Marufuku Udon

Jaya One is increasingly awash with watering holes anxious for attention, but on a recent rainy evening, we were attracted instead to the inconspicuous corner that houses Marufuku Udon, a soothing sanctuary that supplies simple soul food.

Slippery, slurp-worthy noodles form Marufuku's raison d'etre, with a full page of varieties on the menu. We blew hot and cold before deciding on one cold choice and another hot one. The Salada Udon _ served with fragrant sesame sauce _ tasted encouragingly healthy, with a hearty helping of raw carrots, cucumber, tofu and other veggies, but with minimal oil and salt.

Alas, we proceeded to burn our tongues on the Nabeyaki Udon, a flavorsome hot-pot version cooked in 'nabe,' or a metal container, simmering with prawn tempura, egg & mushrooms. If the food is starting to sound strangely familiar, that might be because Marufuku is a spin-off from Taman Desa's Sanuki Udon (though this outlet seems to offer a wider range).

Don't skip the yakitori _ a smoky, succulent steal at RM2-3 per skewer, with all the innards we could eat (along with other chicken parts & meat, of course). We weren't fans of the bland chicken leg, but the speared skin was sinfully crisp and the heart was heart-stoppingly addictive.

Gizzard (marvelously crunchy and chewy), alongside lightly salted onion & okra.

Chicken liver & bishop nose. You can choose to have your yakitori _ available only after 5pm, by the way _ grilled in either a soy-based sauce or salt. The chicken seems to go better with the pleasantly sweet sauce.

Lotsa side dishes too, including chicken 'karaage.' Crusty on the outside, tender within.

Kakiage pumpkin. Greasy enough to generate gallons of guilt.

Edamame. Only because someone HAD to have it (hint: it wasn't me!).

Booze makes everything better. Umeshu shots with iced water (which we left alone).

Asahi Super Dry. Crisp and clean-tasting. Are we acquiring a taste for beer? Hmmm.

Cold house-pouring sake. Surprisingly strong stuff.

Plenty of food and drinks, but the bill only totaled 80 ringgit, thanks to bowls of udon that mostly cost below 10 ringgit. The service charge seems to be waived, but we were truly thankful for the staff's thoughtfulness: Instead of bringing out all our orders in a rush, they spaced everything out nicely, enabling us to enjoy one or two dishes at a time before efficiently coming out with more. What makes it more impressive is that we never even requested it that way.

Marufuku Udon,

Jaya One.

Brux-Ale

Brux-Ale brings something different to Bangsar: uncommon recipes & beers from Belgium.

North Sea gray shrimp croquettes. Absolutely addictive; the shrimps' sweet oceanic brininess went so well with the melt-in-the-mouth texture of the cheese-stuffed potato croquettes.

Pork belly with French beans & potatoes, a specialty of Belgium's Liege province. Not the healthiest salad around _ but with such tender, finger-lickin'-good meat, velvety carbs and crunchy veggies, it's definitely to die for.

Asparagus with soft-cooked eggs & butter sauce. Gooey comfort food; the reason why this recipe has reputedly remained popular since the Middle Ages is deliciously, devilishly clear.

Terrine of pork & chicken liver. Not as robust-tasting as the best ones out there, but nevertheless seemed fairly fresh and not overly processed.

Pork sausage with stoemp. Irresistible; we gobbled up every flavor-packed bite of the succulent sausage and the super-thick puree of potatoes, veggies & herbs.

Meli melo of seafood in waterzooi. So, meli melo means "jumble," while waterzooi is broth thickened with egg yolk & cream. A watery but savory stew, brimming with salmon, mussels & gray shrimp. Couldn't help mopping up every last drop with some bread.

Belgian Congo Koukouyakalanga chicken. A legacy of Belgium's colonial history in Africa. We loved the warm, creamy curry, carefully calibrated with herbs and spices that turned it into the perfect partner for the moist, coconut-infused rice.

White Lady ice cream. Basically vanilla ice cream with hot chocolate sauce. Sounded simple, but tasted indulgent, thanks to the delectably rich ice cream.

Belgian chocolate mousse. Luxuriously soft, smooth and aromatic.

Liege-style coffee ice cream. Let it melt a little and slurp it up like a milkshake.

Tasting set of Belgian beers: Blanche de Bruxelles white ale, 4.5% vol. alc. (our favorite _ the least bitter and easiest to drink); Floreffe Blonde Belgian Abbey Ale, 6%; Floreffe Double Brown, 6%; Belgian Kriek Cherry Beer, 3.5%.

Barbar with honey, Belgian Strong Ale, 8% vol. alc. (2009 Gold Medal).

Floreffe Prima Merlior, Abbey Strong Ale, 8% (2009 Gold Medal).

Beaujolais Blanc 2009 (Bel-Air 2010 Paris Bronze Medal) & Cattier Brut.

Beaujolais Rose 2008 (Chateaux La Bourdonierre, 2009 Paris Gold Medal) & Bougongne Morgon 2004. French wines dominate the menu.

Cum Shot (butterscotch liquor, baileys, whipped cream) & Warped Willie (vodka, amaretto, lime cordial). Plenty of cocktails and shots here for beer-haters.

Frozen Russian (baileys, vodka, creme de cacao, vanilla ice cream) & Butterscotch Daiquiri (rum, butterscotch liquor, lime juice).

The two of us were totally stuffed, but only half-drunk. Our alcohol tolerance is back!

Brux-Ale,

4, Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar Baru.

Boathouse

With a menu that spans some 200 recipes, there's something for everyone at The Boathouse (though a meal here can be a hit-or-miss affair). Where else in TTDI can we find oysters, foie gras, char kuey teow and souffle, all on the same menu?

Oysters with lumpfish caviar. Big, juicy-looking mollusks, but they tasted similar to the mediocre ones typically found at hotel buffet spreads.

The foie gras isn't the best in town, since it falls a bit short of both the decadent creaminess and fatty flavor that we relish in pan-fried liver.

Charbroiled boneless lamb neck muscles, served with hot potato custard. Smoky, tender meat _ tasted like a hearty beef steak, without the usual gaminess of lamb.

Duck egg char kuey teow, topped with crab meat. Not as sensational as Penang's version, but decent enough to match most hawker creations in KL.

Chocolate dark cherry souffle, soaked with rum. Takes 25 minutes to prepare, but worth the wait. A rich chocolate flavor, luscious cherries, a potent infusion of booze, and of course, a beautifully airy texture, all combined for a hugely enjoyable souffle.

Strawberry Margarita. Cocktails here pack a powerful punch.

Mojito & Slow Comfortable Screw (vodka, southern comfort).

The Boathouse,

Jalan Rahim Kajai 14, Taman Tun Dr Ismail.

La Lot

La Lot isn't Pavilion's best restaurant, but it nevertheless deserves more attention.

"Banh beo," a central Vietnamese specialty of Hue rice cakes. Wish these were more readily available in KL. The "cakes" were soft, delicate and tasted freshly steamed, while the toppings of diced shrimp, red pepper & fish sauce packed a powerful punch of savoriness.

Grilled chicken in wild pepper leaves (daun kadok). A can't-stop-eating-it snack; the tender, fragrant meat went so well with the range of crunchy raw veggies.

Pan-fried tomatoes stuffed with minced chicken & mushrooms. Looked like a sourish recipe, but turned out otherwise (thankfully); the tomatoes were ripe and juicy, making them a nice match for the huge chunks of chicken.

Baked durian chicken wings. Expertly prepared; the meat was succulent, while the taste of durian was unmistakable but mild enough to keep it from overpowering everything else.

"Summer rolls," stuffed with prawns. Forgettable; no better, but no worse, than what most other Vietnamese restaurants would serve.

Traditional pho, with beef balls, meat & tripe. Probably not the most authentic pho around, but we shouldn't complain. Brimming with enough beef to placate ravenous carnivores.

Ginger-flavored creme brulee. A sweet finish to a satisfying meal.

Vietnamese drip coffee from the province of Daklak. An aromatic Robusta Arabica blend, served with milk. We're not typically coffee drinkers, but this was gooooood.

Saint Clair Pioneer Block 7 Sauvignon Blanc 2008, purchased from wineactually.com. A surprisingly complex, very pleasant-tasting wine.

La Lot,

Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur.