Author: Thefoodiefetish

I'm Jess, an enthusiast of gastronomy. Food isn't just sustenance; it's an expression of culture, creativity, and the ultimate form of enjoyment. My greatest pleasure during travel comes from venturing into eateries worldwide, uncovering a world of culinary wonders.

Niajo, Beijing (closed)

 Niajo is a little authentic Spanish restaurant tucked away on the 3rd floor of Nali Patio (A Mediterranean-style courtyard mall). This is my favorite place to come for Spanish food. The place is dimly lit with a window view on one side of the restaurant with an elegant and sophisticated ambiance. Great place to bring a date.
The manager is a Filipino, he was very welcoming and friendly. On special occasions such as birthdays, they will give a complimentary drink. 
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Ensalada queso cremoso, frutos rojos, berenjena, pepino, tomates, y aceitunas

The goat cheese salad with forest berries and eggplant was interesting. I’ve never been fond of any kind of fruit dressing, but this one turned out to be very flavorful. It had the right amount of dressing, so it wasn’t too sweet and overwhelming. It went well with the goat cheese and lettuce.

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 The croquettes are one of my favorite dishes and a must-try. I ordered the chicken and ham croquettes. They were crispy on the outside and deliciously creamy on the inside. Taste like a crispy, creamy chicken pie. Love it!

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The chicken paella was mouth watering. The portion was perfect for two. The chicken was tender, and the beans were well cooked. The first time I had their paella, it came with some kind of garlic cream which went fantastic with the rice dish. But this time there wasn’t. It was still good nonetheless. 

If you are looking for an authentic Spanish gastronomy experience in Beijing, this is the place to be!

3rd Floor Nali Huayuan (Nali Patio)
81 Sanlitun Bei Lu, Chaoyang District
Beijing, China
北京市朝阳区三里屯北路81号
那里花园三层邮编100027

niajo@niajo.com | +86 010 5208 6052

Punjabi Indian cuisine, Beijing

 

The Punjabi Indian restaurant serves up Indian-Pakistani cuisine. This cozy venue serves up great Indian classics such as Paneer Saag and Murgh Makhani. The restaurant is furnished with South-Asian ornaments and Indian paintings. When you enter the restaurant, there is a strong aroma of spices and incense. There are four window booths decorated with Indian fabrics. This is my go-to place for Indian food and it might just be the best in Beijing.
I am from Malaysia, and Indian food is one of the major cuisines there. Having been exposed to Indian food at a very young age, I have come to love it.  Some dishes remind me of home. They have a comprehensive menu which makes it hard to decide what to order. Nonetheless, the food here is awesome!

Plain Dosa

One of my favorite Indian dish. Indian crepe served with coconut chutney and curry. Lovely!

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Paneer Saag (Spinach Cottage Cheese)

I have never been a fan of this dish, but it is a refreshing dish from all the curry dishes.

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Butter Chicken and Garlic Naan

One can’t go wrong with butter chicken and naan – the pair goes well together.

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Malai Tikka (creamed marinated chicken Tikka)

served with 3 different dips – jam-like sauce, bbq sauce, and a green minty sauce. It went very well with the green mint sauce. The chicken itself is a little bland.

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Mixed vegetable curry

This curry was very flavorful, great for vegetarians.

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Mushroom Masala

If you are a fan of button mushrooms, then this is the dish to get!

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Gosht Kadhai

A very savory lamb curry.

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Mutton Biryani

This rice dish is delicious! The mutton is tender and flavorful. It’s good on its own or with curry.

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Malaysian hawker cuisine

Malaysia is a place of culinary diversity, with Chinese, Indian and Malay influences.

I went back to Malaysia two weeks ago to celebrate Chinese New Year with my family. My dad is from Kuala Lumpur, and my mom is from Kuching, Sarawak.

I thought I share snapshots of a few traditional Malaysian foods I had.

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KLCC Park, Kuala Lumpur

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Prawn Mee

Prawn Mee is egg and rice noodles in a savory shrimp stock accompanied with usually sliced hard-boiled egg, chicken shreds, prawns, bean sprouts, fried shallots, and sambal.

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Char Kuey Teow

Char kuey teow ( Char = fried, kuey teow = rice noodles) is one of Malaysia’s top dishes. It is rice noodles fried with pork lard, dark and light soy sauce, chili, often de-shelled cockles, bean sprouts, Chinese chives, prawns, and egg.
It is a must-try!

 

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Curry Laksa 

Curry laksa is a coconut-based curry served with a choice of egg noodles, rice vermicelli, or both. The one I ordered had bean curd puffs, fish balls, bean sprouts garnished with mint leaves, served with a side of sambal chili sauce.  

 

 

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Kuching (snapshot was taken from my hotel)

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Chinese style chicken curry

One can’t be in Malaysia and not try chicken curry. There are many varieties of chicken curry: Malay, Indian, Nyonya, and Chinese. Chicken curry paired with rice is heavenly! 

Ice Kacang

This is one of my favorite Malaysian desserts. It tastes way better than it looks. It is shaved ice drizzled with creamed corn, evaporated milk, condensed milk, gula Melaka (palm sugar), and red rose syrup. Underneath, you’ll find grass jelly, red beans, nata de coco, cendol, peanuts, and sometimes colored jelly and sea coconut. There are many variations now in terms of the ingredients. But I prefer the original flavor.
The ice kacang shown in the picture is the Kuching style ice kacang. It does not have as many ingredients as the one we get in Kuala Lumpur. But all in all, still good.

Nothing beats having ice kacang during a hot day in Malaysia.

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There is an endless list of amazing hawker food. Unfortunately, these are the only snapshots I took during my trip. If you do travel to Malaysia, be sure to try these mouth-watering dishes. 🙂