beautifully rich with flavours and textures. It is certainly an assortment of curries that really sums up authentic Malay cuisine’s unique flavours.

Savor these curries with Roti Jala, Ketupat, Nasi Impit, Lemang or rice as they are the perfect accompaniments to enjoy the rich and spicy curries. Don’t forget to add on the Chicken or Beef Serunding as well.

Check out the live cooking station where Ikan Bakar prevails. Choose the array of marinated fish and seafood and let the chef grilled it up. Savor there with the sauces and sambals. Alternatively next to the grill station is Chicken and Beef Satay Celup Warisan sitting in warming pots of peanut sauce.

More live stations whipping up Chicken Shawarma, Popiah, Roti John, Murtabak, Roti Canai, and Roti Boom fresh so one gets to enjoy these piping hot. There’s stations are crowd pleasers for young ones to adults.

For something hot and warming, enjoy Bubuk Lambuk Super Chicken, Sup Tulang Rawan Pattani, Indian Spicy & Sour Chicken Soup, Mushroom Soup and more.

Then there is the plethora of Aneka Kerabu, Ulams, Ikan Masin, Telur Masin, Sambals, Keropok, Jeruk Buah, Gado Gado, Tauhu Sumbat, Sotong Kangkung and so much more. There are also salads and dressings on the station as well.

The next station to watch out for is the Nasi Kandar station filled with an amazing potpourri of rice to be savored with Daging Kandar, Kambing Kandar, Ayam Kandar, Kobis Goreng Kunyit, Telur Sambal and more. It is literally a haven of flavours of luscious Nasi Kandar.

Besides the Nasi Kandar, there is also an array of Indian spiced fried Sotong, Ayam, Telur Ikan and Ikan Tenggiri Goreng.

More treats from other cuisines include Roasted Duck Mantao, Steamed Whole Fish with Garlic Chive Cream Sauce, Chicken Rice, Char Kway Teow, Dim Sum, Lok Lok, Asam Laksa, Curry Laksa, Mee Rebus and the list goes on…

Moving on to desserts, its literally a room filled with racks of sweet treats from Chocolate Fountain, a majestic array of Fresh Fruits, traditional Malay Kuih Muih, Cakes, Cupcakes, Puddings, Tarts, Jelly, Ice Cream, Ais Kacang and more. A must-have is the Deep Fried Ice Cream where the dessert is whipped up to order and diners will certainly be pleased with the crispy crust and ice cold combination of ice cream.

IFTAR BUFFET

RM118nett per adult from 18 June to 26 June 2015

RM148nett per adult from 27 June to 15 July 2015

*Complimentary for children below the age of 5 years old

Discounts Available

12% for group booking with minimum of 20 diners

SPG members enjoy 20% discount on total food bill.

For further information or reservations, please call Westin dining on 603 2773 8338 or email westindining@westin.com

THE LIVING ROOM

The Westin Kuala Lumpur

199, Jalan Bukit Bintang,

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 603 2731 8333

Website: www.thewestinkualalumpur.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/westin.kl

Pigging Out!

Rumour has it that a new pig out place has been hogging the limelight in the vicinity of the Sea Park area lately. Barely open for a few months, Ticklish Ribs & ‘Wiches already has many porcine fans queuing up for a taste of their pride and joy ribs and sandwiches. Armed with a bold phrase of ‘Praise The Lard’ at their store front, it’s not unusual that many swine-crazy fans (like me!) would want a taste of Ticklish Ribs & ‘Wiches.

One evening, the six swine-crazy fans hit Ticklish Ribs & ‘Wiches in hope of satisfying our constant cravings for finger-licking ribs and other porcine dishes. Located at Sea Park right on the hot spot behind the corner petrol station, parking could be a challenge but fear not, it is a known fact that foodies like us will never give up hope in search of parking for a taste of porcine haven.

You know the team at Ticklish Ribs & ‘Wichesmeant serious business because we were reminded of their ultimate porky fare at every corner of the restaurant. Lots and I mean lots of piggy photos and ornament, hog jokes and porcine idioms are splashed all over the place. They even have a super duper badass piggy icon on one of the painted mural on the wall while quite a few flying pigs were also in sight.

Décor is themed in dark colors with lots of black, wood, steel and splashes of color through the paintings, posters and ornaments. Opt for regular tables and chairs or there’s always the high tables with stools for a bar like seating. Way at the back is a private enclosed area for those who may need to consume their porcine in private. The concept is self-service as diners choose what they want at the counter up front and make payment before settling down on a table. Catch actions of your ‘Wiches being prepared behind the counter or your ribs sliding down their very own pig slide from the back of the kitchen.

The menu at Ticklish Ribs & ‘Wichesis tight and sufficient, with simple choices highlighting their signatures. Straight to the point, there are pork ribs, porky sandwiches and a few sides thrown in for good measure. Wash these down with sodas, coffees or beers and ciders.

We tackled The Ultimate Tickle Signature BBQ Ribs with rib-tickling happiness. Available in two sizes, choose 6 ribs for RM38 or 3 ribs for RM20. There is also two choices of sauce with one Spicy or the other Not Really.

Needless to say, we had both. Both sauces are somewhat similar with the only difference of one being a little spicy. I actually enjoyed both. The Spicy version only has minimal heat for a slight nudge of spiciness though I would have love more punchy heat notes. Nevertheless, the ribs are literally falling-off-the-bone tender due their cooking method of pre-boiling the ribs before finishing them on the Barbie with their signature sauces. The BBQ sauces are robust with good hits of sweet, savory, tangy and umami notes. It is definitely finger-licking good so just chuck away any cutleries you may have in mind as the ribs are simply best tackled with your fingers.

We did thought of the Psycho Sandwich(RM80), a humongous hog ‘wich with all their available choices of meat and sauces piled on in one long charcoal bun but did not attempt since we prefer to taste their individual first before taking on this big hog ‘wich.

Instead, we had their You Braise Me Up (RM16), Pull Your Leg (RM16) and Got Balls? (RM13).

Basically there are some options here you gotta select to create your ‘Wiches. There are 7 choices of meat from their fancy rib-tickling names of Lazy Bones (rib meat without bones), You Braise Me Up (braised pork belly loin), ChewBakkwa (Bak Kwa meat), Pull Your Leg (pulled pork) to Once You Go Black (lean pork slices), Ssshock Sendiri (battered lean pork in spicy sauce) and Hoilam Ting (pork chops in Hainanese sauce). Then select your choice of bread of Charcoal, Wholemeal or White and finally opt to have add-ons like fried egg, cheese or caramelized onions.

You Braise Me Up is my favorite of the three with its sinful layers of streaky loins braised in rich sweet and savory sauce. We had ours with charcoal bread, lettuce and cucumbers. It is always heavenly when savoring pork with layers of lean and fat for that extra lusciousness of textures and flavours.

We had Pull Your Leg with wholemeal bread and the usual suspects of lettuce, cucumber and onions. Its pulled pork slow cooked for hours, shredded and smothered in rich brown sauce so imagine pulled pork sandwich for this one.

Got Balls? A new addition the family of ‘Wiches and we were sure pleased with this latest offspring. It’s a meatball ‘Wich with a porky twist. We had this with white bread, lettuce and caramelized onions. Smoky with little notes of sweetness and savory pleasure, meatball fans will be pleased with this ‘Wich. Then’ there’s the secret of crispy pork lard in this ‘wich that may be the justification to order this!

If you cannot live on ribs or ‘wiches alone, here’s two more sides of Oodles of Noodles (RM12) or Rice Vice (RM12). Both are mediocre carb fillers. Oodles of Noodles is spaghetti with porky Bolognese sauce and Rice Vice is a version of Japanese inspired Katsudon of crispy panko-crumbed pork with rice and sauce.

The pasta sauce was a tad on the saltier end but the rice was ok. Feedback conveyed so hope they can tweaked the salty part for better enjoyment. Loved the extra sin of crispy lard on the rice dish…

Freaky Fries (RM5) had golden fries smothered with pork Bolognese and cheese sauces. I would have just preferred fries with the cheese sauce as the pork Bolognese sauce was too salty for my likings.

Up for a Challenge?

Ticklish Ribs & ‘Wicheshas got lots of good stuff here, especially the ribs! I would come back for their ribs and ‘wiches while the noodle and fries are misses for me now. I enjoyed the humorous touches on the concept of this restaurant and their signatures. It is a great hang out place for finger-licking pork ribs and some ‘wiches. Besides pigging out, there’s live jamming sessions on some evenings...

Let’s All Keep Calm & Makan Babi!

TICKLISH RIBS & ‘WICHES

5, Jalan 21/11A,

Sea Park,

46300 Petaling Jaya

Tel: 016 228 8419

Webiste: www.ticklishribs.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ticklishribs

Business Hours: Daily 5pm to 10pm. Closed on Mondays

A Peranakan Love Story

A truly first in Malaysia, Hatten Grouppresents its fully-interactive live environmental theatre production of Nyonya Memoirs. Featuring a revolutionary new concept of 360 degree Live Peranakan Experience, Nyonya Memoirs is set in the historical city of Malacca at Dataran Pahlawan.

Premiered in May 2015, the theatre production of Nyonya Memoirs runs till 19 July 2015. Hatten Group spared no expense at this RM8million investment, taking on the very best of the production team, the star-studded cast, the theatre set and the costumes. The inspiration for this project is in line with the State Government’s goals to highlight local culture with the main objective of promoting a deeper appreciation for our city’s Peranakan heritage.

It is truly a wondrous theatrical show with musical and dance performances injected into Nyonya Memoirs. The concept centers on the traditions and customs of the Peranakan culture where everything goes by the Baba Nyonya beliefs. Located on Level 3 of Dataran Pahlawan, the Nyonya Memoirs production is amazingly gorgeous. The show is available every Friday, Saturday and Sunday with two show times of 4pm and 8pm respectively.

