Archive for July, 2009
Genji, PJ Hilton
July 29th, 2009 • 23 comments General
Tags: hotel, invited review, japanese, PJ
Shame on you!
(Well, err.. actually, I thought so too.. ) until one night I got re-educated..
Frat Mustard: “PJ Hilton sports a revamped night joint in the form of Uncle Chilli’s, & there are lots of ACTION here now. Really.”
“See? Told ya there’s action.” ;p
Being more of a food fanatic, I was more intrigued by the introduction of Zest, PJ Hilton’s blog for the restaurants and bar of the hotel, namely Padi Serai, Toh Yuen, Caffe Cino, Genji and Uncle Chilli’s.
The blog allows diners to share their dining experience with other online visitors & even through popular social sites like Twitter & Facebook. Regular updates on happenings, contests, photos, recipes plus e-newsletters keeps the blog fun and interactive.
With its recent tie-up with theQguides.com, a F&B website portal, a few lucky food bloggers had had the opportunity for a memorable dining experience at its outlets previously. Thanks to Frat Mustard, my turn came last week.
So here we are, at Genji, with its lovely interior reminiscent of a Japanese countryside restaurant, dotted with both modish and traditional Japanese objects d’art, waited upon attentively by the gracious wait staff.
Sinking down to my chair, I relaxed, comforted by the surrounding tranquil ambiance and placed an order for their Genji’s Special mocktail, a concoction of Strawberry, Grenadine Syrup, Ginger Ale, Ground Ginger and Double Cream, and looked forward to an evening of opulence and indulgence.
For Unkaleong; it was nothing less than a Sake, (what else, for an alcoholic) of which he pronounced excellent.
Sadly I couldn’t concur with him on my mocktail, for it was rather diluted & lacked of any cream or ginger undertones. It tasted more of a sweet syrupy strawberry drink.
Service was most attentive, with a good looking Amos, the outlet manager literally at our beck and call ;)
He explained the restaurant’s concept, the dishes served, recommended one of the most delicious dish we had that night (the lobster) and was seriously the epitome of excellent service.
Unlike other reviews where a blogger dines on dishes that were pre-decided by the outlet or the chef, we were given the free hand to order anything from its extensive menu. And anything literally means anything, no matter the cost.
We started the gastronomical night with an order of the extravagant Sashimi Moriawase Matsu. After all, what better way to review a Japanese restaurant if not for its fresh fillets of raw fish?
Our eyes widen at the generous THICK cuts of salmon, maguro (tuna), kampachi (yellow tail), butterfish, sea bream, ikura (salmon roe) when the platter was served, and agreed that it was certainly value for money at RM180.
I personally would have preferred thinner fillets, and more slices instead, for it was quite tricky to take smaller bites to slowly appreciate the taste of the fish. But every single slice was firm, glisteningly in its natural colour indicating absolute freshness.
Another noteworthy mention was the wasabi, full bodied and with ample sting to draw tears, definitely my kind of wasabi! ;)
Diners has the option to order ala-carte and prices below are for ONE slice.
At Kura, One World Hotel just last Friday, Unka saw sea urchin on the sushi menu and heaps praises of how good it tasted. Since I have never tried such exotic stuff before, I took the opportunity to order this. At RM45 for the soft mass you see here, the best description I could came up with was it tasted very much like fish brain.
An acquired taste no doubt, of which I absolutely can’t get enough of!
The wobbly soft pulp sea creature glides down the throat easily and could have easily slurped in a bite. Darn, if only I didnt have to share.
The dish that really shone and stole the night.
The Kobe was splendid, moist from its own fat with the tenderness that rendered every bite a delight. A tad salty for me, of which I’m sure would have been marvelous with some rice.
He then tsk-ed- tsked and proceeded to add an order of oysters for us, as it is an Genji specialty that shouldn’t be missed.
I then immediately requested for his recommendation of a lobster dish, having spied “lobster” on the menu earlier.
No problem, he grinned obligingly & proceeded to have “a word with the chef”.
Hence 15 mins later came the oysters, at an impressive length of 10 cm at least. The batter was crisp yet it didnt reek of grease. A bit bland of its own, its was nonetheless juicy, enjoyable mainly because it was so fresh.
