Stadium Negara Restaurant @ Jalan Yap Kwan Seng

Stadium Negara Restaurant @ Jalan Yap Kwan Seng is a Chinese restaurant that specialises in steamboat but also offers a typical Chinese meal of dishes eaten with rice (very much similar to a dai chow kind of place), only difference is that the dishes here are pork-free + you can find more premium dishes (also at more premium prices lah) than those offered in a dai chow eatery.

If you're wondering why the restaurant is named Restoran Stadium Negara, that's because they used to operate near Stadium Negara before moving here (hence the name) and they were very well-known for their old-school steamboat (using charcoal) at that time.  I've never been to the original one but I've been here before...usually on the invite of my sister-in-law as it's one of their family's frequented restaurants.  Because it's pork-free, you do see Malay clientele here and gwai lo (it's quite popular with expatriates and foreign tourists due to its proximity to KLCC).

So, the place was a venue for a family dinner one evening.  Please excuse the "not so stellar" photos as it was a round table seating without a turntable (or lazy susan), so some of the photos had to be zoomed in from afar + I wasn't planning to write about it initially (hence there weren't any photos of the place) but decided to since the food turned out pretty good, pricey but good. ^_~

Now this first dish of Sweet & Sour Crab Meat Sauce @ RM45 (for M, RM60 for L & RM35 for S) is rather unique in the sense I've not seen it offered elsewhere.  It's actually the sweet and sour sauce for the crabs but you can have it without the crabs (especially when crabs cost RM175 per kg when I had a quick glance at the menu...ouch)!! O_o

Never mind lah, this one poor man's dish....lol (above is an archive photo from 5 years ago)!  The first time I had this here (my sis-in-law ordered it and I didn't see the menu, so I didn't know the price), I thought they were crabs that have their meat extracted and cooked in the sauce (how nice, I thought, for lazy people who don't like to go through the mess of picking through the shells).  I took the photo then coz I was fascinated by the fact that a restaurant would offer just the sweet sour sauce without the crabs.

And no, there's no crab meat in it (not that I can taste...perhaps if there were, probably only a little), it's just egg bits cooked in a sweet-sour sauce.  You have to watch out for the bits of cili api (bird's eye chillies) in the sauce which gives it more oomph!

And just like any sweet sour crab dish, you must get a side order of fluffy, soft, crisp on the outside Fried Mantou @ RM16 (10 pcs) for which these deep-fried buns are known for...and that is to dunk them into the sauce to absorb all those lovely flavours (you can have it with steamed mantou too).  It's just like eating sweet sour crabs....minus the crabs!

This next dish of BBQ Chicken Wings @ RM48 (for 10 wings) is a must-have (it's super popular) as it's really, really good.  I've eaten my fair share of delicious BBQ chicken wings and this one ranks right up there with some of them.

Grilled the traditional way over charcoal, it comes with that sought-after smoky taste while the meat remains tender and succulent.  If everything is better with bacon, I'll have to add everything is better cooked over charcoal.  The well charred chicken was very tasty with its skin lightly sticky from the honey in the marinade.  I have just two words for it (or is that three)....finger-licking good! ^o^

My sis-in-law did most of the ordering but this Sizzling/Hot Plate Beef @ RM90 (I'm assuming this was L) was my pick.  The beef slices were cooked with onions, green bell peppers and carrot and served on a hot plate. Both my husband and brother-in-law thought it was "ngan" (chewy) but it was acceptably tender to me seeing that they were sliced thinly.  I would describe it as not "wat" (smooth) enough (thereby making it feel chewy) as it didn't look like the beef was velveted (more chef-y term) or tossed in a cornflour slurry (more layman term) to yield a more tender texture.

I was given the receipt at the end of the meal (the bill was shared among 3 families) since I would need it for my blogpost.  If I had been more aware of the price, I would have refrained from ordering it. >.<  Although the taste was still enjoyable (for me), I thought it was way too pricey for the small portion given.  Jing Hoe Mei's version for a fraction of the price (RM25 to be exact!) instantly came to mind as a comparison.

The Fried La La with Chillies @ RM60 (for L, RM45 for M & RM25 for S) had fresh, plump lala cooked with lots of garlic and bird's eye chillies.

