Masala Wheels @ Petaling Jaya, Selangor

I have heard so many positive reviews from friends about this restaurant called Masala Wheels that is located in Section 1, Petaling Jaya. They have been around since August last year and the place is still going strong with long queues waiting for tables. Having heard about all this, we decided to drop by for lunch this afternoon. 

The Restaurant Located Along Jalan 1/3, Section 1, Petaling Jaya

It was a rainy afternoon when we arrived and the tables that were located outdoors could not be put into use. Due to that, there was such a long queue for tables and after a 20 minute wait, we finally managed to squeeze in and share a table with other customers. 

Banana Leaf Rice Meal

The place was buzzing with customers and the waiters along with the owners were having a very tough time serving them all. Apparently, this is the daily scene here during lunch hours. Finally, after some struggle, we got our food. Their basic Banana Leaf Rice Meal comes with Rice, free flow of curries, two vegetables, some fried vegetables, Appalam, and four kind of chutneys. 

Chutney's

Veggies

Venthaya Kulambu

Chicken Kulambu

All the four chutneys were awesome. They were so good that I had to ask for more and despite having such a crowd, they managed to serve me more. The vegetables were also very tasty and fresh. Good thing is that they were not overdone and the flavours were good. Both their Venthaya Kulambu and Chicken Kulambu was awesome as well. 9/10 for their Chutneys, 8/10 for their Veggies and 9/10 for both their Kulambu's. 

Rasam

Iced Moor

Their Rasam was excellent as well. Very generous with the spices and it was really good. 10/10 for their Rasam. Their Iced Moor however slacked a little. They had forgotten to add salt and therefore, it tasted a little odd. I guess the person serving us would have forgotten amidst to add the needful. Hence I shall take it as a mistake and not rate this drink. 

Mutton in Gravy

Tenggiri Fish Sambal

Chicken In Gravy

Fried Bawal Fish

We also went for some add on's. Actually, we wanted to try crabs but they were sold out for the day. Similarly, their Mutton Varuval was also sold out. So we ordered a plate of Mutton in Gravy, Chicken in Gravy, Tenggiri Fish Sambal and a piece each of Fried Bawal Fish. The Mutton and Chicken were tasty. Both were good in their own ways and it came with lots of gravy and my rating for both shall be 7/10. Their Tenggiri Fish Sambal and Fried Bawal Fish were awesome and both deserves a rating of 10/10. The Bawal was fried to a crisp and the marination was just wonderful. Similarly, their Tenggiri Fish was so good and the sambal was just lovely. At the end of our meal, the owners had actually visited each table and apologised saying that they could not give their best service due to the crowd which I think was just so nice of him to say so. 

We tried their Banana Leaf Rice Meals along with some curries, Rasam, Iced Moor, Fried Bawal Fish, Tenggiri Fish Sambal, and a plate of mutton and chicken each and everything was so good. Even the curries were very tasty. My only advise would be to be there by 12 noon if you're looking to have lunch. By 1 pm, the place would be crowded and you would have to wait in line for a table. Excellent food and very reasonable prices. 

Address: 2, Jalan 1/3, Seksyen 1, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Business Hours: Mon - Sat 1200 - 1500 & 1800 - 2200

                             Sun 1200 - 1500 only

Lankan Cafe @ Petaling Jaya, Selangor

I have been to Lankan Cafe a number of times and that's mostly for their ala-carte dishes and I have shared my thoughts on the place in my blogs too. I do know that they have this Sunday buffet but never really got the chance to come for that. This afternoon, since I had just the right partner for that, we decided to go head over for their Sunday Buffet Lunch. 

The Restaurant in Petaling Gardens

Located On The First Floor

I have had a number of friends who have come all the way here and not able to find the restaurant. The reason being, most of them only look at the restaurants on the ground level. Please do note that this restaurant is on the first floor, right above Shanar Curry House. 

Buffet Lunch @ RM 38.00 per pax

The buffet spread was good but it's more of a non vegetarian fair. There are vegetarian dishes but it would be a waste if you come solely for those as it no longer seems worth it. For the first round, I went for some crabs, Mutton Bone Marrow Curry, Spring Hoppers and Sothi. The Mutton Bone Marrow Curry was just awesome. Being a buffet spread, you could take as much as you want and me being a mutton lover, I was simply in ecstasy. Taste wise, the thick spice gravy was just superb and I would rate this at 10/10. Their Idiyappam's were good too and that I shall rate at 8/10. Their Sothi was nice as well and again, I shall rate that at 8/10. Their Crab Curry was excellent but the crabs itself weren't fresh. Nevertheless, just for the curry, I would give it 9/10. 

This round, I went for more Idiyappam's as I am not much of a Puttu fan. They also have White Rice for those who prefer to go for that. As for the curry, I tried their Fish Curry and Venthaya Kulambu. Their Fish Curry was off and even the fish wasn't fresh. I would not recommend going for that and if I were to rate that, 4/10 shall be my rating. Their Venthaya Kulambu was good and that deserves a rating of 8/10. There were two types of Brinjals, Kathirikka Paal Curry and a spicy perattal. Both were awesome and I would rate both at 9/10. Of course, I didn't stop here. I also went back for more of their Mutton Bone Marrow Curry because it was just too good. 

Masala Tea & Sukku Malli Coffee

Masala Tea @ RM 6.90

Masala Tea and Sukku Malli Coffee isn't part of the spread and it's an add on that is priced at RM 6.90 each. Their Masala Tea was good but their Sukku Malli Coffee could have been better. Would rate the previous 8/10 and the latter 5/10. 

Some Cakes

Porridge

To wrap up our meal, we also went for some cakes and a little bit of porridge. All the cakes were excellent and I would rate them 9/10. The porridge was too good and that deserves a rating of 10/10. 

If you're in the mood of having a heavy Sunday lunch, then I would recommend heading to Lankan Cafe for their Sri Lankan Sunday Buffet Lunch. It's priced at RM 38.00 per pax and it is truly worth it. Good spread of dishes and the food is delicious. Best to be there at sharp 12 noon since the crowd builds up after that. 

Address: No. 388, 1st Floor, Jalan 5/59, Petaling Gardens, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Business Hours: 0900 - 2200 Daily

Om Shakthi Chello's Appam Stall @ Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur

Om Shakti Chelo's Appam stall has been around for about 29 years now. Most KL'ites living around Bangsar would be very familiar with this stall. This stall is located along Lorong Ara Kiri 3 in Lucky Garden.

Om Shakthi Chello's Appam Stall

This stall is located at the far end of the Lucky Garden Hawker Centre. There is another stall in the middle that claims to have the best Appam in KL. I am not too sure about that but the stall that I am referring to is the one located at the end where most crowd could be seen at any time. What makes this Appam unique is that it is prepared according to the Ceylonese (Sri Lankan) style of preparation which is moist at the center unlike the Indian style which is dry and you would have to add coconut milk while eating. Here however, the coconut milk is added while cooking making the taste completely different to the Indian one. Besides the plain one, they also have the one with Brown Sugar added.Those days, cooking is only done by the lady boss but due to expansion, she has trained a few Filipino helpers to assist with the preparation and they seem to be doing it well too. We were here around 6.30 pm to order 10 Milk Appams and we were told to wait for 40 minutes as they have orders pending. This is very common here as business is really good.  

Plain Pal Appam @ RM 1.50 each

Brown Sugar Appam @ RM 1.70 each

We wanted to take away and they had skilfully packed them with layers of plastic between the Appam's so that they do not stick on to one another. I have not seen this Sri Lankan variety of Appam made elsewhere except in Ceylonese homes and functions. Except that of late, we do have some Sri Lankan restaurants that do have these but they are sold at premium prices.  I believe that this is the only place where you could get them in a stall like concept. The Appam's were perfect. The plain Appam's were priced at RM 1.50 each and the ones with Brown Sugar are priced at RM 1.70 each. I would rate these Appam's at 9/10 . Definitely some good stuff !

Vegetarian Curry Puffs @ RM 0.80 each

Another good one at this stall is their Curry Puffs which should not be missed. Do note that all items here are vegetarian. The puffs have a filling of curried potatoes which is mildly spiced and tastes very good. These puffs deserve a rating of 9/10 as well .

If you are an Appam lover or just happen to be in Bangsar, it is highly recommended that you give this place a try. You would definitely love it and quite possibly become a regular customer. The food is so good that people don't mind waiting in line. Good food and reasonable prices. 

Address: 6A, Lorong Ara Kiri 3, Lucky Garden, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Business Hours: 1215 - 2100  Closed on Friday & Sundays

Syarikat Little Caterers @ Puchong, Selangor

Little Caterers is one caterers that we have engaged numerous times for various occasions. Their food especially their Sri Lankan Set Menu is one that is very good and I have not seen any other caterers offering the same. Recently, we had another birthday party that I had organised and we engaged them again, mainly for their Sri Lankan Set Menu as well as their reliability. 

The Van

As always, engaging these people totally removes the stress out of your mind. They always arrive promptly and start working on setting up the tables. In the past 20 years of using their services, never have they been delayed for whatsoever reason. 

Sri Lankan Vegetarian Meal

Their Sri Lankan vegetarian meal comes with two kinds of Thovaiyal, Brinjals, Keerai Kadayal, Venthaya Kulambu, Parappu, Long Beans Perattal, Pumpkin, Banana Chips and Vadai. 

Two Kinds Of Thovaiyal

Venthaya Kulambu & Keerai Kadayal

Their Thovayal's were excellent as always. Both had distinct tastes and were made to perfection. Similarly their Venthaya Kulambu is one that I love. It is prepared the way the Ceylon Tamils would do it. Such authentic flavours and it was delicious. Similarly, their Keerai Kadayal was awesome as well. 

Brinjal & Long Beans

Pumpkin, Paruppu and Vadai

All three vegetables i.e. Brinjals, Long Beans and the Pumpkin were again excellent. Hardly could I find any fault with these three dishes. Similarly, their Paruppu was excellent and they had added a generous portion of ghee. Only their Vadai was a little dry this time. Usually, that too is good but just that it wasn't as great as it used to be this time around. 

Payasam

Their Payasam was thick, concentrated and it came with generous portions of the ingredients. Good that they did not skimp on any ingredients and the result was such heavenly tasting Payasam. 

Contact Details

If you're looking for caterers who do Sri Lankan Style Vegetarian meals, I would definitely recommend Little Caterers. We have engaged them numerous times and the food has never been a let down. Prices are slightly premium but in return, you get quality services. Definitely a good caterers to work with. 

Address: Lot 3460A, Kawasan Perusahaan Batu 7 1/2, 47100 Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia.

Telephone: +603 8076 3737

Lankan Cafe @ Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Lankan Cafe is a Sri Lankan Restaurant that has recently opened up in Petaling Garden, Petaling Jaya. If I am not mistaken, they had started some time in December 2016 and business seems to have picked up over the months. Well, there are not many Sri Lankan restaurants around and for Ceylon Tamil's like me, this definitely would seem like a boon. I had not heard about this restaurant until last month and having heard of such a place, I was very eager to visit them. Well, for someone who dines out most of the time, this sort of place is like home cooked food and having not had such kind of food for some time now, that itself contributed to my eagerness to visit. 

The Cafe Located On The First Floow

Entrance To The Cafe

Opening Hours

Trendy Design

Lovely Ambience

Fantastic Service

This cafe is located on the first floor, not too far away from the 7 Eleven that's located along Jalan 5/59. During weekdays, parking can be an issue but if you're okay to park near the houses, then it should not be a problem. We were here at around 5 pm and the place was packed with customers. Apparently, there was also a section that was closed off for a private function. I also heard from a friend that this was also the case the week before. Even today, many customers had to return solely because the place was running full house. So, if you're planning to come over, best to make prior reservations. The cafe was chic and trendy, the ambience was lovely and the service was amazing. Staffs were literally running around attending to customers. The owners were also very friendly and were seen striking conversations with customers. From what I had witnessed this evening, it is evident that there are many Sri Lankan Tamils like me who miss these food and hence, not surprised to see the reception that the restaurant had been getting from the public. 

I would say that their menu is quite comprehensive. Not too many items but sufficient and they were very reasonably priced. Comparing these with Aliya's, I would say that these guy's nailed it price wise. No wonder they have been getting such overwhelming response from the public. This is definitely a restaurant that one could patronise on a day to day basis, that's how reasonable the prices were. 

Mango Juice @ RM 6.90

Sukku Malli Coffee @ RM 6.90

My brother had the Mango Juice which was priced at RM 6.90 . For such a tall glass, I would say that it was very worth it. Taste wise, it was decent and I'd give it a 8/10 . Their Sukku Malli Coffee was above average only. I still vividly remember the Sukku Malli Coffee that I had at a road side stall in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu and this was nowhere close to that. They could have added more spices and that would have made it better. As for their Sukku Malli Cofffee, I would rate it at 7/10. 

Mutton Rolls @ RM 10.90

The Fillings

One of the starters that we tried was their Mutton Rolls and this was priced at RM 10.90 for three pieces. The outer layer was amazingly soft and tasty but when it came to the filling, I felt that it could have been better. In fact, ground mutton was quite scarce and I could hardly get that taste. Based on my taste buds, I'd give this 7/10. 

Egg Appam @ RM 8.00 Per Set Of 2

Paal Appam @ RM 8.00 Per Set of 2

They had two varieties of Appam, Pal Appam and Egg Appam. A set of mixed Appam which was what we had (one of each) was priced at RM 8.00 . I wouldn't complain price wise as the Appam's were really huge. For a small eater, one Appam is good enough to fill the tummy. Their Pal Appam was excellent, in fact it's one of the best Sri Lankan Pal Appams that I have tasted in Malaysia and yes, it's way better than the one that we get in Bangsar. Similarly, their Egg Appam was excellent as well. Both had unique tastes and were so authentic in taste. These definitely deserve nothing less than a perfect 10/10. A must try at this cafe!

Kothu Puttu with Mutton @ RM 11.90

As far as their Kothu Puttu is concerned, they have this dish prepared with various meat varieties and the prices vary accordingly.We tried two versions actually. One is the above one with Mutton and another one with Fish which we did take away. Both were decent and could have been better. The Puttu was a tad too dry and slightly lacked spices. The mutton chunks had some very tiny bones as well and that wasn't a very pleasant experience. Overall, I'd give this a 6/10. 

Kothu Idiyappam with Egg @ RM 7.90

This Kothu Idiyappam was a let down. There were a number of things with it that I was not happy. Firstly, it lacked salt. Secondly, it had a pungent oil smell and taste to it. And finally, I doubt that the spring hoppers were very fresh. Combine all these factors together, it was a below average dish. That was sad because this is one of my favourite dishes and that left me very disappointed. As for this dish, I'd give it 4/10 only. 

Our Bill For The Day

If I am to summarise my dining experience, the Sri Lankan Style Appam's were the best! They were extremely good and hand crafted to perfection. Definitely the best in the Klang Valley. Mutton Rolls were decent, Kothu Puttu was nice, Sukku Malli Coffee was okay but their Kothu Idiyappam was below average. I would definitely come back for their Appams and maybe Kothu Puttu but not the rest. Perhaps, I should come another Sunday and try their Sri Lankan curry varieties instead. Sunday's specifically as they have Sri Lankan Crab Curry available every Sunday. Prices versus portions, I would definitely say that they are cheap. But taste wise, lot's to improve.

Address: No. 388, First Floor, Jalan 5/59, Petaling Garden, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Opening Hours: 1000 - 2200 Tuesday to Sunday