Providore by Passion Foods @ Solaris, Mont Kiara, KL

Another porky option in Solaris....

J : "What's that? New pork burger place in Solaris? Let's go!" :)

A friend had pointed out a new-ish restaurant in Solaris so we popped over for lunch one day. We found the location quite easily - it's located in the block of shops just opposite Cold Storage:
The exterior of Providore...

Inside, the restaurant is modern yet casual, with lots of purposely unfinished surfaces (eg. concrete floor+bar top) matched with sleek white chairs and simple wooden tables:
Inside the restaurant...

The lunch time menu is bit limited, with a strange mix of lunch appropriate light meals (eg. burgers, sandwiches) with some much heavier choices (eg. meat platter) on the specials board.

That day, we started off with the Beef & Bacon Wrap (RM 20+):
The Beef & Bacon Wrap...
Simple and nice. :) The beef was tender enough, well marinated and wrapped in a light flat bread.
(Wouldn't mind ordering this again)

Of course, I had to try the Open Faced Pork Burger (RM 28+):
My pork burger...
Mmmmmmm... a chunky and tasty pork patty, served with a jiggly egg (perfect!), lightly seared bacon and veggies atop a crusty piece of bread - YUM!

A word of caution though: Another friend who went to Providore on a separate occasion said that her pork burger was a little dry.... As for me, well, I was satisfied with my burger that day. :)

When I saw the Sanbitter drink (RM 7+) on the menu, I was curious:
It's so red.... Is it glowing??...
I tend to order things just because I've never seen it in other restaurants, and most times it works out - I get to try something interesting/ different, even though it may or may not taste fantastic.

In this case however, I ended up with a tiny glass of bright red liquid which tasted like bitter cough medicine (at best). :(
(Hey, if you like bitter drinks though then this is a good choice for you, I guess)


So it's: Good selection of porky options (among other things) in Solaris Mont Kiara, friendly service and comfortable ambience BUT food is ever so slightly pricey and nothing else bad to say really... :)

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Providore @ Solaris, Mont Kiara, KL

Taste: 6
Ambience : 6
Service : 6
Price** : RM 55+ per person
Parking: Limited ***

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
***Try parking inside the Solaris basement parking instead...

Telephone No.: 03-6203 6870
Opening Hours:
Closed on Mondays,
Tues to Fri - 11am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm,
Weekends - 11am to late

NOT HALAL

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Emmagem.com


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Hartamas, Mont Kiara, Solaris, Providore, Western, Pork, KL, Kuala Lumpur

Getting Old! 4 Years (and counting)...

A slow-ish year (restaurant review-wise), but another one under the belt nonetheless....

Memoirs Of A Chocoholic is now four years old!
Oink-oink! I'm 4 years old! :)....
In many ways, it's been a fantastic year - one of fun & discovery:
1) Continued makan sessions with my fellow Saturday Night Dinner buddies (Thanks for being patient with me not letting you eat your food till I've taken a photo of it, and still letting me steal bits of your food after all this time...), and
2) Getting out of my shell to meet with other food bloggers (Thanks for being so much fun, and showing me that a love for food can bring people together...)

Last but not least, thanks to everyone who has been reading my blog, whether you have just stumbled upon it, or have kept coming back.... (Hope you find my reviews useful to some extent)


You know who you are dahlings! *HUGS*
:)


More hugs,
J

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

Bella Italia @ Palma Condo, Mont Kiara

Another "hidden" restaurant in a Mont Kiara Condo....


[ BEGIN EDIT ]
(Oct 2009)

Sorry, it's closed! But another cafe has taken over this location already. If you want to, have a look at my review of the new cafe HERE.
(It's pretty good!)
:)

[ END EDIT ]

Disclaimer: OMG. Sorry but I lost the receipt agaiiiin.... :( :( So, no exact prices but I remember I ate there for < RM30 for my main+appetizer.

Anyway, have come across another hidden restaurant in a Mont Kiara condo:
The quaint restaurant by the pool side...
Located at the poolside of the Palma Condominium (specifically, it's near the ground level pool - ask the guards, because apparently this condo has 2 pools), it is simple yet scenic... I do worry though that the open air setting could get uncomfortably warm in the day time:
The covered, but open air seating...
The Mushroom soup was normal - creamy and fairly tasty... but it also tasted a little like canned soup:
The mushroom soup...
Calamari was also ok - crunchy and tender (but tasted suspiciously processed):
The Fried Calamari Set...
As for the mains, we tried the Grilled Lamb Chops:
The grilled lamb chops...
Just ok. Sauce was pretty nice (sort of a sweet-ish black pepper sauce) but the lamb could have been a bit more tender.

Also, we tasted the Chicken & Mushroom Risotto that night:
"Risotto"...
Honestly, it was like chinese Mun Fann (steamed rice bowl?) pretending to be a risotto. First of all, it wasn't short grain rice, and it tasted like it rice fried with cream sauce because the grains of rice were dry inside.

Still, I guess it's good carb-y comfort food for those who like rice.
(My friend Jo liked it, although she agreed its definitely not really risotto)

Well, I can't say that the food is authentic or extraordinary, but let's put it this way: The prices are very decent for Italian food in Mont Kiara.... :)

So it's: Simple setting by the poolside, with a fair selection of Italian dishes at reasonable prices BUT can be warm (it's open air with no air conditioning) and not much in terms of desserts.

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Bella Italia @ Palma Condo, Mont Kiara
(the condo next to the Mont Kiara Coffee Bean/ just a bit down the road from Plaza Mont Kiara)

Taste: 5
Ambience : 5
Service : 5
Price** : RM 35++ per person
Parking: OK* ***(It's free but limited inside the condo - and do not park for >6 hours or you will get charged RM10)

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
*** It's free but limited inside the condo - and do not park for >6 hours or you will get charged RM10

Telephone No.: 03-2096 1116
Opening Hours: 11.30am - 9pm (Closed on Mondays)

NO PORK SERVED

OTHER REVIEWS:
-

Map:


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Hartamas, Mont Kiara, Palma Condominium, Bella Italia,
Italian, KL, Kuala Lumpur

Siem Reap

Desktop holiday for you: Asian Edition - happy days travelling with friends in beautiful Siem Reap (Part 1)....

My own bit of sunshine (in the plane, on the way to Siem Reap).....
Happiness is: being on a plane, on the way to a holiday (aka. Flying away from work).....

My first breakfast in Siem Reap - soupy pork noodles & really wonderful iced coffee (At the Soup Dragon Cafe). The noodles were just ok, but the coffee *Drooool* - it was so good!:
Tasted like Chinese style pork noodles.....
J whispers, "I miss yooouuuu....".....

The main Siem Reap town area:
So colourful, and dusty too!.....

First stop: Angkor Thom entrance!
Some of the stone guardians protecting the gate.....
Big ancient "highway" :) .....


Next: Our first temple visit, Bayon temple:
A small looking but beautiful temple.....
Many decapitated statues (defaced/ stolen during the war).....
Comparing feet :).....
Beautifully detailed carvings adorn the walls.....
Hordes of tourists in the temple area.....
The famous smiling faces of Bayon (Hmmm, I wonder what they're thinking about?).....

Lunch time! Local Cambodian food, washed down with an ice cold local beer - BLISS!
Hot day + ICE COLD beer = happy J.....
Having a bite of local Amok - sort of like green curry - yum!.....
We were given a free dessert that was so so yummy - like a thin layer of mochi paste wrapped around a small chunk of slightly melted palm sugar, with a sprinkling of young coconut shaving (I guess it's a bit like onde-onde but somehow much more refreshing).....

I think I'll stop here for now - I'm afraid I'm overdosing you with photos.. :)
(I took so many photos in this trip - Siem Reap is so beautiful!)

Hugs,
J

THE REST OF THE SET - J'S SIEM REAP 2009 PHOTOS:
- Siem Reap 2009, Part 2
- Siem Reap 2009, Part 3
- Siem Reap 2009, Part 4
- OR go to J's Main Travel Page for more options. :)


TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Travek,Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

Cristang @ 8 Avenue, Petaling Jaya

Interesting non-Halal Portugese and Western food in the PJ area (near PJ Hilton)....

Joe beat me to this review by a few days... *pout*
(Haha... Just kidding... No worries. It's not a competition, anyway, right?)
:)

Cristang is Western/ Portugese restaurant in the fairly new commercial area called 8 Avenue (in the area opposite PJ Hilton/ behind the Courts Mammoth). I heard that they serve pork burgers... so how could I resist? :)
The restaurant exterior...
Inside the restaurant, the decor is simple and quite cosy:
Cosy inside the restaurant...
First up for the night, the Devils on Horseback (RM 10.80+):
Bacon! Oh, with asparagus...
Basically, it's a simple combination of bacon wrapped around asparagus. :) Other than one rebellious piece of asparagus (that was too fibrous), this was a nice appetizer - sinful yet without being overwhelming. :)
(Bacon makes everything better, right?)

The Otak-Otak Pate (RM 10.80+):
A mound of Otak-otak, served with crackers...
This was an interesting take on the normal otak-otak, but was a little too salty for me.

The Bacon & Egg Soup (RM 12.80+):
My bowl of soup...
Mmmm... It wasn't as interesting as I hoped. Kinda watery and bland... :(

Pan Fried Fish (RM 22.80+):
The pan fried fish...
Overall, OK. I thought it was a bit salty but was out-voted on this (the others thought it was ok).

