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.

Sao Nam @ Tengkat Tung Shin, KL

,
Located in the heart of Bukit Bintang area, Sao Nam is a place for fine Vietnamese cuisine. It is located behind Jalan Alor... on the same row as the famous Meng Kee Char Siew. Jenn & I never notice this place even though we had been passing by a lot of times before. This particular road has a lot of guest houses and restaurants, making it hard to find parking most of the times.

Along the road of Tengkat Tung Shin...

They placed a menu outside... ever noticed that this place was awarded with Malaysian Tatler's Best Restaurant from 2005 to 2008??

A glance from the outside revealed nothing special...

But please... pass through this door to know what's inside!

It is a very nice place to dine - cosy and contemporary settings. The whole place was dimly lighted and air conditioned, creating a romantic feeling even in the afternoon.

The bar with a lot of liquors...

Lunch sets were offered at RM18++, but since we had taken our lunch earlier, we only wanted to have drinks and desserts.

The menu... you can find typical Vietnamese food and drinks here, including their famous coffee.. plus cocktails, imported beers, wines and liquors.

Jenn asked for their Caramel Custard (banh flan) @ RM8++ - a sily smooth-textured egg custard with Vietnamese coffee and caramelized sugar. It was bitter on the first bite and pleasantly sweet on the next... thumbs up!!!

I had the famous Belgium's Hoegaarden White Beer @ RM18++ - cool!

Leo's verdict - the prices are on the high side as I mentioned before, FINE VIETNAMESE CUISINE!!!! But if you are feeling romantic and don't mind driving all the way to KL, risking yourself stuck in the traffic jam... do come for the experience. I will definitely come back for either lunch or dinner soon (^_^)