Caffe Bene needs no further introduction. So far, this Korea-based coffee house has four outlets in KL and Penang and their branch in Solaris Mont Kiara is still very popular. Even after 9 months in business you could still see people lining patiently (especially on weekends) for their bingsu, waffle, coffee and gelato. Or maybe it’s just because of the lack of seats?

Nevertheless, the relaxed and cheerful ambience makes Caffe Bene a great gathering place for both family and friends after a hard day at work. I like the fact that free water is served here (not many businesses do this anymore) – great for cleansing the palate after a sweet indulgence.

Caffe Bene’s bingsu is worth ordering just for the pretty presentation alone. The Strawberry Bingsu has fresh cut of strawberries, sweet Azuki bean paste and topped with a scoop of their very own strawberry gelato. Overall it was an enjoyable dessert with generous enough portion (single @ RM12.80) to be shared between two.

Cookies & Cream Bingsu @ RM12.80 (small) – basically the same icy treat but topped with Oreo cookie dust and cream. Good thing the cookie was still crunchy. I have had some Oreo-related desserts where the cookie would taste soft and stale because they left it out in the open for too long.

I’ve said this before, but OW:L Espresso is still a clear winner as far as bingsu is concerned because their shaved ice is finer and creamy with a soft texture similar to the Taiwanese milk snow.

Coco Nuts Waffle @ RM14 – it was served warm and fresh with chocolate chips and various premium-ish nuts such as Macadamia, walnuts and almond. But I feel you could do better with a latte or another bingsu for the price paid. Seriously RM14 for something like this just doesn’t cut it.

Lines like this are still a common sight especially on Fridays and weekends. I think Caffe Bene somehow rejuvenated the F&B scene in Solaris Mont Kiara and the place does not feel as dead as before. I remember coming to this area a few years back and most businesses were not doing very well. But now it’s bustling with people and activity – it just felt different.

Caffe Bene Solaris Mont Kiara
K-G-04, Solaris Mon’t Kiara,
No.2, Jalan Solaris, 50480 Kuala Lumpur.
Business Hours: 9.30am – 11.00pm

The post Caffe Bene @ Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

I have probably driven past Watercolour more than a dozens of times but I never realized it’s actually a bakery and cafe – until a friend asked me to have brunch here. I used to think it was some sort of shop that sells watercolour, brushes and stuff for painting and what-not. Kinda silly eh?

A visit to their website reveals that they started out as a juice bar, with the name “Watercolour” chosen to reflect their unique colour concept juices. As time went by their business grew and expanded to the bakery and cafe you see today. Their menu features mostly breakfast, sandwich, coffee and juice.
And of course you will still see their signature 5 Colour Fruit Juice (Red, White, Green, Orange, Purple) being served here. Now I am thinking if they added two more colours would they named themselves “Rainbow” instead? Hmm. Anyway for you bread lovers out there, a variety of breads and pastries are also availabe at the display cases, all baked daily with limited quantity to ensure their freshness.

I am not much of a bread person so I went for the meatiest option available: Beef Burger Gipfel @ RM21 – a burger with croissants for bun and thick Aussie beef for the patty.
The thick and juicy patty was well-seasoned so it was bursting with flavour (no chilli or ketchup needed here) and when eaten together with the flaky and crunchy croissant, the taste was simply delicious. As simple as it might look, I think this is one of the better beef burger out there that does not need fancy buns and sauces to make it good.

There’s an option to make your ala carte order a set lunch, just top up a couple of ringgit for a drink of your choice.

Some cookies and jams for sale.

I think they take orders for customized cakes but a 7 days notice is required.

The indoor, air-conditioned seats are quite limited but the al-fresco area is well shaded enough for a quick grub.

Besides my awesome burger, other food (according to my dining partners) was said to be nice as well and those include the Smoked Salmon Scrambled Egg, Chicken Mushroom Sausage Laugen and Pesto Chicken with Avocado. Watercolour might not attract the Instagram loving foodie but as a friendly neighbourhood bakery and cafe, I think they’re doing a great job at it.

Watercolour Gourmet Bakery & Cafe
G-2A Mont’ Kiara Meridin
19 Jalan Duta Kiara
50480 Mont Kiara, KL
Tel: 03-62078942
Business hours: 7.30am – 8pm (Mon – Fri), 7.30am – 11pm (Sat), 7.30am – 6pm (Sun)

The post Watercolour Gourmet Bakery & Cafe @ Mont Kiara Meridin appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

Pretz n’ Beanz is one of the more family friendly cafes in Solaris Mont Kiara. There’s something for everyone on the menu, even for kids. But as the name suggests, soft pretzel and coffee are their main offerings. This cheerful and cozy cafe is usually packed especially if it’s a weekend morning, that’s when you will lots of families enjoying early breakfast and brunch.

If you think pretzel and bread taste almost the same, well you aren’t wrong because they have largely the same ingredients. The more obvious difference that you can taste right in an instant is the dense and chewy texture. Flavours for the pretzels available at Pretz n’ Beanz are aplenty ranging from sweet, to cheesy and nutty with prices between RM5 and RM8.

The Basil Cheese pretzel @ RM7.30 is one of the best sellers here. I like to think of it as one of the healthier choices (compared to the chocolate and sugar flavoured ones) and suited for breakfast or as a filling snack. Moreover, they are baked and not deep fried.

Baked egg lovers should probably not miss the Champignon Baked Egg that’s stuffed with plenty of tomatoes, mushroom and mozarella cheese. At RM17.90. It’s also served with celery and carrot sticks and two pieces of pretzels. The portion size is big enough to be shared with a friend or two so the price is justified.

For those who prefer a not-so-doughy bite, I think the filled pretzels would be a better choice. There are close to a dozen of fillings to choose from but we couldn’t resist trying the Jumbo Cheesy Chicken Hot Dog @ RM13.65. Popping one of these will definitely fill you up, not because of the pretzel, but because the sausage is thick and meaty. Kids will love this for sure!

And it’s only natural that they also use the pretzel dough to make freshly baked pizzas that are available in 7″ or 10″. It was hard to choose which flavour to get since all of them looked equally good, but we decided to get the classical 7″ Chicken Hawaiian pretzel pizza @ RM15.80.
Compared to the usual pizza that has a thin and crispy base, the pretzel version is soft and fluffy with a chewy crust. If you like your pizza crispy, you should skip this. Personally, I still prefer the original pizza but it’s worth a try for a new and different experience.

Even if you are not a big fan of pretzel, there are plenty of other items the menu such as all day breakfast of C.O.Y (choose your own continental breakfast), royale salmon egg benedict (shown above), pasta and cakes.

Coffees are reasonably priced and on par with all the other cafes in the same vicinity. They do however, offer a few interesting choices such as the Coco Latte and Chocolate Cookie Latte.

Besides Solaris Mont Kiara, Pretz n’ Beanz has another outlet at Ikano Power Centre too.

Pretz n’ Beanz Cafe
22, Jalan Solaris 4
Solaris Mont Kiara, 50480 KL
Business hours: Sun – Thurs (7.30am – 12am), Fri, Sat & Eve of PH (7.30am – 1am)

The post Pretz n’ Beanz cafe @ Solaris Mont Kiara, KL appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

Finding an Izakaya in KL is not difficult, as there are a number of them sprawl over the city. But for a change of flavor and environment, Sola-Pocha, a PojangMacha (Korean bar) could very well be what you are looking for. The bar’s chosen name is simply an amalgamation of the words Sola (Solaris Mont Kiara, where it’s located) and Pocha (short form for PojangMacha) – it all makes sense!

Koreans run the business and 90% of their customer base is Korean as well. If you ask me, that’s a good indication of things to come. The bar was even visited by Haha of Nonstop and Running Man fame.

As soon as you enter the bar, you will be greeted by an open kitchen with sushi bar like seats. The chef who designed the menu was actually plucked from Singapore by the owner – simply because he can cook and it shows in his food.

Depending on the occassion there’s a common dining area for a more atmospheric experience, while a private room that seat up to 10 people can be utilized for an intimate evening. If you choose the latter, your privacy is highly valued and the staff would only enter if you buzzed for them, or when they are delivering your food and drinks.

Some cold appetizers which look unassuming but man are they tasty. Refillable too! My favorite was the pickled turnip cubes, they are pretty addictive stuff!

I am not sure whether this is in their menu because it was on the house – something to keep us munching while waiting for our food to arrive. From what I tasted, it seemed to be a spicy squid salad.

The first dish we had was the Seafood Green Pancake (Haemul pajeon) @ RM45. It was seriously good and so much better than all the Korean pancakes I had previously which were usually greasy, soggy and chewy. This one was totally the opposite.

If you like spicy food then you won’t go wrong with the Cheese Buldak @ RM45. Described on the menu as “very spicy”, I have to say the description was spot on.
It was really spicy and could be a challenge to finish for those who have a relatively low tolerance for spicy food. But for us, the balance of cheesiness and heat was just perfect and simply lip-smacking delicious.

Mussel Soup (Honghap Tang) is something new to us but we were glad we ordered it. Price at RM55, you get a huge pot of mussels cooked in a clear broth that’s both spicy (spiced up with cili padi) and moreish. Plus, the mussels were fresh and enjoyable too.

Another soup worth trying is the Chinese Style Seafood Soup (Jjambbong Tang) @ RM60. Although it shares zero similarity to any Chinese soup I have had before, it was tasty enough to be recommended.
Brimming with prawns, flower crabs, clams, cuttlefish and mussels, the soup is loaded with savory seafood flavor accompanied by a spicy and sourish tang. In fact, it tasted almost like a spicier version of prawn noodle soup due to the high amount of shellfish used.

As for drinks, there are more than a handful of selections including Soju, Makgeolli, Baekseju, Bokbunja and a couple of cocktail soju. Since we are not heavy drinkers, we had a Joheun Day Blue Soju to share.

Considering most of the soju and wine available here can be purchased at any Korean marts, their homemade cocktail soju will be something more special to try. Shown above is their Yogurt Soju @ RM35.
Be warned though, despite its drinkability the alcohol level of the cocktail soju is actually higher than the normal bottled soju. You might actually get drunk faster than you realize.

All in all, we enjoyed ourselves and before we knew it, we had been chatting over food and drinks for hours. Time sure passes by quickly when you are having fun!
The only downside I can think of here is the price, as some dishes’ prices require fine tuning to justify their worth. That said, there’s no GST or service charge so the prices shown are nett.

The easiest way to look for Sola-Pocha is to locate the Maybank at Solaris Mont Kiara, as they are located just one floor above it.

Sola-Pocha Korean Soju and Snack Bar
No 13-2, Block B, Jalan Solaris 1
Solaris Mont Kiara, 50480 KL
Tel: 03-6211 9960

The post Sola-Pocha Korean Soju & Snack Bar @ Solaris Mont Kiara appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

Besides Marugame, Kodawari Menya is another Japan-based udon and tempura restaurant that offers tasty noodles at affordable prices.
As of now, Kodawari Menya can only be found at 1 Mont Kiara shopping mall, right opposite another great Japanese noodle restaurant – Menya Kamikaze.

Self-service is practiced here so get a tray, queue up, place your order and pay at the cashier. Next to the check out counter is an array of tempura of seafood, vegetable and meat – just pick whichever you fancy.
When they first started I think there aren’t as many Udon choices on the menu. But I guess they still have to cater to customers’ needs and now you can even find Tom Yam Udon and a couple of rice dishes as well.

I had the Niku Udon (regular) @ RM16.90 which was topped with generous thinly sliced beef. Although the soup looks clear, it was deceptively delicious with a sweet and clean taste. The Udon, made Sanuki-style was equally good as well, perfectly cooked to a chewy yet firm to bite texture.

SL had the Niku Miso Udon Onsen Tamago @ RM18.90, a dry udon with miso flavored ground beef and a runny egg. If you prefer something a lot more savory, this would be recommended.

Despite being crispy, the Tempura was only decent at best because they felt cold after being left too long on the counter. So in this aspect, Marugame does it better; albeit not much.

While eating here, we saw a lot of Japanese customers having their dinner here with their families. Take what you will from that, but as far as I am concerned, Kodawari Menya’s udon definitely did not disappoint.

Kodawari Menya Udon & Tempura

L1-21A, Level 1, 1 Mont Kiara
50480, Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: 11am – 9.30pm

The post Kodawari Menya Udon & Tempura @ 1 Mont Kiara appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

If you told that me there’s a good Japanese restaurant in a condominium somewhere in KL, I would probably laugh it off. But then here we are.
Kobayashi has been around more than 4 years in Mont Kiara Palma, an old yet well maintained condominium that features a lake, a large garden and filled with trees that give a sense of tranquility.
So it’s no wonder many Japanese expats choose to live here, and therefore it also makes sense to operate a Japanese restaurant to cater to them. During our visit, we noticed a majority of Japanese customers who appear to be the residences of the condo.

Sashimi Moriawase is priced at RM50, surprisingly affordable and the cuts ain’t too shabby too. Everything was enjoyable but if I had to nitpick, the tuna could have been better. However, for the price you’re paying, moreover considering it’s Mont Kiara, one can’t really complain.

I feel the Japanese Fried Chicken (Tori Karaage) @ RM15 is a must try here, as it’s one of the best rendition I’ve had in a while.
The chicken tasted extremely fresh and they only use deboned chicken thigh, so it’s tender and juicy. Not to mention the skin is nice and crispy too.

Gyoza came highly recommended by the owner (who’s also the main chef) and it was satisfying. Both the flavor and texture are spot on and better still, it’s only RM8. Again, the price is more than reasonable, as I had something similar a few days ago which cost more than half of this.

Soft Shell Crab Avocado Maki @ RM20 was delicious, each bite was accompanied by a good chunk of soft shell crab and you could actually feel the crunch. However, if you have a disdain for mayo, you might want to opt for another maki.

Buta Kakuni @ RM15 is Japanese style braised pork belly. It might not look as dark as those prepared in traditional Chinese style, it still pack a punch of flavor and best enjoyed with rice.

At the end of the meal, we were given their homemade Mango Pudding on the house. You will only get this kind of service in a great customer oriented restaurant.

Before we left I had a chat with the friendly owner and found that the restaurant survives on repeat business and since they don’t advertise, they rely mostly on word of mouth for new customers.
Kobayashi is also popular for their vast choices of set dinners offered at value prices, which are great for everyday dining that won’t make your wallet cry.

To look for Kobayashi, simply follow the restaurant sign after leaving your car at the visitor’s car park.

Kobayashi Japanese Restaurant

Water Arena Cafe, Mont Kiara Palma
50480 Mont Kiara, KL
Tel: 03-2095 0136
Business hours: Lunch and Dinner (closed on Mondays)

The post Kobayashi Japanese Restaurant @ Mont Kiara Palma appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

B-Lab is one of the latest F&B merchants to be added into the Entertainer. If you’re wondering what the Entertainer is, it’s a mobile app that lets you enjoy buy 1 free 1 deals on main menu items. I have the app installed to look for great dining deals in town.

Back to B-Lab, their menu looks kind of unique and based on the great reviews they garnered on their FB page, I thought it’s worth dropping by.
Pizza is almost on every table so it’s an indication of its popularity. Flavor wise, you’d be pleased to know that they offer more than the normal ones like Smoked Duck, Jamon Iberico and Spicy Hungarian Sausage.

We opted for the Spicy Hungarian Sausage pizza @ RM27 and were completely satisfied with it. Although the pizza is oven baked, it’s still crispy, delicious and could rival any wood fired pizzas in town. My only gripe was that it was not sliced evenly so some slices are noticeably larger the other. That makes sharing a bit touchy – even more if your dining partner is a calculative one.

I rarely order pasta at a restaurant because it’s a simple dish to whip up, but I really have to commend the person who cooked this Garlic Chili Prawn Linguine @ RM31. It was perfectly seasoned and I really mean PERFECT, we wolfed it down so quickly :)

B-Lab takes pride in porcine dishes and it’s proven by the fact that they have Pressed Pork Belly @ RM35 on the menu. It’s time consuming to prepare so this might be one of the things you want to eat at a restaurant instead.

As good as it looks, the taste did not reach its best potential as the meat at the bottom had a mushy texture. A real pity though, because we enjoyed the rest of the dish especially the cider infused sauce and the gnocchi.

Despite a small let down on the pork belly, our dinner experience here could still be summarized as great. And since we used the Entertainer, the pizza was free so more reasons to be glad about the meal.

B-Lab Bar+Bistro+Bakery

VERVE Shops Mont’ Kiara, Jalan Kiara 5
Mont’ Kiara, 50480 KL
Business hours: 8am – 12am
Tel: 03-6206 1880

The post B-Lab Bar+Bistro+Bakery @ VERVE Shops Mont Kiara, KL appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

Ramen Izakaya Kazushi‘s owner is probably an ex-footballer who played for the Japanese national team. Either that, or he’s an avid fan and collector of memorabilia and signed collectibles of the said team. From what we saw that night, this casual eatery is popular with Japanese expats hanging around after work.

The menu here is quite simple and features a number of Japanese home cooked-style dishes. If you are looking for a fancy meal this is definitely not the place to be. Gyoza @ RM12 – plump in meat filling and encased in a lightly chewy wrapper. This simple dish hardly goes wrong in the hands of a competent chef.

Tonkatsu @ RM22 seems to be a specialty here so we ordered one to try. It was just alright and nothing compared to Tonkatsu by Ma Maison’s.

None of the ramen really appealed to us except for the Gekihara Ramen @ RM18. It’s supposed to be an ultra-spicy ramen but the spiciness is actually just right. If the noodle gets any spicier I don’t think it would taste very nice.

I would advise against ordering the Salmon Teriyaki @ RM18, not because it’s bad or anything, just that the miserable portion does not justify the price tag.

Overall, the food we had was OK, none of them was terrible nor great. I don’t know why but I have a nagging feeling that the experience was somewhat underwhelming for the amount we paid. The total was more than RM80 inclusive of service charge and GST.

Ramen Izakaya Kazushi

15, Jalan Solaris 3
Solaris Mont Kiara, 50480 KL
Tel: 03-6203 0155
Business hours: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 12am

The post Ramen Izakaya Kazushi @ Solaris Mont Kiara, KL appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

Don’t you feel thankful to the abundance of Korean BBQ buffet restaurants we have in KL? Best of all, most of them cost under RM40/pax so they are quite affordable to boot. If you fancy having unlimited grilled meat, Solaris Mont Kiara is a great hunting ground to start.
Last I counted there were three of them including the popular BBQ-K, which has unfortunately gone down hill of late. Our initial plan was to eat at Donsadon, but we ended up at Duk SooNe instead because we couldn’t find the place. We did find it on the way back though.

Duk So Nee’s BBQ buffet costs RM35.90/pax (price increased after our visit) and you are given 2 hours to enjoy as much as you can. A RM20 fee is imposed for wasting food but that wouldn’t really be a concern.
Why? Because the service here is quite sucky and they take their own sweet time to replenish the meat. If you happen to stumble upon a ‘kiasu’ customer who unashamedly grabs all the best cuts leaving none for the rest, all I can say is good luck!

There are roughly half a dozen of meat choices here, mostly pork including marinated and non-marinated cuts. When we arrived, the tray was only half full so we were only limited to having pork Boston Butt, marinated pork belly and chicken.
Remember I mentioned that the service here is bad? I really meant it. Can you imagine it took the staff 20 minutes to get a grill to our table? All the meat and vege were just sitting on the table the entire time we were waiting.

These paper thin pork slices are not served on the buffet’s meat counter. They were distributed to every table so if you want a refill, you need to flag a staff.

An hour into the meal, then ONLY the other cuts of meat such as pork belly, pork shoulder and marinated spare ribs started to fill the trays.

We tried everything and found the marinated spare ribs to be the most delicious. The plain ones on the hand lacked flavor (as expected) but at least they were fresh and still tasted pretty good with condiments.

For dessert it’s some local ice cream potong – the coconut flavored one was actually quite nice.

Despite the complaints we had, we can’t deny the food at Duk SooNe is good for the price they are charging. Ultimately, we only disliked the uninspiring service and slowness in replenishing the meat. Fortunately, those issues are easily (and hopefully will be) resolved.

Duk SooNe Fresh Meat Store

22, Block H, Jalan Solaris 5
50480 Solaris Mont Kiara, KL
Tel: 03-6211 0409
Business hours: 11am – 11pm

The post Korean BBQ Buffet @ Duk SooNe Fresh Meat Store, Solaris Mont Kiara appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

Despite its hidden location, Taiko Japanese Cuisine (Ramen Taiko) continues to do well. It was full house during our visit last weekend and the restaurant was filled with an air of conviviality. Because of that, service was slower than expected, but we didn’t mind the wait at all.

Impressed by their Nagasaki Champon we had previously, we decided to check out their other ramen options.
This time, I opted the Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen @ RM27.90 which was served in a relatively rich and milky pork bone broth. Compared to the other established ramen chains in town, the flavor is not as intense but still hits the spot.

SL’s choice was the Salmon Kabuto Ramen @ RM24.90. Instead of chashu, it was topped with a meaty deep fried salmon head infusing the broth with a sweet seafood taste. Not recommended for those who hate picking out bones of fish though.

If you like Japanese fried rice I’d suggest you to order one here. We picked the Kaisen Chahan (seafood fried rice) @ RM14.90 and it was one of the best Japanese fried rice we had in KL.
The ‘wok hei’ is strong, the rice grains are distinct, moist yet not mushy and full of flavor. This is probably just second to Gyukingu‘s.

Ramen wise, I think Nagasaki Champon will remain as our favorite here. But we are definitely pleased to know that Taiko makes a mean Japanese rice as well. Other dishes we’d recommend include gyoza, Buta Kakuni, sashimi and sushi as well.
Their set lunches are priced from RM18.90 onward and is served with a complimentary side dish like mixed sushi, gyoza and saba. They are a steal considering the serving size, quality of food and location.

Taiko Japanese Cuisine

15-0-2 B&2C Mont Kiara Shoplex
Jalan Kiara, 50480 KL
Tel: 03-2096 1822
Business hours: 11.30am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm daily

The post Ramen & Japanese Fried Rice @ Taiko Japanese Cuisine appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

YeZi has opened its second outlet at 1Mont Kiara and their Chinese New Year 2017 promotion is now available for reservation. There will be three different sets to choose from according to your budget and preferences.
While most Chinese New Year sets are tailored to serve 10 pax, YeZi’s can be enjoyed by smaller families or a group of 6.

I had the opportunity to sample the set A – 鸡鸣喜报, priced at RM488++ for 6pax, or RM728++ for 10 pax. Soup choices are only limited to Prosperity Broth, Imperial Canton Broth or Fragrant ‘Shao Xing’ Wine Crab Broth though. Besides the special salmon yee sang, here’s what you can expect in the set A:

Tiger prawns and sea asparagus.

Fresh pork slices.

Fried lobster salad balls and chicken balls with mushroom.

Fish paste.

Prawn paste.

Mixed vegetables and mushrooms, Crystal Rice Cake and charcoal and pumpkin ramen.

And of couse not to forget, YeZi’s homemade coconut ice cream for dessert.

That night, we had the Imperial Canton Broth (normal price RM88) which was prepared with a combination of sweet cabbage, bacon, coconut juice, kampung chicken and loads of dried scallops.
The broth tastes very traditional and homey, it’s like something your grandmother would cook without regards to the amount of ingredients used – as long as it turns out nutritious and flavorful. As far as steamboat broth goes, this has to be the one of most impressive I have ever had. One sip is all you need to tell the difference in quality.

---

I am not going to say much about the steamboat ingredients since I already covered that during my last visit. Everything felt pretty much the same except for the tiger prawns. They are so much larger and meatier than what we had previously.

For more information about the Chinese New Year promotion menu, log on to https://www.facebook.com/yezi.TheRoof or www.theroof.com.my. For reservations and further inquiries, please call the numbers below.

The post YeZi Chinese New Year 2017 Promotion Menu appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

After hearing plenty of good things about The Fat Fish, it became one of the restaurants I wanted to eat at. But I had always deferred a visit because it’s hard to get in unless you have a reservation. Last weekend, I finally dropped by during an odd time – when it’s after lunch but too early for dinner.

Here’s what we had: Aki Sashimi Moriawase @ RM86, Salmon Sashimi @ RM20 and Bara Chirashi Don @ RM28. Everything we had was pretty made up of raw fish since that’s what The Fat Fish is reputedly famous for.

Salmon sashimi was expectedly good, nothing to complain about for the price.

The Bara Chirashi don was also delicious and the serving size is fitting to its price.

While it seemed like a positive experience thus far, the Aki Sashimi Moriawase spoiled the entire experience. So much so that it made us felt short changed and discouraged us from ever returning again. For RM86, we expected a better selection of fish.
But we ended up with the most generic possible combination there is out there: salmon, butter fish, tuna and kanpachi. Not to mention the quality of the fish was disappointing. The tuna was mushy and tasted cheap just like what you get at the hotel buffets.

The only fish we liked was the kanpachi, but that’s not saying much. If you compare the Aki sashimi moriawase with the Bara Chiraishi don side by side, I think you will agree with me that the latter is a much better deal, by miles!
Basically, you can have two bowls of Bara Chiraishi and a serving of salmon sashimi and all of that still cost less than the Aki sashimi moriawase alone. I think The Fat Fish seriously needs to review the prices and the fish selection for their sashimi moriawase.

Lastly, we were not too happy with the service too. Long story short: the staff moves slow even during off-peak times. I can’t imagine how the service would be if the place was full.

Conclusion: better spend your money at a proper Japanese restaurant if your aim is to have sashimi. Off the top of my head, both Ichiro Sushi Bar and Yuzen are able to provide better value, quality and service.

The post The Fat Fish @ Mont Kiara Shoplex, KL appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

I don’t know if you have noticed this, but there are quite a number of Japanese restaurants that operate at the first and second floor of the shop lots in Solaris Mont Kiara.
Chitose is one of them. After a quick Google search of the place, the reviews seem to be promising so we decided to give it a try.

Chitose is foremost a Yakitori bar and a two-third of their menu is filled with grilled items. You can also expect the usual Japanese fare like sashimi, deep fried food, noodles and rice.
During our visit there was a special daily menu that features some of the chef’s recommended dishes. Just a forewarning: we found the food here to be saltier than expected, I think they are prepared that way for beer pairing purposes.

The Boiled Clam @ RM18 was part of the daily menu. Being clam lovers, we saw no reason not to order it. The clams were fresh, clean and sweet tasting, but the soup was way too salty to be enjoyable. We thought the chef was accidentally heavy-handed with the salt but after clarifying with the staff, we were told that the taste is meant to be THAT salty.

The second dish to arrive was Chutoro Sashimi @ RM55, also part of the special menu. Strictly speaking, this is not sashimi but tataki. Despite the hefty price tag, we had no complaints about the rich and buttery flavor. If I had to nitpick, I suppose the cuts could have been cleaner.

For Yakitori, we let the chef decide by opting for the Chef Recommended Assorted 5 skewers @ RM28. It came with a chicken gizzard, chicken breast with mentaiko, chicken wing, chicken meatball and eringi. The Scallop with Butter @ RM11.80 was ordered separately.

Among the five skewers, we enjoyed the chicken wing and meatball the most while the rest were just alright.

The Scallop with Butter was nice, a tad overcooked though.

We also topped up a pork belly @ RM7.80, it was delicious.

Grilled stingray fin @ RM15 is one of the more unique items on the menu that I would recommend trying. We expected the stingray fin to be dry and crispy but it was actually chewy and moist.
It had a jerky like texture which takes some chewing to make it easier to swallow. The more you chew, the more umami flavor you get out of it. Follow each bite with a sip of beer for the fullest experience.

If you don’t mind the saltiness (since it’s marinated in salt water) the Red Salmon Fish Salt Yaki @ RM22 is also worth a try. The red salmon is evidently tastier than pink salmon and while it looks somewhat dry on the outside, the flesh inside was tender with an oily texture.

Lastly, we had a Cream Udon with Cod Roe @ RM24 to share. Not bad, we have had better elsewhere in KL.

In summary, there were a couple of hits and misses with the food we had. In hindsight I would have probably skipped the boiled clam (too salty), assorted yakitori (better pick your own combination) and scallop. That said, despite being more expensive, this was still a more satisfying meal than what we had at The Fat Fish.

The post Chitose Japanese Restaurant (Yakitori) @ Solaris Mont Kiara appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

It’s high time Solaris Mont Kiara gets a proper Thai restaurant. Soi 55 Thai Kitchen & Bar opened about 4 months ago and it be found directly in front of Cold Storage.
Not only they serve good food, their lunch and dinner promos offer some of the best deals you can get in this area.

We dropped by last night for dinner and found the extensive menu full of various Thai dishes you could imagine. The aroma of spices from the kitchen was incredible, it filled every corner of the place and we could smell it even while seated at the five foot way. It was a good sign of things to come.

Among the things we ordered, the Prawn with Vermicelli and Soy Sauce in Claypot @ RM30 was the one we enjoyed the most. It’s kind of similar to what we had in Bangkok previously, but Soi 55’s pork free version is equally delicious.

Instead of pork slices, the bottom of the claypot is layered with garlic bulbs and ginger to prevent the vermicelli from being burnt. The prawns were fresh, noodle was flavorsome, moist and didn’t stick together, so there’s nothing you could really ask for more.

Soi 55’s signature steamed fish uses tilapia which we didn’t fancy, so we settled for the squid version instead. The Steamed Squid with Garlic and Lime @ RM30 was shockingly huge in portion size, far larger than what expected to see from the menu’s photo. Not that we are complaining though.It’s also not as spicy and pungent as it looks, so if you prefer a spicier version just let the staff know when ordering.

Stir Fried La La with Roasted Chilli @ RM22 – the clams were fat, fresh and cooked just right and that’s really all that mattered. The savory sauce had a nice basil sweetness that adds a distinctive layer of flavor to it.

We took a gamble with the Deep Fried Prawns with Tamarind @ RM25 and it paid off. The tartness of the tamarind complemented the sweetness of the prawns very well.

For desserts you can expect the usual suspects like Tub Tim Krob @ RM5, Mango Sticky Rice @ RM10 and a couple of others like sea coconut jelly and red bean in coconut milk. Both desserts we had tasted as expected and we were pleased by the generous amount of red rubies and jack fruit given for the Tub Tim Krob.

Here are Soi 55’s lunch and dinner promos. For RM11 nett you get a single portion noodle or rice with a drink. If you are dropping by for dinner it’s RM55 nett for 3 dishes (appetizer, main dish and vegetable) and the serving size is enough to be shared among 3 to 4 pax. Not bad at all if you ask me.

The post Soi 55 Thai Kitchen & Bar @ Solaris Mont Kiara, KL appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

Thanks to Omaya‘s strong social media presence, this workshop themed restaurant is without a doubt one of the hottest Korean eateries in KL now.
When we dropped by their branch at Solaris Mont Kiara recently, it was full house (even on a weekday) and customers were pouring in the entire time we were there.

Omaya’s signature dishes are Korean Spiced Chicken, Chun Cheon Dak Galbi and army stew. But cheese is probably Omaya’s main selling point, as most of their food is accompanied by a generous serving of it. If you are a cheese lover you really should check out Omaya one day.

Omaya’s version of army stew is known as Shimson Stew @ RM84. The difference? There’s cheese spicy stir fried chicken Toppokki and melted cheese for dipping.
One interesting thing I noticed is that a timer is used to limit the cooking time as not to overcook the noodle or burn the cheese.

The Shimson Stew also comes with complimentary Kimchi and lettuce, served in a tool box.

When it’s ready to eat, both the noodle and cheese have achieved the desired texture and doneness. The stir fried chicken is mainly sweet with a mild spiciness and pairs really well with cheese.

The Toppokki was nice and not overly chewy, it’s one of the better ones I have tasted so far. As for the stew, it’s quite light but still flavorful enough to enjoy. Not a single drop of the soup was left when we were done.

When you are done with the stew, the same pan is used to fry rice – with cheese as well.

Outrageous or genius? Omaya’s Korean BBQ Skewer @ RM138 holds some sort of world record for being 120cm long. Regardless, it makes for good table conversation.
The skewer is fixed with various pork cuts, chicken thigh, deep sea squid, prawn and slices of pineapple, bell pepper and onion. If you have a large party, the skewer can be added with extra premium pork shoulder, pork belly and seafood between RM19 and RM29.

