GO M2 J2

SHAH ALAM + TTDI JAYA + BUKIT JELUTONG + SUBANG PERMAI - RESTAURANTS

2011-05-08T21:16:00.000+08:00

NOTE:
GREEN TEXT – BEEN TO
NORMAL TEXT – GOING TO
**** FAVOURITE
*** MORE THAN ONE VISIT
** ONE VISIT THUS FAR, TO VISIT AGAIN
* ONE TIME VISIT ONLY (NO MORE VISIT)

SHAH ALAM SECTION U1 - SECTION U20:
SHAH ALAM SECTION U2 - TTDI JAYA
IKAN LAGA – SU2 S.ALAM ***
GRAND TURISMO – SU2 S.ALAM *
YAMAN – SU2 S.ALAM ***
BANGI KOPITIAM – SU2 S.ALAM ***
D'ARAB CAFE – SU2 S.ALAM **
DHIYA – SU2 S.ALAM
LONTONG HOUSE – SU2 S.ALAM ***
SRI BUNGA - SU2 S.ALAM
GEYLANG KOPITIAM – SU2 S.ALAM *
UNCLE BISTRO BERIYANI – SU2 S.ALAM
AIMAR – SU2 S.ALAM ***
WARUNG OPAH – SU2 S.ALAM
KAFE AN NURS – SU2 S.ALAM
TRY THAI – SU2 S.ALAM
ANI SUP UTARA – SU2 S.ALAM *
BIGFOOD – SU2 S.ALAM ***
JM BARIANI – SU2 S.ALAM **
EIMAN TOMYAM – SU2 S.ALAM ***
MAYANG SARI – SU2 S.ALAM
IKAN BAKAR MAJU – SU2 S.ALAM *** ~ GO FOR IKAN BAKAR
SRI TTDI – SU2 S.ALAM

SHAH ALAM SECTION U6 - SUBANG PERMAI
BIG PLATE – SU6 S.ALAM ***
KAFE AN NURS – SU6 S.ALAM ***

SHAH ALAM SECTION U8 - BUKIT JELUTONG
D'ORANGE – SU8 S.ALAM ***
KOPITIAM ETON – SU8 S.ALAM **** ~ GO FOR NASI LEMAK
KAYU MANIS – SU8 S.ALAM ***
WARUNG MAK JAH – SU8 S.ALAM *** ~ GO FOR BRIYANI
ULAM DESA – SU8 S.ALAM ***
PIZZA SAN FRANCISCO - SU8 S.ALAM - HALAL?
AYERS ROCK BUTCHER & GRILL – SU8 S.ALAM
ASAM PEDAS - SU8 S.ALAM - HALAL?
KOPI KAW KOPITIAM - SU8 S.ALAM

SHAH ALAM SECTION 2 - SECTION 36
SERAI THAI – S2 S.ALAM ***
LE LAC – S7 S.ALAM *
PINE 38 – S9 S.ALAM **
NALURI CAFE – S9 S.ALAM ***
MUNAWARAH - CHINESE MUSLIM – S9 S.ALAM *
NASI KING – S9 S.ALAM
CILI MERAH & DAUN PISANG – S9 S.ALAM ***
SAHARA TENT – S9 S.ALAM
SRI HAINAN KOPITIAM – S9 S.ALAM *
ZAM ZAM – MIDDLE EAST - S9 S.ALAM
HARTINIE – S10 S.ALAM ****
AZIRA – S10 S.ALAM ****
PAK MAL – S10 S.ALAM
MONRODS – S13 S.ALAM ***
BAN-J - S13 S.ALAM
KILLENEY – S13 S.ALAM ***
LAMAN GRILL – S13 S.ALAM **
MR.STEAKHOUSE - S13 S.ALAM
SHUHAIDA SEAFOOD – S13 S.ALAM *
ASLI KG SIAM – S13 S.ALAM *
TUPAI TUPAI – S13 S.ALAM ***
TERATAI – S13 S.ALAM *
HOMST - CHINESE MUSLIM – S13 S.ALAM ****
BISTRO QASEH – S13 S.ALAM ***
JAYATI – S13 S.ALAM ***
TEAPOT DELI – SACC S14 S.ALAM *
UNCLE K KOPITIAM – SACC S14 S.ALAM
O SHIMA SUSHI – S26 S.ALAM

EAST KL + HULU KLANG + BUKIT ANTARABANGSA + AMPANG + PANDAN + WANGSA MAJU + SETIAWANGSA - RESTAURANTS

2011-05-08T20:43:00.006+08:00

NOTE:
GREEN TEXT – BEEN TO
NORMAL TEXT – GOING TO
**** FAVOURITE
*** MORE THAN ONE VISIT
** ONE VISIT THUS FAR, TO VISIT AGAIN
* ONE TIME VISIT ONLY (NO MORE VISIT)

EAST KL - HULU KLANG + BUKIT ANTARABANGSA + AMPANG + PANDAN + WANGSA MAJU + SETIAWANGSA
AL-RAWSHA – MIDDLE EAST – OFF JLN AMPANG
ASAM PEDAS – SETIAWANGSA ***
BARA 1 BISTRO – TAMAN CEMPAKA, AMPANG
BORA OMBAK – AMPANG **
CHENG HO – CHINESE MUSLIM – WANGSA MAJU ****
COSY PLACE – WANGSA MAJU – HALAL?
CT-ONE FORZE CAFÉ – WANGSA MAJU
FAMOUS THAI AROMA – AMPANG
HJ. SHAHRIN LOW – CHINESE – B.ANTARABANGSA
INTAI INTAI – HULU KLANG
ISTANA BAMBU – HULU KLANG
MANGO CHILI – WANGSA WALK, WANGSA MAJU
PAK Z KOPITIAM – KOREAN – AMPANG **
RAI STATION – PUNJABI – WANGSA MAJU
SERI WANGSA SEAFOOD – WANGSA MAJU
SIDEWALK CAFE – AMPANG
SWEET TREE – KOREAN ETC – AMPANG ****
TANJUNG SEAFOOD & BBQ – AMPANG
WADI HADRAMAWT – MIDDLE EAST – OFF JLN AMPANG

CENTRAL KL + BUKIT BINTANG ETC - RESTAURANTS

2011-05-08T20:35:00.000+08:00

NOTE:

GREEN TEXT – BEEN TO

NORMAL TEXT – GOING TO

**** FAVOURITE

*** MORE THAN ONE VISIT

** ONE VISIT THUS FAR, TO VISIT AGAIN

* ONE TIME VISIT ONLY (NO MORE VISIT)

CENTRAL KL

CAFE VIENNA – LOT 10, BKT BTG

COZY CORNER – AMPANG PARK ***

EEST WESTIN KL – CHINESE – BKT BTG **

ENAK KL – BKT BTG

IBUNDA – JLN BKT BTG

LITTLE PENANG CAFE – KLCC **

MUSEUM RESTAURANT – MEDITERRANEAN - KL **

SAWARABINA – MIDDLE EAST – TITIWANGSA LAKE

SOUK BEIRUT – MIDDLE EAST - JLN JELATEK

TAJINE – MOROCCAN – BKT BTG

THE CASTLE – MIDDLE EAST – KG.BARU

UORIKA REST – MOROCCAN – BKT BTG

YOURCHEFF – JLN TANGSI, KL **

WEST KL + TTDI + SRI HARTAMAS + MONT KIARA + DAMANSARA HEIGHTS + BANGSAR - RESTAURANTS

2011-05-08T19:32:00.010+08:00

NOTE:

GREEN TEXT – BEEN TO

NORMAL TEXT – GOING TO

**** FAVOURITE

*** MORE THAN ONE VISIT

** ONE VISIT THUS FAR, TO VISIT AGAIN

* ONE TIME VISIT ONLY (NO MORE VISIT)

WEST KL - TTDI + SRI HARTAMAS + MONT KIARA + DAMANSARA HEIGHTS + BANGSAR

AUNTY NAT – SRI HARTAMAS *

BORA ASMARA – SG.PENCHALA *

CAFÉ BARBERA – BANGSAR **

CHEF & BREW – BKT DAMANSARA *

D'CENGKIH – TTDI

DOLI KUEY TEOW - TTDI **

FARAH BILL – TTDI - CLOSED?

LAZIZ – MIDDLE EASTERN – M.KIARA **

MEATWORKS – M.KIARA ****

MUHIBBAH STEAMBOAT – TTDI **

PENANG VILLAGE – TTDI *

PUTERI – TTDI *

REBUNG – BANGSAR *

SAMSAARA – SRI HARTAMAS

SANTAI – TTDI ***

SEAFOOD TERMINAL – BANGSAR – CLOSED?

SRI MELAKA – TTDI *
SUBAK – SG.PENCHALA
THE LOAF – B.VILLAGE, BANGSAR **
THE ONE KOPITIAM – TTDI *
UNCLE K KOPITIAM – TTDI

PETALING JAYA UTARA (PJU) - RESTAURANTS

2011-05-08T19:19:00.002+08:00

NOTE:

GREEN TEXT – BEEN TO

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**** FAVOURITE

*** MORE THAN ONE VISIT

** ONE VISIT THUS FAR, TO VISIT AGAIN

* ONE TIME VISIT ONLY (NO MORE VISIT)

ARA DAMANSARA (AD) + KOTA DAMANSARA (KD) + MUTIARA DAMANSARA (MD) + DAMANSARA PERDANA (DP) + BANDAR UTAMA (BU)

BALOH – KD *

BIG BROTHER – THE STRAND, KD ***

BUMMBA GUMP – THE CURVE, MD *

CHEECAH – D.SUNWAY, KD ****

HOXE'S BOOKSTORE & CAFE – DP – CLOSED? *

ICE ROOM – THE STRAND, KD **

IMBISS GERMAN DELI – ARA DAMANSARA **

JOM CARI MAKAN – KD ***

KACANG POOL – DP

KAFE IDAMAN – KD ***

LITTLE TAIWAN – THE CURVE, MD

MARCHE MOVENPICK - THE CURVE, MD

MIMPI MUAR – MD

MUM'S PLACE – DP *

PAK LI KOPITIAM – KD *

PANNAZ – DP ****

PAPPA RICH KOPITIAM – KD *

ROZALI – KD

SEKINCHAN IKAN BAKAR – KD *

SELERA IDAMAN – MD ***

SUNGAI – PRIMA DAMANSARA

SUSHIGROOVE – 1UTAMA, BU

TEAK 5 – MD **

VICCHUDA – KD ***

SUBANG JAYA + SUNWAY - RESTAURANTS

2011-05-08T19:17:00.002+08:00

NOTE:

GREEN TEXT – BEEN TO

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**** FAVOURITE

*** MORE THAN ONE VISIT

** ONE VISIT THUS FAR, TO VISIT AGAIN

* ONE TIME VISIT ONLY (NO MORE VISIT)

SUBANG JAYA + USJ + PUTRA HEIGHTS + SUNWAY

ANJUNG MERAH – USJ3 & USJ 11 ***

BBQ CHICKEN - USJ10 ***

BELANGA – EMPIRE, S.JAYA ****

BORNEO RAINFOREST CAFE – SUNWAY *

CHILI – EMPIRE, S.JAYA ****

CHINESE MUSLIM FOOD PARADISE – USJ9 *

FLAMING STEAMBOAT – SUNWAY

JOHNNY'S STEAMBOAT – SUMMIT, USJ1 *

KOPITIAM 333 – USJ11 – CLOSED? *
MADAM KWAN'S - EMPIRE - HALAL?

MURNI DISCOVERY – USJ9 ****

NAILI'S – USJ10 *

PIZZA VS SATAY – USJ11 ****

RESTREES – SUNWAY *

SARI RATU – S.PARADE, S.JAYA ***

SERAI – EMPIRE, S.JAYA ****

SUSHI KING – S.PARADE, S.JAYA

TARBUSH – EMPIRE, S.JAYA

THE STREET CAFE – KOREAN – S.PYRAMID

UBI KAYU – USJ9 ****

VICTORIA STATION – USJ10

PETALING JAYA + KELANA JAYA - RESTAURANTS

2011-05-08T16:25:00.014+08:00

NOTE:
GREEN TEXT – BEEN TO
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**** FAVOURITE
*** MORE THAN ONE VISIT
** ONE VISIT THUS FAR, TO VISIT AGAIN
* ONE TIME VISIT ONLY (NO MORE VISIT)

PETALING JAYA + KELANA JAYA
ALADDIN – CHINESE MUSLIM – SS6 KJ *
BRISIK – JAYAONE, PJ *
DARABIF - D.UPTOWN ***
DONG YI SHUN – SS? KJ ***
KHADIJAH'S KITCHEN – S11 PJ ***
KOKOPELLI – S14 PJ ****
LAS VACAS – KJ
MOHD CHAN ABDULLAH – SS6 KJ *
SALERO NEGERI – SS? KJ **
STRAWBERRY FIELDS – PJ *
TEAPOT CAFE – SS2 PJ ****
VILLAGE PARK – D.UPTOWN, SS2 PJ

Makan Makan Chronicles 2009

2009-05-31T10:59:00.031+08:00

[1] Aimar Char Kuey Teow
- TTDI Jaya, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

- Cuisine - Malay, Tom Yam, Seafood. Lunch & dinner.

- Good variety. A bit pricey if compared to next door restaurants, Ace Cafe & Ami Cafe.
- Visit Website

[2] Asli Kg.Siam
- Section 13, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Thai.
- Good variety but a bit pricey.

[3] Ami Cafe
- TTDI Jaya, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

- Cuisine - Malay.
- Good variety. Needs to improve on cleanliness.

[4] Sari Minang
- TTDI Jaya, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Minang.
- Limited menu. Good Minang food.

[5] Kafe Rina
- TTDI Jaya, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Malay.

[6] Spice Garden
- Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam (1st Visit).

- Cuisine - Indian with Malay food stalls and satay stall. Stalls open after 5pm.

- Try the Satay.

[7] Yourcheff.com
- Kuala Lumpur (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Italian, Pizza & Local.
- Pizza is very cheesy. Garlic bread is huge!
- Review by The Star / Visit Website

[8] Pizza Vs Satay
- Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Western, Pizza & Local.
- Worth a visit!
- Review by Pure Glutton

[9] 21.02.2009 - Kokopelli Travellers Bistro
- (New Location) - Section 14, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

- Cuisine - Local & Western.
- Park your car at 3 Two Square.
- Worth a visit!

[10] 28.02.2009 - Hoxe's Bookstore and Cafe
- Damansara Perdana, P.Jaya, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Local & Western.

- Food was not up to our expectation.

[11] Pelaga Park Cafe
- TTDI Jaya, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

- Cuisine - Malay, Western, Steamboat. Lunch & dinner.
- Good variety. Slightly expensive. But worth a visit.

[12] 15.03.2009 - Teapot Deli
- SACC Mall, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

- Cuisine - Local & Western.

- Based on Teafot Cafe SS2, P.Jaya. Food not up to par!

- Review by Berita Harian

[13] 28.03.2009 - Kopitiam 333
- USJ, P.Jaya, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Malay & Western.
- Review by Harian Metro

[14] Eza
- Section 9, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Malay, Thai, Japanese & Western.
- The Japanese selection is rather good but everything else is rather flat.

[15] Bistro Qaseh
- Section 13, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Malay & Western.
- Will go again to try the main dishes.

- Review by Utusan Malaysia

[16] Pine 38
- Section 9, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

- Cuisine - Malay & Western.
- Cozy, but expensive. Free wifi.
- Review by The Star

[17] Naluri Cafe
- Section 9, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

- Cuisine - Malay & Western.
- Briyani and Chicken Chop was a bit flat.

[18] Shuhaida Seafood
- Section 13, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

- Cuisine - Malay, Thai & Seafood.
- A number of good (online) review but the dishes we had were totally flat.

[19] Sempeneh Cafe
- Section 13, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

- Cuisine - Malay.
- Ikan bakar is good.

[20] Kafe An Nurs
- Subang Permai, Section U6, Shah Alam (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Malay & Western.

- Average. But Maria Tunku Sabri (of TV3's JJCM) loved every dish she tried!

[21] Eiman's Tom Yam House
- TTDI Jaya, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

- Cuisine - Malay, Tom Yam & Seafood.

[22] Sari Ratu
- Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara, P.Jaya, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Padang (Indonesian).
- Go for the fried chicken.
- Review by Food Street & Harian Metro

[23] 23.05.2009 - Jonker Wok
- Section 9, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Nyonya & Steamboat.

