Chao Yen @ Sunway Pyramid

Chao Yen has gotten mixed reviews over the years, but if we stick to the "Chef Speciality" items, we find that some of the food is well worth ordering.

Stewed sliced duck on tofu. Meaty and succulent. Can't ask for more than that.

Cold crab Teochew-style. Chopped up for easy eating, the crab tasted pretty fresh.

The menu listed this as pan-fried baby oyster pancake with scrambled egg. Turned out to be a boring-looking omelette, but was delicious enough to warrant a recommendation.

Bak kut teh. The only real letdown. Lots of pork, but the broth lacked flavour.

The steamed kampung chicken was OK, though there are superior versions elsewhere.

Chao Yen,

Sunway Pyramid.

Chiaroscuro

For previous review of Chiaroscuro, click here (February 1).

Aged Collonata pork lard with caramelized onion tatin. Pretty awesome. We expected crunchy bits of pork lard similar to the stuff in Hokkien mee, but these were entire slices of soft, smooth lard. Mind-bogglingly sinful.

24-month cured Parma ham with balsamic marinated strawberries _ a tangy, refreshing change from the melon that usually accompanies this platter.

Potato gnocchi in tomato basil sauce. Absolute comfort food. They got the sauce just right: unlike many other tomato-based pastas, this tasted freshly made and wasn't sour at all.

Slow-roasted rabbit leg with black kalamanta olives on a bed of creamy polenta. We always order rabbit if we see it on the menu, even though it tastes nearly identical (but less tender) to chicken.

Vino dei Poeti Prosecco Brut Bottega & Nero d'Avola Ruggero di Tasso IGT Archeo 2006.

Chiaroscuro,

Jln Bedara.

Tel: 2144-8006

Borneo Baruk Club @ Kia Peng

Not a bad place to duck into while waiting for traffic to ease after work.

The Borneo-themed ambience might seem tacky, but let's award them points for effort. Too bad the live music can get unbearably loud even before 8 p.m.

Manok Pansoh, chicken stuffed in bamboo and cooked with lemongrass and tapioca leaves. Not bad at all; this took no short cuts with the traditional recipe, resulting in fragrant, tender meat that left us wholly satisfied.

Less successful was the Laksa Sarawak, rice vermicelli served with chicken and egg strips. The soup lacked zing, leaving us with extremely bland beehoon.

White Rajah cocktail and Virgin Daiquiri mocktail.

Borneo Baruk Club,

Jalan Kia Peng.

Ri Yakitori: Testicle Steamboat @ Gardens Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

Click here for previous review of Ri Yakitori (April 30).

A recent trip to Ri Yakitori yielded a pleasant surprise: they've expanded their menu since our last visit, with extra attractions that include a steamboat of beef organs.

We couldn't resist ordering bull's penis...

... and testicles...

... along with tendons, second stomach and third stomach.

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble...

The result was a one-of-a-kind mix of tastes and textures. The penis was soft and flavourless, while the testicles were tender but had a rather strong odour. We actually liked them better than the stomach slices, which looked creepy and tasted vile.

For the squeamish, there's always the yakitori instead. We had the chicken neck, beef tongue, chicken kidney, heart & knee soft bone. All were wonderfully smoky.

Stewed chicken with half-cooked egg on rice. Slightly bland but still addictive.

Chicken congee. Mushy, piping-hot comfort food.

750ml of sake to wash down a somewhat strange supper.

Ri Yakitori,

Gardens Hotel.

Click here for online reservations.

This restaurant is available for bookings under TABLEAPP, which enables customers to make instant reservations at Malaysia's top restaurants, while saving time and money in the process. Reserve your table at this restaurant by clicking here.

Favola @ Le Meridien Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

After months of hype, Favola _ which supposedly means "Fable" in Italian _ has finally opened, replacing Al Nafourah at Le Meridien.

At first glance, it looks less impressive compared to Al Nafourah's exotic Middle Eastern decor. However, the refurbishment is still ongoing, so it remains a work in progress.

There are some teething problems, but Chef Antoine, his kitchen crew and service team are clearly striving very hard to satisfy customers. Expect lots of warm smiles and genuine efforts to make everyone feel at home.

The complimentary bread is one of the best in town, freshly baked with a variety of dips.

Bresaola _ shaved dried beef with rocket salad, fresh figs, lemon and extra virgin olive oil. It's always a pleasure to see fresh figs on the menu.

Lasagne, comprising Wagyu beef cheek layered with fresh pasta, cheese crust and truffle oil. It's been 12 years since we first tasted (and loved) lasagne at Dave's Deli. Let's just say we've come a really long way since then.

Veal osso bucco with polenta & tomato fondue. A key requirement for this is that it falls off the bone. Rest assured, this rich, tender stew passes that test with the utmost of ease.

Illy-soaked tiramisu. After eating at least a hundred tiramisus, we have to declare: this might be the best we've ever tasted. The mascarpone foam was delightfully light, frothy and packed with the heady flavour of freshly brewed Illy coffee. The crunchy cookie croutons were like the icing on the cake. We can't stop singing this dessert's praises.

Cassata, an ice-cream cake comprising Haagen Dazs vanilla, strawberry and pistachio flavours with mixed berries. A luscious dessert that guaranteed we'll be returning very soon.

Banfi Col di Sasso Cabernet Sangiovese 2007. A light wine that went well with everything.

Favola,

Le Meridien.

Bar Madrid @ Jaya One

One of the most promising new outlets to hit Jaya One in a long time, Bar Madrid offers non-halal tapas that are reasonably priced and satisfyingly tasty.

Overall, it's good but not as great as El Meson, the other recently opened tapas joint (for reviews of El Meson @ Bangsar, see: Nov. 20, Nov. 26 & Nov. 28). Those three visits weren't enough to sample El Meson's many temptations, but Bar Madrid only needs one more trip.

Catalan Toast (baguette topped with serrano ham & manchego). This isn't wimpy bruschetta for the health-conscious; it's a sinful combo of carbs, protein and fat for hearty eaters.

Baked aubergines with mushrooms. Having recently watched Julie & Julia, I think it's safe to say that Julia Child would have approved of this creamy, cheese-laden concoction.

Butterfish with aioli on baguette. Slightly less guilt-inducing; the fish had a fresh, smoky flavour and wasn't too salty.

Chorizo Fritos (cured Spanish sausages). Tender and juicy, but we weren't too sure whether this was authentically Spanish. Tasted more like frankfurters.

Baked scallops topped with sofrito sauce. A light, tomatoish treat.

Grilled Iberico Pork Ribs. Requires 30 minutes of preparation, but worth the wait if you enjoy awesomely fatty, addictively succulent slabs of meat.

Piquillo peppers with seafood. Exuberant colours, vibrant flavours. We're major fans of recipes with minced meat or seafood stuffing, so this was one of our favourites that evening.

Ragout of Iberico on potato galette. Kinda oily, but this thick, boneless stew was really tender and flavourful. Comfort food for lazy carnivores.

Ladero Tempranillo. A bargain for RM70.

Bar Madrid,

Jaya One.