Bumbu Cabe, Glo Damansara

WL & I decided to be more adventurous this weekend by opting for a different kind of cuisine, breaking away from the usual Chinese stir-fry dinners. Together with his brother's family, we scored through Eatigo's list of 50% discounted restaurants & found Bumbu Cabe, an Indonesian restaurant at Glo Damansara.

Baan Kun Ya, Centrepoint Bandar Utama

Hidden on the upper floors of a rather quiet & rundown Centrepoint Bandar Utama is a Thai restaurant called Baan Kun Ya. Its interior takes on a modern, cosy style although the menu stays true to classic Thai cuisine that you can typically fine in a Thai restaurant.

One glance at the menu tells you all that the prices do not come cheap, with each dish averagely at RM20+. It was their 50% promotion that lured WL & I to try it out. We picked 4 dishes, which should be enough to fill up our dinner appetite.

Hazelnut Coffee & Bar

It was after movie that WL & I decided to grab drinks & snacks to fill up our stomachs before we prepare ourselves for dinner. We finally dropped by Hazelnut Coffee & Bar, the cafe that we would pass by each time we head to AEON Bukit Tinggi.

We picked a snack & two drinks from the menu whilst the waiter took in the orders. A lot of people say first impression counts & within split seconds, we already had a taste of bad first impression of the cafe. It was obvious that the waiter did not receive proper training; judging from the way he presents himself in front of customers - bad posture, a less than pleasant face & a voice that is seemingly uninterested.

Original Cake: Is it really worth the queue?

Original Cake, the brand founded in Taiwan in 2010 that specialises in soft, fluffy cakes finally entered our Malaysian shores. Its opening at one of their first few stores, Sunway Velocity Mall attracted a huge crowd to queue for hours just to get a piece of their cake. One wonders why our fellow Malaysians were so madly in love with Original Cake, not like the brand name was revolutionary or fancy either.

Many Malaysians, particularly the Chinese community (or to be specific the Mandarin educated) who have been to Taiwan or are following Taiwanese urban culture, will definitely know Original Cake is a go-to bakery for its authentic traditional egg cake recipe. According to my colleague, the original store in Taiwan serves the incredibly fresh bakes non-stop & the aroma can be felt in the air when you're nearby. So, that generally explains the frenzy that happened during their grand opening.

I hate super long queues, even more so if the product sounds ordinary & doesn't warrant wasting my precious time for the long wait. I didn't join in the previous frenzy but instead opted for another outlet at Sunway Pyramid with lesser crowd. Not sure if the crowd really died down at this outlet or it wasn't as packed to begin with.

Strangers at 47, Sect 17 PJ

My colleague & I dropped by Strangers at 47 for lunch, which is 5 mins drive from our office. Little did we expect that there would be such a hip cafe nearby; the same row as Kanna Curry House. We arrived at the cafe already filled with lunch crowd who are likely young & hip college students.

What's even more interesting is that people still flocked to the cafe despite having limited offering on the menu. Strangers at 47 mainly serves crepes in both sweet & savoury options, light bites & beverages - hot & iced.

Rocku Yakiniku

A friend of WL invited us join for dinner at Rocku Yakiniku, a newly opened restaurant branch at 1 Utama & invited us to join for dinner. We headed in a group of 7, took our seats & started ordering.

Nara Kitchen & Co, Uptown Damansara

It was time for an outing with my girlfriends after a long overdue plan. We finally managed to squeeze in our meet-up on a weekend, which we normally spend with our other half. The selected venue was Nara Kitchen & Co at Uptown Damansara.

Where exactly is Nara Kitchen & Co? It's not surprising to get lost as Uptown Damansara is literally surrounded with rows of shops from all directions. To put it simply, the cafe/restaurant is situated along the same row as Wondermilk; just couldn't remember if Nara Kitchen comes first or the other way.

Village Roast Duck, The Gardens Mid Valley

I'm probably not the best person to advise the latest food joints or restaurants that opened its doors at Mid Valley area because I don't hang out there as often as I used to. But when I bumped into one that is pretty good, I need to share it to the world even if I'm not the first one (probably not the last) to write about it.

Village Duck is a restaurant situated on LG at The Gardens Mall, and seems to be constantly bustling with crowd. We stepped into the premise & gave it a try since WL was craving for duck. The orders soon came quickly with the wantan mee first.

Tonkatsu by Ma Maison, Main Place Subang

It was a busy Monday this week but WL & I still found some time to whet our foodie appetite. When you're feeling down & exhausted after a long, work day; what better way to make you happy than treating yourself with some good food?

We drove separately to Tonkatsu by Ma Maison at Main Place, Subang. WL tried it before & thought it had decent pork dishes that are worth my drive there.

Opus Bistro @ Jalan Bangkung, Bangsar

I'm not a huge fan of birthday parties or celebrations, as I prefer to spend quality time with my loved ones. Which is why WL & I went for dinner at Opus Bistro, tucked away at Jalan Bangkung, one of Bangsar's neighbourhood to celebrate my belated birthday.

We arrived early & the restaurant was still empty. We quickly ordered an appetizer, mains & a dessert before other customers started pouring in. Our appetizer, Classic Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken was served minutes later. We dug in with our forks & took the first bite, but was slightly disappointed that the dressing was not enough & the chicken rather dry. It surely wasn't a good start.

Mak's Chee Authentic Wonton, 1 Utama

Everyone has been raving on social media about Mak's Chee wonton noodle store which just opened at 1 Utama. It serves Hong Kong style wonton noodles that are springy in every strand. The news must have spread real fast because there's always a long queue waiting to be seated.

We were curious & decided to join along the crowd already lining up at the entrance. Even more intriguing, the restaurant was operating at half capacity that day. Meaning probably longer than usual waiting period.

The Porki Society @ Sea Park, PJ

Tucked in between a row of shops; just a few units after KFC at Sea Park, PJ is a modern cafe-style restaurant called The Porky Society. One glance at the store will leave you to assume as another hipster cafe frequently visited by youngsters nowadays. But take a closer look, the little twist comes in a form of a Thai food eatery.

There are not much to offer in the menu but it does make it easier for us to choose. We ordered a bowl of soup noodles to share before starting our "eating frenzy". The portion turned out to be surprisingly small despite its price at about RM15. And the noodles were nowhere to be seen unless being scooped out.

The broth was good & the rice noodles were silky smooth. It's a pity that the portion is way too small. We called for another appetizer, pork skewers for sharing. Yet again, the size is small & rather expensive. The herbs used to marinate the meat was aromatic & the taste resembled our local satay. Pretty good.

Now the main course is the focus of the entire meal. WL & I ordered different pork dishes - grilled pork with signature sauce & pork omelette rice. My omelette rice didn't turn out as expected. I would've imagine a nice silky. smooth egg omelette covering a bowl of fragrant rice with pork slices as complements. Instead, the omelette was served in strips only, not the full egg. I was disappointed. And those pork slices? They tasted exactly the same as the skewers, which no doubt came from the same source.

WL's grilled pork with signature sauce didn't look too good either. The pork chop was soaked in sauce & the taste was overwhelming. And a tad too spicy I'd must say. Overly sweet, salty & oily, all jumbled in one hot mess. It was all pretty hard to take in.

The entire meal turned out to be over RM50 which sadly, a price not worth a 2nd visit. There were so many misses on all the orders that made me deflated, considering my fondness for Thai food. Indeed, it is not easy to find good & affordable Thai food in my homeland. I'll just have to satisfy my cravings in Bangkok after all.

Address:

No. 10, Jalan 21/19

Sea Park

46300 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

03-7865 1968

Opening Hours:

Mondays to Tuesdays

12:00pm - 3:00pm

6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Thu-Fri

12:00pm - 3:00pm

6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Sat-Sun

11:00am - 10:00pm

Morganfield's, Sunway Pyramid

We'd like to call our dinner just now a celebratory occasion with WL's family. To be honest, it is only a regular gathering before his 2nd bother & family flies back to Beijing. Morganfield's at Sunway Pyramid was the preferred choice for a fatty, pork feast. Some of us arrived earlier & took the liberty to order first. Glad that some orders were taken earlier as minutes later, the dinner crowd started streaming in. In half an hour, the restaurant was packed.

The first appetizer came in a form of bacon wrapped meat balls, deep-fried & served with lettuce leaves. No doubt a really wholesome meat ball & rich in spices but the taste was a little too peppery. First bite might seem exciting but the excitement waned off quickly after several bites as the meat ball leaves a hot, burning sensation to the tongue.

Next, onion blossom, an alternative to onion rings, arrived in such large size that I wished we weren't too greedy to order 2 plates of it. The onions were crispy & fried to golden brown perfection. But it is just too large...

Now the moment of truth. The first plate of Hickory BBQ Spare Ribs was placed on our tables. We quickly snapped photos of it before our growling stomach takes over. Boy, it sure did taste juicy. So succulent & heavenly...

One plate of pork ribs sure ain't enough to feed so many of us. We were greedy enough to try out other flavours & called for 2 more pork ribs. Twenty minutes later, the waiter came out from the kitchen carrying 2 freshly grilled ribs to our tables. One of it is no doubt called Garlicky BBQ Spare Ribs for its strong garlicky aroma from the chopped garlic & sauce sprinkled on the top. Though grilled perfectly, the sauce gravitated to a slight spicy aftertaste which didn't fancy me after several bites. But still good, nonetheless. Just personal preference.

The last plate of ribs sure has an interesting name - The Naughty Spare Ribs. Oh yeah! How naughty can you get after devouring it. XD Well, I'd must say the the ribs certainly lived up to its name. In fact better than Garlicky BBQ in my opinion. The ribs were marinated with a combination of soy sauce, lime, lemongrass, ginger & chilli padi which surely brought up the heat to the next level. Awesome!

Not to forget the last dish of the night that we ordered to share from the steaks & chops section. It was Pork Schnitzel, the name for 2 juicy pork loin chops battered with bread crumbs & fried to golden brown. Served with mashed potatoes, garden veggies & mushroom gravy, it is quite a wholesome & hearty dish to end the meal with a bang.

It was enjoyable porky meal & I bet we'll opt to fast & refrain from consuming pork for at least 1 week. Overwhelming with pork, which is the sole purpose of visiting Morganfield's, but clearly a satisfying one. Obviously I wouldn't recommend indulging yourselves with all of the above too often. Rating 4.5 out of 5.

Address:

OB.K8, Ground Floor

Sunway Pyramid

No. 3, Jalan PJS 11/15

Bandar Sunway

47500 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

03-5612 9028

Opening Hours:

Mondays to Sundays 10:00am - 10:00pm

Hungry Bunch, Sunway Pyramid

It was another usual Saturday that WL & I have our weekly dates, whether it is spending quiet time at home or walking hand-in-hand in a bustling mall. This time, we were out for one specific reason. To continue our hunt for a pair of wedding bands. We went to Sunway Pyramid for a change but ended up hungry & exhausted, yet had no clue about what's good to eat. We passed by Hungry Bunch a few rounds & finally walked in.

From the menu, everything looked so gorgeous that we want to try it all. Maybe because we were partially starving. The waitress took our orders & we waited patiently, hoping the food will arrive in a jiffy to feed our growling stomachs. After 15 minutes later, there is no sign of our orders arriving. We motioned for the staff to check our orders & then only the mushroom soup finally came out from the kitchen.

The soup was not warm enough & tasted a lot like Campbell canned soup. Okay, not a good start. WL's sausage breakfast set came but it did look sad & pathetic. The dish could not even pass WL's less picky taste buds. It must have tasted pretty awful.

My eggs benedict was not any better. The eggs was overcooked instead of a runny yolk - the essence of a perfect poached egg. Choosing a slice of white bread to accompany the dish made the plating looks cheap & unappetizing. And unsurprisingly, the dish left much to be desired.

