Showing posts with label grill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grill. Show all posts

Sunday, July 07, 2024

GREEK FOOD'S THE WORD AT AEGEAN BLUE


Contemporary Euro-Greek dishes takes the limelight at Aegean Blue within the imposing New Ocean Fine Food City, Petaling Jaya. As we set foot into the Greek restaurant, a projected image of Apollo, the Greek sun god greets us at the entrance. 

Inside the cream and sand enclave stands another life-size statue of Apollo amidst several Grecian columns. Modern, sleek partitions, mellow lighting and gauzy white curtains adorned the interior of this newish Greek restaurant. A tastefully decorated private dining room is also available onsite.

The most notable dish to savour IMHO is Ammos Moussaka (RM55), a befitting choice definitive of this Greek restaurant.
Topped with kefalotyri, a salty Cypriot-Greek white cheese made from sheep or goat’s milk, the baked gooey layers of eggplant with potatoes, minced beef and bechamel sauce looked like lasagna at first glance. We found its hearty richness agreeable and not overly cloying.
Another memorable speciality is Kolokythosoupa (RM20), a velvety pumpkin cream soup. Its smooth, delicate sweetness proved memorable, especially when paired with crusty garlicky toast.
Light and refreshing, the Aegean Blue Salad with Smoked Salmon (RM48) comprising fresh garden greens, smoked salmon, crème fraiche, black olives and balsamico vinaigrette is a well-balanced and wholesome creation to satisfy healthy diners. It was a welcoming precursor to our meal.
On a previous visit, we ate outstanding dishes such as grilled octopus salad, pan-fried duck breast and braised lamb shank. Although they aren't no longer in the menu, be assured plenty of culinary gems worth sampling await at Aegean Blue so a single visit may not suffice.
To lure the white collar crowd, there's an Executive Set Lunch at RM55+ per person inclusive of one drink is available from 1130am-230pm.
You can either start with Soup of the Day (think Vegetable Cream Soup with Shrimp or something similar to it) or salad du jour of Mixed Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken and Cheese. The mildly savoury vegetable broth was on-point, and superbly delicious when accompanied by crusty slices of buttery-garlicky toasts.
We also enjoyed the substantial Greek salad that included a sizeable piece of grilled chicken breast dusted with paprika. It sat atop fresh lettuce, boiled potato and carrot dices, blanched cauliflower and broccoli florets, cherry tomatoes, and boiled egg. TBH, this could be a meal itself for light eaters.
Main course was a toss between Grilled Chicken Leg with Mashed Potato and BBQ Sauce or Pan-fried Seabass Fillet with Dill Sauce, Orzo with Mushroom.
Both dishes were deftly prepared although the slab of seabass held extra appeal for us thanks to the fish’s natural sweetness. Perked up by creamy dill sauce and orzo (semolina pasta shaped like rice grains), we fell hook, line and sinker for it.
Juicy and tender, the slightly smoky chicken earned extra points on the deliciousness scale with a most stellar concoction of butter-honey-barbecue sauce.
Dessert fell somewhat below expectations as the Carrot Cake with Vanilla Chantilly appeared a tad too dry for our liking. Hopefully, this would have improved after our feedback. Aegean Blue has many good things going for it so give this resto a chance where Greek food is the word.
For reservations at Aegean Blue, please call tel: 012 988 2790 and 03-8408 8030. Address: L3-12A, Level 3, New Ocean World Fine Food City, 15 Jalan 19/1, Seksyen 19, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

 

Sunday, February 25, 2024

CHICKITA DEBUTS IN MALAYSIA

Banking on the naturally smoky flavours of its Asian-inspired flame grilled chicken as the unique selling point, the maiden Chickita restaurant made its debut at Pavilion Damansara Heights just before Chinese New Year amidst some fanfare.
Conceived by former Park Hyatt Saigon executive chef and F&B entrepreneur Asif Mehrudeen (top pix above), Chickita first opened in Vietnam in 2019. The founder draws inspiration from his 20-year culinary journey through Southeast Asia to conceptualise Chickita, taking pride in nostalgic Asian flavours. Vibrant colours, eye-catching wall murals and trendy décor elements set a welcoming stage at Chickita, to pique the interest of diners.

According to director Charles Chan, Chickita brings to the table its flame-grilled chicken with recognisable Asian flavours appealing to local palates. “At Chickita, it’s a celebration of community and communal dining. We want to uphold the spirit of togetherness deeply ingrained in our Asian culture.”
Aside from chicken, Chickita also serves burgers, wraps, and wings – all flame-grilled to perfection. We took instant liking to the opener of Eda-Mole Dip (RM13.50), a hummus of edamame and avocado blend served with salsa and crispy tortilla.
Toasted pita triangles are the perfect companion to dunk into the mildly cheesy Signature Hot Crab Dip (RM14.50) whilst Chicken Nachos (RM14.50) with original and cheese sauces, salsa and toasted pita can be rather addictive so try to avoid overloading on them, to leave tummy room for mains.

I am all for Chickita’s concept of allowing diners to pick our preferred chicken parts. We found the different variants deliciously on-point, from the flame-grilled Quarter Chicken Leg with Rice & Salad and Quarter Chicken Breast with Yam Pop & Corn to Quarter Chicken Breast with Coleslaw & Crispy Fries and Quarter Chicken Breast with Wok Vegetable & Garlic Bread.

A quarter chicken leg or breast is RM17.50 whilst an additional two side dishes is priced at RM26.50. Chicken wings, chicken tenders, half and whole chicken are also available so peruse the menu to select your choice.

Catering to Asian tastebuds, Chickita incorporates familiar Asian ingredients for its range of signature sauces, to bring its flame-grilled chicken to piquantly flavoursome and culturally resonant level. Our first-hand experience had us settling on our own favourite sauces out of the six available.

On the mild scale, Chickita Original Sauce comprises a bright and tantalising lemongrass-infused blend whilst the Tropical sauce lends nice balance to the savoury chicken with its sweet, sour mango-citrus accents.

My palate found the moderately hot Sexy sauce with roasted red chillies on song with the grilled chicken but the Lucky 8 Asian BBQ variant also comes close as a winner, redolent with familiar spices such as star anise, cinnamon and garlic amidst the chilli taste profile.

Die-hard chilli fiends may prefer the Dynamite Spicy Hot Sauce – formulated with different chillies or Tamarita’s savoury-hot profile which is culled from a blend of tamarind, fish sauce, Asian spices and dried chillies.
Chickita also reimagines dessert by combining ice cream potong with innovative flavours like A Classic Twist (RM14), cendol popsicle with frozen coconut and pandan with green sticky rice; and Vanilla Dreams (RM14), shaved coconut and red bean popsicle with grass jelly.
For more information, call CHICKITA, tel: 03 2011 1243. Address: Lot 1.03.00, Level 1, Pavilion Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur.

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

CITA RASA RAMADAN MALAYSIA AT DORSETT GRAND SUBANG


Traditional Malay and kampung specialities await diners come buka puasa time this year at Dorsett Grand Subang. 
The extensive Cita Rasa Ramadan buffet, offered from 13 March to 9 April, will also highlight hawker and bazaar food-inspired fare where chefs on duty cook, grill and serve popular dishes on the spot.


When confronted with a vast selection, the trick is to be discerning and choose rare and cherished specialities for the best experience. Our recommended choices include the myriad of Ulam-ulaman, Kerabu Jantung Pisang and Seafood on Ice.


Fans of Sup Gearbox will be stoked to find a dedicated stall dishing it up with offal, beef bones and tripe. Sizzling Satay, a whole showpiece of Kambing Bakar, Nasi Biryani Gam Kambing, hot-off-the-grill Chicken Shawarma, Mee Goreng Mamak, Roti John and Murtabak beckon from various stalls manned by chefs on duty.
If you enjoy Tandoori Chicken and freshly made Naan, you’re in luck too. Curries to fire up the tastebuds include Ikan Patin Masak Tempoyak, Kari Kambing, Ayam Rendang, Kari Kepala Ikan and Ayam Percik among others.

In addition, you’d find Pajeri Terung, Ayam Goreng Kunyit, Sotong Masak Kicap and Seafood Marinara to complement rice.
 
Dessert run the gamut from assorted Malay Kuih and Bubur to colourful jellies, decadent cakes and glasses of frothy Teh and Kopi Tarik to cold drinks: Soya Bean, Sirap Bandung, etc. to leave everyone replete.

Cita Rasa Ramadan is priced at RM188 nett per adult and RM150 nett for senior citizens 60 and above. Children between 6 to 12 years old is charged at RM90 nett. Early Bird pricing at RM158 nett per adult is available from now till 13th Mar 2024.

Prepare for your Hari Raya shopping with local designer apparel at the Mezzanine Floor of Dorsett Grand Subang. Dress up to the nines with fashionable creations by Masrina Abdullah, Maswira Majid, Evita Mairesse, Izwani, Huda Hassan and Hasfitri Yusof.

For reservations at Dorsett Grand Subang, call tel: 03 5031 6060 or email: fnb.subang@dorsetthotels.com


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