La Cuisine's Beef Mushroom

This post is indeed a BrianandBlogger first. I have seen many bloggers who review restaurants, but rarely have I seen one review food products - like premixes you find at supermarkets. I have a belief that anything edible can be reviewed by a food bloggers, thus I give you my first ever review of a food product, La Cuisine's Beef Mushroom, worth RM 17.

La Cuisine is a brand of ready-made, frozen French food. It can be found in the Non-Halal section of Village Grocer, Bangsar Village. There are many ready-made dishes that La Cuisine has to offer, such as Ratatouille and Creme Brulee. I had chosen Beef Mushroom - which is essentially Beef and Mushrooms in a roux based brown sauce.

La Cuisine's Beef Mushroom can be eaten with potatoes, rice, bread and even on its own - as a stew. All you simply need to do, is to empty the contents and heat it up in a pan. I decided to cook it with pasta. What I essentially did was had some spaghetti boiled in slightly salted water, drained and kept aside in the bowl.

When boiling spaghetti, always remember to keep some of the water remaining in the bowl after straining the pasta, to prevent the spaghetti from clumping together.

Then, I had cut some slices of green capsicum and onions, and pounded some garlic. I sauteed the onions, garlic and capsicum in olive oil, until the onions turned soft and the garlic turned golden-brown. This was done in order to flavor and add colour to the dish.

After that, I emptied about a third of the La Cuisine's Beef Mushroom into the pan and heated it up. There was plenty of contents, with more beef than mushrooms - though the slices of beef were quite large for consumption. Do not worry about adding water to make the sauce more runny, as the contents become more runny when heated.

Then finally, I added the spaghetti into the pan and mixed everything up together - after which I placed the contents of the pan into a bowl, and drizzled olive oil on top. Then, for more flavor, I sprinkled some dill and topped the dish off with grated parmesan.

I could have easily given my dish to someone else and told them that I made it from scratch, because they would have believed me completely. The dish tasted like it was completely homemade. There was a perfect balance of flavors and the dish was simply comfort food at its finest.

If ever you head over to Village Grocer for some grocery shopping - and if you are non-Muslim, be sure to check out La Cuisine at the non-halal section of the grocery store. La Cuisine's Beef Mushroom is a cost-effective and time saving product, from which you can make good food, and I assure you will not be disappointed.

Packaging: 5/10

Overall Taste: 7/10

Money Value: 6/10

General Impression: 7/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

East meets West @ Joe's Cafe

It was a dark, damp Sunday night. My mother and I were walking along the streets of Klang, searching for a restaurant to have dinner in. We stumbled across a humble establishment called Joe's Cafe, and thus decided to give it a try. The establishment's address is: 17G, Jalan Tiara 2D/KU - located in Bandar Baru Klang, 41150 Selangor. Though the restaurant itself isn't big and recognizable, its sign is one of the biggest and brightest on the street - making it hard to be missed.

We decided to order a bit of everything on the menu, seeing as it had a satisfying variety of Asian and Western dishes. As a drink, my mother ordered a Cup of White Coffee. The coffee was perfect in terms of its sweetness, though I felt it was too strong for me. My mother on the other hand, thought it was just nice. I'd would imagine it all comes down to a matter of one's personal taste.

We shared an Ebi Katsuo Maki worth RM4, which consisted of a crab stick inside, with finely sliced cucumbers and topped with a sweet prawn paste and mayonnaise. The vegetables were nice and crisp and gave the dish a nice texture. The prawn and mayonnaise further excentuated the flavor of the maki. The dish was a pleasant combination of flavors and textures, which I simply couldn't get enough of.

We had also shared a Tamago Maki worth RM3, but this was more disappointing than the Ebi Katsuo, as there was too little egg and the seaweed was a bit too tough to bite. Though, if the egg and rice were served in appropriate amounts (and the seaweed made a little softer), this dish would have easily been on par with the similar dishes served at Sake Sushi or Sushi King.

