(Glorious) Kobe Beef @ Osaka

I was in Osaka in time to catch the cherry blossoms at the tail end of its blooming season a couple of weeks ago and it was absolutely gorgeous! But that isn't the main point of this post now, is it? As usual, savouring the local delicacies is of top priority. 

Alright, so Kobe beef is actually from Kobe which is about 35min away from Osaka. After taking a stroll down the famous Dotonbori and meeting the Glico Man, we'd stumbled upon one of the restaurants licensed by the Kobe Beef Tourist Association to serve this variety of beef (as we found out from the friendly waiter who spoke minimal English).

Premium Kobe Beef Sirloin

Premium Kobe Beef Fillet

Both the Fillet and the Sirloin were gloriously tender and well-marbled, but my favourite was the Fillet as it was more flavourful. They were both literally happiness on a plate. I'd never tasted anything like it before.

Who doesn't love Kobe beef? Anyone who enjoys a good piece of steak would.

Kobe beef award.

This restaurant recently won an award for its steaks on the 13th of December, 2016 as proudly displayed on each table for all to view.

Entrance to the restaurant.

Not actually sure of its address. However, it is right across the street from Dotonbori (Glico man side).

Price list of the Premium Kobe Beef cuts.

If you do find yourself in Osaka, and you enjoy a good flavourful, well-marbled piece of steak, head on over here or directly to its source in Kobe!

Krop Krop by Oinkz @ Plaza Damas

Our usual haunt for porky burgers at Oinkz @ Section 17 had sadly ceased operations. Fortunately, my partner in crime got wind of its main operations at Plaza Damas. Woohoo!

Krop Krop by Oinkz serves up just what its name suggests - porky goodness on a simple plate, rather a tray in our case with the burger and fries.

The uber delicious Hambo Burger (RM18).

We both got the Hambo Burger, which comes with a deliciously juicy pork patty sandwiched between a fried egg, onion rings and the healthy combo of lettuce and tomatoes. Really enjoyed every single gigantic mouthful of this one. It's pretty sizable so you will definitely be filled to the brim.

Something interesting here is that customers are provided with gloves so their hands don't get all juicy and oily from slobbing away at the burgers!

Krop Circles aka deep fried porky goodness (RM10).

We also got a side of Krop Circles, which were these pork balls that were crisp and chewy at the same time. Yum!

The restaurant is small inside but there are tables outside as well for those who prefer some fresh (not so?) air.

Krop Krop by Oinkz.

In addition to the burgers, they've also got a selection to cater to the Asian tastebuds.

Menu selection.

Definitely worth a visit. I've been back once more even before posting this!

Where:

Plaza Damas, G-0-1,

Jalan Sri Hartamas 1,

Sri Hartamas,

50480 Kuala Lumpur.

When:

10am - 10pm

Crack Pork @ Kota Damansara

Been wanting to check out Crack Pork for a bit now, and finally had the opportunity to the other day as we were in the area. We had initially wanted to visit the chocolate museum but the queue was snaking far too unreasonably long under the hot sun so decided against it and went straight for lunch instead.

What a wise decision it turned out to be as not only were we in the comfortably cool ambience, we got to enjoy some excellently done porky goodness!

Siu Yuk Sandwich (RM16.50)

Filled with a generous portion of deliciously crisp roasted pork and topped with vegetables and mustard dressing, the Siu Yuk Sandwich was carbo-lard heaven on a plate. The ciabatta paired surprisingly well with the siu yuk, then again what doesn't?! Would like to try siu yuk with baguette next time around.

Siu Yuk (100gm for RM10)

If the sandwich isn't enough to satisfy your porky cravings, go for the plate of more Siu Yuk! The pear sauce was an interesting pairing though...shall try the other two sauces available next time.

Crack Pork

If you like siu yuk, do give this place a try. If not, and if you're a fan of bread, go try their sandwiches at least.

Their menu.

Verdict: Definitely heading back for more and to try the other items on the menu.

Where: 
59, Jalan PJU 5/21,
Kota Damansara,
47810 Petaling Jaya.

When:
Weekdays 11am - 3:30pm
Weekends 11am - 5pm
Closed Tuesdays.

Rakshee @ Kota Damansara

Last week, we visited Rakshee after the better half had heard about it through a review. This is the first place I know of in town to serve bakso (which is a type of Indonesian meatball) and we'd never tried it before so we figured we could give it a try.

Rakshee

The dishes must have been prepared much earlier as they plated barely five minutes after we'd ordered and sat down. 

Pasta Carbonara (RM11.90)

The Pasta Carbonara was only okay. It wasn't exactly the most flavourful carbonara out there but for that price, I guess it's passable.

Lasagna (RM16.90)

The Lasagna was filled with plenty of minced beef but was a tad salty and the ton of cheese on top was a little overwhelming. Again, I've definitely had better.

Bakso Nuggets (RM10.90)

The Bakso Nuggets was the highlight of the night. Crisp and crunchy on the outside, nice and chewy on the inside, these nuggets were yummy especially with the chilli and cheese dips!

Bakso Soup (RM1.90)

Somehow, the first three dishes weren't enough to fill our tummies so we decided to try the Bakso Soup, which we'd seen a couple have at least six bowls of. This bowl comes with two bakso balls and some glass noodles. The soup was tasty but didn't really have the oomph factor. 

I can't say the food here's amazing but it isn't all bad given the reasonable prices. If you're one for meatballs then a try wouldn't hurt.

Where:

13G, The Strand,

Jalan PJU 5/20A,

Kota Damansara

Jay Fai @ Bangkok

Bangkok has always been a haven of shopping and food, and on every trip we'd frequent the restaurants my uncle discovered when he was based there years ago. This year, we went back to this restaurant we first visited last year but did not have the stomach space to really enjoy the dishes to the fullest.

Named after the chef, Jay Fai is a one-woman (rather, grandmother) show with an elderly lady at the helm of the woks. Everything here is cooked over charcoal, which adds even more zing to the dishes. Jay Fai wears goggles to shield her eyes from the smoke, first time I've seen this on a chef!

Jay Fai whipping up the famous crab omelette over charcoal fire.

We were clever this time, ordering the bare minimum of dishes to savour every bit of flavour. Of course, the Crab Omelette was a must.

Jay Fai's famous Crab Omelette.

Swimming in a pool of oil, the omelette was superbly done with a perfectly crisp outer layer wrapping a generous amount of fresh and thick crab pieces. Two thumbs up!!

At 1000 Baht, this omelette doesn't come cheap but it's worth every penny.

Then, there's the Glass Noodles with Prawns in a claypot. I cannot tell you how tasty this was. The flavour was beyond imagination, and the huge prawns were extremely fresh, juicy and succulent.

Glass noodles with prawns.

Finally, the Drunken Noodles aka Fried Kuey Teow with Seafood. This dish was excellent on so many levels. First of all, the kuey teow was cooked al dente. Second, it was mixed with prawns, squid and crab - all so very fresh and well cooked. Lastly, this was all very well complemented by the secret mix of Jay Fai's sauces. If there was a food heaven, this dish would most definitely make the cut. 

Why is it called drunken noodles though? Well, they say that one day a man who's had quite a few drinks visited a hawker in the wee hours of the morning, looking for food. So, they whipped up this dish with the available ingredients.

Drunken Noodles.

The menu here is in both Thai and English so it's easily accessible for tourists. Even Martha Stewart is a fan!

Jay Fai with Martha Stewart.

If you're ever in Bangkok, do try this place out. Highly recommended! Plus your taste buds will thank you.

Where:
327 Maha Chai Rd,
Khwaeng Samran Rat,
Khet Phra Nakhon,
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon,
10200 Thailand.