Yuzu Japanese Restaurant

It was the bff's birthday, and we chose to celebrate over a Japanese lunch at Yuzu. Although it has been open since 2007, it was my first and my only visit to date.

Yuzu is literally a citrus fruit and is widely used in Japanese cuisine. While the fruit is not normally eaten fresh, its juice is commonly used in the cooking process, much in the same manner as lemons are used.

We were at a loss when deciding what to order due to their extensive menu. We wanted too many dishes, and had to use the elimination method to choose what we really wanted to have.

We all concurred that we must have at least one "healthful" dish and chose a salmon salad (RM44). While we could taste the mayonnaise, we were unsure what was the special dressing mentioned in the menu.

I have the habit of including sushi when having Japanese, and opted for Ebi Avocado Maki (RM42), reason being the bff really likes avocado.

The bff is also a steamboat fanatic, and so is the other bff. They shared a Kimuchi Hokkai Nabe (RM88) amongst themselves. There was so much salmon, prawn, scallop, squid and vegetables in that bean paste soup that also had kimchi. It smelled tempting but I gently declined, as I am not a fan of the entire combo of seafood, kimchi and steamboat.

Another dish that I did not taste and had an enjoyable smelling was the beef that came on a sizzling hot plate. I swear I still smelled like it even after the meal.

For those who prefer to not share their food, there is a selection of bento sets on the menu.

They also accept reservations for groups, as we caught glimpse of private rooms further in. Although I personally feel that I have had better Japanese elsewhere, I would give a thumbs up for service and ambience. Oh, and location-wise, conveniently inside one of the most popular malls in the country.

Yuzu Japanese Restaurant

T236, Third Floor, The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

T: +60 3 2284 7663, +60 3 2284 7763; E: yuzujapgmail.com

Daily 11:30am to 10:00pm

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Snitch by The Thieves

Situated on the third floor in the centre of The Gardens Mall is a fancy-looking place called Snitch, which is established by the same team behind Breakfast Thieves in the neighbouring hood of Bangsar. I have made several visits since getting to know about the place, either to have proper meals with friends, or just for a quick coffee before my baking class next door at ABC Cooking Studio.

One advantage of dining with a group of friends is that we would get to taste different dishes without having to overeat. Their pasta menu seemed to appeal to everyone, in different ways, as they came in rather international flavours.

The Kaprao-Nara (RM36), as its name sounds like, is a Thai twist to the Italian staple. It is spaghetti cooked with Thai basil spicy chicken mince, fresh bean and shiitake, topped with a fried egg, chilli, coriander and citrus parmesan cream.

 

The menu had plenty for seafood lovers, like the Crab Getty (RM42). Everyone was full of praises for the panko soft shell crab, which was soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The flavour of the creamy salted egg yolk infused with the blue swimmer crab meat, ebiko, and capsicum is topped off with spring onion and bird's eye chilli.

I like the names they give their dishes, like Finding Dory Aglio Olio (RM40), which essentially is a seafood aglio olio. The plate is filled to the brim with prawns, calamari, baby scallops, crispy baby prawns, blistered cherry tomato and mushroom. The spaghetti is almost hidden under all these marine treasures and then sprinkled with chilli garlic lemon oil.

Being a spin-off of a Melbournian cafe, we had to try their Aussie Blended Iced Coffee (RM22). It was refreshing, especially for a hot arvo.

Of course, the place would not be complete without coffee and cakes. Freshly baked cakes and other pastries are available to order at the cake display counter, so I am guessing that there is a possibility that they have different cakes every now and then.

Flat white RM13

Note: There is a hidden bar, which you would "unhide" as you make your way to the washroom. So when they close, you could just adjourn to the bar.

Snitch by The Thieves

T-225A & B, Third Floor, The Gardens Mall, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, 59200 Kuala Lumpur.

T: +60 3 2201 9699; E : info@snitchgroup.com

Daily 11am till late (kitchen closes at 9:00pm)

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Teppan Sakaba

Le bff and I discovered this izakaya thanks to a heavy downpour. We initially wanted to have dinner somewhere else but due to the rain, we decided to change to somewhere with covered parking. And as we were in Taman Desa, the best choice was Faber Tower.

Both of us are not familiar with the eateries in Faber, so we just chose the closest one to the the lift. We scanned the menu and thought, okay, why not.

 

We rather liked the interior, as we found it rather authentic. Perhaps we were rather early and also because it was raining, there were not many people there. Therefore, the waitstaff were pretty responsive.

I personally liked how they even have signs on the floor. Although it is something rather simple, it added to the vibe.

We did not quite understand why there were dinosaurs on the tables, though. I thought they were Ultraman-inspired, but that was just my hunch.

Onward to food. We wanted some green, so we had edamame.

We enjoyed the pan-fried gyoza lots - crispy on the outside, soft and flavourful on the inside accompanied by pickled ginger. Totally could see why this is one of the most popular dishes.

Pork never seems to not be on our order list. Instead of somethin grilled, we ordered salted belly miso. This was new to our palates and we enjoyed it.

We also tried clam soup, which befitted the cold and wet weather.

For me, the best was the unagi because, well, I love unagi.

Affordable pricing, cosy ambience and attentive service. Not bad for a random coincidental find.

Teppan Sakaba

Lot G13 Faber Tower, Jalan Desa Bahagia, Taman Desa, 58100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

T: +60 3 7971 7678

Daily 4:30pm to 11:30pm

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Natalina Italian Kitchen

 Once every now and then, A, J and I would treat ourselves to a nice meal. One of these treats was at Natalina Italian Kitchen, situated on the third Level of Avenue K Shopping Mall in downtown KL. 

Natalina was the name of Frank Sinatra's mother and this Italian kitchen is headed by Chef Stefano La Penna. 

We started with some bubblies. So long since I had some, so this was refreshing.

Then we had the complimentary freshly baked bread, well matched with pesto, olive and tomato dips.

There were so many dishes that we would have liked to try but with only three stomaches to fill, we decided to not be greedy. We settled for three dishes.

First dish was the Eggplant Parmigiana because it is a non-pasta version of a lasagna. Anything with eggplant or the word lasagna never fail to get my attention. An oven-baked eggplant timbale served with mozzarella cheese in a rich tomato reduction, we could smell it even before it arrived at the table.

We licked the plate clean.

As we saw someone kneading pizza dough at the entrance, we thought that it would be good to give theirs a try. Their Napoli-style Diavola pizza hit just the right spot with savoury, tangy, spicy flavours thanks to the spicy Italian salami, fresh tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella and red chilli.

We were all craving risotto and coincidentally, the risotto of the day was seafood risotto. We were so full after that, as risotto is rather filling.

I do not mind visiting again to try the other dishes on their menu. Oh, and that next time I have to make sure to find someone else to drive, so that I could try something from their cocktail menu.

Natalina Italian Kitchen
Lot 06 Level 3, Avenue K, 156 Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

M: +6012 673 3860; E: info@natalinakl.com

Daily 12 noon to 10:30pm

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Khin Lom Chom Sa Phan

 As I took a siesta on one of the days of the trip, Mum and Dad went out to get snacks. One of the locals they spoke to recommended to them a restaurant called Khin Lom Chom Sa Phan, which we patronised for dinner.

It was a huge set-up, with both roofed and also alfresco seating. We chose to sit in the alfresco area for the fresh air and view of Rama VIII Bridge over the Chao Phraya River.

We tried our best to understand the Thai-only menu. I suppose that is one way to gauge whether it is a local haunt or touristy place. The wait staff also did not have very much English, so we decided to go for safe options:

Green curry chicken

Seafood tomyum

Claypot baked mussels

Crispy pork with stir-fried vegetables

Taste-wise, we really could not tell what authentic Thai dishes were supposed to taste like but since they all were rather tasty and judging from the amount of people there, we concluded that they servee good food here. Prices are slightly steep but I suppose the ambience has been factored into it.

Khin Lom Chom Sa Phan

11/6 Samsen 3 Alley, Wat Sam Phraya, Phra Nakhon, 10200 Bangkok, Thailand

T:+66 2 2628 8382, M: +66 81 893 5552

Daily 11:00am to midnight

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4Play Seafood & Co.

Seems that December / January is when I receive food review invitations. Why? No idea, but I am always gladly surprised to find random emails with such invites in my mailbox. Who wouldn't be, right? We are Malaysians, we are motivated by food! :D

This time, I received an invitation from a new place in Publika called 4Play Seafood & Co. How could I not invite friends when friends are allowed? The first person I thought of was my review makan kaki, Alicia. And then, it was Li Xin, who coincidentally was back from Melbourne for her summer break. Thought that I'd kill two birds with one stone to catch up with her before she flies back Down Under. I rang a few others, too, but they all had prior commitments. My phone conversation with Kenny, in particular, was rather hilarious. When he asked the name of the establishment, I simply replied, "4Play". He laughed because it sounded like something else... 😆

We chose a dinner slot to be there. The traffic was not horrendous but it was slow-moving from where Li Xin and I were coming from. Thankfully, she was okay to drive me because well, you know, it is rather hard to drive with a fractured right foot. We met Alicia there, who had no problems finding the place. Yours truly here hardly goes to Publika so it was a bit of a challenge and it didn't help that they are partially hidden by a huge pillar. We found the place nonetheless so all good.

Chef Desmond came out of the kitchen to quickly exchange pleasantries and then we were promptly served by the friendly waitstaff. One good thing about reviews is that we needn't crack our heads on what to choose from the menu, as they would have a pre-planned menu for us.

We were started off with a plate of Wild Mushroom Soup (RM20), a plate of shiitake, oyster and white button mushrooms simmered in a rich cream broth and drizzled with truffle oil. We appreciated that they used real mushrooms and with the accompanying basket of garlic bread, we felt that we were off to a good start.

Thankfully, there was only one plate of Seafood Cioppino (RM26) and not three, unlike the mushroom one because otherwise, I think we'd have too much liquid in our tummies to fit in anything else. On the menu, the description of this dish was clams, prawns, squid and mussels slowly simmered in a herbed tomato broth. Ah, okay, so cioppino meant soup and when we looked up Wikipedia, it is actually an American-Italian fish stew originating from San Fran. 

It definitely had all the described ingredients but while we thought it was well-presented, it was a little too salty to our liking. We wondered if this was meant to be eaten with bread, as on its own, it had a rather strong taste.

An adorable plate of Chilli Padi and Honey Chicken Wing (RM25) followed. We agreed that if we were to order a la carte, this would be one that would catch our attention on the menu. It simply was just deep-fried chicken wing dipped in a chilli padi and honey sauce. This was easily the star of the night. The chicken skin was crispy, it smelt fragrant and the sauce was addictive. 

When the following three dishes were served, we noticed how generous they were with their portions.  The following three were Golden Salted Egg Yolk dishes and we were served all three meat choices of chicken (RM25), prawn (RM28) and calamari (RM25).

They weren't too bad, plenty of flavour but we were not really able to taste the salted egg yolk. We could taste plenty of everything else, though and they were well-battered. Not bad, not bad.

Perhaps we were comparing the taste to more Chinese-style cooking, you know, where in Chinese restaurants you'd be able to taste the salted egg yolk to the extent of feeling your cholesterol levels spike.

I found the Creamy Spinach Stuffed Mushroom (RM22) interesting, as I have not had this combination before. However, if you are not a spinach or mushroom fan, this is not for you. Trying this made me wonder if it would work with cheese instead of cream, if I were to try making this at home.

Served in a black hotpot was the Clams (500g) in Creamy Butter Chilli and Curry Leaves flavour (RM30). We could imagine how tasty the gravy would be after being kept in the fridge overnight. Ooh, just imagine dipping bread into it... yums!

Another show-stealer was the claypot of Spicy Prawns (RM28), a serving of deep-fried tiger prawns served with their homemade sauce. The sauce was the secret to it being delicious - a little bit of sweet, sour, spicy and salty that made it really addictive. 

Alicia's favourite was the Crab (500g) in Salted Egg Yolk flavour (RM75). Served piping hot, it lip-smacking good but she wondered why it did not have much meat. Again, comparing to Chinese restaurants where crabs have plenty of meat. I am not a crab person so I left this to her judgement.

One that is not for people who cannot take spiciness is the Mussels (500g) in Spicy Chilli (RM35) flavour. I enjoyed this but after a few shells, the spiciness really kicked in. Li Xin and Alicia didn't think it was too spicy, though, so I guess it was just me.

And how could we end a meal without dessert? Dessert is always the first thing I look at when I browse a menu. We all went, "Ooh..." when the waiter placed the plate of Choco Molten Lava Cake (RM21) on the table. Crossing our fingers for the chocolate to flow out like volcano lava, we were not disappointed. It was good on its own, we thought the caramel syrup on the side was not necessary.

We were so well-fed that we could barely move at the end of the meal! We had to pack some of the dishes to bring home, too. Look at the flatlay of what we had, and this was not even everything! A little scary for just three girls, eh? ;)

As we were walking out, one of their waitstaff informed me that if readers mention my blog, they would give a 10% discount. So do pay them a visit and when better than during the upcoming CNY break?

A big shoutout to the management and staff of 4Play for the plentiful meal and all the best!

4Play Seafood & Co.
A1-G2-07, Jalan Dutamas 1, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel: +603 6211 9908
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Okonomi

Not long after the first invitation to Green Tomato Cafe, I received another invitation to review a Japanese place in Publika called Okonomi. I asked Alicia if she was free to go with me again and when she said yes, I replied the e-mail to set our lunch food review date and time.

Alicia sure knows her way around Publika - I duly just followed wherever she pointed me to.

We were warmly welcomed by the staff and were shown to our designated table. It was a rather breezy order, as there were already some dishes that they specifically wanted me to try. We just ordered some other dishes that caught our attention (without thinking that perhaps we would not be able to finish so much) and our drinks. Our huge meal is as follows:

Gratin Chicken (RM15.90) is a piece of boneless deep-fried chicken served with a rich cream sauce and salad.

Katsu Chicken Burger (RM15.90) is a burger of gently breaded deep-fried chicken, melted cheese and crunchy iceberg lettuce layered in season rice topped with sesame seeds. It looks like nothing fancy, right? But I tell you, looks are deceiving for I can have this all on its own if I should come here alone.

Slammin' Salmon (RM19.90) is a freshly-made and toasted sushi roll of uramaki, seaweed, white rice, double portion of salmon, Japanese cucumber, tamago, spring onion and garlic mayo. They definitely generous with their portions here!

Chicken Karaage Waffle (RM18.90) is a dish of deep-fried kimchi-flavoured chicken served with golden brown waffles and a rich cream sauce.

If anything, you should order this and any other dish of theirs that comes served with this rich cream sauce - amazing flavours this sauce has! We couldn't get enough of it!

The main selling point of Okonomi is that you get to customise your own sushi roll.

Having chosen the type of rice, how you like your seaweed, your fillings and your toppings, they then roll 'em up for you.

Fresh. Like you can watch them do it, too.

We had no idea if our combination would be alright but we went ahead with it anyway. Wah, did we regret choosing the spicy mayo - we were burning! If you can't take spicy, please do not choose that. 

While I only sipped on normal green tea, Alicia ordered a matcha latte and dare we say it is the best one we have ever had in Malaysia. Aiya, cannot compare to those in Sydney la (she just returned from visiting me in Sydney a few months back), but this definitely has standard. Didn't manage to get a pretty shot of the cup full but goes to show how irresistible it was!

Our food blogger friends, Chris and Christine from Brought up 2 share recommended their Matcha Lava Cake (RM21.90), and so we reminded ourselves to order one portion to share.

The wait for it is 15 minutes, so would be good to order it along with your main meal. The wait staff would know roughly when to inform the kitchen to start baking. 

It really was mouthful after mouthful of indulgent matcha heaven! I can just imagine one of my ex-students crying out of bliss if she were to be eating this. 😂

A big thank you to David from T3 Digital Agency for the invitation - my friend and I had a really good time, so good that we wished our stomaches were way bigger!

Okonomi
A4.G2.02, Ground Floor, Block A4, Publika, Solaris Dutamas, 1 Jalan Dutamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Mob: +60 14 971 5493; E-mail: info@okonomi.com.my
Daily 11:00am to 11:00pm
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