House+Co @ Bangsar Shopping Complex

I saw this shop or rather restaurant on my last visit to Grand Imperial which is just opposite it. From outside it's a furniture shop as the name goes, Home+Co. You can see a lot of furniture and decorative items being displayed upon entering the place.

Once you go further in, you will notice that there's a restaurant in it. This is definitely an interesting restaurant. So I had called upon my new lunch buddy, K-Bear to try out this place. She was happily to obliged since she is alright with anything. :P We checked out their menu and it contains some local foods and also western too.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup - RM15/serving

For starter, she had ordered their roasted pumpkin soup. Nothing is better than a hot warm pumpkin soup served together with a roasted garlic bread. The pumpkin soup is topped with cream, nutmeg and pepper. The soup is thick just the way I like it. I am starting to like pumpkin soup after a few good encounters and this is one of them. At least now, I can order pumpkin soup rather than just mushroom every time.

Fish + Avocado Cheeser - RM24/serving

The women is contemplating between a few sandwiches in the menu and I had  suggested this for her. Actually I wanted her to try the pineapple+banana+cheese but she declined to 'experiment'. The sandwich is served with pan fried grouper, avocado, butter head lettuce and cheese. It's also served with a big piece of watermelon on the side and fresh salad.

As you can see the grouper and cheese are oozing out from the two piece of bread. This sandwich is really filling after finishing the pumpkin soup.

Nasi Lemak - RM24/serving

Finally my nasi lemak arrived. I saw one of the customer having this on my last visit and that day and decided to try it out. I am really hungry that afternoon, so this is just the right dish for me. I am really astonished when the waiter placed it in front of me. This is the most expensive plate of nasi lemak I had in my life. I mean, RM24 for a nasi lemak. This doesn't need to be only good, but really good.

The nasi lemak main attraction would be the massive amount of beef rendang served on top of a banana leave. When I said, massive, I do mean a lot. It's like a serving for 2 or maybe 3 people. The beef are really tender and warm. This is some really good beef rendang.

The nasi lemak also come with the usual cucumber, eggs, peanuts, anchovies and an addition of green too. The cucumber are served fresh and I do mean fresh like cut and served when needed. Even the anchovies are freshly fried before serving. I am really amazed. The vegetable are fresh and not too bitter. Love it.

The portion of rice is generous and really nice. It's warm when being served to me. It's not sticky and as you can see the rice are piece by piece apart. Just perfect. The sambal wasn't that much and nothing special bout it. But you should be busy with the beef rendang the whole meal to worry about this. Simply delicious.

Overall, the lunch is really good and I am 100% satisfied with the amount of money I am paying for the nasi lemak. I know RM24 is a bit steep for a plate of nasi lemak, but then again, you will need to consider the place and also the quality of the dish and not just the size or portion itself. There are also western dishes like pasta which I wanted to try on my next visit. Although this is the most expensive plate of nasi lemak I had to date, but I am a satisfied customer at the end. (Rating: 4.2 out of 5.0)

Belanga @ Empire Gallery

This place is recommended by a few members from my gym and I wasted no time to visit one night after my work out. It's located at Upper Level if I am not mistaken. The place serve Kelantanese cuisine. So for those who tasted Kelantan cuisine before, you can come over and have a try again and for those who never, then you should really come and try it out yourself.

The place is properly arranged and spacious. I guess, it's buka puasa time so there wasn't many crowd around when we arrived. I think most of the Muslims are patronizing the night market mostly. Anyway,  let's get to the food now. We went through the menu and saw some interesting dishes. Kelantan is famous for both their Nasi Dagang, Kerabu and Nasi Tumpang, so we decided to try it out. 

 Nasi Tumpang - RM6.50 (Fish) or RM6.90 (Prawn)

This is one of Kelantan local dish called Nasi Tumpang. It's wrapped inside banana leaf and another layer of paper outside. Now lets see what is inside now. 

Once unwrapped, you will see layers of pressed rice cakes, Serunding fish and curry fish in traditional style. You will also see eggs and anchovy sauce wrapped together inside this banana leaf cone. The rice seemed a bit cold and too soft for me. But other than that, the combination of layered fish gravy and anchovy is good for me. Not too spicy and not too filling too.

Nasi Dagang with Beef Rendang - RM13.90

 This is a traditional Kelantanese aromatic brown rice steamed with coconut milk, served with beef rendang and also egg and cucumber. Their brown rice or nasi dagang is definitely not your average type of rice you eat everyday. It's a bit long and quite filling too. The beef rendang is soft and tender. Just nice and not too hard. I like the beef as they really add a lot of coconut milk or santan in preparing it but a bit high on the cholesterol maybe. There is also a bit of chicken gravy on the side if it's too dry.

Nasi Dagang with Curry Chicken - RM13.90

This is the same as the above but the main dish is curry chicken instead. Again the portion is very generous as you can see above. Both the rice and chicken is still warm which is good as I don't like eating my rice and chicken prepared since early morning. Well maybe it is from the morning but at least heat it up, right? Nice. 

Nasi Kerabu with Ayam Percik - RM13.90

This is the nasi kerabu which I had ordered. And I really like it very much if compared with the others. The ayam percik is delicious and the gravy that comes with it really compliment the nasi kerabu. Nasi Kerabu is a East coast steamed turmeric rice. There is some floss on underneath that curry and on top of the rice. I like the small small piece of salted egg and also the crunchy prawn crackers too. Simply delicious. 

Lemongrass - RM6.90

This is a glass of special concoction of refreshing lemongrass extract , kaffir leaves and a tint of squeezed lemon. This might not be everyone's glass of drink, so please proceed with caution. Cause not everyone like lemongrass. But it's really refreshing to me.

Bandrex - RM3.90

Bandrex? I don't even know how they get to that name. It's a small glass of blended ginger extract, cinnamon powder & peppermint leaves. As the menu said, this drink is good to expel wind. 

Other than the food mentioned above, they also served cakes and dessert on their pantry. It's a good place for some quick lunch or a small bite for dinner. The place offer good food at affordable prices for me. Definitely coming back to try out the other dishes in their menu. Do try it out and let me know how you think of it. (Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0)

6 to 10 Grill @ Happy Mansion

So sorry for the late posting of some visits I had with my makan kakis. As you all know, I am busy with moving over to Puchong from PJ. So a lot of stuff to tidy up and arrange in the process. Pictures had been uploaded up to the blog but didn't have time to blog bout it. So anyway, here's one of the flogger's choice which I noticed is particular interesting. It's called 6 to 10 Grill which is located at Section 17, Happy Mansion. It's located opposite Food Foundry. Anyway, I heard it was nice and it served pork. Yummy!!!

Chicken & Mushroom Soup - RM4/bowl

For starter as always, I had ordered their Mushroom Soup to warm up my tummy. It was quite normal but there were a lot of sliced mushroom and tiny bits of chicken in it. Creamy type which I like. Portion was small but accommodating depending on individual.

Grilled Chicken Chop with Black Pepper Sauce - RM9.50
You can choose between breast or boneless thigh. It come with two side dishes, french fries and mixed beans. I heard from my friend that the black pepper sauce isn't that strong but the chicken was nicely grilled though.

Grilled Pork Chop with Pineapple Sauce - RM12.90

I'd come for pork and pork I had ordered. This is one of their recommended dish which come with pineapple sauce. I think it's sweet and sour type of sauce. The pork was alright and not too dried up and hard. Portion was moderate but filling.

Other than steaks they do serve local delights like their Nasi Lemal Special which I heard was nice. Other recommendation will be their Red Wine Lamb Special, Red Wine Pork Ribs, New Zealand Grill Lamb Chop and more. They open for lunch and dinner from 6pm to 10.30pm daily and close every Monday & Tuesday. Be early as there are always swarms of customers during lunch hour. (Rating: 3.8 out of 5.0)

Address: BG-1, Block B,
Happy Mansion,
Jalan 17/13,
46400 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor D.E
Contact: Erik @ 03-7955 4993 / 012-601 9976

Alexis Kitchen & Bar @ The Gardens

It's been a while since my last visit to Alexis but this was my first dinner at their outlet in The Gardens. It was pre-booked by one of our friends from the gym for one of our friend's birthday. So I took this opportunity to check out their food if there is any improvement since my last visit.

Soup of The Day - RM 15/bowl

Their soup of the day was supposed to be tomato but what I was served instead taste and look a lot like pumpkin. Other than that, the soup was really nice as it's creamy and not too thick. Sprinkle a bit of pepper on it and dip a slice of garlic bread and it's perfect. Portion was generous and I would recommend this for those who like pumpkin only. It's hot and it's fresh. Nice~

Saigon Spring Rolls - RM19/set

It's actually chicken & prawn & fungus served with chili dips. It was recommended by one of our friend. Actually it's not that bad. Freshly fried but a bit oily though.

Tomato Bruschetta - RM17/set

I give a 4 out of 5 for the presentation. Totally love the way this bruschetta is being served. But it's not always about looks now, is it? Taste wise, well it's alright. Nothing spectacular as it's looks. But still a decent starter for you to jump start your taste bud before the main course.

Light Deep Fried Calamari Rings - RM17/set
This is one of my favorite side dish, which is the fried calamari. Who doesn't like fried calamari. Portion was just moderate but it's really nice to warm up your tummy.

Duck Confit - RM26
This is yet another starter we ordered. The duck is crispy on the outside and being served with roasted pear salad. The taste is really strong on the duck. Not bad for a starter. Portion is moderate but justifiable with the price you're paying.

Angelhair Aglio Olio - RM38/plate

It's angelhair aglio olio with grilled yabbies and extra virgin olive oil. It's plain simple but it's not bad if you add lots of pepper on it. It's one of the better one I taste in such long time. Nothing spectacular but average.

Sarawak Laksa - RM20/bowl
Was told that this is one of their famous or recommended dish of the place. Three of our friend ordered this dish with different comments. One being not able to finish it as it was that bad. So I can't comment much on this but you need to try it for yourself.

Chicken Escalope - RM35/plate
This is actually thyme infused fillet of chicken, rocket & roasted cherry tomato. First impression, Chicken Marryland. So you can expect the chicken would be very dry and you need lots of sauce (which they didn't provide) to finish this baby off.

Wagyu Beef Cheeks - RM48/plate

Here's my main which is their famous Wagyu beef cheeks braised in red wine with rocket gremolata & mash potato. Damn the beef cheeks are so soft and tender. It's practically melt in your mouth. The sauce was really good too as it's a mix of red wine. The mash on the side cleanse a bit of the wine taste before finishing off with some of the salad at the side. Definitely a good dish. Portion wasn't that much but it's Wagyu beef, so it's worth the money.

Spaghetti Seafood Parcel - RM38/plate

This is also one of their recommended dish which is baked tiger prawns, mussels, calamari & parsley spaghetti wrapped in a plastic bag. They will cooked the whole pasta and seafood being wrapped inside this bag and they will cut the top off when it's served to show it's freshness. So how it taste? Tasteless. A bit disappointed of the whole dish.

Steaks from the grills - Tenderloine - RM70/200grams

This had got to be one of the most expensive dish in the menu. It's their steaks which you can choose from rib eyes, t bone, sirloin or tenderloin. And it's being sold by the grams. But heck it's really thick and juicy. The sauce that they provided is a mixture of green and mustard I think. A truly filling meal. If that doesn't fill you up, then finish up the mash potato at the side.

Linguine Vongole - RM32/plate

One word, clams. Lots of them. It's clams cooked in chardonnay & sliced basil. Comparing to the previous seafood pasta, this has a very strong seafood taste. Strong enough to really taste the sea water I think. Not my plate of pasta. That is why I always say that seafood and pasta don't mix good together.

As for the dessert we ordered their famous Almond with Tiramisu cake. Damn this cake is such a sin. It's sweet but not too sweet. The almonds are crunchy and the peanuts sprinkle together with honey tasted really nice combining with the tiramisu in the cake. Pieces of chocolate being mix together in the cake is a good choice. No wonder it's one of their best seller in the house.

So what can I say bout this dinner? It's a mix experience actually. Some had nightmares, some had sweet dreams (like I did). Ambiance was great for dinning or light drinking. They served wine and beers too. We had our own section all by our own but I guess our noise shocked the whole restaurant that night. Definitely worth a try for those who haven't visited them before. The total damage that night was RM1,000 inclusive of everything. Not to say expensive I guess. As the food is good and the company is great. Quite hard to rate as the feeling are both good and bad altogether. (Rating: 3.8 out of 5.0)

Pork Nasi Lemak @ SS2 Market

I had been having some new craving for the past few weekends. For those who read my blog, they should know that I usually had my morning nasi lemak every Saturday. But these few week, I had been patronizing a new spot. It's located at the SS2 morning market. For those who are familiar with the morning market I think you know which stall I am mentioning about. The stall are managed by this couple (I think they are married).

So what is so special about this stall? So let's do the run down of the dishes. They have the usual sambal which is not that spicy, squid curry, fried egg, vegetables, chicken curry and their famous pork curry. Imagine rendang ayam but replace the chicken with pork.

Previously I had asked for additional rice as their standard portion was quite little for me. But was told that they don't do that. So I had decided to buy another pack instead. And it would help too if you can speak Hokkien.

