Category: Asia

Jack’s steak house

Jack’s Steak House is a long-established restaurant in Naha that opened in 1953. It used to be an “A-sign” restaurant that was approved for US military personnel when Okinawa was still under American rule. The restaurant has maintained its retro old American diner decor. No reservations are available; however, service is fast, and you won’t have to wait long for a seat.

I arrived at the restaurant around 6 pm, which was already packed. The menu has three kinds of steak: tenderloin steak, New York steak, and hamburger steak. The tenderloin steak is available in three sizes; small, medium, and large, while the New York steak and hamburger steak comes in two sizes; large and small. All steaks come with a side of potato wedges and onions, soup, two toasted buttered buns, and salad. I opted for the medium tenderloin steak.

The soup was bland. It was a very light cream of corn soup. The steak was well done, but I was not impressed with the flavor. It was good but not outstanding. It lacked that rich, smokey beef flavor.

Tenderloin steak (medium) ¥ 2,500

 

Jack’s steakhouse

Website: https://www.steak.co.jp/

Opening hours: Daily 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m (except for the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month)

Telephone: (098)868-2408

Address: 1-7-3 Nishi, Naha City

A humble Shokudo and Teishoku restaurant

Tokashiku beach
Aharen beach

 

I visited Tokashiki Island in December. Many shops and restaurants were closed because it was not a peak tourist period. I took a taxi from Tokashiki Port to Aharen Beach. The taxi lady was kind to show me the open restaurants.

After a lovely soak in the sun and sea, I headed to a family-run Shokudo and Teishoku restaurant that the taxi lady recommended for lunch. Teishoku serves set menus, and Shokudo serves a variety of inexpensive Japanese dishes. The interior of the restaurant was basic, with wooden tables and benches.

 

I ordered stir-fried vegetables on Okinawa soba (700 yen). I opted to sit outside because it was a beautiful day with cool weather. The dish tasted home-cooked, and the broth was flavorful. It was a simple yet satisfying meal.

 

食堂 さち

Telephone: +81 98-987-3108

Opening hours:  Open daily from 11:00 a.m. – 13:30 p.m., 17:30p.m. – 20:00 p.m.

Address: 145-2 Aharen, Tokashiki, Shimajiri District, Okinawa 901-3502, Japan

Miso with a history

Tamanaha has been making miso since the Ryukyu Kingdom period. This miso warehouse is less than a 10-minute walk from Gibo station. The warehouse has an old exterior with a white sign “味噌醤油” (miso soy sauce) on the door. The miso here is produced through natural fermentation without additives. They sell four kinds of miso, and the information is available on their website.

I was greeted by a sweet old lady. I told her I wanted to buy miso, and she pointed to a glass display case on the left-hand side of the entrance. There were four types of miso on display. The descriptions were all in Japanese, so I asked if she could tell me the difference between the four. She could not speak English, so she took me to a room at the back of the building filled with barrels of miso with two other ladies packaging miso.

I thought she was going to get someone who could speak English to cater to me, but instead, she handed me a leaflet with information on the miso, took a scoop of miso from one of the barrels for me to taste, and pointed to the corresponding miso on the leaflet. I went on to taste the remaining three miso.

The miso was mild and umami with depth to the flavor.

I bought the uchimiso (540 yen) and dynasty miso (860 yen). The two are similar in taste; however, the dynasty miso is richer in flavor.

I definitely recommend this miso!

 

 

Tamanaha miso

Website: http://www.tamanahamiso.co.jp/index.html (only in Japanese)

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 17:30 p.m.

Telephone: +81 98-884-1972

Address: 1-chōme-41 Shuriōnakachō, Naha, Okinawa 903-0823, Japan

 

Bacar, Italian style pizza

Bacar is a pizzeria less than a five-minute walk from the Prefectural Office Station. It is in a dark alley, but with its bright neon yellow sign, you can’t miss it. The interior and exterior have a rustic European bistro feel.

I read that this place can get quite packed, so I got there right after it opened. True enough, 40 minutes later, the restaurant started to fill up.

The restaurant offers a simple menu of two kinds of pizzas (Yes, only Margherita and Marinara), appetizers, drinks, and desserts. I ordered a salad, pizza, and dessert.

I started with a green salad with thinly sliced Okinawan pork roast ham. The ham was savory with a mild smokey flavor; it enveloped each bite with a lovely umami flavor. The waiter told me they would start making the pizza once I finished my salad.

The pizza was cooked in a wood-fired oven. Watching the pizzaiolo make pizza was like watching an artist work on a painting. The waiter who showed me to my seat waited next to the oven, grabbed the dish as soon as the pizza hit the plate, and sprinted across the room to deliver the pizza. The Margherita pizza had a perfect balance of tomato and mozzarella cheese (flown in from Italy). The pizza had quite a bit of olive oil; I could see it glistening under the light. The pizza had characteristics of a Neopolitan pizza crust – smokey, crispy, tender, and chewy. Each bite is a mouthful of goodness!

