Vietnamese Food @ Restaurant Kah Hing, Taman Sri Sinar, Segambut

It sounded a little too good to be true.


A place that served cheap and cheerful Vietnamese food in Kuala Lumpur?


My friend S had searched online and discovered this place tucked within the confines of Segambut.


I'm always game for any food brought in by the immigrants that have landed on our shores since that is truly the best way to enjoy foreign cuisines as good as in their homeland.


While we have had an influx of Burmese, Indonesian and Thai cuisines in the city, the one cuisine that always eluded me was Vietnamese.





I yearned for a good beef pho, the kind that Luke Nguyen was showing on Food Network Asia during his travels to Vietnam. Those visions of him fanning the fire while the beef stock slowly cooked away always made me wish Apple had invented some super smell-vision television or gadget that gave us a 6D effect where we could lick and taste the food on the small screen.


Despite visits to Pho Hoa (the closest to almost the real deal according to my Vietnamese friend) and even that swanky place in Starhill Gallery (what possessed me but I guess I was hopeful wagyu beef would be the answer), I was nowhere near the holy grail of pho.


Unfortunately, at this particular place I was to be dissapointed. No pho in sight either.





It seems there is no aromatic beef broth noodles here as a lot of their customers who were Chinese shunned the red meat. Instead, the modus operandi here was to blend with the locals.


Hence you had kuey teow soup (RM4.50 for small) staring up at you in the menu which the owner tells me is a specialty. Exactly how unique it was, I confess I didn't discover anything within that bowl of clear soup. Maybe it was because they forgot my side dish of herbs. I only discovered it is usually served with those aromatic herbs when I looked online for past reviews on this place. Nevertheless that mistake just exposed their weak point.


Even before I tripped over here on a Saturday, I was having a niggling suspicion that it was the same place I had tried before in Segambut. A quick chat with the owner revealed that they are the one and the same. The place had relocated here about seven years ago. Read the previous review here.


Their trump card is "I serve pork!" This pleases their Chinese clientele who swarm the place to indulge in a little porcine. Hence you find pork steak mingling with the noodles and vegetables (pork steak mee, RM5). It would have worked miracles to the traditional dish but instead it was a cop out. While most of the dried noodles would have been tossed in a tangy spicy clear sauce, this one wasn't aromatic or even noticeable. Big fail, we both waved our score cards.


Dish after dish we ordered was met with dissapointment. None hit our G-spot of yummy food. Instead it was just a "so-so" reaction that had us plodding through the food. Vietnamese pork ribs noodles (RM7 for small, available on weekends) were home tasting with its carrots that brought in the sweetness but it tasted so ordinary. Our Vietnamese rolls (RM4.50 for 5 pieces), wrapped in the white netting and deep fried till crisp had minced pork with chopped vegetables but eaten on its own, it was tasteless. Instead we had to liberally dip each crispy roll with the sourish garlic and chilli dip on the side.





One thing that did get our ears all pricked up...was literally the braised pork ears (RM7). Beautifully tender, we lapped it all up with the pork belly and stomach that came in a slightly sweet sauce.  On the other spectrum is the free range chicken (RM6) version, a braised dish laden with lemongrass to give it aroma. That got a ho-hum impression from us.


Vietnamese coffee (RM3) served cold and hot are also available here. Believe me, you need that strong taste of caffeine as this place uses MSG liberally in their food that had me feeling thirsty the whole afternoon.





Would I return back again, you ask?


I somewhat think not unless I happen to be in the neighbourhood and I am craving for braised pig ears or the trotters with the hard boiled egg that was rather good in my first visit. Sadly, this Vietnamese food has been so diluted that it no longer bears much resemblance to the real deal. I think I better just stick to Pho Hoa for the genuine article in the future. And for those who love Vietnamese food, do throw out your ideas on where I can get good pho as I'm desperately seeking it like Susan in the movie.


Restoran Kah Hing
Jalan 6/38D
Taman Sri Sinar
Segambut


(Non Halal. Place opens from morning to afternoon. Night time has a tai chow serving fried noodles at the same shoplot. For more pictures, see my Flickr set.)


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

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Putien @ 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya

Getting back into the groove of work means sacrificing the blog, just a little bit...sorry!


Must admit I've fallen into a food rut. You know the kind where you prefer to eat the old and familiar versus the new and happening?


It's not as though I've not tried to hit those happening places such as that latest burger bar but the food there was dismal, it didn't even inspire me to whip out the DSLR to snap a picture of it.


Better not talk about failures but talk about something so much better i.e. Singapore's latest import that is making us eat our words and admit that, Singapore food is actually rather decent.





Technically it is Heng Hwa food and not Singaporean to say the least but the restaurant's origins hail from that tiny red dot down south.


It is not the first time we have been invaded by the Singaporean restaurant chains (one remembers Crystal Jade's delicious openings) but late last year, early this year saw a huge influx of them trooping up north to our capital. First, it was Paradise Inn in Sunway Pyramid. Then Soup Restaurant that serves Samsui homestyled fare and this place Putien started their business in the refurbished 1 Utama Shopping Centre's old wing.





I've dined at this place twice and noticed how packed it is every time. Even when I walk past it to patronise other places, there is always an eager queue of people at its doorstep and the hidden restaurant within seems to heave with people during lunch and dinner time.


Their key is consistency - everything is rather well cooked. Also helps when you serve up a rarely seen cuisine like Heng Hwa that makes it stand out among our usual Cantonese, Hokkien and Hakka cuisine.


For those whose tongues are more accustomed to robust flavours, this place is definitely not for you since their flavours are delicate and light.


I found certain dishes exceptional here such as the classic Chinese restaurant dish of poached spinach with superior stock. It is served with a triple whammy of eggs here - the stock is infused into a brilliant orange with creamy salted egg yolk and egg, while niblets of century egg complete the whole trilogy of cholestrol-highness. Really so lovely and decadent that those who don't eat greens really do not know what they are missing out.





The cuisine is a humble one that uses lots of root vegetables such as yam, a big favourite of mine. I love the crispy yam with duck that is like a grown up version of the wu kok, with its crispy filigree coating and chunks of duck meat in between.


The briny seaweed as a starter is also rather nice and tangy. There is also the decadent pig's intestine - tender niblets of the offal all rolled up in so many thousand layers that it is wonderful when bitten into. Another favourite, not pictured here is the deep fried pig's trotter - just the right crispiness mingling with the soft collagen that begs you to get the hands all dirty and eat it with your fingers.





We also sample the sauteed french beans that is lovely and crunchy. There is also prawns with tea leaves, a kinda forgettable dish that leaves us not much of a food memory. I'm no fan of their o chien either since it is rather chewy and dry. The Heng Hwa fried beehoon is rather nice, beautifully fried with each strand absorbing the rich pork stock it is cooked in.





Dessert is simple...the age old classic of soft yam with gingko - a decadent treat of silkiness mingling with sinful lard. There is also the cooling and refreshing lemongrass jelly.


I reckon I will keep returning to this place as it is my new Chinese comfort food. I also love the lor meen here with its silky white noodles and the lusciously sweet broth dotted with prawns, vegetables and pork.


Putien
G213A, Ground Floor
Promenade Section
1 Utama Shopping Centre (Old Wing)
Bandar Utama
Petaling Jaya


Tel: 03-77221539


(Non Halal. Reservations are advised or else expect long wait during peak times. Open from 11.30am to 9.30pm. From next week onwards, they will not break during the afternoon. For more pictures, see the Flickr set.)


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

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Last Chance to eat at Kampachi's Buffet @ Equatorial Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur

I'm sure you have heard already that Equatorial Kuala Lumpur will be soon closing their doors.


The target date is 31 March, when they start tearing the old hotel to make way for the new.


While rumours are adrift on whether the hotel returns or not, one thing is sure we will be missing this stalwart when it is gone.





I have fond memories for the whole hotel since I was a kid.


Long ago, the Golden Phoenix Restaurant was THE Chinese restaurant in Kuala Lumpur.


Every time we had an occasion to celebrate, it would be held there. So many fond memories for its dishes such as the onion chicken (crispy skin chicken topped with aromatic onions), the apple fish (their sweet and sour fish with sliced apples instead), the sponge-like tofu with its holes and the sharks fin soup. Their yee sang was also the best in town.





However things went pear shaped for them as the old chef retired and most of the loyal staff also left to join one of the off shoots i.e. Pik Wah at MABA Building. Even though the hotel kept serving the old dishes, things were never the same.


I also loved Chalet as a child and it used to make me laugh whenever they served the sabayon since they put up such a performance whisking the cream until one of the waiters would dance around the trolley.





Etoile for us was where we got our goodies and birthday cakes. Then for Kampachi, it was for maximum Japanese pleasure especially their buffets. When I was a kid it would have been the Sunday all you can eat one but nowadays I prefer the Saturday version where you pick and order what you like.


Hence we decided to give the place a last hurrah before it closes.


Friends of mine have been visiting it regularly to relish its last moments. Best you all start jumping on the bandwagon too.





The selection is small but good enough to satisfy our hungry tummies.


We order loads of sashimi - salmon, yellowtail, butterfish and tuna. Everything is super fresh and delicious. They also do hand rolls.


There is also a selection of appetizers laid out on a table for us to select and of course, we all get plates of edamame to snack on. There are also makis (rolls) and deep fried soft shell crab.


I love the teppanyaki steak, cooked to medium juicy perfection. There is also sukiyaki and assorted tempura.


We discover that the cold soba noodles are wonderful and bouncy that we all order bowls to slurp it down. The hot cooked ones don't stand a chance against the cold ones as they seem almost flaccid compared to the more elastic tasting strands.





To end, it was green tea ice cream and something not on the menu, mini dorayaki or pancakes.


They are beautifully cooked and look more like blinis except we slather on creamy peanut butter and red bean paste to enjoy the Japanese sweets.


Kampachi
Equatorial Kuala Lumpur
Jalan Sultan Ismail
Kuala Lumpur


Tel: 03-2161 7777


(Pork Free. The buffet set lunch for Saturday is from 12 noon to 2.30pm for RM90++ per person. For the full set of pictures, see the Flickr set.)


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

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Penang One @ Bandar Puteri Puchong, Puchong

Call me a food stalker..


That is how I felt with numerous visits I did to this place, where I sneakily took pictures of all their great food.





There is always a lot of excitement when I discover something new.


With this place, I was thrilled to discover it served a rare being in Kuala Lumpur i.e. the duck kway teow soup noodles.


From what I understand from Penang-nites, that dish is not so common also on the island.







At Penang One, you get to relish the Cecil Street Market's noodles in the modern comforts of a kopitiam.


Rather than travel four hours up to Penang, they bring all those yummy street food right to Puchong. (not really your doorstep if you live far far away from that suburb).





There are also loads more....curry mee, char kway teow, Hokkien prawn mee, cendol, ais kacang, rice dumplings from Cintra Market, assam laksa, nyah kuih and my big favourite i.e. Macalister Lane's prawn paste chee cheong fun.


So go forth and enjoy all these Penang goodies. For the full story, click on this link.


Penang One
G5, Jalan Puteri 2/1
Bandar Puteri
Puchong


Tel: 03-80520181


(Non Halal. For more pictures and the location map, see the Flickr set.)


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

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Organic Food @ Opika, 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya

I seem to be haunting the 1 Utama shopping mall lately.


Kinda weird since I've actually stopped visiting it for some time already ever since I discovered looking for a parking space during the weekend is virtually impossible unless I employ devious secret ways to score a spot.


I guess the draw of new eateries to explore is too strong too resist just like Superman reacts to all those kryptonite.





I was a little curious about this organic spot within the mall.


A rather brave thing I reckon especially since mall goers tend to prefer binging on other treats since they hang out in that air conditioned space to relax during the weekend.


Moreover, everyone's pockets nowadays seem a little leaner than usual.


Maybe that is why we found ourselves being the one of the few tables there during the weekend.





It is rather a pity since the general public don't seem to take to this kind of food as they would have discovered a delicious meal within these mod looking walls (and a funky uneven ceiling) here.


We both thoroughly enjoyed the quinoa salad (RM20). Given a modern look, since it was shaped in a nice ring mould, the fluffy ancient grains were tossed with local herbs, diced avocado and mango. A spicy reddish sauce, prawns and a salad were served on the side.


I loved the contrast of textures - fluffy with a slight bite that melded well with the creamy green cubes and the slightly sweet mango squares.


Quinoa is always a preferred choice for both of us since we had ditched rice for that healthier grain long ago for our daily meals.





Splashie Boy love his beef hence it was the Swedish meatballs (RM28) for him while I had the nasi ulam with ayam percik (RM30).


The meatballs were perfectly done - with a nice crust on the outside and a juicy beefy centre. I only managed to get a small sampler piece since he polished everything from the word go.


I enjoyed my aromatic nasi ulam made from brown rice and herbs. Toasted grated coconut and dried shrimps seem to give it a nice toasty flavour. The ayam percik was also very well done - made from ayam kampung hence there was no fatty bits but still juicy and tender. I liked how they dressed my plate with soft salad leaves too and crunchy lotus root chips.





Dessert was a revised black forest cake (RM14) and a scoop of their artisan ice cream (RM6.90).


The cake was decent stuff with a chocolate sponge layers and bits of cherries with shaved chocolate but I preferred the soft vanilla ice cream. This tasted very homemade with a nice soft texture and the aroma of the vanilla beans.





The space is huge as it stretches to include a market that is not fully stocked up at the moment.


A word on the juices, they also do a rather good selection of them that we enjoyed. The mixed varieties are priced around RM17.90.


While I feel the food is wholesome and cooked with a lot of love and care, I hope more customers will patronise the place in the future since things were rather looking quiet here. Maybe more organic food lovers will drop by this place once the Farmers Market starts in earnest. That is set to kick off from the first Sunday of the month from March onwards from 8-11am at the Central Park.


Opika Organic Market and Restaurant
Lot No. 105 & 106
Lower Ground Floor
One Utama (Old Wing)
Bandar Utama


Tel: 03-7732 2581


(Pork Free. Place is where the old food court used to be. For more pictures, see the Flickr set.)


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

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Truffle Time @ Sage Restaurant & Bar, The Gardens Residences, Kuala Lumpur

One of the best things about January is the annual windfall of winter truffles that start to grace our tables in Kuala Lumpur.


This year, saw a bonus dinner hosted by my friend CS who gifted us with a truffle she had bought during her travels. The big time foodie does this yearly sojourns somewhere over the ocean that often see her coming back to our city bearing wickedly good food gifts like this prized truffle.


Babied with a little dampness to keep it from drying out (seems that keep it in the rice trick does not work), we enjoyed that black gold in the most unusual combination - Chinese food.





That hefty piece of black "diamond" was entrusted in CS' brother aka "The Chef and he ingeniously came up with a pairing of steamed kurau fish lightly tossed in an egg white sauce and an extremely generous sprinkling of black truffle shavings.


Honestly they looked like black butterflies flitting around the fish that it was a pity to even sink my teeth in it.


A whiff of the woody aromas waft up to my nose that I can't resist...


Indeed, this was a brilliant combination since the egg white sauce seemed to complement the truffle beautifully while the fish was silky smooth being steamed to perfection.





We also enjoyed the truffle on a classic combination, tossed in al dente pasta with crab meat.


I really loved how they served it in an old fashioned style to us...the wait staff all in unison opening the top of the lids to unveil the beautiful pasta... that reminds me of yesteryear Kuala Lumpur.


But, like the title says. I totally digress from its true intentions i.e. this year's truffle menu at the venerable dining place.


As usual, the same group of friends flock together to enjoy this special occasion. More people came along to enjoy the trip and with some persuasion, Sage kept us nice and cosy in their newly renovated private rooms for a lovely dinner.


Prized at RM260 nett per person, the menu offers an abundance of black truffles but bear in mind, these are not the Italian ones but their Tibetan cousins. While the far relatives are a little lacking in the aroma department (I noticed that the lighter ones seemed a bit aromatic but maybe it was just me), Sage made it up with the excellent preparation of their food.
































































Where is the best steak in Kuala Lumpur? I often get asked..occupational hazard I guess.


While the brain processes steak houses, I often forget that the best steak is from this place.


Only when I taste their aged Angus tenderloin perfectly cooked, it jogs that part of my brain to say, "this is THE place for steak".


I didn't really eat the whole steak since I ordered the pan roasted New Zealand Pink snapper (drats, double drats!) but I tasted Splashie Boy's plate and wished I could have eaten all of his.


My fish with its sweet sauce Perigueux and stuffed zucchini blossom paled in comparison to that awesome steak.





The awesomeness of that piece of meat was only slightly overshadowed by another favourite: the fedellini pasta tossed in the truffles and parmesan cheese.


We had kicked off with a lovely scallop carpaccio in a piquant dressing and dusted with truffle. To end, for that day, we had the dessert of the day - truffle dusted ice cream with mango feulleteine.





Ahh...there goes another season of truffles...till we meet again next year!


Sage Restaurant and Bar
6th Floor
The Gardens Residences
Mid Valley City
Kuala Lumpur


Tel: 03-2268 1328


(Pork Free. The truffle menu is available until end of February and for dinner unless special arrangements are made. More pictures in the Flickr set. For the full details, see their website.)


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

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Korean Food @ Onsemiro, The Intermark Kuala Lumpur

Hooray for long holidays.


Means more time to explore new places like this Korean restaurant.


Located at the quieter side of town aka The Intermark since 28 January, they claim to be serving Korean fine dining. Their name Onsemiro means, "taste of nature."


While I can't claim to be an expert in Korean fine dining, service was definitely top notch and they do offer some unusual items I have not seen in other Korean places.





One unusual item was the yukhoe bibimbap (RM45).


Instead of cooked beef, the rice dish is topped with beef tartare.


You mix everything together with your chopsticks -  the vegetables, beef, rice and the Korean chilli paste gochujang for a satisfying meal.





Another unusual dish was Ganjang-gejang, marinated crab in soy sauce (gejang). On the menu they are stated as market priced but that amount served was around RM30.


Not for the faint hearted, these are raw crabs that are lightly fermented in the salty mixture.


You eat it like a cold appetizer with a bit of porridge to alleviate the saltiness. Rather nice to eat amid the heat from the BBQ grill since it is cool.





They have a few sets including a grand opening dinner special (Modumsaenggogi set) for RM60 per person that features assorted grilled meats, cold dish, soybean paste stew, three kinds of pan-fried fish and vegetables, cold buckwheat noodles.


The meats are of premium quality including wagyu and Korean premium beef.


We settle for the Hanudeungsimsukbul-gui set (RM200 per person) that uses Korean premium beef sirloin.





All the side dishes are exquisitely prepared such as the vegetable roll. I love the cold ginseng side dish with bits of tangy citrus to uplift the salad.


There is spring onion kimchi, a cold cabbage kimchi and this leaf that has a nice smoky woody taste to it.





We also enjoy baby pajeon (pan fried pancake), a beef skewer and crispy light tempura vegetables, while they grilled the beef.


The beef is tasty wrapped with the lettuce leaves with a dab of the tangy sauce and garlic cloves.





To end the meal, it was a cup of Korean green tea and this cooling dessert that resembled a sherbet of sorts. Very refreshing after all that heat from the kimchi and the grilled beef.


Prices are definitely on the higher side here but the restaurant seems to also cater for all sorts of budget with the introductory set. The set lunches also look reasonable being priced at RM20. There are not many choices though (four if I am not mistaken) but they serve a bulgogi stir fried beef with vegetables, and a tempura one. The sets are served in a bento box.


Onsemiro
2nd Floor
The Intermark
Jalan Tun Razak
Kuala Lumpur


Tel: 03-2161 2461


(Pork Free. Open from 11am to 3pm, 5pm to 11pm. Located on the same floor as Royal India. Currently they have a 30% discount on all items including drinks until 12 February. Introductory menus are also available. 10% discount for CIMB, Maybank credit card and 15% discount for premium credit card. For more pictures, see the Flickr set.)


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

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