Hearty Meal Banana Leaf Rice @ Sri Paandi Restaurant in Petaling Jaya (Sek 11) by FollowMeToEatLa

   Wholesome & Tasty Banana Leaf Rice

One of my favourite Indian restaurant to go to when craving for some real authentic banana leaf rice is no other than the Sri Paandi which is located at Seksyen 11, off the junction nearby to Universiti Hospital. Ample indoors & outdoors seating are available but I would always prefer the air conditioned ones inside the restaurant. 

The food served here is both tasty & cheap as the basic vegetarian set costs RM 4.50 with unlimited topping/add ons. It consists of rice, 4 vegetables dishes, papadom, rasam, yoghurt & curry gravy either the chicken, fish or dhall. I always look forward to coming here when observing vegetarian diet on the 1st & 15th of the Chinese calender.

Meaty Deep Fried Chicken with the original set

For meat lovers, they offer a wide selection of mutton curry, fish curry, chicken varuval and chicken curry too. In addition to that, they have deep fried of everything else ie chicken, tenggiri fillet, kembung, sotong & many more. Fried food goes well with banana leaf. I opt for some fried chicken choosing the meaty part of the chicken breast. It was well-marinated with spices, aromatic and spicy much to my liking. Serving was good too as it was a thick piece of meat which I believe it's even enough to be share by two. It cost only RM 5.00 per piece. 

I would recommend the chicken curry gravy & rasam to go with the rice as it's absolutely delicious. South Indian meals does not complete without a rasam. Rasam or Saaru is a South Indian soup which can be eaten with rice or separately as soup. It's a light, tangy & flavorful soup made using tomato, lentils, crushed whole pepper, cumin seeds and garlic.

Crunchy Deep Fried Fish

One of the many choices of deep fried fish, and this one costs around RM 7.00 per piece.


Deep Fried Salted Chillies

Try eating this with your rice, it has the combination of saltish & spiciness to add some oomph into your meal. Not for the faint heart as it comes across extremely hot to burn your tongue.

Healthy Yoghurt

Here's bowls of healthy yoghurt with the friendly & efficient staff that goes around serving the patrons. (& not camera shy too, they even reminded me to share this pics on FB with them, hahaha !)

Indian light bites,sweet cakes,palkhova & jelebi

There are assorted Indian light bites, dessert & cakes like the palkhova and the Jelebi, some which it's too sweet for me.

Anyhow, you can eat to your heart content with unlimited rice, vegetables, gravies & others & as for me, this is a appetising, hearty meal for me any time of the month!

Date of Visit : 2013-07-20

Address : 37, Jalan Dato Mahmud 11/4, Seksyen 11, 46200 Petaling Jaya.

Contact : 03-7960 0576

Simple & Good Old Tosai - Sri Paandi in Petaling Jaya Sek 11 by FollowMeToEatLa

Plain & Delicious Thosai
RM 2 

Thosai is a South Indian pancake. High in carbohydrates and proteins and contains no sugar or saturated fats, it's a typical breakfast item for the Indians. I choose to eat thosai & not roti canai ever since I switched to practise a healthier lifestyle these days. It's practically a very versatile food as you can eat it any time of day here. They have rawa thosai, paper masala thosai, ghee thosai & many more.

   3 types of gravy for thosai

I simply loves the gravies that accompanied the savoury thosai. Hearty & perfect to be eaten with 3 types of gravy. My favourite is the coconut chutney paste made up of coconut, lentils, green chilli and mint or coriander. Next comes the sambar which is the mildly spicy red tomato chutney. Last but not least is the mango chutney that tasted sourish sweet ... certainly not to my liking as it didn't go well with the thosai.

On the heavier side, you can choose to have dhall curry, fish curry or the chicken curry too. Light & tasty ... good meal to eat for breakfast or supper.

Date of Visit : 2013-07-20

Address       :  37, Jalan Dato Mahmud 11/4, Seksyen 11, 46200 Petaling Jaya.

Contact       :  03-7960 0576

Capturing the Soul of Italian Cuisine @ Gusto Giusto in Glenmarie Shah Alam by FollowMeToEatLa

Hidden Gem : Gusto Giusto

Are you in the mood for some hearty Italian food? My latest 'discovery' is an Italian Restaurant called Gusto Giusto at Glenmarie in Shah Alam. My recent food review adventure with Foodirector has brought me to this hidden gem. I was lucky to be given an opportunity to experience the real taste of original Italian cuisine. 

No Frills Casual Dining @ Gusto Giusto

The restaurant brings about a cosy and comfortable setting with its simple interior design, making it the perfect place for families, special events or just a good old fashioned meal. At Gusto Giusto, you sit back and enjoy the traditional Italian decor, of red and white chequered tablecloths.

The restaurant serves authentic Italian food such as spaghetti, pasta, antipasto, bruschetta, grilled dishes and more for your food feast which you won't want to miss out on. Bring your family or friends along for an amazing Italian experience. And of course,buon appetito!

   Tasty Appetizer with Mozzarella Cheese/Basil leaf

Start my healthy meal with a rich appetizer called the Antipasto. Antipasto means "before the meal" and is the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal. Traditional antipasto includes cured meats, olives, pepperoncini, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, various cheeses, pickled meats and vegetables.

    Salubrious Antipasto 

RM 10

This is a mixed platter of olives, mozzarella cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, green peas and corns. The whole combination was really tasty and agreed with my taste buds. I was never a fan of green peas, but somehow I didn't mind eating them in this dish. Well, remember to kick off a good meal with the naturally delicious Antipasto!

A fine bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Sale at Gusto Giusto

   Lip-smacking Spaghetti Tartufona

 RM 20

Happiness comes in all forms of satisfaction. For me, it comes in the form of a good meal. Cooked to perfection, it was my favourite and not to be missed. The sauce was exceptionally rich and creamy, absolutely heavenly for any pasta lovers. 

Simply irresistible with a strong hint of the truffle oil, it came in a generous serving of thick truffle cream. This dish has a robust aroma to it. The fragrance of the aromatic truffle oil was just mouth-watering.

My favourite of the night was without a doubt is the rich and creamy Spaghetti Tartufona!

Warm and friendly co-owner, Mr Carmelo Ferlito showing me a bottle of Truffle oil.

A closer look at the Truffle oil used to impart the flavour and aroma of truffles to the dish.

Gusto Giusto literally meant 'Right Taste' in Italian

Be prepared to feast upon a wide array of highly appetizing meals such as Spaghetti Bolognese, Spaghetti Tartufona, Spaghetti Frutti di Mare, Lasagne, Nasi Sicily, Margherita Pizza, Siciliana Pizza, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Antipasto, Bruschetta and many more. Head over to Gusto Giusto now and start dining like an Italian!

Value For Money Spaghetti 

RM 8

Traditional Spaghetti Bolognese is a real winner for me. It has ground beef/chicken, lots of garlic, mushrooms, onions and cheeses, plus Gusto Giusto's own special tomato meat sauce which Chef Alik made from scratch everyday.

   Closer Shot of the Delicious looking Spaghetti Bolognese 

The moist, aromatic and flavourful pasta transports one back to the pleasant simplicity of a Italian cooking leaving behind a calming aftertaste. It was easy, delicious, comfort food that has maintained its quality and standard and for that, it gets a thumbs up from me!

 Pretty tasty in its own right

 Simple and Good Spaghetti Bolognese  

The spaghetti was really delicious, combined with the generous amount of meat sauce that made this another comfort food candidate indeed. Price is a steal, guarantee won’t burn a hole in your pocket as it costs only RM 8 per serving which I believe you can't find anywhere else in KL/PJ.

Happy guy and always smiling, the co-owner, Mr Carmelo Ferlito showing the 2 types of pasta he brought in all the way from his homeland, Italy. Spaghetti on his right & Penne Rigate on his left.

Date of Visit: 2013-08-24

Address: 25, Jalan Juruaudit U1/37, 40150 Glenmarie, Shah Alam

Phone        : 03-5567 0988 / 011-2639 5022

Website: www.gusto-giusto.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/gustogiusto2013

Healthy Delights of Dim Sum @ Imperial Pot - Solaris Dutamas by FollowMeToEatLa

Imperial Pot is a contemporary Hong Kong Dim Sum restaurant. Their menu boasts of wide array of steamed, fried and baked fusion dim sum and buns as well as rice rolls, porridge, noodles, specialty soup and dessert. Besides that, they even serves steamed rice and dishes which is only available from 12 pm onwards. 

The restaurant has soothing environment with comfortable outdoor and indoor air-conditioned setting. Ample parking space can be found at the adjacent Publika Shopping Mall which is a stone throw away.

An attractive Oriental arch decor complete with red chinese lanterns welcomes you to use the wash rooms, how nice!

    Smokey Wonder of Enoki Mushroom Wrapped in Bacon

RM 7.80

If you like bacon and mushroom, I suggest that you try out this special dim sum. Enoki mushroom and fish paste are served wrapped in smoked bacon slices and topped with savoury sauce. The sweet sauce balanced out the saltiness of the bacon wrapped morsels.This dim sum has a chewy texture beneath the bacon slices, lurked a springy & bouncy fish paste which it definitely taste delectable. It's a 'Must Try' item listed in the menu and price @RM 7.80. 

Unique Steamed Bak Kut Teh Soup Dumpling 

  3 pieces for RM 8.80

Check out this mouthwatering and special Bak Kut Teh dumplings when you visit Imperial Pot. You see, I'm a fan of bak kut teh and was very excited to try this out. You see, this little dumpling also known as 'Siew loong pau' must be eaten as a whole. Biting into halved will literally get the soup spilled.

   Something Different

The dumpling's skin wasn't too thin or thick, smooth and slippery as I slowly 'glide' it into my mouth. I know that traditional siew loong pau have 18 pleats because it's supposed to look like a chrysanthemum flower. Mmmm ... loved it. No time to count the pleats here.  

Taste wise the soup is quite pleasing – piquant and strong flavour of herbs within. Surprisingly, it went well with the minced pork filling, quite a unique combination too. But remember to eat them piping hot with shredded ginger and black vinegar.

Egg Custard Bun in Charcoal Grilled Skin 

  RM 6.80 for 3 Buns

The 'not-so-nice' Lau Sar Pau was a total failure. The Chinese sayings of 'Look nice but not nice to eat' ... "Hor tai ng hor sek" applies here.

It failed miserably both in the texture of the skin and the egg custard filling within. The charcoal skin was too thick without the soft or fluffy texture every bun should have. There was no sight of any sweet custard oozing out when you take the first bite. Instead, the paste leaves you with a powdery taste of custard in your mouth too! 

I have tasted better ones and really yummy & awesome 'Lau Sar Pau' @my favourite Tin Sum Restaurant at the OUG morning market. 

Deep Fried Avocado with Crispy Silk Wrap

   2 pieces for RM 8.80

This is a very crispy dim sum I had at Imperial Pot. The nutritious avocado was delicately wrapped with rice vermicelli which was specially imported from Germany. This roll was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The filling was a tad too sweet for my taste. Besides that, it was too mushy ie soft and pulpy. Nothing to shout about as it tasted just like kaya for me!

Date of Visit:   2013-08-20

Address      :   A1-UG1-03 Solaris Dutamas, No. 1, Jalan Dutamas 1, Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur.

Phone        :   03-6412 6188

Website     :   www.imperialpot.com

Best of the Best Claypot Mouse Noodles @ Yoke Heng in Seri Kembangan by FollowMeToEatLa

   Must-Try Dish Claypot Mouse Noodles

RM 7

Restaurant Yoke Heng is a typical no frills & pretty well known eatery nestled in Seri Kembangan. This place is famous for their Clay pot Mouse Noodles (Nga pou lou shu fun) which is the main dish every single patrons would ordered. Be it lunch or dinner, it has always been their best seller. It's their star and signature dish.

Unlike any other clay pot mouse noodles which is cooked with black sauce, their version is infused with a lighter broth, almost a braised version. A very thick concoction of eggy sauce, the tasty broth is loaded with minced pork & dried prawns that gave the extra crispy texture. Best eaten with a dash of the black vinegar as it adds unique flavour to the soup, a blend of sweetness and saltiness, and slightly sourish because of the vinegar.

My hubby's favourite as he personally named it the 'Special Shark fin Loh Shu Fun' because of the smoothness, flavourful eggy soup with the slippery noodles. Price is reasonable too as a big tasty pot even to feed two (if you re small eater) costs RM 7.00 for a single or small pot. Remember not to order the big pot as it's doubled the price - RM 14.00 but servings does not equal to it. Wiser to order 2 smaller pots, therefore you end up having more in servings. But beware of the lady boss, (the plump lady) she's kind of rude & once get annoyed with us when we ordered 4 single small pots for a table of 5. Anyway, no fear just 'taruh' her balik & tell her who's the customer!

