Showing posts with label Cajun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cajun. Show all posts

Friday, June 07, 2024

CAJUN-CREOLE INSPIRATIONS FUEL FATFIRE

 

The Three Witches of Mardi Gras were immortalised on a striking mural within FatFire, an all-American diner at LaLaport Bukit Bintang City Centre.

Also featured in that expansive wall art are mystical fire butterflies and gecko motifs to symbolise the restaurant's transformative adaptability.
Here, the word "fat" in the restaurant name embodies feast, fun, and fulfilment; to reflect an immersive experience to satisfy one’s stomach and soul. Fire essentially refers to the use of grill and other cooking methods.
Our hunger pangs were banished by delicious bite-size pieces of Tilapia Popcorn (RM27). Lightly coated in spiced batter, the moreish morsels were addictive when dipped in some Cajun mayo and remoulade sauce.
Marinated in Cajun spices then lightly breaded and deep-fried, the crunchy-crisp Mississippi Fried Calamari (RM32) proved equally winsome.
Fiery hot sauce coating the tender Flyin' High Buffalo Wings (RM28) left a blazing trail on our tongue. Thankfully we had three classic cocktails: Sangria (brandy, rum, red wine, and fruits), Moscow Mule (vodka, lime juice, and ginger ale) and Cosmopolitan (vodka, cranberry juice, triple sec, and lime juice) to douse the heat. Those three tipples only cost us RM70 whilst individually, each cocktail costs RM24.90 so that was a fab deal.
We went ga-ga over the palate-pleasing Prawn-tastic Tacos (RM30) which came heaped with mango salsa, diced avocados, shredded red cabbage, and spiced tiger prawns. Sides of mildly spicy slaw and guacamole added to their appeal.

Coated in piquantly spiced batter, the house special of Catfish & Chips (RM37) hit the spot too thanks to the fish’s delicately sweet texture. Apple slaw, salad, and creamy remoulade sauce provided additional textural and flavour interest to the dish.
A scrumptious, juicy grilled lamb patty with melted cheese sandwiched between a toasted burger bun left us instantly smitten by Mary’s Not So Little Lamb (RM37). Piling on the tastiness were caramelised onion, fresh lettuce, tomato, and grilled pineapple.
Rich jambalaya sauce comprising tomatoes blended with the staples of Creole cooking: onions, bell peppers, and celery bestowed tantalising flavours to FatFire Jambalicious Pasta (RM37). Extra textural interest came from chunks of tender grilled chicken, sliced sausage, and capsicum strips nestled among strands of spaghetti.
The graham cracker crust and zesty, creamy filling of the Key Lime Pie (RM18) meant it was something to write home about. Well-balanced sweetness with hints of fresh citrus, it was one of the more notable dessert I’d eaten in a while.
Dusted with icing sugar and served with chocolate sauce, the golden fried dough pillows known as New Orleans Beignets (RM18) brought the curtains down to our meal. Perfect to round off our All-American diner experience.
For reservations at FATFIRE ALL AMERICAN DINING, call tel: 012-848 4094. Address: Lot G-73, Ground Floor, Mitsui Shopping Park, LaLaport BBCC, 2, Jalan Hang Tuah, Kuala Lumpur

 

Monday, October 09, 2017

NEW IN JB & SAUCY DEALS FROM CRAB FACTORY



Travelling for work isn’t all fun and games. The plus point is we get to explore the town or city we’re in and discover new eateries along the way. A recent foray to Pontian, Johor saw us staying overnight in Johor Bahru (JB). Coincidentally, the owner of Crab Factory T.Y. Ooi was down south to oversee her new Crab Factory outlet...the rest is now food history.
Photo courtesy of Chasingfooddreams.com
The restaurant set-up reminded me of the now defunct Crab Hut in Cyberjaya – it has the same functional interior with bare bone, industrial vibes and mellow lighting. It's ideal to rope in your gang of besties especially the crab-crazy ones if you like to dig into the seafood spoils.
From the surfeit of specialities our gang gobbled up, I'd say go for the show-stealing Sotong Sumbat Coconut (RM33). We just walloped the tender whole calamari with a delicious stuffing of turmeric, spices and grated coconut in a jiffy as the critters were sedap giler tahap dewa.
Here's a quick PSA: Crab Factory’s signature Louisiana crab boil offerings now come in good value Crab Lover Giler sets featuring 2 NEW sauces: Cheese Sauce and Salted Egg Sauce (more on these later). Cheers to Happy Seafood Meal Deals too like the Crab Lover Shiok at RM149.70 per set (good for 2-3 persons) consisting of Meat Crab XL (2 pieces), King White Prawns, Mussels, Squid, Hamaguri Clams, Corn, Brocolli, Fried Mantao and Shallot Rice.

Our Gang Giler #1 set (RM539.10 per set, enough to feed 7-9 persons) in Garlic Butter Sauce had King White Prawns, Squid, Mussels, Hamaguri Clams, Corn & Broccoli. We also upgraded our set to include an imported Brown Crab (RM40 each). This seafood variety hit the spot for my friends who can’t stomach hot sauce - best for tastebuds hankering for the unadulterated sweetness of seafood.
To please the opposing divide, our Gang Giler #2 set came in Medium Hot Southern Bang Sauce. We did justice to the 2 XL Meat Crabs, Mini Lobsters, Freshwater Prawns, Jumbo Sweet Prawns and Corn. We realised the riot of hot, salty and spicy flavours reached new level of sedap savouriness when Crab Factory’s newly introduced Cheese Sauce (add RM13.80) was thrown into the equation!

The kids in our midst were left to chomp on the accompanying serving of Fried Chicken Wings, a serving of Fried Mantao, a serving of Fried Squid Tentacles and 7-9 servings of Shallot Rice…food crazy people like us managed to wipe almost everything clean-lah.

Somehow, our gang managed to put away 12 BBQ Oysters (RM69) too. Topped with 12 different saucy toppings, the succulent mollusks whetted our appetite before the mother lode of seafood arrived. This speciality comes under the Bara BBQ menu available exclusively at Crab Factory JB.
A choice of Cajun or Garlic Sauce is served with the BBQ Crabs here (RM39 per crab). If you’re the surf & turf kinda diner, I recommend ordering the Best of Both Worlds (RM56.80) set featuring Signature Coke BBQ Lamb Chop, Fried Freshwater Prawns & BBQ King White Prawns with sautéed vegetable and French fries. The only time ‘yat kiok dap liong shuin’ – a Cantonese idiom for being a two-timing scoundrel is acceptable.
I also like the crowd-pleasing Fried Quails (RM22.80) and Corn Croquettes (RM11.80), both notable appetisers to nibble on to stave off hunger pangs and keep you from being too crabby should you need to wait. Har har.
No time to feast on crabs for lunch? Fear not, CF has you covered too. Order ajer the Lunch Special (up to 3pm) of Hainanese Fried Chicken Chop (RM15.50). Family and kid friendly to satisfy with Ice Lemon Tea & a scoop of Ice Cream on the house.
Apa lagi you mahu? Oh, noodles and rice? Sixth Bowl quickie selection offers Mix Balls (RM13.50) – soupy Fuzhou, Squid Ink & Fish Balls with Mi Xian (mee sua noodles) in Superior Soup and Freshwater Prawns (pic below, RM16.90 + 50 sen for spicy sauce) with Mi Lidi in Special Spicy Broth.
The good folks at CF also invites customers to ‘Bowl-IT-Forward’: enjoy a Free bowl of Bouncy Balls for every 6 bowls purchased OR be a do gooder by donating it to Charity. Donated bowls will be channelled to selected children’s or old folks’ homes every 2 months when Crab Factory will visit and cook for them.

Crab Factory
For reservations at CRAB FACTORY JB, call tel: 07- 351 4062. Address: Little Paris, Mount Austin, G14, Jalan Jaya Putra 1/1, Bandar Jaya Putra, Johor Bahru, Johor. Business Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 12pm to 10pm. Closed on Monday.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

GET CRACKING AT CRAB FACTORY

Searing hot, tart and salty accents raced across our tongues and caused us to break out into a sweat the minute we had a dose of the Death Valley hot sauce. Just the vapours emanating from the bag of steamed prawns in that lethal sauce alone left our eyes tearing and throats rasping.
 
But that is exactly what made getting down and dirty at PJ's latest crab restaurant - Crab Factory Original Louisiana Boil such fun. Forget about dining utensils and tableware; brace yourselves for a fun albeit messy hands-on affair with back-to-basic serving style i.e. pour the food out onto plastic sheet-covered tables.
No need to mind your Ps and Qs here as the Crab Factory invites you to embrace the no-frills simplicity yet unrestrained robustness of Creole and Cajun cooking where casual backyard seafood boils are the norm rather than the exception.
 
This novel dining experience from Louisiana - the home of Jazz and Blues struck such a resonant chord with T.Y. Ooi and her pals after their adventurous road trip to the U.S. that they decided to replicate it for fellow Malaysians. Decked in industrial chic elements and rustic wood accents, the brightly-lit restaurant evokes a laidback casualness that puts diners instantly at ease.
While perusing the menu, nibble on irresistible starters such as crispy House Fried Baby Squid (available in Garlic or Cajun flavours, RM10.90) and Southern Chicken Wings (Garlic or Cajun). Both are incredibly addictive thanks to their crunchy batter coating that's either garlicky or zingy hot.
 
 
I can't put my finger on it but there's something about Gumbo that I like. Laden with rice, beans, corn, shredded chicken and sausage, the heartwarming Southern broth had me slurping up to the last spoonful.
If you have kids in tow, the Pollock Fish Fingers with Garlic Fries would be a surefire hit. Bite into the light batter coating and be rewarded with sweet, flaky white fish that went like a dream with the house made mayo dip.
 
 
Conversation literally ceased the minute we were inundated by bags of king crabs, yabbies, meat crabs, Japanese snails, prawns and mussels in quick succession. Steamed with different house sauces: zesty lemon pepper, garlic butter or Southern hot sauce, each of us inevitably found a variant or two that hit the spot. There's no charge for mild or medium hot sauce while the O'ly Crab or Death Valley hot version will incur a token charge of RM5.
 
The dining experience was unabashedly fun with everyone throwing caution to the wind and getting their hands dirty in their concentrated attempts to crack, pry open and extract the sweet, chunky morsels from shells and carapaces.
 
According to Ooi, she sources and imports the seafood for Crab Factory from different countries to ensure maximum freshness. "Depending on your choice of seafood, the items are charged according to prevailing market prices. These are listed on our menu boards for easy reference."
 
Regardless of the seafood you choose, Ooi recommends substantiating each order with some 'bag buddies' (RM4-RM7.90): chicken sausages, potatoes, corn cob and button, king or enoki mushrooms.
Crab Factory is worth a visit for those who wants a change from local seafood preparations.

CRAB FACTORY ORIGINAL LOUISIANA BOIL, 21, Jalan SS2/64, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-7865 5850. Business hours: Mon, Wed & Thurs: 3pm - 11pm, Fri, Sat &Sun: 11am - 11pm. Close on Tuesdays.

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