restoran ho ho steamboat @ sri petaling

calvin has been telling me how good ho ho steamboat is which is nearby his home. so last sunday evening, we decided to give this place a visit.

boasting to be affiliated with pulau ketam (the ingredients perhaps?) as written in the signboard, the freshness of its ingredients is not doubted by us and the scores of patrons filling up the tables by 7pm is an indication of fresh food steamboat.




as with any other steamboats, one of the most important items is the sauce! ho ho offers its own blend of chilli sauce which goes best when mixed with a generous amount of sesame oil. forget about the calories...


mix of chilli blend and sesame oil


steaming boat of good stuff on a rainy day


calvin's interesting mix of noodles and poached eggs with generous sprinkle of pepper! it looks like a weird combination but its so simple and delish!

the downside though is that the minimum order is 2 pax. so to those planning to have some quality time alone eating steamboat, sorry lah ya. pricing is less than rm20 per pax, not too cheap considering some places have buffet steamboat at the same price. but then again, it's quality fresh food you're paying for ;-)


restoran ho ho steamboat
no. 19, jalan radin anum 1,
sri petaling 57000, kuala lumpur.
tel: 012-2893119

[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.]

48 hours of fame

The Star 13th July 2008- click here for the online version


Sin Chew daily 6th July 2008

/reality check
life is still pretty much the same. go to work, get stuck in jam because *apparently* our smartass gov ministers with the police as their running dogs think only they are important and everyone else is unimportant, therefore they can simply block here block there on days they feel like doing it on the grounds that "national security is at threat". wtf bullshit, these shitheads are the REAL threats to our security. bloody shitheads, make us waste petrol, late for work and frustrated @#$%!! whole cycle repeats 5 days a week.

oh btw, imho anwar wins hands down against that shabery cheek in the fuel price debate. i'll give you 100 reasons:-
1) shabery cheek is yong sui
2) he's not only yong sui, but when he speaks his mouth area is disgusting. yucks!
3) he makes personal attacks, which is soooooo unprofessional
4) he is orang BN, and sorryloh i am biased liddat
5-100) he is so damn yong sui

okthxbye.

Oversea Restaurant @ Jaya One

oversea restaurant @ jaya one (the entrance direct from carpark)

it was meant to be a family dinner after my convocation 2 saturdays ago. jon had booked a table for the five of us and him (*stamps of approval* from dad). he also did the ordering of the dishes and i must say it was indeed a very filling and satisfying one! before the dinner, we went to the photo studio to have our family portraits taken and modelling for the camera is no easy feat! clearly not born models hahaha...


mixed roast platter (medium)- rm40
the 3 heavenly obligatory roasted pork belly, roasted duck and char siew

first up on the table was the mixed roast platter consisting of 3 legendary roasted meat in the chinese cuisine history- roasted duck, char siew and siew yoke. very delish indeed. first thumbs up!


salted fish toufu- rm30 or so

very flavorful toufu dish this is. the salted fish is what gives the whole claypot of goodness a 5 star rating as well. recommended!


two-style suckling pig- about rm230 or so

star of the night. champion. the reason we're here for the dinner. jon's recommendation of this suckling pig receives a full 5 stars and 10 thumbs up (we'll love to give more if we had more thumbs actually) from us all. unlike the usual accompaniment of man tou or crepe, oversea's version is half with rispy chinese vege pancake sandwiched between a slice of crispy suckling pig skin and mantou. the other half has glutinous rice underneath those delicious crispy skin.

not cheap but definitely satisfying and keeps you wanting for more!


yam fried rice- rm30 or so

not your conventional fried rice, this yam version has bits of yam cubes in it which makes the rice more fragrant and scooping for more after the first! the salted egg yolk adds on to the interesting flavour and colour of something as ordinary and plain as fried rice.


stir fried kai lan- rm20 or so

and a plate of greens to balance and complete the meal. if a chinese restaurant/daichow can't whip up a simple wok-hei-ful plate of greens, then it'd better think twice bout cooking other dishes. oversea restaurant passed with flying colors for this plate of greens!

parking is a breeze as they're parking lots in jaya one and on saturdays parking is free! the more reasons to eat out at jaya one!


overseas restaurant
@ jaya one
tel: 03-79569911
business hours: 11.30-2.30pm & 5.30-10.30pm


[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.]

Mantra Restaurant and Bar @ Sunway Pyramid

Here's one for the special occasion... Northern Indian cuisine...

First time here for the both of us, it's the Mantra Restaurant and Bar tucked in the old wing of Sunway Pyramid (Our first Northern Indian experience was in Langkawi last year). If you sit by the window, it overlooks Sunway Lagoon Beach Resort. To me, it's not a greatest of views, but it's not too bad when it's at night. You will see that it makes a good background for the food photos in this entry.

Very nice furnishing and has the perfect ambiance for an evening



Mango Lassi @ RM12

The mango lassi tasted alright, nothing to be praised about. It has a good balance of mango puree and yogurt.


Mumbai Tomato Broth @ RM7.90
Creamy and tangy tomato broth made with fresh tomatoes

The tomato broth tastes pretty interesting. It's not something that we've taste before but in my opinion it tasted kinda like tom yam soup (the type with coconut). It's probably because of the Indian spices. I didn't expect a tomato soup to be spicy (like chili spicy not spices spicy :-P).


Plain Briyani @ RM8.90

I have always enjoyed eating Indian briyani cooked with Basmati rice/long grain rice. Though it might look yummy in this photo. The taste wasn't what I'd expect from an Indian restaurant. I thought those that are found in our local mamaks were more flavorful. Quite a disappointment. Not to say it didn't taste good, but I have tasted better.


Butter Chicken @ RM17.90
Exquisite tandoori-grilled chicken, simmered in satin smooth tomato gravy redolent of kassori methi

This was the highlight. It was the chef's recommendation and also according to Yiling, it's one of the those must-try dishes. And yes, this dish tastes great. Though it is called butter chicken, you can't really taste any hint of butter. I'd assume the Indian spices had taken over that flavor. The butter is probably responsible of making the sauce creamy.

Or

It doesn't even have butter? Cause in the description butter or anything dairy hasn't been mentioned. Could "butter" represent the satin smooth part of the description?

What do you think? From what i know, Northern Indian food does include a generous amount of dairy products in their dishes.

I do have one complain... The chicken meat wasn't tender. It was really tough. It wasn't grilled to perfection. Some points taken off here...


Malai Tikka @ RM15.90
Boneless cubes of chicken, steeped in a marinade of royal cumin enriched cream, cheddar and a hint of fresh coriander, glazed in the tandoor

Oh the yummy Malai Tikka... I really enjoyed this grilled chicken dish. It was well marinated and it was grilled to perfection. Meat was tender and the marinate could be tasted deep into the meat. The meat has a slight hint of garlic. I think they spread some finely minced garlic across it before grilling. Dipped with the coriander sauce, it makes it this grilled chicken experience absolutely wonderful.


Garlic Naan @ RM4

This was another disappointment. Again I compare it with the local mamak. Local mamak naan is so much better than this. The naan was thin giving me the impression that it was going to be crispy or maybe fluffy. Unfortunately it was tough and had a much chewy texture than fluffy.

The overall experience wasn't too bad. Paired with a great ambiance and a the perfect company. The evening was wonderful. Give this place a try if you have not tried Northern Indian food.

So our final verdict was...

Calvin: 6/10 (i feel like giving less...)
Yiling 6.5/10

I must add on that after dinner we felt pretty thirsty, so we suspect that quite a bit of ajinomoto was used in their cooking.


Mantra Restaurant and Bar
Lot G1-42, Sunway Pyramid
Tel: 03-74920488

[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.]

Steamboat @ DZH Sichuan Restaurant, Gohtong Jaya

Since Yiling's been busy with work lately, I'd be guest blogging today...

My extended family (mom's side) decided to go for steamboat one day because my Aunt and her family came to visit from USA.

I have heard my mom saying about going to Gohtong Jaya for steamboat but I have never been there myself. To be honest... I wasn't aware that Gohtong Jaya was halfway up Genting Highlands.

So, here's my review on it.

Here's the name card


And directions here...


Here's the entrance to the restaurant...


There are several soup bases for the steamboat

1. Spicy & Non-spicy combination (RM18)
2. Sichuan Style Soup (RM18)
3. Soaked Vege with Fish Head (RM28)
4. Chong Qing Ma-la Chicken (RM38)
5. Chinese Herbal Soup (RM25)
6. Bamboo Fungus Chicken (RM68)
7. Mushroom Soup (RM68)

RM68 just for a soup base? Expect it to be pretty loaded...

We selected the Mushroom soup base as it was recommended by my uncle and mom.

The steamboat came preloaded with cooked ingredients which could be eaten when served...

Inside the soup there were assortments of ingredients like "kampung chicken", spring onions, tomatoes, dates, wolfberries (gei zhi) and of course the highlight was the assortment of fresh mushrooms.

The sort of mushrooms included were button mushrooms, straw mushrooms, golden mushrooms, black shiitake mushrooms, abalone mushrooms and black fungus (it's in the funghi/mushroom category ~ i think)


The soup tastes absolutely amazing. It was really flavorful mainly because of the "kampung chicken" with all the soup ingredients. The soup base had been boiled for hours.


The sauce for the steamboat is pretty unique too. They use a special blend of "fu yu"/fermented beancurd with a hint of sesame oil. They also have their own chilli oil which is pretty spicy.


Usually you mix both the sauces for the perfect steamboat experience. 2 parts fuyu, 1 part chilli (2:1). Those who are afraid of it being too spicy try 3:1/4:1 (Pretty technical for just a sauce mix huh... what to do, I am an engineering student :-p)

I am sorry I don't have pictures of all other steamboat dishes. They're just like any other steamboat. You can order all sorts of seafood, all sorts of meat, all sort of balls (fish/prawn/salmon/cuttlefish) all sorts of vege and all sorts of noodles. With the price ranging from RM4-Rm18 per dish with fresh fish being charged according to weight/market price.

For the full list of the steamboat menu, click on the thumbnail below...



Among the dishes we ordered were cuttle fish, fish balls, chicken feet, beef slice (very fresh and thinly sliced) tofu, bamboo shoot, more mushrooms and a few green vegetables.

The total was RM284 for 2 tables.

Pretty reasonable for such a wonderful meal. But cost of getting up to Gohtong Jaya had not been added to the equation. Sigh... the increase of petrol prices...

That's all folks!

Cheers!


DZH Sichuan Restaurant
gohtong sports center
jalan jati 2, gohtong jaya,
69000 genting highlands,
pahang.

[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.]

alive but not kickin'

sorry for the long hiatus from food blogging. not that i have ran out of places to blog about but life has been hectic for me (read: VERY BUSY).

will write soon when i have more time for myself and not feeling all tax'ed out by 8.42pm.

goodnight.

Middle Eastern Fare @ Tarbush

middle eastern fare @ tarbush

tarbush, a name that needs no further introduction for middle eastern cuisines. my first time having middle eastern cuisine to be honest and i found the whole experience an eye-tongue opener.

prior to this, i had the impression that middle eastern fares are nothing but kebabs, olives, kebabs and more olives. but tarbush made me realized that there is more to this than kebabs and olives.


mutabal- rm12
grilled eggplant dip made creamy with tahina sauce with generously drenched in olive oil

very interesting appetizer indeed. to start off it arrived looking nothing like the 'grilled egplant' in the description. it was really blended to a fine creamy dip that goes well with warm pita bread. the secret to eat this is NOT to spread the dip in the pita bread but just fold the thin and fluffy bread and dip it like you're dipping nachos in salsa sauce.

the pita bread is highly recommended as i believe it is baked fresh... yumz!


ox-tail soup- rm9
aromatic creamy soup

the oxtail soup is recommended as well. it arrived in a classy deep square white bowl. servings may look small but it is enough to keep your tongue on a standby mode for more goodies to come. the soup is creamy and very flavourful, just what anyone needs after a hard day at work.


tarbush mixed grill- rm35
a mouth-watering medley of lamb chop, shish tawook, shish kebab, and lamb cubes

if you're as clueless as we were when it comes to mains, the tarbush mixed grill comes highly recommended by us. it offers a little bit of everything and because it is so good we shall even call it 'the best of everything'. meat were grilled to perfection, flavourful yet tenderness and juiciness of the meat were maintained. perfect for sharing and unleashing the carnivore in you!


arabic tea pot- rm7

we had earlier wanted plain water but all they have is mineral water which we have a strict policy of not paying so much for a bottle of mineral water. hence, we asked for recommendations from the waiter and he recommended the arabic tea. it carries a minty taste (i like mint ice creams but not in my tea) and we were alittle skeptical at first. all doubts vanished after we had our first sip. it was great and definitely helped to wash the aftertaste and improves digestion yada yada yada. p/s: refillable too :-)

give tarbush a try if you're looking for something exotic yet tried and tasted to be delicious ;-)


tarbush
LL2. 123 sunway pyramid @ marrakesh
tel: 03-56339222
www.tarbush.com.my

[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.]

Shin o-shima Japanese Restaurant (buffet steamboat)

shin o-shima japanese restaurant with a banner of steamboat promotion

this food review is pretty irrelevant with the restaurant as im not going to review bout the japanese food in this japanese place. saw a flyer that theres an all-you-can-eat steamboat buffet at rm20 per pax and decided to try it one saturday night 2 weeks back...


selection of seafood, meat and fried stuff


selection of greens, noodles, toufu and mushrooms



steamboat must haves- mussels, squids, bamboo clams, lalas, fish, crab, prawns


a balance of both clear broth and tom yum

we came with no expectations. i mean "harro, japanese place with steamboat...? errr...." but overall we were pretty satisfied with the meal. the ingredients fared pretty ok, considering its 20bucks. the broth tasted sweet at the end as we added alot of seafood and most surprising was there were crabs too. we didnt eat them, just for soup flavoring.

for a more complete meal, there are also free flow of drinks (choice of longan drink, cincau or water) and ice creams (i like the pistachio one).


shin o-shima japanese restaurant
42, jalan anggerik vanilla 31/m,
kota kemuning, 40460 shah alam.
tel/fax: 03-51212275

[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.]