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Review: Bold New Flavours at Bulgogi Brothers

>> Thursday, December 19, 2013

Overall comment: Delicious Korean meal, best enjoyed with loved ones :D
Halal: Pork-free

Bulgogi Brothers first opened in Gang-Nam, south of Seoul, South Korea in 2006. Featuring the concept of casual dining restaurant, this brand name is certainly no stranger to Malaysians & Asians alike. They currently have 40 outlets in South Korea, Canada, Philippines, Indonesia & even Malaysia! *wow*

As its name speaks, this restaurant is well-known for its Bulgogi ("bul" means fire, "gogi" means meat) dishes. The various types of seasoned meats are prepared & grilled by the table-side, waiting to be enjoyed by all meat-lovers.

The few types of Bulgogi that are "pride & joy" of Bulgogi Brothers are the Unyangsik Bulgogi (featured below), Gwangyangsik Bulgogi (also featured below), Seoulsik Bulgogi, Deungsim, & Galbi; all of different cuts & marination.

Unyangsik Bulgogi (front) & Gwangyangsik Bulgogi (back)
Pretty presentation, right? :D Perhaps a good option for celebrations with loved ones? Birthdays, Valentine's, special occasions? ;)

Different types of Bulgogi available here

Thanks to Chaswood Resources Sdn Bhd & Bulgogi Brothers@Paradigm Mall, a group of us were invited to enjoy & review some of Bulgogi Brothers' best-sellers.

Bugogi Brothers at Paradigm Mall
It's really hidden if you're walking from the inside of the mall. The restaurant's "outside".


Interior of the Paradigm Mall's branch

Every Korean meal will begin with a generous serving of appetizers. Here at Bulgogi Brothers, each table will be served with a set of complimentary welcome dish together with 6 refillable side dishes.

Complimentary welcome dish: Sweet potatoes, sweet corn, & "edamane"

Side dishes
All of their side dishes are made in-house, where some are "localized" to suit the taste-buds of Malaysians. You'll find the well-known pickled radish & kimchi, along with preserved kangkung. The kangkung was quite interesting as it's my 1st time having such a dish.


Savory-marinated lotus root, mashed sweet potatoes with pumpkin, & marinated spinach
Being a fan of mashed potatoes, my favorite on this platter is certainly the mashed sweet potatoes. I found the lotus root too salty for my liking, while the spinach too common.

What I found creative with the mash is that they have chopped cucumbers & carrots in the mash to give a variety of textures to the soft mash. It's sweet & savory at the same time. I enjoyed it :)

The featured "bold new flavour" is the Ginseng Chicken Soup, that's available only until January 2014. It's an ideal dish for this season of festivity & celebration with family & friends, especially for the upcoming Chinese New Year :)

Ginseng Chicken Soup/Samgyetang (RM45.90/set)
One whole young chicken stuffed with jujubes, ginseng, garlic, chestnuts and sticky/glutinous rice
  It's a "heart-warming" dish, best eaten while it's piping hot. The dish is a healthy start to a new year as this delectable dish consists of the nutritious ginseng & jujubes, tender young chicken & also some glutinous rice. It would be better to have a "bolder" flavor of the ginseng :P

Filling & satisfying dish for the family

Sauteed Beef Wraps/Sogogi Milssam (RM19.90/set)
Naturally colored wheat flour pancake wraps filled with seasoned sauteed beef slices and crunch julienne potatoes
This is another must-try. It's a fun-filled dish that allows you to mix & match the colorful pancakes with the meat before popping them into your mouth. The pancakes reminded me of my younger days; my grandma used to pan-fry pancakes ("pok chang"), which we will enjoy for tea time in front of the tv :D You'll find the red pancakes (beetroot), green pancakes (spinach), & the natural wheat flour pancakes.

Here's the usual way to enjoy the pancake wraps (you can get creative as well):


1. Pick a pancake from the dish & place it onto your plate

2. Scoop some sauteed beef slices & place it onto the pancake
Beef slices are sweet & savory as they're sauteed in the Bulgogi sauce.

3. Top it with the crispy julienne potatoes

4. Add some alfafa (optional) - I like it cos it gives a fresh-taste to the whole wrap

5. Drizzle some fermented bean sauce onto the mount of meat+veggie


6. Wrap & pop it into your mouth! :D Enjoy!


Another color of the pancake: spinach juice for the green coloring

After enjoying the pancake wraps, it's time to pick up the chopsticks & dig in to the juicy chicken & crispy tofu dish.

Crispy Tofu with Chicken/Dubu Chicken (RM15.90/set)
Golden brown tofu with marinated chicken in teriyaki sauce and bean spouts
The 1st image that came to my mind was the "Ipoh Chicken Rice" - beansprouts, chicken & tofu! This dish is a very simple yet enjoyable dish. I find it a protein-infused dish as well...haha. Yummy sweet & savory dish.

Lovely flame to keep it warm :)

Chicken Mango Salad (RM19.90/set)
Special salad mixed with sweet and sour citrus dressing and topped with seasoned chicken & fresh mangoes
Another favorite of the night. Fresh medley of ice-berg lettuce, tomatoes, red peppers, beetroot, water crest, zuchini, & red onions accompanying the fragrantly dressed (grape-seed oil, oriental sauce) marinated chicken (simple black pepper & salt only), that's served with sweet yellow Thai mangoes. Such a hearty salad. Meat-lovers will love this & won't mind the juicy vegetables at all!

Beef Short Ribs Soup/Galbi Tang (RM39.90/set)
A 3-hour preparation of rich but delicate soup made from beef short ribs and Korean herbs. Served with rice
I know for sure that my colleague will love this dish. He was hunting for the Chinese-version of such tender beef while we were at San Francisco recently. The soup is very clear yet flavorful, but what I love best is the beef slices. So tender & melts in your mouth :) All beef are from Australia (Angus).

Check out the grains on the beef...oolala...

Dip the beef into this spicy dip for additional heat & flavor :D yums!


Hungry already? We're not at the peak of the post yet!

Spicy Chicken Bulgogi/Dak Galbi Bulgogi (RM29.90/set)
Juicy chicken thighs marinated in Bulgogi Brothers' special spicy Bulgogi sauce, served with a medley of vegetables (green chilli, carrots, enoki mushrooms, onions, leek, cilantro & Cameron Highland sweet potatoes) and rice cakes. Served with rice.
  I'm quite a sucker for such dishes. It has the tender marinated meat, spicy gravy, sweet & juicy vegetables & chewy rice cakes. Ah, perfect!


Cook 'til the broth reduces to a "gravy" to go with your rice. So delicious!

Save the best for the last :D This was the highlight of the night. Two different cuts of Bulgogi.

The Unyangsik Bulgogi (heart-shaped below) was first discovered at Ulsan, Korea in the 1960s by construction workers who were building the expressway. The unyang bulgogi is made from minced Australian Angus beef with 10% fats (around the shoulder blades area), marinated with the distinctive unyang sauce of soy sauce, fruit juice & hand-pressed into patties.

Bulgogi Brothers Special (RM81.90/set)
Special assortment of Bulgogi combination consisting of Unyang-style (seasoned beef and hand-pressed into heart shapes) and Gwangyang-style Bulgogi (thinly sliced seasoned beef served with mushrooms, sweet potatoes, leeks and onions).
  It's like eating a Korean-style burger without the buns (replaced with healthy green leaves) :P Quite nice, although I would prefer it to have more fat & juice.



The Gwangyansik Bulgogi on the other hand is a style of the southern provinces of Korea. The thinly sliced lean beef is seasoned to order in Gwangyang sauce; a closely guarded secret of soy sauce & fruit juices, which is not too strong to retain the delicate taste of the beef (words adapted from Bulgogi Brothers).


Quite yummy...I personally prefer this to the Unyangsik Bulgogi as this is sliced beef instead of minced beef

Looking back at the photos of the yummy meal, I'm tempted to pop-by Bulgogi Brothers for a meaty meal again. 

Remember, the Ginseng Chicken Soup is only available 'til next month, so don't miss out trying it!


Bulgogi Brothers Malaysia
Ground Floor Boulevard, Paradigm Mall: (+603) 7886 3543
Level 6, Pavilion KL: (+603) 2141 9620
Ground Floor, e@Curve: (+603) 7722 3633
Level 3, Mid Valley Megamall: (+603) 2282 2292
Business Hours: Daily from 11am onwards


Ratings:
Presentation: * * * *
Price: * * *
Environment: * * * 1/2
Taste: * * * 1/2
Service: * * * 1/2


Overall:





Korean food - yums!

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Review: Asmara Penchala

>> Thursday, December 12, 2013

Overall comment: Lovely ambiance. The venue is great for events like weddings, parties, & reunion dinners. Taste of food is in progress of further improvement.
Halal: Yes

Asmara Penchala, previously known as Bora Asmara & Asmara D'Penchala, has been around for quite some time. I was here once 2 years ago, I think, for a Ramadhan Buffet dinner, when it was still called Bora Asmara. The restaurant was taken over 6 months ago by a new team of dedicated business owners (one of them by the name Jeffrey) & kitchen staffs to make Asmara Penchala a dream venue for diners who are looking for a place with great ambiance & good food as well.


Getting to the restaurant will require some getting-used-to as the restaurant's tucked in the middle of a Malay village area. But you'll be pleasantly greeted with a Balinese-looking restaurant "out of no where" in the village as you drive on...hahaha...

The gazabos

The restaurant's build-up is huge. They have 3 'private gazebos' for those who would prefer a more "exclusive" dining experience with their family & friends. They also have 2 large indoors dining halls in addition to the open areas. Yes, it's a plural!

Open area


Indoor dining halls for private functions 


This review session was to gather feedback from foodies for the kitchen team to further improve on their recipes & presentation. We were served an array of dishes from their menu & off-the-menu, from appetizers to main courses to dessert.

Here's what we had & my personal opinion on the dishes served:

Asmara Punch (off-the-menu)
Watermelon juice, rose cordial & orange drops
We felt that the drink was WAY too sweet & the rose cordial taste was too strong, covering the fresh watermelon taste. The orange drops were an interesting 'bonus', but it just didn't feel like a "punch" drink.

Appetizer: Thai Fish Cakes
Dory fish, chili, lemongrass, spices
The look & feel reminded me of mini burgers, but it was thai fish cakes! Presentation was pretty, but the bread was slightly dry & hard; probably left outside for too long. The fish cake was slightly too heavy in salt, but the taste of lemongrass & chili was quite evident. Simple appetizer, but if the amount of salt is reduced, it would be just right :)


Appetizer: Asmara Kentang Goreng
It may be a good snack, but I don't find anything special with this since it tasted like a typical hash brown (just smaller in size) to me. The chili sauce was also generic & rather sweet. If only they make their own fried potatoes with a special dip, I think that would be more meaningful :)

Main dish: Creamy Butter Prawns
The flavor of the gravy was not too bad as it has the pleasant fragrance of curry leaves & butter/marjerin (I don't think they use butter..hmm..). However, I found the prawn somewhat over-cooked & not very fresh. It was disappointing as I was looking forward to some fresh, crisp prawns with the fragrant sauce.


Main dish: Assam Pedas Ikan Tenggiri - Signature Dish
Overall flavor, if cooked thoroughly was quite tasty. The gravy was spicy, filled with herbs & spices & goes very well with fragrant white rice. However, one of the claypots served had raw aubergines, tomatoes, & really old okras. The fish is decently fresh, so it was still the highlight of the dish. Asmara Penchala really has some quality control to ensure before all their dishes gets out of the kitchen.


Main dish: Lamb Masala
I'm a lamb-lover. Tender lamb shoulders with classic Indian spices makes my day. But depending on which part you get, you may end up with quite a lot of bones to go through before you can get to the meat :S

Nasi Goreng Cina Set (RM19.90/set)
The 1st ingredient in the fried rice that I could taste is the sesame seed oil. Hmm..fragrant, although it feels weird. I'm Chinese & I don't even fry my rice with sesame seed oil...hahaha. Anyway, I have to say that the rice was rather salty and has grains of salt in every nook & cranny, which wasn't a pleasant eating experience. We did provide feedback to Jeffrey to have his chef use fine salt instead of rough/rock salt. Much improvement needed in this set...to the very least, it needs "wok hei"/enough "flame-work"!


Nasi Goreng India Set (RM19.90/set)
This variant of fried rice has a different touch. The rice is fried with some curry powder, kunyit powder, chili powder, curry leaves & Indian spices. Once again, I found the rice very salty!  *sigh* The chef needs to learn to taste his food prior to sending it out of the kitchen.

Nasi Goreng Melayu Set (RM19.90/set)
Hidden behind the rice in this photo is a small serving of rendang tok (beef). I somehow missed out snapping a photo of the actual dish =.=" anyway, I had a difficult time chewing on the beef pieces. Perhaps it's supposed to be this way, or I just had the not-so-nice part of the cow. The fried rice was spicy, but it was also very salty, due to the salt bits & also the ikan bilis. The only "nicer" ingredient in this fried rice is the kangkung...heh. I felt that the 3 different types of fried rice served are very single-dimensional. It lacks fragrance, bite, & a variety of texture.

Grilled Salmon with Pasta Set
I was really disappointed as salmon is a very "oily" fish that's easy & quick to cook. How can this go wrong? :( The grilled salmon was over-cooked & dry. The moisture has somewhat "evaporated" into thin air...the only life-saver was the cheesy white sauce that replaces the usual tartar sauce. Thinking that that's the only disappointment that I've to face, I had to face an even more disappointing pasta - a tasteless pasta. On one hand, the fried rice was overloaded with salt. Some of the salt could just go to the pasta here...hahaha. The mangoes + pineapple salad was a big no-no as it was mixed with of all things, Thai chili sauce. Sigh. I would appreciate if the salad is kept simple with a vinaigrette dressing. I provided much feedback to the boss on this dish, along with some suggestions. Hopefully this dish will be improved.

Dessert: Sago Gula Melaka with Vanilla Ice-Cream
The actual presentation (photo below) & taste of this dessert was far better than the ones we were given as 'testers'. Our mini-version was overly sweet & it was "warm". I thought such desserts are served with ice-shavings or to the very least cold, but Asmara Penchala's version is served with vanilla ice-cream.

Apart from the dishes above, Asmara Penchala will be starting their lunch business with lunch sets for 2 persons from RM48.00+. You'll get rice, assam pedas ikan tenggiri, ulam kampung, telur masin (salted egg), & dessert for 2 pax.

Wedding packages are also offered here. For a minimum of 1000 persons, the package starts from RM35.00/pax for lunch or RM60.00/pax for dinner, for an all-inclusive package i.e. food, decoration, sound system...etc.

Candle-light dinner is also available for 2 pax  at RM220.00+ inclusive of F&B

Asmara Penchala has a lovely ambiance for gatherings & meals, but I would love to see great improvement in the food served. It'll be a fantastic "package" to have a place that offers not just lovely ambiance, but good food as well.


Asmara Penchala
2933, Jalan Sungai Penchala
Kampung Sungai Penchala
60000 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia.
Tel: (+603) 7726 0964
Business hours: Every Tuesdays - Sundays 11:30a.m. - 3:00p.m., 6:00p.m. - 12:00a.m.
FB: Asmara Penchala


Ratings:
Presentation: * * *
Price: * *
Environment: * * *
Taste: * *
Service: * * *



Overall







Looking forward to much improvement in their food,

Read more...
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