Oriental Spoon, Sooka Sentral (Halal)

Posted on June 4, 2008 by Lyrical Lemongrass

1.

When the mind wanders to the gutter, there is no turning back. That’s all I can say when I heard the name Oriental Spoon.

Oh, their tagline’s “Wholesomely Oriental”. *big smile*

2.

Fatboybakes decreed that I had a non-existent social life and took it upon himself to ensure that I was suitably entertained at night by issuing me an invitation to dine at Oriental Spoon (upon the request of his “Godma” who instructed him one morning over breakfast to “get your food blogger friends over to Sooka Sentral to try out Ming Lee’s new restaurant”).

Clockwise from top left: Steamed “Siu Mai” with fresh scallops – RM 12, steamed minced chicken buns (char siew pao) – RM 8.00, steamed glutinous rice with chicken – RM 8, steamed prawn dumplings (Har Gau) – RM 10

Let me just put on record that I am ecstatic about the fact that there is now a decent restaurant in the KL Sentral area. My office is located quite close to KL Sentral, a popular destination when it rains and I am looking for a quick bite at a covered location. But as we all know, KL Sentral offers less than appealing fare, and thus Sooka Sentral has become a boon to me, ensuring that I shall never have to starve again. There are ample carparks here and it is located a little away from the main transportation hub, which means that I can zoom in and out within an hour.

Wu kok – RM6

Oriental Spoon serves dim sum as well as items from the ala carte menu. Do note that food served here is halal, so it is a great choice if you’re looking to spend some muhibah time together. My favourite item of dim sum must surely be the yam dumplings (wu kok) which fulfilled my criteria of a very light and crumbly exterior with a delicious mince filling that didn’t make me notice the absence of that animal-that-should-not-be-named.

Lotus root pastry

Another dim sum item that I thought was absolutely delicious was the lotus root shaped pastry that screamed of butter in a flaky shell with a minced chicken/lotus filling.

Radish cake – RM6

For radish cake with a difference, I recommend the radish cake with bonito flakes.

Steamed spinach buns

Henry the Hedgehog* wasn’t spared. The poor little critter, stuffed with a delicious black sesame filling, looked a sorry sight after the ordeal he had to endure. Well, he didn’t last long. His popularity was apparent, and his last sibling ended up in “Godma’s” handbag.

*name given by Fatboybakes

Steamed black pepper short ribs (Lamb) – RM 12

The lamb was very tender and despite a slight gaminess, it made for a good substitute for the animal-that-should-not-be-named.

Dim sum is served only until 5 pm.

Clockwise from top left: Stir fried lotus roots with celery and almond flakes – RM 15, salad prawns, lychee prawns (two combination prawns), stewed beef with white radish – RM 8, deep fried Garoupa fish with flavoured meat sauce (RM 8 per 100 g)

The ala carte menu carries a wide range of items and it is easy to be blown away by the presentation of the food.

Oriental three combination ( Bamboo fungus rolls, Black pepper sotong balls , Venison in birds nest)

The Oriental Three Combination dish deserves mention. The portions were served individually in a contemporary display; a chinese soup spoon held the bamboo fungus rolls while the delicious flaky birds nest housed the venison meat. This is a special order if you wish to try it.

Stir fried crab with salted egg yolk (RM 55 per kg)

Just like its sister restaurant (Bangsar Seafood at One Bangsar), Oriental Spoon also serves delicious crab dishes. The stir fried crabs came in a very thick salted egg yolk sauce that clung to the shells, just the way I like it.

Due to the lack of dinner traffic at Sooka Sentral, Oriental Spoon currently closes early (at about 8pm), but they’re apparently willing to stay open for you if you inform them earlier. They also do takeaways and deliveries (within the area – call to find out if you qualify) between 11.30am and 8.00pm.

Thank you, Ming Lee, for inviting us to sample the lovely food. And thanks, Jade, for organising this. Thanks also to Fatboybakes for ensuring that my social calendar isn’t so empty, but I’m sincerely and deeply grateful for the delicious pear upside down cake and wine which you so generously brought (this remark said with tears in eyes).

Good night everyone. I’m off for some Oriental Spooning with my hubby.

Oriental Spoon
1st floor, Sooka Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 5, 50470, KL
Tel: 03-2261 3222

Opening hours: (Mon – Sunday) 11.30 am – 8.00 pm
(Dim sum is served until 5 pm)

New Formosa Restaurant, SS2

Posted on May 30, 2008 by Lyrical Lemongrass

1.

I am definitely the Poster Child of the Month with THREE incidences of food poisoning in May. My last bout, which happened just days ago, was the worst. I mean, what good is a 2-day medical leave from work if I can’t even bring myself to watch the Asian Food Channel on Astro? The mere sight of food made me want to retch my guts out.

I’ve forgotten what good food tastes like. Ah, woe is me.

Ok. I’m done spilling my guts.

*My apologies to Kenny Mah for the unfortunate resemblance of his hand (in the picture above) to The Evil Grip.

I suppose I should look at the bright side. Anything’s better than having a hedgehog stuck in your mouth.

.*Henry the Hedgehog – derived posthumous fame from FBB. Thank you, Joe, for giving me permission to put up this picture. Mmuaks.

2.

The good life. When good friends get together for a meal. (Obviously, this happened way before The Evil Grip got hold of me, and is in no way related to the topic above.) I’ve always enjoyed going out for dinner because, for at least a couple of hours, I get to forget about work. Laughter’s certainly the best medicine, and the company of friends, the right friends, is my umami.

We supped over spareribs (RM16) in a mildly spicy sauce which was steamed together with sweet potatoes, a contrast of flavours, and while I wasn’t overly excited about the sauce which tasted a little chalky, I loved the tenderness of the meat. The white cabbage in claypot (RM13), came in a clear broth with bits of minced pork, sliced mushrooms, foo chuk and dried shrimps. This was a delicately flavoured dish that derived its sweetness from the white cabbage. The Canadian seabass (RM39) was fried first, then a spicy sauce was liberally spread over it. We ordered a side portion of fried mantou (buns) to mop up the gravy. The fried intestines coated in sesame seed (RM13) was an afterthought when we had already ordered all the other stuff, but I’m glad we did. It was chewy on the inside and lightly crisp on the outside; probably one of my favourites that night.

This dish will be forever etched in my memory. Unpolished rice formed the base – the rice had been steamed in stock and had a soft (not fluffy) texture. The rice was subsequently topped with a crab which was chopped into several pieces, and steamed until the flavours gradually combined. I loved the rice which could be eaten on its own as it had absorbed all the different flavours. The meat of the crab was also very sweet. It was definitely worth the RM34 pricetag.

The rice crusts (RM28), similar to Rice Krispies but in little tablet forms, were a delight to eat. A sweet sauce made of sea cucumber, cuttlefish, prawns and meatballs was poured over the rice crusts. The crusts soaked up the sauce resulting in an lovely combination of chewy and crispy bits.

The New Formosa Restaurant has been dishing out great Taiwanese cuisine for a very long time, and has always been a restaurant of choice whenever we’re looking for something different. Now I’m waiting for my tastebuds to get back to normal so that I can visit this restaurant again.

New Formosa Restaurant
46, Jalan SS2/24, 47300 Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-7875 1894, 03-7875 7478.

Palate Palette, Jalan Mesui KL

Posted on May 12, 2008 by Lyrical Lemongrass

1.

“Are you the type who likes surprises”, he asked on Facebook.

2.

The best type of surprise. When someone pays attention to what you said in an earlier conversation on Tagore and Murakami and the silken liquid voice of Bernice Chauly.

And he even got it autographed for me. I can’t contain my pleasure.

It’s not always about food.

3.

We are lunchtime alcoholics.

4.

We share delectable gossip at a table converted from an old sewing machine. It is almost like it was meant to be. Except that in the old days, little old ladies at sewing machines told each other stories of the fishmonger who slept with the goreng pisang seller’s daughter. That dirty old man.

5.

Is this a reflection of our minds? A cornucopia of colours, twisted metal and wires? Beneath it all, we are so alike.

6.

My shrimp and avocado salad. A splendid combination of ingredients, but in this case, the finely chopped avocado was rather hard and lacked the creamy, buttery taste of ripe avocados.

7.

His oxtail shepherd’s pie. Braised, hearty, chunky oxtail in a pie with mushroom sauce to pour over it. The surface is a garlic potato combo.

8.

No ordinary fish and chips here. Tempura fried dory with a combination of potato and yam chips, an appealing vertical presentation.

9.

The pastry has a brittle, biscuit-like texture with the aroma of sesame. The custard, sandwiched between the biscuit layers, is creamy and has a faint green tea flavour. This is my favourite.

10.

My weekend sojourn.

11.

12.

“The world is full of metaphors
and I am one of them.”

-Bernice Chauly-

Palate Palette
21 Jalan Mesui, Off Jalan Nagasari
50200 KL.

Tel: 03-2142 2148

Sunday & Weekdays 12pm to 12am
Friday & Saturday 12pm to 2am
Closed Monday.

Website here.

Addendum

Perhaps it is necessary to include the following notes:

1. No bald eagles were harmed in the process.

3. Consent was obtained before making the reference. 🙂

A Whiff of Lemongrass

NOT a food blog

Category Archives: FOOD TYPES