P3 burger (RM 23.80+):
Our P3 pork burger...
There are a wide array of burger choices here, starting from the bare P1 (pretty much just a normal cheese(pork)burger) to the P6 (everything except the kitchen sink - has petai!). All in all, no complaints - the burger patty was juicy and was well complemented by the salty chilli con carne and various other toppings.

Of course we had to try some of their Portugese specialties as well - the Chicken Cristang (small) (RM 13.80+) and Pork Leg Debal (small) (RM 14.80+):
Chicken cristang (in front) & Pork Leg debal (foreground)...
I liked both the sauces, spicy and fragrant of herbs... but if I had to choose, I preferred the Chicken - the kaffir leaves added a nice oomph to the sauce.
(Also, the pork was a little chewy, but then again pork leg is hard to get just right....)

The Nasi Lemak Goreng (RM 12.80+):
Heart stopping plate of sin...
I can't imagine a dish more sinful than this, really - Nasi lemak, fragrant of santan, fried with bits of sausage and bacon (hmmm, sparse amounts but still) made for a really carb-y but satisfying meal....

Oreo Ice Cream (RM 18.80+), Chocolate Banana Crepe (RM 10.80+) and Tiramisu (RM 20.80+):
The chocolate banana crepe...
The deconstructed Tiramisu...
The Oreo ice cream...
Overall all the desserts were ok:
- The Oreo Ice Cream was refreshing and satisfying at the same time,
- the Banana Crepe was light, creamy,
- and, well, we expected more from the Tiramisu... :( Overall, it was ok actually (could have done with more coffee+chocolate flavour but that's just me). It's just that for 20+ bucks, we expected our socks to be knocked off).

We also tried some of the cocktails that night - Wild Sangria (RM 24.80+):
The Wild Sangria...
I thought it was quite nice - refreshing with the taste of strawberries adding a different twist to the usual sangria... but one of my friends complained that it didn't have enough alcohol in it.
(Haha... what to do? Can't win them all....)

So, it's: Casual restaurant, good selection of interesting non-Halal Portugese and Western food for reasonable prices BUT nothing much to complain about except that there were some "misses" on their menu - but hey, who's perfect, right?...

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Kristang @ 8 Avenue, Jalan Sungai Jernih (8/1), PJ


Taste: 6
Ambience : 6
Service : 6
Price** : RM38/++
Parking: OK (but I've heard the surrounding roads are pretty jammed on Weekday nights)

** Approximation - Per person, 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-7956 7877
Opening Hours: 11am - 3pm, 6pm - late (closed on Mondays)

NOT HALAL

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Lots Of Cravings
- Lingzie's Tummy Treats
- Verves in Composition
- Knits and Nibbles


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, Petaling Jaya, Portugese, Cristang Restaurant, Petaling Jaya, PJ, Asian Food, Western

Bangsar Seafood Garden Restaurant @ One Bangsar, KL

More free food? Is J selling out? Of course not! Haha... Fresh seafood, Chinese style cooking and Halal too....

It was just like any other night,... then I received a phone call from famed baker Fat Boy Bakes inviting me for dinner at Bangsar Seafood Garden Restaurant... Sure, I was only a replacement for Capn' Hook who couldn't make it at the last minute, but 1) invited by top baker+blogger, and 2) attending as another top blogger(Babe_in_kl)'s replacement hot date?

Well, how could I say no? :)

Inside, the restaurant was comfortable - classy but simple furnishing, airconditioned:
Inside the restaurant...
It was nice meeting new food bloggers, and chit chatting with those I had met before whilst we waited for the food:
DSLRs, ready to spring to action!...
Steamed Red Snapper Fish with Bean Sauce (1 Kg: RM 90++)

The fish....
Overall, ok. The fish was fresh. :)
******

Stir Fried Tiger Prawns with Special Curry (S: RM 28++, M: RM 45++, L: RM 60++)
My prawn...
Loved the sauce - definitely heart stoppingly rich but was delish.
(Don't take too much of it - you'll get jelak in no time)
******

Egg Omelettes with Crab Meat (S: RM 15++, M: RM 25++, L: RM 35++)
A stack of ommelettes...
This simple dish was presented very interestingly... Taste wise, it was ok. Wish there could have been more crab meat but overall, no complaints.
******

Stewed Chinese Cabbage with Dried Scallops & Mushroom (RM 50++)
The cabbage...
Looks are deceiving! Despite the unappetising brownish colour of this dish, it turned out to be my favourite of the night. :) I loved that the cabbage had been lovingly stewed till it was full of flavour and had a nice textural mix (tender) against the bits of sliced chicken and shitake mushrooms.
******

Boneless Chicken with Fruits Sauce (M: RM 20++, L: RM 40++)
The Chicken...
The sauce was a little too sweet for my tastebuds, but otherwise, this chicken was nice - so tender and juicy. :)
******

Braised Bean curd Combinations (S: RM 15++, M: RM 25++, L: RM 35++)
The Bean Curd...
Another hit that night - the combination of the delicate beancurd with the accompanying chunks of crispy veges.
******

Fried rice (RM ?)
Fried rice! Carbs galore...
No complaints - wasn't spectacular (no "wok hei"), but was fairly tasty and thankfully, not too oily....
******

Stir Fried Crab Meat with Salted Egg Yolk (1 Kg: RM 60++)
The Crabs....
I was over my food capacity by this time but judging from the comments of the other food bloggers, this was not bad, although they would have liked more salted egg....
******

Butter Crab (1 Kg: RM 60++)
[ sorry, no photo - it was served to the other table ]
******

Fried Bun & Steamed Bun (6 pcs: RM 3++)
[ again, sorry, no photo - it was served to the other table and they finished it all! ]
******

Lastly, the Honeydew Sago dessert (RM ?++)
The Honeydew Sago....
A refreshing way to end the night - creamy without being overwhelming....
:)

Our friendly hostess, Jade, was also happy to highlight that there are some good sets available for the Ramadhan:
RAMADHAN SPECIAL SETS:
(From 20th August till 21st September 2009)

With every Ramadhan Set Menu ordered, you'll get a voucher to redeem 1kg of crabs on your next visit. There are 4 sets to choose from:

RM 498++:
Appetizer, Shark’s Fin Soup, Chicken with Ginger, Spicy Fried Fish, Lychee Prawns, Signature Beancurd, ‘Kampung’ fried rice, Custard Buns, Dessert

RM 598++:
Appetizer, Shark's Fin Soup, Chicken with Plum Sauce, Pomfret with Bean Sauce, Prawns with Sweet Corn Sauce, Steamed “Sang Gan”, Tom Yam Noodles, Banana with “Gula Melaka”, Dessert

RM 698++:
Appetizer, Double boiled soup, Roast chicken, Red snapper, Otak Otak Fried Prawns, Braised Sea Cucumber, Oyster Fried Rice, Chinese Pastries, Dessert

RM 898++:
Homemade appetizers, Shark's Fin Soup with Pumpkin, Boneless Duck, Curried Garoupa, Braised Seafood, Mango Prawns, Garlic Fried Rice, Banana & ‘Gula Melaka’, Dessert

LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Thank you MR FBB for the invite - I don't mind at all that it was last minute :), Jade for making the night possible and all the other food bloggers that night - lovely to meet you all. :)


So it's: Halal place to bring your Muslim friends with decent Chinese style cooking, ok ambience BUT no complaints, it wasn't really a proper dinner (I didn't pay anything) so hard to assess completely.

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Bangsar Garden Seafood Restaurant @ One Bangsar, KL

Taste: 6
Ambience : 6
Service : 6
Price** : RM50/++ per person
Parking: OK

** Approximation - Chinese style sharing meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-2282 2555
Opening Hours: 11am - late

NO PORK SERVED

OTHER REVIEWS:
- The Nomad Gourmand
- Have Your Cake and Eat It Too
- Places & Foods
- Kampung Kayell
- A Whiff Of Lemongrass
- Bangsar Babe
- Babe In KL
- Paranoid Android


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, Bangsar, One Bangsar, Telawi Street, Bangsar Seafood Garden Restaurant, Halal Chinese, Wedding

Rama V Buka Puasa Buffet

Temptation....

Look what I found!:
A tempting flyer.....
Rama V has a Ramadhan Buka Puasa buffet! And only for RM64+.... :) :)

The problem is that, if I am not puasa-ing.... and I go there to stuff my face with lots of yummy Thai food.... Hmmmm, all those calories....... *ponders*

Nah. Still wanna go. :) :) :D
(*lol*)


Greedy,
J

(Restaurant Review rating & Details pasted in from my original review)

Summary Sheet:

Rama V Fine Thai Cuisine @ Jalan U-Thant, KL

Taste: 8
Ambience : 8
Service : 7
Price** : This dinner was approx. RM 300 per person, but usually can eat for RM 55++ per person
Parking: OK

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks

Telephone No.: 03-2143 2428
Opening Hours: 12noon till 3pm, 6pm till late.
Parking : Limited (but free - can park in the front lawn)

NO PORK SERVED

REVIEWS:
- Mine - Memoirs Of A Chocoholic
- Lots Of Cravings
- Kampung Kayell
- The Nomad Gourmand


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Restaurant, Restaurant Review, Thai, Ramadan, Ramadhan, Buka Puasa, Buffet, Jalan Tun Razak, Jalan U-Thant, Rama V