KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

It was drizzling last Sunday morning but it did not stop us from pushing through Rib’s door, with only one thing in our mind – PORK. Reviews like this & this are what lured us there, besides the close proximity to our neighbourhood.

In Ribs, there’s a whole slew of old magazines on the shelves. It was quite a bliss to sit at the outdoor terrace, have a cuppa and flip through the magazines.

The huge portion of roasted smokey bbq baby back pork ribs (RM 28.50) came with a separate serving of barbeque sauce. It was quite a letdown that the meat was a little dry and firm. The sauces were decent but I wish they had one that worked better with these ribs. However, KampungBoy (impressively) gnawed the bones clean.

The homemade juicy pork burger with cheese (RM 18.90) came amidst much anticipation. It screams simplicity – dressed with lettuces, tomatoes and a hearty slice of cheddar cheese, along with a side of fries. There isn’t a meat-eating man who can walk away from this delicious treat! The freshly ground meat patty is very juicy, so keep a napkin handy.

We finished with a molten chocolate cake (RM 10.50). Well, you can’t go wrong with chocolaty desserts but if you attempt to have the whole thing by yourself (just like me), you’ll be ended up with aching tooth. Imagine velvety rich chocolate cake with warm melted chocolate centre and large plops of chocolate sauce on top.

For mouth watering pork burgers, Ribs is the place to go. We wouldn’t mind returning here for more porkie goodies. I’m eyeing the ribs with oriental sauce!

Ribs @Oasis
Lot 1-1, BU4 Oasis Complex
2 Cangkat Bandar Utama
47800 Bandar Utama
Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Tel: 03-7729 8921

From LDP, Turn into 1 Utama, you should see the old wing on your left and the new wing on your right. Keep right and head straight to the following traffic lights where the Jusco home centre is on your left. At the lights, take a right turn and keep left (you will be heading to the open car park near Giant), take a left on the first junction (landmark: school), head straight we are located on your right, about 100 meters from the junction.

Like clandestine gems hidden at the first floor, the Italiannies outlet at Mid Valley Gardens has a rather cozy and elegant interior. Coupled with the warm lightning and magnificent view overlooking the city, it does enhance the romantic ambience of this cozy little restaurant.

Joe, Yee Hou and us were here to sample Italiannies’ new menu that will be fully launched at the 6^th of November.So they said, “At Italiannies, our food is designed for sharing”. Still remember those family style big portions that can probably feed more than two famished guys? With Italiannies new promotion “Bowls of Pasta”, small eaters/ladies get to sample four types of pasta at only RM 29.90.

Grape Shake and Strawberry Shake

Clock Wise
Chicken & Mushroom (shiitake mushrooms sautéed with chili chicken tossed with cherry tomatoes and rocket lettuce and served with spaghetti). Angel Hair Pomodoro (angel hair pasta with chopped red tomatoes and sautéed with garlic in a light tomato basil sauce). Chicken Lasagna (layers of lasagna pasta, creamy cheese sauce, marinara sauce with melted mozzarella cheese and baked until golden brown). Salmon & Lemon Aioli (baked salmon flakes tossed with chilled lemon aioli mayonnaise and baby spinach over shell pasta)

Clock Wise
Fussili Pesto &Mushrooms (Pan-seared shiitake mushrooms served over chilled fussili basil pesto pasta). Classic Carbonara (fettuccine pasta tossed in light parmesan cream sauce with smoked beef bacon and fresh button mushrooms). Clams & Beef Bacon (beef bacon strips sautéed with fresh clams, onions and clam broth and served over fettuccine). Shrimp Linguine (linguine pasta with sautéed shrimp and served with marinara sauce).

Chili Shrimp (lightly sautéed shrimp with dried chilies and garlic over linguine).

My favourite would be the classic carbonara, angel hair pomodoro and shrimp linguine. The classic carbonara is sinfully rich, with egg, cream, butter, parmesan cheese all in one smooth creamy concoction but I’m not complaining! Simplicity can seem ingenious, as in the angel hair pomodoro and shrimp linguine which combined fresh pasta with tomato based sauce to mellifluous advantage.

Other than “bowl of pasta”, we also tried a new salad item – Californian Shrimp Salad with baby spinach and romaine lettuce tossed with Italian dressing topped with seasoned grilled shrimp, mango strips, orange, tomatoes & cream cheese. Being on medication (cough* cough*) has suppressed my appetite but this light and fruity salad is indeed comforting enough for those dreadful dry throat.

