Celebrating my Merdeka break in my own sweet way. Will be away for the weekend for some R&R.
Hope you’re enjoying your long weekend too!
Archive for August, 2007
Seaworld Seafood Restaurant, Miri
spent last weekend in Miri with the rest of the family for our grandmother’s birthday. it was a nice family reunion, albeit being a little rushed. i tried to catch up on my sleep, thus losing out on a good pig out session with the relatives at the wet market’s food court. pity. lucky i didn’t miss out on the excellent dinner on our last night in town.
this seafood restaurant in town has been gaining popularity recently after it slashed down prices for their fresh seafood. of course we had to go to check out the hype. tanks of swimming sea creatures knew little of the fate that was to befall them – to end up in the hot wok! when we arrived, saw this huge lobster trashing about in the tank and i thought, what a giant! little did i know, it would be chosen my uncle to be part of our dinner.
We started off easy, with fresh prawns, 白灼虾 which is quickly cooked in boiling water and seasoned with salt and some cooking wine. reminds me of what we had aboard the cruise on Halong Bay. the prawns were firm and sweet. excellent way to kick off the dinner as we were waited in anticipation.
Next, we had the “Four Treasures”, 马来四宝 which is a platter of 4 different vegetable dishes – midin kerabu, butter oyster mushrooms, deep fried kai lan with anchovies and a stir-fried pucuk manis with egg. all local favourites. everyone enjoyed this and it was evident in how quickly we polished everything off.
Steamed Garoupa fish, 清篜七星班 was the following dish. Even though I didn’t see this in any of the tanks, the texture and flavour of the fish was still very fresh. Lightly steamed, it was sublime.
The Barbequed Chicken, 烤鸡 was totally overshadowed by the rest of the dishes. I didn’t try any as I was more eager to try all the seafood dishes we ordered. But the kids loved it.
The Steamed Crabs with egg, 篜花蟹 didn’t receive much attention as it appeared only shortly before the next dish was served. And everyone’s attention was thwarted. But I had some after and it was delish. Juicy and fleshy. Required a bit of work as the shell was a little harder than your usual flower crabs.
So this is it, the dish that was the highlight of the night. Lobster Sashimi, 生龙虾. the raw slices were kept ice cold within two layers of shaved ice. It was beautifully arranged with the head propped up and served with lime wedges, wasabi and soy sauce. Needless to say, it tasted wonderful. Afterall, the freshness of it was guaranteed as it was still happily swimming some twenty minutes ago.
After we were done with the lobster, the head is then taken back into the kitchen and chopped up before being stir-fried with spring onion, garlic and ginger. Served glistening in its sauces, it was finger licking good. Even though everyone was groaning at the thought of more food (we were stuffed!), no one complained about finishing this up. Nor did anyone say no to seconds. Love the wok hei (wok’s breath) and subtle hint of cooking wine too.
Great & satisfying dinner all in all. Food was fresh and cooked well. And reasonably priced too. Everyone in the family left for home, satiated and happy.
Seaworld Seafood Restaurant 海霸王海鲜楼
8, North Yu Seng Road,
98000 Miri,
Sarawak.
Buonasera Restoran
this place’s appearance is really nondescript. it’s easy to walk by without giving it a second glance or thought. and that’s what i did, only to be attracted by the food pics gracing the glass facade. i even thought that this place was new, only to find out it’s been operating since 2005. the inside decor is equally simple, with plenty of wine bottles scattered around.
but then, we should never judge a book by its cover. it’s how the food tastes that matter. the chef states that no MSG is used in his cooking and sauces, olives & tomatoes are imported from italy/spain. we were first tended to by a foreign worker who spoke only a smattering of english. but later, one of the owners, Louise, a lady from hong kong attended to us and she definitely made a better impression on us with her recommendations.
started off with the fried calamari at RM19.90 a portion. served with leafy salad tossed in balsamic vinegar, wedge of lemon and a nice blob of tartare sauce. the batter was quite fluffy.
ordered the homemade Italian Pork Sausages (RM29.90) atop a bed of mashed potatoes and topped with sauteed onions and bell peppers and a side serving of tossed salad. the pork sausages were herby and had hint of chilli. ah, reminds me of the succulent herb sausages i used to have during my good olde days in UK. this was a big hit amongst our makan group.
also had the Roasted Pork (RM43.90) which was served in the same manner as the pork sausages, with the exception of the mash being served on the side. the mash was really good, creamy with some chunky potato bits in it. another firm favourite. despite the pork being thinly sliced, it tasted really dry in texture. but it was dripping with olive oil on the outside. it was a bit disappointing.
