Laksa at Sri Melaka

My cousins took me out for lunch at Sri Melaka today. Sri Melaka is a restaurant in Taman Tun, located along Jalan 52/8 and judging by its name, I would imagine the restaurant specialises in Nonya Cuisine, but they do serve Malay and Chinese food as well.


I had their set lunch menu which consisted of a drink, a main course and a desert. The price of the set varies, depending on what main course you order. Some of the dishes included Nasi Lemak, Assam Laksa, Rice with Beef Rendang and Laksa Lemak – just to name a few.


As a drink, you had an option of soy bean milk, cincau (black jelly) in flavoured water or iced lemon tea. I opted for the cincau in water. The drink was alright, but the cincau pieces were way too small for me to enjoy their flavour.

My main course was the Laksa Lemak which is of Nonya origin, consisting of thick rice noodles in a rich spicy coconut gravy. The noodles added a unique texture to the dish, which consisted of fish cake, prawns, bean sprouts and spinach leaves. The prawns tasted a bit old and overcooked, being a bit powdery, but the fish cake and the vegetables complemented the dish very well.


The gravy was not too overwhelming or too spicy, perfect for someone like me who is capable of eating moderately spicy food. Though for light eaters, it is advisable not to eat the curry of a dish like this in excessive amounts, or you’d feel like throwing up at the end.

As a dessert, we had boiled tapioca seeds with palm sugar, coconut milk and topped with shaved ice. It was not much as it was served in a cup, but I thought that the addition of shaved ice to the Malay classic was an interesting twist to the dish, making it seem like an iced-kacang hybrid. On the whole, my meal came up to around RM9.

On the whole, Sri Melaka was a good place to eat at. All the dishes that other people were having looked equally appetising. If you ever decide to eat there, I don’t think you’d be in for a disappointment (as the place seemed really packed) assuming that it’s a popular choice of restaurant among many Taman Tun office workers.


Presentation: 3/10

Ambience: 4/10

Service: 4/10

Overall Taste: 6/10

General Impression: 5/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Lunch @ the Brussels Beer Cafe

I was told by my cousin that the Brussels Beer Cafe in Jaya One had a really good set lunch which I should try, and so I did. The last time I was there for the set lunch - it had run out. This time around, there was barely anyone, so I took the opportunity to dine there. The set is priced at RM15 Nett and consists of a drink, a choice of two main courses and a free flow of salad at the buffet counter.


As a main course, I opted for the roast lamb on roasted potatoes topped with a homemade mint sauce. The bones in the lamb cuts made it hard to cut. Furthermore, the lamb was a bit tough, though the mint sauce complemented the meat really well. The potatoes were a bit soft and the dish was served really quickly, and was cold - which made me question the fact if it was just cooked.

The buffet counter had limited options, but on the whole, the items that were served were of high quality and tasted good.


The potato salad tasted great. The mayonnaise didn’t overpower the potato (which was cooked well through) but brought out its flavours, though the potato salad would have tasted better had it been flavoured with herbs like dill or chives. The coleslaw was good, with the right amount of veg and sauce, but the vegetable slices were a bit too big for my liking.



The salad leaves tasted crisp and looked fresh, however the dressing (Italian, Caesar and Thousand Island) seemed like it had come from a bottle. The fruits were fresh too, and did not taste old or soggy at all.

On the whole, I really think this set lunch is a bargain at RM15. I ate to my heart’s content and was satisfied at with the end result. Furthermore, the waitresses there were really friendly – always smiling and even asking me to hit the buffet counter again (even after having gone five times before).

If you’re at Jaya One during lunch hours, I suggest that you take Brussels Beer Cafe into consideration, because its definitely worth a try.


Presentation: 4/10

Ambiance: 7/10

Service: 8/10

Overall Taste: 6/10

Generall Impression: 7/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

The Bunga Raya at Lake Club

In conjunction with my grandmother’s 76^th birthday, the entire family had a grand Chinese dinner at the Bunga Raya. Bunga Raya is a halal restaurant at the Royal Lake Club, known for their Chinese cuisine. Do bear in mind however, that only members of the club are allowed to eat there, so it is not possible for anyone, to stroll into the restaurant and order your food.


Everyone who eats there is greeted with peanuts, steamed in a sweet sauce until they become soft. These peanuts had a consistency similar to that of baked beans – though not as saucy. They had a sweetish tinge to them and were quite addictive, despite the fact that they would have tasted even better if served warm.


Our first course was the ‘Four Seasons’, consisting of sautéed seafood, capsicum and onions in a curry-based sauce; sweet and sour fish; tofu strips topped with mayonnaise; and fish cake coated with a batter and deep-fried, stuffed with crab sticks, spinach and seaweed.

The seafood was a bit overcooked and not large in quantity whilst the prawns were not de-veined, but the curry sauce tasted nice – not too overwhelming. The tofu strips were nice and crispy and the mayonnaise complemented it well. The fish-cakes were good, with a crispy outer layer and subtle flavour of the vegetables which were stuffed inside (though, the crab-sticks seemed a cheap addition to the dish).


Our next course was Chinese Broccoli stir-fried with oyster sauce and topped with dried shallots. The Chinese broccoli tasted crisp and fresh; however the lack of sauce made it taste rather dry and a little bitter for my liking.


We then had the roast chicken served with fish crackers on the side. Some parts of the chicken meat were a bit dry and tasteless. This contrasted with the skin which was amazingly flavourful and crisp. When eaten together the two tasted nice, however there was a lack of skin compared to the meat. The crackers were soft and old - nothing to look forward to.


We were then given steamed fish as our next course. This was probably the best dish of the night, with the sauce and fish in the right amounts. The sauce did not override the taste of the fish but was sufficient enough to bring out its natural sweetness. The fish was succulent and the spring onions and coriander added a fresh taste to it.


Our second last dish was tofu in simmering sauce, served in a clay pot with seafood and vegetables. Prawns were not an ideal addition to the dish as it tasted old and overcooked. Furthermore, the pieces of tofu were large and few (which meant not everyone could have a piece – including myself). The sauce tasted average, though nothing to be excited about.


The fried rice was well cooked, but a bit on the dry side. The one thing I liked about it was that they were rather generous with the contents, which meant that it was not just a plate of rice. The disappointing bit was that the contents seemed to be of low quality. On the whole, the bill came up to around RM310. The Bunga Raya is average but has been dropping in quality. If you are a member, I suggest you try the place for curiosity’s sake, but don’t bother visiting again. If you are in the mood for Chinese cuisine, there are plenty of better (and cheaper) places to eat in Kuala Lumpur.


Presentation: 4/10

Ambiance: 5/10

Service: 4/10

Overall Taste: 5/10

General Impression: 4/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Antipasto Buffet at Sassorosso

This is my review of Sassorosso's lunchtime antipasto buffet worth RM28 which I uploaded to my YouTube channel about a year back. The antipasto buffet is still available every weekday lunchtime. Apologies for the bad command of English used.

On the whole, this place is an amazing place definitely worth a visit (considering the fact I've been there numerous times myself). Its located very near KLCC, on Lorong Yap Kwan Seng, off Jalan Yap Kwan Seng.

Presentation: 6/10

Ambiance: 5/10

Service: 8/10

Overall Taste: 9/10

General Impressionn: 8/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Banana Leaf at Nirwana's

The famo and I paid a visit to Sri Nirvana Maju in Bangsar Baru today. Sri Nirvana on Jalan Telawi 3 has long been an icon of Bangsar and had always been a favourite of mine (so much so, I’d have random cravings for banana leaf at odd hours of the day). However, we had not visited for sometime due to the opening of Papa Rich right opposite – which has become our new favourite place.

It was good to go back and see if Nirvana had changed for better or for worse. As a drink, I opted for a watermelon juice. It was fresh, but there was too much of sugar syrup in it. Furthermore, you could clearly see that they were trying to save on fruit due to the large amount of ice in the cup.

