Italiannies @ The Gardens (permanently closed)

On our last day in the city (Kuala Lumpur), after shopping at The Gardens Mall, my siblings and I wanted to have a good western lunch. So we looked at the directory and decided on the Italian restaurant – Italiannies. The restaurant is located on the 2nd floor, on the same side as Robinsons. At first glance, the restaurant has a modern rustic yet inviting atmosphere.

There were only two waiters, and we had to wait quite some time for someone to take our orders. One was more professional and friendlier than the other. As we were hungry, it seemed like an eternity for our food to be served.

We ordered the Sicilian Chicken salad, which was marinated diced chicken breast, mango, red grapes, and walnuts, tossed in a Sicilian dressing on crisp romaine lettuce. The croutons could be more buttery and crispy; however, I liked that it had a light dressing as it allowed me to savor the sweetness of the fruits and lettuce. A refreshing salad dish.

The baked orecchiette with chicken sausage was amazing. The first mouthful I took instantly made me wanting more. The taste reminded me of Carbonara except less thick and more savory. And the baked cheese on top, mmm, love it!

What I liked about this dish was the fish. It was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I did not fancy the cioppino sauce; it tasted like store-bought pasta sauce. The rice had a nice Italian seasoning flavor to it.

The salmon took a really long time to be served. The mashed potatoes were palatable, it had a thicker and chewier consistency with a lovely coating of some kind of chicken gravy. I was disappointed to find that the salmon was overcooked, so I requested another. When I went over to the counter to pay, the “friendlier” waiter apologized again for the overcooked salmon.

All in all, this was not a great dining experience. The food was mediocre except for the baked orecchiette. The service was poor and there was even a 10 percent service charge. The food did not justify the price.

I don’t think I will dine at this restaurant again, neither would I recommend it.

Bala’s Banana Leaf

The restaurant is very clean compared to many banana leaf places I have been to.

The basic banana leaf meal is RM 7.5 ( about 1.8 USD), consisting of white rice, 4 different types of vegetables, fried chili, papadom, and a choice of dhal, chicken curry, fish curry, and mutton curry. If one prefers a different type of rice, there is a choice of Indian rice or biryani (extra charge). There are also other types of curries, varuval, kurma, and masala, that one can order (extra charge).

The waiters were friendly. We were spoiled for choices, so one of the waiters recommended some of their popular dishes, and they were all flavorful. Overall, the dishes were good. My family and I enjoyed our meal.

Banana leaf meals are usually eaten by hand. However, if you don’t mind digging your hands into gravies, do give it a try; it’ll definitely be an interesting eating experience.

Certain etiquettes would be good to observe and be aware of. Banana leaf is folded inwards after the meal as a sign of gratitude; folding outwards is considered rude.

Bala’s banana leaf

Opening hours: 8a.m to midnight

Telephone number: +60 3-2201 7107

Address: Lucky Garden Bangsar, 21, Lorong Ara Kiri 1, Lucky Garden, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Night Markets in KL

Night Market SS2

The Malaysian night market, or as the locals call it Pasar Malam, can be considered a quintessential local cultural practice that has been around for a long time. It is a street market that is opened at night in certain residential neighborhoods. Here you can find a wide range of local food, electronics, clothing, household item and etc. The night market is a great place to taste various local delicacies all in one place.
As the night markets in KL are not commercialized, one is still able to get an authentic experience.

Below are the addresses of two of the more popular night markets in KL.

SS2 Pasar Malam

Opening hours: Monday, 4pm-12midnight

Taman Connaught Pasar Malam (one of the longest night markets in Malaysia, spanning over 2 kilometers long)

Opening hours: Wednesdays, 5:00 pm to 1:00 am

Inside scoop ice cream

A friend took me to an up-and-coming local ice cream parlor call Inside Scoop. We went to the Damansara Jaya branch.

Inside scoop started off as one store in Bangsar. Now it has expanded and they have 17 outlets throughout Selangor and in other states. I liked that they created unique local flavors such as durian, teh tarik, and cendol using local ingredients such as local tea and gula melaka (palm sugar) to the ice cream.

We ordered the peanut butter cup, strawberry, and durian. It cost 18.50 ringgit for a triple scoop. The ice cream was smooth, creamy, and rich in flavor. It exceeded my expectations.

Inside scoop can definitely compete with international ice cream chains.

Inside scoop ice cream (Damansara Jaya)

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

Opening hours: Daily 11:30 a.m. – 19:30 p.m.

Address: 57, Jalan SS 22/19, Damansara Jaya, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Kuching delicacies

I made a trip back to Kuching, Sarawak two weeks ago to visit my grandmother. It has been 3 years since my last visit. Kuching has many unique local foods. Here are some that I had.

Sarawak Laksa

The Sarawak laksa, or as the locals call it Kuching laksa, is a dish of an array of flavors. The main ingredient is a paste made of a wide range of local ingredients which is then added to the broth. It is usually garnished with prawns, chicken and omelet strips, bean sprouts, freshly chopped coriander, and lime. The soup is tangy (from the lime), spicy, creamy (coconut milk), with a hint of sweetness.

Kuching laksa can be found in most hawker centers in Kuching.

Kolo Mee

Kolo mee is a signature Kuching dish. It is dry egg noodles in a light sauce topped with minced pork, shallots, fried onion, slices of char siew (barbecued pork), and white pepper. It is a must-have whenever I visit. My mother, who is from Kuching, says that one of the best and authentic kolo mee is at the expert food court. The map below shows the exact location of the food court. The expert food court is not available on google maps but I’m guessing the vegetarian foods stall is located within the expert food court.

Crispy tomato ketchup noodles

This dish is only exclusively available in Kuching and is one of the local favorites. As one can tell from the name of the dish, it is basically deep-fried noodles in ketchup sauce. My mum and cousins love it. I, on the other hand, am not too fond of the dish. It only tasted like ketchup to me. However, if you had not had this dish before, it may be worth a try. Who knows? maybe you might like it.

Hakka Lei Cha

Lei Cha (tea rice) is a traditional Hakka dish. The Hakkas are Han Chinese people whose ancestral homes are chiefly from the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhejiang, Hainan, and Guizhou. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakka_people). The soup base consists of grounded tea leaves, herbs, peanuts, and sesame seeds, thus giving the soup a greenish color. The soup is accompanied with a bowl of rice topped with chopped green vegetables and beans, tofu, pickled radish, and crushed peanuts. The toppings vary depending on the person who makes them. As the soup consist of the herb Kulixin, it can be somewhat bitter to some people. Even though it is bitter, I find this dish really fragrant (from the roasted peanuts). It took a few tries before I started liking the dish. Nonetheless, it is a very hearty and healthy dish!

Not a lot of stalls make this dish well. The one I had that was really good was at the expert food court located at Jalan Datuk Amar Kalong Ningkan.

Sugarcane with Coconut Flesh

This is a popular drink in Kuching. It is a concoction of fresh sugarcane juice, fresh coconut juice, and coconut flesh. It is perfect on a hot day. The place to get this drink is at Song Kheng Hai hawker center.

There are so many more delicious food Kuching has to offer. I hope I get to share more in the future.

Durian buffet SS2

Durian is my favorite fruit of all time! I absolutely love it! To others, though, the smell of the durian can be repulsive.

If you are a durian fan like me, then the durian SS2 in Petaling Jaya is the place to go! Some of the best durian varieties are sold here, like Musang King, D24, and XO. The prices of the durian vary depending on the type of durian and weight. The workers will help you choose the durian based on the variety requested. Before serving the durian, you are allowed to taste the pulp. If you are dissatisfied, you can request another.

I had the D24 and XO during my last trip back. The D24 was more expensive than the XO. The D24 was between 70 – 80 ringgit (per durian) and the XO was around 55 ringgit. Both the D24 and XO had a creamy texture and a bittersweet taste.

They are opened from Monday to Sunday, from 10am to 12am.

Telephone: 012-234-5619

Website: https://www.durianss2.com/

Camembert with grapes and saltine crackers

I used to have a strong distaste for the thought of pairing cheeses or dry-cured ham with fruits such as Camembert and grapes, Parma ham, and cantaloupe. I could not imagine how those flavors together would taste good until I had my first taste of Camembert paired with grapes and saltine crackers. I was blown away at how amazing it tasted. There could not be more perfect matrimony of flavors! The contrast of the grapes’ sweetness, the buttery saltiness flavor of the crackers, and the slight milky, creamy cheese flavor, make this pairing memorable.

Camembert is a soft, earthy, creamy cow’s milk cheese with a hint of sweetness originating from France, specifically Camembert in northern France. I personally like to have Camembert with crunchy red grapes such as the red globe or seedless flame because of its high level of sweetness and saltine crackers. Water crackers are also good.

Camembert with grapes and saltine crackers can be served as part of breakfast or as a snack.

My first meal in Kyoto

My first meal in Kyoto was dinner at this small, homey Okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake) restaurant on Sanjo-jingu-Michi (Okonomiyaki Bonbori).

. The owners were a lovely elderly couple. The menu was simple, with a variety of Okonomiyaki, noodles, and stir-fried dishes. There is no English menu available. Luckily, my sister could read and speak Japanese.

My sister and I were tired after a day of traveling, so we did not order too much. We ordered a stir-fried vegetable, fried kimchi udon noodles, and a seafood Okonomiyaki. The fried kimchi udon noodle was better than I expected. It is a mixture of sweet, salty, and sour (from the kimchi). The pork slices in the fried udon were incredibly tender and savory; they had absorbed all the different flavors.

It was our first time having Okonomiyaki. It was intriguing watching the man make it. We were full of anticipation. When the Okonomiyaki was placed in front of us, we were like two children who could not wait to dig into a bowl of cookies. 🙂

I could only taste the sweetness of the Okonomiyaki sauce on my first bite, but as I ate, the other flavors (the vegetables, egg, shrimp, and squid) began to present themselves. It was a savory pancake indeed and also very filling!

This is an excellent place to eat if you are in the area and looking for something less commercial.

Okonomiyaki Bonbori (permanently closed)

Al Safir, Middle Eastern Cuisine

Al Safir is my go-to place for middle eastern food – good value for good food. The restaurant is not big; there are 6 tables inside. When the weather is warmer, there will be tables outside to accommodate more customers. Al Safir is not as fancy as the other middle eastern restaurants in Beijing, but the food is one of the best. The menu has a good selection along with pictures which are very helpful when ordering especially for those who are not familiar with the dishes.

I always order the lentil soup when I’m here. It’s hearty and savory. The lemon juice adds a zing to the flavor. The vegetable soup was not too bad, nothing exceptional.

The fattoush is a great tangy palate-cleansing salad. It is a toasted pita bread salad with mixed greens, tomatoes, and cucumber. I love the crunchiness and juiciness of the salad. The Moutabal (eggplant and tahini dip) on the other hand was too sour for me. So I did not have too much of it.

The Bamya bel lahmeh is popular Arabic okra with lamb stew. It is a strong tomato-based stew but not offsetting. You can have it with rice or on its own as soup. The kebab platter consists of beef, lamb, and chicken. The meat was tasty and succulent. There are two dips for the meat, one is a tomato and onion dip, and the other is some kind of mayo dip which is absolutely delicious, it gives the meat an extra boost in flavor.

One of my favorite rice dishes is the Kabsa chicken. The chicken is tender and comes right off the bone. It is lightly seasoned, so it still retains its natural chicken flavor. There are yogurt and a special sauce that you can add to the rice for more flavor. The saffron rice is just plain saffron rice ..haha.

I highly recommend this place!

Horie Meijiken

image via https://tabelog.com/osaka/A2701/A270201/27001834/dtlrvwlst/B208949884/

Meijiken is a Western Japanese restaurant located in Shinsaibashi. This restaurant serves omu rice (omelet rice), cutlets, curry rice, soups, and steak. There are English menus available, but they do not include all the dishes on the Japanese menu, and they do not accept credit cards. There was a waiter who could speak sufficient English when we were there.

My sister ordered the omu rice with a chicken cutlet. She enjoyed it; she thought it was delicious. For me, it just tasted like tomato rice and egg. It was decent, but nothing special about it. That is just my personal opinion. The chicken cutlet was nice and crusty outside, but the inside was pretty flavorful.

I ordered the steak set with a soup (of your choice), salad, and bread/rice. I ordered the creamy corn soup, which was light and creamy. The salad came with a Thousand Island dressing. The bread was lightly toasted, fresh, and warm, with a hint of sweetness. I ordered my steak well done; it came with a brown sauce, which I was not too fond of; it did not agree with my taste buds. The steak, however, went really well with the two pastes served on the plate – mustard and pepper (I think).

Nearing the end of our meal, my sister was craving something more. So she ordered the beef stew. The stew was hearty and delicious! It was full of flavor. The potato, carrot, and beef pieces were tender. It would go lovely with rice.

The total was around 5300 yen. I would say this is a restaurant worth exploring.

Horie Meijiken

Website: https://meijiken.crayonsite.net/

Opening hours: Daily 11:30 p.m. – 21:00 p.m., closed on Wednesdays

Telephone: +81 0665398250

Address: 1 Chome-14-30 Minamihorie, Nishi Ward, Osaka, 550-0015, Japan