Eat Work Shop, Glenmarie, Shah Alam

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eatworkshopWhen I first heard of Eat Work Shop, I laughed. What workshop? A workshop with food? It certainly sounded like one of the many car workshops in the city which had chap fan (mixed rice) stalls parked right in front of them to cater to the blue-collar workers in the area.

My imagination was further fueled when I found out that Eat Work Shop was located in the industrial area of Glenmarie. I concluded that it was definitely a food stall in a workshop.

I have a knack for spelling. When I was 5, I was given a sweet for spelling rhinoceros. It was a proud moment for me. And so, when I saw the spelling for Workshop spelt “Work Shop”, I laughed again. How typically Malaysian, I thought to myself. Trying to be creative, I bet!

Well, as you can imagine, the last laugh was on me. Eat….Work….Shop. Duh. ALTHOUGH, Yang Ariff, there is no shopping in this place, so why “shop”?Finding this restaurant in the middle of the night with nary a soul in sight within a 2km radius felt like an achievement. As we climbed through a tiny gate attached to a wall that looked like it was still under construction, I suddenly knew what it felt like to be Aladdin when he first chanced upon the treasures in the cave. Before me, there stood a restaurant in the middle of nowhere with warm lights peeking out through huge glass windows, welcoming a hungry stranger in. There didn’t seem to be many customers that night, though, but perhaps it was the location or the misleading name!

panfried seabass

I love the pan-fried seabass which came creatively presented on a couple of risotto pancakes. The flesh was firm and the segments came apart easily as I cut through the fish. The accompanying passionfruit sauce added a tangy, yet sweet, flavour to the entire dish and did not compete with the flavour of the fish. (Note: this dish was not on the menu and was recommended to me by the lady serving us.)

chicken

Bald Eagle had the chicken with cubed potatoes and asparagus in a mango sauce (RM22.80/US$6.70). Again, I applaud the chef for his creativity in matching the uniquely created sauces with the meats.

dessert chocolate cake

For dessert, I had the chocolate fondant (RM12.80/US$3.70), which was essentially a moist chocolate cake that was served with pineapple confit and vanilla ice cream. As I sliced through the cake, warm melted chocolate oozed out to my delight and I quickly lapped it up together with the side servings. Perfect.

I’m rather lucky that Eat Work Shop is located so close to home in Bukit Jelutong, but even if we weren’t living in BJ, I’d gladly make a trip here despite the distance.

Also check out:

Eat Work Shop
No. 9, Jalan Peguam U1/25
Glenmarie Business Park
40150 Shah Alam
Tel: 03-5569 7763

Mizu, Japanese Fine Dining, Bangsar Village

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mizu
It has been 12 days since my last Japanese food post. I still love Japanese. I just don’t have many friends who appreciate Japanese food as much as I do (hint: if you like Japanese food, feel free to apply for position as “friend”. Interviews will be conducted within a week of application. Knowledge of Japanese is not essential but will be an advantage).Y Y Y Y Y

The following conversation takes place all the time with the Makan Club:

2005

Bouncing Barbie: What’s for lunch today? (Note: Same question every day)
Lyrical Lemongrass: Let’s go for Japanese!
Pretty Pui: Ewww!! I hate Japanese food!

2006

Bouncing Barbie: What’s for lunch today?
Lyrical Lemongrass: Let’s go for Japanese!
Pretty Pui: Ewww!! I hate Japanese food!

2007

Bouncing Barbie: What’s for lunch today?
Lyrical Lemongrass: Let’s go for Japanese!
Pretty Pui: Ewww!! I hate Japanese food!

I suppose you get the picture.

Y Y Y Y Y

A window of opportunity opened up one day when Pretty Pui wasn’t around:

Bouncing Barbie: Japanese? *wide grin*
Lyrical Lemongrass: Hai dozo! *wide grin*

Y Y Y Y Y

We had heard of the cheap set lunches at Mizu in Bangsar Village, and because budget is always a factor, the decision to go there was a no-brainer. Finding the main entrance was a little more difficult. A dark narrow passageway (where I half expected ninjas to pounce on me, but that would be a different restaurant) eventually led to a modern setting with water features, sleek furniture and open-concept kitchen.

unagi

Barbie’s grilled unagi set came with huge, juicy looking grilled eels served with rice, miso soup, chawan mushi and pickled vegetables. I thought the serving was quite substantial and could easily feed two people. This was good value at RM26 (US$7.50) for the set. The accompanying chawan mushi was rather disappointing though. It was watered down and too plain for my liking.

Service was extremely fast. Perhaps it was because I whispered to the waiter that we were in a terrible hurry (which wasn’t a lie). Our lunchtime is normally from 1.00pm to 2.00pm and we had risked going to a fine dining place just to satisfy a craving. No, we are both not pregnant, but thanks for asking.

salmon ikura don

My salmon ikura don (RM28/US$8) is what I would term sushi in a bowl. The ingredients were there – vinegared rice, strips of seaweed, raw salmon and fish roe. I love biting into ikura (fish roe) and feeling the juices burst into my mouth as they trickle down my tongue and throat. The slightly salty taste of the ikura went well with the vinegared rice, while the thick-cut slices of salmon, drenched in soy sauce and wasabe, provided a full-bodied taste to the rice dish.

We made it back to our office at 2.15pm. I think that’s pretty good timing.

pickled vegetables

Also check out:

Mizu

1st Floor, Bangsar Village I, Bangsar, KL.

Tel: 03 – 2283 6988

Max! Kitchen & Wines

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The key ingredients were all there: a good restaurant, fun company and excellent food.

We met at Max!, post-Just Heavenly Pleasures’ official launch, to celebrate a quiet evening together. As it turned out, and I should have expected this, we took up most of the place upstairs at Max! and caused the glasses to shatter (figuratively speaking) with our loud chatter and excited conversations with each other.

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There are times when I want to cry from sheer happiness upon tasting good food. Last night was one of those moments. My shiraz braised wagyu beef cheeks with mushroom ragout (RM60/US$18) was velvety smooth and melted in my mouth as I exhaled a sigh of pleasure. Max’s dish will now be the standard against which I compare all wagyu beef preparations.

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I also ate off Bald Eagle’s and Nigel’s plates, so I can vouch for the chargrilled lamb cutlets (RM50/US$15) and the seared tuna loin (RM28/US$8). The lamb cutlets were very tender and went well with the accompanying garlic confit, while the tuna was seared to a perfect crisp on the outside while remaining rare on the inside.

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The above is a selection of starters and mains ordered by the other food bloggers.

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It was a wonder that I could still eat anymore after that orgasmic experience with the wagyu beef, but when the proprietor and chef, Max Chin, suggested a white chocolate tart, there was no hesitation in my reply as I absolutely LOVE white chocolate. The tart was nice, although I found it a little mild, tasting more cream than chocolate, but the crisp chocolate shell and the chocolate ice cream were a good foil for the white chocolate.

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The desserts selection was small, but satisfying. The warm, freshly prepared chocolate souffle which I swiped from Bald Eagle was extremely good.

P1030732 The food bloggers were excellent company. Nigel and Allan – once again, congratulations on your launch. It was indeed a pleasure to be able to celebrate the special day with you. Paprika, looking forward to more eating sessions with you. Love your pretty red earrings, by the way! And Hunky, don’t forget to order wagyu beef cheeks on your next visit. 🙂 Mavis, love your photographs of pets! Soo Yin, small world, huh? 🙂 Who would have thought that you knew Bald Eagle all along?? Jason, WMW, Joe and Nicole, sadly, the long table was too long, but I heard the word nipple mentioned several times! Bald Eagle, thanks for sharing your food, dear. Splashie Boy, you and Paprika were great lightings people!! Boo_licious, thanks for organising this once again. It was definitely worth the wait!

Max! Kitchen & Wines
27, Tengkat Tong Shin
50200 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2141 8115