PIGGIN OUT @ KAMPACHI, EQUATORIAL BANGI

We once craved to try the much talked about Japanese weekend buffet at Equatorial Hotel. But always got distracted through the years but finally, a couple of months back, we finally manage to find the time to visit Kampachi at Equatorial Bangi (as Equatorial KL is now close for renovation).

 

We were looking forward to dine here after hearing so much about the place and how it’s always fully booked months in advance so I was really surprise when I tried my luck making the reservation 2 days before, I actually got it.

 

When we arrive, was firstly disappointed at how small the dining area was with limited tables (no wonder fully book all the time). Walked around to check out the buffet  spread and sad to say, it wasn’t very appetizing. The spread was sad. 6-7 dishes of pre-cooked food, a small section of cook-on-the-spot which cooked small portions at a very slow speed, a sashimi counter (which did serve fresh sashimi), and a dessert section (with a not too bad spread). The other sad thing about this place was their sukiyaki counter. They had this huge pot of soup boiling with sukiyaki stuff and when you request for a bowl, they just scoped out a little bit of each (which is fine) but it’s just that the ingredients in it is continually being boiled and if you reach here later, it’ll probably be porridge sukiyaki by then.

 

So much for high expectation. The restaurant beside Kampachi looked so much more appetizing.

 

 

 

 

STRIPPIN DOWN, COOKING UP: PUMPKIN CHICKEN

It has been a while since I last stripped down to cook. However, recently I’ve decided to cook again especially for my dinners so I am able better to control my diet. I use to go to my in-laws for dinner but then I find myself stuffing myself more than I should – especially when she cooks sambal petai. So… trying to stick with my diet plan, I started cooking simple high protein low carbs meal for dinner when I get back from office.

This recipe here is already considered quite elaborate during working days as most days, I would just marinate a meat and stuff it into the oven to cook.

Ingredients:

         i.            Chicken breast – sliced and diced

       ii.            A slice of pumpkin dice

      iii.            Anchovies – handful

 

 

First fry the anchovies till it’s almost crispy

Then fry the pumpkin. Pumpkin takes a little longer to cook so let it simmer in some water.

Once the pumpkin is almost cooked, add in the sliced diced chicken breast. Add in more water if required.

The watery bits should begin to thicken at the end. A really good sign your pumpkin is now soft and ready.

 

And serve…

 

 

Simple…

 

OF SWEATY PALMS, BEATING HEARTS AND ANXIOUS MINDS

1 more month (or earlier) would be the arrival of our second child Evan and to date, I am quite sure there’s quite a lot of things that we have yet to do to prepare for his arrival. Talking like pros after having our first, my usual response is always… “What to worry? Got shopping mall all around ma…”. So changing table – not bought yet, clothes – barely/just enough, double breast pump (for my wife of course) – not bought yet, mittens/booties – I think we’ve got this, cotton wool – got some leftover from 2 years ago… well… we’re pretty ready… I think…

 

But apart from the physical preparations, I think I am so much more worried about how emotionally I am prepared to receive another child. Don’t get me wrong, I am very excited and thankful that God has decided to bless us with another child, but the routine that I’ll have to go through again just brings about a cold shiver through my mind, body and soul – it’s really that bad.

 

Days where I’ll have to survived through constantly disrupted sleep, increase in household chores – ESPECIALLY HANGING THE BABIES CLOTHES, washing bottles, sterilizing bottles, boiling water, picking and monitoring 2 kids around the house, bathing 2 kids, changing diapers for 2 kids, changing clothes for 2 kids and that’s not even talking about managing 2 kids through holidays. Especially this year… where I’ve got added responsibility at work, buying, renovating and moving into our new house… my heart feels like it’s got 2 x 10kg dumbbells hanging on it.

 

I think what makes it worst is Athalie going thru a regression period where she needs extra comfort and security these days (knowing that another child is coming along). We use to be able to put her on her own bed (beside our bed) to sleep for at least half the night – but now she insist to sleep on our bed from the very 1^st hour (and when asked – “Where’s Evan going to sleep?” she replies, “In the cot la… here no space already”), she was barely waking up for milk and sleeping through the night – but when we told her “Athalie big girl already ya.. no need to wake up for milk k..” she wakes up 3 times to drink milk! and where she was independently walking around, up and down the strairs by herself – she now wants you to carry her. I can only hope and pray that when the baby comes, she understands that we love her same and revert back to her independent self again.

 

But despite all these anxiousness about how to survive, one thing I’ve learned from my experience with Athalie is when the time comes, we humans naturally are made to adapt and survive through it. The most amazing adaptation I ever made was my need for my hours of sleep. In the past before any kids, I would need ample of sleep failing which I would fall ill easily. But when we had Athalie and the super disrupted sleep I had and the near wiping off of my long afternoon naps, I survived. So… this time around… as crazy as I might think it’s going to be… I will survived. To add on further, my compass for survival is my colleague LO – 2 young kids, 2 working adults, no parents/in-laws within a 100km radius, no maid (not even part time) and still survive. So I should be able to survive... fingers cross… here we go…

PIGGIN OUT @ TOM, DICK & HARRY’S, TTDI

So breakfast/brunch seems to be the new in thing in town… I mean it’s been a while but it’s only now that I am catching up… What?!!? I’m not slow k… I just enjoy my thosai, roti canai, the tarik at my regular mamak at 10am k…

A couple of weeks back, a group of my friends decided to meet up at Tom, Dick and Harry’s instead of our yearly CNY meetup at a Chinese restaurant. We met at about 12:30pm… yes… it’s lunch… but we ordered their breakfast menu so it’s BREAKFAST.

Overall, the experience here was pretty much so-so. Nothing spectacular or nerve shocking.

First up was the “The American Breakfast”  (RM23) – a breakfast set with 2 sunny side up, hash brown, pork sausage, mushroom, bacon, baked beans and 1 slice of regular bread (cut into a triangle). I love freshly baked bread for breakfast so the sight of the 2 pieces of triangle bread with baked beans and sunny side up eggs just made me feel I was camping or in some cheap hotel which serves breakfast and that thought just drowned all the other food. Also, instead of serving you freshly brewed coffee you get free flow coffee from a tank which tasted pretty much like water.

The “Spinach Wrap” (RM20) was badly presented and there’s nothing much to shout about how it tasted. My Sikh restaurant at Bangsar does a much better spinach dish and cost a lot less.

A friend ordered “Egg Benedick’s” (RM20) which looked a lot more appetizing. Didn’t get to taste it so can’t comment much.

Overall this will not be my first choice for breakfast/brunch but would definitely be back to try their much talk about pork knuckle. However, one really annoying thing here is that they allow pets to be brought into the restaurant. I personally love dogs, but bringing a dog into a restaurant is a whole different thing. I wouldn’t mind if you wrap your dog up in cling wrap and bring him/her in but you can’t and your dogs fur would probably be flying around into people’s food. That’s just disgusting. Period.

Location:
18, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14,
TTDI,
60000 Kuala Lumpur

GPS: N3.154730, E101.623124

PIGGIN OUT @ PLAN B, BANGSAR VILLAGE

You know what they say… if Plan A doesn’t work out, go with Plan B… and that was exactly what happened. We were all set to wake up at 9am to go to Antipodean but we were so tired from the night before that we went right back to sleep and woke up at about 10am and by the time we reached Antipodean, Bangsar, there was already a line outside the restaurant so we decided to hop right into Bangsar Village and try Plan B instead.

The place was full but the wait was short. We got a seat within 10 minutes and the service was really good. We only had to wait for a short while for our food to arrive and service was really prompt.

The food… was one of the places where you visit and feel completely satisfied after your meal… like you paid it’s worth and the feeling of a completely satisfied palate cannot be traded for anything else.

The Plan B Breakfast Platter was a big plate filled with eggs (of your choice), sausage, hash brown, ham, toast and baked beans plus a orange juice AND COFFEE of your choice. All for RM26.

We also ordered their Moroccan Lamb Meatballs (RM24) and this was one satisfying pasta. The smell and taste of the meatballs were heavenly and the tomato puree spread around the pasta was satisfying.

We were so happy that they have also opened an outlet in Midvalley (our Wednesday movie spot). Our experience with their food in Bangsar Village was so memorable  that in the last 2 months, we have already visited their Midvalley outlet twice. So if you’re looking for a reasonably priced absolutely satisfying breakfast/brunch/dinner… this is the place to go.

p/s – The other food that was good that I didn’t snap any pictures of are Wild Mushroom pasta and Corn Beef Hash.

Location:

Bangsar Village 1,

G5, Ground Floor,

No. 1, Jalan Telawi Satu, Bangsar Baru,

59100 Kuala Lumpur

Midvalley,

Ground Floor,

Lingkaran Syed Putra,

59200 Kuala Lumpur.

http://www.thebiggroup.co/planb/

CHINESE NEW YEAR 2013

This year, I was very much looking forward to Chinese New Year mainly because instead of the lau juak lau juak celebration that usually happens, this year, we would be holed up in Rompin Bungalow, Fraser’s Hill.

We first found out about this bungalow a year ago and even though our stay there was only for a 2 days and 1 night, we absolutely enjoyed how serene and quiet the place was, not forgetting of course how the bungalow was excellently managed and tastefully decorated. The only problem is they don’t rent out room by room but you’ll have to rent out the whole bungalow which cost about RM1700++. So we’ve been trying to plan a holiday back there ever since but it’s been tough to get 10 people to go together and no way my wife, kid and me would rent it with just the 3 of us. So we were really excited that we managed to secure both our families to celebrate New Years eve there and this time, we made sure we stayed 3 days 2 nights.

Needless to say, we all totally appreciated the break in a quiet and quaint comfortable bungalow all to ourselves. BBQ on the first night and steamboat in the open cooling air was really refreshing. No need to rush around for things or prepare elaborate meals. Even sight-seeing was done at the slowest pace possible. A total opposite of how we would have celebrated CNY but a wonderful reunion nonetheless where more time was spent conversing and enjoying each others company.

Here are the pics of the wonderful place…

Location:

Rompin House,

Lot 2490,

Jalan Semantan,

Bukit Fraser,

49000 Pahang

03-2730 9988

PIGGIN OUT @ THE WINE HOUSE, PLAZA DAMAS

If you haven’t been to Plaza Damas, don’t forget to pack a backpack with clothes, food and water to last you 3 days because the possibility of you getting lost here is very probable and don’t waste your time asking the tenants here too. Equally hopeless. Parked at D (which we later found out meant Block D) and to when we arrive at the surface, we asked a tenant where Wine House was located and confidently he pointed us to the shop beside a mamak. Walked all the way there and didn’t find the shop. Walked further down and asked another lady tenant where The Wine House was. Again pointed confidently towards the mamak and told me it was 2 shops away from the mamak. At this point, I felt I was either blind or my brains were fried, too stupid to understand. I decided to call the shop directly and found out it was located at the other end at Block G! Luckily for us, the weather was nice and windy on that day and sights of water fountain with wave features were very comforting to us… you know… if we get lost again… at least got water around for us to drink.

Arrived at the The Wine House at 12:20pm after walking around finding our way for the past 30 minutes. We were shown to a table on level 1 where we would need to take a small lift inside the restaurant itself. How cool is that? I didn’t know at that point of time, I would get the opportunity to ride the lift up and down countless times. We were the only customers at level 1 and with the super low lighting and sun-light proof (i.e. black out) and if any white figure floated about, I would have made a run for it.

Anyways, ordered our food from a waiter who smelt of alcohol when he spoke to us and was half alert when he was taking our orders and I had to repeat myself multiple times to him and had to request for him to repeat our order (I don’t normally ask ppl to do it… but a drunk waiter cannot be good news) which he did flimsily.

Tick tock… waited for 15 minutes… nothing came… not even our drinks or soup… after about 20 minutes, my free rides in the small lift began. Rode it down, only to find him waiting to enter the lift with my wife’s honey lemon. Went up with him. But where was my coffee??!?!?! He went back downstairs, got back up the lift and served my coffee. Ok… so the lift is small, but not so small that it can only fit 1 honey lemon/drink at a time.

After waiting for another 15 minutes, went back downstairs (in the lift) to ask him where’s our food. The waiter said “Sorry but we’ve been busy serving”... I looked around and there was only 1 occupied table outside!!! Utter rubbish! If it weren’t for the chi from the water fountain earlier, I would have blown up at him. Went back up, to wait some more. The soup arrived shortly.

Waited somemore. And somemore. Went back down after another 15 minutes to asked him where our main course were. BS me again to say busy with customers. Told him to hurry up… like as fast as you down your last glass of alcohol before you served us. Went back up in the lift. Short and long of it all, I had to go back down one more time to hurry him up.

The best part, when the food arrive, he actually forgot another order we made!!! This place is a total joke! Food isn’t great. So-so and totally not worth your money and the frustration you have to go through unless you love riding lifts.

This place should be renamed – “The Lift Shop – Ride it as much as you want”.

Location:

LotG-0-03, Plaza Damas,

Jalan Sri Hartamas 1,

50480 Kuala Lumpur,

03-6201 0830