Flint Restaurant & Bar @ Ampang

After reading ravishing reviews from both eatdrinkkl and theyumlist, it was inevitable that I'd come to visit Flint Restaurant & Bar @ Ampang, a sister restaurant of Stoked in Ara Damansara and part of the Vintry Group, sooner rather than later.

So, it became the venue of choice for a get-together with friends (that haven't met up for 3 months) when they requested specifically for a carnivorous meal...so feast like carnivores we shall! ;)

Arriving a little after 7pm on a Saturday evening, we found ourselves to be the first ones there which was great for both obstruction and people-free photography! ^_*  At first glance, the place isn't too big but it comes with an upstairs area that has an alfresco dining area (both upstairs and downstairs), so it's well-equipped to cater to a larger crowd, if need be.  I loved the exposed brick walls and earthy brown tones that exuded warmth and coziness.  The decor (and moose heads) reminds me of a hunting lodge.

Soon after we made our orders, we were served these complimentary bread.  They arrived piping hot at our table, so I assume they must have been fresh off the oven.  We were given two baskets of bread for our party-of-5-adults-and-3 kids.  One of the bread was a little on the burnt side which they promptly replaced (and I appreciated the extra attention to detail).

The crusty bread, with a good chew, was utterly crisp and hot that the spiced butter melted instantly when smeared on the bread.  This simple but good bread and butter got our meal off to a great start.

That night, it was all about the M-E-A-T!  No time for light bites, starters or soup...hehe!  Our first carnivorous order was the Australian Grain-Fed Angus Beef Rib-Eye (300g) @ RM118.

Cooked to a perfect medium rare, this succulent hunk of meat, with great marbling and remarkable flavour, was both tender and lusciously juicy.  Certainly my favourite steak of the night.

Our other steak was the Australian Grass-Fed Angus Beef Tenderloin (200g) @ RM90 (you can opt for a larger cut of 300g for RM133) which was also expertly executed to our request of medium rare.

Although this was pricier than the ribeye, I actually preferred the former (for its marbling) as the tenderloin (with remarkable caramelisation), though still very tender, was much leaner.  Those who prefer a leaner cut will certainly enjoy this.  For me, I need a bit of fat for added flavour.

If you thought that I was the one who cut the steaks into half...well, I didn't although I'd usually do that to show you how the steak was cooked.  So, I was pretty surprised to find it served this way, already cut up for us (which isn't the norm).  Perhaps it's their way of showing us that the steak was perfectly executed to our requested level of doneness.

Rounding up our grilled meats was the Australian Chilled Lamb Loin @ RM63 featuring two lamb loin chops grilled on the bone...and anything cooked on the bone is always extra tasty.  Those who are not fans of lamb (like me) would find it a bit gamey for my taste buds but my dining party (those who are lamb lovers) did not.

Even so, I had to give them due credit for the superior caramelisation achieved (we asked for medium).  The fabulous charring made it more divine.

All their grilled meats develop this incredible charring and have a greater flavour profile because they're cooked in an imported cast iron Bertha indoor charcoal oven to seal in moisture and flavour.  They also have a Drumbecue, a charcoal barbecue drum smoker, to grill their seafood and vegetables.

After ordering three fire-grilled meats, we weren't done yet and went with the Charcoal Oven Smoked Roasted Beef @ RM60 as our next choice.  This one utterly floored us with its taste.  It must have been braised in a superior stock that imparted sensational flavours to the meat before being smoked and roasted in the oven to succulent perfection.

The beef was so tender and flavourful, with a pleasurable char and just the right amount of luscious fatty bits, it was a hands-down winner with all my friends.  Don't miss this, a must-order! ^o^

For our final order from the grill, we went with the Free-Range Chicken (for half a bird) @ RM58 served with fresh greens and pesto sauce.  You know it's good when you can smell the amazing aroma permeating from the fragrant chicken as soon as the dish arrived.

It had this stunningly beautiful and even browning on the skin that made it thoroughly crisp and flavourful.  If there's a remote chance that you're not a red meat lover, this white meat will rock your world! ^.^

All the meats were served with fresh and crisp greens and a creamy herbed sauce on the side (except the chicken).  But the steaks, finished with a sprinkling of sea salt, were perfect the way they were, they didn't need anything else.  Just eat them as they are or with a touch of some freshly cracked pepper (they offered us two types of flavoured pepper).  They must have been a 'precious' commodity (perhaps even expensive) for they'll crack some onto the plate but yet won't leave them on the table at your disposal...kekeke! ;P

They have 5 sides that you could order to complement your carnivorous meal and let me just say these side dishes deserve merit too.  Our choices were Hand-Cut Sweet Potato Wedges @ RM14.....

....and Spiced Charred Cauliflower with Yogurt Mint Sauce @ RM14 and a sprinkling of fresh pomegranate seeds.  The others were Herb-Roasted Chat Potatoes, Sauteed Mixed Vegetables and Mesclun Salad, all at RM14 each as well.

Families with kids will also be pleased to know that Flint's menu is child-friendly too.  Their kids' menu offers 3 choices.

We chose the Macaroni with Creamy Mushroom Sauce @ RM15.  I had a taste of this and it was competently done, so much so that some adults wouldn't mind having it either.

We also ordered two portions of the Fish & Chips with Herb Aioli also @ RM15 each served with some roasted potato wedges.  A sure-fire winner with children.

Each kid's meal is accompanied by a cup of juice (I was told it was Ribena).  The third and final choice is the Chicken Meatballs with Tomato Sauce (RM15).

For drinks, they have lots of wine, beer, cocktails, mocktails, freshly squeezed juices and coffees that you can choose from.

I had a mocktail of Passion Fruit Mojito @ RM19 made with passion fruit syrup, soda water, lime and mint leaves.  Complimentary water is served though they have bottled still and sparkling water too (RM15).

My friends went for fruit juices with choices ranging from apple, carrot, lemon, orange, watermelon, cucumber or a mix of two fruits/vegetables.  Just know that you need to pay more for juices without ice at RM13 and RM10.50 with ice (which is totally acceptable since they come in the same glass size and filled to the brim).

And along the lines of the restaurant's child-friendly inclination, there's a kids' play area upstairs where mommies and daddies can hope to enjoy a quiet meal without having to fuss over their children (note the use of the word hope).

The play area might be a good idea to keep kids occupied but then we're talking about adrenaline-pumped children who get wildly excited when playing.  And what happens when kids get wildly excited....they make loud laughing noises (to put it mildly), scream is a better word! >_<  That's them (squeezed inside) and almost bringing down the tent!  So, parents beware...you may not want to let your kids know that there's a play area upstairs.  You may think it'll bring you peace of mind but it'll probably just buy you 10 minutes of bliss! :D Luckily, we sent them up long after our meal and with the ruckus they created, it was a signal for us to scoot (and I'm sure some of the diners were relieved that we did).  That's why it's hard for families with young children to dine at more "atas" places because of this.  If there's only one child present, everything's fine but when there's a few of them (aka a play group), all hell breaks lose! :O  Maybe it's not such a great idea, after all, to include a play area...kekeke! :D

My Personal Opinion

What can I say?  Food was flawless, service was impeccable and I loved every bit of it.  This place is heaven-sent for meat worshippers be it beef, lamb or chicken (with some seafood options).  They were all stunningly prepared and highly succulent although if I had to pick one, it'd be beef.....definitely.

It certainly won't be a mis-steak to choose this place the next time you're craving for just a hunk, a hunk of 'burning meat'! ;D  It's all about M-E-A-T and G-R-E-E-D here.  A place worthy of repeated visits, for sure ^.^

Flint Restaurant & Bar
24 Persiaran Ampang
55000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-4252 8262

I'm finally here.....at my 500th post! *woot woot*

It's been a long time coming.....but I'm finally here....I've arrived at my 500th post (8 months after reaching 400 posts)! ^.^

When I first started this blog, I told myself that I should set a target so that I have something to achieve and look forward to.  So, I did.  I set myself a target of 500 posts or 5 years (whichever is sooner)...and it looks like I got to my target in just a little over 3 years (I actually did a mental calculation of writing 2 posts a week, so it'll take me 5 years to write 500 posts, but I ended up writing more than 2 posts a week).

Ok, maybe some of you might think that the target was too modest but I doubt I'll continue blogging for 10 years, so I couldn't (and wouldn't) set a target of 1,000 posts! :P  Those who can keep going for 10 years or more certainly have my respect as I know it isn't easy to be continuously motivated...without some kind of 'benefits' involved (though I did make some money during the initial days for submitting my already written reviews to an online dining guide) ^_~

But since I have neither free food nor free stuff (though I did receive some invites which I graciously turned down) as that is not my blog's direction, so keeping continuously motivated and the passion to write alive is proving to be more difficult than I thought.

Call it whatever you want...blog lethargy, not as motivated as before, not as exciting as it initially was, preferring to eat at familiar 'same old same old' places or not eating out often enough are some of the reasons my interest is waning.  I had to keep reminding myself that this project is a "labour of love" more than anything else (though these days it might be more labour than love...haha)! >_<

Sometimes, when I feel I'm running on empty with only my passion for writing to spur me on.....your support definitely keeps me going for sure (and, yay!, I've just passed my 500,000 pageviews yesterday, slowly but surely).  Besides this, my other source of motivation comes from my interaction with other bloggers (who render encouragement with their kind comments).

I guess I need to persevere to give readers a choice of reading honest reviews on the food I paid for and ate, according to my personal taste buds (of course), with readers who'd want to read these type of reviews other than those invited (or paid) reviews.

The one setback I experienced with food blogging is that I miss not eating at my regular joints or visiting my favourite places often enough....coz who would want to read the same reviews (of probably the same food) over and over again, right?  So, I have to try to give people variety! ^_*

But, on the flip side, I've also eaten at so many new places (and discovered some truly good food along the way) that I wouldn't have done if I wasn't blogging.  So, in a way, I'm grateful for that.  But now that I've reached what I wanted to achieve, I'll no longer be so focused on showcasing new eateries on my blog.  If I want to try a new place, I will, otherwise I'll just enjoy eating at the places I want to eat at and the food I like to eat, some of which I'll blog about (again) and some I won't.

One thing I've learned is that whether you like or dislike the food is something very subjective.  Dining out is a very personal experience and it really depends on the experience that you yourself received.  It's different for everyone, be it tastebuds, ambience or memories created.  That's pretty much the principle of my blog anyway...I write honestly about what the food experience meant to me (but that same experience may turn out different for you).  So, decide for yourself, form your own opinions and don't take someone else's word for it (even if the restaurant has received great reviews).  

Now that I've reached the target I first set out for myself, there's no need for any more milestone recaps that have led me here, so this will effectively be my final milestone post!

I can choose to "retire" now...hehe! ;)  This is a good time as any for me to slow down and write less frequently.  Any additional posts from here on will be considered a bonus.  I'll probably continue to write, albeit at a much slower pace, until such time when I don't feel like writing any more....and then I'll just stop.

#ewew cooks Chargrilled Prawns with Mango Salsa

I managed to finish up the balance half of my scallops in a dish of Seared Scallops with Sugar Snap Peas in Salted Egg Yolk Sauce and had to cook another dish to finish off the other half of the large prawns I was given.

After flubbing the butterflying of prawns, more than once, I thought I better choose a safer option and do one where the prawns are peeled completely...that I can do! ;)  I've always loved salsa (including the dance *wink*) but have never made it at home, so my dish is going to be Chargrilled Prawns with Mango Salsa.

Ingredients:

6 large prawns

1 medium ripe mango

1/4 of a small red onion (1 tbsp)

1/2 a red chilli (1/2 tbsp)

1 clove of garlic (1/2 tbsp)
1 stalk fresh coriander leaves (2 tbsp)

Juice of half a lemon

A drizzle of honey

Marinade (for the prawns)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 tsp honey

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp coriander roots

Preparation:

Marinate the shelled prawns with salt, pepper, honey, olive oil and finely chopped coriander roots for at least an hour in the fridge.

In the meantime, finely dice one clove of garlic, half a red chilli, a quarter of a small red onion and some fresh coriander leaves.  If you think you can't take the heat of a red chilli, by all means substitute it with finely chopped red bell pepper.

I used to hate the pungency of raw onions until I discovered the 'secret' to mellow out the strong taste of the onions.  To get the sting out of the raw onions, just let them steep in water for about ten minutes before draining them for use (I just used tap water though the tip will tell you to use cold or ice water).

Method:

Fry the prawns in some olive oil under medium heat until slightly charred.  This is a quick-fire dish as the honey seasoning in the prawns will coz the oil to darken very quickly, so speed is of the essence! ^_*

When the prawns are almost done, stir in the chopped garlic followed by half of the chopped fresh coriander when the garlic is slightly golden.

Dish up immediately (and make sure you pour over some of that lovely garlicky-coriander sauce too).

To put the salsa together, dice the mango into small cubes and add the finely chopped red chilli, onions and balance of coriander leaves.

Pour in the juice of half a lemon and stir to combine everything together (I use lemon juice coz I find that it's less sour than lime but you can certainly use lime if you want to).  A drizzle of honey (optional) will add some sweetness to the vinaigrette (if you find the salsa too acidic for you).

And the mango salsa is done!  Spoon the salsa onto a plate and top with the prawns...and here's my Chargrilled Prawns with Mango Salsa.  It's light, it's fresh, it's utterly delicious.....and so quick to make. Sensational as a starter or even as a 'dieters-rejoice' main meal.

Mango and prawns.....one of those perfect marriages (of ingredients)! ^_*

I absolutely adored the flavour of the prawns with the sweetness of the mango together, a bit of crunch from the onions, very faint hint of heat from the chillies (can add more), freshness from the coriander and the zesty flavours of the lemon/honey vinaigrette made the dish pop....so good! ^o^

I just can't believe how good it turned out.....you have to so make this (especially so if you love anything and everything tangy) ^.^  This is one dish (besides the Best Cauliflower Dish Ever) that I implore you to make but you must be willing to spend a little and do it with decent-sized prawns (coz small prawns just won't have the same effect).

I wonder why I've not made mango salsa sooner at home...it's so simple to do.  Well, I guess I'll have to fix that coz this is one dish I'm definitely going to make repeatedly.  I think it's going to be great with any kind of seafood or even as a dip with tortilla chips.

Serves 2 (as a starter) or 1 (as a light meal)

Bentoya @ Sunway Velocity

This was my first trip to Sunway Velocity Mall since it opened in December last year even though it's very close to where I live.  First impression.....meh! >_<  There are some malls you'll like instantly...and there are those that you won't...and this mall was one of those (the latter, I mean).

The parking is really huge and confusing but, luckily, they provide this extra service of ferrying you to and from your car (for people who get lost or parked too far away from the entrances to the mall) in some kind of golf buggy! ;)

Although there are a lot of eating places here, a look at their directory will soon reveal that most are the same old, same old places you'd find in other shopping malls...and, worst still, you'd probably have eaten in at least half of them already.  Nothing stood out, none excited me...and that's not a very good start.

If you're looking for some premium eateries or new and exciting dining options, you'll be sorely disappointed as there aren't very many.  In  the end, we settled for Bentoya @ Sunway Velocity as our first eating stop here. The place is quite small, so expect small tables and cramped spaces.

From the name of the place, it's quite obvious what their signature offering here is.....it's called Bento...Ya! ;P

So our first order was the Curry Soft Shell Crab Bento @ RM26 that comes with a fried soft shell crab (of course), Japanese curry, edamame, kimuchi (Japanese kimchi) and an egg.

There's nothing to fault the crispy fried soft shell crab as it was a pretty huge one with a fair bit of roe too.  I absolutely adore soft shell crab.  Who wouldn't? ;)  It's a crab with no shells to get at...and you can devour the entire thing with ease! ^.^

I guess, besides the soft shell crab, I was attracted by the Japanese curry which I've never ordered at a Japanese restaurant before and I thought it was high time I tried.  The first thing that hit me was the flavour of curry powder (a bit like Indian curry but a lot milder) followed by the thickness of the curry like the texture of a roux or some kind of stew.  The cooked down potatoes and carrots probably added to the thickness of the curry and brought some sweetness with it too.  If you like curries to be slightly on the sweet side and not spicy at all, then you'd probably enjoy Japanese curries.  I didn't particularly like it but I didn't dislike it either. I wouldn't jump at ordering it again if I see it on the menu...once in a while is alright!  I guess nothing can beat my love for our local curry that's savoury, spicy and laden with coconut milk yumminess.

An egg (with a soft, almost runny yolk), edamame and kimuchi rounds up the bento.  I don't eat Korean kimchi (coz I dislike it immensely), so this Japanese version of kimchi is wasted on me (I'd rather have any other Japanese pickled vegetable).

#Side Story:
I actually don't eat bentos all that much coz I'm freaked out by the idea that the bento box may not be cleaned properly.  Especially so when confronted with some unsightly bento boxes that are tarnished or have seen better days.  I, myself, have tupperwares that are compartmentalised which I use to "tapau" chap fan where you get the benefit of separating your rice from all your dishes.  The problem was, when it came to washing, the nooks and crannies of the compartments are very difficult to clean.  Most times, I have to wash it at least three times (or more) just to get all the oil stains out...and I know restaurants won't bother when they're very busy.  That's why I have this phobia of eating out of bento boxes...haha! ;P  But this bento place is fairly new, so the boxes would at least be in better shape now than later.

We also had a Salmon Teppanyaki @ RM28 with stir-fried vegetables and sweet corn.  When it arrived though, it didn't look like the picture in the menu at all.  That one showed a whole piece (as in one piece!) of a fairly thick cut of salmon.  What we got instead were three thin slices of salmon.  Of course, in terms of value, we weren't shortchanged...three thin slices for one thick cut.  Only problem was, thin slices of salmon also meant they'd be overcooked and dry.

The price is inclusive of a serving of miso soup and rice.

Drinks of Pineapple Juice @ RM8 and Iced White Coffee @ RM10.

Besides bento boxes and teppanyaki, they serve ramen too...and there's a very spicy one called Hell Ramen (RM23).  But inflicting 'torture' on myself isn't my idea of fun or a good eat...hell no! :O  Be warned that the place is a bit stuffy, so eating a spicy (and hot) ramen may not be the wisest decision! ;)

My Personal Opinion

With over 40 varieties of bento at affordable prices (and many of them costing under RM30), I'm sure you'll be able to find one that suits you.  

Taste-wise, it wasn't half bad, just quite ordinary, so leave your high expectations at the door.  But it should still suffice if you're looking for a quick meal of bento with a bit of everything.

For me, I'll probably not be back for a long while as it wasn't enticing enough.  If I'm at this mall again, I'd want to try something else! ^_~

Bentoya

4-03 Sunway Velocity Mall

Lingkaran SV Sunway Velocity

55100 Kuala Lumpur