Gangnam 88 Korean Restaurant @ Solaris Mont Kiara

Gangnam Value Set Menu!

There’s something addictive about Korean cuisine for me. I simply can’t get enough of the cuisine. Lots of pungent flavours of fermented kimchi, piping hot stews and soups, juicy barbeque meats, various banchans and more, there’s always satisfaction when it comes to Korean food, at least for me…

Gangnam 88 is not new to our culinary scene but the Korean restaurant is good enough to always warrant return visits. Having tried their outlet in Sunway Giza previously, this round I visited their popular original outlet in Solaris Mont Kiara.

Though not as big as the other outlet, this outlet has better ambiance with a comfortable vibe. Expect lots of the usual Korean stars plastered on the walls of the restaurant including the King of Gangnam, PSY!

We love how there are various small rooms sectioned off to offer more privacy as well as various mix and match furniture to echo an eclectic décor throughout the restaurant located on level one.

The menu is filled with lots of tempting photos of Korean dishes to make ordering easier. Gangnam 88 also offers set meals perfect for big or small parties that are value-for-money. Since there were 4 adults and 2 kids, we opted for the Gold Set (RM238). It’s sufficient for 5 to 6 person and they were certainly very generous with the portions and dishes, so much so we couldn’t even finish this set.

Cheese Rolled Omelet, a typical dish that appears daily in many Korean meals, is guaranteed to be a favorite with every one of all ages. Egg and cheese with bits of vegetables makes good accompaniment for rice and other dishes. Do let staff know if you don’t want chili in it as it comes with chili sauce which may not be favorable for kids.

Classic and one of my favorite Korean dish is Kimchi Soup. This version is made just right with a solid robust tang and heat with lots of pickled kimchi, tofu and other good stuff.

The Samgyetang or Ginseng Chicken Soup is known for nutritional values with Korean ginseng, jujube, chicken and rice. It’s a bowl of comforting flavours and great at any meal. Flavours are quite delicate with subtle hints of ginseng. The chicken is so tender that it literally falls apart from the slightest touch. We took this home and it was even better the next day with rice.

The 3 Types BBQ is superb. The best of Gangnam 88 trio of pork bbq, we had Pork Galbi BBQ, Pork Belly Samgyeop BBQ and Pork Shoulder Moksal BBQ. All three are different in flavours and texures but equally delicious. I kept going back for more of this BBQ and the best part is that it’s all cooked for us so we didn’t have to do the cooking. Must order!!

A monstrous stew appear in the form of Cheese Squid Rabbokgi. Crispy squid sat in a pool of fiery sauce filled with soft and chewy tteokbokki, fish cake, vegetable and plenty of cheese. Pungent in flavours with sweet, savory and some heat, I enjoyed the thick and cheesy sauce with the crispy squid. It’s beginning to be a popular dish here these days, especially among the younger generation of Korean fans.

Perhaps we were too full to fully enjoy the Honey Butter Fried Chicken. Nevertheless, the dish has no faults. Large boneless chicken thigh well-seasoned and fried before glazed in a sticky sweet and buttery sauce had all the markings of a good dish and we would have gladly polish this off if only we weren’t so full from everything else.

Banchan was nothing to shout about but with so much food, we really have not complaints. Kimchi was good though and so was the creamy salad. These are refillable too.

For drinks, we opted for their homemade Misugaru and Sikhye. Misugaru is a very healthy and nutritious beverage made from combinations of at least 7 grains. It’s milky with a nutty soy taste and is quite filling. I love the Sikhye a lot. The sweet Korean rice drink is refreshing and easy to enjoy with the rest of the Korean dishes.

The Gold Set is really value-for-money and easily feeds at least 6 adults. There are plenty of other smaller or bigger sets and even sets with drinking options if you enjoy beer, soju or makgeolli. We know why Gangnam 88 is still a popular hotspot for Korean food in Solaris. The ambiance and vibe is certainly pleasant and the food is scrumptious as well as affordable. That evening, the restaurant was packed but service was efficient despite the crowd. Definitely a good spot for Korean food!

GANGNAM 88

No 1-1, Jalan Solaris 3,

Solaris Mont Kiara Off Jalan Kira,

50480 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +60 3-6206 5888

Website: www.gangnam88.net

Facebook: www.facebook.com/gangnam88.net/

Business Hours:

Daily 11.30am to 1.00am

Christmas at Thyme Kiara, Solaris Mont Kiara

A British Christmas with Traditional Oven Roasted Turkey Feast!

This Yuletide season, it always pays to enjoy a feast of festive favorites with family and friends! New to the Solaris Mont Kiara neighborhood is Thyme Kiara Restaurant. Barely three months old is Thyme Kiara, a modern home style kitchen serving European cuisine, the heart and soul of Zyda and her family. Having moved from the cold weather of London to our hot and sunny Malaysian shore, Zyda hopes to let her diners experience what modern European food is all about.

Thyme Kiara is obviously named for a reason. Zyda uses lots of thyme in her cooking and also since she feels it very important to spend time with family and friends over a good hearty meal, she hopes Thyme Kiara will be able to let her diners enjoy the warm and delicious home style dishes her restaurant serves. To her and her family, it’s all abot spending family time over a hearty meal of Sunday Roast or any meals for that matter. Previously in England, Zyda had ran two Bed &Breakfast boutique hotels and hope to be able to do so here one day.

The bistro is beautiful at sight. Sheer simplicity of minimalist modern interior design of bright blue with cream and natural dark wood color theme gave the whole place an elegant and contemporary ambiance. There are two dining sections with a main dining area on the ground level and a private dining area on the next floor up which is perfect for parties and private functions. Thyme Kiara also has a bar area where one can hang out with some beer or wine to catch some sport actions on the TV.

When we were there, Thyme Kiara was already decorated with the festive trimmings and Christmas music was already playing to add further charm to the festive mood. Zyda and her team is set to welcome in the Christmas holiday with her British traditional Christmas home style menu filled with much deliciousness of Mulled Wines, holiday classics and sweet Christmas desserts.

There is a Thyme Kiara Festive Season Set Menu for the adult as well as a Thyme Kiara Children Menu. There is also a Takeaway Menu of the Traditional Oven Roasted Turkey with all the trimmings. More details of this at the end of the post. Reservations of 2 days in advance are required for the festive set menus and takeaway.

Thyme Kiara Festive Season Set Menu

The Thyme Kiara Festive Season Set Menu offers diners a beverage, a starter, a main course, a dessert and finished with coffee and mint. Diners choose from the various choices from the beverage, starter and dessert.

With festive holidays around the corner, diners can choose from a glass of House Pouring Wine or Mocktail to ring in the festive cheers with this set menu.

There is a choice of starter from Bruschetta, Creamed Pumpkin Soup with Spiced Ginger or Smoked Salmon Salad for the set menu.

The Creamed Pumpkin Soup with Spiced Ginger is pure comfort flavours of sweet and creamy pumpkin jazzed up with hints of earthy spices and light ginger notes in the background. It’s beautifully delicious, tummy warming and very satisfying as a starter.

The Smoked Salmon Salad also proved to be a winner with its salty and smoky flavours of the luscious smoked salmon crowning crisp romaine lettuces and rockets, cherry tomatoes and cucumber all dressed in light vinaigrette and finished with shavings of parmesans. Light, fresh and lovely starter to gear up for the heavier main course to come.

It was truly worth the wait to get to the main course of the menu. A treat of festive tradition, a platter of home favorite roast, lots and lots of smaller platters of sides, rich creamed gravy and fruity tangy sauce is what a Christmas feast is all about at the British table.

Thyme Kiara’s Traditional Oven Roasted Turkey with all the trimmings of Yorkshire Puddings and Roasted Vegetables served with Cranberry Sauce and Chef Crafted Gravy is set to impress diners with a holiday feast cooked with love.

Traditional Oven Roasted Turkey with Cranberry Sauce and Chef Crafted Gravy

Roasted Potatoes, Roasted Peppers, Sautéed Snow Peas, Roasted Parsnips and Carrots, Corn on Cob, Classic British Yorkshire Puddings and Sautéed Bok Choi are all the must-have trimmings to the festive roasted turkey.

For single diners or smaller groups of less than 8, the main course is served by individual portions. For groups of 8 and above, a whole turkey together with all the trimmings and sauces are presented in family sharing platters.

The turkey was moist, tender and delicious with the creamy rich gravy and fruity cranberry sauce. The sides were really a highlight on their own and were beautifully cooked and seasoned.

To end the festive meal, choose your dessert from a choice of Bread & Butter Pudding, Passion Fruit Mousse or Christmas Pudding with Vanilla Sauce. The Christmas Pudding is a very traditional and much-beloved dessert at the British table. It is dark, rich, sweet and utterly divine with vanilla sauce. The beautiful presentation of individual mini Christmas pudding is perfect and pretty!

Coffee and Mints to complete the festive meal.

Thyme Kiara Children Menu

Every little one also deserves their own festive menu! Zyda and team whips up little ones’ favorites completed with beverage, main course and dessert.

Fruit Cordial or Fresh Juices for the little ones.

Children main courses to choose from are kids’ favorites of Creamy Turkey Pasta, Roasted Turkey Pizza, Beef Burger with Fries, Bangers and Mash with Gravy or Roasted Turkey with Mashed Potatoes and Steamed Vegetables.

Tender slices of roasted turkey on marinara sauce and melted cheese on crisp pizza base proved to be a winner with littles one every time.

One cannot also go wrong with pasta with kids. This one has silky pasta strands coated in creamy white sauce with slices of roasted turkey in the Creamy Turkey Pasta.

Bangers and Mash with Gravy is such a British classic and works every time for diners of all ages!

Kids get a choice of dessert of Cheese Cake or Brownies with Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream. Cheese and chocolate is a guaranteed hit with kids… and adults too! We stole a few bites and love these classic desserts…

Thyme Kiara Festive Season Set Menu

For single order (1 pax) for the set menu, it is priced at RM108 nett per pax

For 2 pax or more order for the set menu, it is priced at RM188 for 2 pax and priced accordingly onwards.

Thyme Kiara Children Menu

For children aged below 12 years old, it is priced at RM30 nett per child

Takeaway Thyme Kiara Traditional Roasted Turkey

One Whole Turkey (feeds 8 pax) RM350 nett

*comes with 3 sauces - Turkey Gravy, Black Pepper and Cranberry Sauces

Additional Add-ons - 5 sides for RM100 nett

(Choose from Roasted Potatoes, Roasted Peppers, Roasted Parsnips, Glazed Carrots, Creamed Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Sweet Corn, Sweet Peas, Brussels Sprout, Yorkshire Pudding)

The festive set menus and takeaway are available from 1 Dec 2015 to 5 Jan 2016.

Thyme Kiara will be opened for business on 25 Dec 2015, Christmas Day and 1 Jan 2016, New Year Day. Do call for reservations at least two days in advance.

THYME KIARA

J-0G-14, SOHO KL, Solaris Mont Kiara

50480 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +603 6206 3023 / +60111 447 2225

Website: www.thymekiara.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/THYMEKiara/

Business Hour:

Monday to Friday 11.00am to 11.00pm

Saturday & Sunday 11am to 1am

Kafe Go To School @ Solaris Mont Kiara

Modern Korean Café with A Spicy Kick!

Korean cuisine continues to grow in our nation and it has almost become a norm for many to enjoy the cuisine famous for its pungent kimchi and charcoal BBQ. Kafe Go To School is one of the latest Korean café to join the little Korean township at Solaris Mont Kiara. Kafe Go To School takes Korean cuisine to whole new level of modern home-style Korean cuisine with a fun and whimsical twist.

Take the fun yesteryears of schools and bento lunches, Kafe Go To School makes a play on casual and comfort food in classroom concept setting café. Helmed by Chef Woo Young, whose prior Korean eatery in Taiwan became so popular and she even caught the attention of Hong Kong Tourism Board who interviewed her on her food. Together with her sister and her sister’s husband, Chef Woo decided to open Kafe Go To School here to showcase her trendy home-style Korean dishes served in casual style. Besides Korean dishes, Kafe Go To School has awesome desserts as well as coffee.

The whole ambiance as mentioned earlier is based on a school classroom concept. Chalkboards, casual low and colorful chairs and tables, various knick-knacks of school stuff, school bell and more added to the concept. The whole café is cozy and perfect for family and friends to hang out. Since it’s a classroom, it’s really perfect to bring the young ones along too. We brought our kids along and they had such a good time at the café as it is kids’ friendly and there are some things that will keep the kids busy too.

The menu at Kafe Go To School is rather playful with added photos of some dishes to make ordering easier. There are also specials on the chalkboard. Whatever you may order, I highly recommend that you save some room for desserts!

We adored the fresh homemade ades they serve. Combining fresh citrus fruits with lemonade and soda, the Citrus Ades (RM10), Grapefruitade (RM14) and Lemonade (RM13) was really refreshing and juicy. These are also perfect to balance the heavy flavours of the Korean dishes to come.

The menu has a solid list of varieties to cater to adults and children. We started our dinner that evening with Hae Mul Pa Jeon or Seafood & Spring Onion Pancake (RM24). A classic Korean favorite, I have always enjoyed Pa Jeon. The version here is superb. Thick square slices of pancake are heavily studded with lots of spring onions and seafood bits. I like how they made the pancake here thicker so it has a better taste of filling. Add some of the chili sauce served on the side for extra yumminess!

There are Japanese sushi rolls and there are Korean Kimbabs. These are similar except Kimbab uses rice that are seasoned with seasoning like salt and sesame oil but no vinegar like sushi rolls. There are many varieties of Kimbab but we opted for the Korean Original Kimbab (RM11.90). This one has spinach, carrot, pickled radish, egg omelette and hotdog. I would be happy to enjoy this anytime…

We also had their Salmon Roll (RM27.90) as recommended by the owner. Crab stick, egg omelette and cucumber roll are covered in slivers of salmon and topped with creamy sauce before it is torched and crowned with fish skin. Nicely done and is tasty as well.

If you are dining in a group of 3 or more, Passion Bento (RM88) would be a good and filling sharing platter. It makes an impressive sight of metal bento boxes filled with lots of Korean dishes of fried chicken, noodles and rice. There are some hot stuff there as well as non-spicy dishes. Let’s check out what Passion Bento has…

There are two fried chickens in the platter. One is a non-spicy version of Go To School Fried Chicken and the second is super spicy Fried Yang Neum Chicken with Sweet Chili Sauce. The Go To School Fried Chicken has a crunchy batter with savory seasoning. The spicy Fried Yang Neum Chicken is also very crunchy but drenched in a super-hot and sweet chili sauce. I like how they added crushed peanuts to the spicy chicken to give it another texture and nutty flavour.  If you cannot take too much heat, it is best to let the wait staff know because they can have the kitchen team adjust the heat on the sauce.

There are two dishes of glass noodles of Jab Chae or Stir Fried Korean Fried Glass Noodles with Vegetables and Kim Male Ri Fried Glass Noodle Covered with Seaweed & Rice Balls. The Jab Chae is a classic Korean dishes available at most places here and this version is a vegetarian version. It’s decent and has the usual lightly chewy sweet potato glass noodle texture. The Kim Male Ri Fried Glass Noodle is quite unique. Featuring stir fried glass noodles wrapped in seaweed and deep fried with a crispy thin batter and finished with sesame seed, these are yummy and easy to enjoy. There is also a side of seaweed rice balls that were warm, flavour and so delicious. My little one had two of the rice balls and really loved them a lot.

The last dish on the Passion Bento is the Kimchi Bibim Guksu Cold Noodle, a cold thin rice noodle served in a light cold broth with some vegetables, an egg and a dollop of super spicy chili sauce. This one fell a little short on flavour but that is easily remedied once you stir up the chili sauce which gives the noodles a fiery note.

Korean cuisine often has a lot of stews. This could be due to the cold climates in Korea and stews are one of the best one pot dishes to warm up the tummy. While there are many stews, Kafe Go To School’s house signature is the So Gal Bi Jjm or Braised Short Ribs Steamed in Soy Sauce Seasoning (RM126).

