Samira @ Sentul Park is a new kid on the block; taking over Yuritei at the KOI centre near KL Performing Arts Center.  I first read about this beautiful place from Sean‘s blog and was captivated by it’s beautiful surroundings. Last Saturday, I popped by for dinner since it is only 2 minutes drive from my place.

We walked through a stone pathway and was greeted by this beautiful sight. The restaurant offers indoor air-conditioned comfort and al fresco dining.

The wait staff ushered us to another side of the restaurant, by the lake. It was nice to have our dinner here, while enjoying the lush greenery surrounded by breathtaking lake view and landscape.

My Korean friend was really happy taking in the evening sunset with her meal.

From left: Tropical Fruit Punch, Lemongrass Drink, Fresh Coconut (RM 8 – 10)

From left: Mieng Kam RM 19, Samira’s Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab RM 28, Traditional Thai Tom Yam with Mixed Seafood RM 20

From left: Lychee Fried Rice RM 16, Thai Famous Sticky Rice RM 5, Green Curry Chicken

Please pardon the low light picture. It was disastrous, I know. I love Miang Kam. In fact, it’s my favorite Thai snack. The sweet-and-sour combination of myriad chopped ingredients and spices always whet my appetite. Samira’s Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab is coated in a chef’s special gravy. It was flavourful but we found the batter to be greasy. The Tom Yam soup was a tad too sweet for my liking; the chef was heavy handed on the fish sauce/sugar perhaps?

We enjoyed the lychee fried rice a lot. It was full of wok hei and the addition of lychee flesh was a refreshing touch. The green curry chicken went well with our sticky rice, but the gravy was a bit watered down.

We had Tub Tim Krob for dessert. This famous Thai dessert made from water chestnuts was cool and refreshing.

The food was decent, but nothing remarkable. However, the pricing was reasonable and we enjoyed the ambiance a lot. It is a great place to come by for a casual dinner/gathering. Just remember not to set your expectations too high

Samira by Asian Terrace,
Sentul Park (KLPAC), Jalan Strachan, Off Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 012-921-3880
Open daily for lunch & dinner, except Wednesdays.
http://www.samiraasianterrace.com/

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KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

This is a much-belated review of our dinner at the Rama V on our seventh anniversary a couple weeks ago.

Thanks to KampungBoy who made it home in time. There’s almost nothing in the world as sweet and romantic as my boyfriend.

We chose to dine at Rama V, as we are looking for a taste of something different. Quietly tucked away from the busy district of Kuala Lumpur, Rama V offers traditional Thai cuisine in a fine dining atmosphere.

The interior is decorated with an effort towards elegance. There is some subtle Thai cultural iconography that endorses the room as well.

We were seated by the glass panel, overlooking the water pond which was nice for a date night.

As far as the food goes, it was what you would expect from your average Thai establishment: various stir-fried options, soups, grilled items, etc.

Thai Ice Tea (RM 12). My choice of drink was horrible; overly sweet with only a mild hint of tea flavour.

Chor Ladda (RM 28) – Flower Shaped Dumplings Stuffed with Minced Chicken and Peanut

The blue colored flower shaped dumplings were beautifully presented. I loved the sweet-savory taste of the minced chicken and peanut filling but the skin was too thick and chewy for my liking.

Tom Yam Kung Mae Nam (RM 25) – Tom Yam River Prawn served in Young Coconut

The hot and spicy tom yam soup was brimming with seafood but the ingredients were not fresh as it should be.

Our order of Roast Duck Curry (RM 28) with Lychee turned out pretty good. The spiciness of the red curry, the sweetness of the lychees and the saltiness of the duck, combine to make a delicious simmering dish.

Thai Steamed Fish with Lime Juice (RM 65). It was served over a portable furnace of smoking embers in a fish shaped metal dish.

This enables the sauce to bubble away and stay warm while we eat it. We really enjoyed the spicy, sour and tangy flavours of the soup based sauce and the fresh, succulent fish.

Our total damage was RM 180++, can’t complain given that it is a Thai fine dining restaurant. Though there is some hits and misses on the food, the low lighting and lovely decor make this a place to remember.

Last but not least, I just want to take this chance to tell KampungBoy how much he means to me. Happy anniversary my love! I’m glad I found you.

Rama V
No. 5 Jalan U Thant
55000 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-21432663
Opening Hours: 11am-3pm, 6.30pm-11pm

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KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

With funky décor, up lit bar and plush furnishing, one is sure to feel at ease in the cozy atmosphere of Funky Villa. I love the ingenious use of color especially!

The mural and these rainbow colored chairs bring a splash of vibrant color into the bar itself.

We were seated at the dining area overlooking the bar and the dance floor. Above is a spacious first floor seating and dining balcony.

This cool, laid back bar offers great DJ’s spinning at the front lounge too.

We got to sample some of the latest offering of this spanking new bar, courtesy of Natalie, the Communication Manager of Funky Villa.

We started off with NUT CRACKER regular size. (vodka, irish cream, amaretto, hazelnut liqour & vanilla ice cream). It also comes in giant size at RM53 that can easily feed four to five thirsty patrons. Great fun for birthday celebration or gatherings, we reckoned.

We also tried three of Funky Villa’s signature drinks – Iced Roselle, Iced Tamarind and Iced Lemongress (RM 6.90 each). The drinks were very refreshing, with a slight touch of sweetness that takes the edge off the heat of spicy foods that we are going to have later.

Tom Yum Kung serving for 2 (RM13). Served scalding hot, the tom yum kung was very spicy and sour, with a lot of fresh spices and herbs like lemon grass, ginger root, red shallots, lime coriander leaves, chili and kaffir lime leaves. The chef has added in some fresh coconut flesh for some good bites. It complemented the tom yum soup extremely well.

Masamman Beef (Red Curry) (RM23). Massaman Curry is a popular dish from the south of Thailand. The curry gravy was rich and flavorful, with some potatoes cubes thrown in for good measure. The beef cubes were extremely after hours of slow cooking.

Yellow Curry Soft Shell Crab (RM23). The yellow curry with eggy bits was slightly sweet with a subtly hint of spiciness. It went really well with our bowl of Thai fragrant white rice. However, the soft shell crab was over-fried and tasted a little burnt.

The Mixed Platter : EKAMAI (serve 2-3paxes) – RM36 consists of Lemon Grass Seafood Skewers, Bamboo Beef Skewers, Thai Fish Cake and Spicy Pamelo Salad.

Our favourite of the bunch? The beef skewers and lemon grass seafood skewers. So tender that it required minimal jaw exercises.

The Mango Salad with Fried Tofu (RM 14) was served alongside with chunks of deep fried shrimps. It was a mingling of sweet, sour, spicy and salty taste in our mouth.

We were presented with Mango Sticky Rice (RM9), a sweet treat that we absolutely love! The coconut milk soaked sticky rice was really addictive. It was served warm to bring forth the rich flagrance and flavors. My only gripe is that the mangoes were not sweet enough.

There aren’t any reasons to skip Funky Villa if you frequent e@Curve. Set lunch starts from RM9.90 nett with 2 course plus drink, available during weekdays from 12pm to 3pm. Good news if you love cheap booze. Funky villa offers buy 1 pint free 1 pint promotion before 6pm and buy 1 pint free half a pint promotion before 10pm. You can placed your order anytime before 10pm and redeemed your free pints at a much later time, say 1am.

Lot No G-03A, G-06 & EG-06,
GROUND FLOOR e@Curve (formerly Cineleisure)
No. 24 Jalan PJU7/3, Mutiara Damansara,
47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03 7725 2308 / 014 699 9098 (Communication Manager of Funky Villa)

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

I’ve never been to England but I’m head over heels in love with English Tudor style cottages after my stay in a beautiful tudor style bed & breakfast in Taiwan.

I’m glad that we have smokehouse here in KL; a cozy restaurant that exudes old English charm. The Smokehouse has came a long way. They started out in Cameron Highlands as Smokehouse Hotel & Restaurant and followed by the Ye Olde Smokehouse in Fraser’s Hill. In 1992, The Smokehouse made its debut in Jalan Yap Kwan Seng and last year Datuk Woo decided to relocate it to Bangsar.

Other than traditional English grubs such as beef wellington and yorkshire puddings, the Smokehouse in Bangsar takes pride in their extensive Thai menu. Our first thought was “Thai food in such a beautiful English setting?” but breathed a collective sigh of relief when we found out that their Thai chefs were previously with Rama V. That would give us some quality assurance.

The interior of Smokehouse screams beautiful taste.

Antique audio player, antique mirrors, antique silver,  fancy pottery, glassware, fireplaces and old pictures are to be discovered in every corner of the premise.

I can just sit here all day, sipping tea and reading a book provided that the fireplace is not lit up (it’s 30 degree Celsius out there!).

Let’s go to the food part, shall we? The restaurant manager, Dennis recommended Mieng Kam (RM15) to whet our appetite before the mains . The parcels were beautifully presented in shooter glasses. We added a bit of sauce on top, ate it on one bite and let the taste explode in our mouths.

Grilled Mushrooms with White Wine Sauce – RM15. The mushrooms were made extra flavorful with a little white wine and crushed garlic bits.

Chor Ladda – RM15. The blue colored flower shaped dumplings were beautifully presented. I loved the sweet-savory taste of the minced chicken and peanut filling but the skin was too thick for my liking.

Poo Nim Tod – RM18. The crispy soft shell crabs were deep fried to perfection. One bite into these crispy soft shell crabs relinquishes a subtly sweet taste and slightly soft centre.

We also had some some highly refreshing Hoegaarden for a hot, sticky afternoon.

“I can haz this beer”

One of our main courses were the Roast Lamb Shank (RM32). It was incredibly flavorful, succulent and fork-tender.

Beef Wellington – RM48. It requires a tedious preparation as the beef tenderloin were coated with pâté and duxelles, which is then wrapped in puff pastry and baked. It is a very special dish on its own but I thought the beef was lacked of flavor and texture.

Roast Sirloin of Steak with Yorkshire Pudding – RM38. Yorkshire Pudding is just so English!! It was light and airy, and the bottom was nice and crispy. The roast sirloin of steak too, was perfectly moist, tender and delicious.

The Chicken & Mushroom Pie (RM28) was one of the crowd’s favorite. The pie filling was so creamy and tasty while the pie crust stayed flaky and crisp. The chef has done his marvel by turning a simple pie into such a beautiful dish.

Signature Thai style Fried Rice.This delicious Thai fried rice features baby shrimp, shredded egg and bits of chicken as well as some healthy greens. Mix everything together, give it a good stir and enjoy the delicious fried rice.

Grilled Cod Fish – RM38. This delicious grilled cod was tender and buttery while the skin came out crackly crisp. Absolutely divine!

a long table feast!

Smokehouse’s version of Mango with Sticky Rice is top notch! The mango had a firm, velvety flesh and oozing with juice. The sticky rice had a creamy texture around a chewy center and the sesame seed gave it a delicate, aromatic flavor.

Bombe Alaska (RM28) is an intriguing dessert. The waiter splashed a generous amount of dark rum over the meringue layer of Baked Alaska with ice cream and sponge cake inside. Lights are then turned down and the whole dessert is flambeed while being served. It was deliciously light, not overly sweet and a perfect finish to be meal.

How could we missed out Smokehouse’s signature afternoon tea set, a three-tiered platter of exquisitely prepared sandwiches, scones and delicate pastries? The scones were light, flavorful and made from real butter. These were amazing! Seriously, the best scones. Try one.

While there are some misses (and more hits!) in the food that we had, I would still recommend this restaurant to any body who wish to have good food at good prices. Smokehouse is a great place to enlighten your taste buds with traditional British food and desserts, as well as some delectable Thai cuisine.

The Smokehouse
67, Jalan Telawi 3,
Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: +603 2288 1510
Business hours:
Weekdays -11am to 12am
Weekends – 11am to 2am
(located next to Chawan & Madam Kwan’s)

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Only a few steps away from the famous Hau Kee, A Wet Thai Cafe too, is bustling with activities comes dinner time. In spite of the surrounding businesses and limited parking, this place is a hidden gem with a wide varieties of authentic Thai cuisine at reasonable prices.

It is a blessing in disguise that Ai Wei discovered this place and hence suggested it for Wen Ching‘s farewell dinner.

We started off the meal with an appetizer of Miang Kam (RM 12) to tingle the tastebuds. Fold the chaplu leaves into a cone, pile it on with grated coconut , unpeeled lime, shallots, roasted peanuts, dried shrimps, fresh ginger, etc with a generous drizzle of the dipping sauce and pop it into your mouth.

The entire bundle is eaten in one bite. The myriad ingredients will create a flavor explosion inside your mouth and it is sure to whet your appetite for more!

chomp chomp

Patrons in A Wet Thai Cafe are served with pandan flavored water. I’ve had lemongrass flavored water at some Thai restaurant; but pandan flavored water is a first. Pretty enticing!

For mains, we had the grilled mackerel (RM 30). All seafood were grilled and served upon order, thus imparting a hearty, smoky flavor with charred crispy edges. Slowly devour it to allow the natural sweetness of the fish to come through.

A visit to a Thai restaurant is never complete without tom yam. A Wet’s seafood tom yam (RM 20) is prepared with many types of Thai herbs with the special addition of coconut milk that makes it smoother. It has a subtle blend of hot, spicy and sour flavor but I still like the clear version better.

Their green curry (RM 16) fares pretty well too. The gravy is so flavorful and creamy and most importantly it is being served with PORK strips! Delicious!

Deep Fried KangKung (RM 8). A typical example of looks can be deceiving; it tasted really despite the fact that it looked bumpy and lumpy. These bite-sized veges had a good crunch but were fairly soft insides. Adding a dash of the dipping sauce with minced PORK enhances the flavor better.

The deep fried chili seafood (RM 20) was nothing more than a lackluster dish.

We ordered some carbs for the guys but it turned out to be everyone’s favorite. Mixed with some spicy minced PORK, the Thai fried rice (RM 7.3) was very aromatic and appetizing.

Of all things sweet – Christine & Desserts

After the meal we felt quite satisfied but eventually we gave in to gluttony and ordered some desserts (RM 5.9 each) to be shared among us. The Water Chestnut with Coconut Milk was really good but the rest were not remarkable at all.

The total bill came to RM 145.45 (5% service tax). With great non halal (plus point!) Thai food, attentive services and reasonable pricing, I’d say this place warrants a second visit. Thanks Ai Wei for your great recommendation!

A Wet Thai Cafe

Tel: 03-91319838
(make a reservation to avoid disappointment)

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Not too long ago, our reader, Jesslyn invited us to dine at Phai Lin restaurant in Sri Damansara Club. Together with other floggers (ThamJiak, Jason, Simon, William), we dropped by for a food tasting session.

Though located inside Sri Damansara Club, the restaurant is open to the public.  The décor resembles that stereotypical Chinese restaurant you see everywhere because the place was occupied by a Chinese restaurant previously.

The owner is a Siamese herself, and she is operating another Thai restaurant in Myanmar concurrently. To ensure the authenticity of her food, the waiters, waitresses and the chefs were all brought in from Thailand.

Spring Rolls with Thai Sauce (RM 13). Though fresh and crispy, the spring rolls were nothing to shout about.

Deep Fried Garoupa with Sweet & Sour Sauce (RM 35). The sweet and sour sauce goes really well with some Thai fragrant rice. Only gripe I had was that the skin seemed a tad too dry and shriveled.

Claypot Glass Vermicelli with Prawn (RM 22). A dish that stands out on its own; I especially love the glass vermicelli that has absorbed the essence of the prawns.

Deep Fried Chicken Wings with Herbs Thai Style (RM 18). Everyone loves the juicy and crunchy chicken wings.  The aromatic combination of sweet basil leaves, chopped lemongrass, garlic and dried chillies has done a lot of wonder in bringing out the flavor.

Seafood Tom Yam Soup (RM28). Served with a generous amount of seafood, the tom yam soup was quite good but personally I would prefer it with more “kick”.

Stir-fried Mixed Vegetables  (RM 17)

Mango Salad (RM15)

Raw Prawn Salad (RM22) is the highlight of the day. The prawns were really fresh and sweet. Try dipping them into the garlic and grinded mint leaves sauce and you are in heaven!

Authentic Thai food are hard to come by nowadays. We do hope that the owner, together with her chef will continue to improve in finding the right taste that fits a Malaysian’s “taste bud” while remaining its own authenticity.

Phai Lin Restaurant
Sri Damansara Club
Lot 23304,
Persiaran Perdana,
Bandar Sri Damansara,
52200 KL.
Tel: +603 6273 1509

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

“Baby Seafood’s most outstanding dish – fish cooked over charcoal stove is simply out of this world!” Miss J, our food guide of the day said. It just built a little more onto the already mounting anticipation after we read about Precious Pea’s raves on the fish.

Together with another close friend, we embarked on a journey to Klang, the vicinity of all things sinful – Bakuteh and Seafood. We are basically clueless when it comes to finding our way around Klang but we are so lucky to have Miss J. Having to grow up and live in Klang for many years, she just knows every nook and cranny in Klang.

We reached there around 7pm but the restaurant was full by then. There’s even a small crowd waiting outside. Here’s a little tip from Miss J – go there before 6 pm and wait for their doors to be opened.

Finally we got a place in about 15 minute’s time. One can see that every single table is having the signature steamed fish over charcoal stove. The choice of fish is limited to garoupa, threadfin, red snapper and white snapper.

The huge portion of soup came with our order of steamed fish. With ingredients like dried chilies, birds eye chilies, lemongrass, lime leaves, ginger, etc., the soup provides a spicy and tangy feast of flavors with every slurp.

Our steamed red snapper (RM 33) was placed on top of a charcoal stove to keep warm. Appearance wise, the steamed fish almost resembles Teochew style with sour plum and salted vegetables but it tasted different with the addition of the sour and savoury broth.  Keep pouring the broth over the fish as the heat dries up the sauce. The broth became so concentrated towards that end that it is a pure enjoyment to devour it.

The stuffed chicken wing (RM 4.50 per piece) is another signature of Baby Seafood. Stuffed with ham, cheese and chives, the boneless chicken wing was moist, tender and delicious! The outer layer is coated with some proprietary sweet and smoky sauce.

At only RM 1.60 per piece, we could not resist ourselves from ordering the pandan chicken. The meat is succulent and tender with just the right amount of crispiness on the outside.

Eat some greens to offset the guilt of over-indulging. Choy Dam (RM 10)

Feeling greedy, we asked for Nestum Mantis Prawn (RM 12). While the nestum coating was crunchy and aromatic, it tasted bland.

If you have been craving for something soup-y, spicy and sour, Baby Seafood is the place to go! Would be good if you feel like sweating it out without hitting the gym. We were all sweaty after the dinner even with the air conditioning going full blast. Did I tell you that we paid less than RM 20 per person, and the white rice (RM 0.90) is bottomless?

Baby Seafood
186A-1, Jalan Sungai Putus, Batu Belah,
40150 Klang
Tel:019-213 5807
Opens from 12pm to 230 pm, 6pm to 1030pm
Closed on Monday (it opens on a Monday if it coincides with a public holiday; in which case they will close on Tuesday)

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Small Note: Our write-up on Nong & Jimmy was featured in The Star Sunday Metro

With more stories about credit crisis, mortgage meltdown and job losses, it appears we are heading towards recession, and it may not get better anytime soon. I figured I’d jump on the recession bandwagon by introducing some recession proof food that is light on the wallet but feels heavy on the stomach.

Vicchuda in Damansara Utama is a great place for some Thai food. The restaurant has done pretty well because it is simply the best – cheap, easy and quick. The owner himself originates from the southern part of Thailand too. Though Vicchuda is essentially a restaurant with Thai influnces, the menu roams freely with some Malaysian fares such as ayam paprika daging masak merah and curries too.

From top left: ayam paprik, menu, tom yum campur, kerabu perut, kailan with salted fish, cucumber with sambal belacan.

Served scalding hot, the tom yum campur is very spicy and sour, with a lot of fresh spices and herbs like lemon grass, ginger root, red shallots, lime coriander leaves, chili and kaffir lime leaves. The bits of cili padi floating on top of the clear soup may look too intimidating, do not fear as real tom yum should draw your sweat and tears. Unlike tom yum soup at other places, Vicchuda’s version has got omphhhh. It was spicy enough to make our scalp sweat but keep wanting for more.

Kerabu Perut. The tripes were thin, slighty crunchy and firm in texture. With dashes of fish sauce, lemon juice and sugar, the sauce is sweet, sour, salty and spicy. Very addictive stuff.

Apart from their specialties such as bawal masam manis udang petai, kerabu sotong, the usual fare like kangkung belacan, ayam papril, fried rice, and nasi pataya are pretty good too. We would highly recommend both kerabu perut and tomyam soup. At only RM4 to RM6 per portion (small), it is best to go for a greater variety of dishes. With 4 dishes, 2 rice and iced water, the total bill came at RM 23. Now this is what we meant by recession food…

Vicchuda Tom Yam Restaurant
24 Jalan SS21/35,
Damansara Utama
03 7722 3481

Opens from 11am to 12 midnight

(same row as Champion Duck and MayBank)

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Few weeks back, we went for an invitation dinner courtesy of Andrea, the friendly marketing executive of Coca Restaurant Subang Parade. With our palate getting ready for some fiery hot Thai tom yam steamboat, we were rather surprised when told that menu for the day was ala carte dinner. Well no harm trying something new right?

Victims!

While waiting for the chef to whip out the dishes, we had Thai ice tea and a refreshing longan drink. The Thai ice tea deserves a special mention. It begins with aromatic Thai tea, plenty of palm sugar and a liberal shot of fresh milk. The tea is almost overwhelmingly rich and strong with a delightful aroma.

For appetizer, we had deep fried mussels (RM12.80) and Squid with Garlic and Pepper (RM12.80). The breading is light and crunchy with hints of curry spices, while the sweet, plump mussels are really fresh! I was all but addicted to these deep fried morsels.

Squid with Garlic and Pepper (RM12.80). Lightly coated in crunchy deep fried garlic and pepper seasoned flour, the squids are cooked to perfection, sans the chewy rubbery texture.

Tom Yam Seafood Soup (RM13.80). Overflowing with mushrooms and seafood, my lips tingled a bit and followed by a palate-searing pyrotechnics after taking a sip or two of the fiery soup. However, the two monkeys, Cumi & Ciki were expecting a little extra kicks and oomph. Very strong resistance to spiciness.

Green Curry with Chicken & Fish Ball (RM11.80). The overwhelming basil smell is quick a shock to our palate but the tender chicken pieces and freshly made fish ball do make up for it. Do note that yoghurt is used to replace coconut milk for health reason.

Stir Fried Baby Kailan(RM11.80). It is slightly too bland and lacking of the right amount of punch, the dish definitely has more room for improvement.

Thai Butter Prawn (Market price – RM16 per 100g). The jumbo sized prawns are perfectly cooked with a bursty and bouncy bite. Other than the usual curry leaves, the brilliant use of various spices make this dish distinctively delicious.

Steam Siakap with Lime & Chilli Sauce (Market price – RM9 per 100g). The flesh of the fish is tender and glides smoothly down the back of your throat while the sauce is rich, tangy with a trace of spiciness.

Coca Special Curry Live Crab (Market price – RM12 per 100g). We were told by Andrea that the mud crabs must remain alive until they are cooked or the meat will shrink and taste watery. The rice sauce, scrumptious when soaked up with Coca Mini Bun (RM1.80 per pc) is unbelievably delicious.

The host brought to us some sweet treats after scrumptious meal. Water Chestnut with Coconut Milk (RM7.50) is a visual delight. Besides being colorful, the water chestnut coated with a layer of tapioca is jelly-like on the outside, but crunchy in the inside. Sago in Coconut Milk (RM7.50). I truly enjoy the plain pearls of sago and honeydew cubes drenched in the sweet and rich coconut milk.

We had a great time lingering in conversation with Cumi & Ciki and Andrea during the long and filing dinner. Dining at Coca comes with a little heftier price tag but I thought the food quality, service and attention to detail is quintessential.

COCA Subang Parade
Lot G28, Level G, Subang Parade
5, Jalan SS16/1 Subang Jaya 47500 Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03 5632 8766 Fax: 03 5632 8767

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Despite reading/hearing good reviews about this “little thai shack from Ampang”, it was until now that we make it a point to drop by. Foodies are all about exploring new flavors and ended up with a protruding belly isn’t it?

From its humble beginnings as a little shack, it has expanded and the place this place is bursting at the seams. We were thinking that the food must be really good so when the food started to arrive rapidly and in a large glut all at once, we soon to realized that we might have a teensy bit too much.

Fiery Flame

Victims in Lines

To cure the hungry pangs, chakoi (deep fried crullers) with pandan kaya dippings were ordered. The chakois were fresh and crispy but the watery and overly sweet pandan kaya never live up to our expectations.

N & J Fried Rice (RM 12), being the best dish of the night is light and fluffy in texture with a vibrant yellow hue. Not to forget the general sprinkling of succulent shrimps too. We were served with some peanut chili dipping that goes really well with the seafood too. Some greens to make us feel better for taking so much of cholesterol laden food – kangkung (RM 9) sautéed with fragrant sweet shallots and piquant shrimp paste. It is that good that we licked the plate clean.

The lala cooked with basil and chili is one of the main favorites. The blatant use of fresh herbs brought out the sweetness of the fat juicy lalas. Some might frowned at the strong flavour of basil leaf though, KampungBoy was one of them. (RM 20 for 2)

Barbecued Squid was one of the most rubbery plates of squid that we have ever masticated through. Other than giving a good jaw exercise, it was bland and dry to the palate. (RM 28 for 2)

Grilled Stingray came wrapping under aluminum foil fared better compare to the other barbequed/grilled seafood. The thick chili paste has complemented the fish strips pretty well. (RM 24 for 2)

We exclaimed when the barbequed crabs (RM 92.40 for 4) comes, the huge fat mud crabs were so kissed by the fiery flame that they charred in a perfect dark brown hue. However, It is such a waste that we don’t get to taste the exquisitely delicate flavour and sweet moist meat of the mud crabs. I guess grilling the mud crabs under charcoal fire has reduced its juiciness, resulting in a rather dry meat.  

Having travel a great distance just to sample N & J’s barbequed seafood, we were fairly disappointed with substandard quality of the seafood. With only certain dishes that make extra miles worth while, there is still more misses than hits in the menu.

Address:
Lot 27363, Jalan Cahaya 1,
Taman Cahaya,
Ampang, Selangor
(From KL and along Jalan Ampang, turn right at the traffic light after Ampang Point towards Kg Pandan. The stall is 1km down on the left near a block of flats.)
Tel : 03 4251 1807

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Dear friends

It’s been awhile since our last gathering at Sandias, so let’s get together before the end of the year and create a ruckus, eat till our seams burst and throw up everything after that (what fun)!!!

This is a theme party – A Very Retro Christmas – at My Elephant, Section 17, Petaling Jaya.
Date: 28 December (Friday)
Time: 7.30 pm
Dress code: Retro lah.

-LL-

We knew that the second big gathering is hard to be missed because the previous floggers’ gathering at Sandias was awesome. It was a hangout and bonding time together for people who share the same obsessions in life - food. Eventually friendship has been forged over a shared passion for food.

My Elephant at Happy Mansion has a look of elegance sophistication with some small little details such as daisies, candle light and cute elephant painting. The quality of food has somewhat wavered due to the large crowd. This has not hampered our enjoyment because the award giving ceremony was far more interesting. We’ll definitely return for the ala carte menu due to positive reviews from other floggers’ previous visit.

The Menu

Pandan and Krachiap Coolers

Pak Choop Pang Tod (Thai style vegetable tempura)

Choo Chee Goong (Thai Yellow Curry with River Prawns)

Kom’s Chicken Wings with Mango-Kiwi Dressing

Som Tam Malakor (Green Papaya with Dried Prawns with Peanuts)

Tom Klong – Northern Thai Tom Yum with Fish Cutlets

Steamed Fish ala Thai Style

Red Duck Curry with Konnyaku, Avocadoes and Rambutan

Teckiee, Citygal, Christine, Sid, Ai Wei and Xiu Long Bao

Back: Jason, Chris, Ekeng, Jackson, Teckiee, Xiu Long Bao Front: KampungBoy, Sid

Cam-Whoring with Jackson’s Sunglasses

We can’t put up pictures of everyone because most floggers would love to remain anonymous hence the repetition of people in the pictures.

Award List – Click to Enlarge

The undoubted highlight and surprise of the evening would be our Award Giving Ceremony. It’s pretty obvious which flogger should go with the title because we just know each other so well. Grin.

Our award for being the sweetest couple – Gula Melaka Kristal. The gift came in time cause I just ran out of sugar and you know how the price has hiked up over the months. Thank you so much.

Not many people I’d be able to mingle around because I’m afraid that my sore eyes would scare you people off. Don’t worry, it’s not conjunctivas, apparently my eyes were ‘dehydrated’ from the long hours of wearing it. All in all we had a blast! Can’t wait for the next big floggers’ gathering again. The sisters (WMW, Lyrical Lemongrass, Precious Pea) are awesome, they kept the party going on and make sure that everyone is taken care of. Thank you so much for such a wonderful, entertaining, memorable evening!

Block C-G4 Happy Mansion
Section 17/13
46400 Petaling Jaya
Business Hours: Tuesday to Sunday (except Sunday lunch)
Lunch: 12.00 p.m. – 2.30 p.m.
Dinner: 6.00 p.m. – 10.00 p.m.
Tel : 012 328 5028 ~ Patrick

Location Map to My Elephant (Click to Enlarge)

Read Also: Floggers’ Meet at Sandias, Bukit Damansara

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

With the VIP pass for UEFA Champion League Trophy Tour brought by Heineken, Kampungboy and friends headed straight to The Curve to catch a glimpse of it. Takkan I tag along kan? It’s an all boyz outing and when it comes to football..YAWN..

The boyz had Beef Bee Hoon (12.90), Shrimp Paste Rice (11.90), Yellow Chicken Curry Rice (10.90). The food is nothing spectacular but their drinks are quite pricey with mineral water (2.90) and ice blended (8.90). I think this would be our last resort to dine in at The Curve with other eateried like Sakae Sushi, Nan Xiang, Italiannis or even Kim Gary.

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

This cosy little restaurant was started up by Madam Lee 16 years ago. It has become one of the most reputable restaurants in Ipoh now. My family know this place as Assam House but last year they venture into the franchise business so they changed the name to Kim Bali and they revamped the shoplots.

Even celebrities like award winning actor Chow Yuen Fatt, Michelle Yeoh, Aoran Kwon, Charlie Yeong, etc dropped by for their trademark dishes!!

Green Chilli Fish – Deep fried fish cutlet topped with some sweet sourish assam sauce that gives the fish a marvellous taste.

Assam Fish Fillets – The piquant dish (from the smell of belacan) was served a liberal serving of okra. Needless to say, the fish fillets are soft with the delightfully crunchy batter.

Paku Belacan - Not many restaurants offered Sayur Paku these days. The crunchy shoots were cooked with shrimps for added flavour. Sometimes these paku shoots will give you some “kelat” taste (woody, bitter-ish taste) but no complains on this.

Pokok Sayur Paku ialah sejenis pakis yang hidup biak di tanah lembap di kawasan-kawasan cerah atau sedikit teduh. Pokok ini dipergunakan sebagai perubatan tradisional Melayu, dengan jusnya diminum untuk merawat demam. (http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pokok_Sayur_Paku)

Mango Kerabu – The cili padis hidden beneath the shredded mangos set fire to everyone’s tongue! They should toned down the spiciness of the sambal belacan too. It lacks of some sourish taste which makes this a not so perfect kerabu.

Guai Fei Tofu – The tofu is soused in a sweet-savory liquor bubbling with tender greens and a delicate web of egg. The tofu and the eggy sauce is so smooth that I treat this as a soupy dish.

Curry Fish Head - The curry fish head is one of the signature dishes in Assam House. Fresh Garoupa fish head is stuffed with various spices to be cooked with distinctive curry sauce. The aromatic curry sauce was given with the right hint of spiciness. The curry sauce goes very well with the rice. Everyone requests for rice refill right away!

Located: 29, Psn Greentown 4, Greentown Business Centre.

Tel: 605-243 7851

11:30AM-3PM, 6PM-10PM every day.

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Both of us ordered the set lunch (RM9.90) which is inclusive of drinks, garlic gried rice, chicken platter and beef/pork platter. It is a great steal and it really filled our stomach!

What make us keep coming back is their home made sauce! It goes well with the meat and rice and everything!

We love cam-whoring too! My picture folder is full with our vain pictures!

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

We spotted Thai Fair again! We were too full after the Mexim Dim Sum so we share a bowl of Tom Yam. Satisfying

Above: Steamed tapioca cake, Udang Golong and Popiah

Thai Fair in South City Plaza will lasts until 1st of May. Their next stop will be at Amcorp Mall till 1st of June.

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG