Craft Pizza @ Great Eastern Mall

I was looking forward to come to this mall this time as I was given the heads up by one of the blogs I follow that something new opened up here recently to offer me a new place to eat (since I've eaten almost every other place here).

So, on a Saturday evening, I was here as usual to restock Cookie's treats and stopped by at Craft Pizza @ Great Eastern Mall for an early dinner.  It's a really small place with just about ten 2-seater tables.

We were greeted by a person manning the place (with an accent) whom I assume to be the Italian owner. From the menu on the wall, I gathered that they offer pizzas by the piece (which they call Fat Slice), in a pie of 12" or a big pie of 17".

When we tried to order the pizzas by slices (so that we could try more options), we were told that they don't have the ones we want and that pizzas by the slices were limited to just the ones at the counter.  Incidentally, there were only two slices left and they looked like they've been there for a while! >.<

There weren't options for half and half either for the 12" pie (only the big pie).  Luckily, we were told that they have 8" pizzas and (again) I saw two left on the counter.  I made sure not to order those two flavours and went with one of our usuals, the Pepperoni Supreme (8") @ RM12.90.

The pizza was filled with beef pepperoni slices, some small pieces of wild mushroom, two thin slivers of red bell pepper and mozzarella (there weren't any tomatoes even though it was listed as an ingredient).

The dough here are those thin and crisp ones...and it was exactly that!

Our other choice was the Seafood Pizza (8") @ RM12.90 coz I got attracted by the list of ingredients comprising of shrimp, squid, crab stick, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella topped with their seafood sauce.

It came with an additional ingredient....iceberg lettuce which is a bit unorthodox for a pizza...no?  The tiny pieces of squid had a very soft, almost mushy, texture.  The prawns were smallish and didn't have much flavour and looked like those pre-peeled or pre-cooked frozen shrimps from a packet.  I didn't see any crab stick and found only one slice of cherry tomato.  Maybe I shouldn't complain too much seeing that the price is cheap? ;)

As the pizzas didn't wow us, we weren't inclined to order more types for tasting and instead went for an order of hot dog as I noticed that they had chicken and beef (RM9.90) or lamb (RM11.90) at the counter.

We thought redemption was on its way but we were sadly mistaken.  The Chicken Hot Dog @ RM9.90 that arrived with some cooked down onions was cold and unappetising.  I guessed that much when I saw the foreign worker taking out the hot dog buns from a plastic bag (store-bought buns?), slicing it in two and putting in the hot dog just like that without doing anything to it.  There was no buttering of the bun or grilling it nor heating up the hot dog again.

Haiz...I should have known better.  These were probably leftover hot dogs (like their leftover pizza slices) from earlier in the day but I thought they would at least heat it up.  You can help yourselves to the condiments (and free drinks) but no amount of relish and chilli sauce could make up for the taste of the cold hot dog.

Our free drinks of lemon and peach tea.

Looking at their promotion, it looks like they have quite good breakfast deals that seem to cater to the office workers cementing my believe that the 'right' time to visit is during office hours which means zilch for those of us not working in the area.

Side Story #1
If you list on your menu that you sell pizzas by the slices but yet you don't have it available when we want it tells me that you're not 100% committed to your customers.  Because there weren't any customers (we were the only customers there when we arrived at 6.30 pm and the only customer when we left), you'd rather stinge and not make a new pizza in case the pizza is wasted if no-one else buys the rest of the slices.  If selling pizza by slices isn't viable, then don't offer it and let your customers know that the only option are whole pizzas.  If you offer slices, I'd expect to get a slice at whatever time of the day (unless you state otherwise).

Side Story #2
When I paid for the two pizzas (RM12.90 x 2) with a RM50 note, the owner gave me back a change of RM20 and had to go back into the kitchen to borrow the rest of the change (from one of his employees, I guess).  He gave me another RM5 change when he came out and not the right change of RM4.20.  Since I wasn't short-changed, I didn't make a fuss (his cash till obviously didn't have any change left).

Another time was when the foreign worker brought me the hot dog, I gave him RM10 and he told me he didn't have the 10 cents change for me.  Again, I wasn't going to make a fuss since I was already charged 80 cents less earlier but it just looks very unprofessional to me (plus you may encounter some who do mind if you don't give them the 10 cents change because it's a matter of principle).