Boasting of a A-list production team of Atlantic Theatre and Production with renowned director, James Lee, winner of the Best ASEAN Film Award with the musical score directed by Tan Yue Hue, who has worked with international artistes while the cast is coached by Pearly Chua, nominee for Best Supporting Actress at the 43^rdGolden Horse Film Festival and the costumes are designed by Beatrice Looi, Malaysia’s top international fashion designer.

My family and I caught a Saturday show in the afternoon at 4pm one weekend. I was really excited when I walked into the theatre. To my surprise, I even met a very good friend, Merryn and her family there too that same day. We were ushered into a long hall decorated with Peranakan heritage.

Showcase displaying Nyonya kebayas with gorgeous embroidery works, hand beaded shoes and intricate jewelry pieces together with a typical Nyonya kitchen and its utensils, intricate wood carvings and finally a typical Nyonya cuisine of Nyonya Kuih had everyone busy clicking their phones and cameras while waiting for the show to start.

We were suddenly greeted by the housekeeper, Tao Jie who boisterously warmed us up with a few information about the cultures of the Peranakan and proceeded to guide us into the set.

Nyonya Memoirs is about a lover’s tale between a wealthy Nyonya girl by the name of Bao Zhu, played by Dorothy Foo and her love for a poor common Baba, Zhang Min, played by Evan Siau. The couple faces the obstacles of the family’s disagreement of their union due to the social differences of their respective lives. Immerse yourselves as the story unfolds through its own magical and musical production through the unusual concept of having viewers watch the show through a moving production set.

Nyonya Memoirs is performed in Mandarin mostly together with a mixture of Peranakan dialect thrown in such as Bahasa Melayu and some local languages. For those who are not well-versed with Mandarin, fear not as there are screen displays all over translating the conversation to English.

As soon as we step into the set, all 600 meters of it cleverly designed to echo the era of a typical Peranakan location, we were drawn to the main area of a garden right in the center of the room. Flanked with a green lawn and trees surrounding the garden, it is the main area of where the show starts off. Surrounding the garden are shops of yesteryears, typical Nyonya household and streets of those good old Peranakan days.

The theatre set is a sight to behold as there were just so many things that really reminded me of my own heritage as my father is a northern Baba himself, whom also just so happen to marry my mother who is actually a non-Nyonya.

An energetic and smiley storykeeper played by Li Qiang proceeded to gather everyone’s’ attention and rolled out the storytelling of the lovers.

The story kicks off with Zhang Mingetting all excited to propose his love and hand in marriage to his beloved Bao Zhu where he even gets the viewer involve by asking them their opinions. As mentioned, this is an interactive production so one may never know if you may just be included in the show!

Here are scenes of the lovers enjoying a serene and happy moment of themselves.

In every family, there will always be a few black sheep of the family whose intent are purely mischievous and malicious. In Nyonya Memoirs, there, they are the uncle and aunt of Bao Zhu, who simply cannot resist to inject their slandering of the couple at every chance they get.

I do have to admire both of Bao Zhu's uncle and aunt, seen here with Bao Zhu's father as they really played their part so well and both are really full of expressions and emotions.

Zhang Min meeting the family for the first time.

A solemn meeting between the lovers...

A scene from a typical NyonyaTok Panjangin the dining room where Baba Nyonyadines on a feast of sumptuous Peranakan cuisine. This is also where family times were once a must in every household as everyone would gather together for family time. Here it is to celebrate Bao Zhu's mother's birthday.

Here are more scenes of Nyonya Memoirsbut there will be no spoilers as one should really go and enjoy the experience yourselves!

Moments of despair from the couples as their family feuds continues with Bao Zhu’s mother, Yue Niang who objects while her father is left with heartache as he see his daughter suffers through the Peranakan beliefs.

The dashing Zhang Min is also left heartbroken…

Moment of hope as the couple tries to elope...

Unfortunately they were caught...

Viewers will be glad to know though that the couple did get their happy ending but you have to watch how they got it yourselves… there are quite a few touching scenes which I omitted here as I was too touch and busy enjoying those moments.

Go with an open mind and soak in the story whole heartedly for an unforgettable experience!

The show ended with the parade of Zhang Minand Bao Zhu’s grand wedding together with all the cast dressed in traditional wedding costumes at the Lover’s Bridge in the mall.

The Cast of Nyonya Memoirs

The 360 degree theatre experience is a lovely and fascinating experience while the cast and costumes are equally amazing. Together with the musical and dance performances plus the interactive parts, Nyonya Memoirs is a theatrical production unlike any others we have here in Malaysia. Don’t miss this truly heart-warming and delightful Nyonya Memoirs by Hatten Group!

NYONYA MEMOIRS

Showtime: Every Friday - Sunday, 4pm & 8pm

Venue: Level 3, Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall @ Melaka

Ticket pricing*

ADULT

RM52 (mykad holder)

RM66 (non-mykad holder)

CHILD (7 - 15 years old) or SENIOR CITIZEN (60 years old and above)

RM26 (mykad holder)

RM33 (non-mykad holder)

* Terms and conditions apply.

