Ben's Restaurant @ KLCC.

A while ago Sollie and I had lunch at Ben's, a somewhat new Western-Asian fusion restaurant in KLCC located at where the California Pizza House used to be. For the life of me I cannot recall what made us WANT to try that place -- it could have been Sol's idea but I cannot be sure.

And you know how people say first impressions are important? Well, we had a very good first impression of this place. And I must say, I chose the right dish as my first try, so yeah, this place is a definite must-go-to-again place and stays on my list as having a "thumbs-up" :p



One thing I found really cute about the place is their menu. Sol and I actually spent a good amount of time studying it, not just because the variety of food they have there is substantial, but because of the FONT itself. Haha. It looked like it was totally handwritten but that wouldn't be practical would it? However what made us suspect that it could be handwritten was the inconsistencies in the loops and shapes of the alphabets -- some "A"s looked non-similar and yes I know that totally sounded like something out of C.S.I.



Decor-wise, the theme is black. Rather dull colour but it was nicely done and gave off a very reserved, classy appeal. Not too classy that you feel coming in with your jeans and T-shirt makes you look like a ho-bo but classy enough that you FELT classy WITH your jeans and T-shirt (if that made sense at all). Tables are adequately spaced and we arrived just before the lunch crowd descended, so we got good seats. It can get quite packed during rush hours apparently (as with most KLCC F&B outlets, of course).



I ordered this for myself : Crispy Duck Confit Spaghetti cooked in aglio. IT WAS AMAZING. It could do without the cow-load proportion of grass on top but the spaghetti itself was fantastic. I am a big fan of most spaghettis cooked aglio-style so I usually order something along those lines if I go to a new place, as a means of measuring a restaurant's standards. It was not too oily, it had the right amount of spices that contributed very nicely to its taste, and the duck itself was succulent without being watery (a.k.a hanyir). Definitely a signature dish, and apparently this runs out pretty quick during the rush hours.



I cannot recall what this is called exactly but this is basically Nachos with Tomato Sauce and Cheese Dip. Think CHILLI's Bottomless Tostada Chips... okay maybe not so similar as that. This was a great appetizer and was served in a moderate enough proportion so as not to overwhelm our entree.



Sol ordered Spaghetti Carbonara. If I usually order Aglio Olio style spaghetti as a means of measurement, she would order carbonara style. And for something that is made with milk and meant for kiddies (no offense Sol :p) this really had some kick to its taste. Nowhere near as delish as Sunway Giza's D'Italiane's Spaghetti Carbonara but decent enough. Portion looks huge though and Sol had some trouble finishing it... which is usually the case with carbonara. You get full pretty quick and it is not something that I would usually order for myself anyway.



And because we were so impressed by that first visit, we came back to Ben's a few days later with our whole family. My parents, bless their hearts, are not big fans of Western-style food and had a go at their Asian cuisine... to their disappointment. Presentation looked nice but I have to agree the food tasted bland and lacking. Methinks someone in the kitchen excel at Western cooking but fail miserably at Asian foods -- as Asian foods rely heavily on the different spices and even a good amount of salt/sugar so when used very minimally the taste will definitely be compromised. The above is actually the nasi lemak with chicken rendang -- not very tasty in my opinion.

Our overall verdict with regards to :

The Food : 7.5/10. Variety was available in terms of Western and Asian cuisine, but the Asian cuisine left much to be desired. What we have tasted of the pastas though, was excellent.

The Ambience : 8/10. A nicely-decorated place that looks both classy and business-like.

The Location : 8/10. It's in KLCC, and now there is also one in Pavilion. Prime locations to attract customers.

The Pricing : Moderate high, as is standard with the upper-end restaurants in town.

Baby-friendly? : There are baby chairs, but that's just about it. Letting an infant or a toddler loose in here is akin to asking for trouble because of the crowd and the slightly cramped space between tables when the place gets busy.

Address :
Ben's
Lot 140 First Floor
Kuala Lumpur City Centre
50088 KL

Waterlily Contemporary Balinese Bistro @ Mutiara Tropicana, PJ.

Mutiara Tropicana recently became slightly more busy when a row of shoplots opened up along the Jalan Tropicana Selatan. At first it was just a 7-Eleven, followed by the Jaya Grocer supermarket and subsequently the Waterlily Bistro. We did not pay much mind to the bistro, but one fine day (it was during lunch, I think) we got hungry, we were nearby, and we wanted to try something new.

So we decided to try out the Waterlily Balinese Bistro.



The whole place looked well thought out -- from the external decor to the internal finish, everything reminds you of a modern Balinese residence, which is nice. The expansive main entrance allowed a well-ventilated place which is always a plus (to me at least, because for some reason I get claustrophobic easily). When we first went there it was during lunch so it was not packed, so service was all right.

However, the place does not have proper baby chairs. What they do have is a portable, travel-lite child booster seat that does not even come with the proper restraints so for babies who can't be trusted to sit up on their own, you're better off using your kid's stroller/pram instead.



(My son, who was about 8 months in the above picture, could only sit in the booster chair for all of 36 seconds before he stood up and threatened to jump over. It was slightly harrowing to say the least, but manageable).


The Siap Megoreng. Basically it is rice with grilled chicken marinated in lemongrass marinade. I had this, and it was delicious.

Now, it has been more than 10 years since I was last in Bali, so for the life of me I cannot recall what sort of food Balinese people consumed. At Waterlily though, everything is supposed to be Balinese-inspired with a contemporary touch so it was interesting. They had your usual rice and fried chicken fare with assorted condiments by the side, and they also had this glorious salad that came with either grilled chicken or squid, lathered in this lovely lemongrass and lime juice that was so obviously homemade. It was eastern food with a western touch, for sure. And that sort of food always worked for me.


The grilled squid balinese salad. Scrumptious! My absolute must-have when I come to this place.


I forgot what this is called, but it came with grilled squid, chicken, beef, prawns, rice and assorted condiments. A generous portion indeed.


Grilled seafood pasta. Another house-trademark which is lovely and oh-so-yummy.


The ambience at the Waterlily.

Our overall verdict with regards to :

The Food : 9/10. Although there weren't much in terms of variety, what they do offer tastes good and wonderful. It is difficult to describe. I totally totally loved the way they mixed up the pasta with the grilled squid. Not to mention the sesame lemon sauce they used in the salad was totally wicked.

The Ambience : 8/10. A nice relaxing place, suitable for families but might be a bit of a hassle for those with younger kids. But otherwise the decor is nice to look at.

The Location : 7.5/10. The rating is only because it is located in a housing area. It is very near my house so I do not mind it, but I suppose people would only come here after hearing other people talk about it, rather than because they happened to be driving by it/working near it.

The Pricing : Moderate high, as is standard with the upper-end bistros in town.

Baby-friendly? : Not really. They have the portable booster seats but nothing in the way of actual, proper baby chairs. Bring your kid's pram/stroller if you're planning to come here with a baby.

Address :
The Waterlily Bistro
No. 11-G, 11-1 & 11-2
Jalan Mutiara Tropicana 3
Mutiara Tropicana
Petaling Jaya

Kuey Tiao Goreng @ Restoran Doli, TTDI.

If you are like me and are a true food connoiseur (yeah right), you would have heard of Restoran Doli in Taiping. People would say that if you were in Taiping the trip would never be complete without going to Restoran Doli for their kuey tiao goreng.

Ever since relocating back to KL since 3 years back I have had no reason to go back to Taiping. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I found out that the owners of Restoran Doli had decided to open a branch here in Taman Tun Dr Ismail!



The kuey tiao goreng tastes just as good as I remember -- perhaps even better because the "special" version has a generous helping of prawns and eggs. Another good reason to go eat at TTDI's Restoran Doli would be for their chicken rice, which is superb. I am always weak for chicken rice so when I find a good shop for it, I usually keep it at the top of my list.

P/S I love the black ketchup that accompanies the chicken rice because it is usually laced with cili padi. Mwahahahaha.





Our overall verdict with regards to :

The Food : 8/10. You come here only for either the kuey tiao goreng or the chicken rice. Menu isn't extensive -- they might have mee rebus or mee sup but that is just about it. But for the limited variety of food they have the taste isn't compromised at all.

The Ambience : 7/10. It is clean and does not appear to be cluttered. A typical restaurant with simple trimmings. It is well ventilated which is a plus.

The Location : 8/10. It is located in TTDI right opposite the Primanora Medical Centre. Parking might be an issue on busy nights but nothing too difficult. My only gripe is that it isn't directly across my house.

The Pricing : Decently priced. A special plate of kuey tiao goreng is about RM5 if I recall correctly.

Baby-friendly? : There are baby chairs, and the whole place is catered for families so if you kid screams no one is really going to tell you off. 

Dimsum to die for - Lai Po Heen Restaurant @ Mandarin Oriental Hotel, KL.

I am sure that if you googled for Lai Po Heen/Mandarin Oriental/delicious dimsum within the Klang Valley, you would find blog after blog raving about how superb their dimsums are. So for all intents and purposes I am going to sound like a broken record (definitely).

This post has lots of pictures of scrumpilicious dimsum. They are also about 2 weeks old, but who cares, right? We went to the Lai Po Heen Restaurant @ Mandarin Oriental Hotel THREE times within the last month -- that should say something about how much we loved these things.

And they are halal too which gives them tons of bonus points!


Fried yam dumpling. Absolutely splendid.


Har Kau dumplings with naipak vegetables. I loved these, although they can be considered too "usual" for the adventurous.


Fried prawn and mango rolls. Must try.


The traditional siew mai dumplings.


Beancurd dumplings with mushroom fillings. To die for.


Fried prawn with almond flakes. An interesting and delightful combination.


Durian pancakes. If you had to try one dessert, it would have to be this. Alwi approves as well.

Our overall verdict with regards to :

The Food : 9/10. And yes I am not over-exaggerating either. I cannot give it a 10 because that would mean that it is perfect, when in fact nothing in this world is (I sound so Socrates-like, I know).

The Ambience : 8/10. A lovely restaurant set within a lovely hotel. I loved the fact that as you walk into the place you are immediately greeted to a fish-tank view of the kitchen -- sounds horrible in writing but it is simple and accessible amusement for my son who was transfixed by the abang-abang cooking away.

The Location : 6/10. Set within the heart of KL, you would have to consider the traffic and timing of your visit so that you can get there early enough before you grow too famished or before the restaurant becomes too full with diners.

The Pricing: Moderate-high. A plate of durian pancake which has 3 pops on it costs RM 18. But at RM6 a pop and its scrumptious taste I consider it worth it. It's just not a place than I can just go on a twice-weekly basis, that's all.