Xiao Long Bao and Noodles @ Din Tai Fung

Well, I'm sure everyone is already well-acquainted with Din Tai Fung and its famous xiao long baos. Anyway here are my 2 paws on Din Tai Fung's scrumptious food =)

        

Their signature dish

     

Wantan Soup La Mian

     
Don't really know why JS ordered this since it looks soooo PLAIN but he should be comforted by the two bulbs of xiao bai chai ^_^
     

Shrimp Pork Wantan Soup 

     
Their wantans are really bouncy and chockful of shrimp and pork meat filling. Not a fan of Hong Kong style wantan soup though as it tastes too shrimpy to me.
       

Xiao Long Bao

       
This is their signature dish which is as good as they claim to be =)
       

Delicate stuff

               

Hot and Sour Soup La Mian

         
I love Sichuan food so this hot and sour soup suits me just fine. Very peppery and the thin somen like noodles absorb the flavours nicely. Also love the soft silky tofu bits and crunchy woodear fungus.

             

Grouper Fish Dumplings

           
Grouper fish dumplings are a welcome change to the usual wantans and xiao long baos. Quite delicious actually and not fishy at all.
         

Shrimp Fried Rice

         
I love having fried rice at Chinese restaurants as the chefs do it so well with lots of fluffy egg, crunchy shrimps and the nice aroma of wok hei.
           

Spicy Shrimp Pork Wantan La Mian

         
An interesting variation of the usual wantan noodles, the spicy la mian includes a dash of chilli oil and tasted really good.
       
         
PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Onion
                    
Din Tai Fung

Various malls

Sanbanto @ SS2, PJ

We first tried Sanbanto SS2 a few years ago when porky restaurants were scarce and thought it a very good concept with good food to boot. We recently made another visit to its Bangsar outlet which is located in the row of shophouses behind TMC.

       

*squeal*

   

Shop Front

        

Interior

      

Menu

       

Anatomy of the pig

         

Tonkatsu (RM 21)

     
I had the deep fried bread pork cutlet which came with tonkatsu sauce, side salad and potato salad. It was actually not too bad as the meat was quite flavourful. The only downside is the panko coating is not super crispy and a wee tiny bit dry. The potato salad was creamy and crunchy with lots of cucumber and carrot strips.

      

Tonkatsu cross section

        

Classic Carbonara (RM 23)

         
The Classic Carbonara was good too with al-dente spaghetti coated in thick creamy carbonara. The plus point is that this is a non-halal place with real bacon topping the noodles.
               
Quite a nice cosy place for an average priced meal. However since the Bangsar outlet has shut down (yes, we are quite backed up on posts =.=), I'll provide the address of the SS2 branch.
         
         
PawPoints: 3 Paws
Pawket: Tomato
                     
       
Sanbanto

32 Jalan SS2/63

Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03 7876 1728
Tue - Sun: 11.30am - 3pm, 6pm - 10pm

Beef Noodles @ Pasar Besar Seremban

En route to Melaka, we decided to stop by Seremban for brunch. I always wanted to try the sotong mihun but that stall is somehow always closed. Perhaps it does not open on weekends? Anyhow, the obvious choice was the famous beef boodles at Pasar Besar Seremban. Apparently there are a few beef noodle stalls at the market so you should look for the one bearing the number 748 =)

      

Stall 748

       

Beef Noodles (Dry) (RM 6)

       
The springy and thick noodles are coated in a thick beefy sauce with strong hints of grounded peanuts and pickled vegetables. JS liked it but I have to confess that the taste of the sauce did not quite agree with my tastebuds =.= I guess it takes some getting used to.

                 

Extra beefballs

         
I liked the beefballs though but the soup was rather average.
         
Not too bad but we probably will not detour to the market for a meal in the future.
       
     
PawPoints: 2 Paws
Pawket: Dough
                    
Beef Noodle

Stall 748, Pasar Besar Seremban

Dave's Bistro Bar & Grill @ 1 Utama, PJ

Dave's Bistro Bar Grill is one of the pioneers (to my knowledge) of non-halal eatery in shopping malls and I think this has greatly encouraged a drastic increase in porky establishments popping up across the city <thumbs-up>
  
The food served here is mostly Italian comfort food such as pasta and pizza topped with lots of pork, so it's not surprising that this restaurant is actually part of the Dave's Deli Group which served my first love - Shepherd's Pie...haha...anyway on with the review =)

   

Dave's Bistro Bar Grill

        

Oink :D

     
There are lots of piggy decorative items in the restaurant which further emphasize its specialty...
     