I had the Crema Catalina for dessert. Bacar added its own twist to this Spanish dessert by freezing it. The texture is harder, dense, and cold. The taste is similar to Crème brûlée. It was not very sweet or creamy, without the heaviness and a hint of bitterness from the burnt brown sugar topping; I loved it!

The total cost of the meal was ¥2720. This is an excellent place to go if you want Italian-style pizza.

 

Bacar

Website: http://bacar.jp/

Telephone: 098-863-5678

Opening hours: 18:00 p.m. – 23:00 p.m. (Closed on Tuesdays)

Address: 3 Chome-16-15 Kumoji, Naha-shi, Okinawa-ken 900-0015, Japan

 

Lip-smacking fried chicken and waffles

CC Chicken N’ Waffles is a small restaurant opened by an American who relocated to Okinawa with his Japanese wife. Located not far from American Village in Chatan, the restaurant is tucked away beneath an apartment building along the seawall of Miyagi Coast.

Despite its modest size, the restaurant has a welcoming charm. Cody, the owner, was friendly, attentive, and thoughtful, making sure my needs were taken care of throughout my visit. The bar-style setting, combined with classic rock music playing in the background, instantly gave me the feeling of being in a small American diner. Customers can pay in either US dollars or Japanese yen

The chicken gumbo was delicious, packed with tender chicken pieces, okra, and red peppers. It had a pleasant kick of spice (flavourful rather than overpowering) with a rich, herbal depth that made the dish very comforting.

The moment I took my first bite of the chicken, I was genuinely impressed. The fried chicken was perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection, with an ultra-crispy skin while remaining tender and juicy inside. The waffle was equally well done — crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and served with a sweet and savoury syrup that complemented the flavours beautifully.

This was one of the best chicken and waffles I have had, and I would highly recommend this restaurant.

 

CC Chicken N’ Waffles

Website: https://www.facebook.com/CRAYz-Chicken-N-Waffles-873952185963191/

Telephone: +81 98-979-9008

Opening hours: Sunday & Monday  8:00 a.m. – 17:00 p.m.

Tuesday to Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 21:00 p.m.

Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 15:00 p.m., 17:00 p.m. – 22:00 p.m.

Address: 1−６８ Miyagi, Chatan, Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture 904-0113, Japan

Hilton Kuala Lumpur

Hotel Kuala Lumpur is located in the KL Sentral district. This is my first time staying at a Hilton hotel. The location is strategically convenient, with the airport express train just a stone’s throw away. I love the layout of the room. The rooms are well equipped. I especially like the tub and the rainforest shower. The pool area is connected with Le Meridien, so it’s quite spacious.

On my first night at the hotel, I ordered room service. I got myself fish soup noodles for dinner. The soup and the noodles came separately. The soup was in a steel jug. I thought that was a creative touch. The noodles came garnished with sea bass, asparagus, shiitake, Choi sum, fried onions, and a sprinkle of white pepper. The umami broth was rich and savory. The ingredients were fresh.

For breakfast the next day, I ordered pancakes and a Cappuccino. The pancakes were decent. The Cappuccino tasted like it came from a coffee vending machine. The flavor of the milk was more prominent than the coffee, and too much milk froth. That was a real disappointment.

The buffet breakfast is located at Vasco’s restaurant. The staff was friendly and helpful. The view from the restaurant was not as fantastic as it is facing the main road.

The breakfast had a good spread of western and Malaysian cuisine. I was impressed with the flavor authenticity of the Malaysian dishes. I had Nasi Lemak (coconut rice), Roti Canai (Indian flatbread), teh Tarik (pull tea), and Nyonya kuih (Malaysian dessert), and it tasted authentic.

There is a juice bar serving freshly squeezed juice, and guests can also request a custom juice.

Overall, I thought the food was excellent, especially the Malaysian cuisine.

 

Hilton Kuala Lumpur

Website: http://life.hiltonkl.com/#

Telephone: +603 2264 2264

Address: 3, Jalan Stesen Sentral, Kuala Lumpur Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Koon Kee Wantan Mee: A Taste of Childhood Nostalgia

After renewing my IC at UTC, Pudu, I took a stroll down Petaling Street (Chinatown) to find a place for lunch. I passed by Koon Kee and saw that they serve Wantan Mee. Since I haven’t had Wantan Mee for quite some time, I thought I give this place a try. Many would find the restaurant’s exterior appalling at first sight -it looks like a decrepit dirty shed. Koon Kee has been around since 1947, which explains the state that it is in now, but it would be nice if they could do some touch-ups to make the place more pleasant. There are only ceiling fans inside the restaurant, if you are seated inside, it’s pretty cool but the outside (under the shed) can be somewhat hot.

I ordered the classic Wantan Mee, which consists of char siew (bbq pork), choy sum, a bowl of soup with wontons, and pickled green chili. The noodles were perfectly cooked and springy. The sauce (a mixture of dark soy sauce, soy sauce, and oyster sauce) was aromatic, and the char siew was tender. The wontons had delicate and smooth skin. My first bite instantly evoked nostalgia from my childhood. The flavors were the same as what I had when I was a child. The Wantan Mees that I have had from my past visits were disappointing as they did not have that childhood flavor.

After doing some research online to write a review about this restaurant, it is touted that Koon Kee serves one of the best Wantan Mee in town. I haven’t had enough Wantan Mees to concur with that statement, but I don’t disagree either.

Despite the dirty surrounding, this Wantan Mee is the best I have had in a long while. If I’m in the area, I will definitely go back for more.

 

Koon Kee

Telephone: +60 3-2078 6554

Opening hours: Sunday – Monday (10:00 a.m. – 22:00 p.m.)

Address: 95, Jalan Hang Lekir, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Lavo

The day I went to Lavo was a big night for Manchester United football fans. It was the English premier league, and Manchester United was up against Manchester City. My friend, a Manchester United fan, tried persuading me to go watch the game with him. As I was quite tired and seeing that the match was at midnight, I insisted that I would rather go back to the hotel and rest.  My friend said that he had already made reservations at the lounge, so I would go for one drink.

I can see why my friend brought me to this lounge. With a 200-inch full-HD display, it was the ideal place to watch the game. In addition, the lounge has a big outdoor and indoor dining area.

Lavo is a modern avant-garde resto-lounge located in the hip and upscale Tropicana. The place is very well-ventilated. People were smoking inside, but there was no cigarette smoke smell. It was quite packed when I was there, but the noise level was not too loud.

One thing sort of put me off. I was seated at the bar, and I noticed two bartenders drinking from the glass used for customers, then rinsing it with water and putting it back.

Other than that, this is a good place to hang out with friends.

 

Lavo

Website: https://www.lavomy.com/

Telephone: +60 3-7803 7333

Opening hours: Sunday to Monday (12:00 p.m. – 4:00 a.m.)

Address: Lien Hoe Tower Sdn. Bhd., Menara Lien Hoe, Lien Hoe Tower Sdn. Bhd., G.,, Jalan Tropicana 1/1, Tropicana, 47410 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Famous Amos cookies!

Famous Amos Midvalley

Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies are my all-time favorite. Their stores can be found in most major malls in Kuala Lumpur, such as Suria KLCC, Pavilion, and Sunway Pyramid. The pictures shown here were taken in Midvalley. The store is located on the lower ground floor.

Whenever I am back in Kuala Lumpur, I always try to buy a few bags of cookies. These melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies are packed with sweet, buttery, chocolaty, and nutty flavors. There is an assortment of cookies. My favorite flavors are double chocolate chip pecan, chocolate chip pecan, and chocolate chip macadamia. Other than cookies, they also sell chocolates and sweets.

The cookies are packed into a plastic cookie bag and can be sealed upon request for later consumption. If I remember correctly, it keeps for about 3 weeks. The cookies can also be purchased online on the Malaysia Famous Amos website.

 

Famous Amos

Website: https://www.famousamos.com.my/

 

 

Cheap breakfast the Malaysian way

Staying at the Hilton Sentral, I had a variety of Indian restaurants to choose from in Brickfields (also known as Little Indian), which is just walking distance. But out of convenience, I chose to go to Devi’s corner in Bangsar as I wanted to go shopping at the Bangsar village mall which is just across from the establishment.

One cannot come to Malaysia and not try the Malaysian-style Indian breakfast. It is cheap and good!

The food at Devi’s corner is good but not the best. As I was traveling alone, as long as I got my favorite roti boom (roti with loads of margarine and sugar) and Teh Tarik ice, I am satisfied!

What I liked about Devi’s corner was that it was clean and not overly crowded.

 

 

For me, a cup of cold Teh Tarik (ice pulled tea) with roti boom is the perfect combination. There are many varieties of roti. If it’s your first time trying it, go for the basic roti Canai first as all other variations are based on this quintessential flatbread. All rotis are served with dhal curry and either fish or chicken curry.

Teh Tarik is considered Malaysia’s national drink. It is made from black tea and condensed milk.  Teh Tarik got its name from the “pulling” process as the tea is poured from one mug to another. This process gives the tea its smooth texture and thick frothy top.

The dishes that I have mentioned above can be found in almost all similar Indian establishments (or known as Mamak stalls locally).

 

Devi’s corner

Opening hours: open 24 hours

Telephone number: +60 12-267 6714