Cube Garden Café, S2

We left for S2 as soon as we crawled out of bed, hoping to get there in time for brunch. Lo and behold…..we were caught in the most massive jam I have ever encountered on the PLUS highway. It really did look like the entire highway was jam from Nilai to Seremban. Luckily our destination was S2 and not Seremban town itself!

We chanced upon this place called Cube Garden Café at close to 2pm. With growling stomachs, we decided to just give this place a try.

We ordered 3 lunch sets priced at RM7.90 each & another set valued at RM14.90 . The sets came with soup, drinks & ice cream  and the more expensive one even came with a couple of apple slices .

The RM14.90 dish

Fried kuay teow

Popcorn chicken

We also ordered a fruit salad for RM8.90. I love the colourful fruits as well as the fact that it was served with 4 pieces of leafy green vegetables. Indeed a very pleasant appetiser for the stomach as well as a pleasant feast for the eyes.

After devouring our food we were very hungry!) we had a look around the café and noted that each room had a different theme – from our olden English setting to simple bamboo wallpaper or a French theme ,as well as a scenic view of the ‘beach’ complete with a straw hat and bikini – you could choose a room which suit your taste.

I would definitely come here again when I visit S2 due to many reasons -  the food is good and price decent and ambience pleasing.

Address : 233 Uptown Avenue S2

Tel : +606 775 2036

Opening hours: Mon – Thurs & Sundays 11am to 9 pm ; Fri & Sat  : 11am to 11pm

Cash terms only

Fukuya, Jalan Delima

A beautiful mansion with  decent parking houses Fukuya. All you need to do is to leave your car with the jockey (for FREE!!) and walk into Fukuya for an out-of- this-world dining experience. You may dine in what I would call the common area or book a room for more privacy. Alternatively if you were bold  (and extremely lucky)like me you could just walk in and try your luck at getting a table or even a room! For the record, I got a room looking out into the beautiful garden and I was told by the friendly waiter John that I was indeed very lucky as it is normally full house here at Fukuya!

I tried the Fuku-Fuku Lunch which was priced at RM40++. It came with appetiser, salad, chawan mushi, rice, miso soup, pickles and dessert. The difficult part was to make 2 selections out of a list of 15 items – cod fish teriyaki, fried scallop, cube cut beef steak, salmon steak with butter sauce, grilled chicken with salt seasoning, tuna & salmon sashimi, salmon sashimi,  grilled saba mackerel, prawn & fish tempura, fried white fish, chicken teriyaki, butter sautéed scallop, beef teriyaki & grilled salmon with salt seasoning.

It took the glutton in me some time to make a decision as  all of the 15 items appealed to me! I finally chose the salmon sashimi and grilled saba mackerel. I must say that the way the food was presented gave my eyes a visual feast and the extremely delicious and satisfying food made me vow to come back soon!

Address : 9 Jalan Delima,

 55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel :  +603-2144 1022 

Amex, Visa and Mastercard accepted

Mulberry Restaurant & Bar, Jalan Ampang

Along a row of what I would call run down buildings, number 9 clearly stands out, what more with the huge font ‘MULBERRY CAFE’. To find the parking to this building is a little on the challenging side if you have not been here before. Let me give you a simple guide as to how to get here. There is obviously no access to the parking lots from the front of the building. 

You would need to drive along Jalan Gereja, go up the hill that leads you to St John’s cathedral. Drive past the cathedral and look out for a huge number 9 on your right. Tell the car park attendant that you are going to Mulberry, get the parking paper (yes, it’s just a thin piece of paper) from him and when you dine at Mulberry, get it stamped for free parking. Easy peasy!

Set lunch was available at RM30. I had the fruit punch – love this tangy drink!

  

 I chose Mexican seafood salad for starters. I love the colourful and impeccably presented salad.  The seafood was fresh and the taste was simply superb.

For the main course, I decided on the pan- seared lemon salt red tilapia. Served with sautéed vegetables as well as  pineapple and apricot chutney , I found the taste of this dish to be unusual….I would think that’s the best word I can think of. I wouldn’t say it was delicious, but it wasn’t bad either….it just tasted, well, UNUSUAL!

This is my dessert –semolina pudding. If you are wondering what semolina is, it is the coarse grains which are leftover after flour is milled.

Address: 9 Ming Annexe

alan Ampang

50450 Kuala Lumpur

Mastercard & Visa accepted

Xenri D’Garden Japanese Cuisine, Menara Hap Seng

 

I’ve heard a lot about this place but have never been there. Apparently they have another outlet in Wisma Elken on Old Klang Road as well as 2 other outlets, one each in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong and Nanjing Road, Shanghai.

Locating this outlet requires some effort. You need to go to the second floor of the building where you will see a little garden, which I would say is ‘shared’ by Hakka Republic, Elegant Inn (previously reviewed) and Xenri D’Garden. Trust me – it’s a beautiful sight.