We awarded the Lobster with merit points for its springy meat and firm texture. The Genji spicy mayo married perfectly with the flesh and a squeeze of lime completely transformed the boring mayo- seafish combo to something out of the ordinary.
Unka polished off whatever that was left in the head too, leaving the poor creature brainless.
While it maybe a simple dish, the humble Chawanmushi never fails to excite if done well.
Here at Genji, they got it right; eggy, firm yet wobbly and absolutely smooth. Way better than loads others I have tasted elsewhere, which was normally watery, at the most reasonable price of RM12.
Arriving looking deceiving alike any other sushi, the key objective was to experience the difference in the rice’s makeup. The chef’s skills comes to test here, for he must be able to compact the rice to a certain degree of density, yet maintaining “looseness” where the rice shouldn’t felt like it is a ketupat!
We got a visit then from dear Frat, who unceremoniously hopped onto the centre of the plate vying for attention.
Naughty Frat, who wants a taste of everything..
He wanted some Sake to loosen up…
Hic..!
And got more than what he bargained for. For his neck got loosen, literally.
No thanks to UnkaLeong.
Dear Frat, ya’ alrite I hope??
Desserts…….
Correct me if I was misinformed, but Japanese desserts seems pretty stuck at green tea ice cream, mochi and azuki beans.
Pretty excited at first to see “Honjitsu No W..something“, which happened to be a Genji’s special, I was later informed that it is basically local Malaysian fruits with some mochi or ice cream (I can’t remember, darn.. I really should start taking notes while I eat), I huffed at the idea of eating papayas in a top Japanese restaurant & opted for the next most interesting item on the menu, Fried Ice Cream Mochi, only to be informed that it wasn’t available.
Face contorted at a very unpretty mask now, I resigned to ordering the Matcha Parfait, of which you see above & though it was good, it was boring.
Then a little bird named Amos fluttered by again, and after listening to me whine of my dessert woes, happily chirped that Genji’s special off -the- menu Goma Ice cream would be just the fix I need.
Earthy, full bodied sesame flavour, this Goma ice cream was a sweet wrap-up for the feast that night.
And just like a local radio station’s program who asked their listeners “So is your problem fixed?” whenever a solution was presented to their chosen listener, my reply was a satisfactory “Yes”.
Below: This is what a wasabi looked like, in its natural form. The next picture further below is freshly grated wasabi, which is available upon special request, subject to availability of the tuber of course.
More on the theQguides.com, click here.
Nasi Beringin, Kampung Baru
July 24th, 2009 • 26 comments General
Tags: KL, malay, nasi beringin
Remember when I said I was on the hunt for the 2 lone Nasi Beringin stalls in KL?
Umm, yeah..that was like way back in April then…I know, I know..back log, back logs, back logggsss…
The Nasi Beringin at Menara Bangsar was the absolute first experience I had eating Nasi Beringin. My question then was “Are there any differences between Nasi Lemak and Nasi Beringin??”
Well, after some research, yup, apparently there are differences, and as the name suggested, the core disparity lies in the preparation of the rice.
I daresay the rest of the condiments are similar, (and that’s coming from someone who has eaten at 2 stalls, so please don’t take my word for it. Likewise, I appreciate any recommendation or pointers if there are any other nasi beringin proprietors lurking around that I do not know of??) with the ubiquitous crispy anchovies & peanuts, a dollop of fiery sambal, slivers of fresh cucumbers and the simple, wholesome goodness of a quarter of a hard boiled egg.
For RM5, I had no complains. The ayam goreng rempah (spiced chicken) was a notch lower than the one at Menara Bangsar, simple cos it was not piping hot from the wok, having been cooked much earlier in preparation for the lunch crowd.
Nevertheless, it was still crispy on the exterior and moist within, meeting the criteria for a good piece of fried chicken.
Below: Perfectly firm, round, well separated grains of aromatic rice.
The sweetish sambal, thick and fragrant. Only a minor gripe though, don’t they do the fiery versions anymore??
Think that the Nasi Beringin is all there is?
Oh no, The Nasi Goreng Cina was commendable too. Not too oily and tasty to boot. RM3.50.
Go for their spicy Nasi Goreng Kampung, RM3.50 for some low burn on the tongue if your day requires it. Load a piece of chicken if you wish, doused with chilli sauce and tuck in for a gratifying lunch.
Low carbs day? Rojak Ayam Singapura (with thick cuts of tender chicken breast) at RM4.20 would be a good choice.
The Mee Bandung Muar here is probably the best one can get. Authentic and adhering to a recipe that spans 3 generations, the gravy is thick, flavourful and slurp-worthy.
Opting for a light lunch today? Try their Bihun soup. The squeeze of lime adds much zest to the flavourful stock.
Making your way there soon??
Look for this restaurant, almost directly opposite Bank Pembangunan & DBKL building on Jalan Abdullah, at the corner of Jalan Khatib Koyan.
Open Mon to Sat. 9am – 6pm
GPS: N 3 09′ 35.1″
E 101 42′ 7.5″
JJ Swiss Rolls – IPOH
July 21st, 2009 • 30 comments General
Tags: desserts, ipoh, light bites
Always excited with NEW, innovative & novel creations, I was intrigued when I first read of these interesting swiss rolls from Ipoh.
Hence, a recent trip to north had me coming back lugging a bag of almost 6 of them! I just couldn’t resist the funky combinations available. From the standard Pandan to the ingenious flavour of Spinach & Wolfberry, my head spun at the sheer variety in front of me.
Not being the decisive kind, I was at a complete loss of where to begin.
Luckily there was a variety pack for the Carrot, Pumpkin, Green Tea & Spinach Cream Cheese versions, saving me the agony of making a choice! Likewise, I get to staple 4 various flavours without having to buy a whole roll.
Clockwise from top left:
(Prices stated are for a whole roll)
Spinach Cream Cheese – RM15
Pumpkin Cream Cheese – RM15.
Carrot Cream Cheese – RM15.
Green Tea Cream Cheese – RM15.
I absolutely loved the light, soft & pillowy texture of the rolls, perfectly like how swiss rolls are meant to be.
However, as I chomp away at each one, disappointment started to set in; for it all tasted a bit bland. Yes, you do see the specks of carrot, pumpkin or spinach in the rolls, indicating the use of completely natural ingredients (without additional flavouring & essence) but that has also resulted in the rolls having very very faint taste of the intended flavours. While it is commendable that Soya Lite oil was used as a healthier alternative, the rolls lacked the richness & aroma that can only be achieved by good ole BUTTER.
All was not lost though, for alternate bites of delightful smooth cream cheese and the abundant nuts filling (pumpkin seeds for the Pumpkin one & cashew nuts for the rest of the flavours) certainly made the rolls more palpable.
It is good to note too that the rolls were certainly very fresh, and the nuts NOT rancid!
For me, the best is the Chocolate Hazelnut.
Moist, chocolate-y with ample hazelnuts chunks in rich hazelnut cream, it was not overly rich but with enough chocolate taste to satisfy the tastebuds.
The rolls are pretty big, and are certainly value for money considering the fresh and natural ingredients used to make them. Top that off with the healthy, low sugar and made of fruits/vegetables claims, one should definitely try this, even if its just for the sheer novelty of it.
The outlet for takeaway is at the restaurant, De’ Mouth, which is open from 10am to 10pm. Address: 12, Jalan Kampar, Ipoh (beside Fairmont Hotel).
Contact: 016-5209933
We bought so much we got a free bag and qualified for the buy- 5, free- one promo ;p
The Season of Durians – Kafe Happy Meal
July 18th, 2009 • 24 comments General
Tags: desserts, KL, light bites
Durians…the notoriously odiferous famed fruit…
You either love them or hate them with gusto…
And being one of those who absolutely adores them, I’m always on look-out for new ways to satisfy my cravings and Kafe Happy Meal with its infamous durian inspired offerings has been on my radar for a while.
Problem is, I have read blog posts on how their durian puffs fly off the shelves, how long the queue is, how you must be early or it’s all sold out for the day and their opening hours plus the location at the notoriously jammed area of PUDU doesn’t make a trip after work a wise option.
The fact that they are close on Sundays didn’t help.
But hard core foodies are not easily deterred no?
So here we are, at the ungodly hour of 7am on a Saturday morning, literally perching over the counter at the shop itself, peering around at the little “cafe” & eyeing the production table.
I was smugly pleased with myself, thinking “Ahh.. so early, sure can get fresh batch of durian puffs! No way it can be sold out!” only to be disappointed with the lady boss waving us away “No no…busy today..i haven’t start making them!”
Aggkkk??!! Almost frantic, I was close to having a fit as I gasped “Aunty ahh..what time will have??”
“10am. Come back then!”
“I working! Cannotttt…”
“After work laaa..”
“*gulps* I only finish work at 1pm…”
“Can can..I keep for you..come and get it then..”
Holy mother of God..me back to Pudu at 1pm??
Traffic traffic traffic…OR…Durians durians durians????
What’s traffic??
Durian Puffs – (RM2.80 for a box of four).
Clouds of light, frothy durian cream in choux pastry puffs, best eaten chilled.
The cream…FRESH cream..oh, utterly heavenly..
The cafe’s products are no-frills & simple. No fancy icing (thank god, cos I find them frivolous & makes the end product pricier and eating them messier ;p ) and their cake are displayed in slabs, cut into slices selling for RM1 (butter cake) to RM1.30 (aromatic durian butter cake). Other choices includes the quintessential old favs of sugee cake, chocolate cake to the interesting combination of Poppy Seed & Peach Cake (instead of the customary Orange & Poppy Seed version). All very affordable & delicious!
The durian butter cake? Yes, yes… globs of actual durian pulp inside renders every bite of this moist buttery slice of durian creation a delight, albeit a little oily.
The Durian Tart (RM2.50) looks really promising as I split the tart into half for the photoshoot.
Thick mash of lumpy durian paste was enough to make my legs weak but the taste was definitely not what I expected.
Encased in a crumbly crust, the makeup was more custard like, & according to WC, tasted like the Malay dessert called lempok.
The Durian Swiss Roll was quite ordinary to me as the only portion that has any trace of durians was the cream, and the taste is very mild. They do a mango version as well but I didn’t try that as I was all focused on the durian ones.
Other tarts include egg for (RM1), coconut (RM1.80), almond (RM2.50), cream cheese (RM2.50), pineapple cheese (another interesting creation!) and the standard red bean & pandan lotus.
If you are a fan of variety, the mix bean which is a yin-yang fusion of red bean paste and pandan lotus is a must try!
They start baking very early in the morning and while I was there, a constant stream of customer popped by and picked up egg, tuna or chicken sandwiches & the freshly baked pastries. I watched the kitchen as they expertly mold, shape and fill the tarts with the necessary fillings before trays of them were slotted into the big ovens for baking. The aroma of piping hot pastries was enough to induce one to buy more than necessary! Do note though that the pastries are best eaten the day it was bought, especially the durians one.
The bakery is open daily except Sundays.
However, do not expect to order a drink and sit down at the premises for a meal. There is no seating & it is more of a buy & go outlet.
KAFE HAPPY MEAL
143 Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2072-6080
My TimeOut KL Food Crawl – The Pink Sage & The Marmalade
July 13th, 2009 • 29 comments General
Tags: burger, desserts, KL, light bites, makan-makan
Now, I have known this place to exist ever since Boo blogged about it..& being a BIG lover of American breakfasts, it was immediately jotted down in my “to-eat” book (just like some other 100++ places ;p) .
Yet, I only finally made it to this place last month, when TimeOut KL was giving away these coupons and The Pink Sage happened to be one of those featured.
Procrastination. *Groans*
Anyhow, out of the 8 coupons attached with the June issue, we settled for Soi 23, Palate Palette, The Marmalade (had some of their dishes before & liked it), The Pink Sage (a must!) and Olive Lounge.
The plan was to hit all of them at one go (cos it was the last Sat before the coupons expires; hehe..) & I certainly won’t have the time on the few remaining weekdays of that month.
our 1st stop was The Marmalade. And their coupon entitles us to:
A choice of Green Curry Spaghetti OR Spinach & Cheese & Ham wrap + 2 mini cupcakes and a glass of Ice Lemon Tea.
(ok, the name of the dishes may vary; as I have honestly forgotten the actual names)
As advertised, our bill did come up to RM20 NETT.
Being “cost conscious” people, ahem…, we checked the menu, & found out that the wrap is originally priced at RM17 & the 2 mini cupcakes (EXTREMELY mini ones I tell you!) is at RM3.
So basically, it’s still amounted to RM20, & we just happened to got off from paying taxes plus a free small glass of powdery artificial tasting super sweet ice lemon tea.
Call me a scrooge, but I do NOT consider that a good deal. plliiiitthhhh..
Doubts settling into our minds, we scrutinise the coupons again, and decided the Pink Sage is still worth a visit & scrapped the rest off our list.
The Pink Sage offers much better choices starting with:
A burger OR BBQ wings & something + a drink + a Red Velvet cake
Well, a main plus a drink & a dessert should still be pretty worth-it; we thought, since a piece of cake does set one back by more or less RM8 as with prices of cakes is in town. And it didn’t say “mini” Red Velvet so I’m assuming that I’m getting a full slice ;p
So here we are on a late Sat evening, & we chose to sit outside as it was a quiet breezy evening.
I felt my tension ebbing away as I sat back, took a deep breath & pushed all the demanding voices of annoying clients out of mind. Finally! I thought.
Our order were taken quickly enough, & the staff was ever smiling and friendly.
We really love the large mirror inside that allows the diners to write whatever they fancy (ok, maybe NOT whatever) & the kitchen is outside hence you can go and watch your burger being grilled if you fancy doing so.
Our burger meal, at RM21.50 if ordered ala-carte, came with the beef patty weighing at 350grams.
A smaller portion is available too at RM17.50, of which the patty will weigh 200+- grams.
(note: I can’t remember the exact grams but I’m sure it is somewhere around that number)
Lovely burger, with the patty firm, moist & its juices oozing out with each bite. Get a napkin ready!
The Red Velvet was disappointingly unavailable. The affable Noreen, Ops Director recommended their Lemon - something Cake instead which turned out to be quite a let down as it was too dense & tasted pretty normal to me.
Ah well, guess I’m too spoilt with Just Heavenly Pleasures & FBB’s desserts & had set the bar for my standard of cakes a notch too high now.
Anyhow, I’m impressed with the quality ingredients used in the preparation of their food here. Granted, I have not tasted that many :p, but I do intend to visit more often from now on! I got the duck ravioli & salads on my radar now!
Even the tomato/chilli sauce and mayo is of a better brand (Heinz), and while this may seem trivial, I believe little details such as these do make the food taste better & enhance the overall experience of dining at any establishment.
I managed to try The Red Velvet, Rm7, on a subsequent visit, for as promised, Noreen emailed me when they had a fresh batch ready.
The topping of cream cheese was so sour that my face felt like it was given a facial after the contortions it went through. I personally do not think the cream cheese layer is suitable to be so sour (if the baker has intended to give the Red Velvet a twist) , cos it has come to the point that if you were to staple it in one bite with the sponge, you won’t taste anything other than the sourness. Verdicts from 2 friends who shared the slice concurred with my opinion hence I think I gave a fair judgment.
Likewise, FBB himself commented that it could have been better.
Anyhow, the cake texture on its own is good though, all moist & buttery though the very red colouring got us wondering…
Thanks to Noreen again, I got to try the Pear & Fig Tart. Nice buttery crust topped with crunchy pears & sweetened figs, I find it a bit too sweet especially with the dusting of sugar on top. While the combination sounds promising in name, somehow I find that the tart failed to make an impression. Perhaps it would have tasted better if served with vanilla ice cream? Just a thought, as on its own it lacked the power of leaving one craving for more.
Nevertheless, this is really a great place for food and I already planning a revisit! Anyone to join me??
The Pink Sage
Ground Floor
Wisma RA
No. 12, Jalan Dang Wangi
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 – 2693 6000
Closed Mondays. Previously opens 8am to 7 pm. NOW: 10pm.
AWOL went recently for brekkie and do read her raves here!
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