Naritaya at Asakusa

Hello folks.

This have been delayed for too long but now i thought of sharing it here. During my recent Japan tour, i managed to try one of the restaurant that serve halal ramen. Yes folks, halal ramen. Certified by our own government. Before this i've tried halal udon & japanese curry. Halal Ramen is something not easy to come by here in Japan as pork is one of the main element in the dish. Thank God, i managed to eat one authentic halal ramen before i left Japan. 

The restaurant located in a shopping district of Asakusa. Quite far from Ippin, another halal japanese restaurant serving ramen is located that I've tried but still within walking distance. Unlike Ippin, this restaurant is run by non-japanese workers. Indian or Bangladeshian perhaps. English is accepted so no worries on communicating. Menu mostly focus on Ramen with rice dish also included.

The menu

I was hungry on that day thanks to all those walking. So i ordered their hungry set which made of a bowl of ramen and a small bowl of rice topped with egg & chicken then veggies. 

Hungry set

To me, it was really fulfilling & fantastic. They have this chili oil for those who wanted a more spicy touch. The chicken broth was excellent. Ramen noodles wasn't soggy. The soft boiled egg is as it should be, japanese way. 

If you're craving for dessert, outside of the restaurant they sell kinda like malaysian own Gandus with custard cheese or red bean filling. Served hot. 

Naritaya

2 chome-7-13 Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo

Kula Cakes at Kuantan

Hello folks. 

My recent trip to Kemaman gave me a perfect chance to pay a visit at Kuantan best kept secret, Kula Cakes. I've heard about them from a friend of mine who was craving Kula Cakes very own signature dessert, mango cheesecake. Of course, now you can get mango cheesecake almost everywhere but it's nice to be able finally eat the famous one. 

Here in Kula Cakes, they focus only on desserts which makes it a nice place for tea time. The owner really spent some time decorating the extra space outside with laid back ambiance perfect for tea time. 

They have plenty of other desserts apart from mango cheesecake, which is the best seller. Arrive late, be prepared to get the 'dah habis la bang' answer. 

So what is it about their mango cheesecake then became the talk of the town? The cake made of crumb base, with creamy cheese on top. Then on top, slices of mango to finish off the design. Finally, Kula Cakes secret weapon, the cake drizzled with mango sauce/compote which bring the cake to life. 

Their operating hours perfect for tea time so for anyone in kuantan looking for a place for tea time, head down to Kula Cakes.

Kula Cakes,

Jalan Besar, Kuantan

Nasi JJ Kak Wok at TTDI Jaya

Hello folks. 

Every saturday morning, usually i have a basketball game with my friends & after that, we will have a post match lunch at Nasi JJ Kak Wok in Shah Alam. According to my friend, this is the main branch apart from other branch located in Setapak, Wangsa Maju & Damansara. The owner hailed from Kelantan when she decided to bring one of Kelantan famous food here in Klang Valley. 

Here in Nasi JJ Kak Wok, the owner keep it simple. The only food to eat here is Nasi JJ, nothing else. You have plenty choice of drinks though but nothing hipster level like drinks. So what is nasi JJ? Anything special about it? That depends on your tastebud. The dish is made of steamed rice, a scoop of ayam goreng kunyit, a scoop of thick, creamy gulai ayam & a spoon of homemade chili paste. Simple right? But their reputation are well known. Once the clock hit 12pm, expect a long line of queue for Nasi JJ. 

How they prepare Nasi JJ

To enjoy the most of this dish, you have to mix it all, in malay, just gaul it together. The gulai made of almost everything from the chicken (of course, minus the unwanted stuff). So if you're a fan of chicken feet & gizzard, you're in for a treat. The gravy was thick & creamy. Complimenting well with the chili paste which provide some heat to the dish. And this dish just cost a merely RM 5! 

Nasi JJ

I've heard, lets call it rumors that nasi jj in other branch not quite as good as the main branch. So if you're in Shah Alam, feel free to drop by.

Kedai Nasi JJ Kak Wok

Jalan Opera J U2/J, TTDI Jaya, Shah Alam

Marrigorri Boutique Cafe at Kota Bharu

Hello folks,

I've been busy lately with all these outstations & stuff so haven't got the chance to sit down in front of the pc to do some updates. But no worries, the updates will come but might be pretty slowly. Hold ya horses in the meantime. My latest outstation brings me to the east in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Rewind back to 2010, during my first ever solo backpacking trip to Melbourne, i got to know a cool malaysian couple studying there through a pal of mine. We went on a Great Ocean Road Trip together & kept in touch, via FB of course ever since. 2 months ago, they opened a cafe in their hometown called Marrigorri Boutique Cafe. He honed his skills during his time in Melbourne, cooking local delish like Char Kuey Tiow that captured hearts of the locals. Without further delay, lets get right into it. 

I didn't get the chance to ask why such name. Probably some Kelantanese dialect that i wasn't aware of. The reason it is a boutique cafe is because apart from serving food, they also selling some clothes wear imported from Melbourne. Shop & dine concept i suppose. Here, the food focus more on both local & western with a bit of fusion. 

The interior

The menu

The food mostly influenced by Aussie's cafe culture. There's only two of us but we just have to had their recommended Queen Char Kuey Teow (you have the option either wet or dry), Nasi Ayam Penyet Schnitzel Berapi, Beef Skewers & Churros (yes, it has landed in the east). Their Queen char kuey teow was quite a big portion. My friend order the gravy to be in the middle so it wasn't too soggy & runny. Just perfect. Filled with cockles & prawns. You can taste the soy sauce in it but not too overpowering. 

Queen Char Kuey Teow

Next is Nasi Ayam Penyet Schnitzel Berapi. Instead of using the usual Ayam goreng penyet, they used Deep Fried Chicken Schnitzel instead. The chili paste was indeed quite hot. Goes well with the chicken with crispy & lightly seasoned breaded. Comes with a small bowl of soup.

Nasi Ayam Penyet Schnitzel Berapi

The waiter just keep on passes by our table carrying the grills & we both know lamb chops would be very tempting but heavy for us so we opted for beef skewer instead. The meat was nicely grilled; tender & well marinated with sweet BBQ sauce. The portion wasn't that big just perfect as additional dish.

Beef Skewer

Lastly, churros. Yes folks, churros in Kelantan. Their churros was nicely crispy & dense and more importantly, not soggy. Dusted with cinnamon sugar & accompanied by a chocolate dipping sauce. Recommended. 

Churros

It was a really nice dining experience & good catching up with an old buddy. For those who wanted a change of food scenery, this is the place to go. 

Marrigorri Boutique Cafe

PT2296 Wisma Sri Suria SBJ,

Jalan Abd Kadir Adabi, 

Kota Bharu, Kelantan

Wood-Fired Oven Pizza at Seksyen 7, Shah Alam

Hello folks.

Currently while Malaysia are facing setback in economy with rumors about people losing job and all, some went to start their own business in order to survive during these hard times. Quite surprisingly F&B business are flourishing with either cafe or small stalls opening here & there. I stumbled upon this place serving wood oven pizza via a facebook link shared by a friend of mine. I guess people nowadays are creative. Instead of renting a place to open a cafe, the owner uses his/her own house lawn to prepare & baked the pizza. I still haven't got the chance to go to their usual place but got my chance when they opened a stall during the previous event at stadium Shah Alam. 

I always loved pizza. It was love at first sight. So when Wood-Fired Oven Pizza stated they're selling homemade pizza, i just had to try it. Instead of serving pizza coming from hot gas oven, they serve it traditionally using stone oven & fire source coming from burnt wood. It is just not the same with woody aroma stuck on the pizza. 

The stone oven

I managed to have a brief chat with the chef. They construct the oven themselves. How cool is that. And they carry it everywhere when there's an event. The menu wasn't much of a choice but people would queue for the pizzas. 

The menu

Pricewise, it was normal for a pizza. The size offered roughly 6" - 7". The crew was efficient in preparing the pizza before baking it inside the stone oven.

I had Vitadaly Dahsyat. I'm not sure what does it represent but the pizza certainly have loads of cheese on it. The crust was really crunchy & soft. Aromatic as well. The base sauce was well cooked with tomato as based enriched with herbs especially basil. The toppings made of beef pepperoni, onions, not really hot red chili & basil leaves. The extra cheese just really made it really full on every bite.

Vitadaly Dahsyat

You guys can follow them on their instagram wop.kl for more updates. The pizza usually easily sold out to be sure to check their instagram for updates. 

WOP

Jalan Akuamarin 7/21 Shah Alam

Sojibou at Diver City, Tokyo

Hi folks.

I've been on a holiday to Tokyo recently. Apart from exploring the city & culture, I also explored the local food scene of course with limitation. As we all are aware, japanese cuisine are known for using pork & alcohol in most of their dishes. So finding a halal or pork free or alcohol free is vital for a muslim traveler like me. Recently Japan has started to increase their muslim friendly facilities. Prayer room & halal food production has been increase as well in preparation to welcome muslim tourist. 

I've found this restaurant by accident while finding a place to pray in Diver City. Formerly a maid cafe but replaced by a halal Japanese restaurant certified by Malaysian Islamic Association. It's like a beggar stumble on a fresh food. The restaurant is called Sojibou & located on the 6th floor. 

Their menu mostly focused on Soba dishes & some rice. They even bring in Malaysia own Brahim as part of their menu as well. 

The menu

The menu

I was so hungry that time so I have the Soba set with chicken cutlet over a rice. Kinda like Oyako don here in malaysia. It was certainly enough for sharing of two persons. The soba noodle was basic. Thin buckwheat noodle inside hot soy soup which slices spring onion. The rice with chicken was nice. Fried chicken cutlet on top of japanese rice with eggs & soy sauce. Some might find it lacking in taste but just add extra shoyu for more taste. This dishes feels healthy with less seasoning & salt. Some might like it. I know i am.

Hot soba set with oyako don.

Sojibou

6th floor, Diver City, Tokyo

A Pie Thing at Damansara Utama

Happy New Year folks!

I hope it's not too late to wish y'all a happy new year. First i would like to apologize for having no update at all in this blog last month as I was quite busy plus going away for holiday. But no worries as I'm back & will be updating this blog with a whole lot new foodie experience. 

One of my favorite comfort food is Pie. When I was a kid my mom always baked this delicious Apple Pie but since her beloved oven finally rest in peace plus with a grandchild under her care, she had her hands full to bake any pies. I've been to this place more than once to get my fix of pies. My mom also loved their pies. They have both savory & sweet pies here. The best thing is their pies are baked daily to ensure freshness. The place I'm talking about is A Pie Thing. 

Savory Pie

Sweet Pie

You can have your pie the way it is or choose to top it off with either gravy, mashed peas, mashed potatoes or all of them which is called The Mashacre. I can guaran-damn-tee you that you will be full to the max after having The Mashacre. 

The choice of savory currently they are selling are Green curry chicken, green curry fish, spinach & cheese, Cheesy Chicken, Chunky steak & Pulled Lamb. I've tasted the rest but never Green Curry Chicken so i just had to eat them. 

The so called Flatlay

The Mashacre

Pie with Gravy

Their green curry chicken pie was nice. The crust was soft & crumbly with creamy green curry filling inside. Not that close to Thailand green curry as it was less spicy than the original but still very nice to be eaten as pie. My advice, do not mix the brown gravy as the taste of green curry will be overpowered by the gravy. The filling made of green curry gravy with chunky chicken & veggies. Chicken perfectly cooked with thick & creamy gravy.

Green Curry Chicken Pie

I was too full to had any dessert but that just good as i will definitely coming back for more.

A Pie Thing

Jalan SS21/35, Damansara Utama, PJ