Daily: First Anniversary of Palsaik Korean BBQ Restaurant Malaysia @ Scott Garden, Jalan Klang Lama

Recently, Palsaik Korean BBQ Restaurant Malaysia celebrated their First Anniversary at their second branch in Scott Garden, Kuala Lumpur. Being an avid Korean food fan myself, I was honoured to be invited as their guests to try out their famous 8 flavours pork belly and to celebrate this special occasion with them. Anyway, the term Palsaik translates to 'eight colours/flavours' which explains the food they serve here :)

A large space so that you can make yourself comfortable and enjoy your food in peace!

Palsaik has always remained as a premium choice for Korean food for as long as they have been here on our shores. Their concept focuses fully on togetherness or reunion if you would put it. For those uninitiated, their brand is the only one who is patented in Malaysia and they are proud to say that they are by far the biggest Asian food chain serving Korean food.

So, ready to see what I had for the night? Follow through for this fun-filled gastronomic experience I had at Palsaik.

Chils Cider (RM 5.00)

Something refreshing to quench your thirst from the heaty BBQ meat. This kind of tastes like sparkling water actually.

PREMIUM SET (RM 142.00)

For 3-4 persons

The appetizer that comes with this premium set is the salad with a dressing made out of wasabi, soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice and a little alcohol.

The tray with ingredients which will be barbecued on the special plates and the lettuce wraps to go with the meat. I like how exclusive they arrange this usual things you can find in a Korean restaurant, I guess this is what you call creativity at its best.

The special alloy plates that heats up your meat in a minimal time. If you notice, this plates are actually slanted to one side so that oil will flow downwards to encourage healthy eating. This plates are re-galvanise every time the meat starts to stick to it. 

Spicy Seafood Soup

This was heavenly, I've never tasted anything like this before in Malaysia. This pot of goodness have every other seafood possible ranging from clams, mussels, crabs, prawns and squid. A 'doenjang' (bean paste) stew with some added chilli powder for the spiciness that is sure to satisfy any of your cravings for something salty and spicy. Precisely, this soup needs to be boiled for 5 mins and of course, timing is important not to overboil it and change the texture of the ingredients.

8 Flavours Pork Belly

The star of the night, this pork bellies are marinated in 8 different unique flavours; ginseng, garlic, soy bean paste, wine, pine needles, herb, curry and hot pepper! Each have their own unique taste of course, but my favourite is still garlic since its the most fragrant out of all. The portion size of each flavour is a total of 70g and everything here is airflown for guaranteed freshness and satisfaction in every bite.

Premium Kimchi

This is kimchi which had been fermented for 1 year under low temperature. This was a tad bit sour if eaten on its own but perfect once you grill it on the plates together with the meat. It is said to be good for ladies who would love to maintain good skin and also to aid in digestion.

Yums on the grill! By the way, the kimchi which they place on the plates here are normal, ordinary kimchi fermented for a week.

Grilled Deodeok (Lanceolate) Root

These are roots of mountain herbs which can only be consumed by kings in the past. These roots taste like herbs to me and since they have medicinal properties, why not try them? 

Here's some ongoing promotion at Scott Garden which might interest you guys!

Palsaik Korean BBQ Restaurant

No. 2-15 & No.2-16, 

The Scott Garden,

289 Jalan Klang Lama,

Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-7972 7283

Daily: 11.30 AM  -11.30 PM

Food: Okonomi Japanese Dining @ Publika, Solaris Mont Kiara

So, have you heard of the latest trend in town? A new place offering custom made sushi rolls, Okonomi has popped out pretty recently at the busy Publika Shopping Centre and it was created based on the concept of doing it 'as you like'. This gives patrons a chance, for once to decide what they wanna have in their sushi rolls instead of the standard one, provided on the menu. They encourage creativity here as long as you finish it in the end. My suggestion would be to choose all your favourite fillings and cramp it into one huge roll!

A large and comfortable dining area, perfect for big or small gatherings.

Besides that, you can even custom made your salads and Okonomi is different from other sushi outlets because they offer soy wraps for a change from the mundane seaweed wraps which we're probably already too familiar with. This soy wrap is made out of soybeans and this is the only place in Klang Valley where this option is available. 

It gives diners a variety to try something out of the norm and we had a pleasant review experience at Okonomi with these yummy lists down here!

Some of the choices for fillings, it's pretty much a transparent process where you can view your sushi as they are made fresh in front of your eyes. Somehow, food tastes better this way to me!

Chef Alex Lau hard at work, preparing the premium delectable sushi rolls! He has had prior experience working as a chef at top Japanese restaurants like Rakuzen, Pasta Zanmai and Sushi Zanmai too.

The right order of eating the Japanese way is to begin with appetizer (salads), followed by sashimi, mushimono (steamed dishes for example, chawan mushi), yaki grill, nimono (a type of simmered dish) and finally the fried items.

Salmon Salad (RM 18.90)

So, here's our appetizer as selected by Chef Alex. The salad here are cleansed in probably the most hygienic ever; they are washed in hot water at 40°C precisely and then rinsed with acidic vinegar or lemon to kill bacteria. Look at the generous slices of salmon given in this bowl of salad! This bowl of heavenly goodness was given a 'wafu' dressing (a vinaigrette-type salad dressing based on soy sauce) made up of vinegar, green & red apples, sesame sauce and corn oil plus a special sesame dressing from peanuts and sesame sauce. 

Chef Creation Roll (RM 31.90)

We let the chef used his creativity on feeding us the best sushi roll he could come out with! And, here it is,; brown rice with soy wrap and asparagus with the most exclusive premium fillings of breaded tiger prawns, Hokkaido crab meat and marinated lobster. So meaty and juicy, you can taste the freshness of the seafood ingredients, keeping you wanting more from the very first bite. Oh, this is the Medium serving size consisting of 8 sushi for you to enjoy.

Crab Korokke (RM 9.90)

This is a premium snack that I really enjoyed. Most people mistaken this as potatoes but in fact, it isn't. I especially enjoyed the home made tartar sauce served along with this; it is made from mayonnaise, pickled cucumber, seaweed (nori flakes), eggs with some fine sugar and lemon. Very savoury and appetizing if you're a crab lover by nature.

Spicy Seafood Pasta (RM 16.90)

If you love some spiciness in your food, try this! Vietnamese chillies were used to tantalize your tastebuds in this dish. Oh, and this angel hair pasta is loaded with salmon, prawns, baby scallops and crabstick for a satisfying seafood experience. It is so flavorful and fragrant since Chef Alex mentioned that he used tonnes of garlic in this and lightly tossed the pasta with some olive oil. Pretty healthy and yummy at the same time!

Soft Shell Crab Pasta (RM 16.90)

For a crispier alternative to your meal, choose this. This pasta is served with a rich sesame dressing and some fresh greens. However, I wasn't too fond of the heavy sesame taste to it.

Macha Latte with Soft Serve Ice Cream (RM 12.90)

Green tea has been all the rage recently with so many outlets serving this item everywhere. But, I haven't found any which I particularly enjoyed. However, out of a miracle, I tried this and it was great! The soft serve ice cream which is made from full cream milk, cream and eggs provided a nice texture to the healthy green tea latte. 

Macha Float (RM 12.90)

This is pretty similar to the previous drink but instead of milk ice cream, green tea ice cream was used for this.

Macha Lovers Parfait (RM 18.90)

This is a beauty, isn't it? Too pretty to be eaten, but guess what, everything you see in this glass is practically edible. Green tea lovers can enjoy their macha ice cream, mochi, red bean (azuki), jelly and a special macha chocolate bamboo stick. Eat it till the end and you'll find a surprise!

Chocolate Lava Cake (RM 14.90)

The recent trend is this chocolate lava cake, which I've tried at plenty of the restaurants. Warm chocolate oozing out from the dark chocolate cake, served with homemade vanilla ice cream made from scratch using vanilla powder, vanilla essence, milk and eggs. Oh, here you have the chocolate bamboo sticks again which are formed using a mould with the chocolate going through the double boil process firstly. Heavenly dessert to end your meal with!

Okonomi

A4-G2-02 Solaris Dutamas, 

No.1 Jalan Dutamas, 

Publika KL.

Daily: 10 AM - 11 PM 

Food: 95tap8 I'm Chef Cafe @ Taman OUG, Old Klang Road

I've recently discovered a tiny gem in the unexpected neighbourhood next to where I live, none other than Taman OUG (Overseas United Garden). Serving authentic Penang food, 95tap8 I'm Chef Cafe actually roughly translates into the meaning 'random' when you say it in Cantonese. 

This little cafe is opened by popular Malaysian comedian-actress Miau Miau and is run by her Mom who is the chef at this place too. It's quite an interesting homey family business.

The cafe is decorated with ample of movie posters in which Miau Miau acted in. Pretty good concept to chill with friends and family.

Penang Rojak (RM 5.00)

A fruity delight to begin the night with. This had a twist to it, because instead of the usual mango, they use apples here for that extra sweetness. And, its pretty authentic the way Penangites would like it with the crispy deep fried 'yau char kway', something different from the Kuala Lumpur usual fruit rojak.

Penang Lobak (RM 5.00 - Big, RM 3.00 - Small)

This was so yummy that I had to include a close up shot as well. Pork meat wrapped in beancurd skin and fried to perfection, this was by far the juiciest and meatiest Penang 'lobak' I've eaten. Also, it isn't too oily and for those weight watchers, you can have this without feeling too guilty. For such a large serving at such a low price, this is a deal not to be missed at this cafe. 

Penang Hokkien Mee (RM 7.90)

A generous serving of a mix between prawn noodles and 'lam mee', this is a different version of the usual KL Hokkien mee. The ones we are familiar with are those with thick yellow noodles in black sauce but these are a tad bit different. Oh, my favourite is the homemade 'sambal belacan' to add along into your noodles for that spicy 'kick' which will guarantee satisfaction at the end. This is of course a secret recipe by Miao Miao's mum, fondly known as Aunty by us.

Aunty Chicken Chop (RM 12.90)

Juicy, tender chicken thigh fried to golden brown and served with fries and coleslaw. Decent if you're really craving for chicken chop. The sauce is made using baked bean sauce and some special Penang chilli sauce plus a little soy sauce to taste. Keep in mind that this is a little on the sweet side though :)

Three Taste Fish with Rice & Egg (RM 8.90)

Deep fried dory fish served with a sauce with three different taste, namely sweet, spicy and sour. Aunty was kind enough to share with us on her ingredients which are chillies, onions, garlic, special Penang chilli sauce and some sugar for flavouring. 

So, if you've been craving for some Penang food, come here for your quick fix! Here's the address:

95tap8 I'm Chef Cafe

46, Jalan Awan Hijau,

Taman OUG, Old Klang Road

Tel: 011-3901 1201

Daily : 10.00 AM - 11.00 PM

Food: Valentine's Day Menu @ Tanzini, G Tower

So, what does it feels like to fine dine on one of the most important celebrations for couples? I've finally had my first hand at dining like a princess for the Valentine's menu review at Tanzini, G Tower Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur. 

This year, the Valentine's dinner menu, the brainchild of Senior Sous Chef Eugene Lee will be served at the pretty Upper Deck of Tanzini where couples can enjoy a romantic dinner over the city skyline.

This is definitely a spot I would love to enjoy my Valentine's Day with that special one. 

Some of the pictures taken at night, to give you guys an idea what it will feel like to dine at this exquisite place. 

The uniqueness behind the Valentine's menu, priced at RM 400++ per person is that Chef Eugene had actually came up with something different from the usual menu and now, couples have a choice between the bolder Gentleman menu and the classier Ladies menu. There are a lot of experiments and science behind the menu he created, to make worth every single penny you will be spending on this dinner.

Chef Eugene decided to do a separate menu list for because he can then be creative with the flavours and texture of every dish to give patrons a delectable dining experience. Although it took him some time and tonnes of inspiration, he was proud to serve us and this was the first time I'm tasting real science in food.

In conjunction with Valentine's Day, a welcome drink will be served to couples and here's what I have tried:

Her Magical Valentine

As the name suggests, the colorful cotton candy floss you see here will magically transformed into a concoction once Absolut Mandarin Vodka plus cranberry juice is poured over it. The sweetness from this drink comes fully from the cotton candy because no sugar or artificial flavourings were added to this. The final product shall remain as a surprise, so go try it out yourself if you want to see what it looks like!

Baker's Feature (Caramel Cinnamon Peanut Roll)

This is a sweet start to a dinner and best part is it's healthy, so don't worry about calories while enjoying this. Here, they use sugar cane and peanuts to achieve the sweetness instead of simply adding sugar.

Baker's Feature (Homemade Ciabatta Bread)

This in-house baked ciabatta bread is so soft and fluffy & is a creation of the bakery at Tanzini.

Amuse Bouche (Tsarskaya)

This French term translates directly to 'mouth amuser' and is often accompanied by a glass of wine, served in fine dining to offer a glimpse into the chef's approach to the art of cuisine. Here, Tsarskaya oysters were used so that guests can have a taste of the seawater and minerals of France. This is served with strawberry, mango and passion fruit pearls which were prepared through cold gel extrusion method (adding jelly into a syringe and dropping the round shaped pearls into cold olive oil) and some 'konbu shoyu' (seaweed soysauce). The true freshness of the oysters can be enjoyed best this way!

APPETIZERS

For Him (Brittany Blue)

A combination of lobster and crab which will surely tantalize your tastebuds. The chewiness of the meat is complimented by the crunchy woodear which is of a different texture. There is a slight hint of the Malaysian 'Kerabu' style in this dish which I thought was a genius way to suit back the Malaysian palate. Oh, some Asian slaw (coleslaw) & Yolk Carpaccio (egg yolk slice) were also added and I liked their food presentation for this appetizer.

For Her (Stone Crab)

A dish infused with Malaysian flavours, the 'Kerabu' style is the inspiration behind this crab dish. Stone crab ceviche, stone crab floss and pickled cucumber were combined together and to achieve the 'Kerabu' flavour, some ginger flower and bird's eye chillies were put to good use. What a creative way to serve appetizers!

SOUP

For Him (Cauliflower & Atari Miso)

Just imagine the wonders cauliflower can do! This veloute (white sauce made of chicken, veal, or fish stock thickened with a roux of flour and butter) of cauliflower and atari miso is a spicier & bolder take on soups. The atari miso is made from local soybeans and a different yeast is used for this. The roasted cauliflower with sriracha (Thailand chilli paste) offers a different taste to the creamy miso and cauliflower based soup. 

For Her (Roasted Butternut Squash)

Roasted butternut squash soup served with butternut brulee is a more subtle choice of soup for the elegant lady. How can you not love these pictures above? They looked so pretty, almost inedible to me :) So much precision to achieve this perfection. This soup is a tad bit on the sweet side and reminds me of pumpkin honestly.

STARTER

For Him (Muscovy Duck Spring Roll)

This Muscovy Duck confit is wrapped in Vietnamese rice paper roll and deep fried for that crispiness on the outside and juiciness on the inside. Shimeji mushrooms and  shishito peppers were sauteed with garlic and served together with some butternut squash puree as well. This combination, according to Chef Eugene will bring out the sweetness of the duck which is sourced from Ipoh, Perak. Oh, the reason for that is the ducks from there are larger in size and less fatty with a good moist texture to them.

For Her (Free Range Chicken Pie)

A unique twist to the usual chicken pie, this is a roulade of chicken and chestnut wrapped in 'kataifi' (pastry skin). The yellow strips are cured egg yolks which are cooked at precisely 64°C, froze and sliced to the wanted shape. It is 100% pure egg yolk for egg lovers! The chicken roulade was very flavourful and savoury, definitely something I would love.

INTERMEZZO

Sorbet Of The Day

A green apple and soybean sorbet served with a sliced strawberry to cleanse your palate before the main course! Very fruity and smooth, this sorbet is heavenly!

MAINS SEDUCTION
There are two options for this and you can choose one, personally I prefer the beef :)

Wagyu Beef Ribs
Slow braised Wagyu beef ribs is a healthier choice for those who needs to watch their weight. This cooking style requires the beef to be braised under low heat for a total of 72 hours. The sauce which was prepared Goulash style using cumin, tomato paste and a little paprika for that hint of spiciness. But, the chef was careful not to add too much paprika as it may overpower the red wine. The layer of mash potatoes with spring onions served along was the perfect accompaniment to the juicy, flavorful beef ribs.

Barramundi
An alternative for those who can't take beef, this seared barramundi fresh from G-Farm is stuffed with otak-otak out of inspiration from Nyonya cooking. The otak-otak can truly bring out the freshness and sweetness of the fish meat, especially when served with some San Marzano Coulis, a type of Italian tomatoes. An eye popping colourful dish which is light and healthy at the same time.

SWEET ENDING

Chocolate & Butter

This chocolate mousse has no added sugar in it, so the sweetness of it all comes from the dark chocolate itself. Served with brown milk solids made up of toasted milk powder and white chocolate, brown butter powder which ironically appears white in colour due to the maltodextrin added and finally the smooth brown butter ice cream which is to my liking since it has the rich buttery essence in it :) 

Here's the man behind the one of its kind menu, Senior Sous Chef Eugene Lee who believe that diners should be provided with only high quality food for the handsome price they are paying to fine dine at Tanzini.

And for those who are slightly tighter on budget, you can still dine in style at Tanzini at the Lower Deck and here's the menu for those who are curious. It's a total of RM 600++ per couple and I'm sure the food tastes as good too!

Valentine Baker’s Artisanal Feature

Mini Assorted Breadstick

Entrée (to share)

Crudités

Assorted Vegetables Crudités chargrilled with House Made Tanzini Romesco

Appetizer (to share)

Chickpea Maguro Salad

Garbanzo Beans, Olives, Red Tuna, garlic Aioli & Fine Mix Greens with Passion Fruits

Zuppa

Oodles of Noodles Broth

Pressured Cooked Chicken Broth, 100% Chicken of Chicken Noodles

Squids Ink Pasta & Carrots

Intermezzo

Homemade Sorbeto

Chef’s Platter (to share)

Crispy Pressed Duck Moscovy & Brine Chicken

Brine Chicken Breast with Duck Muscovy Roulade in Crispy Rice Paper Roll & Natural Jus

OR

Alantic Black Cod in Kombu Poach & Wild Seaweed

Black Cod Poach in Kombu Shoyu & Marinated Wild Seaweed with Bonito Glaze

WITH

Chives Potato Puree, Roasted Potato Ball, Sweet Potato Chips & Potato Cakes

Dessert (to share)

Blinis & Hazelnut

House Made Vanilla & Our Very Own Made Candy Cotton 

You have come to the end of my fine dining experience at Tanzini, G Tower and for you guys who are drooling already, hurry and call 03-2168 1899 to pre-book your spot on the Upper Deck for Valentine's Day! 

Tanzini Restaurant

GTower, 199 Jalan Tun Razak, 

50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia