Lunch with Udon and Salmon at Sakae Sushi

What defines your simplest Japanese meal just yet?
Are you an ardent fan of sushi or maki, or bento that you must have even when you want a no-frills Japanese meal?

To me, a simple Japanese meal would consist of that one or two things that I adore, and along with my hubby who is my best dining partner, I would include his favourite as well.
We did not plan to have Japanese while figuring out what to have for lunch one day, but we wound up at the Sakae Sushi restaurant in the Gurney Plaza shopping mall, and since it has been a while since our last visit to this Japanese fast food chain restaurant, we popped in to have what we call a simple meal.



So, what is our definition of simple?
Well, for starters, there must be the Curry Udon (MYR12.90)








The Japanese curry is a little different from our local version of curry and tends to be thicker in its broth and less spicy; along with its scent of curry powder.
The perfect noodle to go with this thick version of curry would be none other than the thick flour textured udon; which absorbs and complements the aromatic flavor of the Japanese curry and is an interesting choice for curry or noodle lovers.

Another must-have is the Salmon Teriyaki (MYR12.90)


One of my favourite fish, grilled salmon glazed with the sweet and condensed teriyaki sauce makes a perfect dish; provided the salmon ought to be well-grilled.

I tend to get disappointed at times; as the salmon could be overcooked at times; thus hardening the texture of the fish rich in essential fatty oils.



Now, I add one more to my list of favourites when I dine Japanese; the Chuka Hotate or Seasoned Scallops (MYR5.90), which I first encountered during my visit to Sushi Zanmai.

Surprisingly, despite my earlier visits to Sakae Sushi which began way before Sushi Zanmai, I had never tried this dish here. After trying this at Zanmai, I was hooked and now, I enjoy it whenever I go for Japanese meal and of course, at specific Japanese restaurants which offer this on their menu.


It is chewy and extremely addictive (in my own tastes and opinion, of course!)
Somehow, I still prefer the version at Sushi Zanmai :-P

Of course, Green tea just completes a simple Japanese meal, in our definition.
The above is the simplest we would look for when going for a no-frills Japanese meal, what about you?

Do you have your list of must-haves too?

Have an awesome weekend, folks!:-)

My Sweet Corn Drink Story

Anyone tried the Sweet Corn drink before?

I remembered my first taste of this drink; when I was just a little girl following her mummy downtown shopping.
Back then, there was this long stretch of night market along the streets of Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman in the middle of KL city where many stalls are set up, selling food, drinks, textiles and all sorts of local products.
We rarely do get to sample drinks from the streets, but on that day, I remembered my mum was fascinated with this yellow drink found at one of the stalls (oh, after that we noticed that a few other stalls run by Malays were also selling this). The owners of the stall were a middle-aged Malay couple; and the makcik (a term to address elder women in Malay language) was very friendly and was quick in telling us about the drink she was selling upon noticing our curious facial expressions looking at the bright yellow coloured drink in the plastic tub.

I remembered that was my first time trying the Sweet Corn Drink and it was without milk; purely Sweet Corn juice which tasted sweet enough and mildly scented with the natural scent of a sweet corn.
I was hooked and I have rarely had another corn drink since then, because nothing could match it and also because I did not like the combination of milk in it.
It has been so long, and I doubt I can still find the Makcik who sold me this more than a decade ago.

Seeing this drink recently during lunch with my hubby brought the memories back to me, and even this drink could not match that first taste I had then, so nope, nothing compares to that first experience.
It's a little like first love, don't you think, it lingers on long even after it is no longer there...haha :-)

I am just so sentimental with everything, LOL, and I could just remember all the details even after they took place long ago which just made me write and write about long stories associated with some of the food when I blog and I thank all my readers for bearing with me :-)

To the Makcik who sold me that drink back then, although you would not be reading this I suppose, I still want you to know that that first encounter with her homemade sweet corn drink changed my perception towards this drink for life....

Anyone tried this drink before?
Do you like it with or without the milk?

Hi-tea Buffet at Swez Brasserie - Part 2 (All things sweet)

Continuing from the previous post (do scroll down for the Part 1)...
This is a photo-loaded post :-)

After filling ourselves with the scrumptious main courses and appetizers, it was time to enjoy the sweet stuffs and the varieties of the desserts did not prove any lesser than the choices from the mains.




Variety of cakes 




Local Malaysian Flavors in the kueh (traditional cakes)




How could a hotel hi-tea buffet not have the ever popular chocolate fondue fountain?



Cute tarts and mini cakes tower



A closer view at the featured desserts:

Mini Cream Puffs - these are adorable! (love the strawberry on top too!:-)


Pear Tart - this is indeed interesting!


Sweetcorn Pudding



There is also an attractive array of jellies and pudding








If you are not into sweet cakes and pudding, then the fruits section filled with an assortment freshly cut seasonal fruits could entice you.



Or one can opt for the classic and refreshing taste from the Malaysian favorite shaved ice; Ice Kacang from this specially station set up to whip you a bowl.
Choose from an array of condiments for your own bowl!





Like what we did :-)



Other desserts:
Bread Pudding

Tiramisu


Mini tart (I think?)


Strawberry Mousse


Spot the Ice-cream section near the Soups!


Sweet enough? Hope you enjoyed the photos as much as we have enjoyed their tastes and presentation.

An enjoyable hi-tea buffet, and I would say one of the good hotel buffets around in Penang :-)
For more information on Eastin Hotel Penang's daily buffet themes, do check out their site here.

**This is NOT a sponsored post and is based on my personal opinion/tastes**

Do you have any good hi-tea buffet experiences of your own to share too?
I would love to hear it!

Hi-Tea Buffet at Swez Brasserie - Part 1

Buffet is always a good option for those who love variety when enjoying a meal, and a hotel buffet adds more to the prospects when the extensive array of cuisine comes to mind; not to mention buffets from prestigious hotels with award-winning chefs.

Swez Brasserie, the in-house dining cafe of Eastin Hotel is one that offers diversity in its cuisines through their different types of themed buffets and promotions taking place every month.
On normal days, they offer all-day dining; from breakfast buffet to executive lunch buffets (weekdays only), and themed buffet dinner.

My experience with their buffet started a few years back at the Eastin Hotel in PJ(read it here and here) and then when Eastin Hotel came to Penang, I also tried out their buffet dinner (read it here and here).

Recently, we decided to revisit the cafe for lunch out of the blue on a Saturday afternoon for their weekend lunch buffet (it was more of a spur of the moment kind of decision) and also, partly to enjoy quality time together.

Hi-Tea Buffet (Saturdays and Sundays: 11.30am-3.00pm)
Adult: MYR55++
Children : MYR24++

Well,  the place looks the same to me and is designed in almost a similar style to their other outlet in Eastin Hotel PJ.
(Photos of the cafe)




Buffet Area





They have the BBQ/Grill and Dim Sum section





The food
Salad Bar


Malaysian Rojak (fruits and gravy to mix and match)




Cold dishes/Starters/Appetizers






It is hard to pick a starting point as there are so many choices to begin with; the mains come in varieties of cooking styles; from Oriental (Chinese, Malay, Indian, Peranakan) to Western.
For instance, fish cooked in spicy curry



Pan-fried fish



A variety of seafood and vegetables add to the list of favourites


For meat lovers, there are also the succulent barbequed char siew (should be chicken since hotels practise halal food regulation)



Then there is also the grilled chicken fold over with pita bread



If you are already enticed by the main courses and starters, the desserts line up will definitely get you hooked!
Coming up in the next post...

Lunch in a Taiwanese Tea room

Xian Ding Wei Taiwanese Tea Room, the place which I was looking for previously when I was in The Gardens and ended up dining in Foong Lye (read it here).
I dined in this outlet once; but it was a while ago and I was wondering whether they have any outlet in KL because I believed they do, and the Queensbay Mall outlet is just a branch of the Taiwanese chain restaurant.
Turns out, they do have outlets in KL, but not in The Gardens and I must take note of that :-)



We ended up in this outlet in Queensbay Mall on a Sunday and decided to have lunch here, since I was kinda thinking of Taiwanese food for a while (I have no idea why either!)



Love the cosy ambiance and the welcoming environment inside the restaurant.



The lights are very appropriate to polish the feel and the intended ambiance within the restaurant, don't you think?



The restaurant's main theme color is purple, as can be observed from the wallpapers and the logo of the restaurant and therefore it is no surprise that the menu is also adorned in the same color according to the theme.



There are quite a number of choices which made it hard to decide on what to have...
It took us a while, but we did decide eventually. After all, we can't sit there for the whole day just flipping through the pages anyway.

The waiters were quite attentive and they even made the effort to repeat our orders. After that, they printed a copy of the orders and even asked for our confirmation on the printed orders to ensure that there is no conflict in what we have requested and what they have written down.
A wise move, to avoid wrong orders and maintain customer satisfaction.




Iced Green Tea with Plum (MYR7.90) is one of their specialty drinks



It had the sweet and sourish taste of plum yet the subtle taste of green tea and was a unique combination. However, the plum taste did tend to be more overpowering compared to the green tea.

Fish Fried with Tomato and Egg Sauce (MYR19.90)



A rather unique structure of the mini stove



I have often seen this fish with tomato and egg sauce in most Taiwanese food menus, and this time, we decided to just try it for ourselves.





Honestly?
It tasted like the sweet and sour fish my mum used to make for me when I little, although I am voting for the homecooked version more, of course.
The fish fillets were coated with flour and deep fried before being placed in the simmering gravy of tomato sauce with the addition of eggs at the bottom of the stove.
I do not find anything extra interesting about this dish, and it kinda even reminded me of fish fillets served with the baked beans sauce.

One can opt for the usual white rice or the Minced pork rice at an additional charge of MYR1.00 per bowl (even if you order the set meals).



Set meal: Stewed Fish Fillet in Taiwanese Soya sauce (MYR22.90)



There is also a bowl of soup included with the set meal



I am fascinated with the unique plate used to serve the side dishes in Taiwanese meals.



The stewed fish fillet is a better option; compared to the fish fried with egg and tomato sauce (they also have the set meal too at MYR21.90).
Also a recommended specialty item in the menu, the stewed fish fillet is a whole and slightly more generous portion of a fish fillet fried and served with soy sauce.

(well, I am not sure about the Taiwanese soy sauce because it tasted like normal soy sauce to me...I may need to do more research on this :)
Taiwanese or not, I did observe the generous amount of spring onion leaves used in the dish and since I am a fan, I don't mind, at all!



I definitely prefer this to the fish fried with egg and tomato sauce, as this tastes better and the fish has more meat to it!



For dessert, I had the Eight Treasures Dessert (MYR7.90)



It was definitely fully of beans; red and mung beans, sticky glutinous rice, taro cubes mounting the shaved ice and sprinkled with grounded nuts (unfortunately, I am not really a fan of nuts)
Oh it was topped with a big plum too!



Prices here are slightly on the higher side, or at least it was to me, and somehow some of the portions did not quite fit the prices; again, in my personal opinion.
I did like the dining environment though :-)