Salad with Pork Belly Shavings

This was yummy with lots of crunchy pork belly shavings and croutons. The ratio of salad leaves to meat was good too (as in high meat ratio...I'm a meat-eater =D). The sauce was also tangy with sufficient flavour to coat the leaves.

Bacon and Mushroom Bruschetta

Toasted baguette with bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes piled on top...always a fail-safe combination =P

Ham Pizza

This Ham Pizza is a must-try according to my friend. The dough is fluffy and very crispy, the cheese base is absolutely cheesy with succulent ham and juicy pineapples. Very yummy indeed =)

Close-up of the Ham Pizza

See the abundance of ham and pineapples? =D

Spaghetti Bolognaise with Smoked Pork Sausage and Peppers

The tomato sauce was rich and gave a robust flavour to the al dente spaghetti, juicy pork sausages and red capsicum. It is quite a large portion (I couldn't even finish it even though my favourite is pasta) so small eaters had better share it =P

Overall, Dave's serves good food albeit a little pricey but I would definitely return to sample new dishes and for the usual favourites. And most importantly, it's a porky place =D Think they still have the lunch / teatime promo at 50% for pastas so do take advantage of the offer.

PawPoints: 4 Paws

Pawket: Tomato

Dave's Bistro Bar & Grill
Lot G209, Ground Floor
The Promenade
One Utama Shopping Centre
Tel: 03 7725 4017
Daily: 10am - 10pm

Coffee Chemistry @ First Subang Mall, Subang Jaya

Coffee Chemistry is located in First Subang Mall, a relatively dead shopping mall from what I remember...not sure if much has changed since then. The cafe, on the other hand, is quite a cosy little place with a pleasant owner and modern looking decor. 

       

          

Cappuccino

        

Warm and Iced Water

   
Nothing special about this but why the difference in size? 

      

Classic Roasted Lamb Shoulder (RM 26.90)

   
The roasted lamb shoulder with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables drenched in black pepper sauce sure looks good but JS thought the lamb a bit chewy and would have preferred more vegetables instead.

       

Grilled Salmon Steak (RM 26.90)

   
Did not try the grilled salmon so no comment. It does look appetizing though with lots of freshly steamed vegetables and aromatic butter lemon sauce.

       

Seafood Pasta (RM 21.90)

   
I'm so predictable huh? Of course the Seafood Pasta is mine =P I didn't expect the dish to come with so much seafood considering the price but it did with double of everything - mussel, squid and prawns. Seafood was quite fresh and the cream sauce was not cloying at all. I liked it so much that I polished off everything even though I was actually really full even before I started eating.

      

Brownies & Ice-Cream (RM 9.50)

     
The brownie was really good and chocolatey and yet surprisingly cheap. A generous scoop of vanilla ice-cream was provided as well including a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Really the perfect dessert to end a meal d^_^b
   
I came to Coffee Chemistry not expecting much but it certainly surpassed my expectations with its good food and cheap price. I'd definitely return if only it weren't located at First Subang Mall cause there's nothing else to do there...
   
   
PawPoints: 3 Paws
Pawket: Tomato
          
Coffee Chemistry
G22 - G23, Ground Floor
First Subang Mall
Tel: 03 5612 2299
Daily: 10am - 10.30pm

Restoran Makanan Laut Yoke Heng @ Seri Kembangan, KL

We were going for the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale at Seri Kembangan and since we go there like once in 10 years, our main aim was to try some local awesome food. It also helped that it was a predominantly Chinese area with guaranteed delicious hawker fare.
   
Thanks to JS, our target of the day was a restaurant famous for its claypot loh shu fun. It is so well-known, in fact, that there are many pictures of celebrities posing with the owners adorning the wall.

