Sanoook @ Pavilion Elite

Pavilion Elite, the new extension in the mall, is now home to so many new eating places in Pavilion, it's absolutely bonkers!  We've not even skimmed the surface of what this mall has to offer in terms of dining options and now more restaurants are added to make the list even longer.

One such new addition is Sanoook @ Pavilion Elite, a Thai-Japanese fusion restaurant (which has another outlet in Sunway Pyramid) that may seem to be a good choice if you have one half of your eating party liking Thai and the other half liking Japanese.

Well, if you don't know what Sanoook (with an extra 'o') means, this picture frame on the wall says it all.

We started with a recommended dish on their menu of Deep-Fried Crab Meat with Salted Egg & Minced Chicken in Crab Shells (or Pooja) @ RM16.90 (2 pcs) from the Thai Specialities Section.  I was influenced to order this dish when I read a review which shared that it was something similar to a Chinese dish which made me recall and think of my mom's version instantly.

But my mom's version was a filling made with a mixture of probably minced crab, fish and prawns with finely chopped vegetables like "sengkuang" (jicama), carrots and spring onions.  The filling is then stuffed back into the crab shell and deep fried...but the filling is very flat unlike this one.  I was taken aback when I saw just how thick and protruding the filling was when it was served (which some might say value for money).

Unfortunately, this was nothing like the tasty version my mom made.  Although it had a crisp exterior, the filling was very dense and not as pleasant to eat.  The overly abundant filling made it rather cloying + I couldn't taste any crab meat or salted egg.  In the end, the supporting cast of frizzy egg shreds, crispy noodles and fragrant crisp curry leaves was better than the main star! @_@

Another sharing plate was the Salmon Skewer @ RM25.90 (4 sticks) with a choice of Sanook Sauce or Lime & Chilli (we chose the latter).  Some grilled vegetables of corn on the cob, green tomato (kinda hard) and cucumber sitting on top of something gooey (which I think is cheese + maybe mashed potatoes) round up the dish.

The salmon skewer that we got was not properly grilled and didn't have those nice char marks that we craved. In fact, it looked like we got steamed salmon instead! >.<  It was under seasoned, was cooked all the way through and had a very dry texture.  In short, it was nothing like the picture I saw on a blog.  Obviously, an execution inconsistency.  Not something I enjoyed eating would be putting it lightly.

We ordered a rice dish next, the Seafood Green Curry Fried Rice @ RM22.90.  I like Fried Rice.  I've enjoyed Green Curry before.  So, why not a green curry fried rice, I thought.  It was an interesting combination and I wanted to see if the combo works.

I think it did.  The seafood fried rice contained a few fairly fresh, good-sized prawns, some squid and came topped with chunks of salted egg.  It had all the flavours a good green curry should be.  Since it was fried with green curry, expect the rice to be a little bit wetter than the norm.  Also, fans of non-spicy food, beware as the fried rice is quite spicy...a little fiery, in fact! ^_^  And don't be misled by the 'innocent-looking' serving of the rice in a big spoon....it was a very big spoon (!) and housed a portion good enough for two or a very filling portion for one.

Also from the Rice & Noodles Section, we went with a Phad Thai Noodles with Prawns @ RM21.90 to complete our meal which was served with separate condiments of crushed peanuts and dry chilli flakes.

The Phad Thai was respectable with good-sized prawns, crisp strips of fried tofu and crunchy raw bean sprouts.

Toss in as much (or as little) of the crushed peanuts and chilli flakes you want and give it a good mix, with a squeeze of the fresh lime, and you're in for a treat.

For drinks, we went with mocktails of Sanoook Punch @ RM11.90 which is a mixture of mango, pineapple, grapefruit & grenadine and Slapping Beauty (not Sleeping Beauty), a combo of aloe vera, honey & apple also @ RM11.90.  I know it's the 'in-thing' these days for restaurants to have cute names for their drinks but sometimes it borders on being ridiculous (there's one here called "Shirley Goes to Thai Temple")!

Give the Sanoook Punch a good stir and the vibrant red of the grenadine comes to the fore.  I found it too sweet for my liking (the Slapping Beauty is the less sweet of the two).  So, the drinks here obviously suit those who like their drinks sweet.

On a side note, this place gets my vote for the most ridiculous plate I've ever come across.  With a heart shape embossed on the plate, the ridges of which made it difficult and impractical to eat from.  Even the fork and spoon had difficulty staying in place on the plate when put down.  I guess, besides good food, good presentation, good ambience, good service, you need an eye for good tableware too.....LOL! ;P

My Personal Opinion

The majority of the menu leans towards Thai specialities with Japanese offerings making up a small part of the menu only.  The few that I tried, I have to say the Thai dishes made a more positive impact.

The food I've managed to try here is average at best (though there's still plenty to try as the menu is quite extensive).  Prices may be a little on the high side (for both types of cuisine, especially the desserts) but some of the Thai dishes do come in generous portion-sizes.  I'm not sure if I'm convinced to order from the Japanese section of the menu again since they failed to nail the salmon skewer which I thought is one of the easiest things to execute.

Managed by the fine folks of Chakri (of which I had the pleasure of dining before), I think the Thai dishes here are still worth checking out as they certainly won't be as expensive as Chakri.  Just don't go in with too high an expectation and you should come off satisfied. 

Sanoook
Lot 1.104 Level 1 Pavilion Elite
168 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 93-2110 5756

#ewew cooks Corn & Mango Salsa with Roast Chicken

I've eaten lots of salsa when dining out but wasn't aware that it was actually so simple to make at home.  After successfully making mango salsa (and loving it so much), I was ready to make more salsa.

And since realising that corn can be made in an instant too (just five minutes is all it takes to microwave it), I thought I'd combine the two and make Corn & Mango Salsa as a side to go with Roast Chicken.

Ingredients:

1 ripe mango

1 ear of corn

1/2 a small red onion (2 tbsp)

1/2 - 1 red chilli (1/2 - 1 tbsp) depending how much heat you like

2 stalks fresh coriander leaves (3 tbsp)

Juice of one lemon

A drizzle of honey

Preparation:

Peel and dice the mango.

Finely chop the onion, red chilli and coriander leaves.

Method:

Cook the corn on the cob and cut off the corn kernels.

You can use it as it is or, if you want to get a bit of that charred flavour into the corn, drizzle some olive oil and saute the corn kernels until slightly browned.

Let the corn cool and mix the charred corn with the diced mango.

Add the chopped coriander, chillies and onion (steeped in water for about 10 minutes to get rid of the pungency).

Squeeze in the juice of one lemon and add a drizzle of honey for sweetness.  Toss everything together.

And the Corn & Mango Salsa is done!

Such beautiful colours and a very refreshing salsa to eat as well.

Great as a light and healthy starter :)

And a little effort with presentation to make it look prettier (if you're making it for guests).  You can use one of those stainless steel chefs food rings to do this.  But I'm not a chef, so I don't have those food rings, of course! ;)

What I do have is an egg ring...you know those that our local burger stalls use to cook egg banjo.  I bought one long ago thinking I'd use it to keep the egg round for the rounded burger buns but never really used it in the end.

Well, at least I've found a new use for it now.  Just spoon your salsa into the ring and compact it a little and lift the ring...and wala....you have yourself a nicely presented Corn & Mango Salsa ^_~

This Corn & Mango Salsa also makes an excellent side dish with some grilled seafood, especially fish and prawns.  But it's also just as fabulous with Roast Chicken! ^.^

Season with just salt and freshly cracked black pepper and a light drizzle of olive oil and honey...and use the leftover coriander roots too (nothing gets wasted) as they contain lots of flavour.  Bake at 200°C for about half an hour.

There's nothing better than a crispy skin, easy-to-make, delicious chicken with a refreshing salsa for dinner nights.

This Corn & Mango Salsa with Roast Chicken is a wonderful dish for entertaining family and friends as it's simple enough to execute at home (in big numbers) to a great degree of success! ^o^

Serves 2 - 3 (the corn salsa)

Ra.Ft Cafe @ Lorong Binjai

I first saw photos of this new cafe in the city, Ra.Ft Cafe @ Lorong Binjai from eatdrinkkl and was instantly attracted to this sunny cafe with 'green' ambience and floor-to-ceiling glass walls.

I even suggested this charming cafe to a friend (when she asked for a recommendation for her office luncheon with clients) even though I've yet to visit the place myself.  Imagine me recommending some place that I've not even been to.  I guess I know a good thing when I see one (or I was just convinced further when I saw photos of the captivating food on theyumlist).  Incidentally, my friend liked it and gave a 'thumbs up' to the place...phew!).  So, that meant I must visit soon...and visit I did when I came here with another friend recently.

Even more greenery on the wall :)

Ra.Ft got its name from the initials of their Italian founders, Andrea Rossi and Filippo Tomelleri (along with rather cute job titles of Director of Coffeebeans-counting & Director of Storytelling in their name cards)! ;)

We were greeted at the entrance by smiling staff and ushered to our seats.  One of the owners (Filippo himself) attended to us and brought us the menu...and asked us to call upon him should we need any kind of assistance.  Not only that but he also graciously helped my friend with some photo taking.  His engaging personality makes him very likable (I can see why he's the Director of Storytelling ^_~) which will endear him to his customers no doubt...we couldn't ask for a better start.

Like any breakfast cafes, a big breakfast for ferocious appetites is a must...and Ra.Ft's version fulfills that need (and more) with their RA-FT 'All in One' Breakfast @ RM30.

That boasts of a big platter filled with streaky pork bacon, chicken or pork sausage, eggs of your choice (scrambled or sunny side up), sauteed mushrooms, smashed potatoes with a bit of melted cheese on top, roasted tomatoes, baked beans and a slice of home-made bread with herbed butter.

Everything on the plate was nicely done and a delight to eat...the scrambled eggs were perfectly cooked, the mushrooms were seasoned just right, even the smashed potato with crisp edges was tasty.

And the bacon, of course, was crisp and fragrant but the pork sausage, bursting with flavour, was my most favoured thing on the plate...sooooooooooo good!  This one definitely cements its place on my list of BBB (best big breakfasts) ^o^

Even the simple home-made and well toasted bread with herbed butter deserve praise...and we could have easily devoured another slice.  This is a breakfast built for one large or two more petite appetites.  But after tasting all the components, sharing is probably the last thing on your mind! ;D

But share we did, just like our next order of pancakes.   We decided to have our Pancakes stuffed with Crispy Bacon and drizzled with Maple Syrup @ RM18.  You can also choose to have your pancakes original with honey and mixed berries (RM15) or stuffed with nutella (RM16).

Is that pretty or what? :)

The pancakes were delivered piping hot to the table.  These were large, thick, firmer-textured pancakes with a nice crust on the outside....and they were absolutely scrumptious.

When they arrived, I thought the crispy bacon on top and the small bits on the plate were all the bacon there was until I cut into the pancakes and found them generously stuffed with even more crispy bacon...dreams do come true! ^_*

The stuffed bacon added texture and savouriness to the pancakes. Best eaten while they're still warm. Extremely delish =)

Even though there was a sprinkling of sweetness provided by the powdered sugar, there wasn't quite enough of the fragrant maple syrup for the stack of pancakes.  I needed more.  I wanted more.  I asked for more.  I was given more! ;P

We also ordered a French Croissant (with Nutella & Almonds) @ RM8 for my friend's daughter.  You also have an option with butter and strawberry jam for just RM6 or a more deluxe version with parma ham and buffalo mozzarella (served with rocket salad) for RM25.

Now who wouldn't be thrilled with a soft, buttery croissant that's crisp and flaky on the outside, filled with chocolaty goodness on the inside, drizzled with even more chocolate (or nutella?) and finished with crunchy almonds on top.

It's bound to make any little girl (or even big girls) deliriously happy.  A good croissant with a great cup of coffee is all one needs as a pick-me-up in the morning.  A light breakfast with an equally light price.

In fact, Filippo, one of the cafe owners, served us all the three dishes himself (you don't see that happening often in cafes) and he made sure to return to check back with us on the food.  That's commitment, passion and service for you =)

There are lots of options on the menu from eggs benedict to toasts, croissants, bagels and pancakes...and I'm sure you'll find one that'll satisfy your needs.  You can even custom-make or create your own favourite breakfast by choosing the type of bread, eggs, proteins and sides you want.

If that's not enough, there are healthy vegetarian options like Bircher Muesli (RM10) or The Botanist (RM22), the latter which a friend of mine ordered on her visit and sent me a pic of.  Made with loads of healthy greens like broccoli, kale, zucchini, pea sprouts and mashed peas served with a poached egg and multigrain gluten-free bread to satisfy those looking for a super healthy and guilt-free meal.  I think I got a wee bit healthier just looking at it...wuahahahaha! :D

And to round up a good breakfast, the coffees need to be great.....and they delivered on that note too.

Hot Latte @ RM9

Hot Mochaccino @ RM9

Their barista made some uncommon but cute coffee art for us.....a bunny and a fox? ^_^

This cafe is kid-friendly too with a fairly spacious kids play area (with lots of soft toys) calmly hidden at the back of the cafe.

My Personal Opinion

The food ticked all the right boxes for taste, value, portion and presentation....and the coffees were equally great too.  The super friendly service and, in particular, Filippo's charming, chatty and engaging personality is bound to win you over.

If you're working or staying in the vicinity of KLCC, this trendy and friendly Italian-style cafe/bistro in the heart of KL is a must-visit.  An excellent spot to unwind and enjoy awesome food with family, friends or colleagues.

What more can I say?  My dining experience here was perfect.....just perfect! ^.^  I want (and need) more of such experiences! ^_~

Ra.Ft Cafe

Unit G-1 Ground Floor

Binjai 8 Lorong Binjai

Off Persiaran KLCC

50450 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2181 1091