SOULed OUT Ampang @ The Linc KL

I was very kwai (obedient) throughout Chinese New Year (as it was during the early days of my restrictive diet), refraining from all sweet stuff, cookies, crispy snacks (other than prawn/fish crackers :P), kuih kapit, bak kwa, pineapple tarts and the works, including Mandarin oranges.

So, on an invitation from my sister-in-law, I had my one and only (proper) cheat meal (during the last CNY) at restaurant + bar, SOULed OUT Ampang @ The Linc KL.  It was a beautiful evening, so we chose to dine al fresco taking in the breezy evening and scenic views outdoors in this modern and charming venue.  But as night fell, do note that it can get quite dark and maybe not so suitable for dining but certainly gives off that intimate charm for drinks, snacks and conversation but can also be a buzzing atmosphere from watching sports or music on the big screen.

SOULed OUT with branches in Desa Sri Hartamas, Nexus Bangsar South and Pavilion Bukit Jalil in KL (plus outlets in Genting Highlands and Kota Kinabalu) turns 27 this year (wow, since 1996!).  They serve an array of international cuisine and local classics which includes western (a bit of Spanish & Mexican too), Asian (with Japanese, Indonesian & Thai influences) and local favourites (of Indian, Malay & Chinese flavours).

We started our dinner, when the horizon was still bright, with a dish that's suited for our climate, a very refreshing Tropical Tango Salad @ RM28.  When the salad has such a colourful presentation, it's a win already.  This is a salad of pineapple, orange, dried cranberries, mango, avocado, beetroot, cherry tomatoes, red & green coral leaves and spinach leaves tossed in a honey & lime dressing.  I would say that the salad was more unique (in terms of ingredients like beetroot, avocado and cranberries) in an appetite-indusing light dressing (rather than the usual leaves overly tossed in a thick dressing).  I liked that they use a lot more fruits which I absolutely adore (something I've not be able to have due to my restrictive diet).

Next to arrive was the ultimate crowd pleaser pizza of Mushrooms All The Way @ RM28 filled with earthy and juicy portobello, button and shiitake mushrooms together with briny and delicate oysters (though I can't remember biting into one...hehe).  My brother-in-law mentioned that my choice of a mushroom pizza was the right call coz its familiar and comforting flavour is always a hit.

This was followed by another familiar dish of Seafood Aglio Olio @ RM46 which presented itself with al dente spaghetti cooked with garlic and chilli flakes (the heat was rather subtle though, wished there was more for a spicier effect) together with fair-sized juicy prawns, tender mussels, fresh squid rings served with a piece of crispy, garlicky baguette.  I thought the pasta was quite ordinary though the seafood was fresh.

From their local favourites, my sister-in-law ordered the Railway Mutton Curry @ RM38 which she had enjoyed before.  The mutton curry was slow cooked in a blend of spices, dried chillies, curry leaves and coconut milk till super tender and delicious.  It was served with sides of curried chickpeas, cauliflower, naan and crispy papadum.  Both my husband and I were in agreement that it was the best dish of the night (and that says a lot coming from me, someone who doesn't fancy mutton).  I thought they would be more capable with western dishes (from the name of the place) but it turns out they've got a very capable chef who can cook Indian cuisine rather well (which was a surprise).

We also got an extra order of Plain Naan @ RM6 (to mop up the mutton curry) though it was accompanied by a dip of dhall curry itself.

We completed our meal with the final dish of Chicken Pot Pie @ RM30 which had tender chunks of chicken along with mushrooms, garden fresh vegetables of carrots, peas and onions encased in a flaky, golden brown pastry.

Breaking into the flaky, crispy crust of the pie, I was greeted with a hot filling of tender chicken chunks and softened vegetables in a creamy sauce that mimicked the taste of a chunky mushroom soup.  Sorry for the not-so-clear photo as evening turned to night as we were tucking into this dish that arrived last at our table.

I got myself a fresh juice of Green Apple @ RM13 (the safest choice and my first juice since I went on a restrictive diet).  As night fell, the servers will come round to light the candles on your table.  That's why I say it gives off that intimate vibe ideal for couples on a date...hehe.  It's especially great for those who like to dine al fresco (that's why you see a fair bit of expatriates dining here).

My Personal Opinion

In the end, my cheat meal was well worth the calories (of carbs and probably a wee bit of sugar in the cooking) that I was ingesting...lol! ;)  I would single out the mutton curry as the standout dish of the evening.

Seeing that they have quite a lot of Indian dishes on their menu like Malabar fish curry, classic butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, achari grilled eggplant, prawn varuval, vegetable pakoras, mamak mee goreng and lamb shank biryani (this one is specially for a certain lamb lover who adores this dish) among others, I guess their expertise in cooking Indian cuisine is not a coincidence.

Their menu is quite extensive and their western menu is pretty impressive too with dishes like open-faced beef wellington, all sorts of steaks (from ribeye to chateaubriand to Angus tomahawk), naked burger (that's breadless...ooo, perfect for me!) and lamb shank again (take note lamb lovers!).

A dish that caught my eye from the Asian section was their fried beef noodles as it came with a 'so lip smacking!' symbol (which means highly recommended lah) for I love a good beef hor fun.  When I do revisit, I will surely want to explore some of these dishes further.

SOULed OUT Ampang

G-12-AF Ground Floor The Linc

360 Jalan Tun Razak

50400 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 016-655 7622

4Fingers Crispy Chicken @ Pandan Jaya

Well, I've blogged about how much I enjoy eating 4Fingers Crispy Chicken @ Pandan Jaya (usually via delivery) before (here and here) that there's really no need for further posts when I had them again (after all, this is my family's go-to fast food fried chicken).

But I had to in this case to let you know I had something good...and something really bad (so that you'll be alerted and hopefully won't have to experience what I experienced).  Let's start with the bad!

I had this a few days ago and felt compelled to fast track this post to the top of the list to publish so that you won't make the same mistake I did of ordering it.

I ordered the Fiery Rice a la carte @ RM15.90 after seeing this rather innocent-looking rice box promo pic on ShopeeFood.  Not sure when this was introduced...probably sometime in December last year (based on the pic I found in their Facebook).

The rice came with a crunchy boneless chicken bite (yes, one piece only), tofu nuggets (3 pcs) and mixed vegetables of lettuce, corn, chopped tomatoes and dried cranberries (but there weren't any garbanzo beans or chickpeas) drenched in a super fiery hot sauce.  So hot that my mouth was on fire after just one spoonful! O_o  I had to rush to the kitchen to gulp down a glass of cold water.  Took a second bite...and had to down another glass of water.

  

And that was pretty much it.  I had to discard the rice otherwise my other end will be on fire later (in fact, it already was...and I was still paying the price for it the next day)! >_<

Let me show you just how much sauce they poured onto the rice.....until it was an overkill!  Why did they put so much sauce in?  Was that to prove a point of just how fiery the sauce can be...by overloading the amount of it?  I distinctly remember that they were never that generous with the teriyaki sauce in their rice combo. Even in normal circumstances, we wouldn't want our rice to be flooded with so much sauce.

They should have drizzled a bit on the rice and packed the rest in a condiment container (to allow us to tweak how spicy we want it to be).  I tried to pick out the veggies to eat them but even that was very difficult.  In the end, I chucked all the rice down my waste disposal.  

I had to wait a while (for my mouth to cool down) before I could proceed with the rest of my meal.  The 6 pcs Wingettes & Drumettes a la carte @ RM19.90 is always a good choice.

I was thankful that I ordered only soy garlic flavour (and not hot & spicy) for the wings.  When I initially ordered the fiery rice, I thought it would be like their hot & spicy flavour for the chicken.  No-one would have thought that it would be that fiery hot.  If it was, it should have come with a separate "warning" like "insanely hot" or "I dare you to eat this" or at least not something as unassuming as "fiery"! :P

But the burning sensation in my mouth had already ruined my taste buds for the entire day.  I only managed to eat half the chicken wings (and ate the other half for dinner).  Usually, that wouldn't be enough but my appetite was screwed already.  Why someone would want to eat something so insanely hot that they won't be able to taste anything after that is beyond me.

