Makoto Unagi Restaurant @ Desa Sri Hartamas

I've heard about this restaurant, Makoto Unagi Restaurant @ Desa Sri Hartamas, and have bookmarked it for many years now as I've always wanted to try their speciality...and theirs is not just any unagi (Japanese freshwater eel), they're probably the only restaurant (I know of) that prides itself on serving live unagi.

Most of the restaurants I know (or have been to), the unagi comes to them in either frozen form or already pre-prepared...so getting the chance to eat unagi that's killed on the spot and then cooked for you was an experience I was not going to miss.

I made reservations beforehand and was surprised to find that we were given a private room when I got there...how lovely!

Obviously unagi is at the forefront of this restaurant's specialised menu (and, mind you, their unagi isn't all that cheap either since it's super fresh...well, it's literally alive before it's served to you) and they've since expanded their menu to include some items other than unagi.  So, I ordered a couple of starters/snacks beginning with this Hone Senbei @ RM12 (before we get down to the main reason why we're here).

Hone Senbei are actually eel bones that have been deep fried to crispy perfection and you dip them into the salt provided for some savouriness.  Well, this is like nose-to-tail dining where every part of the eel is used (and nothing is wasted)...lol!  The bones were super crunchy, fragrant and salty (this was a first for me as I've not had fried eel bones before) but do be careful with the slightly thicker bones to ensure that they're well chewed and not get stuck in your throat! >_<

Another crispy snack was this Shirao Kaarage @ RM28 which is lightly battered, crispy whitebait (these are, of course, a lot larger than our usual whitebait).  I squeezed the lemon over it and wished that it came with some mayo (for dipping) but I guess this place is all about clean, subtle tastes.

It was definitely lacking salt (so I sprinkled some salt over it which I got from the earlier dish of eel bones). Wished it was fried a bit more for more colour and a crispier texture.

Next up was the Umaki @ RM54 which is actually an unagi tamagoyaki (or unagi egg omelette) served with some chopped spring onions and grated daikon.

It was like any fluffy tamagoyaki rolled omelette I've eaten (and enjoyed) in other Japanese restaurants...just that this one had bits of unagi meat stuffed in the roll (and hence more pricey!).

The Salmon Miso Maki @ RM38 featured 6 pcs of aburi (flamed) salmon roll served with vinegared ginger and fresh wasabi.  Sorry, I can't remember the exact stuff that was inside the roll but it was delectable.

I absolutely loved the abundant torched mentai on top of the salmon, it was smoky and deliciously creamy, coupled with the juicy, salty, crunchy fish roe, for that perfect bite.

The refreshing choice of Kappa Hosomaki @ RM8 is a minimalist sushi roll featuring crisp cucumber as the main filling, wrapped in seasoned sushi rice and nori seaweed, making it more like a palate cleanser before our main meal...hehe!

Completing our cast of supporting starters (or what I would refer to as "tummy fillers" before our "main event") and fulfilling our vegetable quota for the meal was this Horenso Itame @ RM18 which was simply a spinach stir-fry topped with togarashi (Japanese red pepper flakes).  I thought it was pretty expensive for such a small portion though. >.<

And now, on to our main event which is of course what they're best known for...live eel!  Let me show you "our wriggly, slimy friends" before they met their untimely (or was that timely?) death for our dining pleasure! :O

We begin with the Makoto Unaju Special B @ RM185.  This showcased a charcoal-grilled half unagi with unagi sauce (kabayaki) and another half without sauce (shirayaki) served with a clear soup (without liver), rice and pickles...where as the only difference if you order the Special A @ RM188 is that it comes with unagi liver soup.

Unagi done both ways was good either way...the half done kabayaki-style (the top half) with its sweet, soy-based sauce is the more common style (and what most people have tried and would gravitate towards) as it offers the unagi a smoky flavour and a sweetish, sticky sauce coating.

The other half done shirayaki-style (the bottom half) was grilled plain with just salt and served with wasabi isn't as commonly found offering a pure, delicate flavour of the unagi.  Those who want to taste the unadulterated, clean, natural taste of the unagi without the distraction of a sweet-based sauce would favour this style of cooking.  This was my first time eating it this way as you need really fresh unagi to be able to pull this off. ^o^

The other way of having their speciality is known as the Nagoya-style in the form of Unagi Hitsumabushi @ RM165 featuring charcoal grilled unagi served with rice and condiments and a pot of hot soup. ^.^

For first-timers and those who are unfamiliar with this style of eating, not to worry as it comes with a self-explanatory instruction card to show you exactly how it's done.  Well, you basically divide your unagi and rice into 4 portions and enjoy them in 3 stages.

You eat the first portion as it is to...to savour the charcoal-grilled unagi with the sweet savoury sauce.  The second quarter, you enjoy it with condiments of shredded nori seaweed, chopped spring onions and wasabi.

The third portion, you eat it ochazuke-style by pouring the dashi broth into your rice.  I've had hitsumabushi before though I felt this one was more successful coz soup over plain rice (with a light drizzle of sauce instead of flavoured rice I had at Rakuzen) lets you savour the light, subtle taste of the soup better.  Finally, you savour the last portion in whichever of the previous 3 styles you enjoyed the most.  P/S: Sorry there are no individual photos of the 3 stages as you can imagine dividing the 4 portions into another 4 portions...since the four of us wanted to try the unagi here both ways, actually three ways if you include having the unagi shirayaki-style...we literally had like a spoonful each for each stage...lol!

Green Tea was RM4 per pax which was refillable...of course we wouldn't be satisfied with just green tea. After dinner, we adjourned to Cellar Eighteen, a wine shop within walking distance from Makoto, for some tipple.  Nice little quiet place to sit down with friends to enjoy good wine and good company.

Thank you, dear friend, for buying us this bottle of red wine (good recommendation by the guy in Cellar 18). Of all the red wine I've had before, this one was the one I enjoyed the most (and it's not because someone belanja, ok)! :D

My Personal Opinion

I'm glad I can finally tick off the box of having tried unagi served from live eels, certainly one of its kind and probably the first and only restaurant in KL that serves live unagi.  The unagi was definitely top-notch in terms of quality and taste.  They were excellent...super tender, exceptionally fresh and obviously the best I've had (others I've had before now pale in comparison...and others I'll have in future will now always be compared to this as the benchmark). ^_~

So, what was my favourite style, you ask?  I prefer eating it kabayaki or shirayaki style to savour the excellent quality of this unagi...and not hitsumabushi style as I thought it was a waste of good unagi being drowned in the soup and losing that delicate flavour of the unagi.

This place is all about the unagi...and that's about it.....for me!  If you simply love unagi (and have not had a good quality one), then you must give this live unagi a try! ^o^

Makoto Unagi Restaurant

No 54 Jalan 27/70A

Desa Sri Hartamas

50480 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-6211 1409

Soybean Factory @ Pandan Indah

I've heard about Soybean Factory's tau fu fah (soy pudding) for the longest time and was thrilled when a branch opened up in my taman though it took me a while before I made my maiden visit.

Well, that's because I try to refrain from eating too much sweet stuff if I can but wanted to bring my friend (and her daughters) to this dessert place, Soybean Factory @ Pandan Indah (their 15th outlet), after our simple breakfast of sourdough and eggs in my regular go to cafe in the mornings.

It was noon already by the time we made it here.  The first thing my friend told me was she has been here before (with another friend) and their tau fu fah desserts didn't leave an impression.  I was taken aback since I'uve only heard good things about their soybean goodness with many branches (Connaught & C180 Cheras, Setapak, Kepong, SS2 PJ, SS15 Subang Jaya, Serdang, Rawang, Shah Alam & Klang) enjoying at least a 4.5 (and above) rating.

Anyway, I proceeded to make the orders starting with this Luscious Pandan @ RM17.90.  This was an easy decision as this tau fu fah dessert was entered into The Malaysia Book of Records for having sold more than 237,000 bowls of pandan-flavoured tau fu fah in a year! :O

This tau fu fah dessert came with pre-determined toppings of delicious, mini chewy four seasons balls (of orange sweet potato, purple potato, taro & matcha balls), peach resin, longan and cincau served with soymilk and a choice of sugar syrup of either ginger red date, brown or white sugar.

The pandan tau fu fah, served cold only, was silky smooth and slurps lusciously down your throat effortlessly.  This dessert was also perfect for sharing among the four of us as the longan and cincau were in the right numbers...hehe.  We could also tweak the sweetness to our own personal preferences with the brown sugar when we scooped our share of the dessert into our own individual bowls.

Having ordered a pandan tau fu fah, I (of course) wanted to try their original, plain tau fu fah, the Classic Tau Fu Fah @ RM6.90 and we customised it to our own liking.  For the classic tau fu fah series, you have an option of getting it in either the cold or hot version (as it's traditionally eaten)...and so we opted for hot.

We added Purple Potato Balls @ RM2 (for 4 pcs), Black Sesame Tang Yuan @ RM4 (for 2 pcs) and Peanut Tang Yuan also @RM4 (for 2 pcs) for a total of RM14.90 (I chose brown sugar again...I don't think young girls will like ginger red date though I've never tried it myself either).  I can't imagine myself the taste of a spiced ginger syrup with a sweet dessert.

I absolutely loved the chewy goodness of the black sesame tang yuan (I can easily eat all four glutinous rice balls myself).  Between the pandan tau fu fah and the original tau fu fah, I preferred the former.....and I can see why they sold thousands of bowls! ;D

Complementing our soy delights were a side of snacks starting with these Popcorn Taro Balls @ RM9.90 of deep-fried sweet orange potato, purple potato and taro balls served with pandan kaya.

The coating was crispy and light while the 3 different-coloured/flavoured balls were chewy and delicious.  Makes an addictive snack on its own or dipped into a bit of kaya. ^.^

The other snack was just the plain, deep-fried Yau Char Kwai (Chinese cruellers) @ RM4.90 with a serving of kaya.  This reminded me of something similar I ate at a Thai restaurant (Nong & Jimmy) where their mini dough fritters were also served with kaya.

Yau Char Kwai is a popular street snack and I love to eat them the traditional way...and that is dipped in black coffee for breakfast or at tea time.  Although their version is not quite up there with some of the better (and crispier) yau char kwai I've eaten in the past, it's still passable if you want to snack on something while here.

My Personal Opinion

After one cold and one hot tau fu fah later, along with some snacks, I was smitten! ^_~  If there's a (not too sweet) dessert I enjoy besides tong sui, it would be a soybean dessert as I absolutely love a simple tau fu fah with just brown sugar (of course a more fragrant gula melaka would have been even better).

Soybean's soy products and desserts are indeed lovely, delicious treats one can indulge in and get addicted to (it's no surprise all their outlets have high ratings)...plus they can also be not too sweet if you use the sugar syrup of choice sparingly.  However, if you really do not wish to partake in any sweet based desserts, perhaps you'll be brave enough to try their savoury tau fu fah, one of its kind for sure (which I've not come across elsewhere).

In the end, I was glad that my friend, who didn't have a good impression the first time she was here with another friend (maybe they didn't order the "right" ones), enjoyed the desserts.  As for me, I plan to return for more pandan tau fu fah (and I can see why they sold so many thousands of bowls a year)...it's that g...o..o....d! ^o^

Soybean Factory

No 90 Jalan Pandan Indah 4/6B

Pandan Indah

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 012-646 2643

It's that time of the year to snack.....

Yes, that's right.....it's that time of the year to snack....what is Chinese New Year (CNY) without snacking, right?  So, once a year, I throw my restricted diet out the window (well, I'm not as disciplined or strong-willed as my blogger friend, PH)...wuahahahaha!

So, I'm not going to confess I didn't eat any CNY snacks (like PH's resilience).....coz I did! ;D  Of course, I'm no saint either as I do eat snacks sparingly throughout the year...but not quite like CNY snacking, if you know what I mean (but with as much restraint as I possibly could).  And I start with my most favourite snack of them all...crackers, both prawn & fish! ;)

This year I did not buy my usual 3-4 pkts of prawn crackers from my go-to stall in the wet market coz I wasn't planning to fry to giveaway, so I bought only 1 pkt of Prawn Crackers online @ RM38 from a Shopee seller...and, surprisingly, it turned out pretty good as well (now I can have my favourite prawn crackers throughout the year...yay!).  One pkt was just enough for our own consumption with some extras to giveaway to my makan buddies, hairdresser, Caring pharmacist (coz she always gives me advice or answer any meds questions I have) and the Parcelhub lady boss (return a favour coz she paid for my breakfast one morning when she bumped into me when tapau-ing her breakfast).  As for the Fish Crackers, I also tried a new Shopee seller and it turned out to be thinner and crispier...and better tasting too.  I've since bought both the prawn & fish crackers (again) to be fried later (tak berlarat nak fry for CNY).

Since I didn't fry enough crackers, I supplemented my stash with Tapioca Chips (of 2 kinds) @ RM12 a pkt (bought from Shopee).  One was this normal tapioca chips with salt (kerepek ubi masin).

The other was the spicy tapioca chips (kerepek ubi pedas kering).  Both from this seller were good...fragrant, fresh and crunchy.  The one with salt wasn't too salty and the spicy one wasn't too spicy...just nice! ;)

Next snack on the list was pineapple tarts as this is a favourite of my husband's, so I know I could eat sparingly and know he'll finish the rest...and let me say, I did try a few (new) brands this year (from Shopee) starting with this Aysha Bakehouse's Pineapple Bar (Mixed Flavours) @ RM26 (for 27 pcs).  These pineapple bars come in mixed flavours of pineapple, blueberry and strawberry (or you can opt for just one flavour).

I thought they were pretty tasty...though pineapple wasn't my favourite or the best tasting flavour...the blueberry was better. ^o^  Somehow these didn't find favour with my husband as much coz I think he's not into flavours like blueberry or strawberry other than pineapple.  I ate probably about 70% of this (luckily there were only 27 pcs in total) while he ate mostly the pineapple filling.

I also got smitten by these cute Heart-Shaped Pineapple Tarts by Chocolate Garage @ RM18 (for 21 pcs)...oops, these were bought before pre-CNY snacking.  They make a lovely gift for someone (especially for Valentine's Day), don't you think?

But taste wise, they were just ok...I think it needed a bit more pineapple filling as I really couldn't taste much of it but seeing that it's a closed pineapple tart, it's difficult to pack more filling into them.

My third choice was a winner for all...marketed as a Nyonya Melaka pure butter Pineapple Tart @ RM14 (for 14 pcs).  The small box offered a tester pack for my taste test...and they turned out to be fluffy, crumbly and buttery delicious. ^.^

Since they turned out to be good (and, more importantly, my husband liked it), I did not hesitate to order the bigger box of 42 pcs @ RM40.

I like that they're packed individually in their special plastic moulds (if you can call it that) as this will ensure they arrive at your doorstep in the best possible way (since they're known to be super crumbly).  This Nyonya Melaka and Aysha's will certainly see repeat orders in future...but between the two, the latter is still my pick.

So good that I was tempted to order their other product...the one with cheese added! :O  This Pineapple Cheese Bar (Mixed Flavours) also cost RM26 (except I noticed this one has only 8 x 3 flavours instead of 9 x 3...no wonder lah it's the same price with cheese).  You know what, coming from someone who don't like cheese, this one I really liked.

The extra crispy cheese on top gave it that crunch factor and brought a hint of savoury note to the pineapple bar.  Probably one of the more expensive pineapple tarts on Shopee but it's worth it as long as it tastes good. Incidentally, I bought all my tarts online from Shopee.

What is CNY without mandarin oranges, right?  I can count with my fingers the no. of times I've eaten fruits since I embarked on my restrictive diet but I wasn't going to miss out on this once-a-year fruit...these normal large ones for him.

And the mini mandarins for me...which is better for portion control since they're smaller (I like to think of it that way and "convince" myself that it is...hehe!).  I limit myself to two a day.

This container of ngaku chips was given by my neighbour (who fried it herself).  I wanted to say no to it (coz no-one in the family eats ngaku chips so I'll have to finish it on my own) just like she refused my prawn & fish crackers which I gift her every year (I was taken aback when she told me in advance not to give her any this year...apparently it doesn't taste all that great to her and her husband)! :O  But I know it's not tactful to say no to a gift..."when people give you things that you don't want, you must remember it's the thought that counts".  In the end, I bought her some mandarins as a return gift! *roll eyes*

Another snack that CNY is not the same without is bakwa or BBQ dried meat.  But, these days, the skyrocketing prices of my favourite brand has made it imperative that more reasonably-priced alternatives be sourced.  That made me try out 2 new brands, one was at 1/3 of the price (meaning I could have 3 pkts as opposed to just 1 pkt of Oloiya...I ended up buying a package deal of 4 pkts).

While the other (which someone recommended to me) was priced at 2/3 of the price of Oloiya saying that it tastes just as good as my beloved brand (well, it didn't taste anything near Oloiya which I expected).  But based on the price-to-taste, I thought they were decent enough to eat (always good as a bakwa sandwich).  I ended preferring the cheapest one while my husband preferred the other but my son liked neither! :D

On a side note, this happened during the Mooncake Festival (and not a part of this CNY snacking)...not wanting to indule in sweet mooncakes, I got myself a savoury version.  It has a similar pastry like any traditional mooncake except the filling is made with minced bakwa! :O

How did it taste, you're wondering?  Just think of it as eating the mooncake pastry with bakwa...to be honest, a regular mooncake with lotus paste and salted egg yolks (my go to flavour if I was eating) still tastes better. This one was a bit odd, not that it tasted bad just that it's not quite like a traditional sweet mooncake we're used to.

Well, that's about all the snacks I indulged in this CNY...not a lot really, right?  I'd say I probably ate about 20 - 30% of the snacks (except for the ngaku chips) while my family kaotim the rest.  So fast, it's Chap Goh Mei today already.  Till next year..........for now, let's enjoy our snacks in the meantime! ^_~