Memphis Bistro @ Ara Damansara

Memphis Bistro, I was introduced to this place by Sunny boy.

Was told that this bistro is a cozy little family restaurant,

and yet they serves good Western food.

This place used to operate during lunch and dinner time, but now it is opened only for dinner. 

No more lunch nom-nomming at Memphis for me...

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Escargots (RM 19.50 for half dozen) is pretty good, baked with butter and garlic.

And served with garlic bread. I am a little picky when it comes to garlic dishes,

will get the kitchen to tone down a little on the garlic in my next visit.

Seafood Chowder (RM 10.50) is good, 

but could be better if there is more seafood in it.

Classic Caesar Salad (RM 9.00) is pretty simple.

It has all the ingredients that a Caesar Salad should have,

nothing more, nothing less, and I would reckon them to improve with some bacon bits. 

Cajun Chicken Thigh (RM 18.00) is not to my preference.

The chicken thigh is dry, and doesn't jive well with the BBQ sauce.

Hot Chocolate Lava Cake (RM 10.50) is a satisfying dessert for

the sweet tooth me. Love how the chocolate melt and spill onto the plate... 

This is a good place for a decent meal. 

Remember to call for reservation as this tiny bistro is packed most of the days!

Details for Memphis Bistro :-

Address : Jalan PJU 1A/46, Lembah Subang, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor DE.

Contact no : 03-7843 6818

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Five Senses dimsum buffet @ Westin Kuala Lumpur

Contradicting with my usual preference of a meal, Barry brought me for another buffet.

I do not usually opt for buffet as I'm a small eater, and I'm under the

impression that buffet are meant for people who go for quantity, not quality.

Still, it is my belated birthday treat so what do I have to complain?

Furthermore, Five Senses is located in the prestigious Westin Hotel, how bad could that be?

For dim sum brunch, we were charged RM70++ per pax. 

Not bad for a place that is reputed for their Chinese cuisine and dim sum 

- do note that this is a non-halal outlet.

What resembles the sight of the sun from afar... 

Classy entrance

Five Senses serves variety of dishes from their buffet line to served dimsum selection.

What greeted us on the buffet line are plenty of desserts...pastries... kuih-muih... chocolates...
Now behold sweet tooth!
As here you may find your candy castle!

When we were seated, Barry has already reminded me about the

Char Siu (barbecued pork) and Siu Yuk (crispy roast pork).

He claimed that it is one of the best one he have tried so far! 

It was indeed... very delicious! Soft pork belly meat with crispy skin... uh-la-laaa!

The char siu with sweet sauce and roasted duck is very recommended too!

One of the reason I love dining here is that we do not have to move an inch from our seat.

The staff would go table by table to offer certain dimsum that is ready for serving.

One of our must-have dimsum dish is the Lor Mai Kai (steamed glutinous rice with chicken).

My personal preference for lor mai kai is that it should be equally "wet".

I hate it when lor mai kai is only wet on top, then plain, white, and dry at the bottom.

There is also Freshly Cooked Porridge at the buffet line.

Choice of fish, prawns, pork slices, oysters, century eggs, salted eggs, and

many more that you could choose to dump into the porridge which will

then be cooked and served at your table.

Braised Chicken Feet isn't my favourite but this served at Five Senses are not bad.

I would prefer the Pai Kuat (steamed pork spareribs with black beans).

Dimsum is only complete with Char Siu Bao (barbecued pork-filled buns).

I love the filling in this one, but would comment that the bun is a little too thick on the outside.

Fried stuff like the Wu Kok (fried yam puff with barbecued pork filling), 

Salad Ha (fried prawn dumpling), Char Siu Sou (barbecued pork pastry),

are the BEST in the fried selection! It will get you hooked!

As we were busy enjoying our dimsum, I forgotten to take photos of 

Har Gow (steamed prawn dumpling), Siu Mai (pork and prawn dumpling), 

and Chee Cheung Fun (steamed rice roll with prawns / barbecued pork). 

It was all delicious! I love the sambal that was served with the chee cheung fun!

We had only a number of dimsum that day as both of us are small eaters. 

We hope to come back soon to try out the rest of the dimsum selection!

Ze bozz Barry!

Looking forward to be there again one of these days!

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Revisiting S Kitchen Steak House @ First Subang Mall

I'm in for another great dinner when Sunny boy said that he was very tempted looking at my post of a special dinner prepared by my dear friend Kayvin at S Kitchen Steak House.

And to satisfy his temptation, I brought him there, for my second time at S Kitchen.

With menus on our hand, we were busy chatting away - even before placing our orders.

To realize how much we were missing in each other's life, he had just updated me that he is gonna be a daddy for the third time! His wife is due to deliver to another baby boy next month!

.... and now only I know larhhh?!!!

*gave him a very garang stern look*

Garang-ness cannot tahan lapar also.

Quickly place our order with Kayvin's recommendation on the pasta.



Complimentary fresh home baked bread

 

Lavila white wine to celebrate him being a daddy again!



My choice of healthy appetizer - Scottish Smoked Salmon Salad!

It has got sliced smoked salmon with thin sliced fennel, capers, onions, mixed salad and lemon dressing.

We both loved the fresh smoked salmon - salty but yummy when paired with the salad.

The pickles and olive brings some balance into the salad and salmon.

This is one of the best salad I've taken! :)



Scottish Smoked Salmon Salad ~ RM27



Sunny boy choice of meat - Mixed Sausages Platter.

Selection of smoked chicken, chicken chili spicy and lamb cranberry sausage served with mashed potato and mixed salad.

Thumbs up for the lamb sausage! It was really good. Love the smell and taste of lamb-lamby aroma.

The smoked chicken on the other hand was pretty normal - it was, just okay.

Chicken chili spicy sausage is wayyy toooo SPICY for me!

It was like they stuffed whole bunch of cili padi in it, or... do they???

I love the side of mashed potato - taste so good with the side sauce. Yuhhhmiee!!!



Mixed Sausages Platter ~ RM42



Kayvin recommended that I have the Spaghetti Chicken Mushroom Aglio-Olio.

It has got olive oil, garlic, white wine, chicken, wild mushroom, parsley and parmesan cheese.

And it was the STAR of the night!

Unlike some aglio-olio which is either too dry, or too oily, this pasta is perfect.

Every single bite of pasta with accompanied chicken and mushroom makes us wanting for more.

We hope there is room for more though, as I unwillingly stopped after a few spoonful coz my tiny tummy can't take no more.



Spaghetti Chicken Mushroom Aglio-Olio ~ RM26



And how could we live without dessert? Had the traditional Creme Brulee.

When my spoon went through the crispy layer of creme brulee, I knew it's gonna be good!

It cracked the top coated of burnt sugar topping, and went inside the perfectly smooth egg custard.

Wuu-la-laaaa.

This is the second time I had creme brulee at S Kitchen and they still WOW-ed me!

Have you tried some failed creme brulee? All watery or in semi liquid state ? Eeks!

But fret not! As S Kitchen will serve only GOOD, SATISFYING and DELICIOUS desserts! :)

 

Creme brulee ~ RM8



 By the time we finished dinner, you can tell that I'm completely and utterly satisfied!

Look how clean my plate was!

 



Dear friends, please do not freak out seeing the above photo.

I DID NOT lose weight, nor looking like an African child (how ET Chew put it).

I guess it was just my hair, or the blouse I was wearing,

or the photography angle that made me look skinny.

Or probably, I used Photoshop to blow up my head on purpose just to

make my body look smaller!

Ah-haaa!!! Think about it!!!

So.... Thank you Sunny boy for the wonderful dinner!

And congratz for being a daddy again!

More to come....??? Ho Ho Ho!!!! :P

(you know I'm just pulling your leg)

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Brew & Bread @ Kota Kemuning

Ventured into a new place that is popular among the coffee enthusiasts - like Chriz!

