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Tourism Malaysia

Yashiki Yakitori Bar @ Viva Home Shopping Mall

March 8, 2013 at 2:00 pm

After a surprisingly ‘refreshing’ Yee Sang with the gang, we started on our second dish for the day – the Soft Shell Crab Salad. Served with a Japanese dressing made from mayonnaise and sesame seed, it is this condiment that brings out the best of the salad and the soft shell crab. In fact, it was so delicious that this was the first time I’ve seen a plate of salad totally cleaned out! Parents may want to consider investing in a bottle to make vegetables more appealing to their children. I know for sure that Emily Tang enjoyed every single bite of her vegetables that day.

Soft Shell Crab Salad – healthy AND delicious!

Next dish up for tasting was the Tuna Tataki. Each delectable piece of tuna is covered in tangy citrus sauce and is garnished with a row of chilli spiced radish, spring onions and raw garlic. Though it may appear to be quite strong in taste, everything comes together perfectly at the end. We also tried the chef’s selection of 8 different types of Nigiri Sushi, which included raw items like salmon, tuna, sea urchin, fish roe and octopus sashimi.

Tuna Tataki

Sushi Deluxe comprises of the Chef’s selection of 8 different kinds of sushi, including squid, salmon and fish roe

Any trip to a Japanese restaurant is never complete without giving its Sashimi dishes a try. And so we sampled Yashiki’s Sashimi set. This set comes with four kinds of chef’s selection of raw fish together with a bowl of rice, 3 pieces of fried gyoza, a bowl of miso soup, slices of fruits and pickled Japanese radish. Its fresh sashimi pieces coupled with hot bowl of miso soup and rice is guaranteed to fill any growling stomach to the brim. Another must try when you are dining at Yashiki Yakitori Bar is the Shake Atama, which is salmon head that has been grilled to perfection. Its sweet tasting meat and the other succulent parts of the fish head is sure to bring fish head lovers to paradise. I know Evelyn Ang enjoyed every piece of her fish head.

The sashimi is fresh and comes with a bowl of rice, miso soup, fruits, Japanese pickles and 3 pieces of fried gyoza

Fish head lovers should definitely try out Yashiki Yakitori Bar’s Shake Atama

But my most favourite dish of all (other than the Yee Sang) was the Salmon Cheese Oshizushi. The lightly charred and melted cheese spread atop the fresh salmon gives each individual portion a smoky taste. Absolutely mouth-watering! We also tried the restaurant’s yakitori offerings (kind of impossible to give it a miss, since the outlet is quite well-known for their yakitori dishes) and chose about 8 different types. In my humble opinion, the yakitori sticks tasted quite normal. There were some sticks where the meat tasted a little bit dry.

Salmon Cheese Oshizushi

The assorted yakitori sticks (L – R) – Bacon with White Prawn, Negima, Beef with Enoki, Bacon with Asparagus, Pork Belly, Lamb with Asparagus, Bacon Enoki and Salmon Belly

The drinks bar of Yashiki Yakitori Bar

All in all, it was a truly enjoyable meal, made even more so with the company that was there. It is easy to just lose track of time when dining at Yashiki Yakitori Bar. The outlet has a cosy environment that makes it a wonderful venue for a long lunch or an intimate dinner session for two. Great place to head to the next time you want to enjoy great Japanese food with your friends or your loved ones.

This Dining With Moola experience is courtesy of Moola, the first-ever Cash-Back Lifestyle Programme specially designed for shoppers to enjoy free shopping, great savings and best deals in town. Moola is a mobile application that utilises QR code technology for all interactions; from member registration, Moola accumulation and redemption, to the actual shopping.

Moola Frenz who dine at Yashiki Yakitori Bar are entitled to a 10% cash back everytime! What’s more, you can also grab FreeMakan vouchers for even MORE savings here!

Moola is completely hassle-free; no administrative effort; no joining fee; no cards; and comes with even greater flexibility for shoppers to enjoy the variety of rewards for redemption. Visit www.moola.my for more information and download the Moola app today! Apple, Android and Blackberry phones supported.

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Tourism Malaysia

Chilling Out at The Norse Bar & Bistro, BB Park

March 5, 2013 at 5:33 pm

Where is your favourite place to hang out and relax after a long day’s work? For some, it could be as simple as lounging on a cosy sofa at home whereas others may need to boogie their stress away. For me, I love sitting at a bar and observe the good people of Kuala Lumpur go about their daily life. And there is no better place to do this than at The Norse Bar Bistro at BB Park, Kuala Lumpur.

The cosy yet spacious settings is definitely a plus point for many of the bar’s regular patrons

The bar’s special wine ‘cellar’

You can also celebrate any special occasion in the bar’s private room

Situated within BB Park, The Norse Bar Bistro not only offers a good selection of beer and liquor but also a wide range of food items. There is a classy yet cosy dining area on the first floor of the bar for those private moments with family and loved ones. The bar is located on the ground floor and is where most people hang out to chat and drink. The Norse Bar Bistro also engages amateur singers to perform for its patrons on certain nights. Live band performances during the weekends liven up the place even more, making it a great place to just chill and hang loose.

Anyone up for a round of darts?

There is also live entertainment for The Norse Bar Bistro’s guests on certain nights

The atmosphere is just nice to hang out and chill with your friends and family too!

As the bar is open from afternoon till late, the bistro’s menu caters for meals that suit everyone at any hour of the day. You basically can find dishes like appetisers and salads to main course servings like fried rice or pasta dishes. There are also Western food like soups, steaks and chops for those who are looking for a light but filling meal at night.

Delicious Garlic Bread

The bar’s Hong Kong Style Chicken Wings is bound to whet your appetite for more

Euro Banger Sausage

During the few times that I was there, I noticed one interesting thing about The Norse’s patrons – most of them know each other very well. Though it may be a public place, but the greetings that were going around made me feel like I was in a home party instead of just another bar. The laughter and smiles, the jokes and the chatter floating around made the atmosphere much livelier than it already is.

Salmon Caesar Salad

Wild Mushroom Fettucine is a good alternative for a lighter yet filling meal

The Hockkieniese Fried Rice with Roasted Pork is one of the many creations of the bistro’s Executive Chef

The Norse Bar Bistro serves a good range of local and imported beer as well as wines. Other than the local beer favourites like Carlsberg, Tiger and Guinness, the outlet also serves other brands such as Corona, Tuborg, Heineken, Stella Artois and Konig Ludwig. Everything is reasonably priced, which will explain why there are so many regulars. It is easy to just sit and while the hours away, what with the live entertainment and your group of friends. As the day progresses on, BB Park comes alive as more people flock to the many restaurants and The Norse Bar Bistro for a relaxing evening.

Pan Grilled Lamb Rack – grilled to perfection!

Spaghetti Vongole

Looking for something to go with your drink? Why not try out The Norse Bar Bistro’s Pork Knuckles instead

The only thing that I can consider as a downside to this experience is the parking factor. It being located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur city, parking is always a headache for those who are unfamiliar with the area like me. But do not let such a trivial matter hinder you from paying The Norse Bar Bistro a visit. Take the chance and you will find that it is worth every moment of it.

This Dining With Moola experience is courtesy of Moola, the first-ever Cash-Back Lifestyle Programme specially designed for shoppers to enjoy free shopping, great savings and best deals in town. Moola is a mobile application that utilises QR code technology for all interactions; from member registration, Moola accumulation and redemption, to the actual shopping.

Moola Frenz who dine at Norse Bar Bistro are entitled to a 10% cash back everytime! What’s more, you can also grab FreeMakan vouchers for even MORE savings here!

Moola is completely hassle-free; no administrative effort; no joining fee; no cards; and comes with even greater flexibility for shoppers to enjoy the variety of rewards for redemption. Visit www.moola.my for more information and download the Moola app today! Apple, Android and Blackberry phones supported.

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Tourism Malaysia

Yashiki Yakitori Bar @ Viva Home Shopping Mall

January 29, 2013 at 3:18 pm

There are many times in my life where I wished I was a braver person. I wish I was brave enough to sit through a horror movie without having to use my hands as a shield at certain parts of the movie. I also wish that I am not easily daunted by the appearance of a restaurant. You know how the situation goes – you walk past an interesting looking restaurant, you take a peek inside and suddenly a hundred and one thoughts flood your mind. Is the food nice? Is it another overcharged restaurant where portions are way too small and bland? Will I regret this decision? These are but some of the many thoughts that comes to my mind.

Yashiki Yakitori Bar at Viva Home Shopping Mall, Cheras

Yashiki Yakitori Bar’s Salmon Yee Shang is priced at RM55++ and is good for 3-4 people

A squeeze of lime juice gives this traditional dish an interesting twist of flavour and taste

If left to my own devices, there would be a high chance that I may not have visited Yashiki Yakitori Bar. But I am glad that I stepped into the outlet, for I would have definitely missed out the many great dishes that it has to offer if I had not gone in. It was part of the dining experience by Moola, the first ever homegrown Cash-Back Lifestyle programme by ICT Utopia. During my visit, I tried the Yee Sang promotion. With the Chinese New Year just around the corner, Yashiki Yakitori Bar is currently offering 5 different types of Yee Sang for its customers. From vegetarians to sashimi lovers, there is definitely a winner for everyone. My friends and I opted for the Salmon Sashimi Yee Sang with generous slices of fresh salmon. I must say, this yee sang is very much more different than the ones that I have tasted before. The lime oil together with the lime leaves and plum sauce used to toss with the raw vegetables gives it a tangy and refreshing taste that complements the salmon very well. Absolutely a must try for those who are dining at the restaurant.

Emily Tang, Eric Thong, Evelyn Ang spouse enjoying a good toss

The higher you toss, the more prosperous it is for you! So go on and toss it as high as you can!

Yashiki Yakitori Bar also serves a selection of Japanese sake and local beer to its customers. And what goes well with a mug of beer than a serving of baby pork ribs? Although the outlet incorporated baby pork ribs as part of its menu earlier, it is now a promotional item for limited time only. I strongly recommend the Baby Ribs Teriyaki to anyone who loves their pork ribs. The meat is tender and soft and falls off from the bones with just a nudge from a butter knife. It is the perfect meal to go with that mug of Tiger beer or that cup of sake in your hands.

Yashiki Yakitori Bar is also promoting their Baby Ribs Teriyaki to their customers, apart from the Yee Shang fare

Baby Ribs Teriyaki. A dish normally consists of either half rack (3 ribs) or full rack (6 ribs)

Of course, in a place such as Yashiki Yakitori Bar, one just does not only try the promotions and forget all the other delicious staple dishes of theirs. Read all about it in the second post coming soon…

This Dining With Moola experience is courtesy of Moola, the first-ever Cash-Back Lifestyle Programme specially designed for shoppers to enjoy free shopping, great savings and best deals in town. Moola is a mobile application that utilises QR code technology for all interactions; from member registration, Moola accumulation and redemption, to the actual shopping.

Moola Frenz who dine at Yashiki Yakitori Bar are entitled to a 10% cash back everytime! What’s more, you can also grab FreeMakan vouchers for even MORE savings here!

Moola is completely hassle-free; no administrative effort; no joining fee; no cards; and comes with even greater flexibility for shoppers to enjoy the variety of rewards for redemption. Visit www.moola.my for more information and download the Moola app today! Apple, Android and Blackberry phones supported.

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Tourism Malaysia

A taste of Szechuan with Moola

January 29, 2013 at 5:00 pm

How many times have we walked past a shop or a restaurant without realising what is offered in there? I know I do. In our haste to reach our destination on time, these shops have been reduced to blurry images that recede into the background. One such restaurant was Zhi Wei Yuan, located along Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur.

