Food Explorer & Home Chef
Forging new friendships, celebrating October birthdays and an excuse to enjoy Chef Simon Philips wonderful food! The Chef’s Table featured at d ‘Alti Gusti (which means elevated taste in Italian) showcased a menu par excellence, a culinary journey exploring the Italian palate. Dishes weren’t just …
Casual approach to fine dining is quite accessible at Joon Dining which offers Set Lunch at RM48/pax for 3 courses or RM60/pax for 4 courses. (Bread is counted as the first course – which is weird, coz nobody counts bread, but there you go.) Dessert …
Fifty Tales. 3 friends. 1 goal. Great noodles, but it is NOT RAMEN, they insist. Noodle bar Fifty Tales now has its new home in Sea Park and gathering a PJ fan base after making waves in Bandar Sri Damansara and REXKL.
Having started at Bandar Sri Damansara, then to Chu by Fifty Tales at REXKL, the partners Aaron Khor, Aaron Phua and Bimmy Soh have a good feeling about the old neighbourhood and hope to help diners reimagine how dai chow can be different but still a family meal.
For lunch, it is mostly a noodle and rice menu. Among others, there’s Beer-braised pork with OG noodles – pork lard with dry noodles, pickled cucumber, Chinese wine and marinated egg. Ruby Dragon noodles with taucu chilli sambal, meatballs. Emerald Dragon noodles with spring onion pesto, braised ham choy and beer braised pork. Steamed beef slices. Nyonya Laksa created without any hebi (dried shrimps) or belacan.
Such are the noodle creations at Fifty tales, with novel elements such as cekur and palm sugar, among others, to elevate taste notes. The signature noodles, made from scratch, come as al dente as true blue Italian pasta, except that this is wholly made and conceived by Malaysians. Which can take getting used to coz real Italian pasta sit on the fine line of cooked and uncooked, and it is the same too with these. Some customers might feel this is not Chinese noodles as they know it, but for Aaron K, this is how he remembers it to be when his mother made it.
People talk about the OG noodles like how they remember it at REXKL, akin to an institution, and the PJ version apparently falls short. I’ve never tried them before so based on this version, I would say, it’s a pretty decent, albeit not mind-blowing rendition. My personal fav was the Ruby with its slightly spicy take and deep umami flavour. Would have been nice of the pork slices were thicker but then again, pork don’t come cheap these days.
The Salted Olive Rice, marinated overnight with Shaoxing wine and soy sauce, was a bit on the salty side, but it just means you are encouraged to add more rice!
There’s a different menu available at night – Cincai Dinner they call it, with not so simple dishes, and definitely nothing cincai about the prices. I’ve yet to try that. I hear the signature corn-fed aged chicken is something else, tho not cheap.
The Fifty Tales premises boast an old Chinese home feel with contemporary strappings. The three young partners strive to enliven a sleepy old neighbourhood. I applaud them for trying to reinvent old school Chinese cuisine, making it more accessible and appealing for the next generation. May not be for everyone, but in my books, it’s always a good thing to have variety.
Add: 19, Jalan 21/11b, Sea Park, Petaling Jaya. hp: 012-249 2697
My mum cooked black soy sauce chicken for us all the time when I was growing up. It was one of my favourite dishes as it went so well with rice. Even now, my boys are always happy when they know there’s ayam pongteh on …
Promo code: PW2023KEWM to get 10% discount! Prepare to embark on a captivating journey into the vibrant world of Peranakan culture, artistry and cuisine during a spectacular weekend celebration like no other. Mark your calendars for Nov 3 and 4 for a gastronomic and cultural …
Japanese rice bowl chain brand “Densetsu no Sutadon-ya” opened their first Malaysian outlet in Lot 10, KL earlier this month. Owned and operated by Antworks Co Ltd, Densetsu no Sutadon-ya started off in Tokyo in 1971 and now sells their signature dish in 198 outlets across Japan.
Sutadon-ya originated as a hearty meal for a Tokyo shop’s staff and went viral in the traditional way – by word of mouth. The name comes from the word “stamina” and “donburi” (rice-bowl dish), and Sutadon-ya is rapidly expanding across the globe, finally landing on Malaysian shores this 2023.
The menu draws from their most popular dishes in Japan alongside international favourites. Their signature dish is the popular Tokyo Stamina Rice which consists of a bowl of thinly sliced pork doused with a special garlic-soy sauce heaped onto a bowl of warm Japanese rice. The menu is rounded out with classics such as Tokyo Stamina Curry, a mild Japanese curry loaded with onions and garlic, and Tokyo Stamina Fried Chicken, a karaage bursting with garlicky goodness and much more.
I tried the Eel Set which was steamed egg with eel. Unlike the usual Japanese chawan mushi, this was wetter and had more gravy, more depth and umami. Was great with rice, which by the way, was quite different as the grains were larger and stickier, more like glutinous rice, and was quite fragrant on its own.
Also tried the Okyo Stamina Meal which had takoyaki, the signature garlic soy sauce pork slices and a choice of three toppings. Quite a filling set as the portions are largish, and rhe sliced pork lived up its reputation as it was tasty and tender.
Meal sets start from RM35 with a number of interesting side dishes to choose from as well as an attractive take out bento menu.
Add: Level 4, J’s Gate Dining, Lot 10, Jln Sultan Ismail, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.
The rebranded Sixteen, formerly known as Lea Deux Garcon, has undergone a slight revision to adjust to younger inkling. There are more plants, the decor has adopted a more hipster appearance and the menu revamped to cater a working lunch crowd. Nice to know that …
Was invited to try the new dim sum menu by @orientalgroup and it was nice to see the Ming Room in its new digs after being refurbished. Was particularly impressed by the bamboo feature wall and the fancy washroom, akin to a swanky posh hotel! …
The last time I was here, it was so full, we couldn’t get in. Last Sat, we came out late for dinner and managed to get a table.
We ordered the signature Nagoya Mazesoba – spicy springy ramen without soup, garnished with spicy minced pork, seaweed, spring onion, fish powder (gyofun) and raw egg yolk. The result was akin to carbonara, Japanese style, creamy and full of condiments which provided layers of flavour. Mine came with an egg and chasiu while the other half ordered the sesame version.
It’s supposed to be spicy, but there was hardly any heat to it. We added vinegar, on the advice of the server and the hint of sour made the ramen taste even better. I only noticed the chilli powder at the side when we finished, so too late. Oh well, next round!
We also enjoyed the gyoza and chicken karaage. Oh, they will give you a scoop of rice to soak up the leftover gravy and minced meat, but we were too full to bother.
Pretty impressed by the good service and attentiveness. All in all, a very enjoyable meal and making more trips here.
add: 66, Jalan SS 21/62, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya. call 03-7733 5501
They have other branches around PJ too.
Was at a cool craft beer tasting and food pairing of Boston Brewing Co. recently. Most of us assumed the beer was from Boston, US coz of the name but it’s actually Australian! An excellent offering of craft beers, Boston Brewing Co. was established in …