Nando's, Mid Valley Megamall, KL

As you would usually notice, when there’s only N, J and S around, public transportation will be involved since it seems we are too lazy and selfish to let go of our precious parking spaces. Besides, a taxi ride to Midvalley which costs around RM 10-ish? And no hassle for parking? The cost benefit ratio is overwhelming in our favour.

Initially, we wanted to try out the Korean chicken wings shop, 4 Fingers. But once we got there, we did a quick mental arithmetic and found out that we would probably be not happy with the amount of food we will get compared to the price we will be paying. Again, who said the Economics you studied way back when is not useful? Let that be a lesson to you youngsters out there. When somebody says they do not need school to be successful in life, you remember this paragraph okay?

So,J opted to finally choose a restaurant today and decided on Nando’s. We know, you probably  think you do not need a review of a franchise restaurant as famous as this one, but hey, it is our blog so we will review it because we can. The place was air- conditioned and in a mall. Decoration- wise, it was a franchise restaurant with a vaguely Mediterranean theme. Is this restaurant Portuguese? South African? Who cares. We love our food but we are obviously not experts. 

As you might have guessed, when it comes to food selection we can be an annoyingly indecisive lot. N, being the Nando’s expert among us (and in food, generally) gave us the low down on the  main dishes, the sauces and sides. After what seemed like ages we finally made our choice from the menu.

J chose the quarter chicken (343kCal) with 2 side dishes (RM 18.90). His preferred sauce was lemon herb and had sides of corn on cob and garlic bread (258kCal). Just to clarify, corn is not a vegetable, no matter how hard we wish them to be. And notice the calorie tag? Yeah, some reader suggested it a while back and so here we are, aiming to please. His tasty chicken was tender and succulent while the full length corn on cob proved to be a challenge to finish. The garlic bread was garlicky without being too salty. He rated his dish a 7/10.

N opted for the chicken butterfly with 2 side dishes, costing RM 20.90. The chicken butterfly was boneless chicken breast which was juicy and tender. He chose the hot Peri- Peri sauce to accompany his chicken and opted for Peri chips (289kCal) and garlic bread (258 kCal). He enjoyed the succulent chicken butterfly and there is nothing more heavenly than a double dose of carbs in one meal with the large chunks of fries and garlic bread. He rated his dish an 8/10, which is kind of surprising for someone as discerning in taste as N. 

S had the chicken breast burger in hot Peri- Peri sauce (261 kCal) with 1 side of grilled vegetables (104 kCal), priced at RM 16.90. The chicken burger was good, because you kind of feel that you are eating a healthy meal even though you really, really want to eat burgers everyday for the rest of your life. The roasted vegetables were nicely cooked and charred well. There were carrots, capsicum, garlic and cucumbers all dressed in some funky dressing. The serving turned out to be a big portion for her to finish, not helped with the over- tangy flavour of the dressing. But she knows some people really dig that kind of sour, just not her. She rated her food 7/10.

Only S deigned to order the bottomless drink (RM 5.90) as she was thirsty due to the recent hot weather. The dramatic queen that she is, she feels that she may get heat stroke just by stepping out of the building where she works. Anyway, back to the drinks. Again, we would like to reinforce on an important mantra that should be practiced by everyone: “The best drink is a bottomless one”. Try it.

The funny thing about Nando’s is that they give you a new glass and a new straw every time you request to refill your bottomless drinks. You guys certainly do not know how Asians think. So after drinking her share of iced lemon tea, she just ordered refills so that N and J can take turns to drink too.

On the way back, we ate free samples of the heavenly coconut-ty Sangkaya ice cream. Hence, having completed our required food groups for lunch, we happily made our way back to the workplace.

Until the next review,

Honest Foodies Review Team.

Touche, Section 17, Petaling Jaya

We wanted to go for a quick lunch to appease our growling stomachs so N drove us to Touche in Section 17. J had tried this restaurant before with Mr. Z and concurred with our selection.

When we entered the restaurant, we were immediately hit with a sense of deja vu because it looked similar like our usual hunting ground, Seeds & Wheats Cafe in Section 13. The pastries looked the same, the bread looked the same. Even the writing on the pastry labels looked the same! Later we found out that they are sister cafes. The seats are limited though, but we guessed it had something to do with maintaining good quality service or something like that. The air conditioning certainly helped with the humid weather we were trying to briefly escape from so we rated the generic cafe setting a 7/10.

The brunch menu looked more appealing than the lunch one, but we came way past the brunch time. 

J, extrapolating that what works in Seeds & Wheats should work here, opted for the grilled chicken chop, setting him back RM 19.90 pre tax. N also made the same option. The chop looked similar to the one in Seeds & Wheats but with more greens and less carbs. There they served the chicken chop with a huge dollop of mashed potato & a side of fries but here they served it with with garden salad and the mashed potatoes. Taste wise, it was not too far off the mark. The chicken was tender and not dry, the mashed potatoes were a mouthful to finish and the crisp salad helped balance out the meal. so they gave their food  7 out of 10.

S tried the baked chicken sandwich, which cost RM 16.90 sans tax. Yes, she had sandwich for lunch. The greens were fresh and crisp,not that soggy weird texture you would sometimes get. The dash of parmesan dust added to the sandwich added heaps of taste in addition to the zing you get from the vinaigrette dressing. The chicken breast slices were not too dry either, and the tangy mustard seeds on the crust added some pop to the flavour profile. Overall, an okay sandwich to appease one’s hunger until an early dinner. She rated the food a 6/10.

We did not order any drinks because there was free flow plain water. 

The pastries looked delectable. S ogled at them too much that N probably though she had a crush on him or something since the pastries counter were next to him. However, just when she had the courage to go up and choose the lucky pastry, she saw a fly comfortably nesting on it. As pretty as the decor looked, a pastry counter with the back exposed is never a good idea in this part of the world. So, S’s money and stomach were saved by the hardworking fly. 

Overall a nice quick lunch in a comfortably cozy setting. The food prices were in the upper middle range and the buzzing fly reminded us that we were still in Malaysia. 

Here’s the address if you want to check it out: 7, Jalan SS 17 /56, 46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. 

Until the next review,

Honest Foodies Review Team

Mango Chili, Nexus, Bangsar South

We agreed to go here just to try out the new app we installed on N’s recommendation, Offpeak. It is an app that shows participating restaurants that gives discounts on their food and beverages. So, since this restaurant offered 30% discount on the app, we decided to give this Thai food establishment a try. Besides, this eatery does try to incorporate some socialist agendas on top of its usual capitalist ones by feeding kids in need based on the amount one spends there. They also sell products that can aid underprivileged people, mostly sold by NGOs.

They did offer lunch sets but we went ala carte since that was the rules stipulated by the restaurant for us to get the 30% discount. Us, sharing food? That’s a first in Honest Foodies Review team.

The place had nice clean decor with a corner for children to play with. Definitely a plus point for parents yearning for a peaceful meal. There were lots of bubble texts used for photobooth events and wefies. Ha!Surprised you guys didn’t we? We know what wefies are and we used them in the correct context. But being irrelevant old people like we are, we did not even bother to see what the texts read because the idea of taking pictures of ourselves seemed weird. Food, we understand. But people? And non- famous to boot? Downright wrong. But we are old people, so please forgive our archaic views. Anyway, we rated the ambience 7/10.

The waiters were helpful and attended to our table promptly. Serving time was acceptable and food was still hot when it reached our table. We also gave the service 7/10.

The biggest dilemma we had was on the choice of rice. Or specifically, on how much rice to buy. You see, a single serving of rice is about RM 2 but if you buy the 6- person portion, it is slightly cheaper at about RM 9. Clever marketing ploy for cheap people like us right? R was thinking we should get the 6- person portion although there were only 3 of us. After a short discussion (i.e S shooting down R’s suggestion), we decided to order 3 servings of jasmine white rice.

We chose to try the Tom Yum Chicken because hey, what is eating in a Thai restaurant without tom yum? It did pack a punch, being all sour, salty and sweet all in one.

The chicken with cashew nuts was delicious. The gravy was smooth, not too ‘flour-y’ and well- balanced in its flavours. N, in his succinct comment, feels that there was not enough chicken. Which was true since you did advertise the food as chicken with cashew nuts and not the other way around.

Our final dish was the deep fried fish fillet in sweet and sour sauce. R felt it was definitely the best dish amongst the 3. Not a fan of frozen fish fillets, S found that the fillets were surprisingly tender and well cooked. The sweet and sour sauce certainly helped with adding layers of flavour to the fish. 

We rated the food generally 7/10. Nicely seasoned, tasty and flavourful.

As for the drinks, since we are rolling in a heatwave of some sort nowadays, N & S decided to go for the bottomless lemongrass pandan drink while R tried the iced Thai green tea. Nothing too fancy about the lemongrass pandan drink but it served its purpose to quench our thirst from the heat outside and form the food. R felt his drink was ordinary. 

Overall, we had a highly satisfactory lunch here in Mango Chili for a reasonably decent price as we used the 30% discount by using the app. We split the bill 3 ways and after discount, it came to less than RM 20 per person. We would definitely recommend you to go, but only if you use some discount app. Because paying full price puts it at the pricey end range.

To food reviews, and beyond!

Honest Foodies Review Team

The Humble Pie Co., Section 17, Petaling Jaya

N, being the most established food aficionado amongst the team, recommended this cafe for lunch. Besides pies, the restaurant also offers non- pie delectable entrees. And on this special day, we were fortunate to stumble across the Tuesday special, buy 3 main meals and get the 4th one for free. Guess how many of us were in the party? Yup, lucky four!

 The daily promos offered here

The place was quaint, similar to the hipster trend of industrial looking decor with exposed pipes and bricks. I guess it looked almost the same as the other cafes we have been to that serve similar food. But as we have reiterated time and time again, we judge an eatery mostly on its food. The looks are,like us, secondary. We scored the place 7/10 for its generic comfortable ambience that seems to appeal to the young set. The waitress were prompt with serving the menu and getting our order. For that, we rated the service was 7/10.

N, J and S all had the roasted quarter chicken with side servings of roasted carrots, humongous potatoes and salad . All of us rated our food as 8/10. The portion of the chicken was satisfactory and it was well cooked. Taste- wise, it was okay. We were just thankful it was not dry. The gravy complemented the and the vegetables were tender without being overcooked. The potatoes really did us in, filling us to the brim. We rated our food 8/10.

Defying peer pressure, R decided to go for the Humblerger, which is essentially a chicken burger sandwiched between brioche and slathered with gooey melted cheddar cheese and served with a good portion of potato wedges and mayo.  He also rated his meal 8/10. 

Overall, an efficient lunch service which provided good quality food with a medium to high price range. Our meals cost from RM 18 to RM 22 pre-tax. Though plain water was free and free-flow, so that really helped.

As you can see, none of us ordered any pies. Most probably that was because none of us felt that a piece of pastry can sustain us for long. Maybe we will try them in the future for desserts. We hear their speciality banoffee and musang king pies are to die for. But we will probably go through the pasta list first before trying the pie. 

Here is the address in case you want to try it out:
No 11, Jalan 17/45, 46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

’Till the next review,

Honest Foodies Review Team

Dunkin’ Donuts, Petronas Petrol Station, Sprint Highway, Kuala Lumpur (we think)

With a precious 1 hour break in between tasks , our rumbling tummies made their way to this outlet. J was craving for some nasi dagang Capitol and we were honestly going towards said place if not for the strategically placed billboard showing the breakfast set that cost only RM 5.90. I mean, who can resist? Surely not us.

So, we detoured towards the nearest Dunkin’ Donuts we could think of and reached the Petronas petrol station along the Spring Highway. The easiest landmark we can think of is it is just before the intersection going towards KGPA on your left and Seksyen 16/ Eastin Hotel on your right.

The ambience? Well, it is your typical Dunkin’ Donuts outlet so we have no comment there. Air conditioned with indoor seating is all we ask for as we rush our way through the most important meal of the day. The sofa chairs were in need of refurbishment, that’s all.

 J, disappointed with the lack of nasi dagang, opted for the sunny egg and chicken slice with a mug of in-house hot coffee. He rated his food a 6/10. “Enough for breakfast lor”, he gloomily added. He was slightly disappointed that the chicken slice turned out to be, well, one single slice of chicken ham.

Aerial view: looks like an egg benjo

Ta- da! 4 meatballs in the eggy sandwich

R tried the sunny egg with meatball because they advertised it as a new addition to the menu. He opted for iced coffee. He also rated his food a 6/10. He loved the fluffy texture of the egg. Who would have thought nuked eggs at a petrol station were so silky smooth right? Although his love for the eggs were bordering on having an illicit affair, he thought his iced coffee was average, rating it a 5/10. 

S opted to have the sandwich and donut meal as she was ravenous at the time. Or more likely she could not stand the taunting look of the donuts. So she opted for the chicken mayo croissant sandwich with a piece of Boston cream donut filled with yummy custard. She had no options for drink except for coffee so she just requested to the server there to add extra milk to her iced coffee, you know, to hopefully dilute the coffee taste. Well, it did not work. She felt nauseated for the rest of the afternoon. But that feeling was balanced with the happiness of eating a donut. On a workday. Oh, she rated her croissant sandwich a 7/10 because she loves her chicken and mayonnaise. Croissant not so much. The donut was creamy and chocolatey, a 7/10 too while the iced coffee was 5/10 but it was because she disliked coffee. S’s set cost about RM 13, which seemed like a ransom compared to J and R’s meals but there was donut involved.

Overall, a good place to go to when one is in a rush or broke. Or both.

‘Till the next review,

Honest Foodies Review Team

Thai Corner, PJ New Town

Well, well, well. Here we are. In PJ New Town. Again. Who would have thunk this area is so full of delectable surprises eh? 

We walked around and found this nice Thai restaurant just opposite the MBPJ complex. As the early bird catches the worm (euwww…), we were the first patrons to this establishment for the day. In fact, the restaurant still smelled strongly of bleach. And the air conditioning was probably just turned on a few seconds before we entered. As was the lights. Or the ‘Open’ signage. 

The restaurant was spacious and well lit with pictures of their dishes neatly framed along the wall. Nothing too fancy, but everything was tidy so that scored a 7/10. The waiter (he might even own the place for all we know) was efficient in bringing the menu and serving the peanuts for us to nibble and gain some extra calories. So that is a 7/10 from an original 8. We had to minus 1 mark for the added calories brought by the peanuts, which cost RM 2 per plate.

Generic decor but neat nonetheless. 

Reminds one of Ikea's catalogue, doesn't it? 

 Typhoid, Salmonella & Cholera got nothin' on this 'A' rated eatery 

 Our attempt at non- food photography

We were immediately gravitated towards their set lunch menu, priced at RM 13, which included a main dish, a Morakot dessert and drink option of either iced lemon tea, soya bean or barley.

We do not understand J and R’s obsession with pineapple fried rice but they sure like to order it whenever we go to a Thai restaurant. So, yes, they ordered the the fried rice again and they liked this restaurant’s version the best (remember the Streat Thai debacle?). The dish was plated inside a pineapple shell ( do pineapples have shells?) and was garnished with freshly chopped spring onion, chillies, tasty dried shrimps and a couple of slices of fresh pineapple. There were some chicken bits inside the well- cooked fried rice and was perfectly seasoned. Like telepathic twins, R and J rated their food 8/10. 

S had the crab meat fried rice because there is no better combination in life than seafood and fried rice. Except for chocolate syrup and ice cream, but we can leave that to another review. The fried rice was served with a piece of crunchy fried poppadom cracker because, why not? The fried rice, with its luminous individual grains mixed with a generous portion of tasty crab meat, was what fried rice dishes around the world should aspire to be when they grow up. Let’s face it, who likes soggy, clumpy, overcooked fried rice right? She also rated her dish a 8/10.

The dessert was okay, nothing too brilliant about it. It was basically shaved ice with some milk, red syrup and some gelatinous chewy bits in it. It did enough to cleanse and refresh our palate after the main course.

This place is definitely a good lunch place to try out with its nice environment, efficient service and tasty but affordable food. Parking might be an issue though, because let’s face it, we are talking about Petaling Jaya here.

Here is the address if you are up for a bit of parking war:

4, Jalan Yong Shook Lin, PJ New Town, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

United in our quest for good food,

Honest Foodies Review Team