Category Archives: ~ Review (invited) ~

Good Ol’ Ronnie Q’s

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Ronnie Q’s (2282 0722 ) is a restaurant-bar that’s definitely an icon of Bangsar. It’s been quenching thirst for 20 years now! Amazing. Probably a million litres of beer have been swallowed here.

It’s the original neighbourhood pub, on Telawi 2. Dozens of bars and clubs have come and gone in the Telawi area since Ronnie Q’s first opened as pioneer (Canteena too, but it died recently), dozens, but Ronnie Q’s has remained strong.

The laid-back, friendly atmosphere and good drinks and food has ensured that owner Ronnie can look forward to many more years.

Large space

I guess i’d describe it as a classy traditional sports-bar. It’s seen some renovation over the years, and has kept up with the times, but maintains a British pub feel.

Sports feature heavily here.

The bar’s length is probably the longest in Bangsar

It’s a GAB outlet, so beers on tap are Guinness, Tiger, Kilkenny, Paulaner and Strongbow.

Food is a supporting act and is mix of western and local. The regular favourites are the wild boar dry curry, and Spicy Mutton/Pork ($16.90), both served with toast. Great with beers.

The wild boar is tender, while the spicy pork is a laid-back, medium-spicy curry. Easy-going with great flavours.

The mutton dish is rich, a lil sweetish, and way spicier. The kind u keep nibbling at with a cold antidote in the other hand.

The Spicy Mutton is an awesome snack

The lamb satay is unique; done sweetish, kinda caramalized, and reminds me of lap chong.

Lamb

Had to have the Pork Ribs. It was a great call. The meat’s juicy, medium-tender, coated with a bbq-style sauce, and very fresh.

Yea baby

You’ll also find stuff like Fish n’ Chips ($20), All-Day Breakfast ($24.90), burgers & dawgs (pork/beef/chicken/lamb), Bangers ‘n Mash ($22), chops, sandwiches and snacks.

Met Batboy

The semi-outdoor area

At happy hours, you’ll get sets of two pints at these prices, all NETT: Guinness ($41), Kilkenny ($43), Tiger ($34.20) and Strongbow ($47). And during Euro 2012, u’ll enjoy happy hours all day, all night.

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MacLaren’s grub

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Checked out a restaurant in Damansara Perdana, MacLaren’s.

Its newly-opened, so not fully decorated yet. It’s set-up is simple and casual.

Restaurant+bar

Food is British and fusion, and chef Scott is a local Eurasian boy, who’s got skills.

One of the favourites here is the Pork Ribs ($25.50 nett), which unlike most joints, here they oven-bake them.

Flashy

I think the significant factors about these ribs are the tenderness, and interesting flavours. Scott marinades d ribs in spices & ….. Coke! Then bakes it and adds an Oriental BBQ sauce.

The sauce is sweetish, with hints of spices while the meat… goddam its tender, skidding from the bone with a little effort. But dat dont mean u shd use cutlery.

Goes well with a Guinness.

Not dicks. Pigs in Blanket - large & juicy

Had to do the Pork Vindaloo ($25.50). It’s made with pork belly. Being a vindaloo, it gives a medium-low glow in the mouth on the spiciness scale, thanks to the loads of various spices and other condiments, including vinegar, making the gravy quite grainy and thick.

Piggy

Eaten with bread or rice, it’s gotta a sour-peppery tinge. Unusual and pretty good.

The Apple Lamb ($25.50) is another a curry-like dish, which is sweeter, and medium-spicy at d same time. Loaded with raisins, chunks of apple, and cashew nuts.

Sumtin different

The lamb is tender, the gravy flavoursome, and altho sweetish, does complement the meat. Could use more meat tho.

I had no space to shove dessert in. I should eat slower. But had one eye on an item called Braised Apple Compote, which contains apple braised in wine, with homemade basil & raisin ice-cream.

Everything at MacLaren’s is made from scratch, nothing out of bottles or cans, so food quality is pretty good.

Some of d items

Some of the best-sellers here are the Double Whammy (burger – double patty of your choice, bacon egg & cheese, $22), the Oxtail Soup and the pies (like Shepherd’s, Steak & Kidney, Beef Onion). The burgers are good value, beginning from $11.60, and 4 animals are available (pig/goat/chicken/cow).

Laid-back

Menu is pretty wide. There’re also sandwiches, Devil Curry and Fish ‘n Chips of course.

Tried a whisky for the first time – Glengrant. I gotta say, its very smooth and easy, with a decent bite just after d end, leaving a pleasant light burn in your mouth.

Yea. Only $232 nett a bottle here

Rick, the owner, is a Brit. So a projector screen is comin up for football n such.

Give d joint a shot.

D deals

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El Meson

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There’re still a coupla of gems in Bangsar Baru, KL. Checked out El Meson (2282-8290), a Spanish restaurant and bar on Telawi. (Warning – clicking on the link will instantly emit loud Spanish trumpets. Haha)

El Meson = "The Table"

Session began like it should, with a pitcher of sangria ($90.48. All prices nett). There are like 4 varieties here, and we went for the original. Fruity, refreshing and reasonably strong, how a sangria should be!

Salud

According to GM Mark Robert, each pitcher has half a bottle of Merlot and 2.5 shots of the house brandy, Remy Martin. And lots of fruit. Nice.

There’re also sangrias like White, Apple and Blueberry.

White. Good too

Sangria was enjoyed with a platter of meats. The Platter for Two ($62.64 nett) has pork ham samples of Iberico, Serrano, Parma, Speck, Salchicon and Chorizo. Sliced real thin, and a good intro to Spanish ham like Iberico.

Slice n dice

The pigs are (used to be) happy ones, especially the Iberian ones, who usually hop around freely & joyfully on green pastures and… eat green stuff. Thus, Jamon Iberico is highly-prized.

We hit some good ol siew yoke, aka Crispy Roast Pork Belly ($25.52). Tender inside, crispy, garlicy outside. So it went quick. Comes with apple sauce. Limited amounts daily, unless ordered in advance.

Porky

The pig onslaught continued with this little guy..

Still running?

Oops

A house special. The skin is perfectly done, not too crispy, and the meat and fat inside is like butter dammit. Sweet.

The Cochinillo requires 24 hours notice, and starts from $56.85  for a quarter.

There’s suckling lamb too! Damn, gotta nail that sometime.

Like that feast wasnt enough, we also had the Paella Mixta for two ($78.88), something unusual. Most people would go for the seafood version. This is a mix of seafood and Valenciana.

The chef is from Valencia too

The Valenciana is a provincial one, and is different. It has chicken, pork, spicy Chorizo sausages, green beans and chicken stock.

The Mixta is juicy, nice n sticky, with a unique mix of flavours, primarily tangy and a little sweet-sour. Very interesting. Cleaned-out.

Dessert was the clincher – something Lava. Well, it was real lava allright! Flowing, molten chocolate, around a scoop of home-made ice-cream. Killa!

(Fire in a shot of rum for more fun)

Dessit!

Other items that caught my eye include rabbit stew in red wine, slow-cooked Iberico rack of ribs, and a whole bunch of tapas.

Cozy n style

I hear their Sunday breakfast rocks. Opens at 8am, and near full-house.

There are events comin up at El Meson, including a Spanish Independence Day buffet party, which i definitely will attend. You can get updated about their stuff via their Facebook page here.

Moooooo!

There are various cocktails by pitchers, a wine cellar, some awesome Spanish sherrys and liqueurs (try the red wine liqueur) and a whole bunch of bubbly cocktails.

Open daily for breakfast, lunch n dinner; Saturday and Sunday it’s from 8am. If u ever need an extra-early drink, u know where it’s at.

Being high quality in food ingredients as well as being in Bangsar, prices are as expected above average to high.

However, re drink promos, u can enjoy three pints of Kilkenny or Guinness at $55 nett all day and night, everyday.

Enjoy!

Grafitti, Bangsar alley

 

Brain damage: 8/10

03 2282 8290
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Es Para Ti

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Es Para Ti (7713-3615) is a Mediterranean/Spanish restaurant-bar in Damansara Perdana, PJ (Emerald Plaza East). It’s been open a few months, and i checked it out recently. (Same block as Friendscino: map, or refer to website)

It’s got a classic and cozy feel, with the use of bricks and wood adding to the ambience.

Spacious

To warm-up, a pint of Franziskaner was in order. This is probably my fave beer at the mo, a German wheat beer. Unlike Hoegaarden (Belgium), this one has similar flavours, but more body, and less fruity.

There are loads of beers on tap here – eleven varieties, with stuff u normally cant get on tap.

Starters

Erdinger white and dunkel (dark), Franziskaner white and dunkel, Leffe Blonde and Brune, Stella Artois, Blackthorn, Hoegaarden, Connors and Carlsberg. Plus 23 types in bottles.

Erdinger is a light-tasting wheat beer, lighter than Hoegaarden. Extremely easy-drinking, with a low finish – an easy intro to beer for anyone.

Dammit. Salivating

I also had the Franziskner dunkel draft. A more toasty and aromatic wheat beer.  Any pint of Franz/Erdinger costs $27 nett during happy hours (5-8) and $32 after.

Food. There was  a buffet goin on, and the joint was full. With more than 20 varieties lined-up at only 35 bucks per person, its unsurprising. Takes place every Fri/Sat, booked up till next month!

Tap-filled island bar

Had a peep – there was stuff like pizza, white wine mussels, lamb cuts, pork schnitzel, paella, Italian meatballs, pork sausages, and even pork knuckle! We sampled some – all were good, especially the calamari rings – fresh, tender, with a crispy outer.

Stuff-your-face buffet

Anyway, started our meal with a Seafood Paella ($60 net for two). This was a hit, and the crew couldn’t stop havin a go. Loaded with seafood like large prawns, plus spicy Chorizo (sausages). Just the right amount of greasiness and goo-iness, and well-balanced with spices and herbs.

The Spaghetti en Papillote ($68) rocked as well. This is oven-baked, sealed with foil, and inside are squid, prawns, mussels, clams, anchovy fillets, capers, olives and assorted veg. The pasta’s consistency was perfect al dente, and the loads of garlic chips just sealed da deal.

For two pax

Then came the Little Piggy. Danny of Es Para Ti brings out a suckling pig. Looked kinda alive. I tickled his ears but he didnt react. The quarter hog ($55) was done just right, still juicy. The clincher was the volcanic chili that comes with it! Insane.

The guys gave approving nods while they munched into all the bites. From others’ feedback, i hear the roast duck and steaks are good too.

If ur interested in the buffet, call and enquire, as its kinda popular, and walk-ins might not get it.

Look at dat shine. U need a blusher man

Portions are generous. All prices at Es Para Ti are nett, which is cool.

Standard liquors are between $280 and $300, and there’s a good range of single malts.

There’re shitloads of hot and cold tapas. Hours are noon till ‘very late’ daily, and the kitchen’s open till 12am, but snacks are available till much later.

Wide choices of wines

One of three private lounges

I almost charged into the 'cellar'

Unfortunately, after dinner, we got so stuffed that there was a leftover, which Homey swallowed:

Yo, dont HOG it niga

.

Brain damage: 7.5/10

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