Tong's Kitchen @ USJ 19 City Mall, Subang Jaya

Tong's Kitchen at USJ 19 City Mall is a simple establishment serving yummy homemade dishes. It is great for a quick dinner without emptying your pawkets =P

Wonder what is their mascot supposed to be...

Menu

There is a huge variety of dishes to choose from which is always a good thing.

Stir Fried Sweet Potato Leaves (RM 12) 

A simple dish stir fried with garlic, the sweet potato leaves were very young and fresh.

Pumpkin Beancurd (RM 8)

JS's family love the Pumpkin Beancurd here which is essentially deep fried beancurd braised in a savoury and creamy pumpkin gravy.

Chicken with Salted Eggs (RM 18)

The fried chicken was moist and juicy and the chef was very generous with the amount of salted egg yolk which totally enhanced the taste of the chicken.

Sweet and Sour Fish (RM 23)

The portion is huge with lots of deep fried fish slices coated in a sweet and sour sauce. Very yummy indeed.

No pork is served but I am not sure if the restaurant has a halal cert. Overall, Tong's Kitchen is a great place for inexpensive home cooked fare.


PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Onion


Tong's Kitchen

G02, Ground Floor
USJ 19 City Mall

Tel: 03 8023 6153
Daily: 10am - 10pm

Fiori Corner @ Leicester Square, London

This is a super dated post considering I went to London in 2012 =P But no worries, this shop which is opposite Leicester Square tube station has been there for ages (it was there when I was in London in 2005) and it looks like it will be there for quite some time. Fiori is a great place for big breakfasts and being located at a popular spot, its meal sets are really quite affordable.

Shop Front

English Breakfast

I had the English Breakfast set which comes with two sunny side-ups, a juicy and meaty sausage, grilled bacon, half a grilled tomato and a heap of sauteed button mushrooms. Definitely one of the most satisfying breakfasts ever created in the world! 

Buttered toasts

Each set comes with a plate of buttered toasts but honestly one triangular slice is more than enough.

As expected since it was such a long time ago, I can't really remember the price but it is definitely less than GBP 10 which makes the meal very worth it. When I do visit London again, I'm pretty sure I'll return to Fiori Corner for breakfast.

PawPoints: 4 Paws

Fiori Corner

T: Leicester Square
42-43 Cranbourn Street

London
Tel: +44 020 7437 2694
Daily: 7am - 2am

Italiano's @ SS2, PJ

Italiano's is somewhat like Pizza Uno, a family Italian restaurant with quality food and affordable pricing. Lots of families dine here at night and while there are some hits and misses in the menu (definitely more hits than misses), I highly recommend you to come and try it out.

Minestrone Soup (RM 6)

The hearty Minestrone Soup comes boiling hot and is chockful of ingredients typical of minestrone. The tomato base is warm and well-seasoned. The slice of baguette accompanying the soup is warmed but not toasted. It is extremely affordable and very yummy on cold rainy days.

We also tried the Mushroom Soup which is creamy and overloaded with chunky mushroom bits. A must order!

Mufaletta Delight Pizza (RM 19)

As can be seen in the above picture, the pizza is laden with lots of ingredients. The crust is thick yet crispy and  fully supports the meaty toppings.

King's Special Pizza (RM 25)

This pizza tasted a bit odd, probably due to the extremely gamey lamb sausages and red chillies. Not really recommended in my opinion.

Italiano's Special Pasta (RM 18)

This pasta is coated in a thick tomato based gravy (I wouldn't call that sauce as I feel the tomato paste was thickened with cornflour rather than loading on the paste). I am not a fan of the lamb sausages as they were quite gamey (and since I do like lamb, this means that it really is gamey!). Think the other pastas would be more recommended as the portions are big and absolutely worth the price.

Braised Lamb Shank (RM 30)

We also had the Braised Lamb Shank as it was so affordable and it came in a really big portion. See the huge lamb shoulder? Admittedly, the meat is somewhat lacking, but what meat there is is very tender and has absorbed the tomato gravy fully. The mashed potatoes, side salad and steamed vegetables were a very good accompaniment to the lamb. Definitely not for small eaters =P

PawPoints: 3 Paws
Pawket: Onion

Italiano's
61G, Jalan SS2/75
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03 7873 9695
Daily: 11.30am - 3pm, 6pm - 10.30pm

Black Forest @ Changkat Bukit Bintang, KL

Sorry for the unexpected hiatus...things were really busy for us both and I unexpectedly fell sick and we didn't have any ready posts although we have tons of material so here's a review of a great restaurant to kick start December, my favourite month of the year! =D

Black Forest is one of the many restaurants lining Changkat Bukit Bintang and food must certainly be good to ensure a steady stream of customers.

Menu

I really like the different categories in their menu =)

Who got the better deal?