Side Story #3
The same guy who prepared the hot dog also doubles up as their delivery man when I saw him leave with a box of pizza and his bike helmet.  Again, you can understand my apprehension coz cleanliness may be an issue (he makes deliveries in our dusty traffic...and then comes back to make me hot dogs?)....yikes! >_<

My Personal Opinion

I must admit that the photos I've seen of their pizzas on one of my favourite blogs did look pretty good and appetising.  Maybe it's because those were whole pizzas, freshly made or specially prepared.  Maybe the food is fresher with more choices earlier in the day with the larger office crowd coz this place is really deserted on weekend evenings.  Since I've only tasted two 8" pizzas where the dough was alright, thin and crisp, but with scant toppings and cheese that didn't wow (I can't believe I just said I wanted more cheese!), I won't conclude that they weren't 100% good unless I've tasted a whole pizza to be fair.

Even though I can overlook the taste that wasn't quite all there that evening, I don't think I can overlook the way they set out to conduct their business....not having fresh pizza slices and hot dogs for their customers in the evening (but let them have whatever's leftover from the day), not bothering to ensure that their till has small change, not hiring enough help, things like that.

And knowing that a good wood-fired oven pizza is just a few steps away at Alexis Bistro (at around the same prices with better ambience to boot) makes it doubly hard for me to want to venture here again for another pizza! :~(

Maybe I'm being too harsh but that's how I see my dining experience here...perhaps you may (and I hope you do) have a different experience from mine.

Craft Pizza
Lot 6 LG Level
Great Eastern Mall
303 Jalan Ampang 
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 012-254 2876

Revisit: Alexis Bistro @ Great Eastern Mall

It was yet another visit to this mall to stock up on Cookie's favourite snacks.....and what else is new, the prices went up again.

There aren't many good eating options here and we ended up at Alexis Bistro @ Great Eastern Mall again (check out my previous post here) but this time for lunch.  They do offer some affordably priced set lunches (that include a starter and dessert) costing between RM35 - RM38 (compared to their a la carte menu).

I went with the Chef's Special @ RM36 available that day which was a dish of spiced basmati rice with coriander curry chicken, kadai masala prawns, chilli chaat cauliflower, tarka dal, mango chutney and papadum.

The coriander curry chicken featured boneless chicken meat pieces delicately cooked with a mixture of freshly ground coriander leaves and probably green chillies, garlic, ginger and spices topped with a dollop of yoghurt.  I loved how the freshness of the coriander lifted the taste of the chicken to another level....so good, my favourite thing on the plate!

The second element of this dish was the kadai masala prawns that consisted of 2 (maybe 3) good-sized prawns cooked in tomatoes, onions and curry leaves with some ground garam masala spices.  The prawns were fresh with a firm bite and the tomatoes+onions paste was truly appetising.

The spiced basmati rice was fragrant and pleasurable.

A great side dish with the rice was the chilli chaat cauliflower, basically pan roasted cauliflower florets tossed in Indian spices.

The tarka dal (yellow dried split peas) was another classic Indian side dish that goes well with rice (or roti) and this version was well executed as well.

Finally, the condiments of mango chutney and papadum rounded up my truly delicious meal.  I loved every single component of my meal and finished everything! ;)  I'm not sure if this dish is on their regular menu (if it's not, they should rectify that immediately) but if you do see it, it's not to be missed!

We also ordered a Pepperoni Pizza @ RM42 as our other main.  The menu didn't state the size of the pizza but I reckon it's at least a 12-inch pizza that's good enough for sharing between two not-too-hungry people.

Generously laden with pepperoni slices, mozzarella, tomatoes and herbs, and freshly made to order, it was rather tasty.

The pizzas here are made in a wood-fired oven right in front of us....and you know a wood-fired pizza is pretty much always delicious!

You can see just how thin the pizza is :)

Besides pepperoni, their pizza menu is quite diversified offering the likes of napoletana, siciliana, margherita, aglio olio e pomodoro, ai funghi, pollo, ai frutti di mare, quattro formaggi and gamberetto pizzas (costing between RM27 - RM48).

Drinks here are a bit on the expensive side...Iced Lemon Tea @ RM12.50 and Ginger Lemon Tea @ RM13.50 which was so diluted it tasted almost like plain water with very faint hints of ginger and lemon.

When I highlighted the diluted taste, they were kind enough to bring me another pot that was still steeping.  I drank this one hot, hoping I'd get a bit more of the ginger and lemon taste, but it wasn't any much better :(

My Personal Opinion

I've always come away satisfied with the meals I have here.  With limited food choices in this mall, I'd say this is the best option for food if you find yourself in this mall though prices may be on the upper end.

It's worthwhile to check out this particular Chef's Special of the day if you happen to see it offered or find it on the regular menu (some day).  And if you like pizzas, you can watch your favourite (and delicious) pizzas being made in a wood-fired oven right in front of you.

If you're not after hot food, their cakes are always a good bet with a cup of coffee.

Alexis Bistro
Lot 10 & 11 Great Eastern Mall
303 Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-4260 2288

Penang Village @ Great Eastern Mall

Well, I'm back to this mall once again to replenish my Cookie's snacks....Angel's Salmon Sashimi and Feeline Greenies....and arrggghhh...the prices have gone up yet again! >_<  The price of Feeline Greenies has increased from RM15.80 to RM16.75 and now to RM18.97 post-GST.  Luckily the price of the Salmon Sashimi stayed at RM14.84 (after the last hike from RM11).  If prices continue to go up, I may have to cut these snacks from Cookie's diet.  I guess everyone needs to tighten their belt (or collar, in this case), post-GST, including my cat!

So, after I've purchased the snacks, we decided to have dinner at Penang Village Restaurant @ Great Eastern Mall since I've run out of places to eat in this mall.  This place was recommended by a reader of my blog (who left a comment on my post on Cozy House.

 

As I walked in, you'd find the entrance tastefully decorated with a pristine white décor and the restaurant's interior looks clean, fresh and comfortable.  The immaculate ambience sets it apart from Cozy House....and I'm liking it already.

 

I went with a dish that was listed as a Village speciality...Penang Nasi Lemak with Rendang Tok @ RM19.90 which was nasi lemak (rice cooked in fragrant coconut milk) served with rendang tok, tamarind prawns, hard-boiled egg, acar-acar and a homemade sambal.

 

I found some ginger and onions in the fragrant coconut rice which was infused with a good dose of lemongrass flavour as well (you can instinctively smell the lemongrass).  The rice was topped with some salty, fragrant small ikan bilis (and I mean those really small ones).  The "beef rendang tok" (a Perak dish) was simmered in coconut milk and spices until truly tender (much like any rendang).

 

The prawns had a nice aroma and a good flavour.  It was utterly delicious and would have been even better if the prawns had been fresher.  The acar vegetables were nice and crunchy.  The only thing that missed the mark was the homemade sambal.

Next, we ordered the Heh-Bee Butter Squid (which would have been cheaper at RM22.90) but got the Heh-Bee Butter Prawns @ RM31.90 instead.  [#Note: She said she repeated the order to us although I was 100% sure that I pointed to the squid (coz the squid and prawns were on the opposite ends of the menu) but I didn't want to argue with her as it'd be a case of 'she said, I said' kind of thing!]

 

The prawns were coated in batter with "heh-bee" (dried prawns) and butter in the mix and fried.  It was crunchy, fragrant and slightly salty...and, in the end, we weren't too disappointed with the mix-up as the prawns went well with an add-on white rice @ RM2.50.

 

When I saw Fresh Kedondong with Preserved Sour Plum @ RM10.90 on the menu, I immediately knew I wanted that as it's my most favourite fruit drink.  This drink (made from the umbra fruit) was nicely balanced...not too sweet and not too sour (just like the one I had at Village Park).  This one was immensely good and so, so refreshing...it deserves another pic! :)

 

I've had this umbra juice with sour plum or "sar lei shuen mui" (in Cantonese) numerous times at Chinese restaurants (usually steamboat places) but those can't seem to beat the ones churned out by Malay eateries which, somehow, comes in a darker shade of green.  I read that this is because they blend the umbra fruit whole (with the skin and seed).  If you peel the skin, it'll result in a drink that is less green in colour.

Want more stories?  I have.....but just one! 

 

#Side Story:

Again, I didn't think to check the bill as there were only 5 items on the bill.  They can't possibly screw that up, can they?  They did!  After signing the charge, the wait staff returned the credit card slip and receipt to me and that was when I realised that the items on the receipt was not what we had.  Luckily, this was a case of clipping the wrong bill to my credit card slip and that the amount signed was still correct.....phew (for them).  And to know that they can make this mistake when the restaurant was almost deserted (only 5 occupied tables) on a weekend night! O_o

 

My Personal Opinion

 

I concur with my reader (who suggested this place) that the food here was indeed a notch better than Cozy House's (albeit a little pricier) but the ambience was certainly a few notches above.

