Food Explorer & Home Chef
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 …
Kalamata Cafe may be housed in an ordinary upstairs shoplot in Desa Sri Hartamas, but once inside, one is transported to the Mediterranean, with warm terracotta contrasted against turquoise hues, abstract designed Egyptian carpets on the walls and exotic hanging lamps, providing the ideal ambience. …
Continuing his French love affair, Chef Andy Choy has opened Doux Doux, his latest foray into desserts.
Located inconspicuously above a Chinese medicine shop, who knew a lovely French-inspired pattiserie serving excellent canelé existed? Like most cafes these days, Doux Doux by Chateau Dionne employs minimalist styling in its decor. The main hall keeps an open space except for one table, housing only the pastry and cake counter, while the adjoining room pans out to a private and cozy sitting area.
French tunes play softly in the backgound and lest you forget, a picture of a blown up canelé reminds you of the in-house specialty and the large windows overlooking the road offer a front row view of the wet market below, brilliantly juxtapositioning two entirely different worlds in one stroke of genius.
The order of the day are canelés which come in 3 sizes – mini, original and signature, ranging from RM4 to RM12. The outside is crusty and caramelised, while the inside is custardy and moist. I’ve tried the plain original, matcha and rum vanilla. All are very good, though the rum isn’t significantly apparent. There’s even a Cereal Milk flavour.
Also tried the croissants – Croque Monsieur and Mini Almond – flakey and delightful, each mouthful is calorie-worthy, making you with there was more to go around.
In true French pursuit, there are also madeleines, brioche, tempting tarts, souffles, paris brest and other pastries to choose from. You’d be hardpressed to pinpoint a favourite as everything is so good, or pick out a fault for that matter, as chef Andy proves he is just as adept at pastries as he is in the kitchen whipping up French cuisine.
Only thing is prices are slightly on the high side and the pastries a wee bit smaller than average. But perhaps the old adage ‘good things don’t come cheap, cheap things don’t come good’ rings true here.
Add: 940 tkt (first floor), 1, Jalan 17/38, Seksyen 17, Petaling Jaya
Guinness Malaysia is back with a month-long celebration to celebrate the good times this St Patrick’s Day. Guinness Malaysia’s 2023 St. Patrick’s celebration, “Our Day to Remember”, is all about bringing fans together to celebrate their loved ones – their true lucky charms – as …