Food Explorer & Home Chef
Setting out to be different from other mall resto, Marinero Mediterranean Dining & Bar Lalaport is tastefully decorated to convey Moorish vibes. The place is very spacious, including a private dining room and al fresco dining as well as a bar area. The food is …
Heineken is on a mission to encourage Malaysians to stop ghosting their friends. The brand recently launched ‘The Ghosted Bar’, a campaign encouraging Malaysians to #WorkResponsibly. Based on a recent YouGov survey commissioned by Heineken, it was discovered that 41% of employees in Malaysia have …
Small really cozy cafe which you’d imagine reading a book and spending a lovely afternoon. Good coffee, and pleasantly surprised at the good food and flavour fusion. Even drinks have been given a spruce-up with interesting thirst-quenchers such as Sparkling Yuzu Matcha, Strawberry latte and Three Guys latte.
Named Three Guys coz of the three partners helming the cafe, this pseudo-Japanese rice bowl joint makes the prettiest rice presentations I’ve come across. Scoring top marks for carbo-based staple, this is one place you wanna throw your no-carb rule outta window.
Okonomiyaki, typically a savoury Japanese pancake, has been reimagined as a Seafood Don rice bowl. Bonito flakes and okonomiyaki sauces keep the essence of the dish, while rice replaces the flour, and prawns, crabstick, smoked duck and torched mentaiko provide the textures and bite with lovely runny egg to meld the awesome flavours together for a fulfilling meal.
Smoked Duck Don comes with a local context of homemade sambal, onsen kampung egg, cherry tomatoes and edamame – another great combination with looks to boot, satisfying the carnivore with generous pieces of meat and a touch of spice to wake up the senses.
ATM bowl – avocado, tamagoyaki and mentaiko sauce with options to level up to Avocado Salmon Mentai Don – not only looked amazing but came with strong taste credentials to back up the pretty bowl. Cold food (avocado) contrasted with hot egg and mentaiko works well in this instance, keeping the palate alert with exceptional flavours.
The Chilli Pasta is essentially Chilli Pan Mee but with spaghetti, using their signature housemade XO sambal sauce. Milder than the fiery Chinese pan mee, also a tasty option tho I preferred their rice offerings more. There’s also Chicken Mentai Bento, that’s lke cha siu gets Japanese makeover. Sinple but so yummy.
Food here should especially appeal to the health-conscious, with their clean cooking style. The only downside here is the parking which can be a challenge, otherwise, I’d probably hang out here regularly.
Add: Unit 2-14, Level 2, Block B, KEDAI @ MAHSA Avenue, Jalan Ilmu, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 010-430 9123
Not quite your typical Chinese restaurant, the interior of Chinese Palace reminds you of an era long forgotten, with photographs of old mini buses and other scenes of old Malaya on the walls, and strong green and burgundy hues as the background canvas. A successful …
Step into the wilderness with Ferria, a luxe rainforest-themed restaurant located at The Westin Kuala Lumpur, offering sumptuous grilled fare. The lush green and rattan seating, together with the hanging vines, dining chairs in tropical prints create an inviting chill and relax kinda ambience, while …
Pssst … I found really awesome Negeri food at Kampung Lah. Where? @kampunglah.my – that’s the name of the resto, new in town since last October. A hidden gem, decor is simple, cozy, as if you’ve stepped into someone’s home in the kampung. There’s even a thatched roof corner to take Instagram pictures out of the ‘house’ window. Biggest draw here is the wholesome, home-style dishes by chef Ibnu and his partner Joey. Feeling nostalgic and missing their kampung food, the ex-schoolmates got together to cook their own dishes, specialising in salai (smoked) dishes. Food is a mesh of Johor and Negri Sembilan dishes, and the offerings at Kampung-Lah are also a good reminder that Negri has other specialties besides Minang dishes.
Our starter platter of ulam (local salad) – Penyeri Hati (translated as Cheer you up) – came with raw raja ulam, petai, daun kemangi, to be dipped in sambal and budu. There’s also tempoyak available, though this is one thing I don’ eat. So simple, this local salad probably has a lot more nutrients than Western salads with sweet and creamy sauces. Other greens were Sayur Ibu Mertua (mother-in-law’s veggies) okra and eggplant, fried with ikan bilis. Usually I’m not keen on anchovies, but this was an exception and surprisingly, a good combination. Despite being fried dishes, they were fragrant and inviting, and not oil-laden at all.
The star was Masak Lemak Nogori Daging Salai (smoked beef tenderloin). They have this with chicken, duck and seafood too. A hint of smokiness was apparent on the palate, smoothed over and balanced by creamy coconut gravy that went so well with rice. The meat was so tender – we couldn’t get enough of this.
Sambal Petai Menora with Udang Harimau (Petai sambal with Tiger prawns) was not what we expected but no less tasty. Dry-style instead of the usual sambal gravy with petai beans scattered on top, fresh prawns were nice and big, and the piquant sambal paste offered complex layers of flavour. What was a little disappointing was the Ayam Masak Itam (Black sauce chicken). Tastewise it was excellent but the portion was quite small, came with bony pieces with very little meat, including one chicken neck.
Kampung-Lah also has a couple of interesting drink 01s such as Syrup Bandung with Black Jelly and a Rambutan drink, though this tasted more of lychee.
Gosh, talking about the dishes makes me drool already! It’s definitely worth a trip to Kampung-lah for an authentic taste of home.
Add: No. 43 Ground Floor, Jalan PJU 5/20E, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya. tel: 012-326 3416.
Looks like Isaan Thai food is trending now as yet another resto jumps on the bandwagon. Formerly serving a fusion of South-East-Asian cuisine, Mera in Damansara Kim, P.Jaya now has an Isaan chef helming the kitchen, serving up more robust flavours and delivering taste notes …
It’s not easy to find a good Malay restaurant that is suitable for entertaining foreign guests which reflects the many facets of Malay cuisine and presents an adventure for the palate. Adu Sugar in Bangsar, KL is one such restaurant – the food is breath-taking …
For Ramadan this year, EQ’s famed Malay Chef Muhammad Hajral Lisarni has prepared a gastronomic splendour at Nipah. A lavish spread of evergreen flavours that are true to the traditional methods of Malay food preparation, Citarasa Nipah’s buffet features both traditional and innovative takes on Malaysian favourites.
Don’t miss one the most emblematic dishes of Malaysian cuisine, EQ’s signature satay. The carvery offers kambing golek as an additional meat option (roasted whole lamb). A must-try is the signature Nasi Beriani Kambing Batu Pahat, which comes with nasi beriani and vegetable dhal with lamb as the main ingredient. This was one of my favs from the spread – the spices in the rice, the rich, piquant curries – evoking feelings of nostalgia, filling the palate with flavours of a bygone era. But of course, the roast lamb is always on my list of must-have here at EQ – moist and tender, done just right.
You can also look forward to dishes like Gulai Lemak Cili Padi Daging Salai, one of chef’s signature dishes; Sambal Tumis Udang Harimau; Ayam Goreng Mamu, Tulang Rawan Gulai Kawah, Kerabu Daging, and Popia Basah Ala Nipah, Lompat Tikam Sago and Som Som Gula Melaka, a lovely dessert that’s not too sweet.
Recipes used by chef for this buffet have been used for decades and handed down from generations of women who spent hours slaving over the stove to achieve the coveted “trifecta” of tenderness, richness, and consistency.
There’s also a wide variety of delicious kerabu (local salad) prepared by Chef de Partie Saadiah, a kerabu expert who has modernised the traditional salad and elevated it to new gastronomic heights. Seafood lovers will also find favourites like freshly shucked oysters, mussels, tiger prawns, baby scallops and more among the fresh seafood on ice.
Let’s stop a moment also to savour the dessert segment which offers exotic pastries such as nangka choux and durian crepe, as well as traditional kuih, pavlova, local fruits and sorbet gelato.
There’s something for everyone and while Nipah has been holding its Ramadan buffet annually, this year feels like it has outdid itself with the wide variety offered and range of flavours.
Buffet Dinner (Mac 23 to apr 21): RM228+(adult)/RM114+ (child age 6-12 years)
Early Bird Vouchers: RM188+ per adult (Redemption Period: 23-26 March and 19-21 April)
Group Vouchers: RM208+ per adult (Min 12 vouchers) Redemption Period: 23 March – 21 April, 2023
Reservations are recommended. Guests may email dineateqkl@kul.equatorial.com
WhatsApp +60122789239 or book through TableApp at
https://www.tableapp.com/partner/nipah-eq-kuala-lumpur
Add: Ground Floor, EQ, Equatorial Plaza, Jln Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur
Omakase restaurants have been growing in popularity and mushrooming all over the Klang Valley. Sushi Mew, having established itself in Hong Kong and Singapore as a purveyor of Japanese cuisine, has opened its doors at The Westin Kuala Lumpur. Just about three months old, it …