Inaho @ The Curve

Another sushi place to satisfy my Japanese food cravings. Located beside The Gardens, on the row of eateris in Curve, you will not missed it. My friends and I decided to pop in Inaho for our sushi fix and boy, we were glad we did. It is generally difficult to get a seat in Inaho, the place was small with very limited tables. So, be prepare to wait in line for a table on weekends.

Salmon Sushi

Tuna Sushi

Salmon Sashimi

The sushi and sashimi was orgasmic. Unlike Sushi King or Sakae Sushi or Sushi Zanmai, Inaho serves up a generous portion of sushi and sashimi where the salmon slice were generously thicker and longer. The sashimi was thickly slice and juicy. It was honestly a darn satisfying piece of sashimi and sushi. 

Ramen

The ramen was just average in terms of taste. I still vote the sushi as the best contender.

Salmon Skin

The salmon skin was definitely an healthier alternative as compared to the ones I had in Sushi King (but honestly? I prefered the sinful version in Sushi King). The salmon skin in Inaho was crispy and drained of any oil. Therefore, it taste more bland than usual. If you're into healthy bland food, the salmon skin may be a pretty good option. 

Chicken Katsu

The chicken katsu was average with your usual sweet curry, deep fried chicken fillet and starchy Japanese rice. Am I a fan of it? Nope, I'm definitely your sushi and sashimi girl. 

Overall, I am happy with the food and the serving. The price was worth the taste, however, the service can be a little slow with the lack of manpower and high demand. So, just be patient.

-thevanillapudding-

Onsemiro, The Intermark

As much as I love Korean food, Korean fine dining is just not my thing. I guess I'm more of a Korean street food person - give me a simple pajeon, jajangmyeon or dobukki, I'm a happy girl. 

Celebrated my 22nd birthday with a Korean fine dining dinner at Onsemiro. Located in The Intermark, Onsemiro is an epitome of stillness and silence. The restaurant itself was quiet with just a few patrons. Not the usual noisy Korean BBQ houses you go to where from far you could smell the heavy scent of smoke from the BBQ platter or the noisy chatter of the patron.

Onsemiro has a limited menu of dishes - they serve the typical Korean stew, Beef BBQ, noodles and pancakes. Nope, dobukki (rice cake in spicy sauce) and black sauce noodles didn't make the cut for this fancy fine dining restaurant.

Complimentary Tofu Stew

It was a complimentary dish from the chef. Do not expect any regular tofu in it, rather it was mashed tofu or rather mashed bean curd stew. It was a little weird as it felt like we were having some rather sandy soup with cabbage thrown in. It was good nonetheless, but the taste only really settle down after a few spoonful of soup. The waitress explained that it is rather rough in texture as it was made purely out of bean curd.

Side Dishes

Their side dishes were decent. I wasn't very satisfied with it though. I personally thought Dao Rae had a better set of side dishes. Their kimchi was mediocre as I prefered it to be more well seasoned and preserved. 

Bean sprout

Have no idea what this was

Preserved radish slice

Kim Chi

Complimentary Dish

It's either they were really generous or they felt bad for my family. We went there the week before but a short circuit occured before our food arrived and we were left to wait for a while till we decided to leave since we were hungry. They took down my name in the event I decided to return the next time.

This was a fried dish platter - fried oyster, fried seaweed with filling and fried brinjal.

Prime Saengdeungsim - Grilled Prime Beef Sirloin @ RM 98

This don't come cheap. Just two mini ribs grilled to perfection, well partial perfection. It was slightly rare for me, I prefer mine to be close to well done. However, it was tender and juicy and sizzling hot. You have order above certain pieces in order to BBQ it by yourself, or else the waiter will prepare it for you in the kitchen.

Japchae - Potato Noodles Stir Fried with Vegetables @ RM 35

The potato noodles tasted averag in my opinion. The chewy texture of the noodles was far from my liking and it was a tad too oily too. Despite the savory potato taste of the noodles, I personally think street noodles tasted way better!

Nakji Somyeon - Noodles with Stir Fried Baby Octopus @ RM 45

As red as it look, it is no joke in terms of spiciness. For my level, I felt it was fine but it could be quite spicy for most people. The noodles were overdosed with baby octopus. A little of baby octopus is fine, but this plate was literally drowned with it. 

Kimchi jjigae - Kimchi Stew @ RM 25

Rich in cabbage, kimchi and sardine fish, this kimchi stew was good, but not great. It would have been better if the kimchi stew was richer in taste. The sardine fish was disappointing, it tasted much out of the can sardine fish. I had some rice with the stew but the rice itself was hard and disappointing.

Samgyetang - Chicken Ginseng Soup @ RM 45

Too little ginseng. I couldn't taste the ginseng at all, they deemed to use expensive Korean ginseng for the soup but it's just missing in terms of taste. I've tasted better samgyetang in the Korean restaurant in Ampang.

Hae-mul Pajeon - Seafood and Green Onion Pancake @ RM 32

This was my favorite dish throughout the night. I guess you can rarely go wrong with pajeon. The pajeon was thick, rice and generous in terms of filling. It taste just darn good.

Complimentary Dessert

Persimmon Sorbet

I read in blogs that their persimmon sorbet was one of the best but now that I've tasted it, I frowned upon it. It wasn't sorbet, it was pretty much frozen persimmon. It was so hard and cold that poking a fork through it was literally impossible. Stuffing the whole persimmon in the mouth wasn't really a good option either.

Yakgwa - Traditional Fried Honey Filling Rice Cake

This was good apart from the excessive sweetness. Fried to a perfect crispiness which tasted much like a chinese biscuit and dosed with honey, this was the epitome of sinfully sweet. 

Cooling Melon Drink

I had this in almost every korean restaurant. A typical double boiled melon drink to cool down the body after a heart meal.

Onsemiro was a decent dining place but I doubt I will be back any sooner. Perhaps I wasn't used to these type of Korean food, I didn't really fancy the dishes either, neither did my family.

Ratings : 2.0/5

Price : 2.5/5

Onsemiro

Address : Second floor, Intermark Mall, The Intermark, Jalan Tun Razak, KL

Tel: 03 2161 2461

Opening times: Open daily, 11.30am–2.30pm; 5.30pm-10.30pm

-thevanillapudding-

Lai Foong Beef Noodles, KL

One of the oldest hawker in down town KL and one of the best. I rarely take beef but this was recommended by someone and I decided to give it a go and boy that was one of the best decision I ever made.

Located along the bustling street in KL, it is located in one of the corner coffeeshop on Jalan Tun HS Lee. This hawker has been around for quite a while and the place will be jammed pack with office employees, so if you want to have a taste of it - better be prepare to sweat and get sticky! Well, I went in the morning, so the coffeeshop was literally empty.

I bet you are already drooling because I am! What's so special about this bowl of beef noodles? EVERYTHING! The noodles are known as "lai mien" meaning pulled noodles - it is a traditional way of making the noodles by hand. Not many people make their own noodles these days and you can taste the difference so badly! The noodles was really chewy and there was a type of taste to it, a very homely delicious taste that makes you go back for more!

The soup was W.O.W. Thick, rich, aromatic and flavorful. It was rich in beef taste that I could just drink the whole bowl of soup alone. The beef balls were decent but the beef loin was so ohmygod. It was prepared, marinated and cooked till tenderness. Each bite of the beef was a burst of flavor and juiciness - so tender that it just falls apart after a bite. That's how good it was.

It is a pretty big bowl and for about RM 7, I think it is so worth it. 

Ratings : 5/5

Price : 5/5

Lai Foong Beef Noodles

138, Jalan Tun HS Lee 
Kuala Lumpur  (right next to KotaRaya)

Tel : 03 2072 8123

Operating hours : Early morning till lunch time

-thevanillapudding-

Chili Espresso, Sooka Sentral

I am officially in loved with this place. They serve decently priced coffee which actually tasted good! I am currently working at my client's place in KL Sentral and I am so glad for Chili Espresso existence. I've been venturing into this coffeehouse for my dose of caffein and I am never disappointed with.

Located directly opposite of Olive in Sooka Sentral, it is run by the same owner as Olive. The food and drinks are relatively cheaper compared to Olive and this place is usually crowded with the lunch crowds. You get a pretty big portion at a reasonable price. Taste wise, I guess it fits the price!

Latte @ RM 7.20

This was total yumz. I had it a few weeks back and it felt like haven. It may not taste like a million bucks, but it was thick, rich and not too sweet. It was the way I like it. It felt even more heavenly as I was having my morning coffee while people watching in the morning, the air was cooling and the restaurant was relatively empty (I sat outside the pathway) and I was blasting jazz songs in my ears. I felt as though I was in Manhattan!

Apple Ginger Watermelon Juice @ RM 8++

I had this on one of the days where I was feeling bloated in the morning. So instead of getting caffein, I opted for their fresh blend. It was a very refreshing juice especially with the presence of the ginger juice. I could taste all elements and neither was it too sweet. It is quite a good option if caffein isn't on your list.

Long Black @ RM 7.20 (I think?)

I couldn't remember the price for the long black. I had coffee with dad here when he dropped me off at the clients place. I am not a fan of black coffee but I could tell it was rich and thick, just how my dad loves it.

Cappuccino @ RM8.20

Their cappuccino was no disappointment either. Simply a bliss topped with rich coffee powder on the top. I love how it has a strong tinge of bitterness but it doesn't overwhelm your taste bud. I love their coffee art too! It was so pretty. I would definitely recommend their coffee. No regrets for me!

French Toast @ RM 4.50

I had this somewhere during the week. Cappuccino with french toast. The french toast was simple, nothing fancy. It is good enough for me with enough cinnamon to tantalize the taste bud. However, the maple syrup wasn't sufficient, I asked for more instead or else it would have been a tad too dry.

French toast with maple syrup, turkey ham and poached eggs @ RM 7.90 (I Think)

Another of my breakfast adventure here. Honestly, I never get tired of these places. Love the french toast. The eggs tasted like well.... eggs? There is no big oomph or whatsoever in this plate of breakfast, but its good enough to start my morning!

Horfun IndoChine

This was basically kueyteow soup loaded with a handful of basil leaves, bean sprout, chicken meat, chinese coriander and a spoonful of their special chili paste. It wasn't spicy for me though. The taste itself was very refreshing with a strong presence of basil. It was a nice change but I think I wouldn't give it another chance. It was a little bland for me and I asked for extra chili to add more taste to it.

Chargrilled Lemongrass Chicken Sandwich 

One of the days I had this and I would definitely recommend it. The chicken was grilled to perfection with the strong taste of lemon grass and some chili flakes for an extra oomph. It wasn't spicy but I love the combination of the lemongrass. The sandwich was loaded with cucumbers and topped with a decent amount of mayo, it was pretty delicious. Filling for me but that whole sandwich was just so worth it! I must mention that the bread itself was crispy and had a tinge of rich buttery taste, it actually makes you crave more!

Singapore Fried Bee Hoon

Duck Noodles

Chicken Pie with Salad and Potatoes

Fettucine ala pesto

Curry Set

Those were the other dishes that were picked by my colleagues. They had no qualms about it and the portion was pretty huge except for the fettucine pesto which I find it a little small. But hey, less carbs!

I would personally recommend this place not only for the coffee but their food too, its decent if you know what to order!

Price : 4.0/5

Ratings : 4.0/5

Chili Espresso, Sooka Sentral

G-5, Sooka Sentral 
Jalan Stesen Sentral 
50470 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03 2785 1938

Business Hours : Monday-Saturday 8 a.m to 8 p.m

-thevanillapudding-

Taj Garden, Brickfields

Apart from banana leaf and roti canai, those are my knowledge and exposure about Indian food. During lunch time, I walked with my seniors all the way from KL Sentral to Brickfields to try out this Indian Restaurant - Taj Garden.

Located in a the corner of an alley, after passing KFC, it wasn't that far but the scorching weather made the journey felt like hours! Thank goodness I wasn't in heels or I would have cried walking that distance. I never walked down Little India, so walking down the Brickfields road was a new experience. At some point I felt as though I was in India with Indian music blaring and the rich aroma of jasmine. 

The restaurant was designed to have an outdoor area (a patio) and the indoor with the cooling aircond. There were few patrons and my senior noticed a popular Indian DJ at one corner holding an interview with a couple of journalist. 

Chicken pakora

It tasted like KFC chicken bites with a hell lot of herbs and 10x more crispy! It was yummy, sinfully yummy. The chicken was coated in a thick layer of batter and rolled in various spices and herbs and deep fried. Each bite was a bite to haven. I love food with spices and herbs, so this was the ultimate herb dish for me!

Curry Chicken

I would admit that my favorite curry of all time is the Indian curry because it was always so thick, rich and the smell of curry powder was just so yummy! I love their curry, it was really and rich in coconut milk. The chicken was cooked to perfection and absorbed the curry flavor. Having this with rice was so good, or dosing the sauce onto plain naan was even more sinfully delicious!

Palek Paneer

This was my first time trying palek paneer. According to my colleagues, it was mashed spinach cooked to a thick broth, just like curry. But there was a catch - notice those white bits at the corner (not the middle)? Those are cheese cubes! Wow, mashed spinach and cheese cubes. That is something different. However, I would say this is not the thing for me. I find it bland and the cheese cubes just doesn't seem right to me.

Fish Curry

Love their fish curry too. I am a huge fan of fish curry, well anything spicy honestly. This was just as good as the curry chicken. Enough said.

Jeera Rice

I am not sure what is the difference though, apart from it being long grain. It tasted like rice with a dose of indian spices.

Onion Naan

Their onion naan was yummy too. So rich in onion, however I find it was loaded with a tad too much ghee? But apart from that, drowning the naan in curry sauce was bliss.

In terms of price, we paid RM 22 per person. The portions were relatively small either. However, I find the food were quite delicious,  I would be back if my sense of directions allow me.

Price : 2.0/5

Ratings : 3.5/5

-thevanillapudding-