3 Meals Of Goodness

Flattened Chicken? Backside Soup? Happy Soda?

When I first visited Jakarta, Indonesia some years back … I had quite an an exciting culinary adventure. Other than extra strong spices, food varieties are quite similar with ours in Malaysia but it’s the name of the food that shocked me. Nasi Goreng Gila (direct translation … Crazy Fried Rice) …. Sup Bontot (hmm … how do I put this …. backside …. ass …. behind …soup?). I mean, these are just some of it that I can remember.

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Their tagline reads … “Just can’t sbread enough!!!”

Queer but I guess once you’ve tried their ’sbreads’ you’d agree. So what exactly is this sbread thingy? Initially, my thoughts were … probably another one of those bakery attempting to cash in on the current trend of ‘designer’ bread stuff ala Bread Story. Therefore .. although I came across their outlet at Gardens Midvalley in a few occasions, I never really visited them. That’s until recently when I decided to dine at Rak Thai, another interesting Thai restaurant which I will write about later.

So I was sitting there in Rak Thai, enjoying my meal while observing the activites next door (Rak Thai is just next to Sbread). Passing crowds would stop by to try out free samples at Sbread …. without fail. Call me a glutton but that did enticed me to walk over after my meal at Rak Thai. So I walked over … the lady in Sbread shot me the sweetest smile and offered me the samples to try.

Chunks of bread with colorful toppings. I was told later that they were ‘jams’ for the bread with various options ranging from Vanilla Kaya to Chocolate and even Special Chilli Paste & Shredded Floss. I was like … interesting….. that’s until I came across this black lump in a plastic bag. Yup .. that’s bread alright. Sbread has a good variety of breadstuffs to choose from. 3 types of bread …. White Bread, Sesame Bread and finally Charcoal Bread.
Charcoal Bread ??!? My curiosity level shot from 0 to 100 in like ….. 2.5 seconds ! I mean …. what will they come up with next ? Charcoal beverage? Charcoal t-shirt? (I found out later that … yes, somebody did produce such products).

Anyway, that prompted my to buy some home and try it out at my own convenience. So I did … and it turns out, despite of the unusual color …. the Charcoal Bread tasted like …. bread! Tasteless but goes well with the Vanilla Kaya jam that I bought as well.

Here’s a little article on the Bamboo Charcoal Bread I took from NST Goodbites.

The edible charcoal is made from the Moso bamboo which is naturally black in colour. It’s first carbonised over high heat, then ground into powder before mixed into the bread dough with sunflower seeds. They claim it can prevent cancer. This isn’t a strange concept, having originated from Japan and now a popular health food in South Korea and Taiwan.

This edible charcoal powder, also known as The Amazing Black Diamond, has been used in soba noodles. It’s also used to purify water and to brush teeth with, as it is rich in natural minerals, lowers the body’s acidity levels, improves blood circulation and has cleansing properties.

So anyway … if you fancy some Charcoal Bread, don’t miss out Sbread which is located on the Lower Ground Floor at The Gardens, MidValley. Call them at 03-22832929 if you’re hopeless at directions. Here’s more write ups on Sbread.

NST Goodbites
Masak-masak
PinkPainter
Babe In The City
The Gastronomic Diary
The F Spot

Everyone’s talking about the state of economy in Malaysia, so I figure I’d join in the bandwagon.

Petrol price has increased. Chicken too. Which means …. price of food too. I read that even the price of food in school canteens have increased their price.

So what about us foodies? Guess we’ll have to make more money to sustain our interest in food blogging.

Here’s a pop quiz for you. With RM10.00, where can you find a healthy, nutritional square meal? KFC ? I doubt that’s in the ‘nutritional’ category. Well, you could always opt to go for your common “mixed rice” or more popularly known as “chap fan” but dining ambiance is hardly part of the package.

Here’s one you could consider.

For wholesome meals, try Ah Yip Herbal Soup. Ah Yip serves a very extensive list of more than 40 different types of traditional Chinese herbal delicacies such as Ginseng soup, Bird’s Nest, Abalone and Cordycep herbal soup. Aside from herbal soups, Ah Yip also offers a complete meal of rice, chicken, and other dishes for diners.

Ordering from the menu is effortless as well. Usually, chinese herbal soup outlets such as these would probably serve their menu in chinese which is a hassle for non-chinese reader like me (banana!). But Ah Yip Herbal Soup has prepared their menu in both chinese and english with information that describes the benefits of the individual soup such as improving eye sight, refurbishing lungs, provides energy and such.

As for the price, it ranges from RM6.90 for soup a la carte and RM9.90 for meal set which includes a soup, rice and chicken with sauce. Of course, the more benefit the soup provides, the more pricier it gets …. i.e. the American Ginseng. Some soup can cost up to RM99 a bowl.

Here are some of my favorites.

Dry squid lotus root soup
Scallop Groundnut Soup
Chinese Cucumber Stew Chicken Soup

Generally, I would recommend you to try out this place. As mentioned, prices of practically everything has increased due to unforeseen factors but that shouldn’t stop us from dining out. Places like Ah Yip Herbal Soup still provides a decent meal for a fraction of the cost of eating out these days. I only hope they do maintain their prices.

Here’s what others wrote about Ah Yip Herbal Soup.

HoneyStar
Goodbites by NST
Daily Ranting
MalaysiaFoodTalk

And here’s where you can locate Ah Yip Herbal Soup around town.

AH Yip Herbal Soup
Plaza Low Yat Tel: 2145 5471
Hartamas Shopping Centre Tel: 6201 2781
The Mines Tel: 8948 7733
Summit, Subang Tel: 8024 7793
Citrus Park, OUG Tel: 7980 8646
Genting, First World Tel: 6436 0122
City Square, KL Tel: 2163 6737
Kompleks Mutiara, Jalan Ipoh Tel: 6250 3638

Genting Highland.

I love Genting Highland for it’s cool, refreshing air especially in the morning … and yet, I hardly visit this place. I still remember when I was younger … me and my friends used to organize group trips to Genting Highland. We would charter a bus, then sell tickets to fellow school-mates and friends … and ended up getting a free trip to Genting Highland, with free accommodation as well! Anyway, those were the days …

Nowadays … planning a trip to Genting Highland seemed like a chore. Probably the thought of traveling all the way there (despite only approximately 45 minutes drive) was troublesome and stuffs are not exactly economy friendly in times like these. Despite the fact, my family and I did made a trip to Genting Highland recently … all because we got complimentary tickets to watch “Dreamz”, a show by Genting. I didn’t particularly enjoy the show … it was a little slow … a lot of singing and I guess it was a fusion between a magic show and a circus, complete with motorbikers in a circular cage and live animals!

What I did enjoy during my trip there was the food. Well … I know what you think! Food is probably the last thing you want to talk about if you visit Genting Highland .. simply because food it VERY COSTLY there. Anyway …. must be my lucky day because I found a reasonably priced restaurant in Genting Highland!

It’s called Hainan Kitchen which is located at the First World Hotel in Genting Highland. Besides being reasonably priced, they serve decently good dishes as well. And trust me .. high up in the mountains, you would appreciate good food. And have I forgotten to mention they serve good piping hot Hainanese Coffee? In the cold, cold air … sipping the hot, hot coffee was just awesome. Felt like the coffee was perfectly brewed. And of course … with good coffee, char siu pau is a must. BBQ Pork buns or more commonly known as Char Siu Pau is a local delight, favored by many. And I must say … the Char Siu Pau here is nonetheless, quite delicious.

Char Siu Pau aside, we also tried the Hainanese Noodle. This …. as mentioned by Mei Yen, was quite disappointing. Some said it’s tasteles, as for me … I just find it plain. I mean …. the only way you could down this dish is if you are really starving. I rest my case on this one.

Oh the whole, I find Hainan Kitchen in Genting Highland to be acceptable, among the worst. So the next time you visit Genting Highland, I would recommend this place although … here are some ‘unfavorable’ reviews from other fellow bloggers.

Da Wheels of Life & Happiness
Brought Up to Share

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

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

I always say … when you’re traveling to the northern regions of Malaysian, you would definitely dine your way northwards. That’s simply because most of our Malaysian local delights are from the northern regions of Malaysia. A good example would be the Char Kuey Teow (fried flat noodle). People usually relate Char Kuey Teow to the state of Penang but of course, it’s available almost in any decent Malaysian town. The Rojak (mixed fruit salad on prawn paste) and Assam Laksa are also equally popular in Penang.

Somewhere close to Penang, Bidor is located between Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur via the North-South Expressway. Bidor is mainly an industrial area. When you are driving along the north of Bidor, you will see endless miles of plantation on both side of the trunk road covered with lush greenery, guava, oil palm and rubber plantations.

An important source of income for the town, though, is (or used to be) from travelers who stop by the town for its well-known local delicacies and agricultural products. Before the development of North-South Expressway, travelers had no choice but to pass through this town through the federal trunk road. As this town is (still is) rather famous for its variety of food, travelers frequently choose to stop-by at one of the eateries before continuing their journey.

