Thai Express Restaurant @ The Curve

I just cannot understand why such places existed in today's society. Back in the old days restaurant business were very different compared to nowadays. Back then food quality is a must in order for them to sustain int he business. Decors are not part and parcel of the business as it is secondary issue back then.

In this modern era new restaurants have been mushrooming in both KL and PJ. I've tried a handful of this new ventures but turned out to be disappointed as food is not the primary issues any longer. Many newbies concentrate in their interior decor and makes it a priority compared to food quality. I don't know why but somehow some managed to survive in this trade based on this. Funky or not somehow I am baffled and dumbfounded, really.

The restaurant I am touching on today is located at The Curve with a funky name to it 'Thai Express Restaurant'. The interior decor is really funky as you can see from the picture. Very youthful looking and looks very fresh indeed.

Frankly speaking after tasting 100% original Thai food in Thailand and Kota Bahru in Kelantan, I don't find the Thai food in KL or PJ good at all. It has all been cooked based on 'local' tongue which makes it no longer original. I wouldn't have given this place a second look not because of my buddy who fancies this place.

Prawn Tom Yam Soup @ RM12.90++

As usual for most people when they stepped into a Thai restaurant is to order a bowl of Tom Yam. That's what we had. This soup have to be consumed while it's hot. Tasted good ~ sourly taste with a tad of spiciness to it. Oh! what a wonderful feeling...... Not bad indeed but could be better, really.

Green Curry Beef @ RM15.90++

Since rice is our main diet here it won't go wrong with a bowl of 'Green Curry Beef'. This is a classic dish if one were to visit a Thai restaurant. I have fancy this dish since young and hope this place dishes out good quality green curry.

I really hope it taste as good as it looks. But disappointment did stepped in. It doesn't taste like the traditional green curry at all. I wonder why? This dish is a very simple dish to cook and I wonder why it tasted different. Could it be that 'Thai Express' wanted to do something different? If this is true then they have failed miserably. It's better to retain the original taste. Beef was rather tough resulting from being overcooked. The sauce was thick and rich with coconut milk. Somehow because of how it tasted it's a no-no from us.

Fried Squids @ RM12.90++

Another good looking dish was brought to us. It's a bowl of fried squids which came with a Thai chilli sauce for dipping. I just couldn't believe my taste buds as this fried squids was tasteless. Truly madly deeply tasteless. What a bore. I can cook something better with my eyes closed. Double blow so far.

Eggplant Fried with Shrimp @ RM8.90++

For vegetable we decided to order a plate of 'Eggplant' fried with shrimp. At least this dish tasted good but was too oily. It would be perfect if they reduced the oil usage.

Iced Blended Mango Juice @ RM7.90++

Thum Thim Krub @ RM7.90++

Another classic for desert is the Water Chestnut. And this tasted really really good. Wow!! They finally got something really right. Couldn't have enough of it and was so tempted to go for a second round. But was just too full from all the food we had. Two thumbs up for this lovely bowl of desert.

Conclusion : I will surely visit this place again BUT only for the Thum Thim Krub. Nothing else really since Thai food served here is not 100% original. And frankly I have not come across a restaurant in KL and PJ that serves original Thai food. So the search is still ongoing. Sigh. A mere 2/5.

Cheers.

Thai Express Restaurant @ The Curve

Tel : 03 7710 9629

Other outlets : Pavilion KL, Menara Standard Chartered KL, Surian Tower Mutiara Damansara, Ikano Power Centre Mutiara Damansara.

Asian Food House Restaurant @ Damansara Utama, PJ.

I have grown fond of Taiwanese street food since my last trip to Taipeh Taiwan. Their street food can be found in almost every corner of the street and the best thing is that it is so original and so delicious. Another special thing is it costs less to enjoy such foodie in Taiwan compared to in Malaysia. I truly wonder why?

The interior of this place is simple with very simple decorations. Lot's of tables to cater to big and small crowd which is a good sign as this place is always packed with regulars and new clients. They serve  food which is equivalent to Taiwanese foodie and there are many choices of bubble tea to choose from. And this place is situated at Damansara Utama or famously known as Uptown and it's called 'Asian Food House Restaurant'.

Beef Noodle Soup @ RM8.80+

A must order is the 'Beef Noodle Soup'. Comes with really delicious broth which is so tantalizing and delicious. Tambah soup !!! unfortunately they don't. LOL. Beef was a little tough but the beef ball tasted really good. The flat yellow noodle was cooked to perfection and still have the 'springyness' in it.

Taiwanese Style Pork Noodle @ RM13.00+

This noodle is made from the same broth as the beef noodle. Instead of beef you'll find pork ribs and some spare parts served with flat yellow noodles. Tasted as good as the beef noodle. The pork was tender and succulent. Superb.

Taiwanese Fried Chicken @ RM6.80+

One of my all time favourite, the Taiwanese Fried Chicken which came with two types of dipping sauce. One is the sweet spicy sauce and the other is the spicy garlic sauce which is far better. The fried chicken tasted really crispy and very very good indeed. Two thumbs up!!

Conclusion : Not bad indeed. But don't expect it to be as good as the original Taiwan foodie. Worth another few more visits as there are many choices to choose from. And I being a Taiwanese foodie fan will surely make another trip there. I find the price to be a little expensive. This is the only thing that will deter me from going back for more. 3/5.

Cheers.

Asian Food House Restaurant

No 38, Jalan SS21/58

Damansara Utama

47400 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Tel : 03 7728 7719

Hometown Hainan @ Taman SEA, PJ.

It was a hot Sunday afternoon and it was a lazy one too. Was in Taman Megah PJ to view some furniture which we really wanted to get and somehow after a few rounds of viewing we finally bought them. It was at this very spot that we stumbled upon a cafe tucked in a corner of this lovely quiet neighborhood. And this cafe is called 'Hometown Hainan'.

Come to think of it I seldom have the urged to munch something during tea time. And I would say that this is one of the very rare moment I actually had one. Could it be that I really needed one or could it be this cafe is new to me. Hmmm........ I wonder.

@RM3.90+

We had a tall glass of Iced Hainan Coffee and a Iced Hainan Cham. I must say that the coffee aroma is simply marvelous. The first taste is like made in heaven but still ...... not the best I've tasted as I can get a better cuppa at a local kopitiam in SS3PJ. Anyway, can't ask for the sun and the moon in one go, can I.

@RM6.90+

To compliment the lovely glass of iced coffee came the 'Egg Toast Bread with Shredded Chicken'. From the look of it I find this to be a little pricey. No doubt it tasted unique but just doesn't justify it's price. I could get a  big bowl of noodle or a big plate of rice for that amount.

Conclusion : This place feels comfy, set up is simple, coffee is pretty good, menu is loaded with yummy food choice which is worth another visit BUT a tad too pricey, I reckon. At this moment ratings should stay at 3/5.

Cheers.

Hometown Hainan

No 29, Jalan SS23/18

Taman SEA

47400 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Otak Otak Place @ 1 Utama

This is going to be an adventure for me as I have not had such foodie for some time now. I have been really spoiled lately with lot's of fantastic food especially Western food. Too much burgers and too much meaty food. Well, there's going to be some meat too this time around but it's different from what I've had for the past weeks.

This place that I am reviewing today is called 'Otak Otak Place'. There is a total of 5 outlets in KL and the one we visited is in One Utama. This place looks pretty good ~ clean and neat something that I fancy very much. OK..... Shall we ......

Otak Otak is a traditional Penang food where fish paste is mixed with shallots, garlic, chillies, turmeric, lemon grass and coconut milk. The mixture is wrapped in banana leaf that will be steamed or grilled. This is very popular amongst Malaysian and is widely found in restaurants or stalls all over the country.

Nasi Lemak Ayam Percik @ RM9.90++

Let us start off with something I fancy very much ie 'Nasi Lemak Ayam Percik'. This dish consists of whole chicken leg marinated in spices and served with fragrant coconut milk rice, hard boiled egg and acar rampai. The chicken tasted delicious but rather on the 'hard' side. Goes very well with the fragrant rice. Sambal tasted really appetizing as well as the acar rampai. Portion is pretty well balanced too. Not bad indeed.

A typical otak otak

This is the typical otak otak stick which we loved very much. Grilled to perfection and we couldn't stop ourselves from eating them. It tasted very well with the Nasi Lemak Ayam Percik too. Just fabulous.

Otak Otak Place Chicken Rice @ RM9.90++

Another favourite of mine is the all time Malaysian famous Chicken Rice. This special recipe is served with garlic butter rice with a bowl of soup. It came with some bean sprout and a small bowl of chilly to dip in. Not too bad but it could be better as I do not expect this place to dish out really good chicken rice.

Otak Otak Char Kuey Teow @ RM10.90++

This is the first time I had Char Kuey Teow with otak otak and prawns. Really cool and special and I really loved this combination. Taste good too but a little overcooked. A tad salty otherwise it's ok .... la! :)

Conclusion : Not the very best restaurant I have been to but if you fancy a good local meal this place is not bad indeed. I would rate this place a 3/5.

Cheers!

Otak Otak Place                                                   Business Hours :

Lot LG3118                                                           Monday - Sunday : 8:30 - 10:00am

One Utama Shopping Complex (New Wing)

Bandar Utama

47800 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Tel : 03 7727 4181

Other outlets : Tropicana City Mall, IOI Boulevard, Suria KLCC, Wisma CNI Glenmarie.

Nyonya Colour @ Empire Shopping Gallery, Subang Jaya.

This place seems to be a very popular spot for diners at Empire Shopping Gallery. We just couldn't resist the temptation of trying out this place as it is always packed with people. This place is called 'Nyonya Colour' serving authentic Nyonya dishes.

The decor of this place is pretty simple yet elegant with some kampung feel to it. Orders are made at the counter ~ be seated and wait to be served. It is always a good choice to order some local food at such outlet as this will tell whether they are a true 'Nyonya' restaurant.

Nasi Lemak Pandan Special with Chicken Rendang @ RM8.90+

As expected a plate of Nasi Lemak was brought to us. There was a special aroma which I have never come across that is the scent of the 'Pandan'. Special it was and very imaginative in making this simple dish into something special with a special name to it.

Rice was green in colour thanks to the effect of the pandan leaves. Condiment include 'ikan bilis', 'kacang', haf boiled eggand cucumber. This set comes with Rendang Chicken and some sambal squid. The portion was very small but worth exploring as it smelt really good.

Munch.... munch ...... hmm ....... tasted just so-so. Rather disappointed really. What looks good and what smelt good doesn't means that it'll taste good. Well, it tasted ..... ok but I was expecting more from it.

Mee Siam c/w Honey Chicken @ RM8.90+

Next came 'Mee Siam with Honey Chicken'. What a relief...... this simple yet delicious mee siam tasted really good. The honey chicken that came with it tasted good too. Portion was just ok but will not be enough for a 'big man' like myself. I wonder why their serving is so little ...... not a pretty pretty way to make money.

Ais Kacang @ RM3.80+

The shredded ice was done very well as it is very fine indeed. A plus for this as it is very important for the ice to be fine as it will make this bowl of ice kacang taste better. And it really does taste good! and I don't really mind going for a second bowl. The Gula Melaka was very aromatic which is very important. Pure delight!

Thab Tim Krup @ RM3.80+

I was really surprised to find this lovely 'Thab Tim Krup' being served here as this is a traditional Thai dessert. It's really worth a check as it is pretty rare nowadays to find this being served in restaurants other than Thai restaurants.

