Monday 29 February 2016

Chili Espresso @ NU Sentral, Kuala Lumpur

I had to meet a friend of mine for lunch and he suggested this place which is located in NU Sentral Mall. I am quite familiar with this mall but never have I heard about this restaurant. It is supposed to be located on the Ground Floor but technically, it's one floor up from the street level facing Brickfields and is tucked at the far end, one part of the mall that I have never explored. I always thought that this section was not taken up. Never did I realise that outlets have already opened up and this was indeed a very large one with both indoor and outdoor seats. I believe that this restaurant is part of a larger group with more outlets in the Klang Valley. 

Indoor Seating Area, Lower Level
The restaurant was very impressive, split level and with a huge outdoor seating as well. Seemed like quite a number of business meetings were also happening and they were mostly on the upper level. Well the place surely looked posh and the environment was conducive for such discussions. The staffs were extremely efficient in attending to customers. I preferred to sit on the lower level simply because the place was vacant and that would give me freedom to snap pictures.

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu
Their offering was across a number of cuisines with no specific theme. They had Malaysian dishes, Western, Italian, Burgers and they were all very reasonably priced. I was expecting the prices to be much more seeing the kind of set up but no, they were very much affordable. Even the western grill dishes were just under RM 20.00 which I would consider to be very cheap . Having decided what I wanted, I placed my orders and resumed my conversation with my friend and coincidentally, we both ordered the same. 

Pot Of Tea @ RM 3.80

Cutlery
I loved the speed at which the staffs worked. Extremely efficient and moreover, they were well staffed. That pot of tea that I ordered was priced at RM 3.80 which I would consider to be very cheap. That pot gave me 3 cups of tea. Do the math and you'd realise that this place is even cheaper than the Indian Muslim restaurants out there. And what more the ambiance. The Tea was really good, one of the better selections and I would rate this at 9/10 .

Colonial Chicken Chop @ RM 16.80

Huge Chunk
In a matter of minutes, our lunch arrived. We had both ordered their Colonial Chicken Chop and this was priced at RM 16.80 . A really huge chunk of meat served in a humongous plate along with some peas, sauteed vegetables and fries. Even the Chili and Tomato Sauce provided were Heinz and not XYZ brand. Truly a great deal this was!!! 

Deep Fried Chicken
A huge breaded Chicken chunk was deep fried and topped with Tomato Sauce, peas and onion gravy.... one that is quite similar to the Hainanese Style. And that chunk of chicken was a thick cut. Honestly, even though I am a heavy eater, the meat alone was good enough to fill me up. A it tasted very good. The gravy wasn't too sweet and was mildly infused with vinegar. Totally loved it!!! I would rate this chicken preparation at 9/10 .

Broccoli and Carrots
Even the sauteed Broccoli and Carrots were good. Not over cooked, they were still fresh and juicy and they must have surely added some butter to it. That creamy infusion along with the sauces made it taste really good. Impressive and I would rate these at 9/10 .

Fries
And were they stingy with their Fries? Not at all. In fact, the portion was as big as a large fries from Mc Donalds. The best thing about these fries were that they were non greasy yet delicious. I wonder how they had perfected it so well. Surely an art that I would love to learn. Again, I would rate this at 9/10 .

For just RM 20.00 each, we had a sumptuous meal in a posh restaurant. And that's including the drinks. Not to forgot the undisturbed conversations that we had. Amazing place and I was so happy with everything here. I am definitely coming back with my family to try out some of their other dishes. This is definitely a place that I would highly recommend. Good food, very reasonable prices, great ambiance and very efficient staffs. 

Address: Unit 46 & 47, Ground Floor, NU Sentral, 
                201 Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1000 - 2200 Daily

Friday 26 February 2016

Restoran Jaya @ Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur

Restoran Jaya is one of the newer restaurant's in Brickfields that is located along Jalan Thambipillai, the stretch of road that is parallel to Jalan Tun Sambanthan, just behind the Monorail Station that's located across the street from NU Sentral Mall. I have been here before for their Banana Leaf Meals and it was just fantastic. Having had to meet some friends in Brickfields this evening, I suggested this place as I know for sure that the food is good and the prices reasonable. This restaurant belongs to the Penang famous Jaya Catering.

The Restaurant

Not Too Busy As It Was Tea Time
They occupy a corner unit and so ventilation is simply good here. Due to the open concept, it never feels warm and when it rains, it is just fantastic. As it was around 6 pm, the place wasn't too crowded. I ordered myself a glass of Teh Tarik and wanted to check out the South Indian cakes that they had.

Teh Tarik
The staffs here are very efficient and in a matter of minutes, my tea was served. A perfect glass of tea. Not too sweet, not too bitter, it was just perfect and served hot. I would rate this at 9/10 .

