Revisit: Ratha Raub @ Damansara Uptown

On our first visit to Ratha Raub @ Damansara Uptown, we were bowled over by how good the nasi lemak, curry chicken and fried chicken were and I knew it would be a matter of time before we returned for more.

And so we did return...one Sunday morning.....this time for a more simple fare of their roti and, of course, their nasi lemak again but, more importantly, to get some curry pastes for the chicken curry I intend (or intended) to make for the Chinese New Year reunion dinner.

We got to try the Pulut Sambal @ RM3.30 which wasn't available on our previous visit.  It may look like the usual coconut milk infused rice of nasi lemak but it's not.  This was made with well softened glutinous rice infused with coconut milk.  It was different....but nice! :)

Since we enjoyed the Nasi Lemak @ RM3.20 tremendously the last time, it was a no-brainer that we had to have it again.  It didn't disappoint and was still as good.  We decided to forego ordering the curry and fried chicken (since we've already tasted those before) so that we could have stomach space to down an extra piece of roti.

I thought I loved Kanna's roti canai but Ratha's Roti Canai @ RM1.50 was even better...it had a very soft and fluffy texture with a nice crisp on the outside.  Though I'd say the roti was as good as the one from Kanna, what tipped it in Ratha's favour was the curries served with it, both the chicken and dhal curry...absolutely delicious! ;)

The Roti Planta @ RM2.50 would be for those who likes the greasiness of margarine (never my choice) although this version wasn't all that greasy.

My husband's choice of Murtabak Ayam @ RM6.80 was a roti wrapped with a generous filling of minced meat and finely chopped onions cooked with various spices that evoked a mouthful of flavours.  The roti was slightly crispy while it was hot and served with 3 types of curries (chicken, fish and dhal).

I decided to pack two pieces of Vadai @ RM1 each for consumption later as I do like to eat vadai.  I found Ratha's version not as enjoyable as Kanna's as the onions were cut a bit too coarsely and the overall vadai wasn't as soft as the latter.  The usual combination of onions, green chillies, fresh ginger and curry leaves didn't evoke the fragrance I was looking for.  Missing cumin seeds or some herbs maybe?  What do I know...I know nothing of how a vadai is made anyway! @_@

My Personal Opinion

After my initial thumbs up approval of their fried chicken, curry chicken and nasi lemak...now it's another thumbs up of their roti (especially roti canai).

Probably the only thing left is to try some of their dishes with rice....which I hope to one day.  Definitely a place worthy of revisits! ;)

Restoran Ratha Raub

No 32 Jalan SS21/35

Damansara Utama

47400 Petaling Jaya

Selangor

Tel: 03-7733 9287

#ewew cooks (Ratha Raub's) Curry Chicken

After sampling Ratha Raub's curry chicken at their restaurant and realising how good it was, I did not hesitate to buy their curry paste so that I could cook it at home.  I've also made fish curry with their fish head curry paste which turned out to be a success, so I knew that the curry chicken paste will work just as well too.

And so, for my contribution towards the Chinese New Year Eve Reunion Dinner this year, I thought I'd cook Curry Chicken (with some assistance from Ratha Raub, of course) and another dish.

I bought 3 packets of Ratha Raub's Curry Chicken Paste @ RM4.90 a packet.  Each packet of 150g is good for 400g of chicken according to the instructions on the pack...and my chicken was quite huge....1.8kg! >.<

Since I only bought 3 packets of curry paste, I had no choice but to use only three even though the ratio of chicken to curry paste wasn't right.  And I guess I made it even worse when I added potatoes into the mix (when I wasn't supposed to) but what's a curry chicken without potatoes, right?  But, in the end, everything turned out just fine.

The cooking of this Curry Chicken is so simple that, if you blink, you'll miss it....hehe...so, don't blink! :D

I brought to boil 1.2l of water (375ml x 3 packets of curry paste) and added the chicken pieces, potatoes and curry paste all at once...and let it simmer for 10 minutes as per instructions but I decided to cook it for longer (about 20 minutes) since I had a whole lot more chicken.  I also happened to have some curry leaves, so I threw some in as well.

Prick the potatoes to test for softness and once you're satisfied that they're soft enough, add the coconut milk (I added two packets of pre-squeezed santan since it was a big pot of curry).

Give it a good stir and....voila......Curry Chicken (courtesy of Ratha Raub) is done!  But, if you want really tender chicken, I suggest you put in the chicken first and cook it longer before adding the potatoes (coz the one I ate at Ratha Raub, the chicken was much more tender).

Can a curry chicken be any simpler than this?  And what's even better....you get a restaurant quality curry chicken! ;D  Taste-wise, it was pretty similar (but not 100%) to the one I tasted at Ratha Raub (even when I did not follow the exact measurements of chicken to curry paste though I did follow the ratio of paste to water).

It's so simple, everyone can make this at home...you could say the recipe is "idiot proof".  Even a non-cook can't screw this up.  If you manage to flub this, I have no words for you! >_<

It's a great dish that's easy to pull off for large gatherings when you have lots of people coming for dinner as it can be prepared ahead of time.

The other dish that I contributed for the Reunion Dinner was the vegetarian dish of "Loh Hon Chai" (Mixed Vegetables with "Nam Yue" or fermented red bean curd), one of my usual dishes that I've been cooking up the past few years for dinners like these (you can find the recipe here).

Here's my Curry Chicken.....

.....and Loh Hon Chai that I packed up for the "balik kampong" trip last week =)

Our Reunion Dinner usually features 10 - 15 dishes and this year was no different.  But, sorry I don't have any photos to show since I was not the host.  So, what did you cook up this Chinese New Year? ;)  Hope it was a breeze with no untoward incidents! ;D

Ekkamai @ Damansara Heights

After satisfying our stomachs (or maybe bellies) with a very sumptuous dinner at Putien, my friends and I made arrangements to proceed to another venue for some after-dinner drinks and desserts.

I suggested Ekkamai Bar & Thai Kitchen @ Damansara Heights but, after our last not-so-wonderful experience at KGB Soul Food, we were weary that the same thing would happen again...and that the place would not be kid-friendly.  Then again, that was the sole reason why I suggested this place as I knew this very street is also home to Yellow Brick Road and Wicked Pancake Parlour where we can certainly adjourn to (as our back-up plan) for desserts if we weren't allowed into Ekkamai.

But our fears would soon be laid to rest as we were warmly welcomed...and we'd soon find out that their service is attentive, courteous and friendly.  Although we had to grab the last table available (which was an alfresco seating), it was nice and cool with ceiling fans in place outside and we didn't have to contend with mosquitoes and humidity this time (unlike at KGB Soul Food).
  

As we were seated outside with not a lot of lighting, kindly excuse the not-so-clear photos (actually it was worse initially...and the photos looked like this until a friend was kind enough to provide us some light with her iPhone...and it was slightly better).

Even though we were here for desserts and drinks, we felt that we could still down some small bites and went with the Play-Thaim Platter @ RM38 that theyumlist recommended as the perfect accompaniment to cocktails (please head over to theyumlist's blog if you want to see a better/clearer pic of this).  This sharing platter had all the usual Thai light bites of sesame prawn toast, Thai fish cakes, crispy fried lemongrass chicken, grilled chicken skewers, grilled beef balls, rice crackers with nam prik ong and caramelised noodles served with 3 dipping sauces.

Sesame prawn toast - nicely crisp, my favourite

Thai fish cakes & crispy fried lemongrass chicken - I like these too

Grilled chicken skewers & grilled beef balls (from their Josper oven)

Rice crackers with nam prik ong (a tomato-based chilli dip) & caramelised noodles.  We initially thought the noodles were just for decoration (like those we'd find in Chinese restaurants) but when we put some into our mouths, we realised they were rather yummy.  In fact, everything on the platter were decent.

the 3 dipping sauces


Thai Crispy Fried Eggs @ RM15 for the kids (and maybe some adults too) - slightly overdone though


cute leaf-shaped looking plates for our nibbles

We then got back on track and ordered the desserts we actually came here for.  We started with the favourite Thai dessert of Mango Sticky Rice @ RM18 featuring perfectly ripe and sweet fragrant Thai mangoes with softened glutinous rice and coconut cream (wouldn't mind a bit more coconut cream though).  It was topped with some surprising bits of (fried?) yellow-coloured sticky rice that brought a crunchy element to the dish (that one of us thought were bits of undercooked rice at first).

The other equally popular Thai dessert is the Red Ruby @ RM12 with crunchy water chestnut pearls, jackfruit slivers and coconut milk in shaved ice.  This one was refreshing and wasn't sweet at all although it needed a bit more coconut milk.

Our final sweet choice was a Thai-style Bubur Cha Cha @ RM12 with coconut flesh, yam, pumpkin, Thai pearls (made from coloured tapioca flour) and sago jellies.  Now, this one we have no complaints of not enough coconut milk as it was fragrant and oh-so-thick...yum, yum! ;D

All 3 Thai desserts were pleasant but my top pick would be the Thai Bubur Cha Cha

And, of course, we had to order some cocktails to go with our sharing platter.  As me and my friends aren't 'real' drinkers, I asked the server to recommend us some cocktails with the least amount of alcohol...and he brought us their mixologist (to our surprise)...that's service for you! ;D  One ordered the Kaffir Collins @ RM29 (made up of Broker's gin, soda & lemon) on his recommendation.

And another ordered the Thai Mojito @ RM26 featuring a blend of Chachaca rum, lime, mango, ginger ale & mint leaves (the mint leaf that was on top of the glass flew off in the wind!).

Two of us went with mocktails...she had the Virgin Margarita @ RM18 which arrived in a 'frozen' (ice blended) state for a cool, welcome relief.

While I opted for "Safe Sex on the Beach" @ RM18 (I swear that's the name of the drink!), a refreshing mixture of cranberry, peach & orange (the "naughty" names of drinks these places come up with these days...haha!) :D The last member had a Heineken Beer @ RM22.

Cheers everyone.....to a good year ahead...and may your glass never go empty :)

Later, a server walked past us bearing many cups of "we don't know what" in old-school enamel mugs. Intrigued...we had to find out and it turned out to be Thai coffee.

I decided to order a cup of Kaffe Thai Ron (Thai Hot White Coffee) @ RM6 just because I liked the enamel mug...hehe!

And also a glass of Kaffe Thai Yen (Thai Ice White Coffee) @ RM6 for sharing.  Sadly, it didn't live up to expectations as I've had better Thai coffee elsewhere.

My Personal Opinion

It's a great place for Thai food, though I didn't try that much, but the little I did try was enough to tell me that the food is worthy.

It's a place where you can sit down, relax and have some drinks with friends where children (babies included) are welcomed too.

I certainly wouldn't mind returning another day to sample more of what they have to offer.

Ekkamai Bar & Thai Kitchen
Lot 8-1 & 8-2 Jalan Batai
Damansara Heights
50490 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2095 2772

Putien @ Subang Jaya

With Chinese New Year around the corner, my friends and I thought we'd have some Chinese food for a change.  After all, it was our pre-Chinese New Year dinner get-together.

We decided on Putien @ Subang Jaya, their newly opened branch in Courtyard Subang (opened since late December 2015), their third in Malaysia, after its first outlet in 1 Utama in 2012 and its second in Sunway Pyramid the following year, apart from their international outlets in Singapore, Jakarta, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei.

Putien offers authentic Heng Hwa cuisine from the coastal town of Putian in the Fujian province of China and since my friends and I have not tried this type of cuisine before.....we thought why not!

Some small tidbits (foc and almost gone by the time I arrived) are served while you wait.  I've no idea what they were as I didn't have any since we were the last ones to arrive.  I had to get down to ordering straight away.

Since it was a Chinese New Year gathering, obviously we had to have the customary "yee sang" toss to usher in all things auspicious, right?  Putien has two types of yee sang on offer...salmon (RM29.90, RM49.90 & RM69.90 for S/M/L or abalone (RM49.90, RM69.90 & RM99.90 for S/M/L).

I ordered the Abalone Yee Sang @ RM49.90 (for small).  I wasn't able to snap a photo of the plate of abalone as the gentleman attending to us (he might be the manager of the place) began assembling the yee sang for us before I had the chance to do so (you can see slivers of abalone on the plate already).

What surprised us was that, as he poured the abalone, sauces, signature seaweed from Putian and the crispy crackers onto the yee sang platter, every round was followed with well wishes of some kind (I may not understand exactly what he said but I know they'd be wishes of good luck, prosperity and health or something along those lines).

The platter of yee sang is ready for tossing!

I suppose the higher you toss the better....to help usher in good fortune for the year ahead though I'm not that into the tossing part but more into the eating part! ;D

I liked that this yee sang has a very clean, fresh taste without those overly sweet flavours.

We began our dinner with some appetisers, starting with the Drunken Cockles @ RM13.90 which arrived blanketed in a layer of pungent fresh minced garlic and drenched in wine (I had to scrape some of it away so that you can see the cockles underneath).  Served chilled, it was a fantastic combination of immensely fresh and juicy cockles in a well pronounced wine marinade.

The lightly blanched, medium-sized cockles (wouldn't mind slightly bigger cockles though) were on half shells...pop these into your mouth (and thank me later but only if you're a cockle fan) for a burst of juicy goodness from the very fresh cockles and the wine with none of that unpleasant blood taste of raw cockles.  It was a contender for top dish and I can see why it was voted one of Putien's Top 10 Dishes...coz it was the top dish for two of my friends too.  Two words.....freakin' awesome! ;D

Our next dish was the absolutely tender and well-made Braised Pig Intestines @ RM16.90 which boasts of a '9-fold' 12-inch intestine braised to perfection in their homemade sauce of 12 spices for a springy yet tender bite.

Then came the Putien-Style Century Eggs @ RM9.90 encrusted in a thin batter, fried and tossed in their homemade speciality sauce that tasted slightly sweet and sour.  So, you end up with a bit of a crisp exterior followed by a creamy yolk centre.

Their Stir-Fried Yam @ RM18.90 (S) had a nice crisp exterior with a warm, soft and naturally sweet mashed yam in the centre.  Expertly stir-fried to create a caramelised texture on the outside, it had sweet and savoury flavours and was outright delicious.  According to the menu, only the finest middle portion of the premium yam is used for this dish.

I also went with an order of Homemade Bean Curd @ RM16.90 (S) for the kids.  This silky smooth tofu, made fresh daily, stir-fried with mushrooms and sugar snap peas, in a delectable sauce, was a joy to eat.

Another thumbs-up dish for the kids was the Putien Sweet & Sour Pork with Lychees @ RM19.90 (S) or more specifically with two lychees...hehe!  No complaints either on this well prepared dish with perfectly fried, tender and moist meat with the right amount of sweetness from the sauce.

When I saw Stir-Fried Green Dragon Vegetable @ RM19.90 (S) on the menu, I knew I wanted it.  Known as "ching loong choy" and marketed as royale chives, it's a variant of (or closely related to) Chinese chives.  I can't remember if I've had it before and, even if I had, I don't remember it to be as green as this one which was fried with cloud ear fungus ("muk yee") and garlic.  It had a very refreshing taste with a crunchy texture when fried just right (but clearly different and without the pungent taste and smell associated with Chinese chives or "gou choy").  It was rather similar to the stir-fried yellow chives I once had and loved.

A meal would not be complete without any carbs, so we ordered the Putien Cabbage Rice @ RM18.90 (S) for a no-nonsense home-styled fried rice with bits of pork, cabbage and peanuts...certainly well fried with decent flavours.

For a further dose of carbs, we had the Fried Heng Hwa Bee Hoon @ RM18.90 (S), a crowd favourite and signature dish of Putien.  Reputed to be sundried vermicelli (not machine dried) and milled by hand in Putian, it had a springy and firm bite.  Our first reaction to the bee hoon was just how fine and translucent the strands were but yet held its shape when fried.  Fried with prawns, clams, bok choy, onions, seaweed and peanuts with stock from pork bones and old hens, it was certainly a dish to savour...and a must-order! :)  [#Tip: For mee sua lovers, be sure to try Putien's mee sua for I heard that it's good too though I didn't get to try as we ordered too many dishes already.  The menu says that it's handmade with premium quality flour.]

Putien prides itself on serving food that's 100% natural and fresh without any added preservatives.  This container is filled with Putien's Spice Mum Chilli Sauce (that's what the container said) made in-house.

My friends liked their tangy and spicy signature chilli dip though I found it just ok as I detected a hint of bitterness in the sauce (probably from the grated lime skins).  Eat this with the fried bee hoon or everything else if you like...but watch out, it packs quite a punch ;)

We rounded up our meal with the Claypot Fish Soup @ RM44.90 (S) where the live fish (as it was described in the menu) but I take it that they meant "sang yue" (otherwise known as snakehead or ikan haruan).  The fish is fried first before being simmered for hours in a broth with yam, ginger, spring onions and wolfberries.  It arrived piping hot in a rich, milky looking broth that was divine right till the last drop.  Three words...freakin' awesome again!

The flesh of the sang yue was incredibly soft and sweet.  The yam and utterly fresh fish brought sweetness to the soup like none I had before.  It was without doubt a nourishing and invigorating bowl of soup...it was really, really good.  No wonder it got two votes from my party-of-five as the best dish of the night.

The final adult in my party couldn't quite decide which was her favourite dish...she liked them all and I can certainly see why...coz everything we had, I've got no complaints whatsoever! :D

One final thing to note, the tea here is charged based on per cup basis with top-up available.  You have a choice of two teas and both aren't cheap by the way.  It comes in a special contraption that contains the tea leaves which sits on top of the cup.

Shui Xian Tea @ RM8.90 per cup, a semi-fermented tea principally produced in Fujian province, is a combination of both green and black tea (all four in my eating party went for this one).

I went for the Premium Tie Guan Yin Tea @ RM9.90 per cup belonging to the Oolong tea group (supposedly the priciest tea according to the description on the menu).  This turned out to be the better tasting tea of the two and elicited my friend to order an extra one for the kids to share.

Looking at the price per cup, just the tea alone may cost you RM100 for a table of 10, so you may want to share (and I think it's perfectly fine to do so) since the tea leaves are fixed and that the refill given is just hot water (you have to contend with the tea being more diluted with each refill, of course).

My Personal Opinion

This place is great for smallish eaters as some of their dishes come in small sizes of XS, S & M (and not the usual S, M & L)...and, for heavy-eaters, you can sample more dishes in one sitting though some may feel that the prices do not justify the small serving portions.  For me, I felt that the slightly more premium prices were alright when coupled with quality ingredients and attentive service.

Those who prefer lightly seasoned food and subtle tastes (some might say bland) would do well here as the dishes are not robustly flavoured...they're not too oily, too salty or too sweet but still very good nonetheless.

If I really had to choose, my two top dishes of the night would be the claypot fish soup and drunken cockles followed closely by the stir-fried yam, fried Heng Hwa bee hoon and braised pig intestines.  I don't eat at Chinese restaurants all that much...but this one I clearly loved.  There are still loads on the menu I've not tried.....and I'd definitely return in a heartbeat! ;)

Putien Restaurant

Lot 1-05 Courtyard Subang

Jalan SS15/4G 

47500 Subang Jaya

Selangor

Tel: 03-5612 3377

New Year is here again...

May this new year bring you

prosperity, good luck and good fortune!!

*And I'll be back after a short break*