Outback Steakhouse @ Bangsar Village

Back in the days when I was working for Fidani during the 3 weeks before Christmas at a little booth in Bangsar Village, I had to clock in (though not literally) about 9 hours on weekdays and 12 hours on weekends. It was very tiring, typical promoter job with the exception that I sold high class and delicious chocolates and my 3 weeks pay was more than some people's salary for a month!

Due to the long hours and freezing cold environment, meal times are the only times I rejoiced most. But because I was working in a place called Bangsar, food there were expensive. Once in a while you try to indulge but most often it burns a hole in your pocket. I had ALOT of nasi lemak tambah kari and telur mata kerbau from Devi's Corner then, very unhealthy but it's the cheapest thing there.


We're the Ipoh girls :D

I remember passing by Outback Steakhouse almost every time I had to get my nasi lemak. It was like a sacred place- only for those with money, and I hadn't any, that's why had to work-loh! I was so tempted to go in but eventually didn't but this is one off the checklist now as I decided to make a visit to the restaurant last Friday for a dinner get-together with my childhood friends- Khian and Mel.


Aussie Cheese Fries- RM17.95
Aussie cheese topped with Monteray Jack, Cheddar cheeses and bacon served with spicy ranch dressing


Bushman 'Shrooms- RM17.95
Mushrooms breaded and deep fried served with spicy ranch dressing

As usual, I was tasked with ordering the appetizers. The Aussie Cheese Fries was my pick as it looked so delectable (and sinful) in the menu. We were torn between the Buffalo Chicken Wings and Bushman 'Shrooms but eventually picked the latter. The cheese fries came a bit cold and the cheese were already hardened while the fries stuck to each other. We were abit disappointed though, moreover the bacon bits were so little, so different from the picture in the menu! The deep fried mushrooms fared a little bit better, but we agreed that TGIF's version is better than Outback's. At least at TGIF's the batter was golden brown and fluffy.


Campfire Salmon- RM34.95

Mel had the Campfire Salmon which came drenched with what looked like tomato sauce. Taste wise, the salmon was ok, fresh but Mel commented that she prefered the one in Tony Roma's.


Sizzling Sirloin- RM34.95
A sizzling plate of tender beef, sliced and served over grilled onions and a fresh medley of grilled vegetables

The sirloin was a little bit too well done, Khian had ordered it to be 70% but later we laughed at her and asked her what "70%" means? As expected, we thought the chef couldn't interpret 70% and decided to just make it 101%. The meat was abit stiff but the grilled onions were awesome. I love it!


Outback Sirloin- RM44.95
An 8-Ounce center-cut sirloin, seasoned and seared to perfection served with corn on the cob, steamed vegies and garlic mashed potato

I chose the very tempting Outback Sirloin. You should look at the picture in the menu, anyone would be tempted too, including vegans! I opted for it to be done Medium-Rare.



It was TEH AWESOME.



Because it was so awesome, here's another picture. And no, I did not get any bad stomachache after that.

The outside was grilled perfectly leaving the center inside still reddish. I know most people can't take beef, moreover it being a little bit raw but you're reading the blog of a person who loves beef and loves the half raw wagyu maki at Senjyu. The meat was so tender, it was almost effortless to eat it! I think this was the only consolation to the whole meal, at least I was satisfied.

The bill came at RM173.35, inclusive of 15% (un)necessary taxes, not cheap, similar to TGIF and Chilli's pricing. However, good news is iced/warm water is free and comes refillable- phew, now you can save on drinks and oder another appetizer!


p/s: I've posted an update on TENJI's buffet promotion. Click here to read :)


Outback Steakhouse
GL-6, Bangsar Village
No.1 Jalan Telawi Satu
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2287 7850
www.outback-sea.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.]

Sunday Update

While I was on my way back home this evening, the clouds were distinctly fighting with each other. There is apparently 2 clans- the Black and the White. The Subang Jaya side was on the dark side while USJ spots a clearer sky.



It started pouring soon after. First soft droplets of water which evolved into hard droplets that hit the windshield with a ice cubes-like sound effects. You know the rain is going to be strong.



As Priscilla Patrick will say during the traffic reports, "Traffic is backed up to the Kewajipan Roundabout........"

Rainy season. Good for sleeping. Good night, ta!

After Six Chillout @ Sanctuary Bar

Sanctuary Bar is one of the place I frequent most for drinking (and clubbing). The name Sanctuary is pretty apt as it provides an avenue for people to relax, destress and have a good time after a tough week at work or school.

Sanctuary Bar establish itself with a concept of '1 Place, 4 Themes' or in coffee terms, we'll call it the '4-in-1' mix. Many clubs and bars are following suit, most recently Quattro @ Avenue K which plays around the 4 seasons- Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn.

The 4 concepts that builds around Sanctuary Bar, the umbrella name for the whole premise in The Curve creates a complete F&B outlet,

• 'Sutra', the Thai restaurant;
• 'Bar Cocoon', the clubbing floor;
• 'Bar Papillon', the al fresco bar;
• 'Ice Bar', a -15 degrees bar.

My friends and I would normally be at Bar Cocoon, for a night of intoxication and exercise but we didn't feel like getting high and sweaty that Valentine's evening (also because Laundry Bar was full). We went to the next and closest bar, which would be the al fresco side of Sanctuary, Bar Papillon.

Bar Papillon offers the usual mix of cocktails, wines, and selection of liquors. Prices are pretty standard as well, ranging from the cheapest about RM25 for a cocktail to a few hundred for a bottle of liquor and wine. Plus, the size of the drinks were pretty generous. I was on an alcohol abstinence that night (in fact I still am, haven't had a drop of alcohol after the free flow at Pernod Ricard's dinner), so I opted for the much cheaper and healthier option of Fruit Punch (RM10).

The ambience was ok. We were seated at the walkway to the club, so we could see and observe quite alot. It's interesting to just observe the crowd, from the way they dress to the people around them, level of drunkenness, behaviour, level of good looking-ness etc. There was an incident that we witnessed and we found it so appaling and I have to blog about it.





It was about 1am that night, there were still many hanging around the dance floor and outside the walkway when we spotted a family of mid aged aunties (really aunty kinda aunties), an ang moh man and 3 kids (look less than 8 yrs old) arriving outside the club, maybe just after a romantic Valentine's family dinner. Then the aunties and ang moh proceeded to the club leaving the 3 kids at the guidance of 2 other adults. About an hour later (2am), the aunties came out and the couple looking after the 3 kids left, bringing 2 of the kids along, leaving a little girl behind, no more than 6 yrs old. Aunties United and Mr Ang Moh then was seen puffing in front of said little girl hesitating whether to bring the little girl into the club.

/cue for WTF in unison

It seemed everybody wants to have fun and nobody wants to take responsibility of the little girl. Later we saw Aunties United negotiating with the bouncers to bring in the girl to the club. Bouncers initially said no but later gave the ok sign, much to the dismay of another stranger patron who protested the move. Plan failed and later one of the aunties stayed behind while Aunties United and Mr Ang Moh went in to continue having fun. By now all of us watching the whole scene were already WTF-ing. Poor little girl was yawning and looked so lost, and it was already wayyyy past her bedtime.





Eh, but I digressed. The above is Bar Cocoon. And that distinctive head is Param, my night out kaki who left me for Tasmania. Hello Param! :DDDDDD

To get into Bar Cocoon, there's no cover charge but you'll have to open a bottle to get yourselves a table or just buy drinks. Since there's no way the bouncers can identify paying and non-paying patrons, one can always try to sneak in when it's crowded!



The Ice Bar, if I'm not mistaken is the first of its kind in Malaysia. It is tied up with Smirnoff Vodka, with the tagline of "Bringing Russia to You". I read that there are a few ice bars like this (only bigger, better and colder) in Russia, and some European countries. I've always wanted to pay a visit here and I did! In fact, I've been in the Ice Bar twice :)





To enter the Ice Bar, you'll have to purchase either a neat shot (comes in test tube form, RM20 per shot) which will entitle you 10 minutes in the bar or open a bottle which entitles you for 40 mins. A bottle can also admit 4 other friends with you. Smoking is obviously not allowed. And the club provides winter jacket but trust me it's just as cold. Brrrrrr...





The Ice Bar claims to be have a temperature of -15 degrees. I felt like a piece of ais krim potong after 5 minutes. The shot of vodka didn't help at all!





As you can see from the pictures, everything is made out from ice. It's so cool (pun intended). But I feel the bar should provide those hot water packs to keep your hands warm because after 5 minutes my fingers were freezing no matter where you try to hide them!

Overall, I think Sanctuary is a valued place to go if you're too lazy to go all the way to KL and/or looking for an after party place to hang out. What I really like about Bar Cocoon is the DJ spinning pop and R&B genre. Also, drinks at Bar Papillon come in big glasses. The Ice Bar provides that unique icy experience for most of us who dream of drinking in a winter environment.

The only area we have not been to would be the restaurant, Sutra. I promise I'll make a visit there soon and update on this review.

Till then, it's FRIDAYYYYYYYYYYYY :DDDDDDD


The Sanctuary
Lot 151 & 151A,
1st Floor, The Curve,
Mutiara Damansara.


[disclaimer: Live to Eat or Eat to Live does not promote heavy drinking and regular night outs. If everyone knows their limits and have some sense of responsibility, the night scene would be a much safer place for all. Party hard but drink responsibly, kthxbye!]

The Land Below The Wind

If there is anything to describe Kota Kinabalu, it is the beautiful skies in the evening.


Somewhere out there is the famous Mt. Kinabalu...

When I first arrived in KK, which was also my maiden trip to the East Coast, I was surprised at how early the sun rises and how early the sun sets as well. If the normal timing for the sun to rise in the West is (about) 7.30am, in the East, 6am looks exactly like 7.30am. And in the evenings, 6pm looks like it's 8pm. I remember very well that I got a timing shock and thought either the sky was acting funnily or my watch has gone bonkers.



Shots of these beautiful skies were captured one fine evening when I was working in the airport and I didn't really notice that the sun was already setting when Angie called me over and said I should take some pictures as it was very beautiful.



I couldn't quite believe my eyes when I saw the skies from the waiting lounge. The above pictures are in its original colors with a little bit adjustment on the exposure. I have never quite seen a sky in that color! And the plane, the hangar and the runway makes the whole picture oh so apt.



If there's anything I miss about Kota Kinabalu, it would certainly be the clouds and the skies. And perhaps the airport. There is just something that charms me to loving the airports. Perhaps the rush, the mixed emotions of people in the airport, the smiles on people's faces at the arrival hall and the sad farewells at the departure lounge, the dutyfree shopping, people pulling their luggages and trolleys, the uniformed immigration officers, the aeroplanes, flight attendants strutting down the walkway, pilots and their first officers swaggering down the hall, excited tourists... the list is endless.

There is just too much to observe in the airport.





I can be sitting in the holding lounge for hours just looking at aeroplanes landing in and flying out.



While I can't tell when I'll be back to this land of beautiful skies, but one thing's for sure...

I will definitely miss it.

Fusion Haven Cafe & Restaurant

Last Saturday night, I had a date.


Aloha Cocktail Chicken- RM11.90

This date of mine is currently doing her internship in KL and is staying put at Sri Petaling. To make things easier for everyone and to pretend to be a gracious host slash old friend slash food blogger that I am, I suggested having our dinner at Fusion Haven which is kinda like a hidden gem in this Commonwealth town. Besides my date has always been bugging me to take her out to try new food.

It was raining very heavily that night but people still came in scores to the cafe for dinner. The cafe champions on its 'fusion' concept so it is not surprising to find the furnitures and decos fitting the concept, though in my honest opinion, contemporary colourful Ikea tables and chairs would make the cafe nicer rather than Chinese inspired marbled tabletops and chairs. The English themed wallpaper is a nice touch though ;)


Unagi Rice Noodle- RM9.90

For appetizers, we had the Aloha Chicken Cocktail (RM11.90) and Unagi Rice Noodle (RM9.90) as recommended by Ho Jiak! and a few other blog reviews. The dishes arrived not too long after, great because it was pouring out there and our stomachs were growling. I quite like the Unagi Rice Noodle, there are shredded carrots and rice noodles wrapped with seaweed, deep fried and topped with a dollop of mayo and some ikura. Nice! There's no real unagi though, I suppose it's just a name to depict the dish as it looks like unagi.

I did not enjoy the Aloha Chicken Cocktail much as it was a little bit spicy for me. Later I found out the spicyness came from the use of tobasco sauce as an ingredient. However, you gotta give credits for the presentation! Very nice!


English Herbs Butter Baked Lamb Chop- RM16.90

My date went for the English Herbs Butter Baked Lamb Chop (RM16.90). The lamb didn't have a pungent taste, perhaps being overpowered by the baked garlic. While I am not a fan of garlic per se, I quite like golden brown baked garlic like this. The lamb was pretty tender as well.


Pan Fried Dory Tower- RM18.90

I opted for the Pan Fried Dory Tower (RM18.90) as it is their signature dish. It's also recommended in Ho Jiak! The dish came beautifully presented, layer by layer to form a tower. The foundation is made of rice, a little bit like sushi rice but I find it rather tasteless, perhaps due to the lack of sauce. Alternating between dory fillets are 2 pieces of biscuits, similar to cream crackers but with a darker hue and bigger in size compared to your Jacob's cream crackers. I suppose this is the fusion part where I don't quite understand... biscuits with pan fried dory?? Hmmm... The dory fillets were nicely done though. The decorations are entirely edible as well, there's a piece of tempura'ed leaf, pastry stick, onion ring, deep fried lotus, potatoes and brocollies.



Hi, meet my date for the night, Khian. My childhood friend, we used to write old fashioned snail mails to each other after I moved schools and states. I remember she would update me on all the big and little things happening in and out of school (ie. my source of updates of all kinds). She still keeps me updated till now cos I'm kinda out of touch with most of the Ipoh girls I used to know :/ I call her the "Menteri Perhubungan"!! Hehe.


Map to Fusion Haven

Fusion Haven is definitely one hidden gem yet to be uncovered. Price point, the dishes are very affordable with its lunch menu from RM 5.90 to RM14.90. Other ala carte items are less than RM20. I really like the effort of the people behind Fusion Haven trying to offer fine dining food for normal cafe price. It's just what we need in these times where "cost-cutting, global economy crisis, no money..." are the most commonly used vocabulary in our daily lives.


Fusion Haven
No.45, Jalan Radin Anum Satu,
Sri Petaling,
57000 KL.
Tel: 012-2006736 (Danny)
Business Hours: 12-3pm, 6-11pm (Monday-Sunday)
http://fusionhaven.blogspot.com

[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.]

COCA Steamboat Restaurant

Earlier of the month, HB asked if I would be interested to join him in a sponsored food review by COCA Steamboat Restaurant, I accepted the invitation. Hence, this will be my FIRST sponsored review.

COCA is a old and familiar name, majoring in steamboats. Perhaps the logo explains it all, "Established in 1957". That's before most of you and I were born. The review was scheduled at the COCA outlet in 1 Utama (Old wing, opposite Jusco Home Centre). We were greeted by the affable Andrea, Marketing Manager of COCA Malaysia. She later explained that the Subang Parade outlet would be a better choice for the wholesome COCA dining experience as the outlet is more spacious and has live aquariums, so your seafood is guaranteed fresh.


Roselle Flowers d'Juice with Soda- RM12.90

I opted for the Roselle Flowers d'Juice with Soda (RM12.90) as it reminds me of the younger times where a bottle of concentrated Roselle juice was a rare luxury at home and my sisters and I will make our own Iced Roselle drinks... especially shiiiok! on a hot sunny afternoon. A perfect thirst quencher it was. (Maybe I can make some Roselle cocktails too with my newly acquired Absolut Raspberri! Should show you guys my full Absolut Dream Team collection soon) HB went for a jug of beer instead.


COCA Stuffed Prawns- RM9 per pc
COCA special deep fried fresh water prawn


Pandan Chicken- RM8.80 for 2 pcs
Marinated chicken fillet wrapped in pandan leaf

Before we went straight to the steamboat, Andrea treated us with some COCA's signature appetizers- the COCA Stuffed Prawns (RM9 per pc) and Pandan Chicken (RM8.80 for 2 pcs).

The Stuffed Prawns were stuffed with prawn and fish paste, bits of mushrooms and subsequently deep fried. Though I would love to say I like this dish, the process of eating it can be alittle messy as the stuffings don't detach easily from the shells. It will take more than just a fork to eat this, I suggest to use your fingers like we did.



The Pandan Chicken was a lovely surprise. I like this as it is boneless and contains the aromatic flavours of pandan.



Next, it was Steamboat Time!

We were treated to their current Steamboat Promotion:

Set Menu A priced at RM98++ for 2 persons

Appetizer
Deep Fried Fish Paste x 2 nos

Steamboat Ingredients
Tiger Prawns (200g) x 1 plate
Jelly Fish x 1 plate
Stuffed Squid x 1 plate
Chicken Ball x 1 plate
Chicken Fillet x 1 plate
Fish Glue x 1 plate
COCA Foo Chuk x 1 plate
House Special Dumpling x 1 plate
Chinese Cabbage x 1 plate
Morning Glory x 1 plate
Tofu x 1 plate
Green Noodles x 1 plate
Egg x 2 nos



To taste the best of both worlds, we chose to have the Yin Yang- the clear and Tom Yum broth.



There is even a waiter to help us as we sat back and enjoy the food. The above picture shows the waiter showing how the fish paste should be scraped from the plate into the boiling soup.



Apparently I have read from many places that the fish paste sticks on to the plate and the only way to scrape it out is to run some boiling broth over it and scrape them out part by part.



The Tom Yum broth is quite distinctive as I notice that it is more concentrated unlike many steamboat joints out there. It also guarantees giving you a spicy kick. The clear broth however fails to shine in my humble tastebud opinion, maybe because I had the Tom Yum first.



The spinach noodles certainly caught my eyes as they're green! I supposed it should be famous so eventhough I was stuffed, I had to try it. I especially like the fried garlics though, it went well with the noodles and clear broth. I have found a new liking for fried garlics, fried onions, fried anchovies and fried dried baby shrimps. One thing they all have in common is they go so well with noodles!! Yumm yummm.

I know it's really weird that many times when we're already so stuffed, we still somehow have space for desserts!


Fresh Mango with Glutinous Rice (RM21.90)

A meal at a Thai place is never complete without the Fresh Mango with Glutinous Rice (RM21.90). This is one dessert which is packed on calories and carbs but I can't be bothered to care as it is OhSoGooood. Best part is the glutinous rice was still warm and fluffy.


Durian Puree

Andrea recommended the durian puree to go with the glutinous rice as well. This is actually another dessert on its own called Fresh Mango Pulut with Durian (RM23.90) but the durian puree was served in a different cup because some people don't take durian. The durian puree was really good, even on its own. Sinful, sinful but wonderful!


Water Chestnut with Coconut Milk- RM7.50


Sago in Coconut Milk- RM7.50

The Water Chestnut with Coconut Milk is also commonly known as Tab Tim Grob (or Red Rubies). This well-known uniquely Thai dessert fared better than the Sago in Coconut Milk. Again, perhaps I had the more strong flavour durian puree earlier on, the Sago in Coconut Milk tasted pretty bland in comparison.

p/s: The drinks & desserts are not included in the set promotion :)



COCA Restaurant is also running a buffet promotion where unlimited appetizers are available for your consumption. Do check out my flickr set for more photos of the appetizers available.

Note: I gathered from Andrea that the pricing for COCA is slightly above average due to the freshness of their ingredients (ie. the kitchen makes all the meatballs and fish glues from fresh with strictly NO preservatives).

Thanks HB and Andrea for the hospitality and invite.

Read HB's review here.



COCA Subang Parade
Lot G28, Level G,
Subang Parade,
5, Jalan SS16/1, Subang Jaya.
Tel: 03-5632 8766

COCA 1 Utama
Lot G38 & F40,
1 Utama Shopping Centre,
1, Lebuh Bandar Utama, Bandar Utama.
Tel: 03-7727 3180

[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.]