After a surprisingly ‘refreshing’ Yee Sang with the gang, we started on our second dish for the day – the Soft Shell Crab Salad. Served with a Japanese dressing made from mayonnaise and sesame seed, it is this condiment that brings out the best of the salad and the soft shell crab. In fact, it was so delicious that this was the first time I’ve seen a plate of salad totally cleaned out! Parents may want to consider investing in a bottle to make vegetables more appealing to their children. 
I know for sure that Emily Tang enjoyed every single bite of her vegetables that day.
Posts Tagged ‘ICT Utopia’
Yashiki Yakitori Bar @ Viva Home Shopping Mall – Dining with Moola Part Two
Chilling Out at The Norse Bar & Bistro, BB Park
Where is your favourite place to hang out and relax after a long day’s work? For some, it could be as simple as lounging on a cosy sofa at home whereas others may need to boogie their stress away. For me, I love sitting at a bar and observe the good people of Kuala Lumpur go about their daily life. And there is no better place to do this than at The Norse Bar & Bistro at BB Park, Kuala Lumpur.
The cosy yet spacious settings is definitely a plus point for many of the bar's regular patrons
The bar's special wine 'cellar'
You can also celebrate any special occasion in the bar's private room
Situated within BB Park, The Norse Bar & Bistro not only offers a good selection of beer and liquor but also a wide range of food items. There is a classy yet cosy dining area on the first floor of the bar for those private moments with family and loved ones. The bar is located on the ground floor and is where most people hang out to chat and drink. The Norse Bar & Bistro also engages amateur singers to perform for its patrons on certain nights. Live band performances during the weekends liven up the place even more, making it a great place to just chill and hang loose.
Anyone up for a round of darts?
There is also live entertainment for The Norse Bar & Bistro's guests on certain nights
The atmosphere is just nice to hang out and chill with your friends and family too!
As the bar is open from afternoon till late, the bistro’s menu caters for meals that suit everyone at any hour of the day. You basically can find dishes like appetisers and salads to main course servings like fried rice or pasta dishes. There are also Western food like soups, steaks and chops for those who are looking for a light but filling meal at night.
Delicious Garlic Bread
The bar's Hong Kong Style Chicken Wings is bound to whet your appetite for more
Euro Banger Sausage
During the few times that I was there, I noticed one interesting thing about The Norse’s patrons – most of them know each other very well. Though it may be a public place, but the greetings that were going around made me feel like I was in a home party instead of just another bar. The laughter and smiles, the jokes and the chatter floating around made the atmosphere much livelier than it already is.
Salmon Caesar Salad
Wild Mushroom Fettucine is a good alternative for a lighter yet filling meal
The Hockkieniese Fried Rice with Roasted Pork is one of the many creations of the bistro's Executive Chef
The Norse Bar & Bistro serves a good range of local and imported beer as well as wines. Other than the local beer favourites like Carlsberg, Tiger and Guinness, the outlet also serves other brands such as Corona, Tuborg, Heineken, Stella Artois and Konig Ludwig. Everything is reasonably priced, which will explain why there are so many regulars. It is easy to just sit and while the hours away, what with the live entertainment and your group of friends. As the day progresses on, BB Park comes alive as more people flock to the many restaurants and The Norse Bar & Bistro for a relaxing evening.
Pan Grilled Lamb Rack - grilled to perfection!
Spaghetti Vongole
Looking for something to go with your drink? Why not try out The Norse Bar & Bistro's Pork Knuckles instead
The only thing that I can consider as a downside to this experience is the parking factor. It being located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur city, parking is always a headache for those who are unfamiliar with the area like me. But do not let such a trivial matter hinder you from paying The Norse Bar & Bistro a visit. Take the chance and you will find that it is worth every moment of it.
This Dining With Moola experience is courtesy of Moola, the first-ever Cash-Back Lifestyle Programme specially designed for shoppers to enjoy free shopping, great savings and best deals in town. Moola is a mobile application that utilises QR code technology for all interactions; from member registration, Moola accumulation and redemption, to the actual shopping.
Moola Frenz who dine at Norse Bar & Bistro are entitled to a 10% cash back everytime! What’s more, you can also grab FreeMakan vouchers for even MORE savings here!
Moola is completely hassle-free; no administrative effort; no joining fee; no cards; and comes with even greater flexibility for shoppers to enjoy the variety of rewards for redemption. Visit www.moola.my for more information and download the Moola app today! Apple, Android and Blackberry phones supported.
A taste of Szechuan with Moola – Zhi Wei Yuan Restaurant KL
How many times have we walked past a shop or a restaurant without realising what is offered in there? I know I do. In our haste to reach our destination on time, these shops have been reduced to blurry images that recede into the background. One such restaurant was Zhi Wei Yuan, located along Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur.
Zhi Wei Yuan specialises in Szechuan cuisine, and as Chinese cuisines are a big mystery to me, I did not have any preconceived expectations prior to dining at this outlet. I was there with a couple of friends, including Emily Tang of Sunrise Emily blog and Evelyn Ang of Missyblurkit.com, courtesy of Moola, the first ever homegrown Cash-Back Lifestyle programme by ICT Utopia. The girls had a lot to say about their experience here, so please remember to see how it went for both of them!
Read: Emily’s first encounter of the Szechuan kind
Read: Evelyn loves it SPICY… for food of course
It turns out that Szechuan food is famous for its spicy dishes and the generous use of its Szechuan peppercorns in cooking. These peppercorns are known to possess a unique aroma and flavour that is very much unlike its more well-known counterparts, the black and white pepper. Regulars patrons who know exactly what they want can have their dishes customised according to their requests. Freshness is their main emphasis when it comes to choosing their ingredients to ensure quality dishes. Most of their basic ingredients used in preparation of their meals are brought in from China.
Our dishes for the evening looked pretty common, but let me tell you, this lot packs a punch taste wise! The manager offered us a very useful tip to fight off the heat from the peppercorns – that is to drink Wong Lo Kat (a type of Chinese sweet herbal drink) instead of the usual cold water to complement our meal. Our dinner started off with prawns fried in spicy sauce. The prawns were fresh, and it the first of many great tasting dishes that made the dinner great.
Surprisingly, Wong Lo Kat really does help cool down the spiciness of the Szechuan pepper!
To me, food is like songs and movies; you may encounter a great many of them throughout your life, but only a few will actually leave a lasting impression. For me, the Sichuan Style Braised Fish Fillet with Beancurd was one such dish. I never knew that a combination of simple ingredients like fish fillet, soft beancurd and salted preserved vegetable could become something so delicious. The taste of the soup is strong enough that it gives the whole dish its flavour, but not so strong that it overpowers the beancurd and fish fillet.
Sichuan Style Fried Prawn with Spicy Sauce - delicious down to the very last bite!
Sichuan Style Braised Fish Fillet with Beancurd - Though it may look simple, one taste of this dish and you will fall in love with it
We were also treated to a serving of Fried Spareribs in Sweet & Sour Sauce and Chongqing Stir Fried Chicken with Dried Chilli. Unlike some restaurants where the colour of the sauce LOOKS delicious but in fact lacks in taste, this dish is just perfect – not too sweet, just enough hint of sourness to make it tender and yummy with every bite! Definitely a must try for lovers of pork spare ribs. For frog lovers, look out for the Dry Braised Spicy Edible Frog. Though it was slightly salty to the taste, the frog meat was fresh and tender, making this dish a great accompaniment with rice.
Fried Spareribs in Sweet & Sour Sauce - a must try for spareribs lovers
Chongqing Stir Fried Chicken with Dried Chilli - spicy to the last morsel!
Dry Braised Spicy Edible Frog
The chef also made us a few other non-spicy dishes like the Sauteed Hand Ripped Cabbage, Xinjiang Boiled Lamb Cutlets, Sauteed Shredded Potato with Salted Egg Yolk. Again, do not be fooled by these simple looking dishes. The cabbage tastes absolutely scrumptious! The vegetable is crisp and tasty with a slight sweetness and a hint of vinegar added to it, yet there isn’t any of the raw vegetable taste that is present as a result of undercooking. If you were to ask the manager as to how the lamb is prepared, you’d be surprised with the answer. There isn’t any gamey taste and it doesn’t feel like you are chewing rubber with every bite.
Sauteed Hand Ripped Cabbage - the cabbage tastes crisp with a slight sweetness to it. One of the many favourites for the night
Xinjiang Boiled Lamb Cutlets - who knew that lamb could taste this wonderful cooked this way
Sauteed Shredded Potato with Salted Egg Yolk - looks like noodles right? It's actually shredded potato coated with salted egg yolk. Another favourite for the night
By now, anyone would already be so full that it would seem impossible to take another bite. Maybe it was the rainy weather, or it could be the company that we had, we were definitely up for one more dish – the famous Sichuan Hot Pot. We chose the Spicy Fish Hot Pot. This item comes with 3 side dishes of your choice, 6 condiments and lots of fish meat underneath that bubbling soup. The condiments, which are raw garlic, spring onions, sesame seed oil, peppercorn oil, chopped red and cilantro, play a part in enhancing your eating experience.
Sichuan Hot Pot - Spicy Fish
The side dishes and condiments that comes together with the order of hot pot
Glutinous Rice Balls in Sweet Rice Wine Soup - a nice dessert to round up the night
Unlike the conventional hot pot where you drink large quantities of the soup, the soup for this hot pot can be a tad too spicy and oily for anyone. That is why one of the condiments given with every dish is sesame seed oil. When mixed with the other condiments of your choice, it will prevent the person from suffering from heartburn. A very useful tip indeed!
It was close to 11pm by the time our dinner ended. Everyone went back with a big smile on their faces and a slightly bigger waistline! Though eating at Zhi Wei Yuan can be slightly expensive, it was worth every dollar. It may seem that we have managed to taste quite a number of dishes today, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. I will definitely make Zhi Wei Yuan a stop in my continuing journey of exploring Szechuan cuisine.
This Dining With Moola experience is courtesy of Moola, the first-ever Cash-Back Lifestyle Programme specially designed for shoppers to enjoy free shopping, great savings and best deals in town. Moola is a mobile application that utilises QR code technology for all interactions; from member registration, Moola accumulation and redemption, to the actual shopping.
Moola Frenz who dine at Zhi Wei Yuan are entitled to a 10% cash back everytime! What’s more, you can also grab FreeMakan vouchers for even MORE savings here!
Moola is completely hassle-free; no administrative effort; no joining fee; no cards; and comes with even greater flexibility for shoppers to enjoy the variety of rewards for redemption. Visit www.moola.my for more information and download the Moola app today! Apple, Android and Blackberry phones supported.
Yashiki Yakitori Bar @ Viva Home Shopping Mall – Dining With Moola
There are many times in my life where I wished I was a braver person. I wish I was brave enough to sit through a horror movie without having to use my hands as a shield at certain parts of the movie. I also wish that I am not easily daunted by the appearance of a restaurant. You know how the situation goes – you walk past an interesting looking restaurant, you take a peek inside and suddenly a hundred and one thoughts flood your mind. Is the food nice? Is it another overcharged restaurant where portions are way too small and bland? Will I regret this decision? These are but some of the many thoughts that comes to my mind.
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Puzzle Cuisine @ Low Yat Plaza – Dining With Moola
Located conveniently at the 4th floor of Plaza Low Yat, Puzzle Cuisine is one of those places that epitomizes the benefits of modern living. It’s casual, unassuming yet chic, has a wide variety without being overwhelming, and best of all, affordable while offering great value for money. It is a place where mix and matching is encouraged, where you can just sit down and have exactly what you want, however you want it, whenever you want it.
Glassy Bar & Grill – Dining With Moola
While Penang rules the roost as the street food capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur has built up a reputation of having a more cosmopolitan flavour, offering its inhabitants and visitors a potpourri of dishes and delights to choose from. I had the opportunity to discover an exciting hangout spot that offers great North Indian cuisine right in the heart of the Kuala Lumpur City Centre thanks to Moola, the first ever homegrown Cash-Back Lifestyle programme by ICT Utopia.