 

Though the food I tried was fairly decent, it wasn't alluring enough to make me include it into my usual list of 'go to' restaurants but it's certainly a viable option for me when I happen to be at this mall.  And I'd gladly return any day for that absolutely thirst-quenching and delicious kedondong juice! ;)

 

Penang Village Restaurant

Lot 8 & 9 Level 3 Great Eastern Mall

No 303 Jalan Ampang

50450 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-4257 1698

 

Cozy House @ Great Eastern Mall

I remembered coming to Cozy Corner in Ampang Park a long, long time ago and, for some reason, the Hainanese-style Chicken Chop (that I had previously) was the only lingering thought in my memory!

 

So, after dropping by this mall to stock up on my Cookie's favourite snacks...Angel's Salmon Sashimi & Feeline Greenies (and my oh my, how the prices have spiralled post GST...the Sashimi from RM11 to RM14.84 and the Greenies from RM15.80 to RM16.75), we had dinner at Cozy House @ Great Eastern Mall.  [#Note: There aren't many (good) eateries in Great Eastern Mall and (since) I've eaten at most of them already like Alexis, The Loaf, Espressolab, Kiku Zakura and Daidomon (don't want to be reminded of that one), it was down to Cozy House or Penang Village (but each time I pass by Penang Village, there's scarcely anyone there.]

Because of my prior experience and memory of the Hainanese Chicken Chop (which I thought was very good then), I went looking for it on the menu and found a number of chicken chops but no Hainanese Chicken Chop.  So, I decided to go with the Chicken Chop with Gravy @ RM18.90 (the closest to the Hainanese Chicken Chop from the  picture in the menu) just to see if the taste has remained all these years...it was not as I had remembered at all!! :'(  [#Note: A little bird told me that Cozy Corner (in Ampang Park) and Cozy House (in Great Eastern Mall) are not affiliated but owned by two brothers who run their restaurants independently.  I used to think they were the same (as they offer pretty similar dishes)...that could explain why the taste of the chicken chop was different.]

The accompanying fries were of the frozen kind, the brown gravy was borderline acceptable and the chicken chop was dry.  The chicken chop was over-fried and over-battered (in my opinion) as the taste turned out to be very floury.

Also, the cut of chicken they used contributed to its dryness.  They didn't use the chicken drumstick (as it normally should be) but used the wing portion (attached to the breast) instead.  And here's the proof....see the drummette bone and the unfinished piece of dry breast! ;D

Luckily, there was a saving grace in their more Chinese-inspired dishes like Fried Squid with Pepper & Salt @ RM24.90 served with a Thai sweet-and-sour chilli sauce.

For this price, we did get a generous serving of fried squid and, although they didn't have a profound taste of pepper and salt, they were surprisingly tender and crispy to the bite.  It was more than satisfactory as I've eaten my fair share of chewy squid.

Since we had a palatable experience with the pepper and salt squid, we went for another squid dish on a separate occasion when we were here (for more of Cookie's snacks, of course).  This was the Fried Squid with Butter Milk @ RM24.90.  Again, the squid was tender and crispy but the butter sauce could be better.

I also just had to order the Pandan Chicken @ RM21.90 since many blogs sing praises of this dish.  It came with 6 pieces of fairly large deep fried chicken pieces wrapped in pandan leaves.  As soon as the dish hits the table, the first thing you'd smell is the fragrance of the pandan leaves.

Unwrapping the pandan leaves revealed a well fried piece of marinated chicken that was still tender.  The marinade made the texture of the chicken slightly mushy (in my opinion) but the fragrant and well charred sides ended up to be the best parts.  I think if the chicken pieces were slightly smaller, it would have resulted in them being more well fried and more fragrant.

Our drinks were:

Iced Teh Tarik @ RM5.10 (surprisingly good and frothy)

Fresh Lime Juice with Sour Plum @ RM7.90 (had a nice zing)
Fresh Orange Juice @ RM7.90
(it's quite a small glass but, at least, it's freshly squeezed as you can taste some of the orange pulp)

 

My Personal Opinion

The restaurant offers a wide range of Chinese, Malay and Thai-influenced dishes from chicken to squid, beef, fish, prawns and vegetables that you can have with plain rice which can cost anything between RM20 - RM35.  But the single dishes of fried rice or noodles are very reasonable at between RM10 - RM15.

Their clientele seems to be predominantly Malay (since it is 'halal'), with some noticeable expatriates as well (since they'll be no language barrier in ordering), and a small handful of Chinese customers.  I suppose for a 'halal' version of Chinese-type dishes, they do a decent enough rendition (it wouldn't be level playing field if we were to compare it to 'non' halal Chinese restaurants or "tai chow" places). 

And, it's a better bet (for sure) to stick with these Chinese (or Thai) inspired dishes...and stay clear of the poorly executed western cuisine.

Cozy House Restaurant
Lot 10, 11 & 12 Level 3
Great Eastern Mall
303 Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-4257 8988
 

Kiku Zakura @ Great Eastern Mall

As I needed to visit Great Eastern Mall to replenish the stock of 'salmon sashimi' for my four-legged friend and since I've eaten at quite a few places here already on previous visits, Kiku Zakura @ Great Eastern Mall was my choice this time.

This restaurant has been around since 1996 (according to their Facebook Page) with another outlet at Tropicana City Mall and an upcoming one in Mid Valley (scheduled to open in April 2015).  [#Note: If you google this restaurant, you'd realise that they used to have branches in Berjaya Times Square, Avenue K, IOI Mall and Mid Valley (they seem to be opening and closing...why?...I've no idea).]

The décor and the kimono-clad waitresses (and Japanese songs playing in the background) did give this eatery a more Japanese-feel.  Service was a little bit 'extra' too when they pamper you with hot towels before and after your meal....how's that for service!

After we've made our orders, we were served a complimentary appetiser...I wouldn't call it an appetiser.....more like a 'teaser' coz it's so tiny!!  Anyway, let's not sound ungrateful...it's vinagered octopus with cucumber...quite well done and addictive :)

Actually, I don't know much about this place other than the fact that I've seen the release (on their Facebook in Sept 2014) of their Japanese Bakudan Burger with a choice of gyu (beef), tori (chicken), kani (soft shell crab) or yasai (vegetarian).

So, our first order of the day was....you guessed it...the Kani Bakudan Burger @ RM33 which is a soft shell crab burger with a choice of charcoal bun.

The soft shell crab's size was slightly bigger than the bun...yay!  What's not to like...it was fresh, crispy and oh-so-good!

The soft shell crab burger was served with an Onsen Tamago.  [#Note: An Onsen Tamago is a Japanese low temperature egg (tamago) traditionally slow cooked in its shell in the water (70C) of hot springs (onsen) in Japan...of course, it's now cooked in a temperature controlled water bath.  I guess it's similar to the western's version of a 63-degree or 75-degree egg.]

The soft pillowy texture of the charcoal bun was perfect for soaking up the creamy, oozy egg yolk that was running off.  Imagine sinking your teeth into something that breaks and oozes down your mouth...it's bonkers!  It was a mess alright....but it's better to have enjoyed and made a mess than never to have enjoyed at all :D

There was also a side of fries (which was forgettable) and some crunchy vegetables of shredded cabbage, sliced Japanese cucumbers, lettuce leaves, some fish roe and Japanese mayo in the burger.

Our next order was the Unaju @ RM33.  At first, I didn't know what Unaju was (although I suspected it was unagi) until I was told it's unagi with rice...oh, I thought that was called Unadon.  [#Tip: So, on my return, I googled it and this is what I got.  Unadon is an abbreviation for unagi + donburi or "eel bowl" and unaju is the same dish served in a lacquered box.  Ah, so...unadon is an eel bowl and unaju is an eel box...kekeke!!  If your unaju happens to be pricier than your unadon, it's because of the appearance of luxury of the box, that's all.]

It was served with a tiny plate of pickled cabbage, radish and some kind of cherry (I think, I can't quite remember).

Both the unagi and the sauce (for the rice) met with approval.

We also ordered an Ebi Mitsuba Tempura @ RM18 which is a prawn and vegetable tempura which was totally disappointing!  You'd have to go on a 'treasure hunt' to find the prawns :(

It comes with the usual dipping sauce for the tempura.

You can also see that the tempura batter was thick, thus not giving it the light and super crispy texture that I'm used to eating.  If I had to put it down to the worse tempura I've eaten thus far, this has got to be it! T_T

Our drinks for the evening:

Fresh Orange Juice @ RM9

Hot Green tea @ RM2...loved the Geisha print on the tea cups ;)

My Personal Opinion

A must-try is probably their Japanese Bakudan Burgers.  I'd say the food is fair (as long as you don't order any tempura) and reasonably priced too.  I did like the soft shell crab burger and unagi. 

I think they're are quite well known for their fresh sashimi but I wouldn't know as I didn't have any.

Kiku-Zakura Japanese Restaurant

Lot 13 Level 3 Great Eastern Mall

No 303 Jalan Ampang

50450 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-4253 2560