Next up, we were served Otak-Otak Samosas, something I have never heard of before. The first thing my mother said upon touching the samosas were that "they are hot" - which indicated to me that they were really fresh. Indeed they were - the skin was crisp and hot, and the filling was of a perfect consistency to that of good otak-otak. The filling however, did not tasting like otak-otak, but rather of a sweet paste.

Finally, we were served the Pita Bread with a Beef filling and Cheese, worth RM9.50. The bread was crisp outside and warm and fluffy inside, while the beef was tender, though slightly over-salted. The yoghurt inside added a nice cooling touch to the dish, and the lettuce, tomato and cucumbers were nice and crisp. A lovely dish - which looked very healthy too.

On the whole, I had a great time at Joe's Cafe. The interior was nice and cosy, while the food there was rather tasty and definitely value for money. If ever you find yourself in Bandar Baru Klang, then I highly recommend you try this establishment. You will not be disappointed.

Presentation: 5/10

Ambiance: 4/10

Service: 5/10

Overall Taste: 7/10

General Impression: 7/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Lunch at Sun Huat Kee

The saying 'like father, like son' aptly describes my dad and I when referring to our cravings for certain types of food. We both have cravings for certain types of food and cuisine at different hours of the day. Last Saturday lunch, we went to satisfy my dad's craving for WonTon Noodles.

When you mention the above dish to him, the first thing that comes to my father's mind is Restaurant Sun Huat Kee, located right next to Dominos along Lorong Ara Kiri 2 in Lucky Gardens, Bangsar. He claims the restaurant to have one of the best Won Ton Noodles in Kuala Lumpur, and I agree with him completely.

The restaurant occupies two floors, with numerous stalls serving a variety of dishes. It is often very packed in the afternoon and most stalls are nearly empty by the end of lunch hour - so if you want your food, come quickly.

My dad ordered his usual - Dry Won Ton Noodles, which comes with a separate bowl of wontons in soup. The noodles were cooked well throughout and there was just the right amount of sauce present. The sauce added flavor to the noodles but did not overpower the dish and its ingredients.

My mother ordered the Wet Won Ton Noodles, whereby the same noodles and soup were served, but mixed together rather than kept separate. Though the soup was a bit salty and the wontons a bit soft, the flavors of the char siew and vegetables were not overpowered. The only complaint I had, was that there was not much char siew served.

I on the other hand, decided to break away from the status quo, and ordered the Ipoh Curry Noodles for myself. This dish, very similar from the Laksa Lemak I had at Sri Melaka, contained a coconut based curry sauce - which was tasted light and not too spicy. Be warned however, too much of this will make you sick in the stomach.

The standard dish comes with steamed white chicken, grilled aubergine, green beans, bean sprouts and yellow noodles. If desired, you could pay extra and add other things inside. I did just that, adding foo chock to my curry noodles. The chicken was nice and tender, and the vegetables were nice and crisp - with the noodles, cooked well throughout.

On the whole, I would highly recommend these choices to you - if ever you are in Bangsar with a craving for WonTon or Curry Noodles. Both dishes are priced incredibly reasonably, and taste great. Bear in mind, however, to come early in order to get a place for yourself - or you might find yourselves waiting for a very long time.

Presentation: 2/10

Ambiance: 3/10

Service: 4/10

Overall Taste: 7/10

General Impression: 6/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Scrambled Eggs at Dome

Unlike most of my reviews, this review is about a single dish I had for breakfast one day at Dome Cafe. While waiting to be picked up, I decided to have an incredibly quick breakfast at the BSC's Dome branch. Dome Cafe is the first establishment you see to your left, when you arrive at the BSC main entrance. It is right opposite American Chili's.

I ordered the Scrambled Eggs with Toast worth about RM12.50, quite steep for a simple combination of eggs and toast. The dish took an unusually long time to arrive and I even had to remind the waiter that I was in a rush, though it finally came in the end.

The amount of eggs I was served was huge, though it only came with two half-pieces of toast which I deemed insufficient when compared to the serving of egg. The eggs looked appealing, though when I tasted it, I noticed that there was a little bit of inconsistency in the egg. Scrambled eggs should be of an even consistency - after all, they are meant to be scrambled.

The bread was toasted a bit too much for my liking, as I like my toast crispy outside and soft inside. This was crisp all the way through, and they didn't even provide jam - though I would imagine, if you asked for jam, they would give it to you. I didn't as I was in a hurry.

On the whole, my experience at Dome Cafe that day was an average one. The waiters were kind and I commend them for putting up with my frustration, with a smile. The dish on the other hand, seemed like a complete rip off for the price I paid. I could've made better eggs at home.

Presentation: 3/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Service: 7/10

Overall Taste: 4/10

General Impression: 5/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Revisiting Lanna Thai

Last Friday marked the first day of a week of work with my cousin, a notorious solicitor named Gary. This notorious solicitor happened to take his entire staff out to lunch that day and to my surprise, they chose Lanna Thai as our place of lunch - a place I had already been to a few weeks ago with my friend.

The first thing I had noticed upon walking in was that they were still playing cheesy Westlife songs at their restaurant. Sigh. Anyway, thats beside the point. If you must know once again, the restaurant is the 17th shop-lot along Jalan Telawi 2 in Bangsar Baru.

I was under the impression that we were going to order from the set lunch menu - which still remained the same as when I previously visited. I was wrong. We ordered from the a la carte menu, and we ordered quite a bit. I was really looking forward to this as I was finally about to be given a taste of what Lanna Thai really has to offer.

Upon ordering the dishes, my cousin had tested the service at Lanna Thai by asking them if they could give extra cushions for his staff - they felt uncomfortable. The waiters happily obliged and stole some cushions from the other seats, just for us.

As our appetizer, we had Deep Fried Spring Rolls with Shrimp. It was incredibly hot and crisp, indicating to me that they had just been deep fried. The simple dish was served with a sweet Thai chili sauce, a combination which worked very well. I had taken note that the prawns however, were a little bit overcooked and tasted a little dry.

Up next, we were served Butter Prawns. All of us came to the conclusion that the name was very misleading, as the dish simply looked more like deep fried, battered prawns to us. What did they actually mean by butter prawns? Nonetheless, the prawns were large and succulent, with the batter, nice and crisp - both ingredients being present in their appropriate amounts.

Up next, came the Stir-Fried Vegetables in Oyster Sauce. The vegetables were nice and crisp, with each type of vegetable retaining its own flavor. Upon tasting the dish, I also noticed that the sauce and vegetables were present in adequate amounts. The sauce had added to the flavour of the vegetables rather than overpower it. It was a wonderful dish.

We then had Thai Green Curry with Chicken. I must warn you that this dish can only be eaten by the faint of heart. I could, sort of - but I was sweating like mad. This dish though, was truly one of the better green curries I've tasted. The chicken pieces were in abundance and were really tender too - despite the other vegetables tasting unusually bitter.

Our last dish that arrived was the Stir Fried Chicken with Basil Leaves. This dish was a killer as well, as those really small chillies had been finely sliced and added into the dish. Nonetheless, the chicken pieces in this dish were really tender too. The flavor of the basil, the soy sauce and chicken complemented each other very well.

On the whole - apart from the music, I really enjoyed my lunch at Lanna Thai, which served me good quality and authentic Thai food that day. If you are in Bangsar and in the mood to try Thai food, then I would highly recommend Lanna Thai to you.

I didn't manage to look at the total bill or menu, but the food is slightly pricier than most Thai restaurants. Though, if you want quality food and classy ambiance, you simply must be able to pay up for it. Nonetheless, I still think it is quite worthwhile to give this place a try.

Presentation: 7/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Overall Taste: 7/10

General Impression: 7/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

HotCakes at McDonalds

It was an early morning for me, and I decided to walk on down over to McDonalds in Bangsar and grab some breakfast to start off the day. The McDonalds in Bangsar, is the first shop lot upon turning into Jalan Telawi 5, right opposite Maybank.

I have a tendency to always order the Big Breakfast when having breakfast at McDonalds. This time round however, seeing as I was not incredibly hungry, I decided to try their HotCakes on the McSavers menu worth RM4.50. The deal includes your choice of coffee or tea, both of which are re-fillable. I opted to have tea.

The hotcakes are served with butter and maple syrup. Upon tasting the hotcakes, my mind was truly blown. They were warm,fluffy and mildly sweet, a replica of the perfect pancake. The maple syrup however, seemed to be processed and therefore too sweet for my liking. The butter was on the extreme end of the spectrum, being incredibly salty in taste.

On the whole, I would actually recommend this dish if you drop by McDonalds for breakfast, rating it even better than the Big Breakfast, the Sausage McMuffin and that with egg. Be warned however, and don't make the same mistake I made, dumping all the sauce and butter on it. It all became way too much for me.

Presentation: 2/10

Ambience: 3/10

Service: 6/10

Overall Taste: 6/10

General Impression: 6/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Clear at Plaza M.Kiara

A lot of people, now knowing that I review food, have begun to depend on me in choosing restaurants for them whenever we go out to eat. Now again, another friend got me to choose our restaurant when we were chilling in Plaza Mont Kiara one Friday afternoon.

After contemplating for about a minute, I came to the conclusion that we were to dine at Clear, a restaurant right next to Starbucks and right opposite Secret Recipe, facing the fountain at the Mont Kiara Plaza, along Jalan Kiara.

Seeing as it was within our budget, both of us opted to try the Set Lunch worth RM 14.50, which came with a soup, a choice of main course, a scoop of ice cream along with a glass of Iced Lemon Tea. An incredibly reasonable set I must say.

The soup of the day was Tomato Soup, served in a bowl of reasonable size, along with a slice of bread. It seemed to me that the soup was home-made, but made a few days ago and kept in the fridge until it could be heated up again - though it was a lot better than what Campbell has in their cans. It tasted more authentic, but slightly sour for my taste.

My friend chose the grilled Lamb Shank on a Bed of Potatoes and Salad with Balsamic Dressing. I was quite surprised to find a lamb dish as one of the mains on a set menu worth RM14.50, though from the way my friend was cutting the meat, I came to the conclusion that not the most tender piece of meat was served.

My main course on the other hand, Spaghetti with Chicken Sausages served with a Spicy Tomato Sauce, was truly an amazing one. The thought of serving chicken sausages with spaghetti did not seem appealing at first, but I fell completely in love with it upon tasting it.

The subtle flavour of the sauce, saussages and the grated cheese on top complemented each other almost perfectly. The spiciness of the dish added a nice kick to it too. It was so good, that I'm even having a craving for it right now. I did not check to see if that particular dish was on their a la carte menu - but if it is, I highly recommend you give it a try.

Our desert was nothing fancy, just a single scoop of Strawberry Ice Cream topped with Chocolate Syrup. The ice cream tasted like ice cream which you could buy in big tubs - and it tasted really sweet. The chocolate sauce made it even sweeter, but I finished all of it anyway. I also took note that they served it on a plate, making it quite hard to eat.

I would actually highly recommend that you try Clear. Though the soup and ice cream were not the best soup and ice cream around, the main course I had simply blew my mind. Plus, the outside sitting area of the restaurant provides a nice atmosphere for discussion - with a lovely view of the fountain and courtyard of Plaza Mont Kiara.

Presentation: 6/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Service: 6/10

Overall Taste: 7/10

General Impression: 7/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Breakfast Promo at Delifrance

I love nothing more than a good breakfast to start off my day. When I was told by my mother that Delifrance was having a monthly promotion, I insisted on following her to work the very next day to try it. The outlet I went to is situated right next to McDonalds at Plaza Mont Kiara, along Jalan Kiara.

