Eat Drink KL

Sunday, December 8, 2013

D'Vijff Vlieghen @ Amsterdam

It's off to the Netherlands for this entry: The name of this very formal restaurant (which translates into 'The Five Flies') might seem punishing to pronounce, but that's no impediment to eating here.

This sprawling outlet features nine intricately decorated, dimly lit rooms _ some with Rembrandt masterpieces or antique handmade glassware _ spread out over five 17th-century canal houses.

The establishment prides itself on using seasonal Dutch produce for recipes that bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary cooking.

Amuse bouche of langoustine mousse with salmon roe and rose petals. Who knew that oceanic flavors could work so pleasingly with a floral fragrance?

Herring cocktail with pureed shallots, potatoes, white bread and pickled gherkin sorbet. A cold, creamy combo with somewhat subtle, salad-ish flavors.

Spinach soup with poached hen's egg, forest mushrooms & bread. A weird mix; not quite sure whether the ingredients gel well together,

Fillet of rabbit with rilette of its stewing flesh, a hearty meat-and-potatoes recipe. For the accompaniments: Marrowfat peas are green mature peas allowed to dry out naturally in the field; piccalilli is a relish of chopped pickled veggies.

Dutch beef, medium-rare. Good steak; nothing more, nothing less.

Assortment of Dutch cheeses. As satisfying as some French ones.

D'Vijff Vlieghen,

Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The Oct.-Dec. inaugural edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favorites is now available in an eBook for free, convenient reading on computers, tablets & smartphones. It comprises reviews & information for 100 pretty nice eateries that span various locations, cuisines & budgets. Please click here: http://eatdrinkkl.publ.com/Eat-Drink-KL-100-Favorites-Oct-Dec-2013 (This link expires Dec. 31, 2013; see blog entries after that date for new link).

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Soon Lok, Choy Hi, Pooi Kee & Brother Kuan Roast Duck @ Puchong

Duck tales: Scouring Puchong for the tastiest of this neighborhood's roasted poultry, starting with probably our top pick, Soon Lok.

Soon Lok's roast duck (RM42 for whole) proves that this popular restaurant is no quack; its meat is fleshy & flavorful, while its skin proves commandingly crisp, blessed with a luscious layer of fat to broaden both the waistlines & the smiles of satisfied patrons.

Everything else here is convincingly executed, from the staples of siew yok & char siew ...

... to an assam shark's head platter that should appease fish fans.

Cabbage laced with dried shrimp for fiber, plus noodles for carbs.

Next, only a minute's drive from Soon Lok, here's a look at Choy Hi, which is slightly less busy but still seems to have a faithful following.

Pei Pa roast duck; probably a B-minus in our book. The meat could have been fresher, juicier & better-tasting. Not a total fail, but not a big hit either.

Choy Hi also serves steamed chicken that may or may not be from Bentong; there's a vagueness to how the food is explained here.

What's worthwhile here: Bean curd stuffed with fish paste, served steaming-hot ...

... plus boneless chicken in a thick apricot sauce that's addictive even if it might be artificial ...

... & wild boar curry that's lip-smacking in its creamy savoriness & the beloved three-egg steamed platter that's crowd-pleasing in a can't-fail fashion.

Claypot 'water spinach' & the bounciest of fish balls wrap up our look at Choy Hi, where the hits make the misses tolerable.

Next on our fowl itinerary: Pooi Kee, where charcoal-roasted duck rules the roost.

Pooi Kee offers no fewer than three types of roast duck: one swimming in a light sauce, the second sprinkled with sesame seeds & another soaked in angelica herbs.

Not bad at all; drumsticks cost RM12 per plate, while half a chicken sells for RM20.

Bentong-style claypot duck with ginger's also worthwhile, though the cuts seem bonier here.

Veggies galore, from sour to soupy, leafy to crunchy (the beansprouts are tasty).

Pooi Kee's pork is OK but not the highlight of this outlet.

Last but not least: Brother Kuan, where customers who come after 7pm might find themselves waiting at least five minutes for a table at this bustling venue.

Our definitive duck hunt ends with Brother Kuan's crispy duck in a mild, watery herbal sauce; good but not great, though in this case, good is good enough.

Brother Kuan's a fair place for a no-frills meal, with fast, friendly service. Steamed fish, spinach, roast pork & omelets all hit appealing notes. Hurray for Puchong.

