vkeong loves good food, travel and photography!
Archive for March, 2012
Kita No Zen (Hokkaido Ichiba) Japanese Restaurant @ The Gardens, Mid Valley
Mar 29th
I could still vividly remember the last time I was at Kita No Zen (Hokkaido Ichiba) for lunch. The food was prepared with care and presented nicely, had generous portions and most importantly, tasted good. So even though the extensive menu is priced about 10-20% higher than the average Japanese restaurant in the mall, you get what you pay for – quality. Since SL had not been to the restaurant before and it was long since we had a good Japanese meal, we headed there last weekend.
Feeling deja vu? That is because Kita is owned by the same company that operates Sushi/Pasta Zanmai hence the familiarity in the restaurant’s decor.
I believe the Dragon Roll (RM30) is a popular dish at any Japanese restaurant. I felt it is so exceptionally good here that I ordered it during both of my visits. Topped with flying fish roe and sliced avocados that cleverly resemble the scales of a dragon, the sushi has a whole fried jumbo ebi wrapped inside. The prawn is very meaty too (thicker than my thumb!) and the flesh was firm and tasted sea-sweet. Simply delicious.
Western Food & Mille Crepe @ Food Foundry, Section 17 PJ
Mar 26th
Food Foundry at Section 17 is a popular lunch spot among the office workers nearby. Their menu is mainly Western and complete with a small selection of cakes. The latter consists of mostly Mille Crepe cakes of different flavors, which is also the main contributor to their popularity.
I had the biggest Lamb Chop ever here (Morrocan Lamb Chop) @ RM18. Even though is far from being mind-blowingly tasty, it was decent and the price vs portion value is really hard to beat for PJ standards.
Chocolate Mille Crepe @ RM9, basically a French cake made with thin crepes and cream layered on each other. It tasted as good if not better than the over-rated one at Nadeje.
Top Hat Restaurant @ Jalan Stonor, KL
Mar 22nd
If you have been to the KLCC Convention Centre or the Aquaria, most likely you would have parked at the adjoining outdoor car park. If you did, then you should have noticed Top Hat Restaurant before. It is located along Jalan Stonor, somewhere near the car park’s exit. I had always wondered about the restaurant but never really made a point to make a visit because it looked pricey. But after gathering positive feedbacks from friends who dined there before, we were finally convinced to try.
Set in a colonial bungalow that used to be a school in the past, the restaurant is filled with natural light from the side windows and oozes classical elegance. The menu that rotates every three months is a delightful blend of Western Dishes and Asian flavours, with the latter focused more on local Malaysian and distinctive Nyonya cuisines. Prices here are expectedly above average but not exorbitantly expensive.
Top Hats (Kuih Pai Tee) @ RM10 for half a dozen, a signature dish here that also matches the restaurant’s name. These bite-sized appetizers were prepared fresh and arrived at the table warm. The ‘hat’ was light but crispy and the shredded radish filling was surprisingly more delicious than anticipated considering it is vegetarian. They go very well with the homemade chili coriander sauce too, in fact a must for Pai Tee.
Burger Maut (Burger of Death) @ Semabok, Melaka
Mar 20th
I have rented rooms and houses at many different towns in Selangor, KL and Penang since I started to work. And everywhere I stayed, I made sure I found a good Ramly Burger stall nearby that I could rely on for a quick bite and I believe everyone has their favorites too. Even though I keep a list of those I like, it never crossed my mind to blog any of them, mainly because most of them never operate on a permanent basis.
Then I found out from a friend about Burger Maut at Semabok, Melaka which I think is worthy of a mention. I know you are wondering why his burgers are called the Burgers of Death. Me too. So I asked Abang Fuad (the seller). But not only he doesn’t know why, he did not come up with the name too! Apparently the catchy name was given by his loyal customers and it just stuck ever since. Interesting eh?
There are two things that make his burgers special: show of high flame that never fails to entertain and his signature burger ‘Convert‘, which is simply a burger that got converted into hot dog. How? Read on and find out.
