NEW PHO-NOMENON AT AN VIET

Just ‘pho’ for you – that’s the succinct message An Viet is sending out to its customers and ardent Vietnamese food lovers. The restaurant has recently unveiled its latest beefiest pho to much plaudits. Proof of the pho-nomenon lies in the eating. Laden with honeycomb tripe, meticulously handmade 100% pure beef balls, premium raw Aussie ribeye beef slices, tendon and beef brisket, the Vietnamese Beef Noodle Special (RM23.90 a la carte; RM28.90 set with 3 side dishes) gives great bang for every buck.

Served piping hot in super beefy, MSG-free broth simmered for hours with 18 secret ingredients, suffice to say the silky smooth rice noodles hit the spot with gusto. You can even customise the broth to your liking and preference with more fresh basil and accompanying condiments such as lime, coriander, beansprouts and housemade sriracha sauce from An Viet’s Basil & Condiment Bar (currently only available at The Gardens and Paradigm Mall PJ outlets).

Besides harvesting the desired amount of fresh basil from the Basil & Condiment Bar, you can also choose the amount (100g, 150g or 200g) of noodles and rice as An Viet encourages their customers to minimise food wastage. For each meal you finish, the restaurant donates 10 sen to Food Aid Foundation so be mindful when you eat at An Viet.

Should you eschew innards, Vietnamese Raw Beef & Beef Balls Noodle Soup (RM18.90 a la carte, RM23.90 set with 3 side dishes) is a viable alternative. The combo offers good textural contrasts as the handmade beef balls are scrumptiously bouncy with good ‘toothsome’ bite whilst the supremely tender beef literally melts in the mouth. Partial to just sliced beef? Then stake your bet on the Vietnamese Beef Noodle Special (RM23.90 a la carte, RM28.90 set with 3 side dishes).

As a precursor to your mains, the commendable Appetizer Platter (RM14.90) comprising fresh and fried Vietnamese spring rolls stuffed with rice vermicelli, lettuce, carrot julienne and tiger prawns, and a piece of sugar cane prawn is worth dawdling over.

Served with nước chấm (Vietnamese dipping sauce), I daresay the sugar cane prawn is the best in town as An Viet uses purely tiger prawn paste to wrap around the sugar cane skewer. The burst of sweet sugar cane juice proved nostalgic as we chewed on it amidst yummy mouthfuls of the springy prawn paste.

Finish your meal on a high with Vietffogato (RM9.90) – Coconut Ice Cream with Vietnamese Coffee. The smooth coffee melds wonderfully with the nutty ice cream, guaranteed to wrap up your visit on an exuberant note.

For more information, visit AN VIET: https://www.anviet.com.my/

 

CONG CAPHE BREWS UP VIETNAMESE COFFEE CULTURE IN KL

“Coffee and love are best when they’re hot” goes a German saying. The same holds true when you sip Nau-Da (RM10.90), a cup of hot Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk, lounging in cosy Cong Caphe in Nu Sentral.

Established in 2007 by enterprising singer Nguyen Ha Linh in Hanoi, Cong Caphe has 62 cafes throughout Vietnam, six in Seoul and one in Malaysia. Jaemie Lew and Peter Tan who became smitten with Cong Caphe on a visit to Hanoi brought Cong Caphe (pronounced kerb cafe) to Malaysia in November this year.

According to the partners, Cong Caphe caught the imagination of Vietnamese coffee drinkers with its retro-inspired ambience of old Vietnam harking back to their childhood. Cong Caphe artfully combines the vintage, homey charms of mismatched and upcycled furniture, and old-school memorabilia with comfy reading nooks. 

 

The Nu Sentral outlet stays true to the original concept with almost everything displayed and used at Cong Caphe: stools, tables and chairs, collectibles and the wall-to-wall shelves of books on the upper level, shipped in from Hanoi. A propeller plane suspended at the heart of the rustic, wood-accentuated cafe space serves as a focal point.

We stopped to smell and savour the selection of Vietnamese coffee recently and came away impressed by the smooth brew and distinct variations available. Brewed in traditional metal coffee pots with drip filter, the Phin Brew – Vietnamese black coffee forms the main base for Cong Caphe’s signature drinks.

Although the inclusion of condensed milk of the Nau-Da was some cause for concern, we were instantly won over aftter the first sip. The milky, mildly sweet coffee hit the spot, leaving us with a nice buzz.

The laidback atmosphere spurred us to sit back and nibble on Sunflower Kernels (RM4.90 per plate) while chatting leisurely over cups of creamy Bac-Xiu, coffee with coconut milk (RM12.90 hot, RM13.90 cold). We enjoyed every drop of the creamy-sweet coffee with its enticing nutty aroma.

 

We sampled it with buttery, airy light Croissant (RM6.90) which came with a saucer of condensed milk for dipping it in. It was delightful as the imported condensed milk lacks the cloying sweetness of our local version.

If you are partial to chilled coffee drinks, the Coconut Milk Coffee Smoothie (RM14.90-RM16.90) is worth slurping up. Rest assured the blend of coffee and coconut milk is on-point without being overly cloying. 

Cappucino, latte, Americano and espresso are also served with the Cong Caphe coffee beans giving them a distinctive taste.

Aimed at the busy mall’s constant stream of grab and go crowd, Cong Caphe also offers banh mi, Vietnamese baguette sandwiches and some cakes like Banana Cake and Brownie. Jaemie explained the Tofu Banh Mi (RM11.90) is something created for the Malaysian market, in response to increasing demand for vegetarian options. 

Marinated with soya sauce and sesame oil then panfried and sliced, the subtly smoky beancurd held its own nestled within the shatter-crisp baguette filled with fresh coriander, and  cucumber and carrot pickles.

 

 

Likewise, we found the Beef Ham Banh Mi (RM15.90) and Chicken Ham Banh Mi (RM13.90) decent enough. More of the pate spread would have ramped up the sandwiches' overall appeal.

 

Should you have friends in tow who prefer non-coffee drinks, Cong Caphe serves a tantalising Iced Honey Kumquat (RM14.90) and hot Peach Tea with Passionfruit (RM13.90). These drinks are refreshing in their own way and will leave no room for complaint.

For more information, call CONG CAPHE, tel: 03-2276 3135. Address: LG19, Nu Sentral, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur.

GLORIOUS GENTING STAYCATION AT GLORIA RESIDENCES

I love sunrise. The breaking of dawn is a surreal moment and a dramatic cloud-wreathed one when viewed from the balcony of our room at Gloria Residences, in the cool climes of Genting Highlands surely ranks as one of life’s best experiences.

Our recent staycation at Gloria Residences Ion Delemen Genting Highlands was an eye-opening albeit enjoyable experience. Managed by Gloria Hotels & Resorts from China, the two blocks of premium serviced apartments were only opened last December.

Personally, I rather like its location — just 9 minutes' drive away from the frenetic hustle-bustle of First World Plaza and the hoopla surrounding it. Being away from the madding crowd, the 332-unit Gloria Residences together with its nearby sister hotels are more tranquil, nestled among green hills some 6,000 feet above sea level.  

 

The check-in process was smooth and efficiently handled by the team on duty. Beside the reception counter is Hot Spot, a convenient coffee bar cum snack counter to cater to guests who want to grab a drink and food to go.

 

Our weekend accommodation was in the 2-bedroom Family Suite. The furnishing is simple, practical, sleek and linear: shiny tiled floors complemented by blond wood and white trimmed furnishing make the apartment spacious and bright. The master bedroom has a King bed and en-suite toilet/shower, whilst the second room is set with a Queen bed and an upper bunk bed. We slept like logs thanks to the comfy, cushy beds and fluffy duvet. The in-room Wifi speed proved easily accessible once we logged in.

 

A secondary toilet/shower room is by the entrance door. In addition, there's a kitchenette and countertop adjoining a living area with sofa seating and a balcony complete the unit. We adore the little welcome touches like the artistically folded towels and complimentary Asian drinks, bottled water as well as coffee/tea making facilities in the suite.

 

From the balcony, the scenic view is breathtaking – ours accorded glimpses of the green mountainside and some parts of First World Genting. Constantly changing banks of clouds, the intermittent sun and rising mist add a surreal feel albeit refreshing cool climate to the dramatic landscape.

 

Category of rooms available at Gloria Residences include Deluxe, 1-bedroom Suite, 2-bedroom Suite/Executive Suite with kitchenette, and 3-bedroom Executive Suite in addition to our 2-bedroom Family Suite.

EAT AT HOME

Meals are served at Home Restaurant on Level 1, Tower Jade. The weekend buffet breakfast (7am-11am) offers a decent selection of local and Asian fare. Nasi lemak, scrambled and fried eggs, noodles, congee, cereals, bread, fruits, French toast, pan-fried dumplings, chilled juices and hot beverages are some of the regular items served. On weekdays, guests will partake a semi-buffet with a choice of main for brekkie.

 

On Friday & Saturday evenings, the Hotpot Porridge Buffet (RM28 nett per adult, RM20 nett per child) left us replete. You can select your choice of fish balls, veggies, beancurd and complementing ingredients from the spread laid out. Supplementary servings of shellfish and sliced meat (RM9/portion)  are also available. The plain rice porridge base easily absorbed all the appetising flavours from whatever ingredients added to it.

 

The chef on duty will cook pot stickers, radish cake and spring onion pancakes (jian bing) on request. Also on the menu are fried rice, omelette and salted vegetables to accompany the porridge hotpot.

 

 

 

You can also ask for satay and grilled chicken wings for additional substance. Assorted pickles, fresh fruits and tong sui complete the selection.

 

 

 

Lunch (11am-3pm) is a la carte with a compact menu of main meals (think fried rice with vegetable curry & fried chicken and other one-dish fare). Also try the assortment of dim sum made by a Guangzhou chef such as steamed prawn dumplings, and pan-fried buns with minced chicken. All passed the taste test.

 

 

Not to worry, other dining options are available nearby. Connected through the Sky Garden walkway, you’d find Kembali Kitchen, Tavern in the Sky and Hugo’s among others to tease your tastebuds.

 

Rest and recreation activities include a fitness centre and a heated indoor swimming pool. The children’s pool even has an overhead water feature. A children’s playground, an enclosed ball pit and arcade games should keep the young ones occupied.

 

 

More distractions up at First World Plaza are accessible via the property’s shuttle service scheduled on an hourly basis. Transfers to various points up at Genting Highlands and nearby areas can also be arranged on request.

 

For corporate and special events, the spacious Ballroom over at Grand Ion Delemen Hotel is ample for banquet of 35 tables with a huge screen.

For reservations, please call Gloria Residences Ion Delemen, tel: +6 03-64333 888 (24 hours) or KL +6 03- 8064 3390 (8.30am-6pm). Address: Jalan Ion Delemen 1, Ion Park, Genting Highlands, Pahang. Official website:  https://www.gloriahotels.com/hotel.do?id=104&lg=1