Chawan @ Bangsar

Chawan has proven that it's here to stay, attracting a consistent crowd despite the proliferation of modern kopitiams in this area.

Ubi kayu rebus with sambal tumis and kelapa parut. I've loved tapioca since childhood, but haven't had much of it in recent years. This was a starchy pleasure, similar to how my grandmother used to prepare it as a teatime treat.

Pisang nangka kukus. A healthy alternative to nasi dagang and other oil-laden options.

Kopi Tanjung Malim (Perak) milk shake & cold Sumatran Kopi Kapal Api.

Hot Kopi Kemaman (Terengganu).

Ice-blended Kopi Tenom from Sabah.

Chawan,

Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar.

Edo Ichi @ Solaris Dutamas

Sooner or later, a Japanese restaurant had to surface at Solaris Dutamas. Thankfully, it's a worthwhile entry that features sterling service.

Complimentary starters of meaty fish (which we couldn't identify).

The sashimi selection is reasonably priced. We tried a set of seven varieties, with two pieces each, for 95 ringgit. Freshly flown in the previous day, these tasted flawless.

Salmon, crab stick, cheese & veggie maki. Fans of sushi rolls might appreciate this place; more than half a dozen varieties are available. Most sound fairly appealing.

Eel, cheese & veggie maki. The unagi was warm and juicy, but there seemed to be something missing here. Maybe a little avocado might have helped.

Cheese cubes, in between courses. Packed a pleasantly strong flavor, with a nice, creamy texture: not too firm, not too soft.

Scallops with cod roe. Looked unappetizing, tasted a tad too salty. But for those of us who enjoy ingredients that are all gooey and mushy, this might be real comfort food.

A fluffy omelet, stuffed with beef tendons. Addictive! You have been warned.

Wines by the glass are offered, with Argentinian & Australian varieties by the bottle.

Edo Ichi,

Solaris Dutamas.

Tang Palace @ Dynasty Hotel

Its glory days are gone, but this is one of those Chinese restaurants that keep soldiering on. Service is reasonably warm and efficient.

The monthly promos here are worthwhile; check out July's eat-all-you-can for RM48.80++ per person (for bills paid by credit card; otherwise, it's RM68.80++). Dishes are cooked on order, but they're not as good as what's on the regular menu.

Salmon sashimi. Not as luscious as what Japanese outlets might serve. But since so many of us adore sashimi, there's no harm in offering this here.

Braised (fake) shark fin soup with crab roe. Sounded fine on paper, but tasted disappointing in reality. Could have been creamier and richer.

Salad prawns. Decent, though the prawns weren't all that juicy.

Century egg with jellyfish. Kinda tasted a day past its expiry date.

Chilled sliced abalone. Not bad, as far as canned abalone goes.

Steamed cod fish with black fungus. Should have been fresher.

Roast duck. Bony, but the skin was crisp and the meat was flavorsome enough.

Fried tiger prawns, Cantonese-style. What's Cantonese-style? Spicy, apparently.

Char siew. Had a strangely gamy taste. Also a tad too tough.

BBQ suckling pig. Our favorite for that night, thanks to its delightfully crisp skin.

Braised sea cucumber with bean curd. Definitely not top-notch sea cucumber.

Tiger prawns with Marmite sauce, which drowned out the prawns' natural sweetness.

Fried scallops with celery & capsicum. Something relatively healthy, for a change.

Braised sliced "jade abalone" with mushrooms. Chinese restaurant menus are often filled with forgettable items. Alas, this was one of those.

Braised fish stomach with black mushrooms. Might have been overly laced with MSG. Otherwise, could have passed off for a nice home-cooked recipe.

Chilled sago with sweet corn cream. Too watery to recommend.

Tang Palace,

Dynasty Hotel.

Bandariya @ Solaris Dutamas

A frugally furnished outlet at Solaris Dutamas, with lots of natural light. Service is enthusiastic, and several staff members certainly qualify as eye candy.

Village chicken (ayam kampung) is the specialty here. We received a freshly fried batch, crispy and piping-hot. Of course, this wasn't as meaty or tender as regular chicken, but it was still _ to borrow a phrase _ finger-lickin' good (thanks perhaps to secret herbs & spices?).

Daging cincang. Melt-in-the-mouth bits of beef and unidentifiable organs, swimming in subtly sweet curry. Superbly addictive.

Daging kerutuk. This, however, was terribly tough. A pity, since it was tasty in its own way.

Sayur dalca. Basically lady's fingers in extremely oily curry? Not the healthiest way to consume veggies, but we nevertheless finished every soft, juicy slice.

All the curries went really well with the fragrant, nicely cooked rice.

Sambal belacan. Perhaps the spiciest we've ever had; we were sweating like crazy while eating this. Still, it wasn't as flavorsome as the ones I recall from my Malaccan childhood.

Bandariya Ayam Kampung,

Solaris Dutamas.

La Gomera @ Damansara Perdana

Tricky to find, but not a bad stop if you crave a hearty, affordable Spanish meal.

This might be the Klang Valley's first Spanish buffet outlet, with mostly cold tapas & pinchos spread over a counter, alongside hot stews & freshly grilled food.

Many of the selections seem fairly authentic, despite the absence of pork. Lotsa beans, tomatoes & potatoes, with unexpected ingredients such as ox tongue & tripe.

Prices? RM59.90++ per person for dinner, but the opening promo entitles a fourth person to eat for free with three other paying customers. Valid through July 29.

We piled our plates with hearty stews. Tender chunks of lamb, beef, chicken.

Paella is sometimes available on order (included in the buffet price). Brimming with prawns, clams & mussels, though some of the seafood could be fresher.

La Gomera,

Neo Damansara, Damansara Perdana.

Tel: 7710-0262