KHAO by Rama V Fine Thai Cuisine @ Setia City Mall, Shah Alam

Good news for all you Thai food lovers out there! Were you drooling over my post on Rama V yet lamenting its high price tag? No worries now as they have two sister restaurants that offer slightly more affordable Thai fare of superb quality d^_^b  One of them is Fa-Ying at Paradigm Mall and the other is Khao at Setia City Mall.

      

         

Khao

         

Kai Hor Bai Toey + Gaeng Deang Ta-Lay (RM 26.90)

   
This set comes with appetizers, tom yum soup, red curry seafood, pandan chicken, a fried egg and fruits. As you can see the portion is really big and is so totally worth it.
   
The rice is mixed with red husked grains and topped with a sunny side up egg although that can be overcooked sometimes.
   
The appetizers given were fried spring roll, deep fried prawn fishcake and young mango salad. Both the spring roll and prawn fishcake were absolutely crispy, in particular the fishcake. However, all appetizers were average and nothing special.

       

Red Curry Seafood

     
The Red Curry Seafood tasted really good and the chefs did not skimp on the seafood. As you can see from the picture below, there are prawns, squid, fish and mussels and lots of vegetables too. This dish alone would fill you right up and warm your tummy on a rainy day. The creamy curry was thick and fragrant with coconut milk but it was not super spicy.

        

See the generous amount of seafood?

          

Cool flame

     
I like how the flame burns bright blue from the oil contained in a ceramic soup spoon.
       

Pandan Chicken

   
The Pandan Chicken was extremely good, very moist and tender and fragrant - see our review of Rama V for more raves on the Pandan Chicken =D

       

Chicken Tom Yum

     
I wanted the clear tom yum but they only offered Chicken Tom Yum for the set. The fiery red soup was sour and spicy and hit all the right notes and the chefs were also generous with chicken pieces and oyster mushrooms.

       

Gaeng Kaew Wan Kai + Pra Dang Sam Ros (RM 24.90)

   
This set came with the same appetizers, tom yum and fruits but the main dishes were green curry chicken and red snapper fillet.

       

Green Curry Chicken

   
I like the green curry here as it does not have the overpowering smell I dislike (only one other restaurant serves it like that which is Chakri Palace). It also had plenty of chicken and vegetables and the gravy is just to die for =P

      

Red Snapper Fillet

   
The Red Snapper Fillet totally did not disappoint (see the generous portion? ^_^) and was cooked to the same level of perfection as Rama V - read our raves here. This still remains my favourite dish of all and I highly recommend you try it =)
   
All in all, if you want a quality meal to the standard of Rama V but don't wish to pay an exorbitant price, hurry to KHAO instead and enjoy their awesome set meals!!! This sister restaurant definitely doesn't stinge on quality or quantity. I'd love to return even though Setia City Mall is miles away. To the genius owners of Rama V, please set up another branch at MidValley or 1 Utama ^_^
   
 
     

PawPoints: 5 Paws
Pawket: Tomato
        
http://khao.com.my/
          
        
KHAO by Rama V

LG21, Setia City Mall
Tel: 03 3358 3159
Daily: 10am - 10pm

Lucky Chicken Rice @ Pasar Besar Seremban, Seremban

Not being in the mood for the famous beef noodles, I opted for my perennial favourite - chicken rice - instead. After all, how wrong can one go with chicken rice, right?

Stall

Good thing there were still chicken and pork left after the morning market crowd.

Chicken and Siu Yuk Rice (RM 5)

I had my go-to order which is chicken and siu yuk - in this case, steamed chicken as they do not serve roasted chicken.

Chicken and Siu Yuk Combo

• Oiled rice was average. Soup was forgettable.
• Chilli sauce was quite good with enough kick to it.
• Steamed chicken was slightly dry but the ginger and soy sauce made it much tastier.
• Siu yuk was average with a mix of soggy and crispy skin.

Overall not too bad but I guess there are plenty of other choices at the market.


PawPoints: 2 Paws
Pawket: Dough


Lucky Chicken Rice

Stall 751, Pasar Besar Seremban

J Tean Kitchen @ SStwo Mall, PJ

J Tean Kitchen serves some unique Chinese fusion dishes and its signature dish is its fusion Dry Bak-Kut-Teh and Porky Pie. It's located in the totally deserted SStwo Mall although its plus point would be ample parking.

The J-Ribs (RM 38.90)

The ribs are quite huge and really quite good. The well marinated meat is super tender and falls off the bones so effortlessly. This is apparently due to pre-stewing the meat prior to baking it. It is served with a small portion of coleslaw and potato wedges as well as char siu sauce. Both the coleslaw and potato wedges were really good and comparable to Western restaurants. The char siu sauce tasted good too but the meat itself has plenty of flavour so I left most of the sauce in its container.

Complimentary dessert

Complimentary desserts are always welcome and the one served at J Tean that day happened to be a refreshing chrysanthemum tea jelly. Definitely no complaints there =D

Nice meal but quite pricey for a dish even though it's ribs. I love the chairs and tables there but it really is a shame about its location. I'm sure there would be more patrons if only it was located somewhere more popular.



PawPoints: 3 Paws
Pawket: Olive


J Tean Kitchen

Lot G-58, Ground Floor
SStwo Mall
Tel: 03 7954 0819
Daily: 10am - 10pm

En Ginza Cafe @ Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur

En Ginza Cafe is a bakery cum cafe on Pavilion's Tokyo Street. Their breads and pastries look super yummy but we've always had other yummier stuff to eat when we visit Pavilion. We did manage to snack there one afternoon so here's a short review on En Ginza Cafe =)

        

          

Green Tea Latte

   
Love the design and it was pretty milky too!

      

Pumpkin Soup

   
The pumpkin soup was really thick, creamy and comforting. The bread was thick and yummy with the soup but there was just too much bread. I didn't like how the insides of the bread bowl got all soggy with the soup but I guess that's to be expected. Also, there was not enough soup to really savour the bread with but I wouldn't mind ordering it again =)

       

Overall not a bad first visit...would love to try out their other stuff.

     

    

    

PawPoints: 3 Paws

Pawket: Dough

 
   
En Ginza Cafe

P6.24.1A Tokyo Street
Level 6 Pavilion
Tel: 03 2148 0369
Daily: 10am - 10pm

Moon Palace Revisit @ Bandar Puteri Puchong

Moon Palace Restaurant in Puchong is consistently the top weekly post on our blog...are there really so many unique visitors searching for Moon Palace or is their management so free to continuously click on the link? =P Either case, we both found the food at Moon Palace really good at a cheaper price than other restaurants so we returned for another meal. A few of our friends did tell us though that they did not enjoy the food there so perhaps it depends on your luck.
   
One of our visits was during Chinese New Year where we had the set meal for RM 368++.

      

Yee Sang

   
The Yee Sang is really fresh and they were very generous with the amount of raw salmon. There was no greasiness to the ingredients or slightly stale smell that is sometimes present in the Yee Sang served at other places. All in all, a yummy and refreshing dish with just the right amount of oil and honey.

     

Seafood and Crabmeat Soup

   
The thick soup had tons of seafood which made the price of the set menu more than worth it. The portion was quite big too for us to have seconds.

      

Butter Prawns

   
Even though it was a Chinese New Year set menu, the dishes were not prepared in advance. This Butter Prawns dish was deep fried moments before it was served and the prawns were extremely hot. The prawns were really fresh and tasted sweet and the deep-fried shreds of batter were extremely crunchy and flavourful due to the addition of curry leaves. Too bad the quantity of prawns was quite little =(

       

Tong Po Meat

   
I was never a big fan of these sort of braised meat but this was quite good - super tender fatty meat well flavoured by the dark caramelised gravy. Steamed buns were also included for us to mop up the sauce.

     

Blanched Bok Choy in Herbal Soup

   
The vegetable dish was very light on the tastebuds and I like the addition of wolfberries in the gravy / soup as it lent its sweetness to the dish.

     

Steamed Fish in Soy Sauce with Ginger and Wood Ear Fungus

   
Very fresh, firm fish. The inclusion of wood ear fungus was unique but I much prefer parsley instead =P The soy sauce based sauce was a little oily though.

     

Glutinous Rice with Chinese Preserved Sausage

   
Perfectly steamed glutinous rice with lots of preserved Chinese sausages and liver. Yummy but I wonder why they served it in such a big dish.

     

Mini Longevity Buns

   
Soft mini buns with warm lotus paste filling - what more can I say about buns?

    

Iced Sea Coconut and Longan 

   
Sweet syrupy dessert with lots of bouncy longans and sea coconut. I like that there are bits of ice in the dessert which makes it so satisfyingly chilled.
 
No matter what others say, I still think Moon Palace is really good and will definitely return for special occasions.
 
 
PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Cheese
         
       
Moon Palace Restaurant
1st Floor, Tower 2 @PFCC
Bandar Puteri Puchong
Tel: 03 8063 8122
Daily: 11am - 11pm

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

Crab Croquette @ Isetan Foodmarket, KLCC

I love how Isetan always showcases Japanese specialties and that's one reason why I love working so close to KLCC - I get to pop in for a quick bite whenever there's any special promotion! =D One of the products on offer was Potato Croquettes made by a Japanese lady. We had the Kani Korokke.

Kani Korokke (RM 5)

See the golden panko crumbs? It is as crunchy as it looks and sounds d^_^b

Yummy!

As you can see, the insides are super creamy and just waiting impatiently to ooze out. Not much crab meat though but the croquette is definitely awesome!



PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Dough


Isetan Food Fair

Food Hall
Isetan Foodmarket
Concourse
Suria KLCC
Tel: 2382 7777

Zakuro 2 Japanese Cuisine @ Scott Garden, KL

Zakuro 2 is located at Scott Garden and it is quite easy to spot this if you came from the main entrance. If you, like us, entered through Tesco, be prepared to get lost in a maze as the escalator is not easy to find at all. I thought Zakuro 2 could be linked to the Japanese restaurant along Jalan Ampang but after trying its food, I doubt that's the case...

      

         

Interior

     
Nice interior but we could see the kitchen through the opening and I couldn't spot any Japanese chef...
         

Pickles

   
The pickles tasted slightly different from the usual yellow ones and were very sour but I guess they're homemade.
      

Chawanmushi

   
Nice piping hot and smooth chawanmushi with a sprinkling of ebikko which totally enhanced its taste.

       

Mixed Furai Set (RM 40)

   
The Mixed Furai set came with miso soup, appetiser and dessert. The appetiser tasted like fried fish crumbs but I can't be sure - quite addictive though.

      

Mixed Furai

     
The Mixed Furai plate consisted of deep fried chicken, salmon, crabstick and prawn coated with panko crumbs. The insides of these agemono were not dry, thankfully, but the exterior layer was over-fried due to the slightly sparse coating of crumbs. The side salad provided a cooling respite in contrast to the heatiness of the deep fried items but there was too much mayonnaise squeezed over it - good for dipping the furai though.

       

Saba Shioyaki Set (RM 30)

   
The Grilled Saba set came with the same appetiser, miso soup and dessert.
      

Grilled Saba

   
The grilled saba was very moist and well grilled but a tad too salty.
   
An average restaurant, not one that I'd be returning to in the long run. Plus it is located somewhere inconvenient for me.

 
   
PawPoints: 2 Paws
Pawket: Olive
         

Zakuro 2 Japanese Cuisine

The Scott Garden
Lot 1-36, 1st Floor
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 7987 8148
Mon - Fri: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 10.30pm
Sat - Sun: 12pm -3pm

Lucky Sichuan Cuisine @ Kota Damansara, PJ

After my awesome meal at Empress of Sichuan in London, I have been craving for some spicy Sichuan food back here in KL. There are many Sichuan restaurants in Imbi but the area looks dodgy so I have not been there to try any food. My dream is to one day dine at Si Chuan Dou Hua at Park Royal Hotel but as it is quite expensive, I'll have to make do with a cheaper version from Lucky Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant at Kota Damansara.

Shop Front

Stir Fried Rape (RM 12)

No, that's not a typo. No, I'm not illiterate. No, I know what it is its real meaning. That was what was written in the menu and being bananas, we had to wait for Maggot-chan's boyfriend to help us translate. We decided to order it anyway just because of the name =P It was a good thing we did too because it was the only non-spicy dish we had and the vegetable disappeared in mere seconds. But truth be told, it was a pretty average dish and we would not have gobbled it up if not for the spiciness of the other dishes =.=

Ma Po Beancurd - Extra Spicy (RM 12)

Ma Po Tofu is my favourite dish but those in other restaurants can't even touch this by a km-long stick if they tried, spiciness-wise. I didn't expect it to be so spicy and actually it's not. The main problem with this dish was its tongue-numbing effect which renders you unable to eat anything spicy for a while. There was also this weird pungent taste that I dislike which I suspect contributed to the tongue-numbness. I didn't touch it at all after the first bite but Maggot-chan liked it a lot.

Yu Shiang Shredded Pork (RM 15)

This is one of my favourites as its spiciness was bearable and the tender pork is well flavoured with the scallion-chilli combo.

Stir-Fried Chicken with Hot Chilli (RM 28)

The bomb O.O When it arrived at our table, everyone literally stopped eating to stare at this mountain of deep fried chillies. The popcorn chicken were all buried underneath this heap of spicy hell. This dish was the most addictive for everyone although the crispy yet succulent chicken was spicy just through skin contact with the chillies. Can't remember if we ordered spicy or extra spicy but it was such a waste that I didn't eat more as my tongue was still numb from the wretched tofu > . < Not good for those who dislike oily food as you can feel the oil squirting out when you bite into the popcorn chicken...

Spicy and Sour Soup (RM 12)

They were very generous with the soup which had tons of ingredients such as tofu, wood ear fungus, ginger and scallions. The soup was very sour and spicy and definitely opened up our appetites for the other spicy dishes. The portion above was sufficient to feed 6 of us and some had more than a bowl.

Griddle Cooked Chicken with Pepper (RM 38 - Medium)

This chicken dish was quite pungent and spicy with the numerous dried chillies and lots of spicy sauce at the bottom of the heated pan. It was tasty although I felt the high price tag was not really justifiable. Another favourite of Maggot-chan.

Remains of the popcorn chicken

This was the aftermath of the Stir-Fried Chicken with Hot Chilli. We resorted to clearing out the "landfill" in the end and dug out as many bobs of chicken as possible.

Oh well, I found out my spiciness tolerance level was not as high as I thought it is. I guess this is as authentic as you can get since the staff seem to only be able to speak Mandarin with a China accent and judging from the typos in the menu (Stir Fried Rape above, The Potato Burns the Beef and Fine Fried Colon are some notable examples), the team probably came from Sichuan province. Anyhow, I'll definitely return to try the other less spicy dishes such as Stir-Fried Chicken Dices in Hot Chilli, Deep Fried Spicy Prawn, Stir Fried String Beans and Griddle Cooked Bullfrog in Spicy Sauce. And we'll definitely order Stir-Fried Chicken with Hot Chilli again =D

PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Tomato


Lucky Sichuan Cuisine

19 Jalan PJU 5/12
Kota Damansara
Tel: 03 6140 7755
Daily: 11am - 3pm, 5.30pm - 11pm

Breakfast Spread @ Premiere Hotel, Klang

Today's is a short post. I've had quite a number of friends holding their wedding reception at Premiere Hotel in Klang. Since it's quite far for us PJ folk, my friends and I decided to book a night's stay there for some girly catch-up. The room is far better than I expected and the washroom definitely meets my standards =P Here's what I had from the complimentary breakfast buffet.

My kind of breakfast (RM 32)

Nasi lemak for breakfast yum! They've also got beef and chicken rendang which are awesome and totally melt-in-your-mouth. Love the spicy sambal, crunchy anchovies and fragrant coconut milk infused rice too! Basically they've got the perfect nasi lemak. Apart from that there are also some western breakfast items such as chicken sausage and hash browns, pastries and toast. Chicken noodle soup is also available if you prefer something warm and soupy in the early morning.


PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Olive



Premiere Hotel
Bandar Bukit Tinggi
Klang
Tel: 03 3325 6868