I Prefer Original @ USJ One City Mall

For customers who prefer the original taste of Malaysian cuisine, complemented by a few contemporary flourishes, this recently launched outlet at Subang Jaya's One City Mall might well live up to its catchy name.

I Prefer Original's selection is sweeping, with all the essentials accounted for. We're fans of the nasi lemak here; the rice is moist & flavoursome, partnered with well-prepared accompaniments that include a chunky piece of juicy fried chicken, some kitchen-made acar, sambal, kacang, ikan bilis & papadum. A hearty, tasty treat for RM15.90.

Chefs Jason, Cornelia & Ramie have constructed a menu that extends as far as Sarawak; this interpretation of kolo mee contains no pork, but it's still a garlicky pleasure - flash-boiled, springy-eggy noodles in either a basic fish-cake version (RM9.90) or a deluxe rendition that's loaded with prawns, sliced abalone & dried scallops for a still fairly priced RM19.90.

Sarawak laksa is available too (RM14.90), in an attractive presentation that tastes pretty much as satisfactory as this gets in the Klang Valley. I Prefer Original's main owner is reputedly from Sarawak, so he's keen to ensure this outlet does justice to the cooking of his home state.

Penang is well represented by the can't-fail char kuey teow; the basic version (RM13.90) is served with cockles & prawns, but yet again, customers can choose a more luxurious platter for RM22.90 with an add-on of scallops for a seafood extravaganza.

Putting porridge to the test: A frills-free, slow-cooked seafood version clocks in at RM13.90, but patrons can splurge on a bowl with abalone & dried scallops for RM29.90, taking a traditional breakfast to fresh heights.

A humble fried rice can be transformed into a gourmet creation too, crowned with king prawns for a crustacean lover's fantasy, herb-fried & presented in a folded 'fishing-boat' paper wrap. 

The rest of the repertoire is familiar, confidently presented in ways that meet the mark for what patrons might hope from a potential mall-based franchise, from chicken satay served with one of the thickest peanut gravies ever (an addictive sauce) ...

... to roti paratha that can be coupled with creamy-spicy chicken curry or - our choice - savoury mutton rendang (RM9.90).

Comfort food? That's an apt description for these other classics: Claypot seafood bee hoon soup (RM14.90), light on salt & oil but heavy on wholesome ingredients like clams & prawns in a four-hour-boiled chicken broth ...

... plus loh shi fun (RM14.90), a dish that makes us fondly recall suppers during our 1990s-era years on the Pearl of the Orient.

I Prefer Original's beverages are less conservative; the adventurous can try the 'Peri-Peri Hot' (RM8.90), lime-pineapple juice laced with lemon grass & calamansi leaves, garnished with cili padi & rimmed with black pepper powder for a nice, spicy kick. 

Cool down after that with creamy-frosty shakes & ice-blended treats, crowd-pleasing for customers of all ages.

Many thanks to I Prefer Original for hosting this feast, a reminder of why local food has remained beloved for generations.

I Prefer Original
C-GF-07, Ground Floor, Skypark @ One City, Jalan USJ 25/1, Subang Jaya
Tel: 03-7451-6257

Check out the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favourites, featuring 100 recommended restaurants for October-December 2014, including more than 30 new entries for this quarter. 

This eBook is available to read or download at this link: http://eatdrinkkl.cld.bz/2014D 

This link expires Dec. 31, 2014. Please check the newest blog entries after that for fresh links.

Stay up to date: The Eat Drink KL newsletter is sent by email to subscribers every Monday; it's the Klang Valley's foremost weekly round-up of new restaurant openings (even before they're featured on this blog), F&B promotions & other tasty tidbits.

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Sausages to sambal. Muffins to marshmallows. Peanut butter to mango chutney. Cornflake ice cream to honey aloe yogurt. Lavender-laced lemonades to lychee-&-guava juices.

Eat Drink KL: Small Businesses, Huge Flavours is the first eBook to help customers navigate the diversity of independent F&B entrepreneurs who bake & boil in their own kitchens, offering some of Malaysia's finest, most fascinating food products.

This resource will be continuously updated with new listings: www.eatdrinkkl.publ.com/businesses 

Hwang Jin Yi @ Desa Sri Hartamas

From the seas of Korea to the suburbs of KL: Hwang Jin Yi is a hidden cove In Sri Hartamas where the bounty of the ocean comes flooding in, awash with everything from puffer fish bulgogi to steamed stuffed sea bream, hairtail fish to tile fish, skate fish pancakes & croaker fish stew to pollack hot pot.

Tucked on the first floor of a Hartamas shop-lot, Hwang Jin Yi currently lures mainly Korean customers, but it wants to now cast its net wider to reach Malaysians too. Its aquariums are not extensively populated, but its menu is impressively diverse, with many recipes we've not spotted elsewhere.

For the truly bold, we suggest this 'skate fish offal stew' (RM100) - said to be similar to Iceland's notorious 'rotten shark meat' (hakari). The internal organs of skate fish are fermented for weeks, imparting an extremely pungent ammonia-rich smell that'll burn up the nostrils, cooked in a mushy, what-the-heck's-inside stew with a savoury flavour that'll wake you up better than coffee. Warning: This is the ultimate definition of an acquired taste; many local customers may struggle to finish two spoonfuls.

Need something safer? Straight from Jeju Island comes finny pleasures such as this mackerel, salted & grilled (RM60).

Also more comforting than horrifying: Steaming-hot seaweed fulvescens soup (miyeokguk), customarily a celebratory birthday dish. Thick, slimy & nourishing, made with maesengi seaweed (an autumnal delicacy), studded with sesame seeds & filled with hidden treasures of plump oysters.

Wrapping up with more oysters, this time in a mound of Hwang Jin Yi's house-prepared kimchi, meant to be paired with pork belly & bundled in lettuce leaves for a meaty, moreish meal.

Hwang Jin Yi's 'banchan' side dishes are appreciably varied, with sea snails, quail eggs, konnyaku jelly, glass noodles & biscuits all coming into play alongside the more typical veggies & pastes.

If you're still feeling energetic after dinner here, it might be worth noting that Hwang Jin Yi also has karaoke rooms.

Coming full circle for this meal with more fermentation: Makgeolli, the milky-white, mellow-sweet rice wine.

Hwang Jin Yi

17-1, First Floor, Jalan 26A/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur

Same row as KFC, but farther away from the main road. Open 5pm-3am

Check out the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favourites, featuring 100 recommended restaurants for October-December 2014, including more than 30 new entries for this quarter. 

This eBook is available to read or download at this link: http://eatdrinkkl.cld.bz/2014D 

This link expires Dec. 31, 2014. Please check the newest blog entries after that for fresh links.

Stay up to date: The Eat Drink KL newsletter is sent by email to subscribers every Monday; it's the Klang Valley's foremost weekly round-up of new restaurant openings (even before they're featured on this blog), F&B promotions & other tasty tidbits.

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Sausages to sambal. Muffins to marshmallows. Peanut butter to mango chutney. Cornflake ice cream to honey aloe yogurt. Lavender-laced lemonades to lychee-&-guava juices.

Eat Drink KL: Small Businesses, Huge Flavours is the first eBook to help customers navigate the diversity of independent F&B entrepreneurs who bake & boil in their own kitchens, offering some of Malaysia's finest, most fascinating food products.

This resource will be continuously updated with new listings: www.eatdrinkkl.publ.com/businesses 

Nobu @ Kuala Lumpur & Melbourne

It took nearly two months longer than expected to launch, but Nobu KL is now fully ready for inspection; here's our introductory exploration of what legitimate paying customers can experience on a regular night out at Nobu.

Earlier sneak peek of Nobu KL & interview with its head chef & general manager: July 16, 2014.

Looks-wise, Nobu KL is tastefully & thoughtfully outfitted, letting the 56th-floor metropolitan view from Menara Petronas 3 speak louder than the restaurant's warm, woodsy interior. Service is sparkling; Stephane, Gopi & their colleagues work hard to make customers feel comfortable from start to finish. Even though the menu is extensive, the service team is capable of explaining virtually every item very well, while the kitchen crew ensures each course flows swiftly & smoothly out to the table.

As Nobu KL's Malaysian head chef Philip Leong promised, the brand's signature blend of Japanese cuisine with Peruvian & South American influences is compellingly showcased here. Begin with the crunchy-spicy miso 'chips,' lusciously crowned with succulent salmon & spicy tuna (RM25++ per plate), their vibrant hues reflecting their vivid flavours.

Tacos are a treat at Nobu; Wagyu beef varieties (RM20++ per piece), bursting with juicy, flavour-packed meat, aren't formally listed on the current menu, but Nobu's kitchen will oblige requests for them. Or try the slightly less expensive tacos comprising salmon, tuna, lobster or king crab (RM13++ each).

For a splurge that illustrates what makes Nobu stand out from the sea of Japanese eateries, sample the sea urchin tiradito (RM80++), featuring the inimitable uni in a memorably uncommon preparation, its melt-in-the-mouth brininess complemented by a spicy sauce that supplies tongue-tingling nuances, crisply rounded out with coriander, carrot & cucumber.

Even kushiyaki is lifted to new heights; the chicken (RM25++ per plate) is fleshy & tasty, coated in sweet-savoury 'anticucho' sauce  to evoke Pervian street-food skewers. Beef, salmon, shrimp, scallop & squid versions are offered too (RM35-RM75++).

Nobu's speciality sake selection includes the Hokusetsu Onigorishi, nicknamed the 'Devil Killer' (RM65++ for 180 millilitres), accurately described as light-bodied, crisp & dry, with a spicy finish.

So far, a table can still be had here without advance reservations, but that probably won't last for long; even though its predictably lofty prices necessitate a big budget (with multi-course omakase menus costing RM380++), expect Nobu KL to become a very popular dining destination in the months ahead.

Two Nobus for the price of one post: for folks who might be curious to see what another Nobu can offer, here's our look at Nobu's Southbank-set Melbourne outpost, ensconced in the city's Crown Entertainment Complex.

Nobu's sushi & sashimi prices are a little lower in Melbourne compared to KL; Australians can enjoy uni at AUD$10 (RM28), compared to RM40 at Menara Petronas 3.

Melbourne's repertoire is extensive; the likes of alphonsino, gurnard, garfish & king george whiting all surface on the sushi list.

Black cod miso, arguably Nobu's most famous dish, costs AUD$20 for four smallish pieces as part of a bar-snack menu or AUD$49 for a full serving in Melbourne. In KL, the full-serving cod clocks in at a wallet-busting RM160.

Sashimi tacos come loaded with salmon, snow crab, yellowtail and lobster. Four pieces for AUD$25.

Finishing with something that Nobu visitors can't find in KL: Kurobuta pork belly, a sacrament of sinful succulence (AUD$21).

Hokusetsu Daiginjo, Nobu's original, full-bodied sake in lacquered 'masu' drinking box-cup. Speciality cocktails are offered too.

Nobu Melbourne is on the street level, with a riverside view that's pretty lovely all year round.

Nobu Kuala Lumpur
Level 56, Menara 3 Petronas, Persiaran KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Monday-Saturday, 6pm-11pm. Tel: 03-2164-5084

Nobu Melbourne
8 Whiteman Street, Southbank VIC Australia

Check out the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favourites, featuring 100 recommended restaurants for October-December 2014, including more than 30 new entries for this quarter. 

This eBook is available to read or download at this link: http://eatdrinkkl.cld.bz/2014D 

This link expires Dec. 31, 2014. Please check the newest blog entries after that for fresh links.

Stay up to date: The Eat Drink KL newsletter is sent by email to subscribers every Monday; it's the Klang Valley's foremost weekly round-up of new restaurant openings (even before they're featured on this blog), F&B promotions & other tasty tidbits.

Subscribe to Eat Drink KL Weekly for free via this following link: 

https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/5106C196432BB23D

Note to subscribers on Gmail: The newsletter will be in the Promotions folder of your inbox.

Sausages to sambal. Muffins to marshmallows. Peanut butter to mango chutney. Cornflake ice cream to honey aloe yogurt. Lavender-laced lemonades to lychee-&-guava juices.

Eat Drink KL: Small Businesses, Huge Flavours is the first eBook to help customers navigate the diversity of independent F&B entrepreneurs who bake & boil in their own kitchens, offering some of Malaysia's finest, most fascinating food products.

This resource will be continuously updated with new listings: www.eatdrinkkl.publ.com/businesses 

Red Lobster Malaysia @ The Intermark

With a history that reaches way back to 1968, a cross-border network spanning 700-strong branches, & a tantalising tagline that calls on customers to 'sea food differently,' the American crustacean specialist Red Lobster landed in Malaysia this week, brought to Kuala Lumpur's Intermark complex by local F&B brand Secret Recipe.

True to its name, this place is all about claw-to-tail eating, with highlights like live Maine lobsters or Malaysian rock ones, steamed or roasted with a crab-meat stuffing. But we're on a budget, so we opted for samplers constructed for sharing, including this Bar Harbor Lobster Bake, with a split lobster tail, shrimp & scallops on a bed of linguine in a savoury broth.

Surprisingly, this surfaced scarcely five minutes after we ordered it - a testament to Red Lobster's expertise as a fast-service, casual-eating outlet. All of the seafood proved as tender as touted, though in terms of flavour, it bordered on blandness. There's a mass-market, batch-cooked taste to this, making it fall short of the ocean's briny richness. RM109.90 before taxes.

Lobster pizzas are available, embellished with morsels of Maine lobster meat, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes & basil (RM36.90++). A step up from the crab-stick pizzas that delivery chains often offer, though a different dough & prep method might have worked better for the pizza base, which suffered a not-exactly-right texture, somewhere in between bread & biscuit.

There's lobster flesh in this bowl too, but it's muddled in a morass of cheesy stuffed mushrooms that seem more 'guilty' than 'pleasure.' Part of a RM45.90 'Seaside Sampler' platter that also comprises 'Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp' (Bubba who?) & fried calamari with peppers (the batter's a little too soft for that one, pictured further below).

On a positive note, Red Lobster Malaysia currently has a strong service team, comprising Asians working alongside Americans from Red Lobster's headquarters; they're enthusiastic (some with a sparkling sense of humour), patient (with a smile always near their lips) & obliging (even when tackling tricky requests from customers to switch tables at peak periods).

The menu is wide, so even if you're not into lobsters, other seafood can be ordered, from parmesan-crusted sea bass (RM36.90) to oven-broiled flounder (RM28.90) & mussels marinara (RM26.90).

Red Lobster's (complimentary) Cheddar Bay Biscuits are fluffy & savoury, but taste more of baking mix than butter or cheese.

The kitchen assures customers that the food is prepared without pork & without alcohol; mercifully though, the outlet maintains a bar that serves wine, plus basic cocktails like Mojitos & Margaritas (RM22.90). Ask specifically for the separate liquor menu.

Red Lobster KL
G-17, The Intermark, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-2181-4855

Check out the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favourites, featuring 100 recommended restaurants for October-December 2014, including more than 30 new entries for this quarter. 

This eBook is available to read or download at this link: http://eatdrinkkl.cld.bz/2014D 

This link expires Dec. 31, 2014. Please check the newest blog entries after that for fresh links.

Stay up to date: The Eat Drink KL newsletter is sent by email to subscribers every Monday; it's the Klang Valley's foremost weekly round-up of new restaurant openings (even before they're featured on this blog), F&B promotions & other tasty tidbits.

Subscribe to Eat Drink KL Weekly for free via this following link: 

https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/5106C196432BB23D

Note to subscribers on Gmail: The newsletter will be in the Promotions folder of your inbox.

Sausages to sambal. Muffins to marshmallows. Peanut butter to mango chutney. Cornflake ice cream to honey aloe yogurt. Lavender-laced lemonades to lychee-&-guava juices.

Eat Drink KL: Small Businesses, Huge Flavours is the first eBook to help customers navigate the diversity of independent F&B entrepreneurs who bake & boil in their own kitchens, offering some of Malaysia's finest, most fascinating food products.

This resource will be continuously updated with new listings: www.eatdrinkkl.publ.com/businesses