Category: Food Reviews

Eating natto for the first time.

Last weekend, the bf and I decided to give Pasta Zanmai a try. We’ve always hesitated to visit it. Hello??? Japanese style pasta? How can you spoil the delicateness of Japanese ingredients with Italian style cooking? Obviously my lack of understanding has deprived me of good food for a long time. We’ve only recently decided to give the place a try after seeing Kerol twitted it. If that’s only one thing that you can trust from me, is that Kerol’s tastebuds are always spot on.

When I opened the menu, I was in awe. Everything looked so delicious! What caught my eyes though was the mentaiko and natto pasta. Mentaiko is a kind of marinated spicy fish roe and I love it for its distinct peppery taste. As for natto, I have never tasted it before but I’ve seen videos of people eating natto – they looked like they rather be skinned alive than putting natto into their mouths. And that’s precisely the reason why I ordered the dish.

I wanted to find out how disgusting it is. Just preserved soybeans, what the big deal?

Eating natto for the first time.
Look absolutely scrumptious but is terror lurking within?

The bf ordered something safe – Japanese beef curry rice. I had a taste, it was very good. Big portion with a lot of gravy.

Eating natto for the first time.
Smells heavenly but oh so boring…

We also ordered a side grilled squid just in case I couldn’t eat my main. It was perfectly grilled and you can pop it on its own with no condiments.

Eating natto for the first time.
Grilled to perfection.

Without further ado, let me present, a properly mixed mentaiko natto pasta:

Eating natto for the first time.

Those foams you see wrapping every single strand of noodle taste exactly how it looks, slimy, viscous and sticky.

I took my first bite. It tasted like I regurgitated my phlegm and swallowed it back again. You know, when it’s not convenient to spit and you decided to swallow it back – salty aftertaste and all. Natto tasted exactly like that. It was interesting. I took another bite.

As I continued eating, I could taste the mild spiciness of the mentaiko already well-mixed into the pasta and natto. How do I put it? Eating mentaiko natto pasta is like chasing a climax that never arrived. One spoonful after another, the taste of mentaiko titillated my tastebuds ever so slightly and I kept wishing that the following spoon would give me a full mentaiko sensory assault. But it never came.

What came instead was a new found appreciation for natto. Yes, it tasted exactly like spit or worse…regurgitated phlegm. But this is precisely the reason why I WILL ORDER mentaiko natto pasta again.

Eating natto for the first time.

Because I’m a pervert.

G210B, Ground Floor Promenade,
1 Utama Shopping Centre,
No 1, Lebuh Bandar Utama,
Bandar Utama Damansara,
47800 Petaling Jaya.
TEL: 03 – 7728 1210

Blue Cow Cafe, Plaza Damas.

In my search for good pet-friendly restaurants, I discovered Blue Cow Cafe at Plaza Damas. Formerly known as Fogal Meat Market, it was renamed as Blue Cow Cafe but the restaurant decor and menu has not changed much.


#1 – Blue Cow Cafe, Plaza Damas.

Situated in the labyrinth that is Plaza Damas, we had trouble locating it at first. In fact our first time there almost did not happen because after walking for about 45 minutes searching for the restaurant I had wanted to give up. Fortunately, the boo managed to find it in the nick of time. I’m glad we did because it has become our regular haunt for good ol’ pork dishes.

There’s an impressive meat deli in the restaurant which can render even the most stoic diner excited.


#2 – Meat haven.

I love the soups. Always piping hot and enough to be shared between 2 people. It was a rainy day and we decided to share a bowl of spicy tomato soup. It was very good, it’s got a bite to it and it wasn’t too sour.


#3 – Spicy tomato soup.

We’ve tried the pea & ham soup and also the creamy mushroom soup. Both were also very delicious. For my main, I ordered roast pork with apple sauce. I order this every time I visit Blue Cow Cafe.


#4 – Roast pork with apple sauce.


#5 – The fragrant apple sauce.

My favourite part of this dish is the crackling that come with. Fresh, delicious, crunchy, fatty pork crackling.


#6 – Pork crackling.


#7 – That’s a look of sheer happiness.

The babber ordered fish & chips.


#8 – Fish & chips.

According to him, it was very good. Batter was crispy and the fish was flaky. The chips were fresh and good.


#9 – Even Charlie approves.

We’ve been there half a dozen times and were happy every time. One thing though, trust me and don’t ever order the kebab. Everything else, the pies, the ribs, the dessert, the lamb stew were all delicious.


#10 – Christmas Roast Turkey.

They even have xmas roast turkey for order, and I intend to try it out this year.


#11 – The patio area of Blue Cow Cafe.

Price wise it is very reasonable. For instance, the big bowl of soup is about RM11. My roast pork with apple sauce is just shy of RM20.

The atmosphere would actually be pretty good if it weren’t for the nearby construction works. But that’s not a good enough reason to avoid Blue Cow Cafe. For a pork and pet lover, it’s a perfect place to go.

    The Blue Cow Cafe
    N-1-4, Plaza Damas
    No.60, Jalan Sri Hartamas
    Tel: 03-62013206
    It’s situated in the same row as Yoga Zone and it’s not inside the complex.

A review on Hailam Kopitiam, SS2

After raving about Paparich to a friend, she recommended Hailam Kopitiam in SS2 as an alternative. According to her, the food is on par, if not better than Paparich and is much cheaper. I had to find out whether it’s true.

A little background, I only like Paparich for its range of steamed bread. It’s very hard to get that kind of light, pillow soft bread in KL nowadays. I could eat dozens of them in one sitting (although I have not tried it). As for the other dishes, I really can’t be bothered. Just the bread and yes, the soft boiled eggs.

So I went to Hailam Kopitiam determined to try the bread.


#1 – Hailam Cafe

I scanned through the huge menu (about 60 different dishes) and was a little disappointed that they did not serve steamed bread, only toasted ones. I ordered the toasted bun with kaya and butter anyway.


#2 – Toasted bun with kaya and butter.

First of all, I must clarify that the bun would have been quite awesome if I hadn’t yet tried the steamed bread in Paparich. I’m not saying it’s not worth a try but if you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to steamed bread, then Hailam Kopitiam is not the place.

The toasted bun was just a toasted bun, normal with no attributes that particularly stood out. That said, I must note that they serve must tastier kaya than Paparich though. It’s more fragrant and less fluid. If only I could combine Hailam Kopitiam’s kaya with Paparich’s steamed bread :P

The drinks were pretty good. I had the lime juice and Boo the iced coffee. No giant servings but your wallet won’t feel so stretched ordering a 2nd glass as you would in Paparich.


#3 – Lime juice and iced coffee.

Hailam Kopitiam’s interior and atmosphere is not much different from all the modernised kopitiams that have mushroomed recently. It operates out of one shoplot so at peak times space is limited but still comfortable…as long as you don’t get to sit next to a spoilt, screaming brat through lunch.


#4 – This picture could have been taken in Old Town, Old Taste, Kluang Station, Paparich, and more recently – Lorong Seratus Tahun Curry Mee.

We also ordered other dishes.


#5 – Hainanese style chicken chop in mushroom sauce. My Nokia N97 for size comparison.

The chicken chop was average at best. It’s a pity, because everything from the portion to the chicken chop was right except for the mushroom sauce, which was bland and kind of tasted like coagulated starch. Perhaps I should have stuck to the classic Hainanese tomato-ish sauce. If you’re there, avoid mushroom sauce at all costs. As for me, I’d still head to Kluang Station for the perfect Hainanese chicken chop.

My babber ordered tom yam beehoon which he liked. I tried it too and it was pretty good. The vermicelli was properly cooked through and the taste of the fragrant tomyam was even throughout. I wouldn’t go all the way to Hailam Kopitiam to eat it though.


#6 – Tom yam beehoon.

In conclusion, for steamed bread I’d still go to Paparich. For Hainanese chicken chop, I’d still go to Kluang Station. For things like asam laksa and curry mee I’ll stick to my neighbourhood REAL kopitiam.

As I have mentioned earlier, Hailam Kopitiam has a huge selection of dishes including rice dishes that seemed attractive. And the pricing is very reasonable for its modern setup. So if you’re in SS2 and craving for that kind of food, Hailam Kopitiam is the place to go.

    Hailam Kopitiam Sdn Bhd
    No. 20, Jalan SS2/67,
    47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
    Tel : 03-7875 5652

Will review Paparich soon, been too busy wolfing down food than take any picture :P