Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Restoran Well Cook Gourmet, Subang Jaya

I love laksa. The aromatic spices, smooth creamy coconut milk, chewy noodles...really one of the best Malaysian inventions of all time. I am also crazily in love with another unique Malaysian culinary creation, the awesomely aromatic char kuey teow which I absolutely must have everytime I am in Penang. I guess the boss of Well Cook Gourmet in Subang Jaya loves these 2 great food items too, hence the creation of - fried laksa.

FRIED LAKSA?

Yup, you heard me right, fried laksa. I was introduced to this unique dish a couple of weeks ago by a friend who absolutely insisted that we try this dish. Filled with curiosity and loads of expectations, A whole bunch of us decided to visit this place on a fine sunny afternoon.

Located right opposite ss15, The restaurant was well filled up even at 3pm! This is certainly looking promising for me. Besides fried laksa, they do offer quite a variety of different dishes. Though they looked really good on the menu, I was there for one reason and one reason only, the fried laksa.

































We sat down, placed out orders and got some drinks to start things off. I ordered the iced lime barley, perfect for a hot sunny afternoon. Then we wait and wait and wait...alamak so long!!!


















Finally after 30 minutes, our plates of fried laksa arrived. And oh my did it smell good! If there is a hybrid food, this must absolutely be one of them. The already great smell of laksa (actually now that I think of it, more like asam laksa without the little pieces of mackerel), fried with some lean, mean wok hei is absolutely personifying. Just a sniff and my mouth was filled with a pool of saliva. looks and smells awesome!!!

































After witnessing and smelling this awesome dish, I was able to control myself, stopping myself from devouring the whole plate, chopsticks and all just like that. Slowly, I squeezed some lime juice over the dish and mix them around...


















And then I took a bite. I was lost for words. simply...freakin...AWESOME!!!Talk about an unforgettable experience this IS one thing everyone should and absolutely MUST try!!! spiciness, sourness, great taste, awesome smell everything and I do mean everything is well package in this simple looking dish. Doggyjames has found his most-test favorite dish of all time (until now at least).

































nom nom nom

















1 plate of fried laksa would cost you RM5.50, really cheap for an unforgettable experience. A MUST TRY.

Here's a map for you readers. The restaurant is located right across ss15 where Taylors & Inti college are located, same row as Esso petrol station in ss14, facing the main road. Really easy to locate.















Restoran Well Cook Gourmet
74, Jalan ss14/2
Subang Jaya.

Operating Hours:
12pm - 9pm



doggyjames says...this little doggie is absolutely in love with fried laksa here. a must try. absolutely.




Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Maria's Cafe, Damansara Perdana

Homecooked style western food in Damansara Perdana? You too rich ah? Some might have this mentality when they think about having a nice, quiet western meal in Damansara Perdana. Yes the overpriced real estates and the hundreds of Datuks, Datins, Tan Sris, Tengkus etc staying there might lead one to think that way. But the reality is that you can still enjoy a nice western meal without crying after seeing your credit card statement come month end.

I am of course, talking about Maria's cafe located at Metropolitan Square, Damansara Perdana. This humble little restaurant has been in the area for quite a number of years now, and has attracted fans from all over the Klang Valley. Today is my first time there, lets see if they could convert me.

















The interior is well lit making this a very welcoming place indeed. Me and a bunch of friends reached about 8pm so the place is almost empty and we were practically their last customers. I love their European style table setting, adds such a nice homely feel to the place indeed. The smoking area is separated from the main dining area, making this a very suitable and comfortable for smokers and non smokers alike.


















































We ordered the mussles with pasta sauce for starters. Mussles taste good, but we all know its not fresh because we are in Malaysia. The sauce taste just like how tomato based pasta sauce are supposed to taste. Light yet flavourful, sweet yet tangy. The perfect way to start of the day's dinner.


















Friend A had just removed her wisdom tooth and was restrained to just liquid food for the WEEK. Poor thing. She had opted for the oxtail soup instead of some really tasty looking main dishes on the menu. The outcome? One of the most tasty, sophisticated oxtail soups you will ever taste. A really powerful statement from the kitchen signalling their passion for traditional western cuisine. Every spoonful was delightfully filled with the taste of beef and fresh herbs. Simply Amazing.


















Friend B ordered the roast beef. One bite of the meat fills your head with the natural aroma of a good quality piece of beef, as not much herbs were used besides the sauce the slice of beef were able to retain its natural and original taste. Could do with more cooking time to make it more tender though. Nonetheless, still a very well executed dish.


















Friend C opted for the lamb cutlets. A very good choice indeed. The lamb was marinated very well to get rid of any traces of the dreaded "lamb smell". Well for me theres no point in eating lamb which does not have the flavour of lamb, but most people prefer it that way. In that sense, Maria's had done a brilliant job. Aluminum foils were added to the cutlets for a firm grip without getting your hands dirty.


















Doggyjames in the other hand, opted for the daily special: lamb shank. Yupz, the biggest dish for the biggest boy at the table :D

It was a monster when it arrived. Covered in a nice homemade gravy with loads of vegetables on the side, the shank itself easily took up more than half of the plate. And mind you, it was a pretty big plate it was. It was done so fantastically the meat slides off the bone with just a gentle touch of the fork. The meat itself was superbly moist and tender, and oh yes, it still had a hint of the ever unpleasant smell of lamb I loved so much. The homemade gravy compliments the meat really well, just like a match made in heaven. Needless to say, I cleaned up the whole plate, gravy and all.

















































We decided to end our meal with a sumptous display of desserts. The guys had the moist choclate cake, which comes with a scoop of Movenpick ice cream and the girls had the ice cream only. Take about guilty pleasures! The chocolate cake of warm, moist and soooooooooooo damn chocolat-y...paired with the ice, simply creates an orgasmatic explotion in you mouth (stop laughing). A really awesome ending to such an incredible meal.


































Prizes here are not as steep as one would think. The mains are mostly well below RM50 and entrees are a mere RM20 and below. The desserts are RM10 and below (yes, even the orgasmatic chocolate cake). Cost less than RM120 for the 4 of us :)

Heres a map and details for you readers. If you are coming from LDP, turn into the junction with Damansara Perdana signage. Go straight and you will find Metropolitan Square on your right, the building with a Citibank in front. Maria's is located on the 1st floor and is really easy to spot if you do not miss the Citibank sign and insist you are on the right way driving all the way into Damansara Perdana, got lost and then decide to drive around in circles for a full 30 minutes still insisting you are right like I did.













Mari's Cafe Damansara Perdana
C313A, Center Wing, Metropolitan Square
No.2, Jalan PJU8/1,
Bandar Damansara Perdana, Selangor

Tel: 03-7725 2313


maria's blog




Doggyjamessays...Definitely one of the best western restaurants in town. Besides the awesomeness and yummilicious food, I love their environment there. So nice, cosy and its like eating at your own dining room. Will be going there very very often :)


















Oh, and this entry is specially dedicated to friend A a.k.a. TofuPok (seen here trying frantically to eat her soup with a fork) who flew to the UK for her masters the very next day. All the best for you and cant wait for u to return! :)

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Kinpachi Japanese Restaurant, Subang Jaya

When one thinks of Japanese Restaurants one would normally think of Kuala Lumpur or maybe...Sri Hartamas even? Lately another township has emerged as the Japanese capital of Malaysia. Yes my friends, welcome to ma crib SUBANG JAYA y'all!!!

Of the dozens of Jap restaurants around town, Kinpachi is certainly one of the oldest if not the oldest place here. Me and my family are frequent customers of Kinpachi and the quality of food has been the same since years ago. I love the location of kinpachi as well, easy to find parking compared to other places and enjoys a little bit of secrecy being tucked away in the quiet little corner of ss17.







































Green Teas here are free, and you will be greeted with a complimentary appetizer which are different everyday. Today, its fish fillets ala chinese style. Yummy.


































I ordered their yakitori first. chicken balls, tomatoes wrapped with bacon & pork belly. Aromatic. Fresh. Tender. Superb.


































I ordered their signature bento set, the kinpachi bento which comes with sashimi, tempura prawns, japanese mashed potatoes, tofu, fried pork, eggs and ketchup spaghetti. Of course with rice, miso soup, japanese pickles, salad and mixed fruits. The sashimi was superbly fresh, normally with salmon, tuna & butter fish. pork was moist and perfectly fried, and the best? their mashed potatoes which was smooth like butter with traces of egg white making this one of the best mashed potatoes around. A definite must try.



































My dinner partner ordered the sashimi bento set, with fresh sashimi and tempura prawns and veg. equally fantastic as well.



































The meal was completed with the presence of, of course, alcohol. Cold sake and Kirin beer were the norm, with some snacks as well. This time we choose the shishamo. If you are a sake lover, you wouldn't wanna leave this place. With over 20 different kinds of imported sake, even I couldn't try everything here. Shishamo was fantastic. Perfectly grilled to perfection and filled with maximum amount of roe. Simply wonderful.


















































The bill for this scrumptious meal came only around RM130...pretty cheap if you considered the amount and quality of food, plus alcohol involved.

Heres a map and details of the place for you readers. Kinpachi is located near the ss17 Shell Station, just opposite the new Toyota showroon. You should be able to see a Kia showroom at the G floor.















Kinpachi Japanese Restaurant
Lot 1.06, 1st Floor, Wisma Padicorp,
13 & 15, Jalan SS17/1A, 47500
Subang Jaya, Selangor.

Tel: 03-5632 2017

Opening Hours:
Lunch: 12pm - 2pm
Dinner: 6pm - 11pm

*call before going because:
1. always full house, u need to book a table
2. sometimes they close shop on non-holidays...but open on 2nd day of CNY o.O


Doggyjames says...This would be one of the best places in Subang in terms of food quality, yumminess and authenticity...awesomeness galore :D





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