   Succulent Honey Pork Ribs Wrapped in Foil

RM 28

This is my all-time favourite honey pork ribs which I can never have enough of. It's Yoke Heng's Signature Dish where this honey glazed succulent ribs are wrapped in the aluminium foil to preserve the heat. Tender texture infused with a savoury, smoky flavour, a sweet and sourish tangy sauce, it was definitely a friendly companion with the rice. There is a melt-in-the-mouth experience that I could not stop eating them. Highly recommended for pork lovers .

   Aromatic Herbal Chicken

This is my first trying out this particular Herbal Chicken dish at Yoke Heng Restaurant. My regular dishes every time are none other than their Signature clay pot mouse noodles & the unforgettable Honey Pork Ribs in Foil for my family & I. Well, so happen we're entertaining our long-time close friends from Singapore that day, so we decide that we should go out of our 'comfort zone' & order something else instead. 

When we unwrapped the chicken parcel, the dining table is fill with wonder aroma of the herbs. The fragrance from the aromatic herbs just permeates through & the taste of the ingredients cooked in chicken come forth instead of being overwhelmed by it .

Very well cooked with lots of herbs like the wolfberries (kei chee), angelica root (dong kwai), red dates, yok chuk & many more for a flavourful healthy dish. The sauce flavour penetrate fully into the meat which is pleasing to the palate. Good to eat with rice. If you have not tried this before, it is about time to do so!

Tasty Stir fry Lala with Garlic & Chillie Padi

RM 15

Stir fry Lala or Clams is cooked with garlic, chillie padi & generous amount of dried shrimps. Loaded with 'wok hei', it's definitely a prefect dish that is sure to please seafood or lala lovers. It's fragrant, spicy & full of garlicky flavour, good enough to eat on it's own as it's not too salty. Well, I can tell you that the lala tasted even better than it looked in my picture!

 Stir Fry Sweet Potatoes Leaves

My two thumbs down for this lousy dish. Simple & easy dish to cook but the chef failed miserably in frying this vegetable dish. What lacking is the 'wok hei', tasteless & quite oily too. The saving factor is that the serving is generous. Anyhow, since we are not in the habit of wasting food, everyone somehow managed to finish it clean but vowed not to order it any more.

All in all, Yoke Heng is a good place to dine with your family weekend outings. Just stick to the favourites like Mouse Noodles, Pork ribs and their Lala, other than that everything else is mediocre.       

Restoran Yoke Heng

No. 33 Jalan SR 8/4
Taman Putra Indah
Serdang Raya, 

43300 Seri Kembangan 
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-8943 8753

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Xia Mian Guan ~ Exquisite Oriental Shanghai Fare @Oasis Boulevard Sunway by FollowMeEatLa

 

 Xia Mian Guan  

This Shanghainese restaurant opened its doors to customers in March 2013 serving various tasty & authentic dishes from Shanghai. Be spoilt with delicious Shanghai dish choices from signature Shanghainese home made noodles to Braised Pork Cubes and Dry Bean Curd in Soy Sauce, Smoked farm chicken with Pu 'Er tea leaves, Deep fried Spare Ribs with Red wine and more tempting dishes.

Located at the young and vibrant the Oasis Boulevard, it's the good place to indulge in lovely delights of Oriental fare. You and your family can relax in the comfortable ambience while treating your appetite with lavish Shanghai meal in the restaurant.

 The Caesar Salad with Crispy Soft Shell Crab and Boiled Eggs

The Caesar Salad with Crispy Soft Shell Crab and Boiled Eggs was love at first sight for me, hence it was coincidently given the same name called "Love At First Sight Salad" in Chinese too. It was a prefect combo of crispy red leaf lettuce lightly coated in a creamy dressing, topped with soft-boiled eggs, crispy soft shell crabs, crunchy zuchini, fresh cherry tomatoes, multi coloured bell peppers and 'imitation' abalone slices. Sounds delicious, right?

By the way, you will be surprised that Caesar salad was named not after some illustrious Roman Emperor, but after Caesar Cardini, a Mexican chef working in Tijuana in the 1920s, who would dramatically serve it up table-side, hahaha !

Appetising bites of crunchy and crispy Soft Shell Crabs instead of croutons.

 Unique thick & creamy dressing of mayonnaise with black pepper & sesame oil. 

Modification from the regular caesar salad dressing of using olive oil.

