Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf, Bangsar Village

Mention "Three Little Pigs" and you will most likely be reminded of the nursery rhyme. Mention "the Big Bad Wolf" and the thought of a book fair will pop up in your mind. Combining both together, the name “Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf” is a familiar name in city of KL and Klang valley with the hype and fame spanning across states.

Having two outlets currently in Bangsar Village and Tropicana shopping mall in PJ, yours truly went for a late lunch fix at the former. This non-halal hidden gem is indeed hidden for those who are here for the first time. One would not expect it to be hidden INSIDE a supermarket/premium grocery store! The photo above says it all. That is the "secret passage" to divine porky bliss. 

There are 2 different dining area in the Bangsar Village outlet. We opted for the glassy area overlooking the carpark. Since it was raining, the raindrops on the glass and lighting is just perfect for a lazy afternoon late lunch and catching up with long lost friends.

Else, once could opt to dine in a more cafe-like setting with a laminated wooden theme all across and warm yellow lightings. There were more swine inspired murals on the blackboards hanging on the wall as opposed to the glass wall dining section.

Piggy Aglio Olio Spaghetti (RM31) is one of their signature pasta besides the Bacon Cabonara creatively named “The Wolf’s Favourite”. Since its already late afternoon, I felt like avoiding something creamy and went for Aglio Olio instead. The spaghetti (I think its angel hair) is cooked to near al dente, not being the mushy texture we Malaysians are mostly accustomed to. The Italian noodles were slightly bouncy and give you some feedback while chewing them. Besides the texture, it is also well flavoured with garlic infused olive oil with the right amount, leaving it neither too dry nor oily. The mixture of roast pork, honey flavoured pork ham, crispy bacon bits and a pork meatball justify the piggy hashtag on this dish. Although I may have slight comments on the roast pork not having crackling skin and the pork meatball looks “alone”, I am very satisfied with this dish and I would recommend it for sharing so that you have the liberty to go for other pig-inspired dishes form the menu.

For example, we opted for something conventional in terms of a pork burger. After knowing their signature burger, fondly named The Mighty Pork Burger, which has a pork patty with sunny side up, I had my eyes on other items. Spoilt between choice of a Mac and Cheese Burger (using fried mac and cheese to replace the bun, how ingenious, and sinful at the same time) and the Pulled Pork Meets Meatball Burger, I opted for the latter.  

Instead of a typical pork patty, meatball is used at the core, with pulled pork filling the void in between. I was curious how “pulled pork” tastes like. Expecting it to be dry like meat floss or shredded meat, the pulled pork is actually very flavourful, moist and greasy. The taste is very similar to Char Siew just that is is in shredded form. This made me want to google search on how Pulled Pork is made and it is actually a slow cooking method such as smoking to cook well marinaded cuts which are usually tough in texture. Perhaps natural tenderizer such as vinegar, fruit cider, brine are used alongside seasoning like BBQ sauce to prepare pulled pork. The meat layer is then filled with apple-slaw which is apple slices with purple cabbage. I think the portion of apple-slaw is too much as the mayonnaise is slightly over-cloying and masking the sweet and smoky tender pulled pork. Photo above showing the pull pork hiding underneath...

Baconsaurus! The name may sound intimidating but the innovated meatloaf could be easily finished by one single diner.  The portion is not as huge as I expected it to be, and when shared between three pretty piggies and a big bad wolf (yours truly) it was just merely an appetizer. The meat loaf is similar to the ground meat patties used for the meatballs perhaps it is seasoned a little different. The texture and mouthfeel was just right thanks to the right grind size being use. Mom told me that some homestyle cooking combine meat from 2 different grind size for good meat balls or meat patties. Nothing could go wrong with bacon, so the concept of wrapping it with bacon from the “pigs in blanket is not something new, but a proven formula. Coupled with hearty brown sauce which has a slight earthy aftertaste from the sautéed mushroom, I wish to mop the gravy dry with a piece of toast. Oink!

The Oreo Cheese Cake having a very dense layer of cheese is ideally meant for sharing. Tastewise it is good but nothing really spectacular.

The same could be said for the Brownies with Ice Cream as well. A slice of cake cost RM11.90 which I suggest to skip the cakes and reserve your budget and your stomach capacity for the main course instead.

The coffee nevertheless was something worth highlighting. Leaving a full body aftertaste, both the Mocha and Latte would please those on a caffeine fix. The Mocha was brewed a right proportion of everything, unlike most other cafes whereby the chocolate taste is too overpowering. And currently they are having a promotion of buy 1 free 1. How does RM10.90 for 2 cup of coffee sounds to you?

If caffeinated beverages is not your preference, how about ordering their draft beer? They are having buy 1 pint free 1 pint promotion as well. Carlsberg at RM25+ and Kronenbourg at a few ringgit extra. You get 2 pint of beer for less than RM30! What a perfect combination to go along with your porky goodness!

I am sure there are many pork-themed restaurants in Klang Valley unlike limited options in Ipoh. To me, a restaurant should go all out for either a Halal certified outlet or have some pork and alcohol in their cooking. A "pork-free" status does not bring you anywhere. If people wanna go for a pork-free meal, they will just skip the dishes with pork, simple like that. So don't think that going "pork-free" can expand your customer base to include a certain target market. So there you have it, one of the many famous pork themed restaurants. They used to have a story-book like menu and if you wish to have more crisp and sharp photos, do check out one of this post: http://missuety.com/three-little-pigs-the-big-bad-wolf-bangsar-village-1/ or have a glimpse of their menu with creative dishes names like "I Am So Hungry I Could Eat A Wolf" :)

Cheesy Pork Ribs at Ticket to Korea, Setiawalk

As mentioned, be prepared for PORK-themed blog post for the time being. As a continuation from the German beer house in Ipoh, yours truly had a well deserved weekend getaway to meet up with his university friends. No matter how busy, we also need to make time for things or people we deem precious in our lives. And nothing could be better to have good food along with good friends. After checking out some viral posts on Facebook, we decided to check out what is the hype of the cheesy goodness found in Ticket to Korea.

All these while I am only exposed to dakgalbi and Korean meat BBQ and this is my first time dining a Korean fusion restaurant. The setting in this place is simple and looks more like a contemporary cafe. So what makes it go viral and drawing a long queue, resulting in at least an average wait at least of one hour? Lets start off with the Tobokki Stew, which is quite a common dish in Korean restaurants. Korean rice cakes alongside sausages, fish cake, ramen, dumpling and cabbage are simmered in spicy Kimchi broth unlike cooked in a sweetish and spicy gravy in most other places. The small portion costs RM35 and perhaps it is meant for 2 person’s consumption since there are 2 pieces of dumpling only. 

For our group of 5, we only get few strands of ramen and a few pieces of rice cakes. I personally do not like processed food like sausages to be added as it does not feel authentic. I think if they were to give thin slices of belly pork, it would be much better. Nevertheless, I must give high praise for their rice cakes texture, which is simmered to near perfection. Unlike most places whereby they usually served you undercooked rice cakes, the service crew here, despite being busy attending to a full-house crowd, were attentive in follow-up with the simmering time and will advise you accordingly when it is done. A small serving of this soupy dish tantalizes your tastesbuds, paving the way to more meaty goodness to follow...

Guess what? Their famous dish, Cheese Pork Ribs also has Tobokki underneath the ribs! Haha! I definitely have a fond spot for rice cakes! Anyway The star of their signature dish would be the cheese! Half of the hot plate is generously filled with mozzarella and cheddar cheese. The pork ribs were cooked from the kitchen. The steel wok is then heated slowly in front of us....

Few minutes have passed.... we are still patiently waiting for the cheese to fully melt. Or the personnel to come attend to this dish... Took around 5 minutes to reach this stage under low fire as not to result into burnt cheese. Once melted, it’s a cauldron of goodness, but it is still not ready yet....

There is one final step before indulging. The owner, Jeff, will play the role of handling the "flamethrower". He is full of energy, stamina and exuberance. Something Malaysian food and beverage owners should emulate...

The result? The ribs have tender meat flavoured from a marinade which tends slightly to a Western profile. The meat, just like how good ribs should taste like, fell off the bones without much biting effort. The photo here is a representation of the minimum order of 2 portions whereby one portion is RM35. If I remember correctly, there are 10 pieces of ribs. For RM70 it is quite worth it as the cheese itself would've cost alot. Don't believe me? Try check out the price of mozzarella cheese at the cold section of supermarkets.

Pairing with the soft and gooey cheese will give the pork ribs a different gastronomic experience altogether. The melted cheese is also so good to go along with the rice cakes. Ahhh... I should've went all out for some Korean soju or plum wine that night!

Coming up next the is Donkatsu with Cheese, or fried pork cutlet on a bed of cheese (RM30) This is a fusion dish derived from a similar Japanese cuisine. Anyway, seems like most of their best sellers are associated with cheese! We should've skipped this and ordered something else as this bears resemblance to the Cheese Pork Ribs. We wanted to order some grilled salted pork belly dish but we were told that they did not prepare that on that day :(

Feeling the urge to try one more item, Kimchi Quesadilla (RM14) is another fusion hot pick from the Appetizer category. Although this is ordered later when we found out we were not full yet, the winning combination of kimchi and cheese and the crispy tortilla skin make it so appetizing and addictive!

Look at the generous amount of cheese in almost every single dish! The one taking credit for this creation would be Jeff's fiancee, orchestrating the behind the scenes actions in the kitchen.

The advantage of coming in large groups is that you can try all their recommended items at one go, without having to hurt your pocket a lot. The huge draw back of a large group is that it is hard to get an empty table as most tables here cater to groups of 2 and 4. If you come in a group of 6 or more, you will have to wait for 2 groups from tables next to each other to leave consecutively and the chances of that happening is kinda low. But thanks to the efficient and quick thinking boss, the queue for tables is manageable albeit a long wait. It took us almost 2 hours to secure our tables! Throughout the duration, Jeff never fails to come out and apologize, bow and thank us for being patient and keep on assuring that they are doing the very best to set up the tables for those in queue. He has a pleasant personality and the courtesy level is top-notch! :)

This is another proof of the long queue. It was already almost 9:30pm but look at the crowd outside still waiting for tables! Jeff mentioned that it would be better to come on weekdays or before 5:30pm on weekends. There is no guarantee of the waiting time as another friend of mine who came in a small group need not wait at all during a weekday.

Ticket to Korea is situated at one of the first floor unit at Block C, Setiawalk. Puchong. They open from 5pm onwards, so make sure you are there early! You write down your name and contact number on the waiting list then take a stroll around Setiawalk or proceed to some happy hour while waiting for Jeff to ring you up when your table is ready. Anyeong~

Berlin Bier House

I am done with my consecutive posts on Chinese restaurants recently. And for the next few post, the theme will be "PORK". yes!! hashtag #swine or #pork or #babi. And to start the ball rolling, let me do a throwback review on Berlin Bier House. Yes they have been operating for already 6 years in Ipoh and they opened a branch in Straits Quay, this place is still my top pick for some out of the ordinary beers and porky cravings. Price may be slightly steep from your usual cafe dining, but you do get back good stuffs! Else, consider coming on weekdays, brace through the horrific search for parking ordeal during lunchtime and pick one out of the 10 options available which is just below RM20

The first being featured here is the Smoked Duck Breast in Chimichuri Sauce (which tasted like a blend of those HP BBQ sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, you get what I mean) . Served with a side of fries for your carbo fix and cool and crisp salad to make you feel less guilty. The ala carte version makes it a good snack/beer finger food. For a main course, the taste seems to be a little flat. Smoked duck shines as a supporting role (in carbonara, salads, etc) but could not fetch the limelight if given the centre stage

