Trattoria, Menara Hap Seng

The name of this place says it all – it is an Italian eating establishment that isn’t very formal…..well, I hope you get what I mean.

A look at the menu tells me that ala-carte is a little too expensive for me (considering I haven’t got my salary for this month yet), so I had a close look at the set menu.

There are many sets available ranging from pasta to pizzas and of course sandwiches – all sets costing from RM19.90 to less than RM25.

My choice - Set C Panini : Club Sandwich pork bacon, chicken, lettuce, tomato and egg. Comes with french fries, a soft drink (choice of diet coke or ice lemon tea), soup or salad , and a tiny tiramisu.

This is the soup – it looked plain and boring yet was very tasty. You scoop how ever much you would like …….er….subject to a limit which is of course as much as the bowl could hold!

Club sandwich –I can easily label this as modest yet plentiful. It was a beauty to my eyes and a feast for my tummy. Love it! The pieces of bacon were done to perfection and every bite of this sandwich left me yearning for more…and with that I ate up all the sandwiches …and the fries too (even though I have never been a fan of french fries)

Overall, I would say I love the ambience as it gives you the feeling that you are dining alfresco, but then again you are not exposed to the elements as this place is covered..well, if I have confused you, then do drop by Trattoria and try the various set lunches they have.

Address : Menara Hap Seng

Jalan P. Ramlee

50450 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : +603 2022 0460

Credit cards accepted

Puchong Seafood Restaurant

Nestled amongst the busy rows of shoplots along Jalan Bandar Puchong is this restaurant that has a slightly faded signboard. If you are coming from Bandar Puteri , Puchong Seafood is just before Tesco.

I arrive one hot afternoon and discovered that this place has no air conditioning. I chose the table (mind you they have HUGE tables)  closest to the cashier as there was a ceiling fan turning vigourously  right above the table.

The waitress spoke Mandarin with a different accent. I could immediately tell that she was not a local. Anyway, we had a look at photographs  their ‘star’ dishes  which were proudly displayed along the walls of the restaurant. We ordered our drinks – watermelon & honey dew (RM3 each). What I really loved about this was that the fact that they were not too sweet.

The 4 dishes we ordered were:-

Butter prawn (RM35) – indeed a very good choice. I would rate this as the best butter prawn I’ve had in a long, long time. Fresh, succulent prawns will always be something that I welcome. Plus the fact that the butter was cooked into crispy strips that you can actually eat with rice…….how perfect! In fact, we ate everything up (minus the shell that is) .

This is something very unique and was highly recommended by the waitress who took our order – fat chicken steamed with lap cheong (chinese sausage) and salted fish  (RM18).  I did enquire what fat chicken was and she told me that it merely refers to normal chicken i.e not the kampong chicken variety. I’ll describe the taste as slightly salty, yet very tasty and truly out of this world. The chicken pieces were very tender too.

Marmite spare ribs (RM15) – this was slightly tough and requires some effort to chew it.  Marmite always has a bitter taste, but when cooked with the right amount of honey and sugar gives this dish an awesome taste.

Stir fried sweet potato leaves (RM10) – this was a simple dish, stir fried with garlic. The wok hei  was definitely excellent. In case you are wondering what I am babbling about, wok hei is a yardstick for judging a chef’s ability in stir frying.

 From where I was sitted, I could hear the ‘sound ‘of the the stove and the busy chef cooking away. I definitely think  this restaurant is a truly great find!

Address: 16G Jalan Bandar Lapan

Pusat Bandar Puchong

47100 Puchong

Tel : +603 5882 7175, +603 5882 7176

Mastercard & Visa accepted

Opens for lunch and dinner.

Ah Yip Herbal, Summit USJ

I’ve eaten way too much meaty food lately and all I wanted was what I called plain vanilla food. That was how I ended up at Ah Yip Herbal located in Summit USJ. I have been here many times and can easily order food without any assistance whatsoever from their colourful menu or the waitresses.

This time around the 3 of us just wanted something simple. We ordered the chicken drumstick noodles in herbal soup (RM15.90). The drumstick was huge and tender. The soup was filled with herbal goodness and was definitely very appetising. My only complaint would be that the noodles were a tad little..well, maybe they figured out that with a drumstick of this size, one wouldn’t need too much noodles!

We also ordered sha shen soup (沙参 RM15) . It is known as a lung nourishing soup. With its mildly sweet taste, this soup was pleasant on the palate. I was told that it helps dissolve heated phlegm,  moisten the throat as well as eliminate skin dryness.

We also had this huai qi soup (RM22) which was said to be good for the eyes. Since I have been experiencing what people call ‘panda eyes’ for the last few days, I decided to give it a try. Sweet, yet sourish is how I would describe this soup. And it really went well with rice, yau mak (vegetable) and the chicken we ordered- paid an additional RM22 for these.

To end this wonderfully nutritious meal, we had black jelly (price included in the RM22 mentioned earlier) and some toothsome longan drink (RM5.50) and honey (RM3). By the way, if you are a world card member dont forget to bring your card to collect 10 points for every $ spent.

 

Address: Lot LG 51 & 52 Lower Ground Floor

The Summit Subang USJ

Persiaran Kewajipan

USJ 1 47600 UEP Subang Jaya

Tel :  +603 8024 7793

 Mastercard & Visa accepted

Medifoods SS18 Subang Jaya - revisited

I wrote a review about this place some time back (http://www.alwizeating.blogspot.com/2012/06/medifoods.html) & this time around came back for more of the mouth watering, healthy food.



Once again a plate of free fruits was served as I walked into this place.



2 of us ordered 3 dished tyo be shared – one was a repetition from our precious visit i.e chickem chop – am glad to announce that it tasted as good and fresh as the previous one.

Kong nam noodles – with lots of fresh vegetables this is one dish you can practically have everyday if you were a vegetarian !

We also had claypot yee mee – I loved this as the noodles were cooked just right – not too soggy nor too hard.

Well, overall the standard of food here is still maintained as compared to my previous visit. Will be back for more!!





Address :

No.59, Jalan SS 18/6, Subang Jaya.

Tel 03-5636 5338 / 016 2622505

Opens from 9am

Mastercard & Visa accepted.

Yokoso Ichiban, SSTwo Mall, SS2

I love Japanese food and frequent Japanese food outlets very often. My last trip to Yokoso Ichiban was a few months back, and I found the food there a notch  above the many Japanese restaurants I have visited. Today, I make my way to SSTwo Mall once again, just to ensure that the food quality remains unchanged.

For the record, Yokoso is owned by a Japanese. In fact the chef is also Japanese.  Every time I walk past Yokoso, it seems empty…but do not be fooled…there are people (customers to be exact) enjoying their meals in the booths…so they are ‘hidden’ from the outside of the shop.

The three of us were very hungry - we could have eaten a horse each! Hence, the long list of food we had.

 Mango & Pink Guava yoghurt – RM6.90 each.  Simply healthy & delicious. 

Salmon salad (RM25). With a price tag that is slightly steep for a bowl of salad, you cant really fault them for the pricing as every spoonful was s great delight. The salmon was fresh,  and the vegetables were too. I love the presentation as well….especially those fat translucent  orange ikura on top.

Edamame (RM8). I liked this as it was steamed to perfection – bright and fresh – not overcooked, and not too salty as well. Purr-fecto!

California maki –  6 pieces for RM18. I rank this as reasonably priced and superior in terms of taste. With every bite, I could tell that great care has been taken to select the best & freshest ingredients.

Garlic fried rice (RM10) – Generous amount of rice cooked with lots of garlic. The only downside was that it had too much seasoning…you know what I am talking about …taste enhancer!

Fisherman spaghetti – this is a set meal. For RM15 you get a mildly spicy plate of spaghetti, a bowl of salad and 2 slices of watermelon…and oh ya, a glass of ice lemon tea. I love the sour sweet taste of the ice lemon juice. It always refreshes me. As for the spaghetti, I’ll say it’s very yummy…I wanted to eat more, but then I had to leave some space for the other food coming up.

Temaki sushi and udon set (RM20). I’ve always labelled this set as value for money and after today’s culinary experience still maintain that stand. 2 hand rolls of different variety – one has tuna, the other ikura. A huge bowl of udon which I would describe as having a  smooth, slippery texture. This set also comes with a bowl of salad, chawan mushi and 2 slices of watermelon. The chawan mushi had a feather light and smooth texture which I found very soothing.

The final instalment for the day was unagi bento. Frankly I don’t know why this is called so as it has some salad, salmon sashimi, unagi and some tofu served with a huge bowl of rice, chawan mushi , miso soup and of course, 2 slices of watermelon. For RM35, this is indeed a whole meal on its own. I love the way the sashimi was prepared –thick slices, allowing us to savour the original texture and flavour of the fish. Eating the unagi was a very pleasant experience as there was no need to search for tiny bones as we often do at many other Japanese eateries.

 Truly ichiban!  (That means number one)

Address: LG56 , SSTwo Mall

No 40 Jalan SS2/72

47300 Petaling Jaya

Tel : +603 7960 7746 / 7748

Mastercard & Visa accepted

F4 Fish Head Restaurant, USJ Subang

Once upon a time the road leading to this place was bumpy and it really made the journey there seem much longer. I was there once again yesterday and was surprised that the road has been nicely tarred….Hooray!

Locating F4 (not the boy band) is easy. If you know the road leading to Mydin, just turn right at the first set of traffic lights (before reaching the ‘old’ Giant on your right). Go straight all the way until you see a signage that says ‘Badminton Hall’. F4 is located next to the USJ Badminton Hall.  It is actually located within the USJ Industrial area and it occupies what looks to me like a factory lot.

Don’t worry about parking as there is ample parking there – foc too! This is a very popular eatery amongst the USJ folks for 2 reasons – the food is good and reasonably priced. As I sat there, I noticed that many families dine there – so it’s, well, where the average salaried worker like me can afford to eat.

I ordered the lo han kuo. It was thirst quenching and I loved it –plus the fact that it wasn’t too sweet, I’ll give it 4/5.

This is spinach soup – with lots of goji berry (which is said to be good for eyesight, promotes blood circulation and boost immunity, amongst others)  and dried prawns – this soup was very flavourful and definitely deserves a thumbs up.

Fish slices stir fried with ginger and spring onion – the fish was very fresh and this dish was well cooked – you can immediately tell that the stove had really hot  flame , therefore the fish wasn’t too soggy.

Tofu ring – this is a rather unique dish. The entire outer ring was made with tofu , fish paste and some prawns. The ring is then filled with baby corn, black Chinese mushroom, carrots and diced tofu – indeed a very delightful dish.

We also had salted chicken thigh –garnished with spring onion on top and some ginger at the side, this dish lived up to its name –SALTY!  Haha, but I ain’t complaining – cos I loved every bite of this well-cooked tender chicken.

Dinner for 3 pax -with 3 big plates of rice (Please note that the rice here is really HUGE!!) came close to RM60 - very worth it!

Address : Lot 776, Sub Lot 3,
Jalan Subang 4,
Subang Jaya Industries Park,
47500 Subang Jaya
GPS Coordinates: N3 02.795 E101 35.845
Tel:+6 012325 9111 /+6 012 315 3891

Opens from lunch time to dinner

Cash terms

Simple Life Cafe, SS2 Mall

Put 5 hungry people, longing for healthy food, together for a Sunday brunch and this was where we ended up – Simple Life Café SS2 Mall. This is an organic café promoting a healthy way of eating. Well, they serve no meat and hence is suitable for vegetarians. (Please note that some dishes contain eggs)

The exterior of the restaurant is pleasing –with an all white concept and the deco certainly reminds me of Garden Lifestyle Café. As I walked in I couldn’t helo but feel a sense of calmness. Service is friendly and prompt.

As we sit down, we are given toe menu and we take our time to browse through the menu. We had the following food:-

This is called the mini steamboat. Priced at RM18.90 it can feed at least 2 very hungry adults. For the soup, we had a choice of burdock, miso or black bean. We chose burdock which is said to be able to treat gout, rheumatism, ulcers, acne, eczema, and psoriasis. I read somewhere that burdock cleanses the blood and was traditionally used to treat snake bites….anyway, a huge bowl was brought to us and in it I could see Chinese cabbage, 3 slices of pumpkin, yam, tofu, sweet corn, carrots and a variety of mushrooms ranging from shitake to enoki…. And if that isn’t enough to fill your tummy, this mini steamboat also comes with a bowl of multi grain rice. I really don’t know what is so ‘mini’ about this steamboat as the portion is huge…well, come to think of it…..the mini thing about it is perhaps the pot used to cook the wholesome bowl of goodness!

BBQ sauce & chillies

The 'mini' pot

This is miso ramen soup – the ramen was well cooked and I loved it. This bowl of ramen comes with wolfberries, sweet beancurd sheets , a braised egg, some sweet corn kennels and some wakame. Wakame – the seaweed – was slightly tough and that was the only thing that I disliked about this miso ramen soup.

Kids meal – we tried 2 – and I must say the kids meal had a generous portion so much so that it is sufficient for an adult. Both sets come with a slice of watermelon, some French fries, vegetarian nuggets, a bowl of soup and a cup of peach drink. The seaweed fried rice was fragrant whilst the tomato macaroni was topped with sufficient amounts of parmesan.

Brown rice nasi lemak – the fragrant brown rice had a light tint of coconut oil that made the rice so appealing. With lots of side dishes such as acar, crispy fried mushrooms, roasted peanuts rending tempeh and fried egg to go with the rice, I could easily devour this plate of nasi lemak without any sense of guilt!

Dessert

Address : LG - 55, Lower Ground Floor, SStwo Mall,

 40 Jalan SS2/72, 47300 Petaling Jaya

Tel : +603 7960 4353

Credit cards accepted

Hiba, High Holborn

After  trying and falling in love with Persian food, we couldn’t resist entering this outlet called Hiba located in High Holborn. Hiba serves Lebanese food. A quick glance at the menu tells us that it looks similar to Persian food. Lebanese cuisine, I was told, is a cuisine that respects the riches of nature.

This time around, we left the choice of food to the waiter. He recommended that we take the platter for two (£35), as in doing so, we would be able to savour a variety of Lebanese food. We agreed and waited anxiously for food to be served.

While waiting we sip our drinks. These are  fruit cocktail (£2.45) and mint tea (£1.95). Mint tea is served in a normal-sized teapot but is drunk in what I call a rather tiny glass. Mint tea is said to be a good cure for indigestion.

Mint tea

These are what we ate:-

All in all, it was a perfect meal.

Dessert

Address:  113 High Holborn

London WC1V 6JQ

Tel : +44 20 7831 5171