Unleashing the inner-carnivore in me!

It was of pure chance that I stumbled upon this gem-of-a-place, somewhere along the lines of my food escapades.

Little did I know thereafter that this restaurant, is in fact a reknown steak house that has been around for close to a decade.

It was nice walking into a half packed restaurant despite being very much pass lunch time. Imagine how it'd be like during peak lunch hour!

Having been open for a few months in Jaya33 and creating a bit of a buzz from its other age-old branch in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, KL, Coliseum is on its way to backing its namesake.

Recognised in the Malaysia Book of Records as the Longest Operating Western Colonial-Themed Restaurant, I wasn't surprised at the sleek interior and exterior.

It was a slightly chilly from where I sat nonetheless.The menu is quite straightforward - Western cuisine with highlights on sizzling steaks being their House Specialty.

Coliseum Café is also is pork free.

I couldn't go past the steak here. I mean - it is literally a sin, to not order steak at Coliseum.

Customer service was top notch. Drinks took mere minutes, appetizer came in 5 minutes and the steak came in 10. Dessert arrived in a jiff too.

One of the happiest things a customer can rave about - no waiting time!

Baked Crab Meat. Rm20.90.At hindsight, portion came smaller than expected.

Served on a hard crab shell, I scooped a spoonful of the deep fried golden crust on top, revealing a mix of crab meat and condiments inside.

The flavours and textures are tantalizing, but halfway through, I had to slather on a good mound of mayo - it was sparce in seasoning. The mayo is there for a reason after all. I really enjoyed the layer of crusty deep fried crab meat nonetheless.

Would I order this again? Probably not.

Sizzling Fillet Steak. Rm51.90.I really can see why they say this is the go-to place for steak! A thick slab of fillet was placed upon us - bubbling and sizzling away, along with the wonderfully enticing aroma that came with it.

Normally, I would opt for medium-rare but since we were sharing and my friend wasn't too keen on having likewise, we got ours done medium-well this time round.

The steak was done just right, tender and seasoned well, with a slight pinkish hue in the middle, on the thicker part of the fillet. There isn't much time to spare as you have to eat the steak quickly, as the savoury brown gravy thickens quite rapidly.

The wedges was equally appealing. Possibly homemade with tasty and crusty edges that I can never get enough of. More wedges please?

Crepe with Ice Cream. Rm8.90.I posted in FB and IG, asking my friends to guess what's in the crepe - many said banana. On second thoughts, that could work.

The crepe was delicately folded into a blanket, on a bed of honey and there was vanilla ice cream inside! What a sweet treat to end my meal.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10. Food was good and customer service great. With a decade long of successful recipes in tow, you can't go wrong at here. That said, Coliseum didn't exactly wow me, though this may be one of the safest Steak place to go to in PJ and potential favourite for many, I'm still on the lookout for the best Steak House in town.

Mum has been ranting for months now - on how she misses the pork ribs in Chicago Steakhouse and have been diligently hinting me to accompany her to dine there again.

It's really hard to find restaurants that serves affordable yet tasty steaks and pork ribs around town nowadays. Lets not compare against the likes of Chicago Steakhouse, Tony Roma's and my all time favourite - Morganfields of course!

I figured she ought to go for something less conventional this time round. Hence, I suggested going to a local pork joint instead.

BellyGood


Some time ago I wrote about the fabulous meal I had in BellyGood Here.

On a weekend with good traffic, it's about 15 minutes drive from the heart of SS2 to Sunway Mentari. There was no problem getting a parking spot when we arrived at lunch time on a lovely Saturday afternoon.In the few times I've been here, the place has never been packed, with only 4-5 tables occupied at most, even during lunch time.My friend who has been dining in here since his early childhood days, told me that prices have been increasing drastically over the years - evident over the paste-over revised price tags on its menu. The owners are Chinese - a lady in her mid-50's and a man in his 40's. I figured they often take turns to manage the place as I've not seen them together before. (do correct me if I'm wrong)

The last time I was here, the Man don a white apron and was obviously the cook of the kitchen - blasting up heated stove of chargrilled and succulent bites of pork ribs and steaks for the eager customers.

However today, I noticed that a Pilipino was the one doing all the cooking and another doing the serving and prepping, whilst the lady boss only took orders.

Malaysians have always been a bias bunch and sceptical towards the quality of food prepared by foreign workers - however trained and skilful they are. Although I have to say, this is a norm in most restaurants nowadays already, cheap labour and rising living costs you know!

Now, lets see how the food fairs.

Trio Platter. Rm29.90.My Trio Platter came with a serving of two sticks of pork ribs, a portion of pork belly and a chorizo sausage. Together with some homemade mashed potato and coleslaw at the side.

I love the chorizo. I sliced it up in even portions before popping it one by one into my mouth.

What I thought was a let down in the overall trio platter - the pork ribs. The first bite is always the most deceiving but amazing one - meat cooked juicy and tender and came right off it's bone. The subsequent bites is the real deal. I thought the ribs wasn't flavourful enough - it was tasty from the final basting of sauce on the surface but not marinated well, hence, didn't have the burst of flavours that I was dying for.

Pork Belly. Rm27.90. At hindsight, the portion came generous. The pork belly was aromatic, glistening and perhaps a little bedazzled, sitting in a plateful of savoury brown sauce when served.

My brother thought the pork belly came a little too fatty - some would've enjoyed the layers of fat but my family clearly wasn't huge on this. I thought likewise. The lean bits though, was amazing.

Pork Ribs. Rm29.90.Mum ordered a serving of pork ribs. She didn't have much to complain nor compliment for that matter.

Like what I've mentioned in my previous post, I found the homemade mashed potatoes and coleslaw to be clandestinely amazing. The scoopful of fluffy goodness was mashed fine and the coleslaw was equally fabulous. I was picking through the coleslaw trying to figure out what secret ingredient was, to make me so die-hard like that. Guess what? It's purple onions!

Overall Rating: 6/10. The quality of food served seemed a little inconsistent. I had an amazing time chomping down on delicious pork in my previous visit but the food was a little shabby this time round. Despite my not so pleasurable experience, I still stubbornly insist that this place serves one of the most value for money pork ribs and pork belly in town.

My colleagues have been pestering me for ages to go to this really awesome chilli pan mee place, somewhere along the hustling streets of KL.

One fine day, I decided to tag along for lunch. Once we parked, I caught a glimpse of an aged old sign board hanging proudly at the store front - Kin Kin. By then, I knew I was in for a treat.

Restoran Kin Kin

The original Kin Kin restaurant in Kampung Baru hails as the veteran come Grand-daddy of pan mee - serving notably one the best pan mee in town.I've heard uncountable stories about the place - on the fabulous pan mee and on it's terrible service - I beg to differ on the latter.

Bowls of pan mee with our extra order of meatballs were placed neatly in front of us - all within the span of 10-15 minutes. There were no shouting nor screaming and all patrons ate at peace. I guess customer service really did turnaround didn't it?

As the runners rolled pass, carrying trays of piping hot pan mee, the air was thick with sweet-smelling aroma of food and everything looks unbelievably good. The bowl of meatballs arrived before our pan mee. We devoured the lots hungrily and nod our heads simultaneously with approval - the pork balls were fabulous.

Finally, the real deal was behold upon us - 6 bowls of fresh off the pot pan mee to be shared amongst the 4 of us. One look at this and I knew that I was going to have the glutton of a time.One gentle poke and a delightful yellowy blob of egg yolk started oozing out almost immediately. How can you not be tantalized already?

You can't have pan mee at Kin Kin without a generous scoop of these spicy chilli flakes. One scoop is not enough, you need at least two - mix it all up until it transforms into a beautiful, glimmering brownish tone. It's harmonious flavours gives so much satisfaction - fresh hand-pulled chewy noodles, savoury and flavourful minced pork, crispy anchovies and chopped fried onions, perfectly done poached egg sprinkled with a dash of shallots.

The chilli flakes have to be the celebrity of the dish - it adds oomph to a classic bowl of pan mee - the combination so very clever.Sweet potato leaves soup with bits of broken-up hard boil egg to end a satisfying meal.

Overall Rating: 8/10. Kin Kin is a clear winner in my books. To note, menu is non existent at Kin Kin - one size, one type and one daily brewed drink. Take it or leave it and everyone still stays happy. Our wholesome meal came up to Rm53 (I figured about Rm6/bowl of pan mee) - totally worth the drive and absolutely worth the money.

On this lovely Saturday evening, I found myself circling Damansara Uptown in search of somewhere to have dinner.

My gut feeling was urging me to go for a sinful dose of burgers and fries but was somehow drawn to Fat Spoon instead - oddly as it may sound.

Don't get me wrong, I still love my big Western fry-ups, but liked the thought of having a good dose of Malaysian this time round.

I've drove pass Fat Spoon Café numerous times, whenever I dropped by Uptown for my monthly massage that is, but never gotten around to visiting over all these years.

With a name like Fat Spoon, I really didn't know what food to expect - it could be anything, really. Asian, Western, Mexican, French, Italian, Japanese? I was brought back in time once I walked through the antique doors, paying tribute to history whilst adding a twist to the experience - recycled plywood, wooden stools, rattan sofas, antique Singer machines cleverly converted into dining tables.

Now, since there isn't a biography page of the restaurant that I can refer to, here goes my analysis of the food based on it's menu.

Fat Spoon Café cooks up a storm of authentically-Malaysian come Kopitiam-influenced cuisine, with a contemporary twist. An amalgamation of Grandma's recipes with some really cool stuff like Fat Salmon Sandwich and Red Velvet cake - how clever!

So, how'd you like that definition? Was I close enough to the original?

Dry Spicy Beef Macaroni. Rm11.90.I couldn't help ogling at this big bowl of macaroni, tossed with spicy minced beef and topped with a sprinkle of coriander, I love this. The beef gave an extra spicy twang to the dish but nothing deterred me from gobbling it all up, with tissues in hand that is. It was a delicious yet simple dish.

Wohoo~ Chubby Cheeks in action. #sososolamemeFat Spoon Noodles. Rm9.90.My friend thought Fat Spoon noodles had a great resemblance to the traditional hor fun - I markedly noticed. I savored a couple of spoonfuls and it did taste very similar. Nothing exceptional but I thought the sweetness of the soup did made the dish an appetizing treat.

Crispy Spring Rolls. Rm5.90. An effortless dish of crackling spring roll skin wrapped with carrots and white radish then deep fried. Come to think of it, I wouldn't order this if I weren't craving for spring rolls at that point in time.

The Last Polka Gula Melaka Ice Cream. Rm7.20.Gula Melaka ice cream - now, that's something new.

The Last Polka is not an unfamiliar home-grown brand to me, serving natural homemade French style ice cream mostly at independent cafes around town - The Bee, Artisan Roast and Ril's Steakhouse to just name a few.

This was delectably sinful and yes - tasted exactly like Gula Melaka with bits of brown sugar traces left behind - a perfect dessert treat.

Cempedak Spring Rolls with Ice Cream. Rm9.90.It only took one bite - we peered up from our plates, grinned widely, then gave each other a nod of approval before silently polishing off the remaining's of the cempedak spring roll - it was that good! My friend thought that it was one of the best in town.

To note, Cakes are a must try in Fat Spoon, though I acted on the contrary simply because I couldn't stomach in anymore after all that. Thick slices of moist and beautiful Homemade chocolate and red velvet cake calls for another trip here. Fat Spoon serves up a good dose of Malaysian food - café style. I would definitely return for more.

The last two years have been the Golden Age of burger joints in the Klang Valley. Having at least one new burger place sprouting up every month.

I was at KGB Bangsar barely a week ago, Burgertory just few weeks back and GBK Setiawalk just slightly over a month long - I reckon we still have a long way to go.

There are many reasons I love gourmet burgers - the price is decent, no need for processed and rubber patties and though not the healthiest food around, it's not junk food. (Did I justify myself right this time?)

Opened merely 2 weeks back, Big Chomp Burger serves a great alternative for those wanting to opt out of lettuce and tomato, instead, uses coleslaw as salad. To top that, most burgers on the menu comes with a massive patty and a juicy blanket of stuffed omelette - how can you not be thrilled to sample?

The small 40 seat burger joint draws inspiration from simplicity and flexibility when it comes to their interior and exterior decorations.Apart from a basket of fries and a selection of cold drinks, there really isn't much sides to choose from. I've been told that they are in the midst of getting a coffee menu up, possibly in a months time.Let's start with the beef burgers first.

Spice It Up. Rm17.One bite into this and my tongue went numb - yes, it was spicy but not enough to deter me from finishing my burger. The salami and pepperoni added a tasty and salty finishing overall.

Chomp B+. Rm16.I thought the combination was clever - nice chunky piece of subtly seasoned, grilled beef patty, complimented with a rash of salty bacon and hash brown on a layer of cheese cream.

Juicy Lucy. Rm14.This is actually one of my favourite burgers of the day. It had all the necessary trimmings that a good burger needs - the beef cheese patty was juicy and had the right amount of seasoning and the onions added a tinge of sweetness to the burger. Perhaps I'm still edging towards the conventional, no-fuss, simple patty with onions and salad type of burger.

Now, moving on to the chicken versions.

Chomp C+. Rm17.Chomp C+ - cheese cream, chicken bacon, turkey ham, hash brown, deep fried chicken

Now, that's a whole load of stuff happening in there and I reckon it's a handful to digest as well. I had a feeling that this burger needed more sauce just by presentation - true to that, it was lacking in the 'sloppiness' factor that I was hoping for. I was tempted to add some chili sauce to it, seconds after my first mouthful.

Hawaii Style. Rm15.I thought their deep fried chicken cuts came really generous - I have never seen a burger served up to this size before, seriously. The batter delivered a tasty crunch to the fried chicken and well, that's about it - I could barely taste the chicken meat. To note, the size of the chicken appeared to be drastically inconsistent.

Flossy Chicken. Rm13.For one - I could barely taste the floss in the stuffed omelette and I found the white buns to be incredibly stale and dry - there was no fluff at all!

Overall Rating: 6/10. My pick would definitely go to Juicy Lucy, Chomp B+ and perhaps Peco Chomp. Their beef burgers are quite good and no harm trying their chicken versions, however do note that their fried chicken recipe needs tweaking. I thought the white burger buns needed prompt replacement - it gave the burgers an undesired dry and stale overall texture, hence, steer clear of the white burger buns and request for the charcoal ones instead.