This scene does remind me about an animated cartoon called “CARS”, whose story is pretty similar to that of Bidor. The story is loosely based on the real Route 66 in USA where it was frequented by traveler once upon a time until the building of an alternative highway. You can read more about it HERE.

Anyway, the most famous food undoubtedly will be the Duck Thigh Noodle available at Pun Chun Restaurant. The restaurant is located on the main street of Bidor with stalls selling fruits alongside. Pun Chun is also famous for its ‘Sat Kai Ma’ – a type of sweet dessert and also ‘Kai Jai Peng’ which is the chicken biscuit.

I used to love the Wu Kok (yam puff pastry) at Pun Chun where it’s filled with char-siew flavored meat mash but probably this batch I tried wasn’t prepared properly as it’s a little too dry. Despite this tiny setback, it’s a must-try for those who hasn’t tried before … it’s freshly prepared.

Contact Details : Pun Chun, 40 Main Road, Bidor. Tel. 05-434-1554. Open from early morning till 10 at night.

Here are LOADS more reviews from other foodies…. just look at the amount of reviews on this popular spot!

EatingAsia
Hot-screensaver.com
Asme.Wordpress.com
She, The Epicuriousgirl
Cameron-highland-destination.com
Riceballz
Micheginny
Food-Cookies
Westmalaysia.com
Ifoodmart.com
Firstjuly.com

With a name like Dessert’s Bar, you can hardly miss the sign outside especially if it’s located along your way home. And coincidently, there’s one located very near the place I live. Well, not exactly near but like I said earlier … it’s just on my way home. I live in Kota Damansara and there’s a Dessert’s Bar in Casa Tropicana, near Tropicana Golf & Country Club. I drive past Casa Tropicana almost everyday and every time I tell myself that I would stop at Dessert’s Bar to … you know, check it out. But I never did stop by … not once … until today, that is.

As usual, I left work late today … almost 10 I think … and not knowing what to have for dinner, I decided to just drive on until I think of something. Suddenly I thought about Dessert’s Bar and made a conscious effort to stop there. I drove from Sunway along LDP towards Kelana Jaya and made a turn into Dataran Prima. I drove past Dataran Prima ….. passed Tropicana Golf & Country Club and Casa Tropicana Condominium was right after that. Dessert’s Bar’s just below the Casa Tropicana Condominium.

The setup in Dessert’s Bar is pleasantly chic yet classy. Soft yellow lights hung above the brightly painted ceiling with metallic red barstools makes the place look classy yet very chic. The place is also furnished with equally red sofas for lounging and with free wi-fi, the joint is perfect hang out spot.

As I walked into the outlet, I was served with the menu which has … quite limited choices but otherwise very tempting looking desserts. I decided on my orders and promptly ask for permission to take some photographs for blogging purpose. Folks working there were friendly and helpful and I was fortunate enough to meet Eunice, the business dev. exec for Dessert’s Bar. She’s like the sweetest and friendliest person, it’s no wonder she works for them … in a place that serves sinfully sweet stuffs!

Since there were only 2 of us, I ordered a Mixta Bowl which is fruits, topped with home-brewed less-fat, less-sugar chocolate ice-cream in a rugged pizzelle bowl and a Italian Grande Strawberry Compote which is actually strawberry crepe. And to wash down the desserts, I ordered a Grape Smoothie which is made out of pure fresh red, black & green grapes, blended with crushed ice … perfect to clean your systems. (anti-oxidant, you know that .. don’t you?)

Generally, although this place serves dessert’s, they promote healthy eating …. and here’s something I picked from their website.

15 minutes
That’s how long they spent to get rid of the unwanted pesticide without compromising the goodness on the fresh fruits.

100%
Natural and their full passion, and you can taste that in every thing they serve here. hope it’s not too strong for you.

Nil
They don’t think additional preservative, coloring, fortification, and artificial flavoring is necessary at all.

OUTLET LOCATIONS

Casa Tropicana
B-0-12, Block B, CASA Tropicana,
No. 5, Jalan Persiaran Tropicana
Tropicana Golf & Country,
47410 Petaling Jaya.
Tel: +603 7885 0227
Fax: +603 7883 0356

OTHER OUTLET LOCATIONS

Subang Parade
Mont’ Kiara
Hartamas Shopping Centre
Menara Hap Seng
SohoKL

More articles on Dessert’s Bar
KLue
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