Souliquid Restaurant & Bar @ Puchong

Soul-food Goodness with Live Soul-jazz Music

From German to Mediterranean, there’s much sumptuousness going on in Souliquid! A hidden gem of restaurant cum bar, Souliquid is tucked away in Puchong Financial Corporate Centre (PFCC). Despite there is no signboard, fans know how to track down this place for some awesome good bites and beer!

The restaurant cum bar may not be as big as some others but is well designed with much comfort in terms of space and interior outlook. At the end of the room is where the bar and there is even a stage for live music.

The evenings at Soulquid are filled with much live music from bands belting out classic Chinese jazz and oldies. As one unwinds at minimalist ambiance filled with dark table settings among velvet-covered violet sofas set in dim lightings, one can tuck into Souliquid’s European food menu and a solid beverage list.

We kicked off with Chilli Chilli Bang Bang (RM18), a comfort classic of spiced and meaty Bolognaise sauce with melted cheese and crispy triangles of fried tortilla chips. Sufficiently tasty, the presentation of the appetizer is also very pleasing on the eye as well as the palate.

A Tapas classic, the Gambas Al Pilpil (RM28) may not look super enticing but the flavours and aroma was spot on. Garlicky with a little heat and aromatic from plenty of rosemary infused into the olive oil, the prawns and oil go wonderfully well with the toast.

Large prawns wrapped with bacon and fried summed up Brochette (RM38). Needless to say, the dish was polished off within minutes of it arriving on the table. Bacon and prawn is quite the match made in heaven and bacon does make everything taste better!

Souiliquid Meat Balls (RM20) was pretty much decent with moist and plump meatballs on a bed of lightly chunky tomato sauce. It’s familiar in taste with the tangy and moreish spiced tomato sauce and meatball but pale in comparison to the earlier appetizers.

The Shrimp Pizza (RM35) had all the markings of a yummy pizza. Medium thick pizza base, there’s plenty of toppings like prawns, bacon and cheese to make any pizza lover a happy camper…

Perhaps the surprising dish in the menu is the Nyonya Pasta (RM28). A fusion twist, this one is well studded with large mussels and generous shredded lettuce. The luscious kaffir leaf aroma in the sauce heightened the dish among the rich spices. Creamy, piquantly spicy and lightly tangy, the Nyonya inspired sauce made the dish unique and delectable.

Moving on to meat haven, the Chicken Cordon Bleu (RM33) scored brownie points for its generous portion of juicy chicken filled with ham and lots of oozing cheese. The juiciness of the chicken is very commendable, and the sides of roasted vegetables and sauce completed the dish well.

Grilled Lamb Rack (RM58) looked beautifully ravishing with light pink of doneness at sight. Cooked well, the French-trimmed lamb racks were tender and succulent. A lightly fruity sauce with some mustardy zing compliments the meat and roasted vegetables well.

The Guinness Braised Lamb Shank (RM48) is drool-worthy with a large lamb shank, beautifully glazed in a lusciously dark and rich Guinness sauce, on a bed of mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. Fork tender, the lamb shank was well-braised, enough to be deliciously flavourful from the wonderful moreish sauce. The sides were the classic perfect accompaniments to that lamb.

Swine lovers will swoon at sight of the Pork Lover Platter (RM148). A smorgasbord of porky fare, this sharing platter has crispy roast pork knuckle along with sublime housemade crispy strips of luncheon meat, three sausages of smoked Hungarian, Nuernberger and Baconwurst, roasted potato, crispy golden potato spirals, corn on the cob, sauerkraut, garden salad and sauce.

Talked about mouthful, this platter is surely enough to feed three ravenous meat foodies and can even stretch to four or five small eaters.

The Roast Pork Knuckle was sublime comfort food. Crispy and crunchy pork skin, moist and tender meat with fatty bits pretty much is soul food to many, especially in times of much needed comfort and satisfaction. Hand me my beer please…

A very commendable house made Luncheon Meat batons to the chef! Salty and moreish addictiveness that pulls one to keep going back for more.

Sausages, all three types, are yummy and nicely grilled with a smoky heat of sweetness from Hungarian, cheesy from Nuernberger and pleasurable bacon-makes-the-world-better in Baconwurst!

Fear not if your dining party is not big enough to take on the Pork Lover Platter, instead go for the Garlic Herbed Roast Pork Knuckle (RM79). Equally satisfying in all swine aspect, the pork knuckle is just as pleasing as the earlier platter.

For a savory ending, the Cheese Platter Set (RM199) with Marqués de Càrceres works out to be a good deal. A lovely selection of cheeses and cold cuts might even be a good starter. From hard cheeses of aged Cheddar to soft Brie and Blue cheese, these certainly goes well with the salty Salami and Ham with the Spanish red wine that tasted of dark plums and cherries with a lingering spicy finish.

Souliquid has got the potential to make your evenings better. Comfort soul food to solid list of drinks and live music, it’s pretty much a hangout place that warrants plenty of visits for good times and lots of satisfying moments!

         

SOULIQUID RESTAURANT & BAR

Lot 1, Ground Floor, PFCC Tower 3

Jalan Puteri 1/2, Bandar Puteri Puchong

Selangor, Malaysia

Tel: 603-8066 8883

Business Hours:

Daily: 12 Noon to 1.00am

Night live music

Sunday to Thursday: 9.00pm to 11.30pm

Friday-Saturday: 9.30pm to midnight

Website: www.souliquid.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/souljazzbar/

Chapters Urban Bistro @ Empire Damansara

Bistro with a Soul!

Foodies will be pleased to hang out at Chapters Urban Bistro for eclectic grub and drinks! Located in Empire Damansara, Chapters Urban Bistro has been operating for the last 8 months, serving up an array of comfort food made even better by their cocktail master.

We adored the bistro the moment we walked in! The smart casual ambiance, flanked by a large mural of a sultry gal as well as humour-ology food words on the chalkboard wall oozed with charm. Diners can also opt to dine al fresco at both front and back of the bistro.

The outdoor bar and dining area has a rustic industrial mode for much needed casual relaxation. Head on to the next level of the bistro for a game of pool or simply some private functions your company. Chapters Urban Bistro seemed to have covered it all with their plan.

The kitchen is helmed by Chef Vicneswara Thenamirtham, who when asked what he likes to eat, replied with anything that relates to comfort food. Hence the menu at Chapters is a posh mix of cuisines from all over the world, inserted with a few local dishes as well.

But before we began any meal, we were told that their cocktail master has prepared new signature cocktails at Chapters. Our giggle juice were definitely crowd pleasers with one strong enough to knock some socks off!

Clockwise from top left: Cub Royale Mocktail (RM12), Lychee Martini (RM28), Emperor Sirk (RM34) & Jazz Jager (RM28)

Take on the Emperor Sirk, a bold concoction of gin, Kahlua and Campari finished with an orange twist that is strong enough to make your day end a lot happier. For ladies, the Lychee Martini and Jazz Jager are sure hits with their fruity sweetness.

Tuck into these glorious Posh Bass Sliders (RM24) with cocktails or beer. Local crispy sea bass seasoned with generous spices, slapped between mini buttery brioche buns, greens and basil pine nut aioli summed up this starter. While this sliders looked ordinary, the flavours are amazingly awesome. The spices really elevated the sliders deliciously.

The Moroccan Lamb Meatballs (RM26), made from scratch, were moist, plump with robust flavours and satisfyingly comfort food at its best. Served with a dollop of yoghurt and two thick toasted slices of sourdough bread, this is irresistibly yummy! The spices elevated the whole dish of meatballs and chunky tomato sauce beautifully.

For salad fix, opt for the Marinated Mango & Avocado (RM18) that is not only colorful and pretty at sight but taste fruity and creamy. Sweet mango flesh, luscious avocado, toasty almond flakes on a bed of crisp greens and finished with honey lemon vinaigrette, the salad is light with a healthy goodness.

Chef Vic takes on a healthy twist for his Grilled Fish & Chunk Chips (RM34) in honor of the classic fish and chips. By now, we are in agreement that he masters the balances of spices very well. Using a blend of Spanish smoked paprika, cumin,, dried mustard and fresh herbs to spiced up the fish before finishing it on the grill, the fish is cooked beautifully. It may looked a tad on the dark side but rest assured, the fish was not burnt but rather smoky and sumptuous. Along with seasoned steak chips and garlic aioli, this twist is a sure crowd pleaser.

The Charbroiled Leg of Lamb (RM52) epitomized a Sunday meat roast with vegetables except this one is jazzed up with brown butter, rosemary ad some spices. Served with charred brussel sprouts and crispy crushed potatoes as well as some carrots, the dish makes a well-balanced meal.

Another fish dish drool worthy of an order is the Spiced Grilled Salmon & Pesto Conchiglie (RM36). Pan seared salmon topped with mango salsa on a bed of nutty and aromatic pesto pasta shells was a match made in heaven. Another comfort dish that warrants a reorder to cure any blues away…

Hot from their stone oven, the thin crusty Salmon & Alfredo Pizza (RM28) was decent and nicely topped with flaked cherry wood smoked salmon, capers, red onions and wild arugula on warm homemade alfredo sauce.

There was only two local dishes on the menu and we cannot help but to order the Mutton Tossed Basmati (RM28). It was probably the Malaysian soul in us that had us enjoying the robust flavours of tender mutton braised and cooked with basmathi rice, spices, curry leaves and more. Finished with cashew nuts, dried raisins, fresh coriander, cucumber raita and crispy pappadums, the dish is profoundly satisfying.

We like the fact that the Mamak Mee Goreng (RM26) came with large prawns and squid to justify its price. Chapter’s homemade secret mee mamak sauce infused the noodles well. A generous squeeze of lime worked its magic in boosting this noodle nicely with a hit of tang.

While the bistro don’t have much dessert choices on their menu, we were pleased with their housemade Salted Caramel Cheesecake (RM18). Familiar flavours of sweetness and lusciousness are elevated by the light addition of salt for a touch of sublime notes.

Reasons to visit Chapters Urban Bistro? Pub grub soul food with awesome drinks and a cool ambiance…

CHAPTERS URBAN BISTRO

G13, Empire Damansara,

Jalan PJU 8/8A,

Damansara Perdana,

47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Tel: +60 3-7732 9484

Facebook: www.facebook.com/chaptersurbanbistro

Business Hours:

Daily 8am to 12am

Meatology Restaurant & Bar @ TTDI

Meat-ing Expectations

You know you can always count on certain restaurants for a great dining experience. Meatology is one of them. Revamp from the previous Boathouse, Chef Yenni Law never fails to deliver a delightful menu filled with great Asian and Western cuisines.

We have dined a few times at Boathouse and have always enjoyed the affordable and scrumptious menu Chef Yenni offers. After her successful launch of her cookbook Meatology, a compilation of her signature dishes collected from her years of culinary passage from helping her mom in the kitchen to her travels and culinary stints in Europe, Chef Yenni has renamed her restaurant to Meatology in conjunction with her book.

The restaurant has always exuded a warm and comfy atmosphere. When we walked in again recently a few weeks ago, we were greeted by the familiar settings, now jazzed up with some new enhancement, like the handmade bottle lightings made by the chef herself.

The bar remains at its usual spot while a long panel of mirrors are added to create more space and comfort for the dining area parallel to the bar. Meatology is a great place to hang on after a day’s work for drinks, food and to catch some sport actions as well on the tv available by the bar.

For a quieter dining, head on back to the main dining area where a large chalkboard displays specials of the day. We have always love the charm this restaurant radiates and the menu it has.

A large wine display features the lovely list of wines available at Meatology.

If you’re looking more just to hang out casually, head on up to Myth, just above the restaurant. The lounge is pretty cool with a glowy dim lite area for drinks and maybe some games.

We are here as Chef Yenni has revamp her menu and added new dishes to the list of her previous favorites. Kicking off the evening, we lock in our usual giggle juices, opting to try out Meatology’s latest cocktails. Whether you’re sipping White Lady (RM26) or Slippery Martini (RM26), both are delicious giggle juices to pave the evening for more yumminess to come. Order three of their special cocktails for RM68.

For wine lovers, there is a promotion on Wine Flight of four glasses of wines (white, rose, red and ice wine) for RM119.

Left to right: Château de Cathalogne Bordeaux, Château de Fesles Anjou Rosé (Loire Valley), La Closerie des Lys Rouge (Languedoc Rousillon) and Pilliteri Vidal Ice Wine (Niagara-on-the-Lake).

Chef Yenni’s repertoire is vast and versatile and her menu consists of classic fine dining dishes to her own creations of comfort food. Rest assured, there’s also plenty of swine for more shiokness to swine fans like me.

Leading the list is French Escargot (RM13), succulent morsels of escargot cooked with cream and spinach served in its own shells. A different sauce than the usual garlic butter and beautifully luscious on the palate.

Another premium ingredient on the list that one may not expect from Meatology is Foie Gras (RM49). Chef Yenni’s skill is really shown here as her foie gras, gorgeously and perfectly seared, is served with spiked peach wedges and a sticky balsamic sauce. The sweetness of the fruity peach goes so well with the sinful and creamy goose liver and brandy laced balsamic sauce.

After that two fine dishes, we get thrown back down to earth with a rustic bar snack of Gizzard Frito (RM13). Not that I enjoy chicken gizzard but once I tasted these crispy little nuggets of crunchy battered gizzard, I surprisingly went back for another two bits. Hand me a beer please…

Mains arrive and the first one had our palate all fired up! Fiery Ribs (RM45), listed on the menu with secret spicy sauce looked damn good at sight. The three giant pork ribs are literally smothered in a thick and lightly chunky fiery looking sauce, served on mashed and veggies.

The ribs are tender and yet offers a good firm bite on the meat. The sauce is not for the faint hearted and packed enough heat to titillate the taste bud to savor more. It is also robust enough with savory and sweet flavors, making this dish a bit hit on our table that evening, especially with me.

We went ducky over the hunky slab of sliced Duck Breast Confit (RM43). Smoked in-house, the plump duck breast is tender and moist with a smoky aroma. Served with a citrus trinity sauce made from orange, passionfruit and berries, the savory duck breast flavors are balanced with the tangy and fruity sweet sauce.

Most restaurants don’t choose to serve tableside finished dishes anymore but we are glad that Meatology still offers some flambé actions. Nothing like a kitchen action to enhance the dining experience right?

Our Swine Neck Steak Flambé (RM59) certainly went up in flames!

A generous piece of pork neck is beautifully seasoned and finished in brandy and served with a peppery brown sauce. Pork neck is well-known for tenderness and flavors and so the dish is often a favorite these days with many. Albeit a little dry but this is easily remedied with that delicious rich and peppery sauce that comes with the dish.

Meatology Ribs (RM45) won many hearts or should I say stomachs that night? Haha…

Another generous hunk of pork ribs basted in Chef Yenni’s hush hush secret BBQ sauce is also set aflame at our tableside with brandy. The ribs are superb in texture and flavors. Tender and yet firm, it’s the marinade and sauce that took the ribs to sensational heights of flavors.

Simply a must-order for rib-loving fans, the sublime hush hush BBQ sauce has such a harmonious balance of sweet, savory, smoky and umami note. Damn awesome if you ask me….

And just when we thought the flaming actions were over, we got another flaming action with our Steak On Fire (RM50). 200gm of Australian tenderloin, cooked to medium rare and flamed up with VSOP brandy is served with a creamy and pepper sauce with mashed and veggies.

The tenderloin is so gorgeous on bite and I enjoyed that luscious peppery mustard sauce very much. For foie gras lovers, you can even add a slice of foie gras to this dish for an additional RM30.

Chef Yenni has certainly got a way with meat. Cleverly taking a tougher cut of meat and turning it to a tasty one is showed in her Smoked Lamb Muscle 3 Sauces (RM43). The leg of lamb muscle is deboned, tied up and smoked for flavor and aroma. Cooked slowly till tender, the lamb is served with three sauces of mint sauce, fiery spicy sauce and horseradish with mustard sauce. Love the sauces as it gives the lamb different levels of flavors…

Besides meat, Chef Yenni also does a beautiful Blue Fin Tuna (RM69) for seafood fans. Sashimi grade tuna is just nicely seared and left raw in the middle. Thickly sliced and fan out like pretty petals of pinkness, the tuna goes well with the sweet and sticky citrus ponzu sauce. Delightful and not overly heavy, the tuna makes a lovely meal if you are not into meat.

Now who would have thought that one can do wonders with marmite besides slapping it on bread? Spaghetti Marvelous Mite (RM29), a creative concoction of pasta with a marmite based sauce is crowned with salty and luscious slices of Parma ham and rocket leaves. Its umami and savory marmite flavors are quite prevalent so if you enjoy marmite, you’ll certainly enjoy this pasta.

We never fail to leave room for desserts and this round, we had four creative desserts. Sinful Soufflé (RM22), a dark and bittersweet chocolatey sensation, had my palate floating on cloud nine. The freshly baked soufflé is worth every minute of waiting with its fluffiest cloud of cake set with a dark runny chocolate center filled with dark cherries cooked in booze. What more can a girl ask for…

I don’t care for dates but I do enjoy date puddings. Meatology’s Date Pudding (RM18) is another dessert worth every calories it has. It looked pretty light and plain but once you tasted the moist and dense date pudding with boozed up brandy butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream, you be awarded with a caramelized and sinful, sweet and sticky goodness. Super rich and super yum!

Cutely coined as Reggae Pudding (RM17), dig into freshly baked custardy bread pudding studded with bananas and raisins and crumbly sweet sugar crust. Sweet, creamy, eggy and heavily laced with rum, the pudding even comes with vanilla ice cream for a hot and cold sensation.

Though stuffed to max by now, after a look at the flaming Nasty Alaska (RM23), I even tried this small bite of the classic angelic dessert made naughty with peanut butter and lots of alcohol. The light fluffy meringue is just nice without being overly sweet and the combination of ice creams, peanut butter, cake, plump boozed soaked dried fruit and crumbly crust is naughty and nice for this coming festive season.

There’s so much more at Meatology’s menu that warrants a visit with more people so one can share all the delicious dishes. I would go back for other dishes such as Jack & Chic, Pork & Roll, Pig’s Balls, Poison Pork, Claypot Wild Boar Curry with Corn Chips, Wagyu Skirt Steak, Beer Breast, Meatology Smoked Belly, Octopussy Risotto and more.

MEATOLOGY RESTAURANT & BAR

16, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14,

Taman Tun Dr Ismail,

6000 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-7727 4426

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pg/MeatologyKL

Business Hours:

Mon to Sat   4pm to 2am

Closed on Sunday