Hong Kong fare at Room Eighteen

My parents and I were in Mid Valley one day, and we were in the mood for Dim Sum. After searching high and low for a restaurant, we finally stumbled upon Room Eighteen - part of the Thai Tong Group of restaurants. The establishment is located outside, on the Ground Floor - the same row as Starbucks Cafe, near to the Center Court of Megamall, Mid Valley.

As I looked at the drink list, there was a long list of teas and right at the end, an option where you could mix any of the two. Being a tea lover, I was deeply impressed with this and I ordered a Mixture of Jasmine and Oolong right away. However when the drink came - to my surprise, it was nothing but two teabags in a glass of hot water. I found it quite funny.

We were served Deep fried Tofu in a Sweet sauce as a complementary appetiser.

As for the food, we ordered Taro Yam Croquettes. Each portion ordered contains two pieces. This dish was slightly disappointing, as the yam wasn't crisp enough and there was a lack of filling. We also ordered the World's No.1 Baked Bun, which consisted of two pieces, and was nice, crisp and warm, with a sweet pork filling that complemented the bun.

The Chinese Herbal Xiao Long Bao was quite different from the other soup dumplings that I usually have. The soup in these dumpling had a much thicker consistency than most of the other ones. The herbal flavour of these dumplings was very bold and was a bit too strong for me. Personally, I did not like this dish - but I guess it all boils down to your personal taste in the end.

Up next was the Steamed Siew Mai. These pork dumplings were incredibly succulent, with just the right proportion of meat and fat it. The dumplings were also served steaming hot - an indication of their freshness. Then we were served the Spicy Tofu Skin Roll. This dish was quite surprising as it wasn't spicy - at all, though the skins were nice and crisp and the meat inside was tender - with the sauce being very subtle in taste and complementing the meat nicely.

The Signature Fried Rice that we had ordered truly surpassed our expectations, as it had the distinct flavour and texture that authentic fried rice seems to have. The prawns were not overcooked, being large and juicy, while the rice wasn't over-salted or oily. This allowed me to taste the flavours and textures of the other ingredients such as the anchovies, green beans and the carrots.

Lastly, we were served the Barbecued Pork Ribs topped with Sesame Seeds. These ribs were very tender and succulent and had a natural sweetness to it. This complemented the crisp skin which was baked with a sweet marinade. This pork dish was very easy for me to eat, as the meat came off the bone very easily and was cooked very well.

On the whole, Room Eighteen was a satisfactory restaurant for me - though it wasn't that great of a place to dine in as the quality of the food wasn't consistent throughout. The service too was rather slow - and the waiters seemed to be rather stressed out due to the large crowd that was having lunch that day. I would recommend you to come early or later to avoid disappointment, and the food would presumably taste a lot better and fresher, then.

Presentation: 6/10

Ambiance: 5/10

Service: 4/10

Overall Taste: 6/10

General Impression: 5/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Guiltless Pleasure @ The Yogi Tree

When asking the owner of The Yogi Tree about the whole idea of his restaurant, his reply was very simple - going back to basics. He claimed that if food were to be prepared with the freshest ingredients and everything were to be made from scratch, the food's taste would be further enhanced. My mum and I decided to put that claim to the test.

The Yogi Tree, also a boutique selling yoga accessories, is located on the First floor of the Gardens Mall at Mid Valley. As we had visited in the afternoon, the restaurant was brightly lit by a giant window that overlooks Pantai Hill. Apart from selling yoga accessories, the restaurant also sells organic foodstuffs which you can purchase - such as brown rice and pasta.

The first dish to arrive was our Duck and Pear Salad worth RM23. The dish was topped with toasted black sesame seeds. The salad leaves were crisp and the pear eventuated the sweetness of the dish as a whole. The balsamic and sesame dressing added a hint of tartness to the dish, and the dish's sweet and sour flavour complemented the flavour of the duck, which was tender and present in abundance.

Up next, came our Tagliatelle Al Funghi with Mushroom and Ceps with Truffle Oil worth RM23 too. The tagliatelle was served with a light cream sauce, which was of a good consistency. There was also an abundance of mushroom in the dish. The one disappointment I had, was that there was relatively no hint of truffle oil. I was slightly let down by this as I am a truffle lover and was especially looking forward to the pungent aroma.

As a dessert, we ordered the Pure Chocolate Truffle Torte with Whipping Cream, worth RM12. The portion of the torte was quite large, and the consistency of it was smooth. My mother, not known for her sweet tooth, consumed quite a significant portion of the torte. Her excuse: 'This is a healthy torte!'. The torte was simply wonderful, having the right balance of sweetness and bitterness.

We were given two homemade lemon-based sorbets to sample. The first sorbet was a Lemon and Cardamom Sorbet. This sorbet had an almost Indian like feel to it, tasting exactly an Indian kulfi, though only more refreshing. The next sorbet was a Lemon and Coconut Sorbet. This was without a doubt, one of the most refreshing sorbets I've ever tasted. The tartness of the lemon complemented the delicate coconut flavour, calling for a refreshing dish.

When I thought that the last was over, I was wrong. We were also given scoops of Homemade Vanilla, Sesame and Green Tea Ice Cream with Red Bean. The vanilla ice cream was delicate and smooth, while the sesame was aromatic and the green tea was bold in flavour. All three of these ice creams had the right amount of sugar present, and was frozen to a perfect consistency. It had a quality that was much better then Haagen's could ever offer - and it was much cheaper too.

On the whole, I was incredibly impressed with The Yogi Tree. The restaurant offered good quality fresh food with wonderful service, and lived up to their claim. Though the pasta didn't have the extra edge that I was looking for, the rest of the dishes were of an exceptional quality and I will definitely return to try their many dishes and speciality drinks. You should try The Yogi Tree too.

Presentation: 7/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Service: 7/10

Overall Taste: 8/10

General Impression: 7/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Lunch at Fong Lye Teahouse

Every time I walk past Fong Lye Teahouse at the Gardens, it seems to be packed with people - thus, I was deprived of chances to eat there - seeing as I hate long queues. Though, as I was walking past the establishment one day, I realised that it was relatively empty - so I took the opportunity to sit down and try the place.

Fong Lye Teahouse is a Taiwanese restaurant located on the Third Floor of the Gardens Mall in Mid Valley, right next to the Food Court. Since the restaurant specialises in their special sets, I decided to give the Sauteed Beef with Spring Onion and Ginger Set a try, worth RM18. The dish was quick to arrive, and the set was laid right before me was mind-blowingly large.

The set consisted of a Dumpling, coated with Bread Crumbs and Deep Fried. In it, contained seaweed - which complemented the dumpling well, though on the whole, the dumpling was rather salty. The Tofu with Chilly Sauce was sweet, and the sauce complemented the tofu well - which had a texture similar to that of deep fried cheese. The Fried Green Beans topped with Salted Fish were slightly overcooked, though the salted fish worked well with the sweetness of the green beans.

The set also consisted of a bowl of Clear Chicken Stock with Vegetables and Chicken. The chicken stock was subtle in flavour, and the vegetables were nice and soft. Though the chicken pieces were large, they were incredibly dry and tough to chew. And as for the rice, I was quite surprise to see that even it was topped with minced pork and mushroom - this gave the rice an extra herbal edge to it. Talk about going the extra mile.

Finally, the main highlight of the set - The Stir-Fried Beef - was kept warm by a small stove that was lit. The beef was reasonably tender, though some pieces of it were a bit overcooked. There was also too much of spring onions and not enough of beef. Trying to cut corners I see. Though as a whole, the dish - which were subtly flavoured by the ginger and chillies - was good enough for me.

Fong Lye is a truly unique place, offering many unique dishes such as the Taiwanese Burger (which I have yet to try) and the Peanut Mountain, an interestingly named desert. I would highly recommend that you come early to dine - or you might find yourself waiting for ages during the lunch and dinner hours, as the restaurant is filled with hungry customers munching on their food.

Presentation: 7/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Service: 5/10

Overall Taste: 6/10

General Impression: 7/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

A light Indian Dinner @ Aryan

It had been a long time since my mum and I tried Indian food, and so while my dad was having a meeting nearby, both of us decided to try an Indian restaurant named Aryan, located on the first floor of the Weld Shopping Center on Jalan Raja Chulan - right in the heart of the busy city.

The restaurant featured both an indoor seating area and an outdoor balcony. We decided to sit on the outdoor balcony, which had a wonderful view that overlooked the Jalan P.Ramlee and Jalan Raja Chulan intersection. The interior of the restaurant featured contemporary decor, but with an Indian twist.

You could opt to try their dinner buffet worth RM30, but my mother and I decided to order off the a la care menu instead. As an appetiser, we were served complementary Poppadoms with Condiments. The poppadoms looked like they had just come out of the frier and were nice, crisp and hot. The condiments too were unique, with the mint paste and yoghurt adding a refreshing twist, and the sweet chilly paste added a nice kick.

We were served Kashmiri Pulau, priced at RM14.90. The pulau contained a whole lot of condiments, such as green beans, raisins, cauliflower and mango. Upon tasting the dish, the raisins and mango added a nice sweet touch to it, but the rice was loaded with butter, and became too rich for us in the end.

We were then served our Butter Chicken worth RM22.90. The dish was very rich in flavour, due to the amount of butter and cream added to it. This reduced the spiciness of the dish, which had a slightly sour hint to it, and it complemented the rice wonderfully. The chicken pieces were small bitesize ones, which were tender and present in abundance.

Then we were served Palak Paneer worth RM15.90, which is essentially Indian curd cheese in a spinach curry. The spinach tasted wonderful, and was not spicy in any way - spinach haters would be willing to eat this, as it doesn't taste like spinach at all. Though, the goats cheese wasn't well formed - and when we asked them if it was spoilt, they acknowledged that the cheese wasn't matured yet, as they prepare the cheese fresh in the kitchen. An honest attempt at making things fresh, but a failed one nonetheless.

Lastly, to complement our meal, we ordered the Mixed Raita worth RM6.90. Though the portion of the raita was large, the raita was simply way too salty for us, despite the fact that there was a reasonable amount of content in it.

On the whole, our trip to Aryan was satisfactory, though we were not completely impressed. The waiters there had a hard time communicating with us, and that became really stressful for both my mother and I. The food tasted alright, but there are many more Indian restaurants in Kuala Lumpur that serve better and more authentic Indian food - and at a much cheaper price too.

Presentation: 5/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Service: 5/10

Overall Taste: 5/10

General Impression: 5/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Set Lunch at Moxie

I found myself stuck in Damansara Heights one day and decided to try Moxie for lunch, since I have heard a lot about the establishment. Moxie is located on Jalan Medan Setia 2 in Plaza Damansara, Bukit Damansara. Moxie's interior is minimalistic, with no sight of plants or decorative lighting fixtures - though the restaurant had an atmosphere of class, in its own special way.

I had decided to try their Set Lunch Menu, worth RM24. Upon looking at the menu, I was impressed with their variety. There were two varieties of starters and numerous main courses to choose from, and the set included a Glass of Iced Lemon Tea which was clearly home made as there was pulp inside.

As a starter, I ordered the Booster of Fruits Salad with Chunky Tropical Fruit tossed with Yogurt, Honey and Oats. I found it quite odd having fruit salad as a starter, but I was up for it nonetheless. The salad was incredibly fresh, with different fruit adding different flavours and textures to the dish. The oats added a nice crunch to the salad while the yogurt and honey merged all the different flavours together.

The main course that I ordered was the Baked John Dory Fish with Sauteed Spinach, Roasted Potato and Capers Cream Sauce. The dish was beautifully presented on a large square plate. The fish had a nice, crisp skin and was succulent inside. The fish was placed on a bed of spinach, and topped with the capers cream sauce that complemented both the fish and spinach very well.

The spinach too, was soft and well cooked - though, after coming back home and looking over my notes, I realised that they forgot one thing: the potatoes. I was outraged at first, but then realised that I was at fault for not asking them. I had taken note however, that even without the potatoes - I was feeling full.

On the whole, excluding the fact that they forgot my potatoes, my experience at Moxie was a wonderful one, with good quality dishes being served at a relatively affordable price - and I will definitely return. I have also remembered that is important to take a close look at what you've ordered, and to remind the waiters whenever they have forgotten something.

Presentation: 7/10

Ambiance: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Overall Taste: 8/10

General Impression: 8/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Dinner at Pizza San Fransisco

While my mum and I were staying at the Palace of the Golden Horses, we decided to hop over to the Mines Shopping Center for some dinner and we stumbled upon an establishment named Pizza San Fransisco.

We both didn't even have to think as the decision to eat there seemed mutual. So we both went into restaurant to sit down and place our order. Pizza San Fransisco is located near the entrance of the water canal, on the ground floor of the Mines Shopping Center, on Jalan Dulang, Mines City.

My mother ordered herself a glass of Mixed Fruit Juice worth RM7.90. When ordering this drink, you have an option of choosing 3 juices from a list, which will then be mixed together. My mother chose a mixture of carrot, orange and apple juice. The drink was refreshing and of a large portion. There was no excess of sugar or ice added.

We were then served the Mushroom Bruschetta worth RM7.50. Upon looking at it, I thought to myself 'What the hell is this?'. The bruschetta was bathed in cream and not before long, the bread had became a lump of mush. Though the flavours were alright, the experience was horrible - being one of the worst bruschetta's I've ever tasted.

We were then served Nachos with Beef, Cheese and Jalapenos and served with Guacamole and Sour Cream worth RM13.90. As soon as I tasted the dish, I instantly noticed that the 'guacamole' was not made of avocados, but rather with mashed green peas. Even after asking the manager, I was told that it was 'guacamole' and not mashed green peas.

Despite the abundance of meat, the meat was of bad quality and the dish as a whole was cold. Furthermore, I was appalled by the fact that the manager got worked up and lied to my face about the guacamole, assuming I was some sort of a retard. A white lie right there on the menu.

Our last dish that we ordered was the Beef Lasagna worth RM15.90. The lasagna was of average quality and had too much tomato puree. There wasn't enough of cheese present. The beef on the other hand, was present in large quantity and was of good quality.

On the whole, Pizza San Fransisco gave us an average dining experience, with the exception of the mushed peas and the rude manager. Their prices however, were quite reasonable - though they had used that to compromise on quality.

In conclusion, I wouldn't recommend this establishment to you if ever you find yourselves at Mines Shopping Center. There are plenty of other restaurants which seemed to be a lot more popular, and serving much better food than what we had at Pizza San Fransisco that night.

Presentation: 4/10

Ambiance: 4/10

Service: 2/10

Overall Taste: 5/10

General Impression: 3/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Tapas @ El Meson

It had been a long time since my dad and I tried tapas, and so we decided to head over to El Meson and give the place a try - rather than the our usual La Bodega. El Meson is a Spanish restaurant located right next to Madam Kwan's, on Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru - right opposite Bangsar Village II.

Upon arriving at El Meson, we were told that the kitchen was closing at 10. I found this quite odd, considering the fact that tapas was meant to be 'late night eating'. Nonetheless, we sat down outside and ordered three varieties of tapas dishes from the 'hot tapas' section of the menu.

Before the tapas was served, we were given a complementary Basket of Baguette Slices with Garlic Aioli. The bread was soft and warm while the aioli - an emulsion of olive oil, garlic and egg yolk - complemented it nicely. My dad on the other hand, felt that the aioli was too bland and tasteless for his liking, as he prefers more bolder flavours.

We were then served Queso Frito worth RM14 (no picture available), which was essentially deep fried goat's cheese with tomato jam. The cheese was crisp on the outside and soft and stringy inside. The tomato jam complemented the fried cheese well as it added flavour to the cheese, rather than overpowering it.

We were then served Champinones worth RM16, which was button mushrooms in a garlic cream sauce, flavoured with white wine. The mushroom flavour was a bit too bold for my liking though the sauce curbed it - being mallow in taste. Unlike my dad, I did not fancy this dish very much as I felt the sauce was not thick enough.

Lastly, we were served Albondigas - meatballs in a tomato sauce, also worth RM14. Though simple in nature, the dish tasted fantastic as the meatballs were wonderfully prepared, being crisp on the outside and juicy inside. The tomato sauce did not overpower the flavour of the meat, but rather complemented it very nicely.

On the whole, I really enjoyed my time at El Meson. The menu had a considerable variety of tapas, which I felt were very well prepared. I feel that this establishment poses a threat to La Bodega, due to the fact that in my opinion, La Bodega has slightly dropped in quality.

When in Bangsar, I highly recommend you try El Meson if ever you're in the mood for tapas, as the restaurant offers good service and good quality food with a considerable amount of variety. Our total bill came up to around RM60, including a glass of lime juice which my dad had ordered.

Presentation: 7/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Overall Taste: 7/10

General Impression: 7/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic