House + Co @ Bangsar Shopping Center

The refurbished House + Co is bigger, better and more beautiful than ever.

The terrific news is that it now serves dinner too, instead of only lunch and tea.

The curry puffs still rank among KL's best. Packed with tender chicken, boiled egg and spices. Practically perfect, not bogged down at all by any excess oil or a soggy crust.

One of my favourite salads ever, brimming with firm but juicy grapes, broccoli, lettuce, raisins and toasted pine nuts. Tossed in an amazingly light mayonnaise, this was a healthy creation that tasted absolutely sensational.

Slightly less successful was the pear, avocado and pecan salad, tossed in a mustard vinaigrette and pecorino. But that's partly because we're not big fans of pears. Still an excellent salad, with a generous helping of creamy avocados.

Our one proposal: Serve some booze! Would be nice to sip wine in this setting.

House + Co,

Bangsar Shopping Centre.

Tel: 2094-4393

Kuriya @ Bangsar Shopping Center

Poised to become one of Bangsar's best and busiest restaurants, Kuriya is a lovely place with satisfying food and friendly service.

The sashimi here easily passes the freshness test. The uni left us wanting more, while the sea bream tasted as good as raw fish gets.

Customers can choose seafood from the counter and have it cooked two ways.

We ordered the sea bream after being assured that it had just been flown in from Japan. At RM150, it wasn't cheap, but the grilled half was almost as enjoyable as the sashimi. Slightly less salt might have helped.

The swordfish with leek was not as successful, but still a solid selection.

Japanese cocktails helped wash down the meal. The Ninja Water blended sake with white chocolate, while the Fruity Sling comprised sake, cherry blossom syrup, peach syrup, kiwi, blueberries, strawberries, mango and soda.

Kuriya,

Bangsar Shopping Centre.

Tel: 2093-9246

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.

Dynasty Dragon @ Subang

A Chinese outlet that's worth checking out if you're in the neighbourhood.

Their monthly promos are a bargain. For June, they're offering a platter of 10 prawns for RM2, down from the usual price of RM30. Minimum three diners.

The roast meat mix was OK but not spectacular. No complaints though.

Claypot beancurd with meatballs. The beancurd was soft and silky, but there was nothing truly memorable about this either.

Pork ribs in sweet sauce with Hawaiian nuts. Our favourite for the evening. The tender pork came in a generous portion. Crunchy nuts provided extra texture.

Fried lotus root with a nice assortment of crisp mixed veggies.

Fried rice in goose liver sauce. I was skeptical about this dish, but it turned out to be worthwhile. We couldn't really taste any distinct foie gras sauce, but the rice was somewhat creamier and more flavourful than regular fried rice.

Dynasty Dragon,

Summit Shopping Complex, Subang USJ.

Tel: 8024-9620/ 8024-6620

YO! Sushi

One of the better Japanese eateries to be found in a KL shopping mall, though that might seem like faint praise.

Salmon sashimi marinated with citrus juice, dill and sesame oil, served with shredded cucumber. A tad too sour.

Blanched squid with red onion and mizuna leaves, dressed with kimchi sauce.

The makis here are all variations on a theme; some taste nearly identical.

Salmon Dragon Roll has salmon, crabstick, avocado & shichimi chili powder.

Subtly different is the signature YO! Roll containing salmon, avocado & tobiko.

Eel Dragon roll comprising unagi, hand-picked crab meat, avocado & shichimi.

Smoked salmon, cheese and cucumber maki. Creamy AND crunchy.

Soft shell crab, Japanese pickles, tobiko and chilli mayonnaise.

Battered prawn, avocado and tobiko. Best if the prawn is freshly prepared.

YO! Sushi,

Pavilion.

Neway @ Subang

We sang our hearts out but wished we hadn't been forced to order the food.

Heftily priced tidbits are mandatory for every room. Can you say rip-off?

One of the worst pizzas ever. Soggy and gross-tasting.

Deep-fried calamari. Crisp and nicely battered, but too salty.

Fried meat dumplings. A hearty portion, but scarcely worth eating.

Neway Karaoke Box,

Jaya Square, Subang Jaya.

Tenji @ SohoKL

A victim of its own success, Tenji isn't as good as it was barely 6 months ago, but there are still some worthwhile items to be enjoyed here.

Some of our favourites are the ones cooked to order and brought to customers at the table, including the nicely battered soft-shell crab.

Thai-style garoupa. Takes ages to arrive, but it's worth the wait!

The grilled lamb is decent; tender, meaty and not overcooked.

Salmon belly. Satisfyingly fatty, offering a melt-in-your mouth sensation.

The cod is OK too; at least it's moist and retains its natural flavour.

Tenji,

SohoKL.

Ying Ker Lou @ The Curve

Click here for previous review of Ying Ker Lou (Sunway Pyramid, Feb. 8).

We visited their branch at The Curve to try the poon choi. Their smallest serving is recommended for five people, but we assured the waiter that two of us could gobble it all up.

The "big bowl feast" came with braised pork, prawns, chicken, mushrooms, beancurd and veggies over a layer of noodles.

Everything tasted ordinary, without the magical synergy for which poon choi is renowned. Maybe it was because they inserted lots of noodles, instead of more diverse ingredients such as duck and fish. For RM168 (before tax and service charge), customers deserve better.

But yes, we managed to finish nearly all of it (except for some noodles).

Ying Ker Lou,

The Curve.

Fitou Brasserie @ Desa Park City

Probably Desa Park City's best restaurant. Perhaps the only one in this neighbourhood with foie gras and Iberico ham on the menu.

Take a table by the waterfront to savour a serene view of the lake.

A fair range of wines is available, with some as low as RM60 per bottle.

Iberico pork back ribs. Fatty, succulent and drenched in a tangy sauce.

Paella, brimming with seafood and chicken. A bit bland, but it was a staggering serving that could easily feed three or four people.

Wild Coast Shiraz Cabernet. A steal at RM60. Went well with the food.

Closing time: You don't have to go home but you can't stay here (Semisonic; 1998).

Fitou Brasserie,

Desa Park City.

Tel: 6280-8978