[24] 29.05.2009 - Jom Lepak Cafe
- Section 13, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Malay & Thai.
- Review by Harian Metro

Makan Makan 2004-2007 - Updated 31.05.2009

2009-05-31T10:38:00.004+08:00

Al Jazeera
1 & 3 Jalan USJ 9/5P, Subang Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-80246751. Cuisine: Chinese. Food = C

Asam Pedas

Aunty Nat (1st visit)

Bagan Seafood

Big Plate

Bistro Cascata (1st visit)

Bora Asmara (1st visit)

Bora Ombak
G1, Kompleks Sukan Ampang, Persiaran Memanda 1, Taman Dato' Ahmad Razali, Ampang, Selangor. Tel: 03-42516303. Cuisine: Local + Western, Food = C, Ambience = B

Borneo Rainforest Cafe (1st visit)

Cable Car Cafe

Chatters Cafe

Chef & Brew (1st visit)
Epicure, Lot 50576, Jalan Medan Setia, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-20959799. Cuisine: Local + Western. Food = C, Ambience = B

Chilli's Grill & Bar
KLCC, Mid Valley, Bangsar. Cuisine: Western + Tex-Mex. Food = B, Ambience = B

Cozy Corner

Dong Yi Shun
LG76, The Summit Shopping Mall, Persiaran Kewajipan, USJ 1, Subang Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-8025 1779. Cuisine: Chinese. Food = B- / C+

EEST - Westin KL (1st visit)

Homst
48, Persiaran Za’aba, TTDI, Kuala Lumpur. (Another branch is located at Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara). Tel: 03-77280760. Cuisine: Chinese. Food = B

JM Bariyani
SS 18, Subang Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Cuisine: Malay, Johore style. Food = C

Little Penang (KLCC)

Marche Movenpick

Muara - Medan Ikan Bakar

Muhibbah Steamboat
60 & 62 Lorong Rahim Kajai 14, TTDI, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03 77273153. Cuisine: Local + Steamboat. Food = C+

Mum's Place (1st visit)
31-39, Jalan PJU 8/5A, Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Cuisine: Nyonya. Food = B-, Ambience = B

Naili's
USJ 10, Subang Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Cuisine: Local + Western. Food = C

Pandan Leaf (1st visit)
Lot S28, 2nd Floor, (Old Wing), 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-77286078. Cuisine: Nyonya. Food = B- / C+

Penang Village
1, Lorong Rahim Kajai, TTDI, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-77224288. Cuisine: Chinese, Penang style. Food = C

Raku - Concorde Shah Alam

Rebung (1st visit)

Rhema Thai
Shah Alam Mall, Section 9, Shah Alam, Selangor. Cuisine: Thai. Food = C+

Selera Idaman
Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Cuisine: Malay. Food = C+

Serai Thai
Section 3, Shah Alam, Selangor. Cuisine: Thai. Food = B- / C+

Silarasa (1st visit)

Singgah Selalu, Johor Bahru

Sri Melaka (1st visit)

Strawberry Fields

Teapot Cafe

Tupai Tupai (1st visit)

Ubi Kayu
USJ 9, Subang Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Cuisine: Malay. Food = C+

Uncle Chilli's - PJ Hilton
Hilton Hotel, Petaling Jaya. Tel: 03-79515765. Cuisine: Western + Tex-Mex. Food = B, Ambience = B

Zenith

Makan Makan 2008 - Updated 31.05.2009

2009-05-31T09:43:00.029+08:00

[1] 01.01.08 - Eden
- Subang Parade, Subang Jaya, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Oriental & Western.

[2] 05.01.08 - Cerana Seafood
- Cheras, Kuala Lumpur (1st visit).
- Cuisine - Local & Seafood.

[3] 01.02.08 - Nara Seafood
- Kuantan, Pahang (1st visit).
- Cuisine - Local, Thai & Seafood.

[4] 02.02.08 - Phuket Seafood
- Kuantan, Pahang (1st visit).
- Cuisine - Local, Thai & Seafood.

[5] 07.02.08 - Kokopelli Travellers Bistro
- Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Moved!
- Cuisine - Local & Western.

[6] 16.02.08 - Soho Seafood
- Bangi, Selangor (1st visit).
- Cuisine - Local & Seafood.

[7] 01.03.08 - Cowboy Station
- Kelana Jaya, Selangor (1st visit).
- Cuisine - Western.

[8] 08.03.08 - The One Kopitiam
- TTDI, Kuala Lumpur (1st visit).
- Cuisine - Local & Western.

[9] 09.03.08 - Salero Negori
- Kelana Jaya, Selangor (1st visit).
- Cuisine - Padang, Indonesian.

[10] 15.03.08 - Aloha
- USJ9, P.Jaya, Selangor.
- Cuisine - Malay, Johorean food.
- As of year 2009, Aloha is part of Restoran Menara, USJ9, Subang Jaya. Aloha serves laksa Johor, mee Bandung and Malay kuih.

[11] 15.03.08 - Pak Li Kopitiam
- Kota Damansara, P.Jaya, Selangor (1st visit).

[12] 15.03.08 - Pappa Kopitiam
- Kota Damansara, P.Jaya, Selangor (1st visit).

[13] 22.03.08 - Teh Tarik Place, The Curve
- Mutiara Damansara, P.Jaya, Selangor (1st visit).
- Ground Floor, Lot 36 & 36A, The Curve, 6, Jalan PJU 7/3, Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Cuisine: Malay

[14] 23.03.08 - Sri Hainan Kopitiam
- Section 9, Shah Alam, Selangor.
- Behind Secret Recipe, Corner Lot Unit, Seksyen 9, Shah Alam, Selangor. Cuisine: Kopitiam

[15] 30.03.08 - House Of Sundanese Food
- Johor Bahru, Johor (1st visit).

[16] 12.04.08 - Baiti's
- TTDI, Kuala Lumpur.

[17] 18.04.08 - Santai, TTDI
- TTDI, Kuala Lumpur.

[18] 19.04.08 - Pizza Vs Satay
- USJ9, P.Jaya, Selangor.

[19] 26.04.08 - Kak Nab, Dataran Sunway
- Kota Damansara, P.Jaya, Selangor (1st visit).
- Jalan PJU 5/9, Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Cuisine: Malay + Padang

[20] 26.04.08 - Puteri
- TTDI, Kuala Lumpur (1st visit to this particular branch).

[21] 27.04.08 - Green House Thai Cuisine
- Subang Jaya, P.Jaya, Selangor (1st visit).

[22] 28.04.08 - Laziz
- Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur (1st visit - Opening Day).

[23] 02.05.08 - Santai
- Kota Damansara, P,Jaya, Selangor (1st visit).
- 16, Jalan PJU 5/7, Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-61418173. Cuisine: Malay

[24] 03.05.08 - Homst, Dataran Sunway
- Kota Damansara, P.Jaya, Selangor (1st visit).

[25] 18.05.08 - Restoran Malee
- Kota Wariasan, Sepang, Selangor (1st visit).

[26] 25.05.08 - Zheng He Dim Sum
- Kelana Jaya, P.Jaya, Selangor (1st visit).

[27] June 2008 - Village Park
- Petaling Jaya, Selangor (1st Visit).

[28] June 2008 - Restoran Lontong House
- TTDI Jaya, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

[29] June 2008 - Restoran Kayu Manis
- Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

- Cuisine - Malay, Chinese Muslim & Seafood.

[30] June 2008 - Warung Mak Jah
- Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Malay, Briyani.
- Review by Masak Masak

[31] July 2008 - Restoran R.S
- Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

- Cuisine - Mamak with Malay food stalls.

[32] July 2008 - Restoran Tanjong Corner
- Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Mamak with Malay and Western food stalls.

[33] August 2008 - Ayam Penyet
- USJ9, P.Jaya, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Indonesian.

[34] August 2008 - Ledang Beriani
- USJ9, P.Jaya, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Malay, Briyani.

[35] August 2008 - Jalamas
- USJ9, P.Jaya, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Malay.

- Good variety.

[36] August 2008 - Selera Sejati
- Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

[37] August 2008 - D'Orange
- Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

[38] 28.08.2008 - Anjung Bambu
- Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Indonesian.

[39] 30.08.2008 - Khadijah's Kitchen
- Petaling Jaya, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Malay.

[40] September 2008 - Singgahan Rasa
- Section 9, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Malay.

[41] September 2008 - Teratai
- Section 9, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

[42] September 2008 - Zarah Cafe
- Section 13, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

[43] October 2008 - Ace Cafe
- TTDI Jaya, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

[44] October 2008 - Kopitiam Eton
- Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

[45] October 2008 - Jom Cari Makan
- Kota Damansara, P.Jaya, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Malay, Chinese & Western.

- Good variety.

[46] October 2008 - La Nansa
- Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

- Cuisine - Malay & Western.

[47] 11.10.2008 - Cella
- TTDI Jaya, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

[48] 11.10.2008 - Bigfood
- TTDI Jaya, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

[49] 25.10.2008 - Seafoood Terminal
- Bukit Antarabangsa, Kuala Lumpur (1st Visit).

[50] 26.10.2008 - Aladdin
- Kelana Jaya, P.Jaya, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Chinese Muslim.

[51] November 2008 - Pucuk Paku
- TTDI, Kuala Lumpur (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Malay.

[52] November 2008 - Anjung Selera
- TTDI Jaya, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

[53] November 2008 - MMZ
- Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).

[54] November 2008 - Stream-Mix Corner
- Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam (1st Visit)

[55] 15.11.2008 - Imbiss German Deli
- Ara Damansara, Selangor (1st Visit).

- Cuisine - Western, Burger, Sandwich.

[56] 22.11.2008 - Klasik Korner
- Bangi, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Malay, Thai & Seafood.

[57] 29.11.2008 - Geylang Kopitiam
- TTDI Jaya, Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Review by Utusan Malaysia

[58] 14.12.2008 - Pohon Rendang
- Shah Alam, Selangor (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Malay, Briyani.

[59] 21.12.2008 - Museum Restaurant
- Kuala Lumpur (1st Visit).
- Cuisine - Mediterranean.
- View Website

Hoxe's Bookstore and Cafe

2009-05-24T12:13:00.007+08:00

28.02.2009

Fish & Chips

Burger

Hoxe's Bookstore and Cafe

Block D-G03, Ground Floor,

Perdana Exclusive Condominium,

No 15 Jalan PJU8/1,

Damansara Perdana, 47820, Petaling Jaya.

Tel: +6016 992 1919

Website: www.nineteen-notes.blogspot.com

Cuisine: Local + Western

Kokopelli Travellers Bistro - New Location

2009-05-24T11:45:00.009+08:00

21.02.2009
Kokopelli is now located along Jalan 20/7, Section 14, Petaling Jaya. Call 03-79567505 for details. Read previous entry - 07.02.2008

Fly Me To The Moon

Homemade Burger

Loh Shee Fun

Restoran Jonker Wok

2009-05-23T22:31:00.010+08:00

Do-It-Yourself Pai Tee

Omelette Char Kuey Teow with Beef

Nasi Goreng Nyonya

Restoran Jonker Wok

28, Jalan Tengku Ampuan Zabedah,
Seksyen 9, Shah Alam, Selangor.

Tel: 03-58805699

Business Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday: 11.00am - 11.00pm
Friday: 11.00am - 1.00pm

Cuisine: Nyonya & Steamboat

Makan Makan - Section 9 Shah Alam

2009-05-15T16:14:00.015+08:00

Section 9 Shah Alam

A. Commercial centre next to the Surau
- Syed - Mamak.

- Nazimah - Malay. #

- Selera Impiana - Malay. #

B. Commercial centre behind Concorde Hotel

- Sate Ria - Satay, local. #
- Pine 38 - Malay, Western. Cozy but a bit pricey. Try the Pai Tee.

- Darul Ehsan - Mamak. #

- Naluri Cafe - Malay.
- Sesedap Rasa - Malay. (Updated Feb 2010)

- Ani Sup Utara - Malay. #

- Jonker Wok - Nyonya, Steamboat - CLOSED (Updated Feb 2010)
- Al-Munawarah - Chinese Muslim (Updated Feb 2010)

- Nasi King - Briyani. #

- FAM Maju - Malay.
- Cili Merah - Malay, masakan Utara (northern states).

C. Commercial centre next to Shah Alam Mall

- McDonald

- Emas Tika - Mamak.
- Noodle Station - Chinese with Halal cert. #

- Secret Recipe

- Mirasaa - Mamak. #

- Sri Hainan Kopitiam - Local food.
- Orkid Thai - Thai. #
- Kepala Ikan - Chinese. #

- Mahligai - Malay.
- Eza - Malay, Thai, Japanese, Western. * [Update: As of 30.05.2009, Eza is no longer under my Worth A Visit category]
- Renela - Thai, Western. #

D. Shah Alam Mall
- Pelita - Mamak. #
- Starbucks
- KFC

- Pizza Hut

- Nyonya Kitchen - Nyonya. #
- Chicken Rice Shop
(to be updated)

New Rating System (2009)

* = Worth A Visit [equivalent to 2008's A, B & C+]

¤ = Not sure whether it is still operating

# = Never been to

Makan Makan - Section 10 Shah Alam

2009-05-15T16:05:00.016+08:00

Section 10 Shah Alam

A. Shop units

- Restoran Hartinie - Malay, Kelantanese food. Great variety but a bit pricey. * Read reviews by A Whiff Of Lemongrass / Fried Chillies / Masak Masak.
- Restoran Azira - Malay, Johorean food. Great variety.

- Restoran Azira Beriyani - Briyani, Mee.
- VC Ten Corner - Malay. #

New Rating System (2009)

* = Worth A Visit [equivalent to 2008's A, B & C+]

¤ = Not sure whether it is still operating

# = Never been to

Makan Makan - Section 11 Shah Alam

2009-05-15T16:05:00.015+08:00

Section 11 Shah Alam

A. Shop units next to Esso station

- Syed - Mamak. Nasi Bukhara.
- Tambak Johor - Malay. Johorean food, briyani. #
- Darul Ehsan - Mamak.

- Night Circle - Malay.
- Kenang Hati - Malay.
- Santai - Malay.

B. Food Court behind Esso and Caltex station
- Nasi Ayam Pak Mal

C. Commercial centre next to TNB building
(to be updated)

New Rating System (2009)

* = Worth A Visit [equivalent to 2008's A, B & C+]

¤ = Not sure whether it is still operating

# = Never been to

Makan Makan - Section 13 Shah Alam

2009-05-13T19:06:00.026+08:00

Section 13 Shah Alam

A. Commercial area next to Stadium's car park (look for Pasaraya Hero)

- Darul Ehsan - Mamak. #

- Aliff Bistro - Mamak. #

- Seri Kg.Pandan - Mamak.

- Kafe Zul Yahya - Malay. #

- Zarah Cafe - Malay.

- Stone Cafe - Malay. A very cosy outlet. #

- Bariani Johor - Briyani. #

- La Tansa - Malay, Kelantanese food. #
- Fiescanto Cafe - Malay, Western. # Visit website / Read review by Fried Chillies.

- Teratai - Malay, Thai.
- Sempeneh Cafe - Malay. Try the ikan bakar.

- Pelaga Park Cafe - Malay. #

- SR Kopitiam - Malay. #

- Al Rafi Bistro - Mamak. #

- Singgahan Rasa - Malay.

- Shuhaida Seafood - Malay, Thai, Seafood.

B. Commercial area next to Stadium's car park (look for Mama Kitchen)

- Dhiafah - Malay. #

- D Haz Cafe - Malay. # Visit website.

- Rafi - Mamak. #

- A.Hassan - Malay. # Read review by Boo_licious of Masak Masak.
- Bamboo Barat - Malay. #

- Ali's Corner - Mamak. #

- Jom Lepak Cafe - Malay, Thai. Read review by Harian Metro (in Malay).

- Asli Kg.Siam / Thai Village - Thai.

C. Extreme Park

- Pizza Hut

- KFC Drive Thru

- Burger King Drive Thru

D. Commercial area next to Dewan Serbaguna MBSA Seksyen 13

- Mami - Malay/Mamak? #

- Hassan Ali - Mamak. #

- De Harmoni - Malay. #

- Agora - Malay.

E. Tesco Hypermarket

- Food Court
(to be updated)

F. Worldwide Business Centre, next to Tesco Hypermarket (look for Honda dealership)

- Zainal Corner - Malay. #
- Kak Sue - Malay. #

- Jelapang Padi - Malay/Mamak? #

G. Tesco Extra

- Food Court
(to be updated)

H. Commercial area behind Tesco Extra

- Northern Swan Kitchen - Chinese. #
- Mr.Kaya Kopitiam #
- Bistro Qaseh - Malay, Western. Read review by Utusan Malaysia (in Malay).
- D Lawang - Malay. #

- Geng's Corner - Malay. #

- Sri TTDI - Malay. #
- Jayati - Malay. #

I. Giant Hypermarket
- Food Court
(to be updated)

New Rating System (2009)

* = Worth A Visit [equivalent to 2008's A, B & C+]

¤ = Not sure whether it is still operating

# = Never been to

Makan Makan - Section U8 Shah Alam

2009-05-08T17:17:00.027+08:00

Section U8 - Bukit Jelutong
A. D'Pangkin Commercial Centre / Petronas Station
- Kayu Manis - Malay, Chinese Muslim, Seafood. A bit pricey.
- Warung Mak Jah - Malay, Briyani. Limited menu. A bit pricey. Read review by Boo_licious of Masak Masak.
- Spice Garden - Indian with Malay food stalls and satay stall. Stalls open after 5pm - CLOSED (Updated Feb 2010)- Ulam Desa - Malay. (Updated Feb 2010)
- La Nansa - Malay, Western. Breakfast and lunch. A bit pricey - CLOSED (Updated Feb 2010)
- Restoran S.A - Mamak with Malay food stalls. Stalls open after 5pm.
- Tanjung Corner - Mamak with Malay and Western food stalls. Stalls open after 5pm.
- Secret Recipe
- Pizza San Francisco - Western. #
- Three burger stalls operating at night.
- Anjung Bambu - Indonesian - CLOSED (Updated Feb 2010)

Section U8 - Bukit Jelutong Timur
B. Shop units next to Balai Bomba Bukit Jelutong
- MMZ - Mamak. Satay stall opens after 5pm.
- D'Orange - Malay, Western.
- Selera Sejati - Malay.
- Eton Kopitiam - Malay. Limited menu. Breakfast and lunch. Great Nasi Lemak. *
- Stream-Mix Corner - Malay, Western.

C. Business & Technology Centre
(to be updated)

New Rating System (2009)

* = Worth A Visit [equivalent to 2008's A, B & C+]

¤ = Not sure whether it is still operating

# = Never been to

Makan Makan - Section U2 Shah Alam

2009-05-08T16:48:00.025+08:00

Section U2 - TTDI Jaya
A. Commercial Area (look for Esso or Shell)
- Ami Cafe - Malay.
- Ace Cafe - Malay, Western (available at night). Roti canai is crispy.
- Aimar Char Koay Teow - Malay, Tom Yam, Seafood. Lunch & dinner. * Visit website.
- Beriani Johor - Malay. #
- Geylang Kopitiam - Malay (Singaporean). Read review by Utusan Malaysia (in Malay).
- Shaaz Curry House - Mamak. #
- Sri Bunga - Malay, Seafood. #
- Lontong House - Malay. Breakfast & lunch. *
- Dhiya - Malay. #
- Sari Rasa - Minang - CLOSED (Updated Feb 2010)
- Kedai Kita Kopitiam - Malay - CLOSED (Updated Feb 2010)
- Ali's Corner - Mamak. #
- S.Subhani - Indian. #

B. New Shop Office Building
- D'Jendela - Briyani - CLOSED (Updated Feb 2010)- D'Utara - Malay. (Updated Feb 2010)- Chantique - Malay + Western. # (Updated Feb 2010)
- Kafe Rina - Malay - CLOSED (Updated Feb 2010)- Chamek Kopitiam - Kopitiam. (Updated Feb 2010)
- Ani Sup Utara - Malay.
- Big Food - Malay, Western. *
- Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa - Malay - CLOSED (Updated Feb 2010)
- Eiman's Tom Yam House - Malay, Tom Yam, Seafood.
- Pelaga Park Cafe - Malay, Western, Steamboat. Lunch & dinner. A bit pricey. *

C. Commercial area next to Masjid Al Iktisam
- Anjung Selera - Malay.
- Kafe U2 - Malay. #
- Cella - Malay. Limited menu - CLOSED (Updated Feb 2010)
- Seri Selera - Malay. #

D. Commercial area opposite of Masjid Al Iktisam
- Anand Villas - Indian. #
- Ganggas - Indian. #
- Mek Kelate - Malay. # (Updated Feb 2010)

- Al Bidayah - Mamak. #

- Sri TTDI - Malay. #

New Rating System (2009)
* = Worth A Visit [equivalent to 2008's A, B & C+]
¤ = Not sure whether it is still operating
# = Never been to

Shah Alam - Section U1-U20

2009-05-08T16:37:00.011+08:00

Shah Alam - Section U1-U20 Map

Section U1
Commonly Known As: Glenmarie
Neighbourhood: Glenmarie

Section U2
Commonly Known As: TTDI Jaya
Neighbourhood: TTDI Jaya, Saujana
Makan Info

Section U3
Commonly Known As: Old Subang Airport
Neighbourhood: Old Subang Airport, Taman Subang Perdana

Section U4
Commonly Known As: RRIM
Neighbourhood: RRIM (North)
Location: East Of U5

Section U5
Commonly Known As: Subang U5
Neighbourhood: Subang Bestari, Subang Suria, Mutiara Subang, Desa Subang, Puteri Subang, Pinggiran Subang, Subang Murni, Nusa Subang, Subang Impian, Subang Kristal
Location: North Of U6

Section U6
Commonly Known As: Kg.Baru Subang
Neighbourhood: Kg.Baru Subang, Kg.Melayu Subang, Kg.Melayu Tambahan, Desa Subang Permai
Location: North Of U7 or East Of U9

Section U7
Commonly Known As: TUDM Subang
Neighbourhood: TUDM Subang
Location: North Of U8

Section U8
Commonly Known As: Bukit Jelutong
Neighbourhood: Bukit Jelutong, Bukit Jelutong Timur
Makan Info

Section U9
Commonly Known As: U9
Neighbourhood: Sunway Kayangan, Monterrez Golf Club, Kayangan Heights, Desa Subang Permai 2, Cahaya Heights
Location: North Of U8 or West Of U6

Section U10
Commonly Known As: ITM Campus Puncak Perdana
Neighbourhood: Subang Impian, Bukit Tengku, Nusa Rhu, Puncak Perdana, Bukit Sandaran,Sandaran Permai, Alam Budiman, Perdana Heights, Sunway Alam Suria, Cahaya SPK
Location: North Of U11 or West Of U9

Section U11
Commonly Known As: Bukit Bandaraya
Neighbourhood: Bukit Bandaraya (entrance via Section 8, Shah Alam)
Location: North of Section 7, Shah Alam or West of Bukit Cerakah

Section U12
Commonly Known As: Desa Alam
Location: North Of Section 7, Shah Alam
Neighbourhood: Desa Alam, Cahaya Alam (entrance via Section 7, Shah Alam)

Section U13
Commonly Known As: Setia Alam
Neighbourhood: Setia Alam, Setia Eco Park

Section U14
Commonly Known As: ?
Neighbourhood: ?
Location: North Of U13 or West Of U10

Section U15
Commonly Known As: ?
Neighbourhood: ?
Location: North Of U10 or West Of U16

Section U16
Commonly Known As: Denai Alam, Bukit Subang
Neighbourhood: Denai Alam, Bukit Subang
Location: North Of U9 or West Of U5

Section U17
Commonly Known As: ?
Neighbourhood: ?
Location: North Of U16 or West Of U18

Section U18
Commonly Known As: Kg.Paya Jaras
Neighbourhood: Kg.Paya Jaras
Location: North of U5 or West Of U19 & U20

Section U19
Commonly Known As: Kg.Baru Sg.Buloh
Neighbourhood: Kg.Baru Sg.Buloh
Location: North Of U4

Section U20
Commonly Known As: ?
Neighbourhood: ?
Location: North Of U19

Restoran Lontong House

2008-08-13T18:41:00.006+08:00

Sometime in June...

We have been to a number of makan places in June & July but we didn't bother to take any photos or to upload any posting. Till today, we are quite busy with other matters, so GO M2 J2 is on hold for the time being.

Anyhow, we went to this particular restaurant twice in June. Located at the commercial centre of TTDI Jaya, Section U2, Shah Alam, this Malay restaurant serves lontong (house specialty), nasi beriyani (only on Friday), nasi ayam, an array of kuih melayu and cupcakes.

Cupcakes??? Yep!

We had nasi campur for lunch on both occasion. The owner, Mr. Syed Alwi recommended the nasi ayam but we decided to "belasah" the "lauk-pauk" instead. The food is a bit salty for me but my wife loves every bit of it...

**********Extract From The NST**********

ZANNA ES visits The Longtong House in TTDI Jaya which aims to make the Johor dish more popular in the country.

HE had always wanted lontong to be well-known just like satay or chicken rice. So he decided to open The Lontong House in TTDI Jaya, Selangor. “Lontong is a typical breakfast dish in the south,” says Singapore-born Syed Alwi Syed Salim who has been in the food business for the past decade. “However, it shouldn’t remain so limited,” says Syed Alwi who hopes to make the dish as popular as nasi lemak which can be eaten any time of the day.

MAIN ATTRACTION: The Lontong House's signature dish is a southern speciality.
His wife, Junaidah Ismail, who comes from a family of cooks in Johor, personally prepares lontong from a family recipe. It comprises nasi impit and a creamy gravy filled with vegetables such as cabbage, soya bean curd, tempeh and boiled eggs.

She makes her own bergedel (potato patties with minced meat), nasi impit and sambal which accompanies the dish which can also be eaten with serunding (meat floss). It costs RM3.50 per dish or RM5 with squid/lungs.

Syed Alwi, who is also a development and property agent, is confident that people will take to lontong, although it is high in cholesterol.

He and his wife started their food business at Jaya Jusco Klang before operating at the Giant hypermart in Shah Alam and then at the National Registration Department building in Putrajaya.

“Although we opened for business just a month ago, response has been better than expected,” says Syed Alwi.

However, lontong is not the only attraction at his outlet which promotes itself as a centre for authentic Malay food with more than 25 dishes.

Nasi Briyani Special is also available every Friday.“The briyani rice is scented with rose water and served with chicken or beef,” says Syed Alwi who hopes to set up more outlets outside Selangor. His Chicken Nasi Briyani is sold at RM7 per serving, while the beef version is RM8.

RICE'S NICE HERE: In addition to lontong, there is the Nasi Briyani Special.
A kopitiam menu is available for breakfast with roti bakar, soft-boiled eggs and a cup of steaming hot coffee/tea. Nasi lemak wrapped in banana leaves is also popular with customers.

For dessert there’s an array of traditional Malay kuih such as kuih talam, kuih lapis, bingka ubi and pulut inti to wash down your meals. The sweets are made by Junaidah’s aunt. “The kuih are not only delicious, but I like the way they are nicely arranged in trays,” says regular customer Fe Jazzareen.

The Malay dishes include ikan asam pedas, ikan sambal, sambal sotong, and a variety of vegetables.

Syed Alwi says dishes are cooked in small batches to avoid wastage.

He spent more than RM70,000 to refurbish the restaurant to give it a “cafe look”. “It is important people enjoy their food in a relaxed atmosphere,” he says. Although the TV is on, the volume is low so people are not distracted. He also makes sure the floors are regularly mopped, the tables quickly cleared, and the sinks and toilets kept clean.

The Lontong House is open from 7am to 7pm from Monday to Saturday. For more information, call 019-395-5165.

**********End Of Extract**********

Restoran Lontong House
6, Jalan Opera C U2/C,
Taman TTDI Jaya,
Seksyen U2, Shah Alam.
Tel: 019-3955165 / 013-2745040

Cuisine: Malay
Rating: Food = C+

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Zheng He Dim Sum

2008-05-28T18:33:00.014+08:00

25.05.2008
A good friend of mine named MB (of What! No Tea and Scones?) recommended this eatery to me last Friday. And on Sunday evening, my wife and I decided to sample some of the halal Chinese dishes being served at this newly opened makan place.

The entrance...
Zheng He Dim Sum is located at Dataran Glomac, Kelana Jaya. Dataran Glomac is next to Giant Hypermarket. It is rather easy to find the place. Have a look at the road map below.Zheng He serves the following - a variety of (individual) dim sum, ball series, pau series, side orders such as loh mai kai (glutinous rice), dim sum platter set (steamed or fried), young tau fu, rice and noodles.

We had the following:
Fried Loh Shu Fun (Glass Noodle) @ RM4.80 - we like the dish even though the sauce was a bit salty... Zheng He's Fried Rice @ RM5.80 - the chicken floss enhanced the taste and aroma...As for Dim Sum:
Japanese Siew Mai @ RM3.80 - my wife loves the siew mai...Har Gao (Prawn Dumpling) @ RM4.80 - and she loves this one too... Resistance Is Futile! She "had to" order another set that night... :p

And I opted for the Zheng He's Fried Platter @ RM9.80 - taste was acceptable...
(part of Platter)(also part of Platter)I also ordered Char Siew Pau @ RM1.80. It was quite tasty sampai lupa to take a photo of it :p

Zheng He Dim Sum
B-G-06, Jalan SS 6/20, Dataran Glomac,
Pusat Bandar Kelana Jaya,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-78057479

Cuisine: Chinese
Rating: Between B- & C

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Restoran Malee

2008-05-20T10:32:00.003+08:00

18.05.2008
On our way back to our home, we stopped at Kota Warisan, Sepang for lunch at Restoran Malee. Well the food is nothing to shout about but the colour of the fried rice caught everyone's eyes instantaneously!

Nasi Goreng PataniRestoran Malee
Kota Warisan, Sepang, Selangor.

Cuisine: Thai
Rating: C / C-

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Homst

2008-05-16T16:56:00.007+08:00

03.05.2008
We arrived after 2.00pm, so the place was empty and quiet. We were hungry and not willing to wait for the proper Chinese dishes, so we ordered from the stall section.

Nasi Ayam - Roasted & Steamed Chicken (stall is part of Homst) - your average tasting Nasi Ayam

Wan Tan Noodle (stall is part of Homst) - a big disappointment

Tauhu Bakar (independent stall owner) - the side dish that salvaged our makan experience!

Homst - Chinese Muslim Cuisine Restaurant

16-1, Jalan PJU 5/17, Dataran Sunway,

Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-61409134

Cuisine: Chinese
Rating: C+ for Tauhu Bakar, C- for the rest

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Laziz

2008-04-30T14:21:00.013+08:00

28.04.2008
We were invited to the opening ceremony of Laziz Restaurant located at Mont Kiara. I have never been to a middle eastern restaurant for a very long time, so I was more than delighted to savour some middle eastern dishes.

Welcome to Laziz (menu book)...

We were there half an hour before the opening. We met the owner, Mr Mohamad and chatted with him for a brief moment as he was busy with the preparation. Mr Mohamad who is from Yemen is a friend of my wife.

The ground floor...Stairs to the upper floor...

The beautiful ceiling lights (in sketch format)...The tiles with Middle Eastern artwork...

Family members, relatives and friends thronged this makan place at 8.00pm and everybody was well dressed for the opening ceremony (except for us, we were in our office attire :p)

We had a bit of everything. We had saute beef, hommos, vegetable platter, lamb cubes, kebab, fried chicken (middle eastern style) and pesto. We actually wanted to learn more about the dishes but since the owner and his personnel were busy, we decided not to bug them.

All-in-a-plate...I should have eaten the food separately and accordingly. Some of sauces provided were meant to be taken with certain dishes. Instead, I mixed everything together in a plate. One of the creamy looking white sauce was really hot. I swallowed a spoonful of it (thinking that it could be as sweet as mayonnaise) but I was totally wrong. From there on, everything tasted very "pedas", making it difficult for me to evaluate the taste of other dishes I had throughout the night.

We promised Mr Mohamad that we will come again and will go for his specialty dishes.

Laziz
18, Jalan Solaris 5, Mont Kiara,
Off Jalan Duta Kiara, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: (to be provided)

Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Rating: U

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!
U = Unrated

Green House Thai Cuisine

2008-04-27T21:34:00.014+08:00

27.04.2008
On Sunday afternoon, we went to SS12 with intention to have lunch at Kafe Bawang Merah. We read a review of this cafe at Cumi & Ciki Food Blog. But the cafe is closed on Sunday. So we had to look for an aternative makan place. We have been to almost every corners of Subang Jaya (inclusive of USJ) and we are running out of ideas of where to go....

While driving around SS15, we remembered that there is this Thai restaurant next to JM Bariyani House in SS18. And within minutes we reached that makan place called Green House Thai Cuisine Restaurant.

The Incredible Hulk colours - Green, green, green, inside out green!
We have no clue what the menu or pricing would be like. We just hope that the food is acceptable and the price is reasonable. We don't need another "disappointing" makan outing (like the one we had a day earlier).

Once we entered the outlet, place was slightly empty. Only three dining tables were occupied. That was not a good sign for us. Either the food is expensive or the food is crap.

We sat down at within seconds, the waiter came to us and "literally" threw the menu onto the table. Seriously! I'm not kidding! He just dropped the menu and the walked back to the kitchen.

When I opened the menu book, I looked at the price and it seems that the dishes are reasonably priced. Lega! And the selection is rather extensive. Green House serves starter like mini popia, roti udang, variety of soups, vegetable, chicken, beef, prawn, squid and lala dishes. Most of the dishes are priced between RM5.00 - RM10.00 per plate. The prawn dishes are slightly expensive, priced at RM16.90 per plate while the fish is based on market price.

Not wanting to "waste" money, we ordered "entry level" dishes:

Nasi Goreng Chicken Teriyaki @ RM7.90 - Teriyaki... Thai or Japanese?Nasi Goreng Beef Teriyaki @ RM7.90

Waallaa! The chicken and beef tasted really good. It was well marinated with the teriyaki sauce. The rice had a bit too much pepper (to our liking) but it was savoury nonetheless!

Sweet & Sour Chicken @ RM9.90A litle bit soggy and the chicken is slightly on the soft side but the chicken meat absorbed the sweetness and sourness of the sauce making the dish more "terasa".

Kailan Ikan Masin @ RM4.90

I would prefer a less soggy dish but the "kuah" was somehow rather tasty.

We practically enjoyed our lunch at this makan outlet and have no hesistation to recommend this eatery to anyone.

Green House Thai Cuisine
7, Jalan SS 18/6, Subang Jaya,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-56325290

Cuisine: Thai
Rating: Food = B

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Restoran Puteri

2008-04-27T11:24:00.015+08:00

26.04.2008
We went to Restoran Puteri located at TTDI's commercial centre years ago for a buka puasa buffet meal. The meal was ok.

Never thought of going to Puteri again until we read about Puteri's brand new opening, a spacious outlet with ample parking located on a hill at the edge of TTDI's township.

After a third attempt, finally we managed to locate Puteri, the restaurant that housed a wedding of a famous celebrity few months ago.

We entered the indoor dining hall around 8.00pm. Place was empty.

As for the dishes, every single dish is "high in price, low in taste! :p"

Ikan Kembong Goreng Berlada @ RM12.00Ayam Padang @ RM12.00
Kailan Goreng @ RM7.00Disappointing! That is all we have to say!

Restoran Puteri
Lot 3074, Jalan Datuk Sulaiman,
TTDI, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-77284886

Cuisine: Malay
Rating: Food = D

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Rebung

2008-04-24T11:59:00.013+08:00

Celebrity Chef Ismail (see bottom pic* - on the right) and his business partner, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar, the famous local Angkasawan (pic* - left) opened a restaurant named Rebung in 2004. The restaurant which occupies a 1960s-style single-storey bungalow is located in Bangsar Park, KL.

We reached Rebung at around 9.00pm. Well, it was a bit too late for us to enjoy the "lauk-pauk" spread as there was nothing much left for us to look at.

Since it was drizzling, we opted for indoor dining. The indoor dining section was empty. Five minutes later we ordered Nasi Goreng and Mee Goreng. We were expecting a "tasty" Nasi Goreng & Mee Goreng but to our dismay, the nasi and mee were totally tasteless (by our standard). I asked my wife "How's your Mee Goreng?" and her respond was "Hmmmm..." She then immediately asked me "And your...?" I cut her off before she could finish her sentence by saying "Urrrghhh..."

Short while later, we left the restaurant. I had a quick chat with Chef Ismail at the payment counter. He was promoting his outlet and dishes etc etc etc. I wanted to tell him that his dishes didn't live up to expectation but I guess, I have to be fair to him as I have yet to try any of his signature dishes.

Next time perhaps...

* Snapshot is taken from The Star

**********Extract From The NST**********

When people think of mum’s food, they head for Restoran Rebung where chef Ismail Ahmad cooks in the style taught him by his mother, writes SHANTI GUNARATNAM

“MY life is all about hard work and dedication, and I enjoy working the graveyard shift to ensure the smooth running of my restaurant,” says celebrity chef Ismail Ahmad. His is a familiar face in the country as he has appeared in many cookery programmes on television as well as dramas.

His Restoran Rebung in Lorong Maarof, Bangsar, opens from 11am till 11pm and the jovial Ismail and his eight-member kitchen staff are kept busy all the time. Actually, he says, he works 16 hours a day, seven days a week.

“There is so much to do – organising the day-to-day running of the restaurant, planning the menu and cooking the dishes.” His customers come because they want home-cooked food just like what their mothers and grandmothers prepare for them. The slightest mistake with ingredients or cooking methods will find them complaining. “We are kept on our toes all the time.

In this business, it is important to give customers what they want and not what we think they want,” he says. “The secret to good savoury dishes and desserts lies in the coconut milk which must be fresh.

When I was growing up, my mother and grandmother constantly drilled into me the importance of using freshly-squeezed santan. “My late mother was a fantastic cook and she could whip up anything including kurma, briyani and other traditional dishes. Her butter cakes and pineapple tarts were the best,” he adds.

Besides running the restaurant, Ismail also caters for weddings, corporate events and family functions. Since the restaurant opened in October 2004, it has enjoyed brisk business. During the Ramadan, it has full bookings for the whole fasting month.

Ismail has leased the building next door to hold cooking classes for anyone who is interested in Malay cuisine. “During the school holidays, children can also come in and learn to cook. An academy such as this is a good idea because many chefs want to give classes but don’t have a suitable location to do so,” he says.

What To Eat
Customers of Restoran Rebung look forward to dishes such as daging salai, brinjal cooked in chili, the various types of masak lemak, sambal tempoyak, rendang, pecal and ulam. Also popular are kampung style fried rice, fried noodles, soups and other dishes.

“The buffet is popular. On weekends, especially Sundays, lots of people come in the afternoon and stay on till closing time. Some even go home for a few hours and come back later for more food,” he says.

How Much
The buffet lunch at Restoran Rebung is RM35 and the buffet dinner which comes with satay and entertainment, is priced at RM40. Those opting for a la carte dishes usually pay RM5 for a portion of daging salai, RM4.50 for tempoyak sambal, RM4.50 for a piece of fried tenggiri and RM3.50 for a plate of ulam with sambal belacan.

Traditional cakes such as kuih lapis, koci, talam, onde-onde, anak dara dua bilik, sepang rebus etc, are sold at RM1 per piece while a bowl of sweet green pea porridge, pengat pisang or bubur pulut hitam is RM3.50 each.

The restaurant also offers a fine selection of Cuban cigars from RM27.

**********End Of Extract**********

Rebung
4-2, Lorong Maarof,
Bangsar Park, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-22832119

Cuisine: Malay
Rating: Food = D (based on the dishes we had)

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Pappa Kopitiam

2008-04-22T19:01:00.013+08:00

15.03.2008
The Adventure continues...

[Read related previous adventure here]

We headed towards Pappa Kopitiam at a snail's pace. Not because we were not eager to see what Pappa has to offer but we (basically me!) simply had to "control macho". Hehehehe!

Once we entered Pappa Kopitiam, I "frantically" search for a suitable spot so that those at Pak Li Kopitiam would not be able to see me having another round of meal (this time at Pappa Kopitiam). Hahaha!!! My wife, totally not amused with my behaviour, said "Dear, please sit down, order your meal and enjoy the dish!" I senyum lebar and replied "Yes mam!" Hehehehe!

While Pak Li Kopitiam offers some Penang-based food (Mee Udang for example), Pappa offers some Ipoh-based dishes, for example Ipoh Prawn Chicken Koay Teow Soup and Ipoh Chicken Koay Teow Dry Curry.

We asked the waiter number of questions pertaining to the menu but we got nothing from him. He can't speak neither English nor Malay. Instead of him getting another waiter who can converse in English or Malay to serve us, our waiter decided to stay put and continue to "amuse" us with his "I speak no English, no Malay" antics. That was a total turn-off. In the end, we ordered three "starter" meals - roti bakar, french fries and fish cakes.

The makan experience was salvaged by the great ambience. The modern decor makes this makan place looks a little bit "posh" (for a kopitiam outlet).

Since we didn't order any main dish, we have nothing much to say about the "starter" dishes we had. You can read an in-depth review at 3-Meals.Com

Pappa Kopitiam
No 2-1, Jalan PJU 5/5,
Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-61417128

Cuisine: Kopitiam
Rating: Food = U

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!
U = Unrated

Restoran Santai

2008-04-22T17:37:00.012+08:00

18.04.2008
Restoran Santai at TTDI looks much better now (after the 2007 refurbishment exercise). It is brighter and more inviting.

Santai serves typical Malay dishes. I love the steamed siakap and kerapu but at RM28.00 (minimum price) per serving (for 2 people), price is too steep especially bila tengah bulan. Kena tunggu hujung bulan baru boleh order. Hahahaha!

Last year, we took our relatives for lunch. My wife's uncle ordered nasi goreng kerabu and kerabu mangga. I never go for any kerabu thingy but after I had one "cubit" of that kerabu mangga, I became a fan of kerabu mangga.

So during my last visit to Santai, I ordered kerabu mangga together with ikan masak tiga rasa and udang tepung.

Kerabu Mangga blends perfectly with Ikan Masak Tiga Rasa
The so-so Udang TepungIkan masak tiga rasa did not leave any impression but when I took it with kerabu mangga, the combo taste "exploded" in my mouth. I can't defined the taste but the tiga rasa sauce blended perfectly with the slightly sour kerabu mangga. It was........... SEDAP! (Man! I really have to work on my English and vocab :p)

If you are in TTDI and not sure where to makan and you are keen to have Malay food, think of Santai. Alternatively, you can also opt for Puteri, Baiti's (slightly expensive), Resepi Bonda or Pucuk Paku.

Restoran Santai
10, Persiaran Zaaba,
TTDI, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-77288173

Cuisine: Malay
Rating: Food = B- / C+

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Big Blue Marble

2008-04-21T14:07:00.011+08:00

Some of my favourite websites / weblogs on the Big Blue Marble* (aka Earth):

P.H.O.T.O.G.R.A.P.H.Y
PHOTO-TECHNIQUE
Pentax Photo Techniques
Canon Enjoy DSLR
Nikon Creating Better Pictures
Fujifilm Hints & Tips
Kodak Photography Tips
Olympus Photo Lessons
Panasonic Photography Tips
DP Composition Tips

PHOTO-MAGS
DP Review
DC Mag
DC Resource
Pop Photo
DSLR Photography
Outdoor Photographer
Night Photography
Strobist
Steve's Digicams
DPhotoJournal
DIY Photography

LENSES
Sigma Lenses
Tamron Lenses

PENTAX CONTINUUM
Pentax Life
Rice High Pentax Blog
OK1000 Pentax Blog
Pentaxian
Pentax Forum
Pentax Forum (DP Review)
Pentax SLR
Pentax Imaging
Pentax Photo Gallery

LOCAL FORUMS
KL Flickr
PSPJ
ShutterAsia
PhotoMalaysia
Photokaki

O.T.H.E.R.S
BLOG-O-SPHERE
Sky Juice's Scribbles
Paul's Autoworld
What! No Tea & Scones?
Fried Chillies
Masak Blogspot
Warehouse Sales

EXTRA
Star Online
New Straits Times
BBC News
IProperty
Internet Movie Database
Rotten Tomatoes
How Stuff Works
About.Com

ACCESS PANEL
Facebook
Flickr
Lifelogger
Multiply
Wordpress
YouTube
GMail
Yahoo! Mail

SPECIALISED SEARCH ENGINES
For Images
FaganFinder
PicSearch

For Music
Songza

For Videos
Blinkx

For Blogs
Technorati
Blog Search Engine

* Big Blue Marble was a half-hour children's television series that ran from 1974-1983 in syndication. Distinctive content included stories about children around the world and a pen-pal club that encouraged inter-cultural communication. The show was a very early example of gentle multiculturalism. (Source: Wikipedia)

Teapot Cafe

2008-04-17T12:25:00.008+08:00

Many many years ago, on our first date, I took my wife (girlfriend back then) to this quaint 'British style' cafe located in SS2, Petaling Jaya. The menu features local delicacies and western favourites and Teapot is also popular for its afternoon tea savouries - scones, eclairs (filled with fresh cream), mushroom and onion quiche. Teapot also offers wide variety of teas (served by the pot) – Earl Grey, English Rose, Jasmine to name a few.

More details at RasaRasa.Net

Teapot Cafe
169, Jalan SS 2/24,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-78753024

Cuisine: Local + Western
Rating: Food = B / C+, Ambience = B

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Chatters Cafe

2008-04-15T11:43:00.014+08:00

Chatters Cafe is a well known makan place in Subang Jaya. Chatters Cafe serves local delights such as Nasi Ambang, Nasi Briyani, Nasi Tomato, Laksa Johor as well as Western dishes such as Fish & Chips, Chicken Chop and Spaghetti. Price is slightly high but on the plus side, the chef ensures that the food quality (taste and portion) is properly monitored and maintained - hence there is no worry on whether the dish that you are going to have this time (say Nasi Ambang) is going to taste differently than the one you had in your previous makan session.

**********Extract From MyMesra**********

Teringin pulak tekak ni nak makan makanan Johor dan Perak. Tapi dalam suasana yang ‘cosy’. Chatters menjadi tumpuan tak kira dari golongan keluarga hingga remaja. Nama Chatters ilham pemiliknya sebab nakkan pengunjung bersembang sesama sendiri sebab itu tak ada TV kat sini macam tempat makan lain.

Chatters berkonsep seperti kafe ekslusif. Bagi yang tak pernah makan menu kampung macam nasi ambang yang terkenal di Muar, datanglah ke sini. Kita bersama Marina Mustafa yang berkerja di Chatters sejak tahun 2002. Demonya untuk kita Chatters Lempeng. Dimakan bersama rending atau sambal. Satu lagi demo pulak, Nasi Goreng Chatters. Specialnya guna beras Basmathi, dihidang dengan telur mata kerbau, rendang daging dan acar rampai.

Selain konsep santai, tenang dan selesa menjamu selera, pelanggan boleh mendapatkan pelbagai majalah hiburan dan ilmiah. Hampir 300 tajuk majalah dan surat khabar dijual di sini. Hidangan di Chatters disediakan secara ala-carte dan restoran ni boleh memuatkan dalam 140 pelanggan.

Nasi Briyani - RM8.50
Kuih Muih - RM0.60 Satu
Tapai Aiskrim - RM4.80
Gula Melaka - RM1.80
Tapai Ubi - RM1.80

**********End Of Extract**********

Chatters Café
15A, Jalan USJ 11/3,
Subang Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-56311586
&
125 & 127, Jalan SS 17/1A,
Subang Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-56327225

Cuisine: Local + Western
Rating: Food = C+, Ambience = B

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Baiti's

2008-04-13T09:19:00.022+08:00

12.04.2008
On our way to Homst Restaurant, a signage caught our eyes. It says "Authentic Malay Food". Authentic Malay? Hmm... It doesn't say whether the cuisine is from Negri Sembilan or Melaka or Northern states. Feeling curious, we stepped into this neat looking restaurant named Baiti's to have a look at the menu.

Baiti's serves nasi lemak, fried rice, fried mee, lontong and Malay type 'lauk pauks' ie fish, chicken, beef cooked in various styles - kari, masak lemak cili padi, kurma, asam and rendang.

We decided to give it a go. We opted for daging dendeng, ikan masak lemak, sayur campur and ayam kari (dishes came together with plates of hot rice). It wasn't super-sedap but it was good enough to 'persuade' us to make another visit.

The Second VisitThis time we went for the following dishes:
Mee Goreng (RM6.80) & Nasi Goreng Cina (below) (RM6.80)...Daging Kari (RM5.80)...Pucuk Paku (Gulai Lemak Cili Padi) (RM3.80)...And the verdict this time - everything was bland, flat, flavourless. Thumbs down! (Perhaps a different chef prapared the dishes this time around...)

Note: I wanted to 'cut & paste' the (usually neutral) review made by the NST over here but that particular article is no longer available on cyberspace.

Updated on 22.04.2008: Here is the extract from the NST

**********Extract From The NST**********

When architect Shahizan Hasnan decided to turn restaurateur, his mother’s cooking was the inspiration. EU HOOI KHAW gets a taste of the results.

BUFFET STYLE: Help yourself to the day’s specials.
SHAHIZAN Hasnan wants to bring back the tender loving touch into Malay traditional cooking. He recalls the time when his mother used to spend hours just to get four to five dishes for lunch ready, when spice and chilli pastes were ground by hand and the food painstakingly prepared.

“We couldn’t do the rendang tok for you today because it needs two days of preparation,” explained the owner of the newly opened Baiti’s in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. No matter, as there was the enticing presence of two rows of clay pots at the side of the restaurant filled with Masak Lemak Cili Api Udang Galah, Kurma Ayam, Pucuk Paku, Sambal Kerang, Beef Rendang, Masak Lemak Cili Api Ikan, Ayam Goreng Berempah, Mango Kerabu, Ayam Goreng Berempah, Pandan Chicken, onion omelette and Pengat Durian. It’s the day’s specials, with more to be ordered from the a la carte menu.

Cooking has been Shahizan’s passion from the time he was studying architecture in Scotland. He has decided to put aside his profession for the time being, after eight years in it. “A lot of art that goes into Malay cooking is now gone, and I aim to keep the pride of it alive.” He has the help of his mother Datin Hanim Haji Nordin, to train the cooks, test the food and give her seal of approval. There is a refined touch about the dishes, that don’t have too much oil, salt, sugar or coconut milk, a rare thing indeed in many Malay restaurants.

The gracious lady added to her wide repertoire of dishes as she moved from state to state with her husband (a chief police officer) and family. Shahizan has taken upon himself the task of recording his mother’s recipes in proper measurements, with the aim of compiling them into a book, for posterity.

Shahizan’s favourites are the lontong and nasi lemak that he cooked while living abroad. Both are signature dishes at Baiti’s. The nasi lemak is cooked with basmati rice; the appetising aroma of santan wafts into the air as the rice is served hot on a banana leaf on the plate, with sambal ikan bilis, fried ikan bilis, serunding, peanuts, hard-boiled egg, pineapple acar and keropok.

Basmati rice does not give you that sudden rush of energy that often leaves you lethargic; its slow release of energy, and its lower glycaemic index make it suitable for diabetics. Shahizan hopes to make that known.

We liked the nasi lemak, with the hot and sweet sambal, with a sour tang. There is jelatah or acar at the side, made with pineapple, chilli, cucumber and big onion. The other condiments of fried ikan bilis, a fragrant serunding and egg make it a complete, satisfying meal.

We tasted a very delicious lontong that has a darker orange tinge in its coconut gravy, attributed to a grand uncle’s recipe in Singapore. The taufu pok soaks up this spicy but not too rich gravy with hints of fried dried prawns. Long beans, carrot, lots of fried shallots and of course the cubes of nasi impit or rice cake made this complete.

The Mee Goreng is a must at Baiti’s. It reminds me of the Indian Mee Goreng that I used to have in Ipoh. The thin yellow noodles are moist, each strand embraced by the spice and chilli paste (a special “warisan” sauce), and egg. Squeeze the small lime over the noodles and they taste so good. The noodles are not oily at all unlike those at the mamak shops.

Shahizan had selected the masak lemak cili api udang galah, asam pedas ikan tenggiri, ayam kurma, pucuk paku and pandan chicken for our lunch as well. The light yellow creamy gravy for the Udang Galah was surprisingly light, yet flavourful. It was an excellent pairing for the rich, fat prawns. “It’s just chilli, fresh turmeric, serai, coconut milk and skimmed milk,” said Hanim.

The ayam kurma had a similar refined quality; with no heavy spices and rich coconut assaulting your tastebuds. For the first time I enjoyed chicken kurma which still had all the requisite flavours while cooked with a subtle hand.

The pucuk paku just had a touch of coconut milk, and stayed green through light cooking. I have made asam pedas the litmus test of a good Malay or nyonya restaurant. This passed with flying colours. I liked the sharp sourness, hot chilli and the fragrance of bunga kantan in the thick gravy hugging the fish.

I did find the Pandan Chicken a little oily, because it needed to be deep-fried.

We had saved room for the Nasi Kunyit with Pengat durian. The yellow glutinous rice was excellent, with each grain separate from each other, and just out of this world with the pengat durian. The out-of-season durian from Pahang had been procured with some effort.

Baiti’s has begun catering services, and hopes to provide home delivery soon. “Orders can also be done looking at our menu on the internet,” Shahizan said. He hopes to have paintings displayed on the long maroon wall at Baiti’s soon. It’s a space for artists who can also sell their work.

The restaurant is open from breakfast-time until 11pm. Staples like toast with kaya and eggs, and coffee, and nasi kunyit with a curry dish are available throughout the day.

Baiti’s is located at 36 Persiaran Zaaba, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Call 03-7729-9918 or visit http://www.baitis.com.my/

**********End Of Extract**********

Baiti's - Authentic Malay Cuisine
36, Persiaran Zaaba,
TTDI, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-77299918

Cuisine: Malay
Rating: Food = C+ (1st visit), D (2nd visit); Ambience = B-

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Eden @ Subang Parade

2008-04-12T13:45:00.011+08:00

01.01.2008
Eden serves Oriental & Western cuisine in a warm and inviting contemporary setting. You can also grab a quick bite at Eden's open Dim Sum Bar or choose to dine in complete exclusivity in Eden's private dining rooms with a capacity of up to 20 pax.

Eden had a Monday nite special promotion (or was it a Tuesday nite special?) back in 2007 - 50% off the bill on all steak dishes. I had spare rib steak. The steak was overcooked and the taste was not to my liking. However, the lack of "yummy-licious" factor was compensated by huge serving portion and of course, the great discount in price. So, tak perlu lah nak komplen banyak banyak! Hehehe!

Final toughts... not so yummy-licious but on the plus side, Eden offers extensive menu, great seasonal promotions (price-wise) & a cozy makan atmosphere!

Eden @ Subang Parade
LG31 & G29, Subang Parade,
5, Jalan SS 16/1, Subang Jaya,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-56377781

Cuisine: Oriental + Western
Rating: Food = C, Ambience = B

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Restoran Silarasa

2008-04-11T19:25:00.007+08:00

We came accross Restoran Silarasa by accident. We didn't try the main dish. So, we can't say much about the food... Anyhow, here is a review by Babe In The City - KL

Restoran Silarasa
G94, Ground Floor,
The Curve, Mutiara Damansara,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-77100358

Pizza Vs Satay

2008-04-11T14:30:00.022+08:00

19.04.2008
One of our favourite makan place is located in Subang Jaya.

Pizza Vs Satay (PVS) has been around since late 90's.

The 'open air' dining section...The dining hall with aircond...Staying true to its tagline "East Meets West", PVS serves a variety of local and western dishes.

You can start with something light - toast, garlic bread, pizza sticks, mussels, soup, sandwich, satay...

Then you can move on to local delights such as nasi lemak, laksa Johor, fried rice, assam laksa...

And for those who fancy western food, the selections are quite extensive. Under seafood, you have number of selection such as grilled fish, fish & chips. Then under chicken, you have roast chicken, chicken chop to name a few. Under beef, you have steak, rib-eye and under lamb, you may go for grilled lamb or lamb chop.

Fish & Chips...And if you are not into fish or meat, you can always go for pizza and spaghetti.

Seafood fettuccini with tomato sauce...What we like - satay ayam, grilled beef salad, nasi lemak, spaghetti and fish & chips!

If the food is not up to your liking, I'm sure setidak-tidaknya, you will appreciate the cosy atmosphere!

Note: Stay away from Italian fried rice and Italian grilled chicken...

Italian Grilled Chicken... the meat is slightly 'liat'...
Pizza Vs Satay
16, Jalan USJ 9/5Q, Subang Jaya,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-80239050

Cuisine: Local + Western
Rating: Food = mostly B, Ambience = B

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Tupai Tupai

2008-04-07T16:51:00.007+08:00

When a friend recommended me this makan place, I thought he was just fooling around. Tupai Tupai? What kind of name is that? He told me of his makan experience at this restaurant located at Jalan Bukit Petaling and a week later, I decided to give a go...

Tupai Tupai is located behind Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR). To get there, take the Federal Highway and Jalan Bellamy.

The food we had were so & so... Perhaps, we ordered the 'wrong' type of dishes... Anyhow, please read the review made by NST below.

**********Extract From The NST**********

ENGLISH trifle for dessert in a Malay restaurant? That’s what customers look forward to at Tupai Tupai Restaurant in Jalan Bukit Petaling, Kuala Lumpur. The restaurant offers traditional Malay food as well as Chinese, Thai and Western cuisine. But it is the English trifle that draws their loyal customers back for more. The trifle is made of sponge cake, custard, jelly, fruits and a topping of ice-cream.

“Our biggest seller here is the trifle. Corporate clients and families keep coming back for more as we are the only restaurant serving this dessert every day for lunch and dinner,” says manager Mokhtar Musa. “We don’t serve the same type of trifle everyday as our chefs change the ingredients daily. We know who comes here often for the dessert. They include many celebrities, politicians and the corporate crowd.” How did the restaurant come to serve trifle instead of the traditional Malay kuih for dessert? Mokhtar says they had wanted to do something different for their customers from the day they opened, so the owners came up with the idea of serving trifle.

Tupai Tupai opened here in June 2002, so named after the many squirrels scampering around in the compound’s lush greenery. There are four pondok or huts, popular with families and groups for a get-together amidst shrubbery and large trees. While Tupai Tupai enjoys brisk business at lunch-time when some 60 traditional Malay dishes are cooked and served nasi campur-style to cater to nearby office workers, army personnel and others, dinner time is when families, VIPs and celebrities come in to savour the food. Siti Nurhaliza and Mawi are known to come in just before closing time at 12.30am to avoid unwanted attention. Indonesian artistes like Peter Pan, Rosa and Dewa, in Malaysia for shows and concerts, also often dine at the restaurant. Yes, you can do some celebrity watching and have good food at the same time.

What To Eat
For lunch, there are traditional Malay dishes like asam pedas, gulai tempoyak, rendang, masak lemak cili padi, assam rebus, daging salai, kerabu perut, kerabu mangga and pandan chicken. Nasi campur costs, on average, RM6.50 to RM7 per person inclusive of drinks. For dinner, customers’ favourites are siakap or jenahak in butter pepper sauce (RM26 for a small fish), prawn soup made from young coconut water (from RM22), Vietnamese dish using Japanese tofu served in minced prawn sauce (RM12), baby French beans cooked with chillies and dried shrimp (RM12), Thai-style chicken, deepfried breaded chicken served with sweet and sour sauce (RM15), black pepper fried noodles (RM6.80) and grilled chicken with black pepper or mushroom sauce (RM15.80). The restaurant also serves steaks, chops and grills for dinner. A serving of trifle costs RM6.

Opening Hours
Daily from 11am to 12.30am. Closed on Hari Raya Puasa, Hari Raya Haji and Chinese New Year. Peak hours are lunch time and from 8pm till about 10pm.

Services
Tupai Tupai also offers catering service for corporate functions, open houses, seminars, birthdays and other events.

**********End Of Extract**********

Tupai Tupai
551A, Jalan Bukit Petaling,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-21432525

Cuisine: Local + Western
Rating: Food = C / C-

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Bora Asmara

2008-04-07T14:49:00.014+08:00

We have been to Bora Asmara once. We had 3 dishes, but I'm not able to remember the name of the dishes... :p

We like the ambience... I think the ambience was better than the food itself! I should have taken some photos.

Have a look at the review made by a STAR journalist below...

**********Extract From The STAR**********

Relax and dine at this charming Balinese-themed restaurant nestled in sleepy Kg Sg Penchala - by Joleen Lun Jew

Driving along the busy Penchala Link, one would never imagine that a charming Balinese-themed restaurant , is nestled in quiet Kampung Sg Penchala, just a stone’s throw away from Taman Tun Dr Ismail. The unusual location proves to be a success as customers love the peaceful natural surroundings and ample parking of this cosy outlet.

Serene: The enchanting gardens of Bora Asmara.As you step through the wooden doors of Bora Asmara, you will be greeted by the sound of the gong, the Balinese way of saying welcome. Your ears will be treated to soothing sounds of the traditional Sundanese Gamelan sounds that can be heard in the background. The setting is just lovely with beautiful water features, rustic wooden tables and chairs, lit stone lamps, and Balinese decor tastefully placed around the outlet.

Customers may choose to dine by the ponds at the elevated main lobby, al fresco on the open terrace, inside the formal air-conditioned Bale Gede dining room, coffee lounge, or in one of their many bisek-biseks, private huts with Balinese-thatched roofing that fits six to eight people. You’ll have to make a reservation as these bisek-biseks are very popular with the customers.

Suhaili Abdul Wahab, Bora Asmara’s manager, said that they opened their doors to the public early May. “The management decided on the Balinese concept as Bali is very dear to them and they wanted to share this magical place with everybody. The restaurant was designed and built with a lot of love.”

Signature drinks: Lemongrass Chiller and Indonesian Bandrek.Bora Asmara has a wide selection of food ranging from Indonesian and local food to pastas. Try the Thai Seafood Otak-Otak which is creatively served in a swan made out of foil. There’s a generous serving of seafood cooked in aromatic spices. Another must-try is the Bali Dancing Fish. The flesh on both sides of the kerapu is sliced off the bone and deep-fried, making the fish appear as though it is swimming with wings. It goes well with the chilli padi soy sauce dip provided. Top marks too for the presentation skills.

For those who fancy Thailand’s celebrated dish, Bora Asmara offers tom yam with coconut milk. Expect to find huge prawns in the Seafood Tom Yam. The Mango Kerabu was equally tasty, served with crisp pieces of fresh fish.

There is also a fair variety of western and pasta dishes like the usual Fish N’ Chips, steaks and lamb. Grilled Caribbean Chicken is their signature western dish. I found the Fettucine Carbonara cooked light with just the right amount of cream.

Bora Asmara is proud of their Ethnic Drinks which include the Bandrek, an Indonesian spiced ginger tea which acts as a soothing night cap, and Lemongrass Chiller, a refreshing Balinese drink.

For caffeine addicts, try their delightful Cafe Mocha, a fine blend of Bora-Bora’s espresso Bellagio Turaffle chocolate with steamed and frothed milk. You may enjoy your drinks with Cuban Cigars also available.

Red matter: Thai Seafood Otak-Otak.The local Batak Band, Picha-Picha, adds character to the restaurant. The band strolls around each table and serenades the customers with music of their choice. Batak Bands, who can be compared to the Mexican mariachis, are known for being outgoing and talented. “We love performing that is why we sing and play with such passion,” said Suhaidi Nordin, a Picha-Picha member.

Suhaidi, together with three other friends, play golden oldies and lively Spanish beats that make you want to get up and dance. “We’ve had a 75-year old grandmother dancing to our tunes just the other night,” said the cheeky, energetic lad. They can play songs in many languages on their double bass, acoustic guitar, saxophone, conga and percussion. Picha-Picha performs every night except Sundays. The management is even thinking of organising a Poco-Poco line dancing night as there is ample space within the compound.

Art enthusiasts will be happy to know that Itu-Ini Artshop, carrying Balinese crafts and contemporary Balinese paintings by young Balinese artists, will be opening soon within the compound. Samples of the paintings are hung around Villa Cinta, a separate area catered for large group reservations and private functions.

Prices are reasonable, about RM8 a dish. Lunch buffet is available from 11am – 3pm in the dining room and offers local, western, Chinese, Indian and fusion dishes. The outlet is open for dinner from 6pm till 1am. Bora Asmara can be booked for corporate/private functions, product launches, annual dinners, cocktail receptions, buffets, parties and wedding receptions.

Direction: On the Pencala Link from Damanara Perdana, head towards Mont Kiara. Turn left to Sungai Pencala before you reach the Pencala tunnel. Turn left at traffic lights and go straight. The restaurant is on the left.

**********End Of Extract**********

Bora Asmara
Lot 2933, Kampung Sg.Penchala,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-77260964

Cuisine: Asian (Local, Thai, Indon) + Western
Rating: Food = C+, Ambience = B+

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Restoran Cerana Seafood

2008-04-04T19:45:00.021+08:00

05.01.2008
Cerana is a floating restaurant serving Malay, Chinese and Thai style seafood dishes.

Cerana offers open air dining with covered and uncovered terrace.

We had:
1. Siakap steam - fresh and tasty2. Butter prawn - quite yummy3. Ketam cili - ok
4. Kembong masam manis - mmm...
5. Sayur campur - disappointing...

Opens daily after 5pm. More info here.

Restoran Cerana Seafood
Batu 7, Lebuhraya Cheras Kajang,
Cheras, Selangor.
Tel: 03-90749662

Cuisine: Local + Seafood
Rating: Food = B- / C+, Ambience = B

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Restoran Soho Seafood

2008-04-04T17:34:00.015+08:00

16.02.2008
A, E, I, O, U…

Five options… yes five restaurants in one locality… Soho Seafood, Rimbun Klasik, Yankies Hut, Village View & Kagumas Cafe…

Nak pilih mana satu? I ‘refused’ to do the thinking, so I asked my wife to make all the thinking, leaving me free to focus on my driving. “Mmm…Why don’t kita tengok dulu semua tempat?”

Semua tempat? Alamak!!! I smiled.I knew somehow rather that would be her answer. Hehehehe!

Kagumas Café was the 1st stop… Next was Soho Seafood, followed by Rimbun Klasik and finally Yankies Hut. We skipped Village View.

Soho Seafood was our choice.Soho Seafood serves almost anything under the sun – from local delights to western dishes, from burger to satay and not forgetting sweet desserts!

After 10 minutes, we were ready to order. We ordered ikan bakar, daging kicap, kailan goreng & udang tepung. The waitress recommended house specialty dishes and we picked Thai Sizzling – lala, prawn, crab cooked together with mushroom, broccoli and black sauce.

Ikan bakar was not properly done and remaining dishes had the ‘standard’ taste – it doesn’t mean that it is not tasty…just that you can get the same taste elsewhere…

But the house specialty dish, Thai Sizzling was quite good. It wasn’t super-sedap, but it was sedap enough to our liking. The black sauce* blended well with the lala, prawn, crab, mushroom and broccoli.

We will definitely go for other house specialty dishes on our future visits to this makan place!

* Black sauce – not sure what it is made of…

Restoran Soho Seafood
Bangi, Selangor.
(full contact details will be provided later)

Cuisine: Local + Seafood
Rating: Food = B- (for house specialty dishes), C (for the rest)

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Pak Li Kopitiam

2008-04-03T17:21:00.021+08:00

15.03.2008
This time we ventured into another area in PJ called Dataran Sunway (of Kota Damansara). You can find more than 10 halal restaurants in this new business area alone. So after venturing into every corner of Dataran Sunway, we agreed to go for another kopitiam adventure.

We opted for Pak Li Kopitiam and once seated, we noticed the image of Maria Sabri of JJCM having meal at Pak Li's plastered on one side of the wall - Maria being Maria, gave her famous "sedap sangat" face and usual thumbs up sign! Hehehe!!!

As for the menu, Pak Li provides more dishes than I had anticipated. Prawn Mee for Naz and Lemon Chicken Rice for me.

Prawn Mee
The Prawn...
Lemon Chicken Rice
Prawn Mee was quite ok, but no where near the original (Penang) prawn mee. As for the lemon chicken rice, the steaming hot rice (in combination with the cold lemon chicken) magically managed to salvage the dish and put a smile on my face. I would actually prefer if they could at least reheat the chicken slightly before serving me the dish.

The only dilemma we had was - we were still hungry due to insufficient 'intake'. Hahaha! Since the dishes are being (very) reasonably priced, so to be fair, we can't complain much on the food portion. Basically, we didn't learn our lesson from our previous 'adventure' at another kopitiam outlet. Hehehe!

If you are looking forward to have a 'heavy' lunch or dinner at any kopitiam outlet, you better order multiple dishes because one dish will not do wonders to your hungry tummy. Trust me!

And what did we do next? Did we order additional 'supplementary' dishes? Other customers did just that...

Nope! We were 'smarter' :p

We immediately stepped into Pappa Kopitiam which is located directly opposite to Pak Li Kopitiam for another round of meal!!!

Pandai tak???

Another kopitiam, another adventure...

Hohoho!!!

**********Extract From The NST**********

With kopitiams sprouting everywhere, how does a businessman secure a competitive edge in this business? KASMIAH MUSTAPHA speaks to the owners of the Pak Li Kopitiam outlets. PROBABLY the best thing about Pak Li Kopitiam is that it serves more than your regular kopitiam food. Sure there are the butter and kaya toast, coffee, tea, cham and half-boiled eggs but the menu does not end there. You can also feast on Katong laksa (its specialty), lemon chicken rice, nasi lemak kari, asam laksa, prawn mee and nasi lemak vegetarian, just to name a few. The drinks selection offers ice-blended tiramisu, cappucino, mocha, chocolate, mango and more.

A STAPLE: Nasi lemak with chicken curry.The outlet in Shah Alam’s Seksyen 7 opened last June. Pak Li Kopitiam is fast becoming a popular hangout for students in the area as well as office workers who are attracted by the cosy ambience and affordable food.No wonder then that in less than six months, another outlet in Seksyen 18 was opened. There are also two Pak Li Kopitiam outlets in Klang and one in Kota Damansara.

The outlets opened in 2005, set up by four partners. One of the partners, Desmond Ang, says they felt there was a need to offer more variety to customers than just simple kopitiam food. “We are actually bringing back the style of the kopitiam in the 1960s and 1970s with more dishes in the menu. Back in those days, kopitiam actually had more food and drinks than coffee and half-boiled eggs.“But over the years, as kopitiam started to make a comeback, people thought that these were the only foods available in a kopitiam. We are changing that perception.”His partner, B. H. Lim, agrees, saying that Pak Li Kopitiam’s wide range of food and drinks their gives them a competitive edge.

Ang and Lim, together with two others, have been partners since they set up the Nyonya Kitchen chain of restaurants 10 years ago. The restaurant’s central kitchen, according to Ang, is certified halal by Jakim. “We have been serving halal food all these years and we are familiar with the Muslim culinary preferences. When we wanted to expand our business, we ventured into kopitiam food because it is becoming acceptable to the Muslims.”

Ang says the name Pak Li is their tribute to the pakciks and makciks who are regular customers at Nyonya Kitchen and who helped refine their recipes. The name Li was also inspired in part by famous actor Bruce Lee, for his dedication to kung fu; and by the richest man in East Asia, Li Ka Shing, for his business acumen in building his empire, says Ang.

Ang sees the potential of more Pak Li Kopitiam outlets in Shah Alam in the coming years as there is demand for authentic local food at affordable prices. “We do not want to compromise our food just to get profits. To us it does not matter if we are running at higher costs and slightly lower margins as long as we can build a long-term clients base.” Ang and Lim do practise what they preach.

The delicious Katong asam laksa with thick curry gravy is only RM4.50 for a big bowl; the lemon chicken rice is RM4.50, prawn mee costs RM4.50 and the Pak Li curry chicken briyani is RM6.50. Try the thirst-quenching kedondong juice — another specialty of Pak Li Kopitiam. The drink costs RM3, ice-blended mango is only RM4.50, tiramisu coffee is RM3.50 and mint cool lime with cucumber is RM3.90.

**********End Of Extract**********

Pak Li Kopitiam
47-1, Jalan PJU 5/11,
Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-61418608

Cuisine: Kopitiam
Rating: Food = C

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Restoran Cowboy Station

2008-04-03T16:06:00.013+08:00

01.03.2008
We had dinner at Restoran Cowboy Station or Cowboy Station Steak House located at Kelana Jaya.

I had grilled fish and Naz had steak. I can live with the small portion but the fish had no taste as if is was cooked in a haste and to add more insult, it was freaking pricey. Oh ya, the chips were being over-goreng, thus felt like I was eating keropok goreng. The steak fared no better.

Please read neutral review below.

**********Extract From The Star**********

Steak lover Ismawi Alek is so crazy about Western food, especially steaks, that his wife told him that he should make it his business. And that is precisely what Ismawi has done – he opened a food stall in Damansara Uptown Hawker Centre in Kuala Lumpur several years ago and called it the Cowboy Station.

The specialty dishes include steaks, of course, and other reasonably-priced dishes like chicken chop and lamb cutlet. Business was so good that Ismawi soon opened a second stall. Now, he is going “upstream” by opening a proper Cowboy Station restaurant at the Kelana Jaya lakeside in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Lamb Cutlet served with steamed vegetables and fries.
Together with his business partner and director, Wan Norain Wan Shamsuddin, Ismawi has taken over the former premises of a seafood restaurant and food court.

The scenic surroundings complement the new restaurant’s rustic brick-and-timber interior perfectly. There is a new jetty walkway and boat landing area complete with small dining tables for those who want to enjoy the serene ambience at dusk.

A range of frontier paraphernalia such as cowboy hats in various shapes and sizes, bows and arrows, posters depicting classic Western movies, and black-and-white prints of John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and other screen cowboys give the main dining area an unmistakably “wild wild west” feel.

The menu features hearty staples like steaks. Diners can choose from 11 varieties, ranging from the house specialities of Cowboy Steak (RM26.80) and Love Me Tenderloin (RM19.80) to Char-broiled Cowboy Station Beef Spare Ribs (RM38.80). In addition, there is a wide selection of seafood and poultry dishes to keep non-beef eaters happy.

According to Ismawi, the outlet uses Australian and New Zealand beef and lamb cuts. “All meats are marinated with pineapple to tenderise the meat before they are cooked according to customers’ specifications. We also give the steaks a distinctive edge with our special concoction of black pepper sauce, brown sauce and top quality Sarawak black peppercorns,” he said.

Appetisers such as Escargots with Garlic Butter Sauce (RM15.80 for half dozen) and Freshly Baked Scallops (RM15.80, half dozen) with Herbs, Cheese and Chopped Parsley are a great way to start your meal.

The Cowboy Steak that we ordered was tender enough. Although my dining partner found the peppery Cowboy Sauce rather overpowering, I reckon its strong flavour would suit diners who like thick, robust sauces.

My Lamb Cutlet (RM24.80) was flavourful but a little overdone and slightly tough in parts. It was accompanied by a chunky mushroom and brown sauce.

Even though it was raining cats and dogs on the night we went, the eatery managed to draw a decent-sized crowd. We noticed several tables ordering the BBQ Spring Chicken (RM15.80), reputedly one of their best-selling items. It looked pretty delectable from the way a fellow diner at the next table was devouring her order.

If you prefer crispy, crunchy fried chicken, the Southern-style Fried Chicken (RM15.80) is a good bet.

For those who have a penchant for seafood, the Lakeside Platter (RM20.80) of grilled tiger prawns and squid, deep-fried fish fillet, scallops and crabmeat or the Kingdom of Heaven (RM38.80), a hearty dish comprising half a Lobster Thermidor, deep-fried fish fillet and scallops with grilled squid, is recommended.

Dessert is quite limited but the Cowboy Brownies A La Mode (RM5.80) should satisfy any sweet cravings. I prefer the Chocolate Milkshake (RM4.80) – it was a rich, smooth and chocolaty enough to rank as one of the better milkshakes I have had in a while.

Dressed in checkered shirts, jeans and hat just like typical cowboys, the service staff is warm and friendly and eager to assist. The outlet also has a private function room, Cowboy Saloon, that can accommodate up to 70, as well as an open-air function area for 200 called the Cowboy Ranch that is used for product launches, company dinners and personal parties.

While the outlet may not be Malaysia’s best of the best, the Cowboy Station looks like it will garner its own faithful posse of customers – namely, people who like affordably-priced Western dishes without anybody needing to get on their high horses.

**********End Of Extract**********

Restoran Cowboy Station
Kelana Jaya Lakeside,
Jalan Stadium, SS7/15,
Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-79636369

Cuisine: Western
Rating: Food = D (tak sampai hati to give an 'E'), Ambience = C+

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

House of Sundanese Food

2008-04-02T11:44:00.024+08:00

30.03.2008
Based on review made by Maria Sabri of JJCM, we headed to House Of Sundanese Food at City Square, Johor Bahru to get a taste of Sundanese cuisine.

The entrance to the outlet... The dining hall... Everything on the menu looks delicious. If I could, I would order everything on the menu! Not knowing what specifically to order, the safest bet was to go for the package-for-4 meal option.

The menu...
We had the following: Ikan Seabass Bakar, Ayam Bumbu, Sambal Goreng Udang, Cumi-Cumi Bakar, Kangkung Cha, Tauhu Telur, Rice & Dessert (all part of the package) and ordered Ikan Nila Goreng, a deep-fried aromatic, spicy and crispy fish or famously known as the Sundanese "Dancing Fish" as an add-on.

Within minutes, we have our dishes on our table.
Ikan Seabass Bakar was sweet but not as juicy and succulent as we expected it to be.
Ayam Bumbu or Indonesian chicken curry with rich flowing sauce of blended spices and chilli gravy was a disappointment.
Sambal Udang Goreng - large prawns deep-fried together with Sundanese Sambal, tasted a bit flat.

Cumi-Cumi Bakar - squid basted with a sweet sauce and slowly grilled over charcoal was tasty but a bit 'liat'.

Kangkong Cha - where the kangkong is fried in soya bean paste was crunchy and delicious. This is the perfect vegetable dish to be eaten with the ikan bakar.

Tauhu Telur was truly delectable.

The restaurant's signature dish - Ikan Nila Goreng, a definite winner in my book.
For more details, please visit the restaurant's website here.

House of Sundanese Food
M3-04-06, City Square,
Johor Bahru, Johor.
Tel: 07-2266788

Cuisine: Sundanese
Rating: Food = B- / C, Ambience = B

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Borneo Rainforest Cafe

2008-04-01T19:14:00.012+08:00

We read an article on Tiara Jacquelina's Borneo Rainforest Cafe and decided to give it a try. The cafe is located right opposite the main entrance of the Sunway Hotel & Spa, next to an open space parking lot, basically at the same spot once occupied by a mamak "fine" dining" establishment back in the 90's. The mamak "fine dining" closed shop after a short run due to unreasonable excessive pricing. Hey, who would want to pay RM3.00 for a piece fo roti canai or RM4.00 for a glass of teh tarik...

We arrived at the destination on a cold drizzling night and had to opt for the covered dining area. If weather permits, we would love to dine alfresco as we could gaze at the stars and heaven (yeah right, hahaha) while enjoying each other's company and the meal, of course.

The cafe serves noodles, rice, grilled dishes, pasta and pizza. Most of the dishes fall within the affordable range (RM5 - RM20 per serving) except for grilled dishes which are slightly pricey (between RM20 - RM50). The selections are rather usual - mee bandung, mee hailam, laksa sarawak (the cafe's specialty), nasi lemak, nasi ayam, nasi kerabu, nasi dagang, satay, chicken chop, spaghetti and pizza. The most expensive meal would be the herbal chicken at RM50.00.

I ordered nasi ayam and Naz ordered spaghetti. To my dismay, none of the supplementary vegetable dishes were available. So I had to order satay as our side dish. The taste is acceptable (nothing to shout about) but the serving portion is unforgivable. Due to small serving portion, we finished our individual main dish in no time. The succulent satay gravy basically saved the night, everything else thumbs down. I paid RM37.00 for the meal (inclusive of an ice milo and 2 glasses of ice water). So go figure whether the food is worth the price... But if you take the environment into account, then RM37.00 COULD be a fair price...

The cafe was rather packed on that Sunday night and I noticed that most of the Chinese families already had their dinner by 8.00pm while the Malay families would throng the cafe after Isyak prayer. Cafe opens only for dinner.

**********Extract From The NST**********

A YEAR ago, a 'themed' food court-styled restaurant opened opposite Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel. Called Borneo Rainforest Cafe, it became popular due to the variety of food which were reasonably priced, and particularly for its setting. The dining areas, be it under the attap roofs or stars, were surrounded by palms and other lush foliage.

EXOTIC: The lively atmosphere at Borneo Rainforest Cafe.
There were also ponds all around, fed by cascading waterfalls. Recently, a bistro section was added. Inspired by the Iban long house, its decor sports various elements of Iban culture. The high attap ceilings and carved pillars are enhanced with large hanging lights made from rattan fish traps and teak wood furniture. With its subdued lighting, Sarawak artefacts and sounds of cascading water in the background, the atmosphere is unlike any other bar / restaurant / night spot.

The menu offers western (including pasta and pizza) as well as Nyonya, and Thai, and Malay BBQ cuisine. Each cuisine is prepared by chefs specialising in that particular style of cooking. The Thai homok talay, deliciously aromatic and bursting with fresh seafood and chicken kapitan, is cooked in a creamy rich sauce that is spicy yet not dominated by chilli. The butter prawns are also large. Talking of seafood, do not miss the signature dish, salt baked fish. Moist, tender, succulent and meaty, it is very good.

YUMMY: The delicious salt baked fish.
Most dishes can be ordered in small or large portions with prices ranging from RM13 to RM40 a dish. One can order smaller meals and snacks from the ‘Kit Kat’ kitchen at RM9 for a laksa and RM11 for a plate of nasi lemak. Children’s portions start from RM6.

The bistro also houses a bar called Ruai which offers a full range of cocktails from RM20 to RM28.The wines are priced from RM80 a bottle (house wine). A happy hour deal is on until 9.30pm with beer at RM35 per jug.

The bistro also features live music every night from the resident musicians, Big Band. If you crave privacy, there are three air-conditioned rooms on the top floor which offers a view of the band and dance floor. Diners have the option of listening to the music through speakers.

Whether you just want to take the family out for a meal, watch the sports channel on the wide-screen TV or simply enjoy the exotic surroundings, Borneo Rainforest will not disappoint. Open from 6pm till late (after 3am), Borneo Rainforest is at Persiaran Lagoon, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya.

**********End Of Extract**********

Borneo Rainforest Cafe
Persiaran Lagoon, Bandar Sunway,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Business Hours:
Daily: 6.00pm to 3.00am

Cuisine: Local + Western
Rating: Food = C, Ambience = B

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Restoran Salero Negori

2008-04-01T17:59:00.015+08:00

09.03.2008
Since other restaurants nearby were packed with lunch crowd, the half empty Restoran Salero Negori was the obvious pick. There was no electricity when we entered the restaurant, leaving the place in total darkness.

The waitress with a thick accent told me how to make the order. And without hesistation she recommended me those dishes with cut-throat prices. Even though I didn't ask for the price, I knew it was expensive. I have been to other Padang-type outlets, so I could estimate the price range. So I changed the menu accordingly - ayam kampung, ikan cili, sayur campur and daging dendeng.

Since there was no electricity, they could not reheat the food. But luckily enough, the nasi was still hot. We sat outside so that we could enjoy the 'hot' afternoon breeze ;p Ayam kampung was succulent only if you take it with the 'habuk' (or floss). Sayur campur was ok but the dendeng was a bit 'liat' and ikan cili was a bit flat.

And when its time to pay - those 4 items plus 2 glasses of drinks came close to RM30.00!

We had our lunch at the Kelana Jaya branch. Below is review of the Amcorp Mall branch.

**********Extract From The Star**********

Indonesian cuisine whets the appetite
Restoran Salero Negori
247, Level 2, Amcorp Mall,
18, Jalan Persiaran Barat,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-79566968 / 016-3171155

Negri Sembilan and Padang cuisines share many similarities. This is because Padang in Indonesia is also the ancestral homeland of many Negri Sembilan families. Khalkani Aliaman should know this better than anyone else, as she is also the owner of recently opened Restoran Salero Negori.

The restaurant has over 30 dishes freshly cooked daily.
The restaurant has over 30 dishes freshly cooked daily. “We use traditional recipes handed down through the generations of a Negeri Sembilan family, which were passed on and taught to me by my mother-in-law,” said Khalkani. “Our chef is from Padang, so diners can enjoy the full taste of authentic cuisine prepared home-cooked style.” “Salero” is a Minang dialect meaning “selera” in Malay and “appetite” in English. Salero Negori simply means “flavours from Negri”.

Salero enjoys a good lunch crowd that comes here for the variety of authentic Negri Sembilan and Padang food. The dishes are priced between RM1.50 and RM6 per serving. The price is based on the choice of food but it seldom runs past RM10 for a three-dish meal. And, there are about 30 varieties of meats and vegetables arranged on the counter and served in individual plates alongside steamed white rice.

“The cuisine is often marked by the generous use of fresh, fiery birds eye chilli and different spices for each dish,” said Khalkani. Salero serves two types of sambal - Tanak Lado, which is a blend of green chillies with crispy ikan bilis and coconut water, and the other, which is made of freshly pounded red chillies.

With such variety in the dishes, house specialities are far from few. Khalkani said the Dendeng, Ayam Kampung Goreng with Bumbu, Telur Itik Gulai and Ayam Kalio can hardly be removed from the menu. Dendeng, is a type of beef cut into thin strips and fried till crisp with a texture similar to a meaty biscuit.

The Telur Itik Gulai, is a favourite among Negeri Sembilan families while Ayam Kalio is a curry dish. For the more adventurous foodie, Khalkani suggests trying out the Otak Lembu, which has cow's brain cooked in a coconut-based gravy.

The restaurant remains unadorned and its simplicity and down-to-earth home-cooked food lures a steady stream of diners every day.

**********End Of Extract**********

Restoran Salero Negori
4, Jalan SS5B/2, Kelana Jaya,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel No: 03-78774437

Cuisine: Padang
Rating: Food = C+ / C

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Makan Places

2008-04-01T12:25:00.050+08:00

2008: Makan Places (in chronological order)
01.01.08 - Eden
05.01.08 - Cerana Seafood (1st visit)

01.02.08 - Nara Seafood, Kuantan (1st visit)
02.02.08 - Phuket Seafood, Kuantan (1st visit)
07.02.08 - Kokopelli Travellers Bistro
16.02.08 - Soho Seafood (1st visit)

01.03.08 - Cowboy Station (1st visit)
08.03.08 - The One Kopitiam (1st visit)
09.03.08 - Salero Negori (1st visit)
15.03.08 - Aloha
15.03.08 - Pak Li Kopitiam (1st visit)
15.03.08 - Pappa Kopitiam (1st visit)
22.03.08 - Teh Tarik Place, The Curve (1st visit)
Ground Floor, Lot 36 & 36A, The Curve,
6, Jalan PJU 7/3, Mutiara Damansara,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Cuisine: Malay
23.03.08 - Sri Hainan Kopitiam, Shah Alam
Behind Secret Recipe, Corner Lot Unit,
Seksyen 9, Shah Alam, Selangor.
Cuisine: Kopitiam
30.03.08 - House Of Sundanese Food (1st visit)

12.04.08 - Baiti's
18.04.08 - Santai, TTDI
19.04.08 - Pizza Vs Satay
26.04.08 - Kak Nab, Dataran Sunway (1st visit)
Jalan PJU 5/9, Dataran Sunway,
Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Cuisine: Malay + Padang
26.04.08 - Puteri (1st visit to this particular branch)
27.04.08 - Green House Thai Cuisine (1st visit)
28.04.08 - Laziz (1st visit - Opening Day)

02.05.08 - Santai, Dataran Sunway (1st visit)
16, Jalan PJU 5/7, Dataran Sunway,
Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-61418173
Cuisine: Malay
03.05.08 - Homst, Dataran Sunway (1st visit)
18.05.08 - Restoran Malee (1st visit)
25.05.08 - Zheng He Dim Sum (1st visit)

June 2008 - Village Park, Petaling Jaya (1st Visit)
June 2008 - Restoran Lontong House (1st Visit)
June 2008 - Restoran Kayu Manis, Shah Alam (1st Visit)
June 2008 - Warung Mak Jah, Shah Alam (1st Visit)

August 2008 - Ayam Penyet, Subang Jaya (1st Visit)
August 2008 - Ledang Beriani, Subang Jaya (1st Visit)
28.08.2008 - Anjung Bambu, Shah Alam (1st Visit)
30.08.2008 - Khadijah's Kitchen, Petaling Jaya (1st Visit)

Previous Year: Makan Places (in alphabetical order)
Al Jazeera
1 & 3 Jalan USJ 9/5P, Subang Jaya,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-8024 6751
Cuisine: Chinese
Food = C

Asam Pedas
Aunty Nat (1st visit)
Bagan Seafood
Big Plate
Bistro Cascata (1st visit)
Bora Asmara (1st visit)

Bora Ombak
G1, Kompleks Sukan Ampang, Persiaran Memanda 1,
Taman Dato' Ahmad Razali, Ampang, Selangor.
Tel: 03-4251 6303
Cuisine: Local + Western
Food = C, Ambience = B

Borneo Rainforest Cafe (1st visit)
Cable Car Cafe
Chatters Cafe

Chef & Brew (1st visit)
Epicure, Lot 50576, Jalan Medan Setia,
Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2095 9799
Cuisine: Local + Western
Food = C, Ambience = B

Chilli's Grill & Bar
KLCC, Mid Valley, Bangsar
Cuisine: Western + Tex-Mex
Food = B, Ambience = B

Cozy Corner

Dong Yi Shun
LG76, The Summit Shopping Mall,
Persiaran Kewajipan, USJ 1, Subang Jaya,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-8025 1779
Cuisine: Chinese
Food = B- / C+

EEST - Westin KL (1st visit)

Homst
48, Persiaran Za’aba,
TTDI, Kuala Lumpur.
(Another branch is located at Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara)
Tel: 03-7728 0760
Cuisine: Chinese
Food = B

JM Bariyani
SS 18, Subang Jaya,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Cuisine: Malay, Johore style
Food = C

Little Penang (KLCC)
Marche Movenpick
Muara - Medan Ikan Bakar

Muhibbah Steamboat
60 & 62 Lorong Rahim Kajai 14,
TTDI, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03 7727 3153
Cuisine: Local + Steamboat
Food = C+

Mum's Place (1st visit)
31-39, Jalan PJU 8/5A,
Damansara Perdana,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Cuisine: Nyonya
Food = B-, Ambience = B

Naili's
USJ 10, Subang Jaya,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Cuisine: Local + Western
Food = C

Pandan Leaf (1st visit)
Lot S28, 2nd Floor, (Old Wing), 1 Utama Shopping Centre,
Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-7728 6078
Cuisine: Nyonya
Food = B- / C+

Penang Village
1, Lorong Rahim Kajai,
TTDI, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-7722 4288
Cuisine: Chinese, Penang style
Food = C

Raku - Concorde Shah Alam
Rebung (1st visit)

Rhema Thai
Shah Alam Mall, Section 9,
Shah Alam, Selangor.
Cuisine: Thai
Food = C+

Selera Idaman
Mutiara Damansara,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Cuisine: Malay
Food = C+

Serai Thai
Section 3, Shah Alam, Selangor.
Cuisine: Thai
Food = B- / C+

Silarasa (1st visit)
Singgah Selalu, Johor Bahru
Sri Melaka (1st visit)
Strawberry Fields
Teapot Cafe
Tupai Tupai (1st visit)

Ubi Kayu
USJ 9, Subang Jaya,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Cuisine: Malay
Food = C+

Uncle Chilli's - PJ Hilton
Hilton Hotel, Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-7951 5765
Cuisine: Western + Tex-Mex
Food = B, Ambience = B

Winter Warmers (1st visit)

Zenith

The One Kopitiam

2008-03-30T12:40:00.021+08:00

08.03.2008
We were looking for a makan place in Bandar Sri Damansara but we were not able to locate one which is in line with our taste. Next stop was Damansara Perdana. We went to this particular "cute and cozy" pizza outlet but the Malay staff could not guarantee us on the halal-ness (is there such a word?) of food being served there.

With our tummy making lot of 'noises', we warped speed to TTDI. Located at Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi, we "explored" The One Kopitiam for the first time. We arrived at the location around 2.30pm and to our surprise, the place was still packed. We managed to get a table (the only one left) and realised that we were surrounded by patrons mostly from the warga emas age-group. The menu is rather limited - typical kopitiam menu, I guess.

Naz ordered Mee Bandung while I opted for something heavy. However the 'heavy meals' are only limited to Chicken Chop and Fish & Chips. So I ordered the Chicken Chop, Fried Wantan & Otak Otak. The Otak Otak came first. The Otak Otak is not your typical looking Otak Otak - it looks like a fried popiah and the taste is rather 'odd'. Then came the Chicken Chop. The portion is small, it has more (crispy) skin than the actual meat (look at the photo below) and the chips - a mere 12 short stick of fries! Macam makan Kid's Meal pulak :p The brown sauce is totally tasteless... Naz' Mee Bandung fared much better. It has the correct taste. However, the Fried Wantan is a disappointment.

Chicken Chop - look at the portion...please count the number of fries on the plate :p Mee Bandung...Otak Otak...or Popiah?

**********Extract From The Star**********

They say that the family that eats together stays together. It is especially true for a group of friends who come from different backgrounds, race and profession. Despite their differences, they share one common ground – the love for food. “All of us love food and every time we meet it will be at a kopitiam. It is a passion that all of us have been sharing. That is why we decided to open this kopitiam together,” said Fauziah Jayos, managing director for The One Kopitiam in Taman Tun Dr Ismail. The group of friends whose profession ranges from a florist, photo lab owner, pharmacist and a lawyer opened the eatery in October last year. Fauziah, a florist, said the group used to d meet for breakfast at a kopitiam. She said they had taken pains coming up with the menu and even sourced for the best coffee beans. ‘‘We are using our own selected blend of coffee and grind them ourselves here at the shop. Unlike other local coffee shops, we brew our coffee in the expresso machines and use steamed milk,” she said.

For starters: The eatery also serves fried wanton, otak-otak and popcorn chicken.
“We also try to offer a variety of food to ensure that there is something for everyone but we do not want to overdo it. So, some of the dishes are our personal favourites made using family recipes while some are recommended by friends and regular customers. So, the menu is still evolving,” she said. The outlet also offers a variety of local dishes like Mee Rebus and Mee Bandung Muar, special noodle dishes from Johor.

The Mee Rebus, which comes in a thick, sweet potato based gravy, is served along with a variety of condiments including fried taufu, hardboiled egg and bean sprouts. The mashed, boiled sweet potato or keledek does not only serve as a thickening agent for the gravy but also gives a tinge of sweetness to the dish. Thinly sliced red chilli is added for a zing to the dish.

At a recent food review, Fauziah also served steamed nasi lemak with rendang ayam. The dish came with regular condiments like fried peanuts, sliced cucumber and hard boiled egg. For dessert, the outlet has a variety of local favourites but the highlight is bubur cha-cha that combines cubed yam, sweet potato and sago in coconut milk. Unlike most bubur cha cha, the one served at this eatery is not too sweet, making it a pleasant way to end a meal. There is also a special menu for children at The One Kopitiam.

Spacious: The One Kopitiam at Taman Tun Dr Ismail.
The One Kopitiam can accommodate about 60 people.

**********End Of Extract**********

The One Kopitiam
72, Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi,
Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-77283913
Business Hours:
Monday - Saturday: 8.30am to 9.30pm
Sunday: 8.00am to 5.30pm

Cuisine: Kopitiam
Rating: Food = C- (I want to give it a D but Mee Bandung saves the day)

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Kokopelli Travellers Bistro

2008-03-30T11:47:00.019+08:00

07.02.2008
Kokopelli is one of our favourite restaurant. We love the food and ambience as well :) Kokopelli is a cosy, laid-back eatery with friendly staff serving a select menu of all their favourite food guaranteed to put anyone in a good mood.

**********Extract From The Star**********

Kokopelli – the humpbacked flute player regarded as a fertility deity for agriculture and childbirth has also been revered in the areas of romance, hopes and love. Worshipped by many Native American cultures, the figure of Kokopelli found in historical petroglyphs and pottery in South-Western United States has nothing to do with our culture. However, the legend of Kokopelli has caught the interest of the people around the world and one of them is Ariff Awaluddin.

Ariff sports a ruffled Albert Einstein hairdo and his fascination for Kokopelli is obvious just by looking at his business card, which carries Kokopelli's common form as the logo. “I liked the name Kokopelli because of the way it sounded and when I read about the legend and found out more, I knew it was the best name for my business,” Ariff said. He is an artist, dabbling in paints and plays with his camera when there's time. He also does installation art but most of the time he is at Kokopelli Travellers Bistro as its executive chef. He is also the owner.

Assurance: The cooks at Kokopelli are well trained by Ariff and have been with him for some years now. In 1998, Ariff opened Kokopelli Rock - Oodles Noodles at the Royal Selangor Golf Club and later took his speciality Char Kuey Teow to Warung Uncle Don at Desa Sri Hartamas in 2000. After two-years, the Kokopelli fan packed up and left to set up his own business, concentrating on fine dining instead, with a catering concern. The company called Kokopelli Boutique Caterers catered for private functions, birthday parties, anniversaries and cocktail events. It was the catering line that allowed Ariff time to be creative, experimenting with recipes and ideas on what he could do next. “The catering segment was a good platform to introduce my ideas to my clients. I created sauces and experimented with flavours and my customers liked what I had to offer,” he said. Armed with enough recipes and confident of keeping his customers happy, Ariff and his wife Soraya Yusof Talismail who is a full time photographer opened Kokopelli Travellers Bistro.

On its menu are a selection of Western favourites and top-selling Malaysian hawker fare. Ariff's signature Kokopelli Char Kuey Teow has fit in comfortably in the Malaysian section and he also has Fried Loh Shee Fun, Cantonese Fried Yee Mee, Noodle Soup, Hokkien Fried Mee and Kokopelli Fried Yellow Mee. Bistro, café and restaurant favourites are on the menu but each dish has a touch of difference. A Caesar salad is a Caesar salad but at Kokopelli, the ingredients have been altered slightly to give it a distinct Kokopelli feel.

Unique: The Aglio Olio at Kokopelli is different from others.

Try it: Kokopelli's Braised Lamb Shank on the Western selection.
Filling: The Beef Escalope dish is quite a hefty serving.
Ariff's pastas are quite a hit simply because the sauces are made from scratch. The tomato paste for his Marinara rendition is his recipe. He only uses local tomatoes and scours markets for the ripest, reddest tomatoes. “Sometimes it takes me two days to find the right tomatoes and I travel from Petaling Jaya to Kuala Lumpur looking for my tomatoes,” he said, adding that he buys 20kg every time he wants to prepare a pot of paste.

Don't expect to find spaghetti, angel's hair or fusilli here because Ariff only has fettuccine and linguine in his larder. The reason? “You can get spaghetti everywhere and I want to offer a difference in my serving of Aglio Olio, Marinara and Carbonara with either fettuccine or linguine,” he said. The Western segment offers Seafood Basket, Classic Fish and Chips (he uses oil fish / milk cod), Braised Lamb Shank, Beef Escalope, Roast Chicken Chop, Cauliflower and Brocollli Gratin, Ribeye Steak, Sirloin Steak, New Zealand Lamb and Salmon.

The bistro also lends its walls to aspiring artists and even established names like Ariff regards his outlet as a place for the arts. He creates artistic food and lets artists colour his walls with their pieces.

**********End Of Extract**********

Kokopelli Travellers Bistro
6, Jalan Bukit, Section 11/2,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-79567505
Business Hours:
Tuesday to Thursday & Saturday: Noon to 3.00pm, 6.00pm to midnight
Friday: 6.00pm to midnight
Sunday: 10.00am to 3.00pm

Cuisine: Local + Western
Rating: Food = B, Ambience = B

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Bistro Cascata

2008-03-30T10:58:00.017+08:00

The crème de la crème of Cyberjaya dining, Bistro Cascata offers delicious Italian fusion cuisine for both lunch and dinner. This butterscotch castle is located next to a swimming pool, has funky toned interiors, thatched grass roof and private dining room for up to ten persons.

A romantic ambience prevails at night with soft music and beautiful lighting. You can either dine indoors in elegant intimacy, or outside on teakwood tables beneath large umbrellas perched beside the swimming pool's cascading falls. The bistro offers casual dining by day with homemade pastas, pizzas and foccacia sandwiches. Night time dining is for gourmet offerings of exotic house specialities.

We had lunch but can't remember the name of the dishes we ordered. Hehehe! But we remember the aroma and the taste :)

Bistro Cascata
Cyberview Lodge Resort and Spa,
Persiaran Multi-media, Cyberjaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-83127328
Business Hours:
Daily: Lunch, noon to 2.30pm & Dinner, 6.30pm to 10.30pm
Closed on Monday

Cuisine: Italian
Rating: Food = B, Ambience = A

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Restoran Big Plate

2008-03-30T10:12:00.009+08:00

I used to frequent Big Plate when the restaurant opened her door many many years ago. However, I personally feel that the dishes served nowadays lack the original flavour which I am used to. Big Plate is famous for its western dishes like ayam Shah Alam, steak Kelang, ikan Morib to name a few. The food portion has been scaled down to avoid 'pembaziran'. In the early days, even a big-eater like me have tough time to finish the chicken chop or the fish and chips.

You can read review by boo_licious of Masak Masak blogspot here.

Restoran Big Plate
27, Jalan Alfa F U6/F,
Pusat Perdagangan Subang Permai,
Shah Alam, Selangor.
Tel: 03-78458073

Cuisine: Western
Rating: Food = C-

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Restoran Zenith

2008-03-29T20:41:00.013+08:00

If you are looking for Halal Chinese cuisine, you can give Zenith a try. Zenith serves a variety of Chinese dishes - steamed fish with black bean sauce, claypot salted fish and chicken, kam heong-style bamboo clam, marmite prawn and butter prawn combo, jiao yan (black pepper and salted) squid, jiang nan seafood noodles to name a few. Zenith also serves few Malay dishes like nasi goreng kampung, nasi goreng Pattaya, nasi daging merah and nasi paprik and Western food such as chicken chop, lamb chop, fish & chip and honey peanut butter toast. Go for the chinese cuisine - I personally recommend the following dishes:

Ikan Masak Kerabu Mangga
Kailan Zenith (Yin-Yang Vegetable)
More details below.

**********Extract From The NST**********

When she became a Muslim some 20 years ago, Haslinda Sim Abdullah had no problems adjusting to a new way of life except for one aspect — food. She couldn’t find a Chinese restaurant that catered to Muslims. So Haslinda had little choice but to cook the food herself, more so when she got married and started to raise a family. She became very good at it and eventually, her husband suggested that she take over the Zenith Restaurant when its owner had trouble making it profitable. She agreed as she wanted to share the joys of Chinese food with fellow converts and her Muslim friends but was nevertheless anxious. After all, she could only cook Chinese and she worried about whether the largely Malay Muslim market would find Chinese food acceptable though all the ingredients were halal. So she started with quite a lot of Malay dishes, interjecting a few Chinese dishes here and there to test the market.

Later, she says, when she decided to switch to all Chinese dishes (except for a few items like nasi goreng kampung), the number of customers grew and many of them kept coming back. Their praises for her cooking gave her the much-needed confidence and she began to expand on the menu. Today, the no-frills but airconditioned restaurant has gained a reputation that Muslims in Kuala Lumpur and even as far away as Rawang and Seremban come to when they get a craving for Chinese cuisine. She also attracted the Chinese Muslim community who were now glad they could eat out and enjoy halal Chinese food.

These days, with her clientele growing, she’s roped in a proper Chinese chef from a major Chinese restaurant chain of restaurants, to help her cope with the vast amount of cooking. “A lot of Malay customers don’t really know what to order when it comes to Chinese food, so I have to be there all the time to make recommendations,” says Haslinda. Some regulars never bother with the menu anymore, preferring to happily let Haslinda take charge of their meal. Now she is in the process of coming up with a picture menu that will help her customers decide better.

Lunch time sees a good crowd who come in for the chap fan — the pay-for-what-you-take Chinese coffeshop buffet. Haslinda offers only eight to 10 dishes there are vegetables, fish, tofu, eggs, chicken — all cooked Chinese-style. “I think I’m the only one offering chap fun in this area. The rest are mostly mamak shops. Many office workers come in for a quick bite. With chap fun, they don’t have to think about what to order and many don’t have the time for a leisurely meal,” she says. But I notice that many of her customers do pick up items from her a la carte menu.

These range from quick single- serve meals like noodles and fried rice to more elaborate dishes to go with rice. A set lunch of meat or fish with rice and a fruit juice costs only RM6.50. There’s black pepper beef, sweet and sour fish, marmite chicken, venison kuay teow, Cantonese fried and tom yam noodles. There are Package Meals designed for the busy businessman, priced from RM30 to RM88 (nett) for between two to six persons and from RM115 to RM210 for between five and 10 persons. Three dishes of Hong Kong kailan with ginger and onion fish slice and mustard pickle and beancurd soup is RM30 nett. Many customers come by to order ta-pau or take-aways and for nearby offices, all it takes is a phone call and Haslinda obligingly sends the food over.

Chap fun is not on our minds today. Instead, we ask Haslinda to make us some recommendations and soon, our table is spread with a variety of dishes that make us feel like we are in a Chinese restaurant. Wong nga pak (Chinese long, white cabbage) with dried scallops, for instance, is almost a festive dish.Here, it’s very well done indeed. The cabbage is well cooked to a tenderness that you can feel with your heart. I do so love softly-cooked Chinese cabbage. It comes packed in a plate with dried scallops in oyster sauce ladled over. The scallops add a delicate dried seafood flavour to the otherwise bland cabbage.

Then we have a Yin-Yang Fish. It’s a pretty dish and such a lot of work. The chef has carefully filleted the whole siakap and used the meat to cook in two different styles. Half of this he has done in a deepfried butter-style with filigreed egg-white and curry leaves to add a gorgeous aroma. The other half he spreads with a fish paste and carefully rolls each piece up with a scallion and julienned carrot in the centre. These are steamed and lightly flavoured with soya sauce.That’s not all. What’s left of the central bone, head and tail of the fish is dipped in a light batter and deepfried to crunchiness so that no part of the fish goes to waste.

The next dish is a Thai-sauce Roast Chicken. I find the sauce, with a generous sprinkle of roasted sesame seed, far too sweet. I prefered the chicken without the sauce. Fried Abalone Mushroom is one of Haslinda’s favourite dishes. The mushrooms are battered, deepfried and tossed in a sweet and sour sauce with chopped cucumber and capsicum.

Currently, the top favourite with her customers, according to Haslinda, is Yin-Yang Vegetable. “I remember recommending this dish to one group of customers but one of them protested, saying she had tried it in another restaurant and didn’t think much of it. But she was out-voted and later, she said that it was good! I was so happy,” says Haslinda. “Our chef really does this dish very well.” The imported Hong Kong kailan is cooked in two styles. The stems are steamed while the leaves are shredded and deepfried till they are crispy and arranged on top of the stems. Then little silver ikan bilis are sprinkled over the kailan - a nice touch by the chef. The ikan bilis does wonders but it is also the contrasting textures of the steamed stems and the crispy leaves that make it so enjoyable.

For dessert, Haslinda doesn’t offer too many choices. She has jin tui (sesame balls) and Shanghai pancake. She makes these herself, she says. Noticing some customers enjoying the jin tui, we ask for the same and soon we are happily munching on the glutinous rice flour balls with a red bean stuffing. The coating of sesame seeds adds a nice crunch to the balls. Photographer Rohanis couldn’t resist having three though she professes to being “stuffed”. While we are having lunch, I can’t help noticing the food ordered by customers at the other tables. The fish-head curry looks great as does the Seng Kong Tofu. The aroma of the Claypot Chicken with Saltfish simply irresistible.

Restoran Zenith is open Mondays to Saturdays from 11am to 10.30pm. It’s closed on Sundays. Taman Desa Petaling is on the way to Seremban from TUDM in Sungai Besi. You’ll have no problems locating Zenith with its bright blue canopy. Haslinda also does catering and even managed a small wedding at the restaurant.

**********End Of Extract**********

Restoran Zenith
Block B, 3-LG-1, Megan Salak Park,
Taman Desa Petaling, Salak Selatan, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-90563668
Business Hours:
Monday - Saturday, 11.00am to 10.30pm

Cuisine: Chinese
Rating: Food = B, Ambience = C

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Restoran Asam Pedas

2008-03-29T19:00:00.014+08:00

Restoran Asam Pedas serves cuisine originating from Melaka. We have been to Asam Pedas a couple of times and the food was acceptable. Here is a review (in Malay) taken from MyMesra website.

**********Extract from MyMesra**********

Restoran Asam Pedas telah ditubuhkan pada pertengahan tahun 2002. Ianya adalah satu-satunya restoran dan kafe bertaraf sederhana yang mesti anda kunjungi jika anda ingin menikmati masakan tradisi Negeri Hang Tuah dengan suasana yang selesa. Restoran ini dilengkapi kapasiti kemuatan 70 orang pelanggan dalam satu masa. Nama restoran ini amat dibanggakan oleh Pengemar Asam Pedas secara tidak langsung kepada negeri Melaka. Asam Pedas amat popular di Negeri Melaka.

Jika anda ingin merasakan keistimewaan juadah di Restoran Asam Pedas, Asam Pedas menyajikan konsep ala warung di waktu page seperti Roti Canai dicecah Asam Pedas, Nasi Lemak kukus dan Teh Tarik manakala di tengahari Asam Pedas menyediakan Hidangan Ala Kenduri dimana kelainan cara hidangan majlis masyarakat Melayu di kampung mempunyai lima lauk satu dulang. Disamping Ala Kenduri, Ala Carte ada disediakan. Setaip meja pelanggan akan diberikan Ca’lengkung sebagai pencuci mulut secara percuma. Disebelah petang hingga ke malam pula disamping Ala Carte, Asam Pedas ada menyediakan Cucur Udang Alor Gajah yang menjadi lambang kemegahan Bandar Alor Gajah. Masakan Asam Pedas sentiasa ada disetiap masa. Tidak kira waktu pagi, petang atau malam. Konsep Hiasan Gabungan Warna warna rempah ratus menceriakan lagi suasana dalam Restoran. Gambar gambar destinasi pelancongan negeri Melaka dipapar di seluruh dinding. Di diatas Rak Utama ada mempamirkan koleksi Coke dari luar negara. Bahagian Luar dibiarkan keselesaan untuk berborak sambil menikmati juadah.

Restoran Asam Pedas menghidangkan sajian Khas negeri Hang Tuah iaitu Asam Pedas Daging sukar didapati dikawasan Lembah Klang. Keistimewaan Asam Pedas Daging memiliki aroma daun limau purut manakala Asam Pedas Ikan pula bersama aroma daun kesom. Antara menu menjadi pilihan utama di Asam Pedas ialah: Asam Pedas Daging, Ikan Pari and Tenggiri disamping berulamkan cencaluk and Sambal belacan dimana bahan-bahannya segar khas dari Melaka. Kangkung Goreng Belacan mengunakan Belacan segar khas dari Melaka. Nasi Goreng Baba Nyonya pasti puas menikmati hidangan yang ringkas ini. Roti Canai di waktu pagi bersama kuah Asam Pedas Daging berlainan dari kebiasaan iaitu kari dan dal. Hidangan istimewa Cucur Udang Alor Gajah disebelah petang bersama Sos khas dari Alor Gajah Melaka. Juadah Pencuci Mulut Tapai Aiskrim - Gabungan Ais Krim Vanilla dengan Tapai pulut khas dari Masjid Tanah Melaka pengedar yang amat popular di Negeri Melaka. Buah Melaka (Onde-onde) Kuih tradisional negeri Melaka, Tepung kandungan Gula Melaka disaluti Kelapa Lerai.

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Restoran Asam Pedas
6, Jelatek Business Park,
Setiawangsa, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-42527279, 03-42527280

Cuisine: Malay - Melaka
Rating: Food = C+

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

Restoran Aloha

2008-03-29T14:05:00.023+08:00

15.03.2008
Restoran Aloha was opened on Feb 13th, 2008.

During our first visit, we met Encik Daud, the owner of the restaurant. Encik Daud operated his nasi briyani business in Kluang, Johor from 1993 till 2007. He decided to move his business to Subang earlier this year as he wants to be closer to his childrens - all of them (I think so) are now living in Klang Valley.

Apart from nasi briyani, you can also get a taste of other Johor originating dishes such as lontong berkuah, lontong kering, soto ayam, mee bandung Johor, tauhu goreng and weekly specials such as laksa Johor (available on Friday & Saturday) and nasi briyani gam (Monday only). According to Encik Daud, he serves nasi briyani gam only on Monday as it is more 'leceh' to prepare this dish - it takes twice the effort and twice the time to prepare compared to the standard nasi briyani. Aloha also serves local delight such as mee Siam, mee hailam and mee sup.

Nasi Briyani Ayam
We decided to order nasi briyani ayam and nasi briyani daging and I have to say that the briyani is well cooked - all the rempah ratus blended nicely and the rice does not stick to each other, or what the Malay calls as nasi berderai. The portion of the chicken and beef is very generous and I have no complain paying RM9.50 for a plate of it.

On our 2nd visit, we had lontong kering and nasi lemak. Nasi lemak is a disappointment but lontong kering is up to mark. And on the 3rd visit, we had nasi briyani ayam and daging (again!) and the briyani tasted the same - which means the restaurant ensures that the quality of the briyani is maintained throughout every serving.

The restaurant has the kopitiam look with small dark round tables and dark round stools and the place is really clean.

Encik Daud is considering to expand his menu as regular clients have been asking him to add more dishes, especially dishes of Johor origin. At present time, even though Restoran Aloha has limited dishes on its menu, it is worth to make a visit for a plate of tasty nasi briyani.

Aloha also provides catering service.

Additional note: If you don't have high blood pressure problem, you may opt for nasi briyani kambing :p

Restoran Aloha
15-1, Jalan USJ 9/5Q,
Subang Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 012-722 9424 / 012-710 9424 (Encik Daud)

Cuisine: Malay - Briyani Johor, Laksa Johor, Mee Bandung
Rating: Food = B (for Nasi Briyani), C (for the rest)

Rating System:
A = Recommended
B = Worth A Visit
C = Average
D = Below Average
E = Waste Of "Hard-Earned" Money. Seriously, I'm Not Kidding!

M2 By Zones

2008-03-29T13:58:00.006+08:00

I have divided the areas in Klang Valley into the following zones:
Z01 - CKL - Central KL
Z02 - WKL - West KL
- Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI), Damansara, Bangsar
Z03 - EKL - East KL
- Ampang, Pandan
Z04 - N/NWKL - North / North West KL
- Kepong, Jinjang, Selayang, Segambut, Sentul
Z05 - N/NEKL - North / North East KL
- Batu Caves, Gombak, Hulu Klang, Wangsa Maju, Setapak, Keramat
Z06 - S/SWKL - South / South West KL
- Seputeh, Jalan Klang Lama, Jalan Kuchai Lama, Bukit Jalil, Serdang
Z07 - S/SEKL - South / South East KL
- Cheras, Sg.Besi, Salak Selatan, Cheras Selatan
Z08 - P.JAYA
- Petaling Jaya, PJU (Damansara Perdana, Mutiara Damansara, Kota Damansara), PJS (Sunway), Subang Jaya (SS, USJ)
Z09 - S.ALAM
- Section 1-36, Section U1-U20
Z10 - PUCHONG
- Puchong, Kinrara
Z11 - KLANG
- Klang, Port Klang
Z12 - KAJANG+BANGI
- Kajang, Bangi
Z13 - PJAYA+CJAYA
- Putrajaya, Cyberjaya
Z14 - X
Z15 - X

And other states as follows:
Z16 - PERLIS
Z17 - KEDAH
Z18 - PENANG
Z19 - PERAK
Z20 - SELANGOR (BEYOND KLANG VALLEY)
Z21 - NEGRI SEMBILAN
Z22 - MELAKA
Z23 - JOHOR
Z24 - PAHANG
Z25 - TERENGGANU
Z26 - KELANTAN
Z27 - SARAWAK
Z28 - SABAH
Z29 - BRUNEI
Z30 - SINGAPORE

About Go M2 J2

2008-03-25T17:33:00.008+08:00

This blog is not meant to be a definitive guide to eating out - it is a basic reference blog meant for my family, relatives and friends. Being the visual person that I am, reviews will be minimal but I hope to provide all the necessary info for you to get going and explore your palates. Watch this space too for links to other reviews found on the world wide web.

All the makan places featured in this blog are classified as follows:
1. Halal - by virtue being owned by a Muslim (even though I strongly feel that Muslim owned eateries should also get a halal cert from Jakim).
2. Halal - with partial certification. Basically places like for example Chilli's Grill & Bar has halal cert for meat & poultry, but does not attain full halal certification because the eatery serves alcohol.
3. Halal - with full certification.
For issue 1 & 2 mentioned above, if in doubt, please check with the manager / owner before you start gobbling everything down your throat!

To my Muslim friends & relatives from Singapore, Indonesia & Australia, please do NOT assume all makan places over here serve halal food. If you come across a makan place with Muslim workers (especially with girls wearing tudung), please do NOT assume that food served is all halal. Check first! Eatery could only be just pork free. Pork Free is definitely NOT equivalent to halal! This is very apparent in many mid-class and up-market makan places.

Well, anyway, it’s not up to me to decide what you can or not to eat…

Enjoy reading & eating!

Note: I'm using Manglish for this blog. Grammatical error and spelling mistake is part of it! Hehehe!