Well, they say every cloud has a silver lining......and that came in the form of Fried Kimchi Mushrooms @ RM7.90 that I ordered....lol.

Not sure when these were introduced (probably quite some time ago) just that I've never noticed them before when ordering.  Only downside was that the portion was very small for the price (clearly false advertising of its promo pic of mushrooms piled right to the top).

The oyster mushrooms were nicely seasoned, had a bit of spice and some of the pieces were crispy (when they arrived).  Those that weren't were still good to eat as they were soft and juicy.  If you're lucky to get yours super crispy, then you're in for a real treat! ;)

My Personal Opinion

Why would someone want to torture themselves by eating something as crazy hot as this? >.<  The level of spiciness only leaves a burning sensation in your mouth and your tastebuds are pretty much ruined after that. Something as ridiculously spicy as this is probably best handled by those who enjoy the numbing sensation that mala flavours bring (I don't as I clearly can't handle the heat).

All was not lost.  At least I got introduced to some nice fried mushrooms which I'm sure there'll be repeat orders from now on.

So, for those who can't take spicy food (or even those who can), beware of this super fiery rice!  Don't order it is my advice!

4Fingers Crispy Chicken

No 22G Jalan 2/1

Pandan Jaya

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-9201 6484

The One-Timers

Since coming onto ShopeeFood's attractive discounts, I'd usually use them to try out new places (or new food) I've not eaten before.  Sometimes, you get lucky.....and sometimes you don't! >.<  Well, here are just some of what I'd call one-timers.....food that I tried once but wouldn't be caught dead having again.

#1 - Salt & Spice, Pandan Indah

Didn't even knew the existence of this brand in Pandan Indah, Salt & Spice, but found them on ShopeeFood with a listing of 50 outlets, so I thought if they have 50 outlets it can't be that bad, right?  But beware that their rating can be as low as 3.1 to a high of 4.8 at different outlets (which I only found out later), so order at your own peril!  I ordered the Green Curry Chicken Nasi Lemak @ RM22.90 to try just because I could get RM8 off for minimum spend of RM18.

The green curry did have tender chicken pieces but not quite on the same level of a proper green curry from (say) a Thai eatery.  The sambal was very spicy with very little bits of fried ikan bilis (anchovies) and onions in them but I still managed to tolerate the spiciness until I finished all of it and that's because there was too little green curry.

Well, the fried egg speaks for itself....rubbery ones that some places like to cook with a mould.  If you can't fry an egg a la minute, then it would be best to just serve hard-boiled eggs that no-one will complain about...lol.

Also, did you notice the non-existence of fried ikan bilis?  All I got was kacang (nuts) in my nasi lemak,  And even more interesting was that they served their nasi lemak with coleslaw (luckily it wasn't mayo-ed but vinegared) and threw in some chunks of canned pineapple.  What's with that?  Fusion nasi lemak with a western salad?  I can get way better nasi lemak and I don't have to pay more than RM20 for it.  Ok, I'm outta here. >_<

#2 - Homi Curry Puff, Aeon Taman Maluri

I didn't have breakfast one morning and before lunch time came round I was already feeling peckish, so I decided to get me some Homi Handcrafted Curry Puff....handcrafted (actually handmade-lah) but it makes it sound so superior...lol.

I got me one curry chicken puff and sardine puff @ RM3.90 each.  I've eaten it before a long time ago (bought it at a stall in a coffee shop) but can't remember what it tasted like.  I should have just left it alone coz what I can't remember means it must be pretty forgettable.  The curry chicken puff, all I could taste were the potatoes (there's probably some chicken in there but no hard-boiled eggs) and the mix of curry spices wasn't something I favoured.

The sardine puff, I couldn't pick up on the taste of sardine all that much because of all the potatoes and spices.  One thing I did pick up was how thick and dense the spiral pastry was.  It wasn't as flaky as I thought it would be and the dense texture was because parts of the thick pastry were uncooked (you can see it clearly in the pic).  I can easily get a delicious one with chicken...and hard-boiled eggs from the Pandan Perdana market, so no more Homi curry puff for me.

#3 - House of Pok, Sunway Velocity

House of Pok is a place that serves chap fan that's slightly more atas (premium)...and with a more atas pricing to boot-lah) in a comfortable setting (of a mall instead of a coffee shop).  You can choose a set meal with drink from RM17.50 (B+B), RM19.50 (A+B) or RM23.50 (A+A).  Basically, A gives you a choice of meats (choice of 23 meats) while B (also 23 choices) gives you a selection of tofu, eggs or vegetables.

So, I got myself the A+B Set Meal @ RM21 (inclusive of RM1.50 for packaging and got RM4 off) and chose pandan chicken bites and assam gravy ladies finger.  The pandan chicken was just edible, nothing memorable, but the assam ladies finger was very good though with some pork lard topping.  Loved the assam flavours but the portion was too small.

The two side dishes of the day were a few slices of crispy bean curd that were hard and not crispy with a pickle of cucumber, carrot & onions (there were just so little of it, you be the judge of the photo).

I thought the free drink of sugarcane & water chestnut was the highlight of the meal (other choices include goji jujube tea, hawthorn apple juice and fizzy drinks).  It was nicely sweet, most welcomed and thirst quenching.  You can reference it to acting when the extras outshine the main cast and that's not very complimentary.

Although the portion was enough for me (maybe a bit small for a guy) as the rice portion was generous (you can have it with porridge or yam rice at an additional cost of RM2), I'd rather have more liew than rice.  This is like a more expensive version of chap fan and though the flavours were still acceptable, you're bound to feel that it's pricey for only two dishes as the two side dishes given do not amount to much.  For a box of more premium chap fan, the taste has to be much better than that to match its price....sadly, it didn't.

#4 - No 1 Nasi Ambeng & Penyet Asli, Ampang

First of all, I don't know what nasi ambeng is but from some of the pictures and information online, I gather that it's a traditional rice dish (from Jawa, Indonesia) of steamed white rice with a choice of (but not limited to) meat or fish (it can be chicken or beef cooked rendang-style, curry or stewed in soy sauce or fried fish like ikan keli or kembong), sambal goreng jawa, serunding kelapa (I see it referenced as sambal kelapa urap too) and begedil.  Sounds like a good Malay chap fan (mixed rice) to me....so, why not.

When it arrived, I was very pleased to see that most of the items of the Nasi Ambeng Daging Masak Kicap @ RM12.50 were individually wrapped.  So, I was able to pour them out onto the rice packet for a nicer presentation.  First of all, you not only get steamed white rice but it's also accompanied by mee goreng.  So, if you can't decide if you want rice or mee, you can have both in this dish.

Let's start with the meat of my choice which was daging masak kicap (beef cooked/stewed in soy sauce). The beef (for me) was (unfortunately) a little bit all over the place, some were a little bit tender, some were a little bit chewy and some were a little bit sinewy.  It also tasted a bit too beefy for me...sorry but I need a little bit better quality of beef though for some of you this might be acceptable.  No problem, I can be a little bit country and you can be a little bit rock 'n' roll...lol.

The sambal goreng jawa turned out to be not a sambal but stir-fried vegetables of firm tofu, tempeh and long beans (I think there were some potatoes in there too), I can't really tell because they were cooked to death (aka overly soft and discoloured).  It looked like a poor attempt at replicating sambal goreng jawa I've seen (online) of onions, potatoes, fried beancurd sheets, firm tofu, tempe, soo hoon (glass noodles) and fresh chillies (red & green) cooked with a blended chilli paste.