Zhi Wei Yuan specialises in Szechuan cuisine, and as Chinese cuisines are a big mystery to me, I did not have any preconceived expectations prior to dining at this outlet. I was there with a couple of friends, including Emily Tang of Sunrise Emily blog and Evelyn Ang of Missyblurkit.com, courtesy of Moola, the first ever homegrown Cash-Back Lifestyle programme by ICT Utopia. The girls had a lot to say about their experience here, so please remember to see how it went for both of them!

Read: Emily’s first encounter of the Szechuan kind
Read: Evelyn loves it SPICY… for food of course

It turns out that Szechuan food is famous for its spicy dishes and the generous use of its Szechuan peppercorns in cooking. These peppercorns are known to possess a unique aroma and flavour that is very much unlike its more well-known counterparts, the black and white pepper. Regulars patrons who know exactly what they want can have their dishes customised according to their requests. Freshness is their main emphasis when it comes to choosing their ingredients to ensure quality dishes. Most of their basic ingredients used in preparation of their meals are brought in from China.

Our dishes for the evening looked pretty common, but let me tell you, this lot packs a punch taste wise! The manager offered us a very useful tip to fight off the heat from the peppercorns – that is to drink Wong Lo Kat (a type of Chinese sweet herbal drink) instead of the usual cold water to complement our meal. Our dinner started off with prawns fried in spicy sauce. The prawns were fresh, and it the first of many great tasting dishes that made the dinner great.

Surprisingly, Wong Lo Kat really does help cool down the spiciness of the Szechuan pepper!

To me, food is like songs and movies; you may encounter a great many of them throughout your life, but only a few will actually leave a lasting impression. For me, the Sichuan Style Braised Fish Fillet with Beancurd was one such dish. I never knew that a combination of simple ingredients like fish fillet, soft beancurd and salted preserved vegetable could become something so delicious. The taste of the soup is strong enough that it gives the whole dish its flavour, but not so strong that it overpowers the beancurd and fish fillet.

Sichuan Style Fried Prawn with Spicy Sauce – delicious down to the very last bite!

Sichuan Style Braised Fish Fillet with Beancurd – Though it may look simple, one taste of this dish and you will fall in love with it

We were also treated to a serving of Fried Spareribs in Sweet Sour Sauce and Chongqing Stir Fried Chicken with Dried Chilli. Unlike some restaurants where the colour of the sauce LOOKS delicious but in fact lacks in taste, this dish is just perfect – not too sweet, just enough hint of sourness to make it tender and yummy with every bite! Definitely a must try for lovers of pork spare ribs. For frog lovers, look out for the Dry Braised Spicy Edible Frog. Though it was slightly salty to the taste, the frog meat was fresh and tender, making this dish a great accompaniment with rice.

Fried Spareribs in Sweet Sour Sauce – a must try for spareribs lovers

Chongqing Stir Fried Chicken with Dried Chilli – spicy to the last morsel!

Dry Braised Spicy Edible Frog

The chef also made us a few other non-spicy dishes like the Sauteed Hand Ripped Cabbage, Xinjiang Boiled Lamb Cutlets, Sauteed Shredded Potato with Salted Egg Yolk. Again, do not be fooled by these simple looking dishes. The cabbage tastes absolutely scrumptious! The vegetable is crisp and tasty with a slight sweetness and a hint of vinegar added to it, yet there isn’t any of the raw vegetable taste that is present as a result of undercooking. If you were to ask the manager as to how the lamb is prepared, you’d be surprised with the answer. There isn’t any gamey taste and it doesn’t feel like you are chewing rubber with every bite.

Sauteed Hand Ripped Cabbage – the cabbage tastes crisp with a slight sweetness to it. One of the many favourites for the night

Xinjiang Boiled Lamb Cutlets – who knew that lamb could taste this wonderful cooked this way

Sauteed Shredded Potato with Salted Egg Yolk – looks like noodles right? It’s actually shredded potato coated with salted egg yolk. Another favourite for the night

By now, anyone would already be so full that it would seem impossible to take another bite. Maybe it was the rainy weather, or it could be the company that we had, we were definitely up for one more dish – the famous Sichuan Hot Pot. We chose the Spicy Fish Hot Pot. This item comes with 3 side dishes of your choice, 6 condiments and lots of fish meat underneath that bubbling soup. The condiments, which are raw garlic, spring onions, sesame seed oil, peppercorn oil, chopped red and cilantro, play a part in enhancing your eating experience.

Sichuan Hot Pot – Spicy Fish

The side dishes and condiments that comes together with the order of hot pot

Glutinous Rice Balls in Sweet Rice Wine Soup – a nice dessert to round up the night

Unlike the conventional hot pot where you drink large quantities of the soup, the soup for this hot pot can be a tad too spicy and oily for anyone. That is why one of the condiments given with every dish is sesame seed oil. When mixed with the other condiments of your choice, it will prevent the person from suffering from heartburn. A very useful tip indeed!

It was close to 11pm by the time our dinner ended. Everyone went back with a big smile on their faces and a slightly bigger waistline! Though eating at Zhi Wei Yuan can be slightly expensive, it was worth every dollar. It may seem that we have managed to taste quite a number of dishes today, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. I will definitely make Zhi Wei Yuan a stop in my continuing journey of exploring Szechuan cuisine.

This Dining With Moola experience is courtesy of Moola, the first-ever Cash-Back Lifestyle Programme specially designed for shoppers to enjoy free shopping, great savings and best deals in town. Moola is a mobile application that utilises QR code technology for all interactions; from member registration, Moola accumulation and redemption, to the actual shopping.

Moola Frenz who dine at Zhi Wei Yuan are entitled to a 10% cash back everytime! What’s more, you can also grab FreeMakan vouchers for even MORE savings here!

Moola is completely hassle-free; no administrative effort; no joining fee; no cards; and comes with even greater flexibility for shoppers to enjoy the variety of rewards for redemption. Visit www.moola.my for more information and download the Moola app today! Apple, Android and Blackberry phones supported.

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Tourism Malaysia

Restaurant Kampung Melayu @ Low Yat Plaza

November 7, 2012 at 4:29 pm

It is common for travellers to sample the local cuisine whenever they travel to a foreign land. With the advent of commercial tourism, however, it has become quite a challenge to locate an eatery that serves authentic local cuisine as opposed to food served to tourists. So where would one be able to find a restaurant serving affordable yet authentic Malay cuisine in Kuala Lumpur?

Restaurant Kampung Melayu, an affordable and authentic Malay restaurant right in the heart of KL

The answer is Restaurant Kampung Melayu, conveniently located at the ground floor of Low Yat Plaza, in the heart of Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur’s shopping district. I had dinner there recently, courtesy of Moola, the first ever homegrown Cash-Back Lifestyle programme by ICT Utopia. Joining me on that day was Emily Tang of Sunrise Emily blog and all of us had a splendid time and great laughs too, thanks to one particular dish. More on that later, but for now you can check out what Emily thought of Restaurant Kampung Melayu on her blog!

Some of the simple but hearthy Malay dishes available at Restaurant Kampung Melayu

Why is affordable authentic Malay food that taste great rather hard to find? Simply because of modernization and the influence it brings with it, and perhaps the time and effort taken to prepare great Malay dishes. So you could imagine my delight to find myself face to face with some Malaysian favourites that evening.

The Mutton Biryani Rice

The Chicken Biryani Rice

Rice is an important part of Malay cuisine, and served in many ways at Restaurant Kampung Melayu. We had the Mutton Claypot Biryani Rice, the Chicken Claypot Biryani and the Nasi Goreng Kampung, or village styled fried rice. The biryani rice originates from the Indian subcontinent, and is a firm favourite among Malaysians due to its fragrance and complex mixture of tastes. Restaurant Kampung Melayu’s biryani tastes great without being overwhelmingly oily. The mutton was tender, while the chicken was just right. Both were spicy, so those who are unaccustomed to the heat should be mindful of the spicy curry. The fried rice was great, but once again caution should be taken if you are not partial to spicy food as this has potent chili padi stirred into the rice.

The spicy but delicious Nasi Goreng Kampung

Simple refreshing vegetable dishes that accompany the Biryani

The mixed pickled vegetables or Acar

The rice dishes were accompanied by several vegetable side dishes, including stir fried cabbage, curry eggplant and mixed pickled vegetables. These vegetable dishes are usually served with many Malay rice dishes and bring a light and refreshing taste in contrast to the rich and flavourful rice dishes. The mixed pickled vegetables, known as acar, is very common and simple dish to prepare, made with raw cucumber, pineapple, onion and red chili pickled in vinegar. While sourish in taste, the dish is light and very refreshing.

The Daging Masak Merah

The Ikan Pari Bakar

We were also served with three main dishes – Daging Masak Merah, a spicy beef dish; Ikan Pari Bakar, spicy grilled ray; and Kailan Ikan Masin, stir fried kalian with salted fish. These dishes are meant to be taken with rice, usually plain white rice, which is the staple for most Malaysians. The beef was tender, and had a spicy aftertaste, while the grilled ray was truly spicy and well grilled. The kalian was an interesting dish, the salted fish providing a lot of flavour.

Stir Fried Kailan with Salted Fish

The Thai inspired Tom Yam Soup

We also had two different soups – the Tom Yam Soup, which is actually a Thai dish, and the Sup Lidah, or Cow’s Tongue Soup. The Tom Yam is a favourite among Malaysians, and is a common feature at most Malay and Chinese eateries. The Cow’s Tongue Soup may sound rather daunting, due to the part of meat that it features, but is actually somewhat of a delicacy in Malaysia. The soup is a clear soup incorporating an assortment of ingredients, including spices. It is mild compared to any Tom Yam as it does not use chilli in its preparation. I have to admit that I usually steer clear of offal and that the Cow’s Tongue Soup was left alone by our dinner party for the larger part of the evening. That is until one of the braver souls ventured for a bite, and to our surprise, rated it very favourably. That sparked everyone’s interest, and before you knew it, we ended up declaring that the Cow’s Tongue Soup was one of the nicest surprises of the evening!

The evening’s unexpected highlight, the Sup Lidah

Restaurant Kampung Melayu also offers typical Malaysian favourites like Satay and Otak-Otak. Satay, I think would require no real introduction, being quite well known throughout the world. A simple meat dish, satay is marinated grilled meat skewers served with peanut sauce accompanied with cucumber and onion slices. Otak-otak is spicy fish paste wrapped in leaves which are then grilled over an open fire. The Satay and Otak-otak served at Restaurant Kampung Melayu were delicious and are a great introduction to Malay cuisine.

The Satay and Otak-Otak

Roti Tissue

The Making of Roti Tissue

During our visit, we also had a taste of Roti Tissue, a sweet variation of the Roti Canai, an Indian bread. The Roti Tissue is a paper thin roti canai that is flavoured with sugar and condensed milk. Different restaurants serve the roti tissue in different ways, Restaurant Kampung Melayu serves theirs in a cone shape. Finally, to wrap up the evening, we had some refreshing sweet lassi and mango lassi, as well as local shaved ice desserts known as ABC or Ais Batu Campur, and its fruity variant, the ABC Mango.

The Sweet Lassi and the Mango Lassi

The ABC Mango

The Original ABC

This Dining With Moola experience is courtesy of Moola, the first-ever Cash-Back Lifestyle Programme specially designed for shoppers to enjoy free shopping, great savings and best deals in town. Moola is a mobile application that utilises QR code technology for all interactions; from member registration, Moola accumulation and redemption, to the actual shopping.

Moola Frenz who dine at Restaurant Kampung Melayu are entitled to a HUGE 30% cash back everytime! What’s more, you can also grab FreeMakan vouchers for even MORE savings here!

Moola is completely hassle-free; no administrative effort; no joining fee; no cards; and comes with even greater flexibility for shoppers to enjoy the variety of rewards for redemption. Visit www.moola.my for more information and download the Moola app today! Apple, Android and Blackberry phones supported.

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