Calia @ Pavilion

It's been a long while (a good 5 months) since I've dined out....and by that, I mean a proper dine-out...and at a new place.  Yes, of course I've dined out but mostly to usually frequented, not too crowded restaurants or non-airconditioned coffee shops near me (there's this feel-safe factor in familiar surroundings).

If there's no good reason to dine-out, I try not to (it's better to be safe than sorry) especially when you read scary news of new clusters forming all the time or a highly infectious strain spread by a superspreader or restaurants being told to shut temporarily because of positive cases.  All it takes is one callous individual (and we've had a few of those) to flout their home quarantine to land others in deep shit.

But I had good reason to venture out this time....on an invitation by my extended family for a celebration of some sort...a birthday.....my birthday! ^.^   So, our small (enough) group made our way to Pavilion (incidentally, this was also my first visit to a shopping mall since the pandemic started...so "kwai" aka good girl, right?).

We were supposed to dine at a place suggested by my brother-in-law but found that it had closed when we reached Tokyo Street (with Sushi Zanmai slotted to open in its place).  I  later realised it was Fuji Sushi he was referring to (which I've been to before and written about previously).  So, we proceeded to Calia @ Pavilion instead.

The name didn't ring a bell initially (when my sister-in-law suggested it) but on seeing the restaurant (and the menu), it came back to me and I remember reading a review by Sean of EDKL on the place, so I made sure I ventured in with a lowered expectation.  Sorry for the lack of photos of the place as the place was crowded and photo-taking opportunities were limited without being intrusive.

I was tasked with ordering a few starters for sharing and you can make your choices from a selection of Sashimi, Salads, Cold and Hot Starters.  I ordered something light to start off our meal, Kanpachi Ceviche @ RM38 of thinly sliced amberjack sashimi served with a ginger and coriander dressing (although this wasn't quite the typical ceviche I'm accustomed to where the raw fish is cooked in some kind of acid).

This was met with a rousing approval across the table.  The firm texture of the fish with its fresh, clean taste was well balanced with the salty flavours of the sauce (a tad oversalted for me but fine for the rest of my dining party).  Not only did it taste good, the presentation looked visually appealing too....prettily garnished with edible flowers. ^_~

Next on the order list was the Baked Scallops @ RM38 in a creamy miso sauce topped with ikura, wakame seaweed and chopped spring onions.  The Hokkaido scallops (not sure why it came cut up like that but it made our sharing even easier) was perfectly baked to the right sumptuousness for a creamy, buttery finish. Another winner.

From the salads section, there were only two choices, one was a kale salad, the other was the Calia Soft Shell Crab Salad @ RM33 with mixed salad leaves and crispy soft shell crab in goma (sesame) dressing. The crisp and lively salad leaves eaten with the crunchy soft shell crab in one of my favourite dressings has the makings of a light, refreshing appetiser that is sure to please any salad lover.

My next option was a bit unexpected, straying away from the strongly Japanese-influenced menu, a localised dish of Salted Egg Yolk Chicken @ RM23 caught my eye as it had a chef's hat next to it.  The freshly fried, well marinated chicken pieces were superbly executed to crispy perfection yet tender and juicy to the bite.

It arrived piping hot (you can still see the the bubbly/foamy interaction between the salted egg yolk sauce and the oil on the surface of the chicken)...and the smell of the salted egg yolk was very evident the moment the dish reached our table.  The sauce coating was not cloying at all like some can be.  Surprise, surprise (I was impressed) with their version of our ever popular salted egg yolk dishes. :P

Our final starter for sharing was the Umami Fries @ RM15.  When we see the word 'umami', we're always tempted.  The fries were probably tossed in some furikake and seaweed for that umami taste.  It was ordinary but executed well with a pleasantly crisp mouthfeel.  Nothing to fault.

With all the sharing starters getting off to a flying start, I was eager for the mains.  We each selected our own mains.  I went with a selection from their Calia Bowl, the Unagi Bowl @ RM55 filled with grilled eel slices (yay, I got the upper body part) with housemade unagi sauce and truffle egg.  Not sure about the truffled egg description in the menu though since I got what looked (and tasted) like just kinshi tamago (thin egg threads).

May not necessarily be my most favoured unagi bowl but certainly a more than decent tasting unagi, perhaps only lacking a bit of that smoky char and caramelisation that I so crave in unagi.  The portion of vinegared rice, plentifully sprinkled with furikake seasoning, was generous (I left some behind though others might not feel that it's too much).  I admit, the texture of the rice was a little soft but also not to the extent of being mushy.

A sister-in-law had the Wagyu Sukiyaki Bowl @ RM38 with full-blood marbled wagyu slices with mirin sauce and a 63°C egg.  Full-blood here refers to a breed of cattle, not that you'll get bloody meat...kekeke (so, no worries for those who don't like their meat oozing with blood).  The thinly sliced beef was adequately tender, just not marbled or having a lot of flavour in the meat.  I wasn't expecting that anyway seeing the inexpensive pricing of the rice bowl (I think they oversold the quality of the beef by the description in the menu).

Another two diners in my party chose their chef recommended speciality, the Aburi Salmon Bowl @ RM43 that came with flame-seared salmon in their secret Calia sauce (probably some kind of teriyaki-type sweet sauce...I can't ask them what's in their secret sauce or they might have to kill me...haha!).  The salmon bowl, topped with ikura, was accompanied by marinated (red) radish, pickled ginger, wakame seaweed and a pinch of wasabi.

The salmon was capably seared with just enough char on the outside while still remaining lightly raw on the inside for a very satisfactory bite.  Luckily, they weren't heavy-handed with the sauce this time (they must have read Sean's review and taken his comments of too much sauce and too clumpy rice into consideration). I have to say I had no complaints on the portion size of all the rice bowls we ordered.

The final choice of main was the Truffle Chicken @ RM43 which consisted of free-range chicken pieces in a truffle teriyaki sauce served with a smidget of yuzu kosho (a paste combining fresh chillies, usually green, salt and juice from yuzu).

The chicken cuts, with skin-on, lightly charred, was a combination of both drumstick/thigh and breast parts (which I realised later when I looked at the photo).  Unfortunately, I got the breast piece which, fortunately, was still adequately juicy.  For the life of me, I can't quite remember what the truffle teriyaki sauce tasted like, I just remember it to have a rather thick consistency.

We tried some of their speciality drinks which included an Iced Purple Sweet Potato Latte @ RM16 (made from mashed, dehydrated and grounded Korean sweet purple potato).  The drink was surprisingly light as the taste of purple sweet potato was kinda muted (but you can still taste the sweet potato).  I was glad in a way, otherwise the drink might be too cloying if it was too thick.  Probably the hot version would be more intensely flavoured.  The colour is so pretty too.

As for my sister-in-law's Iced Goji Beri Tea @ RM13 (a red tea infused with goji berries), she said she didn't taste the goji berries, instead it simply tasted like ribena to her.  What was interesting though was the extra large cube of ice that was in the glass.  Not only did it look charming in presentation, the ice remained more or less intact right up to the end of the meal.  Obviously a bigger block of ice tends to melt slower thereby not diluting the drink in the process but still does the job of keeping the drink cold.

Other drinks included a Cold Pressed Juice @ RM16 of orange, carrot, lemon & mint....

......and a Hot Latte @ RM11 that my brother-in-law said was pretty good.

Water is complimentary (and served in a cute-shaped glass that I approve, hehe)....and it was constantly refilled too without us having to initiate it.

Hey, it's a birthday...so there must be cakes, gateaus to be precise!  I've heard people praising their Matcha Lava Lava to the skies (and that it's worth coming here just for that)...but, alas, it needed a 25-minutes prep time.  So, my sisters-in-law just picked from a selection of gateau from the display cabinet out front.  The first pick was this Hazelnut Dark Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel @ RM20.

The dark chocolate gateau, topped with hazelnuts, chocolate buttons and chocolate pipings with a drizzle of salted caramel, was very rich and, best of all, not sweet...but also missing a bit of that lusciousness that I seek.

It was a nice touch that the cake came with birthday wishes and top a tiny candle on top.  They also brought along some servers to sing me a Happy Birthday tune (and apparently I wasn't the only one that day, so not so paiseh-lah).

The other gateau was a Strawberry Cheesecake @ RM25.  There were notably three layers, a biscuit crust (graham cracker crumbs?) at the bottom, a middle layer of cheese (cream cheese?) and a top of what looked like a layer of jellied strawberry sauce and fresh strawberries.

I don't know much about cakes (since I don't partake in them all that often) but this cheesecake looked (and tasted) different from the usual ones I've had before.  The cheese layer of this one is much lighter and softer in texture and milder in taste, almost mousse-like, which I didn't mind eating at all (and that's saying a lot coming from a non-cheese fan).  Is this what is called a no-bake cheesecake?  I found this the better of the two gateaus (I especially liked the tangy layer of the strawberry jelly)...it was a creamy, dreamy dessert.

I felt that the gateaus were a bit on the pricey side since they were just a stand-alone piece of cake.  I would have been more receptive of those prices if they were platted desserts instead.

Besides a place for food, Calia also has a dedicated retail area out front with items for sale from extra virgin oil to flavoured oils, flavoured salts to gold salt, black pepper to gold pepper, gold mustard to macadamias, bottled sauces to noodles, wines to sakes...and water bottles to lovely tableware.

Yes, you heard right....they have gold seasonings here...what?!  Hmmm, I wonder if gold salt or gold pepper tastes any different...besides giving out an aura of opulence.  Care to find out at RM45.99 a bottle? ;)

The colourful cutlery sets of knife, fork, spoon and dessert spoon look mighty attractive.  I don't know how much they cost as the price wasn't visible.  For a grander touch of elegance and style, they have sets of all-gold cutlery for sale too.

My Personal Opinion

In the end, it was a very pleasant dine-out for me and my dining party and we enjoyed the food, ambience and service (quite the opposite of the poor Google ratings they received).  I certainly don't think they deserved such a low rating and, judging from the crowd, others probably thought so too.  I've been to restaurants which have a way higher rating where the food was way worse.

Perhaps I was easier to please seeing that I've not had a proper dine-out for a while now since the pandemic started.  Perhaps I did not suffer from heightened expectations (thanks to the heads-up by Sean).  Perhaps I had nothing to benchmark it to since I've not had the privilege of dining in any of their Melbourne restaurants.  Perhaps my taste buds had not been privy to better, premium quality Japanese food that the quality here was good enough for me.  Or perhaps it was simply a case of ordering the right dishes for our tastebuds (I eliminated the more expensive dishes as it's the courteous thing to do when you're a guest and it turned out that quite a few of the unfavourable reviews seemed to be about the quality and portion of the more expensive menu items which didn't apply to my experience, of course).

As with any new restaurant (and one that's brave enough to open right smack in the middle of a pandemic), initial teething and operational problems are bound to surface...that's why I try to refrain from visiting a new joint too soon so as to give them time to get their act together.  In this respect, I wish the diners will cut them some slack (seeing that they're relatively new) as some of the comments on Google were particularly harsh.

Food was served pretty fast (and piping hot too when the dish demanded it to be) even though the restaurant was running at almost full capacity.  We had no problems whatsoever with the service which was warm, friendly and very attentive.

I found most of the dishes had a touch of luxury (we ate with gold cutlery, you know, hehe) but at an affordable price point (bearing in mind that this is in a shopping mall like Pavilion).  I was quite happy with the quality of the ingredients based on the prices charged in such an environment.  The food was well presented and tasty...and the ambience and service elevated the food experience further.

Well, like they say, don't believe everything you read (and that includes my review). ^_~  Check it out for yourself (at least once) should you find yourself in Pavilion.  With a focus on simplicity and everyday dining, the Calia Bowls should keep your wallet not-too-stressed.

Calia
Lot 6.11.00 & E6.11.00 Level 6
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
168 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur

Best Things to Eat (Noodles) in Pandan Indah

This is as good a time as any to finally write a summary of some of the better hawker food (noodles to be precise) you can find in my humble neighbourhood which I've been eating a lot of since the Movement Control Order (MCO) kicked in.

So, understand that when I say best things to eat in Pandan Indah, I actually mean good enough food you can find in this taman and not necessarily the best food if compared to other places beyond Pandan Indah.  Obviously this list is more relatable to the good folks of Pandan Indah...hee..hee! ^_~

#1 - Prawn Mee

Let's start with my top favourite noodle to eat.  You can find this prawn mee at Restoran San May King.  I like this prawn mee for their use of medium-to-large prawns (even though they've been halved lengthwise), very thinly sliced lean pork (the thinnest lean pork I've eaten in any prawn noodles) and freshly fried crispy shallots (made inhouse, not prepackaged and I always ask for extra) although the broth can be better but I can't complain.

