Vietnam Kitchen @ 1 Utama

To the left or to the right? How about the one over at the ground floor? Or maybe the one which is tucked at the corner over at the first floor. Hmm..... plenty of restaurants to choose from .... simply spoilt for choice. It's tough when you have so many options to choose from especially when you could only choose one.

Yeah, we were talking about the many choices one could have in 1 Utama shopping mall over at Bandar Utama. Dinner time was getting closer and most restaurants are getting crowded as the time ticks. So, we have a couple of hungry belly to feed and got to make a decision fast.

We had a quick thought about it and decided to go for Vietnamese food. We made our way up to the 2nd floor (new wing) and viola found the restaurant and was immediately showed to our place by the waiter. Efficient. This place is already crowded with hungry dinner patrons and we were really lucky to have found a seat as from my observation seating were limited. Oh yeah, this place is called 'Vietnam Kitchen'.

This restaurant is surely a hit amongst the shoppers. People are still queueing up to dine here. One look at the menu tells me why this place is popular. They have a large variety of food choice to choose from. You can either order from the ala' carte or choose to go for the set meals. There is a choice of either rice or noodle, vegetables plates, seafood or meat or even salad to choose from. And the best thing I noticed was the pricing was pretty pocket friendly.

Vietnamese Tea @ RM4.50++ per pax

We ordered some fine Vietnamese tea which tasted quite 'light' something I am not used to as I prefer Chinese tea like the 'char wong' or 'pu er'. Anyway this is one that really shocked me as it costs RM4.50 per pax which means we had to fork out RM9.00 just for this pot of tea.

Special Beef Noodle Soup @ RM13.90++

Now this is one knock out noodle this restaurant is famous for or rather "Vietnam" is famous for. It was very aromatic and the soup was very yummy. Beef meat was sliced very thinly which was a joy to be eaten.

Vietnamese Spring

Grilled Lemongrass Chicken Chopped Set @ RM16.90++

This platter brought smile to my face.  This set comes with some Vietnamese spring, some pickles, a bowl of vege soup, Vietnamese sauce for dipping and an egg on top of a bowl of fragrant white rice. The grilled lemongrass chicken was perfectly done and it's taste was superb. The springs was equally good ~ crunchy on the outside and smooth delicious filling on the inside. Fantastic !

FYI, their other outlets can be found in OUG, AON Bukit Tinggi, Jaya33 and Leisure Mall.

Conclusion : What a meal, I must admit it was good and portion was enough to fill a couple of hungry belly. Service was good even when the place was super crowded. Food was good and was pocket friendly. A 4/5.

Cheers.

Vietnam Kitchen
1 Utama Shopping Centre
S312, 2nd Floor (New Wing)
Lebuh Bandar Utama
Bandar Utama
47800 Petaling Jaya.
Tel : 03 7724 1336

Restaurant In Malaysia : Oriental Garden Delight @ Kelana Mall, Kelana Jaya, PJ.

Being a food lover it always comes with a good feeling whenever I stumble across any new restaurant that dishes out really good food. I have never thought that I would be so happy, I really am with my new findings lately. This is a Chinese restaurant which is situated at Kelana Mall in Kelana Jaya, simply called 'Oriental Garden Delights'.

This outlet looks cool in every angle. There is a choice of open dining or indoor dining. We chose indoor as the environment and atmosphere was so much better. You will find some square tables situated along the walls while at the center you'll find marble round tables dominating the main space. There's two LCD television sets mounted on either side of the area and air conditioning system is at it's best. Loved it.

One glance at their menu tells me that I will have problems making decision in what to order. And I must say that they have a very healthy choice and variety of food to choose from. Chinese dishes at it's best. Service was good as their staff was pretty attentive and helpful and always serve with a smile.

Chicken with Dumpling in Claypot @ RM28.00+

This lovely dish is a must to order. The presentation was superb with the whole chicken in the center and some vegetables and half a dozen of dumplings in it's surroundings with some delicious sauce all over the claypot.

