Showing posts with label shopping mall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping mall. Show all posts

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, May 23, 2023

BOOK LOVERS' HAVEN AT BOOK XCESS THE GARDENS MALL


For the first time ever, there are two separate pavilions at the newly opened Book Xcess located at The Rooftop, The Gardens mall.

Boasting floor-to-ceiling glass windows, this experiential bookstore perched high atop one of KL’s busiest shopping malls aims to draw more Malaysians especially the non-readers and turn them into readers and book lovers.
The adults’ reading section is inviting with a smooth ‘flowing’ layout: an ascending walkway flanked by aisles of books as far as the eye can see, displays brimming with book-related gift ideas and brain-teasing games, and the Red Red Botak Head restaurant tucked in one corner.
One can explore and browse the different shelves packed with a wide range of genres: from general fiction to literary classics, then pause occasionally to soak in mesmerizing views of the city skyline. Typical of all Book Xcess stores, avid readers will be left utterly spoiled for choice!
Over at the children’s pavilion, reading materials are arranged following their age and various stages of a child's development. Bright and colourful early learning activity and pop-up books abound as are tomes featuring recognizable characters from famous cartoon series, best-selling story books and blockbuster movies.
An enclosed play area furnished with bean bags is also included within this section. In addition, there’s an overhead walkway which accords an overview of the store.
 
The Red Red Botak Head restaurant serves Malaysian dishes with slight ‘twists’ and draws a decent crowd come meal times. Ample space is available for small events, book launches and other in-store activities.
BOOK XCESS, Level 6 Rooftop, The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Kuala Lumpur. 

Friday, November 19, 2021

PORK HOGS THE LIMELIGHT AT DAVE'S BISTRO BAR GRILL

Dave’s Siew Yuk (RM29) still rules hogs the Bar Bites roost at the established Dave's Bistro Bar & Grill, a familiar outpost among One Utama patronsServed with mustard and house-made chilli sauce, the signature roast pork belly boasts a juicy ratio of fat and lean meat, and deliciously crisp skin. It’s a match made in heaven with a cold beer such as Edelweiss.


In the last 2 years, prolonged movement restrictions caused by Covid-19 have aggravated challenges for F&B stakeholders including Dave's Bistro Bar & Grill. Fortunately, Dave’s loyal customers rallied to sustain the resto with their regular fix of favourites: ranging from the resto’s famed siew yuk (roast pork) to porkilicious pizza.


Staying true to its bistro roots, Dave’s expansive menu is a bid to expand its multi-generation and multi-dietary appeal. Hence amidst the predominantly Euro-centric porcine offerings imbued with some Asian influences, you’d find seafood and poultry items as well.


During the pre-pandemic days, Dave’s Anglo-French bar is a social haven for those seeking to slake their thirst, kick back after a day’s work or shopping, and a bite to eat. These days the lure has dampened slightly as people are less likely to linger in malls but the dining-out pace has picked up recently.


Coming in a close second on the Bar Bites popularity stakes is Dave’s Stuffed Mushrooms (RM24). Topped with chopped bacon and tomatoes, the grilled stuffed mushrooms pack a nice cohesiveness of tangy and savoury flavours. The wickedly moreish morsels are just the inducement to level up the enjoyment of your favourite tipple.


For the white-collar and family crowd, Dave’s tempts them with All Day Brunch options such as Croque Madame (RM27). This classic French sandwich should appeal to anyone partial to cheese as it comprises two bread slices with ham, dressed in bechamel sauce, then baked with Emmenthaler cheese.


Crowned with a sunny side up egg, the sandwich is accompanied by a side of fresh salad. The whole ensemble is hearty and filling; guarantee to leave a light eater replete as it can be rather rich and cloying due to the cheese and creamy sauce.  


An assortment of mussels, clams, prawns and squid are found in the plate of Olio Seafood Linguine (RM38). Scented with garlic, chilli, white wine, parsley and butter, the pasta passes muster. We find the dish underwhelming although it is deftly prepared – it lacks a little acidity or heat to amp up the appeal.

Overall, Dave’s has plenty to offer although the menu needs to be more streamlined and a refresh to keep up with current trends. In these increasingly tough times, it would make better sense to retain the crowd-pleasers and introduce newer items on a trial basis to attract new customers while seeking to inject fresh creativity into its current menu.


For reservations, call Dave’s Bistro Bar Grill, tel: 03-7725 4017. Address: Lot G209, The Promenade, One Utama Shopping Centre, Lebuh Bandar Utama 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

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