Pâté en Croûte.

from Paranoid Android by Paranoid Android

(no pork served)

Things have been a little crazy lately, and after a relatively leisurely week it is madness again. Just a quick post on Sage's lunch menu this week. You may say I am obsessed with Sage's lunch. I am. Unlike a lot of other places in town, Sage's lunch menu is not an afterthought. Sometimes I question the rationality of some restaurants who limit the chef's creativity for lunch, citing turnover time as a reason. With a carefully thought out menu, lunch can be very exciting and fast. I have enough pictures for another 15 posts for lunch, but never got around posting it because the menu is just average. Some day, I may get around doing it, maybe do a comparative post or something.

I try to avoid heavy dinners for health reasons, unless I am out entertaining or be entertained. Dinners at home are usually bland rabbit food or occasionally, dai chow with lots of veges. Lunches are usually more indulgent and this week's menu at Sage was just that.


Their Konbu Bavarois with Hokkaido Scallops was a piece of dream in the form of wobbly jelly. The humble kelp that is used for dashi soup base is transformed into a piece of gelatinous blob that epitomized smoothness and creativity. Served with lightly seared scallops, caviar, a dash of soya and mirin, now you can eat your soup and get transported to heaven during the brief lunch hour.


Grilled River Prawn Tagliolini was opulent. The head of the prawn is swimming in Roe. A dish that is probably inspired by Sang Har Meen, served with perfectly al dente pasta. It was a beautiful piece of gustatory dream as it was arresting visually. Loved the "butterfly" which is a piece of tempura.


When I read about the Pâté en Croûte, I knew I had to rush of to try it. The worse thing about the Rotating Menu at Sage is once you miss the week, you will have to wait for yonks again before it appears again. Traditionally, the Pâté en Croûte is served as an appetizer. The center is from minced pork, beef or even a foie terrine. Sage has decided to serve this as a main.


But Oh La la! The version at Sage is duck Pâté en Croûte. Duck lovers rejoice. This is duck heaven. Minced duck meat wrapped around a heart of Duck Foie, baked in Pastry dough and frangranced with some corriander and served with a side of Mesculun and Foie. My heart was doing the tango while taking photos of this. What a beautiful creation in contrast to last week's stodgy grilled Angus.

It looks like a mooncake with duck liver in the centre instead of duck yolk, duck meat instead of lotus paste!

Cilantro serves this (entree portion) only at RM78++. Grab the full portion this week at Sage as part of the RM100 set lunch.


Their dessert of Spanish Melon, with Honeydew Sorbet and White Wine Jelly was nothing to go crazy about, but still a lovely end to another perfect lunch.

By the way, I am not paid by Sage to do their promotions. Even if they decide to "enggage" a blogger, it wouldn't be a nobody like me. I just love their effort in making lunch so lovely, a welcome break from the tedium work. And of course the food there is almost pornographic. The ultimate erotica imagery for me would be Marion Cotillard in a Cat Suit with Sage's Tuna Carpaccio still stuck on her whiskers.

Ta's and remember, this is only until Friday.

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The Wisdom of My Grandmother. Restoran Kari Kepala Ikan Pudu, Jalan Cerapu, Cheras, KL.

from Paranoid Android by Paranoid Android

(non halal)

Firstly some hilarious news. PAS Youth Wing head, Nasrudin Hassan has commented that New Year Celebrations and Valentine's Day celebrations are contributing to the high rates of baby dumping during the months of July to September. He has mentioned that "Western" celebrations expose the youths to alcohol and indecent sexual behaviour. All I gotta say to him is to look at the gestational calendar below, and Google which public holiday season it was at the end of September, 2009 in Malaysia. He is definitely not MENSA material and I am sure that somewhere in Religious Texts, there should be something about bearing false witness. I am not sure how he came to this correlation, and do not expect him to have attended courses in Basic Epistemology. Scary isn't it, that this kind of people might actually govern us one day.

My grandmother would have said "Opening your mouth to bite your own tongue". Sometimes it is better to keep quiet.

She was neither a leader in the geriatric wing of a Political Party nor well versed in any religious text, just a simple FOB from China.

Gestational Calendar.

Leong Yik. I have only seen my paternal grandmother write two words in her life, when she needs to sign some forms. Written in a squiggly, childish scrawl, in Chinese characters. She was unschooled, unable to speak any other languages except for Cantonese and a very "kampung form of Cantonese" known as Sei Yap. I have never met my paternal grandfather before. He died young, and left grandma a widow with 9 kids. My father dropped out of school to help take care of his younger siblings.

Despite being uneducated, she is adamant that her children get educated. Among my Uncles and Aunts, the youngest few are the luckiest because they were able to secure tertiary education. The eldest 5 could just completed high school. Scholarship was traditional Chinese style, brother sister scholarship.

My grandmother did not head any big business conglomerate, she held 0.00% equity in Malaysia's economic pie. When she passed away at the age of 96, all she had were a pair of diamond ear rings her children gave her, some jade bangles, some gold chains and a hoard of children and grandchildren spread across the continents to mourn her loss. She was a contented woman, and wanted nothing more than to see her children and grandchildren happy and contented as well.

Restoran Kari Kepala Ikan Pudu whips up very traditional home cooked like Chinese dishes filled with "wok hei". Simple Kailan fried with Garlic. Grandma would have loved this, but would need her false teeth to chew this.

Grandma was a simple woman. It took very little to make her happy. Her edentulous, beaming smile was always a beautiful sight to behold. She was frugal and made do with what she has without complaining. She would often scrape the bottom of the rice pot so as not to waste the rice. With some eggs, dried cuttlefish and veges, she would be able to whip up a beautiful meal. She cooked with love and with passion. Nothing satisfy her more than to see her grandchildren finishing up the dishes and rice and grow up to be healthy and strong.

She wasn't a Michelin Chef.

Taugeh Fried with Salted Fish. Another simple dish that is cooked at home but beautifully executed here. Not too salty and lightly peppered. Grandma loved Salted fish and calls int "Ham-Ngooi". She took it only occasionally.

She always loved cooking simple dishes, and a meal for her must include some soup, vegetables, and some lean meat or fish. Cooked simply and healthily. She indulges in "rich" food once a week on Sundays when our family has a "cook in session" where Aunts will gather in the kitchen to cook some Curry Noodles, Curried Chicken or Fried Meat. She avoids all form of red meat. Despite suffering from Diabetes and TB in the later years of life, she remained healthy until she was about 90, when she broke her hip after a fall.

Throughout her life until her final few years, she got treatment from the Government Hospital and took her medications religiously. Neighbours and relatives will often pester her to take some supplements or herbal cure but she never succumbed to their entreatments that "Western Medication" and the treatment that Junior Doctors of various races in the hospital offer low quality medical care that will harm her more than cure her. After they leave, she will cackle and say to me, "Quacks! Just because they know a few more words than me, they think they are doctors. If all the diseases in the world were cured by some mushrooms, the hospitals would have closed down. Government doctors are paid to help sick people. These supplements peddlers get paid when they sell me stuff."

She never studied predicate logic.

Their "Koo Lou Yoke" is good here too. Sweet and Sour Pork. The Batter is crispy and the sauce has a delightful tinge of sourness. Grandma's favourite when she got to dine outside.

When my Sam Sook (Third Uncle) made some money from a night job, he bought a Television set for grandma. Those days TV sets are a rarity in the East Coast. Only one other house had a TV within the cluster of 7 homes where we used to live. In the evenings, a few of the neighborhood children would come to our house to watch TV. My third aunt is rather concerned about having strange children in the house and often locked the doors before switching on the TV.

My grandmother stopped her from doing that. "People will get jealous and hate us for not sharing especially if they are from a different from us," she said. "It does not matter that your brother had to keep two jobs to buy me the TV, but other people will say that we have a TV and they don't. If we don't share, they will make up a lot of excuses hate us. Such is the nature of humans."

She was never a Yale Law Professor that is admired by some loud rightist group with limited vocabulary.

"Fu Yee Yau Mak". Fu yee is fermented bean curd. Another favourite of my grandma, who liked to take Fu Yee with porridge.

I have never understood the obsession about Amy Chua. Maybe a quote from the book lifted from wiki will help put things into perspective. Also, "overnight democracy will empower the poor, indigenous majority. What happens is that under those circumstances, democracy doesn't do what we expect it to do -- that is, reinforce markets. [Instead,] democracy leads to the emergence of manipulative politicians and demagogues who find that the best way to get votes is by scapegoating the minorities."

In other words, the threat is actually from the politicians and not from the income disparity alone. Racism.

Ethnic clashes may have arisen due to uneven distribution of wealth, but governments have been overthrown when they were perceived to be unjust and oppressive. Especially there is a great disparity of income between those in power and yet the citizens were living in hardship. French and Russian revolution are examples.

Steamed Range Fed Chicken. My Grandma used to cook this during feast days and New Year. The chicken had to be slaughtered at home. No frozen Chicken for her.

We used to have Chinese language lessons on Saturdays in School. The teachers from Chinese schools are as alien to me as a Masai Warrior in my school. Coming from a background in Malay medium school, I found my Chinese Language teacher, Mrs. Ding to be a humourless, anal retentive old fart who was very liberal with the measuring ruler. Learning was by rote, and the writing had to follow prescribed strokes. For a scatter brained and playful child that I was, it was two hours of hell every week. We chanted the same pages from the textbook the whole year (to her credit, I can still chant the first few pages). I played hookie after a few months and refused to attend the Chinese Language classes. My Mother raised a big ruckus.

Claypot Curry. Despite the name of the Restaurant, this was my least favourite dish. Lovers of the sourish tamarind laced curry with traditional Bunga Kantan and Daun Kesom will not apprecaite this heavy version with Coconut Milk.

It was Grandma who rescued my ass from being splayed by the whipping cane. My hysterical Mum was going on and on about how I will not be Chinese by not knowing Chinese Characters and Mandarin. My Grandma retorted that she does not know how to read and write, and can only speak Cantonese. And how dare her daughter in law imply that she is not Chinese? Case closed.

A few afternoons later she said to me, "You are now Malaysian, and the most important thing is to learn things that will equip you with skills and languages that will help you survive in this country and be a useful man. Being Chinese is not being able to recite Confucius by memory like an ancient scholar and show it off occasionally. There is nothing great about being a parrot. Being Chinese is the ability to weather any storm unscathed and being resilient. Throughout history the Chinese has been oppressed by the Chinese, the Mongols, the Manchus and the Caucasians but somehow survived and manage to do well."

She was never a Chinese Educationist.

Sambal Prawns. Malaysian Chinese Fusion Dish. How I wished our leaders work hard and unite against Racism. Their silence in this matter is deafening. We seem to have more breakers than makers.

There you are, a little snippet about my grandma. An uneducated woman from China, widowed at a very young age, with a child like logic and very strong disposition. If I were asked to give up all my meals at Fine Dining restaurants to be able to go back in time to taste her cooking one more time, I will do it. To chat with her for an afternoon while she sits on her Lazy chair listening to her Cantonese Opera (her entire collection was about 15 vinyls) would placate my restless spirit. I would love listen to her reminding me of frugality and hard work again, to be modest and considerate, with random tales from the China she grew up in and the hardships she had to endure. She used to say how life was so much better here compared to China, and how we should grow up to be useful citizens. How we should be patient even through tough times.

How it is so difficult to make something and how easy it is to break things.

I cannot boast of a Grandmother who flies to London and Hong Kong to have meals in the poshest restaurants. Neither did she stay in Million Dollar Mansions with drivers and posh object d'art in the house bearing expensive gifts. The most expensive gift she gave me were her little pearls of child like wisdom. I wished I appreciated her more and followed her advice to the letter. It would have saved me a lot of distress.

Thank you Sky, for reminding me that a great chef can whip up a beautiful dish with just an egg and some rice, because I immediately thought of my Grandma who fed me during those lean years.

Restoran Kari Kepala Ikan Pudu,
9G, Jalan Cerapu,
Off Jalan Cheras,
Kuala Lumpur.

MBG Fruits, LG Floor, Mid Valley Megamall, KL. Size Does Matter.

from Paranoid Android by Paranoid Android

New Year came and went. Another year, another list of unfulfilled resolutions. Flip the papers, depressing news. Surf the internet news portals, MORE depressing news. Job sucks. The continuous need to code switch and use so many languages at work is driving me up the wall. There's an expression Spiderman would love to use. Maybe I should get bitten by a radioactive spider and learn to stick on the wall. Effortlessly.

Aren't you amazed by the ability of Malaysians to politicize everything? I for one am sick of politics. How can we talk about politics if we cannot even come to any common ground on where to start? How can we discuss anything when both parties are not rational and everybody is so confrontational? We say the westerners are rude and pride ourselves for being well bred, good mannered and religious. It doesn't show at all. Words like bastard and big ape used in Parliament. Everything is threatened with blood shed. At least Wendy Wright did not threaten to kill Dawkins and cursed that snooty academician to an after life of eternal suffering and damnation when they debated about creationism and intelligent design. Nor were there threats of blood shed and death to atheists. And Dawkins did not use words like stupid and unable to tolerate idiocy, despite being a godless heretic. They were behaving rather civilly despite being passionately militant about their causes. Politics in Malaysia often drive me to a Kafkaesque angst. Trudging through life here is like living out The Castle.

Political scavengers from BOTH sides of the political divide just love to circle around issues like vulture around carcasses. And inevitably the ones that makes the most noise will be the has beens or the minions that are looking for an opportunity to rise up and be noticed. Bearing no other talents and obviously lacking in intellect, they can just rise up and bay, bay, bay. Howl and thump their chest in front of the pack and reject civilised debate and dialogue. Same rhetoric, day in day out. Sort of reminds me of a T-shirt I had which has a picture of a Chicken calling the cat "Pussy" and the cat calling the chicken, well, "Chicken!".

How come when it comes to race and religion, there are so many defenders. MCA defending the Chinese, Hindraf defending the Indians... When it comes to the specifics like the homeless, drug addicts, school dropouts and hospice patients, nobody wants to rise up and defend them. Nobody organizes any rallies to highlight the welfare of the old and feeble, lack of welfare for the handicapped? The media coverage both in the MSM and the Internet for SMILE campaign was so, so,so much less than an idiotic politician making an inflammatory remark.

If there is anybody who needs some defending, it would be me. A Secularist, Humanist, Wagner loving Kant worshiper who believes in the preservation of Mak Yong has to be listed in the endangered species list in Malaysia. Just in case you guys accuse me of being a snobbish anglophile, I would like to set the record straight by saying that Latin should be the lingua franca of the world. At least while trying to conjugate both the verbs and nouns (which is as pleasant as trying to ease yourself while suffering from hemorrhoids) at least there is some time to think and reflect, instead of spewing out the usual rhetoric of venom and hate.

Guys, just stop fighting one another. The country needs some serious governing. Our education system is in shambles, our borders are porous with more people getting in and out illegally everyday, more than the nether regions of a whore in Chow Kit. Crime in the streets are driving the residents of quiet suburbs into paranoia. Highways that turn in carparks on bad days and are car parks at their exits on normal days. Housing for the poor? Affordable housing for the middle class? The list is endless.

Amidst the babble and cacophony of mindless rhetoric, at least Khairy seems to be making some intelligent media statements that are intelligible to the sushi munching, macchiato sipping crowd. Only time will tell if it is just a matter of political survival, shifting his support base to middle class urbanites who are getting more opinionated. Perhaps he finally realizes that those he had banked on for support last time would drop him like a hot potato when a taxi permit is dangled in front of them.

Amidst the gloom and doom and uncertainty, fueled by the general nastiness of the politics in Malaysia, where can a ravenous, chronically stressed, Sage junkie Android find solace?