A basic Banana Leaf meal, at around RM10, consists of rice – topped with your choice of chicken/fish curry or dhal, deep fried bitter gourd, stewed cabbage and carrots, along with cucumber in yogurt. This would be sufficient enough for the humble appetite but there is a display from which you can order sides to spice up your meal like varuvals or curries.

The rice was cooked well - warm and soft, but not mushy. The curry tasted great too – with a subtle chicken flavour to it. The bitter gourd had a subtle bitter flavour which was not too overwhelming; however it was too cold and soft for my liking. The cabbage and carrots were well stewed; but bits of tofu in it gave the dish an unpleasant flour-like texture to it (something hard to explain).

The cucumber in yogurt added a nice balance to the meal and was an ideal dish for KL’s oven-like weather. The poppadoms however, tasted old and rather soft – so I passed on that (though the kiddos whacked them up, so justice was done).

We ordered sides of deep fried fish and chicken. The fish was marinated with a curry-flavoured marinade and was deep-fried to perfection. It had a crispy skin and was moist and succulent on the inside. Due to the light seasoning lemon juice, I was able to taste the natural sweetness of the fish.The chicken did not taste as good. It came with dried chillies, and tasted and old. The meat was not tender – being rather dry and hard to chew. On the whole, Nirvana’s quality may have dropped, but it’s definitely worth trying, though their prices are rather unreasonable.

Presentation: 3/10

Ambiance: 2/10

Service: 4/10

Overall Taste: 6/10

General Impression: 4/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

D'lish Double Cheese Burger

Today while in Bangsar Village, I decided to pay a visit to D’lish for lunch at Bangsar Village. I’ve always loved the place and I’ve been a frequent visitor there – mainly for their Wagyu Beef Pie and their Potato Salad, both of them being mind-blowing in their own special way.


When compared to its bigger sister DELIcious (which itself has its ups and downs) D’lish appeals to me a bit more. I can stroll into the place with a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and enjoy good-tasting comfort food without being given that face of scorn.


The atmosphere is very casual yet chic, with most of their waiters being attentive and a pleasure to talk to. Their chairs are comfortable however the tables have always been too small for my liking. There are individual lights directly each table, which adds to the presentation of the food.


This time, rather than the usual pie and potato salad I opted for something different – namely their Double Cheese Burger with onion rings and a side of chips and a cucumber pickle, priced at RM21.80. You could opt for additional beef bacon on your burger for RM5.80.


I did not bother with the bacon because I like my burgers simple. When portion is concerned, you definitely get your money’s worth. The dish looked lip-smacking with those juicy patties and cheese glistening as the light above my table shone on it.


The onion rings were fried to perfection. The batter was crisp, the onion was moist. The only complaint about this would be that it was a bit too salty for me. The beef patties were cooked well-done and contained a hint of oregano which gave it a nice touch.

The burger came with its own tomato puree, mustard and cheese. The tomato puree and mustard gave nice, subtle flavours however I felt that the ratio of cheese and meat was inadequate. There was too much meat and not enough cheese.


The chips and the pickled salad were nothing to get excited about either. The chips seemed and tasted like those frozen ones in a bag, while the so-called ‘pickled cucumbers’ (along with the lettuce and tomato) tasted as if they were raw.

On the whole, the experience was an average one for me – with the food tasting reasonably good, but not to my expectations. If you wish to try this, then go ahead. I on the other hand, shall stick to my Wagyu Beef Pie and Potato Salad for now.

Presentation: 7/10

Ambiance: 7/10

Service: 8/10

Overall Tate: 5/10

General Impression: 5/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Pilot

I am a 16 year old lad with an interesting life and an immense love of food. I have eaten in a myriad of restaurants - from the upright swanky to the downright simple. For quite some time now I’ve contemplated on starting a blog of my own, which would feature plenty of food reviews, along with bits and bobs of my life and opinions to be made known to the world.

I’ve created this blog in conjunction with the end of my IGCSEs and my schooling era – and the start of my College and A-level years. I am truly looking forward to sharing my experiences with all of you, and I hope that they may benefit you in whatever way possible. Furthermore, please do take the opportunity to check my photography site: BrianandPhotos.blogspot.com


Cheers,

BrianandRepublic