Coliseum Cafe & Grill Room @ Plaza 33, Petaling Jaya

Having started their very first outlet along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur in 1921, today Coliseum Cafe and Grill Room stands tall as the oldest Steak House in the country. If only FMS in Ipoh had not closed down a couple of years ago which was very unfortunate, then that would have been the oldest steakhouse in Malaysia. Having had a recent change of management, on the 8th of July 2013 they have opened another modern yet classic outlet in Plaza 33 in Section 13, Petaling Jaya. Though I have known about the existence of this new outlet for months now, it was only today that I got a chance to drop by.

Coliseum Cafe & Grill Room in Plaza 33, Petaling Jaya

The Decor is exactly the same as the one in Kuala Lumpur

Photographs from the yesteryears adorn the walls

The Kitchen clearly visible from the dining area

Quite a large seating capacity

It is a Saturday and although we were here rather late post lunch hours, the place was still crowded. If you see the very first photograph above, you would be able to observe that there is a long row of chairs outside the restaurant and I was told that that is for the waiting line during peak hours. If you plan to come on weekends or public holidays during peak hours, it is best to call in a few days in advance and make your reservations or else you would be subject to availability of tables and would have to queue outside and that can sometimes go up to even an hour plus before you get a table. The decoration in the restaurant is modern yet it has a classic touch to it and is made to look exactly the same as the other restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. 

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The service here is very fast and the Captain who is an Indian gentleman always walks around ensuring the customers are given the highest priority. All the items offered in the menu are exactly the same as per the other outlet but I did observe that the prices here are higher by about 10% across all dishes. 

Us Waiting For Our Meal To Be Served

Hainanese Coffee @ RM 3.20

The Hainanese Coffee was not one of those with a bold body but it had a decent flavour and aroma to it. Served black, milk and sugar were served on the sides which is great as it allows you to fix the coffee to your preference. I would rate this coffee at 8.5/10 .

Pepsi @ RM 4.50

We had initially wanted to have Coca Cola but were told that they do not carry it. The alternative drink that they carry is Pepsi and we just went with it. Here, these drinks are not sold by the cans but are served in a long glass. I believe it must be from the 1.5L bottles. 

Salad Comes Complimentary With Any Sizzling Dish

Thousand Island Sauce

A bowl of Salad is served with Thousand Island Sauce and this comes as part of the set with any of the Sizzling dishes ordered. Since there were two of such dishes ordered, we received two of the above. The Salad was quite good though simple and the vegetables were very fresh. I would rate the above Salad at 8.5/10 .

Inche Cabin @ RM 19.90

Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce with Sliced Onions & Garlic

We ordered the Inche Cabin and this was served with Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce which was infused with sliced Onions and Garlic. At RM 19.90, it was quite a decent portion. The Chicken chunks were nicely cut to the right bite size and were wonderfully marinated and fried to a crisp golden brown colour. Definitely a very well prepared dish and as we were all quite hungry, it disappeared in minutes. I would rate this dish at 9/10 .

Staffs Making The Dish Sizzle 

Unlike the other restaurant where the sizzle factor is done right in front of the customer which ends up making the entire restaurant smell like a butchery, here it is done under an exhaust vent which leaves the restaurant smell nice and fresh. I still remember very clearly whereby every time I had a meal in the old Coliseum, all our clothes would end up smelling of meat and the smell never left until we had a bath and it is great that this is not the case here. 

Sizzling New Zealand Lamb Chop @ RM 47.90

The Sizzling New Zealand Lamb Chop comes with three huge meat chunks and this is served with options of either Black Pepper, Mushroom, Garlic and Brown Sauce. Although we would have preferred to have it with mint sauce, as that option was not available here, we decided to go with the Brown Sauce. The meat was nicely done and there were almost no bones. It had a fair share of lean meat and fat which went very well with the Brown Sauce. Overall a very well prepared dish which I felt was much better than the preparation in Coliseum in Kuala Lumpur. I would rate this dish at 9.3/10 .

Sizzling Spring Chicken & Turkey Ham @ RM 30.90

This was another good dish here. It was once again available in options of either Black Pepper, Mushroom, Garlic and Brown Sauce and we decided to opt for their Brown Sauce. The dish came with a huge portion of Spring Chicken which was cut into two halves and served with a thick slice of Turkey Ham. Though between the Lamb Chop and this, I found the previous to be better. Yet, this was still a good dish and is worth trying if you love Spring Chicken. I would rate this dish at 8.6/10 .

Wedges Served Part of the Sizzling Sets

The above side dish of Wedges is served part of the set for all Sizzling dishes. The wedges were just ordinary and I believe it is just one of those that is purchased from the supermarkets. I would rate these at 7/10 .

Hainanese Chicken Chop @ RM 23.90

Among all the Hainanese Chicken Chops that I have tried in Kuala Lumpur, this was indeed the best. The Chicken was coated in a light flour coating and was fried to perfection with great flavours. The homemade sauce with Onions and Green Peas were well balanced in flavour and complimented the chicken. On the sides, there were a heap of Long Beans and Carrots that were sauteed in butter which was another wonderfully prepared sides. The portion here was much larger than the one served in Coliseum in Kuala Lumpur. Definitely a must try dish here. I would rate it at 9.8/10 .

Us Having Our Lunch

Us Having Our Lunch

On the whole, we were very satisfied with the dishes served here today and the old school factor still had a strong presence which was simply great. Although the prices have definitely gone up from the yesteryears, this would definitely be a place that we would return again to satisfy our taste buds. Do note that this restaurant is Pork Free but it does not have the Halal status as they serve alcohol on their menu. 

Address: PG-02, Ground Floor, Plaza 33, No. 1, Jalan Semangat, 

               Section 13, 48100 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1000 - 2200 Daily

Telephone: +603 7932 3228 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Coliseum1921

Home & Away - Cafe. Bar. Pool @ Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur

If you are looking for a bar cum cafe which serves excellent Tamil food and relatively cheap beers, then Home & Away is the place to be in. Located in Desa Sri Hartamas, this is a neighbourhood bar that is a great place to hang out with friends. Besides the great food, the environment is also very safe and comfortable and they even have a pool table for those who are interested. 

Home & Away in Desa Sri Hartamas

Lovely Environment

This bar has a mixed crowd of both expatriates and locals. It is a open concept bar and as such, customers can opt to sit either inside or outside along the corridor. The staffs here are friendly and attend to customers needs fairly quickly. They have a number of draught beers besides the bottled ones and also have a wide range of liqueurs and cocktails. We decided to have Carlsberg and it was priced at RM 50.00 for 3 pints which is a very good deal in this part of the city. 

The Menu

The above is their food menu and it is typically covering a wide range of Tamil dishes with the exception of a few Western dishes like Chicken and Lamb Chops. Spicy food and beers are definitely an excellent combination and we decided to stick to trying out their Tamil food. 

Ikan Bilis @ RM 12.00

Their Ikan Bilis was very good. It was prepared spicy and cooked with green chilies and onions and served with a sprinkle of lime. The salty taste of the anchovies, the sour flavours from the lime and the spiciness from the chilies all blended well and together they were a treat to have with the beers. Definitely a recommended dish here. I would rate this dish at 9.2/10 .

Fried Mushrooms @ RM 10.00

This dish was typically whole Button Mushrooms that were dipped in a slightly spicy and salty flour and deep fried. The good thing about this dish was that you do not see any traces of oil around the dish and the chef had also ensured that the Button Mushrooms were still juicy though deep fried. The setback however was simply that this dish purely derived its taste from the flour coating and it definitely had MSG in it which made you a little thirsty after consuming it. Overall a decent dish. I would rate this at 6.5/10 .

Mutton Varuval @ RM 15.00

Comes With 3 Slices of White Bread

Another well prepared dish. The mutton chunks were very well marinated, definitely something that has been marinated overnight and the meat was tender.Besides having used dry chilies, they have also used a lot of black pepper in this dish making it a very spicy dish. This dish is served with three slices of White Bread. I would rate this dish at 9.4/10 .

Tom Yam Fried Rice @ RM 12.00

This Tom Yam Fried Rice was definitely a good dish and it is served with a fried egg on the top and some Papadams. The unique thing about this dish is that although it is labelled as Tom Yam Fried Rice, it had a strong Tamil flavour to it and it very much reminded me of the Fried Rice that my maternal grandmother used to prepare. If you are thinking about the Tom Yam Fried Rice that is served in Thailand, then this dish is no where close to it but if you are open for a fusion dish, then this would just be the right dish. The name aside, I would say that this dish was fantastic. I would rate this at 9.7/10 .

Fried Mixed Sausages @ RM 12.00

This dish was an average dish. It had sliced sausages with loads of egg and some anchovies prepared like how we used to do when we were boy scouts camping out in the jungle. To me, it seemed like a teenagers best effort in bringing out his best culinary skills and you would definitely expect more from a restaurant. A very average dish, edible when hungry but I would not order it again and I would rate it at 5.5/10 .

Prawn Masala Potato @ RM 16.00

Comes with 3 slices of White Bread

The Prawn Masala with Potato was fantastic. It was prepared super spicy and came with loads of small prawns and little chunks of potato. I loved the fact that they had made it slightly wet and having added not only Chili Masala but also ground black pepper, an that too a whole load of it. Definitely a dish that I would order again. I would rate this dish at 9.8/10 .

Chili Chicken @ RM 14.00

3 Slices of White Bread Included

The Chili Chicken was good but not mind blowing. It definitely had all the ingredients required from black pepper to capsicum and spices but lacked the punch that is expected out of this dish. To me, it seemed like a junior chef's first few attempts at this dish. I would rate it at 8/10 .

French Fries @ RM 8.00

These French Fries were definitely deep fried and then simmered with some butter which is a great technique in culinary science but the execution of it had gone slightly wrong which made the dish look a little overdone. Another thing about the fries itself is that they have been fried after being allowed to thaw. I was once advised by a renowned chef that the best French Fries are deep fried directly of the freezer and he had exhibited that to me and to my surprise then, it produced excellent fries. Well, coming back to this dish, I would rate it at 8/10 .

On the whole, I am very pleased with this place and would love to thank my friend for introducing this joint to me. Definitely a place that I would be frequenting more often as I love the food, environment and hospitality here. 

Address: No. 37, Jalan 23/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1300 - 0000 Daily

Telephone: +603 6203 5262

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homenaway.hartamas

Restoran Bak Ku Teh @ Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya

Restoran Bak Ku Teh is the newest restaurant that has opened up in Damansara Perdana and coincidentally, I was there on their first day of business which was the 30th of October 2013. I had blogged about their food from my last visit and as I was really impressed, I returned today with another friend in hopes of being able to try more dishes. To reach this place, once inside Damansara Perdana, take the second turn left which would bring you to Friendscino Cafe and Burger Byte and you would be able to see this restaurant on your right. It is located along the same row as Restaurant 8888. 

Restoran Bak Ku Teh in Damansara Perdana

Their Menu

Interior of the restaurant

The Menu was just a simple one sided laminate. The service here was very efficient with the waiters waiting at the entrance, attending to customers needs almost immediately and everyone was moving so fast and it all seemed like a dance to me. When it was my turn to order, this time I did not need the bosses help as I was already very familiar with the food here and went on ordering a number of main dishes and some sides. Both of us present today are good eaters and we were both really hungry. 

Herbal Tea @ RM 1.00

The last visit, the Herbal Tea was really bad and I had guessed then that since it was their first day, they did not know how to gauge the crowd and having said accurately, after a few weeks now, it was really perfect. No flaws in the drink and it was really good. I would rate this drink at 10/10 .

Oil Rice

The Bak Kut Teh set here comes with the Oil Rice which is how it should be served. Nevertheless, to those that prefer White Rice, that too is available.

Yau Char Kui @ RM 3.00

Their Yau Char Kui was very fresh and soft. The good thing about it being soft is that it could absorb the broth and would be able to bring out an excellent blend of taste. I would rate these at 9/10 .

Onion Oil Tofu @ RM 3.00

Honestly, I do not know why this is called Onion Oil Tofu as that should be the dry soft one which is also there in the menu. To me, this is the standard Fried Tofu found in the Bak Kut Teh Herbal broth. This again met my expectations and I think it is rightly priced at RM 3.00 bearing in mind the quantity given. I would rate this dish at 9.2/10 .

Klang Original Bak Kut Teh @ RM 12.00

This dish was excellently prepared. There were loads of Fu Chok, Tofu, Mushrooms and a good amount of lean meat in a very dark and thick broth. You could of course ask for spare parts if you like them and even the big bone is available. The highlight of this dish is their dark coloured broth which was simply fantastic. I would rate this dish at 9.7/10 .

Dry Bak Kut Teh @ RM 13.00

Priced at RM 13.00, it does come in a decent portion size which is sufficient for one, even a heavy eater like me. The dish is mixed with lean meat and the 'spare parts'.The gravy was thick and it was well absorbed into the meat. It was slightly on the spicy side and leaves a slight vinegar aftertaste. The dish was very nice, in fact it was one of the best Dry Bak Kut Teh's that I have tried. I would rate this at 9.5/10 .

Special Red Wine Chicken @ RM 13.00

Another fantastic dish. The taste of Red Wine was very strong and together with the herbs, made this a fabulous dish. I have tried this similar dish in many other places including those famous ones in Sungai Buloh but this beat them all. It was simply heavenly. I would rate this dish at 9.7/10 .

A Bowl of Dark Bak Kut Teh Soup

This again comes complementary as part of the set. This dark type of soup is not common in the Klang Valley and I was excited when I saw it as I love the dark broth. The broth was just perfect with no flaws and just like the colour, was packed with strong flavours. Customers are not limited to a single bowl and top ups are provided without a penny being charged. In fact, we ended up having roughly three bowls each. I would rate this at 10/10 . 

My Food Mate

Definitely these guys serve some excellent Bak Kut Teh be it their 'Klang Original Bak Kut Teh', Dry Bak Kut Teh or their Red Wine Chicken, it was all fantastic. This place would definitely be one of my favourite BKT restaurants as their food is good, price is reasonable and the service is very efficient. Worth visiting!!!

Address: 12A-1 (Ground Floor), Jalan PJU 8/5C, Damansara Perdana,

                47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1100 - 1500 & 1730 - 2200 Daily

Telephone: +6010 513 3353 (Ah Ming)