GTower, Rajang Hall: A Sneak Peak at 2013 Ramadhan Feast!

Buka Puasa with GTower’s Ramadhan Feast!

Traffic was horrendous the day this review took place. Among a few wrong turns and a few drivers who seem to love hogging the fast lanes just to show how slow they are, I arrived an hour and half late at GTower. Since dinner awaits no one, I had to steal food shots from Sid as I am pretty sure no one wants to see leftover shots of a feast…

Held at Rajang Hall, GTower, the Ramadhan feast is set to feature an array of authentic Malay dishes for indulgence. Though the hall is smaller compared to other places, the place is nicely setup with the buffet line outside and inside the hall to make it accessible to all. If you happen to be working or located about the Jalan Tun Razak area or anywhere in the city vicinity, this may be the place to hang out for a Ramadhan feast while waiting for the traffic to clear during this period.

Let’s peek at the Feast…

Roast Lamb Shoulder with Arabic Rice

Never fails at every Ramadhan feast to have a much demand lamb! This one is a whole lamb shoulder spiced up and roast to pink perfection. Savor this succulent lamb with Arabic rice also seasoned up with spices. The combination is a spicy affair of flavors!

Roast Baked Red Snapper

A big red snapper is also marinated in spices and ‘bakar’ to a smoky doneness. The firm flesh is fairly sweet and can be further enhanced with a series of sambals and sauces. I hope they will keep this dish hot to fully maximize its flavors…

Satay

I have seriously yet to find any Ramadhan feast without this all-time-favorite Satay! Load up on chicken, beef and lamb satays with sides of nasi himpit, onion, cucumber and satay sauce to your heart’s content. It is a must-have here as the meats are tender and really well marinated with a nice sweetness!!

Malay Cuisine highlights…

Beef lungs cooked in a chili pepper sauce, offal in full glory in the name of Paru Goreng Berlada. Spicy to counter the rich flavors of the lungs… I was told this a favorite among Malay dishes as it goes really well with rice. There is also another classic dish of Ikan Keli Goreng Cili Api where local catfish rules the pot with chilies. How does Gulai Nenas Ikan Sepat sounds to you? Salted Ikan Sepat is braised in a tangy and creamy pineapple curry.

Ayam Goreng Lengkuas is delicious… redolent of a root called galangal or lengkuas. The aroma of the rhizome is tantalizing while the flavors are savory with a hint of peppery note. There is always another crowd pleaser in Ayam Masak Kari Dengan Kentang. Great depth of spices and flavors while the gravy is medium thick, letting me drown my rice in this awesome curry happily.

Sambal Udang Besama Kapis is the favorite of the night… this one was polished off in a jiffy! Loaded with shrimps and scallops, the lightly sweet and spicy sambal sauce tasted really good on the palate. I also like the fact that the shrimps are peeled… making this dish easy breezy to eat!

Other yummies present was Daging Salai Percik Sauce, Dalcha Kambing, Aloo Ghopi, Stir Fried Vegetables Nyonya Style and more.

A special highlight here is their Nasi Hujan Panas, a colorful and aromatic spiced up rice that is so flavorful, even on its own! There is also Nasi Briyani and more rotated on daily basis.

The raw or cooked vegetables like Ulams and Sambals show bold taste and textures.  Kerabus are always welcome for their assorted pungent flavors and one cannot help but crave for classics like Kerabu Jantung Pisang, Kerabu Perut, Kerabu Ayam, Kerabu Pucuk Paku and Jelatah Nenas. To further whet the appetitie after a long day of fasting, there are assorted Ikan Masin, Telur Masin and Acar Buah to perk up the appetite!

Besides rice and hot classics, this Ramadhan buffet offers Mee Jawa, Bubur Lambuk and Sup Ekor. I like the robust and warming Sup Ekor, a meaty broth filled with essential spices and coriander. Make it personal by adding various ingredients like fried shallot, coriander, peanuts and more. Noodles and porridge are also good tummy fillers.

Desserts always provide a sweet ending! Here, we are treated to Assorted Malay Kuih, French Pastries, Mixed Fruit Platter, Fruit Cocktail, Mango Pudding, Rojak, Banana & Orange Trifle and Pengat Labu dengan Sagu. There are plenty of choices and menu rotates on daily basis.

To quench the thirst, GTower also offers a quaint selection of Teh Tarik, Sirap Bandung, Soya Bean, Cendol, ABC and coffee & tea.

Executive Chef Johnny Fua and the Kitchen team are set to ensure that everyone leaves with a full experience of lots of classic Malay and international dishes. There are quite a wide selection of hot stations and chilled bar with desserts to be savored. Make a reservation today to catch a taste of Ramadhan feast at Rajang Hall, GTower!

RM 90 ++ per adult / RM 45 ++ per child (ages 7 - 12),
*Kids under 6 years old will eat for free.

For reservation and enquiry, call +603-2168 1919 ext 7040 or email them at  fnb.admin@gtower.com.my

GTOWER
Rajang Hall, Mezzanine Floor,
GTower,

199 Jalan Tun Razak

50400 Kuala Lumpur
Tel No: +603-2168 1919 ext 7040

Website: www.gtower.com.my

  

Watami, Japanese Casual Restaurant: Going Porky & Unveiling Their New Grand Feast!

Feasting on New Modern and Classic Japanese Dishes with a Porky Touch!

I could never resist Japanese food… or maybe any kind for the matter… wink! When a recent invited landed and stated that a new grand feast awaits at Watami, Japanese Casual Restaurant, I knew my day could not get any better than this. Watami has been around for a bit and serves up luscious modern and classic Japanese cuisine in major malls in the city. The name of the restaurant goes back to the name of its founder, Watanabe Miki. Established in 1984, the Watami group is huge, garnering over 600 outlets in Japan itself and 50 across Asia Pacific.

I have been to Watami before and enjoyed some of their dishes. To give credit to this restaurant, their menu is huge, boasting over 100 dishes with lots of various types of Japanese delights to cater to all. The ambiences across the outlets are themed in natural and warm ambience to create its signature lively and casual tavern concept. Expect lots of wood, splashes of red and warm lighting to set the mood for comfort as one dines and wines at the restaurants.

Our evening was dedicated to Watami Japanese Casual Dining Restaurant Malaysia unveiling 20 exciting new creations including a new pork menu in a grand feast at its flagship outlet in 1Utama. We were hosted by Mr. Nelson Wang, Vic President of Operations and Business Development, Chaswood Group who proudly took us through its new menu with the addition of pork. Every dish goes through stringent quality control at Watami and the HQ even does quality checks on every outlet often as advised by Mr. Wang.

Watami’s menu is simply made for drooling! Pages after pages of photos and dishes are enticing and there is even recommendation of drinks and sake pairing with the dishes on each page of the new menu. All organized by various categories, drooling… oops, I mean ordering is quite a feat at Watami!

Drinks are plenty and I enjoyed a refreshing Kiwi Mojito (RM10.90) while my partner had Passionfruit Green Tea (RM13.90). I like mine a lot with small bits of kiwi and lots of minty flavors.

Puchi Tomato Butaniku Maki Kushi, Unagi Chawanmushi & Tamago Sushi

The feast started off with Pork & Cherry Tomato Roll Skewer, steamed Eel Chawanmushi and a sweet Egg Sushi. You simply can’t go wrong with crispy savory pork with a burst of cherry tomato juice! Simply but delicious. Fans of the steamed egg custard would enjoy this classic updated with soft sweet and savory eel pieces. Tamago sushi maybe basic but I have always love this sushi for its sweetness as an ending touch to raw seafood sushi.

Salmon Sashimi Salad (RM16.90)

Healthy greens are nicely and lightly dressed with tangy grapefruit vinaigrette and crowned with salmon sashimi. This one has a good dose of raw onions, seaweed and nuts for various textures and flavors.

Hiroshima-fu Okonomiyaki (RM18.90)

An ardent fan of Japanese pancake, this one is hearty and soulful. The last time I had the beef version but this round, I was glad that they make this with pork and shrimp among the usual ingredients. Doused with a layer of piquant brown okonomiyaki sauce and Aonori bonito flakes, there is even an entertainment of the flakes dancing on the heat of the pancake. Yum…

Kankoku Butechigae (RM25.90)

It’s a Korean-style army hot pot bubbling away in the Kankoku Butechigae. Lots of ingredients goes into this pot like pork belly slices, sea clams, vegetables, Korean rice cake, kimchi, ramen, tofu, mushrooms and more in a spicy hot pot soup. It’s quite a good portion and truly warming for those who loves some rustic spicy stew!

Anago Tempura Maki (RM12.90)

Sea eel has a smoother and creamier taste to the regular eel. Here, it is tempura battered and fried to golden crisp before being rolled up in a maki. Coupled with its usual seaweed and crunchy cucumber with nutty sesame seeds, it’s mediocre as I simply prefer to enjoy the full potential of the sea eel without the batter.

Watami Tonkatsu Ramen (RM22.90)

Watami aims to please and it did through this bowl of ramen sitting in a cloudy meaty pork broth. The salty broth lures in the umami goodness, making the ramen luscious in every slurp. To heighten further, the bowl also has medium thick pork chashu, a gorgeous creamy soft yolk egg, bamboo shoots and spring onions as condiments.

Kara Miso Ramen (RM22.90)

This one taste even better than the 1stg ramen or was it simply because I like spicy food? This broth is even creamier and more intense with the addition of miso and chili. I do have to repeat that the egg served is excellent and should be the benchmark for other ramen houses.

Ishiyaki Kaisen Garlic Rice (RM29.90)

I recommend leaving the rice to crisp up on the bottom to get nice crunchy bits in this dish. Its flavored up with dashi soy sauce, garlic butter and topped with scallops, prawns and flying fish roes. I wanted more oomph from the rice and believe that it needs more aromatic garlic bits. That said, the seafood part is really nice…

Watami Tokusei Tori Karaage (RM17.90)

Who doesn’t like fried chicken? Japanese fried chicken is usually boneless and seasoned with garlic powder before being coated in a light crumb coating and golden fried. To amp up the moist crispy chicken thighs, it is glazed with a lightly sweet karaage broth and finished with some finely sliced leeks.

Tokyo Rosu Katsu Don (RM23.90)

Though this is available almost in every Japanese restaurant, its cooked up pretty well here. High points on the thick cut lean pork loin nicely crumbed and cooked. Beneath the piece of hog, one gets the usual soft poachedegg laced in a sweet soy broth, sweet cooked onions and rice.

Chicken Katsu Kare (RM23.90)

I don’t normally enjoy Japanese curry simply because I find the sweetness odd. After tasting the curry here, I found myself changing my mind because it’s not sweet at all in this version. Glad the sweetness is thoroughly toned down, the creamy spiced laden curry paired well with the crispy chicken. I am pretty sure this one would also work wonders with a pork katsu!

Kushi Moriawase (RM 19.90)

I raved about this one in my last visit and this round, it is just a good as the last one. Basically, it’s a selection of various cuts of chicken and beef, all nicely skewered, glazed in sweet sauce and grilled to a nice light smoky char. I can’t decide which skewer is better simply because they all have different textures and flavors. This dish has chicken wing, chicken thigh, chicken gristle, beef & eringi mushroom rolls and beef & spring onion.

Jikasei Niku Miso Hayaako (RM 9.90)

This one surprised me. Chilled soft silken bean curd is topped with a spicy minced meat and leek sauce. I adored the spicy flavors contrasting boldy with the chilled soya flavor. As this was served towards the end, I only managed a small bite since I was so full from the earlier dishes. If this was served as a starter, I would gladly polish off a few pieces of this bean curd. Simply and surprisingly delicious!

Yasai Kinoko Itame (RM16.90)

Its rustic and home cook dish that has sliced pork, cabbage, carrot, Enoki mushroom, Shimeji mushroom, Shitake mushroom and bean sprout tossed in light yakisoba sauce before being served on a hot plate. Nice crunch factor from the vegetables that was lightly sautéed while the earthy choices of mushrooms add more warmth to the dish.

Salmon & Maguro Carpaccio (RM21.90)

Ok, by now, I was really ‘maximized’ by the feast. When this dish arrived, I only could really manage a small bite. Both fishes feature different sauces with salmon pairing up with a garlic sea-clam sauce and the tuna with green garlic sauce. The sauces are really fresh, tangy and vibrant in taste kicking up both fishes in an aromatic flavorful sauce.

Anchovies &Garlic Seafood Pizza (RM24.90)

One will be surprise at Japanese pizzas… so far, I had a few and most of them are pretty good. Usually thin and crispy, the one here is loaded up with a nice amount of assorted seafood. This one was pretty good, so much so it was polished off so far before I got a photo of it!

The feast certainly opens up my eyes to what Watami has to offer. The above is only a small part of its menu. Plus points for Watami are the wide range of dishes available, offering classics and modern ones and its warm and inviting ‘ishokuya’ ambience. Service is still as good as the last time I visited too. Don’t just take my word, head over for a bite and the Ishokuya experience!

Watami Malaysia @ 1 Utama

1st Floor, Rainforest, 1 Utama Shopping Centre,
1 Lebuh Bandar Utama,
47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

T: +603-7727 1399

Watami Malaysia @ Pavilion KL

C4.04.00, Level 4, Pavilion KL Shopping Mall,
168, Jalan Bukit Bintang,55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

T: +603-2141 6671

Watami Malaysia @ Paradigm Mall

Lot 07, Level 1, Paradigm Mall,
1, Jalan SS7/ 26A, Kelana Jaya,
47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

T: +603-7886 9661

Website: www.watami.com.my

Facebook: www.facebook.com/watami.my

Zespri Kiwi Amazing Challenge: Here’s to 14-Day Daily Scoop of Kiwi Fun!

 

Kiwi-Awesomeness!

Taking on this Zespri Amazing Challenge is gonna be a breeze! Especially since I love kiwis… green or yellow. When I was approach to take this 14-Day Daily Scoop of Amazing Challenge to consume 2 kiwis a day, it didn’t take much twisting to my arms to say yes!

Kiwis are often neglected and deem on the pricier end for fruits but if you know how much one can benefit from these little brown hairy fruits, you might change your mind.  I have always had a soft spot for juicy kiwis with its soft flesh, crunchy bits of seeds and sourish sweet flavors. Simply easy to consume, I love this versatile fruit in any way I can enjoy it but the best is still in its original form!

Here’s a Nutritious Fact of the Kiwi fruit compared to other ones taken from the Zespri website:

That’s a lot of nutrient stored in this little fruit!

How do you enjoy your Kiwi? I am lazy and love to just scoop it up with a spoon…

I am glad my little one loves this fruit. When he saw my bowl of kiwis for this challenge, he literally grabs the whole bowl and declared that this was his portion! Looks like I am going to have an additional challenge to pry this bowl away from him…

If you love kiwis like me, stay tune for more Zespri kiwi-awesomeness to come!