Canton-i @ 1Utama Shopping Centre PJ

Canton-i needs no introduction - for those who are familiar with KL's dining scene, they would know that this restaurant is another offspring of the people behind the highly successful Dragon-i chains. While the latter offers Shanghainese cuisine (including xiao long bao), the former serves Hong Kong style cuisine. I've been here countless times until I lost count and I rarely blogged about it as this place has been blogged to death! Given the fact that I only ordered a dish or two everytime I came here (and most of the times the same dish all over again... yes I'm predictable), I didn't feel like writing any post.

Until now - when there were more than 2 diners (4 this time and in this case, my in-laws), it meant more dishes and not the same boring post. Its interior was mostly white with Oriental theme.

Most of the time when there's elderly around, a pot of Chinese tea is a MUST - in our case, a pot of Oolong priced at RM10 per pot.

A huge lemongrass fan - how could I resist ordering the lemongrass with iced jasmine tea? A bit pricey at RM10.80 per glass though!

Deep fried pork intestine and fish congee (RM11.80) was shared between all of us. The intestine and fried fritters were served separately to ensure their crispy-ness.. how thoughtful! As usual, the congee's texture was silky smooth and flavourful which won the elders' approval.

Apart from that, we also had the 3 combinations of roasted meat (RM32.00) - char siew, roasted duck and siew yoke. I found that all the 3 meats were good - just enough to be shared among us.

However, the siew yoke stood out from the other two - I love its crispy skin plus the 50/50 ratio of lean and fat meat. Crackling sound could be heard once I took a bite on the delectable meat.

Grilled eggplant with special meat sauce was definitely another dish worthy of mentioning. My love affair with eggplant started during my university years. I just loved how this aubergine plant absorbed all the flavours that are used to cook this dish. The sauce was flavourful but not too salty and I could taste the sauce with each and every bite of the eggplant.

Braised garoupa belly with garlic and pork belly (RM32.00) was another hit - the fresh & flaky garoupa meat combined very well with the sinful pork belly.

To balance our rather heavy dinner, we ordered the stir fried lotus roots with celery and macadamia nuts (RM16.80).

Leo's verdict - to be honest, I had better and if you asked me, I could even mention which place with the best char siew, siew yoke and roasted duck. But then, those good places are quite far from where I live. Plus you can get all 3 varieties under one roof. For the prices, the dishes are definitely not cheap but it's convenient (inside a shopping mall) because it's near my place.

Canton-I
G-208, Ground Floor
1-Utama Shopping Centre
Bandar Utama
Petaling Jaya

Disclaimer:
1) I'm not paid to promote/endorse any particular event, restaurant or person in this blog. ALL are based on my unbiased personal opinion.
2) My reviews are based on my personal taste and preference and therefore may vary for others.

Vietnam Kitchen @ 1Utama Shopping Centre

Mention that you want to go to 1Utama on weekends and the image of being caught in a massive jam came to mind. Well, unless you go there early in the morning. Imagine that you want to relax and shop in the comfort of a shopping mall only to be greeted with the sight of everyone jamming into the mall, and you had to spend a very long time just to secure a parking spot (unless you are really lucky!!). Once I took about 45 minutes just to find one and it was so freaking far away from the entrance... sigh!!! But now 1Utama turn out to be my favourite place to go :) why? All because parking is not an issue anymore!

My first time here was with a customer but since I was on official business, I could not simply whip out my camera. But that's different story when I'm with family... wherever I go these days, I would bring along my camera. The HM didn't complain when I was with Ixus but now started to make noise as I have changed to bigger and bulkier Canon EOS DSLR :P anyway, that's another story altogether...

Vietnam Kitchen is located on the 2nd Floor of the new wing of 1Utama Shopping Centre, which is on the same row as Chili's and Dragon-i. Its menu is placed at the entrance for passerbys to peruse.

Its inside was spacious and cosy.

Contemporary design mixed with some traditional elements was used as decor.

Grilled lemongrass pork chop set @ RM16.90 - comprises of Vietnamese spring roll, a bowl of soup, salad, egg, and rather thin piece of pork chop. Forget about the soup, the salad was mediocre at best, spring roll was good but slightly oily. The pork chop however has a distinct lemongrass flavour and slightly charred. It would have been perfect it it was a little bit thicker and tender. For someone who loves lemongrass and pork, this is a must-try item.

Vietnamese Sesame Chicken @ RM12.90 - essentially it's some kind of deep fried chicken coated with caramelised sauce and sesame seed. Crispy on the outside while moist on the inside, this dish won us over with its sweetish taste and the aroma of sesame.

Cucumber lemon soda @ RM6.90 - odd combination but rather refreshing :)

Leo's verdict - To be honest, Vietnamese food is not really on top of my eat-list but I was in for a surprise. It changed my perception and now whenever I crave for Vietnamese food, either this place or DuViet (Uptown 37) will be my choice.

Vietnam Kitchen
Lot S312, 2nd Floor,
1 Utama Shopping Centre,
Lebuh Bandar Utama,
47800 Petaling Jaya
Tel:03-7724 1336

Disclaimer:
1) I'm not paid to promote/endorse any particular event, restaurant or person in this blog. ALL are based on my unbiased personal opinion.
2) My reviews are based on my personal taste and preference and therefore may vary for others.

Pao Xiang @ 1Utama Shopping Centre PJ

For breakfast, I would prefer something light as I don't like to stuff my stomach to the max in the morning. Give me something light plus a cup of good tea/coffee and you'd make my day. However there is, of course, exception to this rule - Bah Kut Teh!! I mean, who can resist a steaming hot bowl of thick herbal soup with the sinful pork meat? I can't... resistence is usually futile (in this case at least!)

I fell in love all over again with BKT after tasting Mo Sang Kor's version (Hutong Lot 10) for the very first time some time last year. However, it was kinda difficult for me to drive all the way to downtown KL to savour on this delectable dish... their Klang outlet is equally far from my home. Apart from Mo Sang Kor, I think that Pao Xiang's version of BKT was commendable too... I actually tried both outlets in Berkelay Park Klang.

So when Pao Xiang opened its door at 1Utama Shopping Centre, I was jumping with joy. I can go shopping after having one of my fav breakfast... best of both world!!!

BKT affair used to be hot and stuffy as not many BKT restaurants dare to open door in shopping malls. Pao Xiang's outlet was huge and spacious... and most importantly, air-conditioned! I didn't feel cramped nor sweaty at all while dining here.

Most of the times, I would bring my own Puer tea along but if you don't have any, Pao Xiang offers extensive range of tea leaves for you to choose from.

Re-filling of hot water is most of the time DIY affair as the staffs are busy serving customers.

Apart from pork, they do offer other side dishes such as vegetables.. in our case, it's yaw mak topped with oyster sauce.

All the meat was served in a small bowl and heated using jelly-like substance to ensure the soup was constantly warm.

The selection of meat was extensive as well but most of the time, we stuck to our regular meat such as soft bones (nuan kut).

The small knuckle was another favourite - they used rope to tie the meat together while cooking BKT to make sure that the meat was held together.

Intestine anyone??

Now this is something that you have to call and pre-book as the supply is normally limited - pork tendon. This stuff is rich with collagen goodness, something that Jenn loves to the max!

Leo's verdict - price-wise it was slightly more expensive compared to their outlets in Klang but bear in mind that the rental rate is higher especially in popular shopping mall such as 1Utama. Unlike Mo Sang Kor, they do provide refill for the soup although a little bit stingy on the quantity. I am sure that most of you have your favourite BKt place and have different opinions + preference on BKT, but I'm not really that picky... whenever I crave for BKT, this place will definitely be on top of my list.

Pao Xiang Bak Kut Teh
P282 Promenade, Lakeside
LG Floor, 1 Utama Shopping Centre
Bandar Utama
Tel: 03-77252599

Disclaimer:
1) I'm not paid to promote/endorse any particular event, restaurant or person in this blog. ALL are based on my unbiased personal opinion.
2) My reviews are based on my personal taste and preference and therefore may vary for others.

Chao Yen Teochew Cuisine @ Lot LG 311A, Lower Ground Floor, 1Utama Shopping Centre

It has been a while since my last post! I don't know whether I'm being lazy or I was too busy (distracted) with works lately... or maybe it's a mixture of both :P one thing for sure, the backlogs are getting even longer and some of them are as old as 8-9 months!

Actually I wanted to post something up yesterday but the Streamyx failed on me again for no apparent reason. So I am taking my own sweet time to draft a few posts at the moment, and then post them up once the internet is back to normal again. Two posts in a week should clear most of them in 2 months or so... I guess. I mean, that is, if I am consistent and determined enough to type the posts everyday... LOL!

Personally, I love Teo Chew cuisine - be it Teo Chew porridge, Teo Chew duck or even fish, but I have yet to try a full course of Teo Chew cuisine. that is, until I found Chao Yen. Located in the New Wing of 1Utama Shopping Centre right next to Otak-Otak and New York Deli, Jenn & I tried out their food one evening after finished buying groceries from Cold Storage.

Intriqued by their menu and also comtemporary interior, we stepped in only to be greeted promptly by the waiter who attended to us. Talking about good service :)

Braised pork ribs with bittergourd @ RM20 - yellow bean soup base was used to our delight because it was healthy to our body. The presence of bittergourd did not make the soup bitter at all and the pork ribs were braised until tender.

Crispy marinated duck @ RM20 - thinly sliced duck meat was the highlight as this dish was aromatic and it tasted even better once we dipped the meat into the accompanying plum sauce. however, this dish would be perfect if the meat was more tender.

Haidang steamed tofu with egg & dried scallops @ RM20 - another hit with us. The dish was served steaming hot and the usage of mushroom, dried scallop and spring onions enhanced the dish further.

Teo Chew sweetened mashed yam with ginkgo nuts @ RM6 - not every place is able to nail it right with this dessert but Chao Yen served a commendable version.

Leo's verdict - overall our dinner was satisfactory. No matter how busy the waiter/waitress was, they would try their best to accommodate to our request.. something which a lot of restaurants failed to do especially when they were packed. Not a cheap option to dine but then the food was good to say the least! Winning the Best Restaurant in 2009, this Teo Chew restaurant definitely deserves a rave review!

Disclaimer:
1) I'm not paid to promote/endorse any particular event, restaurant or person in this blog. ALL are based on my unbiased personal opinion.
2) My reviews are based on my personal taste and preference and therefore may vary for others.

Lammeeya @ 1Utama Shopping Centre

At last!!! After so many months, my post on Lammeeya is finally up!!! Don't ask me how long I have kept this post aside as I definitely won't tell.

Jenn & I have long noticed this place as both of us frequented Kluang Station most of the times.. whenever we went to 1Utama. A visit to the shopping mall is not complete without a cuppa of our much beloved Cham Ice :) guess that the yam cha culture is well alive in both of us!

Anyway, we decided to hit this place one Saturday morning for breakfast albeit a heavy one considering the food that we were about to have here. Its interior was brightly lit and spacious, unlike those outlets which prefer to utilise its available space with tables and chairs. Its wall was adorned with huge pictures of its signature Lam Mee and drinks.

The menu was definitely helpful as pictures came together with the description of each and every dish.

For drinks, I had the freshly ground soya milk @ RM2.20. Nothing beats a freshly made drink :)
Jenn's royal milk tea @ RM3.40 tasted just like regular iced tea out there.. nothing special really!

Original lam mee @ RM12.80 - Texture of the mee was firm and bouncy but Jenn claimed that it contained MSG as she felt thirsty afterwards. Flavour-wise it was OK and they were generous with the ingredients too!

Mushroom with minced meat cheong fun @ RM6.80 - didn't look promising in the menu at all. But what do you know? It totally blew me off. Packed with flavour & the usage of mushroom and sesame (normal and black sesame) enhanced this creation to another level. highly recommended for chee cheong fun lover!

Leo's verdict - Lammeeya has also opened its outlet in Hutong which means that they are in their 3rd generation of business. Even though the lam mee was not the best that we had, it was good enough to warrant the next visit.

P.S: Non-halal (^_^)

Disclaimer:
1) I'm not paid to promote/endorse any particular event, restaurant or person in this blog. ALL are based on my unbiased personal opinion.
2) My reviews are based on my personal taste and preference and therefore may vary for others.

Just Thai @ 1Utama Shopping Centre

My crave for Thai food is as strong as ever! For those who are sick of hearing how much I love Thai food, it's time to close this window :P

Living in Bandar Utama has its own perks! For one, it only take less than 5min for me to get into my car, drive to 1Utama Shopping Centre, park and start shopping (most of the time it'll be window shopping or just for the sake of bringing Sher Ryn around). I was feeling lazy to drive far these days and therefore, nearby malls are the obvious choice.

We noticed that this place was doing promotion with CIMB, HSBC, One Card with 10% discount given on food & beverages. Feeling lazy to walk further, both of us decided to have our lunch here.

The interior was spacious & cosy, just perfect for us who brought Sher Ryn along.

Both of us opted for dishes that we love... starting with Tom Yam seafood. The thing that I love most is the tomyam but somehow they managed to wreck my appetite!...Salty!

Phad Mee Siam with chicken @ RM12 - Salty!!

Signature Pineapple Fried Rice with Prawn @ RM15 - Salty!!!!

My order of Thai iced tea @ RM9 didn't help either. This drink was similar to 3 layered ice tea with gula melaka & evaporated milk but it was very sweet.

Leo's verdict - Just a few mouth of what we had ordered, I just asked for the bill, paid the money and walked out without even looking back. One word to summarize my dining experience... SALTY!!! The cook must have had a very bad day or in a very bad mood... nonetheless, I don't think that I'll be going back again.

Otak-Otak Place @ 1Utama Shopping Centre

Like I said in my previous blog, I am going to clear my back logs as fast as possible. Some of the posts have been sitting inside my thumb drive for months and if I didn't get rid of them now, I don't know when is the best time to do so.

My idea of a good afternoon tea time... well, of course, would be a good cup of tea or coffee! Not necessarily a high tea session at posh hotels or elegant cafes for me, as even a simple RM2 cup of tea is sufficient to make my day. When the kopitiam craze started, Jenn & I always patronised Old Town Kopitiam. Back then their coffee & tea were the best! Perhaps they expanded too fast through franchising and own expansion and as a result, failed to control the standard of their F&B. These days, you would see at least one kopitiam everywhere you go...

Otak-otak Place is another kopitiam-styled establishment, but with a new twist. As the name suggest, their signature food is otak-otak, a delicacy originated from Johor. So far I have only gone to their 1Utama and Tropicana City Mall's outlet.

Also known as otah otah, this dish is prepared using fish (normally tenggiri or mackarel) mousse wrapped in daun nipah (my English failed me once again!). Then the otak-otak is either grilled or steamed before served. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think Otak-Otak Place only served the grilled version.

And when it is grilled, the daun nipah will emit a rather strong aroma which will make the otak-otak aromatic and delicious.

Back to the place, if you happened to visit their 1Utama outlet (which is located in the New Wing by the way)... you would notice a lot of stuff that reminds of our youth (to those who was born before 1990)... like this congkak.

And these...

They even used homework book as menu.. obviously trying to make you reminiscent the olden days! in my case, it really works! I remember playing guli, congkak, rubber band rope, etc... which makes me think that the children nowadays are so pampered with PSP, Wii, iPod, iPhone, etc...

During tea time, there are a few sets to choose from the menu. I settled for their Set A which comprises of kaya & butter toast (mediocre at best!) served in dimsum basket, half boiled eggs which were perfectly done, and a cup of teh tarik. Costing only RM5, definitly a value for money.

I have to say that I love the teh tarik here.. as it's milky but not to the extent of overly sweet. With a piece of Hup Seng cream cracker to dip in, I felt like a school boy once again :)

Their ayam percik with nasi lemak @ RM9.90 was OK... not too bad but also not blowing my hat off. The acar was good though but I wish that the ayam percik was more fork-tender.

I also ordered their set of otak-otak sticks (5 pcs) at RM3.. normal price would be RM5.50 but they were having promotion at that time. The promotion probably is over coz I had these months ago.. lol!! Anyway, taste-wise it was slightly spicy which suits my taste bud. I'd say one set is definitely not enough for me :P

Feeling greedy, I ordered their otak-otak toast. instead of kaya & butter, you spread the otak-otak onto the toast before eating. Heavenly!

Leo's verdict - they do sell some of the old stuff that I mentioned earlier in this post but at a rather high price. Service was quite fast and attentive...