The staff will then pull the meat off the skewer and grill on a portable gas stove at your table. Egg custard is also poured into the barbecue grill’s outer ring to let it cook into a fluffy tamago-like omelette.

While the first two meats (chicken thigh and pork belly) were delicious, the subsequent ones didn’t taste as good as they were slightly overdone.
I guess it depends on the person who cooks your meat. If you feel that the meat is done you should let the staff know.

My favorite dish of the night was the Deep-Fried Squid Cheesy Toppokki Stew @ RM45. The batter was well seasoned and I have to say it was perfectly fried, as the coating did not come off the squid. Highly recommended.
If you don’t feel like having squid, the same stew is available with other toppings like pork ribs, boneless chicken and chicken wings.

We thought we would be feeling ‘jelak’ with all the cheese we had, but that was not the case at all. Price wise it’s more than acceptable considering the generous portion size.
Safe to say Omaya is more than just a hype and they have clearly captured the hearts of Korean food lovers out there. Therefore, reservation is highly recommended especially in the weekends.

The post Omaya Korean Spiced Chicken & Dak Galbi @ Solaris Mont Kiara appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

Hwa Ga is a Korean BBQ restaurant that seemed to just appear out of nowhere. If my gut feeling is correct, it is a rebranding or offshoot of San Nae Deul which used to (and still?) run Korean BBQ buffet promotions on group buying websites.
Hwa Ga’s business model is no different either, as they have one and only one menu and that’s an ala carte BBQ buffet menu.

Due to my bad experience with San Nae Deul I had been apprehensive about eating at Hwa Ga.
But since our favorite joint for Korean BBQ buffet was full house, we decided to try push our luck and ate here anyway. Fortunately, the meal turned out alright and the value was decent as well for RM45++.

Their one page ala carte buffet menu features 31 items that include mainly BBQ, stew, noodles, rice and a couple of side dishes.
The BBQ meat selection is a mix of pork, beef, chicken and seafood served various cuts and in different sauces. Overall the food does not feel as repetitive compared to the other Korean BBQ buffets in town.

Our favorite item on the menu has got to be the LA Galbi. This is usually one of the pricier cuts for its tenderness, so it would be silly not to order it. It’s not the best LA Galbi we have had, but definitely good enough for seconds, thirds and possibly fourths.

Some of the other things we had that I feel are worth your while: Marinated Pork Ribs.

Beef with soy sauce.

Pork belly in Korean spicy sauce.

Sliced pork belly.

And pork belly with mushroom. We also liked the Dakgalbi (stir fried chicken) and kimchi stew.

Among everything we had, the Korean Fried Chicken and Grilled Squid were the two things we did not like. The so-called squid was actually cuttlefish while the fried chicken did not taste fresh at all. Safe to say you can omit these from your order.

Despite not being our favorite in this area, Hwa Ga is still recommendable for its dining environment, better than expected BBQ and good service.
Lastly, do note that this write up is based solely on our experience at Hwa Ga Solaris Mont Kiara, as their more popular branch at Sunway Mentari is getting quite a number of complaints recently.

The post Hwa Ga Ala Carte Korean BBQ Buffet @ Solaris Mont Kiara appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

Remember when boat noodle was the craze of the town? If you are still have the hankering for it, Thailicious cafe is worth dropping by because they serve one of the best boat noodle in town.
Their branch in Solaris Mont Kiara opens until exceptionally late too, so if you are looking for Thai food past midnight in KL, here’s the place to be.

For boat noodle, the normal version is RM1.90 a bowl which is pretty much the standard price everywhere. Five flavors are available: pork, beef, chicken, tom yum and yen ta fo.
All of them were equally good but our favorite has to be the pork noodle. The tom yum noodle (shown above with wonton skin and fish ball) tasted different from what we expected, mainly because it was not spicy at all but rather sweet.

The Thai Grill Pork @ RM9.90 was a tad lean for my liking (prefer it to have more fat) and slightly pricey for the portion, but at least they got the flavor right.

The Thai Seafood Salad @ RM9.90 was spicy, no kidding. Our only gripe was the lack of freshness of the prawns, otherwise it would have been great.

Thailicious also serves great Kow Ka Moo (braised pork leg rice) @ RM10.90. The pork leg was tender and flavorful while the chili sauce was spot on to what you may taste in Thailand. Recommended.

Thai iced milk tea @ RM7.90 and traditional coffee @ RM6.90. Not bad, at least it’s not filled with just ice.

For dessert we had the Red Ruby @ RM3.90. They used scented coconut milk so it was more fragrant compared to the normal ones. But they should really check the jackfruit because it had turned sour.

Despite some shortcomings, we still enjoyed most of the food we ordered. We would gladly return for the boat noodles and pork leg rice and try the rest of the menu. If you are looking for a full course Thai dinner in the area, head to Soi 55 Thai Kitchen & Bar instead.

The post Thailicious – Boat Noodle & Thai Street Food @ Solaris Mont Kiara appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

Japanese BBQ, or yakiniku is one of my favorite things to eat. If there’s a new restaurant in town that offers it, you can count on me being there.
As far as I know, Yazawa BBQ Dining shares the same management as Japanese Fine Dining Kurata. That means quality is almost assured so we did not hesitate to try.

Interestingly, there’s also a ramen shop called Yokohama Ramen & Japanese Curry attached to Yazawa so you can also order ramen to complete your meal. I highly recommend it because a bowl of white rice is ridiculously priced at RM6 a bowl here. But somehow all their other dishes are sensibly priced and not as anger-inducing.

