where and what to eat lah?

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Starting this Wednesday (June 15), Everyday.com.my will be featuring another great savings deal with Bar B Q Plaza. Bar B Q Plaza is a franchise originated from Bangkok, which features a self-cooking Mongolian and Japanese style barbecue. So what's the deal about?

A whopping 50% OFF for either Supreme Pork or Supreme Beef Set! Each Supreme set worth RM 37* is now for grabs at a bargain RM 18.50*!

Highlights:

• Each Supreme includes two bowls of white rice.
• With every coupon purchased, you can get 50% OFF for selected 4 side-dishes such as Grilled Marinated Pork Belly, Som Tam with Soft Shell Crab, Pineapple Fish Fillet and Shioyaki Squid.

Terms:

• No reservation is required and only walk-in to any Bar B Q Plaza branches (5 in KL/Selangor and 1 in Penang).
• Valids only from Mon - Fri (from June 22 - Sep 22, 2011).

Deal Link: http://everyday.com.my/coupons/kl/Bar_B_Q_Plaza.htm
* Price inclusive of Service Tax and Government Tax


Supreme Beef Set is now an incredible 50% OFF! Originally selling for RM 37^*, now it's only RM 18.50! This set is suitable for Two person includes sirloin, choice beef, chicken, squid, shrimp, udon, sliced cabbage, baby corn, carrot, lettuce and tomato.


Or alternatively, you can choose the Supreme Pork Set which includes pork, bacon, chicken, squid, shrimp, udon, sliced cabbage, baby corn, carrot, lettuce and tomato.

With the same deal, you will get to save 50% OFF from specially selected 4 side dishes such as Shioyaki Squid, Som Tam with Soft Shell Crab, Grilled Marinated Pork Belly and Pineapple Fish Fillet.


Shioyaki Squid (RM 8.90), lightly battered deep-fried squid covered with salt and pepper mix.


Som Tam with Soft Shell Crab (RM 8.90), a truly Thai dish with shredded green papaya marinated in lime juice with peanuts, tomatoes and delicious deep-fried soft shell crab.


Grilled Marinated Pork Belly (RM 6.90), at half price, this will be a feeding frenzy!


Pineapple Fish Fillet (RM 7.90), fish fillet deep fried together with stimulating pineapple cubes.


Fried Bacon Roll (RM 7.50), wrapped in asparagus and enoki mushroom; this is undeniably the most popular side-dish in BarBQ Plaza! Unfortunately, no 50% off for this deliciously-to-die-for bacon roll, else it will be a buffet!


Cheezy Rolls (RM 6.90), a new side-dish with crispy thin crust similar to dumpling skin. Deep fried and wrapped with evenly thin layer of cheese inside. Compared to the rest, this was my least favorite.


To bring forth the finest flavor of the meat and seafood, it is a must to dip in this special vegetarian-based sauce imported weekly from Bangkok. Add a slight twist by mixing the chili, garlic and squeezed lime into the sauce, it made a world of difference to the taste!

BarBQ Plaza emphasizes on their specialty barbecue sauce and employs a strict daily quality control to ensure a stable pH level.


Next, greased the hot plate with the pork lard to create a non-stick surface for grilling.


When it was sizzling hot enough, placed some beef slices on top. It only took few seconds to cook on each side as overcooking it will affect its tenderness.


For the soup to be sweet, chucked all the vegetables into the narrow steamboat opening filled with light boiling chicken stock. It was a little challenging trying to get the soup out from the narrow opening.


As part of the deal, each Supreme set comes with two bowls of white rice. You might also want to try out their specialty Garlic Fried Rice (RM 2.50).


In addition to the deal, Bar B Q Plaza is having an in-house promotion for their Korean Family Set (RM 59.90), which includes a plate of marinated beef, marinated chicken, udon, sliced cabbage, broccoli, bean curd, baby corn and tomato.


From the same set, another plate comes with fish fillet, squid, shrimp, jelly fish, bacon, udon, sliced cabbage, baby corn, lettuce and tomato.


And of course, along with Korean side-dishes such as kimchi, gimjaban (dried seaweed), stir fried dried anchovies, raw garlic and a bowl of lettuce for wrapping. We felt like we just had a piece of Korean, Japanese, Mongolian and Thai cuisines all under one roof!


For beverages, you have choices of free drinking waters, refillable green tea (RM 2.50), or special beverages like the Korean Lemon Citron (RM 5.50) and Korean Honey Jujube (RM 5.50).

Verdict: This deal is definitely a bargain! The strategy for us is to go frenzy on the 50% off side-dishes!


Branches:
Berjaya Times Square
Lot 03-83,
No. 1, Jalan Imbi,
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2145 8148

Sunway Pyramid
LG2.35-36,
No 3 Jalan PJS 11/15,
Bandar Sunway 46150,
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7492 3121

1 Utama (New Wing)
Lot 338a, 1st Floor, Rainforest,
1, Lebuh Bandar Utama,
Bandar Utama, 47800,
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7727 8148

AEON Bukit Tinggi
F16, First Floor,
1, Persiaran Batu Nilam 1/KS 6,
Bandar Bukit Tinggi 2,
41200 Klang
Tel: 03-3326 2691

IOI Mall Puchong
G19 Ground Floor,
Batu 9, Jalan Puchong,
Bandar Puchong Jaya,
47100 Puchong
Tel: 03-8075 0818

Gurney Plaza
170-B1-05A, Persiaran Gurney,
10250 Penang
Tel: 04-2281 487

Redemption Hours: Mon - Fri from 10am - 10pm
Pork Free: No

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Try asking around where is the best roast duck in London and most people will direct you to Four Seasons restaurant in Bayswater. Reputably and touted as one of the best roast duck in the world. Still, it didn't leave much of an impression even though I had it twice during my university days 7-8 years back. Well, maybe they were really good long before but definitely no where near world's best for the price I have paid for.


Then back in 2008, I was intrigued to see Four Seasons opened its first branch in Cap Square, Kuala Lumpur. I contemplated to step in since there wasn't many customers most of the time - I'm guessing it was either the food was really bad or overpriced. Is this the real Four Seasons from London or could it be another marketing ploy by using the same branding? Sadly, Cap Square killed them.


Not long after, they were bought over and revived back into Empire Shopping Gallery in Subang Jaya and Perdana Shopping Centre in Damansara Perdana. The restaurant itself isn't very big. The setup here is simple; place your order at the counter, pay and wait for your food. Since I work nearby, I decided to give it a go.


3 combinations (RM 29) with roast duck, char siew (bbq pork) and siew yoke (roast pork). The roast duck was tender and fragrant but, the skin wasn't as crispy and juicy as I hoped for. Maybe it was hung up and waited too long for me - after all, Perdana Shopping Centre is as dead as Cap Square. Luckily, the char siew and siew yoke didn't disappoint. Our Malaysian style char siew was juicy and carried a hint of sweetness at the caramelized outer skin. Definitely better Hong Kong style char siew in Four Seasons at Bayswater. The siew yoke was succulent with crispy crackling skin and followed by the melt-in-mouth layers of fat underneath.


Hong Kong style dry plain noodle (RM 4.50), it was indeed a plate of plain noodle with a not-so-plain price! However, the egg noodles texture was springy and appealing.


Stir fried Hong Kong kailan with garlic (RM 6.80), the green was fresh and crunchy with a strong garlicky flavor.

Peanut, pearl bean and spare rib soup (RM 8.90), warm and hearty soup with a deep nutty flavor and sweetness from the spare rib.

Verdict: On the whole, it was so-so. Slightly better than a normal bbq roast restaurant but nothing exceptional for the price paid for. It'll be difficult since the legendary Four Seasons in Bayswater has set the bar so high for them.