I loved the heat the fiery chillies brought to the dish.  Overall, the dish was well flavoured and very tasty from loads of garlic.  It was one of my favourite dishes here. ^.^

Next was this dish of Tow Foo (so indicated in the receipt which I aptly renamed Homemade Bean Curd with Vegetables) @ RM35 (for L, RM30 for M & RM20 for S) coz that's what it looked like to me.  You see, I don't have the proper names of the dishes...and can only assume the names since I can't find any latest menu online (as this is such an old/long established restaurant that's no longer a hype...lol).

A homey, comforting dish of fried, soft, silky tofu (housemade, of course) cooked simply with prawns, mushrooms, broccoli and carrots that was executed well but, again, portion is on the small side.  If that is a L-sized portion, I shudder to think what small would look like.

Our vegetable dish of Stir-Fried Kangkung with Belacan @ RM35 (for L, RM25 for M & RM16 for S) looked as if it needed more belacan and chillies but, surprisingly, the flavour was alright.

We ordered (Yong Chow) Fried Rice @ RM39 (this is a 3 pax portion) for our rice component since most of us weren't having white rice with this meal.  This is a highly popular order here judging by its many orders (we know how foreigners love our Chinese fried rice, don't we?).

Fried with the simplest of ingredients of just small prawns, egg and spring onions, the skill of the chef in frying this is at the forefront.  I actually like my fried rice cooked with only a few ingredients for the taste of the rice to shine...and shine it did! ;)  The texture of the nicely separated grains of rice was just right...with a bit of that sought-after wok hei detected.

Our final dish was an order of Fried Meehoon @ RM45 (this is 3 pax portion).  Not sure what this noodle is called but it's meehoon fried in black sauce with small prawns, minced meat (chicken), mushrooms, onions, sugar snap peas, beansprouts, red chillies and egg.

Another dish that looked simple but the flavours turned out better than expected.  It was the texture of the nicely separated strands of meehoon (not lumpy, soft or mushy) and those crunchy, fat beansprouts that won me over.

The 2 Honey Lemon @ RM9.50 each, 2 Fresh Coconut @ RM8.50 each, a Jug of Watermelon @ RM45 and 2 Plain Rice (RM5) the nine of us had made up the balance of the bill which came to a total of about RM550. Pricey or not?  At a glance, RM60 per head actually sounds reasonable...but looking at the type of dishes we had, the price might not seem that value for money (note that there's no fish or prawn dish).  Steamboat (RM35 per head) is still offered here but it's now done over a gas burner instead of the old-school method of using charcoal (this one is fast becoming a past relic).

My Personal Opinion

All in all, the food tastes pretty good but prices are rather steep (further compounded by the small servings) for us locals especially if you order seafood items...apparently not so for foreign visitors (of course not-lah with their favourable exchange rate!) who come for the crabs, so do be prepared or forewarned.  Prices and portions are the main two grouses in the reviews I see for this place...and I can see why. >_<

I thought the fried la la, fried rice and especially the BBQ chicken wings stood out in terms of flavour and were my favourites.  So, was the food good enough to warrant a revisit?  Sure, if I get an invite for a family dinner gathering (or even if we split the bill) coz food always taste better with more people.  Would I come here with my family on our own though?  Probably not (I can get a better bang for my buck with RM180...lol)!  But, hey, if you're ok with the prices, don't let me stop you from trying out the place. ^_~

Restoran Stadium Negara

Jalan Yap Kwan Seng

50450 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2161 8557

Torii Teppanyaki @ MyTown Shopping Centre

Torii Teppanyaki is a string of restaurants with its presence in malls like MyTown Shopping Centre, Gardens Mall,  KL Gateway Mall, Paradigm Mall, Setia City Mall and IPC Shopping Centre.

As the name implies, their speciality is teppanyaki (of course) but also offers a selection of other Japanese fare that includes iron rice, donburi, okonomiyaki and ramen.  After a visit to Ikea, we stopped by Torii Teppanyaki @ MyTown Shopping Centre for dinner.

Their iron rice series is basically almost similar to their teppanyaki series which offers a meal of rice (except it's served with fried rice instead of white rice) with a protein of your choice of beef (beef patty, steak or slices), chicken (katsu, karaage or grilled), chicken gyoza, lamb, salmon or unagi.  The difference is just the name being slightly more intriguing...they probably called it iron rice to denote the iron plate (teppan) in which it is served.

Various donburi (chicken karaage or teriyaki, katsu curry or omelette, kimchi or yakiniku beef slices, salmon or tamago mentaiko, ebi fry curry or unagi), okonomiyaki (chicken, beef, salmon or vegetables) and ramen (signature, miso, shoyu, sukiyaki or spicy jigoku) complete the menu.

This was my son's pick, the Beef Slices Iron Rice @ RM24.90 (a la carte) served with fried rice, some sweet corn, together with a bit of chopped scallions, and their speciality sauce.  For drinks, we had Green Tea at RM5.90 per pax.

To my surprise, the fried rice appeared very plain.  It was literally rice fried with some seasoning/sauce only, you won't find even simple ingredients like egg or spring onions in it! >.<

The beef slices were very thinly sliced and arrived with adequate searing.  The flavours were satisfying and the beef fairly tender since they were cut so thinly.

Even though the beef was cooked with their speciality sauce already, my son decided to add-on an additional black pepper sauce @ RM3.90 for a punchier flavour.  You can also add-on kimchi sauce and kimchi for RM4.90, cheese (!) at RM3.90 or omelette at RM3.90.

I, on the other hand, was after their teppanyaki...and you have a choice of either beef (steak or slices), lamb, chicken, seafood (fish of either salmon or saba, prawns & squid) or mixed mushrooms.  I chose the Prawn Teppanyaki @ RM29.90 and made it a set meal (a la carte, RM25.90).

The set meal gets you extras of a miso soup, pickled cucumber and a dessert of (red bean) mochi served alongside Japanese white rice (a very huge portion, I might add, which you can upgrade to garlic fried rice for RM5.90) with a tasty, spicy green chilli paste (something you only see in a Malaysianised teppanyaki....we love our sambals...lol).  The mochi was good and a nice ending to the meal. ^.^

The teppan-fried prawns with thin shells (and there were six acceptable-sized ones) were of adequate freshness and sweetness.  They were nicely seared with reasonable flavour.

As with any teppanyaki meal, expect it to come accompanied by teppan-fried vegetables of cabbage, carrot, red bell pepper and beansprouts topped with crispy fried garlic slices and a sprinkling of chopped green onions.  I've to admit, the beansprouts were a bit too thin that day and so they were limp and overcooked + I was hoping for a bit more seasoning in the vegetables too....but they were a bit kedekut (stingy) lah with the crispy garlic! ;)

My Personal Opinion

The teppanyaki or iron rice here is average fare but always fulfilling and enjoyable as it's a complete meal with hearty portions of protein (of your choice), veggies and rice.  I guess many people simply enjoy eating it as it's a meal that is the closest to what we eat regularly like chap fan (Chinese mixed rice) or nasi campur (Malay mixed rice).

If you happen to be shopping in this mall (or Ikea) and looking for a place to eat to re-energise yourself with sustenance for even more shopping, consider Torii Teppanyaki as a possible choice for an affordable lunch or dinner spot.  Based on what I had here, I wouldn't mind making a repeat visit at all. ^_~

Torii Teppanyaki

Lot B1-071 MyTown Shopping Centre

6 Jalan Cockrane Seksyen 90

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 016-215 7230

The Bubur Cha Kitchen @ Taman Cheras Indah

When I clicked into this restaurant named The Bubur Cha Kitchen @ Taman Cheras Indah on Shopee Food, I was expecting it to be selling some kind of sweet (dessert) soups (or tong sui).  Turns out it was nothing like that...but selling bubur (or porridge) instead of bubur cha cha...lol.

Hmmm, porridge isn't something I'd associate the Malays with selling as they're more known for their fare of nasi lemak or nasi campur, for example.  But they have been known to copy some of our Chinese fare like char kway teow, fried yau char kwai (Chinese crullers), steamed pau (steamed buns) and chee cheong fun to name a few although I can't say they've been very successful at it.  It's the same when we copy their nasi lemak but our Chinese version of nasi lemak just isn't the same, especially since our sambal is not quite of the standard of a Malay sambal.

