Rakuzen @ Sunway Velocity

After our first visit and liking the food, we made our way back to Rakuzen @ Sunway Velocity for more. We're glad to have another Japanese restaurant near us that offers good and reasonably priced Japanese food.

I really like the design of the place with its exposed polished wood and how the place is sectioned into various booths.  Although each cubicle is filled with a few tables, you still get a bit of privacy as it's not a totally open concept, so you only see the diners in your booth.  If you have a large enough eating party, you can even get yourself a whole booth of your own for even more privacy.

This time we went for the affordably priced dinner sets, the first being the Teppanyaki Zen @ RM48 which is the diced-cut beef steak set.

The set comes with all the usual components of chawanmushi, miso soup, eggplant, pickles, fresh fruits, garlic fried rice and diced-cut beef, of course.

The odd tasting side dish for me was the eggplant which was served chilled.  Mind you, I love my eggplant but eating it chilled wasn't my thing so I left it unfinished.  I'm not sure if it was meant to be served chilled like that or they didn't warm it through.

I also welcomed the addition of  a more premium fresh fruit of seedless sweet purple grapes besides the usual juicy watermelon.

The garlic fried rice was good too and it was a very large bowl.  I actually managed to eat only half of it and had to summon help to finish the rest.

The main event of this set was (of course) the diced-cut beef executed to medium rare as requested.  They were served along with some stir-fried vegetables of cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, leek and mushrooms, topped with some crispy garlic! ^o^  If there's one (small) complaint, it would be that the beef and vegetables were not as hot as I would have liked when they were served (probably sitting at the kitchen counter a tad longer than it should) judging by the release of water from the vegetables).  But because the cubes of beef were flavourful, juicy and tender, I'm willing to overlook the fact that it was served lukewarm! :P

The  other set we got was the Chicken Teriyaki Zen @ RM33 which is the grilled chicken set.

Again, the set was complemented by the same servings of miso soup, chawanmushi, eggplant, pickles and fresh fruits.  Loved that the chawanmushi arrived piping hot! ^.^

The chicken teriyaki, coated in a delicious sauce, was well grilled to yield tender, tasty meat.  It was one of the better chicken teriyaki I've come across.

We also ordered one of their special maki for sharing.  This time we tried the Stamina Roll @ RM38 featuring an avocado and omelette roll topped with (what else) but our favourite unagi.

Although their rolls are expertly done and taste good, we still prefer Burger & Sushi's maki rolls just a fraction more.

Rakuzen is the only Japanese restaurant I've come across here (so far) that serves complimentary green tea...and it's refillable too! *thumbs up* ;)

My Personal Opinion

It was again a more than decent Japanese meal at a mall that's conveniently located near where we stay.  If you go with a value-for-money dinner set, it'll make your meal here that much more affordable.

It you're a small-eater and happen to be not too hungry, the beef teppanyaki set that I had could probably be shared since I had difficulty finishing the miso soup, eggplant and fried rice on my own.

I'm certain I'll be back as it's now one of our 'go to' places for a wide selection of Japanese food that's good and reasonably priced.

Rakuzen
Lot 1-28 Sunway Velocity Mall
Lingkaran SV
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-9770 1170

Cats Love Confined Spaces

Cats love confined spaces.....and Cookie is no different.  They like to squeeze themselves into the tiniest of spaces.......

#1 - Like cupboards.

#2 - And drawers.  The moment I open one, he'll come running! ^_~

#3 - And boxes.  He'll try to squeeze in even if he can't fit! :D

#4 - No matter what cupboard.

#5 - No matter the size.

#6 - No space is too small for him.

#7 - Each time I open a cupboard door, you can be sure the 'kepochi' is not far away and just waiting to jump in!

#8 - He even treats the TV cabinet as his space.

#9 - Even a paper bag is pure comfort.

#10 - Our travel bag will do too.

Cookie:  I'm all packed and ready to go :)

#11 - Even our new suitcase has to be 'cat-approved'.
Cookie:  Perfect fit...and I'm all snugly and warm....#CookieApproved! :P

#12 - A confined space can also mean in between some sheets.

Cookie loves it when I throw a blanket over him.
Cookie:  It's so cozy, comfortable and warm...I like it :)

#13 - I can even build a makeshift enclosed space with cushions for him...and he'll appreciate his own little space.

So, there you have it....it's no secret cats love small spaces...and that includes my Cookie! ;)

my Toast n Roast @ SS2 PJ

We were back again to my Toast n Roast @ SS2 PJ for a late breakfast one Sunday morning.  Look who decided to visit too.....a husky!  As cute as the dog may be, pets don't belong in an eatery, especially one that doesn't state that it's a pet-friendly place.

Luckily, this dog was tied outside the restaurant.  I've seen diners with their dogs inside eateries too many times.  I've even seen a dog owner feeding her dog (inside the restaurant) with the same chopsticks we use.  I just don't understand why people would want to bring their dogs to eating places where they have no business being there.  I'm a pet lover too but even I won't condone this.  If such pet owners want to 'flaunt' their pet, they need to do it elsewhere...like take them to a dog park, for God's sake.  It's a matter of hygiene and respect for other customers who may not take kindly to your pet being there.

Getting back to our late breakfast that morning, the Char Siew Rice @ RM8 was still as great as ever...the char siew was sticky sweet, caramelised and meltingly tender...just slightly pricier than before! ;)

The Char Siew Wantan Mee (Dry) @ RM8.80 was just as good as the last time we had it with flavourful noodles and smoky, delicious char siew.  The Hakka Noodle with Char Siew @ RM8.50 is their signature noodle here.  For photos, refer to my previous post on my Toast n Roast.

Since we've only tried the siew yoke at the old Toast & Roast, we ordered a serving of Siew Yoke (Small) @ RM12.  For those who like their siew yoke savoury, the siew yoke here comes with a salty crispy skin.

In fact, I could taste the salty seasoning rub at the bottom of the meat as well.  Other than that, the centre part of the meat was dry and not as succulent as it should be.  It was just an average siew yoke.  The char siew is still the undisputed star of the show here.

The last time I was here, I didn't get to taste their smoked chicken, so I ordered their Premium Hickory Smoked Chicken Whole Leg @ RM13.50.  My husband was not a fan of this at all...he didn't find the meat juicy and described the taste as 'eating cigarette smoke' for lack of a better comparison! O_o  For me, I thought the meat was alright but the smokiness of the chicken wasn't something I relished...it was as if I was tasting the wood or perhaps subconsciously I was thinking of that.

The smoked flavour is very different from the smoky, charred flavour of grilled meats that I adore.  I've watched enough cooking shows to know that there are many different types of wood for smoking, some will impart a more subtle smoke flavour while others are more intense.  I've also watched enough cooking competitions to know that you can over smoke your meat.  Yes, there's such a thing as over smoking (like over cooking) your meat.  Perhaps, this hickory wood flavour was a tad too intense for me (some even go as far to say that hickory may not be the best wood to smoke chicken).  Maybe this chicken needed a more robust seasoning rub (there was none) to counter the potent wood smell.  Or maybe the smoke flavour just taste different for non-(cigarette) smokers like us...haha! :D  Whatever the case may be, I've not eaten enough smoked meats to offer an experienced insight into this, so I leave it to your judgement if you like this.

Usual condiments of pickled green chillies and fresh chilli sauce can be found on the table.  I like the vibrancy and freshness of the lime juice in the chilli mix although this time I tasted a hint of extra sweetness in it.

We also noticed something new, small pre-wrapped packets of these on the tables, which I thought was nasi lemak initially, so I grabbed a packet.  But it turned out to be a Thai-Style Fried Bihun they call Happy Mee Hoon @ RM3.50.  At first glance, it seemed expensive for such a small packet of meehoon.

Luckily, the aroma of dried prawns filled my nostrils when I opened the packet to unveil an abundance of fried dried prawns that made the price more acceptable.  The fragrance from the finely shredded "bunga kantan" (torch ginger flower), the spicy notes from the fiery red bird's eye chillies and sourish flavours of lime juice made this a very light and refreshing meehoon. ^o^  I liked it enough to grab a packet home.

The last time I was here (a few months back), I saw side dishes like Tortilla Wrapped Char Siew Bacon with Vege, English Muffin Butter and Mantou with Char Siew Bacon in BBQ Sauce listed as 'coming soon'.  I thought I'd try that the next time I'm here but it wasn't on the menu anymore.  I'm not sure if it 'came and left' or 'never came'.  The side dishes are now limited to just fried or soup sui kow and wantan, pork meatball soup and crispy fish roll.

My Personal Opinion

Still a good place for awesome char siew that's sticky sweet and lusciously tender with either wantan mee or Hakka noodles.  And for snacks, it'd be the fried fish roll and the Thai-style meehoon.  That's it! :)

my Toast n Roast
No 101 Jalan SS2/6
47300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 03-7865 9699

Table 9 Cafe & Kitchen @ Bangar

It was a last minute meet up for a late lunch over the Hari Raya holidays.  My friend and I had no plans on where to eat so we thought we'd just go to one of our 'usual/already visited' cafes.

But just before we met up, I happened to check my blog and found two new posts from theyumlist and malaysianflavours on my blog's side bar with reviews on the same place on the same day.  So, off we went to Table 9 Cafe & Kitchen @ Bangsar, opened about a month ago.

The cafe serves mostly Western/Italian food with an Asian twist together with Korean-inspired desserts and coffees (probably the greatest nod to their Korean influence is in their choice of cutlery with the extra long-handled spoon).  The menu ranges from all-day breakfasts to small bites, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, risottos, bingsu and house specials to tempt your palate.

Since my friend brought along her kids, we started with a sure-fire kids-approved dish of big breakfast, Table 9's version called Table9 Breakfast @ RM25 with chicken sausage, beef bacon, eggs (scrambled or sunny side up), sauteed mushrooms, grilled tomato, hashed potatoes and toast with butter and jam.

Although their version of big breakfast is rather similar to most of them out there, the ingredients offered (I felt) were slightly more premium.  We especially enjoyed the creamy scrambled eggs and the fluffy hashed potatoes with sauteed bell peppers, green zucchini and tomato chunks.  We also welcomed the sauteed shimeji mushrooms instead of the usual fresh button mushrooms.

You can substitute the plain toast with french toast (we did) by paying an additional RM1 (or RM2 for the pancakes).  The french toast, thick and fluffy, was definitely the right move and worth the additional RM1.

Our next dish was a server's recommended dish of Table9 Picante Seafood Pasta @ RM28 when I asked which is their more popular pasta.  The server's recommendation was spot on (they have a risotto version of this dish as well).  The good-sized mussels and juicy prawns were immensely fresh and delicious but, more importantly, the texture of the pasta was cooked to absolute perfection.  Loved the addition of the soft broccoli and crunchy julienned carrots.

But it was the rich, creamy and spicy sauce, with lots of already-shelled clams, that took it to the next level. Although I've never been a fan of creamy sauces, it was nothing like the cloying type of creamy pastas I've had in the past which I think is due to the 'just right' level of spiciness that opened up our palates.

The thick sauce coated each strand of al-dente spaghetti lovingly and this is one creamy pasta dish you'll have no problem finishing on your own.  This is a dish that's best not shared! :D  It was so good...a must-try dish here if you enjoy a bit of heat in your food! ^o^

If this terrific pasta dish is an insight to the rest of their pastas, then we have a reason to celebrate.  Some of the other pasta dishes they have on their menu include aglio e olio, jalapenos pasta, alfredo, carbonara, funghi, frutti de mare, amatriciana, marinara and more.

We couldn't resist an order of Pancake @ RM9 since it was offered at a promo price that day (sorry, promo ended 30 June, normal price is RM18) which was served with maple syrup and a dollop of cocoa-sprinkled cream.

The two slices of pancake (cut into halves) were generously sized and came topped with a dusting of powdered sugar for added sweetness and some dried cranberries for a bit of that natural tartness.  These are thin pancakes with a soft texture and a nice crisp on the outside.

End on a sweet note with the popular Korean shaved ice dessert of Bingsu (other than a selection of homemade cakes at the counter).  They offer 8 flavours here from mango to blueberry, red bean mochi, green tea, oreo, tiramisu, tomato and espresso (for those who want coffee and dessert in one).  But, we aren't super fans of bingsu, so we skipped that.

Their imported coffee beans from Korea make for a decent cup of Hot Cappuccino @ RM9.

Or go with one of their healthy, natural and sugar-free pressed juices of P K Coco @ RM14 that's a mixture of pineapple, kale, coconut water and coriander.  I was a little bit on the edge when the drink arrived looking so healthy-green but luckily the predominant taste was pineapple (not kale!)...and it was deliciously invigorating.

And if you're one of those in need of a spot for photo taking, the painted mural at the side of the cafe may just be the spot you need.  There are even more painted murals on the neighbouring walls.

My Personal Opinion

The absolutely scrumptious seafood spaghetti is enticing enough to make me come back just for it (in fact, my friend returned just for that).  Of course, there are lots more to try and I hear the risottos and pizzas are good too.

Charming cafe, unique dishes, reasonable prices, warm service...are some of the other reasons you may want to make a trip here.  So, grab a table at Table 9 and feel right at home with some comfort food that's always fresh, always appetising! ^_~

Table 9 Cafe & Kitchen
21 Jalan Telawi 3
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2201 1055