Tapas @ La Bodega

La Bodega was a place my mum and I used to patronise, until we felt their standard dropped. Last week, we gave them a second chance. This establishment is the one in BSC along Jalan Maarof, on the ground floor in-between Chinoz and The Pressroom.

It was quite packed being a Friday night, and the service was slow - though our dishes came in the end. My mother ordered herself a Latte worth RM10, made from illy Coffee. It was subtle, aromatic and of a reasonable size for what we paid.

The Escalivada con Queso Cabra worth RM9 was a simple dish consisting of oven roasted vegetables with a wonderful texture, flavoured with sundered tomato pesto and pieces of goat's cheese - which were unfortunately scarce.

Our Salchichas al Diablo contained succulent chicken sausages which were complemented by a tangy tomato sauce. There was an abundance of sausages, which tasted wonderful with pieces of bread.

The Tortilla Española was a spanish omelette which contained pieces of potatoes and onion worth RM9. The dish was lukewarm - though the omelette was well seasoned, it was slightly hard and quite dry.

For dessert, we ordered the Crema Catalana - the Spanish version of the Crème Brûlée. The top was not caramelised at all, and the dish was horribly sweet, having a ridiculously strong almond flavour as well. The almond was ground up and mixed in, giving it a slightly grainy texture which I didn't quite like.

On the whole, our night at La Bodega was nothing special. It was a lukewarm experience that was easily forgettable. I suggest that you try alternatives such as El Meson if you're in the mood for tapas. La Bodega, once again, failed to meet my expectations.

Presentation: 6/10

Ambiance: 7/10

Service: 4/10

Overall Taste: 5/10

General Impression: 5/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

An Irish fare at Malones

Authentic Irish food is something that I've desperately tried to find, here in KL. Whilst in KLCC, my mother and I stumbled upon an Irish restaurant by the name of Malones, and decided to give it a try. Malones is situated on the Ground Floor, right beside The Appartment - facing the water-fountains in KLCC.

The restaurant's interior is filled with dark, wooden furniture, green chairs and antique lamps - in order to give its customers that old, English pub-like vibe. Even its outdoor seating area gave us the exact same feeling.

We ordered Sausage on Colcannon and Guinness Onion Gravy, worth RM 29. The lukewarm sausages consisted of Jumbo Chicken Sausages and Steamed Veal Bratwursts, while the colcannon, butter-filled mashed potatoes with cabbage and spring onion, was dsmooth and divine. The subtle sweetness of the sauce added extra flavour

We were also in the mood for some Irish stew, thus ordering the Guinness Beef Stew worth RM29 too. The beef cubes were surprisingly tough, though the root vegetables were soft, and the sauce was flavourful. The bread served, on the other hand, was very stale.

On the whole, I felt that Malones could have offered better quality food, especially when considering the price that we had to pay for the above dishes. Though the waiters were incredibly attentive and nice, and we were served our food promptly. I wouldn't grumble if I had to come to this place once again, though I wouldn't have high expectations from my next visit either.

Presentation: 5/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Service: 7/10

Overall Taste: 5/10

General Impression: 5/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Rawang's Famous Steamed Tilapia @ Lan Je

Apologies for the poor quality of photographs, as these photos were taken using my BlackBerry phone.

This visit took place ages back, but honestly speaking - I am still able to taste Rawang's famous Steamed Tilapia in my mouth, a speciality dish of Restaurant Lan Je. This humble restaurant's is as follows: 27-28, Block C, Jalan Rawang, Gerai MPS, Batu 16. I'm not sure if the restaurant is a Halal one, but I do know that they don't serve pork

Each fish costed us around RM18, and can either be shared among 2 people, or if you're really hungry - exclusively for you. The fresh, flaky fish was served with soy-sauce that enhanced its flavour, not having overpowered the natural sweetness of the fish. Ginger and spring onions removed all traces of fishiness and provided warmth and depth to the dish.

You could eat the fish along with some rice, however the fish is good enough to be eaten by its own. My sister's frown, which was evident upon arriving, was now upside down. I, being the glutton that I am, kept picking at the plates of others - after I had licked my fish-bones clean.

My uncle had also placed an order for a vegetable dish - 4-Angled Bean with Belacan (Shrimp Paste). This dish too, was wonderfully prepared. The 4-angled bean was nice and crunchy, and the bellman sauce flavoured it well - with chillies adding a bit of warmth to the palate.

On the whole, a total of 8 Tilapia fish, a few bowls of rice, 2 vegetable dishes and a tofu dish came up to a total of RM 180. This RM180 managed to feed a total of 13 people, which makes this restaurant damn reasonable in terms of pricing - I must say.

Restaurant Lan Je have also opened up branches in Kota Damansara and Plaza Kasturi, in Cheras - but I was told that the quality of food there isn't as good as the establishment in Rawang - though that claim has yet to be proven. If you are into steamed fish, I highly recommend the above franchise.

Presentation: 3/10

Ambiance: 2/10

Service: 5/10

Overall Taste: 8/10

General Impression: 8/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Segambut's Ho Ho Steamboat

Quite recently, my mum and dad have had an obsession with all things healthy, and we stumbled across Ho Ho Steamboat when looking for a place to eat in Segambut, late at night. Ho Ho Steamboat, is a bungalow-turned-restaurant, the 67th one, along Jalan Segambut just before it leads to Ipoh Road.

As there were three of us, we opted for the Set for 2, worth RM14.50. This set consisted of a variety of ingredients that would be boiled in flavoured soup, a sort of Asian version of a fondue. We were given a choice of two soups to choose from, these being a Tom Yam flavoured soup, and a clear broth.

The Tom Yam flavoured Soup was a nice tangy soup, that was not overly spicy but nice and warm - the perfect thing to have on a cold, rainy day. The 'Original' flavoured Soup was simple, and brings out the flavour in the ingredients. If I were you, I would recommend a mixture of the two, so that you can taste the individual flavours of the ingredients, but still have that Tom Yam flavour for an extra 'edge'.

The plate of ingredients consisted of a variety of 'stuff', such as Foo Chok, Taro Slices, Dumplings with a Pork Filling, Tofu Cubes, Prawns and Quail's Eggs - among many other things. Though they may seem like a lot on a plate, chances are you will not feel full at the end of it - due to the fact that these ingredients are quite light on your tummy.

The Set for 2 also consists of a plate of vegetables - in this case, Chinese Cabbage and Raw Lettuce. These are to be added into the steam-boat pot, following the ingredients. The result of the vegetable's texture ultimately depends on how long you intend on boiling them for - they might turn out crisp, or soft.

Lastly, the Set for 2 contains two types of noodles, thin Rice-Based Noodles and thicker Egg-Based Noodles, with some Sesame Oil and an Egg, meant to act as a thickener for the soup. I am personally not a fan of the thin, white noodles, but the thick noodles and the soup go wonderfully together. So simple, yet so flavourful.

As a side dish, we ordered Deep Fried Pork Dumplings. The minced pork filling was succulent and enclosed in a crisp, deep friend won-ton sheet. I highly recommend you try this as an appetiser if you decide on coming here.

I was quite impressed with this establishment, and I understand from their website (linked in with the post's title), that their establishment in Segambut is one of many throughout KL and Selangor. Do give this place a try if you're looking for something simple, delicious and healthy - at a reasonable price.

Presentation: 3/10

Ambiance: 3/10

Service: 7/10

Overall Taste: 8/10

General Impression: 7/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

G3 Kitchen and Bar

My friend and I stumbled upon G3 last week while scouring Bangsar for a place to dine. G3 is a relatively new establishment is located smack in the centre of Bangsar Baru, on the same row as Alexis along Jalan Telawi 3.

I found the interior rather chic, and the jazzy renditions of hit songs such as Michael Jackson's Thriller were a wonderful accompaniment. Apart from selling food, G3 also sells products such as pasta, sauces, chocolate powder and different flavoured beers. We were very hungry and in the mood to eat as soon as possible, but the extremely slow service really got us worked up.

The food eventually came in the end, with our Roasted Pumpkin served with Almond Flakes, Feta Cheese and Garden Salad worth RM 20,being the first to arrive. The dish was wonderfully presented, with a large piece of grilled pumpkin acting as the centrepiece. The pumpkin was cooked on one side and slightly raw on the other. There wasn't any almond flakes, though there were chickpeas in its place. The crisp salad with pesto provided for a nice addition to the dish.

Next up was our Deli Sandwich with Turkey Ham, Avocado Aioli and Cheddar Cheese, worth RM 17. The sandwich contained a lot of meat in a warm toasted bread, with the meat, cheese and aioli calling for a marriage made in heaven. The sandwich was accompanied with a helping of amazingly fluffy chips and some simple greens.

As a dessert, we placed an order for a Raspberry Crème Brûlée worth RM 7. Though the dessert took quite some time to arrive, the smell of caramelised sugar filled the air of the restaurant while they were blowtorching the dish, which tantalised our tastebuds. The dish was phenomenal, with the crispness of the surface, creaminess of the filling and tartness of the raspberries providing a myriad of flavours and textures to the dish.

Still hungry, we ordered a Chocolate Truffle Torte worth RM 7. The dish took quite some time to arrive, and the chocolate seemed more like syrup than that of a chocolate truffle. Despite that, the dish tasted swell, with the orange and the chocolate forming the ideal combination, as odd as that combo sounds.

As a whole I was really impressed with this new establishment. G3 served us great tasting food, of a reasonable quality, for a reasonable price. The only point of contention for the restaurant is that it needs to buck up on its service if they intend on surviving because in Bangsar, nobody likes slow food.

Presentation: 8/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Service: 5/10

Overall Taste: 7/10

General Impression: 7/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic