Restaurant Ho Ho May @ Bandar Menjalara

 

"You should try this!" my foodie cousin insisted enthusiastically. Being a lover of Italian pasta myself, I had decided to give it a go. After settling down in a quiet corner i placed my order. If you've never heard of Spaghetti Carbonara (me neither!) fret not! All you need to know is it's one of the most popular Italian pasta dishes; and, you have to love cheese to love it.

Before long, my Carbonara arrived. "Not very enticing", I thought the moment I set my eyes on it. But when I took the first bite, I was immediately engrossed in it. 'Mmmmm!'

The spaghetti doused in rich creamy Parmesan cheese sauce; with diced chicken meat and crab stick (no bacon); together, they really made my day. Admittedly, I haven't tried the 'real' Italian pasta, so I would not be able to make a direct comparison. Hence, the 4.5 stars.

Note: To make it a hearty meal, add a bowl of delicious black rice dessert. Yummy. Just RM8 all in. :b

Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Location: Google Map

Dragon-i Restaurant @ The Curve

Soup-filled meat dumplings or Xiao Long Bao. This traditional Shanghainese delicacy is a must-try! If you carefully pick one up with your chopsticks, you could see the weight of the soup stretching the smooth, thin and translucent skin down. The best Xiao Long Bao, according to tradition, has skin so thin yet has the elasticity to hold the dough, meat and the soup in it. (info from the towelette pack). Well, I tried it, and it did exactly just that. Cool!

Ok, which is the best way to savour the bao?

You can of course puncture the skin first to allow the hot soup to seep out. Then only eat the it with a dab of black vinegar and a few slices of ginger (all these are provided); or you can eat it the way I did. :) First, I'll allow the bao to cool down just a little. Then I'll eat the it whole with the soup in it (with no vinegar or ginger). This way you can taste both the meat and soup in its original form. Mmmmmm.

Rating: 5/5 stars 

This Bucket Steamed Rice, chicken and Chinese sausage" dish was recommended by the captain. I told him I wanted something that can fill my growling stomach! lolxx. Anyway, nothing much was anticipated of this dish; how special can something as common as chicken, lap cheong and rice be, right?

How wrong was I! The rice is steamed just right; high grade lap cheong and mushroom are used (taste great); and the boneless, succulent chicken meat... Wow, a perfect 10 dish indeed!

Rating: 5/5 stars

Batu Pahat Nasi Briyani @ BRP 1/10A

 

Nasi kandar lovers, don't miss this! Located just opposite the new shop lots facing the back of The Store, this stall is smacked in between the other atap food stalls selling other Malay dishes. Although not as well-known as some nasi kandar stalls rated by some well-known food reviewers, I highly recommend it. For a start at least you'll have no trouble looking for a seat. ;)

For no more than RM10, you'll be served either chicken or mutton briyani rice with a plate of acar and dal curry. These additional "snacks" compliment the main dish superbly well. So what makes the whole briyani dish here so special? Other than the acar, it's the rendang style curry and meat (you won't get cubes of mutton meat or small pieces of chicken but the whole meat cut). The aromatic rice too proved to be a savoury delight for the palate.

Rating: 5/5 stars
Location: Google Map