Patrick's Food Blog

thepoeticwit

[foodblogcyborg]

Playlist of food vlogs on thepoeticwit channel.

If you’ve missed out on any of my videos, here’s a link to a playlist on my channel! Enjoy :)

[foodblogcyborg]

Comfort Food Review!

1. Cheese Naan - Chandran Corner [Tuesday 16 June 2020]

After waking up from a long evening nap, I arose to the call of my mother from the ground below me asking me what I would like for dinner, because my father so happened to be at the nearest local ‘mamak’ called Chandran Corner. So happened, I was craving some Cheese Naan so I told my mother I wanted Cheese Naan – it has been a while since I tasted some mamak food. For all you foodies out there, you would know that a typical plate of Cheese Naan would cost quite a bit at your local mamak – from RM6 up to almost RM10 depending where you got it from. I got it via my dad for around RM5.

Out of the package were two pieces of Cheese Naan. As with any Naan roti, the bread will feel a little bit oily with hints of flour on the surface. Once I dig into it, the Naan bread will taste a bit bland at first, until the cheese hits your taste buds and you will start to taste the cheesy goodness of it. The first impression I got was reminiscent of a stuffed-crust pizza with cheese filling. 

The Cheese Naan meal came with two condiments – one red curry (?) and one mint sauce (my apologies, I don’t recall their exact names). The red curry with the Cheese Naan brought out a more savoury and hot taste and feel. On the other hand, the mint sauce brought a tangier taste to the Cheese Naan. Both condiments bring interesting extra flavours to the simple meal, if you prefer not to have your Cheese Naan plain as it is.

Overall, I deem this simple dish worthy of a 7/10 rating. If anything, I would consider it a light meal, or ‘comfort food’ rather than a full meal. Yet, the simplicity of such a light meal brings out a certain kind of joy that cannot be found anywhere else.

You can pay Chandran Corner a visit at No. 527, Jalan 18, Taman Perindustrian Ehsan Jaya, 52100, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Jalan 9, Kawasan Industri Bukit Desa, 52100, Selangor 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Restoran+Chandran+Corner/@3.2104507,101.6168541,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc460b247bdc93:0xcab67a56c426bb0d!8m2!3d3.2104453!4d101.6190428

(Source: Google Maps)

2. The Good Batch – Chicken Chop and Kimchi Fries [Sunday, 21 June 2020]

Not long after my visit to Tono Soy, I went with Jo Yee to The Good Batch for an actual meal. Before heading to Tono Soy, I had not eaten a proper lunch and Jo Yee so happens to know the Restaurant nearby so I said why not? The Good Batch is a restaurant and bar located just two minutes walk away from Tono Soy, the same area as Damansara Uptown. In terms of interior design, aesthetics and environment, I would say that it gives off this very chill, cozy, natural cabin kind of vibe. The food options on the menu are western and typically priced above the RM20 margin. 

I ordered the Chicken Chop with Fries and Cream Gravy priced at RM31, while Jo Yee got herself some Kimchi Loaded Thick Fries at RM17. In my opinion, I really loved how the Chicken Chop was cooked - really crispy on the outside but tender and juicy on the inside. The fries were very thick, and the cream that came with the Chicken Chop I and Jo Yee recognised was Buttermilk. The Kimchi Fries that Jo Yee ordered was really sweet-savoury too. 

I rate The Good Batch a 7/10. The restaurant serves good comfort food, I can assure you that. I have yet to taste any beverages since being there like coffee or any alcohol so I won’t be able to provide thoughts on that. However, if you are some college guy like me going out to eat on a budget, I would not exactly recommend you come here often. I find that the restaurant’s environment is great for a date when you need it.

You can visit The Good Batch at No. 53, Jalan SS 21/1a, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. 

https://www.google.com/maps?safe=active&bih=625&biw=1366&rlz=1C1CHBF_enMY882MY882&hl=en&sxsrf=ALeKk01V1yuHCmwbLDps-lU2B0-KPsbM3Q:1593713908540&q=The+Good+Batch&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAA6BwgjELACECc6BAgAEA06BggAEBYQHjoGCAAQDRAeOgUIABDNAjoHCCEQChCgAToHCCMQ6gIQJzoECCMQJzoFCAAQgwE6BwgAEIMBEEM6BQgAELEDOgUIABCRAjoECAAQQzoHCAAQsQMQQ1ATWL0nYPMpaAhwAHgDgAGSAogB_BqSAQcyMC4xMS4zmAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdperABCg&uact=5&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwik4o_cma_qAhUDxzgGHW3RATAQ_AUoAnoECBwQBA

[foodblogcyborg]

Visit Tono Soy at 86G, Jalan SS 21/39, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ton... Visit their website here! https://www.tonosoymilk.com/ 

Video production by thepoeticwit 

Host: Aaron Patrick

[foodblogcyborg]

Tono Soy - Soy Milk and Tofufa

[Sunday, 21 June 2020]

Tono Soymilk at Damansara Uptown has always been the dessert cafe I had wanted to visit - on the simple reason that my friend works there. My buddy Ezra tells me that ever since he graduated from culinary college, he has been working there since. Tono Soy has been reputed (or at least in my own opinion) to be one of the best places for Tofufa and Soy-based deserts in Damansara Uptown. Tono Soy’s main and only restaurant so far is located in Damansara Uptown where some of the nicest Food & Beverage outlets can be situated along the shop lots surrounding The Starling mall. Following the current Malaysian government’s ruling and transition between the Conditional MCO to Recovery MCO, Tono Soy has also been observing strict Standard Operating Procedures set by the government in order to maintain public health and safety, while helping the local economy. Like Bamboo House in the previous blog post, they have to have customers sign in digitally via QR code or manually in a name sheet, and have their temperature checked before dining in. This pretty much shows how responsible they are!

Moving on, so happened my visit fell on Father’s Day, so I could not stay for long. I went with a mutual friend to visit Ezra at work. Ezra recommended me their Tono Signature tofufa with Maiya Peanut, Taro Ball, and Peach Gum which costs RM13. I ordered that alongside a Chocolate flavoured soymilk drink at RM9. The mutual friend that came with me, Jo Yee, ordered a Classic Tofufa with brown sugar syrup at only RM5.50.  

Before I dive deep into reviewing food items and describing textures and flavours, I just want to give a thought to the restaurant environment. The interior design of the restaurant is very minimalistic and natural, reminiscent of that typical Japanese style with wood, stone, and even gold (as seen with their utensils).  The restaurant is air-conditioned, so it is a good break from the usual Malaysian hot and humid weather outdoors. I would recommend Tono Soy to be a good place to relax and just chill with friends over some cooling deserts. 

Let’s start with their Chocolate flavoured Soy Milk! After a few sips, I could taste that the chocolate in the drink was not like your typical sweet milk chocolate but closer to dark chocolate which has a bold but less sweet taste, pair it together with Soy milk and it gives you a smooth and light texture - nonetheless, it is still pretty satisfactory. Next up on food items to review is their Tono Signature with Maiya Peanut, Taro Ball, and Peach Gum. The Tono Signature is classified as a cold tofufa in their menu. What makes this Signature special is that there are a select variety of ingredients added to the cold tofufa - the Maiya Peanut adds the crunch, the Taro Ball adds the smoothness, and the Peach Gum gives sweetness. Altogether, the Tono Signature proves to be heavenly cold-sweet-smooth-crunchy goodness. 

I then took the opportunity to taste some of Jo Yee’s order of Classic Tofufa. This is your regular kind of tofufa that you would see sold by the uncle in his soy truck by the roadside or at the ‘Pasar Pagi’ on Sundays. Only thing is that this time, it was made in Tono Soy, so I just had to try and see if there is any difference. One scoop of Classic Tofufa with brown sugar and I was already taken back to those memories of being at my grandma’s house on Sundays enjoying Tofufa, Cendol, and Soy milk with Cincau. The Classic Tofufa gave off a very simple, warm, and sweet taste and feel - it instantly feels like home.  

