FOOD Magazine . issue 05 Nov 2011

Issue 05 . November 2011

FOOD is published fortnight, twice a month. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part prohibited without permission. While the publisher has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, we will not be held responsible for any errors therein. The opinions and experiences articulated on this magazine are entirely based on blogger's personal tastebuds and may be at odds for other foodies.

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HERITAGE VILLAGEAman Suria, Petaling Jayaby www.isaactan.net

FAMOUS SEREMBAN FAVOURITESSunway Mas, Petaling Jayaby www.foodnframe.com

NAGOMI SHABU-SHABUMenara Hap Seng, Kuala Lumpurby www.iamthewitch.com

Heritage Village Cafe I 03

HERITAGE VILLAGEAman Suria, Petaling Jaya

Heritage Village is this cafe serving nyonya food located in the vicinity of Aman Suria, Petaling Jaya. My late grandmother was a nyonya herself, and I must tell you, her homecooked food were excellent comparable to none, hence I arrived at this restaurant with very high expectations. I wasn't dissapointed at all.

Heritage Village is a certified halal restaurant, serving some really good Penang nyonya cuisine, just like how my mum and late grandmother cooks it. In fact it was so similar in taste for some of the dishes, I actually called the owner to the side to tell him how good it was. The ambience was good, not unlike many of the cafes and restaurants around PJ area. I took the chance to capture some photos of the decor.

It wasn't long before the dishes were served. I'm from Penang myself, and being here tasting these food brings me back to my hometown. It's as if I'm having my Char Kuey Teow, Chendol, and "Hokkien Mee" in Penang itself!


by www.isaactan.net


Crispy on the outside, meaty on the inside.

Chicken Lor Bak Platter (RM8.90)


Duck Egg Char Koay Teow (RM9.90)

Har Mee (RM6.90)

Assam Laksa (RM6.90)

If you haven't tried Penang laksa yet, try it here. The sourness is just right, coupled with huge chunks of fish inside the soup, tastes just like home I tell you.


Otak-Otak Fried Rice (RM7.90)


Next up on the menu was the set meals that Heritage Village offered for its customers which consists of 1 Nasi Lemak with a choice of an optional dish. Good stuff I tell you.


Acar Fish with Nasi Lemak (RM9.90)

Ayam Goreng Berempah with Nasi Lemak (RM7.90)

Chicken Rendang with Nasi Lemak (RM7.90)

Assam Udang with Nasi Lemak (RM9.90)


All the above optional dishes came with either rice or Nasi Lemaks, were really reasonably priced and delicious to boot. I recommend taking the Ayam Goreng Berempah, Assam Udang, and the Chicken Rendang. Do try the Acar Fish, but the sourish taste might be a bit too strong for some folks.

Next up are the other side dishes available to order at Heritage Village.

Pong Tay Chicken with rice (RM7.90) Curry Kapitan with rice (RM7.90)

Otak-Otak (RM5.50) Chee Cheong Fun (RM4.50)


It's supposed to be rolled up this way, and eaten with some sambal chili, delicious!Now this "Jiu Hu Char" dish got me really excited as this was one dish my mother never misses out during our chinese new year reunion dinner as well as the dish to be had on the auspicious day itself. Guess what, it tasted exactly like how my mother cooks it!

"Jiu Hu Char" or the 'Stir-fried vegetables with cuttle fish" (RM12.90)


ABC (RM5.50)


Overall it was a really hearty meal, and I really have to refrain myself from repeating the fact that all the dishes served in Heritage Village tasted exactly like what we would taste if we ordered it in Penang.

Will I come back here again? Definately, if not just for the the Char Kuew Teow, "Jiu Hu Char" and Durian Cendol.

RestaurantHeritage Village (Penang Nyonya Cuisine)AddressD-G-31, Jalan PJU 1/45Aman Suria, 47300 Petaling JayaTelephone+6016 337 3384, +6016 233 0889Business Hours7 days a week, 8 am to 10.30 pm

Of course, a good Penang Nyonya meal wouldn't be complete without some sweet desserts, and what better dessert to have than Penang's evergreen Durian Cendol and ABC. I loved the Durian Cendol, there was even a piece of D24 Durian in the middle of the bowl.

Durian Cendol (RM7.90)

www.tablefour.us

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FAMOUS SEREMBAN FAVOURITESSunway Mas, Petaling Jaya

When I Googled about Famous Seremban Favourites, I was surprised to read so many positive reviews about about their Char Siew or BBQ pork.

As far as I know, Seremban is always well known for their ‘Ngau Lam Mee’ or Beef Noodle. Hence, it was rather unexpected (at least for me) to realise that Char Siew is also one of Seremban’s signature delicacy. Since it has garnered so many rave reviews, I thought it would be good idea to try out the food to see what the buzz is all about.

A word of advise though. Since the place is extremely crowded during lunch hour, it is better to go early to avoid disappointment. At the same time, service was rather slow as their workers are busy attending to the huge number of customers.

But as they say, good things will come to those who wait and true enough, our patience paid off handsomely when we were rewarded with a plate of lips smacking Char Siew.

Famous Seremban Favourites Restaurant I 15

by www.foodnframe.com




Simply put, the Char Siew was heavenly! I always prefer eating the lean portion but the Char Siew at Famous Seremban Favourites has changed my preference. The fatty portion complimented the lean meat so well that it was an absolutely delight to taste. Believe it or not, the fatty part was so soft that it can literally melt in the mouth.

I have never tasted Char Siew as good as this one. Ever since I had tried Ming Kee Char Siew a couple of months back, I was convinced that they serve the best Char Siew ever. But now, my votes go to Famous Seremban Favourites hands down. You haven’t tasted Char Siew until you had it here.


Besides Char Siew, we also ordered a plate of roast chicken (RM6) which tasted quite okay. It wasn’t bad nor was it good enough to warrant a two thumbs up.

The Hakka Mee fares much better. I took the big portion (RM4.80) which came with a generous amount of flat noodle.

There are many different version of Hakka Mee but the one at Famous Seremban Favourites comes without dark soya sauce. Although the plain looking meal may look unassuming, it certainly tasted nice.



If you are craving for ‘sinfully’ delicious plate of Char Siew and a bowl of Hakka Mee, this would definitely be the place to go.

RestaurantFamous Seremban Favourites RestaurantAddressNo. 80-1 (Ground Floor), Jalan PJU 1/3BSunway Mas Commercial Centre47301 Petaling Jaya, SelangorTelephone+6017 279 8582 (Bill Khoon)Business Hours8 a.m. – 4 p.m. dailyClose every Tuesday

Nagomi Shabu-Shabu I 23

Every time I went to the

buffet line, the food was

always at least half-full and

the crowd was not that

alarming. I always had time

to leisurely walk around,

observe each dish and decide

which I should choose before

moving on.

What’s the rush?

NAGOMI SHABU-SHABUMenara Hap Seng, Kuala Lumpur

Call it shabu-shabu, syabu-syabu, hot pot or even steamboat. Call it whatever you want, and it will still be the same, fun experience of cooking your own food in a big pot of soup.

A Japanese variation of the hot pot, shabu-shabu’s main difference is that each person gets an individual pot of boiling hot soup to cook his or her food, without sharing it like the Chinese hot pot. In this sense, each pot of soup is hygienic, customizable and personal. Don’t like beef, don’t put it in! :)

I personally enjoy shabu-shabu on a cold, rainy night, when the low temperature sends chills down my spines and makes my hair stand. The steaming hot food and bubbling soup are my number one cure. That night, we ended up at Nagomi Shabu-Shabu to try their newly launched Shabu-Shabu Buffet.


by www.iamthewitch.com


Another thing that captivated me was the fresh mini lobsters that were still swimming in the tray filled with water! A few of them even managed to escape the tray, onto the table. When I tried to take a couple of them onto my plate, they started crawling and fell on the floor. Talk about running away.

One thing I dislike about buffets is the crowds. And the fast-disappearing food from the buffet line. Living in a predominantly kiasu land, it’s not common to find buffet tables to be nearly empty almost as soon as they’re served. Thankfully, I did not face this problem with Nagomi. Every time I went to the buffet line, the food was always at least half-full and the crowd was not that alarming. I always had time to leisurely walk around, observe each dish, decide whether I should choose one or the other, before moving on. What’s the rush?


Apart from the lobsters, most of the other seafood offered were fresh, notably the fish slices, prawns and bamboo clams. The crayfish and crab were marvellous for the miso soup. I added them in at the beginning before anything else and they made the soup so much sweeter and delicious.

Apart from the raw food spread, there was also a section dedicated to Sushi and Sashimi. Yes, Salmon Sashimi to be exact – they are offered only from 8-9 pm daily, signaled by the ring of the bell. The sashimi slices were fresh to be eaten on its own, or they can be blanched in the sweet miso soup. Saucer enjoyed the blanched version very much – he called it the half-boiled sashimi.

Variety of fish balls, crab sticks, meat balls, fresh prawns, crabs, clams, bamboo clams, mussels, squid...

Crayfish (above) and fresh fish slices (below)


Sliced lamb


Of course, the main star of shabu-shabu is the thinly sliced meat. There were 4 choices to choose from: chicken, lamb, beef and duck. Duck? It was my first time. Although I found the meat to be a little on the tough side, the aroma was unmistakable, and it was thankfully, fresh. My favourite had to be the lamb and beef slices though, just swish-swish for about 10 seconds in the bubbling soup, and they would be tender and juicy.

Sushi andthinly sliced meat

Noodles and salad


The variety of greens

Selection of sweet desserts and sushi


The selection of sauces was so huge it was overwhelming. I didn’t know which ones to choose so I asked a waiter for recommendation. According to him, the top 3 sauces were the Goma (sesame) sauce, Ponzu (vinegar) and Nyonya (spicy) sauce. I enjoyed the Goma sauce the most especially with the sliced meat. For seafood, I preferred to eat them on their own or with spicy chilli sauce. What to do? I’m a chilli addict.

Tofu


The variety of greens

One more thing, look out for the incredibly long fish noodles from the meat ball counter. These noodles were thick and long, and tasted like fish ball – so very bouncy! I’d rather eat these than normal noodles anytime.

Comfortable dining environment


RestaurantNagomi Shabu-Shabu @ Menara Hap SengAddressSuite 1-19, 1st FloorThe PodiumMenara Hap SengJalan P Ramlee50250 Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaTelephone+603 2141 6332Business HoursMon – Fri (6 – 10 pm)Sat – Sun & Public Holiday(12 – 2.30 pm, 6 – 10pm)Websitewww.nagomishabushabu.com

Buffet PriceAdult RM32.80++Children 5 – 12 years RM18.80++ParkingRM3 flat after 5pmon Sat, Sun & Public Holidays

Even though the selection was not that extensive, the seafood and meat slices were definitely of top quality. This is the case where quality triumphed over quality, and I certainly have no complaints. My only gripe, perhaps, was the lack of dessert in the selection. They only had several trays of fruits and kuih offered. Some ice-cream would be great to cool us down, perhaps? Just my 2 cents! Otherwise, this is one buffet that is good value for money, considering the quality of food offered.

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FOOD Magazine . issue 05 Nov 2011