pH Pastryhouse @ Lakefields, Sg Besi

pH Pastry House

A soon-to-be neighborhood to watch out for is Lakefield @ Sg Besi where a township of lakeside living is being built and will be the home to many middle to upper class in the future. pH Pastry House was established in Jln Imbi before this, but it was torn down to make way for the MRT. It has since relocated to Lakefield.


Mushroom soup - RM9.90


Seafood chowder - RM9.90

I've never been to the Imbi establishment, but have read about the good things especially its affordability. The soups proved the point - hearty, comforting and easy on the wallet (anything under RM10 is a steal these days!).


Soft shell crab salad - RM12.90


Duck confit with plum chutney sauce - RM20.90


Beef Wellington - RM42.90

Another appetizer we shared was the soft shell crab salad. 2 breaded pieces of soft shell crab served with spicy marinara sauce and lemon butter sauce - doesn't shout amazing but the affordability was something.

For mains, we had the duck confit and beef Wellington. The duck confit fell short of expectations being a little dry and not too tender, perhaps should have opted the pastas instead. The beef Wellington was pretty good, 200g of well seasoned tenderloin beef with the right doneness, stuffed with mushroom and spinach, enveloped in a fluffy puff pastry. It is hard to find Beef Wellington on restaurant menus, we had our first taste of this English dish at Smokehouse, Cameron Highlands. Now at least we know where we could get a fix in case of a 'Beef-Wellington-cravings'.


Delectable desserts



Being a pastry house, there are also cakes, desserts and bread available.



pH Pastry House
1, Jalan Tasik Utama 3,
Lakefield Sg Besi,
57000 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-90548339
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pastryhousekl


* Visuals by iPhone 4

[Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. Please don't sue me, I don't have money. Kthxbye.]

CNY Dinners #3 @ Imperial Garden, PJ

Prosperity Salmon & Sea Bird's Nest Yee Sang

As with the eve till every single 15 days of the CNY, feasting is a must. Usually focus is given to the Reunion dinner on the eve of the 1st day of CNY and Chap Goh Mei -- the 15th and last day of CNY. I made a booking at Imperial Garden, one of the Chinese restaurants under the Tai Thong Group. It was our first try with Imperial Garden. Going for the easy way, we took a pick from the set menus available -- RM448.00++ for 6 pax.


Braised Shark's Fin Soup with Crab Meat


Suckling Piglet


Steamed Mandarin Fish with Preserved Vegetables


Baked Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk


Sauteed Mushroom with Fish Maw & Dried Oysters


Fried Rice with Waxed Meat & Anchovies


Double-Boiled Sea Coconut with Ginseng & Snow Fungus


Chinese New Year Fancy Duets

Boy, lesson learnt. Never go for set menus during festive seasons. They're usually:
1. Generic
2. Cooked up with fancy names on the menu to entice
3. Quality is below par
4. Expensive

The dishes were less than impressive. Yee Sang was below par, sharks fin was mediocre at best, suckling pig was oily, fish was not too smooth, prawns were so-so, vegetarian dish was average, we were too stuffed by the time fried rice arrived so it was a takeaway, and the desserts were crap.

I should have just spend RM500.00++ elsewhere. A plate of nasi lemak would have satisfied us better. I guess we'll just stick to the more reliable and consistent Palace and Oriental Group.



Imperial Garden by Tai Thong
7th Floor, Intan Square
No.3, Lorong Utara C,
46200 Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-79566868


* Visuals by iPhone 4

[Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. Please don't sue me, I don't have money. Kthxbye.]

CNY Dinners #2 @ Sek Yuan Restaurant, Pudu

Yee Sang

Sek Yuan Restaurant in Pudu has been in existence for almost 5 decades (and still counting!). It is a well-known landmark and is on the list of a must-visit where you get to enjoy Chinese dishes (famously known to be cooked using charcoal) and enjoy the ambiance of yesteryears. It has been quite some years since I had a meal at Sek Yuan, and I still remember seeing all the waiter and waitresses where no one is below at least 60 years old!


Four Seasons Cold Platter


Suckling pig


Crabmeat egg with fresh crisp lettuce


Stuffed treasure duck


Waxed meat glutinous rice

We made reservations for a CNY dinner with some friends at Sek Yuan this year. All the dishes fared very well with exception of the fish which unfortunately was sent back to the kitchen (and never returned, but we got it off the bill) due to unacceptable smelly-fish smell and taste. Portions are generous even with 12 of us, there was still "ta-pau" takeaway. Corkage is free.




Sek Yuan Restaurant
315, Jalan Pudu,
55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-92220903


* Visuals by iPhone 4

[Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. Please don't sue me, I don't have money. Kthxbye.]

CNY Dinners #1 @ King Crab Restaurant, Kelana Jaya

King Crab Yee Sang - RM45

King Crab has been in existence for a number of years now and has made itself a landmark when trying to navigate around Kelana Jaya due to its big eye catching sign board along the LDP highway. On normal days, perhaps we will need to find 10 reasons to dine at a real air-conditioned Chinese restaurant for a meal with crabs, but if it's CNY... you'll only need one reason. It is CNY.


Suckling pig (whole) - RM180


Steamed fish - RM128


8 treasure vegetable with scallops - RM42


Steamed crabs - RM80


Salted egg yolk crabs - RM80


Two-style HK kailan - RM22

We picked these dishes from the ala carte menu - Yee Sang and Suckling Pig being the obligatory two CNY must-haves. The rest were accompaniments that are typical in any Chinese meals - crabs, fish, vegetarian-8-treasures-something, and some green fibers.

Overall, the meal was a-okay, hits on the suckling pig, fish and crabs and the 8-treasures dish, but miss was on the HK kailan - the fried portion seems to be over-fried.

CNY Dinners #2 on Pudu's favourite landmark Sek Yuan Restaurant next!



King Crab Restaurant
No. 103 - 107, Jalan SS25/2,
Taman Mewah Jaya,
47301 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor.
Tel: 03-78082388
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/King-Crab-Restaurant/107239862636824


* Visuals by iPhone 4

[Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. Please don't sue me, I don't have money. Kthxbye.]

Yeast Bistronomy (Revisit) @ Jln Telawi, Bangsar

Complimentary assorted from the boulangerie

So long gone are days when we crack our heads to find that extra special place for that extra special yearly occasion (February 14th.......). Well, I'm just glad we no longer need to do that.

"Let's give Yeast's dinner menu a try for V's dinner?"
"Sure!"

And that was it.

This is a revisit. Read our first visit here.



Gateaux de Crabe - RM28
Crispy crab cakes, green apple, cranberries, toasted walnut, roquette, and garlic aioli


Saumon Poele Bordelaise-Bearnaise - RM45
Seared salmon with red wine & Bearnaise sauce with creamed spinach


Beef Bourguignon -RM58
Tender braised beef short ribs with red wine, root vegetable puree


Red for him and Rose for her - about RM20 per glass

The crab cakes were delicious, accurately described in the menu as crispy and with solid crab meat. We wish there was more than 1 piece per person or it wasn't so expensive so that we could afford 2 portions! No complains on the salmon for me, though there was really nothing to shout about. The Bearnaise sauce is the same sauce being used in the breakfast menu for the Eggs Ben (similar to Hollandaise). The beef bourguignon was very well executed. The meat was fork-tender and every bite of the braised beef was flavourful - recommended! Wines are available by glass and at about RM20 affordability level, they were pretty decent.




Yeast Bistronomy
24G, Jalan Telawi 2,
Bangsar, 59100,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-22820118
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Yeast-Bistronomy/351724934917371


* Visuals by iPhone 4

[Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. Please don't sue me, I don't have money. Kthxbye.]

Ril's Steakhouse @ Jln Tun HS Lee

Ril's dining setting

Winner of the Time Out KL Food Awards for the category of 'Best for Meat' instantly upgrades Ril's from a previously unknown hidden steakhouse housed in a pre-war upper shoplot along Jalan Tun HS Lee (just about a stone's throw from Petaling Street). The ground floor is set up as an art gallery and cafe (The Last Polka ice cream is available here). From the ground floor, a black metal (very) steep staircase leads you to Ril's. If you've read it elsewhere to be cautious of the staircase, I'd like to repeat the same warning too... ladies, do not attempt to wear your 4-inch stilletos.


Assorted butter to go with your bread


Lobster bisque - RM28


Tuna tartare - RM28
Finely chopped raw tuna with spicy marinated onions, served with dragonfruit compote and ginger soy vinaigrette


Green goddess - RM22
Crisp baby romaine hearts served with a tangy and delicious anchovy-tarragon dressing


Tuna tataki - RM28
Slices of seared tuna with a velvety rich butter and soy reduction, served with candied cinammon apple and a ginger chilli jam


Mac and cheese with truffled oil - RM28


Wagyu rib-eye (300g) - RM168


Mmmmmm.....


Rib-eye (ladies portion - 300g) - RM72

We've visited Ril's twice - thanks to 50% off cash vouchers sold off on Livingsocial (though I have a very bad experience with the Gaucho Grill vouchers bought - outlet closed down but refusal of a refund, but that's another story altogether).

Most of the appetizers and salads are priced about RM22 - RM30, while steaks start at RM76 with sides costing at least RM10, other non-steak mains ranging between RM28 - RM72 and desserts at RM16 - RM26. The appetizers were ok - not great. Amongst the few selections of appetizers we sampled, I would recommend the lobster bisque, though at RM28, it's not exactly the most affordable! Mac and cheese was good, portion just right to let you some room to 'steal' some meat from others. The wagyu rib-eye is perhaps the most expensive item on the menu and made affordable with the 50% off voucher but still not without making a dent in the wallet. We requested it for medium-rare and it was just a heavenly piece of beef... a little fat fringing the meat offering a melt-in-your-mouth ecstatic-ism. On my second visit, I tried the rib-eye (without the wagyu word - costing less than half the price!), had it done medium but disappointed it came out raw-ish since it was a thick cut and after it returned again from the kitchen, the juice was lost.

Would love to see Ril live up to its name of 'Best for Meat' in KL, but consistency needs to be a focus and perhaps we will return when those 50% off vouchers are available again, else this would go to 'The List of Places to Dine When There's Spare Cash or Special Occasions'.



Ril's @ The Warehouse
198, Jln Tun HS Lee,
50000 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-20220528
Biz hours: 10.00am - 1.00am, closed on Mondays
Website: http://www.thewarehouse.com.my/rils-steakhouse/restaurant/
View Ril's menu


* Visuals by iPhone 4

[Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. Please don't sue me, I don't have money. Kthxbye.] 

Hit & Mrs @ Lorong Kurau, Bangsar

Dark always spells elegance - ground floor interior of dining & kitchen area

The BIG Group is always coming up with new F&B concepts to surprise us. While some of us have already mastered the skills to tell if a new eatery is BIG-associated, the Ben siblings never fail to surprise us with the unthinkable... like this new concept restaurant & bar, quirky-ly named 'Hit & Mrs', a homophone to Hit & Misses -- a general expression writers or bloggers use to put a verdict to food reviewed.


The dinner tasting menu @ RM175/pax (additional RM10 if you opt for the 'pricier' mains) & the drinks menu

I had the pleasure to give the dinner tasting menu a try as a birthday treat in December last year. The restaurant was still relatively new, but word of mouth has spread like wildfire of this new BIG venture. The restaurant seats not more than 30, and has 2 sessions per night - either 7pm or 9pm.

How it works? 
You can have the option to order the dishes in the dinner menu as an alacarte item (portions will be appropriately adjusted) or go for the tasting menu, with 2 choices from small plate (appetizer), 2 from main plate (mains) and 2 from sweet plate (desserts), + 2 surprise chef's special.


Bread and butter


Amuse bouche - can't remember exactly what this was?


Small Plate - Beetroot, Orange


Small Plate - Scallop, Paprika, Confit of Potato


Small Plate - Foie gras parfait, Brioche, Cranberry


Small Plate - Salmon, Horseradish, Celery


Chef's special #1 - Pan seared foie gras, peanut crumbs, raspberry jam

The appetizers were done up nicely - playing with flavours and texture. I don't usually willingly opt for anything with beetroot, but this combination is really refreshing maybe because of the strong citrus taste. The other favourite is the salmon which was done sous vide (actually we notice that all the meat and fish are done sous vide before being seared, grilled or pan fried, etc), hence the incredibly smooth and soft texture. The salmon is a melt-in-your-mouth! Foie gras parfait was a very different experience - foie gras (savoury) in ice cream format. First taste was unique... but once you acquire the taste, there's no reason to dislike it. No complains on the scallops and very delighted with the bonus of pan seared foie gras :)


Big Plate - Lamb, Barley, Peas


Big Plate - Fish of the day, Brown Butter, Chestnut
* additional RM10


Big Plate - Grain fed tenderloin, BBQ gnocchi, Onion toffee
* additional RM10


Big Plate - Chicken, Trufflondaise, Quinoa


Chef's special #2 - Brie, barley, mushrooms

The sous vide method was genius on the salmon, but didn't quite work for the lamb. We had to send back the first serving as it was not the texture we were expecting (still raw-ish, even after grilled). The second serving that came back from the kitchen was much better but the enthusiasm was gone. The fish and chicken dish was nothing memorable (I don't really like quinoa - the black grain-like seed). The beef tenderloin was okay, though again expectations were high especially on the poultry and unfortunately the expectations weren't met.

The second chef's special which was aimed to be a palate cleanser before moving on to desserts was quite ingenious. Who would have thought these 3 (rather) independent ingredients can jive so perfectly. 


Sweet Plate - Peanut butter, Chocolate


Sweet Plate - Lemon custard, Raspberry


Small Plate - Tiramisu, Mixed berry sabayon

Desserts were presented in a 'deconstructed' manner, but unfortunately nothing over the moon. If you're a fan of peanut butter, then you may like the peanut butter & choc combo as it's rich and filling. 


Tequila watermelon punch - RM90
Tequila, agave nectar, watermelon, lime, soda, aloe vera

Drinks are not easy on the pocket with cocktails starting at RM30 - RM40 per fix and punches in jug ranging from RM90 - RM240.

Perhaps aptly named, we find the food somewhat refreshing and interesting but not all were inspiring and memorable (prices are steep too). We heard that lunch is now available and we'll see if it renders for a return...



Hit & Mrs
15, Lorong Kurau,
Taman Weng Lock,
Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
Biz hours: 6 - 10.30pm, closed on Mondays
Tel: 03-2282357


* Visuals by iPhone 4 & 5

[Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. Please don't sue me, I don't have money. Kthxbye.]