GEM Restaurant @ Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur

GEM Restaurant is one of those places that need's no introduction. It is one that has been around for ages with a number of outlets overseas as well. A semi fine dining restaurant that specialises in both North and South Indian dishes. I have been dining here for decades now and have never returned an unsatisfied customer. Being a vegetarian today, instead of going for the usual Banana Leaf Meals, I decided to drop over and try out their Vegetarian Briyani instead.

The Restaurant Located In Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur

A Cosy Set Up

This restaurant is located along Jalan Tun Sambanthan, right opposite NU Sentral Mall. It is almost impossible to miss this place. Open daily from 11.30 am till 11.30 pm, the place offers a great atmosphere and fantastic food. Chefs and staffs are all from India and one is guaranteed of being served great food all year around. I was also thrilled to see that they now do delivery service as well, with a minimum order quantity. I can't recall how much that was but that is surely a welcomed initiative. It was a little after the usual lunch hours and even then, there were customers coming by. I think I walked in around 3.30 pm and huge groups were just leaving then. In a way it is good as I would be able to get my food faster. 

Their Menu

Soups Menu

Briyani and Meal Sets

Bread and Deserts

Drinks Menu

Warm Water in a Copper Vessel

They had a great variety at offer and the above are just some of their menu pages. It took me a while to go through them but then, since I had already made up my mind as to what I wanted to have, that made it easier. Time was taken when I was deciding on the soup and desert. Even then, the waiter patiently waited while I confirmed my orders. Once that was done, I was served some warm water in those lovely copper vessels. Just love it when they go by the books like this. The only one that was missing was the Papadam's and Mint Sauce. Well, I guess they only serve those to larger groups. Once again, this is only my assumption. Since I had quite a bit to finish, I didn't bother asking them for it. 

Vegetarian Corn Soup @ RM 5.90

Vegetarian Corn Soup @ RM 5.90

My soup arrived in about 15 minutes. I know that that may seem like a long waiting time but please note that everything is made to order here. Nothing is pre prepared. So, a little wait time like this afternoon is common. Anyway, wouldn't we all prefer our food to be freshly prepared. Coming back to the soup, I ordered the above shown Vegetarian Corn Soup and it was priced at RM 5.90 . Fairly reasonable I think looking at the portion size which is just about the usual that we commonly get at those Western restaurants. A slightly sweet preparation made with starch, corn, peas and diced carrots and it tasted pretty good. Something different for a change and I loved it. I would rate this at 8/10 .

Vegetable Briyani @ RM 12.90

Huge Portion

Another lovely preparation that came with loads of vegetables and the Briyani tasted so good. I could eat this on it's own without any of those sides. Each bite was a treat to my taste buds. Amazing stuff and I would rate this at 9.5/10 . For RM 12.90 in such a classy restaurant, I felt that the price was very reasonable as well. 

Onion Raita

Their Onion Raita was one of those sides that were provided with the Briyani Set and the preparation was just awesome. I literally dipped my fingers into the container and enjoyed it thoroughly till the last drop. It was so concentrated and tasted amazingly good. I would rate this at 10/10 . Excellent!

Sambar

Their Sambar was tasty as well. Again, this was one that was provided complimentary with the Briyani sets. Do note that this is not the common version that is found in Malaysia. This preparation is like the one that we find in Tamil Nadu. A few additional spices are added and that gives it a much deeper and bolder taste. I loved it and as such, would rate this at 9/10 .

Banana & Pistachio Kulfi @ RM 8.00

For those who do not know, Kulfi is the Indian version of Ice Cream. Today, it was Banana and Pistachio Kulfi. I am a huge fan of Kulfi and the preparation here was just excellent. Vanilla Kulfi is a common variety but the special mix of Banana and Pistachios, are a rare find and I was glad that they had made this today. Rich with milk and bananas, it's a great protein fix for vegetarians and it tasted so good. I would rate this at 8.5/10 .

Masala Tea @ RM 5.00

Masala Tea @ RM 5.00

After a sumptuous Indian Meal, it would not be complete if I did not have a cup of Masala Tea. Just like the rest of the food, this too was perfectly fixed.  A rich blend of tea and Indian spices, a must have after a feast. Loved this too and I would rate this at 9/10 .

In summary, I was in a state of bliss after my meal here. Every single dish was exceptionally good. Not a single dish that I tried was a let down. And for the kind of restaurant they are, truly very reasonable prices. This is definitely a place that I would highly recommend!!!

Address: No. 124, Jalan Tun Sambanthan. Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1130 - 2330 Daily

Telephone: +603 2260 1373 

Restoran Naughty Nuri's @ Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur

Naughty Nuri's is a name that I am very familiar with. They are Bali's best loved Pork Ribs and have been extremely popular over there. It was in December 2014 that they first started this outlet in Desa Sri Hartamas. I have always wanted to visit them since then but it was only today that I got an opportunity. Besides Hartamas, I believe that they have now also opened up outlets in Penang and Johor Baru as well. 

Located Along Jalan 24/70A

Beautifully Designed

Extremely Spacious

Located along Jalan 24/70A in Desa Sri Hartamas, they occupy two shop units and are open daily from 12 noon till midnight. Previously, this used to be a Japanese restaurant. I remember having a number of office functions here. The place has been completely redesigned and it looks really beautiful now. A bar and a grill merged into one. They have small tables right up to larger ones that can accommodate even 10 people. We were here in a large group and as such, it was quite convenient for us as we could all sit together at one table. And the space between one table to another was decent, thus allowing customers to have private conversations. Most if not all their staffs were from the Philippines and they were very friendly as well as efficient. Right from the time we appeared at their doorstep till the time we left, there was always someone to attend to us and service was a breeze. 

Their Menu

Their Menu

Their Menu

Their Menu

Their Menu

Their Menu

Their Menu

Their Menu

Drinks Menu

Prices were not cheap and honestly, I don't even expect them to be, This is a premium location and being a foreign branch outlet, I felt that they were reasonable. Moreover I have heard that the portions are huge here. So, no room for complaints. The variety was good, mostly covering their signature dishes along with some local Indonesian cuisine. 

Indonesian Style Nasi Goreng @ RM 18.00

This was the first dish to arrive and it is the Indonesian Style Fried Rice. For the price of RM 18.00 , I would agree that the portion was huge. This was one that we shared among ourselves as we had more dishes to come. I don't think I could have finished it all by myself though. Mildly spicy, it was a good start to the meal. Almost everything is porky here and without an exception, there's pork in this dish too. One can opt to add extra Roast Pork for a small charge but we decided to stick to the basic dish. Taste wise, it was so good that I have no room to complain. Loved it and I would rate this at 9.5/10 .

1995 Signature BBQ Spare Ribs @ RM 43.90

No visit to Naughty Nuri's is complete without having this spare ribs. It is one of those preparations that is to die for. Succulent, juicy and delicious ribs grilled with their signature sauce. It was just heavenly. Well, to tell you the truth, we ended up having three slabs of the same. That should give an indication as to how good this was. It deserves a rating of nothing less than 10/10. Pricey? Nah I don't think so. 

BBQ Pork Chop @ RM 23.00

Another signature dish here. The chops have been marinated and char grilled to a flavourful perfection. Their signature sauce is also provided on the sides. Another excellent dish here but clearly not the best that I have tried. Perhaps, I just prefer the Hainanese version. Nevertheless, still good and I would rate this at 7/10 .

BBQ Satay Lilit @ RM 25.00

Another one of their signature dishes and a favourite in Bali. Minced pork marinated with spices and grilled to a golden brown perfection. Not the usual sweet Malaysian Satay but it tasted pretty good and they were some pretty huge chunks. I would rate this at 8/10 .

In summary, we only tried some of their dishes and they have so much more to offer. But for each of those dishes that we tried, we ended up ordering more of the same as they were truly delicious. That should give an indication of the food quality here. Not the kind of place that one would be going daily for a meal but surely a fantastic place to have weekend meals with the family. A place that I would highly recommend. 

Address: No. 2, Jalan 20/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, 

                50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1200 - 0000 Daily

Telephone: +6016 556 4611

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nnkualalumpur/timeline

Homie Recipe @ NU Sentral, Kuala Lumpur

Pan Mee has always been one of my favourites. A simple dish but one that requires great skill to perfect it. I guess my favourite is and always would be Kin Kin Chili Pan Mee which is located in Jalan Dewan Sultan Sulaiman Satu. I have tried the other famous ones too but in my opinion, that is still the best. Coming back to this place, it was just by chance that I came across this outlet which is located on the Lower Ground Floor of NU Sentral Mall. I hardly come to this end of the mall, closer to the Food Court side and this particular level. Just decided to take a walk onto this side and discovered this and a few other eateries which looked very interesting. Time was limited as I had to catch a train back. Having checked all my options, I decided to give this place a try. 

The Outlet On LG Floor of NU Sentral Mall

Simple Layout

This outlet is located on the far end of the mall, on the opposite side of Sam's Groceria. The place is a little hidden and you'd have to keep walking right to the exit to discover this place. This outlet is at the very end of the wing. The place was simple. I guess all Pan Mee places look very much the same. Even the furniture looked identical. 

Pork Free Menu

Varuious Type's Of Preparation

More To Choose From

Soups & Dumplings

Drinks Menu

This is a Pork Free restaurant and that is a good move as they open themselves to a larger market segment. Nevertheless, it would be great if they could get the Halal certification too if they are really serious about broadening their customer base. A good variety of 14 different Pan Mee preparations, ranging from the dry type to soups. Besides these, some dumplings were on offer along with a limited range of drinks. For a mall, their prices were cheap. In fact comparatively, they are almost the same with the other's out there. This is great as it is hard to get 'reasonably priced' food at malls these days.

My Order Confirmation Chit

Chili Paste

As I knew exactly what I wanted, ordering was a breeze. The lady boss was quite friendly and patiently waited by my side while I glanced through the menu. Once confirmed, a confirmation slip was left on the table. She then arrived within minutes with the cutlery and the above Chili Paste. Just to test it out, I dipped one end of the chopsticks into the chili paste and tasted. My Goodness!!! It was really spicy and I loved it. One hardly get's good quality, non watered down version of this anymore and this was simply too good. I would rate this nothing less than a 10/10. 

Sambal Chili Shrimp Pan Mee @ RM 10.90

In about 10 minutes, my order was sent over. I ordered the above Sambal Chili Shrimp Pan Mee and it was priced at RM 10.90 per bowl. Portion was good for the price and it came with loads of dry shrimp, egg and lots of Sambal.

Dried Shrimps

These dried Shrimps were just fantastic. Perfectly seasoned, they were an absolute delight and gave a unique and brilliant after taste to the dish.

Eggs

The yolk was runny and perfect but the egg white was overdone. It should have been taken out slightly earlier. Once mixed up, the yolk blended well with the noodles but the egg white just detached itself and remained hard and in bits and pieces. Taking it out a minute earlier would have done the trick. 

Sambal Was Superb

All Mixed Up

The Sambal was divine. Not too spicy for me and it was absolutely delicious. The noodles itself was good but not the best that I have tasted and this is in comparison to Kin Kin's noodles. If I were to rate this dish, for the Sambal and sambal alone, I would rate this at 8/10 . It was the Sambal that took the dish to a different level. Loved it! Really good considering that it's mall food. 

Fish Ball Soup @ RM 7.90

Quite Good

5 medium sized Fish Balls along with some greens in a soup made with some prawn stock and dried shrimps and this was priced at RM 7.90 . Very reasonable I would say. Even in my hometown, these days each Fish Ball is priced at RM 1.00 each and some of those are smaller than this one. The Fish Balls were good. Once again, not one that was made using those high quality fish as it was evident from the texture, nevertheless tasty. The prawn stock added to the soup gave it a light tea like colour as opposed to the usual clear soup and this was surely a welcomed improvisation. I liked this dish. In fact, for those light eaters, this alone is good as a full meal. Based on my taste buds, I would rate this at 8/10 .

Bill For The Day

Both dishes that I tried this evening were truly enjoyable. I would surely be returning  as I loved their Sambal Pan Mee. Not for anything else but the Sambal itself. That was a taste to remember. Definitely a place that I would recommend. 

Address: LG 18, NU Sentral Mall, Jalan Stesen Sentral 5, 

                Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1000 - 2200 Daily

Telephone: +603 2276 3700 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Homie-Recipe-Nu-Sentral/131488660531068