China Treasures @ Sime Darby Convention Center

This pork-free restaurant (but not booze-free, thankfully!) serves decent fare in a setting that's much more peaceful than many other Chinese outlets.

Shimeiji mushrooms deep-fried in salted egg yolk. A creative recipe. The yolk's flavour complemented the mushrooms, which had a crisp, thin coating but remained tender inside.

Deep-fried carrot balls. Piping-hot and not oily at all; the addictively crunchy batter covered a creamy blend of carrots and sweet potatoes.

Pan-fried egg noodles with seafood. No complaints. Competently executed.

Braised eel with fragrant garlic. Not as tempting as the melt-in-the-mouth Japanese versions of unagi; this was chewier and tasted almost like chicken intestines.

Braised sea perch fillet. Pretty yummy and fairly fresh, though some might say the sweet "Special Chef's Sauce" nearly overwhelms the fish.

Stir-fried la mian with crab meat & egg white sauce. Noodles seem to be their forte here, with lots of interesting, satisfying preparations.

La Challenge Blanc (France).

China Treasures,

Sime Darby Convention Centre.

Prime @ Le Meridien Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

Here's proof positive that it's possible for two people to have a perfectly fine dinner at Prime without ordering a slab of steak.

Apple wood-smoked Norwegian salmon. Ideal for whetting the appetite.

Australian crab cakes with chili flakes & garlic sauce. Crisp on the outside, but moist, meaty and piping-hot within. If only all crab cakes were like this.

Salad of Master Kobe beef, grilled figs, spinach, mozzarella & aged balsamic dressing. Tasted as satisfying as a steak, with lots of succulent slices of medium-rare beef.

Hachis Parmentier (diced Kobe beef & porcini ragout with twice-baked Idaho potato). Melty comfort food for both carboholics and carnivores.

Super-creamy truffle ravioli with mushroom fricassee. Bursting with the aroma of truffles. Terrific enough to rival the offering of any Italian restaurant in KL.

Australian grass-fed centre-cut filet mignon, pounded flat & seared with sesame oil, ginger & garlic, served with young mango salad in honey lime dressing. Looked interesting, but tasted like ordinary Oriental stir-fried beef that you might find at a Chinese outlet.

Green soba noodles with Master Kobe teriyaki, chuka wakame & baby greens. Another Eastern-influenced recipe, gorgeously presented. No complaints, taste-wise _ certainly a notch above what numerous Japanese restaurants serve.

Click here for previous review of Prime (February 8).

Prime,

Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur.

The Uma @ Kota Damansara

Despite the proliferation of Balinese restaurants in the Klang Valley, this might be the only non-halal one for now (though there's no "babi guling" here, boo hoo!)

The Uma's specialty is "Nasi Ratus," a platter of black-eyed pea rice with sate lilit, shredded chicken & veggie salads, stir-fried long beans & spiced potato fries. It's a hearty, wholesome serving that's simple yet satisfying.

Assam-marinated pork satay. A bit too chewy and not meaty or flavourful enough.

Steamed duck. A luscious recipe. Succulent, fall-off-the-bone meat in a marvelous herbal broth that we would have licked clean if we had been hungrier.

Babi Kicap Manis. Marvelous comfort food, with a home-cooked feel. The pork was chunky but tender, making this a real carnivore's delight.

Grilled chicken. Sufficiently juicy and aromatic to recommend.

The Uma,

The Strand, Kota Damansara.

Suishin @ Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur

Click here for earlier entry on Suishin (April 12).

Grilled king crab leg with uni sauce. Over-the-top decadence. The crab would've been satisfyingly succulent on its own, but the sea urchin coating made this overpoweringly rich.

Oysters baked with cheese & crab sticks. Fresh-tasting and flavour-packed. We prefer our oysters raw, but a well-prepared recipe like this proves how versatile these mollusks can be.

Kobe beef tataki, costing RM130 for 100 grams. A hearty, lightly roasted serving, but it lacked the melt-in-the-mouth quality we tend to associate with premium meat.

Kisu karaage (deep-fried whiting) in amazu sauce. An addictive, sweet-&-sour snack, though the preparation kinda overwhelmed the fish's natural flavour.

Suishin Extreme Maki, comprising ebi, soft shell crab, tobiko, kani & avocado. No complaints; the rolls were generously stuffed, turning each mouthful into a delicious explosion of tastes and textures.

Foie gras teriyaki. Not quite up to mark; the liver was slightly over-seared, leaving it not as juicy as it ought to be. Also, the sauce was a bit too salty.

Suishin Restobar,

5-1, 1st Floor, Jalan Solaris 1,

Solaris Mont Kiara.

Tel: 6203-6642

The Veranda @ Carcosa Seri Negara

Now that Carcosa has received a new lease on life, it has resumed its role as a worthwhile stop for afternoon teas and leisurely dinners.

Carcosa's French restaurant, The Dining Room, is no longer operational, so the only dining option here is The Veranda, which offers both Western and Malaysian fare.

Caesar salad with wholemeal croutons. A can't-fail classic, competently executed. Couldn't tell the difference between these croutons and regular ones, but we loved the scent of truffle oil that permeated this platter.

Salmon tartar with avocado, horseradish, quail egg, caviar & blini. As comfortingly creamy as baby food (though certainly not as bland).

Whipped goat cheese with honey in filo pastry, served with truffle vinaigrette & asparagus. The muskiness of the cheese was a perfect match for the sweet honey.

Slow-baked Australian beef tenderloin with balsamic jus, summer veggies & whipped potatoes. Despite the elaborate decorations on this dish, it was basically a meat-and-potatoes recipe that proved hearty enough to satisfy carnivorous cravings.

Salmon crusted with herbs & mustard, served with champagne risotto & truffle oil. Fabulously fresh, splendidly succulent.

Trapiche Astica Chardonnay (Argentina).

The Veranda,

Carcosa Seri Negara.

Organic Vegetarian @ Subang Jaya

Click here for previous review of Organic Vegetarian (Sept. 6, 2009).

Mixed veggie pizza. A thin-crust concoction that could have been more crisp. Alas, it tasted like one of those mini-pizzas sold at shopping mall bakeries. Not exactly bland, but not bursting with flavour either. A wider range of veggies might have helped.

Lei Cha. A healthy, freshly prepared concoction, but probably an acquired taste, with lots of greens and grains and gruel. Available only on Tuesdays and Thursdays here.

La mien in dumpling soup. A guilt-free recipe, with no MSG and few hints of fat. Even the carbs in this hearty bowl seemed well worth consuming.

Organic Vegetarian Fresh Mart,

SS18/18, Subang Jaya.