Hadramawt

The other day, some of my colleagues gave me a lunch treat.  As I do like lamb, they decided that middle eastern fare would be the best option.

So we headed for Hadramawt in Chulan Square.  The restaurant claims to be the first Yemeni restaurant in Malaysia.

Hadramawt (or Hadramaut) refers to the region at the south of the Arabian peninsular including Yemen.

There are pictures of Yemen on the wall.

There is ample dining area on the ground level...

...but they also have dining upstairs...

... including an open area where smoking is allowed.

This was not our first time here, and knowing the size of the portions they serve in relation to our appetites, we were economical in our orders.

The food and ambiance are excellent.  You can log on here to find out more.

The place is cozy enough for two, but if you want to savor the variety on offer, do get a big enough group to dine there.

Jaleel's at Selangor Mansion (Masjid India area)

Ramadhan Mubarakh (Wishing you a Blessed Ramadhan).

Maybe Ramadhan is not the most ideal time to talk about a restaurant that I recently visited, but I haven't been posting anything for a while, so what better subject to resume posting then with food ;-)


I was in the Masjid India area with a cousin of mine, with the intention to stock up on my supplies for Ramadhan.  As it was nearing lunch time, my cousin suggested that we have authentic 'Mamak' (Indian Muslim) food as we were in the right area.  He even suggested the place.

If you are at the Masjid, the building next to it is the Malayan Mansion.  The similar looking building across and slightly away from Malayan Mansion is the Selangor Mansion.

Find your way to the lifts or staircase.  You do need to be a little bit brave, but then if you are a connoisseur of street food this should not pose a problem.

The restaurant is on the first floor.

 It's relatively clean and tidy inside.

 It's owned and managed by the cook.  I've somehow managed to forget his name.

The spread isn't that varied.  You have a choice of briyani, ghee or plain white rice.  There's also the choice of chicken, fish or mutton curry, and some fried fish and chicken.  Of course, in typical 'mamak' fashion, the vegetables are over-done.  

There are also daily specials like quails (burung puyu), duck or venison (daging rusa).  I had tripe (perut) curry that day.

They have flavored anise (jintan manis) and Supari or scented betel-nut (pinang) as breath fresheners at the cashier's counter.  

The restaurant is opened from 11.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m. daily serving lunch and dinner.  I however forgot to check their opening hours during Ramadhan.

I must say that the food was good (it tasted more 'home cooked', not the 'commercial' taste of many 'nasi kandar' restaurants) and the price was reasonable.

Bangkok Expresso at the Weld

Two friends celebrated their birthdays in December and, Christmas and New Year were around the corner, so Vasantha decided to treat a few of us to lunch.  The nearest and most convenient place for lunch would be the Weld.  There are a number of food outlets at the Weld including a food court at the 4th level.

We choose Bangkok Expresso which serves Thai food with a 'fussion' touch.

 

 

That's me taking a photo of the entrance to the terrace.

 

 

Deciding what to order....

 

.. Rice with Thai green curry chicken..

 

..with mushrooms and vegetables..

 

 ..black pepper chicken..

..tofu and glass noodles soup..

 

..while I settled for the pineapple fried rice with prawns.

 

I don't know who this is, but it was on the wall..

 

.. as was this.

 

The decor and ambiance is modern rather than Thai...

 

..and the staff are friendly (although there could be some communication problems due to language, especially if you want to customize your order, like 'I don't want onions in my soup').

There's always time to pose for a photograph - say 'cheese'.

TAR Eats

You know you're truly Malaysian when food happens to be one of your loves in life.

Like every street in KL, Jalan TAR also has its many eating places. Those listed below are by no means the only ones there. Every hotel has its own coffee house and drinking hole. There's a whole lot of stalls along the road and every shopping complex and mall have their own food courts and restaurants.

These are just some of the places I have patronized over the years, arranged in a sort of geographical order.

Located at the Junction of Jalan TAR and Jalan Ipoh. South Indian food served here. It's been around since the 1980's although there's been several changes in management since then. Banana Leaf lunch is available.

A few shop-lots away from Sri Shalimar, this is a relatively recent addition to the area. An Indonesian restaurant, its indicative of the large Indonesian population in the area. I have not personally eaten here, but judging by the crowd, the food must be good here.

Pizza Hut is located at the junction with Jalan Dewan Sultan Sulaiman.

A little way down from Pizza Hut, is this Nasi Kandar place. It's popularity has required the proprietor to rent the next shoplot.

Its just after 3.00 p.m. on a weekday (I so happened to be on leave that day), but the crowd has not abated.

Another popular restaurant across the road from Tune Hotel. It was just a stall occupying a tiny space in a Chinese Restaurant, but has now taken over the whole restaurant.

A row of restaurants along Medan Tuanku, on your way to Loke Mansion.

Although it advertises as Nasi Kandar, they serve a mixed Western and Malaysian fare. This is where Shiraz, the once popular Mogul restaurant used to be. Omar Kayoom, Shiraz's competitor is still there though.

Next to Omar Kayoom is Hanifa's, once famous for its biryani.

Then comes this Pakistani restaurant. They serve a few varities of biryani, which changes daily. It's a little on the pricey, but I think it's worth it. Their naans (served in the evenings) is crispy and I just love their fried dhall.

A real symbol of what Malaysia is, but unfortunately, this type is a dying breed, as far restaurants go. Located across the road from Sogo. The Chinese owner only sells the drinks. There's a Malay tenant selling Nasi Padang, a Mamak selling Rojak and a Chinese selling a varity of fried noodles.

Used to be one of the best places for biryani (like I said - used to be), it still serves good fresh mango juice.

Finger lickin' good - needs no introduction, Insaf's neighbour.

The first American fast food restaurant in Malaysia, been here since as far back as I can remember.

They say that this is still the best place for a steak. The last I was here was in the mid 1990's. The waiters then looked like they had been with the restaurant since it first opened, so you can imaging how slow the service was. It does have a certain romantic colonial charm about the place though.

The food here is said to be good, but I've only stopped here for teh tarik.


What can I say. In the 1960's Bilal's was 'THE' Indian Muslim restaurant in town. The food is still good, but the menu has never changed in all these years, so its popularity has waned.