Garden Lifestyle Store & Cafe @ Mid Valley Megamall

Rating:

• Food (1-10): 7.5
  
• Price (1-10): 7.5
  
• Environment (1-10): 8

28 January 2011: Garden Lifestyle Store & Cafe is an open-style cafe with greenery and flowers as decorations. It is located right after the bridge connecting Mid Valley Megamall and The Gardens Mall at first floor.


There are a few lunch sets available, which include:

• Appetizers
• Soup of the day
• Ice lemon tea or coffee
• Main course (choose one from below)
  

The appetizers, soup of the day and ice lemon tea are shown as below. The appetizer is fruit salad. The soup is mushroom soup which is quite tasty. I personally like the ice lemon tea.


Here's the main courses that we ordered...


Spaghetti Carbonara (RM18.90++ for set lunch) -> Spaghetti cooked in cream, onion, beef bacons & mushrooms. The spaghetti is well-cooked and cream sauce is very tasty. Recommended. Worth a try.


Paprik Chicken (RM15.90++ for set lunch) -> Chicken cooked in Thai style served with steamed rice and side dishes. The sauce taste more like tomyam than paprik. Chicken is not fresh. Not recommended.

Finally, I would like to comment on the service provided by the staff here. Most of the staffs here are not well-trained, maybe because Garden Lifestyle Store & Cafe in Mid Valley is still very new. The management here is in a mess. We tried to wave very hard to catch the attention of the waiters but none of them notice us. It took them more than 15 minutes to notice us. When taking our order, the waiter was not holding any paper to note down our order. After waiting for another 20 mins, another waiter (I guess is the supervisor/manager) came to take our order again. I strongly think that better staff management and training is required here.

Despite the messy management, I will give it another chance considering it's still new and the food is worth another try.

Here's the address of Garden Lifestyle Store & Cafe in Mid Valley Megamall:
Address: Lot F-001, First Floor, Mid Valley Megamall, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 KL.
Tel: 03-2282 0271



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Hee Lai Ton Restaurant @ Puchong

Rating:

• Food (1-10): 8
• Price (1-10): 7
  
• Environment (1-10): 8

27 January 2011: I had a Pre-Chinese New Year gathering dinner with friends at Hee Lai Ton Restaurant (喜来登鱼翅酒家), Puchong branch. First of all, it's really a pain in the ass looking for parking in that area. I spent almost half an hour trying to look for parking lot.

There are a few Chinese New Year promotion sets to choose from, price ranging from around RM520 to RM1600. There were 9 of us, so we chose the RM570 set for a table of 10 person. The set comes with 3 big bottles of beer as well.

Here comes the food...

• Lou Sang -> Typical lou sang. Nothing much to comment about.
• Appetizers Plate -> Not bad.
• Shark's Fin Soup -> Quite tasty.
• Roast Duck -> Quite good. Flesh is tasty and tender. Roasted skin not crispy enough.
• Steamed Grouper -> Fresh, tasty and fine. Recommended.
• Prawns -> Big prawns and quite fresh but I couldn't really taste what sauce is it.
• Fried Rice -> Not evenly fried. Some of us find it tasteless while some find it too salty. However, the sausages are quite tasty.
• Mini Pandan Kaya Pau -> Skin of the pau a bit too dry, not fine enough. Pandan kaya filling is a bit dry as well.

Overall, the Chinese New Year set is not bad. Worth a try.

Here's the location and contact of Hee Lai Ton Puchong:
Address: No.21-23, Jalan Kenari 1, Bandar Puchong Jaya Batu 8, Jalan Puchong, 47100 Puchong, Selangor.
Tel: 03-58823333


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Chong Yuan Seafood Restaurant @ Pandan Indah

Rating:

• Food (1-10): 8
• Price (1-10): 8
  
• Environment (1-10): 6.5

20 January 2011: Chong Yuan Seafood Restaurant (颂园海鲜饭店) is a non air-conditioned restaurant in Pandah Indah. Half of the restaurant is in a shop house, while another half is open-air with temporary roof top (I'm not sure if it's legal). Chong Yuan Seafood is known for serving relatively good food at reasonable price in the area. Hence, most of the tables are already occupied before 7pm for dinner. It's advised to go before 6pm to avoid waiting for too long.


Here's what we had...

• Steamed (Teo Chew style) Red Snapper (潮洲烝金凤) (RM21) -> I guess fish one of the popular dish there. I can see fish on almost every table there. Although Red Snapper is a river fish, there's completely no muddy taste in it. It tastes fresh while the texture is fine and tender. The sauce is slightly hot and sourish, which is very appetizing. Recommended.
  
• Fried Minced Pork with Salted Egg (咸蛋煎肉碎) (RM12) -> Not bad. Tasty and solid.
  
• Stir-fried Vege (RM7) -> Normal.

After trying out this restaurant for few times, I think I'll go more often after this.

Here's the location, contact and info of Chong Yuan Seafood Restaurant:
Address: M4A/16, Jalan Pandan Indah 4/1, Pandan Indah, 55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-4296 2285
Business hours: 12pm-3pm (Lunch), 5.30pm-10pm (Dinner), Closed on Wednesdays.


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Delicious Vegetarian @ Pandan Indah

Rating:

• Food (1-10): 8
  
• Price (1-10): 7
  
• Environment (1-10): 7.5

18 January 2011: Delicious Vegetarian is an air-conditioned restaurant that serves vegetarian food. It's normally around 90% occupied whenever I walk in or walk pass the restaurant. It's a quite well-established vegetarian restaurant in the area.

The menu booklets are made from recycle and environmental friendly paper. Besides, we were also greeted with appetizers (RM3) which is quite tasty and crispy.

We ordered 3 vegetarian dishes, which costs RM40 in total. Here's what we ordered...

• Dong Po Yok (東坡肉) -> This dish is recommended by the waitress. It is supposed to be pan-fried pork belly cooked in red sauce. The vegetarian version is made of flour, with mushrooms and broccoli as side dishes. The vegetarian pork belly looks like real pork belly where you can see different texture for different layer of pork belly. It tastes great as well. Highly recommended.
• Black Pepper Chicken -> Not bad, but I won't recommend this.
• Stir-fried Vegetables -> Normal

Besides, this restaurant aims to serve healthy food. It gives the option of white rice or brown rice. Even the white rice served here, is the less starchy type of white rice.

Here's the location, contact and info of Delicious Vegetarian...
Address: 52G, Jalan Pandan Indah 4/6B, Pandan Indah, 55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-4291 5152
Business hour: Lunch (11am-3pm), Dinner (6pm-10pm), Closed on Monday (except 1st and 15th day of Lunar Month)


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Good Friends Restaurant @ Highlands Hotel, Genting Highlands

Rating:

• Food (1-10): 8
  
• Price (1-10): 7.5
  
• Environment (1-10): 7.5

17 January 2011: Good Friends Restaurant serves dim sum and Hakka cuisine. It is located at Level 2 of Highlands Hotel. The home-cooked Hakka dishes are all time favorites among the young and old alike.

Here are the dishes we ordered...

• Home Style Braised Streaky Pork with Preserved Vegetable (梅菜扣肉) (RM28++) -> Among the good ones I've had. The taste of the preserved vegetable is well-absorbed into the pork. Pork is soft, tender but not too fatty. Recommended.
• Vegetables in Oyster Sauce (RM14++) -> Taste normal...
  

Since the food served here are mainly home-cooked type of dishes, the price is relatively more reasonable (Genting standard) as compared to other restaurants here that offer fine-dining. This place is recommended if you are looking for a decent place to try some Hakka home-cooked food at reasonable price.

Here's the location and details of Imperial Rama...
Address: Level 2, Highlands Hotel, 69000 Genting Highlands, Pahang.
Tel: 03-61011118 (Highlands Hotel General Line)
Daily Operating Hours:
Breakfast (Dim Sum only) -> 6.30am till 12pm
Lunch -> 11am till 2.45pm
Dinner -> 6pm till 9.45pm



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Imperial Rama @ Highlands Hotel, Genting Highlands

Rating:

• Food (1-10): 8.5
  
• Price (1-10): 6.5
  
• Environment (1-10): 8.5

16 January 2011: Imperial Rama is our must go restaurant whenever we go to Genting Highlands. It is a Thai-Chinese fine dining restaurant in elegance ambience. Imperial Rama took part in Malaysia International Gourmet Festival 2006 and 2008. It is located at a secluded corner in Level 2 of Highlands Hotel. Many people might not notice it but those who have tried will definitely go again.

Since there were only 2 of us, we couldn't order much. Here's what we had...

• Pandan Leave Chicken (RM28++) -> 6 pieces of nicely cooked chicken meat wrapped in pandan leaves. Very tasty with tender and juicy chicken meat. Comparable to those in Amarin Heavenly Thai, Midvalley Megamall.
  
• King Prawn Tom Yam (RM18++) -> our must have in Imperial Rama. The best tom yam soup I've tried so far. Tasty tom yam with big and fresh king prawn. Worth a try.
• Spinach with Soup (RM18++) -> fresh spinach, goes just right with the soup. Not bad.

In conclusion, food served in Imperial Rama is worth recommending so far but the price is relatively high as well. Besides, a point that I would like to emphasize here is that the price chinese tea here. There was once, I ordered a pot of Pu Er Tea (普洱茶) that costs RM32.20 per pot. Ever since, I normally order plain water unless I go in big group.