Their simple one page menu offers beef, chicken, pork, seafood and vegetables that can be grilled on the charcoal fire pot. The most expensive items are wagyu beef cuts clocking at RM45 for short rib or loin, while the rest are between RM12 to RM28. Our order for BBQ that night included Australian beef tongue @ RM22..

Australian beef short rib @ RM20.

Pork cheek @ RM14.

And pork belly @ RM16.

Needless to say, my favorite among all was the beef tongue. Since the pork is lightly marinated in lemon juice, you can dip them into dipping sauces for extra flavor.
Three different types are provided: mustard, shoyu and spicy miso. Usually these sauces are nothing worth shouting about, but I have to say that Yazawa’s are really good.

We also had the Japanese fried chicken as a side and it was delicious, crispy and juicy just like it was intended to be. Recommended.

I am not too sure what exactly Yokohama Ramen (RM24) is, but I was told by the staff it’s Tonkotsu style. The pork broth was thick and almost creamy with a deep and rich flavor. It’s as good as what the chain ramen restaurants are serving. Portion wise it’s filling enough for one person.

For a place that’s flooded with Korean BBQ, it’s nice to see a nice yakiniku joint such as Yazawa BBQ Dining at Solaris Mont Kiara. In fact, we always noticed groups of Japanese eating here whenever we passed by the restaurant – that’s always a good sign.

The post Yazawa BBQ Dining / Yokohama Ramen @ Solaris Mont Kiara appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

Recently, we made a few new Korean friends who are currently residing in KL and we asked them the most obvious question: “where do you go for Korean food in KL?”.
Their answer was Ola! Korean Barbeque Garden at Solaris Mont Kiara. Since the place is quite near to us, we dropped by to check it out the next day.

Ola! is one of the larger Korean restaurants in the vicinity and their menu is also more extensive than we expected. Korean BBQ takes up the first few pages of the menu, followed by their signature smoked duck and pork and a full page of various rice and noodle dishes.
Hanjeongsik, a Korean style full-course meal (~RM42/pax) is also available here, albeit only served during lunch hours. Not many Korean restaurants in KL offer this, so you might find this interesting.

The banchan given here is better than what you get at the usual Korean BBQ chain, but honestly nothing impressive. We had a refill of the seasoned cockles – it was nice.

The Spicy Seafood Hot Pot (Haemul Jeongol) @ RM70 was absolutely delicious and we could not stop drinking the soup. It was rich, slightly spicy and very flavorful after being infused with the natural sweetness of seafood. The price might be a little high but we did not mind that at all because we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Grilled Short Rib Patties @ RM35 was marinated in green onion and garlic soy sauce. It tasted a bit like char siew, but a lot leaner.

This was the first time we saw Broiled Eel (Jang-Uh Gui, RM50) being offered in a Korean restaurant. My curiosity got the better of me so I decided to give it a try. It took a while for them to prepare this, as the fish had to be cleaned and cooked upon order.
The wait was worth it though as the eel was fresh and perfectly grilled to tender perfection. Flavor wise there were no surprises because it was very close to the Japanse Unagi Kabayaki, except it wasn’t as sweet.

I think we barely scratched the surface of Ola!’s vast menu, so I don’t think it’s fair for me to pass any judgement on them. But we like what we had so I foresee we will return soon to try their Hanjeongsik and other dishes.

The post Ola! Korean Barbeque Garden @ Solaris Mont Kiara appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.

Among the dozens of Korean restaurants at Solaris Mont Kiara, a few of them like Omaya and Sae Ma Eul are doing better than the rest.
Nanda Chicken is also highly popular and we have observed that it is always full house with customers queuing outside. The curiosity got the better of us so we dropped by for an early dinner recently to avoid the crowd.

Nanda Chicken’s menu is pretty straightforward and Korean fried chicken is the main attraction here. It is available in three categories: with cheese, crispy and special.
If you are dining in a small group, ordering could be tricky because most of the portions seem to be made for sharing. The only exception would be the chicken wings, but we were told that it was not available (yet) during our visit. So yeah, tough luck.

That said, it didn’t take us long to decide on what we wanted. It had to got to be the Snow Cheese Chicken, which we ordered half and half @ RM62.
One half of the boneless fried chicken is the normal crispy version while the other half is fire cheese. You can tell from the name that it’s supposed to be spicy, and it really was.

Although the price might feel a bit high, at least the portion size justifies it. The pan is quite large to begin with and it’s filled with a pool of cheese and a large amount of boneless fried chicken.

The Snow Cheese Chicken is served on a portable gas stove and the idea is to heat the pan for the cheese to melt, then dip the fried chicken in it.

If you ask me if the cheese is too much, I would have to say no. In fact, the amount of cheese they give is just right to coat every single piece of the fried chicken. Also, it doesn’t really feel ‘jelak’ but you will get bored of the taste quickly.
This is even more so, when you are sharing this with only another person. So do come in a larger group for a better experience. Besides, you will get to order more things as well.

The appetizers you get include pickled cucumber and kimchi. Usually these are just OK but they were surprisingly good, especially the latter.

As with the other Korean restaurants in town, drinks are pretty pricey here. I had the Korean Somac (Soju + Beer) @ RM14 while SL had the iced green tea @ RM5. Water is not served FOC so that could probably be the only con to this place.

The post Nanda Chicken Snow Cheese Chicken @ Solaris Mont Kiara appeared first on Malaysia Food & Travel Blog.