3 Meals Of Goodness

I googled for the word Shabu-shabu and got this definition from Wikipedia.

Shabu-shabu is a Japanese variant of hot pot. The dish is related to sukiyaki in style, where both use thinly sliced meat and vegetables, and usually served with dipping sauces.

Anyway, did you also know that this dish may have originated in the 13th century as a way for Genghis Khan to efficiently feed his soldiers. Mongol troops would have gathered around large pots and cooked together. Thinly sliced meat was used for its short cooking time, which allowed the Mongolian army to conserve its limited supply of fuel.

There you go …. the next time you visit a shabu-shabu restaurant, think about it … you’re having your meal the very same way Genghis Khan had his … centuries ago!

There’s at least a good handful of Shabu-shabu restaurants in Klang Valley and I happen to know a popular one in Cathay Cineleisure in Damansara Mutiara. Popular because if you Google it, you’ll find the Top 10 search result points to this restaurant. Located on the lower ground floor of Cineleisure, you will never miss it simply because it’s located right next to the parking ticket payment kiosk.

Satsuma Shabu Shabu is a cosy little restaurant with a bright clean ambiance and bright colors. I would say it’s pretty welcoming although I believe some would say it’s a little to clean and nice. But it’s not that I have anything to complain on … better have a clean restaurant than none.

Sitting capacity in the restaurant is just nice, not to large but cozy. A look at the menu and they do have a good spread of varieties. There’s the standard Shabu shabu choices .. beef, chicken, seafood or a mixture. And you’re given the choice of four different soup bases which are Kimuchi (spicy), Dashi (plain), Miso and Sukiyaki (sweet).

And then there’s the Wagyu Beef set. Out of curiosity, I asked if they have Wagyu beef and apparently they do. Since there’s no price stated in the menu (seasonal pricing), I asked for the price.

RM99 for 100g.

………

‘Nuff said. “So …. the normal beef set comes with what ah …?” I proceeded.

I mean, RM99 buckaroos for a 100g ??? What the heck??? Gold-flaked beef? Call me stingy but I wouldn’t pay that much … well, at least not in that restaurant! Fine dining, maybe … but not there.

So I put in the order for the NORMAL beef set, a Chawan Mushi (Egg custard) and a set of Sumiyaki. No, Sumiyaki has nothing to do with SukiYaki…. Sumiyaki is simply Japanese BBQ.

The first to be served was the beef set shabu-shabu and I chose the Miso soup base. I was also told tat Shabu Shabu got it’s name from the way to cook your thinly sliced beef. You dip the beef into the hot soup and swish it around for a while and pop it into your mouth. Shabu-Shabu simply means swish swish in Japanese. And the taste … ok. Still steamboat.

They served the Chawan Mushi next and was gone within 5 minutes.

Next in order was the Lamb Sumiyaki set. Let’s just say this is my favorite! Lamb Sumiyaki is also a D-I-Y dish where slices of tender marinated lamb is presented to the customer with a grill for the customer to grill the meat. Just leave the lamb on the grill for a minute or so as the tender slices of lamb cook fast.

It’s pretty much like barbecue or should I say, mini barbecue. The grill the serve you is this little pot or fireplace with a grills on the top and a small fire below it. As you grill the seasoned lamb meat remember not to over burn it else you’ll be eating crispy, carbonized lamb meat! But if done right, what you get is a new definition for the word “tender, juicy and sweet” meat ! Now, that’ll leave you coming back for more …..

So generally, for a Shabu Shabu restaurant, they did pretty well for their Japanese Barbecue. Queer but true.

Here are some of the reviews from other foodies.

Lost In Life
Zestful Eats

And this is their location address.

Satsuma Japanese Restaurant Sdn Bhd(730672-T)
Lot LG-1,Cineleisure Damansara,
No.2,Jln PJU 7, 48000 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor,Malaysia.

Tel no. : +603 7710 8262 | Fax no. : +603 7729 0263

I love this quote. I loved the movie, Forrest Gump. If you haven’t watch this movie, make sure you do. I mean, earning US$677 million worldwide during its theatrical run making it the top grossing film in North America and getting 13 Academy Award nominations, of which it won 6. The movie IS that good!

Anyway, during my last review at Vivo American Pizza at The Curve, I chanced upon the opening of a new restaurant … Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, just opposite Vivo. Well, I’ve never really heard about this restaurant … the only one I did was in the movie “Forrest Gump” and I thought it was fictional. Out of curiosity, I didn’t a little research about this restaurant and found this …

The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant and Market is a chain of seafood restaurants inspired by the 1994 film Forrest Gump. Launched in 1996 by Viacom Consumer Products (part of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, the distributor of Forrest Gump) and the Rusty Pelican Company, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. became the first theme restaurant inspired by a film. As of 2007, it had 28 locations in United States, Mexico, and eastern countries of Asia. The first one opened up in Monterey, CA.

The restaurant is named after the movie’s main characters Benjamin Bufford “Bubba” Blue and Forrest Gump who talked about going into shrimping business.

Now if you remember scenes from the movie Forrest Gump, you’d remember Jenny (Forrest’s girlfriend) shouting “Run Forrest Run” to Forrest Gump as he was being chased by a few bad kids and the quote “Stop Forrest Stop” based on the signs used to help Forrest when he played football at the University of Alabama. When you enter this restaurant, you will never miss the two huge license plate sign on each table. The red “Stop Forrest Stop” sign is used to signal that a table needs service and the blue “Run Forrest Run” means that all is well. Genius !

The menu consists mostly of shrimp dishes, but also other seafood, as well as Southern and Cajun cuisine.

Here’s another line from the movie that says “shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey’s uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo, pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried, there’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. Th-that’s about it.”

Anyway, enough about the restaurant. Let’s move on to the food and what I ate at the restaurant today. I started off with a basket of Mama Gump’s Garlic Bread and it was served … yes, on a basket and the bread was shaped like an arrow. Lining the bread was a piece of …. newspaper, or what I thought was a newspaper. Look closer and you’ll see it’s actually a replica of GreenBow County Dispatch, a newpaper in GreenBow County, Alabama. Again, there isn’t any GreenBow County in any of the 67 counties in Alabama.

Fictional. From the movie of course.

Then came the Garden Salad

From starters, I moved on to the main courses. First the Shrimper’s Net Catch. Picture in the menu looks good …. so I ordered one. And good thing I ordered the 3/4 LB instead of the 1 1/2 LB!!!! Else I’d be chewing shrimps for the next hour or so. This is one of their specialty and it comes with either Bubba’s Garlic Spice or Secret Recipe Cajun Spice. I don’t know …. maybe it’s just me but I don’t find it really that special …. tasted like a chinese dish, in other word …. common.

From shrimps, I moved on to fish. The Bourbon Street Baramundi is another one of their specialty. Menu says it’s Cajun-spiced baramundi (a type of Australian fish, similar to Halibut) with bourbon street sauce (a butter and egg-based. béarnaise sauce) and grilled shrimps served over mashed potatoes. This is a great dish I would recommend, love the combination.

And the final dish, Salmon & Veggie Skillet … grilled Salmon and fresh vegetables (asparagus) with a touch of Garlic Herb Butter and Capers. This is served with Jasmine Rice …. lovely, lovely rice (I am a sucker for rice … yeah I know … there goes my carbo diet).

By the end of it, I was so stuffed I couldn’t even go for dessert which is a shame. I would’ve to to get my hands on their “That Chocolate Thing” … warm, flourless Chocolate Cake, topped with Vanilla Ice Cream and Whipped Cream and drizzled with Raspberry sauce, served in a special jar.

And to end this article, I would say that Bubba Gump Shrimp Company did a good job on this ‘themed’ restaurant and if you ask if I would come back again … let’s just say I will have to refill my wallet before I do that. My last meal there left my wallet bleeding after forking our about RM180++ for 4 person and that’s only with 3 main course and a starter.

Ever heard of the song … “She Works Hard For The Money … ” ?

Well, in my case .. it’s “He Works Hard For The Yummy ……..

More reads on Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
Masak-Masak
Ahmok.com
NST Goodbites
Khong Family.com Photo Gallery
NihonChiHuaHua
Food, My Foot
Vortrack’s Diary

Rojak is a fruit and vegetable salad dish commonly found in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia (where it is called Rujak). The term “Rojak” is Malay for mixture, is also used as a colloquial expression for an eclectic mix, and in particular is often used to describe the multi-ethnic character of Malaysian and Singaporean society.

There are various types of rojak but the more common rojak available in Malaysia is the fruit rojak. And where does one go to enjoy this wonderful dessert? Most would agree that Penang produces the best rojak but in this article, I would like to bring you to the southern state of Malaysia … Johor, Stulang Laut to be exact.

There is perhaps no better spot in Johor Bahru than Stulang Laut to see how close Singapore Island is to the mainland. From the tree-lined pavement of the balmy and breezy coast, Senoko Power Station appears a mildly demanding swim away. Much of this uncrowded stretch resembles a small Malaysian coastal town. An occasional boat sailing past, lovers strolling leisurely past after a seafood meal, and the occasional weekend family picnic all add to the laid-back feel in the air. This is also where the largest private Chinese school Foon Yew High School is located.

If you drive along Jalan Ibrahim Sultan, you will spot a little Rojak Petis stall just outside Foon Yew High School and this, is one of the best fruit rojak I’ve ever tried. Then again, that’s just me. The man behind this stall, an old chap has been selling at this very spot for the last 22 years! I also heard that he sent his children to higher education through this little business of his. He is so good that the Sultan of Johor occasionally invites him to the Istana for his rojak!

Do note that the rojak opens from 10am – 4pm and make sure you don’t go late!

Mee Jawa is a popular dish influenced by the Jawa Island, Indonesia … obviously, hence the name.

I can’t remember the last time I tried Mee Jawa but someone told me about it and I figure I’d like to have a shot at it. So I googled for ‘Mee Jawa’ in the internet and guess what? I found tonnes of article on this particular dish! For so many to write about Mee Jawa, it must be good … and coincidentally, I found one near my place.

Casa Tropicana. Good! And it’s just a stone-throw away from my previous article on Dessert Bar.

So I made my way to visit the Mee Jawa shop in Casa Tropicana and if you’re not sure where Casa Tropicana is … I have it here … hehe, don’t mind if I recycle Dessert Bar’s map, it is after all .. in the same vicinity.

So what’s so special about this Mee Jawa dish, I mean besides being an ‘imported’ dish? To start off with, it’s served with a HUGE plate, that’s for sure. If you observe my photo closely, you will spot some good sambal (condiment of the spicy kind), cuttlefish, some crackers, lots of vegetables, some tofu and finally eggs. Ok, ok … you won’t see all of them in my photo. Come on, I need to make it look good. So sometimes, some sacrifice is neccessary! And finally … a squeeze of lime to complete the taste. Well, I don’t know if this is an Indonesian thingy but I notice there’s quite a handful of Indonesian dishes that’s sweet in nature. Or it’s just me. The same goes to this Mee Jawa, it’s sweet! Anyway, I find this dish a little out of my league … i.e. not my type. I mean, yeah … if you appreciate a good Mee Jawa dish, you’d probably like this one.

Besides Mee Jawa, we were tempted to try out their Assam Laksa as well. But, let’s put it this way … Assam Laksa is definitely not one of their specialty. Nonetheless, we walloped it all and went on to order another plate of Ayam Goreng Kampung (Village Fried Chicken) or something that looks like one (ok, ok .. I forgot what’s it called, I am a bad foodie!!!!). And I didn’t even finish this dish. Hmm … what do you say to that???

To cut the story short, after our meal … we adjourned back to Dessert Bar situated just next door to have another round of sweet, sweet, sinful dessert. And guess what, I wrote another article on it!!! Wanna know more? Keep watching this space, dear ….

Ok … here’s the verdict. I would really love that tell you this is a nice place for Mee Jawa but sadly, there are better ones …. Friedchillies.com featured one in Kepong, while food.malaysiamostwanted.com featured another in Kuchai Lama. So what do I think of it? A good experience I guess ……

Here’s the address to Casa Tropicana if you can’t read maps. (Duh, refer to my map above)

Address : Unit No. B-0-3A, Block B, Casa Tropicana, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Contact No : 012-483 5555
Business Hour : Daily 10am to 10.00pm

More of Mee Jawa articles by other foodies
The Glutton Queen
Memoir Of A Chocoholic
Food Point Of Interest

It’s another weekend at The Curve for me. Well, I didn’t exactly wanted to go to The Curve but I was there to catch a movie at Cineleisure. It was a 5:45pm show on a Sunday and I ..err …. haven’t had breakfast or lunch and I was practically starving. Yeah, yeah … it’s was Sunday and I woke up late, pretty late.

So I arrived at Cineleisure, parked my car and walked along the Sunday market at The Curve hunting for food. Incidentally, I was craving for some Aglio Olio (you pasta lovers should know this one) so I headed to Vivo Pizza. Yes, yes … it’s a pizza joint but I hated pizza. I mean, let’s put it this way …. I am a pure chinaman. No pun intended, I just prefer bah kut teh or a plate of chicken rice anytime over some cheesy western food. There …. I said it. Thank you !

Anyway, food or no food … I remembered Vivo serving some pretty terrific pasta so Vivo it is for me. I sat down, put in my orders … looked around and waited. I remembered consciously looking around at the crowd, and noted that most of the diners were couples but there were a handful of families too. While the crowd was generally good, the waiting staffs were not exactly warm. I figured, they could do better with a touch of smiles … here and there, instead of that obliging service they provide.

Finally my food arrived …. well, I ordered the Spicy Garlic Prawn instead of the Aglio Olio. A touch of difference, so to say. This little dish is served with some prawns, garlic, capsicums and extra virgin olive oil. Well, I don’t know if it’s just me but I felt that this dish could do better with a little more garlic …. since IT IS called Spicy Garlic Prawn. And yeah, a little more spiciness would do good too. I just find it a little too ‘plain’ … but then again, another person would have loved it. Personal preferences I guess.

The next item served was the New Zealand Mussels and Prawns Pasta and yes, for someone who doesn’t care much about western food … I am consuming a lot of it! Anyway, as the names says it … pasta with mussels … not just any mussels, it’s New Zealand mussels and of course, prawn again. I really have to watch my diet on this … too much prawns isn’t exactly that ideal.

And finally it’s dessert time! Nothing beats ice cream melting on hot chocolate brownie except for the brownie I ordered isn’t hot and my ice cream isn’t melting on it. On it’s own, the chocolate brownie is a little dry but have it with ice cream, it’s a totally different experience altogether.

My final verdict … NTB. That’s means, Not Too Bad with room for improvement.
Services … again, smiley, smiley.
Food quality …. the good, the bad … the yummy.
Pricing …. You won’t go broke.

And here’s the location.

Lot 154, Level 1, Western Courtyard, The Curve, Mutiara Damansara,
47800 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Contact: (Tel)603-7729 2299 (Fax)603-7729 7799
Website: www.vivopizza.com

While exploring the World Wide Web, I came across some other folks who wrote about this place … some dear friends, some strangers. Nevertheless, different people, different taste. FEAST ON DUDES !

Da Wheels of Life & Happiness
Waisikkai