KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Have you noticed that new restaurant with a garden theme in One Utama lately?

KampungBoy has been a bit reluctant to try this place because it seems that most themed restaurants pay greater attention to create that inviting ambiance instead of focusing on food quality. On the other hand, I was so keen on checking this place out so he gave in for once.

Call me a sucker for ambiance. But I’m always enchanted by restaurants that greet diners with the welcoming embrace of charm and all things pretty. The sight that greeted us as we walked in was a vast array greens interspersed with beautiful flowers. Spotted was also a piano silhouetted against the counter and open concept kitchen.

Set in what looks like a cottage garden, we can see arches covered with blooms around, wrought iron gates, hanging basket hooks, tulle, small potted plants and plenty of silk flowers.

It is hard not to relate them to Full House @ NZX. In fact, they are under the same management. So I went ahead to clarify this with one of their waitress, she answered defensively that Garden is not related to Full House and the concepts are totally different. Shrug.

Most of the décor items in Garden are for sales too, for example, this cute little potted plant is being sold at RM 29.90.

We arrived on a Friday night and were promptly seated. We browsed through the menu and concluded that there’s nothing exciting on the menu. That’s my only gripe. So we settled for the recommended aglio olio (RM 17.90) and beef burger (RM 15.90)

They are running an afternoon tea time buffet promotion at RM 19.90 (3pm to 6pm) too. Just pick anything from these pretty selections. The pastries and tarts are so cute and delicate!

The beef burger arrived promptly, served on a huge white plate with fresh garden salads on the side, along with some crinkle cut fries. Ground beef patty, onion, ketchup, shiitake mushroom and the big soft sesame buns were stacked together nicely. Maybe there wasn’t a lot of pre-hype and high expectation, so the beef burger was actually quite delectable for us.

The Spaghetti Aglio-Olio was done al-dente and was well tossed with olive oil and chili bits and comes with very fresh shrimps. However, I thought that it was too bland for my liking.

Jasmine Flower Tea (RM 5.90) with CityGal’s angel earring

KampungBoy filling up the feedback form.

In all honesty, Garden offers above all excellent ambiance and services with mediocre food. We do appreciate the chefs’ effort in incorporating the freshest ingredients, but taste wise, there is room for improvement. We really like Garden and think that it is the perfect place for a date and it would be fun place for a crowd celebrating special occasions too.

 Ever feel like having some good old western food but is living on a tight budget? California Express BBQ and Grille Station answers your quest.

I’ve eaten here numerous times and still crave for it from time to time! It is definitely not the most comfortable place to dine in, the menu is limited but who cares because the meal itself comes fully flavored.

Mushroom Soup

Digging out my old archives, I can only find ONE SINGLE thing that I’ve tried and love it to bits – chicken chop with frankfurters, mashed potato and pasta. It can be a very fulfilling lunch for a petite girl like me, but I’m not complaining because EVERYTHING is nice! The chicken chop drenched in some starchy mushroom sauce is very tender and flavorful, the mashed potato is rich and creamy, the pasta lightly tossed in herbs and fresh garlic is delicious nonetheless and the frankfurter is err frankfurter-like, with a slightly smoky taste.

The above-mentioned food, with a drink comes to about RM 15, which is very reasonable considering that it is located in the mall. The next time a pasta craving hits you, remember California Express BBQ and Grille Station, located opposite the Jaya Jusco Supermarket at One Utama Old Wing.

We were so glad that IT was over. The last week or so we have been cramming like crazy so to reward ourselves, we had a little dinner celebration at Pick n Brew. We were so lucky that busy buzzy Jackson was around the other day, so upon his recommendation, we opt for the Christmas All Day Special Set (RM 28++) that comes with a soup of the day, a main course and a drink.

Eggnog Latte (RM 15). A festive drink in US and Canada, it is a perfect blend of sweet eggy caffeinated goodness with some mild hint of brandy.

Christmas Carol & Minty Christmas

Flavorful, rich and aromatic, the pumpkin soup was very comforting despite being a little runny.

Grilled red mullet on stewed assorted beans
Drenched in delicious gravy, the fish fillet is no doubt, fresh and succulent. While being a big fan of beans in all form, I polished the plate clean.

Oven baked stuffed chicken with soft mushroom polenta and sautéed vegetables.
A medley of fresh herbs infuses the stuffing for the roasted chicken breasts, resulting in a very flavorful dish. Polenta is course Italian corn meal and the subtle flavor of it goes very well with any gravy. I can’t help but to keep digging in!

Pan fried breaded lamb on fondant potatoes and braised red cabbages
A delicious, tender and the lean cut of lamb with nutty crust is pan fried to perfection. Baked to a rich golden color, the fondant potato is rich and creamy while the sweet and sour red cabbage gave a very refreshing touch.

Beef escalope and lobster tail with sautéed mushroom and grilled potato
A lean cut of beef escalope with caramelized onion topping make a winning combination in this fabulous, flavorsome main. The delectable lobster tail is sure to delight any seafood lover too.

Sweet Ending – chocolate log cake, multi grain cookies with mocha pot coffee. Although feeling rather stuffed, I can’t stop munching on the light and chewy multi grain cookies!

With reasonable pricing and attentive services, we thought that Pick n Brew is the place to go for a relaxing afternoon or casual get together. The Christmas all day set has given us a mood of festivity; which reminds me that I’m not done with my Christmas shopping. Ops!

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.

To celebrate a friend’s birthday, a group of us make our move to NZX @ Ara Damansara. Tucked in at a rather obscure place (to me, who has never been to Ara Damansara), most fine it quite a hassle to get here. Calls from friends asking for directions keep coming in and it was until one hour later that everyone was here. Instead of being grumpy and angry, our friends who arrived late were pretty amused by the first sight that greeted them – an apartment like restaurant.

Each section of the restaurant is decorated to resemble the different spaces like bedroom, bathroom, courtyard, etc. Most of the décor pieces are available for sales. One can choose from the closets full of clothes, portrait frames, key chains, to the potted plants, the canopy bed drape and the hanging crystal chandelier.

Full House is particularly the most crowded place in NZX, one reason for that is almost certainly its relaxed atmosphere and wallet friendly meals. Did I tell you that the menu with comic strips was exceptionally cute too? Unlike the extensive drinks list, main courses are limited where we were left with only 5 to 6 items each on the Asian Menu and Western Menu.

Location Map (Credits to SaiMatKong)

I tend to think that most themed restaurants would rely on hype and glitz rather than good food. It comes to my surprise when the food was by no means a dreadful meal, but much of it was mediocre and acceptable, with more rooms for improvement. Full House is exceptionally relaxed and convivial. It creates the perfect atmosphere for any individual to sit, read a book, meet new people, have some coffee or simply hang out.

*One Utama outlet has been closed*

Card made with love – do not laugh!

26^th August 2008, marks our fourth year of seeing each other. There isn’t any other better way than to celebrate our love with a porky lardy splendor dinner. So not romantic I would say, but who cares?

No, we did not make it to the “nose to tail eating” place tucked along Changkat Bukit Bintang as it rained cats and dogs that night. Hence, KampungBoy conveniently turned into One Utama’s parking, conveniently led me to the ground floor of new wing and conveniently walked me into a quiet corner of J & R. Such coincidence that the table is reserved too!

We were seated in the dark mahogany wood chairs and tables that match their hardwood floors perfectly. The lighting is dimmed, making if perfect to spark some dinner conversation between us. For those looking to imbibe, the adjacent bar featuring a brick wall holding rows after rows of alcohols is good enough.

The waiter recommended the sizzling hot plate series that comes with fries, corn on cob, poached asparagus, sundried tomato and choice of black pepper or onion gravy. After perusing the menu, it was unanimously decided that we would skip the appetizers or “starters” as the menu notes to make rooms for our feasts.

For drinks, we started off with the fizzy Grapetizer Grape (RM10.50++), a pure grape juice drink with added carbonation. Other than that, I had J&R Ice Cream Blended Coffee (RM 12.50++), a delicious blend of Lavazza coffee with smooth gelato of your preferred flavor (oreo, vanilla or chocolate).