For more information or to book your tickets, please log on to www.nyonyamemoirs.comor visit the Nyonya Memoirs ticketing counter at Level 3, Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall or call hotline at + 6018 663 9696. Tickets can also be purchase online or at the concierge of Hatten Hotel & Estadia by Hatten Hotel.

Black Hoofs Rule!

It’s a treat for porcine lovers at Iberico Kitchen! Imagine a restaurant paying full tribute to the black Iberian pig, also known as the Black Hoof or the Four Legged Olive Tree, with a full menu of Iberico dishes as its main highlight. Needless to say, porcine fans like me cannot wait to make our way to Iberico Kitchen for a sublime taste of the premium pork.

Located in Oasis Square at Ara Damansara, Iberico Kitchen opened recently about 4 months ago by owners who are passionate about the lusciousness of the black pig. Dubbed the equivalent of the Wagyu of beef, Iberico of pork hails from the native of Iberian Peninsula. These breed feeds on acorns and has a good marbling throughout its meat, making the meat tender, flavoursome and moist. Iberico Kitchen imports their Iberico produce from Spain.

The ambience at Iberico Kitchen is a welcoming sight. The spacious restaurant kept it’s décor to a minimalist industrial theme with rustic wood and steel with bricks all over the space. One can see the open kitchen at the back of the restaurant as well. There are also al fresco seating outside the restaurant. The menu consist of various cuts of the Iberian pig prepared in the best possible way deemed by the owners.

Dinner commenced with Chef’s Salad (RM25). Even the salad here has Iberico pork, that’s how serious they are with this premium pork. Enjoyed grilled cured pork cheeks on a salad of mix greens and grilled vegetables dressed with honey balsamic glaze dressing. There’s also some pungent feta cheese to boost the flavours of the salad too.

Next up, a delicious Iberico Collar on Mashed Potatoes (RM37). The collar is highly-prized for its super tender and well-marble ratio that renders great juiciness. It is beautifully grilled here and is flavourful with a good bite. Served with rustic mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables, the dish is easy to enjoy.

We took on the The Bolognese (RM29) for some carbs. This pasta dish comes with Iberico Jowl meatballs to lavish up the dish. The dish is decent and perfect for pasta lovers. If Bolognese is not your sauce, then there’s the Aglio Olio or The Carbonara, both served with pan seared Iberico Collar too.

Iberico Pork Chop (RM49) is quite a delicious hunk of a meat on the bone. Served with mashed potato, some vegetables and brown gravy, that mighty pork chop was pretty filling. Though leaner than other cuts, the iberico pork chop is still pretty moist and tender. It is definitely what Iberico premium pork is all about as the meat can be lean and yet beautifully tender and succulent.

It was unanimous decision that the hero of the night was The Original Iberico Spare Ribs (RM16 for 100gm). Our platter was 620gm to be exact and it was a platter of sumptuousness. Choose the size from quarter to half or full rack portion and flavours of Original or Honey Glazed. Quarter size comes with a side dish while the others comes with two sides from a choice of pineapple salsa, house salad, mashed potato, pilaf rice or French fries.

Rubbed with spiced seasonings, the ribs are then slow grilled till cooked and finished with a glaze of the choice of flavours. The ribs are not the fall-off-the-bone tender variety but rather ribs with a good bite of meat. The meat is still tender and nicely moist. The spiced seasoning rendered a good dose of savory and spicy flavours with a light note of sweetness. It is quite different from other rib joints and has a great bite of textures. The best part is that one can also taste the natural flavours of the porky sweetness. For the whole month of June, there is a promotion going on for the ribs at RM11 per 100gm so don’t miss this offer!

My personal favorite of the night was the Iberico Shoulder Loin Special (RM58). I have never tasted a piece of pork cut so awesome. It’s almost like eating a good piece of aged beef texture but the flavours on this shoulder loin is even better. It is gorgeously juicy and has a good firm bite. The flavours are so rich and robust despite its simple cooking method and seasoning. Served with mashed, sautéed mushrooms and greens, the dish is definitely drool-worthy and warrants a non-sharing mode in my books. A must-order…

Just when I thought it can’t get any better, we tasted the Iberico Collar Fried Rice (RM15). The secret to an awesome fried rice is the wok heat and seasoning. This dish passed with flying colors on the intense breathe of work, rendering a yummy aroma. It is also filled with lots of fluffy egg, some vegetables and pieces of delicious pan seared Iberico collar. Served with fried egg, dried chili sambal, cucumber and broccoli, we loved this dish a lot.

Thrown in for good measure, Iberico Kitchenalso has a seafood version called Chef’s Seafood Fried Rice (RM19). This one has fresh crab meat and prawns in the fried rice and served with the same sides as the previous fried rice. It has a sweeter note from the seafood than the pork collar. Both fried rice is really well cooked and seasoned so ordering either one is fine.

There’s only two desserts on the menu and we had them both to put a sweet ending to our meal. Crema Catalana (RM15) and Chocolate Fondant (RM15) is executed with good authenticity of flavours. The Crema Catalana is cream cooked till set and covered with a thin layer of caramelized sugar, similar to its famous relative of Crème Brulee. This one is definitely richer and heavier with a thicker consistency. It is nicely sweet and creamy too. There is a side of watermelon salsa to balance the richness of the crème. The Chocolate Fondant is well baked with the essential oozy molten center. Served with vanilla ice cream and wafer roll, it will satisfy any chocolate lovers.

Drinks that evening was Ice Lemongrass with Honey (RM8.90).

Iberico Kitchen may be priced slightly higher but bear in mind that its premium imported pork we are savoring. The price is definitely reasonable as I have noticed higher pricing for these pork in other restaurants. Make sure to visit Iberico Kitchen for their awesome Iberico Ribs, Iberico Shoulder Loin and Iberco Collar Fried Rice. It’s porky haven here that porcine lovers should congregate and enjoy the Iberico pork at its best!

IBERICO KITCHEN

Unit D-G-07 Block D,

Oasis Square,

Jalan PJU 1A/7A,

Ara Damansara

Petaling Jaya

Tel: 03-7859-9296/012-2977296

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ibericokitchen

Book now by downloading Offpeak.my App available on the App Store and Google Play, or visit our website www.offpeak.my or Facebook: www.facebook.com/offpeak.my

Oh Mai Barbeque!

My family and I had lots of fun at our stay at Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral. The hotel is truly a cool and modern contemporary hotel with lots of pizazz. I have also dined at Nook, their all-day-dining restaurant and have a fondness for their signature Sarawak Laksa that rocks! This round, I am back again at Aloft and it is to check out their latest promotion going on in their Polynesian themed Mai Bar located at the Rooftop level of the hotel.

Mai Bar has a gorgeous city view and also faces the infinity pool at the hotel. During the day, it’s pretty quiet but in the evening, Mai Bar comes alive with lots of groove and jazz. The bar’s interior is pretty swanky, set with lots of curves, Tiki totems, eclectic mix of furniture and is set with dark lighting brighten up with lots of neon spotlights. It’s quite retro and funky. Choose to sit along the curvy bar or relax on the sofas to chill. There is also private areas available and guests can also choose to chill out by the pool area to enjoy the view of the evening lights.

Mai Bar serves bar food mostly to be enjoyed with their bar drink menu. With the recent promotion, there is now a Mai Barbeque available for diners to enjoy. Barbeque seemed to be the perfect food have when chilling out at the bar. It goes well with beers, cocktails, liqueur and even wine.

So we arrive one Friday evening and straight away order cocktails to chill out. I had the Malaysian Princess Mai Tai(RM38) while Choi Yen had the Mojito (RM35) if I am not mistaken. My partner grabbed his usual favorite black gold of Guinness.

If you prefer non-alcoholic beverages, there’s Raspberry Tulip (RM30) and other mocktails…

The Mai Barbeque menu has a solid list of barbeque items. Simply order from the wait staff or head outside to the pool where the chef is busy grilling up lots of skewers and order there yourself. Each skewer are priced from RM10 to RM18 depending on the protein and they all come with Corn on the Cob and Jacket Potatoes with a few choices of sauces.

Round one, we had Cajun Tiger Prawns and Texas Style Beef skewers served with Corn on Cob, Jacket Potatoes and three sauces of Mushroom, Barbeque and Black Pepper. The prawns have a nice smoky and sweet flavour. It is also fresh and firm and cooked just right. The beef was well-seasoned and was tender too. The sauces are a plus as the skewers are already nicely flavourful on its own.

The next platter had Caribbean Chicken Thighand Greek Style Barbeque Squid. It is also served the vegetables and sauces. I really enjoyed the Caribbean Chicken Thigh. The dark meat is succulent and so tasty with all the pepper and seasonings. The Greek Style Barbeque Squid had lots of herbs and spices too, giving it a lovely herb aroma. A squeeze of lemon jazzed up the squid even more.

There is also Thai Spicy Quail that is scrumptious! A little sweet, a little spicy and a good hit of umami notes, the quails are also smoky. The meat is tender and so juicy. I enjoyed this one on its own and no sauces needed even though it is served with one.

Besides barbeque skewers, there are also pizza and mini tacos from the bar menu. For the mini tacos, we had Chicken Taquiza Tacos (RM21), Beef Steak Tacos(RM25) and Bolo Tacos. I also enjoyed these as I believed that I polished off quite a bit of these. The Chicken Taquiza Tacos has delicious pieces of tender chicken cooked in some spiced sauce and is served with olives, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream with mini taco shells.

The Beef Steak Tacos is also served with the same condiments. The beef has a spice seasoning and tasted really deliciously earthy and smoky with a nice balance of spices. The Bolo Tacos is actually Bolognese sauce with minced meat. This one reminded me of eating nachos and is just as good as the chicken and beef.

We also had their Pizza Margherita (RM28) and Beef Chicago Pizza (RM25). Both pizzas are quite light as it uses tortilla as the pizza base. The pizzas has lots of cheese and other ingredients on them. I like the Margherita as it has loads of cheese.

The Mai Barbeque is available from 5pm to 8pm every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the barbeque skewers are priced from RM 10.00 nett onwards. And that’s not it! Happy hour is available at Mai Bar from 5pm to 8pm daily – so it is double happiness with drinks at great price to pair up with the good food. Happy hour pricing is extended to beers, wines and cocktails. Head over to Mai Bar at Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral to chill out to their awesome bar with a gorgeous city view!

MAI BAR

Aoft Kuala Lumpur Sentral

No, 5, Jalan Stesen Sentral,

Kuala Lumpur Sentral,

50470 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +603- 2723 1154

Website: www.aloftkualalumpursentral.com/en/mai-bar

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Mai-Bar-Aloft-KL/497110033680163

Business Hour:

Sunday to Thursday: 12.00pm ~ 12.00am

Friday and Saturday: 12.00pm ~ 2.00am

New Quick Lunch Sets & New Menu Items

Another year passes by and I am back at Kogetsuat The Saujana Hotel Kuala Lumpurfor a taste of their new menu items and new quick lunch sets. Kogetsu, which means Reflections of the Moon on Water, has been serving authentic Japanese cuisine to many gourmands set in traditional Japanese ryokan overlooking a lake at hotel. The Japanese restaurant is spacious and offers diners a choice of regular dining room, a separate teppanyaki room, sushi bar or tatami private rooms. The menu is filled with a list of sumptuous authentic Japanese dishes prepared by resident chef Taketoshi Minami and his team.

To cater to the many diners’ busy hours during work days, Kogetsu has introduced a choice of 3 quick Lunch Sets that will satisfy the appetites during lunch hours. These lunch set are full meals with choice of meat or seafood that comes with salad, soup and free flow of green tea.

Fish lovers will enjoy the Sanma Teriyaki Set(RM53), a healthy dish of grilled pacific saury drizzled with teriyaki sauce. The fish is beautifully grilled with a good smoky note and the flesh is fine and sweet. It’s perfect for lunch as it is light. It also comes with Chawan Mushi and some tsukemono.

Tori-Katsu Curry Set (RM50) is a bowl of comfort. Crispy breaded chicken is smothered in Japanese curry sauce with tender potatoes and carrots on rice. I like how the curry sauce is not as sweet as most Japanese curries are. Good choice if you are looking for some comfort food.

I would recommend Wa-Don Set (RM48) for big eaters as it has a mini Udon and mini Tanin-don served with salad and tsukemono. Tanin-don is a beef version of Oyako-don. Sliced beef is simmered with onions and egg in a sweet soy broth and is eaten with rice.

Besides the quick lunch sets, Chef Minami has also introduce a list of new menu items at Kogetsu. There are new appetizers, main dishes and noodles.

We started with a delectable Squid Tentacles in Wasabi (RM38). Nicely chargrilled, the squid tentacles are lightly chewy and smoky. Dip these in wasabi mayo with soy sauce, the tentacles are good stuff.

Same goes with Dried Stingray Fin (RM42), the appetizer is quite unusual but is perfect with sake or beer. The fins have an unusual dense and chewy texture. The salty briny flavour is quite addictive and makes great snacks.

Japanese Beancurd with Fresh Salad (RM28) is light and healthy. Crisp shredded greens, silken tofu cubes, fresh cut tomatoes and bonito flakes are dressed with a creamy and tangy citrusy dressing. Easy to enjoy some greens.

Going more luxe, enjoy the Baked Scallop with Fish Roe (RM32) for its richness. Sweet scallops on shells are baked in creamy and rich fish roe sauce. A squeeze of lemon eased off the richness of the fish roes and enhanced the flavours beautifully.

Fried Mackerel with Curry Sauce (RM39) is delicious! No sauce but there is light curry spices on the beautifully grilled fish. It’s moist and firm. The subtle hint of curry spices is rather delicate so don’t expect heavy flavours but enough to give the dish a different flavour note. I enjoyed this a lot.

Breaded Salmon Cutlet with Miso Sauce (RM42) is big on flavours. The crispy salmon has generous lashings of the robust nutty and savory miso sauce. On a personal note, I would love to enjoy this with rice because of its heavy flavours.

I enjoyed the crispy Asparagus & Silver Fish in Batter (RM42) a lot. It’s simple but the combination worked well in flavours and textures.

I wanted to order rice when Eel with Burdock Roots & Egg (RM45) arrived. Eel pieces is simmered in a claypot with burdock roots and egg in a lightly savory and sweet broth. The burdock root still has a good bite, contrasting with the soft eel and egg. It’s quite a rich dish with the creamy and smoky eel.

Wheat with Red Snapper in Broth Kyoto Style (RM38) epitomize what Japanese loves, delicate and soothing flavours that showcase the ingredients’ freshness. Delicate shoyu broth with soba noodle and sweet red snapper proved to be a good dish anytime.

Same goes with another classic favorite of mine, the Nabeyaki Udon (RM43). Slurping thick lightly chewy udon noodles in a delicious broth with poached eggs, prawn tempura and some other vegetables is soothing and satisfying.

Clams in Sake (RM30) had us savoring clams cooked in sake broth. It’s decent as the clams are succulent and tender.

My first thought of the Eel Roll & Crispy Salmon Skin Roll (RM43) that it would be too overpowering with the layer of herbs. I was glad it didn’t. The soft eel and crispy salmon skin provided good flavours and textures while the generous coating of herbs added a unique note to the roll.

Mushroom Teppanyaki (RM27) is a popular requested dish and I can see why. The assorted mushrooms sautéed a la teppanyaki style in luscious butter and shoyu sauce and topped with lots of fried garlic and spring onions. It was so aromatic and had a burst of sumptuous flavours. The mushrooms really soaked up the buttery goodness and the garlic is just perfect to tie up the flavours.

The Beef Teppanyaki (RM75) is a sure crowd pleaser. Glorious cuts of tender and juicy beef cooked in butter and shoyu sauce with dashes of pepper and served with lots of crispy garlic slices is so good, you might not want to share this plate.

For details of Kogetsu’s new Quick Lunch Specials or New Menu Items or to book online, go to www.shr.my or email dine@thesaujana.com

KOGETSU

The Saujana Hotel Kuala Lumpur,

Saujana Resort,

Jalan Lapangan Terbang SAAS,

40150 Shah Alam, Selangor.

Contact: 603-7843 1234

Email: senja@thesaujana.com

Website: www.thesaujanahotel.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheSaujanaHotelKualaLumpur

Baba Can Cook

It still sits at the top of my list for my ultimate bowl of Nyonya Laksa… Uncle John’s Nyonya Laksa that is… undefeated ever since I had my first taste, I doubt I will ever find another bowl to compete with this. So when Baba Tan Kim Chye or more lovingly known as Uncle John opened Limapulo together with his godson, Alan Yun late last year at Jalan Doraisamy in Kuala Lumpur, I made sure to round up the foodie gang for a visit to my favorite Peranakan restaurant.

Helming LimaBlas previously, Uncle John and Alan now only operates Limapulosolely. It is always a joy to meet and see passionate people who takes their passion beyond anything. Uncle John, 73 years old this year, is still as gung-ho in serving up his legacy of scrumptious Nyonya cuisine as he was in his early years. To Uncle John, it is his duty to continue to dish up his family’s recipes and share the dishes with foodies from all over the world.

Limapulo takes on the same décor themed as their previous restaurants. It is a space for nostalgic charms of yesteryears cleverly matched together. Walking into the restaurant, diners are taken down memory lane of Baba Nyonya era with all its reconditioned furniture, old school memorabilia, and signboards. A touch of new life is injected through several pieces of modern art posters.

Peranakan Ale (RM4.50) is Uncle John’s homemade version of ginger ale. It’s lovely and refreshing so it’s a good choice to go with the strong flavours of the dishes unless you are not a fan of ginger.

Uncle John’s Nyonya Laksa (RM9.90) recently bagged the award for the Best Curry Laksa in the Klang Valley in The Star People’s Food Awards. That’s how good many deemed this bowl of Nyonya Laksa is, including myself.

I have had this Nyonya Laksa several times and each time, flavours are consistently good. His Nyonya Laksa is made from scratch and no additives are added. Instead Uncle John’s family recipes requires a list of fresh herbs and spices, all carefully balanced, pounded, cooked till fragrant together with more ingredients such as dried shrimp, coconut milk, tamarind and more. Once the laksa gravy is ready, it is then ladle piping hot onto noodles accompanied by shredded chicken, bean curd puff, fish cake slices, boiled egg, cucumber, bean sprout, calamansi lime and sambal.

Flavours are distinctively complex and yet the overall note of spicy, sour, sweet and savory really shines. The laksa broth is aromatic, robust and so creamy. There is a beautiful note of the dried shrimp together with the ginger torch that made the broth unique and piquant. Happy diners like me are glad to know that Uncle John’s Nyonya Laksa is available 70 bowls a day (prior to this it was only 17 bowls) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for lunch and occasionally dinner. Rest assured, I did full justice to this bowl as there is no drop of laksa broth left in the bowl…

At Limapulo, their version of Cucur Udang (RM9.90) is different from many sellers. Here, the prawn fritters is cut up and served with boiled egg, fried tempeh, cucumber and drizzled in a sweet and spicy sauce. The finely shredded kaffir leave, ginger torch and calamansi limes added more fresh notes. Unusual but since I love tempeh and prawn fritter, I am certainly not complaining. Portion here is larger as it caters to our big group that evening.

Pie Tee (RM10 for a set of 4 pieces) is a Nyonya classic. These are decent with crispy top hat shaped shells filled with yam bean filling and topped with prawn and chili sauce.

Limapulo offers a nice list of Nyonya set lunches or single meals. Nasi Lemak(RM9.90) is surely a choice that we Malaysians love at any time of the day. Here, the beautifully fluffy and lemakcoconut rice is served with curry chicken and its usual sidekicks of peanuts, anchovies, boiled egg, cucumber and sambal. Value-for-money lunch!

Our main dishes arrived and Gerang Asam(RM25) is definitely our favorite that evening of all the curries. The tamarind based curry is very appetizing and highly addictive. Piquant, tangy and spicy flavours are definitely crowd pleasing flavours. Depending on the catch of the day, different fish are used in this curry. That evening, mackerel fish cutlet is used and the firm flesh fish is delicious. The heavy flavoured fish is able to match the tangy curry well. Lady’s fingers are also often added in this curry to soak up the flavours. Yum… I made sure I piled scoops of the Gerang Asam curry on my rice.

Udang Masak Lemak Dengan Nenas (seasonal price) is a new dish at Limapulo. It is not on the menu yet but will be offer as a special on certain days when Uncle John can get all the ingredients to make this dish. It is cooked Masak Lemak style, so the curry is very different from the earlier one. This one is very rich, thick and creamy, redolent of lots of coconut milk and heavy dosage of spices. Prawns and pineapples are a common match in curries. The pineapple is supposed to add a natural fresh fruity note to the curry. The prawns were large, fresh and juicy, cooked beautifully in the thick savory and lightly tangy curry.

Ayam Berempah (RM17) is another curry that is heavily robust with spices. This is similar to chicken curry but is a thicker and dryer version of it. Uncle John is very good at balancing his spices, giving each curry a certain pedigree of flavours.

Uncle John keeps his menu small with his signatures. It’s always best to stick to what one knows best. Sambal Terung(RM15) is also a delicious signature which he had served up in previous restaurants too. Moreish notes sang all the way in the tangy and sweet eggplant sambal.

Sambal Bendi (RM15) is another dish that showed us how the Baba Nyonya loves their chili and spices. Even their vegetables is served with sambal. Lady’s fingers are blanched and served with a thick punchy sambal.

While we were dining, we spied our nearby table having the Nyonya Fried Chili (seasonal price depending on type of fish). Scad or cencaru is stuffed with chili paste and fried. It sure looks good and smells wonderful. Maybe for our next visit…

Uncle John makes a mean Mango Patchree(RM2 a piece). It’s a mango pickle and chutney that is a bomb of flavours. This condiment is time-consuming to make but is truly worthy once you had a taste of it!

Dinner ended with Nyonya desserts of Cendol(RM3.40), Ais Kacang (RM4.50) and Sago Gula Melaka (RM3.50). Traditional desserts that are icy, refreshing and a great way to clear the palate from all the curries and spices.

Limapulo showed that us that Baba can certainly cook too! Baba Uncle John that is… if only Limapulo is nearer to me because I would to be able to savor the Nyonya Laksa as often as I like. Oh well, not that distance matters to me because I know I would make my way there if Nyonya Laksa is what I am craving for. Don’t miss signatures of Nyonya Laksa, Gerang Asam, Ayam Berempah, Sambal Terung and Mango Patchree!

*Darn it, I am missing the Nyonya Laksa now as I am writing this post…

LIMAPULO

50, Jalan Doraisamy

53000 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03 2698 3268

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Baba-Can-Cook

GPS Coordinates: 3.158284, 101.699541

Business Hours:

Mon – Sat Lunch from 12pm to 3pm

Mon – Sat Dinner from 6pm to 10pm

Closed on Sunday

Buka Puasa @ Link, Pullman Kuala Lumpur Bangsar

The Eatery @ Four Points by Sheraton Puchong

Chandon Wine Pairing with Dan Buckle

Buka Puasa @ Latest Recipe, Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur

Angcle Peoh @ Bukit Tinggi, Klang

Baked Kimball Sos Spageti Tomyam Pasta (specially created by me)

Riverboat Thai @ Taman Danau Desa

Buka Puasa @ Chatz Brasserie, PARKROYAL Kuala Lumpur

Buka Puasa @ Melting Pot Café, Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Buka Puasa @ Gobo Chit-Chat, Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Buka Puasa @ China Treasures, Sime Darby Convention Centre

Ramadhan Buffet @ Bijan

Enorme @ PJ Centerstage

Buka Puasa @ The Living Room, The Westin Kuala Lumpur

Ticklish Ribs &‘Wiches @ Sea Park PJ

Nyonya Memoirs @ Dataran Pahlawan, Malacca

Iberico Kitchen @ Oasis Square, Ara Damansara

Mai Bar @ Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral

Kogetsu @ The Saujana Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Limapulo @ Jalan Doraisamy Kuala Lumpur