Author Archives: email2me

About email2me

A GPS Friendly food blogs featuring foods from backstreet to fine dining. Food POI does not do much in depth review on the foods but we provide sufficient info and details on what to order so that it won't spoil your dining appetite.

Bulgogi Brothers Pork Free Korean Restaurant

Bulgogi Brothers is a Korean casual dining restaurant concept managed by ET & Zeus Co. a company founded by Intae Jung and Chaiwoo Yi. The first Bulgogi Brothers restaurant opened in Gang-Nam, south of Seoul, Korea in 2006.

Oppa Gangnam Style!

In Malaysia it is operated and managed by Chasswood Group which famous for holding a few highly renowned casual dining chain like TGI Friday, Watami Japanese Casual Dining, Korean BBQ Casual Dining, Italianies, The Apartment Restaurant, Teh Tarik Place, Baci Italian Cafe, Malones Irish Bar and Laundry Bar.

Bulgogi Brothers is located at Paradigm Mall, Pavilion KL, e@Curve and Mid Valley Megamall.

Bulgogi Brothers restaurant may look different compared to other type of Korean BBQ Restaurant. You don’t get to see the air ducts dangling around the ceilings.

Here they don’t use charcoal and all fully using induction cooker which are cleaner and healthier. All the air holes on the ceiling, it actually the suction air duct which the design is to ensure the smoke once hit the light height will be cleared. This is to get the place well ventilated and reduce the meat smell.

At Bulgogi Brothers, we can get to try all sorts unlimited refillable Ban Chan side dishes which mainly marinated according to the Korean original specs. With each prepared ahead of time and tested daily for quality by the central kitchen using state of the art measuring equipments ensure the best are served to the customers.

Sweet potato, corn and green beans.

Mashed pumpkins

Lotus roots

Kimchi

Marinated Kangkung

Sogogi Milssam – Sautéed Beef Wraps RM19.90

Naturally colored wheat flour pancake wraps filled with seasoned sauteed beef sliced and crunched julienned potato.

The pancake were kinda tasteless and depends on the sauteed beef.

Dubu Chicken – Crispy Tofu with Chicken RM15.90

Fried Tofu Squares with beautifully marinated diced chicken drizzled with teriyaki sauce and served with bean sprouts.

Galbi Tang – Beef Short Ribs Soup RM29.90

A 3 hours preparation of rich but delicate soup made from beef short ribs and Korean Herbs. This is served with a bowl of white rice that best to go along with it.

Special dip for the beef ribs. A lil tangy and bit spicy which spice up the beef ribs.

Samgyetang – Ginseng Chicken Soup RM45.90

This is how you start with the chicken soup. This is the best and ideal dish to be ordered on a rainy day. The chicken come with rice that are cooked within the chicken. It is naturally flavoured with and cooked inside the chicken and served directly. The free range chicken were used to cook this dish and is well known for its tenderness.

Kimchi Jiggae

Unlimited refill spinach and cucumber that goes along with the bulgogi. This is usually best enjoyed by wrapping the bbq meat. The bulgogi are normally cooked in front of you.

The special assorted Bulgogi combination of Unang-style (seasoned beef and hand-pressed into heart shapes) and Gwangyang-style Bulgogi (thinly sliced seasoned beef served with mushrooms, sweet potatoes, leeks and onions).

Each Bulgogi Brothers ala carte menu order comes with 6 complimentary side dishes of the listed above Banchan ie. Kimchi, Spinach, Radish, Spiced Water Crest, Sweet Lotus Root and Mashed Pumpkin.

For enquiries or reservations, kindly contact Bulgogi Brothers outlets at 03-7722 3633 (E-Curve), 03-2282 2292 (Midvalley), 03-78873543 (Paradigm Mall) and 03-21419620 Pavilion KL.

Website : http://www.bulgogibros.com.my
Facebook : http://www.fb.com/Bulgogibros.my

Hakata Ippudo Ramen Opening at The Gardens Mall

Early last week, I was invited to attend the new opening of Hakata Ippudo Japanese Ramen shop at The Gardens Mall, Midvalley. I am a big fan of Japanese ramen where Ippudo are the top ranked ramen shop which I frequently visits.

The opening was officiated by HE The Ambasador of Japan in Malaysia.

The interior design of the restaurants were classy and a bit like a bar. However it still maintain its signature design that carries from their first outlet located at Pavillion KL. There are currently 98 IPPUDO stores in 9 countries all over the world, and this second branch in Malaysia will be the 99th store.

Pork Bun

Steamed bun with braised pork and ippudo’s original sauce. This pork buns were good but a good starter before the meal. This won’t get you full nor satisfy you. It will get you crave for more porks. The meat were tender and tasty which resemble a Chinese Man Tau with a piece of fine pork patty.

Buta Karaage

Deep Fried pork loin with special sauce for a change. You normally get tori karaage at Japanese restaurants. I love their Buta! Pig!

Goma Q

Fresh cucumber with sesame dressing

Curry Cheese Haru Maki

Deep fried curry and cheese spring rolls

On the ramen menu side, I love their simple and straight to the point direction. With 1 soup based with added additional soup paste, it transform into another fantastically crafted bowl of noodles.

Karaka-men

Original tonkotsu based broth with special spicy miso, cashew nuts and ground pork.

Hard noodles is the signature which I find it resembles the wantan mee which I normally had at Koon Kee Uptown. Every slurp up are satisfying to the max! The best way to enjoy it is a slurp up the noodle then follow by a mouth full of soup.

Shiromaru Motoaji

Ippudo’s original tonkotsu broth served with ultra thin noodles, pork loin, bean sprouts, kikurage and spring onions. Classic Hakata-style ramen. I would recommend this for first timer here. This is my personal favorite out of all. However I would advise you to try it without the bean sprout as it is overpowering the soup and kinda miss the kick.

Akamaru Shinaji

Ippudo’s original tonkotsu broth enhanced with special- blended miso paste and fragrant garlic oil. Served with thin noodles, belly chashu, kikurage and spring onions. A refine modern style ramen.

Ippudo Veggie Noodle

Classic silky noodles tossed in Ippudo’s house special sauce served with assorted veges. A crispy and refreshing combination where the textures are light and balance.

1) Pavilion KL – Connection Level 4 (11am – 11pm)
2) Gardens Mall – Level 3 (10am – 10pm)

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/IppudoMalaysia/

Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks 10 Years Anniversary

Known as the pioneer in Malaysia to offer tasty signature street snacks that hail from Taiwan, Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks celebrates its 10th Anniversary with the launch of a new street snack, Crispy Salt Pepper Mushroom (鹽酥金针菇), to continue to capture the hearts and palates of Malaysians. In addition, a host of free giveaways, instant wins and promotion have been put in place as a gesture of appreciation to its loyal customers’ patronage over the last decade.

Best known for its authentic Taiwan street snack favourites, such as XXL Crispy Chicken (more than 10 million pieces have been sold across the region since its inception), Crispy Floss Egg Crepe, Handmade Oyster Mee Sua and Seafood Tempura, Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks, with over a total of 100 outlets in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia, has made it most convenient for customers to satisfy their craving for their best-loved street snack, without having to travel miles to Taiwan.

XXL Crispy Chicken

Handmade Oyster Mee Sua

Crispy Floss Egg Crepe

Crispy Salt Pepper Mushroom (鹽酥金针菇)

In conjunction with its 10th Anniversary, Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks launches Crispy Salt Pepper Mushroom (鹽酥金针菇) at all outlets from 1st November 2013. Tasty and crispy, each golden mushroom is coated with a light golden batter that makes it highly-appetizing and addictive!

Priced at RM5.50, there are five different flavours: Original (招牌), Kimchi (泡菜), Seaweed (紫菜), Sour Cream (酸奶油), Wasabi (芥末), to choose from.

LIMITED EDITION PENCIL UMBRELLA
With every purchase of Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks’ XXL Crispy Chicken (RM6.50) from 11th Nov 2013, customers can purchase a limited edition pencil umbrella at just RM9.90 (Usual Price RM19.90)! Available at all Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks outlets.

 

Manmaru Home Made Udon at Midvalley Megamall

Japanese noodles are kinda norm in our culture lately. A varieties of ramen shops has surface around Klang Valley. One thing for sure you hardly hear about a restaurant that dedicated to udon.

Located above Madam Kwan’s restaurant at Midvalley, Manmaru mark it’s first outlet.

Transparent kitchen was a culture in Japan where you can get to witness how your food were cooked and prepared. It was the same here at Manmaru.

Upon walk in to the restaurant ON THE LEFT SIDE where you will need to order food first, before seated. You have to make a decision which udon type to order.

All the udon were basically the same made from the same high quality flour air flown from Japan. All were hand crafted to perfection with precise number of ingredients ratio without adding any preservative and seasonings. You can assure that the udon do not have any lye water in it.

Then it is tossed to the same traditional method.

Grab yourself a tray and get into the que to place order.

Each bowl of noodle has 2 sizes. You can opt for 180 gram or 250gram. Do not belittle the udon …. it is solid and filling. They weigh every single bowl to precise amount on the price you paid for. It is very affordable where small and big size are just RM2 difference.

Then you can choose your favorite tempura add on.

Each piece are priced individually rather than a set which commonly done at any other Japanese restaurants.

Next you will be directed to order your drinks.

And finally pay. All that can be done in less than 10 minutes if you are sure what you wanna have in advance. You may notice that there are Muslims patron here as this is a NO PORK & NO ALCOHOL Restaurant.

After you done with the payment, you will be heading to the cutleries section to get your chopstick and spoons or green tea hot water refill.

If you purchased tempura, you can collect your tempura condiments and sauce at the far right section.

This restaurant resembles a fast food restaurant where they only clean the tables. The rest basically you have to get it your own. This way, the movement and the table turn around are faster and inline with the fast pace life style that we have. During the review session, I saw a couple of Japanese patrons which they work at the AEON dine here. From ordering to finish eating in 15 minutes. That is how fast the Japanese life pace is.

Kamaage Udon – RM12.90

An Al dente style udon served in a bowl of warm kamaage sauce (The water that use to boil the udon). This is the most basic and traditional method of enjoying udon. It taste like chee cheong fun in a thicker noodle.

Zaru Udon – RM8.90 / RM10.90

All time favorite cold Udon

Bukake Udon – RM9.90 / RM11.90

Cold Udon dash with thick fish broth

Niku Udon – RM12.90 / RM14.90

Hot udon soup with thin sliced beef and spinach

Ume Udon – RM10.90 / RM12.90

Refreshing udon served with pickled plum

Cream Corn Udon – RM12.90 / RM14.90

Light & creamy sewet corn udon soup

Kake Udon – RM8.90 / RM10.90

Classic Soy Udon

Japanese Curry Udon – RM10.90 / RM12.90

Hanjuku Tamago – RM2 per piece

Soft boiled egg marinated with soya sauce. This is perfectly done and highly addictive. A female friend of mine had 4 eggs just for her alone.

White Fish Tempura – RM3 per piece

Location: Manmaru Udon Lvl 2, Center Court, Mid Valley (Next to Apple Center)

Operation hours : 10am-10pm

LA MIAN – The Ancient Art of Chinese Noodle Making At Le Meridien KL

Nothing warms the heart like a piping-hot bowl of thick broth with beef, preserved vegetables and homemade noodles. Renowned for its culinary cultures, China’s Lanzhou city from Gansu province boasts a noodle tradition that has been introduced to many countries around the world – the celebrated La Mian.

Originated during the reign of Emperor Guangxu of Qing Dynasty, La Mian or pulled noodles is characterized for its clean taste and simple preparation but never short in flavour. Guest Chef Leo Zhang from Beijing will showcase his skillful techniques live in noodle making at Latest Recipe, Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur’s all day dining restaurant.

According to Zhang, it took him 9 years to master the skill of hand pulled noodles and make the perfect beef stock. “The technique of preparing La Mian noodles dates back centuries and it is more about the arm movement”, says Zhang. In 1999, Zhang later moved to an independent restaurant in Beijing Xicheng district to become the specialist of a variety of noodle making, under the guidance of Jiang Bo, a nutrition master in China. In 2006, Zhang joined the Westin Beijing as Chef De Partie and has been there ever since.

The dough is held between the hands, stretched, tossed, pulled and swung repeatedly until it is evenly divided into thinner strands and served fresh to diners.

Take your pick of green Spinach Noodle or red Tomato Noodle and choose a selection of toppings including Tomato Egg Sauce, Spicy Braised Beef Brisket, preserved Vegetables and Shredded Chicken, Beef Shank and White Radish among others.

A hot beef broth is then poured over the noodles to complement the dish.

It has a very clean and clear taste. Beijing food being tasteless by origin are kinda subjective for everyone’s liking. You either love it or hate it. In my case, I love it. It is a healthy choice and less in seasonings. Basically the whole pot of soup were cooked by using the big bones of the cow. If you up for it, you may add some chilly oil which look spicy but it is not. Just the look.

If you prefer variety, then Latest Recipe also features Malay, Indian, Japanese and Western delights that are prepared a la minute. Just watching the chefs in action as they dish out freshly cooked and piping hot food is enough to sharpen appetites for more good things to come.

The restaurant is concentric in design with a high ceiling and its centerpiece is a dramatic eight-metre long, multi-coloured glass mosaics, cast in Kobe, Japan, which flows into the lobby. The juxtaposition of simplistic and contemporary decor exudes an aura of tranquility throughout the restaurant.

The La Mian promotion is available from 18-27 November 2013 for Buffet Dinner only between 6.30pm and 10.30pm at Latest Recipe, level 5 of Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur. The promotion is priced at RM108++ per person from Monday to Thursday and RM118++ per person for Friday and Sunday.

Watami Malaysia Now at One Utama

One Utama lately has gone thru some reshuffling in the mall. There are quite a number of new line-ups in the rain forest wing that will change the way you dine. I was invited to checkout this new Japanese food joint known as WATAMI.

Watami name comes from the name of the gounder Mr WATANABE MIKI. A

The Watami Group established in 1984, started off in the dining-out restaurant business with the key concept of providing a place for all occasions and a comfortable space.

Please bear in mind that this is a non-HALAL restaurant.

Watami is basically a franchise brand from Japan that is brought in to you without changing the way it operates.

There are a centralized bar setup that prepare all sorts of drinks ranging from cocktails to liquors for your enjoyment.

A mixture of classic contemporary with modern interior design are in place when decorating this place. You can feel it is new but with a Japanese curve and touch every where.

The Watami Group developed the Ishokuya concept “Watami” in 1982, restaurants that guests can wine while they dine (and vice versa) while spending time enjoying the company of others in a comfortable atmosphere. The meaning of Ishokuya is Scene & Meal Restaurant in short on a Kanji Word I, Shoku, Ya. Today Watami is one of the most established restaurants brand in Japan with more than 600 outlets outside Japan and 50 accross Asia Pac including HK, Taiwan, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Singapore and Malaysia.

The inner side of the restaurant where it is slightly dimmer in ambiance light. Perfect for a chill out after work. Although the restaurant are located in the mall, you don’t have the noise issue. It is pretty comfy here where you can dine, drink and chill all the way till they close at 10pm.

Kalpis water

Green Citrus Green Tea

Fresh Mango Mojito RM12.90

Coke with Lime. Very nice combination aside from Lemon with coke. There’s a range of drinks here where they serve in tall mugs. It is very satisfying and refreshing. No need to hold back.

A wide range of finger foods and snacks are available on the menu to accompany your favorite drink at Watami.

For sake people are not neglected here. Checkout Watami house brew which imported all the way from Watami Japan. This bottle cost RM47.90 and is so easy to drink.

Watami Sake – RM47.90

This sake are perfect to accompany the Asari Ishinabe Soup – Clams cooked in stone pot with Japanese style sauce

Asari Ishinae Soup – RM19.90

It is served boiling with a piece of butter melted right in front of you. Be Careful with the bowl as it is scorching hot and cooking the clam soup upon served. The best way to enjoy this soup is to take a whole shot of sake right up. Swallow and then take a spoon of the clam soup and drink. The taste is on another level where the freshness of the seafood is bring out to its utmost best taste.

A Japanese restaurant must have some of their sushi range to greet their customer. Here they prepared a couple of combination sushi platter that are just right for single serving anytime to complement their drinks menu.

Tokujo Irodori Sushi Moriawase (Special Assorted Irodori Sushi [Salmon, Eel, Tuna]) RM24.90

The sushi are served in pair for each type which portion are just right for the taste. 1 piece is just too little. 2 you get to taste the sushi. 3 is too much.

If the sushi still not able to make you full, you should checkout the onigiri or the okonomiyaki here which both are Japanese famous street foods.

Kushiyaki Misio Onigiri – Rice ball skewer with miso paste RM9.90

Hiroshima-fu Okonomiyaki – Hiroshima style okonomiyaki with pork and shrimp Japanese Pizza – RM19.90

Nagasaki Chanpon-fu Ramen – Nagasaki style ramen in pork broth  served with seafood and pork slice – RM26.90

Nagasaki style ramen with pork and seafood in tasty pork broth. Origin from Fujian, China this dish was adopted and localised by the Nagasaki people at Kyushu. This ramen is unique as the noodles and vege are stir-fried to bring out the flavour before it is served in steaming hot soup.

For those who do not want to have a heavy dinner and want something to warm themself up, sukiyaki is the best choice.

Gyuniku Sukiyaki Nabe – Beef sukiyaki RM28.90

Additional Gohan – Steamed rice RM3.90

The beef were cook ahead and you control how well you want them to be. After the meat are cooked just right, it is taken up and place in a bowl.

A fresh egg are cracked and use as a dip for the beef. The texture surprisingly so smooth with this method of eating. No wonder Japanese people can crack a fresh egg into a bowl of steamed white rice and eat it just like that. That concept have the same effect on sukiyaki beefs.

Additional ramen to eat with the sukiyaki soup – RM9.90 for 130 gram / Udon 200 gram for RM9.90

Gomoku Kamameshi – Chicken and Seafood Rice Pot  RM26.90

To my surprise that this is available here in Watami Malaysia.

This ia home cook dish famous in Japan that the ingredients were cooked with rice from ground up.

The ebiko and spring onions were added when the rice are cooked. Each spoon of the rice has a strong seafood and chicken taste with popping experience from the ebiko. Something worth to highlight here.

For more info, do checkout the nearest Watami at 1Utama, Pavilion and Paradigm Mall. They are open daily and carries the same menu and service plus experience. Price are reasonable and foods are at top quality. Japanese are particular on their quality and constantly Japan Watami people do pop by to QC on their range of franchisee outlets.

ITADAKIMASU!!!!!

Festival Of Lights at Mosaic, Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur

From now till 10th Dec 2013, those who can’t go back to their home town to celebrate Deepavali can enjoy  in a true Indian celebration at Mosaic Restaurant Mandarin Oriental KL.

Kolam in front of the restaurant

Lighting up the celebrations.

Traditional head gear decorations from India.

Featuring an extensive spread of Indian Cuisine weekly for lunch and dinner, guests will be treated to 3 delectable menus on rotation throughout the promotion.

Marinated and mixed to perfection with fresh herbs, spices plus chilli will bring a distinctive taste of Indian flavours to you prepared by a team of specialist.

Begin your indulgence with starters such as Dahi Bhall, a dish consisting lentil dumpling flavoured with cumin, green chilli, laced with yoghurt and tamarind chutney.

A feast of main course consist of Ajwaini Macchi curry, a dish which uses fish to cook with freshly ground Indian spices flavoured with carom seeds,

Nandu Vindaloo, a special stir fried flower crab with hot and sour gravy and bhadam Kofta, curry minced lab cooked with cashew nuts paste and ground Indian spices.

Briyani rice.

Rawa Jingga – deep fried prawn coated with semilina

Vegetarian diners will be treated to Matter Panner, a dish which is created using cottage cheese cooked with fresh green peas in a mild curry, Dal Kandahari, black lentils gently simmered with Kashmiri red chilli and finished off with butter and cream , just to name a few of the vegetarian offering.

Throughout the celebration, be sure to catch a 4 minute performance by the Indian dance team who will be performing at the entrance of Mosaic during the launching.

Lunch is priced at RM98++ per person while dinner is at RM118++ per person (Sunday to Thursday) and RM138++ person (Friday and Saturday). For dining reservations, please call +603-2179 8881 or email mokul-mosaic@mohg.com

Japanese Sweets and Sake Fair at Isetan KLCC

A big news to all the sweet tooth people out there. This Oct 18 to 30 Oct 2013, there are a Japanese Sweets Fair at Isetan KLCC concourse floor.

There are all sorts of authentic imported traditional and modern desserts for you to get your hands on.

Warm Okowa wrapped in traditional bamboo leaves steamed on the spot awaits you to checkout what is inside them. The bamboo leave ain’t from local but were air flown in just for this promo event.

Chef busy reheating the okowa and ensure it is not over steamed.

Besides the usual cheesecake, scone, modern pastries I would put more attention to the traditional stuffs. Senbei (Rice cracker) is one of my favorite. There are many samplers for you to test around.

Japanese promoter. They are not local.

3 different type flavors and shapes for senbei. Each has a distinctive flavors to it yet still healthy compared to other junk foods.

On beverage side there are quite a number of sake on display.

See so many good sake awaiting you with the sampling cups.

Plum flavored sake

More high alcohol level flavored sake

The rice that were polished in order to make sake. Each % ratio determine the quality of a good bottle of sake.

Besides that on the launching day, there’s a surprise. Checkout who’s in the house. The first Iron Chef Sakai and Yoroizuka the contender that won the sweets making challenge.

The boss of Isetan showing Chef Sakai and Yoroizuka around the sweets fair section and then proceed to tasting them one by one. So what are you waiting for?

Time to check them out at KLCC Isetan concourse.

 

Kota Kinabalu Best Beef and Fish Paste Noodle at Kuo Man Restaurant

Last week I was in Kota Kinabalu to attend a photography workshop. After finish shooting while trying to kill some time, I decided to do a small food hunt in KK. For a start, my ex colleague brought me to this place which famous for Beef noodle Kuo Man Restaurant. The restaurant bags 30 years of experience and always packed during lunch times. For a season foodies like me, I always walk one round and look at patrons table to see which is the most frequently ordered dishes.

The menu on the wall for easy ordering.

Most of the table sure have a common plate of roast pork.

The skin are crispy and having a perfect portion of lean and fats layer. This sold out very fast. I was there at 12pm and heard it is sold out by 1pm. It is good but not as good as Pudu Wong Kee’s.

Beef noodle with ice berg lettuce and noodle. The beef are super tender and sort of melt in your mouth. Soup were seafood based and everything put together upon order. You can choose either to have beef only or mix with fish paste.

Restoran Kuo Man
Lot 5, 1 ½ Mile, Jalan Tuaran,
Sunny Garden, Kota Kinabalu,
Sabah. 5 Jalan Tuaran, Likas,
88450 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Tel: 088-221189
Opening Hours Daliy 6.30am-2.30pm
GPS: N05 58.097 E116 5.023