 Bon appetit to this glorious looking bowl of healthy salad

I love the rich creamy taste and fragrant of the sesame oil together with generous servings of the 'imitation' abalone slices. Without a doubt, it was my favourite appetizer of the day. A plate of goodness awaits you for the price of RM 48 which serves up to 5-6 pax.

   Chilled Delights - Winter Melon with Chillies Flakes

To start our dining experience, we were served with 5 varieties of Shanghai-inspired appetizers. Besides the Caesar Salad with the Crispy Soft Shell crab that won over my heart, this little particularly cute looking rectangleish blocks of winter melons got my attention too. 

My eagerness and curiosity to try out this cute dish were soon met with stamp of approval from me. The delicately cut winter melon was served cold, with a strong vinegar aroma. Topped with chillies flakes, this appetizer sure hit the right spots. They were mildly spicy, sourish, piquant and with a hint of sweetness to it. Somehow, the whole combination was tasty and agreed with my taste buds. I have to say that it was quite similar to the regular pickled papaya slices we used to eat, but this comes in form of winter melon instead.

   Price RM 8 per serving

It was the perfect appetizer dish that got us wanting more food!

 Nice Sheen of Golden Egg Yolk of Smoked Duck Eggs

The smoked duck eggs has a firm, moist texture and served in a salty, slightly sweet sauce which I think it was the Maggi seasoning. The half cooked eggs were served in a Chinese soup spoon making it easy to savour without spilling out the runny yolks. I found the seasoning a tad too much ... too salty to my taste, guess it should be served separately as a dipping sauce instead. Taste wise was pretty similar to the half boiled eggs, maybe the Maggi seasoning too overwhelming that I can't taste the smoky part of it. 

 Nice Presentation of the Homemade Smoked Eggs

I was never a fan of 'gooey egg yolks', so I found this to be pretty average only. Price wise was pretty steep, charging RM5 for an egg, cut into 1/2 portion.

 Delicious Deep Fried Spare Ribs in Red Wine Sauce

The ribs tasted even better than it looked. Wonderfully smoky, with the sweet and sour plum glaze waking up our taste buds. The meat was as superbly tender with a delicate texture too.

   RM 16 per rib

The ribs had crispy and savoury skin, with a tender and juicy interior that was oozing with flavour of the red wine. The accompanying sauce was sweetish taste of the black sauce, bringing out the best in the ribs. Perfect to be eaten with white rice. It was suffice to say that both bones were licked clean that night. Very well-executed.

 A+ Fresh Claypot Curry Prawn With Fresh Mantou

My favourite was this prawn curry where the prawns were cooked just right with the curry being excellent vehicle to bring these seafood flavours together. Fresh ingredients like the serai, shallots, galangal, dry chillies and evaporated milk were being used for this dish. The claypot curry is popular here and comes with generous serving of fresh chunky prawns. Hearty & full of flavour, perfect to be eaten with rice too!

   Soft & Tasty Mautou

Dipping the deep fried mantou in the gravy was the best! I could not resist from eating the last serving of the mantou for they absorbed the delicious gravy so well.

   Prefect Combination RM 36 for 6 pcs of Prawns

    Simple yet Tasty Hand made Noodles

 RM 6 

Xia Mian Guan specialises in traditional types of made-to-order Shanghainese-style handmade noodles. They are offered in both the (soup) wet and dry version with the accompaniment of shredded pork, pork chop, chicken chop, minced pork with eggplant, shrimps and many more. 

The noodles tasted like pan mee, but the broth was hearty and flavourful. The handmade noodles, seaweed, siew pak choy and pork bone soup make an unusual but harmonious combination that is also healthy and appetizing. Prefect to start or kick off a good day with naturally delicious breakfast of a hearty bowl of plain noodles.

   Slurpy Long Strands of Noodles

The soup had a prominent, strong smack of flavour pork bone flavour, so I would say this is a dish only for pork lovers. I love pork, and found this simple, plain noodles quite enjoyable. Price @RM 6 only for a such big bowl, it's definitely value for money to eat in this nice posh restaurant any time of the day !

Date of Visit: 2013-08-17

Address  : OB.K7, Ground Floor Oasis Boulevard Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall
                  No. 3 Jalan PJS 11/15 Bandar Sunway

                  46150 Petaling Jaya.

Phone    : 03-5611 7949 / 03-5621 0040

Website  : http://www.xiamianguan.com/