Address:
LG1, Perdana Shopping Center,
15, Jalan PJU 8/1,
Damansara Perdana,
47820 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor
Business Hours: Opens daily from 10am - 10pm
Pork Free: No
Taste:
Value:
GPS: 3.167597, 101.606004
Map:

View Eat Lah Food Map in a larger map

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Like most people, you'll be shocked to find the legendary Ho Weng Kee wantan mee no longer in SS2 and replaced by Chan Meng Kee. I hesitated to step in at first even though they maintained the same menu as Ho Weng Kee. Nevertheless, I still gave it a try after hearing couple of good reviews from my fellow makan friends. Apparently, Chan Meng Kee was the popular wantan mee stall previously located at Restoran Mel's Corner in Section 17, PJ.


Wantan mee isn't something I usually eat, not because I don't like it but it's frustrating to find a good one! It usually has either good noodles, or good char siew, or good wantan - hardly come across with the all-in-one perfect combination.


Chan Meng Kee's char siew wantan mee (RM 5), the almost perfect all-rounder wantan mee. The char siew were tenderly juicy with sweet caramelized skins while the noodles were springy and tasty with some lard fritters in it. Their melt-in-your-mouth char siew is definitely better than Ho Weng Kee's!


However, the wantan was just normal and decent. If only they were bigger, well, I might be asking too much.


Ngau lam (beef brisket) wantan mee (RM 7.50) was one of my favorite must-order whenever I'm at Ho Weng Kee. Fortunately, Chan Meng Kee's version wasn't too bad either. The beef brisket was very tender, flavorful and combined with the springy noodles which absorb the long hours essence from the beef brisket broth - it was awesome!


You can too order your wantan mee (RM 2) separately, like how I always have it.


Sharing a plate of heart clogging char siew and siew yoke for two (RM 12). No doubt the char siew was very juicy but also unhealthily fattening as well; you might want them to tone down a little on the fats. Also, the siew yoke was fresh and succulent with golden-orange crackling crispy skins.

Not to forget, pork rib curry (RM 6) with chunky bits of pork rib that was falling-apart tender in a thick fragrant curry gravy. Since they always ran out of wild boar curry, pork rib curry wasn't a too bad alternative for the extra enrichment to the noodles.

Verdict: Chan Meng Kee certainly did not disappoint and definitely better char siew than Ho Weng Kee's. Service-wise, it was attentive and fast too.


Address:
32, Jalan SS2/66,
47300 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor
Tel: 012-688 1972 (Mr. Chan)
Business Hours: Opens daily from 8.30am - 4pm except for Mondays
Pork Free: No
Taste:
Value:
GPS: 3.1191868, 101.620268
Map:

View Eat Lah Food Map in a larger map

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Coffee Ritual is a big refreshing change from the countless international coffee chains like Starbucks that dotted across the Klang Valley. Coffee Ritual is located at a corner lot in Section 14, Petaling Jaya and was initially moved from Phileo Damansara. Realising that Section 14 is a parking nightmare, Coffee Ritual offers an hour of free parking at the multi-level parking complex for those who spend RM 30 and above on a single receipt.


The decors here are simple yet functional with free WiFi and power supplies. Like most Malaysians, I grew up thinking of coffee with the traditional kopitiam culture of what a cup of coffee should be: thick, black, and cheap. This mindset was changed thanks to an encounter with Coffee Ritual.


The cold brew coffee tower looked rather astonishing with a drip chamber that almost resembles an hourglass. Ice and water are placed in the tower's top chamber and a valve regulates the water which releases slowly into the tower's carafe. Cold brewing takes about 6 hours just to make only 4 cups of coffee! The end-result is a remarkably smooth rich, low in acids and strong beverage with a hint of nutty bitterness of the coffee.


Like myself, you may have never heard of siphon coffee making. Siphon brewers consist of 2 stacked glass chambers held together with a rubber gasket and separated by a tube containing a filter. Heat is applied to the lower container and as it heats up, some of the water is converted to vapour gas. The vapour gas continues to expand and it pushes the brewing water up the siphon tube. The brewing water in the top vessel is maintained at a near-ideal coffee brewing temperature of 90 - 95 Celcius.