It was only in the past year or so that I've been coming here for their prawn mee (where ingredients are plentiful) after my favourite prawn mee lady retired (well, they say learning discovering new eats never stops).  I had high hopes when a new specialist prawn noodle shop opened in our area recently but, unfortunately, that one failed miserably.

#2 - Curry Laksa


For curry laksa, it used to be a choice between two, one in Restoran Lok Zok Liu where the broth is thick, savoury and full of coconut milk taste but sans cockles.  It's not one you can eat very often as it's too flavourful and filling (+ there were also rumours about their cleanliness).  Not sure how far that is true though I did see them closed for a couple of days not long after they opened for business.  So, eat at your own peril!

The other choice for a lighter curry laksa can be found at Restoran Pandan Indah Pulau Ketam Seafood Steamboat (they share the premises with another restaurant, so it's a hawker-style set up in the day time and steamboat at night).  The broth of this one is much lighter and not as santan-y but still worthwhile (you can choose from many toppings)...but, sadly, the stall called it quits after the MCO.  Haiz...my search for another curry mee in my neighbourhood shall continue.

#3 - Shredded Chicken Kway Teow (or Kai See Hor Fun)

The kai see hor fun I eat is from the same shop where I have my prawn mee although it isn't typically a kai see hor fun but more like a noodle soup with ingredients similar to kai see hor fun (this one will have to do for now).  I have it with meehoon instead as their hor fun isn't quite the type I like.

There used to be a better kai see hor fun at Restoran Lucky 6 but the lady manning the stall has also decided to call it a day after the MCO.  The MCO may not have directly caused the two stall owners to close shop for lack of business but the lengthy downtime has caused many to rethink about what they want to do going forward.

But when you mention kai see hor fun, most would point you to the more well-known one here, a stall in Restoran New 2020.  They used to be good back in the day but the soup base and quality of their hor fun has since deteriorated drastically, not to mention the lack of ingredients.

#4 - Pork Noodles

When it comes to pork noodles, there's a popular one at HK Porky Noodle House if you want a fully-loaded option with all the works.  It's good but can be a little heavy in terms of flavour (so I eat this only when I'm very hungry).

So, for a lighter version (which also means less jelak), I've since found another pork noodles at the same shop of the now-closed curry mee stall which isn't too bad.  The standout is their delicious minced pork patties which have bits of tung choy (preserved vegetable) in them (and they're very generous with their porky ingredients).  Since this pork noodle isn't as heavy, I add on a (barely-cooked) egg and have it with yee mee.

Again, when you mention pork noodles, most would probably point you to a stall in Restoran New 2020.  That stall even have a picture of a famous Hong Kong food critic plasted at their stall but what most don't know is that the stall is shared by two separate entities.  The stall which has the Hong Kong food critic's approval is the one that operates Fridays to Sundays only while the rest of the week is manned by a different owner (although sometimes the timing can change so you'll need to recognise the guy in the picture but it makes no difference to me as I'm not keen on either).

#5 - Pork Ball (or Sam Kan Chong) Noodles

There used to be a decent sam kan chong noodles manned by a couple who retired and passed their recipe to someone else (who still occupies the same spot) but somehow it didn't taste the same anymore.  Luckily, the one I used to eat in Pandan Perdana decided to move his stall to my neighbourhood (to Kafe Cahaya Bulan to be exact).

What differentiates this from other sam kan chong noodles is the inclusion of fried, crispy intestines (yummy yum yum).  The other is that it also comes with fish balls (which is uncommon for sam kan chong but good) besides the usual squarish pork balls and siew cheong (roasted sausages).  Although I have to say that this noodle is usually taken dry-style with kuey teow being the common noodle of choice, I've recently switched to the soup version with meehoon mee instead (which I prefer) as I find their kuey teow too gummy in texture.

#6 - Beef Ball Noodles

Restoran Yang Mooi is quite well-known in these parts for its good beef ball noodles and the best option is to have it dry (the minced pork topping is splendid) with beef balls.  Other options include ngau chap (mixed beef innards) and beef stew with radish.  They now come with a dry chilli condiment (like the ones served with pan mee) for you to amp up the flavours of your noodle even more.

#7 - Beef Noodles

There is another worthy contender for beef noodles in my neighbourhood at Chang Kitchen though this one offers a slightly different take and is more known for its ngau chap and ngau lam (beef brisket) than beef balls.  I don't like beef innards as much as I do pork innards.

