Gallo Wine Bar @ Taman Danau Desa

Soiree of Great Wine & Tapas

Wine bars are few in our culinary shores but they are beginning to mushrooms lately in various spots in our city. Newest kid on the block in Taman Danau Desa is Gallo Wine Bar. The heavily packed business area now has a gorgeous place for wine lovers to enjoy their wines.

Under the same group that operates Fuzio Italian Bar & Restaurant and The Monkey Bar, Gallo Wine Bar is the latest offspring serving a solid selections of imported wines as well as tapas. From wine enthusiast to cigar connoisseurs, Gallo Wine Bar is the place to ultimately end your day with great wines, cigars and tapas. With a current wine list of over 100 labels, Gallo targets to increase more labels by April.

Located on the first level above The Monkey Bar, Gallo Wine Bar is gorgeous at sight. Expect classy and elegant ambiance. The whole level is set with warm low lights, setting a cosy and inviting ambiance to unwind with delectable wines and good food. Jazz music plays softly in the background.

Lots of leather sofas, low tables, a wine rack room, lots of art pieces, dark textured wall panels and mirrored ceiling summed up the décor at Gallo. We love how the room are well sectioned to offer more privacy. There is private rooms that can easily be sectioned off for private functions. There are 2 smoking areas and 1 non-smoking area. While we were there, we could barely catch much whiff of smoke as it is well ventilated.

Gallo Wine Bar is currently offering Wine of the Month promotion with Litoral Leyda Valley Pinot Noir 2012. It’s Chile meet Burgundy for this beautiful red. We were given a wine appreciation class briefly on how to best enjoy wines with various wine glasses being used on the same wine. From that short lesson, we learnt that the same wine tasted different in the boudoir glass compared to the burgundy glass.

Our pinot noir in the boudoir glass had smoother and softer tasting notes while the burgundy glass showed off the pinot noir’s tannin better. The characteristics are well-defined with better tannins, fruity berries with very slight finish of salty note. This red goes well with white meat dishes and is also lovely with Chinese cuisine as we are told.

From now till end of March, wine lovers can enjoy this Chilean pinot noir for RM230++ a bottle compared to its regular price of RM310++. Order two bottles for only RM400++.

As it is a wine bar, the food menu focuses on tapas or small bites to be paired with the wines. Even with small bites, it is quite filling and satisfying as every tapas is made to order from the open kitchen at the end of the room. The food menu is not huge but sufficiently satisfying and may change every few months to introduce new dishes.

We started off with Cheese Cracker (RM18), pretty serving of gravity-defying cheese wafers stacked high against the pieces. Golden parmesan cheese crackers served with fresh crisp apple slices, strawberries and a honey sauce. The salty moreish flavours of the cheese goes so well with our wine. Its also beautifully aromatic and added much delightful flavours to our evening of wines.

Crustacean lovers will be pleased with Sea Prawn Yakitori with Pickle Papaya & Lime Zest (RM20). Large deshelled skewered prawns are grilled with an umami yakitori sauce and served with a spicy pickled papaya that packed quite a heat punch!

Somethings are better in threes, The Mushroom Threesome (RM18) is one of them. Menu reads Portobello mushroom, button mushroom, Eringi mushroom, duck bacon and onion rings. Lots of flavours and textures on this platter. Chargrilled smoky Portobello and Eringi with crispy deep fried button mushrooms makes such delightful bites with wine. That duck bacon is divine too!

Can’t go wrong with meatballs, especially when it’s moist and tasty. The Lambor-Guinness (RM18) is sure crowd-pleaser. Succulent lamb meatballs wrapped with duck bacon and cooked in sticky sweet and savory Guinness laced sauce with sweet soft onions are made even better with crusty garlic bread. Super yum…

Mantau Slider in Selection of Beef Brisket Asian Slaw (RM25) and Mantau Slider in Selection of Smoked Salmon Cream (RM12) are more filling tapas to ponder.

Slow cooked beef brisket with mango salad sandwiched with deep fried Mantau buns are quite the sinful treat. A tad oily from the buns but the overall sliders are tasty and delectable. I would love to have a bit of a heat to kick up this slider to another few notches…

There’s also the salmon version of Mantau Slider in Selection of Smoked Salmon Cream if you’re not a beef eater.

The Grown Up Mac n Cheese (RM35) proves that us grown up have it better when it comes to food. Luscious mac and cheese made better with rich tomatoey duck Bolognese, jack cheese and mozzarella. Crowned with yummy grilled duck sausage and rocket leaves, this is one mac and cheese you don’t want to miss. What a treat! We couldn’t stop digging into this ooey-gooey cheesy pasta with gusto.

Thin crust pizza is also served here. We can’t decide which one we like better – the Mushroom Pizza (RM15) or Anchovies Pizza (RM15). Both are equally satisfying in flavours. The Mushroom Pizza has aromatic truffle oil with lots of mushrooms and cheese while the Anchovies Pizza proves that salty moreish anchovies are great on pizza with capers, cheese and rocket leaves.

Desserts are not the norm at Gallo Wine Bar. If you enjoy cheese with wine, then the Brie Cheese (RM16) can be a showstopper. Brie cheese baked till soft, served on hot cast iron pan with fresh berries, walnuts, toasted bread and cranberry sauce. Watch the whole dish sizzle when the sauce is poured on the cheese. Scoop up the brie on toast with bits of all the berries and nut and you’ll be awarded with a savory and sweet dessert unlike any other sweet endings.

Reasons to visit? Wine appreciation and great tapas set in a stylish ambiance to unwind for the evening. There should be more of Gallo Wine Bar around our city… here’s to working hard and enjoying life with great wines and good food!

GALLO WINE BAR

5-1-1, Jalan 3/109F,

Taman Danau Desa,

58100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +603 7971 9005

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pg/winebar.gallo

Business Hours:

Mon to Sun  4pm to 2am

Riverboat Thai @ Taman Danau Desa

More Than Just Boat Noodles…

Boat noodles really seems to be the craze with many places popping up all over our city serving up mini portions of the Thai classic street food. We found out about Riverboat from OffPeak.com and was curious about this Thai joint packed into the busy suburb of Taman Danau Desa. One evening, some of us head on over to Riverboat for a taste of Thai cuisine.

We were told that Riverboat was serving boat noodles but when we got here, we saw that their menu offered more than just noodles. It was a full list of many Thai dishes together with the noodles. Run by a Louis and his wife, Riverboat serves up authentic Thai dishes as well as some Thai BBQ. The restaurant’s ambience was basic and simple. Off white walls are left bare. Simple tables and stools made up the seating. Thai steamer baskets are converted into lamp shades and provided warm lighting for the place.

On the way into the restaurant, we saw these scrumptious and tempting items on the grill! Now how can we not order these…

For drinks, we decided on Thai classics of Iced Lemongrass (RM2.50) and Iced Pandan Paradise (RM2.50). It was decent and thirst quenching.

The first dish to arrive was Som Tum Thai (RM9.90). I love papaya salad and its raw and robust flavours. This one is really appetizing. Crunchy shredded green papaya soaked in pungent salty garlicky lime and fish sauce dressing pumped up with loads of heat. There was also carrots, long beans, tomatoes and peanuts added for textures.

BBQ Pork Neck (R14.90) was just divine. It tasted as good as it looks. The pork neck was undeniably gorgeous as it was so tender and tasty. The flavours were moreish and the aroma lightly smoky. I like the little bits of charred edges too. There is a sweet and spicy sauce served on the side but the pork neck was just really tasty enough on its own.

The next dish of Kaeng Som (RM24.90) is truly a unique dish in central Thailand. Its quite hard to find Kaeng Som here but I was glad to see this dish on the menu. It is almost like a curry as it has spice paste but it is a non-creamy one. It’s my first time tasting this dish. Though it is usually cooked with fish and vegetables, Riverboat’s version uses prawns and has cubed omelette with petai leaves in the tangy spicy sauce. I loved it a lot. The tamarind in the curry really gave the dish its delicious character. The more I enjoyed this dish, the more I got addicted enjoying its spicy and sourish flavours. Damn shiok dish!

Another must order and drool worthy dish was BBQ Talapia Fish with Salt Served with Vegetables, Vermicelli & Sauce (RM38 per set) that came looking and smelling so good. The salt crust and skin on the fish has been removed, unveiling a delectable looking fish with smooth and sweet flesh.

The way to enjoy this dish is to put some fish on the crisp lettuce with some rice noodles and herbs, topped it with some of the sauces and enjoy this. One gets lots of texture and the flavours were simply amazing. It was like a delicious party of taste going in my mouth. It is definitely worth waiting every minute for this dish so be patience and order this …

The Tom Yum Goong (RM22.90 – small) here is pretty kick-ass in flavours. A sip of this will literally awaken your sense of flavours in full throttle. Super spicy and sour, the soup has a nice medley of seafood.

Another signature of the restaurant is Riverboat’s Clam in Thai Sauce (RM13.90). Using large hard shell clam, the dish is beautifully flavoured with a sweet, savory and spicy Thai sauce. The sauce took limelight here and I couldn’t help scooping up the sauce to go with rice. The sauce was moreish, the clams were fat, juicy and tender.

We also had Fried Rice with Chicken, Basil & Egg (RM10.90). It was mediocre only in flavours but the rice was nice and fluffy,

We tried an order of their four variations of boat noodles of Pork Soft Meat Boat Noodle (RM2.00), Pork Fresh Meat Boat Noodle (RM2.00), Beef Soft Meat Boat Noodle (RM2.50) and Beef Fresh Meat Boat Noodle (RM2.50). The portion is really value-for-money. It was certainly a debated decision as we enjoyed both the pork and beef broth. The broth was nicely robust and lightly sweet with meaty essence and lots of spices. We thought the meat was quite generous for the price. These are really good so if you just feel like a lighter meal, go for the boat noodles.

Dinner ended with classic Mock Pomegranate Seeds with Coconut & Jackfruit or Tub Tim Grob (RM4.90). It was decent with crunchy pearls of water chestnuts with slivers of jackfruit in a sweetened coconut broth.

We certainly got more than we expected at Riverboat. Dishes here are pretty authentic and the price is very affordable. Make sure to come early as seats are limited due to space. Most diners don’t linger so it’s never too long a wait for a taste of Riverboat. Signatures to order are their BBQ Pork Neck, BBQ Talapia Fish with Salt, Kaeng Som and Riverboat’s Clam in Thai Sauce.

RIVERBOAT

23 Plaza Danau Desa 2

Jalan 3/109F

Off Jalan Klang Lama

Taman Danau Desa

58100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel:  011 2629 2779 / 012-9302839

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Riverboat

Business Hours:

Monday–Sunday: 11 a.m.–11 p.m.

Closed on Wednesday

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Old Tricycle Yong Tau Foo, Taman Desa: Yong Tau Foo with a Smoky Twist!

The Original Charcoal BBQ Yong Tau Foo

I love Yong Tau Foo… its simple street food like this that never fails to satisfy my tummy in times of hunger pangs. I even admit to eating yong tau foo at least once a week simply because it’s cheap, easily available and delicious with its choices of vegetables or soy stuffed with a minced filling of fish paste, pork or both. Of course, there’s the partner-in-crime, the long thin slivers of rice noodles or Chee Cheong Fun that is splashed with various sauces to go with the yummy yong tau foo that makes this street food even more delectable.

With all that said, I heard about the latest grapevine that there is new age yong tau foo that has been smoking up Taman Desa literally. Old Tricycle Yong Tau Foo in Taman Desa is serving up their creation of yong tau foo grilled over charcoal. It started with the owner, Mr. Ray’s father who has been serving up traditional yong tau foo in his tricycle stall under the name of Choon Kee at Pudu for more than 55 years before Ray took over now. Ray decided it was time to amp up the flavors of his dad’s recipe to another level by grilling the yong tau foo.

Choi Yen and some of us headed over one evening for a taste at Old Tricycle Yong Tau Foo. The open air street café was not difficult to locate for those who knows where the famous Japanese BBQ in Taman Desa is as Old Tricycle Yong Tau Foo is located right next to it. Plastic tables and chairs are spread all over the back alley a la alfresco. If there is rain, tents are placed over the tables.

At a glance, the food is prepared in a small shop lot corner. A bright lite signage denotes that one has arrived at the street café. The night we were there, a light drizzle of rain provided a cool note to the ambience. We saw pots of charcoals being fired up outside the shop. Tables were almost filled up and some staff was busy scurrying around with plates of food and also helping out on the individual charcoal grills as well.

