I'm Spicy, Petaling Jaya

We were on our way to Seksyen 17 to deliver some goods, but it was lunch time, we were darn hungry but not too willing to detour in search of food..

So what's on the way and should be ok (traffic and parking wise).

I recalled I'm Spicy, a place my boss told me 4 months back, but I've yet to try. Like the name suggested, the restaurant serves spicy Thai street food.

Sealed the deal, we were there in a jiffy.

Obviously new to the neighbourhood, the restaurant was rather quiet (no we were not the only customers).

Menu was not too extensive, yet sufficient to satiate Thai food cravings.

We settled for quick set lunches..

Quenched our thirst with their pandan lime concoction.

Cooling and nice.

We decided to try the fried somtum, a variation to the original som tum.

Reminds me of a cross between kakiage and onion rings, the fried som tum was pretty decent when eaten fresh. But after a few more bites, it's just oily. Should have opted for the good old fashioned som tum.

WF had Seafood Padthai..

This I must confess, looks very much like what I've just had in Bangkok. Taste wise, tasted very close to home. Would have tasted even better if it was laden with more crushed peanuts. I figured one flavour was lacking, but for KL standards, this was considered tasty.

AT decided to have the Thai Belacan fried rice..

Not very Thai? Regardless, I thot this was yummy- great wok hei and enjoyable. The mix of ingredients with the rice was very satisfying (Note: a friend tried this dish a week later and said it was just mediocre. No QC?)

I had the Stir Fried Basil Pork with Rice..

Was warned that it's spicy, yet alas, it was just averagely spicy. Still, I cant deny that this was delectable, the basil was aromatic, the juicy mince pork went deliciously well with the fluffy white rice. If only it was spicier...

Would I return? Yes, coz I've yet to try it's ala carte dishes- the curries and pork stuff are next :p

I'm Spicy is located at 1, Jalan 17/45, 46400 Petaling Jaya.

Ben's, Suria KLCC and Pavillion

I reckon I should blog about Ben's before it got too stale- the photos have been sitting in my album for some time now :p

The first time I noticed Ben's was at KLCC- it took over CPK and refurbished to a 'darkish' corner. Somehow, it didn't pique my interest at all, until Diha told me to check it out- she had a good time there.

And so I did went to have a look.

Went there for dinner (heard lunch's ultra pack), Ben's at KLCC has a relaxed ambiance and jazzy tunes in the background to sooth a hectic day at work. The spacing between diners was at a comfortable distance, compared to Ben's at Pavillion, which had a cosy, cheery concept, diners sitting rather closely to be able to hear next table's gossip..hehe..

I digress, lets get back to the food instead, shall we?

Some mocktails to start...

Muddled Mary and Berry Freeze..

Mary's too spicy to my liking, berry was ok..

We had the soft shell crab salad (RM20.90)..

A lighter version of somtum, they were generous with the soft shell crabs and papaya. Not too sour nor spicy, the salad had a good crunch and eating it with the piping hot crabs does give a nice oomph to this dish.

I always have a soft spot for duck and I zoomed in straight for the Duck Confit Spaghetinni (RM22.90)..

And yes, in case you're wondering why the dish looks so familiar, Ben's owned by the same people who started Delicious. Alas, similar in look does not translate in taste- this was ultra greasy and salty.

The Portobello Mushroom Sandwich (RM22.90) fared much better..

The mushroom was juicy, filled with smoky, woody flavour. The accompanying side kicks were commendable too- the grilled capsicums was juicy, the rocket fresh and nutty and oozing melted cheese completes the picture. Yup, this is a vegetarian dish.

Ben's at Pavi had something that KLCC didn't...

Think it's perfect if you are in the company of introverts and shy people..haha

And the desserts- hits and misses..

The chocolate banana cake

Compact, dry, fudgy. I feel like I was eating Winnie the Pooh, and not in a nice way. Dont like it at all.

Blackforest was way better..

Dark chocolate mousse was fantastic with the moist cake, the meringue bits gave a bit of excitement to the else melting cake.

Not a cake person? Maybe you should try the Banofee Sundae..

Lots of bananas, vanilla ice cream, butterscotch, choc fudge, short cake with chocolate and roasted almond slivers. A delicious combination, what can I say?

I feel that Ben's food was not the main attraction (it's pretty decent, dont get me wrong), but it's the ambiance, target market crowd that draws in the like minded.

There are a few branches around town- Ben's KLCC, Ben's Pavillion and Ben's Bangsar Village 1. I heard that the menu differs slightly between these three branches.

Nara and Taling Pling, Bangkok

Yes, am back from a short break :)

A fantastic shopping break to be exact, which as usual, I find too short to satisfy me!

Since my main agenda to Bangkok was to unleash the full fledged shopaholic in me ;p, food was not the main quest *gasp*

But there must be some decent eats in malls too right?

Some recommendations by friends gave me a brief reprieve from the maddening shopping crowd while I recharged...

Nara

Gary's friend(who's based in BKK) brought him there for a meal, in which he promptly recommended me. The location was perfect- the main branch is at Erawan and another branch at Central World. Not hard for a pit stop at all :)

Heard that it's a popular spot for lunch where local businessmen go in throngs, so we decided for dinner instead. We were at the Erawan branch, there's a healthy crowd, but manageable.

A good range in the menu...

We started with the appetizer- Sakoo Sai Moo (pork tapioca pearl dumpling)

These dainty dumplings looked so pretty- Nara serves an uppity class version of this street food snack which I rather enjoyed. The minced pork filling was warm, savoury sweetish and paired well with the springy casing and crisp shallots.

The Yum Som-O (Pamelo salad) looks like it has potential..

But alas, failed to shine..The sauce was was too gooey sweet with a hint of coconut aroma, which was just not to my liking. I've had much better versions than this.

Poa Pia Nara..

Well, I guess I dont need to translate this. These cigar thin springrolls was beautifully present and it ends there. Pretty to look at, yet lacks in flavour. It was supposed to be filled with mince meat and vegetables, which we could hardly find any..

Phunim Phad Pong Curry came next..

Wonderful recommendation from Gary. Thai Crab Curry with a twist. It was served with deep fried soft shell crabs instead, which suprising worked quite well with the thick curry too. Have it piping hot with white rice, the combo was alluring- the soft shell crab was crunchy, the curry sauce creamy and thick and the rice soaks up everything.

We tried the Kuay Tiew Rua (Boat noodles)

This was supposed to be very popular in Nara and we had a choice of dry noodles/ with clear or dark broth. We asked for recommendations and dark broth was the choice. The soup was definitely acquired taste, it was rich in spices and herbs flavour that I found too overwhelming. The texture of the noodles was fantastic though, it was springy and I could easily slurp it down.

Some hits and misses at Nara, our total bill was about RM110.

Taling Pling

Jungle Jerry recommended me to pop by the original branch which I didnt have time for, but found that it has 2 branches in the midst of all the malls ( at Siam Paragon and Central World)

It was a rainy day, we were kind of stuck in Central World, so we decided to rest our legs at Taling Pling.

Obviously very popular amongst the locals, it was packed to the brim and we were lucky to get the last table.

Taling Pling serves plenty of local favourites, here's what we tried..

Morning Glory salad

A mixed of fried and cooked morning glory tossed in spicy sour dressing. Great to whet the appetite with a nice range of texture.

Spicy fish cake

Thick slabs of fish cake (compared to those sold at streets) which was lip smacking. The pattie was dense with fish paste (than of flour), have it with fried basil and the accompanying sauce- just wonderful.

The ubiquitous pandan chicken..

This was well executed. The chicken was well marinated and extremely juicy. Very succulent and I really enjoyed this. And the dipping sauce? It's sweet and plumish in flavour, hence having the chicken with the sauce almost convert it to a chinese dish. I prefer sans sauce.

The Duck Curry was a petite version..

The curry was mild, maybe that was scaled down for tourist? I'm not sure. The duck breast was fork tender and a delight to eat. But oh, if just the curry was more fiery.

The piece the resistance (well, at least for me and my friends) was the absolutely plain looking fried chayote..

This vegetable was surprisingly delicious, so good that I cant help taking hefty portions of it and not bothering if my friends had enough. Yes, it makes me greedy :p. The wok hei to this dish was fantastic but what draws me to this dish was the texture of the vegetable- crunchy, not fibrous, hint of sweetness and high in water content. Very very yum-o!

For local faves, Taling Pling seems to hit the right spots for us. Total bill was approx RM95.