Again the ice was really fine which is good. Served with some water chestnuts and viola another 2 thumbs up. Another bowl of pure delight dessert. A must!

Conclusion : Pretty good place to dine and relax. Serves really good dessert but so-so for main dish. Pricing is pretty reasonable. Worth another visit.

Cheers.

Nyonya Colour

Empire Shopping Gallery

LG29, Ground Floor

Jalan SS16/1

47500 Subang Jaya

Selangor.

Tel : 03 5632 2010

Common Pact Marketing Sdn Bhd

Take a trip down to any showrooms that sells bathroom products and the first thing that you will be amazed with is the HUGE signage that advertised numerous brands that is carried or sold by the showroom. It's like battle of the signages and believe me I've seen even bigger ones compared to this which belongs to 'Common Pact Marketing Sdn Bhd', situated at Kota Damansara.

 The owner, Mr & Mrs Yap have been operating this business for many years. They are considered one of the pioneer in this trade. The showroom is manned by Mrs Yap while Mr Yap is involved in project sales and logistics.

There are just so many different items you can find at this place ranging from sanitary wares to tap fittings, ovens, hobs and hoods, kitchen sinks, accessories, just about anything. Brands carried by them include Johnson Suisse, Potex, Sorrento, Econax, Arino, Joven, Bareno, etc..... the list is endless.

One will be proud of this place and would loved to come back for more cause the services provided by the lady boss and her crew is simply one of the best in town. Mrs Yap's  knowledge of this trade is something I will give credits to. She just knows what's best for her clients. Her recommendations are based on client's expectation in terms of brands and budget. So nothing can go wrong.

This showroom may be occupying a single shop lot but the variety of products found is just unbelievable. It's like a one stop center. Really a cool place to shop for the house. Their clientele are house owners, plumbers and even contractors.

So, make a date with both Mr & Mrs Yap to help you resolve all your bathroom or kitchen needs. You will be amazed!

Cheers.

Common Pact Marketing Sdn Bhd

No21-1, Jalan PJU 5/9

Dataran Sunway

Kota Damansara

47810 Petaling Jaya

Selangor.

Tel : 03 6140 7998

Sid's Pubs @ TTDI, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, KL.

Oh !! How I love spending a joyful night with close friends ~ sharing laughter, sharing jokes, sharing gossips and especially sharing a nice tall glass of beer and a table full of lovely delicious food. This I love most. And the special treats tonight is actually for a birthday boy who'll be moving closer to the 30 yish mark in no time. A celebration worth a shout, a celebration worthy of a toast !! Cheers!!

The celebration will be at 'Sid's Pubs' at Taman Tun Dr Ismail. Place was crowded when we arrived and had to wait for a few minutes before we managed to secure a table but we had to cramped in in order to fit 10 people.

There is simply not enough 'BIG' tables to cater BIG groups cause majority of their tables are meant for max 4 people. I find this rather amusing and am flabbergasted. I reckon they could have made their 'bar' area a little smaller so that they will be able to have more tables meant for dining. Or maybe they didn't expect such crowds to flock this place. Hmm.......

RM36.00++ per jug

Tiger Beer

We ordered a few jugs of Tiger Beer for the drinkers and the wannabees whereby for the non-drinkers settled for some really cool refreshing 'Iced Lemon Tea'.

Food was abundance and we were truly spoiled for choice. Since there were 10 of us we just ordered like we never ordered before. Everything sounds so good and we just wanted to have the chance to taste as many as possible.

Cauliflower & Cheddar Cheese Soup @ RM8.00++

Green Pea & Ham Soup @ RM8.00++

Warning : Photographer ..... please do not drink and snap pics at the same time. The above pics are some examples of this case. Chuckle.....

For starters we had a bowl of 'Cauliflower & Cheddar Cheese Soup' which was rich in taste and creamy served with a tiny slice of bread AND a bowl of 'Green Pea & Ham Soup' which tasted good too. Both of these soup will have to be consumed while HOT as it will not taste good at all when it cools up.

Pigs In Blankets @ RM16.00++

Not to be missed is Sid's 'Pigs In Blankets' which means pork sausages wrapped in bacon. This is truly magnificent as it really boost up the taste buds. Pure delight to sink your teeth into these little porky. Perfectly grilled where the meat still carries the succulent taste in it.

BBQ Pork Ribs @ RM20.00++

These BBQ Pork Ribs was well marinated to be grilled. Succulent and juicy ...... really finger licking good, yeah best way to enjoy the ribs. It was practically snapped up shows this is a favourite amongst us ..... eer .... maybe we were just too hungry. LOL.

Bowl of Chips @ RM10.00++

As usual I will not miss out my favourite ie 'Sid's Ben Nevis Pork Burger' which consists of double pork patty, bacon, a fried egg and served with some fries. Truly amazing ! It was perfect for me ! Juicy, well marinated, taste really mouth watering, well done. You will have to fork out RM28.00++ for this beauty which is madness.

Sid's Ben Navis Burger @ RM28.00++

A Different Angle of the RM28.00++ Burger

Garlic Roasted Spaghetti @ RM24.00++

We too had a few different types of spaghetti ordered for the feast which include 'Garlic Roasted Spaghetti' which consists of oven roasted pepper, mushrooms and other seasonal vegetables, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil finished off with some parmesan cheese.

I don't find anything so special about this dish as it tasted just so-so. The presentation of the dish was pretty but unfortunately the 'prettiness' wasn't passed on to the taste.

Spaghetti Bolognaise @ RM22.00++

Our birthday boy just had to have a traditional palate of 'Spaghetti Bolognaise' which was topped with lot's of minced beef meat with some chunks of tomato. Sauce was rich and tasty thanks to the minced beef meat. Truly a traditional meal, tasted good but could be better. Not the best I have tasted.

Roasted Rosemaried Spring Chicken @ RM26.00++

We had to order a 'Roasted Rosemaried Spring Chicken' for the not-so-pork-fancy. LOL... From the look of the chicken one can tell that it was over-roasted as the whole chicken was dry and meat was tough. Huge disappointment indeed and we ordered a couple of this bird. :S

Shepherd's Pie @ RM24.00

We ordered a couple of 'Shepherd's Pie' where the first that came was 'cold'. I wonder why as this was not supposed to be a cold dish. We all knew that the pie was not freshly made as it will take ages to be ready. Which means that it was pre-made and needed to be preheated to be served. Unfortunately it came cold and we had to inform them to re-heat it again.

It was served with some mushroom sauce, broccoli and some sliced carrot. Another big disappointment not because it came cold but it tasted really amateurish. And at RM24.00++ I expect this to give a knockout punch but instead ........ sigh.

Chicken Tikka Masala @ RM25.00++

Finally something Eastern. This 'Chicken Tikka Masala' is really something. It consists of tender pieces of chicken tikka smothered in creamy masala sauce served with rice and chips and some pampadam. It's really a whole new experience having fries with creamy masala sauce and everyone loved it. Chicken tasted yummy but somehow felt it was slightly overcooked as the meat was quite hard.

Fudge Brownie @ RM12.00++

To end this food feast we decided to call for a plate of 'Fudge Brownie' served with ice-cream and chocolate sauce. The only thing I loved about this is the ice-cream. That's about it. Brownie tasted horrible and shocking as it came from this restaurant which is owned by a Westerner! Can you believe this? Anyhow, it's a BIG boo for this.

Conclusion : I would rate this place a 4/5 for it's meaty food. Otherwise it's a 2.5/5.  Place is a little cramped, not enough tables to cater for big groups. Shepherds Pie and Spring Chicken need to be looked at as it needs improvements. Otherwise it's fair and square.

Cheers!

Sid's Pubs Sdn Bhd

34, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14

Taman Tun Dr Ismail

60000 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : 03 7727 7437