She advertised not only the coffee there, but claimed that

Brew & Bread serves one of the best Egg Benedict ever!

We went to witness ourselves how good that place is,

right after climbing up 272 stairs at Batu Caves.

(photos up soon from Chriz DSLR and my Canon compact)



Brew & Bread photo taken online



It took us two hours from Batu Caves to Kota Kemuning due to bad jam caused by overturned bus.

Kan cheong thinking "are we gonna make it for the breakfast menu???!!!"

Arrived at noon.

So relieved when the waitress said "Yes we still serve breakfast...."

FYI, it's a "All Day Brunch",

so yes, you can sleep in,

and still have breakfast / brunch here anytime of the day...

We were greeted by the smell of fresh coffee and breads when we walked in,
I'm loving the place already just by the smell of it.

Not to mention the comfy, cozy, cooling ambience.

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Since we are at Brew & Bread, we need to get something that are brewed, isn't it?

Chriz as usual with her Caramel Latte,

Delvise had Mocha and

Vince had Ice Blended Rocky Road.

They all said that they enjoyed their drinks.

When I was thinking about coffee or non-coffee,

something caught my eye - ANGRY BIRD!

So I asked the waitress - what's this Angry Bird thingy?!

It's a Hot Choco apparently.

But with my child-like excitement seeing Angry Bird on a cup of coffee,

she said I could order anything - and she'll make me an Angry Bird on it!

Voilaaaa!!!

Wanted to get a Chilled-Mint Mocha but it's a
cold beverage - not Angry Bird friendly.

I need something piping hot to make that bird angry!

SWT.

Hot choco then.

From the look to the taste, I enjoyed every sip of it.

The hot choco is thick and filling - and not too sweet.

This Angry Bird ain't that angry afterall. Tee-hee!

Brew & Bread hot choco with Angry Bird coffee art!

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As per Chriz recommendation, we ordered the Eggs Benedict 

which comprises of the must-have-poached eggs, ham,

topped with hollandaise sauce which is the emulsion of egg yolk and liquid butter,

all on top of a soft but crispy ciabatta,

and garnished with sides of fruits, roma tomatoes and potato wedges cubes.

I like to see runny yolks when I break poached eggs... slurp slurpppyy!

The toasted ciabatta goes so well with the eggs and ham - simple, very traditional, I love it!

Brew & Bread eggs benedict

I love eggs... and mushrooomsss.. especially wild mushrooms!

So when I see the Mush Eggs in the menu,

(omelet wrapped with wild mushrooms in cream sauce),

I just gotta have it!

Prolly I have higher expectation in this dish that I felt fairly disappointed,

there wasn't many mushroom to be found in that piece big of omelet.

But there are small bits of mushroom found the sauce, which made the sauce thick and flavorful.

Not bad - but I wish there's more mushroom since it's called the Mush Eggs! :)

Brew & Bread mush egg (wild mushroom omelette)

Vince ordered French Toast with Blueberry Jam

which is pretty normal. I would expect the bread to taste more eggy,

and maybe with some brown sugar to sweeten it a lil bit.

Brew & Bread french toast with blueberry jam

The Chicken Roulade on the other hand was surprisingly tasty!

It is chicken thigh rolled with stuffing, coated with black and white sesame,

brown sauce, pumpkin mash, olive oil infused basil and parsley dip.

The description up there was taken from the menu,

but it doesn't really match what we got that day,

nevertheless, I love that the chicken is tasty by itself,

and when topped with the brown sauce and lots of cooked onions,

it tasted whole lot better! Sedap niee!!!

Brew & Bread chicken roulade

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We were pretty full when Vince insisted that we should have desserts.

Dessert at Brew & Bread varies from cakes, muffins, freshly baked pastries, and more.

Most of the selection comes in RM 7 per piece

(which is pricey looking at the size of the dessert),

... and with promo now which is two pieces for RM12, and 3 pieces for RM16,

Vince went for trio-dessert which to my dismay is only visually appealing,

and not up to par.

The tiramisu is spongy and dry - like sponge cake.

Luckily the taste is not as bad as the texture.

With the texture and taste combined of a total point,

I'll only give it a score of 2.5 / 5.0.

Brew & Bread tiramisu

Yoghurt Cheese tasted oo-kay ONLY IF you take

the light cream cheese and yoghurt alone,

but the cookies crunch bed base is soggy, and tasted like crap.

Brew & Bread, you can do better!!!

Brew & Bread yoghurt cheese

The All-Chocolate Muffin is better, but NOT aweee-some.

With chunks of chocolate on top, we thought "YUHMMM, this is gonna be sooo chocolatey!"

I love muffins that are moist, but at the same time, with crunchy top.

Break the muffin into half, saw that the chocolate inside is completely molten.

Good sign.

Taste it, love the texture, crunchy outside, moist inside.

But the taste...  it's not chocolatey enough as claimed.

Tasted like an average muffin.

Despite the desserts, I still love their food, and would love to go there again!

I'm keen to try out their pastries, which is gonna be prepared upon order.
Alex Choo (cousin) said that Brew & Bread sandwiches are good too!
Well I might as well....

Those interested, details as below:-

10, Jln Anggerik Vanilla M31/M, Kota Kemuning SA 40460

Open: 8am-7pm; Closed on Thursday.

+603-51315201

www.brewnbread.com



yummylicious!



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il lido italian dining @ jalan yap kwan seng, KL

This is by far the most expensive dining experience I've ever encountered!

And since it is a fine dining, it deserves a proper review.

All I could do is either "YUMMY" or "YUCKY".

It wouldn't do Il Lido justice with my brief opinion.

So..  I'm proud to present here Kayvin's review on il lido's dishes.

Kayvin has got years and years of experience in cooking as a chef offshore,

and he has done plenty of write ups about food and cooking.

So all the below are his comments.

Nothing is mine.

The only thing is mine are the photos.

All captured using Canon EOS 1100D by yours truly.

Hope Kayvin's review helps in those interested to try out Il Lido.

 

Riesling Gissel (RM 180)

Bloody Mary (RM 29)

It's like sipping Tabasco sauce every sip. Sub the celery for olives?

Not-ever-recommended interpretation of bloody mary...

Focaccia is flat oven-baked Italian bread.

It is similar in style and texture to pizza.

I do not see flatness in the Il Lido's Rosemary Focaccia.Crust and bread is too chewy.

Texture is like a harden version of our Malaysian "mah lai kou".

A bread should always taste like a bad not otherwise.

 

Seared tuna crusted with pepper. An okay little mouthful with the right amount

of acidity and crunch. Fits like a toothpick but well, it was on the house.



Mushroom Soup (RM 28)

Mushroom Soup with paper thin shavings of black truffles.

The earthiness of the truffles compliments the soup but it’s a

no go for the accompanying croutons. Overcooked leftover rosemary

foccacia does not bode well after the first spoonful.



Spinach Salad (RM 35)

Baby Spinach with Goat cheese and red berries.

Colour wise, it is safe to say it does look appealing visually.

Goat cheese is proportioned generously.

Savory goat cheese lacks the crumble to be married well

to the sad to say commonly dressed baby spinach and rockets(again) .

The burst of the red berries though brings forth a pleasant sweet acidity

to drag the combination a little closer to tingle one's taste buds.

 



Spider Crab Flan (RM 38)

Spider Crab Flan with Light Saffron Broth: 

Crispy but not greasy with a really light yet tantalizing 

saffron broth made from crayfish shells and saffron delicately paired 

and either one accepts each other rather than overpowering. 

Best taken when the broth is still piping hot.

 



Carpaccio (RM 36)

Beef Carpaccio with Rucola and ‘Vacche Rosse’ Parmigiano Cheese.

Lightly pounded beef served lightly dressed rocket leaves

and baby spinach salad was too lightly tossed.