As I walked in I could feel a sense of serenity and calmness. I chose a table beside the water which are bubbling out of little basins….and I really felt very comfortable.

As I was alone, I looked through the set lunch menu. Prices start at RM24 all the way to RM70 for what is known as an executive lunch set.

I settled for the RM50 set known as Tokubetsu Bento. (Please note that ocha a.k.a green tea  is charged at RM3 per cup and is refillable at no extra charge). The sashimi was excellent – fresh, but I wish they were more generous with the wasabi. Well, that could be because I simply love to douse my sashimi in lots of wasabi…but for the ‘average’ sashimi eater, I think the wasabi should be enough.

The salmon was also fresh and well marinated and cooked. It was absolutely lovely! And did I say tell you about the lettuce and tomatoes? All fresh & juicy.

The tempura was done to perfection and I really liked the taste of it. Once again all the ingredients including the prawns were fresh.

The 2 pieces of tofu were tasty, and not soggy. The chawan mushi had a generous amount of mushrooms and the miso soup had lots of seaweed in it.

 

Overall it was a very pleasant meal and I especially love the fact that great effort has been put in to making the bento a joy for the eyes and stomach! And I can still hear the sound of the bubbling water til now!

Address: Lot No 2-04 Second Floor

Podium Block of Menara Hap Seng

Jalan P. Ramlee

50250 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : +603 2078 6688

Mastercard, Visa and Amex accepted

Hyotan, SS15 Subang

Located across the road from the Sime Darby Medical Centre, Hyotan has been around for quite some time. As we walked in, we noticed that the owner was busy chatting away with the other customers and from their conversation only a fool would not be able to tell that many of them are regulars here. Another proof that this place has its regular patrons is  vast number of bottles with customers’ names on it.

We took quite some time to decide what to eat and the waitress was happy to serve other customers while we deliberated on what to eat. Yeah, a big decision indeed as everything on the colourful menu looked yummy!

I love the teapot used to serve the ocha, and the sourish appetiser as well.

 

We finally settled on the following dishes, which we shared:-

Edamame (RM8) –just look at the salt sprinkled on the edamame in the bamboo steamer. Somehow or rather the presentation won my heart!

 

Tobiko (RM32) – the picture below shows 2 servings of tobiko. The orangey-red tobiko with its salty yet crunchy texture was definitely delicious.

 

 

 

Gyu tataki salad (RM24) – this is simply beef salad.  The colour combination and the taste brought about by the different ingredients definitely agreed with my palate.

 

Hyotan bento (RM45) – We chose the unagi & salmon sashimi set. I must say that this set is actually made up of a lot of food . My one wish is that they would serve it all at one go, but no, they bring it out in batches. First came this – a bowl of salad, miso soup, some pickles and a bowl consisting of a slice each of watermelon, papaya and honey dew. Then came the rice with sashimi and salmon & finally the tempura. The sashimi was really fresh and I loved it.

 

Chicken katsu tamago (RM28)

 

Overall, food at Hyotan is excellent and service pretty good.

Address : 63 Jalan SS 15/5a

SS 15, 47500 Subang Jaya.

Tel :+603 5636 0326 / +603 5636 0328

Mastercard & Visa accepted

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

Sakae Sushi, Subang Parade

A wet evening and I found my way to  Subang Parade, trying to get some shelter while waiting for the rain to stop.  Come to think of it, I haven’t been here for at least a year.  And since we were in a shopping and it was really pouring outside, what better way to kill time than to EAT.

We headed to Sakae Sushi.  We had loads of food from the belt but this was something interesting to me:-

 

With some octopus in the middle, this sushi has a topping that taste like shredded coconut – really had no idea what it was!

This is simply called Happy Froggie – the green frog is edible – candy! What a SWEET surprise.

 

Gyu kinoko jyu (RM16.90) – beef with rice. Well, the perfect ‘rice in the box’ for me. I love the well-cooked beef which was tender and very aromatic.

 

This set is simply called Haru (RM24.90) – with teriyaki salmon & chicken, along with miso soup and chawan mushi. I felt a little let down by the salmon & chicken as well. The salmon was tough and I believe was not well defrost  before cooking. The same can be said of the chicken.

 

 

To lift up my spirits after the disappointing Haru, I ordered Match ice cream (RM5.90) and was once again in for a frustrating episode. By the time the ice cream arrived it was already melting & I could not bring myself to eat it!

 

By the way, they've upgraded their technology now to touch screen  from the previous pc with mouse.

 

 

Address : G27A Ground Floor

Subang Parade

No 5 Jalan SS16/1

47500 Subang Jaya

 

Amex, Visa, Master, Diners, Touch & Go accepted