Siu~V: 2014

red lobster seeing red?

Indeed a fresh discovery, Red Lobster, known to be the world's largest seafood restaurant company, has set foot in KL on 1st October at The Intermark. Co-owned here by our very own Secret Recipe Group, take heed though that 'largest' may not mean the 'best'. Hence, i was here for the food test. And i dun necessarily mean the 'lobster' test.

I kinda like that it was situated in the low density Intermark building where parking is absolutely not a problem. Plus i was here pretty early for dinner, hence the sight of chit-chatting waiters hovering at the doorway of the restaurant seemed pretty 'unclassy' to me. They were actually waiting to be assigned 'personal waiter' of walk-in customers.

A peek at the menu and its prices... i would love this as a starter if i came in a bigger group.

i would love this as a main if i came with a bigger wallet.
Nah, i actually ain't no lobster lover. i just love crab a hundred times more.

I started off my dinner with a nice refreshing glass of fruit punch.
A very 'bananacky' drink.

Instead of the usual bun and butter rolls, we were served complimentary Cheddar Biscuits. Seriously, i wouldn't had mind paying for this as they were simply awesome! Cheesy crunch on the outside and piping hot and moist in the inside. My waiter even offered me additional biscuits (perhaps he noticed I was eating for two? ^^)

So, i knew i wasn't planning to order lobster, but since the name says Red Lobster after all, i had to at least try their Lobster Bisque, right? Plus i had a reminiscence of this soup that i used to love at this place called Dave's (in 1 Utama) some 10 years ago.

Turned out this bisque here is another winner. Smooth, creamy and very flavourful.

Don't be expecting THIS much lobster meat in your soup though. 0_o

The menu is not super complicated and since there weren't that many choices available, I decided to gamble on their Parmesan Crusted Sea Bass Pasta. I tried asking my waiter the kind of sauce they serve for my pasta (since it wasn't mentioned in the menu), but his ability to comprehend my question was rather a letdown. I took the chance anyway.

And ding! ding! ding!, we have another winning dish. The fusili was springy, greens fresh and the fish lip-smacking fantastic. The herby crust of the fish was crispy and coated the moist seabass to perfection. By the way, it was a thick creamy sauce for the pasta. This dish was actually quite a large serving, enough even for 2.

There's also the Admiral's Feast - a name that usually resembles a large-portioned power-packed dish that's fit for the King.

Sad to say, it turned out to be a plain 'ol dish of deep-fried fish and other seafood bits so minute and tiny, i could hardly taste the meat. The batter was kinda tasteless too, if not for the sour cream and weird-tasting salsa sauce to dip them in. Frankly, the best part of this dish was the broccoli. You can so totally give this a miss.

Thank God for my pasta dish that saved the night.

As in any restaurant, there are bound to be hits and misses. Overall, it was still a good dining experience. One man's meat is another man's poison. So don't just take my word for it. Try it out yourself and lemme know. I would definitely like to try their other dishes on the menu. Or perhaps all i miss are their cheddar biscuits?

Red Lobster KL
G-17, The Intermark, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-2181-4855

(Soon to also open in Quill City Mall, KL and Gamuda Walk Mall, Shah Alam)

primo's pretty slomo ...

Welcome to newly-opened Primo's Cafe at Starparc Point, Setapak. The place that serves Dragon Balls (do they by any chance serve 7 balls?) as starters.

I never knew this place existed until Groupon told me. Hmm, would that explain why it was full house?

Even the drinks counter was super busy and rather disorganized i must say.

Browsing through the menu, it was quite an interesting one with lots of choices to choose from. Especially since the Groupon deal was for cash vouchers, we were free to eat whatever our stomachs desired.

Let's see how they price their meat!

I on the other hand, was greedy enough to order the Gentlemen Breakfast....for lunch. Why not, i've never had beans withdrawn from a bank before.

The drinks came. After a long wait.

On the other hand, the food only came after a tremendously long wait. Clearly, the kitchen and staff had failed to cope to a full house capacity.

Even Darren could not wait for his meal and decided that milk was to be his best friend that afternoon.

And then there was Mark and his 'feed me now or i will kill you' expression on his face.

Seriously, we waited for more than 45 minutes with some other tables already complaining due to incomplete servings, so much so that one poor fella would still be waiting for his food when the rest has already lapped up their plates clean. I also think i managed to catch one of the owners of this place in the photo below? She was the cashier for the day, plus i did not appreciate her gesture of kissing Darren on his cheek without a single apology on the terrible service that day.

And what about the food?
The feedback i got was (thank god!) it was quite good except that it was sometimes prepared in a sloppy manner. One thing though, i hated the fries that came with the burger. The oil tasted rancid and the color of the fries was truly unappealing. The chicken patty i heard was quite tasty and tender.

My 3 other friends ordered the pasta and they all tasted good, but small served.
My only comment; the inconsistent garnishing of their pasta shows the hastily prepared pasta by the kitchen.

Heck, a little garnish of parsley would certainly do the trick.

I was the victim of being the last one to be served. So much for ordering the breakfast set!
Except for the dull bland salad, the other components were tasty

Certainly hope the owners will kick the service up a few notches.Otherwise, they won't be seeing our happy faces here anymore.

vivian, nick and danny

Even Darren had lots to say about this place.

Primo's Cafe
E-01-01, StarParc Point,
Jln Genting Klang,
Setapak, 53300, KL.
Tel : 03 4141 6183
(Warning : Dine at your own risk!)

'burps n giggles' all you want here...

Old town Ipoh comes alive with some of the trendiest cafes in town. Burps and Giggles being one of them.

I've heard about this zany little eatery and was excited to finally being able to visit this place.

What enticed me to come here wasn't so much for the food, but rather it's awesomely retro, rustic design. Ya the place looks 'old' with that musty feel to it, but it somehow works for anyone who visits.

Everything and anything passes as a piece of decor. Heck, leave a piece of chair or rusty mug lying around and THAT would be a decorative item.

You can easily spend a whole hour taking pictures here as every nook and corner is unique on its own.

Dust-allergy people, I don't recommend getting close to the displayed items though - dusting is a real challenge if you're a staff here.

Unfinished rooftop? Why bother fixing it when it looks cool by itself.

Anything can be hung on the walls.

The coffee art is demure and the perfect finish to a great cup of delight.

Famous for their burgers, you could try the Bam Bam which is a wagyu patty burger at only RM 28. I however opted for the Poulet which is a chicken burger with pineapple and gherkins. The buns were sesame seed-filled (aaah!) and grilled to perfection. I super adored the juicy tender chicken thigh meat layered with the freshest crunchiest lettuce and tangy pineapple ring.

Their fish and chips were not from the dory-kind (thank god!) and cooked in this tempura-like batter. Accompanying chips (rich fluffy potatoes!) and sour cream made this a heavenly dish.

Wanting more sauces and toppings for your meal? No problemo.

If you're looking for some healthy comfort food, the Farmer's Soup is a must-try.

Accompanied with 2 pieces of Olive bread, this soup is a complete meal on its own, rich with a variety of beans, corn, sausages and god knows what else, packed in this herb-filled soup. So rustic, my fave!