Large bone-in 1.2kg of beef short ribs are cooked in a broth of gan jang soy sauce seasoning made from 9 different kinds of ingredients such as Korean pear, apple, ginseng, pineapple and more. This is served with with carrot, radish, chestnut and jujube. One can opt to have add-ons such as udon, rice cake, cheese or fried rice with additional charges. This stew has a really delicious sweet and savory flavour with a lovely aroma. Since it’s made with fresh and natural ingredients, I also didn’t feel thirsty after enjoying the broth. There is also a spicy version.

If you don’t take beef, then the Dakk Han Ma Ri or Whole Chicken Cooked with Vegetable & Ginseng Broth (RM70) will be a better choice for you. This Korean chicken soup is said to be very nutritional and good for health. Perfect to cure a cold or simply to warm the tummy with comfort, the broth is deliciously savory with robust chicken essence and very subtle hints of ginseng in the back note. The chicken was not as tasty and this was due to the fact that all the yummy chicken essence has been released to the broth. I was really satisfied with this pot of comfort food as the broth is really very tasty.

More Korean stews and the Bulgogi Kimchi Soon Du Bu-Jigae (RM23) proved to be too spicy in heat for us. I am very sure it would have been better if the heat factor is reduced. So make sure to let the wait staff know to go easy on the chili here. There are loads of ingredients in this stew with beef, bean curd, kimchi, mushrooms, spring onions and more. Hand me a bowl of rice please…

I only had a little taste of the Cheese Kimchi Bulgogi Rice Burger (RM19.90) and I like it. It’s trendy to savor rice burgers and this one was a delicious combination of spicy bulgogi beef with cheese and lettuce sandwiched with seaweed rice patties. Served with potatoes and cabbage salad, it’s a solid and filling meal.

Another dish worth ordering for adults and kids is the Salmon Rice Pizza (RM35). Crispy rice based pizza is covered with special creamy sauce and salmon and lightly baked. It is finished with flying fish roes and lots of spring onions. I would order this again because I enjoyed the crispy rice with salmon and creamy sauce.

Korean Bingsus are quite a hit these days and you simply must order Kafe Go To School Bingsu! These are huge in portion so share them as it is nearly impossible to finish one bingsu on your own unless you didn’t eat anything. That said, you still might get a little brain freeze from the large portion of snow ice…

First up, our kids went wild when they say the Very Very Thank You Snow Milk BIngsu (RM33). A huge bowl of milky snow ice is piled with loads of berries, cornflakes and a scoop of ice cream with berry coulis. The milky snow ice was so fine and literally melts-in-the-mouth upon contact. It has such a refine creamy and milk flavour that is very enjoyable with the sweet and tangy berries. We all devoured this happily though we were pretty stuffed from dinner.

If you love the flavours of green tea, opt for the Green Tea Bingsu (RM24.90). Another large bowl piled high with fine milky shaved snow ice, covered with a soy and green tea powder, a large dollop of creamy red bean and scoop of green tea ice cream.

I saved the best for last… cheese lovers do Not want to miss the U-Ja Cheesecake Bingsu (RM24.90). This is like the bomb of Bingsu! A large piece of berry cheesecake that has so much berries in it, is served with a little mountain of snow ice covered in a sweet, tangy and stickly citron jam. The super luscious cheesecake goes so well with the tangy, fresh and milky snow ice. I am such a huge fan of this Bingsu. So worth every calorie that comes with this…

It’s really a different side of Korean cuisine at Kafe Go To School. Besides the homestyle Korean dishes here, Bingsu desserts are truly a must-have here. The café also is halal. A great casual and easy going place to chill with some trendy Korean cuisine and heavenly desserts!

KAFE GO TO SCHOOL

18G (Ground Floor) Jalan Solaris 3,

Solaris Mont Kiara,

50480 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +60 3-2858 9627

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kafegotoschool

Business Hours:

Sunday to Thursday        10:00 am – 11:30 pm

Friday to Saturday           10:00 am – 1:00 am