A Taste of Penang in Cyberjaya

Venue: Seri Penang Restaurant, Cyberjaya
Occasion: Friday lunch
Overall comment: Expensive Penang food, which I felt wasn't very Penang at all. "Oh, PerutBesi, there's no comparison with the all-time favourite Penang hawker food!"
Halal: Yes

If you want some Nyonya/Chinese food in Cyberjaya, you can head to either Street Mall or the newly opened shops along the Petronas petrol station. It's not the best, but it's edible la...

Seri Penang offers a wide range of Chinese & Nyonya-style food (so-called Penang food). You'll come across rice set meals to ala carte dishes, rice, & noodles. There's also the usual ice desserts famous in Penang, like the cendol & ice kacang. Prices of food are comparable to Penang House's at Street Mall, but I'm not too sure about the taste as I pretty much refuse to step into such places unless I really have no choice. (I don't want to be a 'party pooper' all the time...although I do admit that sometimes prices of food + the quality/taste of the food served do play a great role in influencing me to be a 'party pooper' or a 'party-goer')

A taste above the rest...hmm...
Foodies who tried this place, what do you think?

Curry Mee (RM9.90/serving)

It's not thick enough & the portion is slightly small, but it's not terrible on the overall. I'll rather drive further & pay RM4.00 to eat at some coffeeshop though :P

Fish & Chips (RM13.90/serving)
Looks good :) But there's nothing to shout about in terms of taste & the texture of the batter...presentation is not too bad though ;)

Hainan Roast Chicken Rice (RM10.90/serving)
Eek! I thought to myself that I could eat at least 3 plates of normal chicken rice for the price I'm paying for this...yes, I'm SO stingy & picky in how much I'm willing to pay for the quality of food that I get. It's chicken rice, darlin'! Nothing very spectacular! Nevertheless, parents always thought me to give thanks for the food, so we shall be thankful that the chicken texture was tender & well-flavoured. Nope, I didn't order this :P

Black Pepper Fish with Rice (RM10.90/set)
Looking at the price, you wanna cry, right? The taste is not too bad. The black pepper made the simple fish dish fragrant. Three of us colleagues shared 2 sets of rice...yes, we shared cos it was too expensive to eat one by ourselves! Hahaha...economy crisis la...

Spicy Mango Chicken with Rice (RM10.90/set)
Tangy, slightly spicy, & slightly sweet, it's quite an appetizing chicken dish, but the portion is no doubt not much for the price we paid *sigh* (what more are we asking for??)

Hot Hainan Coffee (RM2.80/cup)
It looks good! My colleague who had it said it tastes pretty nice...not sure what that means...hahaha...better than Old Town Kopitiam, I suppose ;)

The verdict? - OK-lah...so-so...

Restaurants are mushrooming in Cyberjaya. There are more food choices now & certainly price is a great issue. Some restaurants have resulted to lowering their prices and/or coming out with set meals for an affordable price (like RM6.90 for a plate of noodles with a drink). So if you still think that Cyberjaya is a dead town, think twice. It's certainly 'coming to life'! :)


Seri Penang Restaurant
Lot 9, Showroom @ Cyberjaya
63000 Cyberjaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Note: Next to Petronas petrol station


Ratings:
Presentation: * * * 1/2
Price: * * 1/2
Environment: * * *
Taste: * * *
Service: * * * 1/2

Overall

- Ruth

Read more...

Kitchen Village Restaurant, Cyberjaya

Venue: Kitchen Village Restaurant, Cyberjaya
Occasion: Team appreciation lunch
Overall comment:Price is pretty much the usual Cyberjaya price, which is a tad higher than outside. Perhaps it's close to prices at restaurants like Esquire Kitchen although it doesn't taste as 'great'.
Halal: Yes

Note: Since I didn't pay for lunch this time, I didn't ask for the receipt from my team. Therefore, I can't provide any price listing for you.


On rare occasions like this, you'll see me having lunch opposite my office. If not, you'll find me at the cafeteria during lunch hour, sharing a plate of rice with dishes with my colleagues. Eating out will incur a cost of at least RM5.00 for lunch & I have become quite a miser for my weekday lunches. Hahaha....to make it sound nicer, I'll call it the "save money scheme".

Anyways, since my previous post was on a non-halal food outlet, I shall now share my dining experience at a halal food outlet.

Kitchen Village offers a substantial range of halal Chinese-style dishes. It's the only "Chinese restaurant" in Cyberjaya (excluding the restaurants in Cyberview Lodge), thus, it offers a different range of food, appealing to a different crowd altogether. Surrounding Kitchen Village are Old Town Kopitiam, Where Else Delight, & The Walk.


The restaurant actually has a touch of 'class' in its architecture & design. It gave me the impression of a place with very expensive food & one that's not worth eating in...hahaha...well, I was kinda wronged.

The interior of the restaurant

Food was no doubt more expensive if we're comparing it to the coffeeshops/Chinese restaurants in Dengkil or Seri Kembangan. But for people working in Cyberjaya who wouldn't want to go too far for lunch, this isn't too bad an option.

Here's to share with you what my team ordered for lunch that day :)

Braised Lamb Shank
For a restaurant like this one, I was surprised to find such flavourful & tender braised lamb shank! I would recommend this if you're eating here.

Enjoy the juices from the bone!
Yeah, I managed to catch some photos of my team member sucking the gravy & juices off the bone :P It's no doubt delicious.

Deep Fried Beancurd with Fried Shallots
I reckon I won't give this dish a passing mark. Check it out - there's almost no gravy of sort like the usual Chinese-style. It's supposed to have at least soya sauce, if not some gravy. The beancurd was quite dry & there was an overload of shallots! If it's minced meat with shallots, it won't be too much of a problem, but to have a mount of shallots on the dry beancurd...euww... :S

Stir-Fried Hong Kong Kai Lan with Garlic
This was the next best dish after the Lamb Shank. The vegetable was fresh & not over-cooked. Crunchy, green, tastes just nice. Perfect.

Deep-fried Chicken with Salted Eggs
Another failure, I could say? Looking at the dish made me 'full'...hahaha...It doesn't look very appetizing & by the time they served this dish out to our table, it was already cold =.=" Talk about having good customer service!

Claypot Curry Fish Head
This dish was so-so only. The gravy can't be compared to those that I've eaten elsewhere. Somehow there wasn't enough "ummph" & the taste wasn't 'captivating' enough to make you want more.

My team lead & my PM

Technical & Functional team leads

Map to Kitchen Village

View PerutBesi in a larger map

Will I go there again? Probably not on my own accord. If someone insists on having lunch there & I don't have any choice but to go, I may go again. Food is edible lah, but for the price you pay, might as well drive a 'lil further to Seri Kembangan or Dengkil for some proper Chinese food. The only thing is that you may not be able to get any halal Chinese-style cooking.


Kitchen Village Restaurant
Prima Avenue
Block 3503, Jalan Teknokrat 5
63000, Cyberjaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel: (+6012) 254 0448 (Ms Lim)


Ratings:
Presentation: * * *
Price: * *
Environment: * * *
Taste: * *

Overall





- Ruth

Read more...

Indian Kitchen Restaurant, Cyberjaya

Date: 5 February 2010, Friday
Venue: Indian Kitchen Restaurant, Cyberjaya
Occasion: Project team lunch
Overall comment: Taste of the food was actually quite impressive. The place is clean, environment is quite comfortable & cosy, but the price of the food is slightly above average. On the overall, it's worth eating & treating yourself once in a while for some decent Indian food, especially when you're in the area of Cyberjaya - a concrete jungle.


The Restaurant



The Menu

Our Main Menu (RM229.00 nett for 8-10 persons)
Here's what our boss ordered for us. The portions were quite sufficient to feed 10 of us...or maybe more, since I don't think the rest of the team members who came later ordered anything! We just hopped onto ONE set! *fuh*

Other Value Set Meals
Their value meals aren't VERY 'value meals'. If it's a meal below RM10.00, then I'll call it a 'value meal'! Hahaha...but I guess with Indian food, the price is around this range, especially if it's some 'authentic' Indian food filled with spices.

Ala Carte Food & Drinks Menu
Drinks: Price ranges from RM1.50 - RM4.00
Food: Price ranges from RM5.00 - RM12.00

The People

JC & CR
These 2 people are 2 of my blog's greatest supporters! Thanks to their comments & reviews that my blog came this far in the past 2 years I'm in this company :)

The CSV-CSLite Project Team Members

The Drinks & Food

Colorful Drinks
L->R: Mango lassi (RM5.00), fresh orange juice (RM4.00), sweet lassi with some salt (RM4.00), fresh mango juice (RM4.00), ginger mint lassi (RM5.00), watermelon juice (RM4.00).
[Ruth] I had the mango lassi, a highly recommended drink by some colleagues who have eaten here before. The lassi is smooth & the mango flavor is rather evident. The nicest thing is that eventhough it's a blend of pure lassi with fresh mango, there are no fibre bits in the drink that could get stuck in between your teeth...hahaha...the drink is thick, sweet, & sourish.

