A taste of India in Maharaj

Exactly a week ago, I almost fell off my chair when I received a phone call from Eu Hooi Khaw. I mean, come on... Eu Hooi Khaw calling me??! And that call was to invite me to join her for dinner... at a place called Maharaj. The invitation was on behalf of the owner, Mr Ilan Govan who's a close friend of hers. Her directions to the place were: "it's along Jalan Gasing, PJ, in a bungalow lot next to a furniture shop".

I had a vague idea of where the restaurant could be. It was a rainy stormy night and somehow I made a turn somewhere and before I knew it, there's this huge lighted signboard by the road which said "59 Jalan Gasing" and I knew I had arrived at Maharaj! It was still raining when I parked the car and when I looked up after switching off the engine, there was this friendly service crew who had appeared instantly by my car bearing an umbrella! Such is the thoughtful and excellent service provided by Maharaj, as the evening unveiled later.

When I entered the restaurant, I was awestruck by this vibrantly colourful wall painting by their reception...



As I looked around, my senses were immediately struck by so much colours everywhere! Every imaginable hue of the rainbow had been painted on the walls, with paintings so alive and vibrant with details...




Our host, Ilan Govan graciously explained the passion behind his restaurant and I had such an education that evening, learning about the intricacies and history of Indian cuisine. According the Ilan, "Maharaj" actually means "Accomplished Chef", a prestigious title bestowed by the maharajas on deserving chefs. Maharaj serves a wide selection of dishes from all over India and that's a lot, considering that India is such a vast country! From Goa to Hyderabad, each dish is iconic in its representation of the history and culture of the place.

Our Appetizers started with this Chuchumber...




... a delightful salad of cucumber, carrots, capsicum, onions tossed in lime and a sprinkling of spices...

Another dish of almost-similar salad was served, but this was mixed with yoghurt and mayonnaise... a concoction that's bound to open up your palate for more...




Next came the Vegetable Kebabs... these had potatoes & cauliflower mashed, mixed with cottage cheese and spices and then grilled in a tandoori oven. Not overly spicy, these kebabs were delicious - warm fillings encased in a crispy "skin"!





The Platter of Mixed Kebabs which came next had scrumptious sticks of Hariyali Fish, Prawns, Minced Lamb, Chicken Tikka... all arranged nicely...




I found the Minced Lamb a tad too spicy... but no worries, a few mouthfuls of the Chuchumber and yoghurt salad allayed that! I loved the hariyali fish and prawns kebab - fresh succulent morsels that we could not get enough of... and the Chicken Tikka did not disappoint either.

Tawa Prawns. Ilan enlightened us that "tawa" means "hotplate". Medium-sized tiger prawns encrusted in a layer of masala marinade, grilled on a hotplate and this is what you get...



Thumbs-up were all around for this dish! The tiger prawns were suitably succulent, dripping with sublime juices and the masala crust was not overly spicy which had us cleaning up every crumb, hehe!




Thereafter, we were served with Squid Vindaloo... yummy rings of squids cooked in their signature vindaloo paste...




Kashmiri Mutton Rogan Gosht- tender chunks of mutton had been meticulously simmered in spices & herbs...




Chicken Hyderabadi - this was very mild. The gravy was thick from the concoction of blended cashew nuts with a tinge of sourish piquancy from the tomatoes added. This really went well with the naans and rice...




Talking about the rice and naans, allow me to show you how decadent we got with the carbs!

A beautiful pot of the most fragrant steamed basmati Garlic Rice...




... and an assortment of Naans, fresh from the tandoori oven - we had a choice of plain, garlic, stuffed and the sweet Kashmiri version (stuffed with chopped cherries & almonds)...




Royal Minced Mutton Briyani... I could eat this happily on its own.



With all the lovely crispy naans, we needed more gravy & spices to mop them up with... and so our wish was granted.

Enter the Black Pomfret in Spicy Masala! Black pomfret fish has been marinaded and deepfried with masala - a most appetising dish for rice and naans.

This was the most difficult item to photograph - every angle of it looked like a mound of orangey masala as the fish had been (almost) completely covered. OK, I managed to capture this part of the tail - so it still looks like a fish, no?




At this point, we were already full till bursting point (almost!) but our gracious and amiable host had more coming for us...

The Navaratna Kurma - something not very common, I must say. According to Ilan, 9 types of vegetables and dried fruits went into this vegetarian dish...



The Navaratna Kurma was served simultaneously with the ever-popular traditional northern indian delicacy Palak Paneer... smooth cottage cheese blended and married with spinach, resulting in soft tasty textures - I couldn't stop dipping my naan in this!



Finally it was Desserts time! When Ilan mentioned the desserts to be served - Gulab Jamun, Kulfi and Carrots Halwa, I could practically see A Whiff Of Lemongrass' eyes lighting up!

I generally find Indian sweets to be too sweet for me, but then these are great in cooling off the fieriness of spices... so we all dug in!

Kulfi - made from fresh cow's milk, almonds, pistachios and saffron (that explains the yellow colour) - all blended and chilled into this smooth ice-cream-like dessert.

Gulab Jamun - fried ghee balls, served soaking in syrup.

Carrots Halwa - grated carrots, almonds, cashews, pistachios, cardamoms cooked in sugar, milk and ghee.

All these certainly ended our meal on a sweet note :-))



Besides serving delicious authentic Indian cuisine - their chefs are all from India, by the way, Maharaj houses a good selection of arts and craft items - all of which are for sale.



Ilan's passion for this place is evident - it's not merely a restaurant, but a centre for Indian Arts, Culture + Cuisine.



The spacious restaurant can seat 1,200 people. There is a private room too, if you want to host an intimate party ;-)



Styled like an old elegant Jaipur mansion, this place is perfect for private functions.



Oh, they do catering, too. If you are planning a party for your guests to have a unique authentic taste of India, why not give Ilan a tinkle?

It was an evening of great food, educational for me too, fun lively conversations & laughter (with some monkeying around, hehe!) ... and I went home with a tummy filled with warm spices & sweets - what more can one ask for?

Thank you once again, Hooi Khaw and Ilan for the kind invitation.

Maharaj
59 Jalan Gasing
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7968-5515

I Lost & Found Mr Mak

For the records, let me declare here that I don't simply eat Fish-head Noodles.

What I mean is I'd never order that if I walk into any coffee-shop which has Fish-head Noodles in one of the many stalls. Simply because I find that generally most Fish-head Noodles are really not that nice... most of them throw together fried pieces of fish bones that pass off as "fish head" and add copious amounts of milk into the soup presumably to mar the fishy taste (which is not surprising, considering most of them use questionable types of fish!).

OK, coming back to the main topic here....

Allow me to introduce you to Mr Mak...



As you can see, Mr Mak is a very busy man - he does not smile much and he absolutely refuses to look into the camera. Can't blame the guy. Mr Mak is too busy cooking his stuff.

Delicious stuff, too...



Mr Mak's Fish-head Noodles is the only fish-head noodles I would eat by choice. And that's saying a lot, because, like I said earlier, I do not simply eat Fish-head Noodles one.



My acquaintance with the dour Mr Mak started many years ago... when his stall was in a coffee-shop somewhere tucked away in USJ16, amongst the residential houses there. Back then, we'd always go for our fish-head noodles fix there, at least once or twice a month. Almost like clockwork: we'd place our orders and wait patiently for 30-45 minutes for the noodles.

And then, one day, tragedy struck: Mr Mak has disappeared! We mourned for a while, not knowing whether he has fatt-tatt (struck the mega jackpot, so to speak), retired or simply moved elsewhere.

And I have not eaten fish-head noodles ever since..

Until... recently, through the food grapevine, we found Mr Mak again! Oh, that was a happy day.

He has now relocated his business to a coffeeshop in Subang Perdana Court 2 in USJ.



Mr Mak is never stingy with loading his offerings - you can find loads of fried fish fillet, fried fish-head pieces, tomatoes, kiam-chye and silky-smooth white tofu in your bowl of noodles. Curly meehoon is the new meehoon in town. I love it. It's a bit more chewy & springy than the normal ones. And the soup is amazing, none of the fishy smell that can be very off-putting!

And... oh yes, you definitely MUST order a plate of Mr Mak's Fried Fish Fillet. I read somewhere today that someone said Fish is good for you. Mr Mak uses only Ikan Jenahak and his fried fish fillets are the crunchiest, freshest, yummiest ones on this side of town. Believe me. You may not stop at 1 plate (RM5). So order 2, like what I always do... or else order a Big Plate (RM10).






If you have any more stomach space after the above, do try his Tomyam Seafood Noodles too...



At only RM6.50 per bowl, this is definitely Great Value! As you can see, the bowl is filled to the brim with big prawns, mussels, scallops, fishcake noodles, tomatoes! And the tomyam? It's certainly got all the ooomph in it - fiery, fiesty & unforgettable. Really one.



As you can see, Mr Mak is a specialist. His offerings are limited & focused. He does only what he's best at. Only 3 choices.



Mr Mak's amazing Fish-head Noodles can now be sampled at this coffee-shop with the very apt name: Kopitiam Que Up. Yes, you really have to que up if you go at peak hours, which is usually around 12.30-2.00pm. So, go early. Otherwise, be prepared to wait 45 minutes to satisfy your hunger.



Directions:
Kopitiam Que-Up is visible from the main road. If you are coming from Summit heading towards USJ/Puchong, the kopitiam is on your right - you can't miss it. Look out for it after you have passed the crossroads traffic lights after Summit. Just go further up to the next set of traffic lights and make a U-turn.

Mr Mak's noodles are available from 11.00am until all are gone, which should be around 3-4pm. His friendly Indon waitress told me that - Mr Mak doesn't talk much either.

Karl's Beisl @ Soho, Mont Kiara

I have passed by Karl's Beisl a few times in the past but had never stepped into this place. Through the good connections of my friend, Z, I was invited to review the food here. Not only me, but several other food bloggers were also invited and that was how I spent a long lazy afternoon there sampling the delights that this Austrian-styled restaurant had to offer. The afternoon definitely got lazier (if that's possible) after the good food and company... just read on :-))



"Beisl" in Austrian means a bistro, beer house or just a casual dining place. Typically it serves grilled meats, seafood dishes, traditional roasted pork knuckles, suckling pigs - Austrian homestyle cuisine.



As in any Austrian-styled restaurant, the moment you step into Karl's Beisl, there is that European "home feel" to it, which is both cosy and rejuvenating at the same time.



High ceiling, muted lighting, wood panelling, ornate balustrade leading up to the mezzanine floor all gave this place a "fine dining" feel... but it is not overwhelming... in fact, it exudes a warm and cheerful welcome!

This beisl is owned by an Austrian gentleman by the name of Karl (obviously, hehe) and his charming Malaysian wife, who warmly welcomed hosted the lunch for us.

First to arrive at our table was this Spinach Salad... tossed with red peppers, bacon strips and roasted potatoes. Immediately, FBB declared there were "chee yau cha" (fried pork lard) on the salad and that got everyone all kancheong until we realised those were actually the roasted potato cubes, haha! Well, just look at the similarity!



I like this salad for its simplicity - crunchy pine nuts, bacon bits and those sweet sweet Australian-imported spinach leaves were a joy to munch. I think everyone took 2nd and 3rd helpings of this!

Next came the Cold Platter - a platter of colourful cold cuts such as Serrano Ham, Chorizo sausages, pork belly, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, gherkins, cheeses (various types) - all accompanied by a basket of warmly toasted baguette slices. The cold meats had wonderfully smoky and hearty flavours - not surprising as Karl's Beisl has their own smoker machine to smoke their meats.



Even while we were munching on the cheeses and meats, we were served their signature soups: Cream of Forest Mushrooms and Cream of Roasted Garlic & Red Pepper with Rosemary.



Prepared from scratch - nothing from the can, that's what our hostess proudly informed us. I definitely prefer their Cream of Roasted Garlic & Red Pepper with Rosemary - subtle unique flavours with just the right touch of creaminess - this soup definitely got the thumbs-up from all!

Then the meats came... fast & furious... starting with this Suckling Pig - there were oooh's and ahhh's from everyone at the table...



It tasted as good as it looked, really. Super-crispy golden skin - you can practically hear the crackling sound from the person next to you crunching down on the pieces of sublime porcine skin! The meat is thicker than the usual chinese-style suckling pig but it was meltingly tender...



Served with steamed cabbage and creamy mashed potatoes - this alone filled up my tummy almost 80%!

Oh... before I forget, Karl's Beisl serves a variety of German beer - like this Franziskaner Weissbier here. I'm no beer fan, but judging by the numerous refills the others had, well... I'm sure they are yummy ;-) Besides, I was told beer goes extremely well with grilled meats, no?

Guess who that is, hiding behind the glass? :-P

We had hardly eaten half of the suckling pig when this Farmer's Platter was served... a splendid showcase of Karl’s Beisl's Roasted Pork Knuckles, Pork Belly, Kasseler Ham, Bratwurst, Frankfurter Sausages and ...



... "Siew Yook" (roast pork, chinese-style)!!



Oh my oh my - this was truly a plate of pork heaven! It's all about crunchy crackling skin, tenderly roasted meats & robust smokey sausages - what more can pork lovers ask? There were sides of sauerkraut served, which in a feeble way tried to balance the rich intense dosage of sinful cholesterol-laden bliss on that platter. Of course it failed miserably. Oh, well... we die another day lah ;-)

We took a "breather" from the relentless porky onslaught... we had this Seafood Pasta in White Wine with Scallops, Shrimps, Squids and Mussels.



The pasta was cooked just right - al dente, with a great bite - the way I like it. The dash of white wine in the sauce perfectly enhanced the flavours of the succulent morsels of seafood. Do try this - it's excellent.

Just when I thought I couldn't possibly eat another bite, our hostess introduced MORE ... like this Pork Wiener Schnitzel, served with Potato Salad ...



Slices of pork tenderloin had been "hammered" thinly, coated with breadcrumbs (made in their own kitchen) and then fried to a golden crisp. Oh my god - one bite into the schnitzel and you get sweet flavourful juices spurting out! Yeah, I could only take one bite - that's all I could manage at that point.

Yes, at that point, almost everyone had reached pork-coma level. Unfazed by the groans of "I'm sooo full" and "I can't eat anymorrrrr", our hostess signalled for their Double Rib Pork Chop to be served...



It came with potato wedges and a twin-tower kinda corn... the thick pork chop, while nicely charred at the sides, was a bit tough & dry though.

If you think that was the last of the meats, well, you are wrong! One more porky dish... the Black Pepper Spare Ribs with Garlic Butter Rice and Pickled Carrots...



The meat from the ribs was so tender it practically fell off my fork... and all I could manage was just one mouthful of it. Peppery, smokey flavours... those were the taste memories in my pork-laden stupor ... I think we would have passed out if there had been more pork coming...

At last, the desserts came to the rescue... their renowned Calvados Apple Strudel served with Vanilla Sauce...



Now, I have never been a fan of apple strudel as I find it too sweet, with cinnamon too cloying on the tongue. However, one bite of Karl's Beisl's Apple Strudel had me won over. The thin crispy pastry (FBB said you have to roll/fold that 100x) enclosed a generous filling of tarty apples, with subtle hints of cinnamon which totally did not leave any feeling of "jelak-ness"! Bravo! You definitely must try this.

Their Palatschinken – Crepes with Apricot Jam, Rum & Raisin Ice Cream did not do anything for me. I find the crepes a tad too thick - Apple Strudel for me, please ;-)



Another thing which I liked about this place is their plates - if you had noticed, their plates came in different designs! No two plates on our table was the same - so cute!

We were blessed indeed... as we got to sample Babe in the City_KL's awesome Guinese Chocolate Cake...

Yummy! Thanks a lot, Babe!

If you are thinking of having a cosy party, do consider the lounge on the mezzanine floor of Karl's Beisl (the sofas and cushions were sooo inviting, especially in our pork-drunken state!) ... or have yourself some Happy Hours downing their beers on the patio outside...




Oh, by the way, if you want to learn how to make that awesome Apple Strudel I was raving about, please note that The Bukit Bintang Girls’ School (BBGS) Old Girl’s Association will be having a Hi Tea cum Apple Strudel Demo this Saturday, 24 April 2010 from 3.00pm – 5.00pm at Karl's Beisl. If you are an ex-BBGS girl and wishes to attend this event, please get in touch with them soon!

Contact info:
bbgsoga@gmail.com
Sow Yoong: 012-292 1460
Kim Lin: 012-2183 799, Tammy 012-296 4148

Karl’s Beisl
Lot K-OG 13 & 14, Soho KL
No. 2, Jalan Solaris,
Solaris Mont Kiara
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Phone: 03-6204 0628

For other recent reviews on Karl's Biesl, check out:

CumidanCiki
KampungBoyCityGal