Niji Teppan Sushi Restaurant

I hope I got the restaurant name right.. I have forgotten to take the bill after paying, only barely recalled that its called Teppan Sushi. Last-of-the-dragon recommended this for dinner recently when CC and I called her up for a last minute dinner. I asked for somewhere I have not tried before, and off we go to Teppan Sushi. Niji Teppan Sushi was full house when we reached, it's a tiny shop, patrons sits really close to each other and the place was bustling with activity.

We checked out the menu, it comprises of nigiri sushi, makis, temakis, ala carte dishes, bento sets and noodle sets. As I see plates and plates of sushi being served, guess its pretty good. So we ordered spider crab maki, baby octopus nigiri sushi and salmon skin with inari. All came out fresh and generously served.

Salmon skin with Inari... Spider maki and baby octopus sushi

I always loved Grilled Saba (mackerel) so I ordered the bento set without hesistation. Dragon ordered Sashimi bento while CC ordered some chicken bento which I cant remember the name..

The yummy Saba that I enjoyed :)

I must say for the price I'm paying (RM18.90), the Saba was really cheap. Usually you get only half portion of Saba, but in Teppan Sushi, I get the whole fish! Yay! The fish was plump,juicy and fragrant, grilling was just right. So far one of the better one I've tasted.

Dragon's sashimi salmon came in thick slices, looked really fresh and yum. Since she didnt complain (except she said it was too thick), guess the salmon was good.

The very patient CC waiting for me to snap a pic of his chicken bento....

I curi makan CC's chicken, it tasted like teppan style chicken, but topped with some garlic/radish sauce (that tasted more Chinese than Jap). Pretty decent dish too.

All our bento came with Miso soup (a lil on the sweet side for me), Chawan mushi (too much water in the egg..it started "melting" half way through the meal) and salad (this is ok, very fresh and crunchy).

If you want value for money, no frills Japanese food, Teppan Sushi is the place. Most of the sushi cost RM2-3, the same sushi I had here cost double in Genki/Sushi King. Will I come back to this place again? Yes.

Teppan Sushi is located at 45G, Jalan 1/62D, Medan Putra Business Centre, Bandar Manjalara. Tel:03-6277 4052

Tis a season to be shopping

Fa la la la la la la la la..
Well, it is the Great Malaysia Megasale afterall, where all hell break loose (especially for women ;p).
Frequently, I get questions like :
1) Did you go to the Isetan/ Metrojaya/ Parkson sales?
2) Did you see That shoes/blouse/bra etc?? Its a Real bargian!!
3) When are you going shopping??

Yes, lots of women (and some men) get weak in the knees with the mere mention of "Sales". In fact, most people dont even shop when theres no sales. But is it Really a bargain??? Look at the flipside of sales:

1. You get scratched, yanked, whacked while trying to fight for the same dress/shoe/bag with another women (did not happen to me, but I have seen it....*shudder*)
2. You spend 30 mins or more queuing to the fitting rooms to try on your bajus (and it dont fit :-( )
3. You spend another 30 mins or more queuing at the cashier
4. You may develop demophobia

And after all that ordeal, you go home, check out your 'goods' and realised that you may not need it in the first place.. sigh. But hey, I am not anti-megasales. I mean, sometimes, you can really pick up great stuff at bargain prices during sales. I know I have. What about you??;p

Sidetrack: Did you know that Chinophobia is the term used for Fear of Chinese people? Thats a new word I've learnt recently. Now, That's racism.

Chef Ken's Cafe

Went to Chef Ken's Cafe recently after hearing quite a lot about it. Located in Bandar Manjalara (no, not Maharajalela), Chef Ken's restaurant focuses on Italian food. Although there were no pizza, theres plenty of pastas, antipasto and other mains to fill your hungry stomach. It was full house, so we figured we may need to wait really long for our food :(

We ordered mushroon soup, eggplant Parmigiana, aglio olio with mussels, pollo pomodoro and spicy meatballs with linguine. The mushroom soup came rather promptly, as it was a cool day, we quickly slurp up the soup. Its obvious that the soup is not from campbell, it was filled with chopped mushrooms and a heavy taste of cream/milk. Not for those who are lactose intolerant though.

Next, the eggplant came. The eggplants was stacked up, layered with tomato puree and herbs, baked with loads of mozzarella (and parmigiana, most probably). I find this a tad salty, else, this is actually pretty good.

The aglia e olio with mussels (top) and pollo pomodoro

I rather enjoyed the aglia e olio with mussels, generously cooked in garlic and olive oil. This is a fragrant plate of spaggheti, served with mussels. I was disappointed with the pollo pomodoro though. The tomato base was very thin for this sauce and the linguine was covered with too much olive oil. After a while, you can really get "jelak" eating this. Unfortunately, the chicken does not help in bringing out the flavour of the dish.

The spicy meatballs came last, served with linguine (you can choose other type of pastas). Now, what is meatballs without the thick tomato sauce?? While I was tossing and mixing my pasta, I thought it was rather 'slippery'. I finally knew why when I took a bite. My linguine is smothered with olive oil. And the amount of garlic was so much that I could not taste the tomatoes. :(. That aside, the meatballs were yummy though, moist and well marinated. Was told that the tiramisu is absolutely lip smacking, but I was not hungry that day, so I didnt try..

Looking at the crowd, am sure there are dishes that are yummy, else why is business good? To me, food is slightly above average, can come back for another try.

Chef Ken's Cafe is at 102, Jalan 8/62A, Bandar Manjalara, Kepong 52200. Near the street where theres loads of steam boat shops. Tel: 6275 8931

Restoran Lucky Seafood

Was at Seapark last week to buy my fren E, dinner for her birthday. Since there was a group of us, decided to have Chinese instead, can order a variety of dishes :)

We went to Restoran Lucky Seafood in the end, as there were a few dishes that I enjoyed there. We placed our order and the food came shortly after. I like the 'unusual' Treasure Chest Tau Foo aka "Cheong Poh Tau Foo". This tau foo is homemade, shape like a bowl. After frying, the chef cuts the taufoo in the shape of a bowl and filled it with shrimps, snow peas and few types of mushrooms. The dish is then filled to the brim with some broth that tasted really like sharksfin soup, but we get 'tong fun' instead of sharksfin in this broth...

The Treasure Chest Tau Foo

We also order Har Jiong Pai Guat (Ribs marinated in shrimp paste). Very fragrant, it tasted somewhat like Lam Yu Pai Guat, but after a while, you can taste the subtle shrimp paste flavour. The ribs came out very tender and juicy, its pretty yummy.

Sorry, the pic a lil blur.. mayb too hungry, hand shaking taking d pai guat..

Still, I was disappointed on the Four Heavenly Kings (Sei Dai Tin Wong) we had that day. This 'great' name of a dish is actually stir fried brinjal, long beans, lady's fingers and four angled beans with belacan. I came to Lucky many times and usually would order this dish. And every time, it turns out really good. But today...hhhmmmphhh. No QC.

We also order steam Patin (thought this was fresh and sweet), Yam Basket (so so only) and stir fried prawns. The prawns was yummy when I had it during CNY. But this time, was ok only. Again, QC. :(

If you wanna give Lucky a try, its located at 1, Jalan 21/17, SEApark, PJ. Opposite Giant Hypermarket, corner shop. Tel: 78746859

Beauty or Beng?

Yes, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. How true this statement is.

I can never really appreciate the art of 'sprucing' up one's car (sorry mates, dont remember the word for it) when most of the cars that comes originally are already good looking.

So when one of my fren met us with his car and all its 'enhanced' glory recently, I was horrified. While the guys were admiring its curves and new look, caressing it, checking it out at all angles with "Ooohs" and "Aaahhs", I cant help but to snap a pic of this.

Whats ur verdict? Beauty or Beng?

What is that?? To me, this is Beng personified (sorry mate, no hard feelings). With the blue lights (heck, why do u need it shining underneath your car? Can someone tell me why??), additional stuff added to the exterior, change of seats to those racer seats (what do you call that seats again?). The only thing missing was the loud music with the windows wound down..

Try as I might to appreciate the art of this form, I could not. Ya, maybe loads of guys (and gals) would disagree with me, that this car is really good looking now, but hey, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder ;p

So, what's your verdict on this? Beauty or Beng?

Restoran Insaf

I heard about this place after I started my job in my new office.. One of my fren was raving about this fantastic nasi briyani shop near my office that I must try. After 6 months and many reminders from my fren, I decided to pop by to try.

Insaf is actually rather inconspicuous, with its tinted glass walls and small entrance, you will easily miss this restaurant. But once I pushed open the door, the restaurant was noisy and pack. Good biz = good food. I was told that the nasi Briyani with Ayam Madu and mango juice are their hot seller here, so I promptly placed my order.

What I got was this huge Ayam Madu, placed atop a full plate of briyani rice. We were also given a plate of pickled cucumber and dhal, kurma gravy. The Briyani rice is very fragrant, each grain seems to envelope the subtle spices taste. What I like was the fact that there was no star anise or cloves in the rice that I might bite into. I like the taste of spices, but biting into these are not what I look forward to. The Ayam Madu was extremely tender, the exterior was crunchy and lightly battered. In fact, I had to check if I was eating chicken, coz it tasted like "pai guat wong" (sweet sour spare ribs)!! This is a halal restaurant, so definitely is chicken. The mango juice, freshly sqeezed from the Indian/Pakistani mangoes, was served without sugar, but was thick and sweet. Yum! Insaf also serves fried chicken (another popular dish), kurma chicken, rendang, sotong and other curries.

My only gripe was the quality control. I went back recently, the Ayam Madu and Mango Juice somehow was not as good compared to my previous visits. Surprising for a shop that has been in biz for 22 years.

Restoran Insaf is located at 116, JalanTuanku Abdul Rahman (same row as KFC and A&W). Tel: 03-2693 9737.

Restaurant Friendship Herbal Soup

I frequent this place rather often, but always forgotten to take pictures.. and finally this time round, I did! Reading the name of the restaurant would have given you some clues on their forte.. thats right, its soup, soup and more soup! Restaurant Friendship serves over 20 varieties of soup, ranging from revitalising, nourishing, general health soups etc. I have tried 6 types of soups so far and I must say that all the soups came out just nice.

This time around, we ordered Yellow wine chicken, Yam with ribs, Specialty Tau Foo and veg.

Yellow wine chicken, Specialty Tau Foo and Yam with ribs (on the top right)

The Yellow wine chicken is a must for me everytime I'm here coz I absolutely love its gravy. The Yellow wine soup/gravy is thick and fragrant, filled with loads of chopped ginger and garlic. I would presume that they stir fried the ingredients before adding the yellow wine in to simmer as the gravy is murky. The chicken may not absorb the full flavour of the wine, but who cares, just drink the gravy!

I was nicely surprised by the Yam with pork ribs(recommended by the waitress). I'm not sure what their secret was, but the ribs came out extremely flavourful, tender and juicy. The yam was soft and aromatic, and it coated the ribs nicely. There was a generous amount of dried shrimp, chinese waxed sausage and shallots to make this a truly yummy dish.The tau foo was delicious too, the silken tau foo was served warm (usually its cold), topped with stir fried mince meat and dark sauce. The veg was ok.

Overall, I like this place as it serves good wholesome homecook meals at very affordable prices. We only paid RM13 per person for all these dishes and each of us had a personal bowl of herbal soup. Business is really good on weekends (esp dinners), so if you want to try this place (before some dishes are sold out), you'd need to come before 7 pm. Else, just be patient and wait for a seat :). It's easier to get seats at lunchtime.

Restaurant Friendship Herbal Soup is located at 40, Jalan SS2/10, PJ. Chow Yang area, same road as Kayu Nasi Kandar. Tel: 03-78777827.

Choosing the Best Dog Food Suppliers

Supplier Dog Food

It is very important to source the highest quality dog food possible for your faithful companion. There is a huge range of dog food suppliers out there, so you may wish to consider affordability, ingredients and manufacturing quality when determining which dog food supplier offers the best value for money.


Think About The Ingredients
This is probably the strongest determining factor that you should consider when attempting to choose a good supplier. You will probably feed your dog a range of foods including canned food, dry food, bones, treats and perhaps some healthy leftovers. Canned food needs to be scientifically created and blended to ensure that you canine receives exactly the correct blend of nutrients. Dogs in the wild have a diet high in protein and you will want to make sure that the canned dog food that you select is high in meat. Your dog will also need the correct quantities of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and fats. Stay away from canned food that contains artificial colors and flavours. Dry dog food is essential for your dog and will ensure that your pet's teeth and gums stay healthy.

Supplier Dog Food

How Is It Made?

Supplier Dog Food

You must stay with a high quality supplier that adheres to proper manufacturing standards. Dog food is mass-produces and manufactured in the same way that processed food for humans is manufactured. Canned food should be correctly processed and packaged properly so that it will last quite a few years in your pantry in necessary.
Value for Money
Dogs can be expensive to feed and care for. The cost of owning a dog quickly adds up - there are immunisations, vets bills, kennel costs if you go away, flea treatments, worming, grooming equipment... The list continues! Don't be tempted to save money by buying the cheapest food available, as this may not be the healthiest option for your pet. It can also be a false economy because you may simply end up spending more money in the long run on vet bills. Conversely, the most expensive kinds of dog food may not offer you the best value for money.
A Healthy, Happy Friend
Your faithful friend depends on your entirely for health and happiness. It is very important that you understand the basics of a healthy diet for your dog and ensure that your pet also receives plenty of clean, fresh water. Most dogs will thrive on a diet of dry food, canned food, bones and the occasional doggy treat.

Artscapade

Last saturday, my cousin NS and his wife, T, invited my bro and me to an art exhibition named Artscapade. Basically, this is a group exhibition by Shia Yih Yiing's art students, where majority of the art work are oil painting. You can find a handful of water colour paintings too.

A few of Ms Shia's artwork

Ms Shia, an artist, had her students paint based on their personalities and interests. So when my friends asked me what was the theme of the exhibition, I could not answer, its an exhibition which encompasses various methods and genres.

The students comes from all walks of life, some are professionals, others; housewives or student. Guess the main factor that bought them together would be their interest in arts. I noted that Ms Shia's own theme for Artscapade was on Carp fish, she did a few lovely pieces. Other themes that I noted were cats, Van Gogh, Venitian masks, human body etc

The students interpretation on Monalisa

Some of NS and T's artwork

Artscapade is located at 151, Art & Design Centre, Jalan Ampang (blue bungalow behind Pelita Nasi Kandar, next to Wisma Central). Admission is free, the exhibition will continue until 31st July 2006. Opening hours at 10 am-6pm (Mon- Sat) and 10am-3pm (Sun). Those who are interested to dabble in painting, you can contact Ms Shia at 2163 2337 or email yyshia@tm.net.my to find out more