The siphon brewing process makes for great theatre, but it's not all for appearance sake. At the end of all those ministrations what you are left with is coffee that boasts an incomparable clean flavor that often difficult to detect in coffee brewed with other methods. This siphon coffee maker has a patent heritage that harks back to 1830s. Now, you can brew like a pro at home for only RM 297 - Coffee Ritual sells the Hario Syphon Tech 3 which is manufactured from Japan.


My perfect cup of Sumatra Mandheling (RM 6) with a clean rich heavy-bodied texture, mild earthy notes and an intense syrupy aftertaste. Always have a taste of the coffee first without adding any sugar or milk to experience its flavor at its purest. Sip a little, roll it around the mouth, swallow, and wait for notes like sourness and sweetness, and an ever-so-slight effervescence on the tongue to appear.


Other choices of single-origin gourmet coffees specialties include the Colombian Special, Brazil Fancy Santos and Java Arabica Jampit — all brewed using the siphon vacuum pot. These single origins are rare and priced as premium coffee as it is not easy to preserve coffee due to its short shelf life. After it is roasted, it takes about 2 days for it to develop into full-body flavours and is best consumed within 2 - 3 weeks. Aside from the siphon brew coffee, Coffee Ritual sets apart from others by offering Italian espresso-based coffee instead of the usual American Seattle-styled.

Coffee Ritual serves not only specially-brewed coffee, but also a large selection of food from savoury and sweet crêpes, to salads, meat and fish, rice, pasta and various desserts. The mushroom and turkey toast crêpe (RM 10.40) with sautéed mushrooms, shredded turkey toast, mozzarella cheese, fresh salad on the side and cream sauce. I was partly disappointed with the turkey toast which was more like turkey ham. Nevertheless, it was still nice except for the price and portions.

Nasi lemak with curry chicken (RM 8.40), fried egg, cucumber, ikan bilis, sambal, peanuts, curry chicken drumstick, potatoes and curry gravy.


The rice wasn't fragrant enough but it wasn't actually too bad. Most of the condiments were served fresh and unlike some nasi lemak with super hard ikan bilis that can break your teeth.


Fish and chips (RM 13.40), with crinkle fries, tar-tar sauce and a lemon wedge. It was decent, but I thought the portions were small for the price.


Café de Paris grilled lamb (RM 16.80), with choices of butter rice or baked potato and stir-fried vegetables. The lamb was fresh; hardly had any lamb smell in it and with a dollop of herbal butter melting on top. Personally, it was too bland and I don't find Café de Paris sauce suits me since I'm the type that prefers strong lamby taste with mint sauce.


Caesar salad (RM 9.60) with hard boiled egg wedges (RM 1.20), romaine lettuce, black olives, croutons, grated parmesan cheese and Caesar salad dressing. Caesar salad without any bacon and had a slight overdose of mayo in it. However, you can add black pepper chicken strips or sliced turkey toast strips for an extra RM 3.60 - at the end, it isn't going to be worthwhile paying for a complete Caesar salad.

Verdict: I'll probably just stick to their coffee which is what they do best. For coffee connoisseur who want a taste of real gourmet coffee, Coffee Ritual is definitely worth a try. Food wise, they are pretty expensive for decent portion and taste.

25/11/2011: It was sad to see Coffee Ritual closed down and no longer operates in Section 14, PJ. I live nearby and sometimes I just want a cup of good coffee (not Starbucks!). Hopefully they're not closed down for good. Follow their Facebook page for their latest updates.


Address:
No. 35, Jalan 14/20,
46100 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor
Tel: 03-7956 1080
Business Hours: Opens daily from 10am - 10pm
Pork Free: Yes
Taste:
Value:
GPS: 3.1104022, 101.635690
Map:

View Eat Lah Food Map in a larger map