Drool flooded my mouth as the Quattro Platter wafted into my face. It consists of thinly rolled pizza dough topped with Philadelphia cream, mozzarella, parmesan and gorgonzola cheese over Italiannies herb oil. The fried dough was flawlessly crispy with melt in your mouth cheese bursting with a wonderful taste.

Another interesting new item would be the Italiannies lamb shank. This looks wonderful and I love lamb when it’s fall apart tender with plenty of fat innervating the meat. Even KampungBoy reckons that this fares better than any other version that he has tried.

Chocolate and hazelnut cake. This is a very rich and dense (almost flourless) chocolate cake but it was too sweet for my liking.

Last but not least, the infamous New York Strawberry Cheesecake arrived. “Only cheesecake that I would eat”, says Yee Hou. So you can gauge how good is it huh? The cheesecake boasts a velvety texture but is lighter than the usual cheesecake that we usually have. Drizzle it with plenty of strawberry sauce and you are in heaven.

It was an enjoyable lunch overall, with good food and good companion. The rest of us were entertained by listening to Yee Hou and Joe’s camera talk and their act of flashing and caressing their tools (toys).I think that with constant somber musings on recessions, downturn and credit crunch playing over our ears every day, it is time to tighten our belt a little bit. No more fancy/fine dining but for that little treat of a hearty Italian fare that is light on the wallet, Italiannies would be the obvious choice.

In quest for the best claypot chicken rice…
It brought us to Damansara Jaya (near KDU College). The first place to go is Restaurant Busy Corner which is always bustling with activies, even on a weekday night. Variety is the key here, other than the usual claypot chicken rice; one can opt for claypot prawn rice, claypot beef rice, and some soupy dish that goes very well with rice and is hearty enough to be a main course if you wish to.

Claypot chicken rice (RM 6, small) has always been our old favorite. It is amazing that how the simplest of ingredients are transformed into something such amazing one pot meal! Busy Corner’s version sans the appearance of lap cheong (Chinese was sausages) is quite a let down. Despite the rice being soft and fluffy, the chicken pieces were tough and dry.

Our claypot prawn rice (RM 13, small) came sizzling hot with a generous serving of de shelled prawns, a good sprinkling of raw onions and drizzles spicy sour sauce on top. Give it a good stir and voila! You get a great combination of soft and fluffy rice coated evenly with the spicy sour gravy, half cooked onion and fresh succulent prawns.

Restoran Busy Corner
83, Jalan ss 22/11
Damansara Jaya
Tel: 03-7729 0116 Closes on Thursdays.

Now let us turn to another claypot chicken rice place, Koon Kee, located just a few streets away from Busy Corner.

Koon Kee is a no frills claypot chicken rice place with limited choices of soupy dish. Their pork stomach soup is very peppery that gives an extra kick to it, just the way I like it.

The claypot chicken rice comes with lap cheong that added some sweetness to the rice, not forgetting the intense and pungent smelling salted fish too. I love srapping for the thin layer of crispy rice crust that’s adhered to the bottom of the claypot. My parents has been telling me that those who love crispy rice crust are very stubborn people. Have you guys ever heard of that?

For one pot meal that comes in a reasonable price tag, Koon Kee and Busy Corner is the place to go. We wouldn’t mind returning to try out the other varieties of claypot rice at Busy Corner, which added a nice twist to the usual chicken rice. However, for a minimal meal of claypot chicken rice, we would still prefer Koon Kee.

Restoran Koon Kee 42, Jalan SS22/25,
Damansara Jaya,
47400 Petaling Jaya

Our Deepavali week was a great one where we manage to meet up with KampungBoy’s sister and her family at Yuzu for lunch. Tucked away in a rather secluded corner at The Gardens, Yuzu is elegantly trimmed in a warm zen-like ambiance and the sophisticated interior here manages to make one forget about the strip center location.

To cure our hunger pangs, King Prawn Roll (RM28) and Tamago Roll (RM 6) were ordered. The king prawn roll is liberally stuffed with prawn, salmon and avocado but we were not entirely blown away by it. Cawanmushi (RM 8 ) and edamame (boiled soy bean, RM 8 ) were presented to KampungBoy’s cute little nephew and he was more than happy to help himself with it.

Aji sashimi (horse mackerel, RM 55), yogowa sashimi (RM 35), shiro maguro (white tuna, RM 35), salmon sashimi (RM 20)

Served on crushed ice, with wasabi and seaweeds along side, our order of assorted sashimi came in a little wood bucket. Aji sashimi was thick and sweet and obviated any need for soy while the deep fried aji fish bones are deliciously crunchy! The shiro maguro and salmon slices was beautifully marbled with a nearly dissolved in the tongue texture. Each bite is pure heaven! All the sashimis were perfectly fresh with intense sea flavors, a great harbinger of things to come.

Then we were (sort of) put-off when the uni/sea urchin (RM 150) arrived to our table. Uni aren’t exactly pretty, with its jiggly tongue like flesh in bold yellow color (reminds me of baby poops, ops!). “First, wrap a piece of seaweed around the sashimi, give it a quick dip, then eat”, says the waitress. Holding up the seaweed and scoop the uni in cautiously, I knew that we were all wrong the moment I put it into my mouth. Despite its hideous appearance, it does make up in flavor – fresh-tasting, custardy soft, slightly briny and subtly sweet.

Here comes the set while brings more value for money. Yuzu Bento (RM 38) is a special bento box with sushi, deep fried chicken, tempura, small soba, appetizers, egg custard, pickles, salad, small braised dish, tea pot soup, puddings and fruits.

KampungBoy’s sister who loves seafood had the Gyu Karubi Toubanyaki and Seafood Set (RM48) with sliced Japanese beef in hot plate and stone grilled salmon, scallop and prawn.

Lastly, we shared the Yuzu Gozen (RM 48) with assorted sashimi, assorted sushi, tempura, stone grilled beef, egg custard, 2 small appetizers, salads, fruits and tea pot soup. The best item has to be the stone-grilled Japanese beef with a heavenly scent of soy-seasoned seared beef. Grilled to perfection, the beef is succulent but retains a beautiful firm texture. Four small little cubes are too little to feed us!

Unadon (RM 20)

A soupy dish where everyone gives their two thumbs up – Ginmutsu Tofu Nabe (RM 68) with cod fish, soft fish cake, bean curd and vegetables came in a unique pot made of special washi paper. The cod fish is best eaten with accompanying special spicy sauce which brings out the sweet flavour of it very well. All of us like the soft fish cake very well too, it’s very different from the usual Chinese fish cake. The soup base with yuzu rinds has lent a subtly pleasant aroma to the soup, which added explosions of flavor along with the clear soup.

The Cutest Gap Mannequin Ever!

 Thanks for buying us the scrumptious meal!

Though a meal at Yuzu can take a chunk out of the monthly entertainment budget, it is generally worth it for the excellent quality and ambiance. For something that is light on the pocket, one can always go for the set meal which can easily feed two. The wait staff is always friendly, attentive and knowledgeable about everything on the menu too. I wouldn’t mind returning to Yuzu for some quality Japanese food in the future.

Yuzu Japanese Restaurant
T236, 3rd Floor
The Gardens
Mid Valley City
Kuala Lumpur
Tel No: 03 – 2284 7663

Just a piece of good news for PJ folks – the undisputed king of egg tart is now at Damansara Uptown.

Feeling rather sluggish on a Sunday afternoon, we drove out to have a quick lunch and stumble upon Tong Kee. Upon entrance, we were greeted by a comforting aroma of fresh bread and sights of pretty cakes and colorful pastries glowing from a bright showcase. Their “non halal” buns that incorporates the use of lards, bacons or hams deserves a special mention as its a rare sight in any other bakeries.

We had the butter pastry egg tarts (RM1.50) and flaky pastry egg tarts(RM1.30), which are all good! The butter version is totally different form the flaky version that we are all familiar with, with its buttery and crispier texture. By far, Tong Kee is where you can find the best egg tart within Klang Valley, but my favourite egg tart remains with Choy Kee at Simee Market, Ipoh (I’ll snap some pictures and do a review on that soon!). Meanwhile, to satisfy my sudden craving for egg tarts, Tong Kee would be the obvious choice.

Tong Kee Brothers Confectionary
No. 61G, Jln ss21/60, Damansara Utama,
47400 Petaling Jaya,
SelangorDarul Ehsan
Tel: 03-77266133 Fax: 03-77267133