Restoran Asian Cibo @ Cyberjaya, Selangor

Located at the Street Mall, Cyberjaya is a Halal Chinese Muslim seafood restaurant called Restoran Asian Cibo.  This is their second outlet and the first one is located in Kelana Jaya. As I was passing by Cyberjaya heading to Kajang with my family, we decided to stop here for lunch. I used to work in Cyberjaya for almost 6 years some time back and I have tried most of the restaurants here but recently under the initiative of Cyberview who is the landowner of Cyberjaya, there has been quite a number of new restaurants that have been established. This is one of those new ones that I have not tried before. As it is a Sunday, the entire Cyberjaya is almost deserted and so was this restaurant when we arrived. 

Restaurant Asian Cibo in Cyberjaya

Interior of the restaurant

Us Waiting To Order

The restaurant was really huge. Business must be good for them to have such a large space. As the offices were mostly closed today, the usual crowd was not there but then there were two large tables that were being prepared for some tour groups. I believe the group is from China. Surprisingly, though they hold the Halal status, I did see beer being served to these tourists. Perhaps it is a Sunday and they do not expect the local crowd to come in today. Must have been an exception made just for today otherwise they would not be able to get their Halal status. All their staffs seem to be from China with just one local Chinese girl who speaks Malay. We were then handed the menu to choose the dishes. 

The Menu

Meal Packages

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

At a glance I can surely say that the price here is really expensive. Even their packages which cater for small groups are extremely pricey. I would just have to wait and see if the food portions justify the price. We ordered four different dishes which already seemed to have brought the bill above RM 100.00 . Just waiting for the food now. 

Sirap Bandung @ RM 6.90

We ordered two of the above drink.I tried it and it was nice. I would rate this drink at 8.8/10 . However the price is slightly on the high side. We also ordered two cans of Coca Cola and they come at RM 3.90 each. A glass of warm water which is what I had came at RM 0.20 each. 

Rice @ RM 2.00 per plate

RM 2.00 per plate of rice is definitely expensive, and that too for plain white rice. Its all standard size and there is no big or small. Looking at it, it's just a small bowl of rice. Definitely would not be enough for me. 

Golden Fried Bean Curd @ RM 22.00

Here comes the first dish. It is just two slices of Golden Fried Bean Curd with just some fried dried onions on the top to garnish it. There is no minced chicken on the Tofu and the broth was plain starch flour without any eggs. Come on guys, don't tell me that this small portion is to be sold at RM 22.00 . With sub standard ingredients, I do not think that this dish is worth it. With the five of us, it was just a small spoonful and the dish was done just like that in less than a minute. Taste was also pretty bad. I would rate this dish at 2/10 .

BBQ Chicken @ RM 24.90

This dish was daylight robbery. Nine extremely small chicken chunks which did not taste all that good for RM 24.90. The meat was also extremely hard and it definitely seems that this chicken was in the freezer for a very very long time. I would only rate this dish at 1/10 . I deliberately placed the spoon in the above photo for you to understand what I meant by the size of the chicken piece. Really tiny. 

Seafood Platter of Prawns & Calamari @ RM 50.00

For RM 50.00, I was really expecting a huge dish and all we got was the above. Come on guys, I really do not know what else to say. The dish was also extremely oily and the oil was somewhat stale. This dish was simply a disaster. I would only rate this at 1/10 .

Crispy & Fried Kailan @ RM 22.90

Though a bit pricey, this dish was nice. The Kailan was fried in butter and that added great taste to the dish. This was a good dish. I would rate this dish at 9/10 . You see guys, I am not prejudiced against you but the rest of the dishes that you served thus far were garbage quality. Seriously, those dishes are unfit for a restaurant. Having had the above four dishes, we were still hungry and I added another dish. Well, who would not be as the portions were miserable. 

