Bonbori Japanese Cuisine @ Setia Walk, Puchong

I'm not obsessed with Japanese food (like how some people can be), but I love it nonetheless. Though I seldom eat it - because my family isn't the adventurous foodie type - so my knowledge on Japanese cuisine is very limited. I'm only familiar with the mainstream Japanese chain restaurants such as Sushi/Pasta Zanmai, Sakae Sushi and a few in the UK, with those small independent ones barely existing in my mind. 

For my birthday dinner, I went to Bonbori Japanese Cuisine located on the first floor of Setia Walk. My family came here before during Mother's Day (I wasn't here because I was in the UK at that time) and according to them, the food is good and the price is reasonable too - and coming from my mom, it means something. Seeing that she doesn't mind a second visit, I can already tell it's a fine restaurant.

The view from outside the restaurant.

Bonbori fruit tea jug (RM18) for the four of us. The drink is also available in a glass of course, but it's more worth it to order the jug if there are more than two people to share.

The jug gave each of us two refills is these tiny cups. The diced fruits include apple and watermelon, which was really refreshing. 

Bonbori bento (RM26.90) consists of four pieces of sushi, sliced egg, edamame, raw salmon and some kind of fish, prawn and vegetable tempura, and a bowl of soup. 

I think the price is reasonable, especially if you love every single thing in this bento. So on the day I turned 22, I finally had the guts to try raw salmon. YOLO, right? The verdict: I didn't like it and I will never eat it again.

The birthday girl with her birthday bento!

The next dish was salmon butter (RM19.90). This is really good! The creaminess of the butter is fully immersed in the flesh and it complements every bite of the freshly cooked salmon, resulting in a fragrant dish rich in flavour. 

Shake atama, fried salmon head (RM16.90). It's a little creepy how it's presented on the plate, with its eyes sort of looking at you while you enjoy its flesh. My dad ordered this and I tried some. It's marinated with salt (I think) and the taste is not bad, although I still prefer the salmon butter. 

I finally tried shoyu ramen (RM18.90), because of the tantalising photos of it that my friend sent while he was in some well-known Japanese restaurant in London. I finally got to see that beautiful egg up-close in all its glory :') Okay so I just googled it and learned that it actually has a name, called shoyu tamago or soy sauce egg. It's definitely the best ingredient in Japanese ramen in my opinion. The soft runny egg yolk flowing in my mouth is something I won't get enough of! MMM MHMMM. 

Lastly, chahan or seafood fried rice (RM12.90). I don't even know why we ordered fried rice in a Japanese restaurant. It doesn't look very Japanese, except for the few pieces of beetroot there... maybe. The taste is basically like the Cantonese Yang Chow fried rice, so there's nothing special about it.

I can see why this place has gotten rave reviews over the past two years, and why customers keep coming back. It has a clean environment, which also exudes the kind of relaxing vibes that make people want to stay as long as they want (at least, that's how I felt). It's not a very huge restaurant but I love how comfy and homey it feels.

Address: G-01-1, Block G, Setia Walk, Persiaran Wawasan, Pusat Bandar Puchong, 47160 Puchong, Selangor

Opening hours: 12pm-3pm, 6pm-10pm everyday 

Contact: 03-80909342 / 012-3707728

Birthday thoughts #091115

You know that tingly feeling you get when your birthday is (finally) coming up? It usually stays until after your special day, when all the celebration has died down. Well, I had the same sense of excitement this year too, which was experienced as usual right before my birthday.

However, this year was a little different. I was really eager for my birthday to come, but when it did arrive, I felt... normal. The birthday girl felt like her birthday was just like any other normal day, which was a bit strange in the beginning but it slowly started to make sense to me. 

I am a very low-key person to start with. I turned off the birthday notification on Facebook a few years ago so my profile wouldn't be flooded with hundreds of messages that I'm obliged to reply - mostly from mere acquaintances, which makes the process of going through the formalities even more awkward (even though I appreciate you taking a few minutes of your time to write a wish on my profile). 

But it's disturbing how my friends won't know when my birthday is if Facebook doesn't tell them. I didn't want that kind of fake illusion to make me feel special on my birthday, so I hid it on Facebook, but to be completely honest, I do sometimes wish for the attention, especially if it's on a special day like this. However, I know they are void of the sincerity and genuinity compared to the blessings from my family and close friends

The older I am, the less special my birthdays get - in terms of surprises, parties, grand celebrations. Maybe it's because of the age - I don't know about you, but I'm feeling twenty twoooo (I've waited for three years to finally get to sing this song with my emotions full on) - I actually don't mind that at all. Gradually, I've come to realise that despite the lack of fun birthday things, I'm incredibly blessed to be surrounded by family and friends who love me. Nothing makes me happier than to see them healthy and successful in everything they do. #deep

That said, who doesn't want cake on their birthdays?! I decided to make an ombre cake for myself, just for the fun of it and also to challenge my baking skills. I was pleasantly surprised that it turned out well despite it being my first attempt! I think I was quite brave because I might just destroy my birthday cake, and that would be horrible and depressing.

I wanted a lavender ombre cake because lavender is my favourite colour and because it looks so magically gorgeous. But the closest I could find in the bakery shop is "grape colouring". I had a feeling it's not the shade of purple I want, but oh well. Also I made the frosting first, because... I've not been very successful with it, so in case it doesn't work, I can just forget about the cake haha!

First, chopped pieces of white chocolate.

Thick, luscious, melted white chocolate mmhm.

Beat butter and sugar till light and creamy, then mix in the melted white chocolate.

And my white chocolate buttercream frosting is done! I think it turned out well this time because I practically used the whole packet of icing sugar...

Then butter and flour for the batter.

Whole milk, eggs and vanilla extract.

Mix them in and the batter is done.

Divide the batter into three bowls and drip the colouring until the desired shade. This colour is definitely not what I wanted, but it's not too bad I guess. I initially planned on doing four layers, but there wasn't enough batter so I resorted to just three. Saved one trip to the oven.

The layer actually looks very thin by its own.

I retrieved the frosting from the fridge, and had to wait a while for it to soften before I mixed in the colouring.

Piped these into lovely rose swirls on the cake after crumb coating it. 

Important notes for myself to remember:
*too much sugar for frosting
*must keep stirring white chocolate
*batter is just enough for three layers

Well I probably wouldn't make an ombre cake again, at least not for a very long time. It was fun to try something more challenging but too much effort was put into it (spent almost the whole day on this) - even though I was ecstatic when I saw the final result, more so when the cake was cut open and its beautiful, glorious insides were revealed. The rose frosting isn't perfect but I think it's not too bad for a first attempt haha!

Went for a birthday dinner with my family at night and the following day, I had a sweet surprise lovingly planned by my CG members (I completely had no idea!). Thank you girls, you don't know how much I appreciate you coming out to have dinner with me even with your busy schedules :') 

I had more cake! 

Am I really 22... already?!! Probably more like a 12-year-old stuck in a 22-year-old's body.

Go-Getter Café @ Bukit Jalil, KL

Nestled in the quiet neighbourhood of Bukit Jalil, this new café seems like an ideal future hangout spot for me and my friends. Considering that I live so far away from most of the good cafés in the Klang Valley, I was elated to find that there's another decent one nearby (apart from The Owls Café). I'm not a rich girl who does nothing but café-hop all the time, but exploring cafés is something I enjoy doing once in a while - so yes I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon this cool café, so near my house too!

It's situated just next to The Owls Café, so the layout is somewhat similar. I'm glad we didn't have to wait for seats because there was no crowd unlike at The Owls Café, which can get mildly irritating sometimes. Even so, there were a number of customers sipping on their coffee and happily chatting with their friends when we went at 3pm.

The café exudes a vibrant and fun atmosphere which was immediately felt once I stepped in, offered by the simplistic yet colourful setting. With bright murals along the walls and chairs of different colours and bold prints, it's hard not to feel cheery when you're here!

Both of the "wheels" serve as mirrors - how cute is that?

Orders are placed at the counter (cash only), and then you'll get a mini toy car with your order number on it. I played with it while waiting for the food...

The avocado lassi (RM8) is a yoghurt drink, which I immediately fell in love with after the first sip. Followed by more (and more) sips. It's definitely a must-try item on the menu as it's so, so good! The drink has the perfect consistency - not too concentrated and not too diluted - paired with a strong tinge of fresh avocados. You can't really see the colour in this photo but the next photo will show its pale green colour clearly.

The Go-Getter pasta (RM17) is cooked with squid, shrimp, chilli padi and curry leaves in sweet and sour tomato sauce. A nice combination of flavours together on a plate, although it's nothing to shout about. In the late afternoon without any lunch, we devoured it while it was still warm.

The avocado toast (RM18) is unexpectedly superb, as I had imagined a normal toast but instead a thick slice of bread fried with presumably butter and sugar was served. Topped with fried egg and avocado pieces, the sweet and savoury breakfast item was further complemented with drizzles of honey and lemon.

For dessert, we had the ingenious ondeh-ondeh pandan waffle (RM12) with coconut ice-cream topped with shredded coconut and gula melaka syrup. I love how seemingly western food can be turned into localised creations like this. The taste is amazing even though the bright green colour of the waffle is a bit off-putting (no it's not because of the editing)... The ice-cream doesn't have much coconut flavour as well, but it's still a delightful dessert nonetheless.

A beautiful mess.

Besides the good food, the service is satisfying too - and that's the second most important factor that encourages customers to go back again. This café is still considered new but the quality of the food looks really promising.

Personally, I prefer the variety of the waffles here compared to The Owls Café. I will definitely go back again to try the other waffles - think: red velvet, cream cheese, salted caramel, charcoal, salted egg yolk sauce MMHM - if not just for the avocado lassi :P


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Address: 

12A-1, First Floor, Block 5, Jalan Jalil Jaya 6, Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur.

Opening hours:

Monday-Thursday, 12pm-7pm
Friday-Saturday, 12pm-11pm
Sunday, 9am-6pm

*closed on Tuesdays
                       

P.S. Sorry for the low-quality photos. I didn't have my DSLR with me so I resorted to iPhone and VSCO

Coco Steamboat @ Old Klang Road, KL

We decided to have dinner at Coco Steamboat 海底炉 in Old Klang Road last Saturday, and also a small farewell party for Veronica. 

There is a Puchong branch as well but Hui Ying's friends said the one in Old Klang Road is better. I can't really comment because I haven't tried, but Phoi Yih said that they are almost similar. I guess there won't be much difference in taste given that they are from the same management. 

The restaurant is located on the main road, so if you drive along Old Klang Road past Pearl International Hotel on your right, you will definitely see the huge signboard. It is located next to a furniture shop. Parking space is really limited, even though there is a parking lot next door but you have to pay RM5 per entry. I assume the small parking area in front of the restaurant is free, but you have to come really early to get a spot - unless you're lucky. 

We arrived about 7pm (the restaurant starts operating at 5:30pm) - totally didn't expect Old Klang Road to be so jam on a Saturday evening. I heard there will be a long queue especially during weekends so it is advised to be there earlier. There are a few rows of chairs at the entrance, for those who are waiting to be seated (I wonder if that many chairs are needed..?).

Once I stepped into the restaurant, I was quite surprised that it's actually pretty huge and spacious. The interior is kept as simple as possible, with colourful prints of food as well as nature along the walls, which is a pleasing sight to see. The only disadvantage is that there is no air-conditioning - I wonder why the air-conditioned room occupies only a small section at the entrance. They should definitely install air-conds here because eating steamboat in a hot weather/environment is not a good idea. 

The restaurant was almost full except for a few empty tables towards the end, so we were led to one of the last tables behind.

We thought that the 猪骨煲 (pork knuckle soup base) - which is what this steamboat restaurant is famous for - is quite special since it is usually the clear or tomyam soup base, and we heard good reviews and were even recommended by friends, but probably because our expectations were pushed up too high, we got somewhat disappointed.

Firstly, the price is really expensive. The soup itself is already RM20.90, and the small plate of ingredients on the left is RM18.80 (the portion is supposedly for one person) consisting of fu chuk, fishballs, meatballs, dumplings, crab sticks and cabbage. I was surprised at the size of the portion when it was served.

Compared to that, the seafood set (for two persons) looks much more appetising. But at a price of RM69.90, it is not worth it at all when there is only a small piece of fish, a few clams and mussels, two prawns, some mushrooms, yam sticks and fish noodles. The rest of the ingredients are basically the same as the first plate. It also comes with a plate of noodles (yee mee and mee hoon) and egg, as usual.

There were five of us and the bill came to about RM26 per person plus drinks. We ordered one jug of winter melon and longan (as you can see in the photo) to share, which costs RM9 and it is quite annoying that it is nonrefillable, so each of us only had a small glass of it. 

We were there for almost two hours, and felt really bloated from dinner - not because of the food but because we kept drinking the soup lol. The milky soup base was indeed something different for a steamboat, but to be honest it taste similar to the 鱼头米 (fish head noodle) soup. It is full of flavour, but I don't think the price is worth it. The other ingredients are also overpriced, given that they are common and cheap.

With a few ringgit extra, we could actually have a buffet steamboat already (I know there is one in Kelana Jaya). Think: free flow of seafood MMHM. Anyway, the food wasn't bad but I won't be back again. Nonetheless, it was a good dinner and catch up session - after one whole year!

Opening hours: 5:30pm - 11:30pm

Address: 1, Batu 4 3/4, Jalan Kelang Lama,
              58200 Kuala Lumpur.

GPS location: 3°5’14″N, 101°40’26″E

Contact number: 019-2776596

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Coco-Steamboat/105336112869661

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After that, we went to Veronica's house. I dropped them off and went back to take the cheese cake that I baked earlier (because it needs to be chilled), some chocolates that I bought in Europe and a farewell gift for Veronica.

Kat managed to come at the last minute and Hui Ying came too, even though she was working the whole day. I know she would be tired and Kat had other things to deal with as well, so I was really touched that they came in the end :')

Finally, the seven of us could gather together after so many years of not having a complete gathering.

Family portrait :'D

Getting everyone together is becoming a rare occasion these days, but I'm glad that it is not impossible and that we could still be as crazy as before, if not more crazier. I really do cherish every moment we spend together especially now that some of us are moving into another phase of life, which makes it harder for frequent hangouts to happen.

It warms my heart when everyone makes the effort to meet up because I know how difficult it is when we have our own different responsibilities that comes with adulthood (gosh I sound so old). But who says you have to act like an adult when you are one? Hehe so here's to a never-ending friendship of sampat-ness - hopefully we will still share many more crazy laughs even when we're 40 ;)

Played "谁是卧底" (a Chinese game app that is similar to charades but way more fun) again - I think it is becoming a game that is compulsory to play every time we meet! Also it is my current favourite game but it needs a minimum of three players and the words are in Mandarin, meaning I can't play it everyday and I also need to find the right people to play with.

The most exciting part are the punishments, really! This one is not included in the list of punishments given but it is the only one involving all of us - except Hui Ying, and of course, she was the one who came up with the idea. There are other funnier videos but they would have to be private :P

It was truly a night of craziness and non-stop laughter, which ended with hugs and goodbyes. All photos above taken by Mean Shan. 

Last but not least, here is my beautiful cheese cake!