Tae Yang Korean BBQ, Puchong

Date Visited : 15 April 2017

Puchong is known to be a food heaven for most people and this has also made the food business here very competitive. Residents of Puchong have very picky taste buds. They will always give a newly opened restaurant a first try but if the food is no good, you will never see them again.

Recently I've noticed a new Korean restaurant in Bandar Puteri, Puchong called Tae Yang Korean BBQ. Since I'm a lover of Korean food, I do have a favourite go to restaurant, which I'll be sharing with you when I have more photos,  for my usual Korean craving. I was at home on a Saturday, tired and in need for some simple Korean food fix... so I decided to give this new place a try.

I arrived at about 6.45pm for dinner and this place was already packed and I had to put my name in the waiting list. Luckily I didn't have to wait for too long as I was already seated by 7pm.

I decided to order the basics because if they can't get the basics right, we can forget about the fancy stuff.

Let's start with the banchan first. The variety was reasonable and 4 out of 5 of these dishes were okay. The egg roll was not that great for me because it was cold and a bit hard.

I ordered a Pork Dolsot Bimbibap and Pork Kimchi Jiggae.

The ingredients in the Bimbibap was fresh and the added pork meat makes it delicious.

The Kimchi Jiggae here is not too strong and I think can be accepted by many people as it was not too spicy and has the right level of sourness. It was acceptable to my taste buds for that day as I was looking for something simple.

This is their version of the Yukgaejang. The portion is huge and might be even enough for 3 person to share.

Their version is not too bad but if compared to my favourite place, it's still a bit lacking in terms of flavour.

And for something non spicy, this is the Kal Guksu. It's a Korean noodle dish consisting of handmade, knife-cut wheat flour noodles served in a large bowl with broth.

It's not something I will usually order in a Korean restaurant but it's not bad. If you don't prefer a spicy dish with a strong Korean taste, you can definitely give this a try.

After tasting the basics, I might want to return to try the BBQ stuff. This could be my near to home, quick fix for my Korean cravings.

OUR RATING

Ambience : 4/5

Service : 4/5

Food Quality : 3.5/5

Price Range : $$

Status : Non Halal
Will we go back for more : Yes.

Other information:

Address : 72, Jalan Puteri 2/4, Bandar Puteri, Puchong

Contact No. : 012-300 5735

Business Hours : 12.00pm-3.00pm / 5.30pm-10.00pm (Daily)

Transaction : Cash & Credit Card

Links : https://www.facebook.com/taeyangbbq/

Secret Garden, Ho Chi Minh

Date visited : 31 March 2017

This is another recommendation for good food in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam. It's a well hidden gem as most locals don't even know nor heard of this place. This hidden gem has a name to match... Secret Garden.

To find this hidden gem, you'll have to go through a quiet lane off the busy main road and climb up a few flights of stairs to the rooftop. Don't worry about the stairs, it's really worth the climb.

Once you've reached the rooftop, you'll be amazed by the change of scene to a charming, semi open air, garden style seating, surrounded by greenery and with a great view of the Ho Chi Minh city skyline.

Again, this place is very popular among the foreigners and expatriates. So to avoid a long wait, do make prior reservation and arrive on time to be seated.

Now let me show you some of the dishes we've ordered and all the dishes were so tasty.

This is the Deep-fried Sticky Rice with Minced Pork & Shrimp. It's best to have this as starters before your main dishes are served.

The next dish is a MUST have when you're in Vietnam... Fried Spring Rolls. You can eat these as starters or even with rice. It is small in size but the filling is generous and tasty.

This is a simple vegetable dish, Bokchoy and Mushroom. Vegetables are a must for my rice meals.

Next is the Fried Egg with Minced Pork. It's like our Malaysian Omelette but tasty in its own special way.

This is the Lotus Root with Minced Pork. I love lotus root dishes so I had to try their only lotus root dish in their menu. The lotus root slices were crunchy with a tasty and juicy minced pork patty in between.

The photo of this dish looked interesting so I decided to add this dish in my order at the very last minute. The name of this dish is Stir-fried Baby Squid & Fish Sauce. However, this dish would have been better if it was not overpowered by the onions.

This last dish is the best one among all the dishes that I've ordered. This dish has a very unique name and it's definitely not a common dish or vegetable found in Malaysia. It's called Tonkin Creeper & Garlic. The way this dish is prepared and the vegetable taste itself makes this dish so delicious. If you're a vegetable lover, you'll definitely like this dish.

So if you're in Ho Chi Minh city for whatever reason and would like to have a proper sit down dinner with great ambience, do give this place a try. You will not regret it.

OUR RATING

Ambience : 5/5

Service : 4/5

Food Quality : 4.5/5

Price Range : $$

Status : Non Halal

Other information:

Address : Top Floor, 158 Pasteur, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

Contact No. : +84 90 990 46 21

Email : nhudangngochuynh@gmail.com

Business Hours : 10.00am-10.0pm (Daily)

Transaction : Cash & Credit Card

Links :
https://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Restaurant_Review-g293925-d4573158-Reviews-Secret_Garden_Home_cooked_Vietnamese_Restaurant-Ho_Chi_Minh_City.html
or
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Secret-Garden-Restaurant-Teahouse-Rooftop-158-Pasteur-Dist-1/460687490679257

Pasta Fresca, Ho Chi Minh

Date visited : 30 March 2017

Xin Chào! 

And that means "Hello" in Vietnamese.

This time, my recommendation comes all the way from Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam.

Due to insufficient lighting in this place, I can't get many nice shots here using my Samsung S6. So please forgive me for the "not so nice" food shots.

This place was introduced by my friend who is recently became an expatriate in Vietnam. Being a foodie himself, he too explored the city for good food and this is one of them.

Pasta Fresca... a simple, authentic Italian Restaurant tucked away from the hustle bustle of Ho Chi Minh city and it's located in District 2. It's a small but cozy, open air eatery. You are encouraged to make a reservation in advance to secure a table for your party as there are very limited tables.

I didn't understand what most of the items on the menu were as their names were so fancy and Italian. We just ordered different items on the menu for trying.

Let's start with the starters that we've ordered...

This is the Italian Classic Meatballs. The meatballs are hand made and they're so juice, tender and delicious. It comes in a serving of 3 meatballs.

This dish is called Zucchini Flowers In Italian Pastella. I think it's easier for me to describe it as an Italian styled zucchini tempura. It's delicious when eaten while it's still hot.

These 2 black ball dish is called the Black Ink And Nut Mag Palloncini. When I Google Translate the word "palloncini", it means balloons in English. I'm not sure how to describe the taste of this dish but it's slightly chewy with a "tapioca"ish taste. Try this for something different.

Now this dish has a very long name... Pumpkin And Rosemary Fried Gnudi With Arrabbiata Sauce. In case you don't know, gnudi are gnocchi-like dumplings made with ricotta cheese instead of potato, with semolina... (that's what wikipedia said). To me this dish is just ordinary.

This is the last starter dish we ordered... Porchetta In Fennel Aroma. Porchetta is a savoury, fatty, and moist boneless pork roast of Italian culinary tradition...(thank God for Google!)

Now it's time to introduce the pastas. Their pastas are freshly made every morning using a professional imported machine from Italy. There are 5 types of pastas and 5 types of toppings to choose from. I ordered the Penne Rigate in Burrata Sauce (I didn't know what Burrata was and I thought the white thing on top was an egg).

This dish was a let down because the penne was a bit undercooked, dry and plain for my liking. I didn't finish my dish because I was busy trying out other's pasta.

This is the Tagliolini in Meatball Sauce. The meatballs served in this dish are the same ones we ordered for starters... so it's equally yummy. The texture of the tagliolini is simply amazing.

And this one is Tagliolini in Creamy Mushrooms. If you are someone who prefers a white sauce pasta, this is the best choice for you... or rather the only choice for you. Don't get me wrong, I think this dish is delicious as it's not overly thick and creamy.

This is the Spaghetti in Spicy Atlantic Tuna With Black Olives. The spaghetti is so soft and tasty. The spicy sauce adds a delicious twist to this dish.

Now this pasta is new and not yet listed in their menu so I'm not sure the name for this... I'll just call it Black Ink Pasta. So this is the Black Ink Pasta in Spicy Atlantic Tuna With Black Olives. I think this is the most delicious choice of pasta among the 5 that we've ordered. The pasta itself is made with black squid ink, not the topping. So, you don't have to worry about your mouth stained with black sauce.

By the time we finish our own pasta dish, we were too full to order dessert. We'll have to keep dessert for next time.

OUR RATING

Ambience : 5/5
Service : 4.5/5
Food Quality : 4/5
Price Range : $$

Status : Non Halal

Other information:

Address : 28 Thao Dien, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Contact No. : +84 169 451 3422
Email : saigonpastafresca@gmail.com

Business Hours : 11.30am-2.30pm / 6pm-10.30pm (Daily)

Transaction : Cash & Credit Card

Links : https://www.facebook.com/Frescatogo/