Posts tagged food review
Korean Barbeque at 火爐 Hwaro, Melbourne
Sep 3rd
Monday 9 August 2010
I actually laughed at my own stupidity thinking back on how we actually find this place. Walking in the opposite direction as well as figuring out which road is which road here and there takes us more than 30 minutes of walk.
Good thing we finally found this very place that was recommended by a friend. It was our first night there in Melbourne and the first dinner we had was Korean food!
Entering the place with a low light setting where i could see that 100% of the people there were Asians(Most Koreans), a very friendly efficient staff ushered us to this very place next to this wall. The wall full of scribblings – Not something new though but i was happy reading some of the stuffs written then, some by fellow Malaysians! Lol.
As usual, there’ll be the side dishes (ban chan) served in Korean BBQ Restaurants which includes the must have Kim Chi!
(Bul-Go-Gi)Grilled Marinated Beef AUD $18.90 – 4/5
Marinated Beef Pork Ribs AUD $18.90 -4/5
Mushroom AUD $5.00 -4/5
The Pork Ribs were pretty good and the marinated beef was just awesome! Perhaps it’s the sauce that they used to marinate them, but one thing i’m sure that the meats in Melbourne taste better than the ones in Malaysia, especially the beefs!!
Of course, it all depends on how you barbeque them.
The girlfriend did barbeque some of the meat herself too, prolly better to do it yourself sometimes to get more satisfied at the end of the meal Lol.
We had a staff helping us from time to time and the meats served were just nice. <3
Oh and you noticed the mushrooms? Mushrooms are our favorites so well, we loved it!
Tofu Soup AUD 25.00 – 4/5
We both love this Tofu Soup very much. With mushrooms and lots of tofu with assorted vegetables along with some spices, this single dish had us extremely full at the end of our meals. The portion was quite big actually but we were satisfied!
Steam Rice AUD $2.00
At the end of the day, we had quite a good dining experience with great customer service provided by the staffs. The food was good and i actually like it more if compared to Daorae Korean BBQ in KL.
*Maybe i should frequent Daorae more to try out more of their available choices.
Of course, the person you’re eating with often plays quite an important role and that makes the first dinner in Melbourne memorable for me personally. =)
Would definitely go back there if i get the chance to go to Melbourne again!
Melbourne 火爐 Hwaro Korean BBQ
Address : 562, Little Bourke Street Melbourne Vic, 3000
Phone Number : 03-96425696
Awesome Vietnamese Beef Noodles at Mekong, Melbourne
Aug 22nd
Wednesday 11 August 2010
Our very 3rd day there in Melbourne that is. Waking up hunting for lunch under the drizzling rain on the streets of Melbourne. Mekong is one of the many food places recommended by a few friends when i was still planning on this trip.
The place was fully packed with mainly Asians and i could already smell the soup when we enter into Mekong. Only managed to find a place for ourselves beside the wall and ordered what we wanted.
Durian Smoothy – AUD $4.2
Rating – 3/5
Hot tea is available for free at every table and i really recommend you not to order any drinks and just go along with the tea if you’re on a tight budget. However if you want to order drinks, i’ve tried the Durian Smoothy and i think it’s nice. =D
Rice Paper Rolls (Chargrilled Chicken) 2pcs – AUD$4.5
Rating – 2.5/5
Don’t ask me why we ordered this but well i just think that it’s just so so only. With slices of chicken and lettuce with other ingredients, the sauce that goes along with it does not satisfy my stomach. Something is lacking i feel.
Broken Rice with Chargrilled Chicken – AUD $9
Rating – 3/5
This is what the girlfriend ordered and i tried thinking that it was just average. Nothing more i can say about it.
Beef and Beef Balls Noodles – $9.5
Rating 4.5/5
With a strong base of beef bone soup, this is one of the best food I’ve ate in Melbourne. Served with awesome juicy beef meats and beef balls, i couldn’t help but to finish it though the portion was relatively bigger than what i’ve expected! The soup was cooked pretty well and balanced where the meats are really tasty.
The chili there served little purpose though.
Anyways, in my opinion, if you were to visit Mekong in Melbourne, just order the Beef Noodles as i think that the other food available there are just average only, a few online searches would further justify why i said so.
I guess the famous personalities was there just because of that single dish only. Cheers!
Address :
Mekong 湄江牛河屋
Vietnam Original Vietnamese Rice/Noodle/Soups
241 Swanston Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone (03) 9663 3288
Kuantan Trip & Ibrahim Cendol Air Putih
Aug 15th
Spending time with your loved ones are always the best thing you can do in life. The girlfriend went back to hometown during the weekend and i followed her for a short 2 days 1 night trip to Kuantan.
The last time i’ve been to Kuantan was really years ago, so long that i couldn’t really remember what i did already. It sure feels weird hanging out with her family as i don’t see them all the time and communicate with them though me and he girlfriend have been together for quite long already.
Despite the unusual quietness in me where i observe more than i talk, i had quite a good time laughing and smiling at the conversations exchanged between the girlfriend and her parents.
then, one thing i find it funny is sitting on the passenger seat rather than the driver seat where the girlfriend drove me around in her hometown with her “awesome” driving skills!!
It was quite an experience, one of which i don’t go through normally Haha.
Anyways, just this afternoon, she brought me to this awesome Cendol stall with her younger sister. The Cendol which she promotes through out the year that i’ve not try before that is.
It was a relatively small corner shop lot with like what, 30 years of experience in serving Cendol to the people in Kuantan and it was as awesome as how my girlfriend have shared all these while!! RM1.50 for a bowl of Cendol as awesome as this is really too cheap to be true.
and i ended up finishing 2 bowls of it, one Cendol Campur and one Cendol Campur Pulut. Awesome stuffs i tell you!
Oh and i had the Pulut Ikan also, simple and nice. =D
Of course, at the end of the day, it’s probably the company which made this cendol experience extra sweet lol. Sometimes i laugh thinking back at how we first started and lasted thus long together.
Crazy man!!
OH and this is her dog! As in their family dog Ruffy Haha!!
Will post more on Melbourne in the next few days, mainly on food. xD
SharePan Mee at Pokemon Noodles House 小精灵板面之家
Jun 2nd
This very place which served the standard choices of noodles including Yee Mee, Kueh Teow, Bee Hoon and etc is one of the rare place that will still have lots of people around in its premises after lunch hours eg: 3PM.
One of the main reason this place is kinda “Famous” is because of its Pan Mee. Self made pan mee with a soup base which consist a decent numbers of ingredients is what i love most about this place.
Those Pan Mee lovers out there would know how to differentiate the different types of Pan Mee be it hand made or factory made and this specific one is pretty good.
The crispy anchovies with a fair amount of meat, mushroom and veggies made this simple bowl of Pan Mee a tad bit more awesome.
Oh and if you fancy spicy stuff, the “green sambal” is a great addition to the Pan Mee as well.
Check it out aite!
Restoran Pokemon Noodle House
39, Jalan 6/38D,
Taman Sri Sinar
51200 Kuala Lumpur
Operating Hours : 8am – 5pm
(Closed on Mondays)
Awesome Ikan Bakar at Jalan Bedara, Bukit Bintang
May 31st
It was a last minute random lunch date with Andrew. Yeh, the person who went MIA from time to time. I brought him to this place in KL which is pretty nearby to my office then. A place which Chris Tock introduced a few months back and i’ve only been here for like 2 times only. =D
From Raja Chulan to Bukit Bintang, the area i’m working at is actually quite a food haven for the working group i think, but due to my habit of not frequenting lunch where i rather stay in office, i guessed i’ve missed out quite a lot of good food in the area.
So as you can see in the picture above, this stall which is located just behind Istana Hotel at Jalan Bedara Bukit Bintang actually serves a variety of Malaysian food. but of course, my main intention to have lunch here is because of its Ikan Bakar.
Though not as famous as another nearby Ikan Bakar stall, the Ikan Bakar served here is awesome to me! Ikan Pari, Ikan Kembung, Ikan Keli are among the few Ikan Bakar you could choose from.
The thing special about the Ikan Bakar served here is the sauce/kuah they add on along on a separate plate with the fish. Have no idea do other stalls have a similar sauce as the one here but if you are around the area and you have no idea on what to have for lunch, you can try this stall out. =)
I can’t seem to find a stall name for this place so if anyone of you knows about it please do tell me!! About on the exact location, please refer to the red dot below LOL. Paiseh!
Unknown Malay Food Stall
Jalan Bedara, Bukit Bintang
50200 Kuala Lumpur
Restoran Tak Fok Hong Kong Seafood at Desa Aman Puri, Kepong
May 13th
A last minute change in location to celebrate having Mother’s Day dinner just last Sunday happens to be one of the most satisfying dinner i had in recent weeks. Was suppose to head to De Foodland earlier but the place was packed like nobody’s business, and so me and my family headed to this place at Aman Puri, Kepong.
Usually, we don’t go out eat at the nearby food places and stick to the “Da Pao” culture thus making this the first visit to this awesome restaurant at Aman Puri. Well, it was my dad who was interested in the RM3 sharkfin soup that led to us changing venue last minute. LOL
Shark fin soup in bowl (RM3) – 4.5/5
To start of with the food, the shark fin soup was awesome! I mean you would definitely take out the RM3 without hesitation and put on the table sipping every single drip there, you might even order more after the first bowl.
It comes in small portion, but hey RM3? What do you expect! Furthermore, they prepared it well with quite a fair portion of crab meat inside, its delicious and very satisfying!
Cheese Crab (RM40 for 2kg) -4/5
My family have these practice that whenever there’s a birthday/celebration and we were to out for dinner, crab is a must and so here it is, the main dish of the night, Cheese Crab!! The crab weren’t those big sized ones but the crab meat were especially juicy and most importantly, it’s fresh so you could imagine me eating like a small kid that night!
Too bad the sauce weren’t as “Cheesy” as i’ve wanted but it’s all good. Oh and it’s freaking cheap also Rm40 for 2kg! =D
Man Tou/Bun (RM6 for 12) – 5/5
Then again, the Man Tou that was ordered along for the sauce cooked with the crab makes it a perfect match! The Man Tou were made to perfection and it smells so good, it is crispy on the outside and when i took my first bite, it was indescribable!
Fried Yau Mak (RM15) – 3.5/5
A pretty common dish nowadays. Nothing much to describe about then, it’s up to standard but one thing i don’t get it, don’t know why they put Chili Padi in it where i don’t fancy it. The portion is quite big.
Curry Prawn in Coconut (RM26) – 4/5
This is another sinful dish. With the fragrantly spiced curry, the prawns were cooked till so soft and the mixed vegetables that came along in curry sauce really did spice up my appetite. Ordered a second bowl of rice after this LOL.
Fried Yam Ring with Assorted Vegetables (RM13) – 3/5
On the other hand, this fried Yam Ring wasn’t up to my expectation. It wasn’t that crispy to my liking and the assorted vegetables taste a bit out. Perhaps a less skillful chef prepared this then.
Marmite Pork Ribs (RM22) – 5/5
Last but not least, this Marmite Pork Ribs was the bomb of the night. Turning out unexpectedly delicious. I tell you, Pork Ribs is one of the most awesome food you can get in the world and this one specific dish that i had, the meat was juicy and easy to chew/bite. Thumbs Up!
Then, no more already lah!!! There’s quite a lot of food ordered above already okay! LOL
The bill came up to RM161.50 including the drinks and bowls of rice which i would say it’s a pretty reasonable price out there in times like this. If you happen to be around Kepong, then you should really go to this place and try the food out!
Am glad that my mom was smiling that night. =)
Restoran Tak Fok Hong Kong Seafood
No. 2-2A, Jalan Desa 1/3,
Desa Aman Puri, Kepong
52100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel : 03-62723346
The Queen and Mangosteen at Vivocity, Singapore
May 8th
After last weekend which made me pretty speechless, somehow i miss Tiffanie more and started going through some of her pictures on my computer only to find out i didn’t blog about this lunch session when i was in Singapore back in March. =X
We went to The Queen And Mangosteen at Vivocity, Singapore. A pretty pleasant and comfy place.
It was her birthday actually and i called Steph and Mike out for a simple lunch
Tiffanie and Steph
Prolly something too simple for a birthday lunch but i’m not THAT rich that i could splash loads of money with the currency being converted SGD so… Yea… =(
Anyways, there’s this 3 course meal for SGD38 and if you top up another SGD7, you get a half pint of their Archipelago beers.
So Me, Mike and Steph ordered the the set where both me and Mike added the SGD7 for the beers. Tiffanie
Salmon Salad – 3/5
Mushroom Soup – 2.5/5
To be frank, for such a place that had me having good impression when i first step in, the starters above disappoints me where it’s just normal. Nothing to wow about.
Roasted Angus Rib-eye of Beef – 4/5
Good thing that when the main course came, i did enjoyed it. The rib-eye was medium cooked and it was soft & easy to bite, with the texture of beef to my liking, the plate was served in just the right portion.
Roasted Spring Chicken – 3/5
On the other hand, Mike’s Roasted Chicken seems to be quite a disappointment for him. It was too small a portion for a lunch meal and for someone who is bigger in size than me, i’m pretty sure he didn’t get enough that meal. However, according to Mike, the chicken was quite okay.
Roasted Rack of Lamb with Rosemary Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus and Mint Yoghurt (SGD29) – 3/5
Last but not least, the Lamb Rack that Tiffanie ordered was pretty filling and it was well prepared. I only had a few bites but i think it was delicious and most importantly, she liked it pretty much, so i assume that this dish is worth ordering!
The 3 Course Meal comes with this sinful dessert above, do i need to describe more? =D
Alright so, it was quite a good lunch session actually and i really owe both Mike and Steph a lot as for some unknown reasons, there was a big wide smile hanging on Tiffanie’s face that afternoon after the lunch.
Perhaps it’s because that Mike & Steph offered to pay the bill but i still think that there’s something that made Tiffanie happier than usual. =D
The Queen & Mangosteen
#01-106/107 VivoCity
1 Harbourfront Walk
Singapore 098585
(close to Lift Lobby E & Lift Lobby F)
Tel: +65 6376-9380
Email: enquiries@queenandmangosteen.com
Operating Hours:
Sundays to Thursdays: 11 am to midnight
Fridays, Saturdays & Eve of Public Holidays: 11 am to 1 am
