nihon kai @ jln klang lama

nihon kai is a relatively new japanese place, opened just a year plus. this restaurant is the brainchild of the nakamura family whose daughter is the classmate of my cousin brother. my sister, upon recommendation from my cousin, went here twice and said the food is commendable and prices are reasonably cheap.

so off we went for some japanese indulgence, all 13 of us. famed for its cheap bento sets ranging between rm20 to rm25, we all went for the bento sets for dinner.

obligatory and custom green tea was served immediately. i like the cups cos it has an ergonomical touch to it.

sashimi & sushi party boat set- rm55

mixed seafood bento- rm23

nihon kai salmon special bento set- rm20

sukiyaki (chicken) bento set- rm21

mixed sashimi bento set

fried seafood bento set

cod fish head- rm45

i couldn't take pictures of every single bento set as i was too far away and also my relatives are not used to my "snap before eating" rule :(

the food was two thumbs up. i really like the rice, soft fluffy and chubby grains. hehe. also, the chawan mushi was very smooth and had a nice (i think) salty egg yolk taste, and it comes really hot, so even after you eat it last you'll still have it warm. my sukiyaki chicken (wanted to take beef but dad was staring at me -_-) was awesome! the soup was sooooo sweet and comes with chicken bits, soft chinese cabbage, glass noodles, mushrooms and tofu). i slurped every single drop of it.

another worthy order was the sushi & sashimi boat set. do note that nihon kai is not particularly famous for its sushi range, hence the sushies are alil' pricey. however the boat set we ordered came floating with 5 types of nigirisushi, 1 temaki, salmon & tuna sashimi, and cucumber & pickle maki.

my uncle had the famous cod fish head which was really huge!! also it took rather a long time to arrive, so be sure to be patient as the wait is worth it!! for such a huge head at rm45, everyone said it was "nowhere you can find out there!" the flesh was smooth and fresh. superb!!

the dinner overall was a very filling one. i was filled to the brim and couldn't move!! according to my cousin, if you want a seat on weekends be sure to call and book first or else you'll be joining others in the line to dine here. this place has received several reviews from the media including nanyang and thestar. service is okay and the ambience is very cozy for a family/friends gathering. pricewise, it was about rm340 for 13 of us, you do the math. parking is also available within walking distance.

nihon kai japanese restaurant
4-2, jalan telok gadong,
off jalan klang lama,
batu 3 1/2, 58100 kuala lumpur.
tel: 03-49823668

(from mid valley/pj, go up the flyover to jln klang lama. just before shell station, turn left to a small alley. nihon kai is the last shop at the corner)

[disclaimer: the opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. please dont sue me, i dont have money. kthxbye.]

why i like to be a chinese...

all ready to welcome the new year, i think its quite nice

... because chinese new year is inarguably the BESTESTEST festival evarrrrr!!!!1111

but of course, im only speaking for myself. i also <3 christmas, hari raya, deepavali because of the public holidays galore and the mega sales associated with these festivals. and then there are the guilty sinful yet scrumptious spread of food... ahhh life is good.

for those deprived of this festive mood (yes, you people studying abroad) these chinese new year goodies are for your eyes to feast!

the unmistakable red cap bottles of goodies

i cant wait to open the cellotape seals on each of the bottles!! eh chinese new year faster come-lah!!

my mom's organic goodies (less oil, less fat, less sugar, no eggs)
erm that's not MY definition of goodies!!

this is MY definition of goodies! so oily, so fatty and so delicious...

chinese new year is 3 days away. im excited and happy, are you????

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a BIG birthday shoutout:

to Eiling, my eldest sis (2nd feb)- which also coincides with the cny 1st day. she always get extra ang pow, not fair.

to ah Chang (31st jan)- happy adulthood!!
to Kah Yee (4th feb)- happy quarter century old woman!!
to Kah Ling (4th feb)- happy joining the TWO-O club babe!!

Happy Birthday and Happy CNY to all!! here's wishing all of you healthy (despite the sinful goodies), wealthy, and a great year ahead.

ben & nick's diner

ben & nick's diner

tucked in a small little corner at the ground floor of a just completed service apartment in subang jaya is ben & nick's diner. i read of its existence from thestar metro about a week back. thus, when my classmates and i decided to have a little "reunion" lunch and i was put to task to find a place to eat, i suggested to try this place... knowing i need some new entries for my blog now ;-)

the interior is very very small... by the thought of it, smaller than my bedroom! hahah im serious!! the inside sits about 14 with a small kitchen and a small cashier/drinks corner. rest be assured though, there're a few tables outside as well.

lemon juice- rm2.90

ice lemon tea- rm3.50

latte cafe- rm6.90

the lemon juice comes in a reasonable price and is recommended for a refreshing start. i wanted to start off with the mushroom soup (rm6.90) and end with the apple crumble (rm6.90) as recommended by thestar review but both items were not available :(

cajun pasta- rm17.80

choice of pasta with spicy cajun sauce cooked with chicken strips and button mushrooms

lamb shank- rm27.90
braised then carefully baked for juicy and tender experience of enjoying a lamb meal with house gravy on a bed of mash potato. served with chef's veggies

chicken blanket- rm16.90
specially house marinated grilled cajun chicken with salsa and crispy romaine lettuce, cheddar and mozzarella chesse wrapped with grilled tortillas and served with a generous amount of ceaser salad

combo- rm18.90
combination of australian chilled sirloin and especially house marinade grilled cajun chicken smoked with beef bacon, onions, cheddar, mozzarella cheese wrapped with grilled tortillas and fresh white button mushroom. served witha generous amount of ceasar salad

i quite like my combo selection. the sirloin strips was really good though the description on the menu was a tad misleading. it didnt mention the meat being wrapped in tortillas and i thought they got the orders wrong. the owner thanked me for pointing out the mistake. anyway, as for the lamb shank, although it is a recommended item and requires advance booking (they serve limited servings per day), my friends who had it commented that the dish tasted bland and they didnt enjoy it. as for the pasta, it was not too bad but please note that its serve in a spicy sauce ;-)

overall, b&n diner has a very cozy setting albeit being very small. food portions are generous but may be slightly overpriced (imho) given that it resides at a space no bigger than my bedroom, i dunno... maybe the rental is expensive (??). another good point is there's no taxes charged and the service is commendable.

