Laila's

Alfresco dining at Kelana Jaya's lakeside is a placid, mosquito-free affair, mercifully.

Laila's might sound like a Malay restaurant, but booze is abundant here. Salsa classes and live musical performances are also a regular feature.

The menu's highlights are family recipes. Vee's Devil Curry was mild-tasting, without the spicy kick associated with this recipe. But that's not a terrible thing for those of us who aren't die-hard admirers of chillies.

Madam Lee's Chicken Pongteh. Worth ordering if you like Peranakan food. Seemed authentic, but not all that flavorful; like most of the pork-free dishes here, this is basic enough to be replicated at home.

Anni's Lamb Stew, cooked with Sarawak spices. Reasonably tender and robust-tasting meat, served with baked potatoes, carrots & coleslaw. But nope, Vee, Madam Lee & Anni weren't personally toiling in the kitchen.

All main courses come with rice. Helpful, since there's so much gravy.

Lake Dance (whisky, cherry brandy, cranberry juice, soda) & Galway Gray (vodka, creme de cacao white, triple sec, lime juice, whipped cream).

Sex On The Beach (vodka, monin peach, creme de cassis, orange, cranberry juice) & Chocolate Coated Kisses (vodka, monin strawberry, chocolate, whipped cream).

Ribena-based fruit punches.

Laila's Cafe & Lounge,

Plaza Kelana Jaya.

The Noodle Room

For lovers of Asian noodles of all shapes and sizes, this place might feel like paradise.

Chicken & veggie udon, from the Land of the Rising Sun. An overflowing bowl that supplied the pure pleasures of comfort food, even if the broth was reminiscent of Kari Maggi Mee. The carrots, runner beans & shallots made it kinda healthy.

Korean Chap Chae, with Dang Myun sweet potato starch noodles, beef strips, sesame seeds, carrots & wood ear mushrooms. Each of these platters might seem steeply priced at RM32++, but portions are hearty enough for two light eaters.

Laotian Khao Pun Nam Ya, with bee hoon, bean sprouts, tuna & mint leaves. Tasted like a cross between assam laksa and curry laksa, though it leaned largely toward the latter, thanks to the thick, aromatic coconut broth.

Thai bean thread noodles, also known as cellophane or mung bean noodles. Brimming with plump green lip mussels. Extra zesty, with lotsa lime & coriander.

Malaysian claypot loh see fun with minced chicken, choy sum, dried shrimp & spring onion. Lacked the slick sinfulness of hawker versions (where's my egg, dude?).

Of course, we had to have a couple of Chinese specialties. These Cantonese egg noodles in egg gravy with cabbage, ginger & prawns were competently prepared but unexceptional.

Mee suah with ostrich, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots & shitake mushrooms. Silky noodles, tender meat, crunchy chestnuts; flawless ingredients combined for satisfying slurps.

Verdicchio Umani Ronchi Villa Bianchi del Castelli di Jesi Classico DOC, 2006.

The Noodle Room,

Hilton Kuala Lumpur.

Hakka Passion

Puchong has become a real hive for Hakka cuisine, but this one casts its net slightly wider, offering a more diverse sampling of Chinese fare.

We were surprised by a strange set of sweets for our complimentary appetizers, including tiny oranges, pineapple tarts and chocolate chip cookies.

Poon choi was a highlight; this 'big bowl feast' _ costing 300 ringgit _ featured prawns, abalone slices, fish maw, scallops, pork belly, steamed chicken, roasted duck, mushrooms, broccoli, bean curd and lettuce, all mingling together in a piping-hot, pleasantly savory broth.

We also loved the fried glutinous rice with waxed meat & liver sausages imported from Hong Kong. Addictively aromatic.

Chinese New Year is nearly over, but here's a parting shot of one of the final yee sangs we'll have until 2012 (it won't be long until the Year of the Dragon storms in).

The obligatory "four seasons" platter. Not bad; our favorite item was some deep-fried fish paste rolls with salted egg yolk and cream sauce.

Steamed red snapper. Firm and fairly fresh; no complaints here.

Herbal chicken. Fragrant and reasonably tender, but far from unforgettable.

Butter prawns. Not as plump and juicy as we like 'em.

Red rice wine mee suah. Still haven't found a version of this that I really like yet; maybe it's a taste that I'll never acquire.

Pennywort jelly. Recommended if you're hoping to avoid sugar overdoses.

One of those warm dessert broths with names like "eight treasure soup," comprising a medley of glutinous rice balls, crunchy nuts & medicinal herbs.

Hakka sticky sweet cakes with coconut. Stuffed yet? We were.

Hakka Passion,

Jalan Puteri 2/2, Bandar Puteri Puchong.

Bedroom

Pavilion's nightlife just got naughtier, thanks to Bedroom, the sultriest, slinkiest space in this sterile shopping mall.

For a bit of food foreplay, let's pimp the sexy snacks from Bedroom's sister outlet, Markethall, including these sizzling spring rolls, stuffed with ricotta & gorgonzola cheese.

Tuna sashimi. A raunchy reminder about the craft of "cooking without cooking," featuring sensuously raw fish coupled with ripe avocado, the "toro of the fields."

Our lust for this chicken liver baked with bell peppers failed to evolve into love, since it seemed castrated of flavor (in spite of its spotlight on scarlet, the scorching shade of salacious shame). It might, nevertheless, briefly placate the carnal cravings of carnivores.

The climactic confection of chocolate. An absolute aphrodisiac, baked with mascarpone as part of a voluptuous tart infused with Grand Marnier syrup.

A dynamic duo of ginger-laced panna cotta. Two is the kinkiest number of all.

For earlier entry on Market Hall's offerings, click: Feb. 11.

We pursued more potent passion in an orgy of cocktails, shedding our inhibitions with the Pillow Talk (absolut citron, lime juice, creme de cassis, champagne, mint, raspberries, blackberries) & Pillow Fight (bacardi rum, almonds, sour rhubarb, lime juice, pineapple, coconut).

Spice up your booze with pepper (!!!) sprinkled over the Beau (bombay sapphire, bitters, cucumber, lime juice, schweppes tonic water) & Crush (jim beam black, lemon juice, creme de cassis, bitters). It's like the Kama Sutra of stiff drinks here.

Midnight Kiss (bombay sapphire, grape juice, lime juice, champagne, violet) & French Kiss (jose cuervo, triple sec, lime juice, blood orange juice, sage). Our lips were far from sealed.

And after all was said and done, the Bubbly Ginger (bombay sapphire, apricot, lime juice, ginger, campari, champagne) & Love Potion (captain morgan, lime wedge, thai basil) left us basking in an afterglow.

Bedroom,

Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur.

Yuzu

Yuzu recently unveiled its second branch, swooping into KLCC with the same hit-or-miss fare it has served at Mid Valley for the past several years.

Beware: the menu is vast, so over-ordering is definitely a danger.

Rice topped with yellowtail fish & egg in hot stone pot. A no-frills recipe that epitomizes the essence of comfort food. Piping-hot nutrition for rainy evenings.

Chicken thigh & avocado in olive oil sauce. Can anyone go wrong with a combo of tender meat with creamy avocado? Nope!

Yuzu Pizza, topped with flakes of unidentified fish & seaweed. This mix of tastes and textures wasn't a smashing success, with an unappealingly fishy flavor and excessively thick crust. The Italian outlets remain superior in the art of pizza-making.

Scallops & chopped veggies wrapped with thinly sliced fish, then baked with cream sauce. A savory pleasure, but the portion was puny enough to vanish in two bites.

Unagi with tofu salad. A hearty helping of fleshy, flavorsome eel helped to elevate what would otherwise have been a bland bowl of bean curd.

Bitter gourd salad. Not too bitter, mercifully, but not memorable either.

Wine is available, though the steep prices by the glass might conjure anxiety attacks.

Yuzu,

Suria KLCC.