Sundays at Sassorosso, Jalan Yap Kwan Seng

Sassorosso, a not-so-new, cute little Italian joint, is tucked in Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, a bit unassuming on the outside but lovely once you enter. The good folks here (who also run Giovino's) have a Sunday lunch deal that we finally got around to trying.

We went for the semi-buffet deal (includes appetiser & soup buffet, ala carte mains and dessert). Had a hard night prior so sadly, the booze option was wasted on us (top-up RM50++ for free flow of prosecco and wines).

Here's what we missed. If you're thirsty and you know it, clap your hands!

Buffet spread of salad...

... tortilla, pasta, clams in wine broth...

...cold cuts, grilled vegetables and fresh greens. We were well stuffed by the time we worked through this. Missing in the pic was a steaming cauldron of fresh green pea soup.

Hui's Grilled Jumbo Tiger Prawns. Jumbo awright!

My Pan Fried Sea Bass with potato crust. Truffle butter sauce was a lil' weak but not a complaint really. This was well-executed.

Mei Shean's main, Pan-seared calf-liver, was a formidable deposit of vitality, oozing juice, blood on a bed of mash. Too rich for a single sitting and half of this had to go back to the kitchen.

The sweets, (clockwise from top: Millefuille, Pannacotta and Creme Brulee) went largely under-appreciated as we simply were sated beyond negotiation.

Enjoyed our afternoon at Sassorosso, and during this time, eyed plenty of families enjoying a slow, lazy ala carte lunch. The deal does come in huge portions, with great service at RM118++ per head (without the booze but with free flow of fresh juices; RM168++ with the booze, totally recommended!)

Sassorosso Italian Restaurant & Wine Retailer

9 Lorong Yap Kwan Seng

50450 KL

Tel: +603-21166 6428

http://www.sassorosso.com.my/

Before you say I Do at Ma Maison, Ampang

We gather here today to wish you well. And to be well, you need to eat well. No scrimping on the things that matter most to a bride-to-be - joy and liberation from loving, being loved and entering into a life-long contract of uhh.... bondage and protective custody? We kid, we kid. We love people in love and we love weddings!

Ma Maison offers a RM30 nett meal of a myriad of emancipation from stuffy and restrictive diets and starters. There is plenty ot chew on, from garlic toast to toast with caramelised onions & cheese and egg mayo concoction, salad involving eggplant, pasta and beansprouts and potatoes. We were well sated on the homely fare before the main courses made it to the table.

We ponder in silence upon a totally pretty yet pedestrian visual arrest of the City of Love.

The appetizer buffet also featured the very veritable duck offering here. The standard of procedure is, on days they serve their infamous duck in orange sauce, they grill the remaining parts of the duck. It's a bit tough and I felt it was too gamey to the tongue.

The Duck in Orange Sauce is perhaps the most fitting ode to the marriage vow - obliging and hope-inducing. The sauce is robust enough to pare down the fowl gusto of the duck. Most satisfying, as I am sure the parties of the impending union would concur of each other.

The other main course on offer, Perch in Butter Sauce didn't fare quite as well. The meal owner felt that while the flesh was firm and fresh, the sauce was a too heavy on the cream and didn't do it justice. Hmm... mayhaps a conundrum for marital discourse?

And on that note, all the best to Li Ann and Benji!

Ma Maison
32 Persiaran Ampang
Desa Pahlawan
55000 Kuala Lumpur
WP Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-4256-5410

Hup-Hup! Sunday Simplicity on the Double!

Hup Soon's Western food stall had been edging its way into conversations about Sunday comfort food, one that usually lasts for hours as dusk claims yet another tiring day of rest and games. The urgency to visit went up a couple of notches after reading Rebecca's post on her auspicious visit to the same coffee shop during the day.

SS3 has always been a bit of a mystery to me. Particularly at the end of a day of futility, I am even less inclined to navigate my way around old Petaling Jaya. Special thanks to driver this particular Sunday!

Hup Soon illuminated for an evening of family feasting. Note: in the evenings, all other stalls are closed, so you come here either for the standard Western fare or fill up on iced Chinese tea or something.

The menu with revised pricing. I had imagined this stall to serve Hainanese chicken chop so imagine my dismay that the dialect here was anything but Hainanese.

The driver friend goes for the Lamb Stew, which commanded attention with its huge chunks of fall of the bone lamb in potent clear brew, bursting with goodness of generous dashings of pepper and accompanying vegetables. Very satisfying.

My Mushroom Soup was a bit of a modified Campbell's disaster. If you think it looks like dishwater, wait till you have a taste.

The Mexican Chicken Chop was massive slab of deep fried (you get a choice between deep fried or grilled) chop, drenched in a blah sweet & sour sauce, a masterpiece of culinary misappropriation.

My Chicken chop with Brown Sauce fared a wee bit better but I was terribly defeated by the massive serving - got about halfway through the reasonably uhh... well-fried chop? Passed the rest to my alarmingly ravenous driver friend, who had yet another serving of the same...

...Grilled chicken chop with brown sauce. We concurred that when you're in these quarters, don't even think about going easy on the grease. Hup Soon is meant to feed the coarse yet cheerful pleasure-seeker in all of us.

Despite my initial misgivings, I foresee a few more Sundays where I will need Hup Soon's heavily simple comforts. Still no clue how I'd get there though!

Hup Soon
Jalan 3/29
SS3 Kelana Jaya
47300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor

The Local Fix-It, Paradiso at Taman Desa

The mad state of Klang Valley traffic sometimes leaves little option but for us to stick to the vicinity of our respective neighbourhoods, no matter how dire the offerings. Where I presently live, Taman Desa (for god knows how much longer, at the rate my long-suffered property hunt is progressing) is not exactly a culinary treasure trove. It does, however, have a smattering of local haunts that serve a decent meal, some of which may even surprise the unsuspecting headshaker.

One such is the local Italian (or well European, considering the family who runs the joint comes from Montenegro), the aptly named Paradiso. I first read about Paradiso at Cumi & Ciki a while ago and at that time, was stumped to have ignored it for so long.

The menu is a humble sampler of the usual pizzas, mains and pastas. Pizzas are a safe bet here - the ingredients are bountiful, fresh and during all my visits here, whether to dine in or takeaway, take no more than 10 minutes from oven to table. Too easy and enticing for me to not call upon Paradiso to fix the prosaic problems of the working week.

Did the PC really die on me without saving the document I'd been slaving over for the past two hours without saving? Who you gonna call?? The Pizza Quatre Stagioni (RM25) satisfies midweek rage topped with beef pepperoni, turkey salami, chicken and smoked beef.

Was that another request for a revision on a plan after you had just submitted revision #375? Stick it to the system! Choose your own toppings for RM29 - here, we went with turkey salami, chicken, mushrooms and tuna.

Just when you thought you had earned the day's wages and the client just called to seal another evening in with more documents to write? A takeaway at Paradiso will sort you straight, which was what this Pizza Paradiso (turkey salami, chicken and pineapple) did.

And on peaceful weekends plagued by the dreadry prospect of a combustive meeting first thing Monday morning? To Paradiso we go! The Pasta Polo (penne served in olive oil, vegetables, chicken and garlic sauce at RM19.50) is comforting but a shade too pale compared to the sturdy pizza offerings.

So what's your local fix-it? Before you write off any of the little-known neighbourhood joints, take a little walk around and who knows, you may just find that little whiff of paradise, not too far away from your doorstep, like how I found mine.

Paradiso

5-0-2 Jalan 3/109F

Danau Business Centre

Taman Danau Desa

58100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-7981 9996

Tick Tock, goes the Meat-O-Meter at Euro Deli, Damansara Kim

My pork-eating days are numbered. I have been laid into some of the most persuasive literature for a meatless diet that I feel I would be doing the conviction proffered by the writers injustice if I didn’t at least try to revisit vegetarianism one more time.

So while I prepare myself for this potential switch back to vegetables, pulses and maybe, just maybe, a selection of mock meats, I am clocking in hazy, meaty jaunts with my favourite cuts.

Such as this recent jaunt to everyone's old German-Swiss favourite Euro Deli in Damansara Kim. We arrived on a Sunday evening, hungry from having performed zero to minimal brain activity all day and with nothing on our mind but pork. I flipped open the menu and immediately called the Mixed Roast Platter which featured a cut of the pork knuckle, ribs and belly. My friend conceded defeat and decided to have a go at the burger instead.

The Swiss Burger (RM19.50), OK to look and taste but ultimately inadequate. When you’re in that Sunday devil-may-care frame of mind, you really don’t want to stop your pork ritual at just a burger patty sandwiched between bland buns.

My glistening Mixed Roast Platter (RM32) of pork cuts arrived, doused in rather generic brown gravy. Let us study exactly what this platter proffered. The plate was topped with one crispy cracker of pork skin, perfect snack while watching repetitive plotwork on Californication (how many times can someone screw up screwing randomly?) or hell, just lying in bed on Sunday as per usual absorbing absolutely nothing at all.

Knuckle was tender and yielded to knife and fork easily, but I have had better. Not sure if it’s entirely a matter of taste but I feel knuckle needs to be consumed whole and when it’s served as a dainty cut as part of a sampler, it fails to convey to the innate beast in us.

Ribs were tougher and gamier than I like but they were fatty enough to inspire my friend to go for a second helping of Roast Pork Ribs (RM29) after his burger went down too fast.

The belly I liked was, for the crisp, deep rust edges and more pork skin, burnt and spurting fragrant juices. I would absolutely need to return for the rolled pork belly on its own. The Mixed Platter, while handsome in abundance, just doesn’t impart the necessary focus on the individual cuts of meat.

While the precise number of pork-eating days left is questionable (I’m thinking a big 6-figure timeline, depending on how fast and furious the literature keeps coming), I think I have a couple more visits to Euro Deli left in me before the Meat-O-Meter is tossed into the bonfire.

Reservations are recommended. The place has been spruced up real nice since my last visit - there's even nice woody bar out back where I can imagine knocking back a bottle or two at my next pork outing.

Euro Deli Shop

41, Jalan SS20/11

Damansara Kim

Tel: 03-7726 7495

I Just Wanna Get Along at Blue Cow Cafe, Plaza Damas

When I was thinking for an opening hook for this post, I thought only and only of this one song.

"We were rich once
Before your head exploded"


The Roast Pork served with a huge dollop of coleslaw and mash on that Saturday morning was handsome and induced happiness.

"Imagine doing what just the Big Bang did"

The Applesauce that came served in a separate jar was tart and tight, elevating the Roast Pork to new possibilities.

"The whole world knew it was loaded

Wave bye bye cause it ain't ever coming down now"

The Grilled Pork Loin, a little less profuse in flavour and tenderness, simmered and sulked, demanding for more attention and praise. The tougher material was challenging to work with but we gave it all we had and placated the raging victim within. Just for a short while though.

"I just wanna get along" Jeng-Jeng!

I returned to the crisp comfort of the Roast Pork and surrendered with a sigh.

"I look up

The heads fly over

I see a boy I know

His hair's on fire"

The pilgrimage of pork that sussed out this and that happened at:

Blue Cow Cafe

N-1-4, Plaza Damas

60, Jalan Sri Hartamas

Tel: 03-62013206

"The whole world I discovered

If you're so special why aren't you dead"

The tune's "I Just Wanna Get Along" by the Breeders. Listen here. Pretty awesome eh?

The Fat of the Land, Nambawan, off Old Klang Road

Our glorious land is stuffed to the brim with promise and we know, KNOW this. But buried by political opportunism and citizen inertia, we forget too easily and vicariously extol the virtues of giving up and taking off to faraway lands, padded by the belief that the grass (and meat) will always be greener, fatter on the other side.

I had read enthralled about the highly inconspicious Nambawan off Old Klang Road from Masak-masak's post recently. A hidden pork haven in an area virtually unheard of at jaw-dropping prices, no more than a 15-minute drive from my humble neighbourhood... hello, did Xmas 2010 arrive 11 months early?!

The place was pretty empty when we arrived in the thick of lunch hour but we were undeterred, as we usually were about places that had gotten Boo's stamp of approval!

My dining companion Caterpillar, a burger fiend dove straight for the homemade Pork Burger (RM6.90). The serving was a little on the small side, given that he was ravenous. The sight of the untoasted, banal store-bought burger bun didn't help.

However, one bite into the virgin pink patty erased all doubts. It oozed juice, brass and lustrous flesh, everything we could want to realise the elusive potential of this place we call home, on a remarkably hot Saturday afternoon.

From that delectable snack, there was no way to go for me but one of the weekend specials, Roasted Pork Belly (RM12.90). Slabs of exquisite fatty (like FAT, FAT, FATty) pork layered on roasted potatoes, doused in brown sauce and topped with crunchy pork skin arrived, causing some internal mayhem. At that price, this is a new level of bliss. I didn't think much of the applesauce though, which was a shade of puke-green and tasted underwhelmingly colourless. A bit like the promises that we are spoon-fed, and let down by time and time again.

We decided to race for the third main, seeing that the portions were bordering on the side of small and to mix it up, ordered the Stone Charbroiled Pork fillet. The leaner slabs of meat and chewiness were expected but we were still pleasantly surprised by how delicious the dish was.

Caterpillar bowled me over when he declared that he was still hungry and ordered the Homemade Beefburger. I didn't get a picture of it for I was distracted by the host of supermarkets on the street but was informed later by meal owner that the pork burger tasted better.

Clearly, there's wealth in our backyard but we need proper guidance, courage and effort. The location, while a little off the beaten track, was not that hard to get to. Masak-masak's Flickr album has very clear directions.

The Other Lorong Selamat (which does not involve CKT!)

While many have professed love for Lorong Selamat on account of its superstar Char Koay Teow resident, I remain firmly unconvinced of its merit and prefer to get my CKT fix elsewhere. However, there may be merit to this road's epicurean fame, beyond just that smug, goggled persona. On a recent trip, we stumbled upon not one but two noteworthy local bowls of finesse.

One was a hearty bowl of Fish Head noodles from Kedai Kopi Baru which sits isolated from the congregation of the food stalls on the Burma Road end.

A rather decent attempt at the less popular non-sour/milky variant of fish head noodles. Without the standard Chinese wine and preserved vegetables, it worked on the strength of fish stock alone and was overall a more subtle offering. Fish slices were so-so. Not mind-blowing but definitely commendable.

The next morning, we went back to Lorong Selamat, to the other end this time (Macalister Road end) to check out a shop we had passed by several times before, called T&T Prawn Mee Shop.

Ooh isn't that red car a gorgeous little machine?

We found out that it's actually the offspring of the old and beloved stall on Hong Kong Street, one that I had missed desperately so I was game to see if the younger generation made the cut. Choice toppings on offer included fish and meatballs, fresh prawns, spare ribs, pork knuckle and intestines.

My Prawn Mee with velvety, fall-of-the-bone spare ribs. Superb!! Obviously they'd stuck very close to the aged-old but not yet over-the-hill stock recipe. Drank it like beer at happy hour!

Fat Tulip's glorious mess of porcine love, starring a hefty pork knuckle and pork intestines. A beaut!

T&T also has Hokkien/Prawn mee steamboat with the delicious prawn stock, great for upcoming CNY season when your relatives gather to insinuate and interrogate. This stock could be the start of a different world for me altogether, one in which I don't abhor the concept of steamboat in what is arguably the hottest, stickiest month of the year.

Kedai Kopi Baru
6A Lorong Selamat
10400 Penang
Tel: 016-427 3717

T&T Prawn Mee Shop
127, Lorong Selamat
10400 Penang
Tel: 04-2263407/ 016 414 3369

Feel-Good Jap at Akane, Hartamas

How great was the long Raya weekend? Hands up all those who think we should have a four-day weekend every month??!

After three days of reckless indulgence, we decided to revisit our inspiration from moderation and hit for similar contemporary Western cuisine turned Japanese at Akane in Desa Sri Hartamas for a meeting that wouldn't involve alcohol.

Over thirst-quenching iced Mugi-cha, we discussed this rare, exceptional influx of positive vibes clouding what was affirmatively one of the best times of our little lives. Despite some broad concerns about the danger of slipping back into our excessive tendencies, we were delightfully smothered by the energy, possibilities and conviction that this interval offered.

Akane was peopled by Japanese patrons and staff, their delicate brand of service a gust of fresh air from lame Malaysian standards. We started with the Akane Salad, because we were being good girls. The slices of grilled unagi provided the punch to an otherwise scanty salad made up of mostly iceberg lettuce.

I had some trouble deciphering the rather perplexing menu (which included modular options of sets) but settled for Katsu Pork spicy curry rice, on account of my very long journey to trip to Japan end of the year.

I had pooh-poohed the spice level when the Jap wait staff warned, "It's very spicy" but upon first taste, understood. The spice from Japanese curry hit only a few seconds after settling on the tongue and once it did, out poured the sweat and the tissues! Halfway through meal, nose was dripping, sweat was pouring, I was a mess!!

Omu Raisu (Omelette Rice) with Tomato Sauce. Akane offered a choice of either Tomato, Curry or Demi Glace (Beef stock sauce).

The rice had been fried liberally in butter and a wealth of various types of mushrooms, scallops, shrimps and squid. This plate was cleaned!

And to part, before we embarked on a walking tour of Hartamas commerce, Akane had these table standees of messages which baffled and bettered us at the same time. I have control of neither my thoughts or actions so if someone can show me the way, that would be great!!

The Meat of Merrymaking, Bavarian Bierhaus, The Curve

CAUTION: Some baaad photos ahead! The lighting was particularly bad and I had to contend with a bunch of hungry and impatient folks.

The bride-to-be had picked the Curve for some pre-wedding fun and frolics.

Bavarian Bierhaus was packing the crowds in so good thing to make reservations ahead on a Friday evening, particularly if you're coming with a large group.

Bavarian Bierhaus' beverage menu featured the usual bevvy of Belgian beers. I had been wrongly informed beforehand (or I'd imagined this myself) that they served the rather rare Apple lambic here and I'd gotten the rest of the troop rather excited. Having been told that no, Apple lambic was in fact, NOT available, I ate humble pie while the whole table threw me accusing stares. I settled for Stella, which did not get anywhere near the lambic promise.

Some orders the Bierhaus Salad to balance out the inevitable meaty blowout. This was very well-received, the lightness of the balsamic dressing working harmoniously with the crisp greens and the seared seasoned pork loin.

The Sausage Platter arrived an impressive composition of eight sausages with sauerkrat and potato salad. A killer of a meal for one person, but works out nicely when shared between two hungry sausage fiends. When asked to pick which one was best, the black (lamb) came out the favourite.

Another goes for the Sausage & Lamb platter and did a superb job wiping her plate clean, enjoying it thoroughly in the process.

The pasta princess ordered Vongole, al dente linguine with fresh clams and generous shavings of streaky bacon. I am liking this pervasive use of pork in everything... almost like every dish is an excuse for a porcine experiment.

There were a couple of dishes here and there that didn't have pork. The Tuna Penne also scored high points with the meal owner. She had ordered this following a more-ish soup starter, not expecting this to be anything more than an unremarkable filler but was surprised by how simple, yet delightful it was.

I decided to do chicken, because I liked the sound of the Pistachio Crusted Chicken. It came two generous slices of chicken breast with a coating of roughly chopped pistachio nuts on a pool of mushroom stew. I could've done with thigh meat instead of breast, and the stew could've gone a little easier on the sodium content but overall, I was pretty happy with it.

Latecomers including the bride-to-be ordered the Lamb Sausage and another salad to share. All good, they said.

We carried on to Library for more misbehaviour. While the location had potential, we were unfortunately subjected to an evening of DREADFUL service. Orders took about 40 mins to arrive, and we were treated to profuse eye-rolling by waitresses with too much attitude. Equally wretched was the showcase by the live band, murdering every song ever known to Top 40 pop-rock history.

I'm game for merrymaking as much as the next person, but come on, for those drink prices and all that hassle, the joint should at least involve either a) live performance that's a notch more inspiring than cover bands in hotel lounges or b) a decent DJ on the decks AND a dancefloor! And it goes without saying that they need to exterminate staff who don't understand service - i.e. no, you don't get to roll your eyes when you get told off for screwing up the customer's orders. OUT!