Hot Masala Tea (RM4.00)
If you fancy a hot mug of "teh tarik" (pulled tea) with some masala spices, this is something for you!
[Ruth] I don't really enjoy such a beverage. I find it slightly strange to have fragrant tea mixed with pungent spices. I reckon it's an acquired taste, but if you're adventurous, give this tea a try ;)

Gobi Manchurian
This is originally a Chinese dish that has been localized by Indian restaurants to satisfy the taste buds of Indians who long for something spicy along with cocktails or before a big meal. This dish can be served as an appetizer or a dry side dish itself. - taken from here
[Ruth] I enjoyed this dish, no doubt. It's basically fried cauliflower (gobi) in batter cooked in sweet & sour sauce. You'll find a simple recipe of this dish here.

Chicken Pakkora
Chicken Pakora is one of the most popular Indian dishes not only in India but also other parts of the world. Chicken pakora is a traditional starter dish, but it can be served as a main meal. - taken from here
[Ruth] This reminded me of tempura chicken with vegetables. The only difference is that Chicken Pakkora's batter has added Indian spices. I thought this was quite a nice dish. If you enjoy fried food, something crispy, or just a different cooking-style for chicken, this may appeal to you :) You'll find a simple recipe of this dish here.

Tandoori Chicken
This was not part of the set menu. The taste of the tandoori chicken is not too bad, actually. The meat was nicely flavored & it wasn't too rough/tough.

Vegetable Soup
Part of the set meal, this soup is alike the Malay-style's soup soto ayam without the ayam....hahaha... I didn't quite enjoy this dish. There were chopped cabbage, onions, spring onions, carrots, & parsley with much Indian spices. I felt that the soup tasted strange, probably over-powered by the pungent spices. I reckon it's an acquired taste after all.

Egg Burji
Egg Bhurji or Egg khagina (as it is known in Pakistan), is a dish popular in north and western India. Its preparation and appearance are similar to scrambled eggs. The difference lies in the addition of sauteed chopped onions, chilies, and optional spices. - taken from here.
[Ruth] I find this dish rather 'common' in taste & cooking-style. I personally feel that it goes better with rice than with chapati.

Prawn Pepper Fry
The name of this dish speaks for itself. With some curry powder, some Indian spices, & some fresh medium-sized prawns, this dish is a "crowd-pleaser", especially to adults & to those who love spicy food.

Butter Chicken Masala
The gravy goes VERY well with chapati or rice! I love this dish, especially the gravy :) The chicken resembles the tandoori chicken, but it's served in thick, mildly spicy, buttery gravy! *yums* You'll find a sample of the butter chicken masala recipe here.

Mutton Hydrabadi
Hyderabadi cuisine is a princely legacy of the Nizams of Hyderabad. Hyderabad, a city created by the Nawabs of Golconda, has developed its own cuisine over the centuries. It is a blend of Mughlai and North Indian cuisine, with an influence of the spices and herbs of the native Telugu food. The cuisine is special because of the use ingredients that are carefully chosen and cooked to the right degree and time. Utmost attention is given to picking the right kind of spices, meat, rice etc. - taken from here.
[Ruth] At first glance, I thought this dish looks rather disgusting. The color itself wasn't appetizing to begin with! I mean, who would be drawn to a 'dirty-green' colored dish with pieces of meat 'swimming' in it? I, for one, wasn't interested in this dish at first. But being a 'food blogger' somehow made me push myself to try any food, even if it was just a small mouthful. Ah, if you're a mutton-lover & you're inspired by Popeye the Sailorman, you'll not want to miss this! The gravy is made of mashed/blended spinach & spices, making it thick & smooth too! The mutton isn't much to shout about, but it goes pretty well with such a gravy :) Coming to think of it, this dish is actually a "princely" dish originating from Hyderabad! *fuh*

Mushroom Pepper Masala (RM10.00/serving)
One of my Indian colleagues who was vegetarian that day, ordered this dish & oh, being a mushroom-freak, I instantly feel in love with this dish, even before tasting it! The word "mushroom" itself made me give this dish an instant 7 points out of 10! *lol* You'll find oyster mushrooms stir-fried with onions, spring onions, pepper, & Indian spices. It looks like a very simple dish, but I loved it nonetheless :)

If you're in the area of Cyberjaya, this is no doubt one place I would recommend!


Indian Kitchen Sdn Bhd
Unit W, The Street Mall
Persiaran Multimedia
63000 Cyberjaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Malaysia.
Tel: (+603) 8320 1400
Website: www.indiankitchen.com.my
Note: It's at the Street Mall bus terminal in Cyberjaya.


Main Restaurant:

15, Jalan Telawi 3
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: (+603) 2284 0522
Fax: (+603) 2289 1199
Mobile: (+6012) 205 1400
Email: info@indiankitchen.com.my


Ratings:
Presentation: * * * *
Price: * * *
Environment: * * * *
Taste: * * * *
Service: * * * 1/2


Overall:

- Ruth

Read more...

Happy Meal Breakfast

Date: 23 October 2009, Friday
Venue: Office
Occasion: McDonald's breakfast with colleagues

This is just gonna be a short post. I was looking through my collection of photos & realized that I haven't posted up this particular collection, which I felt I should :)

Any meal is best eaten with loved ones.

I enjoy having breakfast & any meals with my gang of colleagues, & I look forward to meeting them every morning for breakfast. On this particular day, QQ, one of my colleagues, decided to treat us to a McDonald's breakfast. Oh, it's truly a Happy Meal :)

Toby, unloading the breakfast from the 'breakfast bag'

Everyone waiting for breakfast to be served

Happy faces with their Happy Meal

My breakfast *yums* :)

Toby decided to have a more 'wholesome meal' by having some added protein & vitamins

My Happy Meal was Happy too! :D

When was the last time you had a 'happy meal' with your colleagues? ;)


- Ruth

Read more...

First Sundowner 2009

Date: 21 August 2009, Friday
Time: 5:30p.m. - 9:30p.m.
Venue: Company's west wing lobby & Business Center
Occasion: Employees Appreciation Sundowner 2009

Agenda:
5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Pre-dinner Cocktail at West Wing Lobby
6:00 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. – Proceed to be seated for dinner
6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. – Dinner starts
7:30 p.m. onwards – DHL Band at West Wing Lobby (and more drinks)


Every year, the organization will organize several Sundowners/get-together dinners. This time, it was slightly grander than the past Sundowners. I reckon it was intended as a mini annual dinner since we don't have any annual dinners now.

The event was pretty nicely planned. There was free-flow of fizzy drinks & beer, plus cracker sticks for cocktail, & a sit-down table dinner as well.

Drinks & bread/cracker-sticks

The crowd at the cocktail

We opened up our largest meeting room for the event & it could house 50 tables :) I was quite surprised to see waiters & waitresses at the dinner. By the looks of it, it seems like the waiters for the night were from the Equatorial Hotel - even the menu's from the hotel...oooo...

Menu for the night's dinner

Each table was nicely decorated & all the dishes were actually served already. Quite disappointing...hahaha...I was wishing for some hot, served food! :P

The dinner table

Cutlery

We were served creamy & quite delicious mushroom soup as starters. I kinda enjoyed the soup (and I really love this photo as well!!)

Thick & creamy mushroom soup

All the dishes were served in a 'tray'. I thought that the dishes were VERY Malaysian...mostly Malay/Indian-style. It really makes me wonder how the 'mat sallehs' actually enjoy the dinner *shrugs* Erm, taste-wise, it was fantastic, but oh well, it's free food after all...

The dishes
Clockwise from top right: Lamb Kurma with Potatoes, Malay BBQ Chicken (Ayam Percik), Sauteed French Beans with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Beef Goulash, Fried Fish Fillet with Spice Sweet Sauce, Vegetable Dalcha

Dessert was actually quite good :) It was served warm, & the pastry was just nice. The apple filling was tasty as well, with cinnamon in the right measurement to taste.

Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce

The interesting decoration

After the dinner, we moved on outside for a time of fellowship & music by the band :) They're pretty good....I left the company around 9:30pm for home. Oh, it was not too bad for a start of the weekend ;)



- Ruth

Read more...