SIZZLING GOOD MEATS AT SEOULNAMI KOREAN BBQ

Stepping into SeoulNami is like entering a laidback, rustic beach-front eatery. Warm mellow-lighting coupled with a youthful surf’s up vibes, and wall-mounted ‘cut outs’ of food ingredients makes this pork-free Korean BBQ restaurant a convivial dining outpost among Malaysians at The Gardens Mall.

 

Owner and director Huen Su San of Beyond Korea Dining Group said: “SeoulNami opened about three years ago and has just reopened for dine-in recently. Our resident Korean chef concocts all the marinades and sauces we use at SeoulNami. The formulations are tweaked slightly to suit local palates.”

Signature Beef Platter (front) with the option of adding Korean Bone-in Short Rib (top left)

Strictly adhering to new norm SOPs, dining parties of 3-4 persons will find SeoulNami’s Signature Beef Platter (RM119) consisting of Bulgogi, Beef Rib Fingers, and Beef Belly a notable choice especially on their first visit.

This great value set comes with the option of adding in Korean Bone-in Short Rib (a la carte RM139). Should you prefer to go a la carte, the Beef Rib Fingers costs RM59, Bulgogi RM39, and streaky Beef Belly RM29.

Streaky Beef Belly

Bulgogi

Beef Rib Fingers

The nice thing about dining at SeoulNami is the helpful and efficient service team will step up and barbecue the meat without you lifting a finger – just remember to inform them of the preferred doneness for your choice of meat. When the slew of delicious morsels hit your table piping hot, you’d devour every enticing piece and find yourself replete in no time.

We also have ample opportunities to relish the textures of different cuts; and tried to decide which of the various marinated meats we prefer. In addition, sampling the meaty servings with the accompanying platter of fresh greens, raw garlic, green chillies and carrot sticks add to the experience.

Ban chan – little side dishes of radish pickles, cabbage kimchi, side salad, and steamed egg are served to accompany the meal.

Non-beef eaters may like to opt for the sweet and rich Honey Butter Chicken (RM59), a honey-butter rendition popularised by the Korean snack trend. Wrap a piece of the chicken in fresh lettuce, spike it up with the house gochujang sauce and eat it as ssam (Korean lettuce wraps).

SeoulNami’s Hot Pepper Chicken (RM59) is a hot hit among chilli fiends looking for an adrenalin rush. Concocted using the hottest chilli from the Korean province of Cheongyang and the house gochujang paste, the tongue-burning marinade makes its presence felt in the barbecued chicken pieces.

After that scorcher, the Ganjang Chicken (rm59) appears underwhelming but if you’re after a traditional Korean marinade with caramelised umami boost, this would be it. Melted cheese lava (RM19) is also available on request.

Ideal for sharing, the Signature Platter of Chicken Sampler (RM89) featuring all three flavourful marinated chicken also comes with a similar platter of greens.

Other notable items to consider include Premium Yang Galbi (RM59), marinated lamb rib and Spicy Octopus (RM39); for textural and flavour variation to your meal.

Koreans are big on rice and the Fist Rice (RM29) comes highly recommended. Available in original or spicy version, disposable gloves are provided for you to mix the warm soft rice with seaweed flakes and fragrant chicken mince, and shape into mini rice balls.

Simple but utterly delectable, we find them incredibly appealing. Both the original and spicy versions have their appeal. Talk about rice-ing to the occasion in wrapping up a Korean BBQ experience at SeoulNami.

For information and reservations, call SeoulNami Korean BBQ, tel: 03-2202 3336. Address: F-215, First Floor, The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Kuala Lumpur. Business hours: 11am – 10 pm daily

FRESHWATER PRAWNS RULE AT PRAWN DYNASTY

Fresh waterprawns, udang galah or tai thau har in Chinese take centrestage at Prawn Dynasty, a simple, air-conditioned restaurant in Taman Shamelin Perkasa, Cheras.

Chef Kok Wah Bah or Ah Wah as he’s known to regular customers, whips up a plethora of raveworthy fresh waterprawn dishes that hit the spot for lunch and dinner. For now, the prawn dishes are priced at RM39.90 each — quite a steal as the crustaceans are sizeable and can be prepared in about 20 different enticing sauces.

Zingy hot, voluptuous buttery-rich flavours and aromatic curry leaves underscore the Kam Hiong Prawns with Buttermilk. Granted, the presentation is nothing to shout about but nobody is going to quibble as the natural prawny sweetness remains discernible amidst the onslaught on appetite-whetting flavours. 

The subsequent offering features salted egg sauce giving credence to its tongue-in-cheek name of Ham Sap Prawns. In Cantonese, ham sap means lascivious but there’s nothing lewd about this speciality. Just scrumptious prawn stars worth lusting after.

 

IMHO, the Black Pepper Prawns are rather ho-hum although Prawn Dynasty patrons may beg to differ as the crustaceans in sticky, peppery sauce will surely win them over. Go ahead and decide for yourself before bypassing this option.

There’s more to Prawn Dynasty than meets the eye as the menu includes numerous familiar go-to dishes of chicken, fish, clams and beancurd as well.

Mindful of the Chinese crowd who love fresh seafood and fish, Prawn Dynasty is bound to hit paydirt with its signature Ginger & Spring Onion Steamed Orange Roughy (RM8.80/100g).

A prized deep-sea catch from New Zealand, the highly nutritious fish is deftly prepared; its on-point doneness and delicate sweet flesh enhanced by the light, Shaoxing wine-laced soy sauce. A scattering of ginger strips and fresh coriander complete this splendid fish.

Another house speciality to get excited over is Excited Clams (RM25-small, RM40-large) — a claypot of la la clams doused in milky-buttery sauce spiked with chopped bird’s eye chilli and Chinese wine. The unexpected addition of belly pork slices lends extra appeal in terms of taste and texture.

 

Now, Saliva Chicken (RM40-S, RM78-L) may sound gross but the golden yellow skinned free-range chicken is eminently droolworthy. Smothered under fragrant fried minced garlic and shallot, the juicy, tender chicken is a gastronomic treat.

Ham Yue Fah Lam Pou

Popular palate-pleasing choices with mass appeal such as Ham Yue Fah Lam Pou (RM25-small, RM38-large) or sliced belly pork with salted fish in claypot and Three Cup Chicken (RM20-S, RM38-L) are up to scratch and best enjoyed with plain rice.

Despite their simplicity, both the Beancurd with Crabmeat & Enoki Mushroom (RM18-S, RM35-L) and Stir-fried French Beans with Seaweed (RM18-S, RM30-L) manage to hold their own in terms of textural and flavour context. Notable accompaniments to round up a decent, satisfying Chinese meal that won’t break the bank.

For reservations, please call Prawn Dynasty, tel: 03-2856 0765. Address: 26, Jalan  6/91, Taman Shamelin Perkasa, Kuala Lumpur. Biz hours: Daily 10.30am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-10.30pm

STAY, EAT, PLAY AT LEXIS HIBISCUS (Part 2)

Good food and fine company are part and parcel of weekend getaways...During our recent escapade to Port Dickson, staying at Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson meant good opportunity to suss out the dining options available on premise.

DINE IN STYLE AT WAVE DINING

At the circular Lighthouse Club building where personalised check-in was held at the Captain Lounge (ground level), brunch and cocktails were dispensed at Wave Dining (2nd level) as detailed in my earlier blogpost: http://www.jommakanlife.com/2016/12/stay-eat-play-at-lexis-hibiscus-part-1.html

Since you're on holiday, we suggest spoiling yourself with the resto's 8-course degustation menu (RM238 per person with a glass of red or white house wine or mocktail). We had the privilege of savouring the menu shown and suffice to say, the various culinary offerings left us smiling from ear to ear.

In the call of duty, we opted to sample everything listed. After our amuse bouche (depicted above), Tuna Tataki with Citrus Soy Dressing set the pace for our culinary journey. Light yet flavourful, the spot-on starter whetted our appetite for more.

Luscious Salmon Pastrami with Toasted Sourdough, Brown Butter & Lemon Cream quickly reeled us in. The dots of citrusy cream was a nice zesty touch to balance the fish's natural oiliness.

Us landlubbers barely protested when the Gazpacho with Scallop appeared. It was the perfect bait to hook us at first sip of the subtly tangy broth.

Faint hints of spices set our palate alight as we dug into the Spicy Seafood Soup. Brimming with lush, bright accents that reminded us of Port Dickson's tropical sunshine and breezy sea surrounds.

Faced with a deconstructed Soft Shell Crab Spring Roll, we realised the seafood-laden menu was indeed a wondrous choice. This speciality alone looked deceptively simple but the textural milieu was imaginative and palate-pleasing.

My dining partner's bundle of Capellini, Crab & Sea Urchin stood up to scrutiny too. Small in portion size but big in the flavour department with a varied medley of textural interests, what's not to like?

No seafood dinner is complete without crustaceans and the subsequent Seared Prawns with Smoked Chilli Salsa & Air-dried Duck managed to hold its own against the earlier surfeit of dishes. We like the on-point smoky chilli salsa which bestowed excellent zinginess to the two grilled prawns.

I relished the Minced Shrimp, Wakame & Crema Di Balsamico tremendously. It was such a refined speciality that aptly demonstrated the shrimps' ethereal sweetness without the aged balsamic vinegar and tiny dollops of wasabi-mayo masking it.

Another show-stopping dish that left an indelible impression was Grouper Confit, Beetroot and Smoked Prawn Butter. A perfect example encapsulating the 'less is more' philosophy, with the ingredients allowing to shine minus unnecessary distractions.

By the time the Salmon, Foie Gras and Red Wine Butter hit our table, I must admit I couldn't appreciate the dish's full-on richness. It was deftly prepared and great tasting but stacked up against the grouper, there was no contest.

Ah, one of the main reasons I love my food reviewing job (besides the eating) is I learn something new occasionally. After our scrumptious Duck Breast with Berry Gastrique encounter, I discovered 'gastrique' has nothing to do with gastric...LOL! According to www.foodrepublic.com, 'gastrique' is a reduction of vinegar and sugar infused with flavouring (liquor) or aromatic (spices or herbs) or in this case, berries. The sauce was meant to bring out the assertive meaty flavour which it did exceptionally well for our main.

We were fast slipping into food coma mode after valiantly meat-ting the Buttery-tender Sous Vide Beef Cheek with Star Anise & Cinnamon doused in enticing beef jus. A bed of mash and some root veggies acted as the solid base on which the slab of beef reclined.

Yet we somehow magically found tummy space to fit in the irresistible serving of Chocolate, Mascarpone Cream & Vanilla Ice Cream. How could we not surrender to this festive-looking platter with chocolate 'soil', assorted berries and creamy loveliness?

If you are partial to nuts like yours truly, the Frozen Nougat with Red Fruit Coulis will melt your resistance to dessert. Luckily it wasn't a huge wedge but ample enough to leave sweet-toothed you on a high. A splash of mildly tart berry coulis helped to temper the sweetness with finesse.

YOKOSO JAPAN AT UMI

UMI is the Japanese word for sea; an apt name for the Japanese resto by the sea at Lexis Hibiscus PD. Located at the main building of the resort, the pragmatic design of the interior includes a show kitchen and a bank of picture windows.

After tantalising our palate with a simple starter of pickled seaweed, the procession of dishes began with a huge platter of Sashimi Moriawase (RM70). Prettily laid out on crushed ice strewn with crunchy seaweed, we had our fill of scallop, sliced salmon, butterfish, octopus and tuna. Fresh and succulent, the raw appeal was palate-pleasing.

Interestingly, the culinary team at UMI was given some creative space to interpret and show their own take on certain specialities. Instead of the familiar pan-fried Japanese dumplings, the Gyoza Kawa No Kani (RM15) were akin to mini pizzas -- delicious discs piled with baked crabmeat and grated cheese.

Dining with the family would never be a problem at UMI as the menu has plenty of choices to satisfy the young and old. We recommend the hearty sushi roll of Uangi Kani Maki (RM70). Crunchy tobikko crowned the vinegared rice and grilled eel roll stuffed with crabstick and cucumber, drawing much praise from us at every mouthful.

 

A harmonious combination of Japanese soya bean paste and thyme made its tasteful presence felt in the exquisite Gindara Thyme Miso Yaki (RM80). Should the going ever gets a tad cloying for you, nibble on the tart pickled ginger stem and all will be well again.

Fermented barley miso lent complexity and layered on lushness to the teriyaki sauce-basted Chicken Tori Moromiso (RM35). The clever inclusion of such an umami-rich condiment into the ubiquitous sweet-salty cooking sauce worked better than expected, suffusing the juicy chicken fillet with loads of big, bold flavours.

For a failsafe option, you can rely on the resto's perennial crowd-pleasing Tempura Moriawase (RM45). Sheathed in gossamer-light batter, the mixture of prawns and vegetables wouldn't go remiss with the young and old.

Swept up by the current hallyu craze, it was inevitable some influences of K-food found its way into the Japanese food realm too. Zesty kimchi brought a welcome dimension to the dish of sliced beef sautéed with assorted mushroom, creating the speciality of Shitake no Gyuniku Kimchi Tare (RM60). Thin slivers of sweet potato crisps gave the dish crunchy texture.

Sakura denbu - sweetened and fluffy pink dried cod condiment adorned the mound of garlicky Shake Chahan (RM20) to conclude our maiden visit to UMI. Salmon flakes, wispy fried egg and chopped spring onion came together to bestow the plump grains with superbly enticing accents.

 

The night's sweet closure arrived in the form of a vibrant tasting Mango Pudding with Mango Sorbet. Juicy pomelo sacs and diced fresh mango complete the slurpilicious offering, bringing waves of pleasure to the palate before we called it a night.

For reservations at Wave Dining or UMI Japanese Restaurant, please call tel: 06-660 2626 or visit: www.lexishibiscuspd.com