The Enclave @ Damansara Kim

Spiced Up Gastrobar!

Back again at The Enclave, our neighborhood restaurant has open a second outlet in Damansara Kim now after their successful outlet in Lorong Kurau, Bangsar. Needless to say, we are happy as this gastrobar is now closer to us whenever we crave for their Spicy Mutton Fried Rice…

The new dig is very spacious and decorated similar to its previous location. Brick walls, soft lights, bar counter with some dining tables and of course, the walls are filled with the owner, Vic to many, private collection of old photos of yesteryears of Malaysia.

Cut to the chase, we ordered our drinks of Enclave Sangria (RM25), Somersby Apple Cider (RM20),  Ice Lemon Tea (RM7),  Royal Punch (RM20) and Orange Juice (RM10). The Enclave Sangria is worthy of mention for its fruity concoction with red wine.

The menu is similar from their first outlet with very minimal changes. Glad to see that they retained our favorites, this round we opted to try some other dishes from our previous dining, although we couldn’t resist ordering our favorites.

Since it’s a bar, its only logical to order some snacks to go with our drinks before mains. First up, a tasty Fish/Lamb Cutlets (RM24/6pcs). We love the spiced up flavours of these two cutlets. The cutlets are so tasty, we didn’t even need the sauce on the side.

Nothing Korean about the Korean Garlic Chicken (RM20) but it’s a pretty decent and yummy dish to go with beer. Lightly sweetish with a caramelized sticky glaze on the chicken nuggets that were nicely crisp and cooked well.

From the Western corner, tuck into the Classic Chicken Burger (RM22) that is quite a whopper. Generous in portion, you get a nicely chargrilled chicken thigh that is well-seasoned with the whole works of lettuce, tomato, gherkin and cheddar cheese. Comes with fries and coleslaw, I suppose this burger would be even better with a fried Sunny side up egg.

The Enclave Club Sandwich (RM22) turned out to be a delicious sandwich that was gone within minutes. Stuffed with chicken ham, fried egg, lettuce, tomato and cheese on toasted bread, this club sandwich also comes with fries and coleslaw. Yum…

Our little ones enjoyed the Chicken Carbonara (RM20) a lot. Deliciously creamy with thick carbonara sauce and generous chicken cubes, the pasta was cooked well with a bite. Even the adults couldn’t resist stealing a few bites.

The adults adored the Enclave Lamb Pasta (RM24) simply because the al dente pasta was cooked with a spicy lamb varuval sauce. Its heat level is on a higher side for many but that’s what makes this pasta so kickass good!

Vic’s mom’s recipe of Mutton Varuval (RM24) proved to be the highlight of The Enclave. We opted for the mutton varuval to be served with bread but you can choose rice too. The dry and thick varuval is robust and wondrously spiced up with rich complex flavours. Solid packed with heat too, tt’s an addictive dish that keeps one going back for more.

We have previously enjoyed the Spicy Mutton Fried Rice (RM24) so much that we looked forward so much to this dish. Pleased that this plate was just as good, if not better, the fluffy fried rice has that oomph of spices and pieces of tender mutton. There is also an aromatic note of ‘wok hei’ that is essential in all delicious fried rice. Must-order!

There is also Lamb Shawarma (RM24) which has tortilla stuffed with the lamb varuval with vegetables and served with fries, garlic sauce and coleslaw.

Its good to know that the folks at The Enclave is consistent in their dishes. Prices are affordable and service was friendly and brisk. Located in the housing area of Damansara Kim, we are glad The Enclave is still a neighborhood friendly place to go to for comfort food.

THE ENCLAVE

27, Jalan SS 20/11,

Damansara Kim,

47400 Petaling Jaya

Tel: 016-374 7667

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BoutiqueInns2/

Business Hours:

Daily 4pm to 12 midnight

Mr. Fish Fishhead Noodle @ Damansara Kim

Comfort dining on Fishhead Noodles and Rice

I am all for comfort food. While I indulge often, comfort food is still the best for me. I am referring to dishes that one can enjoy daily and don’t feel overly heavy after it. Food that is simple and makes me relax and comforting after enjoying it.

A visit to Mr. Fish Fishhead Noodle at Damansara Kim is one of those comfort food that I am referring too. Serving home cooked noodles from his mother-in-law’s recipe, owner Mr. Khoo offers fishhead noodles and a host of variations in his restaurant. Assuring diners that his food is cooked fresh daily and has no msg, he hopes to share his favorite noodles with diners.

Mr. Fish Fishhead Noodle’s restaurant was nicely decorated. Lots of white washed walls provide the platform for some really fun and cute cartoon renditions. While the cartoons seemed to be out of place with what they are serving, it does provide an easy going and fun vibe to the place, which makes dining there quite relaxing. Diners can opt for inside air-conditioned dining section of its small alfresco dining area on the front of the restaurant.