What stole the attention and is probably a must photo op is a 3D mural of Ray’s father selling yong tau foo on his tricycle stall! Ok… by now, this photo would have been splashed all over the World Wide Web but I would not do justice if I do not add my addition of this beautifully painted mural in this post.

We adored the concept of using old serving wares at Old Tricycle Yong Tau Foo. There is just something so wonderfully beautiful when old memories are brought back to life. Our drinks were served in steel painted mugs just like those good old days. These mugs are so popular back then and were usually coated with enamel. The ones used here are now mostly used in weddings, hence the wedding design and colors. We had lovely cold mugs of Kumquat (Honey Lime), Fuzhuk Barley and Cincau with Basil Seeds to quench our thirst that night. The drinks are refreshing and perfect for the BBQ fare. Drinks are priced at RM4.50 each.

Dishes were brought out quickly on a weaved-bamboo serving tray. The dishware is also the enamel kind that was used back in the olden days. We practically had their whole menu while soft crooning of nostalgia songs are play throughout the night. The experience really brought those good old days where life was basic and simple. Enjoying a simple meal outside where the world was more innocent and less complicated was much missed and will always be appreciated.

Our tray of goodies had a large platter of assorted yong tau foo pieces that are coated with some sauce. This is a set order where one can try a little of everything on their menu. Alongside the yong tau foo is a smaller plate of fried fuzhuk or stuffed bean curd sheets with sweet dark sauce and chili sauce. Old Tricycle Yong Tau Foo currently offers eggplant, bittergourd, chili, lady fingers, beancurd, long beans, tau foo pok, capsicum, pig skin, bacon, beancurd sheet and meatball.

We rolled up our sleeves and got busy with some grilling actions. The hot coals sizzle and smoke raises up to the air as we placed the pieces of yong tau foo on the grill. Soon after, a light smoky aroma permeates through the air and had us lusting after it excitedly. A staff came by and brushes some oil on the pieces to avoid it from sticking and help us out with the grilling action. The pieces that were ready cooked never made it to a plate for our photos because we polished it off as soon as it was ready.

I was particularly fond of the capsicum stuffed with fish paste and wrapped with bacon and the stuffed bacon roll. These really stood out in maximum flavors. A little sweet, a little savory and juicy in each bite, we had to reorder these. The rest was great too with the added smoky grilled flavors and the sauce on the yong tau foo was lightly sweet so it caramelized beautifully. Between the six of us, we walloped countless pieces of the yong tau foo after reordering twice.

Though the fried stuffed beancurd was already yummy when it was served, we were told that a light toast on the grill would make this even better. And it did, the fried beancurd sheets are addictive but one really needs to keep an eagle eye on it on the grill because it burns quite easily.

There are 3 sizes of set menu with small set of 15 pieces YTF for 2-3 pax (RM 30.00), medium set of 25 pieces YTF for 4 pax (RM 48.00) & large set of 35 pieces YTF for 5 pax (RM 65.00). A la carte is also available in case one only likes certain types of YTF. A la carte pieces start from RM1.80 onwards.

While waiting for the yong tau foo to be grilled, we devoured plates of signature Chee Cheong Fun laced with different sauces. Old Tricycle offers 4 sauces from Soy Sauce & Fried Onion to Sweet Sauce & Dried Shrimp, Curry Sauce with Pig Skin & Dried Shrimp and Curry Sauce with Sambal with a price tag of RM3.50 onwards depending on the sauce. It was a unanimous decision that we all really enjoyed the Curry Sauce with the Sambal.

Though we went back home smoky and sweaty, our appetites were thoroughly satisfied. Old Tricycle Yong Tau Foo proves to be a classic dish turn new age done well. Simple food made well gets extra points in my books. The place gets filled up early so head over as early as you can for dinner. Make sure to order their stuffed bacon for extra satisfaction!

OLD TRICYCLE YONG TAU FOO

Plaza Faber

Jalan Desa Jaya
Taman Desa, off Jalan Klang Lama
58100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +6012-218 1352

Business Hour: 6.00pm – 11.00pm (Closed on Tuesday)

Facebook: www.facebook.com/oldtricycle

*More photos available at my Facebook: Chasing Food Dreams