what’s an italian restaurant review without pasta? we ordered the “Putanesca Pasta” (which means Harlot’s pasta! only found out after the meal 
) and it was essentially pasta with anchovies, olives, pork bacon, red bell peppers and tomatoes. we opted for spaghetti as linguine (our first choice) wasn’t available. despite not being a tomato base pasta lover, i quite enjoyed this even. maybe it was the saltiness of the anchovies and pork bacon that cinched it. At RM36.90 per serving.
by now we were about 80% full but Louise recommended the sticky date pudding (RM15.90) highly and we relented. she then recommended us the Tiramisu (RM14.90) to share & try. i started to protest but my colleague agreed and soon we found ourselves digging into 2 desserts! i preferred the sticky date pudding more as it was nicely warmed and moist. the silky, cream sauce and ice cream complimented it perfectly. the tiramisu was just so-so in my opinion.
overall, service and ambience could do better considering the pricey meal. but food is rather authentic and i enjoyed browsing the food magazines and cookbooks available.
Buonasera Restoran Sdn Bhd
42, Jalan SS2/66,
47300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor.
Tel: 03 7877 8586
other reviews;
- waisikkai
- precious pea
Hometown Claypot Chicken Rice
was introduced to the claypot chicken rice by an employee at one of the shops along the same row as this Restoran Sorn. even though only a few tables were occupied as it’s still early for dinner, most of them were eating claypot chicken rice. good sign! ordered one and about 10 mins later, was served a piping hot claypot. it smelt good!
a rather generous serving of chicken, some wax sausages (lap cheong) sat on the rice of bed. there’s quite a lot of chicken compared to the rice, but i sure ain’t complaining. as the egg was not cooked yet, i mixed everything well. the chicken was tender and the sausage yummy. wished that the gravy on the rice tasted more than just soy sauce though.
but all in all, a really nice, hot meal. and cheap at RM6 for the small (can feed 2 small eaters) and RM10 for the bigger portion (2-3 people).
Hometown Claypot Chicken Rice 家乡瓦堡鸡饭
Restoran Sorn,
Cornerlot of Jalan 20/16A,
Paramount Garden,
46300 Petaling Jaya.
other reviews;
- eatinout
- masak-masak
Li Gong, Empire Brunei.
was in brunei over the weekend attending a close friend’s wedding. it was like a non-stop kenduri (feast), with catered food being replenished all the time. it was only on my last night in town that the family could eat out with the newlyweds & me. as the newlyweds decided to “honeymoon” at empire hotel, it was natural that we ate there. plus the bride has always raved about the roast duck at the chinese restaurant here.
empire hotel is huge and li gong, the chinese restaurant is a separate pavilion situated on a landscaped moat of sorts. chinese lanterns light up the connecting walkway. the interior deco is stereotypically donned with lots of red and bamboo items. silver cutlery, a dragon chopstick rest, and a single white plate lies on a grey solid surface table mat in front of each & every one of us. on the lazy susan, a small pot of lucky bamboo is the centrepiece.
shortly after we were seated, we asked for the roast duck which we pre-ordered to be served. the roast duck was indeed yummy, with crispy skin and tender, juicy meat. i especially enjoyed dipping it into the plum sauce (given upon request).
apart from the duck, we ordered some other dishes together with a fried rice. the yang chow fried rice with chicken was undersalted in my opinion, but was remedied with a little gravy from the next dish, a ma po tofu with seafood in claypot. the ma po tofu was unlike any other type i have tasted. it wasn’t spicy to begin with, but tasted somewhat sweetish. chinese preserved spicy vegetable (辣菜) was also added in but contributed little taste wise. the only “seafood” i saw were some diced prawns and fish.
the bride’s brother ordered his father’s favourite prawn dish from li gong, a creamy & buttery prawn that is deep fried and coated with a mayonnaise mix (with pounded curry leaves & green chilies) with almond flakes. it was a little more spicy than i expected but the taste was quite memorable. the almond flakes was a fine accompaniment.
the service is a little slower than most chinese restaurants i have been to but the waiting staff are rather pleasant. i do think that the price of the food is a little on the high side, but i have to take account that the hotel is of a 5 (or 6?) star rating. rather popular with the expats too. judging from that, i would guess this is one of the best chinese restaurants in brunei. 
Li Gong 丽宫
The Empire Hotel and Country Club
Jerudong BG3122,
Negara Brunei Darussalam
Hajime
This place comes highly recommended and instead of braving weekday rush hour, i chose to make the trip during a weekend instead. Jalan Damai with its eateries is no stranger to me as I used to frequent this area with ex-colleagues before I started the food blog. however, after changing jobs and working so far away from KL, making the trip down requires some extra planning.
Am quite pleased that this bungalow-turned-restaurant has quite ample parking. an attendant awaits at the entrance where a rope curtain beckons. he brushes it aside and you cross a passageway before finding yourself inside. we asked for a non-smoking seat and were taken to the tatami-styled sunken seats with dimmed lighting. i found it a bit tricky to get in and out of the seats, perhaps due to the fact i was wearing a skirt. despite the liberal use of concrete furnishings, it didn’t feel cold as the finishing was nicely textured and the lights provided a warm, yellow glow.
Fugu Mirin Boshi
to start we had the fugu mirin boshi which is blowfish seasoned with sweet sake. the waiter informed us that this is traditionally taken as a snack while drinking sake. fugu, or widely known as a blowfish or pufferfish is known to be lethal if not prepared properly. but the looks and taste of this blowfish dish doesn’t seem to suggest any risk. instead, the first bite into it was as if i was biting in bak kwa, the chinese barbequed meat jerky! it’s only upon more chewing that the fishy taste becomes more pronounced. rather nice really.
Avocado Lover
I ordered the Avocado Lover which is a avocado roll with baby octopuses. I’m quite used to avocado rolls with unagi (eel) or prawns etc. and thought this would be a nice change. even though it was lovely, it wasn’t phenomenal.
Hotatei Corn Yaki
Ordered this because I love corn. This is essentially scrambled eggs (i think, as they sure tasted like it) with corn, on top of scallops. It was served beautifully, on top a scallop shell with asparagus spears. and with a small fire lit under it, between some small rocks. but the fire served no function really. and i didn’t really like the taste of the scallop & topping. Didn’t think they went that well together.
Kani Unatama
We also had Kani Unatama which is a roll comprising of soft shell crab, tamago (egg omelette), salmon sashimi and unagi (eel). Wrapped up in seaweed and drizzled lightly with mayonnaise, it was quite delightful to taste an array of flavours at each bite.
Ebi Tempura Handroll & Kuzukiri
I didn’t try any of the handroll but was taken over just by the looks of it. Kuzukiri is a traditional japanese dessert where the vermicelli like jelly is made from arrow root starch. The powder used is chestnut powder which gives this dessert a gula melaka (palm sugar) with sago kind of feel.
i love the ambience of this place and how helpful & knowledgeable the waiting staff were. Am very likely to return here very soon to discover more of their menu.
Hajime Tokyo Japanese Restaurant (www)
64, Jalan Damai,
Off Jalan Tun Razak,
55000 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel : 03- 2143 0073
other reviews:
- lyrical lemongrass
- aprilcherrie
- pinkpau
Chilli Oil Noodles
was playing house for the morning and discovered that i still had a couple of dried noodle cakes lying around the kitchen. decided to make myself a quick, fuss-free meal. Boiled the noodles and tossed them dry with spring onion/ scallions, minced meat and the secret ingredient – a premium chilli sauce with garlic, dried shrimps, soy bean oil etc.
Kedai Makanan Ban Lee
can’t believe i am going to write about bak kut teh again. but was on my way to klpac when i noticed this corner lot shop next to dynasty hotel that was packed to the brim with people. and that is enough to intrigue me to return to check out what the attraction was. despite having only eaten bak kut teh a few days earlier, my friend was eager to try this so we quickly found ourselves a seat.
due to the crowd, waiting time was considerable. but drinks and side orders, i.e. yau char kway (fried dough crullers, 油条) and beancurd puffs were served first, followed by the piping hot herbal broth about 15 mins later. mushrooms, fu pei (beancurd skin?), lettuce leaves were all dumped in together with our choice of cuts. there was a tinge of sweetness to the soup to begin with, due to the strong herbal taste. yet that quickly changes as you sip more of the soup. despite the fine looking broth, it had a bitter aftertaste. the chunky meat filled me up very quickly too and a little on the lean side, which provided rather tough & dry meat. the yau char kway clearly wasn’t fresh as it reeked of old cooking oil.
well, i guess the verdict is just that this place is not worth the hype. just different tastebuds, i suppose, judging from the crowd. there’s nothing spectacular about the food, nor is it bad. though i would suggest that you try hard to find a seat in the confines of the corner shoplot as you might find the fragrance of your bak kut teh soup losing out to the powerful stench of the sewers if you end up sitting outside like we did.
Kedai Makanan Ban Lee 万利肉骨茶餐室
222, Jalan Ipoh,
51200 Kuala Lumpur
other reviews:
- the malaysian food review
- backstreetgluttons
- tummythoughts
Yap Chuan Bak Kut Teh
It was based on eatingasia’s recommendations that i found this place. a newbie to “dry bak kut teh”, i have wondered what it was for quite a bit and when my colleagues suggested eating in puchong, i quickly mentioned this place. it was when i said that this dry version was the creation of a 14 year old who won the title “Malaysian Bak Kut Teh King” in a national competition last year, that they jumped for it. none of us were familiar with the area, and calls to the handphone numbers listed all went unanswered. just as we were about to give up, we managed to spot it.
a banner announcing the 14 year old Yap Zhi An as the “Malaysian Bak Kut Teh King” told us that we have found the right place. Quickly we placed an order for both the dry and soup versions. With spare ribs (排骨) and soft boned meat (软骨, riblets?), instead of all pork innards. Added enoki mushrooms and yau char kway (fried dough crullers, 油条) and waited. Serving time was very quick, and we had the piping claypots served in all of 5 minutes.
the idea of “dry” bak kut teh still baffles me as it’s totally different from the soupy version. the extremely tender meat, glazed in a shiny dark soy sheen, is served with shreds of dried cuttlefish, thinly sliced okra (ladies’ fingers), dried chillies and tasted nothing like the herbal, meaty broth bak kut teh lovers are familiar with. in fact, the explosion of taste lingers between the sweet, savoury and spicy. rather interesting, and i do like it. so did my colleagues though they commented that it could do with a bit more gravy. but still, why call it bak kut teh when it’s nothing but? ah, just a variation like the pepper version, i suppose?
after tasting the dry version, the soup version fell short of our expectations. all of us thought it was too salty and despite the promising looks of it, tasted rather flat. lacked the oomph. just salty, brown broth. if we’re to return, it’ll definitely be for the dry bak kut teh only.
Restoran Yap Chuan Bak Kut Teh 葉全(乾)肉骨茶
53 Jalan BPU,
Bandar Puchong Utama.
Casa De’Vines Restaurant
*Edited 12.09.2008: Dropped by during lunch in anticipation of the yummy soups to find out that management has changed hands and food standards have dropped drastically. Explains the empty tables and lack of lunch crowd. The new menu has additional dishes, including Nissin noodles but we are not too enthusiastic about making a return trip.
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With a job in Sunway, we stumbled upon this little gem when we saw the lunch crowd. despite the spanish sounding name, the decor was decidedly oriental. After we were seated, we noticed posters advertising the restaurant’s other service – helping newlyweds with the “go dai lai” (过大礼) ceremony where the groom’s family brings gifts to the bride’s family to formally announce his intentions in wedding the girl. something like a betrothal. as there are many rules and taboos surrounding this pre-wedding custom, i guess it’s always helpful to get a professional who knows what to do.
clockwise: Menu, Teh O Longan, Herbal Chicken Soup (药材鸡炖汤), Chicken Feet & Peanut Soup (鸡脚花生汤), Lotus Root Soup (莲藕排骨汤) & Chrysanthemum Ginseng.
the owner is a friendly soul who is willing to explain and make recommendations. despite the signature drink of Chrysanthemum Ginseng, i chose the Teh O Longan which was recommended by the owner. it was quite refreshing and a surprising match. the chrysanthemum ginseng tasted pretty good too, with subtle tones of both ingredients.
all of us who were there love our soup and to our delight, this restaurant has quite a lot of stewed soups(炖汤) and we ordered different types to share. My favourite was perhaps the Chicken Feet with Peanut, followed by the Herbal Chicken Soup. I found the lotus root soup a bit oily. Still it was very aromatic and i look forward to trying the other soups.
Vietnamese Style Meat (越南猪肉饭) & Wine Chicken Rice (黄酒鸡)
The Vietnamese Style Meat (choice of chicken or pork) was deep fried and served with a spicy, sweet sauce. We enjoyed this very much. The Wine Chicken was cooked with a generous amount of yellow wine and wood fungus (木耳).
Braised Pork with Egg, Fried Choy Sum
The braised pork was rather good too, and served with hard boiled eggs in a claypot that ensured the dish stayed warm. The stir-fried “choy sum” had a “wok hei” element to it and we quickly finished every leaf. lol.
Golden Spicy Spare Ribs (金香排骨), Tofu
The spare ribs was quite tender, and had truly imbibed the fragrant taste of the gravy, which was a very wet version of “kam heong” style cooking. the tofu was the type which was chilled before being served with dried shrimps, fried shallots and spring onions.
would definitely be returning here for the tasty food & soups. Food is quite reasonably priced too. only drawback would be the cramped seating arrangements during the lunch/dinner crowd.
Casa De’Vines Restaurant 大囍事
33-G, PJS 11/28B,
Sunway Metro,
Bandar Sunway
46150, Petaling Jaya.
Open Mon- Sat 11a.m to 10p.m