      

Shop Front

       

Claypot Loh Shu Fun

     
Their infamous Loh Shu Fun is served in a rustic claypot with a rich eggy gravy similar to Loh Mee. When it arrived at our table, you could smell its aroma a mile away as the dish had a generous serving of extremely crunchy deep-fried dried shrimps plonked right on top of the yummy mess. There were also plenty of sliced shiitake mushrooms to add flavour to the yummy gravy. I'm not too sure but it tasted as though a bit of XO sauce was included. With a dash of black vinegar, the slippery and silky smooth loh shu fun slithering about in the aromatic gravy tasted absolutely awesome!!! It's definitely the best I've ever eaten.

      

Yummy mess

       

Stir Fried Clams

     
The clams were stir fried over high heat with lots of garlic and bird's eye chillies. It smelled amazing and tasted extremely delicious - also the best I've ever eaten and that's saying a lot considering it's just normal stir-fried clams. I absolutely hate garlic except when it's spread on garlic bread but the garlic in this dish is so yummy! It didn't taste like garlic at all and was super fragrant and crispy. The dish also contained lots of deep fried dried shrimps which totally enhanced its flavour.

       

Honey Glazed Ribs

     
I felt the ribs were forgettable but JS loved them. The ribs were coated in dark caramelised honey and baked until the meat was tender. The freshness of the ribs was also a plus point as the meat fell off the bone easily.
     
I know Seri Kembangan is extremely far away (for me, at least) but if you're in the area, I highly recommend you drop by Yoke Heng and try their Loh Shu Fun and Stir-Fried Clams - they definitely don't disappoint!!
   
   
PawPoints: 5 Paws
Pawket: Onion
           Restoran Makanan Laut Yoke Heng
33 Jalan SR8/4
Taman Putra Indah
Serdang Raya
Seri Kembangan
Tel: 03 8943 8753

Delicious @ Bangsar Village II

I'm pretty sure everyone has heard of Delicious, the eatery that most likely sparked the change in the eating habits of Malaysians. All of a sudden, dozens of cafe-style eateries serving light Western meals and simple, comfort food popped up across the Klang Valley. But since most people are familiar with its menu, I'll just showcase my favourite that I always order when I frequent Delicious =)

     

Spicy Seafood Spaghettini (RM 25.90)

   
I used to get this confused with the Seafood Linguine but that is a heavy version with thick, sundried tomato sauce and lots of cheese. This Spicy Seafood Spaghettini is very light and refreshing on the palate. It consists of spaghetti's baby sister tossed in oil, chilli flakes and coriander - my favourite combination =D Best of all, it comes with lots of squid and prawns of decent size. A squeeze of lemon and liberal sprinkling of ground black pepper immediately brings the flavour of the dish to another level. 

    

    

PawPoints: 5 Paws

Pawket: Tomato

    

Delicious

Lot GF-1, Ground Floor
Bangsar Village II
Tel: 03 2287 1554
Mon - Fri: 11am - 12am
Sat, Sun and Public Holidays: 9am - 12am

Nancy's Kitchen @ Jalan Hang Lekir, Melaka

We could not decide which famous Nyonya restaurant to patron but our native Malaccan friend mentioned that all the yummy Nyonya restaurants are located further away from the town; the ones in the city centre are too commercialised. But as we did not wish to drive out of town, we just went to the first Nyonya restaurant that caught our eye which was Nancy's Kitchen at Jonker Walk.
      

Signboard

     

Shop front

   
From the exterior, you can probably expect what the interior will look like. The shop was quite small and a little cramped. We were seated on the upper floor and the floorboards were extremely creaky. There was this kid at the next table who kept running around the small seating room. The floorboards were shuddering with his thundering stomps but his parents didn't say anything - I kept thinking the floorboards might give way anytime, sending us all tumbling down >.< The stair steps were also narrow and steep - if you have large bones, I suggest it's best to sit on the lower floor =.=
      

Fromt of menu

 
The front cover of their menu looks really nice with a demure nyonya browsing through a book. I'm sure the proprietress herself was trying to replicate that image but...I. would. have. to. say. she. failed. =.=

      

Chicken Candlenut (RM 10)

 
The chicken and thick curry gravy was really good and went very well with rice. The chicken was moist and tender and had absorbed all the wonderful flavours and spices of the curry.
 
We asked for 1 candlenut to try as we did not know how it tasted like and it's lucky we did as it was one big nut. The candlenut was quite salty and tasted something like the canned fried dace in black bean sauce. It took some getting used to but the flavour isn't too bad. Just take a little at a time - the black nut you see near the top of the picture could feed 5 of us.
   

Fried Egg Cincalok (RM 6)

   
The fried egg with shrimp paste was quite salty and flavourful which can only mean one thing - it goes extremely well with rice! =D After a few mouthfuls, the saltiness got quite addictive and I just kept going back to the dish for more. Poor friend who wanted this as I think I ended up eating most of his share...sorry >.<
   

Brinjal with Chilli (RM 8)

   
The brinjals were grilled very well and it totally absorbed the flavours of the chilli paste and bits of chicken...my favourite dish of the lot =D
 

Nyonya Laksa (RM 6)

   
The Nyonya Laksa was filled to the brim with goodies. Its thick coconut-infused curry gravy was very fragrant but its taste was a little subdued (but then again I'm no nyonya laksa expert <shrug>). Still, our friends polished off the bowl so it must be good.
   

Pork Fried with Beancurd Skin (RM 6)

 
This dish was very crispy and its well marinated meat went very well with the chilli sauce dip which is not pictured.
   

Steamed Spicy Fish Paste (RM 10)

 
The otak-otak was extremely smooth with a strong coconut milk taste - very good.
 
Nancy's Kitchen also serves popiah with lard which is prepared outside the shop near the entrance. I was tempted to order it but decided not to after I saw the numerous flies buzzing around the staff and popiah she was making =.= That's a warning there.
 
But in conclusion, Nancy's Kitchen serves awesome (someone's) mum's cooking! Do make a trip there when you're in town even though it may be too commercialised =)
 

 
PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Onion
    

Nancy's Kitchen
7 Jalan Hang Lekir
Off Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock
Melaka
Tel: 06 283 6099

Ippudo @ Mandarin Gallery, Singapore

The main highlight of our trip to Singapore (other than the Wicked musical of course =P) was going to eat yummy tonkotsu ramen. It was a tug of war between Ippudo and Tampopo. After lots of researching, we decided to go with Ippudo.

      

Cute logo

     

Expect long queues

     
Ippudo is so popular that there is always a queue for it even at 3pm!

    

Menu

     
Basically you choose the type of ramen you want on the left page and proceed to the add-ons on the right page.

      

Love their black wooden chopsticks =)

       

Hot & Iced Ocha

      

Complimentary Condiments

    
Cloves of raw garlic and a garlic press were available should you wish to add some kick to the ramen and your breath.
   
It seems like restaurants in Singapore favour this sort of sesame seed dispenser. Both JS and I prefer grinding the sesame seeds to release the fragrant aroma.

    

Loading the pungent missiles

      

Squeeze!

        

Karaka Tamago (SGD 19)

   
The Karaka Tamago is basically tonkotsu broth mixed with special spicy miso laden with minced pork and the ever popular Japanese boiled egg. No comment on this as I did not try it but it must have been good otherwise our foodie friend would not have ordered it =P

     

Akamaru Chashu (SGD 19)

   
A warning: health junkies stay awayyyyyyyyy!!!! This dish of tonkotsu broth and special miso paste with fragrant garlic oil is highly recommended. It comes with chashu, strips of woodear fungus and finely diced spring onions. After you mix everything together, you can see a layer of over the soup as well as bits of white fat floating on the surface. Once you get past the idea of drinking oil and fats, you'll experience the wonderful robust and complex flavour of the dish which is really like no other. I can't describe the complexity of the soup very well - it's just something you have to try for yourself =)

     

Shiromaru Tamago (SGD 17)

 
The Shiromaru Tamago consists of pure tonkotsu broth served with pork loin chashu, cabbage, spring onions, woodear fungus, pickled ginger and Japanese-style boiled egg. It is a wonderful dish on its own but it definitely pales in comparison to the Akamaru broth. For those who can't stand bits of fats and oil floating in your soup, this is the one for you.
 
Ippudo's ramen certainly lives up to its name, springy ramen with flavourful soup. Luckily for you (and us), there is no need to travel all the way to Singapore just to sample yummy ramen anymore as Ippudo will soon be opening an outlet in KL so do check it out once it's opened!

PawPoints: 5 Paws

   
Ippudo

Somerset MRT
#04-02/03/04, Mandarin Gallery
333 Orchard Road
Singapore
Tel: +65 6235 2797
Mon - Sat: 11am - 11pm
Sun: 11am - 10pm