PIG OUT AT SNOUT

Snout is proudly proclaimed as the Home of the Signature T-bone Pork Chop and no visit to the restaurant is complete if you don’t sample the juicy and tender T-bone Pork Chop (RM33). Heaped atop the grilled pork chop is delicious al dente classic egg carbonara. 

Studded with bacon bits and Parmesan cheese, the whole serving is a sight to behold – and once you sample the scrumptious the pork chop, you’d be besotted enough to plan a follow-up visit to Snout just for it.

Sourced from locally bred pigs, the pork chop’s inherent sweet meatiness makes it a memorable palate-pleaser. For an additional RM5, a single serving of refreshing Orange Salad (orange segments with fresh greens and onion tossed in Snout's sweet-sour dressing) or Japanese Potato Salad (mashed potato with strips of Aussie carrot, Japanese cucumber, onion and egg in creamy Kewpie mayo) complements it. Together with the pasta, it’s an on-point hearty, soul-satisfying meal.

Snout is run by Doris Ch’ng and Rosalia Chua, a passionate food-loving duo who used to be colleagues at Nestle. Opened in August 2018, the pork-centric restaurant has a nice cheery and sassy ‘feel’ about it.

Brightly painted canvases of frolicking pigs adorn baby blue walls, potted plants displayed on stools and atop tables bestow a sense of serenity, whilst stacks of books, as well as little plushies, lend homey touches to the interior.

 

Fried Prawn Rolls (RM15) and Scotch egg-style Fried Quail Eggs (RM9) are two great conversation starters to get your meal rolling at Snout. The former is Snout’s yummy take on lor bak – beancurd skin rolls stuffed with minced prawn, pork, and vegetables deep-fried until crispy, then cut into coin-size discs.

Slightly smaller than a tennis ball, the Scotch quail eggs will turn your dining party into a ball. Coated in crispy panko, and encased within tasty minced pork, marinated chives, cabbage, spring onion, and garlic, the crowd-pleasing appetiser hit the spot for us.

 

My favourite dish of the day is Grilled Marbled Iberico Pork Collar (RM442, 1300gm). This notable show-stopper has to be pre-ordered ahead of time and is suitable for dining parties of 3-4 persons according to Doris.

Served with a side dish of Japanese Potato Salad, this juicy, tender, and delicious slab of pork is best savoured on its own. Like any good prime steak, it can hold its own without the need for sauces or toppings.

To sustain the restaurant during the prolonged lockdown period, Snout created a Limited Travel Menu Series, highlighting familiar comfort food from different cities as the restaurant’s way of taking their customers on a food tour.

Kolo Mee (RM13), a popular noodle dish with house-made 'char siew' (minus the red colouring), fish balls and minced pork is chosen to represent Kuching in the menu. According to Doris, this is one of their sought-after, freezer-friendly offerings. “It’s popular among our customers who have it delivered to them. Many store the dish for consumption later. They just reheat by steaming or microwaving it.”

Indeed, the noodles are deliciously flavourful thanks to the assemblage of minced pork, ‘char siew’, and crispy pork lard dices. A pair of QQ fish balls lends some springy toothsome contrast to the overall meaty and soft noodle textures.

Singletons and youngsters hankering for homely fare may find ample succour in the comforting dish of Braised Pork Belly (RM18). Served with steamed rice, the tender chunks of pork belly braised in soya sauce and spices come with a braised egg, peanuts and vegetable of the day.

Bacon Popcorn Balls (RM8 – 3 balls) is the partners’ attempt to bring customers further afield via their Limited Travel Menu Series. Rosalia said “It’s our tribute to the American movie culture; drenching buttery popcorn with caramel then lacing it with bacon bits to create a fun treat. The oversized popcorn balls were meant to ease the boredom of being stuck at home during the lockdown.”     

The popcorn balls were rather fun albeit messy to eat. My only wish is for more bacon bits to temper the caramel sweetness.

One unexpected dessert find is Ornee (RM18) – the traditional Teochew treat is such a rarity but if you’re partial to yam this should go down exceptionally well. Snout’s silky-smooth version comprises rich yam paste, layered in fragrant lard and shallot oil. We ate it warm during our lunch but I love it chilled - it's sublime!

Finish with a flourish by savouring a slice of Snout’s Traditional French Orange Cake (RM8 per slice, RM65 per 900g loaf). Crowned with candied orange slices, the buttery orange cake is like a burst of sunshine: brimming with big, bright orange flavour and zesty sweetness on the palate.

For reservations and more information, call SNOUT, tel: 03 - 7732 8871. Address: 22A-1, Jalan PJU 8/5E, Bandar Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Business hours: Tue – Sun 1130 am - 3 pm, 530 pm - 9 pm. Closed on Mon but open on request for families with special kids, click https://wa.me/c/601111613881

 

VERSATILE, HALAL AND DELICIOUS #TRUEAUSSIELAMB EXPERIENCE

Versatile. Fast to cook. Even better and most delicious to eat. Words that are music to a busy mum’s ears once I discover how easy it is to cook with #trueaussielamb.

Having picked up lots of useful information from the recent Meat Livestock Australia (MLA) “Your Trusted Halal Australian Beef and Lamb, from Farm to Plate” Media Webinar, I realise #trueaussiebeef and #trueaussielamb both many advantages: the meat is Halal-certified, can be used for a wide variety of Asian or Western dishes, and are rich with vitamins and minerals.

Inspired by Chef Jason Manson’s Peranakan-style Beef and Belimbing uluh with Beancurd Sauce, and his version of Sabahan Beef Soto with Vermicelli, I decided to use a mild spice rub for the #trueaussielamb shoulder chops. The idea is to flavour the meat without overwhelming the natural taste.

To balance the rich meaty flavour, I chose a refreshing orange and cherry tomatoes salad to complement the seared lamb shoulder chops. The greens also helped to add healthy balance to my family’s daily diet. It’s a simple and fast recipe to prepare, plus delicious to boot!

 

SEARED SPICED LAMB SHOULDER CHOPS

with Orange & Cherry Tomatoes Salad

INGREDIENTS

For the lamb chops:

2 pcs Halal True Aussie Lamb Shoulder Chops

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon garam marsala

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Mix the spices together and rub onto the lamb chops.

Heat pan with oil. Sear lamb shoulder chops on high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side. Season to taste with salt and pepper if necessary. Remove from pan and set aside to rest.

For the salad:

8-10 cherry tomatoes

1/2 yellow or red onion

1 orange

1 packet baby spinach leaves

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Slice cherry tomatoes into halves.

Cut orange into dices.

Slice onion into julienne or strips.

Rinse baby spinach and toss dry to remove excess water.

Whisk olive oil with balsamic vinegar.

Toss spinach, cherry tomatoes, orange dices and onion thoroughly with salad dressing.

To serve, plate up seared lamb shoulder chops with a serving of salad on the side. Enjoy your serving of Halal True Aussie Lamb Shoulder Chops!

During the (MLA) Media Webinar, Sanjay Boothalingam, Australian Agriculture Counsellor, Australian High Commission reiterated, “the Australian Government ensures Australian beef, lamb and goat are of the highest quality and being halal compliant. Australian meat is also known for our safety, sustainability, reliability and traceability.”

Terry Nolan, Representative from the Australian Meat Industry Council assured us “exporters are committed to supplying halal meat from Australia’s farms to Malaysian consumers, ensuring quality and halal practices, and with all the SOPs in place.”

He also shared how Australian livestock are raised in pristine environment, free from diseases, and spoke on Australia’s red meat integrity systems. 

All cattle, sheep and goats processed in Australia for the Malaysia market are slaughtered under the Australian Government Supervised Halal Program by accredited Muslims, and are administered by the Federal Department of Agriculture in Australia. 

Additionally, all processing facilities in Australia employ only registered and trained Muslim slaughtermen from the Halal Certifying Bodies. They also comply with personal hygiene, operational sanitation and animal welfare requirements. These Halal Certifying Bodies are recognised and approved by JAKIM (Department of Islamic Development of Malaysia). The Halal systems and production facilities are regularly audited by internal quality and food safety assurance systems, (Australian and importing country representatives from DVS (Department of Veterinary Services of Malaysia) and JAKIM. 

#TrueAussieMy #australianbeefandlamb #premiumbeef #lambassador

For more information, visit the following websites:

www.mla.com.au

www.trueaussiebeef.com

www.trueaussiebeefandlamb.my

www.lambassador.asia

SIZZLING GOOD MEATS AT SEOULNAMI KOREAN BBQ

Stepping into SeoulNami is like entering a laidback, rustic beach-front eatery. Warm mellow-lighting coupled with a youthful surf’s up vibes, and wall-mounted ‘cut outs’ of food ingredients makes this pork-free Korean BBQ restaurant a convivial dining outpost among Malaysians at The Gardens Mall.

 

Owner and director Huen Su San of Beyond Korea Dining Group said: “SeoulNami opened about three years ago and has just reopened for dine-in recently. Our resident Korean chef concocts all the marinades and sauces we use at SeoulNami. The formulations are tweaked slightly to suit local palates.”

Signature Beef Platter (front) with the option of adding Korean Bone-in Short Rib (top left)

Strictly adhering to new norm SOPs, dining parties of 3-4 persons will find SeoulNami’s Signature Beef Platter (RM119) consisting of Bulgogi, Beef Rib Fingers, and Beef Belly a notable choice especially on their first visit.

This great value set comes with the option of adding in Korean Bone-in Short Rib (a la carte RM139). Should you prefer to go a la carte, the Beef Rib Fingers costs RM59, Bulgogi RM39, and streaky Beef Belly RM29.

Streaky Beef Belly

Bulgogi

Beef Rib Fingers

The nice thing about dining at SeoulNami is the helpful and efficient service team will step up and barbecue the meat without you lifting a finger – just remember to inform them of the preferred doneness for your choice of meat. When the slew of delicious morsels hit your table piping hot, you’d devour every enticing piece and find yourself replete in no time.

We also have ample opportunities to relish the textures of different cuts; and tried to decide which of the various marinated meats we prefer. In addition, sampling the meaty servings with the accompanying platter of fresh greens, raw garlic, green chillies and carrot sticks add to the experience.

Ban chan – little side dishes of radish pickles, cabbage kimchi, side salad, and steamed egg are served to accompany the meal.

Non-beef eaters may like to opt for the sweet and rich Honey Butter Chicken (RM59), a honey-butter rendition popularised by the Korean snack trend. Wrap a piece of the chicken in fresh lettuce, spike it up with the house gochujang sauce and eat it as ssam (Korean lettuce wraps).

SeoulNami’s Hot Pepper Chicken (RM59) is a hot hit among chilli fiends looking for an adrenalin rush. Concocted using the hottest chilli from the Korean province of Cheongyang and the house gochujang paste, the tongue-burning marinade makes its presence felt in the barbecued chicken pieces.

After that scorcher, the Ganjang Chicken (rm59) appears underwhelming but if you’re after a traditional Korean marinade with caramelised umami boost, this would be it. Melted cheese lava (RM19) is also available on request.

Ideal for sharing, the Signature Platter of Chicken Sampler (RM89) featuring all three flavourful marinated chicken also comes with a similar platter of greens.

Other notable items to consider include Premium Yang Galbi (RM59), marinated lamb rib and Spicy Octopus (RM39); for textural and flavour variation to your meal.

Koreans are big on rice and the Fist Rice (RM29) comes highly recommended. Available in original or spicy version, disposable gloves are provided for you to mix the warm soft rice with seaweed flakes and fragrant chicken mince, and shape into mini rice balls.

Simple but utterly delectable, we find them incredibly appealing. Both the original and spicy versions have their appeal. Talk about rice-ing to the occasion in wrapping up a Korean BBQ experience at SeoulNami.

For information and reservations, call SeoulNami Korean BBQ, tel: 03-2202 3336. Address: F-215, First Floor, The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Kuala Lumpur. Business hours: 11am – 10 pm daily