Satay Celup @ Ban Lee Siang

I was in Malacca with my girl friends a couple of weeks ago on a food trip. We arrived late in the afternoon, with tummies almost empty. With no time to lose, off we went for Malacca's famous Satay Celup.

Ban Lee Siang

Satay celup is basically skewers of an assortment of vegetables, seafood, and meat dipped into a boiling pot of satay sauce.

Selection of skewers in huge refrigerators.

The skewers are available for self-service selection from huge refrigerators in the shop right by the tables. Long queues are a normal sight here but as we'd found out, 4pm is a good time to be there so we got a table in no time.

Our selection.

Difficult as it was, we managed to resist the urge to take too many skewers. Had to pace ourselves for the food party for our tummies that was to come!

Yummy satay celup.

The fish cakes, crab sticks, pork balls, mushrooms, and veggies we got were fairly fresh, but it all comes down to the sauce. It was thick and aromatic, delicious indeed! If you're a fan of satay, then you'll enjoy this.

Where:

45E, Jalan Ong Kim Wee,

Bandar Hilir 75300,

Malacca.

When:
Daily 5pm - Midnight

Fatboy's the Burger Bar @ Katong

Continuing in the theme from my last post, this post will be on the meal after the run. When given the option of going for either a vegetarian burger or meat burger, I jumped on the latter without hesitation.

I turned to my friend and said: "This is not the first day you know me, right?". Especially coming from a fellow meat lover, shocking suggestion indeed haha.

I'd just done my first 10km run, starving like hell and in dire need of substantial sustenance. Protein is without a doubt the way to go.

So, off we went to Fatboy's with my surprisingly not (yet) sore legs. Instead, what was starting to get to me was the heat!

Fatboy's @ Katong

I'd tried Fatboy's in KL before but was keen on trying it out in its birth place at one of its branches in Singapore. It didn't take long for our tummies, I mean us to decide on what to get.

I was thrilled to finally have the space to try their malt shakes, and what a treat it was. Thick and rich, the Thick Chocolate Malt Shakes was the perfect blend and consistency in taste and texture. It was agreed that this was comparable to the ones in the States. Superb! 

Thick Chocolate Malt Shake

Then, came the burgers. 

The whopper of a Fat Basterd comes in not one, but TWO beef patties sandwiching a fried egg, and bacon. No way I would be able to finish that even after a run haha.. but somehow my friend managed to, even without running haha. Madness!

The Fat Basterd and The Royale with Cheese

The Royale with Cheese consists of a beef patty topped with cheese, BBQ sauce, and onions. Classic cheeseburger - my childhood favourite, and Fatboy's didn't disappoint. Not to be left out, the fries were wonderfully done - crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, dipped in chilli sauce of course!

Most definitely a satisfying meal. 

Where:

465 Joo Chiat Road

Singapore 427677

The Curry Wok @ Bukit Timah

Another Singapore foodie post! Was there this past weekend for the Standard Chartered run, where I managed to complete 10km without stopping woohoo! Jelly legs now haha..

This post will be on the meal the night before the run. Probably not the healthiest but definitely one of the tastiest!

Headed to the Curry Wok for some yummy Teochew-Peranakan dinner.

The Curry Wok

First up, Curry Chicken! The chicken was nice and supple, the curry thick and delicious. I'd be satisfied with just the gravy and a big bowl of rice.

Curry Chicken

Next, there's Beef Rendang. The tender pieces of beef, with the gravy mouthwateringly melts in the mouth. Mmm...

Beef Rendang

The Sayur Lodeh was a pretty average dish of cabbage, long beans, and carrots soaked in a coconut milk curry broth. Sufficient for my bare minimum daily dose of vegetables.

Sayur Lodeh

The homemade Ngo Hiang 五香 (known as lobak in Malaysia) was simply delicious! Especially when paired with their homemade belacan.

Homemade Ngo Hiang

Sambal sotong has always been my all-time favourite since childhood so I had to give this dish a try. It really did not disappoint. Fresh and chewy to the bite, the squid went well with the flavourful sambal!

Sambal Sotong

The Curry Wok is famous for its Curry Fish Head, which I didn't manage to snap a photo of but it was some deliciously fresh fish in tasty curry gravy.

Good dinner, overall. It helped put me into a good sleep after in preparation for the run the next day for sure!

Where:

5 Coronation Road

Coronation Arcade #01-04

Singapore 269406

When:

11am - 9pm. 

Closed on Tuesdays.

Verona Trattoria @ Section 17

Owned and operated by an Italian, Verona Trattoria serves up some yummy Italian fare.

With a simple mix of pork pepperoni, mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese, the thin-crusted Verona Boscaiola was simply delicious!

Verona Boscaiola

The pasta dishes followed and so did more porky happiness.

First up is the Aglio Olio. Anything with bacon is good, but this partnership between bacon and garlic was heavenly.

Aglio Olio

I'm a fan of Carbonara, but it tends to get a bit too heavy and just a tad overwhelming when it cools down. The Carbonara here was surprisingly nothing like that at all. However it was made, it was just the right balance. Of course, bacon made the dish all the more tantalising.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Of course, there is always room for dessert! One of their specials for the day was the Sticky date pudding in butterscotch sauce with vanilla ice cream. I used to eat this lots in NZ so it was pretty nostalgic savouring this sweet selection.

Sticky date pudding in butterscotch sauce.

Where:

8, Jalan 17/54

Section 17,

46400 Petaling Jaya.

When:

Tues - Sun: 12pm - 2:30pm; 6pm - 10pm

Nana's Green Tea @ 1 Utama

Nana's Green Tea is in town! Super stoked that it finally made it to KL. My first experience of Nana's Green Tea was in Singapore a few years ago, and my sis and I instantly fell in love with their green tea desserts. We aim to have it every trip down. Now that it's here, we no longer have to wait so long for our green tea dessert fix!

Nana's Green Tea

My favourite is Matcha Anmitsu. This bowl consists of green tea ice cream, red bean paste, mochi (rice balls), and kanten (healthy seaweed jelly with an almost zero calorie count it seems). The blend was just delicious. I have to say though, the kanten was not as smooth as the one in Singapore.

Matcha Anmitsu

The Matcha Shiratama Parfait comes a close second. Look at that tall glass of a beauty with layer after layer of kanten, soft serve ice cream, cornflakes, mochi, green tea ice cream, red bean paste, AND whipped cream to top it all off. Yummylicious healthy guilt-free (they guarantee it) dessert!

Matcha Shiratama Parfait

Also gave the Matcha "Gateaux Chocolat" Parfait a try. It's basically the the Shiratama Parfait with Matcha Gateaux Chocolate cake in the place of the mochi. Interesting mix of chocolate and green tea but the cake was a bit hard and frozen which gave the impression that it wasn't fresh.

Matcha "Gateaux Chocolat" Parfait

Definitely my new dessert go-to for green tea selections.

Where:

Lot LG355, 

Bandar Utama,

47800 Petaling Jaya,

Selangor.

When:

Daily 10am -10pm

Mikey's New York Pizza @ Bangsar

Been hearing about this pizza place my friend recommended so the other day I finally gave Mikey's New York Pizza a try with a couple of my friends.

Interior of Mikey's New York Pizza.

The slices were so huge we small eaters (yeah, right) settled for two slices. The Classic is a deliciously cheesy slice, chewy to the bite. The Meatball consists of caramelised onions, peppers, and meatballs! Wasn't as tasty as The Classic though. The crust for both was a little thick and hardened really quickly so we just left it.

Classic and Meatball pizza slices - look at the size of them!

We also got a side of Brooklyn Waffle Fries. They're covered in cheddar cheese and served with a gravy dip. Nice and crunchy but a tad salty.

Brooklyn Waffle Fries.

Verdict: I've had better pizza. But good company and good conversation definitely made up for it. Plus the sly friends of mine treated me to an early birthday lunch. Thanks, girls! Also for the delicious slightly alcoholic cake we had after =P

Where:

17 Jalan Telawi 2,

Bangsar,

Kuala Lumpur.

When:

Daily 11:30am - 11pm

Durian Mousse @ Dessert Bowl (一碗甜品)

I love all things durian. From the fruit itself to durian ice cream, durian cake, durian pancake, durian cendol, durian with sticky rice, durian puff, and durian chips. You name it, any durian inspired creation I would most probably have tried. Except this one I was recently introduced to at Dessert Bowl in Serangoon.

Entrance to Dessert Bowl (一碗甜品). 

Introducing the absolutely mouthwatering, totally irresistible, Durian Mousse. Never was a big fan of mousse but hey, it's durian. Really, how can I say no?

Durian Mousse with Black Glutinous Rice and Durian Mousse.

Nice and cold, the mousse was smooth and fabulously flavourful. Next to the real thing, I was in absolute durian heaven. The black glutinous rice makes for a surprisingly good partner.

Salivating just writing this post. In fact, I want a bowl now.

Where:

80A Serangoon Garden Way,

Serangoon, 

Singapore 555976.

When:

Tues - Thurs: 1pm - 10:30pm

Fri - Sun: 1pm - Midnight

Closed Mondays.

iSteaks Diner @ Serangoon Gardens

The original plan was to try the burgers at this particular restaurant but somehow it didn't seem like a very exciting option when we got there. Fortunately, a steakhouse in the form of iSteaks Diner was situated right next to it. Yay, another beefy option!

iSteaks Diner.

Each grilled dish comes with two complements aka side dishes. The steaks were slightly more well done than requested but they were delicious nonetheless. You can choose from either mushroom or black pepper sauce. The sides were reasonably flavourful as well.   

NZ Ribeye, 250g and 180g cuts with two sides each.

Apart from the grilled items, they have a selection of pasta and burgers to choose from as well. The diner's got a relaxing, casual feel to it much like a fast food restaurant, except with far higher quality dishes.

The menu.

Verdict: Good value for money for a decent meal (even after conversion!).

Where:

myVillage

#02-03 1 Maju Avenue,

Singapore 556679.

Ante Kitchen & Bar @ Publika

For a friend's birthday a couple of weeks back, we visited Ante Kitchen & Bar. They pride themselves on being pork specialists, and since we all love our pork, why not give it a try!

Interior of the restaurant

We were starving, so ordering didn't take longer than 5 minutes. First up, the Garden Duck Salad. Okay, it's got no pork but this salad comes with grilled marinated watermelon cubes, cherry tomatoes, romaine letture, topped with deliciously tasty smoked duck slices.

Garden Duck Salad

Then, the Pork Nuggets. What more can I say? Nuggets, made of pork. Does it get any better? Oh, yes it does. The slightly spicy aioli dip was so good you could eat it on its own.

Pork Nuggets

The Real Bacon Carbonara. Ah, rich and creamy spaghetti topped with bacon! Let's face it, anything with bacon is good.

The Real Bacon Carbonara

Finally, there's the Volcano Sacrifice. The pork loin slices were grilled to perfection, juicy and tasty. The mashed potatoes on the side deserve a mention. The gravy was super mouth-wateringly yummy, sweet and slightly salty with a hint of bacon bits. Too good!

Volcano Sacrifice

Verdict: If you like pork, give Ante a try. We will be going back. But there's so many other restaurants to go to, so much good food to try. Oh, the dilemma!

Where:

A2-G1-09 Solaris Dutamas,

Jalan Dutamas 1,

50480 Kuala Lumpur.

When:

Mon - Thur, Sun: 11am - 11pm

Fri - Sat: 11am - 1am

Nasi Lemak @ Santai

Nasi lemak can be found pretty much at any corner of Malaysia, at a roadside stall or in a restaurant, and can be eaten any time of the day. My favourite can be found at Santai Restaurant & Cafe.

I was so gutted when their breakfast service had stopped after Ramadhan (an extremely long three months), but when I was told this was resumed, I dropped what I was doing and went straight for my beloved nasi lemak!

Santai Restaurant & Cafe.

What makes a good plate of nasi lemak? For me, it's got to be the fragrance of the rice, the hotness of the sambal (chilli sauce), the crispy ikan bilis (fried anchovies), with yummy sides of sambal sotong (squid) and daging (beef). The Nasi Lemak at Santai has got them all.

Nasi Lemak with sambal sotong and daging.

The Fried Beehoon is pretty good as well. It's got generous servings of reasonably sized chicken pieces too, and of course the sambal gives it that extra bang.

Fried Beehoon.

They've got yummy curry puffs and nasi kunyit too. I have yet to try their other dishes which I've heard good things about but can never sway from the wonderfully delicious Nasi Lemak.

Selection of curry puffs and nasi lemak sides.

The atmosphere and feel to Santai is a relaxing one. It's clean, the chairs are comfortable, and the staff so friendly. They're big on honesty and trust here as payment is based entirely on what the customer tells them at the counter. So, if you're one who values the aforementioned traits and good food, definitely pay Santai a visit!

Where:
10, Persiaran Zaaba,
Taman Tun Dr. Ismail,
60000 Kuala Lumpur.

When:
Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

New Zealand Natural @ The Curve

Chocolate ice cream was my first love, and still is one of the loves of my life. I like my ice cream rich and creamy, and New Zealand Natural stands pretty high up on the list of good amazing ice cream.

Always been a fan of New Zealand Natural. I'd just had dinner at The Curve the other day and naturally, it was too difficult to resist.

Single scoop Chocolate Ecstasy. It really was.

The Chocolate Ecstasy was really just that - pure ecstasy, chocolate flavoured. Rich, creamy naturally sweet pure chocolate goodness all in a single scoop on a fresh waffle cone. Almost too good to be true. If you love chocolate ice cream as much as I do, you'll HAVE TO try this.

Oh yes, all the memories of my love affair with chocolate ice cream.

I hadn't been to The Curve for a few months and was pleasantly surprised to see the refurbished New Zealand Natural shop. It had a very welcoming and cosy feel to it with the wooden floor and comfy chairs.

Book Exchange.

I really liked the idea of the Book Exchange. Here, you can bring in a book in exchange for a book on the shelf left by someone else.

Right behind it, there's a water dispenser. Again, such a pleasant surprise. We all know how hard it is to come by free water in KL.

Water dispenser - free for all.

Give New Zealand Natural a try at one of their outlets if you haven't already!

Where:
K-G10-W Ground Floor,
The Curve, 
6 Jalan PJU 7/3,
Mutiara Damansara,
47800 Petaling Jaya, 
Selangor.

When:
Daily 10am - 10pm

Bak Kua from Sun Wing Heong (新永香肉干)

Bak Kua! This dried meat delicacy is usually reserved for Chinese New Year but cravings are too difficult to contain sometimes.

Sun Wing Heong

There are a few brands that sell this but Sun Wing Heong is a family favourite. 

Bak Kua!

Just look at these strips of porky goodness - not too hard, not too oily, and just the right level of saltiness. Yum yum yum! I sometimes like to have mine sandwiched in white bread. How do you enjoy your bak kua?

Where:

78, Jalan SS2/60,

47300 Petaling Jaya,

Selangor.

Fatboy's The Burger Bar @ Publika

Another burger post! Been here a couple times before and it'd been a while since the last visit so was surprised to see a new menu. Fatboy's first caught my attention because they're one of few burger joints that serve pork burgers.

The exterior of Fatboy's.

Smoked Bacon Sausages and Spicy Wings.

The Smoked Bacon Sausages are basically pork sausages wrapped with bacon. It's a good idea but the taste and quality was so-so. The Malaysian-style buffalo wings in the Spicy Wings were spicylicious!!! A must try for those who love wings and all things hot.

Fat Basterd

The Fat Basterd is Fatboy's signature burger. With a choice of pork, beef or lamb, it comes with not one but TWO thick juicy patties. This is topped with streaky bacon strips, cheddar cheese and a fried egg, slathered with house-made BBQ sauce.

The Elvis

The Elvis was an interesting one. It's got everything you wouldn't expect in a burger. This pork burger's topped with bananas and peanut butter! Both of which I love but the combination didn't exactly tickle the tastebuds.

Pirates of the Caribbacon

Highlight of the night goes to Pirates of the Caribbacon. This combination of a pork and beef patty, topped with a generous serving of caramelised onions, pickles, mayo, and the deep fried breaded goodness of streaky bacon was simply heaven on earth. Will def be going back for this! I was well stuffed by the end of the night. Next time I'll leave some space for their much talked about milkshakes. 

Where:

Lot 30, Level G2,

Solaris Dutamas,

Jalan Dutamas 1,

50480 Kuala Lumpur.

When:

Daily, 11am - 10pm.

The Red Beanbag @ Publika

Happy Malaysia Day! Gotta love public holidays. A day off from work and also a great time to catch up with friends. Another long overdue meet up with ex-colleagues of mine whom again, I hadn't seen in months. Our initial plan of rocking up to the much hyped about Trampoline Park was thwarted as all slots were booked out till 7pm. Disappointed as we were, being the true Malaysians that we are, we went looking for food instead!

The Red Beanbag

A friend recommended The Red Beanbag at Publika so off we went. As with all cafes, there was a queue. We waited over 30 minutes for a table but it was worth the wait alright.

Skyscraper

A stack of six fluffy pancakes, the Skyscraper is drizzled with dark chocolate sauce, served with caramelised fruits and maple syrup. Delicious but doesn't beat the ones I've had in Sydney.

The Pitaful Duck

The Pitaful Duck is a wonderfully fresh pita bread stuffed with smoked duck, corn kernels, and red radish slices. It is accompanied by a poached egg atop a piece of rosti. I love bread, especially when they're fresh. Fresh bread + meat + potato? Heavenly.

Benedict III

I'm a sucker for good French Toast and this really won me over. Topped with beef bacon, sauteed mushrooms, kale, and poached eggs drizzled with hollandaise sauce, the burst of flavours in Benedict III was simply divine.

Verdict: Def heading back for more. Missed out on desserts too, next time for sure!

Where:
A4-1-08 Solaris Dutamas,
Jalan Dutamas 1,
50480 Kuala Lumpur.

When:
Daily 
10am-10pm