Full House Cafe

full house cafe

I went to Full House Cafe for lunch with one of my colleagues and her younger sister and brother in tow. I have seen this cafe before but it always looks to be anything but what the cafe’s name suggests. It has always come across as cold and empty.

full house interior

However, little did I know, the interior is actually rather nice, with silk privacy screens between the booths and a decor that exudes warmth. It’s private and conducive to conversation and my coworker told me the spaghetti here is rather good.

full house bar

The best thing about Full House Cafe is the dirt cheap cocktail prices. They serve alcohol (beer and cocktails) with the latter starting from RM 7.90 (!). At least that’s what I thought at first. I asked them for a stronger version of the cocktails and was told it would cost “RM 1 or RM 2 more” which I happily agreed to.

full house margarita

I had the Margarita (RM 7.90) which came in a tiny cup with a slice of lemon. I wouldn’t call it strong by my standards, and the cafe charged just RM 1 more for the souped up version of the drink. However, the meager liquid volume makes you think you’re getting more value for your money than you actually are. 😉

full house long island

I had another Long Island Iced Tea (RM 13.90) which came in a much more acceptable receptacle that holds a more reasonable amount of liquid. It still wasn’t strong enough for my tastes but Full House Cafe is not known for it’s cocktails so I shall not judge it based on that alone.

full house red elf

The non-ethanol based drinks are very reasonably priced – Diana (my coworker’s younger sister) had the Red Elf (RM 3.50) which is a mixture of Ribena and Sprite while her younger brother had a Coke (RM 3.50).

lazy people set

The younger brother had the interestingly named Lazy People’s Set (RM 4.50). I can’t read much of the menu since most of it is in Chinese but it consists of two slices of toasted (fried?) bread, a sausage, coleslaw, sweet corn, baked beans and a fried egg.

chicken chop thai style

Amy had the Chicken Chop with Thai Sauce (RM 8.90). It came with the standard trimmings of coleslaw, baked beans and sweet corn. She claimed that it tasted a little on the bland side though. The chicken chop is fried, not grilled which could be where the problem lies.

japanese style pork chop

Diana had the Japanese Style Pork Chop (RM 7.90), The pork chop is served teriyaki style (dipped in batter before being deep fried) with mayonnaise and tomato sauce on top. The pork is tough though, probably due to overenthusiastic deep frying. 😉

full house spaghetti prawn

I went for the pasta dish that Amy recommended – this is the Prawn Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce (RM 8.90). It came with two fully deshelled and large prawns which is rather generous for the price. It tasted good but I had eaten a late breakfast before this so I didn’t manage to finish the dish.

full house end

Full House Cafe has great service and reasonably priced food in a private air conditioned alcove. It’s like a little gem waiting to be discovered. The cocktails are cheap (albeit underpowered and volumetrically challenged) and the ambiance is relaxing, with soothing piped music and a laid back atmosphere that allows you to stay as long as you like. It’s good for hanging out with friends or your partner for a long, lazy lunch.

diana lau

This is Diana Lau (Amy, your finger is on the lens), who is currently doing her Form Five in my alma mater (and in the same class I used to be in to boot!). I have noticed that I have problems attracting the under 18 demographic to my blog, probably due to its content, so I have taken the liberty of passing Diana a stack of my blogger name cards to be distributed to her classmates when school starts again. 😉

Word of the Day:

Volumetrically challenged
(Adjective)
A politically correct term for a small amount of liquid that is better described as a drop, droplet, or moisture. 😉

Koreana review

koreana

Koreana restaurant is quite an established institution serving authentic Korean food in Kuching. It has recently moved its premises to 101, complete with brand new décor and fittings.

koreana interior

I went there with Irene and Emeric during my last trip to Kuching. The new Koreana looks much better than the previous restaurant and features an upper level for more dining space.

koreana utensils

I like the eating implements (and also using unconventional words instead of just “utensils”) in Koreana. The chopsticks at Koreana are Korean chopsticks – it’s angular and oblique which makes it difficult to handle the first time you come across it.

koreana green tea

We all had a mug of steaming green tea (RM 2) since we had just consumed an excessive amount of Slurpees previously, which made us a little on the cold side. The weather was chilly too, for some reason – rainy season, probably.

koreana entrees

Koreana serves a select range of complimentary entrees for all diners. There’s kimchi (the staple of Korean food), clams in some sort of hot sauce, seaweed, anchovies, a salad and vegetables of some sort.

koreana slizzling

Irene had the Dolsot Bibim Bub (RM 20) which is described as “slizzling rice with assorted vegetables in stone bowl”. I’m sure they meant sizzling. 😉

koreana egg

The bibim bub (stone bowl mixed rice) comes with a raw egg which was cracked in by the waitress…

koreana mix

…and mixed thoroughly. Check out the look of concentration on her face. The raw egg is actually cooked by the excess heat from the stone bowl.

koreana kimchi

The obligatory kimchi is then added to the stone bowl mixed rice…

koreana bibimbup

…before it is served. Koreana serves a pretty mean bibim bup and a testament to the authenticity of the place is the Korean expatriates at a table beside us.

koreana kimchi rice

Emeric opted for the Kimchi Fried Rice (RM 12). It tastes a lot like the Dolsot Bibim Bub minus the theatricals. 😉

koreana cold noodles

I went for the Mulnaengmyun (RM 22) which is cold noodles in soup. It came with bamboo shoots and other vegetables and half a boiled egg. The dish was served in a metal bowl full of ice cubes. It’s not just cold, it’s freezing! I like! 🙂

koreana scissors

Koreana also provides you with scissors for the cold noodle dish to cut the noodles into more manageable lengths for slurping. I really liked the taste of this dish – the freezing cold soup tastes delicious and although the concept of having ice cold noodles may be foreign for some people, it actually tastes really good.

koreana chicken soup

We also ordered a bowl of Samgaetang (RM 35) to share. It is chicken soup cooked with ginseng Korean style and Irene insists that it is a very healthy substitute for ED meds. I’m not sure why she thinks me and Emeric has that kind of problem, but the chicken soup does taste good. 😉

koreana ginseng

The chicken soup with ginseng is served with half a whole chicken and lots of Korean ginseng. There’s also some rice at the bottom of the soup bowl and the rice expands and absorbs all the goodness of the soup and is meant to be eaten after everything else is consumed. It’s delicious!

koreana us

Koreana is a nice place to have dinner if you’re hankering for authentic Korean food. The bill came up to about RM 95 so it’s pretty reasonable for three people. Thanks to Irene for driving me around Kuching in search of the elusive Slurpee! 😉

Sidewalk Cafe review

sidewalk

Sidewalk is an eating establishment located at the BDC / Green Heights area which is similar in concept to Oregano [sixthseal.com], the other eating establishment it is frequently compared to.

sidewalk exterior

Sidewalk Café has a large al fresco dining area with a seating capacity of 40 diners as well as a small interior which seats 10 people.

sidewalk ambience

The décor at Sidewalk Café is charming and the ambience given off is very much one of warmth.

sidewalk open kitchen

Sidewalk also subscribes to the open kitchen school of thought…

sidewalk bar

…and has a fully stocked bar to boot.

sidewalk special

This is the SideWalk Special (RM 5.80) which I ordered.

sidewalk greenheight

I also had a Green Heights Breeze (RM 5.80) which are two of the flagship drinks.

sidewalk lamb leg provencal

Grilled Lamb Leg Provencal (RM 19.80) with tomato herb sauce.

sidewalk lamb leg provencal flash

My dining companion had this one, and I had a few bites. It tastes great!

sidewalk codfish

Pan-fried Cod Fish (RM 32.80).

sidewalk codfish flash

I went for the “pan fried cod fish with tomato caulis, apple balsamic, and basil oil infuse”. It was alright.

Sidewalk Café is a cozy eating establishment. It comes highly recommended from me.

P/S – This is the 100th food review post.

]]>

Sri Shan Curry & Such review

sri shan curry and such

Sri Shan Curry & Such is an eating establishment offering “authentic rich aromatic Southern Indian cuisine” that opened its doors recently. There aren’t a lot of authentic South Indian food in Kuching so I went with *x to check out the place. She was buying lunch.

sri shan decor

Sri Shan Curry & Such is located at Jalan Ban Hock and has interesting décor at the open entrance which looks like a cross between an elephant and Bigfoot. Sri Shan Curry & Such is a large establishment that spans two shop lots and there are ample seating arrangements.

sri shan vegetarian

There are vegetarian options for the ones who practice vegetarianism…

sri shan meat

…and meat for the rest of us normal people. 😉

sri shan chicken

This is ayam kurma (chicken cooked South Indian style) which goes for RM 5.

sri shan lamb

This is kambing paratal (lamb cooked in a sweet and spicy sauce) which goes for RM 6.

sri shan veggies

She also ordered deep fried vegetables at RM 1.50.

sri shan saffron rice

The food comes with saffron rice (RM 6) and a cracker.

sri shan dhal

We also ordered some dhal (free) to go with the saffron rice.

sri shan meal

It was a great meal, and I really liked the lamb. The total damage came up to RM 22 inclusive of drinks which *x says is overpriced compared to another authentic Indian cuisine outlet.

]]>

Lunch Box Café review

lunch box cafe

Lunch Box Café is located at Travillion Mall and I went there for lunch with Joanne to check out the place. Lunch Box Café is small compared to other eating establishments there and it seems to cater to people who actually work there.

lunch box cafe special

There is a chalkboard lunch special that has a set lunch for RM 4.50 and Heineken beer at RM 19.50 per jug which we both went for. The décor is reasonably presentable with the water feature…

lunch box cafe art

…and miscellaneous pieces of art inside the cramped space.

lunch box cafe interior

Lunch Box Café, as previously mentioned, is not a big place and you can practically see through the eating establishment from the exterior.

lunch box cafe counter

This is the food counter where you get to choose the stuff you want with your rice for the lunch special.

lunch box cafe food

There are various meats and vegetables on offer and its cooked Malay style. You have the option of one (1) meat and one (1) vegetable.

lunch box cafe joanne

This is Joanne’s dish – she ordered ayam masak merah (literally “red cooked meat”) and a vegetable which I don’t know the name of.

lunch box cafe hb

This is mine – I had the same meat but went for brinjals for my vegetable option. There is cincalok (fermented shrimp) served with the lunch special.

lunch box cafe salad

There are also a la carte options at Lunch Box Café – we ordered the Hula Hoop Salad (RM 7.20) which is described as “Deep fried popcorn chicken, pineapple and mixed greens tossed in home made salad dressing”.

lunch box cafe salad toss

We had to do the tossing ourselves and I highly doubt that the Thousand Island Sauce is home made but it tasted great. It’s inspired by KFC’s Garden Salad with Popcorn Chicken [sixthseal.com] but better coz the chicken was piping hot.

lunch box cafe us

Cheers to drinking at 2 pm in the afternoon! 😉

It’s always 5 o’ clock somewhere, right?

]]>

Life Cafe review

life cafe

Life Cafe is a little quaint place hidden along a narrow street. The
place exudes a charming old ambience, with its wooden chairs and
constructs, the sliding doors, and the intentional ancient decorations.

life interior

The interior is air conditioned, with minimal incandescent lighting.
There’s a narrow brick walled enclave to the side and normal sitting
arrangements on the other side. The place makes you feel like you’ve
stepped into some old-fashioned place out of time.

life tatami

There’s also a private dining area at the back, which is walled off
from the main area. This tatami style section is raised, with a short
table and mats, cushions and futons for sitting. Basically, you sit on
the floor and the table clearance doesn’t leave much room for your
legs, but it’s comfy.

life pie

The waitress recommended a range of pies that were freshly baked.
She assured us that it was good, and my coworker, who’s been here
before, agreed. We went for the chicken pie.

life chicken pie

It’s good, the pastry is crispy and the meat filling is just nice.

life coffee ice cream

I was recommended their Life Ice Cream Coffee. It’s coffee, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to replace the ice cubes.

life herb egg

I ordered a boiled herbal egg for starters. It’s served whole and un-cracked, in a saucer of soy sauce.

life herbal egg

The herbal egg tasted of herbs, and is colored green, even the yolk. It was alright to me.

life lamb rice

I went for the Life Mutton Spiced Rice for the main. The mutton is nice and tender, great dish.

life lamb noodles

My coworker had Life Mutton Spiced Noodles. It tasted about the same
but the noodles are infused with something I can’t put my finger on.
It’s good.

life croc soup

Life Cafe also has an unusual specialty – Crocodile meat soup with
red dates and ginseng. It’s RM 12 for a bowl, which we shared, and the
soup is boiled to perfection, with the ginseng flavor shining through
brightly.

life croc meat

The crocodile meat was good too. The boiling process made it tender
and it tasted strange, but nice. Kuching has a crocodile farm which
rears crocodiles and sells the meat to various food establishments here
and I believe it’s exported as well.

Life Cafe is a good place to have a quiet lunch – grab the tatami
style seats at the back if they’re not taken. It’s the best spot in the
place. 🙂

Rasa Ayamas Arabian Delight

ra kl sentral

Arabian Delight is the new offering by Rasa Ayamas and it retails at
RM 7.50 for a meal consisting of 2 pieces of Arabian Delight and
crinkle fries.

ra arabian delight

Here’s what it looks like. It’s actually something like a KFC
Twister being cut in two so it’s really one piece instead of two.
Arabian Delight is also served with secret Dakkous Sauce, whatever that
is.

ra arabian close

Here’s a closer look at Arabian Delight. The meat is nestled
underneath so you can’t actually see it. The wrap is warm while the
filling is cold. It didn’t taste all that good to me.

This is the last KL post, I had this at KL Sentral before flying
back to Kuching. I’ve cleared all the backlogs. Posting will go back to
real time as of now. 😉

The Kapitan’s Club

kapitans club

The Kapitan’s Club is a restaurant that is set to look like the
heydays of old world Malaya. I’ve been intrigued by the interior decor
ever since I saw it, but never did get around to eating there until
recently.

kapitan decor

This outlet is located in Pusat Bandar Damansara. I went with my
girlfriend during my last day in KL. It has a nice (really) old Chinese
coffee shop ambience to it.

kapitan chairs

The tables and chairs are the old skool type you’ll expect to find
in some obscure coffee shop in a small town that time left behind.

kapitan regal

There’s even a huge portrait of a regal looking woman covering one of the walls.

kapitan coffee

I went for the freshly brewed coffee (RM 4.50). It’s good coffee, strong and served piping hot with milk and sugar.

kapitan nasi lemak

This is Nasi Lemak with Kapitan Chicken (RM 10.50), which we both
had. It’s served with acar, sambal ikan bilis, and coconut flavored
rice with Kapitan Chicken. Kapitan Chicken is their flagship dish that
is described as a delicious curry cooked with at least 20 different
spices. It was good.

I think the primary attraction of this place is not its food (which isn’t anything to write home about), but it’s ambience…

Jade Pot Tea House

jade pot tea house

I’ve often passed by this eating establishment, coz the place to pay
utility bills here is just beside it, but I’ve never been there for
lunch before. I went today with my coworker for lunch.

jade ambience

The ambience of the place is alright, it’s pretty crowded during
lunch hour and the popularity of this place surprised me. The cuisine
is self-dubbed Taiwanese.

jade counter bar

This is the main counter. I found the mix of ancient Chinese tea cups and wine glasses to be pretty odd…

jade drunken lady

I had a concoction called Drunken Lady for my drink. I can’t
establish what is inside i.e. what it’s made of, but Bernice says she
tasted Ribena, but I didn’t.

jade taiwan beef noodles

This is what I ordered for my main meal – Taiwanese Style beef
noodles. It was recommended by the waitress as being their flagship
dish and the most popular one. It was alright, but nothing to write
home about.

jade spicy noodles

This is what Bernice had – Spicy noodles. We both agreed that it
wasn’t spicy enough. It seems that we’re similar in this sense…we
like to eat ultra spicy food. Heh!

jade bernice me

Jade Pot Tea House. Pay your utility bills and eat at the same time!

BDC Seafood Restaurant

bdc seafood restaurant

BDC Seafood Restaurant is the mammoth three storey high restaurant
located, aptly, in BDC Commercial Center. It has see through window
panes on all the levels, allowing passerby’s to see the diners…er,
dining, in all their glory.

bdc door

This is the main entrance to BDC Seafood Restaurant at the ground floor.

bdc interior

The interior of the place is well decorated, typical of a Chinese seafood restaurant, but reassuringly familiar all at once.

bdc yang chow

I opted for Yang Chow Fried Rice (RM 4). This place is well known for it’s affordability and good food.

bdc nestum chicken

This is the Nestum Salad Chicken (RM 8). The chicken is coated with
a batter which has Nestum cereal inside before being deep fried, sliced
into manageable pieces and served with mayonnaise. The Nestum cereal
flavors carries well into the dish – highly recommended.

bdc drunken prawns

Here we see the Claypot Drunken Prawn (RM 20). The claypot dish has
large prawns simmered in a wonderful broth, and the wine taste and
flavors were overwhelmingly tasty, with the wine flavors again carrying
through perfectly.

bdc three joy

This is a non-menu dish our attendant recommended. It’s going to be
a menu item in a while and he gave us a chance to try it out before
then. They’re going to name in “Three Joy” or something to that effect
(in Chinese of course). It’s a vegetable dish that’s made with long
beans, potatoes and brinjals, cooked with spicy belacan. It’s very
unique and tasty.

bdc large ochien

I present to you…the largest oyster omelette (RM 15) in Kuching,
Sarawak, and probably the world! 😉 I was amazed by the sheer girth of
this o-chien (oyster omelet) when it arrived on the table. The amazing
proportion just overwhelmed me and rendered me speechless. The others
had eaten here before and were used to it – and they confirmed that it
was the largest oyster pancake in town, to the best of their knowledge.

bdc dessert

I had a concoction of sago, raisins and shaved winter melon soaking
in a coconut infused sweet milk for dessert. The complex textures and
flavors were amazing.

bdc great meal

I would recommend BDC Seafood Restaurant for a nice, affordable
meal. They cater for weddings and special occasions as well, and you
have three floors of dining space and an attentive staff along with the
good food.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...