Awesome Canteen @ Taman Paramount, PJ

Awesome Canteen is garnering quite a bit of interest for their quirky burgers and old school style decor. They have artfully renovated an old shoplot in Taman Paramount so the place looks bright and inviting, thanks to the clever incorporation of a skylight.

Menu

Menu

Menu

Counter

Soup of the Day

The price for their soup of the day varies but the Mushroom Soup which was served that day seemed quite little for its price. It is served in an enamel tin mug with a slice of toasted garlic bread. Did not try this but the soup looked thick and hearty.

Kangkung!

To keep with the times, the staff served every table with a small dish of stir-fried kangkung - on the house of course since it costs next to nothing =P It was extremely well executed, super fragrant with the taste of fried anchovies and shrimp paste. I was so tempted to ask for a bowl of rice to go with it...

Baked Japanese Curry Rice (RM 18.90)

Again I did not try the Baked Japanese Curry Rice but the curry smell was quite strong so I assume it must have been good?

Paleo Chicken Burger (RM 18.90)

The Paleo Burger comes with a choice of chicken or beef and is served with a side salad, scrambled eggs and Dorritos. Unlike the usual burger, the portobello "bread" is a single piece which covers the patty so we were all quite disappointed that there is not extra portobello mushroom at the bottom of the burger. I only tried a piece of the mushroom and I must say it is very juicy.

Roast Beef with Roasted Vegetable Sandwich (RM 21.90)

Finally my dish where I can comment on! =D I had the roast beef sandwich which came with roasted vegetables and Dorritos. The thick cut sandwich slices were toasted and went well with the beef which was neither tough nor dry. The entire combo was very light and refreshing and the flavours of roast beef and juicy roast vegetables complemented the other very well.

Really fresh greens

See the roast beef?

Sambal Chicken Burger (RM 16.90)

The Sambal Burger, also with a choice of chicken or beef patty, is truly a fusion of local flavours. It's like a nasi lemak burger minus the rice. The burger comes with fries and coleslaw. Again no comment as I did not try it.

Sambal and cheese?

Awesome Canteen is a nice cosy place, perfect for a quick catch up with friends. They should probably increase the number of menus though as there was not enough to go around. Refillable water is available at a charge of RM 3.90 per table.


PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Tomato



Awesome Canteen
19 Jalan 20/13

Taman Paramount
Tel: 03 7865 8048
Tue - Sun: 11am - 10pm

Banhmi 11 @ Broadway Market, London

After my disappointing search for banh mi in Melbourne, I was adamant to get one in London. Upon checking out the reviews from local bloggers on the various banh mi(s) available in the city, I settled on the famous Banhmi 11. They do not have a permanent shop as far as I'm aware, so I had to settle for their mobile stall at Broadway Market. They are stationed there every Saturday and you can check out their website for their schedule on other days.
 
Among all the locations listed on their website, Broadway Market is one of the nearer ones to the city centre. Having said that, it is still quite a distance to get to the market and I had to purposely make a detour from my itinerary to get there. They are also open on Mondays at Berwick Street Market at Soho but unfortunately, I only had time on Saturday =( Anyway the point is, if you're planning on getting to Broadway Market, do make sure to get a detailed map as it is quite a distance (for us Asians) from the tube station.

   
There are lots to see at Broadway Market but do take note that it is one of the smaller markets. In any case, there are fresh produce, homemade jam and preserves, ethnic food stalls and lovely flowers. There is also a park nearby called London Fields where you can chill, soak up the sunshine (if the sun has not gone into hiding) or enjoy typical British blustery winds and watch the world go by =P

    

Huge banner to ensure you don't miss it

   
Banhmi 11 seems to be managed by a family as there is a group of teenagers helping to man the stall and cope with the never-ending orders.

   

Chalkboard menu

   

Ingredients

   

The accompaniments

   
Each banh mi consists of pickled carrot and radish, cucumber and coriander nestled in a freshly baked French baguette. You'll be asked if you want your banh mi spicy and once the go-ahead is given, the salad gets a generous splash of cili padi (bird's eye chillies) and soy sauce.

    

The baguette is crusty and warm and provides a good base for the filling. The taste of the Vietnamese salad was rather mild - I prefer it to have a sharper zing of vinegar.

   

Op La Di Beef (GBP 4.50)

   
The Op La Di Beef has a wonderful aroma from the sizzling grill and the thinly sliced sirloin steak is very tender and flavourful, not a surprise since it has been marinated in a unique pear BBQ sauce. It  goes well with the pickled Vietnamese salad and it is kind of like eating an Asian dish in a bun. 

    

Crackling Pork Belly (GBP 4.50)

   
The Crackling Pork Belly consists of roasted pork in lemon juice and five spice powder. There was not much crackling in my sandwich and most of the time, my bites consisted of bread and salad only. Also, after being compressed in the bun, some of the crackling got a bit soggy and soft. But when you do get a bite of crispy crackling, salad and bread, what a superb explosion of yumminess in your mouth!

   
Perhaps I kept imagining the yummy taste of banh mi and kept my expectations too high but when I finally tried it, it was...average. I would have given it a higher rating if the taste was more pronounced. Nevertheless, it was a good experience eating an Asian baguette which is not yet available on Malaysian shores.

    

    

PawPoints: 3 Paws
   
http://www.banhmi11.com/
   
Banhmi 11

Tube: Bethnal Green

Broadway Market
London
Sat: 10am - 5pm

The Red Beanbag @ Publika, Solaris Dutamas

What a cute name! Seriously, all the cafes popping up like mushrooms all over the city have some catchy name that is totally unexpected. The Red Beanbag is located at the hipster Publika. It was quite difficult to locate the cafe and even when we asked the security guards and concierge, none of them knew where it was. Of course, it would have been easier if we had the address with us but since it's at a relatively small mall, we thought how hard would it be to search for it right? Anyway, The Red Beanbag is located on the 1st floor and is quite easy to spot once you're near it.

       

Quirky

   
For some reason, I keep thinking of it as Bag of Red Beans...

        

Menu Part 1

   
The menu is relatively simple with fun names for the offered fare. There isn't much choice which can be a good thing if you're the indecisive sort, or a bad thing if you don't like anything on the menu.

      

Menu Part 2

        

Trouty Mouth (RM 18)

     
Two sourdough bread slices piled with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon with capers may not look like much but coupled with the thick cut fries and side salad, the portion is just right. No comment on the taste as I did not try it but I must say the smoked salmon looked...really thin and not substantial at all. The fries must have been really good though as one friend couldn't stop eating it =)

        

My Crustacean Cousin (RM 28.90)

     
I was captivated by the words "tiger prawns", "scallops" and "pasta" all in one sentence but when it came, I was utterly disappointed. It is hard to tell from the picture but in reality, the pasta was just one tiny dollop sitting on a huge plate =( I finished the freshly made tagliolini in less than 10 mouthfuls =( The taste itself was quite yummy with juices from the seared scallops and mini-clams adding much flavour to the angel hair-like pasta. The seafood was very fresh and plump.

      

Fowl Luck (RM 25.90)

     
The roasted chicken thigh was really good with moist, tender flesh and a crisp, well-flavoured skin. Paired with mushroom gravy over herbed potatoes, mushrooms slices and olives as well as a sweet strawberry sauce, this is one yummy dish.

     

Beef Me Up Scotty (RM 19.90)

     
Beef Me Up Scotty is made up of grilled beef fillet, caramelised onions, rocket and olive oil on toasted ciabatta. No comment on this as I did not try it.

      

Homemade Tiramisu (RM 13)

   
The Tiramisu was average with slightly dry layers of cake.

     

Chocolate Banana (RM 13)

   
The Chocolate Banana Cake was really good with creamy chocolate cake and super sweet melty bananas.

     

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake (RM 15)

     
The Molten Chocolate Lava Cake was extremely yummy with a warm and chocolatey, melty centre and cold vanilla ice-cream.

Overall, the Red Beanbag is truly a nice place to hang out with friends with awesome desserts and the trendy menu. Prices are average for some items and steep for others. Portions here are relatively smaller though.
   

   
PawPoints: 3 Paws
Pawket: Tomato

The Red Beanbag
A4-1-08 Solaris Dutamas
Tel: 03 6211 5116
Tue - Fri: 10am - 10pm
Sat - Sun: 9.30am - 10pm

Moolis @ Frith Street, London

A shop specialising in wraps? A shop famous for its goat curry wrap? A shop selling modern Indian street food? This really piqued my curiosity and I ticked off Moolis as a compulsory stopover in my itinerary.
   

What a cute name!

   

Quirky artwork

   
Love the pomegranate wheels - totally reflecting the menu!
   

Self-service Station

 
They've got a really handy self-service station with the usual napkins and cutlery, water, olive oil, sauces and even chilli oil.
   

Menu

   
The menu is relatively simple but the description of the wraps is totally tantalising. Prices are relatively cheap too which is great for tourists on a budget. Small eaters even get to order mini-moolis!
   
Aside from the main wraps, they've got salad boxes, a whole range of chutneys, side dishes, pappadom bites and dessert as well as plain daal and roti. They've also got really unique feast spreads.

  

The goodies

 
As usual, I did thorough research on the eatery and the most famous item on the menu is the goat wrap. Being such a porky lover, I couldn't resist ordering the pork wrap as well with the tempting addition of pomegranate salsa. There was a daily special of lamb kofta and I was really tempted to try it too but it was more expensive and it didn't sound as though it was in the form of a wrap.
   

Goat Wrap (GBP 5.50)

   
Tada, the infamous goat wrap! The wrap is not the usual tortilla bread but, in keeping with the Indian theme, a non-greasy roti. It is chock full of tender fragrant goat meat marinated in dry roasted cumin, coriander, cloves, chillies and cinnamon and accompaniments such as tomato and pickled onion cubes, lots of fresh coriander and bite-sized potatoes sauteed with dry mango and cumin. My brother and I both enjoyed this tremendously. The only downside is that there's quite a bit of oil from the dry curry which seeps through the roti and might end up being too oily for some.
   

Pork Wrap (GBP 5)

   
The pork wrap consists of shredded slow-cooked pork marinated in red wine vinegar, chillies and garlic, interspersed with lots of fresh vege and the sweet pomegranate salsa. The pork wrap can be a little dry at some parts of the wrap which can be easily remedied with the chilli oil (I didn't quite like the  raita). Also the pomegranate salsa lends it a distinctive sweetness which helps the overall flavour.
   

Go get your goat NOW!

    

With such yummy North Indian offerings, I would definitely get the loyalty card if I lived in London and I would definitely visit Moolis if I ever return to London again. It is a great place to grab a quick lunch as testified by the lunch crowd.

  

  

PawPoints: 5 Paws

http://www.moolis.com/

Moolis

Tube: Tottenham Court Road
50 Frith St
Soho
London

Tel: 020 7494 9075

Mon - Sat: 8.30am - 11.30pm
Sun: 8.30am - 10.30pm

Haikara Style Cafe & Bakery @ SS16, Subang Jaya

Haikara Style Cafe & Bakery is a homey, cosy cafe operated by a Japanese couple in Subang Jaya. It has quite a following for its baked goods as well as home-cooked Japanese dishes. It is also a good place to chill and have a cuppa.

     

Logo

   

Shop Front

   
The shop is located at the ground floor of the apartment complex adjacent to Carrefour which makes it quite easy to spot. However, if you're not familiar with Subang Jaya, do take care not to miss the turning and end up on the elevated highway to Federal Highway instead =P
     

Array of bread loaves

    
There are always freshly made bread, cookies and cakes available and the popular ones get sold out quickly.

     

Mushroom Cup Soup and Butter Roll (RM 4.50)

     
Quite affordable, don't you think? The butter roll came fresh from the oven and was too hot to handle with hands. Once it cooled down, it was soft and spongy and had a nice crust to it. The mushroom soup here is very watery, not the thick kind that is served in most restaurants. I think you can literally drink the soup from the cup itself. The soup had a milky taste flavoured lightly with herbs and there were also slices of button mushrooms for added texture.

      

Rokomoko Don (RM 18.90)

    
The Rokomoko Don is one of the more popular choices with a beef patty slathered in a sweet, tangy Rokomoko sauce and topped with a perfectly fried sunny side-up. As this is a donburi, rice is provided within a ring of fresh lettuce and shredded cabbage. The plate is decorated prettily with alternating cucumber slices and cherry tomato halves.
   
The beef patty is typical Japanese hanbaagu which is very moist and not as firm as Western style patties. The sauce is actually quite salty and tangy but it tastes better once you pair it with the unseasoned vegetables. This is comfort food at its best so do give it a try if you're feeling a little down =P

    

See the huge patty?

    

Croquette (RM 9.90)

      
I insisted we order a side of Croquette as I have not tried them before. The ones at Haikara are mixed with minced chicken and onions and drizzled with Haikara sauce which tasted somewhat like Brown sauce. The Croquettes were deep fried to a crisp texture and were quite good. I felt there was something a little off about its taste...probably the addition of minced chicken? Or it could be because I had conjured a taste of how fried mashed potatoes are supposed to taste like and this didn't taste like it =.= Anyway it's just odd me and I assure you the Croquettes are actually quite nice =) JS liked them so you can trust his unbiased and unfussy judgement.

     

Chicken Katsu Sandwich (RM 13.90)

     
The Chicken Katsu Sandwich didn't look like much from the picture in the menu but trust me, it's huge. The chicken katsu is sandwiched between two thick slabs of toasted homemade white bread and covered with a mixture of mayonnaise and mustard - you can opt for mayonnaise, mustard or a combination of the two. The sandwich is served with a side salad, a dollop of mayonnaise and a couple of wedges.
      
The chicken katsu here is lovely - moist and crispy. The mixture of mayo and mustard gives quite a kick and enhances the overall taste. I find it a little hard to stuff the sandwich into my mouth though due to the thick bread slices. I also noted that the bottom of the sandwich is rather oily but the sandwich is really good and comes highly recommended. JS agreed but he preferred Aoi Tei - I think both are equally good, just that Haikara's has a homemade feel to it whereas Aoi Tei has a more professional look to it.
    
The side salad was rather bland as it is not seasoned but I guess it is intended to balance the katsu sandwich. The wedges were surprisingly good due to the spiced seasoning - pity there were only 3.

      

See the katsu slab?

On an earlier visit, JS had the Chicken Vegetable Spicy Pasta (RM 18.90). It was quite light with a healthy vegetable broth-turned-gravy coating the pasta.
    
JS and I really like Haikara for its cosy ambience and we are already planning for the next visit back to sample the other dishes that caught our eyes. Oh another thing I noticed was that the proprietress - a slim, tall Japanese lady - looks very much like one Japanese actress called Natsuki Mari =P

     

PawPoints: 4 Paws

Pawket: Tomato

   
http://haikara.com.my/index.php

Haikara Style Cafe & Bakery

E-Tiara Ground Floor
Jalan Kemajuan SS 16/1
Subang Jaya
Tel: 03 5630 0743
Tue - Thur: 11am - 11pm
Fri - Sat: 10am - 11pm
Sun: 10am - 6.30pm

Aoi Tei Katsu Sando @ Isetan Foodmarket, KLCC

I'm so glad that Isetan Foodmarket at the Lower Ground floor of KLCC is just like the food halls of major Tokyo and Singapore department stores =D Best of all is that some stalls are manned by native Japanese and Korean =D This chicken cutlet sandwich from Aoi Tei immediately caught my eye...

      

Logo

    

Description of different sauces

     
Four types of sauces are available - original Japanese sauce (which is somewhat like a tonkatsu sauce), wasabi tartar sauce, homemade curry sauce and creamy white sauce. When I was there just before 12pm, I only saw sandwiches with the Japanese sauce and curry sauce. Perhaps you can request for the other sauces even if they are not on display.

     

Katsu Sando with Original Japanese Sauce (RM 15)

     
The katsu sando are all in takeaway boxes. Each box has three pieces of katsu sando. There's a tiny area in the food hall itself for you to eat the takeaway food but I brought it back to office.

   

Too bad they are not three little pigs...

     

Wow look at the width of the katsu! O.O

      

Final shot of my katsu sando

      
The katsu sando is huge, if you can't already see from the pics =P Each piece of deep-fried chicken katsu is topped with shredded cabbage and sandwiched between white bread. Original Japanese sauce is slathered on the bread.
     

• Katsu retains its crispy panko coating and juicy flesh even though it has been sandwiched in the box for quite some time. The panko coating is so well compressed that hardly any loose breadcrumbs break off when you bite into it; however this doesn't mean that it's hard because it has been compressed and deep-fried, rather the coating is still fluffy yet crispy and still it doesn't crumble. How amazing is that?! O.O
• Shredded cabbage is soft due to the sauce yet crunchy. How do the Japanese make it like that?! O.O
• Original Japanese sauce has sufficient flavour without being too salty. Complements the katsu well.
• White bread is fluffy and spongy and definitely not local. Even after pressing down hard on it when holding onto the sandwich, it regains its original shape (thickness) when released (unlike the local breads which stay squeezed >.>). It also doesn't have a floury smell but has a wonderful bread aroma. This must be some Japanese bread. Why can't our local bakers make sandwich breads like that?! O.O

     

Katsu Sando with Wasabi Tartar Sauce (RM 15)

      
JS was disgruntled that I managed to eat it first so he was adamant to try it the next time we were there. This time he ordered the Chicken Cutlet Sandwich with Wasabi Tartar Sauce.
     

Consistent size

     
This time, the katsu was not crispy but neither was it soggy and so still tasted good. In this version, there is no shredded cabbage, only lots of tartar sauce and what I tasted to be chopped hard-boiled eggs. The hint of wasabi was just right, not too overpowering yet lending some zing to the overall flavour. This version is also highly recommended.
    
You've just got to try the katsu sando! Price is a bit steep at RM 15 but it's well worth the money and very very filling =D

    

PawPoints: 5 Paws

Pawket: Onion

Aoi Tei

Food Hall

Isetan Foodmarket

Concourse

Suria KLCC

Tel: 2382 7777

Daily: 10am - 10pm