Author Archives: Lyrical Lemongrass

Christmas Comes Early for LL / Pick N’ Brew, 1 Utama

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Christmas and New Year Come Early for Lyrical Lemongrass and friends (check out the hunks!!!)

1.

Meeting Fatboybakes has definitely improved my social life. How else does one get a party thrown in one’s honor, or in Fatboybakes’ words: “All in honor of AWHIFFOFLEMONGRASS who’ll be blardy partying in Sydney for xmas and new year. CIS BEDEBAH.”  Awwww.  I have tears in my eyes.

FBB’s menu (printed on tracing paper, just like in the fancy restaurants) boasted a lavish tea time spread, much like those described in Enid Blyton’s storybooks, that included foie gras pate, assorted cheeses, bacon & mushroom pizzas, Spring Golden sakura pork char siu, Mr Ho’s Salted Ox Tongue and cold cuts, garden salad, mushroom and pork stuffing (sans turkey), absolutely perfect freshly baked scones with the most sinfully delicious clotted cream and jam, rum and raisin tart that had enough alcohol to get one tipsy, his latest creation – the Spencer’s 4 Seasons X’mas moussake (moussey cake? cake and mousse?  see picture top right corner) and christmas panforte.  Oh, and loads and loads of Macallan to ensure a healthy glow to the skin.  Did I mention that this was just for tea?

And so we sang carols and exchanged gifts, and when the clock struck 7.30pm, we took off our Santa hats, started the countdown and sang Auld Lang Syne to welcome the New Year.  Spending Christmas and New Year with my dearest friends is the best feeling in the world.  Thanks, FBB, for a wonderful party!  You go girl!

2.

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Eggnog latte (RM15)

There are other ways to enjoy a good Christmas meal, of course. (Sans the hunks, unfortunately.)  One way that won’t burn a hole in your pocket is to try Pick n Brew’s RM28 Christmas All Day Special (available in the month of December from 11.00am to 9.30pm) consisting of a soup (changes daily), a choice of main course (from beef, lamb, fish or chicken) and a drink.

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Oven baked stuffed chicken on soft mushroom polenta and sauteed vegetables

The chicken breast was baked with a garlic cheese stuffing that hinted of rosemary. I absolutely loved the polenta mash that was cooked with couscous which gave it a nice grainy texture. I must warn you, though, that if you’re planning on doing some cuddling, this is NOT the dish for you as the flavour of the garlic is potent.

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Beef escalope and lobster tail with sauteed mushroom and grilled potato

Instead, try the beef escalope and lobster tail, a much smaller portion compared to the chicken breast, but less of a date-killer. The meat is lean, tender and juicy and even though the lobster tail isn’t more than a mouthful (now you see it, now you don’t), the meal is well balanced with a lovely fruity balsamic sauce (which actually reminds me of a vino cotto) that brings out the flavour of the meat quite well. The beef is slightly thicker than normal, though.

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Mixed grain cookies

For an additional RM10 (or RM15 without the meal), one can opt for a glass of wine or an eggnog latte instead. The eggnog latte comes with a dash of brandy, a nice thick concoction that is really good. Pick n’ Brew also offers, for RM12 (from 3pm to 6pm), a choice of their gourmet coffees and teas and a plate of 5 cookies (mixed grain or chocolate chip) or chocolate log cake. The mixed grain cookies are delicious – somewhere between muesli and sweet cookies.  (So that one can enjoy the cookies and feel like one is still on a diet.)

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The ambience at Pick n’ Brew is more like a cafe, but with a higher comfort level as compared to a coffee place. It has an enclosed smoking area, separate from the non-smoking section, quite unlike certain restaurants that make a mockery of the smoking/non-smoking demarcation of space. The christmas menu is surprisingly good value for money and the presentation takes it a class above normal cafe food. There is the usual pull between what Pick n’ Brew represents, and I still can’t figure out what their niche is. Finally, thanks, Jackson, for your kind invitation to sample the Christmas Menu at Pick n’ Brew.

Pick n’ Brew
F233, 1 Utama Shopping Centre
Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya.

Tel: 03-7726 0102

Note: Christmas All Day Menu is also available at Pick n’ Brew Hicom-Glenmarie outlet from 11am – 7.30pm only. Eggnog Latte is not available at Pick n’ Brew Hicom–Glenmarie.

Credits. A special thanks to:
1. Fatboybakes, for the X’mas/New Year party photographs, and
2. HairyBerry, my Weekend B^*ch ©, for the gorgeous photographs taken at Pick n’ Brew.

Hatyai Street, One Bangsar

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Thai newsprint is placed on the table and covered with a glass sheet – quite a novelty!

1.

I am glad that Boo persuaded me (with little effort, actually!) to go to Hatyai Street, the latest restaurant at One Bangsar.  I had driven past the restaurant several times, but always had the misconception that the food would be overpriced.  Of course, pricing is relative.  A single portion costs anything from RM12 to RM14, and the servings are substantial.  When I first went there with the girls, we ordered enough for an army and our total bill came up to RM183.50 (after tax).  I went there a second time with Boo and we decided not to be overambitious.  This time, our bill came up to RM43 for two.  So I leave it to you – the ambience is nice, the airconditioning is very cold (bring something to keep you warm…like a hot water bottle), the service is…okay lah, and the food is well presented.

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My, what big trotters you have

Now that we’ve got prices out of the way, let’s talk about the food.  The braised pork trotters is amazingly good.  The taste is familiar, more like our chinese style of preparation, and I enjoyed it throughly.  When I first tried it, I thought it was rather fatty (not that I’m complaining), and the second time I had it, the meat was lean and extremely tender.  In both instances, I was not disappointed.

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Thai laksa (fish)

I expected the thai laksa to taste like tom yam (being the ignoramus that I am), but it tasted more like a creamy assam laksa. I didn’t really like the noodles which were clumpy, but I’d vouch for the gravy anytime.

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Crispy pork knuckle

The crispy pork knuckle would go very well with beer. It is served with a spicy green chilli blend and sweet soy sauce.

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Mango kerabu with salted egg

Kerabu is always a great complementary dish to the spicier, saltier, porkier Thai dishes. The mango kerabu was tossed with salted egg and crisp fried shrimps. On my second visit, I tried the pig skin kerabu. As sinful as it sounds (and I’m sure it is), it didn’t feel unhealthy. The skin was sliced into slivers and tossed in lime juice. It had a gelatinous texture and looked like seaweed.  It was very tasty, of course.

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Kailan with fried pork belly

We didn’t want to skip our greens, and when we saw this dish listed on the menu, we knew that we had to have it. (And it wasn’t because of the word “kailan”.)  I didn’t taste much of the pork belly, though.  Must have gone into Precious Pea’s stomach, methinks.

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Glutinous rice with durian

Out of all the desserts that we tried, I was happiest with the glutinous rice with durian. It was rich and fragrant and everything I could ask for in a dessert.

Hatyai Street is closed on Mondays. On other days, it is open for lunch and dinner.

Hatyai Street
No. 63E, Jalan Ara
One Bangsar, Bangsar, 55900 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2283 3116

Also check out Precious Pea’s, Boolicious’ and Joe’s blogs. 

2.

Unkaleong said I sounded angry in my previous post.  Anger is only one aspect of it.  I was depressed, furious, confused and even feeling guilt.
 
Yesterday, the newspapers reported that a snatch theft victim was run over by a three-ton truck when she fell on the road after a motorcycle pillion rider grabbed her handbag.   Only a few days earlier, I was a victim as well, but thankfully, I wasn’t hurt in the process.  I was shaken, and cried until I had no tears left, and after that I had time to think about what happened.  The stark reality is this – we should stop blaming foreigners for crimes conducted in our city.  These are our people who grew up on our soil, who went through the same educational process, and face the same socio-economic conditions that we generally face.  What went wrong?

I have no answers.  But this, I know – there will be retribution.

As cliched as it sounds, life will go on for me.  And I thank God everyday for that.

Stop all the clocks

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Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

(An excerpt from Stop all the clocks, Cut off the telephone by W. H. Auden)

In the wake of the tragedy that has befallen the people of our nation, I sanction myself for allowing myself to be dominated by selfish thoughts about my own personal mishaps. One thought keeps going through my mind – Why do bad things happen to people? The knowledge of the ever familiar Kübler-Ross Grief Cycle of shock, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, testing and finally acceptance haunts me, simply because I know I haven’t reached the end yet. Sometimes, I wonder whether blaming one’s self is cowardice, that is, in not wanting to accept reality and in denying one’s self the course of true mourning. In not recognising the full extent of my own loss and in masking it with chirpiness and smiles and assurances that I am okay, in telling myself that the sun will come out and everything will be zipadeedoodah zipadee-a, I have slowed down my process of recovery.

I make no apologies for the fact that I can’t smile today.

(Note: In the words of HairyBerry, this post is not about human relationships)