A Whiff of Lemongrass

The Pig, if I am not mistaken,
Gives us ham and pork and Bacon.
Let others think his heart is big,
I think it stupid of the Pig.

– Ogden Nash –

Behold……

Pork salad – Secret Supper Partner No.1 declared it a wonderfully delicious salad with a lovely tangy dressing that contrasted beautifully with the pork belly slices.

Enchiladas with pork – We ordered two portions because it was soooo gooooood; Gumbo Soup (with pork)

Roast pork – Secret Supper Partner No.2 wanted more because one slice just wasn’t enough.  Brittle, crunchy skin and succulent, tender meat.   So delicious!

Chicken pogs – “Have you had all your jabs?” the owner asked.  “Yes!” we chorused.   “Good!  I guess it’s okay for you to have chicken pogs then,” he quipped.  Chicken pogs – Deskinned chicken thigh with sausage, wrapped with bacon.

Arrghhh, I forgot to photograph my pork steak!   It was juicy and delicious.

BBQ Ribs – Well marinated, no complaints.  What”s there not to love anyway!

I apologize.  Not EVERYTHING served at the restaurant has pork in it.

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There is no fixed menu at Ad Hog; the daily menu is dictated by what is fresh for the day.   Going to Ad Hog is like eating at home.   The owner greets you, and he tells you what you’ll be eating.  The chairs are mismatched and there is a decidedly festive air.   The restaurant resounds with laughter.  Finding Ad Hog is easy with a GPS.  There is no signboard, but one can immediately recognise it with its welcoming light in a street shrouded in darkness.

Note: Babi guling is available at lunchtime.

Ad Hog
25, Jalan PJU 3/45
Sunway Damansara
Kota Damansara, Selangor.

GPS coordinates: 3.1635178, 101.5983099 (N03° 9.8111′, E101° 35.8986′)

Tel: 019-312 1922 (Sam)

Closed on Mondays

A blog reader left a comment recently expressing his outrage about the price of food in KL’s upscale restaurants.  This brought me back to another online conversation about the price of fruitcakes on a friend’s facebook profile.  To summarise that conversation, a 1kg fruitcake with alcohol was retailing at RM75 per kg here in KL.  Two ladies in Singapore and Australia picked up on that thread and lambasted the friend, one asking if it was made of gold, and the other saying that it would be cheaper in Australia since one should compare “dollar for dollar”, i.e. a RM75 cake would be equivalent to AUD$75 in Australia.  My friend (let’s call him FBB) and I were unable to comprehend the logic of her argument given that the price of raw ingredients was not comparable on a dollar to dollar basis.  Taking it a step further, if the fruitcake (at her implied price) formed the “basket of goods” (the Fruitcake Index as opposed to the Big Mac Index hahaha) on which purchasing power parity were determined, then the Ringgit would be grossly undervalued.  I guess my point is that a 1kg fruitcake with alcohol at RM75 is not expensive, BUT the blog reader who was unhappy about the price of food in KL’s upscale restaurants does have a valid point.  When restaurants are importing raw ingredients because the quality of local produce is not consistent, this pushes up price levels.  Food prices are not just determined by the cost of ingredients.  Overheads, wages, etc are also relevant factors.  But as long as the quality of service isn’t up to mark and wait staff blunder with delivery and dispensing of information, we still have the right to question the prices.  Having said that, my boss likes to say, “Aiyah Meena, it’s a chicken and egg thing lah.”  People are willing to pay, and restaurants thrive by that demand.  So where does that leave us?

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I didn’t have to deal with that dilemma several days back when I visited Marufuku Udon.  I’d been eating at its sister restaurant, Sanuki Udon, for the past 10 months, almost on a weekly basis.  There is a sense of comfort that I derive from slurping up a hot bowl of udon.  Maybe it is the simplicity of it all.  A bowl of udon, perfectly cooked with a clean and firm bite and modestly adorned with the ingredients of choice, be it a raw egg, wakame, kitsune, kakiage or ebi.  How can it not provide happiness?

Marufuku is the fast food version of Sanuki.  On weekdays, people place their orders at the counter and carry their meals to their table.  Weekends are a bit more laid back and orders are taken at the table.  The food is consistent with Sanuki but there are a few more options.  Like the Salada Udon (RM8), guaranteed to be popular with the dieters.  The udon is prepared al dente and served with a ton of julienned raw vegetables, bits of crunchy tofu and an addictive dipping sauce made of sesame.  The Nabeyaki Udon (RM10) is softer than the other forms of preparation because the udon is boiled in stock before serving, giving it enough time to absorb all the flavours from the other ingredients.  The raw egg, when stirred into the boiling soup, gives it a wonderful aromatic flavour.

Udon is made daily at Sanuki and sent over to Marufuku.  I can’t think of any other place that prepares its own udon.

Prices start at RM6 for the House Special Udon (udon with raw egg).  Extra toppings are at RM1 each.  Side dishes are approximately RM3 each, my favourite being the kakiage available in 3 types, original, with prawns and with pumpkin.  At night, yakitori is available at between RM2 and RM3 per stick.  If the yakitori is anything like Sanuki’s, then you’re in for a treat.

How’s that for cheap AND satisfying?

Marufuku Udon
L-18-G-1, Ground Floor,
Palm Square, Jaya One,
72A, Jalan Universiti, 46200 Petaling Jaya.
(located in between Frontera and Muse)

Open daily from 11am to 10pm

Also check out: I Heart Xen

House Special Udon

Curry Udon

Kakiage Pumpkin

Kakiage Ebi

Nabeyaki Udon

6oz Imperial Wagyu strip loin with braised oxtail in roasted tomato ragout and slow-poached Idaho potato ragout

I like reading about our neighbours down south, and last week, it was about a bear hoax.  (Slow week for you guys, eh?)  It was an amazing example of viral marketing gone wrong and an apt reminder that not everything you read (or view) on the web is gospel truth.  Social media has progressed by leaps and bounds but there is always the pervasive question of how much is too much.  Don’t people consider the consequences of their actions on others any more?

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Freshly baked bread served with three types of butter (made from Echire butter)

Foie gras experience – charcoal grilled, crème brûlée and terrine

Today’s post is about honest-to-goodness steak, grilled with just salt and pepper, naked and glorious.  If there is an equivalent of shouting on the internet, let me do it now by proclaiming that Prime is my favourite restaurant for good steak.  I go there once in a couple of months when I’m feeling indulgent because I’ve come to realise that there is a linear relationship between good steak and its price, and the enhancement in value is more than just marginal.

Wagyu prime rib – 1 kilogram

Seared sea scallops, parmesan potato, poached egg, fresh herbs dressing

Prime has a good selection of steaks to choose from.   My favourite order of all time (when there is company and a hearty appetite) is the Wagyu Prime Rib, a robust 1 kilogram slab of meat with an unhealthy (but extremely satisfying) portion of intra-muscular fat cells that literally allow the meat to melt in the mouth with every bite.   The meat is succulent and sweet, but I’m still fighting a losing battle when it comes to finishing a 500-gram portion.  I admit, I’m a wimp.

Slices of Blackmore Wagyu beef oyster blade served with beef consomme, Asian spices, noodles (see below) and sesame sauce (not available on the menu now)

140 grams braised Blackmore Wagyu beef with homemade BBQ sauce

Bald Eagle and I were at Prime a couple of months back to celebrate my birthday, and coincidentally, it was during the Blackmore Wagyu Beef promotion (which ended in August).   The Blackmore Wagyu beef is apparently known for its high marbling (score of 9+) which results in a smooth, buttery taste.   The feed is free from genetically modified foods (a secret ration developed over the past ten years) and the calves are fed this special ration for between 500 and 600 days.  Even though the Blackmore Wagyu promotion has ended, Prime has included it in its ala carte menu where a 220g striploin goes for RM388.

Imperial Wagyu cube roll (220 grams) served with bone marrow creme brulee

Imperial Wagyu tenderloin (220 grams)

Prime’s current promotion is the Imperial Wagyu beef.   Like the Blackmore wagyu, the calves are fed on an antiobiotic-free, hormone-free diet and the meat purportedly contains 30% more Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. (Contrary to what you may think, there is no fishy smell hehe!)  This food-tasting session was courtesy of Ms Cheryl Lum of Le Meridien KL, and thanks to our numbers (all of three!) we got to try the tenderloin, striploin and cube roll (ribeye).   I liked the cube roll thanks to its lovely marbling and robust flavour; the tenderloin was a lot more subtle in flavour and a bit of a letdown when compared to the other cuts.   The charcoal grilling lent the meats a beautiful aroma and none of the meats were adulterated with sauces or other obtrusive flavours.

Chilled mango cheesecake, crackers crumble, coconut cream jelly and chocolate

Crêpe Suzette, preserved orange zest, rich vanilla ice cream (Cointreau liquor upon request only)

Rich hot chocolate cake, chocolate sauce, stracciatella ice cream (my birthday treat)

Rich hot chocolate cake, chocolate sauce

Other types of steaks are available at Prime too – Australian Black Angus (200 days grain fed, 120 days grain fed, gourmet pasture-fed), Organic Australian beef, USDA choice grade beef and Australian Master Kobe.  Different cuts are available, and done to your preference.   A whole array of sauces are available as well.  For those who do not eat beef, Prime also serves seafood, lamb and chicken.  I loved one of our starters, a pan seared scallop dish with poached egg that was done perfectly, both warm and wobbly.

Jago’s Vanilla Vodka Cream Liquor

Bald Eagle and I indulged in a bottle of Moet et Chandon for my birthday…if only everyday could be my birthday…..

Note: The above post is from a combination of two visits, the first was my birthday celebration in August while the second, an invited review from Le Meridien two weeks ago.

Prime
Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur
2 Jalan Stesen Sentral, KL.

Tel: 03-2263 7888