To wrap up, I am happy with my visit to Tono Soy - I would rate it 9/10! Again, I really love how the deserts are cooling and sweet, and how that matches with the restaurant environment which gives a really pleasant and relaxing experience. I would definitely recommend Tono Soy to anyone looking for a dessert cafe or just some good tofufa. 

Give Tono Soy a visit at 86G, Jalan SS 21/39, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. https://www.google.com/maps?q=tono+soy+milk&rlz=1C1CHBF_enMY882MY882&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjoqvDLmq_qAhVD9nMBHSdYD3kQ_AUoAHoECBwQCA

Check out the vlog I did on Tono Soy at https://youtu.be/FwvyK5SljO4

[foodblogcyborg]

Bamboo House - Korean BBQ

[Sunday, 7 June 2020]

Before the whole COVID-19 pandemic and MCO happened, I am pretty sure all of us would enjoy the company of friends outside especially at restaurants sharing meals. For me, that was the main highlight of my college life thus far until the MCO started. Since then, restrictions have been placed where everyone throughout the country is required to stay at home as a measure to quarantine and keep everyone safe. Then came the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) that loosened restrictions for businesses and now the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) that was just announced today. After a long time of not being out with friends, my circle of friends deemed it safer to come out and enjoy a meal together on a Sunday evening. So it was decided we were going to spend the evening at Bamboo House which is a Korean BBQ restaurant at Sunway. They had a RM32 dinner deal for an all-you-can-eat buffet, which to me seemed pretty worth it.

Upon entering the restaurant, you would need to sign in at the counter - write your name, your IC number, your phone number, and record your temperature. Ever since the CMCO and even with the RMCO, new Standard Operating Procedures had been in place. Bamboo House following through on these SOPs shows how responsible they are! In terms of restaurant environment, I would say that it is spacious as they have arranged their tables further away from each other to respect the physical distancing measures that are being practiced. In terms of interior design, their tables and decorations are bamboo and wood, which really rings true to the name ‘Bamboo House’. 

(source: Aroma Asian blog - taken before the MCO)

For RM32, you get unlimited freeflow of pork slices, pork belly, kimchi, thinly chopped potatoes, Korean pancake, chilli, garlic, and some lettuce, with ice cream for dessert. As I sat with my friends at the table, at first I thought you would only have to cook the meat on the griller as it is. As I watched my friends cook the food, I realised that there is more than one way to cook the meat. You can cook the pork belly with the kimchi on the griller, or you can dip the pork belly in seasoning oil before grilling it. Cooking the meats on their own may result in them having a more smoky taste, whereas cooking with other ingredients would result in having other flavours infused into the meat which you would be able to taste after grilling. You can also wrap the cooked meat in the lettuce leaf - gives a really fresh taste reminiscent of eating a fresh burger or sandwich. The pancake is really good - soft, mushy, and creamy texture. Also, one of my friends with us had ordered a bottle of Soju, so I decided to ask to have a little poured into my glass to taste - as it turns out, I ended up not really liking it and it tasted like really bad cough medicine.

To wrap things up, I would rate Bamboo House a solid 8/10! For a buffet dinner package, in my opinion, I would deem it really reasonably priced what more affordable - think about it: an all-you-can-eat buffet at just RM32! The environment is warm and spacious, with bamboo decorations which ring true to the name ‘Bamboo House’. Not to mention, their service here is really customer-friendly. They follow the necessary SOPs so that everyone can stay safe and healthy, and the food here tastes so good! I would recommend Bamboo House to anyone looking to enjoy a good Korean BBQ or just good food in general while spending time with friends. 

Bamboo House is located at: 21, Jalan PJS 8/17, Dataran Mentari, Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bamboo+House+Korean+BBQ/@3.0776553,101.6107792,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31cc4c7f20a50189:0x5bd1ee5817ae67e7!8m2!3d3.0776553!4d101.6129679?hl=en

[foodblogcyborg]

Welcome to my food vlog! Visit my food blog at https://foodblogcyborg.tumblr.com/ Order your Nasi Lemak with Chicken Lab now at Restoran WDS 126 at Jalan KIP 1, Taman Perindustrian Kip, 52200 Kuala Lumpur, Selangor. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Res... Video production by thepoeticwit Host: Aaron Patrick

[foodblogcyborg]

Nasi Lemak Ayam Lab!

One Sunday morning, my family decided that since I was the last one to shower, I would be the one to go out and help tapau food for the family! My mom and I drove uphill around Persiaran KIP which is not too far from my house to this restaurant called Restoran WDS 126. 

RESTORAN WDS 126 at Persiaran KIP.

My whole family decided at first that they wanted Chicken Rice, but unfortunately the Chicken Rice stall was closed. Mom went on ahead to buy Bitter Gourd Soup Pork Noodles and Lei Cha green rice for my siblings, and she let me choose my own dish. I was really keen on having fried chicken with rice, which led me to take notice of this Nasi Lemak stall around the corner of the restaurant. 

Nasi Lemak stall.

Upon reading the menu items, one particular item caught my eye:

What is this Chicken Lab!? 

I was pretty much like, “Harh? What is this Chicken Lab? Looks different but is it any different than your regular fried chicken?” It’s not, or at least, it doesn’t seem to be on the menu... I finally gave in and ordered this for myself. I let them pack it, I gave them the money, and took my Nasi Lemak and Chicken Lab home for lunch. I came home, took a shower, got changed, and started to unravel the lunch that I just packed home. 

Nasi Lemak with Chicken Lab, side view. I’m sorry I can’t arrange my food very well.

Nasi Lemak with Chicken Lab, top view. It’s really just Nasi Lemak with a bigger piece of fried chicken!

Well, I found out that the Chicken Lab is really just a bigger piece of fried chicken. A whole chicken thigh, to be exact. 

Now, I’m not much of a food reviewer myself, but if I were to try to describe the flavours and the texture of the ingredients as they sit in my mouth, I’m afraid I might do it a disservice...but I’ll try to anyway. 

I can tell that the fried chicken thigh has been, of course, deep fried. When I dig into it, the taste of the chicken is really savoury and the oil that seeps out of it gives a really creamy feel to it. The egg is crisp around the edges but with the yolk in the middle not too cooked, gives a mushy feel. The sambal in this version of Nasi Lemak is more solid than your usual sambal; it adds on this sweet spiciness to the Nasi Lemak, albeit not too spicy. The ikan bilis and the kacang (anchovies and nuts) have the right amount of saltiness and crunch that adds to the overall scrumptiousness of the meal. Not forgetting the two slices of cucumber that in contrast to the savour, crunch, and spice, provides a cooling feel to balance it all out.

I’m a simple man. So, I will rate this dish an 8/10!

Food for thought: 

I really love how Nasi Lemak is recognised as the national dish. It’s really reflective of our country: we have various cultures, ethnicities, various unique backgrounds, but when we come together, we make something really unique and extraordinary -- just like the how the Nasi Lemak dish is, with all the unique ingredients combined.

Check out the vlog for this food item on my YouTube channel! https://youtu.be/KED46i6ImJw 

[foodblogcyborg]

Welcome!

Hey, you! Welcome to my food blog! 

My name is Aaron Patrick, I’m an IACT College Diploma in Mass Communication student. For my final semester, I have chosen COM362 Fundamentals of Publishing  as one of my elective modules, and one of the assignments requires us to publish a food blog with various articles reviewing food or places to eat (although in the case of this current COVID-19 pandemic and the current Conditional Movement Control Order, I’m probably just going to stick to reviewing food from various restaurants). 

I have chosen Tumblr as my platform to blog, because to me, Tumblr is really user-friendly and everything is easily accessible. Expect four short articles and two YouTube vlogs on this blog page soon! 

I pray and hope that everyone is safe and in good health during such a time as this. For now, enjoy some pictures of some food I enjoyed at home!

A cheese omelette I made for brunch one fine morning.

Some chocolate cupcakes my sister and mother baked.

A salmon and vegetable dish I helped my sister make and bake for lunch!