Tonybistro's Quest For Good Gourmet S**t !




WELCOME TO MY QUEST...BE A FOLLOWER AND JOIN ME FOR MORE EXCITING FOOD REVIEWS


Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Tom, Dick & Harry's, TTDI

Tom, Dick & Harry's
“Go ahead…make my day” says Dirty Harry. That was the same thought I had on my mind when I checked out Tom, Dick & Harry’s Pub in Taman Tun Dr Ismail. Well, my dinner guest always refers to TDH as Dirty Harry ! I guess it’s a cooler name and not such a mouth full. Whether it made my day or not, let me share with you my experience.

Ambience
The place is just further up another block from where Sid’s is. There is a row of pubs, bistros and restaurants here but I reckon TDH would be a more direct competition to Sid’s. And competition is good, at least for consumers like us. It gives us alternatives, choices and most of all variety and variety is the spice of life. TDH is nicely done up, bright and cozy. They have a variety of seats from the high chairs to low wooden benches and you can choose to sit outdoors along the corridor, at the well stocked bar or island tables scattered around the premise.































































The waiters there are really friendly and motivated and they have a certain penchant for greeting you with “wassup wassup!” . Service is good and so are the drinks. This is one of the non- Guinness place. They serve Connor’s instead. I must say, it is a pretty good substitute too, at least better then Beamish stout. They also have Hoegaarden on tap. Nice and refreshing, sometimes I start with it and move on to the richer Connor’s.

Hoegaarden Draft
























Connor's Stout
























Food
We ordered some beer food for starters coz we didn’t feel like having food proper yet. I must say, the fish fingers was quite nice. Didn’t taste like frozen ones, they are soft and juicy inside and a subtle crunch with a nice breaded texture on the outside.

Fish Fingers


















I can’t say the same for the pigs in the blanket. There are barely any blankets wrapped around them pigs. Those shivering pigs tasted fine but I’d rather have a comforter over them like how I do it at home.

Pigs in the Blanket


















They serve different types of pies and we ordered the chicken pie. Nice pastry with chunks of chicken, mushroom and probably leek and carrots. Can’t figure out the mash but it was nice and moist. Served with brown mushroom sauce, fresh vegetables and a bunch of fries.

Chicken Pie

































If you want something heartier, you can try their grilled chicken chop. Sitting nicely on a lump of mash potatoes and some broccoli and carrots, the chicken chop was nicely grilled with a bit of a crisp and not overly done inside.

Grilled Chicken Chop


















Or try their pork burger; top with an egg, the patty is nice and flavourful and good enough to satisfy your hunger.
Pork Burger


















Special Guest
























Verdict
We like this place because it serves Hoegaarden draft and good pub grubs. Nice settings and the staff are friendly. It is also a dog friendly place so you don’t have to leave them behind when you want to quench your thirst. They have a good range of cocktails and beers and also some interesting desserts like fried mars bar. A great place to hangout with your buddies and catch up.


Location























Address:
18, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14,
Taman Tun Dr Ismail


Tel: 03 77102122

Business Hrs:
Mon - Fri: 16:00 - 01:00
Sat - Sun: 10:00 - 02:00

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Genji Japanese Restaurant, PJ Hilton

GENJI, PJ Hilton



















Domo arigato gozaimashita…that’s what I would say to this Japanese restaurant in PJ Hilton. It has been a revelation…at least for me. One of the best Japanese restaurant in town, I would rank it at the top in my top 5 japanese restaurants list. I will of course in my upcoming articles talk about the other 4. In the mean time, let me share with you my experience with Genji.



Ambience & Service
Located in PJ Hilton Hotel, this restaurant is set up in a nice traditional way. From the decorations to the furniture to the cutleries, it is quite a pleasing and relaxing feel to be dining there.
















































The place is crowded most of the time. Of course, when it comes to patronizing any good restaurant, timing is very important. I have been there a few times; during peak hrs and buffer weekends, it could get really congested and chaotic. Like any other buffet, you have to queue to get your share at some counters like the popular prawn tempura and shasimi counters. I usually try to go during the weekdays where the dinner crowd is steady yet easy. And if you don’t want to smell like teppanyaki, sit away from the teppanyaki corner. Make a reservation if you have to. After all, a good dining experience requires a bit of a planning so that you will not be disappointed. The menu itself is quite substantial and you would be spoiled for choice. But the courteous staff and the chefs there would be more than willing to help you out in ordering your food.
























































Food
For a start, you can get into your high gear gastronomic mode by having edamame (Soybean Pods) and shishamo. Edamame is very addictive. You just keep on eating. I guess it is that slight sprinkle of salt that makes it tantalizing. Also try the shishamo (pregnant fish).

