The Big Red Food Review is Red Fm deejay Alison J Victor's (Aly)

Good food in a relaxing setting
The Big Red Food Review is Red Fm deejay Alison J Victor's (Aly) experiences with fellow deejays as the foodies dine at various eateries in the Klang Valley

AMID the hustle and bustle of the food court on the first floor of Pavilion Kuala Lumpur sits a stylishly decorated restaurant, tucked away in a corner.

With sleek lines and mirrored walls, touches of Asian decor and splashes of colour, Rain Nudle House is a great place to sit and enjoy a contemporary Thai meal. I can see it being a convenient stop for a quick, fuss-free lunch, or a destination for shoppers to have a leisurely
dinner.

To put it simply, the food was good; the service, friendly; and the decor, modern and relaxing.

This time, it was just Dilly (Red Breakfast) and I, and our photographet Kah Wai sitting down for a cosy meal.

We tasted all kinds of dishes, starting off with the otak-otak. Fragrant banana-leaf parcels of spicy fish mousse gently steam-cooked to a melt-in-your-mouth consistency.

For a hot and spicy soup, try the clear Hot and Spicy Seafood Tom Yam, overflowing with generous portions of prawn, squid and fish.

And, for a cold starter, try the March Mango Salad with Crispy Catfish, drenched in sugar and lime. Dilly almost licked the plate clean!

One of my favourites was the Sizzling Japanese Beancurd with minced prawn andchicken. There is something about sizzling dishes that makes my mouth water even before I have seen what is coming. The subtle "hiss" as the food cooks on its journey from kitchen to table, followed by the heady scent of garlic and oyster sauce, and the visual of the dish actually sizzling before your very eyes ... it makes the taste explode when it reaches your tongue, hot off the plate!

Another dish that was very tasty was the Deep Fried Garoupa with Thai Chilli Sauce - a whole fish doused in a nice blend of chilli, garlic and ginger. ~

Staying true to its name, Rain Nudle House offers an assortment of noodle-based dishes that reflect the various flavours inherent in Thai fare. The noodle dishes were packed with flavour and impeccably cooked. I liked the Stir Fried Koay Teow with Chicken and Light Soya Sauce, served with Thai Chilli Prawns, and was informed that people came from near and far to savour the Thai Beef Balls Noodle Soup, a house speciality.

But, it was the Thai Laksa served with Green Curry Chicken we ended up tasting instead. I was pleasantly surprised when, instead of a bowl of soup, a plate arrived at our table. On the plate were three portions of laksa noodles, French beans, pickled cabbage, bean sprouts, basil and a bowl of green curry. This is a great way to eat, because you can make your own laksa, and adjust the amount of ingredients to get it just the way you like it.

Kah Wai adored the Stir Fried Pasta with Sweet and Sour Prawn. Cooked in a thick red sauce with a generous helping of prawns, it is an Asian twist to the Italian Fusili. Good to enjoy on its own or as a sharing dish.

What I enjoyed most of the experience was the ease in which we enjoyed our food. Simple, quick yet relaxing. A haven of calm amid the hustle and bustle. Sipping on a tall cool drink of Lemongrass Juice, I felt rejuvenated and ready to continue my shopping. Modern Thai for the modern woman; that I liked very much.

Try Rain Nudle House for yourself! Starting Monday May 4, listeners will have a chance to win RM100 vouchers in The Big Red Food Review, Eleven2Three with Aly. Only on Red FM, Today's Best Music.

Klang Valley 104.9, Georgetown & Seberang Prai 107.6, Taiping 98.2, Tapah 104.9, Ipoh 106.4, Johor Baru 92.8, Batu Pahat & Malacca 98.9, Negri Sembilan 106, Kuantan & Pahang 91.6, Kedah & Perlis 98.1

Mouth-watering Aussie barbecue - Food ingredients flown in from Down Under

Mouth-watering Aussie barbecue
Food ingredients flown in from Down Under
By PRIYA MENON

HAVE you been craving for typical Australian wholesome food, with barbecued lamb and beef?

Well, the Crown Plaza Mutiara Kuala Lumpur Planter's Inn restaurant is having the Aussie BBQ every Sunday. It started in April in line with the Australian Month 2009.

As you step into the restaurant, you are transported into the land Down Under as the friendly attendants in cowboy hats greet guests with a warm smile.

The buffet has a large spread but for starters try the variety of salads and appetisers like the Smoked Salmon Platter, Fresh Oyster and
Poached Tiger Prawns, Poached Fish Fillet with Salsa, Poached Lobster, International Cheese platter and crudites as well as Shrimp and Green
Papaya Salad.

"The salad, leaves and the vegetables are flown in directly from Australia, giving it the authentic taste," said executive sous chef Alham
Ahmad Daldiri.

The greens are flesh and the variety is mind boggling. That's not all, try choosing from the array of meat at the carving station.

The BBQ station located just outside the restaurant by the poolside has flesh seafood like Salmon steaks, prawns, squids, chicken drumsticks, Bratwurst Sausages and for meat, try lamb chop, Australian Sirloin and Beef medallions.

"I recommend the Roasted Prime Rib and the whole lamb which are both from Australia. We also use Australian herbs like lemon myrtle to
marinate the lamb," said Alham.

The grill station offers Grilled Beef Mediterranean Style, Chicken with Lemongrass, Grilled fish fillet with garlic and olive and Lamb Kebabs with onions, mushroom and pepper.

The dessert counter has a variety of mouth-watering delectables but two are uniquely Australian, the Pavlova and the Savarin.

"Desserts in Australia are usually made with fruits and both Pavlova and Savarin are served," he added.

Besides the Australian food served at the buffet, the restaurant also serves satay, sushi, Chinese cuisine and so much more for diners to
enjoy.

For the children, the restaurant has a kids corner, where they will be entertained by a clown and some food while parents enjoy eating and
drinking the free flow of drinks like Aussie Bubbly, beer and house pouring wines that come with the buffet.

The Aussie BBQ is priced at RMI30++ for the buffet and the flee flow of Aussie Bubbly, beer, wine and spirits. For non-drinkers, the buffet is priced at RM85++.

PLANTER'S INN RESTAURANT, Lobbby Level, The Crowne Plaza Mutiara Kuala Lumpur. (Tel: 21482322 ext 3820/3821).

Easy traditional food

Outlet caters for expatriates who stay in the hotel, usually for months By LIM CHIA YING chiaying@thestar.com.my

A CHANGE in ownership or management often gives a building a lift and a fresh image in line with the market it caters for.

In the case of Nomad SuCasa All Suite Hotel, the takeover by the Nomad Group brought renovation and upgrading works to the residences, facilities, and the only F&B outlet, injecting new life into, the place formerly known as the Sucasa Service Apartment.

It new functions like a hotel, offering comprehensive services and facilities, including meeting rooms for seminars, conferences and exhibitions.

The Nomad Bistro is now a more spacious and airy outlet where guests can enjoy all-day dining.

According to the hotel's marketing communications manager, Avyanna Charlize Kek, the bistro has been open for nine months now and has drawn a stream of guests who like the place for its relaxing feel.

"The bistro is next to the poolside. When guests come here, they don't feel the madness of the traffic below in Jalan Ampang.

"We are located in the city but there's this out-of-city atmosphere for guests," Kek said.

The bistro's menu features local and Western fare, and it stocks wine and liquor.

"Our selection is just nice, and not too wide. This allows us to maintain the food quality."
Restaurant manager Joanna Leong said: "Our menu is about easy, traditional food that guests are already familiar with. This is to cater for the many expatriates who stay here, usually for months.

"We also have a lot of families as guests," Leong said.

One of the sandwich options is the Jumbo Croissant Tuna Melt. The chef's speciality features tuna salad on toasted croissant that is gratinated.

"Our croissants are delivered fresh every morning. We order just 25 pieces for the day, to avoid leftovers and wastage and to maintain freshness and quality.

"It's a value-for-money portion at RM16, as we use chunky tuna," she said.

For Malaysian flavours, the Nasi Lemak is recommended as a must-try. The steamed rice, fragrant with coconut milk, is served with a deepfried whole chicken leg (thigh and drumstick) that is drizzled over with special masala gravy.

"The masala gravy is cooked every two days so the volume is kept small," she added.
Leong said if one had reservations about eating the cocom milk-rich rice, it was be., that they not eat nasi lemak at all.

"There is no real nasi lemak without coconu milk," she said.

For something Western, the Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chop or the Salmon Steak, both the chef's specialities, are recommended.

The lamb chops are cut from lamb racks (each lamb rack gives about six servings, although this may vary depending on size). The lamb chop is marinated in balsamic vinegar and served with garlic mash and coponata sauce.

"We use fresh rosemary herb to season the lamb overnight before adding balsamic to bring out the flavour, while neutralising the smell of the meat to some extent.

"Without the smell, you cannot really call it lamb," she said.

The Salmon Steak is pan-seared Norwegian salmon with herb butter sauce served with vegetable. Priced at RM24, the serving is value for money as it is a thick steak weighing approximately 200gm.

To accompany your meals, try beyerages like Bistro Breeze an6 SuCasa Sunset.

For something different, the Ice Peppermint Tea is a refreshing beverage, especially during the current hot spell; the mint is not too strong, and the drink tasted slightly sourish.

Leong explained that the base was fleshly made lemon tea, and there was a top layer of ice-blended-like-foam.

The bistro also offers catering services for any funcion or occasion.

* The nomad bistro, the nomad sucasa all-suite hotel,222, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur (Tel:03-42513833 ext457). Business hours:Daily, 7am to 11am.

* This is the writer's personal observation and is not an endorsement by Malaysia123.com.