Hauen Khon Restaurant 海云轩@ Amcorp Mall, PJ

Feelings erupt. Emotions flow. This is one rare experience that sets my heart racing and makes my adrenaline run high. This, is the kind of excitement that I'll never forget about Korean food. Funny but true, their food actually lifts your spirit up and gives you a dose of what happiness truly is ....


Ok, maybe I exaggerated. But it certainly puts a smile on my face especially after a hearty meal. My first encounter with Korean food dates back to 4 years ago at Hauen Khon Restaurant, Amcorp Mall (upper floor, same row as McDonald's).

Haeun Khon - one of my fav Korean restaurants!

They serve a wide variety of Korean dishes, and believe it or not, they sell Japanese and Chinese food too! I've tried some of their dishes before and have no complaints about them. (However, I need to apologize that I'm only going to do a review on one dish for this time. Yeap, just one dish)


The shop is not big, and is usually packed with customers during lunch time. The dim light settings and cute, elegant ornaments were just some of the few things combined to exude a sense of "Korean aura".

Cute umbrellas, lanterns etc
to create a warm & fuzzy feeling!

And as usual, I would order my favourite dish - Kimchi JJikeh set meal (priced at RM15.90) and a glass of hot green tea.

Kimchi Jjikeh *Muah!*

The set meal consists of a bowl of delicious, spicy kimchi soup that will send drops of sweat down your spine! If you can't really take spicy food, you may request for the soup to be less spicy. You will be given a choice of either chicken or beef to be added into the soup. Dipping into the soup is like opening up a treasure chest - a bright light shines into your face as you uncover bits of precious treasures. This is because they add so much food into the soup and by drinking the soup alone is enough to fill up your stomach! They have tofu (which is so smooth), tong hoon (thin glass noodles), carrots, meat (chicken or beef), kimchi, celery, chilli padi and so much more. The taste? Awesome!

A bowlful of 'treasures'!

A few other side dishes are served together with the kimchi soup. Although each portion is very little, it's enough for the stomach especially after emptying the bowl of kimchi soup. The side dishes are not the same each day, so don't be surprised if they serve a different side dish the next time you visit again. The side dishes which I got for that particular day were tofu, ikan bilis, kimchi and papaya.

Smooth tofu that melts in the mouth



Kimchi



Ikan bilis - sweet, crispy and sticky



Papaya

All I wanna say is, RM15.90 for all these mouth-watering food is worth every penny! Can't wait be there again!



Business Hours:
Mon-Sun (Closed on alternate Mondays)
12:00noon - 3:00pm (Closed from 3:00pm-6:00pm)
6:00pm - 9:00pm

Change of blog name

Hi all, here's wishing you a Happy Chinese New Year (before it's too late!)

Just to let you know that my blog name has been changed from bonappetitemydear.blogspot.com to a shorter and simpler name ---> snackaway.blogspot.com.

Someone told me that the previous name was too long and hard to remember, so I had to change to a much easier name.

Continue to stay tuned for more food reviews! ;)

New Paris Restaurant @ SS2

Do you love Chinese food? Well, if your answer is yes, head over to New Paris Restaurant @ SS2 (same row as Red Bliss wedding studio) for an unforgettable treat to a feast of good Chinese food! (despite its european-like name)

It all began when my colleagues brought me to this restaurant for lunch one day. When we arrived there, dozens of cars were already parked outside the restaurant. It is not easy to find a parking place during peak hours, so if you ever decide to drop by, be ready to squeeze into any empty spot that comes in sight!

We ordered some of their popular dishes, such as the fish head curry, pig's leg, brinjals with petai, yam cake and ginger fish. The staff were attentive and service was good. Even the food was fast and we didn't wait long for them to serve the first dish - brinjals with petai and green beans.

A combination of purple & green!

I'm not a fan of petai, but I love brinjals a lot. It is not the taste of petai which I dislike, but the "aftermath" of eating it that horrifies me hehe (I'm sure you know what I mean). However, the petai adds a pinch of exotic flavour to the brinjals, making them tastier than usual. MMmm MMMmmm!

A combination of orange and green!

Next to arrive was the fish head curry served with green beans, tomatoes and other ingredients. The curry was not too spicy, and jelled perfectly with the rice. Some people dislike soggy rice, but I simply love my rice to be soaked in anything, be it gravy, soup or curry especially this!

And the wonderment didn't end there. The much-anticipated mouth-watering pig's leg was next on the list!

A must-try dish!

Though amazed by the size of it, we managed to finish the whole leg through "great effort"! The skin was crispy and the meat was oh so juicy and succulent. Pour their special gravy all over the leg and you'll experience an exceptionally unique flavour. We've tried pig's leg at another popular restaurant in SS2 as well but it was nowhere close to this. Definitely a must-try for all piggy lovers out there! *Hehe*

Yam-my yam-my!

Our minds told us we were almost full, yet our stomachs kept yearning for more. As we struggled to finish the pig's leg, the Yam Basket crept its way onto the table. By looking at the picture above, you can see that different foods are mixed together in the basket, such as mushrooms, carrots, green chilis, cauliflower, and etc. The taste? Lovely! The yam was firm but soft, and the mixture of food and gravy instilled different tastes into it!


Finally, when we were about to surrender, the ginger fish arrived. Elegantly coated in a glittering layer of fine ginger, the texture of the fish was soft and "soothing", removing every ounce of "fish" smell to bring out a flawless flavour!

Ginger fish with gravy...mmmm!!!

*Burp!*

I would certainly recommend this place to those who itch for good Chinese food! New Paris Restaurant serves not only good food but also at an affordable price. Go check 'em out today!

Pizzeria Bella Italia @ SS2

When it comes to Italian food, nothing beats the authentic Italian pastas and pizzas served at Pizzeria Bella Italia in SS2 (same row as Murni). The shop is nicely tucked away in a seemingly quiet spot, but the food certainly wins great attention.

My favourite Italian Restaurant :)

They serve a wide variety of Italian cuisines, and there were times I got totally lost in their menu. The pasta temptation was too strong to resist, so I ordered their yummylicious Fusilli alla Carbonara while the bear ordered the Spicy Calamari Pizza.

My Fusilli ala Carbonara! Fantastic!

Finally, when my Fusilli ala Carbonara arrived, man, what can I say... it was simply marvelous! It is a plate of short tube pasta served with beef bacon, mushrooms, egg yolk and garlic in cream sauce. The portion was big and the presentation was such a turn-on! Light but delightfully rich, the poignant flavour of the cream sauce imparts the best of it to this palatable dish.

Next came the Spicy Calamari Pizza.... It was love at first sight. There it lied, looking so beautiful, blushing with a natural glow despite under very dim lights...

Oh my sparkling gem!

The Spicy Calamari Pizza is topped with tomato sauce, cheese, squids, chillies, onions and herbs to propel the taste of this freshly baked bread to the highest! The spiciness was just nice, and the cheese topping was so smooth that it looked like a layer of egg. Chewy, crunchy, flavourful - all blended into one to create the perfect pizza sensation.

The bill came up to about RM40++ (plus drinks) and it was worth every penny!

So what more can I say? My feelings have shown it all. Words cannot describe how much I love their food. I applaud them for filling me up with all these emotions.

So if you're a pizza lover or you simply love Italian food, this is a place you shouldn't miss!

Shihlin Taiwanese Street Snacks @ The Gardens

As you take a stroll along the bustling walkway of The Gardens at Lower Ground, you will notice a stretch of various food shops and fancy food stalls. With all the fascinations going on, you might not notice a shop behind the row of stalls called Shihlin Tawainese Street Snacks (士林台湾小吃). Shihlin prepares popular snacks just like the way they do in Taiwan, and is one of me and bear's favourite hang-out places wherever we go. You can also find them in Low Yatt Plaza, One Utama, Ikano, Sunway Pyramid, Pavillion, Berjaya Times Square and other places.

The food stall @ The Gardens

Although they only serve a simple variety of snacks such as the XXL Crispy Chicken (which is really huge), Handmade Oyster Mee Sua, Crispy Floss Egg Crepe, Seafood Tempura, and Ricebox Set, the quality of the snacks is unquestionable.


Their signature snack - the XXL Crispy Chicken, really lives up to its name. It is huge, and I mean HUGE (you might wanna consider sharing it with someone else unless you don't mind having it all to yourself). The meat is spread out (with bones) and deep fried to make it crispy and golden brown.

XXL Crispy Chicken *Salivating*

However, they have a very "strict" policy. In order to preserve the original taste/texture of the chicken, they do not cut the chicken into smaller pieces, not even if it's requested by customers. I've seen many customers asking for the chicken to be cut into pieces due to the size, but their requests are usually rejected.


Next on the list, will be the Handmade Osyter Mee Sua. Honestly, I'm not a fan of oysters, because I dislike the raw, musty taste of it. However, the dark brown,thick texture soup, has a touch of fragranted oyster taste which reminds me of oyster sauce. The mee sua is simmered in a bowl of oyster-flavoured soup served with strips of chicken meat, oysters (which I don't eat) and sambal chili. The portion may look small, but it can be very filling. You will be savouring every spoonful of it until the end.

The mee sua...awesome!

Tasty chicken floss wrapped in crispy egg crepe is what Crispy Floss Egg Crepe is all about. Finished with a topping of sweet, juicy brown sauce, it gives the egg crepe a delectable, chewy taste. Definitely one of my favourites too!

Yummylicious!

On the other hand, the Seafood Tempura is actually slices of seafood paste mixed with other ingredients, tossed, flattened, and deep fried to bring out the perfect crispiness in it. The outcome? It actually looks like fries! One bite and you'll be addicted to it. It's also chewy and tastes a bit of every seafood meat.



To sum up everything, the food is delicious, it meets the expectation of most customers, and Shihlin is and will always be one of my favourite food places!

Fireman BBQ @ The Curve

Weeks ago before Christmas, bear and I were at The Curve to catch a glimpse of their Christmas decor. As usual, the place was crowded. Could hardly snap any pictures too. We got rather restless with the increasing number of people, so we squeezed through the crowd to look for a quiet place for dinner. Everywhere was simply full of people! We continued walking along The Street and went upstairs. To our delight, we saw the Fireman BBQ nestled cosily at a corner.

Fireman BBQ

We took a peek into the shop and felt a glow of Christmas warmth oozing out. The workers wore a Santa hat and were extremely friendly. (But most importantly, it was quiet and there were not many customers in it!)

Trendy looking interior

For some, you may not even step into a shop if there aren't many customers in it. But I've heard about Fireman BBQ before and it sort of reminded me of BBQ Plaza (I've had many wonderful experiences at BBQ Plaza and couldn't help comparing it to the Fireman BBQ).

Basically, it's all about cooking (or you may want to call it "grilling") your meat over a heated pot. The rim around the pot will be filled with soup, allowing you to simmer your vege, fish noodles or meatballs in it.

When we were seated down, I was absolutely impressed. Instead of gas, they used induction cooker to heat up the pot and cook the food.

Do you smell what the pot is cooking?!

To start off dinner, two pieces of lard are placed over the pot. Use your chopsticks to press on the lard and spread them all over the pot to add more flavours. Besides that, it serves as a layer of base to prevent the food from sticking onto the pot when cooking.

We ordered a set meal for 2 (around RM32++) which came with two bowls of rice of our choice (spicy rice, fried rice, or white rice). Bear ordered the spicy rice while I asked for the fried rice.

My fried rice

I took a spoonful of rice and stopped because the rice tasted very plain. I didn't like it. However, the spicy rice which bear ordered tasted great (and I regretted not ordering it!).

Not long after that, the set meat was served.

Oo laa laa, can't wait to cook 'em all!

One look at the plate of meat and our stomachs started growling. We digged in almost instantly. Pieces of meat were placed on top of the pot and they didn't take long to get cooked. The meat was fresh and I must say, the service there was pretty good too.

Cook baby cook!

Oh, and did I mention that you can dip the meat into the sauce to make it more savoury?

Squeeze some lime juice into the sauce and
add in the garlic and sliced chili

To my dismay, the sauce did not excite my tastebud at all, unlike BBQ Plaza, they serve some really flavourful sauce. A habit of mine when eating this, is that I love to add the sauce into the soup to make it tastier, because the soup usually tastes bland. But after adding this sauce into the soup, the soup still tasted quite the same.


After dinner, we asked for the bill. The price was reasonable and a tad cheaper than BBQ Plaza, which I thought was a rather good deal. And to our surprise, they even gave us a little Christmas present before we left.

It sure felt weighty inside

And guess what? It was a Fireman BBQ Cash Voucher worth RM30 and a Eau De Toilette set for men! (Grrr.... what about the ladies??)

Looks more like a gift for the bear

My experience at the Fireman BBQ was a pleasant one, especially with their attentive services and the use of induction cooker instead of the traditional gas stove. The meat was freshly served and the pots still looked brand new! Now, if only they could turn their sauce into something fantastic, I'm sure people will definitely love it!


(oh, and before I forget, here's a picture taken outside of Cineleisure.I really like it!)

Merry 'belated' Christmas to all!

Nasi Lemak Cikgu @ SS5B/2, Kelana Jaya

Bear & I, for the past one week, have been on diet due to the excessive weight we've gained these days (thanks to all the makan makan!), yet most of the time, the temptations around us were so overwhelming that we couldn't help but succumb to it. Last Saturday, the same thing happened again. We got so tired and hungry from all the walking at the PC Fair in KLCC that the last thing we wanted was a hearty meal! At first, we couldn't decide where to eat, then I suddenly remembered someone once blogged about a nasi lemak shop called "Nasi Lemak Cikgu" in Kelana Jaya... so off we headed to the shop.

While searching for the shop, we almost got lost. I could only remember it was located in SS5B (and not the street number). After driving round and round the place for 15-20 mins, I squealed with excitement when we spotted a red-hot looking signboard along SS5B/2!!

Chilli red signboard!

It was 6pm when we arrived at the shop. A lady working there told us the chicken would only be ready in 15 minutes (Well, 15 minutes was no big deal especially after going through all the trouble finding the place!)

When the chicken was finally ready, we wasted no time. We ordered two plates of normal nasi lemak & chicken. To my amazement, the serving was intriguing because the chicken was huge and looked delicious!

Nasi lemak served with hard-boiled egg, sambal,
kacang, ikan bilis & chicken

This is bear's nasi lemak (look how huge the chicken is!)

A plate of nasi lemak like this costs around RM6.00. They do serve sotong as well but I'm not too sure about the price. I must say that I really liked the chilli sambal. It tasted just nice, not too spicy, not too sweet, and not too plain. Unlike other people, I don't like too much sambal added to the rice because it's the pandan taste in the fragrant rice that I savour most. But somehow, this sambal won my heart and I don't mind eating it alone at all!

Yum yum!

For me, the fried chicken tasted great. It was tasty and the texture was smooth and flavourful. It rested nicely in my mouth as I chomped on its chewy meat. But for bear, he felt that the texture was a little too dry. Not too sure why we had different views on the chicken but I certainly enjoyed it (or maybe because I was too hungry?).


Anyway, I had a great time enjoying the nasi lemak. It may not be the "bestest" nasi lemak in town, but I truly enjoyed every bit of it!