Our favourite little Japanese Restaurant in Plaza Damas

April 2022. We are here again at our favorite little Japanese restaurant hidden inside Plaza Damas. Today's specials are an assortment of five appetizers, shrimp karaage, handmade gyoza with miso dip, and grilled dried red snapper. We ordered all five of them! The food was good, as always. Today, the counter seats are occupied by Japanese men, some dining alone and others with friends. Surrounded by Japanese conversations, with Japanese talk shows on TV and the Japanese lady owner preparing food at the counter, we suddenly felt like we were in Japan.

A dog friendly Bakery Cafe in MK~ So Moreish with Johnny, Mont Kiara

March 2022. Didn't know there is a dog friendly bakery cafe at Aman walk until a friend told me about it yesterday. It's kind of hidden under the pedestrian walk between Bayu walk and Aman walk, covered with greens outside so I never notice it during my morning walks. Friend discover it while searching for a nice cafe for coffee when he walk his dog in the neighbourhood. After covid pandemic, seems like there are more and more dogs can be seen strolling around MK with the owners or helpers. However not all cafes and eatery here are welcome dogs so this dog friendly cafe is popular among the dogs owner to chill over a cup of coffee and nice breakfast together with their furry kids at the alfresco. The cafe serving not only nice coffee, also freshly bake pastries and sourdough, all day breakfast, sandwiches, toast, pizza and pasta. 

So far I've came here twice with a month and a half for breakfast. First time here I order the S'more lava eggs RM18~ 6 mins soft boiled eggs + chickpeas + cheddar on top of a toasted brioche, and More than just toast RM28~ avocado on toast with caramelized cheese 2 soft boiled eggs rockets and pine nuts, with choice of sourdough or brioche. Price is inexpensive for quality of food serve. Portion is a bit heavier than I expect, it will be good if we share 1 breakfast over the coffee. Second time here I did not go for all day breakfast, instead I try their pastry recommended by the staff~ almond croissant and cinnamon roll and it is good! Turns out Johnny the baker was previously with Craft bakers Publika and Kenny Hills Bakers according to Eat Drink KL.

A wholesome cafe hidden in Plaza Damas~ Tray Cafe, Sri Hartamas

Been here early Jan for coffee. 2 months later revisit again for coffee, this time shared a flourless (or glueten-free) Banana Walnut cake with a friend who went along. Besides nice selections of cakes and cookies, they also served wholesome food with wholesome vegan options too if you want look for plant-based meal e,g, Vegan mashed avocado, mushrooms, tomato & seeds on toast (may add eggs or meat to turn into non-vegetarian). Harissa salmon couscous pilaf, Hainanese chicken chop, Falafel & Avocado fries, Salmon fishcakes lemon Hollandaise and etc. If I am living very closed-by, I probably will hop-in frequents for the meals. Checkout their Instagram you will know why I say so.

An impromptu Italian dinner~ A.zeta Kitchen, Jalan Kemuja

December 2021. A friend promoted to a higher position today and only revealed it to me half way through the dinner. So happy for him. He's well deserved for it for all the hard work he has done for years. Now I know why he is buying me an Italian dinner tonight~ what a pleasant surprise. Love the food and the food presentation. The elegant lady owner is friendly and attentive, explaining on each of the dish when it is served. What an experience. Thanks for the dinner. I have a good time.

Plant based Restaurant~ Simple Good Food, 1 Mont Kiara

December 2021. There is this plant-based restaurant in 1 Mont Kiara that has been around since 2015 and I love their coconut spaghetti, wild mushroom aglio olio and lately is their fried vermicelli with cabbage, carrot and shiitake mushroom. From salad to rice, noodle, pasta, pizza, burger, cake & dessert, smoothie, freshly pressed juice to kombucha, the menu is quite extensive. Today I am are here for light lunch with friend, we share a crispy tofu in balsamic sauce, steamed dumplings that made with no less than 10 ingredients and fried dumplings as well. The restaurant only make food in small batch from scratch, anti-microwave, low heat pan-frying, homemade sauces, no pre-packed or processed food, fresh and no pre-cut ingredients and making the meal only when place order. Therefore it required some waiting time since they produce and serve only slow food. The restaurant is kind of hidden at the end of corner at the lobby, blocking by the Sushi Zanmai that moved from 1st floor to the centre of the lobby. 

Mee Rebus Johor & Tauhu Bakar~ D'Timer Cafe, Damansara Utama

December 2021. I was talking to my foodie friend during our breakfast about the delicious Malay Mee Rebus Udang in Balik Pulau, Chinese hawker Mee Rebus, Nyonya Mee Rebus and even the Mamak Mee Rebus I had back then in Penang. Immediately he asked to have mee rebus for late lunch later lol. Mee Rebus is the one of the few dish which I will eat with the yellow noodle (I am not a big fan of yellow noodle and often substitute the yellow noodle to other noodles if possible). However for mee rebus it is exceptional, I can accept the yellow noodle and I find it goes very well with the sweet and tangy "kua" which is made from blending and mashing ingredients and spices. 

There are many variations of Mee Rebus from different states and different ethnic or races. The one we are having today is Mee Rebus Johor, which is my first time having it. We also share a Taufu Bakar~ deep fried tofu with peanut sauce. It's a cozy cafe selling Johorean food as well as coffee in Damansara Uptown facing the LDP highway. It was difficult to get a parking lot here in uptown area in the past, but now seems like everywhere we go we have no problem to get a parking lot during this covid pandemic time. Maybe can come here again for other Johor dishes e.g. Laksa Johor, Nasi ambeng with ayam masak kicap, Mee Bandung and Lontong kua kacang~

Jumbo size Korean Pork Cutlet~ DJ Kitchen Buldojang, 1 Mont Kiara

December 2019. If you wanted to try authentic Korean style Pork Cutlet~ Tonkatsu, this DJ Kitchen Buldojang is the right place. From the name, you may guess it is related to Buldojang Korean Chinese Restaurant that has been operate more than a decade in Desa Sri Hartamas. Wonder if this place is inspired by Kang Sikdang (Kang's Kitchen) jumbo size tonkatsu thus they served jumbo Tonkatsu? Since their opening, We had try their Jumbo Tonkatsu with their special buttery sauce. Korean style pork cutlet often serve with salad, rice and bun. Here they gave us pickles too, which Korean often look for pickles when they eat oily or rich taste western food. Second try is Donbokki which is Tteokbokki serve in Tonkatsu Bowl, also comes with deep fried sides for tteokbokki ~ rolled seaweed with glass noodles, fried fish cake and fried dumplings. Mind you, it is for 2 servings but even big eater like me also find it too huge for 2 persons to finish. Also had their Jjampong, since they also serve their Buldojang signature dishes~ jajjangmyeon and jjampong, which comes in 3 serving size - S, M & L. In my opinion, S size is good enough for 1 serving. M size is similar to 1.5 pax serving. 

苹果三层肉~ Apple Samgyupsal, Jaya One, Petaling Jaya

November 2019. My parents in town again over the weekend. Since they always ask for Korean BBQ whenever they visit us, we brought them to those Korean BBQ places which we've tried before and we think it is worth to go. This time we choose to try out this Apple Samgyeopsal that we never been before but just based on reviews from others. Origin from Incheon Korea with 2 branches in Seoul (Gangnam and Bundang), they are famous with thick cut apple wood smoked meats and apple wraps~ however we didn't aware that our BBQ Sharing set doesn't include the apple wrap (the servers were all foreign workers and the one who attended to us did not mentioned anything at all...) We only found out when our meat grilled and we about to eat. Even we willing to pay extra or top up for the apple wraps, it is not possible. So we missed out chance to try the signature apple wrap...

Despite no apple wrap, the refillable banchan (especially the veggies for wrap) are good enough to go with the meat! Our sharing set comes with Wang-galbi, original samgyeopsal, marinated moksal (neck meat), tteok (rice cakes), homemade sausages and bulgogi (we can choose either bulgogi or spicy baby octopus). The meat is marinated overnight in apple sauce then smoked with apple wood chips to lock the meat flavour and juice is really not disappointing! Ramyeon is unlimited refill and it's our favourite ramyeon~ Jin Ramyeon (spicy and mild spicy) to be choose. We will consider to come again for the apple wraps that we missed out today.