Korean BBQ @ Jal Dae Ji, Korean Village Ampang

Korean Village in Ampang houses a number of authentic Korean Restaurants with most serving Korean BBQ. Not knowing which one was good we randomly decided on Jal Dae Ji. The restaurant had a huge clay oven almost resembling a Tandoori Oven but was only used for semi-grilling various cuts of Pork.




We ordered a number of meats that included Ox-Tongue, Sirloin Steak, Marinated Chicken and Pork. Our favorite was the Pork which had a nice earthy flavor probably from the pre-grilling done in their clay oven. Their Beef and Chicken were also good.






I love beef tongue on Korean BBQ but the one's served here were bad. It was dry and sliced too thin for one to feel the spongy and chewy texture of the Tongue.

Side Dishes were replenished when asked and there were quite a few of them.



In addition to BBQ we also had a bowl of Tofu Chigae whic! h was a Spicy Bean Paste Soup with Tofu and Vegetables. The soup had a meaty flavor which was really good.




Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Ambance: 3.5
Price: $$ (Approximately USD $20 per person


Contact Information
Address: B-41, One Ampang Business Avenue, Jalan Ampang Utama 2/2, Kuala Ampang, Malaysia
Tel: +60 166714625
Web: http://www.facebook.com/JalDaeJi?sk=info

A Shanxi Chefs Creations @ Hong Xing Restaurant @ Bercham Bistari, Ipoh

Blissful To be breathing in the crisp morning air of beautiful Ipoh once again. Although yeah, Ipohs far from the days of being a painting of one exceptionally serene old town now, yetthe old sayings true;

Theres no place like home

This dim sum restaurant in Bercham of Ipoh, located directly in front of the new Giant hypermarket is new. Well, relatively, since this has been operating for at least 3 months yet this was the first time we managed to hop over for a taste of their supposedly superior dim sum.

More details . after the jump.

Xiao Long Bao; Little Dragon Buns. A savoury creation of minced pork patty encased within a layer of dumpling skin (made of flour) and swimming within a broth that some say . may make or break this essentially Shanghainese signature.

If you know where the NEW Giant Hypermarket in Bercham is, then youre good to go. Even if you dont, then this is still a very easy find. Coming off the highway (Ipoh Selatan; the second Ipoh exit after Tambun/Sunway City if youre coming from the south), go towards Bercham/Tasek direction. Turn right at the first traffic lights after exiting the expressway. Then you will reach another set traffic lights where you can see Tesco Extra diagonally opposite of you, and Giant will be to your right, behind a row of shops. Turn into the row of shops and you will find Hong Xing facing Giant.

Clockwise from top left : Stuffed brinjal, red chillies and beancurd (Yong Tau Foo) gloriously doused in a black bean sauce laced with chillies, the perennial favourite of ours; Woo Kok (deep fried yam puff stuffed with sweetened, caramelized BBQ pork and a myriad of savoury ingredients, the Wor Tip (pan fried dumplings filled with immense stuffing of pork and greens, and the fish paste coated with almond flakes and sunflower seeds.

The two shoplots appeared to be spanking new, understandably since this area is a very new area in Bercham. The most significant landmark aside from Giant would be the corner steamboat + BBQ restaurant named Two Plus One (that was and still is a HUGE hit since way back in our secondary school days ..).

Ordering is simple. Seated and someone will come and take your orders for your beverage of choice; usually brewing a pot of Chinese tea depending on your preferred tea leaves. If youre unsure, just say whatever they recommend. We always choose Kuk Pou (chrysanthemum and Luk Pou), or sometimes I would settle for Heong Pin (jasmine), or Pu Er.

Seafood Dumplings (Hoi Seen Mai) with bits of crab, prawns and chopped mushrooms.

The chef here hails from Shanxi, China. Hence, there will be a few varieties of dim sum that you might not have seen or heard of. Mostly the steamed items that arrived in a burst of interesting colours. We played safe and ordered mostly the routine options like Siew Mai (pork and prawn dumplings in a yellow-hued dumpling skin), Char Siew Bao (steamed BBQ pork bun) and a few others in the shots abo! ve.

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Even their deep fried items consisted of a few extraordinary choices like the deep fried fish paste laced with crunchy bits of almond flakes and sunflower seeds, served with a dollop of mayo.