Oh dear, with the two main cast failing to impress, I was left with only two supporting cast to safe the dish. Luckily, the mildly spicy serunding kelapa (coconut floss) was good.  I also found two pieces of small ikan masin (salted fish) hidden in the serunding that I really liked as they were lightly salty and totally crispy (and not fishy at all).  There was an additional sambal given, a freshly blended chilli paste, which I enjoyed thoroughly as it perked up the whole dish with its spicy, refreshing and lightly tangy taste.

Besides daging masak kicap, you can have your nasi ambeng with ayam masak merah or kicap, ayam goreng, sambal paru or ikan kembong goreng but the rest of the sides stay the same.  Although it was a fully loaded dish, the only thing I enjoyed were the serunding, ikan masin and fresh sambal.  I could make a meal out of just that and be happy but why would I.  Looks like this won't be the No. 1 Nasi Ambeng Asli in my books (so I guess I'll be giving their Nasi Penyet a miss).

#5 - 4Fingers, Pandan Jaya

Making the final cut for this post is one that'll come as a big surprise to you all.....4 Fingers! :O  No, not 4 Fingers usual menu of soy garlic or spicy chicken (that I love) but their Nasi Ayam Solo @ RM21.90 (their Ramadan special, I think) which consists of 1 pc drumstick, 3 pcs boneless chicken bites, Hainanese chicken rice, tomato slices, chicken soup, ginger chilli sauce and ice lemon tea.

The thought of having 4Fingers chicken rice sounded really good (+ the photo was really enticing)...a combo of 4Fingers crispy chicken (which is always lovely) with chicken rice.  When I opened the box, it did look the part....there was chicken (fried instead of roasted or poached lah), rice (flavoured with chicken stock, I hope) and even a ginger chilli sauce (that resembled those from chicken rice stalls).

The fried chicken (both the drumstick and boneless bites) had that super crunchy batter we'd come to expect from 4Fingers but, unfortunately, the chicken pieces were not tossed and coated in their signature sauce of soy garlic or spicy.  Instead, you'll notice drizzle marks over the chicken, presumably teriyaki...and because they were drizzled and not tossed completely in sauce (like how their usual chicken is done), the chicken ended up only super crispy but bland and devoid of flavour without the sauce coating it thoroughly (or maybe I just didn't like the teriyaki sauce on chicken).

The chicken rice (don't remember it having much chicken broth flavour) was overly mushy in texture and it was also doused in (quite a bit of) teriyaki which I found a rather weird combo (with chicken rice).  Not sure if they used the same teriyaki sauce but felt that this one wasn't as sticky-sweet.  Thankfully, there was that refreshing, lightly tangy but spicy chilli paste to lessen the disappointment, the only decent thing I thought that mimicked nasi ayam.  Sorry, 4Fingers, I still love your crispy soy garlic or spicy chicken but not this.

On a brighter and happier note, I was once given an extra piece of drumette (4 pcs of wings instead of 3) with their wings rice box combo I ordered via delivery.....lucky me, so thank you, 4Fingers...lol.

As I explore and try more new food for the first time on delivery platforms, I'm sure I'll encounter more of these one-timers in the future.....but don't try, won't know! >_<

4Fingers Crispy Chicken @ Pandan Jaya

I've always thought this fried chicken chain originated from Korea (obviously because of its similarity to Korean-style fried chicken) but it wasn't so.  When I checked their story recently, I realised that they're Korean-inspired but Singapore-made (with its first store in ION Orchard and has since spread its wings to Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand & Australia).

I've also finally got my curiosity answered as to why they're called 4Fingers...it seems it's a nod to how one would need 4 fingers to eat a chicken wing!  Well, I'm not so sure about the 4 fingers analogy though...coz some would say they need just 2 fingers...lol! :D

So, what is it about 4Fingers Fried Chicken that make their chicken so special?  Well, it's the combination of a super crunchy batter (even after it's been doused in sauce) with its perfect balance of sweet and salty (or spicy) flavours that works so well together.

For me, my favourite order is the Wings Rice Box Combo @ RM22.90 which has all 3 things I want to eat....their signature wings (2 drumettes & 1 wingette in mixed flavours of soy garlic and hot & spicy to enjoy the best of both worlds flavours), rice (laced with teriyaki sauce) and kimchi (the one and only kimchi I eat!).

Sometimes, if I'm a little greedy and want more chicken, I'll get the 6 Pcs Wingettes & Drumettes @ RM18.90 with a request for a combination of mixed flavours.  Just like I've always thought that 4Fingers was Korean fried chicken, I also thought that their soy sauce was some kind of Japanese soy until I learnt recently that their signature soy sauce is made (naturally fermented) in Penang, Malaysia.  Their soy garlic is so good...they should bottle it and sell! ^o^

If the 6 pcs of chicken isn't quite enough, you can always add-on an order of Japanese Rice (Teriyaki Sauce) @ RM4 for a fuller meal.  Doused in always-not-nearly-enough teriyaki sauce with a sprinkling of umami seaweed, the rice can be a bit soft and clumpy sometimes.  They can be quite kedekut (stingy) with their teriyaki sauce, I have to say, so much so that I've to scrape the box of every last bit of sauce with my rice grains.

My other usual order would be the Tofu Rice Box Combo @ RM20.90 that comes with two large pieces of flavoured crispy tofu (option for soy or spicy, I went with soy this time), teriyaki-flavoured rice and kimchi.  I have to say I prefer the spicy flavour just a smidget more than the soy-glazed ones as it the brings out the flavours of the bland tofu better (in my opinion).

The only difference between a rice box and a rice box combo (the difference being a drink) is that if you order any rice box combos, you can always add-on more chicken like Wingettes & Drumettes (1 pc each) @ RM6 or Drumstick (1 pc) @ RM5.  Although I love the soy-coated chicken just that little bit more, I also enjoy eating the spicy version, so I always ask for mixed flavours.  It seems that each piece of chicken is hand-brushed with their signature sauces upon order.  No wonder their chicken is able to stay so crunchy with the sauces clinging on so well for an in-depth flavour. ^.^

My son's order is always the same, he wants the Boneless Chicken Bites Rice Box Combo @ RM21.90 with teriyaki rice and kimchi coz he doesn't like to deal with bones in his chicken (and his default flavour is always soy garlic).

At times, you can count yourself lucky when you get rice that's sufficiently doused in teriyaki sauce coz it's always never enough.  I just wish there's a SOP in place (like a fixed measuring spoon or cup) to standardise the amount of sauce given out without leaving it in the 'hands' of the crew.

For sides, it's always the Loaded Fries with Seaweed Sprinkles @ RM8.90 (not for me, of course).  This is made up of fries with mini chicks (bits of chicken?), nacho cheese, crispy crumbs (of batter) and seaweed sprinkles.

A must-order for sharing is the Tofu Nuggets (12 pcs) @ RM6.50 either as a side order or an add-on order. Actually, it makes no difference (I soon realised) since the price is the same whether you order it as a side or add-on order.  You can have these tofu cubes in either soy garlic, hot or teriyaki sauce.

Ever since the first time we had the tofu nuggets, we've been hooked on it.  These perfectly fried tofu cubes are so crispy on the outside, with sweet and salty flavours coming from the soy glaze, and downright addictive.  I'd have to say I like these crispy cubes of tofu even more than those in the tofu rice box...and that's because these taste better as they've been cut into smaller cubes (before frying) thereby allowing for more crispy sides to be enjoyed.

My Personal Opinion

Who knew this Korean-style chicken is not from Korea but actually a homegrown Singapore brand.  We've been stuck on this ever since we first tried it.....and it's now our top choice/preferred fried chicken chain whenever we feel like having fried chicken.

Now that a new outlet (in Pandan Jaya) has opened near us that's even more convenient for us to get to than Sunway Velocity, I foresee there'll be more finger licking to come in future (and that may involve licking more than just four fingers)! ^_~

4Fingers Crispy Chicken

No 22G Jalan 2/1

Pandan Jaya

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-9201 6484