Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Thai Syok Thai Restaurant Yakitori Sunway Mentari - A simple restaurant that serves real authentic Thai Food


If you are on a budget and loves to taste Authentic Thai Cuisine, then this review will be of great interest to you. Best Restaurant To Eat was invited to try out the newly open Thai Syok Thai Food Restaurant located at 15, Jalan PJS 8/18, Dataran Mentari, Sunway Mentari, Bandar Sunway, Selangor.


The decor and setup at Thai Syok Thai Restaurant Yakitori is a no frill, simple setup; on entry to the restaurant you will be greeted and welcomed by 2 special Thai figurine.


The chef in Thai Syok are all Thai's, so our expectation are sky high on the quality and taste of the food served from the restaurant.


Our review started with the Papaya Salad (RM10.50). This salad has a spicy and sourish taste. With the combination of toasted peanuts, shredded raw papaya, it was a nice appetizer to kick off our food review.


This is then followed by the Seafood Tom Yum Kung (Medium) RM24.30. It is loaded with a combination of seafood like prawns, squids, mussel, mushroom and more. But, what is more important was the potent concoction of this Tom Yum; which has a distinctive strong taste; of which you could easily get choked. The chef uses a special in-house made Tom Yum paste with the right amount of bunga kantan and lemongrass. The soup was very addictive as we can't stop slurping it spoonful after spoonful.


For the mains, we had another Chef specialty dish which is the Fried Tom Yum Fish. At Thai Syok, you can choose the type of fish that you like i,e Grouper, Tilapia or Barramundi; for us it was the Red Tilapia (prices for the fish is based on type of fish and weight). Fried to a bright yellow crunchy crisp and then topped with the appetizing special Tom Yum sauce laden with generous amount of cut Bunga Kantan; the entire dish was very aromatic and fragrantful. This is another dish that goes pretty well with the white rice. We finish this dish right to the last drop of sauce.


At this Thai Syok outlet, the owner is introducing some special skewers or Thai yakitori to its menu.  We had the Yakitori Combo (RM24.00) and only available for dinner. The main difference between the Thai and the Japanese Yakitori will be the Japanese usually does not premarinate its meat before being grilled, while its Thai counterpart will be marinated in special sauces. This makes the flavours of the marinate penetrate to the meat. In our combo set we had a skewer of pork neck, pork belly, pandan leaf chicken, basil minced meat with lemongrass, king prawns on tom yum paste and chicken wings.


The next dish is the Deep Fried Pork Knuckle (RM58.20). According to the owner, the pork knuckle are first pre cooked in a special broth, both to soften the texture and immerse it with the fragrant aroma of the broth. Before serving, it is then fried to a crisp; so that you can really taste the crackling skin while enjoying the juicy sweet flavour of the meat. Another dish that gets our thumbs up.


After that we had the soon to be released BBQ Lamb Chop. The pre marinated lamb chop are then grilled to the right charred while the meat still retains its juiciness and succulence. 


For vegetables, we had the Wok Fried Asparagus with Shrimps (RM24.30). We love the crunchy texture of the young asparagus and was a nice vegetable to accompany our other dishes. 


For desserts, we can't leave without trying out my favourite Thai Mango With Sweet Glutinous Rice. This dessert must be eaten fairly quickly as the glutinous rice tends to dry up quite fast; thereby having a hard texture toward the end. It was nicely decorated with the mango surrounding the Glutinous rice and the coconut sauce.


and the second dessert was the Ice Blended Red Rubies With Jack Fruit and Coconut Syrup to close off our dinner. The difference with the ice blended compare with the crush ice version, is that it is much finer, blended well with the coconut syrup and smoother to drink. We like this too.


As most people will know that Dataran Sunway Mentari is famous for steamboat, but you will never expect such good quality and reasonably price Thai Food from this area and certainly Thai Syok Thai Restaurant Yakitori  have proven their capability to dish out such a cuisine.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Premium Dim Sum @Bandar Mahkota Cheras Sg Long - A touch of Traditional Classic Dim Sum


With a name as Premium Dim Sum one has a very high expectation of the quality of the Dim Sum that will be served at Premium Dim Sum Restaurant located at 2, Jalan Temenggung 29/9 Bandar Mahkota Cheras, a strong throw from AEON Bandar Mahkota Cheras.


At Premium Dim Sum, the decor is very different from the classic Chinese Dim Sum Restaurant but one that exudes a very modern style setting with comfortable leather chairs and marble table top. With an open kitchen concept, one can experience the sound and bustle of watching your Dim Sum being prepared and cooked.


We have tasted a lot of Dim Sum from street type to old kopitiam to restaurant and up to hotel restaurant. From Dim Sum that are served from the trolley, to ala carte; the difference is clear on the difference of quality in the serving. Each of the restaurant have certain specialty Dim Sum but at Premium, we were treated to the taste bud of traditional Dim Sum.


With 2 main Dim Sum specialist chef; with more than 30 years of experience using choice ingredients to serve you ala minute Dim Sum (please allow a 10 to 15 minute) at a very reasonable prices (ranging from RM5.00), you can't get any better than this.


There are a few specialty Dim Sum that retains its originality in terms of taste and serving; which we will be highlighting in this blog. For me, we love to start with the steam dishes, the first among many is the Siew Mai (RM 5.50) - which has a generous amount of meat and prawns topped with ebiko to gives you a popping feel with every bite.


Next, we had the Prawn Dumpling (Har Gao King - RM5.50) - which has a bouncy, succulent and chewy smooth texture.


Other highlights under the steam section are the Shanghai Xiao Long Bao (RM6.50) which was served in a special spoon. The broth in the dumpling has a strong Chinese wine aroma with vinegar taste; it was a real treat slurping it into our mouth while it is still piping hot.


Another Dim Sum that we love is the Steam Bacon Roll Dumpling (RM5.00). The filling in this Dim Sum is the succulent prawns, which when married to the slight salty bacon, gives it a very nice savoury taste.


Next, we move to some Pau Dim Sum - we love the Ma Lai Ko (RM5.00), as the texture was very fluffy and soft; which literally melt in the mouth feel. With a spread of melon seed topping, it reminds us of the original taste of this simple Chinese cake.


We then had the Fish Paste Dumpling (Yu Mai  RM5.00). The fish paste has a firm and chewy texture which we like. Unlike most other restaurant which will serve this Dim Sum with a bed of Chinese cabbage; the Chef choose to use baby spinach as the base.


After that it was the Steam Beancurd Roll (RM5.00). Wrap in the beancurd roll is the fish paste which has the same quality like the Yu Mai.


For the Steam Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun (RM6.00), you can have yours either with Prawns, Char Siew or a mix combination of Prawns and Char Siew.


Another favourite among us, was the Custard Bun (Lau Sa Pau RM5.00); the texture of the free flow custard was superb with a well balanced taste of the salted eggs in the custard cream.


The Char Siew Pau (RM5.50) was next on the table, we love the evenly breakoff of the dough which show a perfectly time steaming of the Pau to get to this texture.


For the fried series of Dim Sum, we love the XO Fried Raddish Cake (RM6.50), it was fried to the right precision without being overwhelmingly oily, while the generous portion of the Chinese chives (dog vege) was good and cooked to the right precision with the eggs and the preserved vegetables.


We also love the Fried Beancurd Roll (RM6.00), which has a nice crunch with a succulent prawns wrapped into it. Best eaten with some mayonaise sauce.


Another of my favourite is the Century Egg, Oyster, Pork Porridge (RM5.50). The texture of the porridge was so fine, silky and flavourful. Mixed with the condiments, this porridge was indeed tummy warming to start off with.


This next Fried Dim Sum which is Fried Sticky Rice Dumpling (Ham Tsui Kok) does spring a surprise to me. When it landed on the table, we did not touch it as it looks too simple and from the look of it; was not too impressive. Upon some coaxing, we decided to taste it and it was very nice with a balance of soft crisp and the filling which has pork meat was very delicious.


Other Dim Sum that we tasted was the Lotus Leaf Rice.


and the last Fried Dim Sum that we had was the Fried Sesame Ball.


In most Chinese Dim Sum restaurant; the normal tea that are served are usually the Chinese tea, but at Premium besides ordering these Chinese tea; you can try out their special Flower tea (RM8 for 2 pax) which were the Lavender  Chamomile, 3 Combination Chrysanthemum, Pink Rose + Jasmine, Peach Fruit Tea, Apple Rose Fruit Tea and the Blueberries . Each of these tea are served in little coffee cup and has a very unique flavours, aroma and taste. We love the Blueberries tea.


Make a visit to Premium Dim Sum at Bandar Mahkota Cheras for some traditional Dim Sum in a modern setting.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Madame Waffle @Mid Valley - A dessert haven in Kuala Lumpur


If dessert is your cup of tea; you would love this review as all that we ate at this review is just desserts with a special twist of using waffles as the key ingredient. +BestRestaurant ToEat  was invited to preview this special Waffle dessert at Madame Waffle located at T045, Level 3 Mezzanine, Mid Valley Megamall, Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur.


The decor is pretty simple Japanese style setup; with no frills as what is important is the food that are served here. Marrying the artisan Belgian with the finest quality Japanese ingredients; each waffle are hand-made and are freshly ala-minute baked on site on a daily basis. To complement the waffles, Madame Waffle also serves specialty house blended coffee which is roasted by its award winning Master Barista.


Serving an array of Classic Waffle to Specialty Waffles; you would be spoilt for choice. The waffle has a slightly toasted flavor, from batter coming into direct contact with the hot iron and gives it a crisp crust with soft, moist interior bread type texture.


Our review started with the Banana Nutella (RM 18.50). We love the texture of the waffle, and married with the bananas and chocolate gelatos it somehow remind us of the banana split; but with the additional waffles to goes with it, the three blended well with each other. 


Followed by the Kafu Waffles series (which is a waffle in a cup) which the first one, that we tasted was the Chocomatte (RM12.00). Fully laden; with the Ferrero Roche with a chocolate gelato. A real delight for fans of everything Chocolate.


The next Waffle in a cup is the Matcha Waffle Parfait; this one is really for the matcha fan. With a couple of mochi at the bottom of the cup; it gives a chewy feel to this dessert. 


the final Kafu Waffles that we tasted is the Happy Tiramisu (RM12.00); we loves the silky texture of the tiramisu which blended extremely well with the choco powder and waffles.


 Madame Signature (RM17.00) is another delight for fans of green tea, as you will be totally immerse with the matcha taste throughout this dessert.


As with our earlier Kafu waffles which is the Happy Tiramisu, the Tiramisu Waffle (Rm 11.00)  under the Premium Waffle have quite similar taste and this waffle is one of the best seller at Madame Waffle. 


I love the next one which is the Seasalt Dark Chocolate Chunk (RM 10.50). The slightly salted dark chocolate was a refreshing change to the sweeter desserts that we had earlier. With a strong chocolate spread on the waffles and eaten with the strawberry which has a sourish taste, it was a very interesting taste to savour.


For a real treat you can opt for the Madame Signature Deluxe RM 30.00. It comes with 2 pieces of waffle; the first is the original waffle with a Matcha Gelato on a bed of freshly cut banana while the second waffle is a matcha flavoured with a vanilla Gelato bedded with slice of strawberries. 


We had a specialty drinks from Madame Waffles which is Ice Belgian Chocolate RM 12.50. A wholly chocolatey delight.


Overall, for dessert lovers especially waffles, Madame Waffle will definitely be a good choice for you to savour all the different types of waffles flavoured with your favourite condiments.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Ten Years @Sri Petaling Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian Hawker Street Food Paradise


For those that loves the hawker street food of Malaysia, Ten Years which brings together some of the most popular and renowned Malaysia hawker street food under one roof. +BestRestaurant ToEat  was invited to the opening ceremony of the first Ten Years Restaurant located at No 1, Jalan Radin Bagus 6, Bandar Baru Sri Petaling, 57000 Kuala Lumpur.


The front door are brightly lit which resembles the theater feel of the era where one goes to; during the vibrant years of the 50's and 60's era. Reminds me of the Bukit Bintang Park during that period.


The decors at Ten Years @Sri Petaling features the charms of yester years and exudes a warm feel to the nostalgic bygones era. The management team at Ten Years @ Sri Petaling have painstakingly gather and convince owners of these renowned dishes to collaborate with them with their secret recipe to further preserve each of their legacy taste for more Malaysian to enjoy.


The food serves here are some of the popularly known in its class. First on the table was the T&T Prawn Mee (RM16.90) from Penang with a history of more than 50 years and was originally  located on Jalan Cheong Fatt Sze in Penang, while the second generation is now on Jalan Selamat in Penang. T&T Prawn Mee is rated as one of the best prawn mee in Penang and are usually sold out in the early morning of each day. Maintaining to the traditional recipe, the broth are boiled for hours to extract the true taste and flavours of the ingredients.


Another hot favourite is the Tiger Char Kuey Teow (RM15.90) from Penang. This Char Kuey Teow has been in business for over 60 years and is highly rated in Penang by visitors and Penangites due to its ability to maintain the same flavour and taste even after 2 generations.


Our next dish is the Kak Tum Nasi Kuning (RM19.90) from Tawau. Kak Tum takes prides in selling her mother's secret recipe dating back 20 years, folks in Tawau gets to eat this special dish which is sold off in 3 hours. It comes with a special rendang ayam.


After that, we tasted the Kak Pah Nasi Dagang (RM18.90) all the way from Terengganu. The coconut steamed rice is served with a piece of Ikan Tongkol (Tuna Fish) and the flavours of the curry has very flavourful aroma and goes well with the steamed rice.


Next on is a popular dish from Melaka i.e. Nancy Nyonya Laksa (RM19.90). In Melaka, there is usually a long queue for this specialty laksa which its recipe dated back to more than 20 years. Featured in a number of TV show and media, Nancy Nyonya Laksa has garnered a lot of following.


After exploring the other parts of Malaysia, it brings us back closer to home. The next dish is the Kak Yati Nasi Lemak (RM18.90) in Petaling Jaya. With more than 30 years in the business, the piping steam coconut rice is perfectly complemented with the sweet and spicy sambal and other condiments like the boiled eggs, anchovies and nuts. Currently Kak Yati still sells more than 1,500 packets of this tasty nasi lemak in a day.


Our last pit stop lead us to Kuala Lumpur, where the next 2 well known dishes are from. The first is the Shun Fa Chicken Rice (RM19.90). Operating since 1975, this second generation of family runs the restaurant carrying down their father's secret recipe. The Hainanese style Shun Fa Chicken Rice uses free range chicken to complement its moist and fragrant rice; while the chili and ginger sauce has the right blend of spiciness. We ate the special BBQ Char Siew Chicken.


Finally, our last specialty dish served at Ten Years is the famous Abu Pasembur Indian Rojak (RM12.90) from Kepong Baru. This particular Indian rojak has its roots from Penang and it is well known in Kepong to have a long queue of customers waiting to taste this authentic rojak everyday. It has a history that dates back to 30 years.


All food serves at the Ten Years Restaurant at Pork Free. For fan of these food, you no longer need to travel far and wide to taste these specialty Malaysian Hawker Street food, just head over to Ten Years @Sri Petaling to savour these delicious fare in a comfortable environment.