At first glance, the promotion seemed truly special. There were a good variety of breakfast sets, priced incredibly reasonably - which were available until 11am. After a bit of thought, I settled on the Le Sunrise Breakfast Set at RM4.50.

The Le Sunrise set consisted of a bullseye egg, two chicken sausages, a croissant and the most random item on the plate - a serving of mash potatoes. This was accompanied with a cup of tea, or long black coffee. I was hoping my bullseye had a runny yolk, but I was left disappointed as it was completely dry and cooked through. The sausages on the other hand, were actually amazing. They were juicy, succulent and flavorful - everything a good sausage should be.

The croissant was soft and warm, being freshly baked - but it did not come with jam!

They had served me butter with it, but not jam. This had taken me aback and when I had asked for some jam, I was not attended to at all. How disrespectful.

I do not know who gave Delifrance the idea to include mash and gravy for breakfast, but I feel Delifrance should remove this from their sets as soon as possible. The potatoes I had, together with the gravy, tasted unbearable as it was quite sour for me. What were they thinking, seriously?

On the whole, I must admit that the price offered for the set above is truly of great value, and I would highly recommend you give this promotion a try before it ends. This is the first time in ages that I've tried the food at Delifrance, as I would usually go there for drinks instead. After this visit, I shall continue to go there for drinks and avoid the food. Their coffees are especially great, maybe with a pastry or two, but I would refrain from ordering the main meals on the Delifrance menu.

Presentation: 3/10

Ambiance: 4/10

Service: 2/10

Overall Taste: 4/10

General Impression: 5/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

The Social in Bangsar

A friend and I met up one day, and we decided to have lunch at The Social since he was on a budget of RM20. The Social is located Right Next to Baskin Robins along Jalan Telawi 3. The fact that its located right opposite Bangsar Village II makes its location a prime one.

I had chosen The Social because it has various kinds of sets on offer. The sets are matched up with different prices, and so it is possible for one to come and enjoy a meal even when on a low budget, though the lunch items list lacked a bit of variety. I had chosen the 2 Course Set Lunch worth RM19.90.

As my friend was starving, he digged into his Fried Char Kwey Teow almost immediately after it came. I was declined a request to taste the dish. Looking at the dish, it did not seem appetizing as it lacked all the oil and grease that normal Kwey Teow would have - you see, I am more flavor conscious than health conscious.

Not long after, my starters had arrived - Nachos with Beef and Beans, Topped with Cheese, Guacamole and Sour Cream. The portion was generous, and the dish looked really appealing. It tasted great too, though the nachos were slightly over-salted and the amount of beef was insufficient.

For my main course, I chose the Club Sandwich with a side of Salad and Crisps. The portions were once again generous, though the sandwiches looked impossible to eat due to their sheer size.

The sandwich contained avocado, grilled chicken breast, fried egg, lettuce and tomato. I was disappointed with the fact that there was no cheese, but found the chicken tender, though slightly dry. The avocado complemented the chicken well. The thing that annoyed me was that the other vegetables were cut into small pieces, making the sandwich really hard to eat.

Furthermore, the bread that was given seemed stale, and the crisps given seemed like they had came out of a bag. I skipped out on the crisps. The salad was perfect. Simple in nature yet amazing in quality. There was a lemon twist to the mayonnaise, which was great. Who thought mayonnaise and salad leaves tasted so good?

The Social in Bangsar is a conveniently located restaurant right in the center of Bangsar. The service was good and the meal I had was real value for money, though I would recommend you to skip the Asian dishes and order the Western dishes instead. The carbonara that the woman opposite me was eating looked great, so maybe give that a try.

Presentation: 6/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Service: 7/10

Overall Taste: 6/10

General Impression: 7/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic