Ichiro Sushi Bar, 1Utama

In a week's time, I'll be flying off to the Land of the Rising Sun- JAPAN!

I'll be spending the first half of my week & a half trip in Hokkaido and Kyoto in the second-half. I have yet to plan my daily itinerary but I know that I'll be in good hands with two of my Japanese friends, who graciously allowed me to stay in their house the last time I was there!

I still remember the first dinner I had in their house. It was a chilly night and my host mum (my friends' mum) cooked up a pot of Japanese curry and served it with steaming rice, teriyaki chicken, Japanese potato salad and a bowl of miso soup. That was 6 years ago and I still remember every single bite. For the next few days, it was a non-stop home-cooked Japanese feast. I was truly spoilt!

Planning all the different restaurants and cafe to eat in made me crave Japanese food even more. Since my last visit to 1 Utama (in February), Isetan have opened up its doors and house a number of Japanese restaurants on the top floor. It was a toss up between ramen noodles & sushi and after glancing a couple of menus, I settled for sushi.

Ichiro Sushi Bar offers a variety of nigiri, sushi rolls, temaki and sets. After a few minutes of deliberation, my mum and I decided to give two of their sushi rolls a try. 

Chawanmushi (Steamed Egg Custard)

Everyone in my family loves chawanmushi so, there's no surprise to hear that we tend to start our Japanese meal with a cup/bowl of it. This one was filled with a prawn, a slice of mushroom and a piece of chicken. The egg custard itself was incredibly smooth and silky. Unlike some other chawanmushi I've had, which have been watered down, the egg flavour is still prominent. I could easily have another one if the sushi roll hadn't arrive so soon!

Signature Ichiroll

stuffed with tuna, salmon, crabstick, tamago, unagi, cucumber... to name a few

This is by far, the biggest sushi roll I've ever had! From the picture, it doesn't look any different from a normal sushi roll but trust me, it's massive. They were incredibly generous with the filling and I love the fact that there was more filling than rice.

Ha! To think that me and my mum were worried that there wouldn't be enough food!

Unagi & Cream Cheese Roll

This combination reminded me of one of favorite sushi roll from Egg Sake Bistro, a Japanese place in the basement of Melbourne Uni's Union House. Except, this was way better. The egg gave the roll a subtle sweetness which went really well with the creamy cheese and unagi. If you're apprehensive about the unusual combination, don't be! Give it a try and you might end up liking it. If you love cream cheese, like my mum, definitely go for this.

For Isetan members, you can collect your points here! And I must compliment the extremely cheerful waitress who waited our table throughout the meal. Definitely a plus towards the overall dining experience!

Highest Floor, Isetan 1Utama

Bandar Utama

What's your favourite sushi roll combination?

Any bad sushi experience?

Chakri Palace, KLCC

When my brother and I were younger, we’d used to stick to milder tasting food whenever we’re in a Thai restaurant. Our all time favourite used to be Pandan Chicken and we’d finish of with a bowl of cold Red Ruby in Coconut Milk Syrup. As we got older, our palates for spicy food grew and we learned to enjoy the tongue-burning spicy sensation. Now, the spicier the better!

Originally, my mum and I intended to have a relaxing high-tea at Harrods but alas, we were too early. So, we switched our gears and headed for something completely different- Thai! The place was starting to fill up and we quickly requested for a better lit table near the entrance. The menu was extensive but there were several items that were not available for the day. Nevertheless, we skimmed through the menu and placed an order before more people started ordering!

 Tom Yam Gung

Sour & Spicy Lemongrass Soup with Shrimp (Clear-Bangkok Style)

The waiter informed us that the kitchen didn't have prawns so, we were given slices of fish instead. The sourness of the soup really kick-started my appetite but it wasn't the kind of sourness that made you wince! Though, it could have been spicier!

Poo Ja

Golden Crab Shell stuffed with Minced Chicken, Crab Meat and Egg Yolk

The outer layer was nicely crisp and the meat filling was moist and flavoursome but I hardly tasted any crab meat. The sweet and spicy chilli gave it an extra 'oomph!' and I really enjoyed that the chilli sauce was actually spicy with a touch of sweetness and not the other way round.

Tao Hu Phad Bai Krapprow

Fried Japanese Beancurd with Thai Basil Leaves and Chilli

I love Japanese egg tofu and I can never resist ordering them if they're on the menu! The sauce and beancurd were perfumed with the fragrant smell of basil but beware of the finely chopped chilli padi lurking and posing as a harmless red chilli.

Pad Thai with Chicken & Tofu

Another must-order whenever I'm in a Thai restaurant! I enjoyed that it wasn't as sweet as some others that I've had before but it was slightly too wet for my liking. Though, the noodles ended up soaking all the liquid towards the end which made it taste far better than my first bite.

If I return in the near future, I might give their salad a try- there was a plate on every table around us! And the service was surprisingly good despite the large lunch crowd.

Lot 417B, Level 4, 

Suria KLCC

http://www.chakri.com.my/

What's your tolerance for spicy food?

Any favourite Thai dishes?

Chawan, Publika

Hot, sticky and sweaty. Yup, I'm definitely in Malaysia!
Despite the weather, it feels really good to be home.

Yesterday's flight was tiring and unpleasant- thanks to the crying baby beside me. But I was incredibly delighted when I bumped into Michelle from Niche and realized that we were taking the same flight home! What are the chances right? :D

After a good night's rest, I woke up craving... what else but a hearty Malaysian brunch/lunch! With a major agenda- getting new laptop, we took a short drive to Publika and wandered around before getting my laptop. We stumbled upon Chawan, which was close-by the Apple Store, and I was immediately excited by the list of coffee they offer! The service was quick and friendly but there were some hits and misses with the food.

Lontong with Beef Rendang

My dad adores lontong and will order it whenever he gets the chance to! This one wasn't good but it wasn't bad either. It was a tad bit salty and the compressed rice tasted like store-bought ones. Ah well, my dad has high expectations when it comes to lontong!

Beef Rendang for the Lontong

Nasi Kerabu

This was incredible mediocre. In fact, it wasn't even a proper nasi kerabu. No raw bean sprouts, no sliced cucumbers, no ulam expect shredded cabbage and no tumi (nasi kerabu's sambal). It was dry and disappointing. 

Kopi O

Chawan offers a variety of coffee from different states of Malaysia (from Tanjung Malim to Tenom) and I went with the Kemaman Kopi. I wouldn't say that it's the best Kopi O I've had but it was satisfyingly bitter. 

Kaya and Butter Toast

Oh boy! I've been craving these bad boys for ages. The bread was lightly toasted and spread with a thin layer of butter and kaya. I was intrigued by the kaya as it tastes quite different from the Nyonya ones that I usually have. It's sweeter and had a stronger santan (coconut cream) flavour. The sweetness did compliment my bitter coffee wonderfully!

Soft-boiled eggs

Ahh.. A classic. How you not have soft-boiled eggs with kaya and butter toast?

The meal wasn't memorable and there's certainly room for improvement but like I mentioned, it wasn't bad! It just wasn't good.

G2-66 Publika,

Solaris Dutamas,

Jalan Dutamas 1,

50480 Kuala Lumpur.

Update

Hi guys!! :D Phew! Time sure flies doesn't it? I'm officially done for this semester and will be flying back to Malaysia for the winter break this coming Saturday!! I have tons of yummy pictures, places and recipes to share with all of you but unfortunately, my laptop has not allowed me to do so:(

Yes, it has officially died. I've been itching to share my recent food adventure with you all but that has got to wait till I'm able to get my hands on my computer back home!

Oh! and I have been catching up on all your lovely blogs but I haven't been able to comment or anything!! But hopefully you'll hear from me soon!!

Love, Vien :)

LuxBite Macarons

In 7 days, I'll be done with my third exam.
In 9 days, I'll be done with my final paper for the semester.
In 11 days, I'll be having a blast at a birthday party.
In 13 days, I'll have my both my feet on Malaysian soil.
But for now, I'll have to live in the present and prepare for the storm ahead.

For the past few days, I've been living off my trusty boxes of cereal and ready-made organic pumpkin and ginger soup. Occasionally, I'll head out from my burrow to get myself a decent bar of chocolate but that's it. I knew that I was setting myself up for a challenge when I decided to fill my semester with four psychology subjects. Last year, I didn't regret taking a 3rd year psychology subject as a one of my second year elective and I won't regret this decision as well. There has been bumps and tumbles along the way but whatever the outcome may be, I can definitely say that I've tried my best.

In the midst of letting out my exam stress by singing to My Chemical Romance's songs at its loudest volume, my brother came into the apartment with a golden box.... filled with macarons from LuxBite!!! And my brother, being himself, didn't know which flavours he bought.

Chocolate Raspberry

 I'm guessing that it's chocolate raspberry but do correct me if I'm wrong! The tartness of the raspberry really stood out and cut through some of the filling's sweetness.

 Pandan Coconut 

A flavour combination that brings me comfort! Even the colour itself reminds me of some of my favourite kuihs: onde-onde, kuih ketayap, kuih lapis pandan... This one was definitely a close second behind the kaya butter macaron! The creamy and rich coconut-y filling really reminded of the flavors back home.

Kaya Butter 

Back home in Malaysia, kaya and butter toast made frequent appearances in my breakfasts. Naturally, this was my favourite! I love how there's a tiny piece of butter in the centre and a whole lot of creamy kaya. Though, it was the smallest one among all four! 

Salted Caramel 

I'm on the fence with this one because each bite gave me a lovely hit of saltiness  but taste of caramel wasn't distinct. It tasted like butter which made me ask my brother if the flavour was buttered popcorn! 

Needless to say, they were gone in an instance!

38 Toorak Road
South Yarra, VIC 3141
luxbite.com.au

 

Momofuku Compost Cookies

With my now-unfixable keyboard, it has been terribly hard for me to keep up with everyone's blog updates and of course, updating my own! Thankfully, I have my brother's iPad to tide me over until I get a new laptop. So, do forgive me if I have been awfully quiet lately!

Not too long ago, I took Momofuku Milk Bar's crack pie recipe and gave it a try. It turned out like what it should be: addictive. While the pie was baking in the oven, I managed to squeeze in another infamous item from Momofuku Milk Bar- the compost cookies! And just like that, I killed two Momofuku recipes with one stone.

The texture of the cookies reminds me of the Subway cookies- soft, chewy and slightly crisp on the outside. But trust me, they're so much yummier!! The best part of this recipe is that you get to put in whatever 'junk' you wish! In my version, there were pretzels and potato chips for the salty component & chocolate chips with hazelnut Loacker for sweetness. Yup, you heard me right! You'd get all that in one cookie!

Don't let the picture deceive you! They're the size of a scoop of ice-cream!!

Momofuku Compost Cookies
(Adapted from Cookie Madness)

 Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup & 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 3/4 cups of your sweet goodies (for mine: chocolate chips & hazelnut Loacker) 
• 3/4 cup of your salty goodies (for mine: pretzels & potato chips)

Method:

1. Cream the butter, both sugars and honey on medium high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
2. Add eggs and vanilla extract and stir to incorporate. Increase mixing speed to medium-high and run mixer for 10 full minutes. During this time the sugar granules will dissolve, the mixture will become an almost pale white color and mixture will double in size.
3. Meanwhile, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. By hand or using lowest speed of mixer, stir in the flour mixture – don’t beat it in or the cookies won’t be as tender. Stir in sweet and salty things.
5. Using about a regular ice-cream scoop and scoop up the dough onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for a few hours or until ready to bake.       ***DO NOT BAKE your cookies from room temperature or they will not hold their shape.
6. Heat the oven to 180C. Arrange chilled cookie dough balls on a baking paper lined cookie sheet.
7. Bake 10-14 minutes. While in the oven, the cookies spread- a lot! (All ovens are different so watch the cookies, specifically the edges).
8. Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pan before transferring.

Again, they actually looked humongous!

What's your favourite cookie?