Gourmet Hotdog Café, PV128 @ Setapak: Hotdogs Made with Love!

Eat Gourmet Hotdogs and Win a Trip to Maldive!

A bit of overdue for this post since I was away for my trip, I am still happy to say that gourmet hotdogs have finally landed a spot in our city ever since the gourmet burgers craze took off last year. And it’s about time too! I have always felt that the spotlights were never on hotdogs enough. These long weenies, as they are often called in other countries, if made well with quality ingredients are just as awesome as any burger I know. In fact, it might even be better in flavors since hotdogs or its fancier sausages are always well seasoned with various seasoning before being snuggly encased in its casing.

Before I deter further and further from my initial point, I was actually looking forward to Gourmet Hotdog Café (GHC) when I first saw it on their Facebook. In fact, I admitted to following them while they were testing their house made hotdogs and was literally salivating through the world wide web whenever GHC’s team posted their updates. Gourmet Hotdog Café came to life when brothers Muju and Muku Naeem just couldn’t satisfy their cravings for a darn good hotdog in Malaysia. After taking the leap into the F&B business, both set sail on a long journey of hotdogs testing before Gourmet Hotdog Café was finally born in late 2013.

Located in a long mall on PV128, Jalan Genting Klang, the café is situated on the back of the mall. The café is designed with minimalist and cozy chic interior. Housed in glass walls with artistic hanging lights made with glass bottles, there are tables, booths and bar to choose from for seats. A collection of framed artworks dressed one wall. Furniture are a combination of steel and wood. A small bar counter with a chiller is located at the back of the café. GHC offers free Wifi and is perfect for those who needs a hangout place for some food and work.

 

As we were cordially invited by Muju, we got a chance to get more insights to what makes GHC so unique. All hotdogs served in GHC are made locally to GHC’s own recipes. Chicken hotdogs are made with 100% skinless lean chicken breast only while lamb and beef are made using New Zealand and Australian meat. All hotdogs are guaranteed with 90% meat in certified halal natural casings and uses all natural ingredients and seasonings.

GHC’s drink menu is really decent as they also offers coffees, tea, fresh juices, milkshakes and sodas. We savored a rather delicious creamy Banana Milkshake and a Strawberry Milkshake. I had Iced Lemon Tea while another had Cappuccino. Drink prices are affordable, with nothing over RM10.

GHC’s even has some starters on their menu. We opted for Nachos (RM9.90), a platter piled with crispy tortilla chips covered in melted cheese, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers and cheese sauce. It makes a nice munching starter for those who love the crunch factor with cheesy creamy goodness.

Our hotdogs arrived and I was pleased. Please indeed with what I saw. Hotdog protruding out of its bun is definitely a great sign! To be honest, there is a long list of gourmet hotdogs in GHC’s menu that it was a tough decision on what to order. I liked almost every variation listed in the menu. In the end, we settled for some recommended by Muju. All hotdogs comes solo or as a meal. The meal comes with GHC coleslaw and fries.

The Coney Island, takings its famed from the Coney Dog made famous by a fast food chain (at least to me it was), was a lamb and beef merguez banger sandwiched with a poppy seed bun before being smothered in GHC’s house made chili, chopped raw onions and shredded mozzarella cheese with mayo. All that good stuff works like a dream in my books. The banger is spiced up with a nice balance of seasoning and herbs and there is a great textural bite to it. Juicy and tender, the banger works well with the spiced up chili stew of beef minced and beans. Onions gave this a nice kick while mozzarella cheese does its magic on giving it the creamy cheesy edge. The bun was average but everything was really yummy!

Take a closer look at how well made the gourmet banger is!

The Sombrero showcased a nicely grilled chicken banger in bun and crowned with a Mexican must-have of creamy guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, coriander and fried tortilla chips. Whoever thought of this combination deserves a pat in the back!

The grilled chicken banger is juicy but a bit soft. Flavors are delicious, tasty and smoky. The creamy guacamole made from roughly smashed avocado blend well with its tasty Mexican side kick of pico de gallo, which is a tomato salsa. Lightly creamy sour cream and crispy chips makes this Mexican inspired hotdog a force to be reckoned with. I would have loved to add in jalapeno pepper to kick this up another notch!

It was thoughtful of GHC to cater to vegetarians and its menu had three choices of The Angelina, Mrs Kraut and The Alexa. We took on The Alexa as it came highly recommended. Featuring the GHC falafel log, a hotdog made with chickpeas and beans without a casing, it came in its usual poppy seed bun with a light salad mix, tomato salsa, guacamole, sour cream and spring onions.

I never thought I would say this to a vegetarian hotdog but it rocks! It was a unanimous decision that The Alexa was really tasty and yummy. It may look a little unusual but once you had a taste, you would agree with me that this is one tasty hotdog. The falafel dog is very well seasoned and full of flavors. It has a nice creaminess to it too. I like the condiments too. I would definitely order this again.

I love Rueben sandwiches. A classic turn into a hotdog, The Reuben has beef banger, sauerkraut, sweet green pickle relish, caramelized onions, mozzarella cheese and GHC’s take on the Russian dressing. We asked for the chicken banger for this since some of us don’t eat beef. I adored the caramelized onions that go so well with the banger. This one had a lightly tangy flavor from the sauerkraut with creaminess from the GHC sauce.

Personally, I really like the lamb and beef bangers because of its flavors and textures. There are also more gourmet hotdogs that I would love to try like The Classic Chicago, The Philly, The Yank(ee) and The Memphis Blues. If you don’t like the gourmet hotdogs in a bun, there is a Beef or Chicken Cumberland grilled and served with sides. All hotdogs are priced from RM10.90 to RM12.50 while a meal may be a little more.

I am always pleased when a café or restaurant offers a kids’ menu. GHC Café has one and so we ordered two for mine and another kid. Since kids like their food plain, we ordered the Plain Weenie with Fries or Mashed Potato (RM5.90) and Mini Corn Weenies (RM5.90). The Plain Weenie is actually the regular chicken banger nicely chargrilled and sandwiched with the poppy seed bun. The Mini Corn Weenies are little hotdogs fried with corn batter. Needless to say, both kids walloped their meal happily.

Besides gourmet hotdogs, GHC now serves up a side menu of other dishes to please everyone. We tasted their Roasted Chicken and Spaghetti Carbonara with Chicken Sausage. Both are below RM20. The Roasted Chicken is yummy, nicely golden and drenched in brown gravy with sides of coleslaw and mashed potatoes. It’s homey and flavorful, moist and tender and features a generous portion of a spring chicken. The Spaghetti Carbonara is creamy and studded with pieces of chicken sausage, mushrooms and peas.

We ended our lunch with desserts! GHC’s desserts are made by the house chef and changes on daily basis. We had a fruity Strawberry Shortcake and a luscious Irish Cream Cake.

The food at Gourmet Hotdog Cafe is honest, delicious and great. Prices are really affordable. I wish GHC is nearer to my home so frequent visits are easier. Halal certification is work in progress here. Here’s something else to give everyone extra reasons to visit GHC this month!

Win a Trip to Maldives for Two!

GHC is now running a competition and the prize is An Amazing 5 Day Trip for 2 People to Maldives! Just spend RM50 and you’ll be eligible to participate for the lucky draw. Contest period runs from 26th September 2013 to 31st January 2014. Any eligible purchases made during this time period will be entered into the draw.

To qualify for the lucky draw, participants must make a minimum purchase of RM50 on a single receipt of any of GHC’s menu items during the Lucky Draw period.

More T&C here: http://bit.ly/ghc-maldives-holiday-terms

GOURMET HOTDOG CAFÉ

No. G/M 37, PV128,

Jalan Genting Klang

53100, Setapak, Kuala Lumpur

Facebook: www.facebook.com/gourmethotdogcafe

Website: www.gourmethotdogcafe.com

Business hours:

Mon - Fri @ 6pm to 2am
Sat - Sun @ 12pm to 2am

*More photos at my Facebook: ChasingFoodDreams

The Grind Burger Bar: Beautiful Burgers, Bangers and More!

Awesomeness in a Bun!

Grinding out burgers and bangers are their forte!  Looks like word got out, The Grind Burger Bar is churning out scrumptious burgers, bangers and more in Section 17, Petaling Jaya. Barely two months old, everyone is sinking their teeth into the menu at The Grind Burger Bar though mouth and blogspace.

A few weeks ago, I paid a visit and got more than I bargained for. Three owners put their passion into work when they decided to venture into creating their signature burgers, hot dogs and a little more. It was late lunch on Sunday when I walked in and the restaurant was pretty much filled up. My family and I grab the last table by the window and happily check out the menu.

Surprised to see that the menu offers more than just burgers and hot dogs, we definitely like the concept that The Grind tries to offer a wider choice of dishes for everyone. While waiting for the food to arrive, we settled in and checked out the ambience. The interior design has a rustic and raw concept, showing off bricks, concrete, steel and wood in its full glory. From its panel of painted red bricks to its rustic brick bar, everything melded in harmony. It is clean and sleek yet warm enough to make one feel at ease while dining there. There is even an open glass kitchen for those inquisitive diners to see how the food is prepared.

Heading down to some serious eating, I went back twice in a week simply just because their food was so good! The menu consists of several sections of appetizers, soups, salad, burgers, mains, sides and desserts. We tried some of each section and found them all to be really good.

Even the beverage list has a good selection from soft drinks to floats, tea, beer and wines. Yes, they serve wines to go with their burgers… how’s that for another level up for them? I definitely love how the team at The Grind thinks! Going creative, they also aptly named their floats Brown, White and Black Cows. We ordered the Black Cow (RM8), a rootbeer float and a Coke. Rather ordinary, it’s the name of the drink that makes me feel a bit funky drinking a Black Cow!

Onion Rings, oh how I worship thee… I must confess to always ordering onion rings when I see this on a menu. The Grind’s Fried Onion Rings (RM9) is rustically served in a small metal bucket with a side of tartare sauce. The version here is nicely crumb coated encasing sweet onion and fried till golden crisp. Dip these babies into the lovely tartare sauce to extra creamy flavors!

Chili, not the chili pepper but rather Chili con carne the stew, was said to be made famous in Texas, USA. Here, it takes form in a cheesy gooey mess self-contained in a ramekin and served with nacho corn chips called Chili Pork with Cheese (RM12.90). Yes, The Grind serves pork in every way they can.

Back to the Chili Pork with Cheese, a homemade recipe from The Grind, the stew is filled with flavors of tomatoes and spices. Slow braised for hours, there is a deep richness from the chili and the crowning of melted cheddar further heightens the taste. Served with crunchy corn chips, addiction kicks in once the first chip is savored. I bet the chili would be awesome with French fries or even rice too!

The Grind may not be pioneers in the latest burger craze in the city but rest assured, they are one of few that do justice to the world of burgers here!  Offering choices of hamburgers in beef, chicken, pork and vegetarian, these patties are sandwiched with brioche buns, various ingredients and sauces and all served with herbed fries. Go for old school ones or brave the modern versions…

The Grind House Burger (RM19-pork / RM21-beef) stands above all with its behemoth list of ingredients and thick hand pressed patty. Mine came with juicy pork patty, bacon, sweet caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, usual greens, tomato and onion, fried egg and a fruity pink Dracula mayonnaise.

Taking a bite into this one requires a big mouth… wink! What makes a good burger in my books? Everything that goes in the burger has to be fresh and well executed. Starting from the patty, The Grind makes their very well in terms of thickness for a good taste of the meat. The pork patty was juicy and cooked just right with enough moistness from the ratio of lean and fat. Flavors are a good balance of savory notes and I can certainly taste the freshness of the meat. The brioche buns also fared very well with the patty as it was able to hold up the thick patty and ingredients without going soft and soggy yet the texture is soft and the flavor is eggy.

Caramelized onions are simply best friends with burgers if you asked me. Sweet soft onions cooked till deep amber colored will melt-in-your-mouth and possibly heart added richness to the burger. Then comes the bacon… bacon makes my world go round! I have concluded that every dish always taste better with bacon. House pink Dracula sauce gave the burger a lighter side with its lightly sweet and fruit creamy flavor. Other than fresh lettuce, sliced tomato and raw onion, the fried egg also makes a welcome appearance here. My only tiny gripe is wishing for the fried egg to have a molten uncooked egg yolk to coat the burger into awesomeness. That’s just my personal opinion but rest assured, the burger itself is already a winner with its juiciness and flavors!

If you asked me, my favorite burger of the ones I tried so far is The JD Burger (RM18-pork / RM20-beef). This pork version has just the right amount of everything for me from its textures to flavors. The patty again is thick, as thick as a slice of the brioche bun. Though it has fewer toppings than the house signature, there is the secret Jack Daniel sauce coaxing the burger to shine in flavors. I sort of regret not adding a fried egg to this as it would make it even more yummy.

We also tried The Wild ‘Shroom Burger (RM17-pork/RM19-beef) piled up with beef patty, Swiss cheese, sautéed mushrooms and the standard condiments. The beef patty is also really juicy and I like how they cooked it to medium pink. A bite of this had lots of juices oozing out. What made this burger yummy were the earthy smoky mushroom flavors working well with the flavors of the Swiss cheese!

Black colored food used to be a put off but these days, it seems to a yummy attraction! A first in the market here, The Grind unleashed their Big Black Dog (RM16). A juicy pork bratwurst is snugged between a split fluffy charcoal bun and capped with the house chili, minced fresh onions and a duo of melted cheddar and mozzarella.

Big Black Dog is bold in umami flavors, packed with a good bouncy bite of juicy bratwurst and filled with spicy cheesy good ness. There is no spicy heat in the dog but rather the taste of the spices in the chili itself. This is easily one of the best dog I have had in a while and I had it both times I was there. Simply a Must-Order!

All burgers and dog comes with herb fries. These French babies have just the right thick cut, enough to have you taste the potato and well-seasoned with sprinkling of herbs. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, dip these into what looks to be like thousand island sauce on the side.

My little four years old must have his pasta. Now the picky little fella likes his pasta plain and creamy in white sauce. We ordered a vegetarian Creamy Mushroom Spaghetti (RM18) for him and it came with sautéed mushrooms and a generous sprinkling of truffle crumbs. I thought oh boy, we were going to have to pick out the crumbs before he would eat this. However, the little one tried this once and went for the whole plate by himself! He kept saying this is really good! I stole a few strands and really agreed that this is good. The crumbs added a nice texture and aroma to the pasta. It’s fairly simple but executed very well.

It’s just one of those places where everything comes together so well. Great food with decent price, nice comfortable ambience and service was efficient even with a near full house. The Grind Burger Bar is really well planned and well thought off from everything you see, taste and feel. Not only are their burgers super scrumptious, other dishes are sufficiently good and well made. I can’t wait to go back again to try other dishes like The Honor’lulu Burger, The Fiery Peppercorn Burger, Swedish Meatballs and a classic favorite of mine, Spaghetti Aglio Olio.

Rest assured, I will be blogging about this place again with other dishes… and soon!

THE GRIND BURGER BAR

No.7, Jalan 17/45

46400 Petaling Jaya

Selangor Darul Ehsan

Tel: 603 7932 3883

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheGrindBurgerBar

*More pictures in my Facebook: ChasingFoodDreams