 It is cooked with various Chinese herbs which makes this dish a winner and another thing special about this is that it comes with some meat dumplings in it. Portion was at it's best and everyone loves it. Really delicious and the chicken meat was tender yet succulent. Soup was so yummy and goes really well with white rice. Highly recommended !

Bean Curd with Minced Meat c/w 'Choi Poh' @ RM18.00+

From one winner to another. I reckon this is better than a winner. It should be called a champion instead. Truly champion indeed. This bean curd dish got full praise from all of us. Bean curd was 'gently' fried on the outside but soft as a child's skin in the inside.

Comes with well marinated minced meat, choi po and some spring onions sprinkled above the 'champion' bean curd with some soya sauce for the extra 'zing'. Truly wonderful. Exceptional delicious. Well done mates for coming up with such a lovely dish. Simply irresistible ! Two thumbs up !

Steamed Tilapia with Curry @ RM28.00+

To spice things up comes this fantastic curry fish served in a claypot. The aroma was simply amazing when this spicy looking dish was brought to us. All eyes was just staring at it and I can tell that everyone just couldn't wait any longer to get a taste out of it.

This pot of fish curry comes with lot's of mixed vegetables eg ladies fingers, cabbage, long beans and also comes with some tofu. A tad too oily but amazingly this curry taste really different from what I have had before. It is not too spicy not too much spices. It is rather 'plain' but somehow it was really delicious. My thumbs are up for this too.

Four Treasure Vegetable in Belacan @ RM16.00+

Wow !!! This belacan aroma can be smelt from miles away. What a beauty, what a sight. Just from looking at it makes me go bonkers. 4 different types of vegetables cooked with belacan makes it irresistible and being a Malaysian this type of dish has been a favourite and is always welcomed by all.

Mongolian Styled Pork Ribs @ RM25.00+

I was rather amazed or amused or both when I had my first taste of this pork ribs. It was rather too sweet and the meat was a little overdone which takes a lot of strength and effort for the older folks to chew these down. This was truly not my 'cup of tea', unfortunately.

Conclusion : I like this place simply for their food that comes with good, attentive and friendly service. I like this place for it's simple yet lovely decor. I like this place as it is clean and breezy as the air conditioning system was working at it's best. Very good and delicious food, lot's of variety to chose from, good portion and 'semi' pocket friendly. Highly recommended from me and my mates. A 4.5/5.

Cheers.

Oriental Garden Delight
Unit No.50-G-91
Kelana Mall
Jalan SS6/14
Kelana Jaya
47301 Petaling Jaya.
Tel : 03 7880 5110

Ko Hyang Korean Food @ The Gardens, Mid Valley, KL.

Mid Valley and The Gardens has always been my favorite destination when it comes to shopping. This is a place where you can  find premium brands and products to middle range and even lower range brands all under one roof. Just fantastic. This mall also houses many different types of restaurants serving different types of delicacies .... be it local or Western, Japanese or Korean, the list is endless.

This time my buddies decided to go Korean and this place is located at the lower ground of the 'upmarket' food court over at The Gardens and it is simply called 'Ko Hyang'. This is going to be a 'first' for me and believe me this is going to be a whole new adventure. :)

Jab Che @ RM14.90+

'Jab Che' is a Korean dish made from cellophane noodles called Dangmyeon, stir fried in sesame oil with various vegetables and flavoured with soya sauce and sweetened with sugar. I pretty like this dish as the flavour is really unique. Portion was good where it was enough for us to munch on it.

Ra Myen @ RM12.50+

Ooo.... la..la..... This bowl of ra myen noodle is a killer. Just look at the presentation. What a beauty. Ra myen cooked with some medium sized prawns with some strips of carrots, an egg and some spring onion sprinkled above the rest. Wonderfully cooked and taste really delicious. And not forgetting the huge portion.

Ji Gye @ RM14.90+

This pot of soup is a traditional Korean Kim Chi soup which is sourly in taste. Not many will know how to appreciate this lovely soup but once you are into it you will not want to let go. This pot is normally cooked with some prawns, diced tofu, chicken meat, vegetables, onions, some chives, some red pepper and soya sauce for some added taste. Pretty good indeed.

Pancake @ RM9.50+

Pa Jeon as is called in Korean is a lovely dish and is a very popular appetizer or snack. It is made of flour batter, green scallion, egg fried to perfection and to round things off a small bowl of dipping sauce made of soya sauce and vinegar. Delicious.

Conclusion : Good value for money. Reasonably priced. Huge portion. Food quality is good. A 3/5.

Cheers !

Ko Hyang ~ Korean Country Delights
LG-K05, The Gardens
Mid Valley City
59200 Kuala Lumpur.

Belly Good @ Sunway Mentari.

I truly admire this beautifully well designed logo or signage of this pretty cool restaurant that I will dine at in Sunway Mentari. It truly speaks out what this restaurant could do to one's belly and how good the food can be. It is such a beautiful creation and I simply like it very much.

As it speaks, this place is called 'Belly Good' and I was told that they serves one of the best and finest pork cuisine in town. Oink! Oink! the two piglets look so adorable, don't they .... LOL

It was a beautiful afternoon and we were so glad that our uncle extended his lunch invitation to us. And I being a porkie lover wouldn't want to miss this opportunity to try out something new and old from a new ... well almost new restaurant situated in Sunway Mentari.

The setup of this outlet is simple and have a touch of fine dining class to it. Tables were well placed and well positioned with some really beautiful shades with cool lights looming above truly make this place cozy.

On the left side is where drinks were made and prepared while if one walks further towards the back you will see and witness how the food was done and cooked. If you are a fan for pork belly, pork chop, bacon, pasta, pork ribs and salad this will be the ideal place regardless the age group.

Grilled Bacon Salad @ RM23.90++

Even though I am not a big fan for salad but I was totally attracted to it. It was so delicious especially with a reasonable amount of grilled bacon sprinkled on it. Delicious pork bacon on a bed of fresh mixed salad with honey mustard dressing. Simply irresistible, really.

Forta Bacon Cheese @ RM16.80++

Another winner indeed. I really do not know what I was pushing it down my belly but it does taste good and delicious. As a porkie lover, just throw me anything related to it and I will munch it all down my belly ...... GOOD ! You'll have to experience it this time as I have lost all my words.

The Ultimate Pork Burger @ RM24.80++

Was a little disappointed with the portion of this yummy delicious burger. If only it was made with a bigger patty and a bigger bun. Ah! anyway..... This palate is made of 100% premium pork patty topped with bacon, caramelized onions, tomatoes and salad served with coleslaw, fries and onion rings.

The patty was pretty juicy and that's a big yes from me as it takes a lot of skills to make such a patty. As long as it is still succulent after being in the grilling pan or oven. Perfect !

Grilled Sausage Platter @ RM29.90++

4 types of sausages was presented on this platter ~ pork chorizo, spicy Hungarian, chicken chorizo and garlic oriental served with fries. Sound absolutely brilliant and amazing isn't it. Well, it did knock me off the chair I was seated in.

4 amazing sausages with different characters and tastes I just wanted more and more. My favourite goes to the garlic oriental and spicy Hungarian. Simply irresistible !! Belly Good indeed !!

Grilled Pork Belly @ RM27.90++

This pretty thing was well marinated with the chef's secret recipe and it was served with coleslaw and mashed potatoes. It was well grilled and most importantly not overdone. It was succulent and juicy and that's what's important.

Conclusion :- Belly Belly Belly Good !!! Food was fantastic if only they can maintain the standards they have shown this afternoon. Superb display of food and this is one belly good place not to be missed. A tad pricey but I was prepared to pay to such superb delicious quality food sold here. Cool environment too . A 4.5/5.

Cheers !

Belly Good 
20, Jalan PJS 8-18, Dataran Mentari,
Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel: 03 5630 1699
Email: reservation@bellygood.com.my

Restoran Ho Boh @ USJ, Subang Jaya.

'Lu Hoh Boh?'...... How are you?..... ahaha..... Hope I got it right. It's in Hokkien and I know nuts about that dialect. But this is dialect is widely spoken in Malaysia nowadays especially in places like Klang, Penang, Johor and almost every state in Malaysia.

But this time when I mentioned about 'Ho Boh' , I am referring to a restaurant in USJ Subang Jaya... simply called 'Restoran Ho Boh'. Of course Hoh lor ..... ahahahaha........... OK, that's all the Hokkien for today as I being a Cantonese find it pretty impossible to communicate in a different dialect.

The whole interior is designed based on the olden days kopitiam where wood dominates the whole place. Wooden walls made of wooden planks with the traditional finishing with modern looking wooden tables and chairs surrounding the entire outlet. There were also some marble top round tables scattered around the premise. Pretty ..... quite pretty.

But what I was interested is their food since they brag their food contains NO added MSG. Frankly, I have never come across any restaurant in this country that is MSG free. So this is going to be a big challenge for me and also for the restaurant.

Ho Boh Rui Cha @ RM6.00

Frankly, I am not a big fan of 'rui cha'. My mates ordered one which was supposed to be famous here. I had to give it a go and I find the taste to be really interesting. Something I didn't expect it to be good. Nevertheless, it will take a miracle for me to finish the entire bowl. I would prefer nasi lemak. LOL. My mates did enjoy it as they found it to be really delicious.

Pan Mee @ RM5.50

This is more like it. I wonder why is it nowadays that so many eateries are selling 'pan mee'. It is not really a special delicacy and it was supposed to be one of Malaysia hawker food. And yet there are restaurants that specializes only in serving 'pan mee'.

I kind of enjoyed this bowl of noodle. A little salty but it was really mouth watering. The chilli that came with it was a good dipping sauce for those who love a little spice in their noodle. Not too bad-lah.

Fried Rice @ RM5.50

And finally something which is a favourite with most Malaysians. A simple plate of homemade fried rice. It was done really well as I loved fried rice to be really dry. It does taste good but not the best in town. With some chilli padi mixed with soya sauce, this additional dip will be pleasing and enticing and really made for each other with this lovely plate of fried rice.

Conclusion : A cool place for a simple yet delicious meal. The best part was it is really pocket friendly. And I choose to reserve my opinion on the No added MSG thingy. A 2/5.

Cheers!

Restoran Ho Boh
No 25, Ground Floor
Jalan USJ 9/5N
47620 Subang Jaya
Selangor.
Tel : 03 8023 2627 / 012 369 0331

Soo Kee Mee @ Imbi, KL.

I have heard of this famous 'tai chau' place for many years. And yet I have never stepped into it before. 'Pai Seh leh'. It is so famous that it is a must eat place if one were to look for 'sang har sang mee'.

We took this opportunity to pay this place a visit after visiting our grandmother who was admitted to Prince Court. No worries everything is fine and nothing much to worry about.

It was difficult to look for a parking space even the clock has passed 8pm. That's why Kuala Lumpur is branded as a city that never sleep. The later it gets the busier it is. And finally with much pleasure we found a parking space and we couldn't be more excited in tasting our first 'sang har sang mee' at this famous 'tai chau'.

This place was packed with late diners but we were lucky to find a lovely spot. Not wasting more time we quickly place our order.

Chee Pau Kai or Paper Wrapped Chicken

I was rather disappointed when this was served to us. It was not 'hot' enough which means this paper wrapped chicken was cooked earlier and was reheated before serving. Anyway, what choice do we have but to unwrapped the chicken and find out how it taste like. To my surprised it tasted pretty good but was a tad overcooked and a little too dry. I would have loved this chicken to come with some sauce.

Kangkong Vegetable

The plainly garlic fried kangkong was ... really plain. A little too much oil and almost tasteless. It was ok if it was almost tasteless as I prefer my food to be cooked with less salt. It was well fried as it was crunchy, which was good.

Cantonese Fried Beef Kuey Teow

I certainly did 'drool' when this lovely plate of noodle was brought to us. It was very aromatic and a generous portion of beef was used. Portion was enough for the three of us. Somehow, I felt that the arrangement was picture perfect whereby in actual fact it tasted pretty bland. Consolation was the beef was well marinated and was really delicious and not overcooked which makes the meat tender and succulent.

Fish Meat Sang Mee

I am sure you guys must be wondering why we did not order the famous 'sang har sang mee' but instead of 'fish meat sang mee'. Before we came to this place we did some research by asking around and through the internet in finding more information about the food, about the place, about the price, etc... This place is famous for charging high price for it's food and this was the main reason why we decided to go for the 'yue pin sang mee'.

I was rather disappointed with the presentation and I was really hoping that it will taste good. But again it was a disappointment. Again this plate of noodle tasted really bland and it didn't manage to interest me. Maybe we made a wrong choice as it is always a wise thing to order what they are good in. Anyway, we did not regretted with our decision and choices. Why? Because we had to fork out RM73.50 for the above meal. Ridiculous !!!

Conclusion : Seriously, this will be my first and my last visit here. We only ordered simple food but the price we had to pay was exorbitant. We could have had a better meal elsewhere with the exorbitant price we paid for. Food was below our expectation and doesn't deserved to be branded 'famous'. Purely my point of view ~ this place is totally over-rated. A1.5/5 will do.

Cheers.

Soo Kee Mee                               Monday Off
No 14, Medan Imbi
55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel : 03 2148 1324

Restaurant Little Canton @ Uptown Damansara Utama, PJ

I think the best business to be involved in is food business. This was what I reckon as more and more restaurant or cafe is mushrooming in every corner of KL and PJ. We stumble upon this Little Canton Restaurant one sunny afternoon searching for some 'chicken rice'. I love chicken rice and this particular restaurant does serve this lovely delicacy.

First impression of this restaurant was good. This place was crowded and more was coming in. We managed to find ourself a table situated at the five foot walkway. It was a pretty cool day with some sun ray beaming down on us with some cool breeze blowing past us.

The set up of this restaurant was rather simple with wooden tables and chairs well positioned and dominating the main area. On the left is the kitchen or place where food was displayed and prepared. You will see some chicken hanging on one side while some 'char siew' and 'siew yook' on the other. I can feel myself drooling just by looking at them. LOL.

Wan Ton Mee with BBQ Pork and Wantan @ RM5.50

We ordered a plate of wanton noodle which came with some BBQ pork and a small bowl of wanton with soup. Apparently we were staring at the plate of noodle .... looking puzzled .... as the portion was so so so little. OMG ! I wonder what the 'tauke' was thinking of. Wanna make fast money by serving the least they can. This is really a no no and seriously I was really disappointed.

Taste wise, this plate of wanton noodle does taste good. Not too sweet nor too salty. Noodle was cooked almost to perfection with that springy feel to it. Overcooked noodle does drive me off but credits to them. The BBQ pork was delicious and  sumptuous,

Honey BBQ Pork (siew yook) with Roast Chicken Rice @ RM7.00

I was all excited with this set. I have always been a big fan for chicken rice and siew yook rice. The aroma was breathtaking and I just gotta sink my teeth into them. Siew Yook was so delicious yet succulent. Skin was so crispy which gets two thumbs up from me. Chicken meat was just normal la. I was expecting something different and was feeling a little disappointed. Anyway, the oil rice was very aromatic and goes very well with both the meat. And not to forget the chilli ... it was really spicy and really good. I think I finished off the whole bowl of chilli. LOL.

Famous Ipoh White Coffee @ RM2.80

And not to forget, being a coffee lover, I would like to say that they make a really good cup or glass of coffee. It was really tasty and 'Old Town' eat your heart out. Highly recommended.

Conclusion : Food was good but portion was too little. Hence, I would say that it's not worth the money as you do not get what you pay for. Coffee was great, indeed. Let's keep our hopes high hoping they will increase the serving portion. Otherwise, this would be my first and my last visit as there are plenty of places that serves good chicken rice at a bargain. Rating ...... 2.5/5.

Cheers !

Restaurant Little Canton                     Business Hours :
97, Ground Floor                                Mon - Fri : 10am - 10pm
Jalan SS21/37                                   Sat, Sun & Public Holidays : 9am - 9pm
Damansara Utama
47400 Petaling Jaya.
Tel : 012 719 5030