INTERNATIONAL GLUTTONY WEEK

I notice I haven’t been blogging on food lately.. So.. here’s another BIG BANG food fest post.

Since I am leaving my company and joining a new one in two weeks’ time, my colleagues decided to throw me several parties – yes, not one, but a few.

This week alone, I had Indian, Middle Eastern and Thai Food. Not to mention, the usual scrumptious dinner at my favorite Lau Heong restaurant on Friday night.

On Wednesday, coincidentally, the CEO of our company decided to give the staff a treat to mark a good year last year and encouraged us to work harder for the Company. We were treated to a scrumptious lunch in Kohinoor.

When I told Takeshi – he said, “What?? Kanineh restaurant??”

You go kaniniah lah. Hahahaha.

The table setting, frames, dahi papri chaat,
paneer, briyani rice, masala vege, tandoori chicken

Kohinoor Restaurant, Jalan Yap Kwan Seng

It was a northern Indian cuisine restaurant along Jalan Yap Kwan Seng. I love food with a lot of spices – that is why I like Asian food or Middle Eastern food, especially Indian and Thai food. This one is also something to crave for – but, it is not as great as the food in Gem Restaurant; which I had during Party Girl’s birthday party last year. Maybe I should go and try Bombay Palace, the Bangles or Passage Through India to gauge for myself. Will find time one day.

What I love most is probably the Dahi Papri Chaat. It is a mixture of paprika, yogurt and beans. Dahi means yogurt, Papri is paprika and Chaat is salad. A great way to start as an appetizer. The Masala Lamb and Tandoori chicken is quite cool.

At the end of the meal, we were served Kulfi – some greenish stuff, made of 90% cow’s milk and the remaining made of cashew nuts and spices , looking like greenish ice cream cake. A dessert with weird taste. Instead of just taking a lick at one time, since I was greedy, I took the entire bite size serving and stuff it in my mouth. The taste was terrible at first – full of over powering spices. Everyone laughed at me. My face grimaced with the weird over powering spice in my mouth. Somehow, the taste got better and better towards the end and it wasn’t too bad afterall. You will need acquired taste to try the kulfi. I love it!

Mocktail fawake, BBQ chicken, sheikh kebab,
masala fried rice, seabass, carrot cake,
the cashier, the ceiling, the wall

Al-Bukhara, KLCC

On Thursday, I was whisked away to Al-Bukhara, a middle eastern restaurant in KLCC by my boss, the HR Manager and the Skinny Finance Manager.

The ambience was good, looking like the silk road to me, with wavy wall, ornamental fire place and vases, and palm trees, like the desert.

The good stuffs here – BBQ Chicken (RM32++), Sheikh Kebab (RM28++), Seabass (RM32++) and Masala Fried Rice (RM15++). I had this nice drink blended with pineapple, strawberry and orange. It is called the Mocktail Fawake (RM12.50)

One thing I totally dislike about this restaurant is the waiting time and also, they claimed they do not serve plain water. We need to buy mineral water instead. But we saw next table having endless fill of water – which we didn’t really have time to argue due to our limited lunch hour and paid our bills and leave. Now I know why this place is rather deserted even when it’s during lunch peak hours. It is sad really because the food here is quite alright.

The long waiting time is probably due to effort to decorate the individual dish. Very nicely made. The carrot cake, known as Jazzert (RM8++) is to die for! I think it is better than Alexis’ in Bangsar!

Go only when you have all the time in the world to waste (waiting and waiting) and willing to fork out RM3.50 for a bottle of mineral water.

The remote entrance, the bug, appetizer platter,
Garoupa with mango salad, black olive fried rice, the table setting
the garden, chicken with basil leaves, fried pineapple rice

Tamarind Hills, Ampang

Since Chubby and Ms Tambi had gotten their much awaited BIG FAT BONUS, they decided to give us a treat – Yvonne and yours truly. They let me decide on what to eat, and since I haven’t been to Tamarind Hills and heard so much about it, I think, this is it.

Instead of going for lunch, we should have gone for dinner. The place offers much better ambience at night. I remembered my ex boss telling me about this place – “If you bring your date here, you would bound to score!!” He said this with a sly smirk on his face. I didn’t know how many girls had fallen prey to this devilish plan of his.

Well, with the series of award winning and accolades, I guess I had put too much high hopes on this place that, I was extremely disappointed.

The place was so deserted. There was a Japanese family with a really annoying cry baby kid and another group of three ladies, looking like rich tai tais, dining with us.

Probably it was the way to this place that put people off. It was situated remotely in some housing area, and if it weren’t for the yellow bungalow, we would have missed the restaurant. I don’t find this enchanting. Probably it is the place for people who appreciate privacy. With the looming crime rates on the rise, I doubt people would bring their dates here, especially at night.

There were so many bugs around. If the bugs could be seen flying around during the day, I wonder how it would be at night? Goodness gracious. I wonder what precaution they took to ward off the bugs at night. I guess I would have to make another trip for dinner the next time, if there is another next time… that is…

There were some ants in my tamarind juice. Then, there was a spider trying to web my hair, and then, a bug looking like a wasp, sitting on my plate (see picture). As much as I love nature, I don’t think I would like to be surrounded by bugs on an expensive meal – unless they are meant for food as well.

To annoy the hell out of me, again, this super expensive restaurant does not offer free flow of plain water. We have to buy mineral water – Perrier Sparkling Water at RM35 per bottle (big). This is obnoxious! I made a vow that I will NEVER EVER patron any restaurants which don’t provide plain water.

It was rather off putting, as the weather was rather hot in the afternoon and we drank tamarind juice and lemongrass juice. I found some ants in my tamarind juice which I requested a change.

The prawns were not fresh, according to my lunch mates. There were bugs everywhere. In my hair, on my plate.

The food is, so so, nothing to brag about. Even the fried garuopa in mango salad, costing RM87 is a rather let down. My lunch mates, still prefer the mango salad made by my mother. My mother should send her recipe to Tamarind Hills. Yvonne commented that, even the fried garoupa at the “tai chow” stalls tastes so much better!

I really liked the black olive fried rice though.

Having paid RM281.75 for the fried Garoupa with mango salad, pineapple fried rice, black olive fried rice, seafood tom yum (the one at the malay stall near my place is nicer!), appetizer platter, and 7 glasses of drinks, I think it is rather absurd, not having plain water to quench thirst on a hot Saturday afternoon.

I just wrote a complaint e-mail to Tamarind and I wonder if they would respond. Probably not. A cheap skate patron like me who don’t believe in paying for plain water - they wouldn't give a damn!