Complimentary bread basket

As usual, there is a complimentary bread basket and here at Black Forest, some wholesome raisin bread is served with spicy chilli tuna paste. The bread was warmed through but I prefer mine to be toasted so no brownie points from me there. I also prefer the usual oil-vinegar dip or even the common butter to spicy chilli tuna that tasted like it came from a can.

Kartoffelpuffer Mit Lachs (RM 26)

This dish of potato pancakes served with marinated salmon and dill mustard is my favourite of the lot. I love the crispy potato pancakes and the very savoury salmon goes extremely well with it. I also love the simple dill mustard which packs in so much flavour.

Black Forest's 1/2 Metre Wurst (RM 36)

We had the black pepper sausage and I must say that this is quite a disappointment =( There was nothing special about the sausage at all and it didn't taste very homemade. I have definitely eaten better sausages from supermarkets. I really like the pickles though =P

Schweinekotlett "Natur" (RM 45)

This juicy pork loin which has been slow roasted to perfection is very well complemented by sauteed pork belly and pepper as well as the special zigeuner sauce. The juicy meat comes with a side salad as well as fluffy and crispy french fries which I love dipping into the appetising zigeuner sauce.

Schnitzel Hawaii Mit Ananas Und Kase Uberbacken (RM 45)

The boneless pork loin cutlets are baked with air dried ham, pineapple and cheese and served with a side salad as well as mashed potatoes. The cutlets were really juicy even after being pan fried and baked and retained its crispiness even when topped with ham and pineapple. I really enjoyed this dish as I love schnizels d^_^b

Bayerische Schweinehaxe (RM 45)

The crispy pork knuckle comes with beer sauce, potato gratin and red cabbage. The knuckle was extremely crispy and tender and juicy, just like siu yuk, but some of our friends found it a tad too fatty. I, of course, found it just nice but it was a shame that this dish arrived last as I was already stuffed from all the food before to truly enjoy this. The beer sauce did not have a strong beer taste but it complemented the knuckle very well anyway.

The potato gratin tasted like creamy potato sandwiched between lasagna sheets which was a nice change from the usual mashed potatoes and fries. The red cabbage was sour and tangy in a good way as I am not a fan of sauerkraut (probably I have not tasted good sauerkraut yet).

Churros 

The Churros was really good and there were lots of thick chocolate sauce to dip the crunchy sticks in.

An Australian Dream (RM 22.80)

The Australian Dream has a nice tart taste from the cherries and lots of cream and chocolate chips to make this concoction truly yummy.

Service was good although the waiters are super busy and may not be able to notice you. There is also some tradition of throwing plates on the ground before starting some pork knuckle dish which can be a tad distracting but the waiters give you ample warning before the patrons attempt such a feat.

All in all, a really good meal and all who went for the meal were really satisfied. Prices are on the high side but would definitely return for the awesome potato pancakes, schnitzel and knuckle =D


PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Cheese


Black Forest

47 Changkat Bukit Bintang
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 2110 3678
Sun - Thu: 4pm - 1am
Fri - Sat: 4pm - 3am

Calanthe Art Cafe @ Jalan Hang Kasturi, Melaka

     

A very nice signboard above the cashier counter

     
During one of our trips to Melaka with a few friends, we stopped by this very nicely decorated cafe to chill till our next meal time. The guys being coffee lovers needed some caffeine after having a very filling lunch with cendol right after. Calanthe Art Cafe source their coffee beans from all over the country and offer customers a wide range of coffee.

      

Coffee from all 13 states of Malaysia available here

        

The inside of the shop is decorated with a wide variety of curios, art pieces & quirky quotes

   
One can spend hours sipping coffee while snapping pictures of the many interesting curios and art pieces at the cafe.

     

The Menu

        

Coffee from all 13 States

            

Ice blended coffee from the 13 states is also available

        

A peachy drink with jelly

As I'm not a coffee lover, I had a peach flavoured drink with jelly which was quite refreshing after half a day of food hunting around Jonker Street.

Johor iced coffee

   
A friend of ours, JT had the Johor iced coffee. The coffee is blended using Liberica beans and has a rich aroma and taste.

     

Melaka ice blended coffee

   
JS had the Melaka Ice Blended Coffee which is bitter sweet. The drink comes with a bit of whipped cream and sweet coffee flavoured jelly similar to those you get at certain bubble tea shops. 

        

The cute cat calendar by the cashier

    

While making payment at the counter, this cute cat calendar caught my eye. 

   

    

PawPoints: 3 Paws
Pawket: Dough
        
Calanthe Art Cafe

11, Jalan Hang Kasturi
Melaka 75250

Ben's General Food Store @ Bangsar Village 1, KL

Yet another brainchild of Ben's Independent Grocer (BIG) Group, this restaurant/ deli/ grocer specialises in pizzas.
       

Minimalist sign

       

Menu

        

Top: Caesar Salad (RM 11.90), Bottom: Marinated Button Mushrooms (RM 11.90)

     
As usual, fantastic innovative salads but somehow I just can't quite get my head round barley as a salad ingredient. Feels like it belongs in liquidy form more =P
         

Orecchiette Pasta (RM 11.90)

     
This salad took some getting used to for me. The rocket was pungent and the pasta combo had the earthy, olive-y taste as the only binder was olive oil. And I never liked peas > . > I wouldn't recommend this unless you like eating healthy greens...
         

Breakfast Pizza (RM 19.90)

     
This crispy pizza was yummy with breakfast ingredients heaped on it. The runny yolk and tomato sauce slathering went extremely well with the beef bacon and chicken sausage bits. One of my favourites along with the salmon pizza below.
         

Funghi Pizza (RM 22.90)

     
The Funghi Pizza had a slightly earthy taste due to the use of truffle oil and wild mushrooms as toppings which melted in the mouth with the mascarpone. I think it's good even though I'm not a big fan of the strong earthy taste.
       

Salmone E Spinaci Pizza (RM 24.90)

     
Another of my favourites, this is a melt in your mouth pizza due to the gooey mascarpone and I particularly like how the flavours of the cured salmon, spinach, and dill as well as a squeeze of lemon just come together effortlessly.

         

Il Carnivore Pizza (RM 24.90)

       
Pizzas with meat just can't go wrong so it's no surprise that this one laden with beef pepperoni, beef bacon, chicken cheese sausage and lamb chorizo on a base of tomatoes and mozarella does not fall short of expectations.

      

Pescatora Pizza (RM 29.90)

       
The mixed seafood pizza which contains mussels, shrimp and squid was good but nothing outstanding.

       

Peach Cobbler Ala Mode (RM 9.90)

       
The peach cobbler has a subtle peach flavour (so obvious but what else am I supposed to say?) and the accompanying vanilla ice-cream makes it taste even better.

       

Classic Chocolate Cake Ala Mode (RM 10.90)

       
Fantastic moist chocolate cake covered in dark chocolate sauce from BIG (it's available at Plan B too). Was awesome with the vanilla ice-cream.
     
I don't like the metal tins in which the pizzas come though...they have an uneven base which makes it difficult to slice through the pizza. The pizzas themselves are quite good and I like the wide variety offered here that is not too common in other shops.
     

      

PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Tomato

     
   
Ben's General Food Store
G17, Ground Floor
Bangsar Village 1
Tel: 03 2284 8790
Daily: 10am - 10pm

Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls @ Kedai Kopi Chung Wah, Melaka

I was debating between eating at Chung Wah Hainanese Chicken Rice and Hoe Kee Chicken Rice but during our last visit, we had the latter so this time we decided to go with Chung Wah as the waiting line is usually extremely long and we thought it indicated better food =P

Relatively short line on a working day

Although the shop entrance where the queue is is quite large, for some unknown reason the owner decided to barricade more than half of the entrance with miscellaneous boxes, chairs and stuff. There was only a small space about a person's width for entering and exiting the shop and with the queue starting immediately at the shop entrance, it was really a hassle to make way for exiting guests and more often than not, everyone was just left feeling squashed. They probably blocked half of the entrance to control the crowd but I wonder if they thought about their customers' convenience. Not a very good first impression indeed > . >

Interior

The interior of the shop is quite small comparatively even though it spans two shop lots and coupled with the inefficiency of the staff, hence you see the long queue outside. When it came to our turn, no one told us where to go so we waited around for a bit (we had expected the staff to show us to a table like in Hoe Kee) and suddenly the people behind us started walking towards the empty tables! So we rushed off to nab an empty table...

The staff did not take the order from customers who arrived first (God knows what their logic is) and were extremely unorganised, grouchy and forgetful hmmpf. There was no menu and they did not ask what we wanted, just asked how many persons we had in our group and slouched off.

Chef incessantly chopping chicken

Homemade chilli sauce

Their homemade chilli sauce is quite unique with an unusual colour of creamy orange and red, and it definitely packs a punch.

Chicken rice balls

It seems that the standard order would be 5 rice balls per person but you can ask for extra. The rice balls are smaller than Hoe Kee's but are more moist and hence holds its shape much better. It is also more flavourful (you can taste chicken stock) and did not break apart when I cut it in half so it remained essentially a rice ball and not chicken rice, if you know what I mean.

Steamed chicken

This is the standard portion for 2 pax (not sure if you can order extra as no one seemed to do so - they just ate whatever was given by the staff). The steamed chicken is extremely smooth and firm and has more bite to it (the kind which presumably had lots of exercise when it was still clucking around). However I was not impressed with the three measly pieces of cucumber > . >

There was no soup even on weekdays and the shop did not seem too hygienic to me. No doubt the chicken rice is sufficiently good but I have since concluded that the long line outside the shop is not because of its fame but rather because the staff are inadequate and slow. One visit is more than enough for me and the next time I return to Melaka, I will definitely head to Hoe Kee.

PawPoints: 3 Paws
Pawket: Dough


Kedai Kopi Chung Wah

18 Jalan Hang Jebat
Melaka