So, I always have the same thing here...and that is lai fun (thick rice noodles), dry-style with lightly-cooked, tender sang nyuk (raw beef).  The soup base of this one is more herbal-like in taste which differs from the ching but beefy soup of the earlier beef ball noodles.  

#8 - Wantan Mee

For wantan mee, the best bet for the dry-style is the one from Restoran Little Sifu.  Since it's also a roasted meat shop, you can choose the protein you want with your noodles, be it char siew, siew yuk, roast or poached chicken.

But when it comes to wantan mee in soup, there's only one I go for and it's the one in Restoran Lucky 6.  I like to have it with added poached chicken.  The char siew may not seem like anything great with its lean and pinkish looks but I don't mind it this way when I'm having the soup version (on good days, the char siew might even come with a light smoky flavour).  The soup is very clear and so addictive (I'm sure there's some MSG in play...hee..hee...but who cares)! ^.^

#9 - Stir-Fried Noodles

Good stir-fried noodles are hard to come by in my neighbourhood coz almost all of them don't cut it.  Finding a fairly decent one at dinner time is non-existent.  The only one I patronise is one that sells in the mornings till lunch time at Restoran Fuji Chicken Rice.


They offer all the usual stir-fried noodle choices but my preferred dish here is Kong Fu Chow (Cantonese-style noodles) either ying yong (meehoon + kway teow) or yee mee.

#10 - Pan Mee

In comparison to the scarcity of stir-fried noodles, pan mee, on the other hand, is a dime a dozen here.  Pan mee stalls or shops are so plentiful here though many come and go rather quickly.  None of the pan mee tickles my fancy (at least the few I've tried) but, then again, I may be biased since it's one of my least favourite noodles.  There's a popular one at Restoran Kin Kin but when I do feel like eating pan mee, I'd eat the one operating from a truck at our Friday pasar malam.  I don't usually go for thick noodles (as I find them too doughy) but this one is nice enough for me to do so + it comes with a kick-ass chilli dip.

#11 - Fried 'Economy' Meehoon (or King Chai Mai Fun)

King Chai Mai Fun can be found in many coffee shops that serves it for breakfast but most are run-of-the-mill except for one shop that does it well.  This no name eatery (next to Restoran San May King) specialises in king chai mai fun that comes with a super spicy anchovy-based sambal.  This economy fried meehoon (or mee) ranks among the best I've tasted.  I've seen them fry it with the use of some kind of leaf underneath (the lady boss told me the name of the leaf once, she says the meehoon is more fragrant that way, but I can't remember what it's called already).  They're probably one of the few (if not the only one) who have not resumed dine-in since the MCO.

#12 - Ginger Duck Noodles

This one is little bit unorthodox since it's not a noodle you'd usually find in stalls but I did uncover a decent tasting one in a halal restaurant (of all places) at Alanna's Kitchen (run by a Chinese).  The duck is super tender, the egg noodles soft and thick and the sauce, quite satisfactory...and, of course, lots of ginger! ;)

#13 - Assam Laksa

I've not come across stalls selling assam laksa (or at least I've not noticed any worthy ones) in most of the coffee shops I've been to.  So, if I happen to crave assam laksa (which isn't often at all), I get this from the pasar malam too but I've not had this since the MCO coz, for some reason, our pasar malam (except for a handful of stalls) have not resumed business (not sure why or if they're having a problem adhering to the strict SOP).

#14 - Char Kway Teow & Fish Ball Noodles

If you're wondering why I've not listed two of my favourite noodles, char kway teow or fish ball noodles yet, that's because (sadly) there are no decent ones here, not even near average ones... haiz! :'(

#15 - Kolok Mee & Hakka Mee

There's also a decent kolok mee (in Restoran New 2020 & 9898) and Hakka mee (in Restoran Chong Ko & Lucky 6) but I can't say I care for them much since they're languishing near the bottom of my list of favourite noodles to eat.  For some reason, I'm not a big fan of white-coloured noodles especially if it's without a soup base! >.<

If there are any good noodles I missed out, well, I guess I wasn't looking hard enough.  When it comes to neighbourhood eats, one is completely satisfied when one has found a decent enough one to eat (and won't bother looking further unless they close shop) as it's just a case of looking for a quick, hearty meal to satisfy one's hunger...and that's it.  I'm sure you have your preferred go-to stalls/shops too in your housing area for your favourite noodles. ^_~