The Xiao Long Bao could be one of the better ones in Ipoh. Seriously. The skin may appear to be a little bit thick, yet not tasteless and redundant with an icky, flour-y finish. The soup within was piping hot though, so youd better not dump the whole morsel into your mouth. As usual, I bit the top part off and slurp in a bit of the soup which was a balanced taste of savoury and sweet. Naturally, these were served with vinegar and julienned ginger.

The other exemplary item was the Wor Tip or pan fried dumplings. Arriving in an enormous portion (more than three mouthfuls each!), the fillings came with a very fresh combination of pork, shredded cabbage and some other ingredients).

The yam puff (Woo Kok) faltered though, disappointingly. Being a tad too greasy and soaking in the oil from the deep frying process, with a lacklustre fillings of juicy char siew.

The desserts here are no mere pushovers too.

A chilled jelly made of dragonfruit juice and filled with fruit cocktail and the refreshing honeydew sago in milk desserts capped the breakfast experience with a bang. Rarely did we settle for desserts, aside from Ming Court with their exceptional black sesame soup. Routinely, most dim sum restaurants serve chilled so! ya puddi ng with longan and the likes. Hong Xings version of dragonfruit jelly and honeydew sago were more than enough to lure us into submission.

Cant really heap praises or criticizing the service here, for although almost all the staff here were approachable and friendly, they did take their sweet time to clear tables, take orders and follow up on pending items. Imagine we had to waive and reminded endlessly on our desserts while there were already patrons standing around hovering for our seats.

Give them time for given the immense support they are garnering from the crowd this morning, I believe they CAN go far.

New, clean, spacious and cooling. Minus the attitude.

If you think that Ipohs dim sum revolves around Foh San and Ming Court only, think again.

Try browsing through this list All About Ipoh Dim Sum and I bet youll find one or two gems in there that will please the most discerning dim sum lover in you.

Motormouths on a Roll here. Recommend me some good eats in Ipoh?

RESTORAN HONG XING DIM SUM
No 35 & 37, Bercham Bistari 3,
Medan Bercham Bistari,
31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Tel No : +605-545 3779
Business hours : 7am 2pm daily, Closed on Thursdays.
Estimated GPS coordinates : 4.625041,101.118066
Google Map

Adri brothers plan to bring Mexico to Barcelona

Tuck Cheong Dim Sum @ Pudu, Kuala LumpurWe

We wanted to entertain an elderly companion with Dim Sum and ideally a place with certain nostalgic elements, we thought of Yook Woon Hing and Kum Lun Tai of Chinatown but we decided Pudu as the other companion have not been to Tuck Cheong before.

Restoran Tuck Cheong is tucked at a road bend (Jalan Kancil). Park your car next to the shop (RM3 per hour) if you cannot find any road side car park. Parking illegally could ended up with a costly Dim Sum affair.

That's how old the restaurant is, judging from this tea kettle.Nothing really fanciful about their dim sum but it's self made and not out sourced from anywhere like most coffee shops.Char Siew pau is tasty and I like it.Loh Mai Kai was soft and delicious.This is our elderly companion which we brought him here for some familiar feelings of old coffee shop which he enjoyed. He was very happy with it and insisted that he pays the bill.Fresh home made fish paste balls.We missed this dish as that was the last serving and too late for us. Come 2, 4 or 6 for their steamed chicken rice and don't be late as we were advised by one of the ladies at the shop.

Restoran Tuck Cheong

Jalan Kancil

Pudu

Kuala Lumpur

GPS : 3.135926,101.713035

Pansit Hab Hab Pancit Recipe

Invited : Villa Danielli Italian Restaurant At Sheraton Imperial Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel presents its Italian restaurant, Villa Danieli. I never know that there are such a fine restaurant at the swimming pool floor of Sheraton Imperial Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

The architecture of the restaurant inherit the traditional design of old school Italian design. It has lots of nice curves in it.

The entrance to Villa Danieli that parallel with the KL Tower.

You can choose to dine in the comfy environment inside or outside where you can enjoy the night scene of the bright KL city scape after the sun come down.

Whiffs of freshly baked breads, wood-fired pizza and home-style pastas fill the air as one steps into the welcoming restaurant.

Wood fire oven freshly baked bread

The hotel believes in serving true Italian cuisine that stimulates appetites and leaves one comforted with this authentic rendition of the best of Italy.

The originality of Italian cuisine can be savoured in Villa Danieli as the freshest and best ingredients are used to create wonders to the meal.

