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Wednesday 14 January 2015

Favourite 'Affordable Eats' of 2014

Next in my series of favourite eats is my favourite 'affordable eats' of 2014, the definition of which refers to food that is deemed affordable to the majority of us, more wallet-friendly and eaten in a comfortable and somewhat trendy environment.

This was a little bit more difficult to narrow down than my favourite 'nice eats' coz (first of all) it was a longer list and (secondly) I had eaten way more affordable meals than the pricey ones.

Absolutely loved the Bagna Cauda...a perfectly poached egg, beef bacon and sautéed spinach sitting on top of a nicely executed rosti laced with a handsome amount of bagna cauda sauce.
 
Their soft and fluffy Classic French Toast with the crunch of the almond slivers, the sweetness of the caramelised bananas and maple syrup, the tartness of the strawberries....all worked together for a slice of heaven!
 
The slightly salty, utterly fragrant pork sausages and scrambled eggs (cooked just right) of their Big Breakfast were what I enjoyed the most here.
 
 
It's the artery-clogging, fragrant, freshly fried "ayam goreng" (fried chicken) that I can't seem to get enough of...gimme more, gimme more! :D
 
They also make one of the best "Kedondong" & Sour Plum Juice I've had.
 
 
The pizzas made from their wood-fire brick oven (with a searing 600 degrees Fahrenheit) is the order of the day like their signature 12" Fahrenheit 600 of oven-baked tomatoes, eggplant, black olives and caramelised onions.

 
Dine amidst lush greenery and tranquility (maybe some mosquitoes too) while savouring juicy, tender, charcoal Grilled Salmon.
 
I adored the traditional Korean Chicken Soup with Ginseng.....it's healthy, it's nourishing, it's a bowl of love!

 
Come here for a classic Hakata-style flavoursome bowl of ramen...the Shiromaru Motoaji Special with tender pork loin and a perfectly cooked soft-boiled egg in a robust and rich tonkotsu (pork bone) broth---go on, s..l...u..u...r..p....p to your heart's content!!

 
Ok, this entry might not fit the 'trendy place' tag but fits the 'affordable' tag although it's not that cheap.  Wong Kee's "siew yoke" (roast pork) here is not for the 'faint of heart'...that's in terms of price (and not cholesterol level) :D   Each strip of oh-so-tender meat, with its perfect crispy pork crackling, sets you back RM16 (which supposedly serves one but one can finish 2 strips if you don't hold back).

Yut Kee @ Jalan Dang Wangi (now at Jalan Kamunting)
 

The no. 1 seller here is (without doubt) their signature Hainanese Chicken Chop that has stood the test of time.  Though some may say that the standard has dropped, it still dishes out wholesome, comforting chicken chops that we've grown up eating.  The success (for me) lies in the sauce which I've not seen replicated elsewhere.
 

Hot on the heels of their signature dish comes the (English) Roast Pork.  I call it that coz it's unlike the Chinese-style roast pork that we're accustomed to as it has a 'nuts and herbs' stuffing and is served with a traditional apple sauce.
 

The Pan Seared Barramundi deserves mention here in that the fish was light and fresh on a bed of creamy potato mash, diced vegetables and a balsamic reduction.
 
 
The use of farm fresh ingredients, coupled with modern techniques, gives rise to the creation of unique salads like this Mango with Charred Red Onion (& a 63-degree egg) that's crisp, fresh and distinctively different.
 
There's quite a fair bit of good dishes here and all affordably priced as well but if I had to choose two, I would go with the Map's Pork Balls coz the roasted potatoes and herbed brown gravy made it all even better.  It's pop...power of pork, that is!
 
The other one would be the Homemade Bacon Bruschetta...the winning combo of crispy bacon, basil, tomato and mozzarella just brought it home ;)

And that's my list of favourite 'affordable eats' of 2014 that's good to eat but not too taxing on our pockets (at the same time)....now how great is that!!!
 

14 comments:

  1. Kris, everything looks good and I wish I can go out and sample each and every one of them! The only place I have been to in your list is Village Park and I will only eat their Nasi Lemak as that's the star attraction. Haven't been there for a while though because I can't stand the crowd (which is perpetually there hah..hah...).

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    1. I haven't been there in a while also....it's a mad crowd :(

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  2. I love the village park nasi lemak and the wong kee roast pork. yummy

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    1. This roast pork is really good, isn't it? And also really expensive :(

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  3. Affordable is relative...but if the food is truly good, it sure is worth spending on sometimes - if one can afford it, that is.

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    1. Yes, I do agree that affordable is relative...but these are considered 'average' prices if we want to eat out in KL.

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  4. i like the diversity of your list ... there'd be times when we crave poached eggs, other times when we want pizza, and yay, there's PLENTY of pork on your list! :D

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  5. 0 out of 11 for me.. sobs.. I love scrambled eggs done the way in the Antipodean picture. I am still unable to produce that type of beauty by myself so far :(

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    1. That's the whole reason why we PAY to get our scrambled eggs....and poached eggs expertly executed ;)

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  6. 5 out of 11 for me. Antipodean, Ippudo, Wong Kee, Yut Kee, Village Park ticked. Putting down the 6 into the same list to try to go to this year.

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    1. Well, you're half way there already Mun. With a little bit more effort, I'm sure you'll complete the list this year.....and hope you enjoy them :)

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  7. Great post! It's so fun to look back over and appreciate the many experiences we've had in a year.

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  8. Thanks :) It is fun to reflect...isn't it?

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