Euro Deli

I’m beginning to like life as a food blogger. Food oh! glorious food, new faces and places to discover and to spread the good word of good food to our society. As if Thursday’s session at Red Ginger wasn’t enough, Sidney’s well-blessed pot luck on Saturday might have just put this giant into rest, food wise at least.

The oh so cliché “resistance is futile” adage has battered me many times as I fought to resist the sight, the scent and the pleasure of food. And now, it’s Teckiee’s turn as she has pledged to reduce her intake to regain her past figure.

Sunday’s weather made me lethargic, despite my early start to the day at 7.00am, I was all zombie-like, helplessly flipping from channel to channel. Usually, the earlier I awake, the fresher I become. Yeah, I'm weird…

14 hours later, I find myself being chauffeured to Euro-Deli - Home to the King of Sausages, fit for a pork loving King like mua. Despite the loss of appetite, we ended up having a mini feast in Euro Deli.

We started with a bottle of Green Guava juice, just nice to fill 4 cups. Rich and flavorful, it’s as good as the ones they serve in Chili’s.

The green pea soup was next, served with small slices of sausages. My apologies for the picture being absent here. This one’s thicker, and more aromatic than the one we tried in Elcerdo not too long ago. You get the feel that the only ingredient they had to make this soup was... green peas.. nothing more, nothing less....

We ordered a plate of salad with cheese sausages to share. Though we find it too “mayo” for our liking, it was still a pleasurable starter so long as you’re not having the whole plate to yourself. The beet root is juicy and sweet….nice touch.

I ordered a plate of mini burgers, 3 patties of specially prepared pork, topped with black pepper gravy served with fries and salad. The patties were superb; no shortcuts here, only fine pieces of meats are used, no fatty slabs or tendons. I finished all 3 pieces.

I heard that the spaghetti carbonara is a favorite here, and true enough it didn’t disappoint. Not too cheesy, not too creamy, this plate struck me with a perfect balance in its texture and flavor. Served with generous pork bacon pieces, this is indeed one of the better carbonaras I’ve had thus far.

The last plate we ordered was the mix knuckle and rib platter. Served with sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and salad, this dish was my favorite. The “crispy crisps” were superb, the meat so tender and the ribs are as rich as it can get. At times, it’s a bit of a letdown if the gravy isn’t good enough for the meat, especially the knuckle but thankfully the gravy used here is fabulous! Ze best I’ve tasted by far.

So as usual, I ended stuffing myself up and 15 minutes later, regretting having eaten so much..... Typical me.

Ladies and gentlemen, proof, if needed, that Pork cures appetite loss…

My tummy rating: 9.1/10

Angels Home, Overseas Union Garden

You free coming 9th Sept 2007, a leisurely beautiful Sunday?

Itching to spend, eat, play and consciously do charity?

Come over!

Come over to the Angels Home for underprivileged children Charity Bazaar & Food Fair!

Date : 9th Sept 2007 (Sunday)

Time : 10.00am to 4.00pm

Venue : Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Indah, Taman OUG

These coupons in booklets of RM10 each are being sold.

Do get them early from the home by calling Belinda at 016-6292933 or just drop by on the actual day.

Most important points to note:-

• This is not a paid advertisement nor a special request by the home. So no point quoting this blog or my name (for those who knows me personally) when purchasing/contributing as they are unaware I am doing this.

• Yes, this is a real welfare home caring for orphans as well as those kids whose parents are unable to care for them – financially, physically or mentally.

I have personally visited the home (a corner rented double storey terraced house) and contributed foodstuff before. How to go about that? Easy. I gave Belinda (016-6292933) a call, told her my budget and intention and she gave me a shopping list. Obviously such acts do cater to my selfish streak. For one, I love shopping. It was fun speeding down aisles loading the cart while consciously keeping within a budgeted amount. There was such a gameshow, right? Best still, the home issued me a receipt for the amount of goods bought which is eligible for tax deduction, yay! Just remembered. The last time I contacted the home, they were in need of tuition tutors. You don’t have to be a qualified teacher or such to volunteer. Just as long as you can afford the time and patience.

Oops, I digressed.

So will you drop by the Charity Bazaar & Food fair? Will I bump into you?

Elcerdo.

Guten Tag, much has been spoken on Elcerdo, a place for all, glorious food and ambience. Loud maybe to some, and yet romantic dining couples are often spotted here; romance isn’t all about dead-calm-quiet dining.

In Elcerdo, the popular plate breaking ritual is definitely an eye opener for some and it does, to a certain degree allow for interaction between tables, with people spurring each other for a successful dunk. More on that later. For this occasion, it was Uncle Jack’s birthday. The owner of a ‘timeless’ coffee shop in KL.

We started off with a complimentary cup of tomato soup each. Now, I was never a fan of tomato soup and I guess I’m still not and may never be, but this one's certainly something else. Put simply, I liked it...

Under recommendation, we also tried the Green Pea Soup, another soup from the category of soups I dislike. Once again, Elcerdo worked its magic and i was left craving for more. The soup was rich in flavour and aroma, and was ideally served with baguette pieces and pure butter.

What you’re about to see may confuse you. No, this is not our dessert but a simple cold dish called Serrano Ham. Generous ham slices served with a touch of salad dressing finished with rock melon pieces and some greens. You're supposed to wrap the rock melon pieces with the ham.. Good stuff.

We had 2 pastas, one serving each of macaroni and cheese and fettuccine carbonara, both cooked to perfection. I’ve always had a liking for carbonara and what more here in Elcerdo where it’s served with pork bacon pieces. The macaroni and cheese was lovely, every piece, uniformly wrapped with cheese… never a piece of flat tasting macaroni here.

The Spanish Paela… I last had this in Telawi’s La Bodega, but at times they can get pretty inconsistent. This is of course my first Paela in Elcerdo, and indeed what an impression they made on it. Generous amounts of large prawns swamp this dish and the taste? I believe not even a Fussy Fernando Alonso would complain of this.

Next came the 2 plates of Pork Steaks, which was my favorite for the night. Put simply, Elcerdo now holds my king-of-the-hill title when it comes to pork steaks. The steaks were the best I’ve ever tasted in my life! Served with some greens and a special steak sauce, I’m actually planning to come here again one fine day for lunch… just me, and the pork steak… oh yeah.. come to papa….

This piglet was of course the highlight of the evening, besides being Uncle Jack’s birthday and my first night out with my dad’s brand new Nikon D40 digital SLR. While the suckling pig hails from China, this piglet recipe emerged from Deutschland, proof that ze Germans alzo likez de pig roasted in whole. The skin is not as crispy as the Chinese suckling ones but because the meat is not removed, you get to taste the flavor of the meat as well. This is perhaps the most popular dish in Elcerdo, despite a price tag of RM 180.00 per serve. When you hear the sound of plates being broken, chances are it’s not the waiters’ fault; it’s a signal that the pig is being served.

In an identical ritual to the Greeks, they believe that this piglet must be cut and chopped using a plate and that the plate must be broken to bring you good luck and your wishes granted. Here are some pictures of the birthday boy – Uncle Jack in action.

Afraid that we may not have enough food to go around, we ordered an additional pork knuckle given the rate at which the plates were cleared. You see, when you come to places like these, it's NO good, well at least to me, to leave with a stomach still craving for more... you've got to fill it to the brim! The grilled potatoes were great too, served with bacon pieces and topped with olive oil.

Last but not least, a famous German pork knuckle dish, known traditionally as Eisbein, served with sourkraut and mash potatoes came, in which by then we were all looking at each other with that "Oops.." look. The knuckle is marinated in brine, usually overnight, before it is sent to the roast. According to the captain who took our orders, the meat appears reddish not because it is uncooked but the brine, used to improve the texture of the meat and the flavor will turn the color of the meat after the lengthy cooking process. This, we only managed to finish 40% of it. The crew happily wrapped for us, the remaining of the Eisbein but after a round of their complimentary margarita, we only realised much later that we left the Eisbein behind....

Indeed, a great place to dine regardless of the occasion and with such friendly and helpful service, I’m just loving this place. The bill came up to whopping RM 783.38 but with 9 fully satisfied adults, the price paid was truly worth every single cent.

Sehr gute Nahrung. Wunderbar!

Tummyrating: 9.5/10

Montien, One Bangsar

UPDATE: RESTAURANT CLOSED (found out in Nov'08)

A very good friend secured an overseas transfer to Hong Kong. Ups. Think supplier of Hong Kong goodies, localised free guide and free stay. *wide grin* Downs. We lost a significant companion for face to face gossips, window shopping, meals and short trips. Her kind sympathetic ear with a healthy dose of understanding clucking sounds is, without a doubt, still available (phonelines) but we will have to schedule around her trips back for our need of her reliable shoulder(s). *sigh*

Only one way to celebrate / bid farewell. Eat talk eat talk eat talk eat make plans for visits.

She foresaw she will be gorging down all sorts of Chinese, Western, seafood dishes over there so we decided to do Thai.

None of us have been here. Just heard it was good but with premium pricing. We only realize none of us made reservations half way there. Okay, if no table available then we just do mamak stalls or hawker fare. Hong Kong lacks those too, right? Standing at the restaurant doorstep around 7.30pm, we found our fear baseless. It was empty. 4 of us practically had the whole restaurant floor and the staff answering exclusively to our beck and call for almost an hour or so.

Yes, 2 warm water 2 cold. Think I’ll have warm too. Oh please change to cold water. Her water’s too cold, can add some warm water? Hey, air-conditioner units not working? Brrr quite cold. Please turn up temperature. That’s too much rice. Yes, half please. Why hers more than mine? No, I don’t want rice. Please bring me one empty plate. Oh, another one please. Aiya, she also wants one. Can give me more sambal? Get her some too. Got chopped chilies? No place d so please change to smaller plates...

Other patrons only started trickling in after 9pm. O.o?? Is that a norm around Bangsar dining scene?

Mieng Kam (Description in menu:- Peppery savoury leaves served with cut condiments - ginger, lime shallots, chillies, dried prawns, peanuts and dessicated coconut with sweet sauce). As long as everything's fresh, this is a hard appetiser to go wrong with.

Papaya Salad. See those crunchy prawns on top? Those were salty and fragrant. Additive. Went great with the roasted peanuts and fresh vegetables.

Hor Mok (Description in menu:- Otak-otak ie mixture of fish curry paste and coconut milk steamed in banana leaf cups). Ohhh so good, so good!

Khanom Jeen (Description in menu:- Thai laksa - a must try. Rice noodles accompanied by a variety of vegetables served with rich fish or prawn curried gravy). Think my friend opted for the fish curried gravy. We disagreed. It is not really a must try.

Phad Kao Sapparod (Description in menu:- Pineapple fried rice). Yummy!

Tom Yam Kung. Served in individual bowls so each can have the level of spiciness adjusted to own preferences. We? Hey, we went the distance of course - super spicy if you please!Kung Phad Sator (Description in menu:- Petai fried in Thai chillie paste with prawns). Am not a fan of those stinky petai pods but somehow I kept spooning the gravy. With those succulent prawns, of course.

Kaeng Khua Kai (Desciption in menu:- Chicken in Thai red curry served with minced pineapple). We decide to go against the norm and ordered a red instead of green. Not much on sight. Remember this was good but got pineapple-meh? Nevertheless, we shared 2 helpings of steamed white rice to soak up the gravy.Thab Tim Gob (Description in menu:- Waterchestnut & jackfruit in coconut milk). Alas, this was disappointing. The picture too so I decided not to post it. Luckily we ordered only 1 to sample as we were oddly, too full. No, the servings were not big. Must be due to the consumption of air - a lot of open mouth gossiping and laughing.

The bill which was split 3 (Hey, good friend, remember that was advance consideration for our coming visit(s)! ;o) :-Location and address:-

Montien
One Bangsar, Jalan Ara, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 2283 3116

Knows where Bangsar Seafood Garden Restaurant is? Montien is located in the middle of the row of restaurants behind it.

No. 886 Yong Tau Foo.

You know how some good food places are always hidden from the main streets, off the limelight but still manage to attract heaps of customers? This place certainly fits the bill. My uncle introduced me to this place when he accidentally came across this place while searching for food in Ampang. It is opposite the entrance of the On Pong Ampang Chinese School. This place is further down after the infamous side-by-side Fong Fong and Hung Hung Yong Yau Foo restaurants. Travel along the main road as you pass these 2 restaurants and the road turns right with rows of very old pre-war-like shop houses on your left and right. Travel slower and take a left turn into a lane with a signboard that leads you into the Chinese school. Once out from the lane, the restaurant is just on your left.

The name of the restaurant is simply No.886 Yong Tau Foo. I believe this is the address to the shop lot and the Yong Tau Foo was just added after the numbers to make it visible to customers. At first sight, you wouldn’t be able to tell that they serve Yong Tau Foo here. It’s a 2 unit lot with space for a few other stalls in it ala KL’s coffee shops and the first stall that greets you sells “vegetarian mixed rice”, followed by a “pig stomach meehoon” stall, one of those I-MUST-TRY-WITHOUT-MY-MOM-KNOWING stalls.

So here we are, 5 of us comfortably seated at a round table eager to order our food and drinks. We started with the infamous Kat Chai Shien Mui – a limejuice concoction with 2 pieces of sweet and sour plum in it. This one’s really thick, ideal for those who are really sleepy or lethargic. Here’s the picture:

The lady gave us a few copies of the menu, with various types of Yong Tau Foo available ala Carte style. We ordered a bowl of “Sui Kaos”, 5 pieces in total. Size wise, it’s nowhere near Causeway Bay's but it’s not far off the benchmark in terms of taste and texture. Here it is...

We ordered a large plate of mixed Yong Tau Foo (20pcs) in gravy with bitter gourd, brinjal and fried tofu all stuffed with pretty aromatic fish paste, unlike some places where the fish paste tastes flat. I’m not a fan of ladies’ finger and white tofu, hence, you won’t see these 2 in my orders. The gravy was darker than usual but nonetheless it was edible. Here’s a picture of the plate. The brinjal’s generous portion was quite a delight and it wasn’t too oily, just nice to go with the sauces. My mom’s favorite Yong Tau Foo variant has always been the bitter gourd, and indeed it was darn bitter.

Our mix-fried plate was served next, with deep-fried spring rolls, dumplings (Sui Kaos again!), “Yau Char Kway” and tofu. The fried dumplings were crispy while the spring rolls had a generous amount of fish paste in it. I loved it very much.

The fried Yau Char Kway (seen here below, about the same length of the brinjal and the fried tofu) was my favorite, crispy and very satisfactory. The one on the spoon is the deep fried tofu, better known as To Fu Pok. I believe what they did here was to remove the outer layer of the To Fu Pok, thus revealing the white “spongy” area underneath the skin before sending it into the fryer.

We also ordered a plate of Cantonese fried noodles, as a safety measure in case we short ordered. The gravy was certainly NOT prepared with packets of starch and a cement mixer. You knowlar, some places right, the starchy gravy is stronger and stickier than Spiderman’s web.

In the end, good news, no food wastage though we were all pretty stuffed up. The food was good, and just in case if you were wondering, 5 adults, all big eaters, can certainly fit and be moved in an automatic Kelisa.

Total cost: Approx RM 40.00
My tummy rating: 7.8/10.

Serdang Home Cook Restaurant

I have been told that many prefers a glimpse of my food bill before taking in my review. So, would you prefer I make it a habit to post the bill upfront before further babbling?

The bill is undated but I believe this visit was way back in the second quarter of this year. I did not plan to post this until I visit the place again. You see, all 5 of us (including the friend who recommended the place) unanimously (a rarity, mind you) found thedishes that night to be a tad too salty. The recommender who had been there several times before informed the chef/owner. The chef/owner appeared surprised and concerned. He assured that he will go light on the salt when we visit again. That is why I thought of posting my opinion only after a second visit but somehow to date, I have not been to that area for food. So alternatively, thought I just post it now. High probability you (yes, you you and maybe you too) are familiar with this place and are able to tell whether our salty encounter was just an unfortunate episode.

2 men 3 ladies had:-

'Cha-choy-thong' (Dried Vegetable Soup). This was complimentary.'Chiu-yim-thien-kai' (Pepper Salt Frogs)'Ying-yong-kuat' (2-way Ribs). On the left was cheesy mayonaise while the other sticky sweet, somewhat like -'pai-kuat-wong''Hor-yip-mayau' (Fish wrapped in Lotus Leaf)'Ch'ng-chau-choy-tam' (Stir-fried Brussels Sprouts)'Kung-pou-wong-sin' (Spicy Eel)Complimentary slices of fruits - honeydew melon in yellow, watermelon in red.The address:-Call for directions, please. The roads there are confusing to me ... on the other hand, so are most areas. (-_-)"

This was the list of the restaurant's signature dishes (Yes, 'bananas' like me will just ask the staff).