Korean – Eris Goes To

Review: Ticket To Korea, Setiawalk Puchong

April 12, 2021April 14, 2021Posted in FoodTagged Asian cuisine, Asian food, dining, eats, Featured, food blog, food blogger, food photography, food review, Korean, Korean food, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Puchong, restaurant review, Ticket to KoreaLeave a comment

Setiawalk Puchong has seen better days. Once the hottest hangout spot in Puchong, the place has been on a decline, especially in the last few years. There aren’t many restaurants left, but one that has been around since the mall’s inception is Ticket to Korea. Despite having been to Setiawalk many times, I have never thought to try them out — so a recent lunch date with my friend H was as good a time as any.

The restaurant’s interior is brightly lit by natural sunlight and the space feels cosy and welcoming. A young couple whom I assume to be the owners greeted us enthusiastically, and we were quickly given menus. Aside from authentic Korean fare the likes of bulgogi and pajeon (pancake), diners will also find popular fusion dishes like Korean-style pork ribs with cheese, hot plate cheesy corn, and kimchi quesadilla.

H ordered a bibimbap bowl, which came in a huge portion — I think it was good enough for two small eaters. It was beautifully presented, with generous heapings of vegetables, grilled pork belly, shredded cucumber, carrots and seaweed, topped off with a fried egg. It was delicious; the sweet and savoury sauce brought everything together really well.

Despite the sweltering heat outside, I went for the Kimchi Ramen (because I’m masochist that way lol).

The bowl looked fiery red when it came to the table; there were soft slices of tofu swimming within, and the soup’s colour contrasted nicely with the enoki mushrooms and spring onion garnish on top. The soup was the bomb. Some places cut corners and add more kimchi paste, which means you get watery, ‘flavoured’ soup — but with this, I could really taste the texture of fibrous, blended vegetables, and there was a good amount of kimchi within as well. It was thick and sour, perfect for whetting the appetite, and the slight viscosity meant that the soup clung to each strand of ramyeon for maximum flavour. Did I also mention that the pork slices were super tender and had a great ratio of lean and fat?

The owners kept popping by to our table to check if I was okay with the heat. The soup was rather spicy, but hey — what’s pleasure without a bit of pain? *wink wink

20210407_130253 — To wash everything down, a cold glass of coffee with condensed milk.

We had a nice surprise at the end, compliments of the house — ice cream, served on a cold stone plate. They were drizzled over with what tasted like honey, and cookie shavings. Definitely a sweet end to a satisfying meal.

There are lots of good things to say about our dining experience here: the service was impeccable, the dishes that we tried tasted excellent, and prices were not too steep (our meal for two came up to about RM60). I wouldn’t mind a return visit !

PS: They have another branch at Tropicana Avenue, PJ.

TICKET TO KOREA

C-8-1, Block C, Setiawalk, Persiaran Wawasan, Jalan Wawasan 1/1, Taman Wawasan, 47160 Puchong, Selangor

Opening hours: 12PM – 11PM (daily)

facebook.com/tickettokoreafinedining

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Meal for One: Gangnam 88 @ Setiawalk Puchong

December 26, 2020December 26, 2020Posted in FoodTagged dining, eats, Featured, food blog, foodie, Korean, Korean food, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Puchong, restaurant reviewLeave a comment

I can’t believe it has been three years since I last dined at Gangnam 88 at Setiawalk Puchong – I’m surprised the place is still surviving. It has nothing to do with their food, which is pretty decent – it’s just that Setiawalk is so dead these days, you’ll be hard-pressed to find restaurants that are still open. A far cry from its glory days when the place was thriving with restos and bars.

The decor and menu has not changed much since my last visit: it still looks bright, cheerful and warm, with lots of Korean-themed decor adorning the walls, and the customary K-pop videos playing on TV.

Most of the items they serve are meant for sharing, like the BBQ platters, Korean fried chicken, stews and such. For lunch, they have individual rice and noodle dishes, as well as lunch sets which come with refillable banchan (sides).

I had the Ramyeon with Cheese (RM16), which was served with the usual sides like pickled vegetables, kimchi, fishcakes and tofu. Ramyeon was a tad overcooked so the noodles were too soft, and the soup was too diluted, so it was a quite disappointing. Still, if you’re in the area and looking for Korean food, this is one of the only ones around aside from Ticket to Korea, and I think that they do serve some pretty decent BBQ.

GANGNAM 88 (PUCHONG)

I-2-G, Setiawalk, Persiaran Wawasan,, Pusat Bandar Puchong, 47160 Puchong, Selangor Darul Ehsan

Opening hours: 11AM – 12AM (daily)

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Review: Wing Wing @ Pavilion KL – Korean Fried Chicken From The UK

August 18, 2019February 19, 2021Posted in FoodTagged chicken wings, dining, eating, Featured, food, food blog, food photography, food review, foodie, fried chicken, fried chicken wings, Korean, Korean food, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Pavilion KL, places to eatLeave a comment

Update: This restaurant is permanently closed.

There’s a new Korean fried chicken joint in town – and it’s now my new favourite place for fried chicken! Hailing from the UK, Wing Wing enters the arena with an outlet in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, dishing out fresh, juicy fried chicken with some pretty interesting flavours.

Already a cult favourite in its homeland, Wing Wing is a fusion of edgy London street culture, the pop of Asian spice and the European passion for pure quality ingredients. The outlet on Pavilion KL’s sixth floor is bright and cheerful, with funky colours, patterns and decor geared towards youth.

There are currently three flavours available on the menu – the conventional soy garlic, spicy and something rather unusual – liquorice. Licquorice is an ancient Mediterranean herb used in food and medicine for thousands of years. You might have seen it in the form of candy in the UK, where it is quite popular. You can opt to order the standard wings and drummettes (set of six, 12 or 18), or drumsticks (3, 6 or 9 pieces). Each set can be upgraded to include fries and bottomless drink.

Now I’ve had my fair share of Korean fried chicken, and different places do it differently. Wing Wing’s appeal lies in the chicken’s freshness, as the meat is delivered to the outlet each morning, then marinated, battered and hand-brushed with premium ingredients ie French flour and natural spices, before they are deep fried to order. The hand brushing technique creates a thin layer of coating over the basic marination, so you get a thin, crackly and almost transparent crust that envelops the juicy meat within. While all the flavours are great, I personally like the licquorice because it has this great, herbal-like flavour with a sweet aftertaste. The spicy will satisfy spice lovers as it packs quite a punch.

If you prefer something healthier (ahem), opt for the salad which comes with generous chunks of boneless chicken meat on a bed of lettuce and dressing.

For a hearty bite to-go, Wing Wing also offers chicken wraps – a tortilla stuffed full with fried chicken strips and vegetables.

Another one of their signature items is the Chicken Katsu Bao – an interesting fusion of Asian flavours. There’s the lightly fried Chinese mantao bun, paired with tender crispy chicken within and a hefty dollop of kimchi slaw. The flavours are well balanced, with the slight sweetness/savoury flavour of the chicken + the tangy, sourness/creaminess of the kimchi slaw.

Got a sweet tooth? Fret not – Wing Wing offers a couple of dessert items as well, such as the Hot Bao Nuts (stuffed with ingredients such as Banana Caramel; Pineapple, etc.) and ice cream sundaes.

Prices for the chicken items start from RM15.90 onwards.

WING WING MALAYSIA

Lot 6.01.01, Level 6, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Phone: 03-21103525

Business hours: 10AM – 10PM (daily)

*Photos not watermarked courtesy of Wing Wing Malaysia/Suppagood PR

Review: Two Pesos Hotpot @ Bandar Puchong Jaya, Puchong

June 23, 2019Posted in FoodTagged Army Stew, Asian cuisine, Asian food, dining, eating, Featured, food, food photography, food review, hotpot, Korean, Korean food, Malaysia, Malaysian food, Puchong, restaurant review, steamboat, Taiwanese food, Two Pesos3 Comments

It was a scorching hot day but that didn’t stop C and I from having hotpot for lunch at Two Pesos, a hotpot specialist restaurant in Bandar Puchong Jaya, Puchong. While the brand was founded by a Taiwanese couple, the story goes that they met and got married in Boracay, hence the resto’s Filipino-sounding name.

The resto’s interior is cheerful and decked out in bright orange, with a fuss-free design that resembles a canteen. The interior was air conditioned, so we could enjoy our food in comfort.

While most hotpot restos adopt an ‘all-you-can-eat’ concept, orders at Two Pesos are by set – which is good in a way because you won’t over-indulge. Their signature is the milky seafood pot, and they also offer hotpot/BBQ sets where the meat is grilled over a stone plate, which gives you that beautiful sear and flavour. There are plenty of different sets to choose from, such as Japanese Sukiyaki, Hua Diao Chicken, Basu Spicy Pot, Mongolian Herbs Pot, Supreme Tajine Seafood Hotpot, and more.

Felt like something salty and sour, so we went for the Korean Army Stew (Budae Jjigae) instead. For those not familiar with this dish, it’s a relatively ‘new’ invention created after the Korean war, when food was scarce and people used any surplus food they could get from US army bases, chucking them together to make a stew. Primary ingredients include ham, sausages and spam, mixed with Korean ingredients such as kimchi and gochujang (bean paste).

The version at Two Pesos had sausages and the usual hotpot items such as crab meat sticks, fish balls, tofu, beancurd sheets, enoki mushrooms, corn and vegetables like cabbage and carrots. Of course, you can’t run away from the kimchi and gochujang mix, which gives the soup it’s intense red colouring and spicy, sour taste, as well as chewy teokbokki (rice cakes). It was also topped with a block of instant noodles.

The set came with a choice of meat – either pork, Australian beef or fish. We went for the pork slices which were just the right thickness and fresh. Only had to cook it for awhile in the bubbling soup to achieve the perfect tenderness. Also included was a choice of carb – ie rice, instant noodles or yee mee (fried dried noodles).

Overall the flavour was pretty good, although I still prefer the one from Gangnam 88. For RM20.90 per set, the price was reasonable but I wished they had more ingredients instead of just a few pieces of fishballs/crabsticks, and less cabbage.

Ordered boneless fried chicken as a side. Again, portion was not very large and it costs RM8.90 – but the flavour was good with a crunchy exterior and moist insides.

TWO PESOS

16, Jalan Kenari 8, Bandar Puchong Jaya, 47100 Puchong, Selangor

Opening hours: 12PM – 11PM (Daily)

2pesos.com.my

Review – Ki:m Fresh Korean Seaweed @ 3 Damansara (Formerly Tropicana City Mall)

December 4, 2018February 1, 2021Posted in FoodTagged dining, eating, Featured, food photography, food review, Korean, Korean food, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Petaling Jaya, restaurant review, tropicana City Mall2 Comments

You know you haven’t been to a mall for the longest time when you return and find that they don’t even call it by the old name anymore lol.

I used to go to Tropicana City Mall fairly often, because it was close to my old work place. Haven’t been back since I left the company. They call it 3 Damansara now. Most of the old tenants are still there, like Kim Fresh Korean Seaweed, a kiosk on the Lower Ground Floor that sells Korean food and snacks.

C, Kel and I were here for an event and we stopped by for a late lunch. The place is a simple open space with limited seating, a small kitchen, and a front counter selling roasted seaweed.

We ordered several dishes to share. Our appetiser consisted of kimbap (or gimbap) – rice rolls wrapped in seaweed, stuffed with various ingredients such as pickles, egg, vegetables and ham, and sliced into bite-sized pieces. It is quite similar to the Japanese sushi roll. The gimbap was a tasty starter, and the accompanying kimchi banchan (side dish) gave it a sour/spicy kick.

Spicy ramyeon was extremely spicy. Topped with a fried egg and roasted seaweed, the fiery sauce coated each strand of al dente noodle, and the seasoning was flavourful, but it had us gulping down cups of water. It’s the type of heat that doesn’t feel that hot at first, but eventually has you crying and your sinuses running. If you can’t handle the heat, it’s best to go for the non-spicy option.

My favourite was the boneless sweet and sour Korean fried chicken. Apart from not having to deal with bones, the chicken was also fresh – moist on the inside, crunchy and sticky sweet on the outside. Highly addictive! I suggest getting it with rice so you don’t feel overwhelmed by the strong flavour. I can see myself coming back here just to have this.

Also bought seaweed, which came in a pack of four large sheets (RM4.50). The seaweed is lightly salted and roasted with sesame for extra fragrance and flavour.

K:IM FRESH KOREAN SEAWEED

LG, K12, 3 Damansara, 3, Jalan SS 20/27, Damansara Intan, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Review: Wagle Wagle Korean Food, Setiawalk Puchong – Great Chicken Wings!

January 10, 2018January 8, 2018Posted in FoodTagged Asian, chicken wings, dining, eating, Featured, food, food review, Korean, Korean food, Korean fried chicken, Kuala Lumpur, Puchong, restaurant review, Setiawalk, Southeast Asian, Wagle Wagle1 Comment

This blog is slowly but surely turning into a chicken wing review site… but anyway.

Setiawalk in Puchong seems to have morphed into K-town – I think there must be six or more Korean restaurants on the ground floor alone ! S and I were there for dinner and decided to try one of the newly opened ones, called Wagle Wagle. The place attracts quite a number of Korean clientele, so I guess the food must be pretty authentic.

Nice and cosy interior with a white/wood dominant design. Pop culture posters hang on the walls while the TV plays K-pop and drama.

Most of the food is made for sharing between two to three people, but there are a few individual dishes as well. S had the cheese ramen (RM10) which was basically just Shin Ramyun noodles in a savoury/sour soup base, topped with a slice of cheese.

What I like about Korean ramyeon – the texture is so springy ! Even after it’s been soaking in the soup for some time.

Was craving for octopus, so I got the octopus stir fry with rice. A little disappointed because veggies > way more than octopi, which was chopped so finely I had to sift through the mountain of vegetables to locate what few measly pieces there were mixed in to the dish. I get that octopus is expensive, but really… you can pick out how small the bits were from the picture above. It also lacked salt, so it was spicy but all I tasted was the gochujang sauce.

The soy-sauce chicken wings (RM19 – set of four wings/drummettes) fared much better and seemed to be a hit with most tables. Not the meatiest, but they were juicy and tender with a crispy coat, covered in a delightful sweet and savoury sauce. The sauce was a tad sweeter than the average K-chicken wings I’ve had, but tasty nonetheless. Good stuff. Didn’t feel overly greasy too. #canhavelotsofrice

WAGLE WAGLE

Lot C-9-G, Block C, Setiawalk Puchong, Taman Wawasan, 47100 Puchong, Selangor

Phone: 014-638 7992

Business hours: 11AM – 1130PM (daily)

Food Review: Sae Ma Eul Charcoal Korean BBQ, Jaya One

November 17, 2017November 13, 2017Posted in FoodTagged barbeque, dining, eating, Featured, food, food photography, Jaya One, Korean, korean bbq, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, pork belly, restaurant review, Sae Ma Eul9 Comments

This was over a month ago but I’ve only had time to write a review now; that’s how busy I’ve been 😦

It’s been awhile since I last met up with my uni-mate Jo, so we decided to get dinner after work. I wanted to take her for some yakitori, but the place was closed so we ended up getting Korean barbecue instead. Located on the second floor of the central courtyard, Sae Ma Eul uses charcoal rather than an electric grill for the meat, creating a nice, smoky flavour.

Interior looks like your typical bbq joint, with indoor and outdoor seating and exhaust hoods over the grills to catch the smoke.

Readying the grill.

I’ve been to several grill places where the service is excellent – waiters are very attentive to your needs/help you to grill your stuff. This was not one of those places. Service was mediocre, and staff members looked completely disinterested at their jobs. The boss himself was great – came out to show us how to cook the meat properly – but the staff needs proper training and a huge dose of enthusiasm.

Jo and I got a set meal for 2-3pax (ambitious much). Instantly regretted when the food came because they came in such hefty portions. Giant pork belly slabs. Humongous shoulder cuts. A huge mound of marinated octopus. Didn’t help that I (foolishly, but hey, everyone does that when they’re hungry right?) ordered an extra helping of cheese lol.

High quality cuts with good marbling and balance between lean and fat.

Jo didn’t like octopi so I had this all to myself 😀 They were quite sizable, and the spicy sauce it was marinated in had a kimchi/bellpepper flavour.

Part of the fun of bbq – watching the meat crack and sizzle over the fire.

Our melted pot of cheese on the side was thick and gooey – great as a dipping sauce with the meat. The meat itself was tasteless but went well with some sesame oil and bean paste. The best way to eat is to wrap the whole chunk in a fresh lettuce leaf with some garlic. Hmm!

A lot of food which we struggled to finish towards the end. Didn’t even touch the banchan (side dishes) too much lol.

All in all, I’d say that I’ve had better K-BBQ, but Sae Ma Eul isn’t bad and pretty value for money if you’re sharing a set with friends. Service can definitely be improved though. They also have branches in Publika and Solaris Mont Kiara.

SAE MA EUL (JAYA ONE BRANCH)

77-1, Block E, The Square, Jalan University, Jaya One, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Open daily: 11.30AM-11.30PM

Review: Omaya, Pavilion KL – Korean Honey Mustard Chicken with Cheese, Army Stew and more

October 15, 2017February 17, 2021Posted in FoodTagged dining, eating, Featured, food, food blog, food photography, Korean, Korean food, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Omaya, Pavilion KL, restaurant review1 Comment

Update: This outlet is permanently closed.

After all the street food we had in Ipoh and Jalan Alor, N and I thought it’d be nice to have lunch at a proper restaurant for a change. It was a toss up between Korean and Japanese food, but in the end, my craving for melted cheese prevailed and we found ourselves at Omaya in Pavilion KL, which specialises in items such as army stew and cheese dakgalbi.

Korean food fans will know the brand well. First opened in Malaysia in 2016, there were crazy long queues when their first outlet opened in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. The restaurant itself has a ‘construction site’ theme, with black and yellow signs reminiscent of warning signs you find at a development project… except featuring woks, knives and illustrations of food. Steel pipes, silver aluminum+-like sheets and bricks make up part of the decor.

We ordered one of their specialties – the Army Stew or Budae Jjigae. This popular hotpot dish contains a mishmash of ingredients such as ramyeon and kimchi, rice cakes, tofu, vegetables such as carrots, mushrooms and beansprouts mixed with processed foods like hotdogs, sausages and ham. It was said that the during and after the Korean War, when there was a shortage of food, locals would use scrounged or smuggled surplus items from US army bases, throw them into a pot and cook everything together – hence the name ‘army stew’.

After mixing and bringing to a boil, the result was comfort food like no other – springy noodles that went well with all the different ingredients which lent the dish different textures and flavours, topped with a spicy kick from the gochujang (chilli paste). Although the version here couldn’t top the army stew I had at Gangnam 88 it was still decent nonetheless.

The real reason I came to Omaya – their Honey Mustard Chicken with Cheese. It came bubbling and frothing on a shallow pan which belied the amount of cheese on the plate. The chicken was sweet, salty and tender, but you have to wrap it up quickly if you want that gooey, stringy consistency. Cheese hardens after a couple of minutes, so work fast! Again, it was good but not awesome like ohmygodthisisheaven awesome.

For drinks, went for the gimmicky Cotton Candy Shake: basically normal mango concentrate but topped with a giant cotton candy. Eat this quickly or it’ll sink and melt into the drink, which was what happened with mine lol.

Food: 7/10 (decent although not the best Korean fare I’ve had)

Service: 5/10 (rather unenthusiastic)

Ambience: 7/10

Price: above average; expect to pay Rm50+ for two persons.

OMAYA (Pavilion)

C4.02.00, Level 4,
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur Mall 168,
Jalan Bukit Bintang,
55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Phone: 03-2141 0122

Business hours: 10AM- 10PM (daily)