The homely restaurants wooden furnishings and colourful mural gives the richness of Italy.

Complete your meal with a selection of Italian wines and on a sweet note with an array of mouth watering Italian desserts.

We were lucky to be invited to sample the new menu items which created by their group of culinary chef.

Deep Fried Fish with creamy cheese dipping

Crispy and thin deep fried fish with a tasty creamy cheese dipping. When it was served, we smell a strong fishy smell. We thought it was caviar or some delicacies. But when it is placed on our table, we saw a shot glass with a piece of fried fish with a cheese dip. This starter is something like stinky tofu which you find the smell are not bearable but when you eat them, it was fantastic.

Carpaccio di manzo con croccante di parmigiano, rucola e riduzione di Modena

Herbs beef tenderloin carpaccio, arugula, parmesan cracker and Modena reduction. A thinly sliced beef carpaccio topped with arugula and parmesan cheese cracker laden with Modena reduction. It gives an exquisite fresh taste from the beef and the whole plate combination.

Selezione di verdure grigliate con ricotta dolce al forno e salsa al vino

Grilled vegetable selection with brown sugar baked ricotta and red wine sauce. Then there are a piece of cheese to accompany the dish.

Gnocchi di patate con ragout battuto al coltello alla piemontese

Potato gnocchi with hand chopped veal ragout Piemonte`s way. I find that this dish resembles our Chinese! Hakka Y am Abacus done in Italian way.

Spaghetti risottati alla lacrima di mare

The seafood spaghetti risottati tears style. Simply tossed with olive oil and with a hints of bird eye chili spiciness spice up the appetite who love the spicy kick.

Medaglione di merluzzo alla mediterranea con purea di ceci all` olio

Mediterranean`s way Cod fish with olive oil and thyme chick pea mashed. The other name for the chick pea mashed would widely known as hummus derived from the middle eastern cuisines. But there are some overlap among all the foods from the influence of where the chef came from. The cod fish were fresh and you can tear them piece by piece. It is lightly seared and the fish still juicy as we cut them.

Guancia di manzo fondente con purea di patate all`olio, porri ed asparagi arrosto

Melting beef cheek, olive oil mashed potato, leek and roasted asparagus. The melt in your mouth sensation when hogging down this piece of meat simply priceless. You may said the portion is small but do give comment after you clear your whole plate. It will be just nice for a persons portion that truly let you enjoy your dish. Portion big is called buffet. This is fine food which crafted by the chef with skills and passion to make the customer happy. A glass of red wine to go with this is recommended.

Tagliata di controfiletto al rosmarino con caponata di verdure glasste

Seared and sliced beef sirloin, fresh rosemary and glazed vegetable caponata

Panna Cotta

Tiramisu

Lobster and Oyster Promotion from 1st to 30th April

RM55++ onwards per dish (available for lunch and dinner)

For reservationCall:603-2717 9900

Villa Danieli
5th Floor, Sheraton Imperial KL Hotel
Jalan Sultan Ismail,
50250 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 603-2717 9900

Oh RBA

We got back late Wed night and I am so happy to be back in warm weather. Until you have lived in an old, unheated, high-ceilinged, minimal amenities house in 1 degree temperature (with wind chill factored in, one night was -3 C) in Shanghai, you wouldn't know what it was like. We heard times over, from relatives and taxi drivers, that "Shanghai spring is colder than winter," "Take your clothes off and chill to death in spring in Shanghai" and "Even the northerners can't stand the cold in Shanghai". The day we left was a sunny warm day of 14 C and I hear that this weekend the temperature will go up to 20 C. The only good thing I got from the cold is rosy cheeks but that wouldn't last long.

The Royal Brunei Airlines (RBA) flight from KK to Shanghai is just perfect, very comfortable timing, leaving KK at 9 am with a 50-minute transit in Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB), the non-happening capital of Brunei, and arriving SH at 2:15 pm. I once had to transit in the BSB airport for 12 boring hours and it was enough to make me want to walk all the way back to KK, 20 minutes' flight away.

On our homebound flight, just before landing, the pilot announced that we have been honoured with the presence of a VVIP and that when the plane came to a stop, everybody was to remain seated until the VVIP gets off at the VVIP stand (apparently, this VVIP gets off first thing is a regular event on RBA flights) and then the plane will taxi to the regular--what do you call it--stand. The pilot, a white guy, (RBA international routes are piloted by whites or at least someone who sounds white) spoke in English. When the plane stopped, the passengers, mostly Chinese on the way to KK, all unbuckled, took their overhead luggage and started to line up in the aisle. A flight steward shouted for people to sit down, and when he got to my seat, I told him that the people had no idea that it's a temporary stop because there was no announcement in Chinese. He said he couldn't speak Chinese and that only one steward could, so I asked h! im what kind of an international airline is RBA if it can't even make announcements in Chinese to outbound passengers from China. He and his colleague looked lost and walked on. Brush it off as jet lag, but I'm just flabbergasted when airlines in this region don't bother to make announcements in Chinese.

RBA isn't the only airline that doesn't make announcements in Chinese on flights in and out of China. AirAsia and Malaysian Airlines too seem to have cabin crews who lack language skills even though many of the crew are Malaysian Chinese and can speak the language. Cathay Pacificmakes multi-lingual announcementsand that's another reason why it is one of the world's best airlines.

In the BSB airport, there was no one to direct the passengers to the transit area and the tourists stood in groups, not knowing where to go. Come on Brunei, you can be less provincial than that. Another thing--the amount of liquid you can bring into the aircraft is only 50 ml, not 100 ml. "We are more strict" said the lady officer. How do you argue that the permissible amount in international airports is 100 ml? I also learnt something new, that if you have a 150 ml bottle of liquid which is, say, half empty, it will be chucked into the bin. The only way to get through security is to transfer the liquid to a 100 ml (or less) bottle. Many of the passengers had to throw their face creams and sun block, very unwillingly, into the bin. The strangest thing is they got through the Pudong Airport in SH but not the Brunei Airport.


What does this photo tell you about travellers? Travellers love their scissors (I'm one. My eyebrows scissors got confiscated in Guilin airport years ago and I was upset because it was part of a manicure set) and their forks and a kid out the! re learn t a lesson.

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Airline food used to be worth eating but in the last two decades, airlines have been competing to out-crap each other. That piece of cheesecake is the crappiest I've ever ever eaten.

I ate a lot in the last 8 days and walked a lot too, thinking that I can have my food and my waistline. Despite all that walking, I came home 1.5 kgs heavier. It's so defeating. Lots of food photos coming up. I just need some time to adjust to the heat.

Toast and Roast Char Siew SS2 Petaling Jaya

I am constantly looking for the best Char Siew and Roast pork in town. While having the best cut of roast pork at Wong Kee, I never get satisfied with my Char Siew yet. So far the best out of all that I have taste, I like Meng Kees. It doesnt matter at the old location or the daughters outlet in Shah Alam which I am quite frequent there. As for PJ, the best Char Siew which I had previously is by Ah Khais at Taman Paramount. That fella recently migrated to New York to start a new life there. You see people sell Char Siew can work till migrate to New York and we all as normal worker still stuck here and going no where.

To cut the story short, I recently saw a lot people blog about Toast and Roast having the best Char Siew in town. I went and try it yesterday for brunch.

The glorious char siew having their sun tan.

Toast and Roast are kinda easy to locate. If you know how to go Restaurant New Paris, just go straight until to the end of the road. That would be a dead end junction that suppose link you to Tropicana City Mall. However they blocked the road. The restaurant is located on your right hand side.

The setup of the restaurant are rather simple and clean compared to normal kopitiam. All the tables come with chili that you eat it with your char siew. I hate those place that are stingy with their chili.

The char siew were perfectly roasted on charcoal fire with the crispy edge which some people call that cancer maker. I call it ohhh la la . heaven. You see the whole place are filled with char siew and a little bit of roast pork and chicken only. Those were the sidekick at this restaurant.

The char siew some how pretty oily for me. It still retain the slight crispy outer layer with a soft inner texture that has a 2 layers consist of fats and lean meat.

This is a small portion which cost me RM8 and rice are not included. To me I find that it is kinda pricey but once in a while bring me no harm for easing my Char Siew crave. If you ask me will you come here everyday? I wouldnt be. I dont want my artery blocked with so much char siew juice.

Location:
Toast & Roast (Char Siew available only 10:30am onwards)
No. 20, Jalan SS2/72
Petaling Jaya
Selangor
GPS Coordinates: N3 07.698 E101 37.675
Tel: 016-682 2249
Closed on alternate Tuesdays