Hoofed @ Taman Tun Dr Ismail

Located above Tom, Dick & Harry, Hoofed specializes in pork. Yes, you got that right. There is a wine bar cum restaurant called Tom, Dick & Harry. And it owns Hoofed, too. At least, that's what the staff told us.


We had bought a Groupon voucher for RM18 each, for a pork chop meal that includes a roasted tomato soup, a choice of brownies or bananarama dessert. 


However, without a word of apology or acknowlegement, we were served with a dark green colour soup that tasted nothing like tomatoes, roasted or not. Upon checking with a staff, we found that they were out of tomatoes and had elected to replace it with spinach. 


Well, I understand that, but shouldn't they have said something prior to serving it to us? Doesn't good manners dictate that they apologize for having to replace a soup which we had pre-bought and paid for, but which they replaced at their own discretion??


And let's not go into diet and medical disorders. What if one of us had high uric acid (like my mum had) and spinach was an item we could not eat without further damaging our health??


Anyway, in the midst of the fuss, I forgot to take any pictures of the spinach soup. Bummer....

Pork chop

Despite being crowded on the second evening of Chinese New year, service was prompt. The pork chop arrived shortly after the soup bowls were cleared. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the pork reminded me of what we had at Jarrod & Rawlins, at a fraction of the price, of course. 

Chocolate brownies with vanilla ice cream

Predictably, chocolate brownies was my choice of dessert. I could never seem to get enough of chocolate brownies (I even baked them at home some time in the past!). Very rich and chocolatey, the brownies were a sinful indulgence. Warmed and eaten with the vanilla ice cream, each mouthful was a totally wonderful ying yang experience.

Bananarama

Hubby opted for the bananarama on the basis that he wanted something different for a change (I always ordered either chocolate brownies or chocolate fudge for dessert, if not cheesecake). I had warned him that the caramel sauce and peanut butter crumble are going to be very sweet and not diabetic-friendly. My predictions turned out to be true. Hubby couldn't finish his bananarama. It was overly sweet for him.


My conclusions? Hoofed is a nice enough neighbourhood restaurant, a place to relax and nurse a glass of wine or two before dinner. Would I go back? Well, I'm not a big fan of pork, so it's possible I might not return. 


Address:
No. 18A Lorong Rahim Kajai 14
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
6000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (03) 7728-8567

Fish & Co @ 1-Utama

Two weeks ago, on the first day of Chinese New Year, with nowhere to go, we decided to hit 1-Utama in search of lunch and movie. My mother-in-law had told us not to visit anybody, including relatives, during Chinese New Year as my mum had passed away only a month earlier.


It was a strange new year for me. It was the first time I celebrated Chinese New Year without my mum. Needless to say, while most people of Chinese descent were in a festive mood, I was feeling down and sad.


Anyway....let's move on with the topic. Despite the long weekend, many KLites remained behind in the city, and at 2-ish in the afternoon, many tables at Fish & Co were still occupied. However, the service was prompt and we didn't have long to wait.

Caesar salad with smoked salmon - RM10.90

Caesar salad was the first to arrive. They were generous with the smoked salmon, which went very well with the lettuce and blue cheese dressing. 

Soup of the day (mushroom) - RM4.90

The soup of the day followed at the heels of the caesar salad. Rich and full of mushroom slices, it had a nice, creamy texture. 

New York Fish & Chips with stuffed cheese - RM13.90

Not dory, the fish fillet was firm and sweet, while the batter was crispy. I loved the cheese in it. Each bite was simply divine. It's the best fish & chips I've had in KL.

Seafood Baked Rice - RM15.90

The seafood baked rice is actually a paella with cheese. Again, it was another savory and delectable delight. Truly scrumptious. My mouth was watering as I typed this. We must revisit the place soon.


Address:
Fish & Co
LG 350, Lower Ground Floor,
1 Utama Shopping Centre
Bandar Utama, PJ.
Tel: (03) 7722-4928

New Year Eve Dinner @ Jarrod and Rawlins

With mum having just passed away on 17 December 2011, I wasn't in much of a mood to celebrate Christmas or New Year. I wasn't even aware that it was Christmas eve until I asked my neighbours what festival they were celebrating when I saw them barbecuing skewers of food. 

Similarly, I wasn't aware that it was New Year's eve on 31 Dec until I was wished "Happy new year". I remember being stumped, and just stared at them with a puzzled look. That was in the late afternoon.

Hubby, who has been very supportive all this while, then took it upon himself to get me out of the home for a nice dinner. Being an eleventh hour decision, we were faced with a rather limited choice. Most restaurants were fully booked. Just as we were about to give up, we got lucky with Jarrod and Rawlins. No, it's not a law firm, it's a restaurant. 

We ordered one each of the starter to share.

Left: Pumpkin soup with curry essence, coconut cream & crouton

Right: Rocket & walnut salad with feta cheese & citrus vinaigrette

The curry flavour made an interesting change to an otherwise regular pumpkin soup. I did not detect any coconut cream flavour. The feta cheese was superb, and went very well with the citrus vinaigrette salad. I wish they had given more of the cheese.

Jarrod & Rawlins is famous for pork. The gratinate grilled pork loin was tender and moist with a light, crispy top. It reminds me of the Chinese siu yok (seoh bak in Hokkien) skin. Heavenly.

The tomato salsa was great, but we found the seared fish fillet a little wanting. It's not bad, but after we've tasted the pork loin, the fish just paled in comparison. Rather ordinary, was our conclusion.

The homemade creme brulee was creamy, soft and sweet. It tasted a bit like egg pudding. Yummy.

We proceeded home to watch the fireworks after tea and coffee. We have a panoramic view of the city and have been watching the fireworks at Petronas Twin Towers, Bukit Bintang and Dataran Merdeka from our balcony since we moved into this apartment four years ago.

T.G.I.Friday's @ Hartamas Shopping Centre

Ever since hubby had to go on a special diet, meat has not featured in our menu for a while. We used to go for steak or burgers every now and then, and I miss burgers so much. I know, it's junk food, but I do so love burgers. 


Not able to stand the craving for some real burgers, I managed to persuade hubby to go to T.G.I.Friday's for some burgers for lunch during the long Raya break. I only like those thick patties served at Friday's, American Chillies or Tony Roma's. Those patties at Carl's Junior, Burger King and McDonald's (especially McDonald's) are so thin, so pathetic, they ought not to be called burgers.


However, when we got there, I changed my mind and opted for tacos instead. Tacos is another thing I missed having. 

The sliced barbecued beef tacos were stuffed into two tortillas with melted cheese, deep-fried onions and a tangy creamy sauce. It was a huge serving, and I left the chips untouched. I couldn't eat another mouthful, I was that full. RM26.90 (price included for the benefit of friends who asked).

We ordered the Eggplant Rollatini to share. They were grilled eggplant rolls stuffed with ricotta, Parmesan cheese and basil, and topped with bruschetta marinara and melted Parmesan cheese. It's one of the new "Small Plates for RM10.90 each" on the menu. Super yummy.

We found something hubby could eat, cedar seared salmon pasta. The salmon fillets were pan-seared and coated with cedar smoke seasoning and served over zucchinis and fettuccine. The sauce is a blend of creamy Alfredo, bruschetta marinara and lemon. Really nice. If I hadn't been craving for beef, I would have ordered this, too. RM27.90


One thing I have to say about American portions - I didn't need any tea time break, and up to 8pm, I was still not hungry for dinner.

Barbarillos @ Wangsa Link

In June, we bought a pair of Dealmates vouchers for a meal at Barbarillos. But until last Sunday, we weren't able to book a table for two, despite my calling them 5 or 6 days ahead. It was not until when we arrived at Barbarillos last Sunday did I understand why they couldn't honour our prepaid vouchers before that.....Barbarillos is a small, cozy pub restaurant.


For RM29.90 each (instead of RM95.60), we get a choice of starter, a choice of main course, a choice of dessert, a choice of 1 mug of draft beer or free flow of iced lemon tea, followed by a cup of hot tea or coffee.

We chose the beer over the free flow of iced lemon tea, though I didn't remember to take any pictures until we've drunk a quarter of it. Yumm....I love cold Tiger draft.....

The bruschetta was not good. Instead of using olive oil and fresh tomatoes, Barbarillos used  those bottled tomato sauce like Prego's or Leggo's. It tasted really weird...like a pizza crust with tomato sauce, but without any toppings. Not recommended.

The wild mushroom soup was not any better either. There was not even a hint of the wild mushroom in it. It could have passed for a canned soup, and perhaps it was, now that we know it's a pub restaurant and not a 'real' restaurant.

Both of us had the salmon fillet with lemon butter sauce, but while I opted for potato wedges, hubby chose the mashed potato. It was slightly better than the soup or bruschetta, but still, the kitchen was a bit too liberal with the salt. 

Again, both of us ordered the same thing -- warm chocolate brownies. It was edible, not too bad, after a not so good meal.


I would return for the beer, but not the food. 


Address:
1, Jalan Wangsa Delima 12,
Wangsa Link, Wangsa Maju,
53300 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: (03) 4142 8507

Secret Recipe @ Jusco Metro Prima

Ever since the opening of its first outlet in 1997, Secret Recipe remains one of my favourite cafe for cheesecakes. Despite the fact that they later branched into main courses, I had always gone to Secret Recipe for only a cheesecake and tea. It might be due to their being a franchise chain, and that we don't rate franchise-chain food very highly. 


But whatever it was, two Saturdays ago, after we bought a pair of tickets to Captain America, we decided to give their main course a try. I think the main contributing factor could be due to the limited food outlets in Jusco Metro Prima. It's not like 1-Utama, where there were many choices.


Service was quick, and before our seats were sufficiently warmed, our orders were served.

Pumpkin soup - RM5.50

The sprinkles of ground black pepper was added by me, for a more aesthetic-looking photo. :-D  At first, I was puzzled at its unusual curry powder taste, and wasn't sure if I liked it, but it later grew on me. Hubby had no such reservations though. He liked it immediately. Incidentally, they had only two types of soup on their menu - pumpkin or mushroom. 

Cod in honey lemon mustard sauce - RM19.80

The cod was a little overdone but the honey lemon mustard sauce was super yummy. I slurped it all up.

Mozzarella baked fish - RM17.50

I love anything baked in mozzarella cheese, and the only thing that stopped me from ordering this dish was the dory fish. Dory is not my favourite fish, and I eat it only under duress, haha. But hubby loves dory, strangely he likes the texture of the fish.....


Now I must google for a honey lemon mustard sauce recipe, as my tastebuds could not detect the individual ingredients used to make it......


Address:
Secret Recipe
1st Floor, Jusco Metro Prima
Kepong, KL
Tel: (03) 6258 5828

Nobel Family Steak House @ Viva Home

Nobel Family Steak House, which originates from Taiwan, is a steak house with over 150 outlets, and more than 40 franchises. Their tag line is 'indulgence fit for the noble class at an affordable price', which is prominently displayed on the wall next to the entrance at the back.

They have two outlets in Malaysia, at USJ Taipan and Viva Home (formerly known as Plaza UE3) at Jalan Loke Yew. Those aren't neighbourhoods we frequent, and we would not have known about them had Groupon Malaysia not sold a discount voucher for them. RM20 for a meal valued at RM77 -- Choose 1 main course from 11 varieties + buffet of side dishes + free flow drinks. 


How could I resist such a deal? For RM20 each, hubby and I could pig out like there's no tomorrow. Well, there is, but we'll worry about that and our weight another day....


Although Nobel is a steak house, hubby and I are more of a seafood person than beef. We both ordered the lemon salmon.

And with that salmon, we helped ourselves to the buffet side dishes........

There was sweet corn soup and mushroom soup...we opted for mushroom soup, though hubby helped himself to some sweet corn soup later.

I don't like my plate to be filled to the brim....I like to see empty space on the plate.

Hubby's plate of salad......compare it with my plate of salad....as I said, I like to see empty space on my plate.

I took enough transfat for both of us.....otherwise, I'd have loaded even less fries to have more empty space.

The beef mushroom sauce for our transfat

My dessert. I love the gula melaka and the sago, it was truly yummy. The dragon fruit wasn't bad either, but the agar-agar were a little on the dry side. I didn't like them.

Ice-kacang.....hubby asked why someone would make an ice-kacang like that instead of mixing it all up like it should be. Well, I like my food to be compartmentalized, so it's easier to eat in alphabetical order. That's how I put my economy rice dishes, too!  :P

Hubby's dessert - a herbal tea egg.....very healthy.... :P  

Some pictures of the side dishes buffet.....

They have chicken, rendang, and rice as a side dish, too!  :-o


Address:
Noble Family Steak House
G09, Ground Floor
Viva Home, Plaza Uncang Emas (UE3)
Jalan Loke Yew, KL
Tel: (03) 9281 6784

Tony Roma's @ MidValley City

I know this sounds crazy, but occasionally I do crave for burgers. Not the thin patty that's McDonald's excuse of a burger, but the thick, chunky types. I know I can, but sometimes when you're out and it's time for dinner, you're not going to rush home and make your own patties. 


There are a few places that serve decent burgers, though I bet that's the last place anyone would go to. My favourite place is T.G.I.F. though hubby's is Tony Roma's. And since Tony Roma's was conveniently available when our tummy started growling after a day's shopping, Tony Roma's it was. I know, a place not known for burgers but steak......

Big stack - RM24.90

Since hubby and I tend to share the same tastes in food, music, movies and humour, many times we both tend to order the same thing, and this time is no different. I'm drooling all over again as I looked at that juicy patty with bacon and cheese. Junk has never looked nor tasted so delicious.


It was a good thing we shared a soup between us, for I only managed to eat one quarter of the fries. Had I gone along with hubby's wish and ordered a bowl each, I would not have been able to finish the burger and that would have been a crying shame. 

Baked potato soup - RM5.90 if you ordered the entree, RM7.90 if you didn't

The soup had the right texture and went well with the bacon bits and parsley. I enjoyed it even though It's not my favourite type of soup. 


Address:
Tony Roma's
LG 217, Mid Valley City
No. 1, Medan Syed Putra, KL
Tel: 03 - 2282 8243

delicious @ Bangsar Village II

Delicious is the name of a chain restaurant started by Benjamin Yong in 2004 as a small tearoom in the back of a boutique. Today, E&O Hotel has a 51% stake in it, and it has expanded to six outlets, including one in Penang. 


The ingredients used are all halal making it a good place to hang out with Muslim friends. Plus, there are specific vegetarian dishes, too. It's definitely going into my list of places to take my cousin and her vegetarian husband when they visit us in Malaysia.

Salmon Angelhair - RM27.90

Is this getting familiar? If you're thinking you're always seeing salmon or pasta on my blog, that's because salmon is my favourite fish just as it is my cats', and next to brown rice, pasta is my staple diet. I could eat pasta everyday and never tire of it.


But this pasta tastes different from all the other salmon pasta I've had. The caviar complemented the smoked salmon and creamy sauce with parsley flakes. Truly yummylicious.

Quiche Lorraine with Beef Bacon - RM18.90

Hubby who likes quiche, opted for the Lorraine quiche after asking the waiter if it's big enough as a main course. He's concerned that it might not be enough to fill him. When it arrived, it looked kinda small. Turned out the amount was just right, especially when we shared the two dishes and finished off with a cheesecake. And yes, it tastes as good as it looks. I liked the salad dressing on the salad, too. I've always hated those salad that came with Thousand Island Dressing. Yuck! I wish someone would ban those commercial Thousand Island Dressing. Oops....hope there's no thousand island dressing fan reading this.....

Macadamia cheesecake - RM13.90

The cheesecake is not the light fluffy type that you get for RM6 or RM7 a piece, but the real, heavy type. Topped with macadamia nuts and caramel, it was sinfully rich, particularly so for diabetic hubby!! But it's his weekly treat to eat whatever he likes, after being on the strict diet I imposed on him throughout the week at home. Trust me, it's no fun being on that diet. Even a simple cup of hot chocolate at night has been replaced with plain oats soaked in hot water.


While perusing the menu, we also discovered that they have a traditional English afternoon tea for two at RM59.90. Now I know where to go if I'm craving for an English afternoon tea and don't happen to be in Cameron Highlands!


This restaurant lives up to its name. My verdict is:-

Address:
delicious
GF-1, Ground Floor, Bangsar Village II,
2 Jalan Telawi 1,
Bangsar Baru, KL.
Tel: 03 - 2287 1554/3
URL: http://www.thedeliciousgroup.com

Friendscino @ Damansara Perdana

Located in Damansara Perdana, Friendscino is a family pub restaurant. When we were there two weeks ago, there were several families with children in tow.

Board games for the whole family are available on the mahogany shelf

This guy can really croon

Hubby had bought a 4-course dinner package from one of those online prepaid promotions for RM27 each. It was really value for money. They did not shortchange on the quality of the food at all.

The Ceasar Salad with cheese was creamy and has a strong cheese flavour. Yummy.

Next came the wild mushroom soup. I enjoyed the home-made soup to the last drop, and putting the chutney on the garlic bread was an ingenious idea. The sweet and tangy chutney went very well with the garlic bread.

The Norwegian salmon was grilled to perfection. It was accompanied with baked baby potatoes, sauerkraut, sweet peas, brocolli and the barbecue sauce had a slight tang of chutney, too. Two thumbs up.

The bread and butter pudding with ice cream and raspberry sauce was not too sweet. It was just right for me, and acceptable by diabetic hubby. Although he did say that his blood sugar has probably spiked.

They didn't have wine on the menu so I opted for a glass of Pina Colado. I almost didn't get that, as they had run out of coconut milk, but before I could make up my mind what to order instead, one of the staff came up to our table to say they could rush out to get the coconut milk if I really want Pina Colado. Yes, I do, thank you.  :)