Showing posts with label pancake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pancake. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

AN VIET’S SOUP-ER HOT STONE WAGYU PHO


Listen up beef lovers. If you're partial to Japanese wagyu, An Viet has a pho-nomenal deal on-going until 31 January 2024. 
Starting from just RM34.90 per serving, you can savour sliced premium A5 Japanese wagyu imported from Tokushima, Japan for An Viet’s signature pho.

Served in a hot stone bowl, components for the beef noodles are served separately, allowing you to customise it to your own liking. It comes on a compact tray; the hot stone bowl keeping the broth constantly hot throughout your meal. 

We added noodles into the piping hot broth first as per the instruction card. If you’re unaware, An Viet’s MSG-free pho soup base is deeply flavourful as it has been painstakingly simmered for 12 hours using two types of beef bones and various spices. The resultant broth forms the basis of the restaurant’s signature noodle dish

Next, we added in the beansprouts, fresh herbs, shredded lettuce and basil leaves. Since I opted for the honeycomb tripe and beef ball combo, these went into the broth too.

Instead of simply throwing in the slices of A5 Japanese wagyu, I prefer to swish the tender, marbled beef slices in the hot soup until they are cooked to desired doneness. A squeeze of fresh lime juice lent the final touch before I slurped up the noodles along with the delectable beef. 

For a tantalising dimension, I found adding in a dollop of An Viet’s housemade sriracha sauce didn’t go remiss either.

While we were waiting for our pho to be ready, we feasted on Mini Savoury Vietnamese Pancakes. Filled with prawns and minced pork, the little bowl-shaped turmeric and coconut pancakes tasted sublime when eaten wrapped in fresh lettuce and herbs. The accompanying Vietnamese dipping sauce enhanced their deliciousness further.
Most of the set meals at An Viet comes with a trio of appetisers comprising Sugarcane Prawns, a wedge of Fresh Spring Roll and Deep-fried Spring Roll. Made from a hundred percent minced tiger prawns, the sugar cane skewers are always a surefire palate-pleaser.
The two types of spring roll also proved moreish; the former featuring rice paper rolled with tiger prawn, vermicelli, homemade pickle, fresh veggie and herb whilst the latter, deep-fried rice paper roll with tiger prawn and pork mince filling, proffered crispier texture.

Suffice to say, a meal at An Viet never disappoints.

For the locations of An Viet Restaurant, visit: https://www.anviet.com.my/

 

 

Monday, April 01, 2019

DOUBLE INDULGENCES AT SINFUL SEAFOOD & DESSERT


They say life is short so eat dessert first. Opened in late December 2018, Sinful Seafood & Dessert aims to satisfy the hankerings of local seafood and dessert lovers in one spot.
Furnished like a hipster café, Sinful’s simple and spartan interior treads the fine line between the raw industrial feel of bare concrete walls awash in warm, mellow lighting and the practical modernity of blocky wooden furnishing and dark armchair seating.
True to its name, Sinful’s straightforward menu focuses solely on seafood and dessert. Sweet-tooth enthusiasts should get the ball rolling with the Chocolate Magic Ball (RM29.50) or the Chocolate Crepe (RM20). Both are equally sinful but heck, you only live once so go for a sweet surrender.
A decadent treat no chocoholic should pass up on, the Chocolate Magic Ball is served at the tableside with some flourish. A small jug of warm chocolate is poured over the white chocolate ball — the melted chocolate dissolving the white chocolate ball before completely blanketing the dark, fudgy chocolate cake inside.
We like the thoughtful touch of presenting the ultra-chocolatey treat with a mound of fresh strawberry slices and cream; the burst of tart acidity a welcome counterpoint after that rush of rich chocolatey sweetness. 
Somewhat lighter in texture albeit no less generous on the amount of chocolate used, Sinful’s signature Chocolate Crepe has white, milk and dark Belgian chocolate drenched over it. The top quality chocolate is silky smooth with a lingering finish, making it a heavenly pairing with the paper-thin crepe.


Personally, I prefer the Sinful Fruits Waffle (RM38.50). IMHO, the waffle is hefty enough for sharing. Texture-wise, it’s a light and pleasant canvas to pull the assortment of sliced banana, kiwi, strawberries, pineapple and chocolate together.
More tropical fruits make their presence felt in the Sinful Fruits Pancake (RM28.50). The stack of fluffy soft pancakes came up to mark, layered with chunks of tropical fruits and lashings of chocolate. A creation that’s hard to fault and guaranteed to leave you replete.

Wallet-friendly Seafood Combos are the other headliners at Sinful. Solo and group diners are catered for so you’d find different combos available; from RM22.90 for a Single Combo (for 1 person) up to RM224.80 for a Party Combo (for 10 persons).

Each Seafood Combo consists of deep-fried crispy baby crabs in addition to mussels, squid, prawns, fish and clams prepared in a choice of piquant house-made sauces available: Sinful Signature, Honey Mustard, BBQ, Spicy & Sour, Garlic or Curry. Also part of the meal deal is free flow of Rice, Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes and Coleslaw.
Our top vote goes to Honey Mustard — the subtle mustard zinginess works well to blunt the saucy richness whilst simultaneously enhancing the natural seafood sweetness.
Coming in a close second is the Curry sauce. More delicately spiced like a Japanese curry than a local one, we find it works like a charm with the seafood; suffusing their inherent flavours with rich complexity. 
Savoury-sweet accents are most pronounced in the Sinful Signature sauce. Admittedly, it’s an acquired taste for me personally but some diners may find it float their boat. Give it a shot and decide for yourself since the jury is out on this one.
If you’re working in the vicinity, Sinful offers a wallet-friendly Single Set Lunch at only RM14. Choose from Seafood (with a choice of Curry or Sour-Spicy Sauce) or Chicken Wings accompanied with Rice & Egg and a complimentary drink.
Delectable snacks to stave off hunger pangs while you wait include Chicken Wings (RM10.90, 6pcs) and Chicken Balls (RM10, 8pcs). Both are freshly cooked to order so you can be assured the crowd-pleasers are notable enough to make waiting time bearable or work up the appetite before succumbing to the main attractions.
For reservations, please call Sinful Seafood & Dessert, tel: 03-2780 7336 or 016-2205 713. Address: Block Hutton, G-3A, Plaza Arkadia, Jalan Intisari Perdana, Desa Park City, Kuala Lumpur.

Friday, December 08, 2017

CULINARY JOURNEY TO JAFFNA AT A LI YAA



Ten years or a decade is a significant milestone for any restaurant in Klang Valley’s highly competitive F&B scene. When Aa Li Ya touched that historic occasion, the Sri Lankan restaurant marked its 10th anniversary with a 4-day ‘A Journey To Jaffna’ celebration.

Our genial host and marketing manager Janaka Ranjana welcomed us with Jaffna Nuts cocktail and Pink Lips mocktail upon arrival. Holding court in the kitchen was guest chef Dr. Parvathy Kanthasamy who cooked up 50 dishes with executive chef Sivarajan Suppiahto for the dining session.
Puttu is made fresh to order by the chefs at A Li Yaa

The resulting spread whisked us on a spellbinding culinary journey through Jaffna and a showcase of heady spices and fragrant herbs, market-fresh ingredients, and painstaking traditional preparation.
Bittergourd Sambal
Keerai (Sri Lankan spinach kerabu-style)


We found ourselves drawn to the magnetic allure of Sri Lanka’s assortment of Sambals from the get-go. Among the hot, robust variations were Eggplant Sambal, Bittergourd Sambal, and Onion Sambal; perfect accompaniments for freshly made Roti (bread) or Koli Pungal Rice and Pulungal Rice.
 

The plain looking Spicy Oats Kanji held its own; each spoonful delighting our palate with  tangible creaminess and heady spice accents. Other distinct offerings included Odiyal Puttu with Mixed Anchovies, Fish Sothi, Keerai and Beetroot Varai which can be enjoyed with String Hoppers.
Spicy Oats Kanji


Sri Lanka is a paradise for curry lovers. The plethora of curries served at the food fest bore testament to this. According to Janaka, the Nandu Peratal (mud crab) Curry and Nandu (sea crab) Curry were such crowd-pullers that those offerings might remain permanently. Enthusiastic home cooks can buy the curry mixes from the restaurant to replicate the dishes at home.

We were also reeled in by the piquant and flavourful Pathiya Fish Curry, Mutton Paal Poriyal and Chicken Koli Curry. Each was more salubrious than the preceding one so much so we abandoned our less carb bandwagon and surrendered to the currying flavours.

  
Even more heartening were the vegetarian Murungakkai Curry and Pumpkin Curry. Each was characterised by an artful integration of herbs, spices and produce that we readily succumbed to second helpings.


Originally from Jaffna, guest chef Dr. Parvathy Kanthasamy now resides in Canada. Citing puttu and curry as her favourite food, Dr. Parvathy said vegetables and pulses in addition to seafood and shellfish are typical in most Sri Lankans' diet.


When you dine at A Li Yaa, be sure to try at least one of the house speciality of Appam. A concave pancake with paper-thin, crisp edges, the freshly made to order appams stand in as a delicious canvas for savoury sambals and robust curries. 

Eggs can be added into the equation for a richer taste whilst jaggery – Sri Lankan palm sugar – is the requisite condiment for sweet appams. My fave part of this pancake was the spongy soft centre.

Sweet provenance favoured by the Sri Lankans veered between Payasam with Pineapple and Wattalappam (spiced coconut custard) to Caramel Pudding and Mung Guli.


Local artist Yusof Gajah’s finest elephant-inspired artworks not only graced the walls inside A Li Yaa but some of his sketches can alse be found inside the resto's commemorative colouring book for young guests. 
For reservations, call A Li Yaa Island Restaurant & Bar, tel: 03-2092 5378. Address:48 Plaza Damansara, Jalan Medan Setia 2, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.



Featured Post

EXPLOSIVE SURPRISE FROM CAKE RUSH

Whimsical. Fun. Impactful. Imagine a flock of butterflies fluttering up once you open Cake Rush’s latest Explosion Gift Box. We were thrille...