Lunch-ing Out at Green Bamboo Seafood Restaurant

I remembered back then during my childhood days, we used to dine out or mum would whip up a really sumptuous meal whenever we had visiting guests to our home. It is not that we usually eat in poor conditions or that mum does not cook lavish meals, but there is just something different; and I guess you could say, it was the excitement stemming from being able to have more company and also to act like a tourist in your own neighborhood and home. It is just different.

Nowadays, there are just too many new restaurants mushrooming everywhere and sometimes I find it difficult to decide where to go; especially when we are not sure of whether they serve good quality food and that is even more crucial when you want to treat your guests well, and show them the nicer part of your hometown.

However, sometimes, it is not all about the price of the food or the place to impress, but rather, the hospitality and the kindness you show to your guests to make them feel at home and welcomed.
Also, food plays that role in determining that they (or their tummies) are well treated, don't you think?

Green Bamboo Seafood Restaurant is a fairly new restaurant to us, though not that new anymore, as I believe they have been around for more than a year or so in the neighborhood of Bandar Mahkota Cheras.
With the theme of seafood in the name of the restaurant, of course there is an assortment of seafood; from crabs to prawns, fish, shells, squids, etc. It is getting hard to find a good seafood restaurant these days; but not so much of a problem in Selangor or KL area due to the larger population and geographical area, as compared to Penang (or perhaps I was picky?)

Ordered a few dishes; mostly our guests' favorites~

Marmite Pork Ribs

The recommended dish from the lady who did the ordering for us.


Thai Style Deep Fried Signature Tofu
They used the local white and silky smooth tofu for this dish; and the sweet and sour with a slight tinge of spicy from the chilies made this the highlight of the meal as it was just so appetizing.


Also, I loved how the dish was not just so flavorful in its taste but turned out to be so colorful and vibrant in its appearance as well.



Braised spinach in superior stock
The spinach was cooked in a soup boiled with little anchovies and lean pork meat, with slices of century eggs which makes us the term of the superior stock.


Stir fry Romaine Lettuce with garlic 
As there were more elderly folks who were health-conscious, we ordered this simple and plain vegetable dish upon their request.




Another signature fish is this; Steamed tilapia fish served with spicy fermented bean curd sauce 
(Cheong Jing style in Cantonese) - MYR40




Total bill came up to about MYR124++, after discount (they have membership/loyalty card as well for their returning customers - or to keep them returning). There were 9 of us; and it was a satisfying meal.
As usual, always check your bill before paying; just common practice for every restaurant you go to ;-)

Healthy and tasty dishes at Purple Cane Tea Restaurant, The Gardens

After a month of being idle from my food blog (I was away on business and picking up new things at work), I am finally back with photos and posts from places I have tried while I was on my business trip :-)

One interesting restaurant which I was introduced to was this Purple Cane Tea Restaurant located at the lower ground floor of The Gardens.
Now, honestly, when I first heard of this restaurant, I was like, isn't Purple Cane famous for its tea merchandise? Are you sure they serve cuisines for dinner, instead of finger food to go with their tea?
I was assured that they definitely do serve more than just tea and thus began my first visit to this enchanting restaurant.


The interior was tastefully furnished with simple finishings of wood and shelves to store their main merchandise; tea which they proudly displayed in most of the sections of the restaurant.



The cuisines prepared from their menu claimed that they were concocted using their own brand of tea; and incorporated to shape that unique taste in their food.
That definitely got my attention immediately!

Even their rice is specially made with tea; and there is no white rice available but rather, Green Tea rice (MYR1.30) to go with your dishes.

The taste of the rice was nothing exotic nor exceptionally unusual, and I must say it was distinctly pleasant in its own flavor. The light taste of the green tea did lend a rather unique and exquisite taste to the usual white rice we have at home.
Something which is new yet interesting, and I must say that they have definitely revolutionized the concept of white rice :)
The rice came served in metal bowls like these.


Now on to the dishes we ordered:

Steamed sliced fish mashed Ginger in tea sauce (MYR22.00)



This got my vote for one of the most tantalizing dish to my taste buds. It was nothing short of simple; although it did sounded like our usual homecooked dish.
I love the strong combination of the mashed ginger which was served rather generously; and the slices of fish were steamed with the tea sauce which just created a wonderful match.

Braised beancurd and golden pumpkin in tea sauce (MYR15.00)


The dish arrived in a striking hue of golden yellow; a clear indication of the golden pumpkin used along with the braised beancurd served with diced mushrooms and ham and green peas.
Taste wise, it was just as impeccable as it looked, and the pumpkin just lent its natural sweetness to enhance the overall taste of the dish.


Braised broccoli with mushrooms in tea sauce (MYR15.00)


Yes, another dish which used their signature tea sauce in the making.
As you can see, there are even traces of the black/roasted tea leaves sitting on top of the mushrooms.


Fried Chicken with honey and tea (MYR18.00)


There was still room for dessert, or everyone was just excited to try their offerings on the menu and so, this was ordered:
Rice Balls with peanut (MYR5.00) (4 pieces)





The sticky peanut paste inside.
Is it me, or this looks more like sesame paste??



Total bill came up to about MYR82.15, for 4-5 pax, which was on the higher end of the price and I must say that the prices here do lean towards the higher side based on the portions and sizing of the dishes.
However, the dishes here do earn that extra credit for their healthy factor and also less oily, and unique ingredient in using tea in their preparation of their cuisines.
Perhaps that is the factor to the higher prices?

I am not sure, but I can say that I did enjoy the food here and also the quiet environment.
Service wise, it could be improved in terms of the attentiveness to the customer, in my own personal experience, that is, not sure about others :)
Overall, I would not say that I won't be back, because the healthy factor is an attraction and my parents did enjoy the food as well ;)

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!:-)

Lemons, pumpkin and chilies

My second post for today; to compensate for the low level of blog activity this week due to being sick and weak in bed for the past few days.
To continue on the topic of eating out, there is also another post that I have found from my piles of photos in the hard disk (why do all bloggers have backdated photos that they forget to post anyway?), one about a Chinese eatery set up within a temple in Balakong, Cheras.

This place is always crowded and we do drop by  for dinner occasionally when I am home visiting the parents.
My mummy loved this dish, and you would probably remember this from one of my previous posts here;

Braised tofu with pumpkin




A golden color with the blend of pumpkin and enoki mushrooms, garlic and spring onions as gravy over the silky smooth and aromatic Japanese egg tofu ensured this a sure winner with almost everyone at the table; even if there is one who is not a fan of pumpkin.

Stir-fried Water Convulvus (Kangkung in Malay) with onions, fried chili and shrimp paste



Stir-fry Squids with sambal/dried chili paste




An appetizing dish with the fiery taste from the chilies and the crunchy taste from the juicy squids; a must-order for seafood fans like me!:-)

Steamed talapia with fermented bean and chili sauce



Boiled spinach with ginger and wolfberries in supreme stock



Lemony fried chicken; or Fried chicken served with lemon sauce




Sometimes eating out doesn't mean Western or fine dining, even home-cooked style dishes work the trick too...especially when one is too lazy or just don't know how to cook.
So, we leave it to the professionals to do the job....and learn....slowlyyyy.....

Eating Out: Tanjung Bungah

Eating out can tantalize one's appetite as one thinks of the many options out there to choose from, but at the same time can also be a daunting task as one gets entangled in the web of options and making that decision on where to eat; especially when a group is involved.
Well, even when it's only the two of us (my hubby and I), we are always asking each other that question, "Where should we go today?" or "What do you feel like eating today?"
It is just like an endless ball game that we throw at each other and these are the times when the good old usual haunts come into the picture.

I have previously blogged about this hidden Chinese shop tucked away near the Tanjung Bungah market/bus station which serves good home cooked Cantonese/Chinese dishes for dinner and is quite popular with locals and tourists alike.

Our parents enjoyed the food at this place and occasionally we would drop by for dinner.
Dishes that we would order are as the following:

Claypot tofu (MYR12.00) 



This is one of our personal favorites; especially for tofu fans like me and I always request for the local tofu version which comes with the white tofu. I mean, I know there are not many who are fans of tofu as some of them find these protein-packed curds too 'healthy' for their tastes, but never for me.
I love the claypot version because they are always bubbling hot when it is served, all the better for its taste!

Stir-fry Spinach with garlic (MYR8.00)



Who doesn't like Popeye's power food, hands down? This is a crunchy, leafy and dark green vegetable ensured for calcium and magnesium intake, and now I sound like a dietitian but really, I love this vegetables!

Deep fried mantis prawns with dried chilli/Kungpow style (MYR12.00-15.00)



Another of my favorites; in fact I am really craving for this right now and have been for weeks but somehow, it is getting harder and harder to find this in any restaurant without being 'butchered' for its price.
I love the version served by this restaurant; which maintained the freshness and the softness of the flesh and yet remain crispy with a little spicy taste on the outside.
I think there are only three places that I can truly say satisfies my taste for this dish.

Finally, one of their very own signature dishes is the Fish Curry (MYR25.00)



This is the most expensive of the lot; mainly because it is their signature and also because they are using the garoupa fish and we requested for the fish meat and not the head, thus the rise in the price for this dish.
For the curry lovers; mainly my dad, brother and hubby, they enjoyed the aromatic flavors of the curry and the best way is to mix the rich tastes of the gravy with the white rice which makes the best combination for them.



The fish fillets were generous in its portion immersed in the curry cooked with okra and basil leaves and whets one's appetite for more servings, and it is no wonder this is the pride of their kitchen and also one of the reasons they became famous among the locals.



Now that I am done posting these photos, I feel like driving to the place for dinner and enjoying all these again...hmmmm.....