This is the pan seared Hamanchi (sounds Japanese huh? think Tamagotchi. lol) with Tomato Salsa which is one of my mom's perennial favourite. Although there is slight fishy odour, at least you get real deep sea fish and not those Dory fillets. The dish may be tad dry as there is no gravy. the only moisture comes from the tomato salsa, making it appetizing and slightly tangy. Potato wedges paired it to make it a filling lunch

Yellow lighting without much touch up or perhaps the angle problem making you wondering what is under that ring of grilled pineapple. It is actually BBQ Pork Ribs. Depending on the chef, sometimes you get 2 "bones" and sometimes 3 "bones". There is not much meat but the meat literally falls off the bone without you working your way hard on it. Tender and flavourful, one plate is never enough. But if its for a light lunch, it is enough for most ladies. I always put aside my table manners and savour every morsel of meat, raWrrS~ 

Awesomeness and Pork Belly with Teriyaki Sauce seems to be synonymous  and is the personal favourite of yours truly! Crackling skin and the smoky roasted belly meat will satisfy the every carnivorous cravings for pork! Not much different from the Siew Yoke, the teriyaki sauce and sesame seeds made up to the slightly dry texture of the meat. It is not always on the menu as they only have limited portions daily prepared the night earlier. Get your hands on this if you love pork!

Look at that portion of the Grilled Lamb Shoulder served with minty mayonnaise. Need I say more? Grilled to perfection with slightly charred bits. Cholesterol scale gonna be on an uptrend string soon. LOL

Seriously, this is my fourth time to this place for their lunch and I have literally tasted almost every single item from the set lunch menu. For those who felt that the portion of pork belly or pork ribs is not filling enough, the Grilled Pork Burger may be a recommended pick for you. Grilled thick patty of coarsely minced pork has a juicy interior. Some lettuce, onions and gherkins with mustard goes along the warm toasted buttered bun. The sides of french fries will ensure you are stuffed to the brim. Else, I recommend you share this/exchange food with your dining partners.

Last but not least, the Grilled Chicken Chop in Mushroom Sauce would be the right pick if you are not into something porky and you do not feel like going for fish either. The chicken is so juicy and well flavoured (Maggi seasoning perhaps) and it has that smoky aroma just like the McD's GCB chicken thigh. The mushroom is sauteed with fresh cream/milk and you are well assured that no short cuts like pouring canned mushroom soup as the gravy, just like those self acclaimed "Western Food" stalls at your nearby kopitiam will usually do. The meat is very tender and juicy and I couldn't resist to eat the slightly charred skin as well. And next, lets go for some Ala Carte menu...

This is usually not in the menu, though I found a similar representative in the form of Pork Loin in Citrus Glaze. This is actually a promotional item in conjunction with Father's Day. Its RM40 for the night and comes with a complimentary half pint of German beer of your choice. Once the internet connection resumes, I will repost a video of how the liquor is lit up in a glass and the orange liquour sauce which goes along with the pork loin is 'flambe'. The portion is really meant for sharing but if its not because of the flambe, this dish is far from being memorable, just passable. 

How could you not order Pork Knuckle when it comes to German cuisine. they have a half portion (shredded as the photo above, RM38 if I remembered correctly) while a full portion is RM68 (with the bones intact). Served with brown sauce and sauerkraut, the portion is again meant for sharing and it makes great beer finger food. Nevertheless, I still prefer the version done by Healy Mac's. You may still try this out though...

No rooms for sausages or rather I have the craving for ribs! Ordered this Pork Ribs with Bacon Garlicky and I find it to be one of the best dishes I had in Berlin so far! The photo may not be appealing and neither it does justice but trust me, the slightly burnt/charred bacon bits and garlic bits are so addictive! The meat, needless to say is just so tender. This rack consists of 5 bones if I recalled correctly. For RM39.90, this is high recommended for the portion and taste! Other memorable dishes I had few years ago was the Suckling Piglet which is RM100+ for half a piglet, you might wanna come in a group to share out the damage to your pocket if you order that. Else, you would need around RM50-100 per person to have a wonderful meal here (depending on how many pints of beers you pair with your carnivorous feast). If not, try to come on weekdays for the lunch sets. I always do that everytime when I am on leave :)