Shopping & Dining Experience @ South Pacific Cafe in Cheras by FollowMeToEatLa

Dining concept nowadays has been taken to a new level, where one can simply dine and shop together as well. One such place is the South Pacific Cafe & Boutique located within suburban Taman Segar Perdana in Cheras. Indulge in lovely western or local delights with soups, salad, pasta and healthy desserts. Fried dumplings in creamy mushroom, seafood spaghetti, green curry, pineapple fried rice, ginger tong yuen are just some of the mouth watering dishes waiting to be ordered.

 Enterprising lady Ms May King

Ms May King the cafe cum boutique proprietress, thought of this idea to cater to the needs of young busy mothers. Offering a relaxed, homely and comfortable place to catch a bite & to shop besides, her place also caters for private parties, gatherings and even kids birthday parties. "Special theme party like 'Princess Party', 'Minion Party', all these can be arranged and planned for", May King explained.

A little kiddies corner comes with mini television and toys to keep the young ones entertained while mummy shops & daddy dines.

Some of us just simply can't resist not checking out the pretty dresses. According to May King, all her clothes are imported from Hong Kong & China. She offers a Membership Program for her loyal customers where points accumulated up to 1500 will be entitled to a 20% discount off the rack for subsequent purchases. Besides that, there is special Member's Day Sale and even annual Lucky Draws for her customers too. Prizes for them can comes in form of buffet vouchers and many more.

A great concept of private dining in a pleasant setting for family, friends and BFF's to eat and be merry. If you're up for some delish home cooked meal, do check out this cosy little place as you mingle and chatter away with your family and friends. Believe me, dining in South Pacific is definitely one experience that should not be missed!

   Refreshing Fizzy Lemonade - RM 3.80

This fizzy drink is refreshing, not too sweet with a hint of sourness from lemon juice. Much better than the lemonade we used to as this has the gassy & fizzy taste to it. I would prefer this healthier option rather than the plain old 100Plus or sugar laden fizzy soft drinks - Coke or anything else. Could do better if comes chilled with ice cubes for a cooler sensation.

 Unique Spout less Teapot

This is a very unique 'Spout-less' teapot I noticed at South Pacific while dining there. Call me 'Jakun' or anything else but this is the first time I saw such an interesting 'device'. As it's spout-less, how does one pour the tea out? Ah-ha, the trick is to put it right on top of the cup and it will automatically release the tea from the bottom. Easy right, but on the contrary, there's a possibility of over flow as we can't see the amount of tea coming out. 

While waiting for our food, we play around with this pot and discovering that there's a trick to it. The right method is to look the water level in the pot to determine how much we want. Anyway, we have much fun trying to pour tea and not spilling for every one at the table that day!

   Creamy Mushroom Soup

At South Pacific, we were served with a variety of starters which also include a soup. Creamy Mushroom soup have always been my favourite, any time anywhere as I grew up drinking the Campbell soup during my younger days. The mushroom soup was really rich, creamy and well-seasoned, combined with the generous amount of button mushrooms that made this another comfort food candidate indeed. Well, I bet this is a sure winner with kids and goes well with garlic bread or light toast.

   A bowl for RM 5.60

I found there were plenty of button mushroom slices. It tasted so smooth and it was so filling. Would have been nicer with a sprinkle grated cheese toppings on this delicious soup.

Salu-brious Crunchy Chicken Salad

Chicken salads are always full of flavour, protein and healthy fat fit the bill. One have to savour this salad slowly in order to enjoy it to the fullest. It was a prefect combo of crispy romaine lettuce lightly coated in a creamy dressing topped with soft-boiled eggs, crunchy julienned carrots and onions. Sounds healthy and nutritious, right?

 Chicken Salad - RM 6.70

For starter, I found this chicken salad simply appetizing. Loves the taste of bits & pieces of chickens as I munch thru the fresh vegetables drizzled with thousand island dressing. According to Ms May King, the chicken meat was specially marinated first for the added flavour. 

   Something Different : Fried Dumpling

Creative dish from South Pacific, a chef creative marriage of the chinese wantans with western creamy sauce. Looks can be quite deceiving, I initially thought it was some dumplings served in curry sauce. Ms May King further explained that she added some praprika for added flavour, thus the orange colour of the sauce.

   Per serving - RM 5.30

Wantan dumplings was tasty and cooked just right, not too soft. Minced meat within was of the right texture, savoury with meaty bites. A very unusual dish paired the usual wantans with rich creamy sauce. Somehow, the whole combination was really tasty and agreed with my taste buds. And for that, it gets a thumbs up from me!

   Hearty Pineapple Rice - RM 8.50

Rice being our country staple food, so obviously fried rice of any style will always be everyone's favourite. Even though fried rice is a simple dish to prepare, it takes a lot of skill to make it outstanding. The rice must be fluffy with every morsel evenly coated with a sheen of golden egg. Vegetables like the long beans and french beans, chicken, roast pork, cha siew or shrimps are added to complement the whole dish.

   Chunky Pineapple with the kunyit rice

Pineapple rice that I sampled @South Pacific was given a new twist with added tangy pineapple.This dish comes with generous serving of chunky chicken meat and pineapple, making an unusual but harmonious combination that is also healthily delicious. Another unique feature is that the yellow coloured rice was infused with fragrant kunyit and orange peels too. The whole dish looks simple but good to eat. 

South Pacific Cafe

23-1 Jalan Perdana 4
Taman Segar Perdana
Cheras 
43200 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel : 9075 6822

Appetising Noodles Stall @ Ming Kee (OUG) by FollowMeToEatLa

My family's favourite place to eat any kind of fried noodles - be it Hokkien mee, Cantonese fried, Singapore-style fried mee hoon or even fried rice, we will definitely drop by at Ming Kee. His 'tai chow' stall is located right behind of a corner coffee shop calledRestoran Ong Lay in OUG. The other landmark is the Public Bank (OUG) as the stall is right beside the bank too. Stall closed on Thursday because of the 'pasar malam' at OUG, but other than that it opened for business from 5pm till 11pm everyday.

Although his speciality is the Hokkien mee, but my personal favourite is the Cantonese Fried Yee Mee. It's basically a combination of deep fried yee mee cooked in an eggy gravy with meat and vegetables. What makes Ming Kee's noodles different from the rest that I tried (mind you, I travelled in & around KL looking for good food) is the 'wok hei'.

   This noodles dish came with brimming vegetables

Very fragrant 'Kong Fu Yee Mee' served with yee mee, drenched with a gooey and rich gravy. I liked the crispy noodles soaking up the smooth eggy gravy.

   Loaded with 'lui' of pork & prawns !

Loved the noodles, cooked together with generous serving of prawns, pork, pork small intestines and loaded with lots of vegetables. Gravy is so rich and luscious. The smoothness of the noodles, it just glides off your tongue. OMG, I’m salivating as I’m writing this … *wipes drool* Best time to come and eat or ta pau is on weekdays as on weekends can get kind of busy. Real value for money, serving of single pax or small is RM 6 only. Judging from the large single serving is enough for 2 persons if you're not a big eater. 

'Chief cook' cum owner caught in action whipping one of KL's best noodles.

Enjoy watching him cooking up a storm in this open kitchen concept. See the smoke from the wok, well this is the 'WOK HEI',something impossible to replicate at our kitchen.

FYI, he's been doing this for the past 15 years, so how wrong can his noodles get! 

Friendly boss manages a smile for my camera although he's quite camera shy.

Please take note that WEF 1/09/2014 ~ Ming Kee Hokkien Mee had relocated to 

29 Jalan Hujan Rahmat
OUG Old Klang Road
58200 Kuala Lumpur

(at the Restaurant Sun Sea - lookout for the Big tree in front of the corner shop) 
(same row with Caring Pharmacy of OUG)

Mayflower Restaurant ~ Exquisite Oriental Fare @ Kota Kemuning Shah Alam by FollowMeToEatLa

My makan trips have brought me to many places I have never been before, meeting new people and trying out new food. On my most recent Makan Ventures, I had a wonderful experience meeting up with Mayflower's friendly couple, Mr Tee and his lovely wife, Melisa Chan. Mr Tee, the owner of Mayflower is truly a humble man. He shared with us his sad story about his mum, something close to his heart. 

On the other hand, he was the 'Star of the Nite' too.(Of course, besides the Pork Knuckle). Funny guy Tee got us in stitches and kept us entertained with his endless hilarious jokes throughout the dinner. Well, besides getting 'well fed' that nite, we were 'well entertained' too. Hahaha ....

 Lovely Couple The Tees

Mayflower Restaurant is a fine dining Chinese restaurant located at Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam. Occupying an expansive corner double storey shop lot with a front entrance strategic facing the main road. Mayflower exudes a relaxed and welcoming ambience that has made it a popular dining and drinking destination for both office workers and the residents of the Kota Kemuning district. 

The restaurant’s interior is spacious, cosy and comfortable dining environment with a seating capacity of up to 250 people. The 1st floor is a full function hall, well-equipped with karaoke sound system with a seating capacity of 400 people. Hall are also available for rental for wedding parties, anniversaries and hosting of events where external catering is allowed too.

The name of the restaurant has a very poignant story to it. The touching, yet sad story was shared by the owner, Mr Tee himself. The name 'Mayflower' was chosen by the Mr.Tee as a remembrance to his beloved mother. He lost her mum at a young age of three. She passed on in month of May. 

Carnation is the flower for month of May, so he contemplated to name his restaurant 'Carnation', but then he thought that it may sound kind of awkward. So after much deliberation, he decided on the name 'Mayflower' as a dedication to his mum. Sad but touching story, to learn that a young boy grew up without his mother's love and care.

During our recent 'Makan Ventures', we were served with a 8 full course dinner dishes. Comprising of Zhejiang's Three Treasures, Shanghainese Poached Chicken, Chinese Pork Knuckle, Steamed Fish with Daikon & Ginger, Buttery Shrimps with Corn Kernels, Hakka Braised Pork Belly, Hong Kong-style Steamed Rice and lastly, for desserts was the Royal Jellies & Flaky Shanghainese Pastries.

   Star of the Night : Chinese Pork Knuckle

My personal favourite was the Chinese Pork Knuckle. Honestly, this is the one dish which I can never have enough as I love pork in any style. It's well seasoned and marinated, you can taste the favouring not only on the skin but also within the juicy meat of the pork knuckle. Fried to perfection, not too dry ... smell good, taste good with spice flavouring. 

Ms Samantha, the manager shared with the us that this dish goes through a tedious process. Marinated for a full day before it was stewed for 1.5 hours to tenderise the meat, lastly it was fried to perfection, making it's still juicy on the inside but crispy on the outside. Very well-executed !

Crispy and savoury skin, with a tender and juicy interior that was oozing with flavour. It was suffice to say that both bones were licked clean that night.

   Unique Sauce

The accompanying sauce was deliciously sweet and nutty, bringing out the best in the knuckle.

   A pleasing-to-the-eye Pork Knuckle - RM 70

Deeply flavoured skin crackle and crunch with the slightest touch of your teeth, and the meat is moist, tender, and flavourful. 

Miss Know All - Samatha Chok the Manager of Mayflower

Ms Chok gave me a good impression as she really know her stuff well, right up to details from preparation of each dishes, the ingredients that goes into it and so on. She was basically just ratting away as each dishes were served to us. Wish I have brought a recorder or something to note all those informations she's sharing with us !

   Delicious looking Shanghainese Poached Chicken

Well, the next dish I wish to review is non other that the 'Shanghainese Poached Chicken'. As the name suggest, this dish originated from Shanghai. Samatha shared with us that this dish was usually served cold in China, but have been improvised to suit local taste. Farm or Kampung chicken is a must for this dish. Poached to perfection, the chicken was firstly de boned and a hot broth was spread over the chicken just before serving.

The chicken was really smooth and tender, combined with the generous amount of wolf berries sauce that made this another comfort food candidate indeed. Served warm instead of cold, the broth was infused with Shaoxing wine flavour upon each bite. Awesome!

   A Whole Tender Village Chicken

Artistic food presentation of the Chicken dish are only for wedding banquet's host table only. Certainly not available for ala carte orders as the whole process might takes up to 3 hours for the decoration alone!

   Pleasing-to-the-eye : Buttery Prawns

The Buttery Prawns With Corn Kernels was just simply delicious. The deep fried prawns itself was very tasty and aromatic. The meat was so fresh and firm, deep fried to perfection. Together with generous serving of the rich and creamy buttery gravy, it was a perfect combination. As everyone practically licked the plate clean, it was truly an appetizing 'Har-Har' dish that whet one's appetite that night. (happy; Har is prawn in Cantonese)

   Sinful Buttery Prawns with Corn Kernel - RM 80

Partnering of prawns with corn kernels, makes an unusual choice but somehow, it turn out to be harmonious combination.

The freshness of the prawns was top-notch and the gravy was splendid, a wonderful accompaniment with white rice.

   Artistry in Motion

A pleasing-to-the-eye artwork accompanying the prawns dish. I was truly amazed by degree of skill and creativity exhibited in the 'finished product' by the artistic chef at the Mayflower Restaurant. 

Address: No 2G, Jalan Anggerik Vanilla S 31/S, Kota Kemuning, Seksyen 31, 40460 Shah Alam.

Phone:       : 016-313 3188

Website     : https://www.facebook.com/klmayflower

Tasty & Cheap Italian Food @ Gusto Giusto in Glenmarie Shah Alam by FollowMeToEatLa

Take a trip down to Glenmarie, Shah Alam for an escapade to Italy without having to fly - what awaits you is an authentic Italian fine dining meal. Start off your meal with an appetizer of your choice, the main course and end it all with dessert to curb your cravings for something sweet. Bring a friend along to whet your appetite for Western Cuisines with a trip to Gusto Giusto Italian Dining.

Arancini or arancine are fried rice balls coated with breadcrumbs, said to have originated in Sicily in the 10th century. Arancini are usually filled with ragù (meat sauce), tomato sauce, mozzarella, and/or peas. There are a number of local variants that differ in fillings and shape. The name derives from the food's shape and color, which is reminiscent of an orange (the Italian word for orange is arancia, and arancina means "little orange").

Nasi Comel & Bulat - Nasi Sicily 

RM 10

Well, you see Gusto Giusto decided to introduce this typical Italian food to Malaysian by renaming it the 'Nasi Sicily'. How awesome! Getting anyone to pronounce the real name would be quite a mouthful or even hard to remember.

Nasi Sicily is an unforgettable delight, attributed to the chef’s creative marriage of the common ingredients such as sticky rice, beef/chicken, mozzarella cheese and bolognese meat sauce too. Although it's served as an appetizer in the menu I found this quite filling, may even be an excellent choice as a kid's meal due to the attractive looking cute little round shape. 

I found the breaded fried rice very flavourful, loved the tasty special meat sauce within as it complemented each other quite well. Palatable food, I believe would go with young children and rice lovers too.

  GG Special Pizza - 'Romeo & Juliet' 

 RM 15

Next on the menu is the Gusto Giusto's Special Pizza named 'Romeo & Juliet'. Loaded with tomato sauce, mozzarella, chilli, green pepper, button mushrooms and minced chicken/beef meat, I found it equally delicious, was nothing short of heavenly. 

Generous Toppings of everything on GG Special  

The crispy pastry filled with generous amount of cheese that was baked to perfection to a perfect crunch. Loved it especially when this was served piping hot, warm to bite, with a perfectly crisp exterior and just the right amount sauce and toppings.

 Cheesy Siciliana Pizza

RM11

Last but not the least, is the Siciliana Pizza. Crispy crusted pizza with toppings of savoury fresh homemade tomato sauce, olives, the special addition of anchovies and sprinkled with generous toppings of mozzarella cheese before being baked till golden brown. This pizza was flavoured from the fishy anchovies but would have been nicer with more olives too.

See the burnt part of the pizza. This's one of my favourite thin crust pizza besides the GG Special. The Siciliana Pizza is crispy on the outside and extremely cheesy on the inside. I really loved eating the slightly burnt cheese topping on this pizza.

Here's a picture of me trying to bite off the cheesiest part of this yummy pizza!

As a matter of fact, this is my first eating anchovies on pizza. They take on an intense but sophisticated fish flavour and I think may not goes well with some non fish eater due to the fishy delicate flavour.

One of the co-owner, Mr Devan further explained that pizzas from Italy usually comes with toppings of tomato sauce, mozzarella and herbs. Occasionally, they may add some ham, olives, anchovies, tuna and minced pork/chicken. Unlike those pizzas that have been Americanise by Domino's or Pizza Hut which is nothing short of beef pepperoni, beef salami, pineapple, sausages among others. 

He also makes sure that his patrons get generous portions when they dine here and says that they really interested only in serving real authentic and value for money Italian dishes. For personalized service and reasonable prices, do drop by and come to Gusto Giusto, the little pizza and pasta heaven in Shah Alam!

Date of Visit :2013-08-24

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

Phone         : 03-5567 0988 / 011-2639 5022

Website      : http://www.gusto-giusto.com/

Facebook    : https://www.facebook.com/gustogiusto2013

Little Pizza and Pasta Heaven @ Gusto Giusto in Glenmarie Shah Alam by FollowMeToEatLa

Italians are known throughout the world for their pizza, pasta with tomato sauce, and pizza is one of the most popular Italian meals that almost everyone loves. Let me share some history in honour of this special pizza .....

Pizza Margherita was invented in 1889 to honour the Queen consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy. The baker or pizza maker from Naples, Raffaele Esposito created the "Pizza Margherita," a pizza garnished with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil to represent the colours of the Italian flag - red (tomato), green (basil), and white (mozzarella). 

Supposedly, this kind of pizza was then named after the Queen as Pizza Margherita. The first known pizza shop was the Port 'Alba in Naples, which opened in 1830 and is still open today.

   Original Margherita Pizza

RM 9

Topped with homemade tomato sauce, Italian cheese mozzarella and fresh basil, the pizza sure hit the right spots. The flavours were rich and they were generous with the cheese. Loves the crust, it was baked to perfection and not too thick nor too 'crisp' thin. This 10" pizza is priced at only RM 9, real value for money too!

   Cheesy Pizza in Action

   A challenging feat with the cheesiest pizza

Other Italian pizzas that you can try out include Romeo & Juliet (GG's Special), Marinara, Siciliana, Diavola, Carnivora, Pescatora, Toono e Cipolla,  just to name a few.

I really enjoyed dining @Gusto Giusto as their pasta and pizza are some of the best cooked Italian food I have ever had. The food they serve is really good quality. As the saying goes like this "The best recipe comes from our heart" is no lie!


For the finale, I was served with Espresso to keep us in 'good health'. I read somewhere that coffee may have benefits, such as protecting against Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes and liver cancer. And it has a high content of antioxidants.

   Italian Espresso 

RM4 

Real Italian Espresso comes in black, short and hot for only RM 4, pretty decent price to pay for any coffee drinker. What a great and satisfying way to end my gastronomic adventure at this charming Italian restaurant.

 Two Thumbs Up for Chef Alik of Gusto Giusto

Can't resist not taking any pictures with the Chef Alik, highly skilled professional cook proficient in whipping up Italian and French food for his patrons. My many thanks to him for serving us with yummy offerings of pizza, pasta, appetizers and many more ....

Date of Visit: 

2013-08-24

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

Phone        : 03-5567 0988 / 011-2639 5022

Website      : http://www.gusto-giusto.com/

Facebook    : https://www.facebook.com/gustogiusto2013