The only Malay-style porridge I've tasted so far is Bubur Lambuk, a porridge cooked with spices and santan (coconut milk) from the Ramadan bazaar.  It's so different from our Chinese porridge that I think it needs a bit of getting used to with all the spices and santan in the mix.

So, you can understand my apprehension when I saw this porridge offered by a Malay vendor but decided to give it a go since it had a 4.9 rating on Shopee Food.  I ordered the Bubur Ayam + Cendawan Goreng (or Combo B of Porridge with Fried Chicken + Mushrooms) @ RM14 for my first taste test.

Let's start with the porridge.  First thing I saw when I opened the box was that the porridge had toppings of crispy batter bits, fried shallots, kacang (nuts) and chopped spring onions....all I like! ;)  But would have liked it even more if they had packed this separately for us to pour into the porridge ourselves when it arrives.  The porridge had the right consistency and was nicely savoury.

My initial apprehension of a Malay-style porridge was not warranted.  I thought it wouldn't be as good as a Chinese-style porridge but I was proven wrong.  I've not had anything remotely this good (from past experience) with Chinese-inspired food from a Malay vendor.

I was pleasantly surprised that the enoki mushrooms were still super crispy even though it had been steaming together with the hot porridge in the box.  This could partly be due to the fact that I'm staying nearby the seller and the food got to me within 10 - 15 minutes.

Encouraged by the good taste of the first combo, I just had to have it again and ordered their other combo of Bubur Udang + Sotong Goreng (or Combo A of Porridge with Fried Prawns + Squid) @ RM14 so that I can try their two other proteins to see which ones I liked better.

The udang goreng was another winner.  The batter that coated the prawns was probably the same one as the earlier mushrooms but somehow this one felt a little bit thicker and fried to adequate crispiness.  I don't know what prawns they used but it had this rather intense prawn flavour to it.

But I can't say the same for the sotong goreng as the texture was very chewy...not something I would want to have again.

Now that I've tasted all four proteins, it was time to order what I enjoyed the most here.....starting with the Bubur Cendawan Goreng (or Porridge with Mushrooms) @ RM8.  When the porridge arrived, I realised that they used the same (compartmentalised) packaging as before...meaning a two-protein combo would share the same (box) space as one protein.

As you can see, there seemed to be a lot more cendawan goreng that can fit into the smaller compartment of the box...hehehe! ;)  This was so good...the fried mushrooms were super crispy and the batter so crisp and light.

Based on this observation alone, it would probably be safe to say that it's more worth it to order the porridge with a single protein (as an additional RM4 can get you a second box of porridge already).  The portion size isn't very big, so those with a bigger appetite can definitely chow down two boxes of porridge...and that's what I did with this order.  I got another Bubur Ayam Goreng (or Porridge with Fried Chicken) @ RM9.

That said, these little cubes of ayam goreng were fairly tender and crispy (but not super crispy as one would expect or want fried chicken to be) but, at least, these little bites of chicken are the freshly made and fried kind (and not the frozen nuggets kind).

And no, I couldn't finish eat the second box of porridge (kept all of it for another meal) but have no problem polishing off the second protein if I really wanted to (but purposely kept some so that I have something to eat my balance porridge with later).  Wish they would just sell the proteins separately as a side dish so that we can choose to have two proteins with one porridge.  Yes, they have the combo for that but it's not quite the same.....just imagine two proteins sharing the same (box) space as a single protein (you get less...haha!). >.<

Next was the Bubur Udang Goreng (or Porridge with Fried Prawns) @ RM9 on its own as I had taken a keen liking to the prawns.  The same number of prawns were given (as in the combo with udang + sotong)...which was three.  They can't very well give anything less since we can count the number of prawns...lol!

The prawn bodies are deshelled (with just the tail intact), so eating it is super easy but you do get some with prawn heads intact occasionally (I think this happens when the prawns are smaller)...but no worries since they're fried to crispy perfection, you can chomp down the heads (and tails) as well.

I mentioned earlier that their prawns have this intensified prawn flavour to them, so much so that there was once I could even taste it in the cendawan goreng.  They must have fried the mushrooms in the same oil as the prawns...hah..hah! ;P

Initially, I was very tempted to drizzle light soy sauce over the porridge (as I would always do with any Chinese-style porridge) but luckily did not as it would change the taste of this Malay-style version.

I once ordered a side of Telur Masin (Salted Egg) @ RM2 (for half) as this is something we've always paired with our Chinese porridge so that it wouldn't be so bland.  Actually, it wasn't needed as the porridge itself had a nice savoury taste already.

There's also a side order of Sambal Bilis Lobak Asin @ RM2 which I initially thought would be a strange combo to eat porridge with a sambal but I remembered that I thought it strange also to eat porridge with something spicy like kung po-style frog (cooked with dried chillies) which turned out to be a revelation as it was so good eaten together! :O

So I gave this sambal bilis lobak asin (as in lobak masin or salted preserved radish) a try and it was a dynamite combination!  This sambal lobak asin is like a spicy sambal cooked with salty-sweet preserved radish (choy poh) though I didn't detect much of the ikan bilis taste.  Who knew a spicy sambal (the taste is unlike those sambal you get in nasi lemak) would go so well with porridge.  It was very good...but too small a portion given (some might think it's not worth paying RM2 for)! O_o

My Personal Opinion

The success and taste of this Malay-inspired porridge took me by surprise.  It's now one of my most ordered food delivery through ShopeeFood.  My favourite is the Cendawan Goreng followed by the Udang Goreng.  A new revelation would be eating porridge with a sambal...and it turned out to be an excellent combination (only a Malay vendor would think of pairing it with a sambal, after all, sambal is a mainstay of their cuisine).

Now, why didn't any Chinese food operators think of pairing something fried and crispy with porridge?  Our Chinese-style version always usually offers something braised.  Well, if you like something crispy with your porridge, this is it...but obviously not a porridge to have if you're feeling under the weather.

This Malay-style porridge has changed my perspective that porridge need not always be paired with something braised or boiled like duck, peanuts, pork innards or minced meat but can be with something crisply delicious...and you can enjoy it with a sambal too.

The Bubur Cha Kitchen

No 22 Jalan Indah 33

Taman Cheras Indah

56100 Kuala Lumpur

Dondang Sayang Coffee House @ Corus Hotel

It was a celebration of some sort and we received an invite from my brother-in-law to a makan gathering on National Day at Dondang Sayang Coffee House @ Corus Hotel.  Our go-to dining venue at Corus Hotel is usually Ming Palace but they were closed on a public holiday.

So, we decided to meet at the hotel's coffee house instead.  It has been a while since we last ate at their coffee house...our previous visits here were always for their high-tea buffets.  Since there was no buffet offered on that day, my brother-in-law made orders from their a la carte menu...and everything was ordered by the time my family and I arrived.

He ordered 7 individual plates of food (mainly local dishes) for the seven of us...but all for sharing...and all the plates arrived almost simultaneously.  The Biryani Lamb @ RM58.62 came served with a flavourful tri-coloured biryani rice accompanied by a very refreshing vegetable pickle (of pineapples, cucumber, carrot, onions & chillies) and crispy prawn crackers.

The lamb shank was adequately tender and full of flavour from being cooked in all the rich and aromatic spices.  The tri-coloured biryani rice was delicious as hidden within the centre of the perfectly cooked basmati rice was some sauce (presumably from the lamb shank) which made the rice even tastier.

This was followed by a dish of greens, the Caesars Salad @ RM22.41 that was made up of really fresh, crunchy romaine lettuce, sliced onions, cherry tomatoes, olives, hard boiled eggs and sliced ham served with caesar dressing, of course.

There was this sprinkling of Parmesan cheese on top but, luckily, this wasn't as pungent as some of the Parmesan cheese I've tasted before, so it ended up as a salad I enjoyed.  Only thing missing were some crispy croutons to bring that crunchy element to the dish.

Next was the Fried Mee Mamak @ RM24.13 garnished with a sunny side-up egg (that was executed well with a still oozy yolk), some crispy prawn crackers, some greens, a wedge of lime and a dip of bird's eye chillies in soy sauce.  I think there were some prawns in there too.

The mee mamak was fragrantly fried with egg bits and lots of vegetables (of choy sum, onions, tomatoes and taugeh).  The flavours turned out better than I expected and was really appetising with a squeeze of lime.  I'd even say loads better than many of the mee goreng I've had at mamak restaurants.  I really enjoyed this.

The spaghetti in the Seafood Aglio Olio @ RM24.13 was cooked al dente and tossed with ingredients of prawns, squid, green bell peppers, carrot, onions and served with a slice of buttered garlic baguette.

It was alright but probably my least favourite dish from here as it needed more chopped garlic and chilli flakes in the noodles for a punchier flavour.

Following after that was the Hainanese Chicken Rice @ RM28.44 which my brother-in-law said is a best seller here....and I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.  For a more atas hotel version, the plating must be different lah! :D  The poached chicken was served with cucumber slices and tomato wedges, a soup that contained some silken tofu cubes with three dips of a fresh chilli paste, blended ginger and a not-so-common condiment of dark soy sauce.

Everything was respectably executed, the chicken tender and smooth, the rice sticky (I think there's some glutinous rice in there somewhere) and flavoured and both the chilli and ginger pastes were of very acceptable standards.  I was pleasantly surprised by the pretty commendable effort (for a hotel version) I've to say.

Next up was their rendition of Char Kuey Teow @ RM24.13, another highly popular hawker dish of kueh teow fried with prawns, egg, taugeh and chives served with a fried egg on top.

You'd find this plated up exactly like the earlier fried mee mamak with its prawn crackers, greens and fresh bird's eye chilli dip but minus the wedge of lime.

Our final dish was the Oxtail Rendang @ RM41.37 and it was super tender, flavourful and delicious.  I don't think I've had oxtail rendang before.  It's a little bit more unique that the more common beef rendang.

It was served with the same tasty tri-coloured rice, pickled vegetables and crispy prawn crackers...and the plating again was very similar to the earlier dish of biryani lamb).  The plating may seem a little old-school (and repetitive) but (hey) it evokes nostalgic moments in our past.  A bite of those three-coloured crackers with the yellow, green and red rims (which featured prominently in more than half the dishes here) brings back fond memories of eating it as a child.

For desserts, my sister-in-law picked some mooncakes @ RM36 each (since it was mooncake season!).....though we didn't eat them as desserts but as appetisers while waiting for our food to arrive...lol!

Of course I had to finish my meal with a Cafe Latte while others went with Teh Tarik, Fresh Orange Juice and a selection of ice cream.  The drinks here can be a little pricey (as would be expected in a hotel) but water is always available and refilled promptly as what you'd expect from a hotel's good service.

My Personal Opinion

This was the first time I've had eaten from their a la carte menu and I'd say I was pleasantly surprised at how successful they were at dishing up some hawker favourites.  Not only was I pleasantly surprised with the taste of the food, I was equally surprised that the prices weren't that upmarket (which I'm sure many, like me, will think they are seeing that it's a hotel coffee house).  I'd say the prices are within the range of some of the cafes and restaurants out there.  If I'm a guest at the hotel, I'd surely consider eating at the hotel coz the prices aren't that different from the nearby malls in the area.

If you're planning to hold a little celebration or get-together, this venue could possibly be a great choice since it's more quiet and not as hectic (as some overly popular cafes/restaurants)...but, most of all, you'll be eating in comfort amidst good service.  You can linger and chat for as long as you want (no-one's going to chase you off as there's plenty of space...lol....unlike some restaurants who would like to do so when they're packed). Less people also means less noise interference, so it's a place that encourages conversation with members of your dining party.

We stayed for more than 3 hours....food is always more enjoyable with good conversation.  If I had to pick a favourite, my top three would be the Fried Mee Mamak, Oxtail Rendang (with biryani) and Hainanese Chicken Rice.  Who knew that a hotel coffee house can be quite adapt at churning out good hawker fare.  If you're a tourist or hotel guest (or even a non-hotel guest), I think you'll be pretty pleased with their rendition of some hawker favourites! ^_~

Dondang Sayang Coffee House

Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Jalan Ampang

50450 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2161 8888