Shishamo 
























With a squeeze of lemon juice, the shishamo is simple irresistible. The shishamo itself has a bit of crisp and the lemon juice brings out the subtle flavours from the grill coupled with the intense taste of the fish eggs. Simply gorgeous. Then you move on to the chawan mushi (steam egg custard) which is simply a good appetizer to set you up for what is to come. Steamed and served hot, it is loaded with treasures like shrimp, chicken, shitake mushroom and gingko nuts that are buried at the bottom of the steamed egg custard. The unique flavours of the chawan mushi comes from the dashi stock and a tinge of sake !

Chawanmushi






















Once you are done with all that starters, you can have some sake while waiting for your mains. Have it warm or cold. We chose to have it cold. It was refreshing yet you get this nice warm, almost calming effect when you have a shot down your throat. Mmm..Nice!

Goodness Sake!






































Taru Sake 300ML

For the mains, we ordered Tempura Moriawase, Sashimi Mori Matsu and Tempura Nabe Soba. The tempura moriawase comes nicely coated with a light and fluffy batter. This to me is one of the key determining factor of a good tempura dish. It has to be light and fresh, not heavy and greasy and the freshest ingredients used. Dip the tempura into the dipping sauce laden with grated radish, this dish is simply delicious.

Tempura Moriawase


















The Sashimi Mori Matsu comes with a variety of sashimi cuts: Toro (tuna belly), Kampachi (yellowtail), Butterfish, Salmon and Tako(octopus). The cuts are thick and juicy eventhough we didn’t order the more premium cuts. These cuts were good enough for me. Fresh and tantalizing, these sashimi definitely hitz the spot! Especially the tako, coz I just love Tako. It is chewy and addictive and it is a must-have for me when I have Japanese.

Sashimi Mori Matsu


















To top it up for the night, I ordered Tempura Nabeyaki Soba. It is simply soba or udon cooked in a hotpot with ebi tempura, seafood like fish slices, crab stick, squid and vegetables topped with a semi cooked egg. Very nice broth enriched by the semi cooked egg, this is one of my favourites. The essence from the seafood and sweetness from the vegetables packs this dish with whole lotta flavours. No other way to describe it… Just Good !

Tempura Nabe Soba





















Special Guest


























Verdict
My guest love the place. You can see the satisfaction on her face. Overall, a great dining experience. From the cozy interior to the friendly staff, plus the fresh ingredients used in all their servings, this is one of the top Japanese restaurant I would recommend to try out. They have the popular buffet as well on weekends plus a whole range of interesting sushi rolls and desserts which we didn’t get to try. In terms of price, they are in the range of ‘luxurious indulgence’. Our meal came up to about RM 423. Unless you have the Hilton card which entitles you to a 50% discount for 2 pax dining, this would be a massive dinner to fork out.



Location



Address:
Hilton Petaling Jaya Hotel
No 2 Jalan Barat, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: (+603) 7955 9122



Lunch : Noon – 3pm
Dinner : 6:30pm – 10:30pm

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Cristang Restaurant, 8 Avenue, PJ.

Cristang Restaurant

























Anything porky gets me going. There is something special about pork as compared to other meats. I am not dissing chicken or beef. I think they have their own unique flavours too. But pork, it is the cornerstone of all meats, all nice and tasty.(Although Jules Winnfield thought of the pig as a filthy animal) That’s the reason why you need to sanitize your stomach with alcohol. And pork so happen to go well with it too! Anyway, when I was going to meet up with my old friend Nikki for happy hrs she wanted somewhere nearby, so I suggested Cristang. Its been around for awhile now and I heard quite a bit about their famous pork burgers. So without much objection, we went for it.


















Ambience
Cristang is a place that serves Malaccan / Portuguese cuisine along with some western cuisine as well. It was pretty quiet the whole night we were there. Either everyone has turned vegetarian or it only gets crowded on weekends. Maybe it would be pack on Wednesdays as all pork burgers are 20% off. Nicely decorated and pretty cozy, the place is quiet and conducive for a catch up with friends.



































Food
Apparently their best seller happens to be their pork burgers. Basically their pork burger comes in various combinations:

P1: pork patty (RM 16.80)
P2: P1 + back bacon (RM 19.80)
P3: P2 + minced pork chili con carne (RM 23.80)
P4: P3 + petai stuffed in patty (RM 25.90)
P5: P4 + grilled cajun prawns (RM 28.80)
P6: P5 + grilled fresh cut pineapples (RM 30.80)
P7: P4 + melted cheese (RM 28.80) - The Urban Legend
P8: Tandoori burger served in garlic butter pita bread (RM 28.80)
P9: The Korean Inspired burger (RM 30.80)


The unique ingredient in some of these burgers is the petai (stink bean). Eating petai for some is kind of like an acquired taste. Putting petai into burger is different thing altogether. So I ordered P7, the one they called the Urban Legend and it has got everything in it. The more the merrier I guessed.

P7
This burger was one of the most interesting ones I have ever tasted. Juicy, pungent (from the petai), grainy, mushy, intense are some of the words to describe it. The rich flavour of chili con carne filled with diced petai, melted cheese, great pork patty, onion, tomato slices, gherkins and ultimate bacon all assembled together, presents a really great orchestra of a heavenly burger. This little fella is packed with oomph!

Well, it is little because I find it a wee bit small in size. I like BIG BUNS !
A definite must try! And it comes with perfectly roasted potato wedges sprinkled with dry herbs (rosemary). These wedges made up for the lack in size.

Another must-try is the Devils on Horseback. I have had devils on demons back before (pork sausage wrapped with bacon), but what is this devil doing on a horseback? Kinky little devil, this one! 
 
Devils on Horseback


















It is actually their version of asparagus wrapped with grilled back bacon drenched with red wine reduction and sprinkled with fresh herbs (probably chopped parsley and thyme). Great combination as the fresh and almost raw green asparagus helps to break the heavy and fatty texture of the back bacon. The asparagus used were fresh and crunchy and the juicy bacon wrapped around it just makes this a bundle of joy.

St Louis BBQ Ribs was the other main dish we ordered. The pork ribs comes with fresh vegetables on the side (French beans and capsicum of various colours) and topped with chopped parsley.

St Louis BBQ Ribs


















Served piping hot (you can see the steam from the pic) ,the ribs has a nice texture to it and the meat falls off nicely without much ‘sawing’ effort. But we didn’t quite like it, maybe because we appreciate the natural flavours of the ribs and the sauce sort of mask it out. Decent but not the best.


That’s as much food as we could manage as we need space for drinks too. Guinness was good and fresh. I stuck to it the whole night. Nikki had Frozen Margarita and Cuban Mojito. In the end, we didn’t get to try some of the recommended dishes. Which means, we have to return to savour the rest. I will do just that.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 





Frozen Margarita
 
 
 
 




















Cuban Mojito
























Special Guest
Nikki

























Verdict
The pork burger was awesome. Variety of combination to choose from if you are not adventurous enough to brave the petai flavour. Quite some interesting Portuguese / Malaccan dishes to try out and some are really traditional stuff too. The Guinness was good. Can’t say the same for the cocktails. Nikki didn’t like the Frozen Margarita as it was not strong enough for her. In the own words… “I’ve had better !” . She didn’t like the Cuban Mojito too. Not strong enough too, it seems. Well, she is not easily pleased but she knows a great place for steak of which she promised to take me. And the margarita there is the best too!



Location

View Larger Map


Address:
B-G-19, 8 Avenue, Jalan Sungei Jernih (8/1),
46050 Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-7956 7877
Opening hours: Tues to Sun 11am-3pm, 5.30pm-11pm. Closed on Mondays


GPS: 3.09985, 101.640208


How to get there?
(Opposite PJ Hilton right behind Courts Mammoth, Wisma Thrifty)
Take a right at the traffic light next to KFC, when you reach a T junction, turn right again, pass some shops on the right, take a right turn into the parking zone , you will see Miracles bar & kitchen, pass that and its on the right!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Sid's Pub @ Taman Tun Dr Ismail.

Sid's Pub, TTDI.



Nothing hitz the spot like a perfect pint of Guinness. And there is no better place for Guinness than this English pub called Sid’s. Located in Tmn Tun Dr Ismail, this cozy place is convenient for folks staying around Tmn Tun, Damansara and Bandar Utama. It is practically their neighbourhood pub. No worries about road blocks or crawling home after a couple of drinks. If you are staying around Bangsar or Bkt.Tunku, you can go to the other outlets at Bangsar South and Taman Tunku.

Food

Snake Bite
























Guinness is RM17 during happy hours ! One of the dearest around.For those non Guinness drinker, you can simple enjoy a nice cold beer. They have on tap Strongbow, Heneiken,Tiger, Anchor, Guinness etc. Quite some choices. They also serve other beers like Skol, Victoria Bitter, Crown Lager, Tetley’s, Hoegarden, Corona, Stella & Budweiser.For those who fancy something light and sweet and refreshing, try the ladies’ choice.. the house popular snake bite (a mixture of cider and beer and topped with ribena) Some places does it with just beer & cider. As for food, on the menu they have plenty of food from heavy stuff like burgers and pies to light beer food like sausages, chicken wings etc. Do try the cod & chips serves with the traditional tartar sauce and vinegar and green pea mash together with the usual fries. I like the green pea mash and I must say, this for me is the best dish in the house. Lightly battered so you won’t have to bite through layers of flour to reach the core. It has a slight crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Nice !
Cod & Chips


















Next, comes the Lancashire hotpot. Nice touch with the fresh vegetable instead of frozen ones, this dish is filled with lamb cubes and carrots covered with potato slices and baked. I don’t like it too much as the gravy is not thick enough and the lamb cubes has a taste of some dark refrigerator. Probably frozen for a while.
Lancashire Hotpot



























Pork Burger
Their burgers are quite ok. You have a choice of chicken, lamb, beef and pork. They are not too big, just nice enough for you to get a grip. The burger buns are slightly pan toasted and with pan fried onions, tomato slice and gerkhins. Not the best but decent.
Their pork ribs was so so. We had it a few times over a couple of visits and we feel that it was inconsistent. Some days are over done and some days are not acceptable. Nevertheless, a good pork rib done on a good day is good with Guinness!
Pork Ribs




















Another interesting dish on the menu is the Scotch Eggs. De-shelled hard boiled eggs wrapped in sausage meat mixture, coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried, this dish is served cold. Normally I don’t like cold dishes but this one is quite interesting and it gets better when you have your next piece. It comes with a dip sauce, probably ranch dressing or mustard sauce, I don’t really know. Just try it , interesting flavour.

Scotch Eggs


















If you want a simpler dish, then go for the Scrums of Bangers. It is sausages served with baked beans and mashed potatoes. This dish needs no description.

Scrum of Bangers


















Ambience
An attractive bar right in the center where all the actions are. TV screens perpetually on sports channel are strategically located to distract you. Tastefully done decors and black board with food & drinks menu on them, makes the place really cozy There are occasional gatherings there for rugby fans and football fans to cheer on their team. So times like these would get quite rowdy.. If you want a less noisy corner, you can sit outside if you can find an empty table. Apparently, this place is dog friendly as well. You can bring your Bruno or your Lucky or your Fifi along and have them socialize with other dogs.


Special Guest



















Verdict
I recalled that the food was quite good at the very beginning when they started. The pork ribs was one of the highlights. So was the chicken tikka. However, we noticed that the taste has changed. Upon checking with a waitress, we were then told that the old chef left. Well, they should have kept him because the food is not that good anymore. But if you are not so fussy with taste like us, then you would be able to accept it. To me, it is just a convenient watering hole and a place to hangout with friends. Constant crowd throughout the weekdays and quite pack on weekends, this is one of my favourite joint.

Location
























Address: 

Sid’s Pub, TTDI
34 Lorong Rahim Kajai 14
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-7727 7437
GPS: 3.155621, 101.622934

Sid’s Pub BUKIT TUNKU
H2 Taman Tunku,
Off Langkat Tunku, Bukit Tunku,
Kuala Lumpur 50480
Tel: +603-6205 2588

Sid’s Pub BANGSAR SOUTH
M-5A The Village, Bangsar South,
2 Jalan 1/112H, Off Jalan Kerinchi, Kuala Lumpur 59200.
Tel: +603- 2287 7437

For more info, check them out at http://www.sidspubs.com