The menu is pretty simple, showcasing variations of their main signature of fishhead noodles or ‘Yue Tau Mai’. There is also a minimal selection of Teochew rice porridge as well as a curry fishhead with rice and some side dishes. One can also opt for their set meals.

From the menu, diners can opt for various selections of fish depending on your preference. There is the normal fish fillet to the highly prized tiger grouper fish fillet as well as salmon. Diners can also opt for the fishhead, fish fillet and fish paste to be cooked in the soup or fried for texture and taste. Just selection your choice of Thin Meehoon or Thick Meehoon or Rice Porridge, fish and soup.

Our first bowl was Teochew Porridge with Grouper Fish Fillet (RM15.90). I am a big fan of Teochew rice porridge and would prefer this over the Cantonese smooth porridge anytime. The version is deliciously comforting and tasty. The broth is very flavourful and sweet while the rice is soft and soothing. Soaking up the tasty broth, the rice and the fish fillet tasted so heavenly tummy warming. My favorite bowl of the whole dinner that evening.

Next up was the Fried Barramundi Fishhead in Traditional Milky Soup (RM11.90). I am no fish connoisseur and the barramundi fishhead taste fine for me. The milky soup is very tasty and lightly creamy. I can also taste the Chinese wine note in the soup. There is a nice balance of savory, sweet, creamy and a light tangy in the soup. The overall was a satisfying bowl of fishhead noodle though I would wish for the soup to be served on a hotter temp level as I felt that the soup was not hot enough for my liking.

If you are up to splurging a little more, go for the premium fish of Fried Tiger Grouper Fishhead in Traditional Milky Soup (seasonal price). The fish is indeed nicely sweet and has a better flavour and texture than the barramundi hence one has to pay a bit more for this premium fish. On a personal note, I like the thick meehoon noodles in the soup as this is how it is usually served from my northern birthplace.

Fried Grouper Fish Fillet in Traditional Clear Soup (RM15.90) is a good choice if you are feeling a bit unwell or simply seeking solace in simple and ‘Ching’ dishes. The fried grouper fish fillet is yummy and I enjoyed this fish fillet the most as I like the sweet and tender texture of the fish. The soup is the same as the Teochew Rice Porridge so it’s a simple and yet tasty bowl of noodles.

If you are a fan of salmon and curry, you will enjoy the Fried Norway Salmon Fishhead in Curry Soup (RM12.90). The curry gravy tasted sublime with its balance of spices and creamy notes. Served with a Northern style Sambal Belachan, I was pretty happy in polishing up the curry gravy for this tastiness. Its also not overly spicy in heat so that makes this bowl pretty easy to enjoy if I am feeling peckish for something more robust than just regular soup.

There is also a rice dish at Mr. Fish Fishhead Noodle and that is their Northern style Curry Fish Fillet Rice (RM16.90) and we opted for the Grouper. One can have it prepared with Barramundi or Salmon or Tiger Grouper as well. The curry is thicker than the noodle version and there is a moreish tang to the spice laden curry. There are also some long beans in it. A solid dish that I would order again…

Besides the noodles, there is the Fish Paste & Lettuce Soup (RM12.00) which one can add on as a side dish for good eats. Nothing to shout about but it is still a decent dish that is great for adults as well as kids. Normally it would be spinach instead of lettuce but they ran out of spinach that day and so we got the lettuce instead.

A dish worth ordering is their Chicken Karaage (RM12.90). Deliciously juicy inside and crispy outside, the fried boneless chicken is very tasty and scrumptious. We end up fighting for this dish simply because it was so good.

There is also their house made Fish Cake (RM6.00 - 1 piece) that is decent and tasty with a good bouncy texture too.

Crispy Prawn Fritter (RM5.90 – 3 pieces or RM8.90 – 5 pieces) makes great snacking to go along with the noodles. While one can order this a la carte, there is also a set meal that has a combination of noodle, prawn fritter and Rojak that is value-for-money.

Rojak is also the Northern version that has fruits and vegetables in the pungent dark, sticky and sweet shrimp paste sauce and finished with crushed peanuts.

Food is very decent here and Mr. Fish Fishhead Noodles has been serving diners for more than a year already in Damansara Kim. Although there are many fishhead noodle places there, Mr. Fish seemed to be doing pretty well hence there must be a delicious reason for this. A great place for no-frill comforting fishhead noodle soups as well as Teochew rice porridge and curry fishhead!

MR. FISH FISHHEAD NOODLE

45, Jalan SS20/11,

Damansara Kim,

47400 Petaling Jaya

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mrfishheadnoodle

Business Hours:

9.30am – 3.30pm, 5.30pm – 9.30pm (Closed on Tuesdays)