Could use another good drizzle of olive oil. The way too generous

cheese shavings may seem to compensate the peppery rocket

and baby spinach but i does mask the true essence of beef carpaccio.

Making the beef and its freshness a hero not concealing

behind the sharp cheese. Beef was fresh though and properly pounded.

An asian take of the beef carpaccio is a simple drizzle of light asian soy

with oil infused with a hint of garlic and lemon grass.



Beef Cheek (RM 58)

Wagyu Beef Cheek with Caramelized Root Vegetables: 

The slow cooked wagyu beef cheek is indeed a well deserved magic on a fork. 

Caramelized carrot, potato and onion is done to a commendable perfection. 

the slightly sweet reduction pulls the whole dish together. 

A suggestion will be for the cooked beef cheeks to be slightly seared off 

for a more appealing aroma and impact in the presentation.



Quail (RM 65)

Quail cooked jut nicely with a pink hue.

The goose liver stuffing is basically too cliché.

Goose liver like foei gras should be cooked comme il faut ,

cooked as itself with a pink hue center and caramelized exterior.

It does sit uneasily on the tongue. The quail does need help in the event of the

pairing sauce to lift it to another level. If black truffles are being used as a pairing,

it’s best to add a little acidity to counteract the mellowness of the dish.

Not bad tasting on the whole.



Chitarrugi (RM 128)

Chitarrugi in spicy tomato sauce and half a lobster.

RM 128 not well spent. Pasta is a perfect el dente with tomato sauce

laced with seafood broth. Lobster is halved, claws cooked ok.

But the tail is raw. If I want raw lobster it will be sashimi... not a raw lobster tail .

Color does impact as it's too red. Another alternative is if they could

incorporate the lobster into Thai’s red lobster curry with a

mango salsa and garnish of coriander. Can't cook a lobster well,

switch to fresh water langoustine instead. Still at dismay over the price.



Risotto Crayfish (RM 48)

A weird way of presenting. Could have gone with the tails of

crayfish only arranged in a half fan wise in the center for a more positive

effect not like this. Stock is heavy but the aborrio rice is way off el dente...

Harder than anticipated...despite a warm mouth fill, my jaws

require some muscling to get through the remains.

 



Burrata Agnolott (RM 38)

A first tomato based mushroom ragu.....

burata filling should be meltingly stringy but taste like an overcooked cheese gel.

 



Cheese Platter (RM 39)

Crisps accompanying the cheese platter is pretty hard and floury to handle. 

Orange marmalade with a slight hint of ginger is too watery for the crisps 

but with a little help; it can be great accompanying sauce for maybe a 

pan seared duck breast. Caramelized onion jam is acceptable and 

pleasing on the palate; a pretty good condiment to pair with roasted pork chop.



Pannacotta (RM 22)

Vanilla Pannacotta with Red Berries: Visual and impact as

Chef Gordon Ramsay always quote; this dish is plated close to

perfection. the Pannacotta is fragrant with the infused vanilla.

El dente on the outside , creamy dreamy on the inside, the

pannacotta itself is well complimented with the accompanying

blueberries, halved strawberries, red raspberries and the berry and

orange reduction . Accompanying mint, edible flowers and candied

orange peel(need a little sweetness); makes this the best among the lots we had!



Brulee (RM 25)

Crème brulee is also known as burnt cream, is a dessert

consisting of a rich custard base topped with a contrasting

layer of hard caramel (usually obtained through torching of sugar sprinkled

on top of the custard). The Il Lido's version came i ramekins that are

too shallow. so by the time the caramelized top is still lukewarm, the dessert

is entirely cold. A proper crème brulee should be hot on top contrasting to the

warm center and a cool finish. A good creme brulee need not be made

into 4 different flavors; just a single vanilla and honey creme brulee with

it’s sinfully cracking caramel. The texture itself is on the custard type....

it should be somewhat more most. The shortcut in cooking the crème brulee

is without a hot water bath to retain the moisture and I believed it has happened to these brulees.






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