Archive for January, 2010
Bloggers’ Yee Sang @The Magic Wok, Damansara Jaya
January 30th, 2010 • 25 comments General
Tags: Advertlets, chinese, damansara jaya, invited review, tai chow
Indeed the woks here wields some serious magic.
How else could one explain the delicious dishes that appeared from the kitchen that night?
One dish that got me hooked that night were the finger licking long ribs. It was absolutely addictive. The marinate thoroughly permeats the meat & the tender texture with the glorious soft fatty layers still got me salivating till today.
California Pizza Kitchen – KLCC
January 27th, 2010 • 25 comments General
Tags: invited review, KL, pizza, Restaurant, western
Alcohol is served all day.
So we loosen our ties, threw off our jackets & sipped mojitos, pina coladas, margaritas, smoothies & rum + tequila with our salads, pasta & pizza, FOR LUNCH, on a weekday.
Ahh.. if only this is a daily routine.
And it’s very outlet in KLCC has been in operation since 1999, a full decade and a mean feat; if you ask me, considering the frequency and number of dining outlets that has come and gone on that very floor itself.
Come lunch time, the place is packed to the rafters, but the experienced kitchen & staff handled the orders without a hitch. A decade of practice no doubt.
The imported hearth open flame oven is the trademark item in all CPK restaurants. It bakes the pizza in approximately three minutes, & the intense heat coupled with rapid cooking time preserves the natural, fresh flavors and characters of the toppings.
Having said that, California Pizza Kitchen has survived a decade in KLCC & pulls in the crowd daily so obviously CPK has it’s fans.
Most produce in CPK is imported directly from the HQ as well, & that includes the dough of the pizza crust, the DESSERTS & the Mexican Cholula Hot Sauce you see above, in replacement for the common Tabasco for the pizzas.
All of the items reviewed is part of CPK’s Asian Delight Lunar New Year Menu, as well as their Valentine set; Special Dinner Menu for Two – RM88 ++ which includes:
- A choice of selected half size salad
- A choice of selected 1 pizza
- A choice of selected 1 pasta
- A choice of 2 glasses of mocktails or sparkling wine
The appetiser for CPK’s Asian Delight Lunar New Year Menu is Lettuce Wraps (from RM23.00 (chic/shrimp) or RM26.00 (chic & shrimp) which consisted of minced chicken &/shrimp, wok-seared with Shitake mushrooms, water chestnuts, & scallops in soy ginger sauce, served on a bed of crispy rice noodles & a side of spicy chilli-ginger sauce.
This is very chinese indeed, especially when you eat it wrapped in a lettuce leaf not unlike the way one eats the “Nyonya Jiu Hu char”.
Their chinese/eastern repertoire of salads was next.
A total of 3 to choose from, my favourite is the Miso Salad, (Half size -RM19.00, Full size – RM22.00) that came in the form of a hill of shredded Napa cabbage, fresh avocado, julienne cucumbers, daikon, edamame, carrots, red cabbage, green onions, cilantro, crispy rice noodles & crispy wontons tossed in Miso dressing.
The clean crisp flavours from the salad won me over. Or it could be that I like Japanese food in the first place.
Asian inspired salads doesn’t run far from Thai & Indonesian. And not surprisingly, the next two was the Thai Crunch Salad (Full size – RM29.00, Half size -RM26.00) with lime-cilantro dressing & topped with crispy rice sticks & Thai peanut dressing & Chinese Chicken Salad (Half size – RM20.00, Full size -RM23.00) with toasted sesame seeds & fresh cilantro in a spicy, sweet & sour sesame dressing.
I find the Garlic Noodles (chicken -RM29.00, shrimp – RM36.00, both chicken+ shrimp – RM39.00) – wok-fried Chinese yellow noodles in garlic-ginger sauce with snow peas, Shitake mushrooms, mild onions, red & yellow peppers, broccoli, & scallions a tad too sweet.
Overall, the desserts were too sweet for me, a reminder of the fact that they were made in US. But that could also mean more authentic recipes.
The Red Velvet Cake – RM22.00 was unlike previous versions that I have tasted and actual beet juice were used.
The Chocolate Souffle Cake – RM20.00 is deliciously RICH, made with Belgian chocolate & served warm with CPK’s triple-thick hot fudge on vanilla bean sauce. Don’t mess with the Americans on their fudge, I tell you.
The Tiramisu – RM22.00 is creamy, and so alcoholically infused that it deserved an order if you happened to be in CPK again.
Unfortunately banana cream was used rather than fresh bananas in the moist and rich Chocolate Banana Royale Cake. But of course, when one takes into consideration the distance it was imported from I guess it is wise to use the cream version instead.
Overlooking the KLCC fountain & KLCC park, CPK in KLCC provides diners a scenic view while they feast. I reckon the scene is even more beautiful come night time.
The media representatives for the session.
Many thanks to Integrated Public Relations for inviting me on behalf of CPK, GPH! I’m holding my breath in anticipation for their next to be-launched creations in April 2010!
California Pizza Kitchen
Lot #140, Level 1, Suria KLCC
50088 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (+603) 2382 0512
Business Hours: 11:30a.m. – 11:00p.m. daily
Kitchen Creatures, Centrepoint – INVADED by bloggers!!
January 25th, 2010 • 28 comments General
Tags: Advertlets, floggers gathering, Restaurant, review
I like this place.
And so does the other 20+odd bloggers, judging by the happy grins & noise we made that night.
Honesty, direct, peppered with bits of wit, the Kitchen Creatures menu tells you as it is. You get what you pay for, you know exactly how much you gonna have to fork out for it & you will be served FRESHLy prepared & MSG-free food. What a marvelous concept!
Favola it is not, but their repertoire of pasta is still a pleasure to eat. Fresh paste, bountiful bouncy seafood with a good balance of flavours (not too creamy nor too salty or sweet) had all of us agreeing that Kitchen Creatures’ claim of “all our food is carefully prepared to meet the highest standards set by George Creatures (the chef)…only fresh ingredients with no MSG” is no hoax.
Marinara, RM13. Spicy Aglio Olio with Shrimp, RM12. Seafood garlic cream sauce, RM13.
Other than the food, there is good eye-candy for us gals. Or gays.
Fresh off their gym workouts, muscles stretching against their shirts, crew cut hunks congregate here for the Sizzling ribeye steak, RM19; a chunky portion of red meat, done to your preference & arrives at your table smoking. My my, I can see the gym doctor nodding approvingly.
Grilled Chicken, RM13 – Charbroiled boneless chop with sauteed onions, baked beans & fries.
Chicken ala King, RM11 – Sauteed with mushrooms in light sour cream gravy, served with buttered rice.
Sirloin Steak, with a choice of 2 sides at RM16.
I can’t sing much praises for the Monster Platter, but I find the grilled chicken & sirloin steak decent for its price.
A bit dry on its own, yes, but a good order for those who prefers something savoury yet light in size.
Btw, it came with a side of mash too. We ordered a set of TWO pies for RM7.
The pizza dough is made specially for them by their supplier. All the sauces & gravy however, is made in house & fresh upon order, assured Chef JJ, one half of the brothers duo who runs this place.
Each pizza is 10 inches in diameter & we stapled the Seafood pizza with Thousand Island – RM12, The Magherita, which is mozzarealla, cheddar with spinach, special pizza sauce & the Pizza Carbonara which consisted of mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan with chicken & beef bacon, also RM12.
The much raved about stuffed mushrooms (RM7.30 for 6) was a few sizes shrunken but made up for it in taste.
Meanwhile, the Garlic bread are as crisp & buttery as it should be.
There is a lot more on the menu than what we tried that night & we were really spoilt for choices, both for food & for drinks.
Parking is FREE after 630pm & there is WIFI.
Food is affordable & FRESHLY prepared, portions are big, there is a medley of choices available, bill is tax free, environment is clean & comfortable…WOW.. Kitchen Creatures is probably the next BEST thing to happen for the BU area!
El Meson, Bangsar – mid week Lunch with the bloggers!!
January 23rd, 2010 • 37 comments Favourites, General
Tags: floggers gathering, pork, Restaurant, spanish
The unbearable heat of the mid- day sun blazed down relentlessly & I hasten my pace towards El Meson on Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar.
Well, I thought wryly, if I can’t siesta like the Spanish, at least I will dine like one.
And the latter fact holds true if one dines at the warm, welcoming alcove of El Meson.
With Chef Fernando helming the kitchen, a Spanish import to boot, my meals at El Meson (one of which I have blogged about; you can read about my indulgent dinner here ) had been pricey but never entirely disappointing, & had therefore, deservingly amassed more hits than misses in my book.
Their Ultimate Pork Burger – with mushrooms, bacon, cheese & caramelized onions, RM26 was my goal this time round, since it is part of their lunch menu which I haven’t had past opportunity to sample.
I’m sure discerning diners appreciate efforts by F&B outlets in attention to details, & I for one, would always have praises for a chef who doesn’t take shortcuts in the preparation of the sides that comes with a main course.
The freshly fried potatoes were fluffy & lightly seasoned; & thus was the perfect accompaniment to the burger.
Out of the series of Tapas we had, the terrine is a clear winner; an ingenious mish-mash of bacon, pork, apricot, pistachio and balsamic reduction.
The Calamares Rellenos stuffed with squid, Serrano ham, tomato (RM16) & Stuffed Tomatoes with prawns & squids topped with cheese and breadcrumbs (RM16) were divine & I was glad the mains followed quickly after, for all that actually made me hungry for more.
Pork Chop – pan roasted and served wth Sauerkraut and roast potatoes, RM42
Pan fried chicken breast stuffed with Serrano & cheese served with potato wedges and vegetables, RM38
Pork Belly and Pork ribs Stew with Chorizo, Morcilla Blood Sausages and Beans,
RM38
The THICK pork chop was juicy though I did feedback to Ek that it the sauce could have been a bit more flavourful. The tender gamey Iberico Cheeks had me pinching my own cheeks. My, I marveled as I cut the big round balls into half, Ibericos pigs does have meaty cheeks! The stuffed chicken looked dry at first & worried murmurs went round the table. Luckily, it was illusory & the stuffing of Serrano ham & cheese turned out to be delicious!
The pork belly & rib stew was certainly moreish, even more so as it is an uncommon preparation. There was a lot of different beans in the dish and we polished off every single one of them.
El Meson has upped their desserts offerings & we were given complimentary ones to share. (Thanks Ek! ;p )
My favourite was the Trifle, and here (though it may look un-photogenic) they scope it out from a big bowl and this is actually one portion. The custard layer was lovely, the jello addictive & the copious amount of fruits deceivingly assured us that this is a waist-friendly dessert ;)
Then the molten choc cake stole the show. It was heavenly. The flow of chocolate lava doesn’t seem to stop oozing out! The outer layer was lightly crisp, and it’s warm & moist chocolate sponge was absolutely to die for!
Last was the flourless, sugarless chocolate cake; which though out-shined by it’s mate The Molten Lava, was still a worthy- to- order dessert.
The Spanish creme catalana (picture not here since I forgot to take any) came in small cazuela molds, just like how they made it in Spain. Aesthetically, it was easy to pass it off as Creme Brulee but according to Ek, i’ts preparation is different. Anyhow, think creme brulee but flavoured with cinnamon & lime zest instead.
I like El Meson for its innovative preparations & uncommon ingredients used in its dishes.
My advice for those who wants to try this place is to get a min group of 5, since the dishes ain’t exactly your typical dinners prices, & there is so much worth stapling here!
The bill came up to RM45 per pax & there were 8 of us that day. For the amount of food we had, I thought it was a steal!
Farni’s Nasi Kukus, Bukit Damansara – memang BEST!!
January 20th, 2010 • 18 comments General
Tags: Damansara Heights, hawker food, malay, nasi kukus
I’ve been blogging a post too many of pork.
To the extent that a fellow blogger (Malay) asked me at a recent event; “Eh, can blog about something that I can eat ah? Don’t you eat Malay food?”.
“Oh yes, I love Malay food! I eat Nasi Lemak almost every other day.” I replied.
“Err.. NL is Malay food right?”, I stammered when I saw him pause.
“Yes yes, but do recommend something not so common.” he said.
“Well, fret not,” I assured him, thinking of my back logs and folders of pictures; “I’m sure I can dig out something, watch out for my next post”.
So yeah, pushing aside all my drafts, I present to you one of the best nasi kukus to be discovered, with many thanks to skinny Leonard for the heads-up on this place. *muaks*.
I am assuming that Farni = Farid + Nani, since the bunting says
” Call for catering:
Farid 012 – 710 2206
Nani 012 – 223 2206″.
Leonard gave a few warnings, one of which is to come early or risk watching them pack up.
To get here, look out for Pondok Polis Bukit Damansara near Plaza Damansara which is opposite CIMB Bank (there is a mosque nearby too), Farni’s Nasi Kukus stall is located directly behind it under a make shift tent. There is also a malay economy rice stall beside it & another coffeeshop-like outlet nearby.
Within close vicinity of this police “station”, the aromatic scent of fried spiced chicken suffuses the air, and reassuringly tells me I am at the right place.
Being there early (yes, I’m very kiasu when it comes to food), I got to watch how the rice was prepared.
Each individual steel bowls of rice was rinsed, the correct level of water added & steamed in these ‘Chinese’ tiers steamer.
Their ayam goreng rempah hit all the right notes for the prerequisites of a good fried chicken; moist, juicy with a lovely, deliciously marinated crisp skin.
The rice was just as good; firm & loosely separated. Since it is plain on its own because this is not coconut milk infused, this is where you should be liberal with the superb daging masak hitam (beef in soy sauce?) & tasty fish curry.
Be sure to ask for more of the red chili sauce too, it’s knock-your-socks off spicy & a chili lover’s dream.
My RM5 nasi kukus. 1 chicken drumstick, 1 piece of beef, liberal amount of curry, cucumbers & ladyfingers. Very filling & absolutely gratifying.
So the next time you happened to be in Damansara Heights at noon & budget happens to be a bit tight for the eateries in this area, look for the police station. This pondok has got a hidden gem ;)
Call for catering:
Farid 012 – 710 2206
Nani 012 – 223 2206
Weekdays – 12pm to finish.
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