Dancing Fish!

Not even a week had passed since I got back from Bali and I jumped, without hesitation, when dear Masak-masak asked if I'd like to go try out Dancing Fish.  I mean, I had been gorging on Indon-Balinese food for 4 days prior to that and yet I couldn't wait to go and check out Dancing Fish, a new restaurant serving Malay-Indo cuisine located on the 3rd Floor of the spanking new refurbished wing of Bangsar Shopping CEntre.



The signature dish & namesake of the restaurant - Dancing Fish is a delightfully fried Red Tilapia so skillfully fried till the entire fish can be eaten, bones, head and all.  With accompanying ladies fingers, long beans and tomatoes and sitting prettily on a sweetish-sourish tangy sauce known as "Masam Kedondong Pedas", the only direction the cleverly-contorted fish danced was straight into our tummies.  By the time we were done with the fish, the plate was cleaned out - not a single bone was left!



Service was fast and courteous.  During the short lapses while waiting for the next dishes to be served, we were busy snacking on the Emping crackers which we dipped enthusiastically into the sambal terasi - it was pretty addictive!  The Indonesian crackers made from melinjo nuts, slightly bitterish, went so well with the sambal terasi, not unlike our sambal belacan but with crushed tomatoes added in.



I really love love their Kerabu Pucuk Paku!  Lightly blanched jungle ferns served with a coconut-based gravy with just the right combination of turmeric, shallots and daun salam - this dish won the "fastest disappearing" award for that meal.  I was so happy this was right in front of me and I made sure it didn't quite move away from me much, hehe!  I was so tempted to tilt the plate and pour all the gravy onto MY plate.  This is one vegetables dish I would order and order again!



I loved their Terung Sambal too.  Eggplant grilled and slathered with a thick sambal sauce and topped with crispy fried shallots, this was a winner in my books.  But my only grouch about this dish is that it will make you want to "tambah nasi" (add more rice!), such is its addictive sambal.



We had a whole Bebek Goreng Bali (Fried Duck) which was thoughtfully served in 2 plates.  The chefs at Dancing Fish must be master-fryers because the duck was fried to a crisp but had not lost any of its flavour plus the flavours of the marinade.  I had no need of the accompanying chilli dip - the pieces of crunchy ducky were scrumptious on their own.



The one not-so-on dish, for me, was the Tahu Telur.  It didn't do much for me in terms of taste and texture.



Cumi Cumi Bakar - yes, it tasted as good as it looked up there.  Squids are not exactly the easiest item to cook but the chefs here have done a marvelous job.  Smooth and tender (not chewy at all), the fresh squids were grilled to perfection.  I totally dig the sweet sticky sauce (I suspect it's made from "kicap manis") glistening on the smokey shiny plump squids.  Definitely a favourite round the table!



You can choose between plain white rice or yellow rice to go with your dishes.  Tasting a bit like our local "nasi minyak", the fragrant spicy yellow rice (a tad oily) went very well with all the dishes.  In fact, you can even just eat it on its own - it's tasty that way.



Desserts... Chendol with Durian Ice-cream... this is so decadent!  Thick coconut milk, soft pandan-flavoured chendol, red beans, thick gula melaka and best of all, that scoop of divine durian icecream.



If chendol is not your scene, go for something lighter in the form of Lemongrass Jelly served with some "pearls" of assam which give you a delightful sour experience when they burst in your mouth.  I have no idea how these were made - I'd surely love to learn its secret.



The jelly is served with fried rolls with either mango or durian filling.  Guess which was my choice?



The restaurant has lots of elegant wooden beams everywhere... criss-crossing cleverly for a gorgeous visual impact...



... and a beautiful "feature wall" on one side... assorted batik patchwork-like designs...






Dancing Fish Malay-Indo Cuisine
3rd Floor Bangsar Shopping Centre
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2095-6663

Citarasa 1Malaysia Ramadhan Buffet @ One World Hotel

Since our Prime Minister announced the "1Malaysia" concept back in 2008, it has become almost a part and parcel of our lives - we see this published in the media all the time and businesses have jumped on the bandwagon to leverage on its appeal. The idealogy behind "1Malaysia" emphasizes national unity, ethnic harmony and efficient governance.

The 1Malaysia concept is widely promoted everywhere and it is no wonder that One World Hotel has adopted it to give significance to its Ramadhan Buffet currently available at its award-winning Cinnamon Coffee House. The fact that its diverse menu offers more than 100 dishes covering traditional Ramadhan favourites as well as signature Chinese dishes, delectable Indian temptations and stalls featuring Malaysian delicacies intepretes perfectly the gastronomic harmony in the country.



I can't believe how fast time flies! Our Muslim friends have already started on their 2nd day of fasting in the holy month of Ramadhan. Did you know that Ramadhan is actually the 9th month of the Islamic calendar? Comparing to the solar calendar, the dates of Ramadhan vary, moving backwards about 10 days each year. The significance of fasting from dawn till sunset is to teach Muslims patience, humility and spirituality, practise self-discipline, sacrifice and empathy.

Upon breaking fast at sundown - this meal is known as "Iftar", it is customary to start with eating dates, just as Prophet Muhammad was believed to have done.



Over time, Iftar has evolved into banquets. The spread at the Cinnamon Coffee House can easily be called that! The array of dishes laid out all over the restaurant is pretty extensive... (and that's putting it mildly!)...



Some of the Indian temptations...



I really could not decide where/what to start first... perhaps the Cold Seafood counter is a good idea?



Some sashimi to tickle your palate first?



Or maybe the healthier Salads are a better bet?



Would you believe that this "salad bowl" here was carved out from a block of Italian cheese?? Yes, the whole thing is cheese and when you mix & toss your greens in the bowl, you are supposed to scrape the bowl a bit so that the cheese shavings will be added on to your salad, giving it that extra special taste & aroma!



If "western-styled" salads are not your cup of tea, how about some local-styled ones - Kerabu? Head on to the Kerabu station then...



Take your pick - kerabus, gado-gado, fruit rojak...



There's a special counter for their Roasted Whole Lamb, served with Briyani Rice and a variety of vegetables (I sooo loved the asparagus!) and sauces - absolutely scrumptious!



Choosing a sambal to go with the main courses was such a difficult task!



See what I mean?!



I was told they have 8 rotation menus prepared by their brigade of chefs... and here are just some samplings of the hot dishes on those menus...





Tempura, Lok-lok, Ikan Bakar... all done to your order by the friendly service crew...



The wok of lovely Nasi Ulam was so enticing...



I had a hard time choosing between the ketupat or lemang to go with the rendangs and serunding... so I took both!





Make sure you keep tummy space for Desserts...





... and more desserts...



Would you have any problem choosing between western desserts... and the local traditional ones?





Actually, there's no problem, very easy - just try everything!! Even the traditional Hari Raya cookies are available...



If you think the above was mind-boggling, I was told that there would be MORE items added on... must-have's like bubur lambuk, nasi kandar berlauk, mee bandung, laksa kedah, among others, will be making their appearances!


Price of Ramadhan Buffet Dinner:
RM98++/adult
RM49++/child aged 4-12 years

(Available from 11 August - 9 September 2010)

Cinnamon Coffee House
One World Hotel
First Avenue
Bandar Utama City Centre
47800 Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7681 1111

*Thanks, Crystal Koh, for the kind invitation!

IR1968 @ Terrace Hock Choon

Prior to visiting this place, I have often wondered what the "IR" stood for. There had been several reviews about this restaurant and the name itself kinda piqued my interest. So when I received an invitation from FBB and Poesy Liang for a review here, I took it upon myself to research it a bit.

As it turned out, "IR" simply stands for "Indonesian Restaurant" and the 1968 is the year it was established, in Hong Kong. With 2 outlets in Hongkong, they have been serving authentic Indonesian fare since 1968, with some Chinese influence. This was further elaborated by the suave and charming Hudson Chang, who owns the restaurant here in Terrace Hock Choon, Kuala Lumpur with his equally charming business partner, Debbie Goh. Born into the food business, Hudson spent almost his entire childhood in his parents' restaurant back then in Indonesia. Later they expanded their business to Hong Kong and now, Malaysia.



Nestled in the cosy enclave that is Terrace Hock Choon (which currently has 8 restaurants/bars/cafes), IR1968 is tastefully done. With bare rustic floors, painted wooden & rattan furniture and splashes of colours in the forms of cushions, table napkins, lanterns and walls, the place exudes a warm cheerful cosiness which is instantly likeable.



You can choose to dine al fresco at the terrace too - this would be a nice choice to chill out in the evenings.





Right after the little introduction by Hudson, we were served one of their top signature dishes - Semur Lidah (RM32).



Ox tongue - boiled for 8 hours and then braised in a sweetish slightly spicy sauce. There's a good reason why this dish remains as one of their top selling items - one bite into the tender tongue and you will definitely go for seconds and thirds! I didn't know the texture of ox tongue was so similar to beef itself - I had expected it to be something else. The almost beef-like texture and gorgeous taste of this Semur Lidah instantly elevated it to be the favourite that day.

Ayam Asam Kacang (RM22) came next. Chopped pieces of crunchily fried chicken sitting pretty on a sweet-sourish plum sauce with hints of nutty flavours. Dip them into the accompanying plate of chopped peanuts and you'll have a mouthful of crispy nutty chicken which screams "more more!"



Asam Fish (RM38) - fried fish fillets cooked in a spicy asam gravy with ladies' fingers, tomatoes, bombay onions topped with fragrant chinese parsley leaves. This dish will have you digging into your rice and more...



At this point, their Coconut Rice (RM5) served covered with a cone-shaped banana leaf was greeted with glee - just perfect to mop up the Asam Fish gravy. And if that is not enough, their wicked sambal would have you asking for more rice please!



Tofu Telur Goreng (RM18) - egg omelette with tofu (beancurd) pieces mixed in, served with shredded cucumber, carrots and beansprouts. Pour the sweetish-spicy peanut sauce over and you have a dish almost like the gado-gado. I can just eat this on its own.



Codfish in Special Sauce - this was a new item which is not on their menu yet. A succulent juicy piece of cod fillet, lightly battered & fried, served on a bed of sweet-sour sauce. This was redolently delicious! The portion served is for 1 person, I believe.



We were fortunate to be served another new dish - Prawns in Coconut ...(not in the menu yet)...



Fresh succulent prawns cooked in an aromatic tomyum-like soup in a coconut. You can get similar dish in seafood restaurants around here and IR 1968's version was done well - it had us clamouring for more rice - carbs overload!

Our fibre contributor in that meal came in the form of their Kailan in 2 Ways - this definitely was very strongly Chinese-influenced. Leaves deep-fried while the stalks were lightly saute'ed, thus retaining their fresh crunchiness.



Desserts weren't very impressive, though ... Fried Bananas or Pineapple with Es Krim (ice cream). The bananas fared better as the pineapple came from a can.



Their Es Cendol was kinda lack lustre - more gula melaka & thicker fresh santan would have helped. Perhaps their other desserts would have fared better?



Though the desserts didn't do much for me, this would be a good place to unwind, with some interesting Indochine cuisine. The warm chic cosiness of the place would probably make up for the above-average prices here.



Many thanks to FBB and Poesy Liang for orchestrating the brunch - had a great time catching up with everyone that day!

IR 1968 Indochine Restaurant & Bar
241-B Lorong Nibong
Off Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 017-2098477