Not feeling any satisfaction, we decided to give their dessert a chance. We picked banana split & it was served in vanilla & chocolate ice cream on each side of the dish with a banana sliced half in the middle. The ice cream tasted okay & obviously supplied by ice cream manufacturers, so it wasn't bad but not great either.

Our overall experience at Hungry Bunch wasn't exciting even though the price is affordable. There are other restaurants which taste much better with the same price point. The only praise I have for Hungry Bunch is the friendly staff waiting at the entrance welcoming the customers. Sadly, the food is not worth returning for. Rating 3.5 out of 5.

Address:

Lot F1.75, F Floor

Sunway Pyramid

No. 3, Jalan PJU 11/15

Bandar Sunway

46150 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

03-5612 5974

Opening Hours:

Mondays to Sundays 10:00am - 10:00pm

Antipodean Cafe, Mid Valley Megamall

Many people have been raving about how great the food is at Antipodean Cafe at Bangsar that it made me very eager to give it a try. WL was lucky enough to dine there for breakfast, citing that the owner was rather arrogant by disallowing customers to sit & wait at their tables if their family or friends arrived later. Thankfully, the food was pretty good.

When they opened their new branch at Mid Valley Megamall, I was curious to whether it would live up to the expectation. WL & I managed to get a seat before the lunch crowd swarmed in. One thing for sure, dining at this branch may be a less pleasant experience because it is an al fresco style in typical, hot Malaysian weather. Space is rather limited too which means you will need to wait quite some time especially during peak hours.

I ordered my usual favourite brunch - eggs benedict with bacon. When it arrived, I was impressed. Just look at the large, gorgeous poached eggs topped with hollandaise sauce. Loved it that they served it with wholemeal bread.

WL always fancies Big Breakfast & picked bacon to complement the set. Besides bacon, other meat choices are available as well - chicken, beef & pork sausage. The set comes complete with silky smooth scrambled eggs, toast, hashbrown & mushrooms. I nibbled a few pieces of mushrooms & it tasted fantastic.

Breakfast ain't complete without a cup of good coffee. My mocha was served in a small glass with a mismatched saucer. Although I personally preferred mocha to be served in a ceramic cup, I couldn't resist the coffee art beautifully done by the barista. Coffee was aromatic with the right balance of milk, bittersweet cocoa powder & syrup.

Antipodean Cafe no doubt live up to my expectation of a well rated premise. This might not be the HQ but it stood out well on its own. Staffs were friendly & welcoming, and it's more than enough to pacify my inner frustration with the fact that the location is not ideal. Since their new outlet will be opening soon at Atria Shopping Gallery, I have an alternative location to hopefully indulge in the same quality in a more comfortable environment. Rating 4.5 out of 5.

Address:

G(E)-011A, Ground Floor

Mid Valley Megamall

Lingkaran Syed Putra

59200 Kuala Lumpur.

Contact:

03-2202 3411

Opening Hours:

Sundays to Thursdays 7:30am - 11:00pm

Fridays & Saturdays 7:30am - 12:00am

Link:

www.antipodeancoffee.com

Ticklish Ribs & 'Wiches @ Sea Park, PJ

Tucked in a row of shops next to a bank is Ticklish Ribs & 'Wiches serving pork ribs & sandwiches. I wouldn't known it existed until our ex-colleagues suggested that we have a mini gathering there. When WL & I arrived, our friends have already helped themselves with some sandwiches & ribs.

Their signature dish is the BBQ pork ribs with house-made Ticklish sauce. One bite is more than enough to tell how well it was cooked. Marinated & grilled perfection, the meat is absolutely tender & delicious. Served in a metal bucket, it is best enjoyed with a bottle of beer with friends.

With an array of sandwich options, I settled for You Braise Me Up - a slight fatty loin simmered in sauce.Totally sinful & heavenly~

One of our ex-colleagues bought Once You Go Black for his son to try out. The little boy was kind enough to share half of the sandwich with me because he was already stuffed from gobbling up the first batch of pork ribs. The meat slices were taken from the leaner part of the pork, grilled to a darker tone with sauce that gave sweet & salty flavours. Due its lean texture, the meat is slightly rough hence not really my cup of tea. It's still delicious, nonetheless.

Asked for a cup of mocha to satisfy my sudden caffeine craving but was left disappointed. Coffee is definitely Ticklish' forte. Served in a glass jar instead of a cuppa, the coffee was mild & less aromatic. Now I know what to stay away from whenever I'm in Ticklish.

Ticklish is a nice, decent haunt for PJ residence to gather, snack/drink & chat the night away. Not family friendly if you plan to bring a group of young children for peaceful dinner. It's loud, lively & "strictly for adults". Rating: 4 out of 5.

Address:

No. 5, Ground Floor

Jalan 21/11A, Sea Park

46300 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

03-7865 9126

Opening Hours:

Tuesdays to Sundays

Lunch 12:00pm - 2:00pm

Dinner 6:00pm - 10:00pm

Ichiban The Izakaya, 1 Utama

If it wasn't for Groupon, WL & I wouldn't have discovered a hidden gem in 1 Utama. Ichiban The Izakaya is the hidden gem - a Japanese restaurant & bar tucked at the corner near the Rainforest. With a Groupon voucher worth RM200 in hand, we didn't hesitate to order as much as we could. After all, it was my little sister's birthday & she deserved a big treat from us.

WL ordered his usual chicken katsu don that came with a striking balance of meat & vegetables. One spoonful said it all - the dish truly didn't disappoint.

I called for a bowl of garlic rice rather than a main course just so I can reserve some "room" for other treats in the menu. Nom nom...did I mention the rice was incredibly appetizing that I was tempted for another bowl? Guilty pleasures...

Ichiban has a few selection of pork skewers that sound pretty tempting. And we couldn't resist ordering 2 of them to try - asparagus wrapped with pork bacon slices & grilled pork. The juicy pork slice with crunchy asparagus wrapped in between was simply irresistible.

And of course, we wouldn't miss out on tender, no-nonsense pork skewers to satisfy our big appetite.

The restaurant has a wide selection of maki but we picked those that we believe wouldn't go wrong. Not a bad choice, indeed. The ingredients were fresh & seasoned well, even though the sushi rice was slightly mushy.

I ordered a side dish to try - cold tofu in sweet sauce but it wasn't as good as the earlier dishes.

My sister went home with a happy tummy, so did WL & I. Groupon is certainly the right place to discover good restaurants that might have missed our radar. Izakaya is one of those places...Rating: 4 out of 5.

Address:

G362, Ground Floor

Rainforest Zone

1 Utama Shopping Centre

Lebuh Bandar Utama,

Bandar Utama

47800 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Contact:

03-7732 1686

Opening Hours:

Mondays to Sundays 10:00am - 10:00pm

Pho Vietz, Atria Shopping Gallery

The newly renovated Atria Shopping Gallery has finally open its doors to the public & it's now back, bigger than before. I could barely recognize the exterior when our car approached closer to the building. Atria seemed so vast next to the old shops that stood longer than the mall itself.

Just barely months after its soft opening, Atria is already 80% occupied with majority food & beverages tenants. It's a pity that it didn't have a cinema but on 2nd thoughts, it wouldn't have worked anyhow because there are already malls nearby with cineplexes ie Tropicana City Mall & 1 Utama. At least Atria has assures its shoppers will not go hungry after a long day of shopping.

Most of the restaurants are situated on the lowest floor but there are a select few taking space on the upper floors. Pho Vietz occupies a spacious lot on the 3rd floor & what's surprising to see that the restaurant already has a good crowd. Without further ado, WL & I quickly settled to order some food.

I picked their house specialty - pho, loosely translated as beef noodles.

The pho came in a generous bowl of beef slices & rice noodles. Broth was flavourful, well seasoned with herbs & spices to bring out the Vietnamese taste. Slurping in the rice noodles was a joy as the it was thin & smooth in texture. The beef slices have a pungent taste which makes every bite a little difficult to take in. Otherwise, the pho would have been excellent.

WL ordered claypot pork belly stew that came with a bowl of rice, soup & an appetizer.

I took a sip of the gravy for tasting & it turned out a little salty for me but WL seemed to take a liking for stronger flavours. It was tasty, nonetheless. Plus the fat from the pork belly helps elevate the aroma & in the gravy. Another plus point for Pho Vietz!

For the price averaging around RM18, the food is quite worth every cent you pay for. Portion is good, in fact, quite generous to some extent. Taste wise, it fits the generally picky Malaysian palate who is pampered with a plethora of food choices. Definitely a place to worth several visits each time you happen to make a trip to Atria. Rating: 4.2 out of 5.

Address:

T08 & T09, 3rd Floor

Atria Shopping Gallery

Jalan SS22/23

Damansara Jaya

47400 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Opening Hours:

Mondays to Sundays 10:00am - 10:00pm

Manmaru Udon, Mid Valley

WL & I had made plans to visit the KLPJ Wedding Fair held at Mid Valley Convention Centre over the weekend. Psst...psst...wedding bells are ringing. Anyways, I'll reveal when the time is right. It was close to lunch time & we were not even half way done with visiting all the booths. So we decided to take a break & grab a quick bite.

We were at lost of where to eat because there are so many varieties, yet none of it tickled our fancy. Then, we saw Manmaru Udon tucked at the corner next to Amarin Heavenly Thai restaurant. Without further delay, we walked in & took our seat. I called for tempura udon while WL picked teriyaki chicken udon.

About 10 minutes later, the waitress came to serve our orders. I was a little hungry & started slurping over my bowl of noodles, totally forgetting to snap a photo of it. Here is how the udon looks like. I'd must say the udon is springy & of premium quality. It's only a pity that the broth didn't turn out as delicious as I hoped. Or could it be the fact that I wasn't that hungry & affected my judgement? *shrugs*

On the other hand, WL's dish seemed to look more appetizing with the juicy teriyaki chicken slices arranged nicely over the dry udon with onsen egg. The noodles were seasoned with the same sauce from the teriyaki chicken. I took a strands of udon to try & it was more tasty than my dish. But, I wouldn't conclude it as being very scrumptious but at least better than mine.

The price is average; typical of a mid-price restaurant food. With such superb quality noodles, it was a pity that the seasoning was a disappointing. Not that the food was exceptionally bad as some improvement will help the restaurant to a long way. I'm giving a rating 3.5 out of 5.

Address:

S-045A, The Boulevard

Lingkaran Syed Putra

Mid Valley City

59200 Kuala Lumpur.

Contact:

03-2201 1663

Opening Hours:

Mondays to Sundays 10:00am - 10:00pm

Go Thai @ SS2, PJ

It was day off today & took the opportunity to complete some of the tasks off my to-do things to complete over the long holidays. I got a hair cut at a Korean salon, then had lunch with WL before heading back to his home for a rest. At night, we decided to try out this new Thai restaurant at SS2 called Go Thai.

Go Thai occupies a small space at Jalan SS2/24 which is a row of shops nearby the popular durian spots. When we arrived, the restaurant was already filled with dinner crowd. We took our seats & ordered our food. I called for kuay teow soup while WL opted for braised duck rice.

The kuay teow is rather interesting because it's not the broad type of flat noodles we usually at hawker stalls. The noodles are narrower in width & slightly translucent in colour. It came in clear broth with pork balls & fish paste. The portion is a little small by Malaysian standards but at least the taste is quite authentic.

WL's braised duck rice came in small portion too but nevertheless, it tasted pretty decent. The amount of duck slices were miserable, although miserable, had some vege & half piece of boiled egg to complement the dish. Not the most ideal but better than nothing.

Go Thai is definitely a family restaurant because the premise is not spacious & the air ventilation is poor. In fact, it would be more comfortable to sit at the pavement outside the restaurant. It's the kind of restaurant that promotes a quick fix to a hungry stomach. I'm giving this restaurant a rating of 3.8 out of 5.

Address:

187, Jalan SS2/24

Seksyen 22

47300 Petaling Jaya

Selangor

Contact no:

012-2891922

Opening Hours:

Tuesday to Sundays 11:30am - 9.45pm