Soon Lok, 77, Jalan Kenari 20, Bandar Puchong Jaya

Choy Hi, 16, Jalan Kenari 18A, Bandar Puchong Jaya

Pooi Kee, 56, Jalan Puteri 5/18, Bandar Puteri Puchong

Brother Kuan, 2A, Jalan Persiaran Puteri 1, Bandar Puteri Puchong

The Oct.-Dec. inaugural edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favorites is now available in an eBook for free, convenient reading on computers, tablets & smartphones. It comprises reviews & information for 100 pretty nice eateries that span various locations, cuisines & budgets. Please click here: http://eatdrinkkl.publ.com/Eat-Drink-KL-100-Favorites-Oct-Dec-2013 (This link expires Dec. 31, 2013; see blog entries after that date for new link).

Friday, December 6, 2013

Poodoo @ Metro Pudu

A possible haunt for meat-lovers, particularly those who favor live music to invigorate their meals.

Poodoo's menu is primarily a pork-worshiping one, plowing through everything from enjoyable slow-roasted pulled pork sandwiches with streaky bacon (RM20.88) to Carlsberg beer-marinated pork chops & double-boiled pork trotters.

Plenty of inventive pub grub too, like cheddar cheese-stuffed onions fried in bacon-infused batter & breaded luncheon meat sliced into French-fries-style strips.

BBQ dishes are also a specialty, including Aussie grass-fed rib-eye (RM34 for 200 grams).

Grilled lamb shoulders & salmon steaks are available as well, served with sauces such as brandy pepper, wild mushroom, pico de gallo & spicy piri piri.

Poodoo's pretty proud of its sausages, which range from bratwurst to cumberland, Italian herbed to English Oxford, coupled with creamy mashed potatoes.

Not on the official menu, but worth requesting: Test tubes filled with all manner of liquor ...

... to be combined & transformed into a high-potency cocktail that might make the room spin.

For less intrepid guzzlers, wine is offered, together with lots of beer & regular cocktails.

Poodoo's a two-level outlet: Its bar with a performance stage is situated above its bistro.

Poodoo

Metro Mall, Jalan Metro Pudu 2, Fraser Business Park, Kuala Lumpur

Bistro opens 11am-3pm & 5pm-11pm; bar opens 430pm-2am, except Sundays

Tel: 03-9221-4828

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Minamoto Kitchoan & WA Cafe @ Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

Checking out two compelling new reasons to return to Pavilion this month: confectionery shop Minamoto Kitchoan & caffeine bar WA Cafe, both infused with inimitable Japanese influences.

First, Minamoto Kitchoan, which recently unveiled its maiden Malaysian branch, bolstering a cross-continental network that spans locations from Singapore to Shanghai to San Francisco, London to Tokyo to New York.

Minamoto specializes in "wagashi," the traditional treats commonly consumed with tea. Beautifully packaged but bitingly priced; it's startlingly simple to spend a whole lunchtime's worth of money on more or less a mouthful here.

Minamoto's mochi might rank as KL's best, exceptional in taste & texture. Sweet but not cloying, with a commanding complexity of flavor, these rice cakes feel fresh & pleasurably pasty without excess stickiness.

Sakura mochi (RM10 per piece), its glutinous grains wrapped with a salted cherry leaf & topped with pickled cherry blossom. Delicate & nuanced.

Also adore the kusa mochi (RM8), typically a springtime delicacy, colored with mugwort leaves & filled with red bean paste. Glutinous greatness.

Tsuyaguri, a whole, soft chestnut enveloped in mashed chestnut paste. Folks who feel like festive splurging can buy a nice 12-piece gift box of these for RM152.

Hoshigaki dried persimmon, reputedly a labor-intensive product to create by massaging the fruit over time, stuffed with white bean paste.

The azuki bean paste is lovely here, be it stuffed in the Oribenishiki baked buns ...

... or sandwiched in dorayaki pancakes (Doraemon's favorite!) ...

... & koganeawase crispy-light wafers. This coming from someone who's not a red-bean fan.

Cookies? These "leaf pies" could prove an irresistibly buttery-sugary addiction.

Not everything here's a hit though: We'd skip the surprisingly bland kasutera sponge cake (RM48) & fukuwatashisenbei vanilla cream cookie ...

... & the OK-but-unmemorable shimizuhakuto peach jelly (RM42).

Before leaving Pavilion, take the escalators four floors up to WA Cafe, where a Japanese barista has started serving this shopping mall's most satisfying coffee.

Colombian Arabica beans form the foundation for WA's lovable iced latte (RM11).

Also admirable: Hot matcha latte (RM10), potently aromatic with top-flight green tea ...

... & a deeply enjoyable roasted almond hot chocolate (RM11), both not-coffee beverages that make WA Cafe more than a coffee bar, come to think of it.

Note: WA Cafe is in a soft-opening stage; its barista advises customers to come next week, when the cafe's own-made ice cream & a wider selection of beverages will become available.

Minamoto Kitchoan

P2-12-00, Level 2, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

WACafe

Center Court, Level 6, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur