Although I've never been to Hunan nor do I have a strong desire to, I can safely decude that I do like their good. It is all usually spicy and strongly flavoured which is my personal preference when it comes to food. Though my first-hand experience with Hunan food is only through dining at Hoseki. Deep fried Lotus Root was the first dish that arrived at the table. Here's the thing, I really really love lotus root so there was no way this dish would have been bad in any possible way. The fact that it was nicely deep fried just made it all the more better because it's batter was nicely salted. I would have ordered another dish if that didn't seem to greedy.Although I cannot pronounce the name of this dish, all I know it is deep fried chicken with lots of dried chilies and also some nuts. It's kind of a crazy mix but actually pretty good - though be prepared for this to be super insanely spicy especially when you eat the meat with the dried chilli. Then we must always have some vegetables with the meal so we ordered the four heavenly kings with belacan. Or at least I think it is belacan because this too was spicy but then the paste might be something special from Hunan only. I like this a lot too.Then we also got Steamed Fish with Ginger. This was also very good although more spicy than I would have hoped cause I usually ladle the sauce over my rice and eat it like that. But this packed more of a punch than the one you would usually get at a normal chinese restaurant.

Despite how spicy the food at Hoseki is, I assume that traditional Hunan food is how this is supposed to be. This makes me somewhat excited to try actual Hunan food at Hunan some time soon. But until then, I'll definitely be back here again for more. 

Being a lover of thai food, I usually roll my eyes when people suggest a 'fine-dining' thai restaurant because the food they serve is usually only mediocre. But with a really steep price. So when mom suggested dining at Busaba which is quite an 'atas' restaurant I was already preparing myself for the meal to be sub-par at best. For appetisers we ordered a plate of Meng Kam. I honestly do not know what is in the red and dark sauce but I do know that it is absolutely amazing, especially eaten with the condiments which have already been wrapped up nicely in the leaves for you. There's a little bit of kick in there with the chillies but mellowed out beautifully by the slightly sweet sauce. 

The portion is quite generous as a starter especially for three people. So I commend Busaba for their beautifully presented and absolutely delicious tasting Meng Kam.According to my mom, they have the best Mango Salad which was a must order. However when it arrived at our table I was quite shocked to see that it came with a prawn and lots of fried bits plus nuts on top of the shredded mango. 

She was right, this was so so so soooo good that we ordered a second plate as if it were our main dish. The nuts and fried bits gave such a good crunch to the juicy but sour mangoes. Just the thought of it is enough to make me salivate. We also had an order of the Seafood Otak-Otak. Now this is actually a very simple food and could easily be gotten at pasar malam for like maybe Rm1 a piece so I was shocked to find out that mom had ordered it.

Though I was once again proven wrong because it wasn't the measly fish cake size otak we usually get in the street. The flavours of it was just so good that I coudln't help but eat another piece and just went 'mmmm' the entire time I was chewing it.

Safe to say that Busaba proved me wrong about how fine dining thai food is over-rated. I would most definitely be back to try the rest of the menu without going too crazy with their starters first. 

I had to meet someone for work and since we lived nearby, we decided on having brunch at La Risata. It's been a long while since I had last visited the restaurant and remembered really liking the food there. So that's where I decided to meet.

Although my companion already ate beforehand, I went ahead and ordered something for myself as I hadn't. The dish that I wanted was the potato gnocchi with red pepper cream sauce with chorizo sausage, it was the best thing I have ever tried. However they did have something else rather similar which was what I got.It's the Spinach Potato Gnocchi with Tomato Cream sauce. The dish also came with some fresh rockets, grilled vegetables and a portobello mushroom. If you were a big eater than this meal could feed you very happily, but if you have a smaller appetite then this is a good order to share between two people. 

One would expect something with so much potato & flour to be super dense. But somehow La Risata has a way of making it incredibly light and airy. Plus the addition of some spinach in there really gives the gnocchi a whole new flavour which I personally really liked. The sauce was nice as the tomato flavour mixed with some cream and cheese really changed a usually tangy sauce into something different. 

I really like visiting La Risata because of the ambience and the service each time I am there is amazing. Would definitely be back for more~

The best friend and myself had been craving for something non-local to eat. Since it's a Friday, we were not looking forward to driving into town where the traffic would be too crazy and then leaving would be another problem too. So we opted to dine at our favourite Korean place in Solaris which is DaoRae+. We arrived a little before the dinner rush hour so the restaurant was not too packed and we got a table instantly the moment we arrived. The staff were hospitable though not many of them smiles but that's easily overlooked since they are quite prompt with taking orders and also serving all the side dishes once you have ordered what you wanted. One thing I really like about Korean meals is the assorted ban-chan that are served to you without additional charge. Most of it are in small portions but refillable (perhaps for free) when asked, but please do not take this for granted and merely gorge on these without ordering anything else. 

The ones served at DaoRae is quite the same as those served at other korean establishments. Their kimchi is really pungent and delicious although I am not sure if it is homemade or store bought. They also serve a nice bowl of salad with some sauce that I was not too sure what it was. Although it took a little long to arrive, they also provided a small plate of korean pancake. But I wasn't too fond of it because it tasted mostly like flour and was a little on the bland side. This was our main which we ordered to share. It's Kimchi Stew with Pork Belly slices and also ramen. If kimchi stew is your favourite thing then this will be even better to order because the soup packs an amazing punch, especially after it continuously boils while the ramen & tteokbogkki thickens to soup. 

I suggest ordering this to share between two people as there is plenty of other ingredients in it such as pork slices, tteok, tofu, kimchi and other vegetables. Then the ramen itself will make you feel full while you continuously drink the soup. Which is refillable because we asked for it and they added another bowl of it without charging extra. So yes, order this and share. Although our first main dish was enough to fill both of us happily, I wanted to order the Beef Bulgolgi because it's currently a favourite of mine. The one at DaoRae is probably one of the top 3 that I've tried because the beef is very tender but also flavourful from the marinade that they use and it also comes with the rice cakes. 

I was super full from the ramen and just indulging in those side dishes, but somehow the two of us managed to finish this dish. And also the kimchi stew with little to no waste.

At the end of the meal as we asked for the bill, a waiter brought out two glasses of plum juice and also a plate of fruits complimentary of the restaurant. Although my friend did not like the drink, I did because it's not overly sweet nor was it super tangy. This I really liked about dining at DaoRae, they always provide a good start and end to the meal without being too overly priced or commercialised like some other establishments.

Also just as you leave, someone will give you a lollipop each. Which I think is quite cute and nice touch that makes the patron want to return soon for the good food & service.  

If there is one meal I can eat daily unapologetically, it would be sushi. Although it is carbs mainly, this is something I will happily eat without caring about anything related to that at all. Since I was feeling like eating Japanese while I was at the Garden's, the first place that I thought of was Sushi Tei as it's fast becoming my number 1 favourite place to go-to for sushi.

Plus the line there is not as bad and the staff are always very attentive. Furthermore no waitress or waiter ever looked displeased to be working there which puts me as a diner in a pleasant mood. So I looked forward to ordering and eating once I sit down and offered a menu.My very first order is always going to be Ebikko. Particularly two orders of this all for myself which I can finish with ease. And Sushi Tei is never stingy with the toppings, plus I can tell that this is made to order by how crisp the seaweed is wrapped around the soft rice.

This to me is an absolute plus point for this restaurant unlike some that usually picks up the same order off the conveyor belt even though I ordered it from the kitchen. California Maki is also a favourite of mine. I like the filling as it has crab stick, avocado, tamago, cucumber and perhaps a radish. All of it wrapped tightly in a roll that is smothered in ebikko. So all of my favourite thing in one roll and I ate all six pieces myself. Another favourite of mine is the Salmon Mentai. This is really quite indulgent because the mayo and mentaiko sauce on top of the sashimi is really amazing, especially when it's just lightly torched. Putting this in your mouth with a touch of wasabi and soya sauce gives you a burst of flavour. The salmon is always fresh tasting and the rice is nice without being too hard or cold. Perfect bite! Soft Shell Crab Temaki is also another must order of mine. The crab was nice and crispy, fresh out of the fryer with how hot it was. Although I was already pretty full already after eating all the other sushi that I ordered, being greedy, I still finished this easily as it wasn't soggy tasting or anything like that.

It's clear that Sushi Tei is a pretty good place to go to for your sushi fix without breaking too much of your budget. Their food is fresh and tastes amazing, plus the service is also better than a whole lot of other places.