the downside however is its location is not too strategic at the moment, given that its situated in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the ongoing construction of the subang-kelana flyover and another service apartment beside it (read: noise and dust pollution). parking isn't a breeze as well with the ongoing constructions.

ben & nick's diner
lot g10, e-tiara service apartment,
persiaran kemajuan,
47500 subang jaya.
(beside carrefour subang)
tel: 016-2010189

open for lunch monday-fridays from noon to 2.30pm
open for dinner monday-saturdays from 6-10pm

[disclaimer: the opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. please dont sue me, i dont have money. kthxbye.]

manuka honey chicken wings

sorry for the lack of food updates. i havent been eating out often except the usual hawker fares around college for lunch.

the saturday before mom came back from her 2 month holidays in dubai, we hosted our very first steamboat party and invited a handful of friends over- it was a memorable one as it was our first party without adults-above-30 supervision and also officially marked the end of our 2 months 'no-curfew-mom's-not-home-yahoo...!!-freedom'.

i made chicken wings after realizing there's a pack of 'em in the freezer. i used the recipe posted by fellow flogger precious pea. ingredients are simple and the photo posted did look pretty damn good.

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Step 1: Prepare ingredients and marination! Marinate overnight for better garlicky taste :)

dark soy sauce
chinese shaoxing wine
a dash of fish sauce
oyster sauce
lightly smashed whole garlic

Step 2: Transfer wonderfully marinated chicken wings to a baking tray lined with aluminium foil. Brush manuka honey generously on chicken wings skin and roast 'em under 250 celcius for about 20 minutes till cook and brown.

Step 3: Wash hands and attack!!

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it's finger lickin' good :)

... ONE more week to cny holidays! yippeeeee!!

yu ai bak kut teh

just another ordinary lunch with friends. but this time instead of eating in ss15, we walked across to ss14 for bak kut teh on a hot sunny afternoon.

nothing spectacular and fancy about this bak kut teh. we had a pot of bkt with '5 flower meat' (mm fah yuk- meat with fats in between), pig stomachs, fu chuk, golden mushrooms and button mushrooms. we also had our greens, the onion oil yau mak and fried crullers (yau char kuai) to go with our bak kut teh soup.

total bill was rm43.50 for 4 of us.

havent been trying new places as mom is back. the cook is back, geddit?

yu ai bak kut teh
jalan ss14/1,
subang jaya.

(corner shop of an intermediate row of shops, near connecting pedestrian bridge)

[disclaimer: the opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. please dont sue me, i dont have money. kthxbye.]

carl's jr

the massivity of carl's jr burger

my first visit to carl's jr was few weeks back when a bunch of us just went to sunway pyramid after our classes for lunch. correct me if im wrong but compared to the other burger giants like mcdonalds, kfc and burger king, carl's jr outlets are typically small.

iced lemon tea with real lemon!

the layout is similar but different altogether. there's a corner for refillable drinks (from DIY iced lemon tea to soft drinks to coffee and tea. dont be shy to feel homey and help yourself) and the typical order counter with bright big burgers on the signboards.

collect six of this and buy toto jackpot. carl's jr supply for life if you strike!

small-medium-large

true to its promotional taglines that the burgersa are big, the chairs and cupsize already assured us that they will deliver what they promise. trust me, dont even bother to order anything larger than small because small is large and large is just... LARGE.

plus, its refillable anyway!

charbroiled chicken salad
sliced charbroiled chicken breast, crisp iceberg and romaine lettuce, carrots, red cabbage, shredded cheddar and jack cheeses, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, croutons and choice of dressing

bacon swiss crispy chicken sandwich
a crispy chicken fillet with melted swiss cheese, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato and ranch sauce on a seeded bun

western bacon cheeseburger
charbroiled all-beef patty, two strips of bacon, melted american cheese, two crispy onion rings and tangy bbq sauce on a toasted sesame bun

the guacamole bacon burger
charbroiled 100% angus beef patty, guacamole, two strips of bacon, two slices of melted pepperjack cheese, lettuce, two slices of tomato, red onions and santa fe sauce on a toasted sesame bun

chili cheese beef fries
crisp shoestring fries, hearted chili, grated cheese

chicken breast strips
battered tender chicken breast strips and a choice of dipping sauce

i'll say... yes, the burgers are huge, compared to the likes of mcd, kfc, bk. but for that kinda price of between rm15++ (just ala carte mind you!) to rm20++ (combo meals), i think burgers at chilli's are better options. of cos, this caters to two entirely different target market. carl's jr is more to fast food takeaway kinda dining while chilli's and tgif are the american dine-ins.

the burgers taste great nonetheless. after having one of these, mcd's cheeseburger taste like crap! BUT, mcd's fries still rules the shoestring fries world! the chili cheese beef fries is ok... nothing much to shout about but if you hadnt had this before, go on, try it and see if you like it!


crap... monday again :(


carl's jr
sunway pyramid (new wing)
situated at the marakesh alley, ground floor.
(quite secluded and hard to find if not familiar)

[disclaimer: the opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. please dont sue me, i dont have money. kthxbye.]