At the most unlikely place. A fruit store in Mid Valley and a sight for sore eyes. Lusciously sweet and fragrant and definitely the ideal snack while watching some soppy Korean tele-drama. After eating, the taste of strawberries lingered on in my mouth for a long time...

Mangoes from Australia. Look at size of 'em MFs. Again, sweet, fragrant and delicious to the last bite. Nectar for a disillusioned Android.

Bing Cherries from Australia. Humongous, sweet and luscious. Sweeter than the Rainier in the previous post. Cherries. See? We need diversity. If Australia never existed and we insisted dogmatically that winter months must be in December, then we will not be getting these large, beautiful Cherries now. The wonder of living in Malaysia is the nation is never paralyzed during festive season. During Chinese New Year, the Mamak Stalls are open. During Hari Raya, Chinese Doctors will take over the running of essential services in Hospitals and Malay Doctors can take a break.

Growing up in the 1970's in a small town was so idyllic. Climbing up trees and running aound fields, oblivious to the political turmoil both in Vietnam and Cambodia. As I grew up and started watching movies like the Deer Hunter and Killing Fields, I begin to realize that there were so many atrocities committed so near Malaysia. All of the despots were ultra nationalists. So many lives were lost. The Genocide was especially worse in Cambodia where the first to be killed were the intellectuals. Gifted singers such as Ros Serey Sothea and Sinn Sisamouth were interred in concentration camps and later executed. (Just a diversion, Ros and Sinn's version of psychedelic grunge continues to inspire until today. A rock band known as Dengue Fever is inspired by Khmer 70's rock and has produced 3 albums to critical acclaim)

Peace is so fragile, please be careful and responsible. As I walked away from MBG, all i could think about is Fellini's Dolce Vita. Instead of Anita Ekberg dancing away at the Trevi Fountains, mine version was her, stuffing strawberries seductively into her mouth, playing with bananas and mangoes at a fruit stall. My version of modern morality in the midst of consumerism.

I walked to the car park after having stuffed myself with the RM18.80 set meal at Crystal Jade, sipping the beautiful Caramel Frappe from Austin Chase with my hands bogged down by the fruits. I felt better. I now that the traffic will not improve, the scary Politicians will still be there, the toll rates will just rise and rise. Life may suck at times, but is still relatively good. Of course it can be better. But at least I for now, have good food and beautiful fruits to cheer me up. Happy New Year, Malaysia. May you continue to grow and prosper. May your custodians walk their talk.

Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar - a worthy win in the Miele Guide 2010/11

from masak-masak by boo_licious

warm king salmon with poached oyster and avruga

Congratulations to the team behind Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar! For the first time, Malaysia has scored a place on the top 10 best restaurants in Asia as voted in the Miele Guide 2010/11. It's a worthy honour since Cilantro is placed at number 8 and among great restaurants such as Iggy's from Singapore, Mozaic from Bali and Caprice from Hong Kong. Even though the Miele Guide is not as widely recognised compared to the Michelin Guide (which has yet to arrive on our shores), it is still a big pat on the back for the fine dining scene in Kuala Lumpur.

the only reason to ditch that diet and consume all those carbs - Cilantro's divine truffle butter

To celebrate, we decided to dine at Cilantro this Friday for their infamous lunch for RM150++ (only available on lazy winding down Fridays). It was perfect timing too since it was Diwali, the Festival of Lights and all the reason to enjoy our time off from work.

muscovy duck consomme with foie gras and chestnut mushrooms served in a Titanium Staub mini cocotte

Dining here is always a great pleasure - comforting food that soothes the soul weary from the daily drudge of life paired with impeccable service. Combine all this with great company and you have a formula for success. While Cilantro reopened end of last year (I remember my first visit for a special Xmas eve dinner), they only restarted their infamous Friday lunches around July this year.

char grilled master Kobe rump with baby cos and Parmigiano


For lunch, it is best that you take the day off to thoroughly enjoy it since the meal can usually induce you into a food coma. Unlike its sister restaurant Sage, lunches here tend to be a tad richer and more indulgent.



I'm feeling very festive with the Kir Royale


You start of with a flute of Kir Royale - the perfect drink to celebrate with a medley of tiny bubbles from the champagne and a touch of creme de cassis. Next you'll be slowly lulled into food heaven as you dine on the warm king salmon with poached oyster gently placed on a bed of finely sliced potatoes. There's a little cream on the side with a spoonful of avruga caviar to make it even more pleasurable.



panache of seafood with saffron risotto and jus served on a cast iron Staub


Next it is a lighter way to enjoy foie gras, sliced and poached in a duck consomme with chestnut mushrooms that gives it a silky texture. I love the tiny Titanium Staub cocotte that is used to serve this dish. Being the atypical kitchen geek, I was secretly coveting that for home but god knows when am I going to have an occasion to serve my food in mini cocottes. The only thing that slightly mars these gorgeous dish is the duck slice was on the chewier side.



feuillantine of apple with calvados ice cream


Mains is usually a choice of meat or seafood. This time round, it is melt-in-the-mouth Kobe beef served with crisp baby cos lettuce with Parmiagiano. Opting for the lighter meal, the seafood panache is perfect since it is an assortment of the ocean's bounty (scallops, clams, fish and prawns) all beautifully pan seared and served with small portion of saffron risotto that tasted more like the briny sea versus the precious red flower stamens.



the award - a picture taken by the photography maestro Paranoid Android


My only gripe is desserts since they're not too innovative with their sweet course. Nevertheless the combination of silky smooth vanilla ice cream served with crispy tuiles and the heady aroma of calvados apples is still quite pleasurable to end the meal. We wind down with coffee to pull us through the food coma - the perfect way to end an indulgent lunch.


Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar
MiCasa All Suite Hotel
368-B, Jalan Tun Razak
Kuala Lumpur


Tel: 03-2179 8082


(Pork free. Open for lunch on Fridays only from 12 noon to 2pm. Dinner is from 6-10.30pm. Closed on Sundays. More pictures of a previous lunch can also be obtained in 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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Love Your Street Food by Fried Chillies

from masak-masak by boo_licious

my all time favourite steamed egg custard from Jalan Sayur, Pudu

I was once told in an interview (one of those rare ones I occasionally give) that I'm not a food snob. On hearing that statement, I started to reflect back on my food choices and I realised that the interviewer hit the bulls eye with her analysis. I don't judge the ambiance of a place, whether it is a nice luxe setting with top notch fine dining service, a fast food joint or even a back street alley. As long as the food is darn good, it works for me.

curry chee cheong fun with decadent pork rinds from Pudu's Jalan Sayur stalls

Hence, I was tickled pink when I heard about Fried Chillies' Love Your Street Food campaign. It's a gallant approach since all these street food stalls or hawkers (with nary an advertising dollar campaign to their name) definitely deserve a big thumbs up for their efforts.Fried Chillies first started these awards last year so kudos to them for getting the ball rolling. We tend to have so many restaurant awards that street food is often sidelined.

Hokkien Noodles from the stall next to Fei Por Chicken Rice Stall, Pudu

What's your role in all this? Just vote for your favourites (the nominees are on their website) but do it wisely by honouring those who are dedicated to their craft. These are the men and women who wake up early in the morning to start the tedious preparation work and will not compromise on quality of their food and most importantly the cleanliness of their food. You have until 30 November to cast your vote.

You can also join up with Fried Chillies as they're taking a step further for this year's awards with food crawls to the nominees so you get to sample the food and decide. Also check out their wickedly good advertisements for the love street food campaign. I love the Char Kuey Teow lover one, a man completely in lurve with his wok hei plate of noodles that he'll forgo an amorous night with his wife. Most of all have fun doing all this. Happy Voting!!!

Post Script: Check out their latest Burgerlympics video too! There's even an appearance from the Char Kuey Teow man.

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• 1Life
• , 1Food

Oct 26, 2010 2:06 PM

Korean Food @ Hwangsil Garden, Neo Damansara, Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya

from masak-masak by boo_licious

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manduguk or dumplings


Life ain't always about fine dining and when it comes to the ultimate comfort food, I often reach out for some Korean food with loads of kimchi. Strangely enough, kimchi was also what we turned to for a quick satisfying meal on Sunday. To celebrate Formula One's first foray in South Korea on Sunday (even though the race was delayed because of the rain), I whipped up kimchi fried quinoa - a mix of minced lamb, Korean eryingi mushrooms, kimchi with fluffy black quinoa.



1Msia/1Korea, pork belly time, fans, grilling takes patience


Strangely enough, that all familiar staple Korean item is now scarce in Korea due to soaring cabbage prices following a bad harvest. Hopefully an effort by the government to bring in Chinese cabbage will save the day. Luckily for us, cabbage is in abundance hence there's no chance we'll suffer from a kimchi shortage.


pork belly slices

I was introduced to this place by my friend S who works round the corner from this small eatery. Located at a maze of shophouses called Neo Damansara, there's a demand for Korean food as the Korean community is growing around this neighbourhood.

grilled beef ribs

I liked how this place seems to serve not the usual run-of-the-mill Korean items. There was manduguk(RM22) or dumplings on the menu, hence I ordered it being keen to try the dumplings. I was not dissapointed as I loved the hearty meat stuffed dumplings coupled with the garlicky soup. After consulting the waitress, we ordered her highly recommended pork belly (daepae samgyob for RM25) that resembled pieces of bacon. It's not marinated hence each piece is lightly dipped in soy sauce before being grilled on the hot plate. While it was crispy, it did lack much taste since it was not marinated. Instead, we fell in love with the beef ribs (L.A. Yangnyom galbi for RM40) - marinated with a flavourful sauce with a fork-tender texture. Simply gorgeous especially when eaten with the crisp lettuce leaves.





banchan selection: spring onion pancake, radish, jellied pork and kimchi

I also liked the side dishes - the banchan since it was unusual compared to what is usually served in Korean restaurants. Pink coloured radish cools down the palate, while kimchi cabbage adds spice and the cuttlefish adds a dash of sweetness. They also serve tiny spring onion pancakes, crispy edged flat cakes with lots of chopped spring onions. Also on the table was an unusual cold pork dish you dip in a sauce that kinda reminds me of the fermented taste of cincalok. Service was quick and efficient. This place definitely warrants a second and even third visit to explore further their menu. Lunch sets are also available and per my friend, priced reasonably to not burn a hole in your pocket.


Hwangsil Garden
Block F (F-1-1)
Neo Damansara
No.1, Jalan PJU 8/1
Damansara Perdana
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7724 2892

(Non Halal. Place is at the new shoplots opposite Metropolitan Condominums where Citibank is located. 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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It’s street food… all under one roof

Kum Lin Ke's original black Hokkien char. KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 — The brainchild of Tan Sri Francis Yeoh himself, “Hutong” is located in the basement of YTL’s Lot 10 in the shopping district of Bukit Bintang. Opened to the public at the end of 2009 amidst a blaze of media publicity, it is no ordinary food court — “hutong” appears to have several meanings, but “enclave” seems to be about the most appropriate in this case — the place was designed to simulate the back streets and alleys of a typical Beijing neighbourhood, so the food stalls are arranged in a rather haphazard manner.
Soong Kee Beef Noodles... a favourite with foodies.Again, this would have been the way such places slowly grew, but needless to say, everything is much cleaner and brighter, kitted out with hygienic, modern furniture. The self-styled “Heritage Food Village”, which has been endorsed by Hong Kong food critic Chua Lam, has some 26 stalls serving up mainly well-loved traditional Chinese street food. Many have been long established in KL and the surrounding environs, and some are into their third, even fourth generation. It’s a veritable collection of names and tastes which some of us might recall from our childhood, many of them Tan Sri’s personal favourites, all collected together under one roof for your convenience. So whether you fancy Imbi Road Pork Noodles, Klang Bak Kut Teh, Seremban Siew Bao or Campbell Street Mini Popiah, it doesn’t matter: you don’t have to go traipsing all over the country or indeed town to eat them. Several are branches of popular outlets which are still going strong in Chee Chiong Kai (Petaling Street). There’s Kum Lin Kei black Hokkien Char, fried over a charcoal brazier the way it’s always been, and Hon Kee Porridge, which started in 1949.
Mr Ho from Ho Weng Kee with a bowl of curry noodles!How Weng Kee’s Curry Wantan Mee has been going strong since 1935 — it started during the war — and also Soong Kee’s Beef Ball Noodles. They all serve dishes that, despite being originally a poor labourer’s meal, lard-laden and full of energy-giving carbohydrates, are now considered one of our most endearing and traditional foods. I adore them all, as they remind me of the sort of stuff I ate as a child: it’s our very own comfort food. Practically everything, be it rice or noodle, is doused in a dark, see yau gravy of sort, and eaten with chilli sauce or fiery green chilli padi. Sometimes the remembered taste differs slightly from what is actually put in front of us, but overall, it is definitely a trip down memory lane. With the exception of one or two dishes: Ho Weng Kee’s Curry Wantan Mee, for example, is now served with roast chicken instead of silky-smooth bak cham gai like it used to be, which proprietor Ho Chan Thong, 65, attributes to the fact that the younger generation prefer the former now. Or maybe it’s just my changing taste buds … Hutong doesn’t just have traditional KL stalls though because, as Starhill PR Lady Kelly Teong pointed out to me, “Not everyone wants to eat this sort of food, so we had to have a few which others would consider,” and quite rightly too, although personally, I just can’t see how they could not like this sort of food! So there are Bistro Bavaria, which does German-style sausages and Pork Knuckles, and Kong Tai from Singapore, where the (lighter coloured) fried Hokkien Mee is served with home-made Sambal Belacan.
Hutong in Lot 10, KL is street food heaven.Apparently Tan Sri travels to Singapore often, and he would always make it a point to eat there, so when this opened he asked them to come here. There’s also also Kayu Nasi Kandar, Hong Kong Dim Sum, Kissatan Japanese Fast Food, Seremban Siew Bao and Kluang Station coffee and toast. Hutong, Lower Ground Floor Lot 10 Shopping Mall 50 Jalan Bukit Bintang 50250 Kuala Lumpur Tel: 603-2141 0500 Open daily 10am – 10pm Non Halal

Chance to savour a master chef’s creations

A pretty presentation... steamed diced seafood wrapped with egg white paper.
The chilled crystal ham and diced chicken with peanuts and cucumber in chili oil is delectable, to say the least.KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 — Lee Keung, 65, is one chef who is never going to be allowed to retire. His big boss at the Island Shangri-La Hong Kong loves his food so much that he was asked to stay on in his job, where he has been for more than 20 years. Recently the chef was awarded one Michelin star, an honour which he is very blase about. How do you feel? we asked. “Just like before, a very ordinary feeling,” he said. The chef does not need such honours, when his food has been known and loved for decades. He has, after all, worked for 50 years in highly-regarded Chinese restaurants and five-star hotels.
Braised noodles with shredded roast duck, spring onions and bean sprouts is a must-try.The hallmark of his food? “After eating, you would still want to come back for more!” In all his years of cooking, the classical methods hold; only ingredients and the form of dishes have changed, he said. But that does not impact on the “sek, heong, mei”, the traditional flavours he never veers away from. “There must be ‘wok hei’ (a roaring fire for the wok), the colour must be good, and the flavours balanced.”
Chef Lee Keung from Hong Kong is quite blase about his Michelin star award.The superior stock (siong tong) is the mainstay of Chinese cooking, and this has to have enough lean pork, old chicken and jin hua ham in it for all the right flavours. “There is never salt in the siong tong,” said the chef. We were at Shang Palace, Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, where Lee Keung, working together with the hotel’s executive Chinese chef Chan Yiu So and dimsum chef Low Kien Fatt, will serve up the dishes he is well-known for in Hong Kong from now till Nov 9. I took my time savouring The Chilled Crystal Ham and Diced Chicken with peanuts and cucumber in chilli oil, delighting in the thin gelatin top layer, descending to the small chunk of ham with lots of oomph. Then I picked up the pieces of cold chicken and cucumber dredged in the chilli oil.
Scrambled eggs with vermicelli, bean sprouts and conpoy... this is a delightful dish.I marvelled at the cooking skill in the Scrambled Egg with Vermicelli, Beansprouts and Conpoy. There was no oil on my plate. The scrambled egg hugged each strand of vermicelli: the crab meat, strands of dried scallop and fresh scallop, and occasional threads of salty ham. It was a delicate, lovely combination. The Steamed Scallops stuffed with Shrimp Mousse in Crab Coral Sauce tumbled a whoosh of sweet flavours on to my palate. Then it offered soft, smooth bites, with crunchiness from bits of waterchestnut .
Stir-fried shredded beef with onions is another wonderful dish.The Stirfried Shredded Beef with Onions had a fine touch about it. It’s very tender beef coated in a light batter, fried then finished with the lightest sweet sour sauce. The beef melts in the mouth; there’s just a mere hint of sweetness with a touch of sour. The Steamed Diced Seafood Wrapped with Egg White Paper is very appealing visually, tied up like a money bag and topped with crab roe. Again it was all about textures of prawn and scallop meshing together. The thin egg white wrapper was smooth and soft. It’s a new dish the chef created. The Braised Noodles with Shredded Roast Duck, Spring Onions and Beansprouts were truly special. These moist noodles had the zing of ginger; thin shreds of tasty roast duck, and yellow chives soaked in the sauce gave the noodles a delicious lift.
Steamed scallops stuffed with shrimp mousse in crab coral sauce... excellent.Fried Rice with Diced Seafood and Pine Nuts reflected all the fineness and subtlety that Hong Kong food is famous for. I have learnt not to add pickled green chillies or anything remotely spicy that would mask all these wonderful, natural flavours. A Sweetened Cream of Almond ended lunch, after we had sunk our teeth into luscious Prawns in Two Flavours. There are set menus of seven courses that range from RM138 to RM268 and RM438 per person (for a minimum of four). The last has Monk Jumps Over the Wall, Stewed Spare Ribs in Wuxi style, Stirfried Lobster with Supreme Soup and Sliced Pork Brisket, among other dishes. Shang Palace is in the Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur. Call 03-2032 3388 to book.

Vegetarian surprises from this organic kitchen

The handmade noodles can really stretch... and taste yummy too.PETALING JAYA, Nov 6 —- The hand-made noodles can be stretched from the restaurant to the car park, a distance of about five feet! At least that is what Pei Jun, the owner of Lian Chi Xin An Organic Kitchen, claims. She is understandably very proud of the noodle-making skill of her chef from China. “We are famous for these noodles, which are fermented for two days, and dried in the sun for a day before being cooked.” She stood up, pulled the noodles almost two feet high with a pair of chopsticks, and we were awestruck. The thin strands remained unbroken and they could be stretched even more. The Braised Handmade Noodles were so smooth and flavourful. They were slurpworthy, being moist, cooked with slices of fu chook, mushrooms, shredded cabbage, carrot and Chinese celery. I found out later from young chef Oi Kuan Long that the noodles had also been doused in a naturally sweet herbal stock steeped from dried sugarcane, loh hon goh and yok chok. No wonder they tasted so good.

The Kam Heong Fish is a must-try at this organic restaurant.The noodles are easily digested because of the fermentation, said Pei Jun, which also gives them a pleasing aroma. We had started lunch with popiah, filled with shredded raw purple cabbage, carrot and long beans, served with a rojak sauce. There was the crunch of sweet vegetables, touched with the thick, hot sauce. The same sauce was used for the rojak, which was an assembly of umbra fruit (kedongdong), semi-ripe papaya, pineapple and bangkuang, with a generous helping of crushed peanuts. The sauce was nicely sweet, matching the tart pineapple and the rest of the fruits and vegetable. We had Kam Heong Fish fillets, made entirely of layered beancurd sheets (fu chook), with a seaweed skin. The fillets were deepfried, then finished with a dry sambal fragrant with sliced lemongrass, fried curry leaves and chilli. They made firm bites, with spicy, fragrant bursts of flavour. The Sotong with Oats were delicious. Made from mushroom stems coated with batter and oats, sprinkled with a little curry powder, they tasted like squid, with the same bite and flavour. Crispy oats and fried curry leaves were worthy embellishments. We continued with a Chinese Mahogany Beancurd which was made unusually from pumpkin and soya. This fried tofu, in a sauce of sliced mushrooms and chewy bits of soyabean “meat”, had a firm texture. I didn’t like the Organic Char Siu at all though. The red that coloured the char siu came from rosella; the honey sauce for it was just too sweet.
Rojak... a good mix of fruits and vegetables.The Hing Hwa Meen Fun Ko had the texture of the Shanghai savoury “nin ko” that I usually eat during Chinese New Year. Pei Jun explained that the smooth slices of Meen Fun Ko come from hill rice painstakingly pounded into a powder. I liked the slightly bouncy texture of it, and it was lovely cooked in the same stock as the noodles, with cauliflower, cabbage and carrot strips. You can also get pizzas and pastas here. Chef Oi has after all honed his skills at another well-known organic vegetarian restaurant. Lian Chi Xin An Organic Kitchen is certified halal, which is unusual for a vegetarian restaurant.
It is located at 54 Jalan SS23/11, Taman SEA, 47400 Petaling Jaya (Tel: 03-7805-7889, 016-232-4034).

Il Lido

from Have Your Cake and Eat It Too by fatboybakes

There seems to be a few "Il" whatevers popping up. Il Divo, Il Lido, Il Primo. Now, if the Ministry of Education were to set up a restaurant, it would be called Il Literate, and if MACC were to set up one, it'll be Il Legal. The President of MCA's restaurant is called Il Licit. Of course, if I were to set up one, it'll be called Il Lustrious. Ahem!

Il Lido has been touted as "could be the best Italian restaurant in KL" but food cognoscenti, Sean Yoong of Eat Drink KL. With such rare accolade, of course, I was thrilled therefore to have been able to dine there TWICE so far, once for Bald Eagle's Surprise Birthday Dinner (which I've yet to blog about), and once for an invited review, organised by our Makan- Fairy Godmother, as A Lil Fat Monkey calls her. I'm not sure if that term is endorsed by Marian or not.

We were greeted by the warm and bubbly Lyla, who is the PR Lady of the place. Il Lido hails from Singapore, (and therefore it must be good la right?).


They serve a lovely herbed bread, with olive oil and balsamico, but I being the uncultured peasant that I am, prefer my bread with butter. You have to be careful not to overgorge yourself with this bread, as it's so delicious.


The amuse bouche. I love the way that microscopic piece of salmon is placed on that gigantic plate. It's like how Seri Perdana in Putrajaya is way too big for just the PM. However, the salmon was a lovely teaser to the feast that ensued.


A platter of Parma Ham, Rock Melon and Balsamic. Lovely thin strips of parma. There's something magical about the combination of the sweet rockmelon, and parma. I know its quite a normal combo, but whoever thought of it first, must have been quite a genius.


Rucola Salad with Pecorino Cheese, Walnut and Pear. Walnuts also seem to be the natural marriage partner with pears. Its seemed written in the stars. I'm not sure what Rucola is, but it tasted like some baby spinach.


Crab Salad With Avocado and Bisque Jelly. I love crab, and anything with PEELED crab, provided it doesnt have that freezer after taste, is always welcome. Such a pretty looking starter as well.


Spinach and Endive Salad With Golden Egg & Red Onion Compote. The highlight for me was the fried egg, runny yolk on the inside, while the albumen forms a natural sac protecting the liquid gold within.


Baked Eggplant and Mozarella Cheese...a mini mousakka, almost.


Pan Seared Foie Gras with Saba Wine Must and Sweet Potatoes. I have to say that for RM59, it is a generous slab of foie gras, and seared to perfection as well. Totally melt in the mouth, the subtle sweetness of the saba wine must and balsamic in union with the sinful diseased liver, ah, we are close to heaven.


Porcini Mushroom Cream With Truffle. I've only ever heard about such things, I hear they serve a lovely version in Senses, but with no yardstick to compare, I thought this was divine. I think when I return, I shall just have this soup, the foie gras, and their BREAD!


I didnt take many human pictures this time, as I was totally engrossed in the food, but this particular one, juxtaposed against that unique background, makes for a nice shot. Of course the subjects are also photogenic.


Rigatoni with Suckling Pig, Porcini Mushrooms and Truffle. Oh my gawd, if you like rich stuff, go for this dish. It's simply choking with goodness, but it is really too rich for me. Two pieces and I felt like I was about to do a Cheras Pomelo. Bits of luscious sucking pig, in a rich creamy based sauce fill the rigatoni, the way plaque would fill your artery.


Pumpkin Tortellini with Sage. Lovely homemade pasta, so refined and yet comforting.


Linguine With Jumbo Sea Prawns. The prawns were succulent and fresh, and okay, I think THIS dish, I could eat myself. (But not if I've had the Foie and Truffle Cream).
Good old pasta, this one, though it is gourmet.





Wagyu Beef Cheek with Celeriac Puree and fava beans. The beef was worthy of its wagyu status, tender, but there was one element in the sauce that seemed to overpower the dish, which we couldn't quite place.





For the pork lover, this is a must have dish. Sardinian Suckling Pig with Plum Sauce. If Sardinia itself didn't sound exotic enough on its own, this dish conjures up images of Marco Polo returning from his travels in China, and introducing this palatial dish in his hometown. Crispy crackling, a lovely layer of fat, and the tenderest of meat.


Red Snapper Fillet With Egg plant Caviar. Honestly, by this time, my palate had ceased to function, as the brain cried out to the tummy, ENOUGH ENOUGH. Looked healthy and tasty enough.



But there's always room for dessert. Some gelato...


A gorgeous panna cotta, creamy, firm, not overly wobbly...encased in a picturesque sugar net. Such effort people take to decorate their desserts.



Four types of creme brulee, all good.


Classic Tiramisu.


Molten Chocolate Cakes.

What can I say, but WOW, what a meal. I am inclined to agree with Sean's appraisal of the situation, and having dined here twice, (once as a paying guest...well, I didnt pay, but the hostess paid), and once for an invited review, both times have been beyond expectations.

Thanks Lyla for being a gracious host, and Marian for inviting.

Il Lido is situated right across the Aussie High Commission, on Jln Yap Kwan Seng. Tel: 21612291.