Sunday, 30 April 2017

Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart @ Putrajaya

Japanese Baked Cheese Tarts have been gaining popularity in the South East Asian region and of late, there has been so many new brands setting foot in Malaysia and the neighbouring countries. I have blogged about some of those brands in the past few weeks. However, Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart is the pioneer brand to venture into Malaysia and has already gotten itself a fairly good footing across the country. 

The Outlet in IOI City Mall

Long Queue
This outlet that I had visited is in IOI City Mall and is located on the Lower Ground Floor, towards Tesco entrance. Despite being just a small kiosk, the place was very crowded and there was such a long queue. A very healthy sign this is for their business. 




Besides the standard pricing, they also had some very interesting packages for higher volume purchases as well. This is definitely a good way to encourage customers to go for more. From my observation, most people seem to be going for packages of six, which was the very same thing that I had in mind. 

Durian Cheese Tart @ RM 6.60 each

Chocolate Cheese Tart @ RM 5.80 each

Original Cheese Tart @ RM 5.80 each
Both their Chocolate Cheese Tart and Original Cheese Tart were priced at RM 5.80 each and their newly introduced Durian Cheese Tarts was priced at RM 6.60 each. Definitely not one that is cheap, still the price didn't seem to deter sales. 

Box Of Six @ RM 29.00

Original Cheese Tarts

The Bill
I love cheese tarts but not to the extent of wanting to try other flavours like chocolate and durian. For me, I still prefer it to be plain cheese. That being said, I went for a box of six and this was priced at RM 29.00 . Taste wise, I loved the creamy crust and the cheesy filling was definitely up to expectations. If I were to rate this, I would give it 8/10. Definitely a good one to try.

Address: LG - K - 12, Lower Ground Floor, IOI City Mall, Lebuh IRC, 
                 IOI Resort CIty, 62502 Putrajaya, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1000 - 2200 Daily

Saturday, 29 April 2017

Akkas Food Corner @ Puchong, Selangor

I first visited Akkas Food Corner in January 2015 when they had moved to this present shop. Prior to that, they were operating from a pushcart somewhere around that same area. After a two year gap, I am returning today for lunch. 

Akkas Food Corner in Bandar Puteri Puchong

Crowded As Always
Though I was the one who introduced this place to my family, due to logistical reasons, I did not manage to visit them after that but my brother has been one who has been coming at least once a week as he loves the food here. True, the food is excellent here and that is based on my initial visit two years back. Looking at the frequency of my brother's visit, I am confident that they must have kept the standards consistent. The only difference now is that one is not allowed to take the dishes and would have to get the staffs to assist with this. I assume that there may have been customers to took too much and may have had issues when it comes to payment. On the other hand, if I just wanted to taste something and wanted to have a smaller helping of more dishes, then that is no longer allowed. This is one that I experienced today. When I pointed the dishes to the staffs and told them that I wanted just a little, they still put a heap of it on my plate. In the end, it just limited me from taking more food items. Perhaps, this is something that they should look into.  

My Lunch @ RM 9.00
Since we were here around 2.30 pm, most of the items were almost sold out but luckily, my favourites were still available. I had rice, Thannichaar, Mutton Perattal, Sardine Sambal, Tofu Sambal and Rasam. All this for just RM 9.00 . And you can see the volume of each one of these dishes, definitely very cheap.

Thannichaar

Tofu Sambal
Their Thannichaar was very good. It had all the required flavours and they were quite generous with the ingredients. Tofu Sambal was excellent. The cuts were just the right size, mildly sweet and spicy and it was so delicious. I would rate their Thannichaar 9/10 and Tofu Sambal 10/10. 

Mutton Perattal

Sardine Sambal

Rasam
Their Mutton Perattal was heavenly. Rich with spices and made with a thick gravy. They had also added lots of potatoes which was a huge plus point. Their Sardine Sambal  was superb as well. Spicy, slightly salty and it had been made precisely perfect. Not to forget their Rasam which was another treat on it's own. All three items deserve nothing less than 10/10. 

My Bill For The Day
I am so happy that this place has kept it's food so consistent over the years. The food is still amazingly good and gives you a magical feel. Prices were also extremely cheap. For a plate of Rice, Mutton Perattal, Sardine Sambal, Tofu Sambal, Thannichaar and Rasam, RM 9.00  is an excellent deal. For me, this place still qualifies to be in my list of Top 5 South Indian eateries in the Klang Valley. A highly recommended place!

Address: No. 10, Jalan Puteri 5/1, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 0700 - 1800 Daily

Friday, 28 April 2017

Restoran KRSG Spice N Bites @ Kajang, Selangor

I believe I have tried most if not all the South Indian restaurants in Kajang and frankly, if not for Basil Leaves, Ravis and Pandi's, there isn't much actually. You do have some odd shops that aren't so famous here and there and this entry is about one such shop. 


The Restaurant Located In Sungai Jelok Area

Preparing Tea Time Cakes
This restaurant is located in Sungai Jelok area which is just 5 minutes from Kajang town centre. It was already 3 pm when we arrived and they had started preparing tea time cakes. There were no customers as it was pass the usual lunch hours and just two staffs. Food were segregated as usual between vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes. It seems like they don't cook much either. Just a handful of  dishes and limited quantity as well. This was definitely not a good sign. 

My Lunch @ RM 8.00
I had some rice, Sambar, Venthaya Kulambu, two veggies, Chicken Perattal and Rasam and this cost me RM 8.00 . This is definitely expensive bearing in mind that the two veggies were quite basic and not much chicken taken as well. 

Venthaya Kulambu

Sambar

Rasam
Their Venthaya Kulambu looked like tap water. That was how watery it was and colour wise, wasn't much different from their Sambar. The Sambar was just okay, nothing great either. And the worst one was their Rasam. If I were to rate these, I would give the Venthaya Kulambu 4/10, Sambar 6/10 and Rasam 3/10. 



Their vegetables were quite decent. The Keerai had a good blend of tastes and the Bitter Gourd was even better. Not to say that it was great, but nice and a vast leap in taste when compared to their curries. I would rate their Keerai at 6/10 and Bitter Gourd at 7/10. 

Chicken Perattal
Their Chicken Perattal was quite disappointing. The meat was stiff and the gravy lacked spices. It was quite bony too. I would only give this 5/10.

If I were to summarise my dining experience, I would say that it was quite disappointing. Their curries were watery, the Rasam was nothing but spiced water, their vegetables however were quite decent and their chicken was just eatable. Not to forget their pricing which was on the high side. The only good thing here is the warm reception that you get from their staffs. A place to dine only when you're too hungry to go and look for alternative eateries.

Address: No. 7, Jalan Pusat Perniagaan 1, Pusat Perniagaan Sungai Jelok, 
                43000 Kajang, Selangor.

Opening Hours: 0800 - 2200 Daily 

Thursday, 27 April 2017

Dynasty Fire Restaurant @ Hulu Bernam, Selangor

Dynasty Fire Restaurant is the newest Chinese restaurant in Tanjung Malim. This restaurant is on the Hulu Bernam (Selangor) side of town and they have taken over the business from Ah Lek Seafood some months back. Each time I pass this restaurant, the place seems crowded and this is also the case on weekdays.We wanted to visit them much earlier but time did not permit. Finally having had a long weekend, we decided to drop by for dinner. 

Dynasty Fire Restaurant in Taman Weng Cheong, Hulu Bernam

Open Air Seating

Cutlery
I truly wonder why Ah Lek Seafood had to sell the business. Business was good for them and they had spent a lot on renovations. In fact, they were doing very good right from the day they opened. Anyway, these new guys have taken over and I am glad to see the same kind of response. This restaurant has two seating sections, an open air area and another air-conditioned dining hall. There is no menu for one to glance but they do highlight their current offers in terms of seafood right outside the restaurant. Since they buy in bulk and fast moving, they do get some very good offers which trickles down to customers. 

Kam Heong Clams @ RM 13.00
Their Kam Heong Clams was lip smacking good. The curried dried shrimp paste was thick and they were very generous with it. They had not ground the dried shrimps finely and that too helped boost the taste. Something different to the norms and it was surely a welcomed change. The price was another huge surprise as well. I expected this dish to be somewhere close to RM 20.00 but it was a mere RM 13.00 . A deal and dish that one should not miss. Excellent it was and I would rate this at 10/10. 

Salted Egg Squid @ RM 15.00
Another very satisfying dish from Dynasty Fire Restaurant. The squid was fried to a golden brown perfection and topped with a batter of salted eggs, curry leaves and dried chillies. Not only was it tasty, the squid was very fresh as well and that gave it a sweet, tasty texture. I would happily give this dish 9/10. 

Sweet & Sour XL Prawns @ RM 23.00
When this Sweet & Sour Prawn dish arrived, I was taken aback looking at the size of those prawns and in my mind, I had already expected this dish to cost around RM 40 to RM 50. And when the bill came, it was just RM 23.00 . That's an excellent deal for six extra large prawns which is larger than an male adult's palm. Price aside, even taste wise it was good and the overall presentation along with the ingredients were fantastic. I would definitely give this 10/10. 

Steamed Fish with Chili Paste @ RM 19.00
This was another dish that shocked us price wise. A fairly huge fish that was steamed and topped with delicious chili paste and it was priced at RM 19.00 only. Taste wise, it was surely good and I would give this 9/10.

The Bill
This was definitely one meal that shocked us price wise. RM 19 for the fish, RM 23 for the prawns, RM 15 for the squid and RM 13 for the clams; this is a pricing that one could only dream of in Kuala Lumpur. Taste wise, they were all quite impressive as well. I am certain that we would be coming here more often in the future. Good food and cheap prices are hard to come by these days. 

Address: No. 9, Taman Weng Cheong, Jalan Changkat Asa, 35900 Hulu Bernam, Selangor.

Opening Hours: 1100 - 1500 & 1730 - 2300 Daily

Wednesday, 26 April 2017

Kim Loong Vegetarian Restaurant @ Kajang, Selangor

Besides Indian restaurants in Cyberjaya, I have also been exploring the Chinese vegetarian restaurant scene in Kajang and till date, have blogged about Vege Good Restaurant which I found to be truly good. Tonight, we visited another one called Kim Loong Vegetarian Restaurant and here's my review.

Kim Loong Vegetarian Restaurant Located Along Jalan Bukit Mewah 67

Opening Hours

Simple Air-Conditioned Restaurant
This restaurant is located in a remote area in Taman Bukit Mewah. If not for Waze, I would have not been able to locate this restaurant. Google Maps too does very accurate navigation and those who do not use Waze, could surely use the latter. Just like Vege Good, this restaurant too seems to have a fairly good customer base. Despite it being a weekday, the place was crowded.









Their menu was impressive in terms of variety and their prices seemed cheaper than Vege Good. The only problem we faced was the fact that their menu was quite cluttered and disorganised as it wasn't in a book form but loose sheets of laminated paper. Since they were running full house, it was unfair to expect good service as well as they were all so busy running around. 

Mock Mutton In Curry @ RM 9.00
For the price, the portions were good and this affirms my earlier conclusion that these guys are cheaper. However, I found the curry to lack flavours. The curry was thick, yes. The mock mutton was good as well and one of an acceptable quality. Still, the overall dish lacked something that I just could not figure out. For me, I would rate this 7/10. 

Fried Vegetarian Meat with Potaoes @ RM 11.00
Being a fan of potatoes, I enjoyed this dish very much. The broth was tasty and the potatoes were just perfect, slightly over boiled, just the way it should be. Yes, this was surely a dish that we enjoyed and I would give this 8/10. 

Vegetarian Mock Duck @ RM 11.00
This was another dish that was above average. The texture of the mock duck wasn't as expected and the base sauce could have been better. Overall, a bland dish. I would rate this at 6/10. 

Nyonya Style Mock Fish @ RM 20.00
Another one that failed to impress us. The mock fish did not have the desired flavours and the base sauce was plain spicy and totally lacked sourness. That blend of unfavourable flavours were not appealing to the taste buds. Taste wise, I would rate this at 6/10. 

Only their Fried Vegetarian Meat with Potatoes were close to our expectations. The rest of the dishes needs lots of improvement. Price wise, they are definitely very cheap but they surely need to work on their flavours. I doubt I would return despite them being cheaper than their competitors. As for now, I shall gladly stick to Vege Good Restaurant.I still would not crown any one of them as the best in Kajang as I still have got two more places to visit. Hopefully, would be able to visit them and post my reviews soon.

Address: No. 11, Jalan Bukit Mewah 67, Taman Bukit Mewah, 43000 Kajang, Selangor.

Opening Hours: 1000 - 1500 & 1730 - 2130 Daily

Telephone: +603 8738 9228