Sushi Zanmai @ 1U - Part 2

Sushi Zanmai
2nd Floor (New Wing)
1 Utama Shopping Mall
Bandar Utama
Petaling Jaya

I have blogged about this place before - in Part 1. I have been back there a few more times since and would just like to share with you some other items that I have tried.



The "must-have" for my sushi meal...Wasabe...
...Pickled Ginger......a firm favourite: California Roll...

A platter of Mixed Sushi - salmon inari, tamago unagi...
I like sushi wrapped in crispy seaweed skin, or encased in sweet beancurd puffs (inari)...
I love their soft silky smooth beancurd...Agedashi Tofu topped with Unagi....mmmm....

Not to forget their Grilled Saba...crispy skin, sweet tender & bursting with the robust flavour of the mackerel inside...just heavenly!
Super fresh Salmon slices...sitting pretty on a bed of julienne'd radish & seaweed, with a slice of juicy lemon as companion...
More of those Salmon but this platter had slices of Fresh Octopus - a most perfect match!

More of their special sushi...Softshell Crab Sushi...doused prettily with a dash of mayo for that "special effect"...
The yummy Unagi Roll...sprinkled with sesame seeds...

Another version of Unagi Sushi...daintier and refreshingly green with the cucumber stalks!I love Japanese cuisine - not only for their fresh great taste but also for the gorgeous visual feast!
Sushi Zanmai is a firm favourite with many ...if you intend to dine here, either book ahead or be prepared to queue for a table! There's always a long queue, particularly during peak hours.

My rating: 7/10

Hai Peng Seafood

Hai Peng Seafood Restaurant
Lot KS-5 Taman Evergreen
4 1/2 Miles, Jalan Klang Lama
58200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-7982 5072/798106982

I was introduced to this restaurant by one of my ex-bosses, many many years ago (this is an "old timer" restaurant!) and they have not changed one bit since that first time I tried their food. It's located on busy busy Old Klang Road but parking is not very troublesome actually. Even on a Saturday evening (and the restaurant was running fullhouse!), we could get parking along the inner road.

Before I show you the Star Attraction of the place, let me introduce you to their various "appetizers" which you really must try...as they're all very good.

Taufu Bakar (Grilled Stuffed Beancurd) (RM1.20 per piece) - as simple as it sounds, this is one scrumptious appetizer. The shredded cucumber & sengkuang were crunchy, stuffed in the crispily-grilled taupok and topped with a gooey dark sweetish sauce and sprinkled with lots of chopped peanuts.


See the shredded cucumber & sengkuang "bursting" out of the taupok?...Kangkung & Brown Sotong (RM15 for small portion) ...boiled...and then topped with the same sweetish gooey sauce...add a dash of lime juice...

...toss up everything...this is how it looked...(before everything disappeared!)...Ahhh...another simple but amazingly yummy appetizer - Century Eggs & Pickled Ginger (RM3 per egg) ...good quality eggs - just look at the soft centres and you can see how fresh they were... The pickled ginger was perfect - even LL who hates ginger, loved it and fought for the last piece!


Try also their Fried Chicken Wings (RM2 each) ...since 20 years ago, their recipe has not changed at all! The wings had been marinaded in oyster sauce and chinese wine... Crispily fried on the outside but oozing with juices and tenderness as you bite into them...try not to eat too much of this - leave some tummy space for the Star Attraction!
Ahhh...here it comes - the Star Attraction - their Sweet Sour Crabs! I can safely say that theirs is about the best sweet sour crabs recipe in the Klang Valley. The sweet, sour and hot elements of the sauce had been perfected over the years and the consistency was also just right for you to dip your Toasted Bread in...

There was a choice of Indonesian Giant Crabs (RM43/kg) or the local mud crabs (RM34/kg). Our order of 1.5kg mud crabs came to RM51...
They even give you extra bowls of their yummy crab sauce for the toasted bread...

If you still have some more space in your tummy, try also their Lala with Ginger & Chinese Wine. Sprinkled with chopped chilli padi, this dish packs a real bite!

Fried Glass Noodles - chewy transparent glass noodles lightly tossed in crunchy beansprouts, cabbage, dry and fresh shrimps. Not too oily, this light noodle dish provides a fulfilling end to the meal!


My rating: 7/10

Seafood Noodles

Restoran Yu Ai
58 Jalan SS2/10
47300 Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7877 8117
Open 11.00am till 9.30pm

This seafood restaurant has been around for some time. Their main shop is in Segambut and for many years, has gained a strong following of seafood noodles lovers in the Klang Valley. I have been to the Segambut shop many times to savour their yummy noodles.

They only serve 3 types of soups for their noodles: Soup, Curry and Tomyam.

I always go for either Curry or Tomyam as I find their plain Soup rather tame for my liking! There are 2 sizes of their servings to choose from: Small (RM15/bowl) and Large (RM17/bowl).

The assortment of fresh seafood in the bowl of yummy goodness include fish fillet, brown sotong, lala, mussels and of course, their huge prawns! All these are cooked fresh on-the-spot after you have placed your orders, therefore every bowl of noodles come to you freshly and individually cooked.

I love their fragrant Curry as it's spicy without being overwhelmingly pedas - the coconut milk balances the spiciness perfectly!

Their Segambut shop is at:

42 Jalan Segambut Utara
51200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 012-335 5563
Open from 8.00am till 5.00pm

My rating: 7/10

A Business Lunch in the Office

We're having a Mid-Year Review Meeting in the office and as there's quite a big no. of people involved, I decided to get the caterer in, to kauthim the tea breaks and lunch.

Here's sharing with you the menu for the day...

Assorted Yong Taufu...don't they look colourful and bright?


Sweet Sour Fish - looks very appetizing, with the pineapples!
Sour Plum Chicken with Mango Salsa... another colourful dish! I want the mangoes!
A healthy item - Japanese Beancurd with Vegetarian Puffs...
Stuffed Mushrooms with Brocolli...this looks very green & healthy too!
All the above to go with Chinese Fried Rice...
An attractive Fruit Platter, as dessert...
...and of course, the Washington cherries courtesy of our generous vendor!

Let's tuck in, hehe!

Oh...by the way, this is a different caterer from the other office party post...I'm not sure if they are as good as I have not tasted this one yet. Will update after I have done so, haha!

OK...here's my verdict for this caterer: The food is mediocre...but the plus point is that the food is not oily and can be considered "healthy"!

I managed to take some pics of the afternoon tea break items... here they are:

Chocolate Sin...looks like nutty brownies...

Steamed Chicken Pau...
Chinese Yam Cake...they look more like carrot or sugee cake to me!

Dave's Deli @ 1U

Dave's Deli has been around the Klang Valley for many years and I'm sure almost everyone knows about them. Now, if you think the food taste the same in every outlet, then you're pretty much wrong. I used to think that too. The menu may be the same but certainly, the portions and taste differ from outlet to outlet.

One of the best outlets - in terms of portions and taste, is surely the one in 1 Utama. Compared to other outlets (eg the one in Subang Parade - sucky!), the 1U outlet comes up tops! It's no wonder that whenever I need a chicken fix, I head to this place.

My lunch today was...

Wild Mushroom Soup (RM6.50)... came with a generous slice of garlic toasted baguette. The soup was creamy (without being overpowering) and the wholesome taste of mushrooms was very evident in every delicious spoonful. Dip the crispy garlic toast in ...yums!

Ahhh...the Roast Chicken (RM14.50) was delightfully infused with rosemary, thyme and black pepper. The quarter piece of chicken, roasted golden brown sat on a generous portion of brown gravy...and look at the amount of side dishes given! Can't see clearly?
Here is a better view...there was a huge dollop of coleslaw, mashed potatoes, crunchy cauliflower, snow peas, carrots and thick slices of baked potatoes...
A very hearty meal indeed!

My rating: 7/10... I keep going back for my chicken fix! But, it's only at the 1U outlet, OK...not any other outlet!

Kluang Station @ 1 Utama

Kluang Station
LG-337 New Wing
1 Utama Shopping Mall
Bandar Utama
Petaling Jaya

There are only a few "upmarket" kopitiams that I really like, around the Klang Valley. The Kluang Station kopitiams, which sprouted from the original dilapidated kopitiam in Kluang are a far cry from the parent. The Kluang Stations around here are housed mainly in shopping malls.

I like Kluang Station mainly for their Iced Kopi. The local brew is really "khau" enough, not too sweet and tastes absolutely refreshingly stimulating!



Their Toast with Kaya is so-so only. But since I absolutely must have roti to go with my kopi, even this mediocre toast will have to do lah... Although the kaya looked drippingly yummy in this photo, I'm afraid I can't really say much about the taste...it was forgettable...And then their Half-Boiled Eggs...well, they're just eggs. I didn't order this...someone else did...as I don't take half-boiled eggs, haha!

I did order their Mee Siam though. Another mediocre item...have this only if you're ravenous (like I was when I ordered this!). It's quite bland and you can see the 3 shrimps were kinda boiled separately and used to top-up the dish only...

The Fried Indian Bread (i think it was puris) with Lamb Masala took a very long time to serve - do not order this if you are in a hurry! When it finally came, I thought the portion or rather, dollop of lamb masala was quite miserable, as was the dollop of dhall dalcha.
OK...let's just go for Kopi at Kluang Station only...hahaha!


My rating: 5/10

Bumbu Bali - Part 2

Since the first post I did on Bumbu Bali, we have been back there again.

Besides the Nasi Campur which LL absolutely loved & had to order again, we tried their Grilled Lamb Chop (RM23.50). 2 huge pieces of shoulder chops were served with fries, a separate bowl of salad, a huge piece of watermelon and a bowl of their special Bumbu gravy. The lamb has been marinated with some spices, black pepper and grilled to perfection with a hint of lemongrass. The fragrant gravy had mixed flavours of spices, pepper, a dash of yoghurt maybe? (slightly sourish)...


The well-recommended Campur-Campur Tiga (RM30.50) was a huge platter featuring grilled satay lilit, chicken wings and fried calamari with 2 types of dips and fresh vegetables on the side.
Closer look at the grilled chicken wings...succulent pieces oozing with turmeric and spices which had been infused into the meat...
The special Satay Lilit...mashed chicken meat twisted round satay sticks and grilled...yummy!

Ahhh...in case you have forgotten how their Nasi Campur (RM28.50) looked like...here is the plate of heavenly bites...lots of "lauk" and too little rice, hehe!