Brasaria @ Jaya One

Peruvian Charcoal Chicken

There are certainly plenty of roast chicken around here but few leaves a lasting impression. A recent invite landed at Brasaria, a Peruvian inspired Pollo A La Brasa joint flagging spit roasted chicken marinated with Peruvian flavours. Located at Jaya One, Brasaria aims to bring delicious taste of Peruvian dishes to our shore.

We like the restaurant the moment we walked in. Greeted by a llama piñata at the entrance, Brasaria’s bright interior exudes a ray of fun and casual dining. Long tables with stools, a glimpse of the bar and kitchen, there’s also a few small tables set alfresco.

Open since February this year, Brasaria claims to serve fresh, never-frozen chooks. Their secret to a yummy bird is their special Peruvian marinade which they marinated overnight and slow roast it to golden juicy chickens. They get their supplies from halal-certified suppliers.

We also managed to peek into their kitchen where rows of glorious whole birds were slowly roasted over charcoal and wood chips. The aroma is divine in the kitchen!

The menu is relatively tight and sufficient, featuring signature spit-fire roast chicken with a list of side dishes as well as a small list of additional dishes like pasta, sandwich and pie.

We opted for the El Jefe “The Boss” (RM45.90 ala carte | RM60.90 set). A whole bird served on wood plank. One can opt for a la carte just for the bird or go for the set that comes with large green salad and two large Sides of your choice. There’s also other sets for quarter or half chicken too for small parties.

The chook was delicious! Lots of flavours through the spices with myriad flavours of robustness of savory, sweet, sour and spicy. The meat was tender and moist. Finished with sprinkling of fresh coriander and fresh lime wedges, the bird is also served with their special house made sauces. Not that it needed any sauces but the sauces was also super yummy.

There are 3 sauces now at Brasaria ranging from mild to hot and a BBQ one of Aji Mild, Aji Hot and BBQ Peruano. The fourth sauce is an extra hot one that is work in progress but we got to try it. The sauces are very good and my favorite was the Aji Hot for its punchy heat and flavours. Drool worthy sauces that would go well with other sides too!

There’s a nice list of assorted sides to go with the chicken. Brasaria Rice (RM5), fluffy yellow rice studded with raisins, makes a solid filler with the chicken.

Latin Trio (RM5), a trio of grilled sweet potato, plantain and pineapple, was our favorite side of the lot. It was so good, we had another order of this smoky and yummy side. The pineapple was particularly yummy with the char grilled and sweet note.

We also enjoyed the Grilled Vegetables (RM5). Soft and chargrilled eggplant, zucchini, peppers and more, beautifully spiced up with moreish flavours that sings well with the chook and other sides.

An unusual one, Elote (RM5) looked so good at sight and tasted yummy too. Sweet corn, chargrilled and smothered with Aji sauce, chili powder and cheese makes good snacking. Love the smoky, sweet crunchy corn with punchy heat and cheese…

Fries must be the most universal snack since it also makes an appearance here in Salchipapas (RM5). Nothing fancy but French Fries and frankfurters are nevertheless all-time crown pullers. These goes so well with the sauces.

Besides roast chicken, Brasaria offers a few dishes such as the El Sanguche “The Sandwich” (RM14.90). Loaded with soft hand pulled chicken, crisp greens, salsa and house Aji sauce, El Sanguche is hearty and easy to enjoy. It’s the sauce and salsa that makes this sandwich very tasty.

Pasta lovers can opt for the El Tallarines “Spaghetti Pesto” (RM14.90). Strands of spaghetti coated with a robust pesto sauce, served with generous chicken chunks and finished with fresh coriander and cheese. Power pack with flavours, we definitely enjoyed this pasta as it’s full of cheesy and nutty notes.

There’s nothing like Brasaria’s Agua Fresca (RM5) of the day, which was Watermelon, to freshen up the palate after all that yummy food.

Brasaria is one of the better rotisserie places I have been. Diners can expect robust and hearty flavours of Peruvian cuisine set in a no frill ambiance. Price is reasonable and food is definitely something one can enjoy often. I am looking forward to going back to try their El Pollo Pie “The Chicken Pie” which was not available that day!

BRASARIA

D-59-G, Block D, Jaya One,

46200 Petaling Jaya

Tel: +60 3-7627 4626

Website: www.brasaria.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/brasaria.my

Hours: 12noon to 9.30pm Daily

Roast Suckling Pig Promotion @ The Oriental Group of Restaurants

Hogging the Limelight at Oriental Pavilion, Jaya 33

Hear ye Hear ye… calling all suckling pig fans! For the whole month of July, The Oriental Group of Restaurants are hogging the limelight with their roast promotions in various restaurants in the city. It’s a month of indulgence filled with plenty of classic as well as modern roast meats from suckling pig to Peking duck and more.

We headed to Oriental Pavilion at Jaya 33 for an oinking good time with a few swine lovers recently. Oriental Pavilion, voted as one of Asia’s Finest Chinese Restaurants by The Miele Guide and also rated as the only Chinese restaurant in KL’s Top 20 restaurants by CNN Travel Guide, has always been a popular hot spot for classic Cantonese cuisine. From dim sums to Cantonese roasts and dishes, diners can opt to dine at their main modern dining room or one of the eight private rooms available.

From now till 31 July, Oriental Pavilion is running specials on their famed Roast Suckling Pig and Iberico Pork Ribs. It takes special skills of a roast master to achieve luscious roasts, so diners like us can savor sumptuous roast suckling pig, roast Peking duck and more. The Oriental Group of Restaurants roast masters has certainly nailed their roasts to perfection!

What makes a perfect Roast Suckling Pig? For me, the skin is the most important part of the dish. I need the acoustic sound of crunch upon savoring the skin as well as the even lacquered hue of the whole suckling pig as the main judging point for a perfect roast suckling pig. Choosing the right size of the piglet would yield just the right amount of meat and fat for a solid roast as well. Then one needs to also ensure that the little amount of meat is also tender, juicy and well-seasoned. The roasting skill is another crucial factor to achieving even roast as well as fabulous crispy skin.

First up, Finest Macau Style Roast Suckling Pig, served with Chilled Citrus Juice and crisp greens. Brownies point goes to how gorgeous this piglet looked and from every angle too! The skin is beautifully and evenly lacquered with such a glistening skin that rendered many sounds of excitement from everyone at the table that evening.

Unlike those suckling pig that one only enjoys the skin, this one has a little meat that oozed with much juiciness. A closely guarded dry rub recipe, the special rub is what makes this Macau Style Roast Suckling Pig superior to all the other roast piglets. We heard the rub is so good, only the top two chefs in the group has the recipe for this special rub.

After our homage to the pig with our lens, our Macau Style Roast Suckling Pig was cut up in thick pieces for easy consumption.

The skin was literally to-die-for! The acoustic of the crunch of the skin was music to my ears. The little bits of meat was sublime and moist while the special spice rubs on the bones had me succumbing cavemen style (or cavewomen in my case) in gnawing the piece clean in doing justice for the piglet.

The Chilled Citrus Juice worked out well as a refreshing palate cleanser after that oink…

Next up, another variation of the Roast Sucking Pig, BBQ with Glutinous Rice. This one is quite different from the Macau style one as the Roast Suckling Pig is deboned and served with steamed glutinous rice.

Though it doesn’t have the same smoothness of the skin as the earlier one, this one still rendered a solid crispy lacquered skin with a lot of crunch. We enjoyed the leaner skin on this one and it certainly paired well with the soft and sticky glutinous rice studded with bits of mushrooms and Chinese sausage. It is served with a side of scallion and hoisin sauce though we think it didn’t really needed it because the glutinous rice was already very tasty with the Roast Suckling Pig.

There is also a third variation of Roast Suckling Pig, BBQ with Foie Gras Sauce, which also sounds wonderfully delicious. All 3 styles of Roast Suckling Pig is priced at RM238++ each (normal price RM350++ each), available until 31 July, 2017.

There is another special swine that also stole much limelight that evening. Charcoal Grilled Iberico Pork Ribs Spanish Style served with Chilled Citrus Juice and crisp greens is a modern Chinese take on using the sublime black Spanish pig.

An order of this dish features a whole rack of Iberico Pork Ribs Spanish Style served at tableside with crisp greens and Chilled Citrus Juice. The picture shown here was for two orders hence two full racks of ribs. The restaurant was so thoughtful to provide disposable gloves for the dish though we felt that we should just dive right in to savor the full finger-licking good sensation of the ribs.

Look at the glorious rack of Iberico ribs! Generously seasoned with dry herbs as well as special marinade before roasting, the Iberico ribs were unctuously succulent with tasty fatty bits.

We also enjoyed how the meat has a good solid bite, a note of just ribs roasted slowly to achieve a meaty bite. There’s plenty of tender meat to gnaw till the bones are clean. Besides the ribs, there were also end parts of soft ribs that added much delight to just enjoying the ribs. The crisp greens on the side is great with the ribs too as it balanced off the heavy notes of eating this much meat. End this course with the zesty tang of the citrus juice too…

The Charcoal Grilled Iberico Pork Ribs Spanish Style served with Chilled Citrus Juice is available on promotion at RM138++ per rack (normal price RM198++ per rack) until 31 July, 2017.

While you are there, you might as well end your meal with Oriental Pavilion’s long list of desserts. We had their Lemongrass Jelly, Summer Coconut Jelly and Chilled Yam dessert that was light, fresh and a sweet way to end the dining experience.

No reservations required for the Roast Suckling Pig and Iberico Ribs Promotion, just make sure you have a table booked ahead as Oriental Pavilion gets very busy, especially in the evenings. There are other Roast promotions going on at all other restaurants featuring different choices such as Peking duck and more so check out their website or Facebook for more information. Don’t miss this great promotion!

ORIENTAL PAVILION

P1-04, Level 1 Podium, Jaya 33

No.3, Jalan Semangat, Seksyen 13

46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan

Tel: 03- 7956 9288

Website: www.orientalrestaurants.com.my

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theorientalgroupofrestaurants

Business Hours:

Mondays to Saturdays

Lunch 11.00 am – 3.00 pm | Dinner 6.00 pm – 11.00 pm

Sundays & Public Holidays

Lunch 10.00 am – 3.00 pm | Dinner 6.00 pm – 11.00 pm

Farquhar’s Bar @ Eastern & Oriental Hotel Penang

All-You-Can-Eat English Weekend Roast

The Sunday Roast is pretty much a beloved traditional British meal that many enjoys till today. It is also the perfect excuse to gather the family or loved ones to get together at least once a week to sit down to a hearty meal and catch up on the latest on-goings.

At Farquhar’s Bar in Eastern & Oriental Penang, foodies can now enjoy an All-You-Can-Eat Weekend Roast – not only just on Sunday but also Friday and Saturday. Available from 12.00noon to 4.00pm at RM68 nett per person, tuck into a traditional British Sunday Roast at the English bar.

Farquhar’s Bar, named after Penang’s Lieutenant-Government Robert Townsend Farquhar, is designed after traditional English bars. Themed in rich dark wood, the restaurant has a glorious bar completed with high stools that resembles old British bars in yesteryear. Rich mahogany walls and flooring fills the décor with much English charm.

Holding limelight at the Farquhar’s Bar Weekend Roast is a trio of roasts kept warm under heating lamps. From prime Roasted Rib Eye to Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder and Grilled Chicken Breast with Sage & Onion Stuffing, it’s a carnivore’s feast to indulge over the weekend with family or friends.

Ask for glorious slices of your preferred doneness of Prime Roasted Rib Eye and enjoy the tender beefy goodness of the king of roast. The Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder resulted in melt-in-the-mouth pieces of lamb while the Grilled Chicken Breast offer diners a healthier and lean cut of white meat that has a moist stuffing.

Hot gravy is a must so ladle generous hot Shallot Gravy over the Roasted Rib Eye and add on a smidge of hot English mustard and horseradish to complete the roasts.

Perhaps what complements all Sunday Roast is its array of must-have sides. So pile on golden crisp Goose-Fat Roasted Potatoes with its creamy center, Buttered Mushy Peas, Seasonal Vegetables and the English treat of fluffy golden Yorkshire Pudding.

Soup and salad is always present as well in a British meal. The Weekend Roast offer diners simple crisp Salad Greens with your choice of dressing and a Potato and Leek Soup with a basket of bread.

Filled your tummies with all-you-can-eat roasts but make sure to save a little room for a classic Bread & Butter Pudding with Vanilla Crème Anglaise or Fresh Fruits to complete the Weekend Roast dining experience.

If you are just like me, you would certainly want to order a Farquhar’s Bar monthly signature cocktail to add more merriment to the weekend. For December month, the bartender has created Santa’s Sleigh (RM35) in sync with the festive holiday. Santa’s Sleigh reminded me of eggnog flavors where creamy and dreamy cocktail is delicately spiced up with aromatics.

Farquhar’s Bar Weekend Roast

Every Friday, Saturday & Sunday

 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm

 All-you-can-eat @ RM68.00 nett per person

For details and reservations, please call +(6) 04 222 2000 ext. 3177

FARQUHAR’S BAR

Eastern & Oriental Hotel Penang

10 Lebuh Farquhar

10200 George Town

Penang

Tel: +604 2222000

Website: www.eohotels.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/eohotels/