My Selection Of Indian Cakes
They had a decent variety of vegetarian and non vegetarian South Indian cakes. Even the Samosa, they had vegetarian Samosa and Chicken Samosa. I was not really in the mood for non vegetarian stuffs and so stuck with the above. My choices were Vegetarian Curry Puffs, Masala Vadai and a Vegetarian Samosa. 

Masala Vadai
I loved their Masala Vadai. It was of the right size, came with lots of ingredients and spices and it were non greasy. I would rate these at 9/10 . 

Vegetarian Samosa
The next one that I tried was their Vegetarian Samosa. This was not too impressive. The reason being, the skin was dry and flaky and the ingredients were the North Indian style non spicy steamed Potato filling. Maybe I am inclined more towards the South Indian style and so this was not too appealing to me. For me, I would perhaps rate this at 6/10 .

Vegetarian Curry Puffs
In contrary to the Samosa, these were really good. In fact, the colour of the potato filling itself would speak for itself. These were spicy and really good. I would rate these at 9/10 .

Nasi Lemak
The Nasi Lemak Bungkus here is really excellent and these are available for breakfast and dinner only. Sorry I could not take a photo of the inside as my friend finished them too quickly since he really enjoyed them. I have tried these too in the past and they are just amazing. Mildly spicy, rich with ingredients and will be a treat to all Nasi Lemak lovers. I would rate this at 9.5/10 .

Ghee Tosai
They have a wonderful variety of Tosai's here and this Ghee Tosai is a good one to try. Made to a crisp and lavishly made with ghee, it was just heavenly. Even their Chutney and curries were excellent. I would rate this at 9/10 .

Chicken Kothu Barotta
Kothu Barotta is like a staple food in South India and only selective restaurants here in Malaysia make them. I never miss to order this dish and I truly love the taste. Imagine having diced Roti Canai along with spices, chicken or mutton, onions, chilies etc, that is exactly how this tastes. Coming back to this preparation, it was simply too good and I just loved it. So much so, I had to have it plain without adding any curry. Lovely taste and one that I would recommend here. I would rate this at 9.5/10 . 

I have tried this restaurant for lunch, tea time and dinner and not a single time that I have been disappointed. I wonder how they manage to keep the standards so high. Definitely returning soon for more. Restaurant Jaya....I just love your food guys! Keep up the great work.

Address: No. 51, Jalan Thambipillai, Off Jalan Tun Sambanthan,
                50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 0700 - 2300 Daily

Telephone: +603 2274 2625 

Wednesday 24 February 2016

Restoran Windmill @ Subang Jaya, Selangor

Windmill Restaurant is a place that I have been dining for at least 25 years now and is a famous western restaurant located in Subang Jaya, Selangor. This restaurant is located right opposite Sime Darby Medical Centre (previously known as Subang Jaya Medical Centre) and along the same row as Taj Restaurant. Since they had closed down for renovations sometime mid last year, we have stopped coming until I was told that they are back open a couple of months back. I am not sure if a new group has taken over or some additional funds have been injected as now, they have opened more outlets in the Klang Valley. Those days, it used to be only this particular outlet. Food was very good then and I would boldly say better than The Ship and Victoria Station. Since we had something so celebrate, we decided to come over this evening. 

The Restaurant in SS 12, Subang Jaya

Decor Hasn't Changed Much

Newspaper Write Ups On The Walls
We were here for an early dinner and the place did not have much of a crowd. One major problem here is parking but thankfully we managed to get a spot not too far away. Looking at the interior, I don't think much of a renovation was done but perhaps restoration work. 

Lobster Set

Steak Set

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

Medley Set

Sizzling Menu Set
The menu had not changed a bit but the prices surely have increased. As always, they had been specialising in Steaks, Western Dishes and Chinese Dishes. The offering thankfully remained intact. The staffs have all been changed and now we have a Filipino team running the place, right from the waiters till the kitchen helpers. Even the Manager was a Filipino lady. Now I have a strong feeling that there may have been a management takeover. Hopefully, the quality of the food has not been compromised. The staffs were friendly except for one guy who was serving as if I borrowed money from him and came here for dinner. Despite numerous times smiling at him, he was giving us a weird stare. I just couldn't understand him. Then I gave him a very deep stare in return and from that moment onwards, he never came anywhere close to me. I have a feeling that he may not like Indians. That is the only thing that I can take away from his behaviour. He seemed very jovial and nice to everyone else except us. Initially I thought of taking this up with the Manager, but having looked at her, I thought to myself better not. The reason for this is simply the way the were very closely interacting behind the drinks bar clearly showed their closeness and I doubt if she would even take this matter up. So, just sharing my experience here.

Ice Lemon Tea
My brother went for a set meal and along with that, this Ice Lemon Tea was included. My Dad and I stuck with just plain water and those were priced at RM 0.80 per glass. The Ice Lemon Tea was good. It was concentrated with sufficient amounts of ice and served with a slice of lemon. I would rate this at 9/10 .

Garlic Toast @ RM 3.50 each
Their Garlic Toast were amazing. Loads of garlic and butter were used and it was simply fantastic. Each bite was so crispy and it was oozing with butter. Truly loved it and I would rate this at 9.5/10 . Highly recommended!!!

Hot Bun with Butter
Since all of us went for their Lamb dishes, this was provided complimentary. The bun was soft and hot, just the way it should be. Not so fresh as I doubt they make these in house and that was the only setback. I would rate this at 8/10 .

Prawn and Mango Cocktail
This was another one that was part of my brother's set meal. The Prawn and Mango Cocktail wasn't that great in my opinion. Just a few shrimps, some mango slices, some cucumber and salad with some dressing. The shrimps used weren't that fresh either. I would only rate this at 6/10 .

Chicken Soup @ RM 9.00
My Dad ordered this Chicken Soup and it was priced at RM 9.00 . No issues on the pricing bearing in mind the kind of restaurant and moreover the portion was good. Tasted good too but I didn't like those huge croutons. They should have been smaller and that would have boosted the taste. The soup however was good. For that, I would rate this at 8.5/10 .

Creamy Shark Fin Soup
This Creamy Shark Fin Soup was again part of my brother's set meal. This was awesome!!! Tasted really good and was served with burners at the base to keep it hot. Savoury and loved every bit of it. I would rate this at 9.5/10 .

Tomato Soup @ RM 9.00
This Tomato Soup was the one that I had ordered for myself and it was another excellent one.Creamy, concentrated and very tasty. Perhaps one of the best Tomato Soup's that I have tried in the Klang Valley. I would rate this at 9.5/10 .

Sizzling Lamb Chop @ RM 45.00

Three Miserable Bone Cuts
This was the Sizzling Lamb Chop that I had ordered for myself. Those days, it used to be truly sizzling and they would provide us with a bip before they serve. This was just the opposite. They had cut down on the meat cuts, just three miserable looking cuts full of bones, added some Fries, Onions and Capsicum which never used to be there those days, and the base sauce was so scanty. It was like typically dry at the base. When I called the Manager asking her if this was their Sizzling Lamb Chop, she told me "Oh, if you wanted more sauce, then you should have informed us." And I was like "How would I know that you'll would tremendously cut down on the sauces as you have not been doing that for the three decades that I have been dining here'. And she just apologised and walked off. No, it's nowhere near what it was and I was very disappointed. Moreover, Onions and Capsicum were never there in their original recipe and it felt that it was a spoiler. The meat cuts..... I don't even want to get there. For me, I would only rate this at 5/10, this too I feel that I am quite generous with it. 

Grilled Lamb Chop @ RM 41.00

Lean and Juicy Meat Cuts
This was my Dad's order and this Grilled Lamb Chop was way better than my dish, though it was priced slightly lesser. Three decent cuts of Lamb served with some Mint Sauce, Grilled Potato's and some steamed vegetables. A way better dish compared to mine and the cuts were meaty. Taste wise, it was not as great as it was but still better than mine. I would rate this at 7/10 .

Steak Promotion Set @ RM 76.00
This was the set that my brother had ordered which came with all the other sides, appetisers and deserts. Only thing was we had switched it for lamb instead and they had adjusted the price accordingly. Generally a decent dish, three small cuts of Lamb with loads of vegetables, potato's, grilled potato's and corn. Once again, very limited amount of sauce at the base as this too should have been a sizzling version. It seemed like a huge dump of ingredients to me just to make it look grand. Otherwise, there was nothing much in this dish. I would again rate this at 5/10 only.

Ice Cream with Strawberry Syrup
Another desert that was part of my brother's set. The ice cream was just two scoops and topped with some strawberry syrup. It wasn't very fresh either. I would rate this at 5/10 . Honestly, the entire set meal was nothing much in terms of value. Just that you get smaller portions but more items for a fixed price which may seem like a great deal but not. Unless you're here just to try a  number of things, then fine. But for a meat fan, it is just a waste.

Bill For The Day

All Their Outlets
Except for those starters and drinks, the main course was surely a disappointment. The ambiance may still be great but it was heart breaking for a true foodie like me. I came with great expectation based on experience and returned an unhappy man. The RM 200++ that we spent here was surely not worth it. I truly doubt  that I would be returning again. Sad to say this and end my three decade long loyalty that I had had with this restaurant.

Address: No. 10 & 11, Jalan SS 12/1B, SS12, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Telephone: +603 5631 8177 / 8913

Opening Hours: 1130 - 0000 Daily