The nasi lemak taste like the one we normally had from any Malay stall. I had asked for some chicken curry to be added to my rice and pork rendang. The pork rendang was really tender and delicious. Not too dry and not that spicy at all. Combine the rice, rendang and the chicken gravy and you have one hell of a good nasi lemak. I was really amazed of the nasi lemak and now I know why there are so many people queuing up every morning waiting for their packet of rice. (Rating: 4.2 out of 5.0)

Killiney Kopitiam @ Uptown

First heard of this place from a friend from Singapore. Found out that they have a few stores locally too and one being at Uptown Damansara. So one night after my usual work out with my friends, I had decided to give this place a try. The name of the place is called Killiney Kopitiam. From the menu I noticed that the kopitiam menu or theme are based on Hainanese style. The origin of this kopitiam actually was from Malacca but due to some reason was relocated to Singapore and the rest was history.

French Toast

This french toast is definitely different from the one we had at Old Town or any other kopitiam. The bread is dipped in egg and fried. Although the bread may look a bit over burn but it tasted nice. The bread is accompanied with their home made kaya and butter. Kaya was really nice but maybe a bit too sweet. Add that together with the butter on the bread and it's perfect.

Singapore Laksa

Saw this laksa from their menu and was tempted to give it a try although I don't really take this kind of heavy meal after my work out. Was surprised that the soup was not as red as shown in the menu. But they did gave some belacan to go with it. I like everything of the noodle but the noodle itself. I am not sure why they use the noodle like one the in asam laksa. I think I like my noodle to be those local yellow noodle. But this is one good bowl of noodle.

Yes, I finished the whole bowl off to the last drop of soup. It was really that nice.

Surprisingly the shop wasn't that pack like any other kopitiam around the area. But then again it's good that it's not too crowded so the food is served faster. Not sure bout morning and afternoon though. Will definitely give it another try next week or so. Other then the one we had, they also serve Hainanese Chicken Chop, Mee Siam and some other toast bread. (Rating: 3.8 out of 5.0)

Gerai Yati Nasi Lemak @ Jalan 223 (Revisited)

It was an early morning appointment at Jalan 225 and I decided to have breakfast nearby. Where else but Gerai Yati at Jalan 223. This had got to be one of my favourite nasi lemak spot in P.J other than the one at SS2 opposite the Police Station. It's very seldom that I have breakfast here but rather late night supper. So this morning I had decided to have their nasi lemak with additional side dishes rather than the packet which I normally had. One of their selling point is the fresh steamed nasi lemak which is so hot that there is smoke coming out of it. The sambal was nice and not that spicy. Fresh cooked anchovies and peanuts which is so important. Decided to add another piece of fried chicken to go with my rice. Although it's not that hot but still al right for me. A well deserve RM3.50 plate of nasi lemak. (Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0)

Village Park Restaurant @ Uptown Damansara

Some of my friend did mentioned this place before to me while passing through a few times back. But didn't have the chance to really go in and have a try. The name of the place is called Village Park Restaurant at Damansara Uptown. I heard the place serves a good plate of nasi lemak. That I would like to try.

Walked in and the place is filled with people standing queuing to pay and waiting for tables and waiting for their foods. It was havoc. Typical old style kopitiam. They served a varieties of foods ranging from beef rendang, chicken rendang and also the special fried chicken.

One thing for sure, I could smell the scent of a good fried chicken when I smell one. This I will definitely like to try. Physical and smell had already pass my test. Next is the tasting.

Well since I can't decide between beef rendang and fried chicken, hence I had ordered both. Why choose when you can have both right? It took some time before our food arrive. Let's go to the beef rendang first. Looks like one good beef rendang but lack the rendang taste for me. Let's just say I had better. Fried chicken is above average but I still prefered my Darul Salam fried chicken at SS15 anytime. Nasi lemak definitely pack a lot of lemak hence the nice scent and taste. Sambal is very nice, better than the rendang gravvy. Weird~! RM10

Cleanse it all down with one cold glass of Sirap Ice. Sweet~!

Kitchen is small but the workers are very efficient and multitasking. But if you ask me, you will get your food faster if you walk over to the counter and wait for it rather than sitting on your seat. They do serve mee jawa, half boil eggs and etc like a kopitiam.

Overall, the food is above average, hence the pack crowd and all. I heard that the place is operated by nyonya folks. I know the cashier knows Chinese. So it's possible. Definitely going back for second and more to come. You have to queue up to the counter to pay your bill and yes the place is air condition inside so no worries of the sunny weather outside. Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0