Jom Makan - Malaysian Restaurant

I found this restaurant about a year or so ago. It was a mini hidden treasure for me, mainly because I like Malaysian food (the fusion of Indian & Chinese food go well together), I love coconut in dishes AND all the food are halal (no pork and alcohol too =D), so this remains one of my favourite restaurants.

I headed there not long ago this week for lunch; as usual, it didn't disappoint.

That day they didn't play any music, which was unusual. Normally they do have a light random mix of popular music in the background. The lighting is great. The restaurant is spacious. The staff are helpful as always.

The only thing about this restaurant I would improve is the design. It seems to me that not much about it says it's a Malaysian restaurant apart from the art picture of the Petronas Twin Towers.

'May I have the Apple & Lime Juice please?'

'And for me, may I have the Melon, Lychee & Mango Juice, please?'

'As always.... some prawn crackers for starters...'

These prawn crackers were spicy. A great twist to the normal prawn crackers. Try these if you haven't already... They're yummy appetisers (as long as you don't order more and more!).

'May we also get the vegetable potato samosas for our side order...?'

Quite greasy for my liking, but otherwise the mild curry taste was gently spicy for the taste buds.

'Add the salad to our sides please.'

I don't really know how to describe this salad. Just think of normal salad, with a slightly odd dressing (either you like it or you dont =P)!

'For the mains, we'll have... the Ayam Percik (Chargrilled marinated chicken coated with sweet spicy coconut sauce)'

This was yummy... I like the balanced spices, the coconut... delicious!

The only thing that I have to criticise was the chicken. Okay, so I'm picky with meat, and I know it's very hard (but not impossible! KFC can do it...) to cook meat thoroughly, i.e. no red/slightly brown bits in its meat... so this was the only thing that I didn't like about it.

'For me I'd like the Nasi Goreng (Chilli spiced stir fried rice with prawns, chicken & vegetables).'

Check out this restaurant here. 2 stores are now open in the UK - one in Trafalgar Sq & the other, at Westfield (this is the newest one).

Bangalore Express - A Modern Indian Cuisine

'Dinner at Bangalore Express...'

Light, Modern, Healthy...a new Blend of Indian Cuisine!

So today I had dinner at Bangalore Express situated in Waterloo. Not my first time at the restaurant (I actually have been there a couple of times before!) but since I now have a blog... I thought, why not review it?

Enter the restaurant and you see a light, comfortable, relaxed atmosphere coupled with a modern classical beat and loud chats around you. Someone attends to you almost immediately at the door and finds you a table.

Here are some snapshots of parts of the restaurant (I took them in a hurry so they're blurry and ... not the greatest).

What I didn't like however was the dim lighting. Now, I've no problem with dim lights, but this restaurant was way too dim! Maybe you'll see what I mean from the foods' pictures...

This is their bar section in the restaurant.

This is another section showing their cool seating area involving one climbing a ladder to their table to dine in. I've climbed that ladder last year....twice! =P

'Any poppadoms for starters?'

'Yes, one portion please. Thanks!'

Crispy, not so salty as other poppadoms... a great light starter. Not sure what the dips are but... from the top: the yellow dip is sweet (almost tastes of mango), the orange dip (tastes like paprika?) is my favourite - I like the little bits in it even though I'm not sure what they are, and, the red dip is also sweet, has a strange peculiar taste (my least favourite...).

The menu - my order was ticked off conveniently.

The side dishes:

Chilli fries and...

...2 portions of garlic naan bread.

My verdict: The chilli fries were crispy, not too hot...although I don't think these were anything special. If you have tried Nando's Peri Peri chips, you might find these ordinary compared. The naan bread are worth ordering - crispy in some bits, soft in the right bits, already cut into quarters for you.

'May I have the lamb jalfrezi with Roast Aubergine Salad & Pilau Rice please?'

'Um... for me...I would like...the chicken breast jalfrezi with sweet potato mash and mushroom rice.'

'Hmmm... may I please, have the...chicken breast, with low fat medium curry (yes this is my plate...) and potato masala mash...and finally...mushroom rice too. Thanks.'

My verdict: Filling, healthy, tasty, a great mix of everything. As I'm fussy with meat, I'm impressed with the chicken as always. No red bits, cooked thoroughly, soft and fine. For a low fat curry, this is delicious...

'And for me, I would like to have the chicken breast with spinach and tofu, with some pilau rice.'

Bangalore is a new blend of dishes, mixing traditional and modern Indian cuisine. It sure does appeal to lot of people. For this reason, they have opened another branch and are getting more popular. Also, they have raised their prices!

However, if I were to be honest, this isn't one of my favourite restaurants. As healthier as this tastes compared to traditional Indian cuisine... traditional cuisine almost always wins with me because I always find them more unique, and also more simple and tasty. And I also like eating food with a history, an original origin...

But the food overall was delicious. They have added more to their menu now...

It's good news for those who want Indian food without the grease or saltiness.