Sweet & Sour Fish Fillets @ RM 29.90

This was the worst Sweet & Sour Fish dish that I have ever had in my entire life. It was really horrible. The portion size was much better but we just could not eat much of it. The fish fillets had a stench and it was nauseating with every bite. No exaggeration and that was how it was. Clearly it was some old meat that was stored in the freezer for a very long time. They must have coated it with flour even when it was still freezing and that had prohibited the flour coating from sticking on well to the meat. As they fried it, the flour coating had somewhat bloated and created an empty pocket inside. I would rate this at 0/10 . Seriously a bad dish!

I sincerely had regretted bringing my parents here for lunch today. The food was mostly below acceptable quality and that had ruined the entire dining experience. I would never ever return to this restaurant again even if I am paid to dine here. I wonder if their Kelana Jaya outlet is offering the same standard of food and also how the people of Cyberjaya have been tolerating this restaurant and the food. A must avoid restaurant!!!

Address: Unit A & SP-9, The Street Mall, Cyber 12,

                63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Telephone: +603 8325 1333

Opening Hours: Mon - Fri 1000 - 1500 & 1700 - 2200

                           Sat, Sun & Public Holidays 1000 - 1700

Email: asiancibo@unifi.com

Paniya Korean Restaurant @ Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur

In the mood for Korean food tonight, we headed over to Solaris Mont Kiara in search of a Korean restaurant. I had not decided on the restaurant and was in the mood to randomly choose on the place. I know that is not a problem here as this place is flooded with Japanese and Korean restaurants. Since we got the parking bay quite close to Ravi's Restaurant, the very first restaurant that I sighted was Paniya Korean Restaurant that is located above Ravi's and we just just headed over to try this place.

Paniya Korean Restaurant above Ravi's

Paniya Korean Restaurant above Ravi's

Located on Jalan Solaris 2, this restaurant lies right above Ravi's and it is quite easy to spot this place as it is the very first row of shops at the entrance to Solaris Mont Kiara. There is a lift that conveniently brings you to the first floor.

Interior of the Restaurant

Interior of the Restaurant

Interior of the Restaurant

The moment we walked in, we were greeted  in Korean. The restaurant was very well designed and it was spacious. Within this small space, they have a designated smoking area. The lady boss and her husband, both Koreans, greeted us too which was a very nice gesture. The surprising thing that I noticed was that all their staffs were Bangladeshis and as this is a BBQ & Teppan style restaurant, they were the ones who were preparing the food. Must have been well trained by the owners since they allow them to cook and prepare the food for Koreans. Except for us, the rest of the customers today were all Koreans. 

Hi-Tech Menu

Cold Water...on the house

Once we were seated, we were given a Samsung tablet instead of a menu card. The entire menu was in the tablet and I am impressed with the adoption of technology here. Its a much better way then to have them printed on paper cards. In case of any amendments in future, it could be easily modified in the tablet as opposed to those print menus. Definitely more environmental friendly too. Water again was on the house and they had these beautiful bottles and cute little silver cups on all the tables.

Four Side Dishes on the house

Four side dishes on the house

Here, the side dishes were limited to four. In most places, it may go to as many as ten but commonly, it is around eight. Here they were limited to four and these were not refillable. You cannot choose the items as they are based on daily rotation. Today we were served Stir Fried Anchovies, Pickles, Rolled Up Eggs and Cabbage Kimchi. Overall these dishes were pretty decent but my ratings for these is a little lower due to the limitation of variety and the fact that it is not refillable. The Rolled Up Eggs were also limited to two small pieces as they were two of us. I would only rate these at 6/10 but taste wise, they were good. 

Seaweed Soup on the house

This again is a rotational soup that is prepared and served to customers on the house. The usual varieties available are Seaweed Soup, Bean Sprouts Soup and Spinach Soup. Today, it was Seaweed Soup. It had a slightly pungent taste to it, though it smelled great, but as you drank it down it was really nice. The Seaweed was slimy in texture and tasted good. Definitely something unique that I had not tried before. I would rate this soup at 9/10  and it is great that they offer this FOC to all customers.  

Dak Galbi @ RM 20.00

Dak Galbi when raw

Dak Galbi Cooked Before Us

Dak Galbi is served

The above Dak Galbi was another interesting dish. It was cooked right before us by the workers. It is literally pan fried chicken with cabbage and Kimchi. It was very interesting to see how they prepare it. Usually we only get to taste them and today at this restaurant, we were able to witness how it is made. A sure treat to those who love to watch their food being prepared. Now coming to this dish, the dish was perfect. Slightly spicy but delicious. Definitely a recommended dish here. I would rate this dish at 9.5/10 .

Pa Jeon @ RM 25.00

This is the Korean Pancake this comes with Green Chilies and Onions and it is dipped into the soy sauce before eating. This is one of my favourite Korean dishes and I find that it was quite decent here though not the best that I had tried. I would rate this at 8/10 .  

Kim Chi Man Doo @ RM 20.00

This dish again was cooked before us. It is Kim Chi Soup which comes with cabbage, steamed dumplings, mushrooms and glass noodles. For RM 20.00, the portion was very decent. This is slightly on the spicy side and it packed with flavours. Both of us thoroughly enjoyed this soup and we cleared this dish. It was completely dry by the time we were done with it. I would rate this dish at 10/10 .

Chop Steak Pork being cooked

A Closer Look at the raw materials

Pork Steak Chop @ RM 25.00

This was the last dish that we had ordered tonight and again, this was cooked in front of us. My verdict is that this dish was heavenly. I loved the way the Pork cubes were cooked, the gravy and sauce had seeped in well to the meat. The capsicum definitely added a nice twist in taste to this dish. The flavours of the meat was sealed well and with every bite, the juices the flowed out from the meat was heavenly. A highly recommended dish. I would rate this dish at 10/10 .

To add to the above, we were also served two slices of really sweet watermelons for desert and this again was on the house. I find this place to be really great and I am happy that I had chosen a right place for dinner, though it was a random selection. They serve great food, the atmosphere is wonderful, prices are decent and the hospitality is warm. You also get to see how most of the dishes are prepared as they prepare it before your eyes. Definitely a great Korean Restaurant.

Address: No. 1-1, Jalan Solaris 2, Solaris Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Telephone: +603 6203 0068 & +6012 672 8009

Opening Hours: 1100 - 2200 Daily

Email: paniya.korean@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paniya.korean

Kafe Beyond Veggiee by Secret Recipe @ TTDI, Kuala Lumpur

We all know of Secret Recipe and their delicious cakes and delicacies. Who would have thought that they would venture into the vegetarian business. This outlet in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail was opened on the 24th of January 2013. I have passed this way so many times before and never once did I ever step into this vegetarian outlet until this evening. I was browsing the internet for some eateries in Taman Tun and that is when I came across their Facebook page and the photographs of the dishes made me salivate. That was when I made the decision to visit this place tonight. 

Beyond Veggie in Taman Tun Dr, Ismail

Us at the Restaurant

This restaurant in Taman Tun is adjoined to the Secret Recipe outlet and is connected on the inside. I wanted to check if they were truly vegetarian by maintaining the woks and other cutleries and I was impressed to learn that they had two distinct kitchens and thus the kitchen preparing food for Beyond Veggie was meant to cook only the vegetarian dishes. The layout of the restaurant was also simply beautiful going by the same standards of their other Secret Recipe outlets. 

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The menu was very elaborate. What excited me was the fact that it comprised mainly of Chinese Vegetarian dishes and these seem to be very competitively priced as opposed to those very expensive Chinese Vegetarian restaurants out there. Besides the Chinese dishes, they also offered a decent range of Italian, Japanese, Malaysian, Mediterranean and Western Vegetarian dishes. Cakes and deserts were also available and at this point it is worth mentioning that all their cakes are also vegetarian.

Rice @ RM 2.00

They offer two variety of rice, white and brown rice. We went for the white rice and it is priced at RM 2.00 per plate which is the only thing that I found to be expensive at this restaurant. 

Mushroom in Superior Sauce @ RM 19.90

This dish came with a lavish amount of Shitake mushrooms which we immersed in soy sauce and bird eye chili's. For RM 19.90, the dish was truly worth it. The mushrooms were absolutely delicious and they were cooked perfectly. Every bite was juicy and it was really good. I would rate this dish at 9/10 .

Asian Petai Sambal Fried Curd Cutlets @ RM 17.90

Another extremely delicious dish. When they meant Petai sambal, it really was Petai sambal and not just a few Petai for evidence sake. The dish was loaded with Petai and that made it really good. The Beancurd Cutlets were also fried to perfection and tasted somewhat like the Vegetarian Fish. It also came with loads of brinjals and tomato. The Sambal was also not too spicy and that is suitable for most people. At RM 17.90, this dish is good for three pax. Real value for money and I would rate this dish at 9/10 .

Kam Heong Style Beancurd Cutlets @ RM 17.90

This dish used the same Fried Beancurds but then it was prepared like the Kam Heong style. It was generally good with loads of spices but it was a tad too dry and that pulled the dish a little down in terms of rating. Would have been better if it was slightly wet with gravy. I would rate this dish at 7.5/10 .

Overall, we were very happy with the food today. I must say that you get the same quality of experience when walking in to any Secret Recipe outlet. The ambiance was also very nice and my opinion is that this chain of restaurants will truly be a great contender to many of the Chinese Vegetarian restaurants out there. The reason for this is that they serve a good array of food, the price is much cheaper than those Vegetarian restaurants, the portions are also pretty huge and they taste pretty good. Going forward, when it comes to Vegetarian food, this restaurant would surely be the first that comes to my mind. 

Address: 54, Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 1, Taman Tun Dr Ismail,

                60000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1100 - 2200 Daily

Telephone: +603 7722 1142

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Secret-Recipe-Beyond-Veggie/375967132476364

Kerteh Airport @ Kerteh, Terengganu

It's flight time back to Kuala Lumpur and here we are at the Kerteh Airport. Just to give some background on this airport, it is a very small airport and it is owned and operated by Petronas via it's East Coast Regional Office. This airport was built to serve the purpose of airlifting its employees to the various oil platforms located 100 to 200 kilometers offshore South China Sea. Today Firefly does fly to this airport from Subang.

Inside The Airport

The One and Only Restaurant Here

As we have had to skip lunch today, I was thinking of getting some food at the airport but they only have a small cafeteria here. It was already close to 1730 and most of the food had been sold out. For the menu, it seems that they only serve basic food like Nasi Lemak, Fried Rice etc. Having none of those available at this hour, I had to settle for some snacks and tea. You may wonder why I am writing this blog about this restaurant. It is all about two things. Firstly to prepare fellow travelers on the facilities available at this airport and not to end up starving like me. The second reason, I shall be mentioning shortly. 

My Friends

Both of my friends are very sporting as you can see from the poses both yesterday and today. We've all been starving except for the breakfast at the hotel this morning and thats why we have a little stressed look on us. Now, at this cafe we've had two Teh Tariks and one Teh O. The Teh Tarik cost us RM 0.70 each and the Teh O cost us RM 0.50 each. Well, I am very sure that you can not get such prices in Kuala Lumpur. This airport restaurant is really priced like a staff canteen. The Teh Tarik, was pretty good and I would rate it at 8/10 . Just do remember to mention that you like it less sugar as people in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia love to have their drinks really sweet....I mean really really sweet. 

Keropok Lekor. 5 @ RM 0.50

Now this is the second reason that I am writing this entry and making it available to the public. I have never had Keropok Lekor this fresh, even at any other restaurant or stall in Pahang and Terengganu. This was really fresh and it was priced at RM 0.10 per piece. In Kuala Lumpur, you would get this at RM 0.25 - RM 0.30 per piece and that too would not be as fresh as this. The taste was really good and you do not need the Chili Sauce to dip it in. It's good as it is. If you happen to be at this airport, do not miss the opportunity to try this. Really good stuff. I would rate this Keropok Lekor at 10/10 .

Address: Kerteh Airport, 24300 Kerteh, Terengganu, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 0600 - 1830 Daily

Telephone: +609 826 1122