Tuesday, July 31, 2007

From Kampar With Love

chicken curry bun In the early days before the North-South Highway existed, every time we travelled from Penang to Petaling Jaya to visit my maternal grandmother, we'd make a pit stop at Kampar.

Kampar holds special memories for my parents as it was one of the places where they spent they dating days eating ABC at the corner kopitiam. And so, it only came naturally for them to stop at one of their favourite towns to fuel up both the car and our little tummies.

I used to throw up pretty often in the days before airconditioning was introduced in our cars, and my stomach would be ready for replenishing by the time we arrived at the sleepy old town. Thus, until the day this town got virtually obliterated by the superhighway, I shared my parents' love affair with Kampar.

Despite having sampled quite a bit of Kampar's unique cuisine, I discovered the chicken curry bun much later in life when I visited my friend from Kampar, Pretty Pui, during Chinese New Year.


chicken curry bun


Chicken curry is wrapped up in a greaseproof paper and then baked in a bun. To eat this bun, one has to cut through the bun and and unwrap the precious package. The curry is creamy and extremely tasty, and by this stage, this chicken would have absorbed the flavours of the spices. What bliss to dip the pieces of bread into the curry and savour the tasty morsels!


chicken curry in the bun
Yau Kee Restaurant
No. 55, Jalan Idris,
31900 Kampar, Perak.
Tel: 05-465 1738

120E & 120F, Jalan Raja Permaisuri Bainun,
30250 Ipoh, Perak.
Tel: 05-241 6504


Thanks, Pretty Pui, for the wonderful treat!!

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Kokopelli Travellers Bistro, PJ

KokopelliJalan Bukit in PJ was a favourite haunt for me during my university days as it was within walking distance from the university, and I could find cheap and tasty food there. Usually, when I had a craving for char siew pao (barbequed pork bun), I'd quickly call one of the more-than-willing fellas to accompany me to Jalan Bukit where we'd get our pork fix before trudging back to our residential college.


Naturally, when I heard that a bungalow along Jalan Bukit had been converted into a restaurant, I had to find out more about this place and whether or not it deserved to invade my memories with so much pomp.


accents at Kokopelli Accents at Kokopelli
accents at Kokopelli Accents at Kokopelli Accents at Kokopelli
Interior of Kokopelli Interior of Kokopelli


It wasn't difficult to find an occasion to dine. It was Barbie's last day at the office; Malaysians love to celebrate all occasions with food, and despite the fact that a farewell wasn't really a celebration, it was still a reason to get together to dine as a family (which we had become over the years).


It was a cheerful sight indeed. A glass facade fronted the old bungalow, with warm lights greeting the guests. There were lots of pretty accents, from glass beads to chandeliers to fresh blooms to quirky tealight holders, obviously a female touch, which made the place look cozy and inviting.


Grilled Sirloin Steak Ribeye Steak
Grilled Salmon New Zealand Lamb


Kokopelli serves both local and western cuisine. From the unpretentious char koay teow and lou shue fun to grilled steaks and pastas, there seemed to be something for everyone. Prices were very reasonable too. The local dishes were priced at RM8.90, while the most expensive steak was priced at RM38.90. The grills (pics above), according to my Makan kaki, were pretty good and flavourful. The Ribeye Steak (RM38.90) and Sirloin Steak (RM35.90) were medium done, but I thought they were still a little overcooked. The vegetables on the side, other than the grilled aubergine, were sparsely distributed among the dishes. I didn't get to try the baked potato, unfortunately, but it looked yummy with scattered chopped beef bacon (at least, that's what it looked like). The grilled New Zealand lamb (RM20.90) was a substantial portion, while the grilled salmon (RM32.90) was more suitable for a person with a smaller appetite.


Lamb Shank


The braised lamb shank (RM29.90) was served in a rich sauce which I found a little too sweet. The texture of the meat was tender, and the flavour of the meat came through despite the generous serving of the sauce. It was served on a bed of mashed potatoes which was milky and creamy.


Char Koay Teow Pistachio and Chocolate Cakes at Kokopelli


We had heard so much about the Char Koay Teow (RM8.90) so we ordered a plate to share. I must say that I had set extremely high expectations for the CKT and even if I had lowered my expectations, I'd still have been sorely disappointed. How many ways can a CKT go wrong? It was soggy and greasy (see traces of oil at the bottom of the plate) and very spicy. Unlike good CKTs where the flavours blend in seamlessly, here the spiciness of the dish overpowered the rest of the ingredients. I was also unable to taste the egg in the dish, although I could certainly see bits of it.


The dessert selection was rather modest. We picked two out of the three choices. Everyone agreed that the chocolate cake was better than the pistachio cake, and I suppose at RM6.50 each, I can't expect too much.


Accents at KokopelliOverall, I'd say that the restaurant is worth a second visit. I'd come back just for the ambience alone.


Also check out:


Kokopelli Travellers Bistro
No 6, Jalan Bukit, Section 11/2,
PJ.

Tel: 03-7956 7505/019-267 6667 (Ariff)

Reservations recommended.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

La La Chong Seafood Restaurant, Subang


lemon1. The idea of bliss (or What Lyrical Lemongrass Did This Evening).


Sitting in the kitchen of Just Heavenly in Bangsar.


Watching Allan, covered in flour from head to toe, kneading baby blue fondant.


Pleasant conversation.


Savouring moist chocolate cupcakes topped with freshly made icing.


2. Diamonds are a girl's best friend
Bouncing Barbie

Just as friends come and go, so do Makan Club members. Bouncing Barbie made a decision to choose polished diamonds over diamonds in the rough and we wish her well.


Bangsar isn't that far away, dear friend, and we'll definitely carry on our "makan" sessions. 14 years is a long time to know someone. I still remember going to work in Bus No. 5 when we were still new at the office! Now there won't be anyone visiting my room at 12.30pm and asking me, "So what's for lunch today??". We wish you all the love and happiness that diamonds can't buy.



3. A feast, no less


four-angled beans with tuna salt-baked crabs
lala in superior soup salted egg yolk crabs


The Makan Club has been visiting La La Chong for close to 10 years. Many special moments have been celebrated here, birthdays mostly. On the occasion of Barbie's farewell, it seemed only appropriate that it be spent here, in La La Chong, together with three of her closest friends and colleagues.


We wanted old favourites. So we asked for fern stir fried with tuna. Unfortunately, they had run out of fern, and offered to replace it with four-angled beans instead. Thankfully, the substitute was quite delicious with lots of tuna and chopped chillies stir fried with the vegetables.


Another old favourite is Siong Tong Lala (Lala in superior soup). The shellfish is cooked in a fragrant soup with a generous amount of wine thrown in to bring out the flavour of the dish. As always, we were extremely pleased with this dish.


The crabs, on the other hand, brought out mixed reactions. We all liked the salt baked crab dish which was fried with ginger. However, the salted egg yolk crab dish failed to impress us. The crabs appeared to have been deep fried, so any attempt to scrape the roe from the shell would have been futile, and the flavour of the dry sauce seemed to have been marred by an excessive usage of salt (presumably used to enhance the flavour of the salted egg yolk).


grilled mackerel

The grilled mackerel is one of my favourite dishes here. The sauce used to marinade the mackerel tasted similar to a kabayaki sauce made of soy sauce, mirin and sugar. The fish was so delicious, I had no trouble finishing it up!


We still have fond memories of this place. I'm not ready to write it off just because of one botched recipe.


Also check out:

Living in Food Heaven
Da Wheel Of Life & Happiness
Masak-masak
Little Miss May

La La Chong Seafood Restaurant
Lot PT6824, Terminal 3, Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang.
(directions: Head towards Terminal 3, Subang Airport. At the traffic light, turn right)

Tel: 03-7859 1906

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Izakaya Ichiban, Hartamas Shopping Centre


For some of you, seeing another japanese food post is like, "What?? Isn't this supposed to be a Malaysian food blog??" Perhaps you're right. And perhaps you're wrong. Just like how the British claimed curry (or balti) as their national food, I'm hereby claiming Japanese food as my staple meal. The advent of Japanese food in Malaysia has created a cult following, and of late Korean food has enjoyed the same celebrity status. I am certainly not advocating that Japanese food replace Malaysian food, but I do welcome it as an additional item to our already diversified local cuisine. The cross-marrying of the various cultures in the early days have given us wonderful dishes. Why stop?


And so, with the assistance of my ever helpful Japanese Food Kawan Association (JFKA), particularly our Secretary, Boo_licious, I was introduced to Izakaya Ichiban, a restaurant that had been open for approximately a month. I was accompanied by the bubbly Precious Pea whom I was interviewing that night for the post of Public Relations Officer for the Association. I had nothing to worry about. She passed with flying colours in two areas: 1. Her ability to eat more Japanese food as compared to the President, and 2. Her ability to charm the pants of anybody in a 10 foot vicinity.


salmon belly sashimi shishamo
kaki mayo yaki salmon belly sashimi


What I like about the food is the price. More importantly, the quality of the food at that price was unbelievable. Take for instance the Kaki Mayo Yaki, essentially grilled oysters with spicy mayonnaise sauce and sauteed mushrooms at RM15. Three pieces of juicy oysters served on a bed of mushrooms with an unbelievably tasty sauce that made us sigh with happiness. And the salmon belly sashimi, fresh and smooth on the palate, at RM28 was worth every cent paid. The shishamo (grilled capelin fish) is what I like to call a petrified fish. With the mouth wide open as if to yell "Help!", and eyes as though they had seen hell, the shishamo can be quite scary to look at if you're the type to appreciate a good horror movie. The Attack of the Shishamo. Okay, I know that's corny. At RM11, it is the same price of a movie ticket in Malaysia but the taste may be more memorable than half the movies made in Hollywood these days. The shishamo is eaten whole with the egg sacs intact. Now that can be quite a sight as well for the horror movie enthusiast. Imagine the head tilted back as the slim fish is slowly lowered into the mouth and disappears down the throat.


wagyu beef don una-cheese maki
hawaiian maki


We thoroughly enjoyed the Wagyu Beef Don (RM28). The beef was tender and had a lovely sweet flavour provided by the marinade and the sauce. The Una-Cheese Maki (RM20), a rice roll filled with eel and topped with cheese, was nice but not outstanding. Sadly, the cheese slices looked like something one could purchase at a supermarket, individually wrapped! The Hawaiian Maki (RM18) came highly recommended. This was a salmon roll made with honeydew and apple mayo sauce. However, I found it rather tasteless; I was unable to taste the salmon and I felt that the flavours didn't blend very well.


I would definitely like to come back to try Izakaya Ichiban's lunch menu priced between RM18++ and RM33++. The ambience allows for a certain amount of privacy with private booths accommodating 4 people comfortably. Service is also attentive.


Izakaya Ichiban (2 doors away from Starbucks)
Lot P-3M, Plaza Ground Floor,
Hartamas Shopping Centre,
60, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1,
50480 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-6201 5905

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Paddington House of Pancakes @ Hartamas Shopping Centre and Where the Customer is Always Right


Everyone has bad days.

The past 48 hours were a culmination of several irritants which by themselves, wouldn’t have been worse than mosquito bites, but together, became cancerous to my usually pleasant demeanor.

1.

VIPs. On the road, these guys are escorted by police outriders who shoo away the irrelevant, ordinary, unimportant people to create a path, somewhat like the parting of the Red Sea, so that the sparkling, polished, heavily tinted cars carrying their precious cargo can make their way through the clear roads to their destinations, and be damned about the other folk whose lives don’t matter.

I was leaving Sri Hartamas and having a pleasant drive towards the City Centre and was approaching a fork, the left leading to Sungai Buloh/Shah Alam, and the right leading to my chosen destination. Suddenly, I was ambushed by a police outrider who forced me to move to the extreme left lane (i.e. to Sg Buloh) without giving a damn about the fact that there were no U-turns on a major highway.

Mr VIP sir, is my life that unimportant? Am I that dispensable?


2.

I had internet problems and called the service provider’s customer service.

12 midnite

Me: My DSL light is not showing. I can’t connect to the internet.

Customer Service: We’ve taken note of your complaint. Please turn off your modem and turn it on again in 15 minutes after we’ve reset your port. If the problem still persists, please call us back. Have a nice day.

8.30am

Me: I still can’t connect to the internet.

Customer Service: Yes, according to the report, your DSL light is blinking.

Me: No, my DSL light is not even showing. Please amend your report.

Customer Service: OK, will do. Please hold, I’ll connect you to a technician.

(telephone music…sound of sea and waves)

Customer Service: I’m sorry. All our technicians are currently busy. I’ll have one of them call you soon.

Me: When?

Customer Service: In 2 or 3 minutes.

10.00am

Me: Your technician hasn’t called back. I still can’t connect to the internet.

Customer Service: I’ll have a look at your report. Yes, your report says that your DSL light is blinking.

Me: No, I already told you guys that my DSL light is not showing. PLEASE amend your report.

Customer Service: OK. Haha. I guess the previous person didn’t amend the report. I’ll do it now. And hang on, I’ll connect you to the technician.

(telephone music again)

Customer Service: Sorry, they’re all busy. I’ll get one of them to call you back soon.

Me: Can you ask them to get back to me in the next hour please? It’s urgent. (I need to blog)

6.00pm

Me: Your technician hasn’t called me. What does it take to get your technician to call me? My internet connection is still down.

Customer Service: Hang on, I’ll have to look at your report. Uh huh, the report says that your DSL light is blinking.

Me: For the fourth time today, my DSL LIGHT IS NOT BLINKING. IT’S NOT EVEN SHOWING. AND WHY ISN’T YOUR TECHNICIAN RETURNING MY CALL? IS HE PLANNING ON CALLING ME IN THE NEXT DECADE OR SO, AT LEAST?

Customer Service: Hang on, I’ll connect you to our technician.

(background music to calm nerves, sound of birds chirping and sunshine everywhere)

Customer Service: I’m sorry, I can’t get through to the technician. Is it okay if I get him to return your call?

Me: NO, IT'S NOT OKAY. I WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR TECHNICIAN NOW. YOU CAN’T GET HIM TO RETURN MY CALL, BECAUSE HE WON’T.

Customer Service: Yes, he will.

Me: When? At midnight when I’m fast asleep?

Customer Service: No, before that.

8.00pm

Customer Service: We’ve just reset your port. Can you try to connect now?

Me: No. I’m not at home. Besides, resetting my port didn’t help the last time.

Customer Service: Well, when you’re at home, do try to connect, and if you can’t, please call us.

The next day, at 12 noon

(ting tong – house bell sounds)

Technician at my doorstep: I’m here to look at your modem. According to your report, your DSL light is blinking and you’re not able to connect to the internet.

Me: Sigh. My DSL light is not showing at all.

Technician: Then why didn’t you say so? If your DSL light is not showing, your modem is fried. You’ll have to get a new modem. I’ll need you to sign this report to verify that I’ve visited you to attend to your problems. Have a nice day!


3.

I picked up The Star at 7.30 in the morning only to see the headlines stating that four of the giant bookstores were not going to carry Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on their bookshelves in protest of the fact that a couple of hypermarkets were selling the book at a much lower price.

Firstly, O great booksellers, I was already intending to pay a visit to your bookstore to purchase the book at the recommended retail price of RM109.90 as I’m a pretty much a lazy person who values her comfort above everything else, and rubbing shoulders with five hundred other people at the hypermarket wasn’t my idea of fun on a Saturday morning.

Instead, arrogance and a sense of self-pity prevailed and a full page ad was taken out by these bookstores. Me, I’m not loyal, you see. If you’re not selling the book, I’m not standing by your side. I’ll just get the book at Borders.

Be reminded of what happened 10 years ago when a huge hypermarket landed on our shores and decided to sell Milo at a much lower price. The local retailers were furious and refused to carry Milo in their shops, protesting against the manufacturer. What they realised later was that water would always find its natural source, and customers would always look for alternatives. The hypermarket which carried Milo at a loss didn’t end up losing; the local retailers wised up and life went on.

Later that morning, I found a tiny bookstore in Bangsar which carried the book at RM69.90. I had a pleasant chat with the lady at the counter, and we both laughed at the big boys. I even managed to get a copy of The Edge there, so all was well.


4.

We were in the mood for pancakes, so we hopped over to Paddington House of Pancakes in Hartamas Shopping Centre for a quick bite. It started out rather promising; the place was awash with sunlight, the white gleaming tabletops a welcome sight to us, 3 starving girls. Paddington was having an offer: Ladies Have It Lucky! Lucky Ladies Get A Dessert Pannekoek With Cinnamon And Sugar At Only RM5.00++ With Any Savoury Pancake Meal.

We were all having savoury pancake meals, and we sure felt lucky, so two of us ordered the RM5 dessert pancake. No problems there.


P1040310 P1040306

P1040304 P1040297


Although the Dollar Buckwheat Bruschetta was nice (and certainly, it would be sinful to go wrong with something so simple!), I thought the Fried Pancake filled with Spicy Minced Mexican Beef was rather appalling. The pancake was stuffed with a simple minced beef mix, and the entire dish lacked flavour. Salt was my best friend for the duration of the meal.

Then the trouble started.

We requested for our dessert pancakes to be served. The waitress came back and told us that the offer was one pancake for one bill, so she would have to split our bill into two. I asked if they were charging the same price. She said yes. Okay, no problems there, we figured.

A couple of minutes later, the waitress turned up again and said that her manager said that they couldn’t split the bill into two. And the offer was still the same. One offer per bill. I looked at the sign and sure enough it was a matter of interpretation. What irked me was that we weren’t informed about it earlier, when they were taking our orders that we were only entitled to ONE pancake. What further upset me was that the promotional sign was deliberately misleading. At first glance, it is easy to interpret it as one dessert pancake with one savoury pancake meal. The straw that broke the camel’s back was the fact that the manager was not interested in coming to our table to explain the situation to us and instead sent his pawn to defend the fort.

I was tired of all the lame explanations and cancelled the dessert orders completely.

The manager’s attempt to save the establishment RM5++ has only caused the loss of further business. And a loss of goodwill for the restaurant.

It doesn’t take a marketing person to figure that out.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Sungai Besi Wantan Mee

chopsticksMusic always soothes the soul, even when one has completely forgotten everything that her music teacher had taught her up till she turned 17, after which her attention was diverted to cars and boys. Despite not being able to tell the difference between a B Minor chord and an F Major chord, I have never ceased to appreciate all types of music, from classical to jazz. So when the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) gave its inaugural performance in 1998, we were ecstatic. We looked forward to one major event every year; when tickets for the new season were up for sale, we'd queue up with the rest of the die-hard fans to purchase them. Several years back, we'd join the queue as early as 2.00 in the morning with a thermos pot containing hot, steaming coffee, packed sandwiches and a couple of good books to while the time away until they opened the ticket counter at 8.00am. It was a ritual of sorts. We'd see the same faces every year, almost like they were old friends (and perhaps, after all these years, they had become that), so it wasn't really a chore to line up in the comfort of the airconditioned area that the organisers had cordoned off for us.

We love going for concerts. The excitement of dressing up. The anticipation of watching yet another great performance. The opportunity to unwind after a hard day's work. My tense muscles relax, the frown on my forehead disappears, and my eyes shut close as I lose myself in a symphony of music.

We have one other ritual after an evening at the MPO. We eat wantan mee with wildboar curry.


charsiewwantan sui kowwildboarcurry


The stall is situated along the Sungai Besi highway leading from KL to Seremban, just after Nichii Fashion City, and right under a 3M signboard. We'd go to this stall in all our finery, sometimes sitting and eating there, and at other times, for take-away. My regular order is a plate of dry noodles with a serving of half lean meat, half fat char siew (barbequed pork). The noodles may not be as springy as what you'd find in Hung Kee, but it's still very good.

What makes the meal really satisfying is the extra serving of thick, spicy, wild boar curry, poured liberally over the wantan noodles. The meat is cooked till tender, and the flavours of the spices infuse the meat and mask the strong smell of wild boar that one tends to get a waft of if the meat is not cooked properly.

Other items available here include hakka stewed pork, vinegar pork knuckles and sui kow. I've tried the hakka stewed pork once, but it failed to impress so I didn't bother ordering it again.


the kid The stall is open for dinner till really really late, so it is a good place to stop by after a night of partying. Stumbling about in a drunken stupor is not necessary.

Also check out:
KY Eats
KampungboyCitygal

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Hajime Japanese Restaurant, Jalan Damai

HajimeSubsequent to my last post on Japanese food, several food enthusiasts signed up to become members of the Japanese Food Kawan Association (a label coined by one loyal lifetime member, Xiu Long Bao). I had a hard time deciding on the committee members. Two positions were subsequently filled (Elected by the President - majority not required...who said this was a democracy anyway?). Boo_licious was appointed Secretary due to her prolific writing skills and excellent photography, while Paprika was appointed Treasurer (due to her connections with one Hunky who is attached to an international bank and who is able to provide unlimited funding as and when required...we hope...) and Head of Maki subcommittee. Other posts will be filled in due course. Your patience is appreciated.

Being the responsible citizens that we were, the newly appointed committee met immediately to discuss the rules & regulations and other such technicalities over a plate of sashimi at our not-so-secret headquarters.














Hajime Hajime Menu Hajime


Finding the not-so-secret headquarters wasn't too terrible a task as I was familiar with Jalan Damai, the location of one of my favourite spas, Vila Manja. The exterior and interior of this refurbished bungalow were extremely pleasing due to the use of various types of woods and stones to create different textures on the surfaces of the building. I brushed past a rope curtain at the main entrance as I entered a very short passageway which led to the main dining area. The main area had two separate sections. The non-smoking section consisted of sunken seats with muted lighting, while the smoking section was more brighty lit with conventional tables and chairs. Naturally, because we wanted to document the food correctly without the unnecessary attention of flashbulbs, we sacrificed our lungs for the sake of our faithful Japanese Food Kawan Association members. *cough cough*


Fugu Mirin Hoshi Hotatei Corn Yaki


The menu wasn't very extensive, but contained enough of a variety to get us curious. I have to add here that service was excellent. The lady taking our order was not only knowledgeable about her menu, she was also able to give us informed recommendations on the different types of food. Perhaps other restaurants should take a leaf out of Hajime's book and learn something about the importance of hiring knowledgeable staff.

I have blogged about Fugu before. There's really nothing to worry about as the poison would have been removed prior to shipping. At least, that's what they all say. Better to be blissfully ignorant than to be consciously skeptical and a constant worrywort, I say! The Fugu Mirin Hoshi priced at RM14 was nothing like the sashimi I had tried before. The thick cut slices of fugu tasted like barbequed dried meat which was rather chewy but full of flavour. If someone gave me this dish and asked me to do a blind test, I'd have immediately guessed it to be dried pork instead of fish. I'd put this in the "snack" category - perfect for munching on while watching Harry Potter battle his nemesis in the movies.

The Hotatei Corn Yaki (RM18) was essentially scallops baked with a topping of cheese and corn. The sweet scallops contrasted well with the heavy topping.


Black Spider Hamo Teriyaki


Having the honorable Head of Maki subcommittee in our midst, we naturally had to order something to suit her discerning palate, and we believe that she was suitably satisfied with the Black Spider Maki (RM18) made of sinfully delicious soft shell crabs with caviar in a vinegared rice roll. We struggled a bit trying to eat the rather large pieces of maki in a ladylike fashion, but our attempts made the effort clumsier than ever with bits of rice and other ingredients covering our tiny plates with a mess capable of making my 5 year old twitchy fidgetty nephew, with his Winnie the Pooh plastic bowl, look like an angel.

The Hamo (pike eel) Teriyaki (RM38) was like comfort food to me. Tasting similar to unagi, I couldn't quite tell the difference between the two. Perhaps I shall have to try another serving?


Taco Belt Wagyu Roll with Shimeji Mushroom

The waitress suggested trying the Taco Belt which got us thinking of Mexican food and pita breads, and I'm glad we didn't laugh away her recommendation. This must be the best item of the night. The maki was not made of rice, but instead consisted of soft shell crab, salmon and avocado wrapped in seaweed. The unique textures of the different ingredients made me feel like I was experiencing so many different sensations at the same time; from the softness of the avocado to the crunchiness of the soft shell crab, they all blended together to create a symphony of flavours.

Unfortunately, the Wagyu Roll with Shimeji Mushroom (RM36) fell short of expectation. the bland taste and tough texture of the meat was barely rescued by the barbeque sauce on the side.

Salmon Shichu Mushi


I enjoyed eating the Salmon Shichu Mushi (RM15) which was served with a very small portion of noodles. The highlight of this dish was most definitely the broth, infused with the flavours of the salmon and seaweed, which it was cooked in.


Hama Sashimi Tuna Sashimi


Earlier that evening, I was having a conversation with another Japanese food expert who advised me to try food other than sashimi after seeing the glut of sashimi posts on my blog, but really, sir, it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. After 20 minutes of humming and hawing, and with the blessings of my newly appointed committee, I proceeded to order a plate of sashimi (RM100). Looking at the gorgeous pieces of freshly cut fish placed on a bed of shaved ice, I am glad I acknowledged my inner desires. With every bite of the raw fish, I felt like I was born again.


Daikon Ume SaladI didn't touch much of the Daikon Ume Salad (RM18) made of white radish drizzled with japanese plum sauce. The sauce was a little too sour for my liking and the salad was just too ordinary.

Kuzukiri


Figuring out the dessert was quite an effort in imagination. The Kuzukiri (RM10) was puzzling. The noodles (which I presume were made of arrow-root starch) was rather gelatinous while the brown sauce was apparently made of gula melaka (brown palm sugar). We took turns guessing what the powder was, and creative answers such as "peanut powder with a hint of sesame" to "something that my mum uses in her indian cooking lah" were offered, but in the end, we were told that it was actually chestnut powder. I guess even foodies get it wrong sometimes. :-)


Hajime The meeting adjourned at 11.00pm with a vote of thanks to the President.

Hajime
No. 64, Jalan Damai, Off Jalan Tun Razak, 55000 KL.

Tel: 03-2143 0073

For map, click here.