Putien

Returning to Putien for another Chinese feast. Earlier entry on Putien: January 6.

Bitter gourd, sliced super-thin & served on ice with honey dip. Tastes like crunchy slivers of chilled cucumber, with scarcely an iota of bitterness.

Shredded pork with fried buns. A signature dish at Putien, one that children would relish. The sesame buns are fluffy, while the gravy-drenched meat with onions is moist & flavorsome.

Oyster omelet. Not as much of a greasy-guilty pleasure as hawker versions, though some might insist that makes this less thrillingly juicy.

Sweet-&-sour pork with lychees. Capably executed, with the lychee supplying welcome sparks of tropical sweetness to balance out the sauce's sourness.

Lor mee with pork belly, prawn & clams, braised in pork broth. Heavy enough for two to share, though it may seem a bit blander & not as creamy as anticipated.

Salt-&-pepper seven-inch pork trotters (RM7.90 per piece). Sounds better on the menu than it tastes on the plate; the skin could be more crisp, while the flesh within feels overloaded with collagen & fat, making this little more than meatless mush.

Deep-fried duck with yam. We'd order this again if we ever spot it in a dim sum joint; the combination of comfortingly warm, soft yam packaged with succulent meat works very well.

Some sort of Chinese tea with a name we can't recall. Lovely leaves, luscious fragrance.

Putien Malaysia @ 1 Utama.

DiB Coffees of Hawaii

Malaysia's first gourmet coffee cafe run entirely by hearing-impaired staff members _ except for the chap who answers the phone.

DiB Coffees of Hawaii (DiB stands for "Deaf in Business) is a chilled-out suburban hangout that furnishes pastries, cappuccinos & more. Its display counter is lined with simple sandwiches & sweet treats such as passion fruit cheesecakes (RM6 per slice).

This pineapple-macadamia cake proffers a pleasantly fruity flavor, though its texture leans closer to that of a crumbly, chewy scone, instead of something more predictably moist.

DiB's coffee boasts air-flown Hawaiian beans cultivated in rich volcanic soil. The Ka'u Loa dark concoction delivers a nutty aroma, rounded out with tinges of chocolate, raspberries & cherries.

"Anu" shake ("anu" means cold in Hawaiian), with espresso, caramel & vanilla. Might feel a little too icy for folks who like their milkshakes extra creamy.

Not crazy for coffee? Try the 'tisane' _ herbal tea, made from milling the coffee cherry husks of the Kualapu'u plantation for an antioxidant-loaded brew with less caffeine than decaf. Varieties include mellow-yellow Papaya Leaf Vanilla.

Also refreshing: tropical beverages, such as this bright-hued blend of grenadine, orange & pineapple juice, nicknamed Lani (Heaven) Paradise.

Complimentary bags, currently for customers who spend above RM20.

Trained baristas & baking professionals helm the place, so that standards are assured.

And no worries; communication with the fast-moving, smile-generous service team is a breeze.

Wishing we were here! Hawaii, that is.

DiB Coffees of Hawaii @ Damansara Perdana,

11A, Jalan PJU 8/5A, Damansara Perdana.

Open daily 7:30am-10pm.

Xing Zhu

It's a long & winding road from KL to this Chinese restaurant, which features a poolside view that might look pretty during the daytime, when most of Cyberjaya isn't draped in darkness.

Amid the absence of any other customers for dinner, we had this pork-free outlet to ourselves from the very first course: double-boiled pumpkin soup _ fragrant & piping-hot, with plenty of tiny pieces of pumpkin, prawns & other seafood.

Boiled amaranth soup with fish paste & flossy egg white. A clear broth that tasted fairly healthy. Prices here are OK; a filling meal for two can be had for under RM100.

Roasted 'pi pa' duck, in what seemed to be some sort of peanut gravy. Bony, though flavorsome enough to get a passing grade.

Oven-roasted duck, 'Hong Kong-style.' The skin was crisp, but parts of the meat were chewy.

Cantonese crispy egg noodles with king prawns. Not as tasty as KL's best sang har meen, though still respectable, thanks to the plump prawns & thick broth.

Como Sur Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile). Wine is available by the glass.

Worth the drive to Cyberjaya? Probably not. But if you're already in the area, then maybe.

Xing Zhu,

Cyberview Lodge Resort & Spa, Cyberjaya.

Akari

It's astonishing that Akari has survived for longer than three years, considering the place seldom seems to have more than two or three occupied tables.

Nevertheless, the food here is indisputably good. Our favorite starter: the creamy avocado & tobiko salad with wasabi sauce.

More avocado _ this time, a sensational sushi topped lavishly with it.

Scallops with mentaiko & mayonnaise, swimming in savory succulence.

Inventive makis are among Akari's attractions. This Solaris Roll features salmon, asparagus, cucumber & crab sticks, topped with Hokkaido scallops & tobiko.

Cyatapira Roll, with eel, cucumber, avocado, bonito flakes & teriyaki sauce.

The bar stays open till past midnight, so head here if you're seeking serenity in the late hours.

Bohae Bokbunjaoo, a Korean raspberry wine best known for being featured at the 2005 official dinner of the APEC leaders' summit.

Akari Japanese Kitchen Bar,

Jalan Solaris 4, Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-6203-6885

Putien Malaysia

Another Singapore-bred enterprise is reborn in Malaysia; after roaring through locations across the Lion City _ including Kitchener Road, Vivo City, Marina Square & Resorts World Sentosa _ Putien has landed in our country, targeting the heart of 1 Utama.

Putien's culinary roots lie in time-honored Heng Hwa cooking from the coastal town of Putian in China's Fujian province. Its voluminous photo album of a menu is replete with rustic recipes, focusing on seafood, pork & noodles.

Wine-marinated drunken cockles (RM9.90+), with resonant notes of garlic & chili singing through the mollusks' saltwater essence.

Pork intestines (RM12.90+) _ cut, folded & braised. These taste like some kind of spongy stuffed sausage, free from the stink that sometimes plagues intestines.

Seaweed with mini shrimp (RM8.90+). Slimy & slightly briny, it makes for a minimalist starter; "cucina povera" _ the cuisine of poverty _ adapted for contemporary consumers.

Century eggs, lightly fried in buttery crumbs (RM8.90+). A warm, creamy preparation that breathes new life into preserved eggs. No wonder Putien was once ranked among Singapore's Top 50 restaurants by the Straits Times.

Iced abalone (RM19.90+ per piece), pleasurably plump. Putien's prices won't break the bank; two can eat & be merry for under RM100.

Bamboo herbal prawns (RM8.90+), sunk in a soup seething with wolfberries & Angelica root, both believed to possess anti-inflammatory properties.

Peanut-topped Heng Hwa Bee Hoon, on the house _ perhaps an opening promo (communication with the Cantonese-speaking staff was problematic, even though they were expertly efficient). Thin & chewy, with a deep savoriness derived from a stock of pork bones & aged hens.

Battered sea bass in rice red wine (RM18.90+). And all this was less than a quarter of the menu; there's no doubt that Putien will pull us back soon.

Putien @ 1 Utama,

G213A, Ground Floor, 1 Utama (Old Wing), Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Tel: 03-7722-1539