Qba B4 Buffet @ Westin Kuala Lumpur

The special invitation said to go for a "fiesta of food, drinks and fun all in one venue". This was the invitation to preview b4: abbreviation for beer, bbq, band & bandido

... and armed with this promise, we made our way to Qba at Westin Kuala Lumpur one Saturday evening not too long ago.

Qba - Cuban bar, Latin Grill restaurant, Wine & Cigar Lounge all rolled into one impressive joint which elegantly combines Cuban traditions with a fusion of Latin flavours. Walking into the dim interior of Qba, I was struck by its stylish, nostalgic decor, albeit sombre - it kinda reminded me of scenes from those The Godfather-type of movies... and I almost expected to see some underworld kingpins crouched in deep evil-plotting hidden behind thick veils of cigar smoke!



The large bar on the 1st floor is certainly the focal point there - seating all around but what would surely be the central attraction is the statue of a winged creature (an angel?) looking down benevolently from atop the liquor cabinet!

The cosy low tables and plush leather sofas at the cigar lounge allows one to retreat in the pure enjoyment of Cuban cigars, vintage rum and wines...






Making our way to the Qba Courtyard, where the B4 feast is held, the first thing that struck me was the amazing array of colours - such a contrast from the bar and lounge inside!



I just love love love the vibrant colours that assailed our sight!



What's latin food without its dazzling colours, right?



The whole Courtyard has been transformed with "stalls" showcasing the best of Mexican and Latin cuisine...



I love the way they have prepacked the uncooked marinated meat into individual portions - so hygienic and neat. All you have to do is tell the service crew which piece you want and they'll grill it and serve it to you at your table!



While we sat and sipped our cocktails... you can have unlimited refills of these, which are included in the price of the buffet:

Cocktails - Bandito, Cuba Libre
Mocktails - vacrious types
Softdrinks & Juices
Wine - red & white
Beers - Carlsberg Draft, Carlsberg Gold, Chang Beer, Skol



... we were quickly served this Platter of Irish Oysters & Shellfish on ice shavings...



Take your pick of dainty Cocktel de Mariscos - Seafood Cocktails, served prettily in wine glasses:



Scallop tiradito, salsa verde, garlic chive cress, cashewnuts prawn & cocconut ceviche - so spoiled for choices!





From one of the grill stations, we had these... calamari, prawns on beds of beans and tomatoes...



These were one of my favourites - Seared Salmon Fillets on Corn Cakes... lovely fresh succulent salmon on fluffy corn pancakes!





From the Parrilla - the Asadero Open Grill, the aroma from a whole lamb roasting on the spit rotisserie really whetted our appetites...



These guys really know their meats... every piece of marinated meat was grilled to perfection.



I particularly liked their lamb cutlets - really divinely tender and flavourful! Don't ever forget to order at least 2 pieces there! If lamb is not your fancy, then try their Angus sirloin steak, chipotle marinated chicken, glazed beef short ribs, seabass in banana leaves with achiote & orange, Chorizo sausages, goldband snapper kebabs - just point only!

What's a latin meal without Tacos, right?? A mind-boggling variety of stuffings for your tacos - grilled fish, mango salsa, grilled lamb carne asada, roasted poblano rajas, even scrambled eggs!



South American filled Corn Cakes - with beef & green olive hash, black beans & cheese, grilled eggplants, dried tomatoes & feta cheese, pericho, turkey ham and cheddar cheese - oh my gosh, the list is endless and one couldn't possibly try all these at one sitting! So choose wisely.



Ohh... I must show you the Giant Torta - south of the border sandwich! Have you ever seen such a humongous sandwich?! The fillings were Achiote spiced chicken, pickled jalapeno, mango salsa, guacamole, roma tomatoes, Monterey jack cheddar etc. I was too stuffed at this point to try this.



And now I must show you the huge variety of dips, sauces and sides that were laid out...



There were Brazilian Criolla, tequila habanero bbq, red chimmichurri, pico de gallo & jus...



... Herb butter, smoked chilli butter, herb & spicy curry butter... Hallelujah for butter lovers!

... Cowboy-baked cannellini beans, escallavida vegetables, Columbian-styled baby potatoes, tomato & olive salad...



We had Paella too...



And if that wasn't enough for your carbs intake, there's Picadillo con heurvos - a kind of Cuban Nasi Campur where you have endless helpings of Beef Hash Ragout, Braised Canary Beans, Takari (Caribbean Lamb Curry) and top up with loads of Avocado Pineapple & Cacao salad, hot salsa & crisp plantains!

For Desserts - the Dulces - these will be served at your table...



Coffee Chocolate Mousse & Cinnamon Churros
Coconut Macaroons
Grilled Caramelized Argentine Crepes
Tropical Fruit Paletas Popsicles

I only tried the first 2 - the cinnamon churros were a bit too sweet for me and so were the macaroons. To wash away the sweetness from my palate, these were very helpful... we popped some tequila and sucked on orange slices sprinkled with cinnamon!



Stay on to party with the band if you like... or just lounge around with the free-flow drinks and watch your World Cup matches!



The B4 Feast is available at:

Qba Courtyard
The Westin Kuala Lumpur
199 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur

Every Saturday from 6pm to 10pm
Tel: Westin Dining @ 03-2773 8338
email: westindining@westin.com

Price:
RM148++ per person
RM99++ for Starwood Privilege members
RM74++ (9-18 year olds)
FOC (8 years & below)

*Many thanks to Ming and Zen for inviting/organizing this!

Craft Brews @ Mutiara Damansara

To be very honest, I am no beer drinker.

I do have the occasional 1 glass, when socialising with friends and when they insist I join them in their frothy merry-making. But then, hey... I'm always game to try and learn new things. So, when Marian Eu recently invited me to join her for a little session at Craft Brews, I had no hesitation in saying "Yes!"

Housed in the Podium of Menara Batu Kawan, right across Tesco in Mutiara Damansara, Craft Brews is very visible and easily located.



There's plenty of space all round the place for smokers and alfresco dining.





The interior has high ceilings which gives the place an airy feel... the clean modern lines of the decor breathe comfort and elegance. I also like the warm cosy corners with bright cheerful yellow and orange lamps casting amber shadows on the diners.



We were welcomed by Benjamin Chong, their very affable and friendly Brand & Concept Marketing personnel. With his bright cheery grins, Benjamin gave us a very comprehensive briefing of how Craft Brews came about. Opened in December 2009, Craft Brews imports its "boutique beer" from Singapore - Red Dot and some American brews with cute names like Flying Dog and Rogue.

That evening, I had the chance to try one of their signature brewed beer by Red Dot - this Monster Green Lager.



The striking green comes from the European-manufactured spirulina and this is certainly a novelty, I must say. It has a fresh green smell and after swallowing it, it leaves a fleeting floral tinge on the tongue. As I am no hardcore beer drinker, this light beer suits me fine.

If you prefer a fuller-bodied beer, then perhaps the English Ale (also brewed by Red Dot) will be a better choice.



Its darker amber hue would already tell you that this beer has a smoky aroma and smoother malt, leaving a more flavourful aftertaste - tinges of mixed spices and kinda citrussy.

Both the Monster Green Lager and English Ale are available on tap.

The other 2 lighter coloured beers we tried that evening came from bottles...



... the American Amber Ale (by Rogue) and Tire Bite (Fying Dog). I found the American Amber to be more bitter but it has a very nice aroma - a mix of coffee, citrussy and sweet floral afternotes. The Tire Bite, on the other hand, is a "summer beer" - very light, refreshing, with subtle malty twangs.





All that beer-tasting really whetted our appetites - I mean, with beer, food is a natural accompaniment, no? Craft Brews serves up some treats, too and most of them are strictly non-halal of the porky kind!

With every main dish ordered, you get a serving of the chef's signature soup: Tomato Minestrone. Made from pork stock, there were generous chunks of celery, carrots and onions in the tangy tomatoey soup.



I could see almost every table in Craft Brews had a plate of this Caramelised Roast Pork (RM18). I guess this is everyone's favourite to go with beers! Chunks of roasted pork belly tossed in dark soya sauce, sugar (that caused the caramelising) and curry leaves. You can opt for either the "spicy" or "non-spicy" version - just a matter of adding/omitting the chilli padi!



Another great snack/starter to go with your beers is the Fried Calamari (RM16). Sitting on a bed of fresh lettuce leaves, the crispy fried calamari rings were succulent and aromatic with sprinklings of spices added into the batter.



Now for the mains... Tex Mex Back Ribs (RM25) and Honey Mustard Back Ribs (RM25)...



What you see on the above pic is actually a combo of both types of ribs... Ben had wisely not ordered full portions for us (there were only 3 of us) so that we can try both items. Of the 2, I prefer the Tex Mex Ribs (background) as this had more bite and spice to it. The Honey Mustard version were too tender for my liking.

The Cayenne Prawns scored top marks with us. You know why? Because the prawns were wrapped with a layer of bacon before being grilled! Yes, the smokey porky flavour of the bacon married well with the briney succulent prawns - yummy!



If you're not much of a pork lover, then try their Caribbean Spiced Quarter Chicken (RM28).



Served with very generous portions of coleslaw and potato wedges, the skinless quarter piece of chicken is grilled, with a rich marinade of trade-secret spices and herbs. I must say the potato wedges in Craft Brews are really good - those perfectly-fried crispy wedges dipped in honey mustard are quite addictive, I tell ya!



What with the beers and all the above dishes, we were pretty stuffed at this juncture. I could only manage a bite of their dessert - Cinnamon Apple Pie served with a scoop of New Zealand Natural Icecream (RM14).



Items needed for brewing beer... hops (which looks like my Koji's food - palletized petfood!), yeast, malt and water of course!



Craft Brews also serves some decent Set Lunches... a hit with the lunch crowd, I'm told.



And ohh... we love these wise words too... wisdom to ponder upon while waiting for your beers and food...!



Craft Brews
Jalan PJU 7/2
Mutiara Damansara
47800 Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7722-3000

Happy Hours: Monday-Saturday (12.00pm to 8.00pm)
Sunday - All Day!

*Many thanks to Marian Eu for the kind invitation and Benjamin Chong for the beer education!

Sambal Hijau - Delicious Kampung Cuisine @ Kg Penchala

Still on a roll on "Kampung Cuisine"...

Our group of VHRCs were happily eating our lunch (the lunch that we cooked) at Rohani Jelani's Bayan Indah and the conversation was centred on Food, naturally. I think it was Lyrical Lemongrass who asked Rohani if there's any good bite around that area (besides Rohani's cooking, that is!). Rohani immediately related that someone had introduced her to this place called "Sambal Hijau" which is located in Kg Penchala itself - a skip and a hop from Bayan Indah.

And that was what prompted me to blog about this now because I had actually eaten at this restaurant a couple of times and had not blogged about it!

Located right next to the unmistakable orange-coloured Masjid Jamek Taas in Kg Penchala (along Jalan Sg Penchala), this place is immensely popular! The few times I had been there, the place was absolutely crowded - at the tables and at the queue taking the food. It has been featured quite a bit in the malay media, so I guess that also contributes to its popularity.

The array of mostly malay kampung-style cuisine served here is - mindboggling, to say the least!

For example, the "Masak Lemak" style alone can have so many variants! All kinds of meats and vegetables done the "Masak Lemak" way...




The kerabus, ulams and vegetables selection was equally good...




I love their Kerabu Pucuk Paku!

And then you have the Curries, Sambals, Fried Chicken/Fish ...and all things spicy!



The tray of Pedal & Hati Goreng (fried chicken innards) was just as tempting...




This is the Sambal Hijau - its namesake...



It's green chillies and chilli padi, ground coarsely and cooked in some oil - it looked "lethal" but actually it's really not that hot. It's refreshing "greeny" flavour makes it stand out from the usual sambal belacan.



For me, every time I'm here, I never fail to head for the Ikan Panggang (Grilled Fish)...




The variety of fish - quite a good selection really, are grilled at a corner so you can get your Ikan Panggang fresh off the grill. Just pick your fish and then help yourself to the different sambals available (unlimited helpings!) to go with your fish!



This was my lunch there the other day, hehe! Nice?




Do go there early... the popular dishes tend to run out quite fast. There is a huge parking area behind the restaurant, so parking is not a problem. But it's advisable not to go there for lunch on a Friday though - the fact that it's next to a mosque, well, it's going to be preeetty crowded then, agree?



The map to this place is easily google-able, hehe!

UPDATE (14 June 2010):
OK, as I have received some queries on HOW to get to this place, well, here are some directions:

* Coming from LDP/Bandar Utama/1U, take the Penchala Link Exit 1101A
* Keep Left, then take Exit 2317 "KG SG PENCHALA/TTDI"
* As you approach Traffic Lights, turn left - signboard "Kg Sg Penchala"
* You will reach another set of traffic lights & the Orange-colored Masjid Jamek Taas - SAMBAL HIJAU is right next to the masjid.

I hope the above directions help :-)