Here's the location and details of Imperial Rama...
Address: Level 2, Highlands Hotel, 69000 Genting Highlands, Pahang.
Tel: 03-61011118 (Highlands Hotel General Line)
Opening hours: 12 to 2.30pm (Lunch), 6- 9.30pm (Dinner)


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Here are the links to the posts of my previous visits to Imperial Rama:

• 31 October 2010
  
• 3 October 2010 (My dad's 60th birthday dinner)
  
• 16 March 2009
• 23 January 2009

Uncle Duck @ Times Square, KL

Rating:

• Food (1-10): 8.5
  
• Price (1-10): 8
  
• Environment (1-10): 7.5

16 January 2011: Uncle Duck (得哥火锅餐厅) is my must visit place whenever I go to Times Square. It is located at 3rd floor, few lots next to Golden Screen Cinema and directly opposite Secret Recipe.

The duck rice set there is my favourite, tasty and economical. However, Uncle Duck actually focuses mainly on steamboat, which offers more than 5 different types of soup (I forgot exactly how many types). Their steamboat sets (individual pot) are not bad as well. However, I'm not ordering steamboat this round. I was looking for quick and light lunch.

A set of duck rice is RM6.90++. It comes with roast duck, rice, sauce and ribena (normally I request to change this to soup). Chinese tea is free of charge here. The skin of roast duck is crispy while the flesh is tasty and tender. The sauce also goes very well with the roast duck. The roast duck rice set here is really value for money. However, the portion is not that big, and might not be enough for big-eater, especially guys.

Mango Sago (RM6++) at Uncle Duck is my another favourite. It's the best I had so far in Kuala Lumpur. Definitely better than those at famous Kei Tak Sek (记得食). First of all, the mango cubes are fresh and sweet. The mango ice-blended also has fresh mango taste inside out, from top till bottom of the bowl. It's not like those at other dessert shops where the mango sauce only covers the top part, while bottom is plain blended ice with sugar water. Although it's not cheap, I think it's worth the price.

There's also another restaurant called Hong Kong Food Culture (港饮港食) in Low Yat Plaza. It's under the same management with Uncle Duck. Both serves similar range of food. The only difference between the two is that Hong Kong Food Culture doesn't serve steamboat.

Here are the locations and contacts:

1. Uncle Duck-> Address: 03-107, 3rd Floor, Berjaya Times Square, No. 1, Jalan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-21448998.
   
2. Hong Kong Food Culture -> Address: LG-18, Plaza Low Yat, Off Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-21416998.
   

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Aily Vegie Kitchen @ Pandan Indah

Rating:

• Food (1-10): 7
  
• Price (1-10): 7.5
  
• Environment (1-10): 7

15 January 2011: It was my first visit to Aily Vegie Kitchen, which I came across when hunting for food in Pandan Indah. It's a air-conditioned restaurant that serves vegetarian food. It was quite empty and quiet when we walked in. Besides us, there's only 1 occupied table. From the furnishing of the restaurant, I guess it's quite new.

Since it's our first time there, we asked for recommendation from the waitress. She recommended fish head curry. Hence, we ordered fish head curry and stir-fried vege (sweet potato green leaves). Although there are not many customers, we waited quite long for our food. It took them more than half an hour to serve us these 2 dishes:

• Fish head curry -> The texture of vegetarian fish doesn't look and taste like the texture of fish. It looks more like fish cake instead. As for the curry, I could only taste very strong curry powder. Although this dish is recommended by the waitress, I won't recommend this to others.
  
• Stir-fried sweet potato green leaves -> Taste alright. Quite fresh and young.
  

These 2 dishes, a plate of rice and 2 glasses of Chinese tea cost us RM26.60 in total. I consider this price acceptable for the portion and the air-conditioned, clean and new environment. I might re-visit this place to try out other dishes. I could see the photos of various type of dishes pasted on both sides of the walls in the restaurant.

Here's the location and contact of Aily Vegie Kitchen:
Address: 9G, Jalan Pandah Indah 4/6, Pandan Indah, 55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-42971208


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Nihon Kai Japanese Restaurant @ Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur

Rating:

• Food (1-10): 7.5
  
• Price (1-10): 7
  
• Environment (1-10): 7

11 January 2011: Nihon Kai Japanese Restaurant is located off Old Klang Road. It's an air-conditioned, double-storey, corner-lot shop house. It's surrounded by residential houses and there are limited parking lots available for Nihon Kai customers. Hence, looking for a parking lot can be quite challenging especially during peak hour (lunch and dinner time).

There are seats available at both ground and first floor. There are also a few private rooms available at first floor for gatherings and events. The menu includes wide range of Japanese food such as sashimi, sushi, bento set, noodles, don, etc... Since we wish to have a simple and light lunch, we decided to try their Don (rice bowl dishes), because I don't think I can finish their set meals.

Before I proceed with my comments, I would like to emphasize that I'm not a Japanese food lover :P. Here's what we had...

• Oyako Don (RM11++) -> Cooked chicken and vegetables with egg and miso soup. The portion is too big for me, especially the rice (I'm not a rice lover). I only managed to finish half of it. The pieces of cooked chicken are quite fine and tender but the sauce did not really absorb into the chicken. Instead of the chicken, the egg is actually the tasty part of it.
  
• Katsu Don (RM14++) -> Fried chicken with egg, onion and miso soup. The skin of fried chicken is quite crispy but again, not tasty enough.

This restaurant is normally quite fully occupied. I believe there's something worth eating here but I have yet to find out what is it. Maybe Don is not their specialty or maybe I do not know how to appreciate Japanese food :D

Here's the location and information of Nihon Kai Japanese Restaurant:
Address: No 4-2, Jalan Telok Gadong, Off Jalan Klang Lama, 58100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-79823668
Business Hour: Lunch (12pm-3pm), Dinner (6pm-10pm)


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Hong Kong Food

27 December 2010 - 2 Jan 2011: I went to Hong Kong for a short vacation. My bf went there on business trip so I just tagged along. Since the main focus of the trip is not on food, we just randomly picked any restaurant that we came across, without any prior survey.

Here's what we had...

On the way to computer centres in Sham Sui Po (深水埗), we stopped by a Hong Kong style cafe and tried some of the dim sum, har gao (虾饺) and siew mai (烧卖). They look and taste almost the same as those found in Malaysia.

In the same cafe in Sham Shui Po, an aunty waitress recommend us to try their bo zai fan (煲仔饭). It's Hong Kong style claypot rice which consists of steam rice and various types of meat with soy sauce poured over the meat and rice. The portion of rice is huge and I can never finish it alone. As for the meat, there's a big piece of fatty pork, a chinese sausage (similar to those commonly found in Malaysia) and a sausage made from internal parts of pig (we don't really enjoy this).

On another day, we tried sei bo fan (四宝饭) in cafe in Taikoo (太古城). Sei bo fan includes steam rice with char siew (叉烧), roasted pork (烧肉), roasted goose (烧鹅) and steam chicken, with half piece of salted egg. The meat are quite tasty. Although I cannot finish it, due to the huge portion, I like it.

We went to Temple Street (庙街) to try the famous hawker food (大排挡) there but the stalls were very crowded with people queuing up, waiting for tables, as shown in the photo above. Since we were really hungry and couldn't wait any longer for an available table, we decided to give up and headed to a cafe nearby.

At the cafe in Temple Street, we had curry beef brisket rice (咖哩牛腩饭) and dry wantan noodles with prawn dumplings (鲜虾云吞面). Both taste quite good. I particularly like prawn dumplings in Hong Kong generally because they are very big (like a size of ping pong ball) and fresh.

While we were leaving Temple Street, we saw a long queue (across 5 shoplots) outside a cafe/restaurant called Hing Kee (兴记) which is famous for their bo zai fan. Goodness, I will never queue up like that for food...

On another day, we headed to Yuen Long (元朗) for the famous lou po bing (老婆饼). There are to famous shops selling lou po bing in Yuen Long; Hang Heung (恒香) and Wing Wah (荣华). I personally prefer lou po bing by Hang Heung although Wing Wah is the more well-known and commonly available one.

Hang Heung lou po bing has really crispy skin and taste just alright when eaten together with the filling. Really like it a lot. We bought 6 boxes of that. Each box of 6 pieces is HK$30.

After buying lou po bing, we walked into a cafe, specializing in noodles. Hence, we tried their sei bo min (四宝面) and dace fish ball noodles (鲮鱼球面). Sei bo min is noodles with beef slices, prawn wantan (鲜虾云吞), sui gao (水饺) and dace fish ball (鲮鱼球). I personally do not like their dace fish ball.

Also in Yuen Long, we came across a stall selling snake soup (蛇羹). Out of curiosity, we decided to try their five snake soup (五蛇羹). From its name, I guess it's made from five different types of snakes. It's cooked with some chinese herbs and we like it a lot. I highly recommend this :)

We went to visit the Tin Tan Buddha Statue (天坛大佛) in Lantau Island (大屿山) as well. The admission tickets in the buddha status comes with complimentary vegetarian light meal and dessert. The photo above shows the complimentary food for 2 person. There are more than 20 types of vegetarian dim sum to choose from.

I should have done more research on Hong Kong food before the trip so that I know where to look for those recommended and famous food. Overall, the food I tried in this trip is just average. I still prefer Malaysian food.