KampungBoy’s eyes opened wide when his order of mixed platter of caramelized ribs, dynamite chili, chorizo, pork belly & streaky bacon (RM 38++) arrived. One bite into dynamite chili and chorizo, you’ll totally forget about all the substandard sausages out there. It incorporates the texture of quality pork and the fantastic flavor of spices. The tenderness and smoky flavor of the caramelized ribs and streaky bacons more than justifies the extra mile I’ll have to run at the track. Nothing to shout about the pork belly which was a tad too dry though.

A closer look

A closer lookPork Chop (RM 23++). What I am getting is a piece of dry, chewy, chalky tasting slabs of what resembles meat. Pork chops tend to dry out and overcooking is a huge kitchen mistake. I do hope that the chef could take note of this.

With more hits than misses in our order, more than reasonable price range, sweet and attentive services, there aren’t any excuses not to revisit.

Sweet ending – ice cream cake from Baskin & Robbins

Time has passed so fast. There have been many ups and downs but I do think that this makes us truly appreciate the good times. I would never have imagined my life to be the way it is and I am so glad I am as in love as I hoped I would be. Happy fourth anniversary and I’m looking forward to as many more as we can possibly have.

I have a little sweet treat to cure Monday Blues – Waffle World that has long been my favorite haunts. Whenever I’m economizing after some huge splurging on apparels or running late for a show, I’ll stop by for their waffles and pancakes. Being a no frills waffle place, everything is in its minimal with premium scoops of ice cream and fancy presentation missing.

I forgot the all the actual name of these waffles and pancakes. Everything is good; especially the pancake with warm coffee sauce is orgasmic!  Waffles are being waffles, soft and fluffy with a crispy outer layer while pancakes are so light and fluffy that makes one weeps. Sweet offerings for less than RM 10, what more can one ask for? Do remember to avoid their savory mains, they do specialize in pancakes and waffles after all.  

Waffle World
1 Utama New Wing,
High Street
2nd Floor, Lot S343A

It’s always good to know a nice place for a relaxed drink, a bite to eat, or a good quality meal out. Pick N Brew is the place and so finally, we made our move to the swanking new Café at One Utama, Old Wing.Together with me was Christine, Chris, Aiwei, Aiwei’s brother, Wen Ching, Esiong, Sexy Beast and Sid. It’s always fun to meet up with this bunch of ravenous food bloggers, which means no impatient stares from non food bloggers while I’m happily snapping away, no complaints like Diet-Lar, Gam-Fei-Wor, So-Oily, Hou-Yao-wor where everyone just happily pitched in.

SPANISH PRAWNS AVOCADO (RM 19)
Prawns, avocado, green olives and tomatoes tossed in Tahitian dressing

CHEF’S SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY SET (RM10)

PENNE CARBONARA (RM 18)
Served with beef bacon in cream sauce

ANGEL HAIR MARINARA (RM 22)
Served with prawns, green mussels and squid in tomato sauce

GRENOBLOISE SALMON FILLET (RM 32)
With boiled potatoes, roasted vegetables and lemon capers butter

OVEN BAKED OATS AND ALMOND CRUSTED SNAPPER(RM28)
With roasted vegetables and potatoes, served with chunky basil tomato

BRAISED LAMB SHANK (RM 38)
Served with mashed potatoes and asparagus

LAMB TIKKA (RM 17)
Skewered pieces of marinated lamb with flavored rice

APPLE CRUMBLE CHEESECAKE (RM9)

BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE (RM9)

Other than tantalizing mains and starters, Pick N Brew serves gourmet coffee from around the world too. I took up Jackson’s recommendation, Columbia Bean that is known by its mild and delicate flavor served in Mocha Pot. In many Italian homes, they use mocha pot to prepare a cup of good strong coffee.

Enjoy these delectable treats above together with their April promotion item – RM 10 introductory set and Buy 1 Free 1 drinks with One Utama Card. I think our dinner outing really does has FUN written all over it. Everyone unanimously agreed that the food was great as the combination of ingredients and presentation are stunning. Over the dinner, we pretty much had some good laughs and some pensive moments on life (and cars) as well. Lastly, my warmest gratitude goes to Jackson, who makes us feel home.

Pick n’ Brew
F233 1st Floor Promenade
One Utama (above SOHO)
Tel: 03-7726 0102
Email: info@picknbrew.com
Web: http://www.picknbrew.com
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm

My mum has been saying that cheapness tends to become more so with age (my dad lar!), now I believe it because I’m becoming more like a cheapskate myself since working calls for more commitment and no more descending into fantasy.

I love going for value for money deals nowadays, even if it means 1 hour of walking to save rm 5 of fuel, I would do it. Other great deals that would light up my days are set lunches at posh and expensive restaurants. This time around, we went to Relish, a rather swanky restaurant that serves up gourmet burger at a price.

The cozy and modern looking restaurant seats thirty people in comfort with extra seating available upstairs. The bar area is a nice place to hang out in the evening for a drink or two.

The set lunch menu is excellent value for money; gourmet burger (chicken or beef with a choice of relish – satay, chilli, bbq and indian), fries and drinks comes at RM 12.95++.

My choice of chicken burger with satay sauce is rather delicious. The chicken strips appear to be lean but it was tender and juicy surprisingly. The satay sauce recommended by the waiter, is tangy sweet and spicy with aromatic crushed peanuts.

Colleague’s (the birthday girl) order was a thick and juicy beef patty smothered with delicious bbq sauce. No complains on the well seasoned home made patty and fluffy soft bun too.

“Would you like some dessert mdam?” Pretending to study the menu but was looking at the prices which are all RM 12 and above, “No thanks, I’m really stuffed”, I replied. Can’t help it, cheapskateness crawls in.

Relish
22 Changkat Bukit Bintang
Kuala Lumpur
03-2145 3321
Opposite Frangipani

Turning 23, it is time for me to take on more responsibilities. I am so proud of myself because I cast my vote and it does make a difference because the oppositions will form a new government in Perak after securing majority of the state seats. I am glad that I can finally stand on my own feet (welcome to the rat race!) but at the same time I can’t help but to simultaneously echoing the glory days of my pre 20’s.

So, on my birthday, I was given a dinner treat to stave off the ravages of time at Trader’s Hotel. We were torn between Gobo Upstairs and Gobo Chit Chat. Gobo Chit Chat has entrancing light animation displayed on the ceiling but it has a more casual ambience while Gobo Upstairs, with tall glass windows where you can take in a great view of KL city is simply elegant. Casual or Elegant? Fancy Ceiling or KL view? We settled for Gobo Upstairs eventually.

We were brought to a quaint little corner facing the Exxon Mobil building. At another side of the restaurant is the lounge, where you can have a drink or two while overlooking the magnificent view of KLCC.

MENU

Complimentary bread was served warm. The crusty bread was nice to be eaten on its own but it tastes even better with the truffle butter. How often do you see a restaurant serving you with FREE truffle butter nowadays?

Our order of brandy flamed lobster bisque with chocolate oil arrived shortly (RM 26++ each). It was rich and sweet and flavourful but too salty that I have to dunk thick wodges of bread in it to balance the saltiness.

Being the coward eater, we go for the recommended dishes. My order of lamb shank (RM 38++) is wonderfully flavourful and tender, the meat falls off the bone with some evil little fatty shards.

KampungBoy loves his beef short ribs (RM 38++) to every bit; the meat was cooked to perfection while the merlot based concoctions  were remarkably rich and complex.

Good Food Make A Happy Girl

The meal finishes on a sweet note where KampungBoy has earlier aligned a little surprise for me at the lounge area. The initial plan was to proceed to Sky Bar for desserts and drinks but I got suspicious when the waiter urged us to the lounge area.

Suddenly behind the bar area, I saw the waiter carrying a candle lit cake and walking towards us. It was chocolate fondant with raspberry and filo pastry with minted scrattiatella ice cream (RM 18++). Pheew what a long name!

KampungBoy sang a cool rendition of the common birthday song with tweaked lyrics. It was hilarious. The night did not end here, we proceeded to SkyBar……

A quaint restaurant plopped amidst the busy KLCC area, Gobo Upstairs has the best food and excellent services for the most reasonable price; the total bill came less than RM 200 for a 3 course meal. 2 hours of parking is free upon validation for total bill above RM 250. However, for those who pay less than RM 250, you can park your car at Suria KLCC (RM 7 flat after 5 pm) and take a slow walk  instead of going into the hotel’s parking which charge a higher rate.

GOBO UPSTAIRS LOUNGE AND GRILL
Traders Hotel
Kuala Lumpur City Centre
50088 Kuala Lumpur
Reservations: +603–2332 9888

Located at one of the refurbished pre-war terrace houses along Tengkat Tong Shin, Max! Kitchen is not too hard to be spotted (walking distance from my workplace!). Another plus point would be the quality of food has been verified by fellow floggers.

The place just popped up in my head instantly when my KampungBoy asked me to think of a place for lunch. Fyi, Max! Kitchen serves value for money set lunch on weekdays. The 2-course set lunch priced at rm 22++ and comes with an ice lemon tea.

His choice of starter: Creamed Pumpkin Soup with Sautéed Zucchini and Smoked Duck Breast. It’s so rich and satisfying and bursting with flavour and goodness.

His main: Whole Market Fish Pan Seared laced with Fresh Tomatoes, Garlic and Caperberries. Arrived in a rather homey presentation (just like how my mum does to the fishes), the pan seared fish is very good too.

                                          a not so horrendous view for the faint at heart

Her choice of starter: White Pesto Sautéed Cod Fish Fillet with Fresh Mesclun Greens and Spanish Green Olives. No complains on the huge chunks of juicy cod fish fillets even though I’m not really a big fan of greens.

Her main: Char Grilled Chicken Breast with Marinated Eggplant and Thyme Gravy. Lightly marinated and grilled to perfection, the chicken pieces was tender and juicy.

Most of the time, we wrapped up the meal with illy’s coffee (an addition of RM 5) or desserts. This time, I happily devour on my White Chocolate Tart (additional RM 10) with marinated fruits and dark chocolate ice cream till the last bite since I feel utterly comfortable that day.

During another occasion, I had the pan seared scallop and duck fillet. Gosh it was so good! Not wanting to appear rude in front of *ahem*, I resist myself from taking pictures, still regretting over it right now. The set lunch menu varies from day to day too, been there for a few times, and the value for money lunch never failed to disappoint us

Max! Kitchen and Wines
27 Tengkat Tong Shin
Kuala Lumpur
Tel No: 03 – 2141 8115

(Open for lunch and dinner on Monday to Fridays and dinner during the weekends)

KampungBoy and I had an impromptu date where I get an hour of notice beforehand. It led us to San Francissco Steak House at Damansara Intan who went from being a special-occasion restaurant to one equally suited for an impromptu date.

The restaurant is located in somewhat of a quirky location; a full of chaotic commercial area during the day and surprisingly a quaint place at night.

Complementary Bun and Butter

Velvety smooth and rich in flavor, the Mushroom Cappuccino with frothy top has definitely won my heart.

San Francisco Steak House offers an extensive menu but prices are on the high side and as such obviously we resorted to the value for money set dinner. The set dinner consist of caesar salad with chicken/soup of the day, dessert, coffee or tea with a choice of main (grilled tenderloin with mushroom sauce or béarnaise sauce/grilled sea bass with spinach and mass potato/spaghetti aglio olio with grilled kign prawns and asparagus) at RM 38.90++.

To cure our hunger pangs, Potato Wedges with Bacons are ordered. A not very wise decision I shall say, some of the wedges are hard and undercooked and it is sprinkled with lots of burned and charred bacon bits. My main of chicken is unforgettable too, bland and tasteless.

The declared winner was the grilled tenderloin of beef, with a melt-in-your-mouth cut and grilled to perfection. The sides of mashed potatoes and greens are delicious too. It may not be a good looking slab of steak, but you do get the ounce for ounce of satisfaction.

The restaurant needs to fine tune its’ serving timing though; we had barely been served our mains when we are done with the entrees. The gracious ambiance and the juicy cut of steak are the only factors that make our evening a memorable one.

San Francisco Steak House
G01, G03, G05, Ground FloorBlock A,
Damansara IntanNo 1, J
alan SS20/2747400 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan
(Also Available in Submit USJ, Mid Valley and Suria KLCC)
03 7118 2988
Open Daily from 12 noon to 12 midnight.