Wondermama, Bangsar Village 1 + Les Deux Garcons, KL

We have been going to Bangsar quite a lot this month, so everytime we're there we would look for someplace different to have lunch. Wondermama has been around for a while, but somehow we never tried it until recently.

Wondermama serves Malaysian food with a contemporary twist and was recently awarded "Best Malay/Malaysian" restaurant by Time Out KL at the TOKL Food Awards 2014.

One of their most popular dishes here is the D&L's (which stands for Donald & Lily) Nyonya Laksa (RM14.90). Almost every table would order this. The nyonya laksa is served with both meehoon and mee, though you can put in a request for your preferred noodles. You will find a large prawn, slices of fish cake, cockles, beansprouts, tofu puff, and julienned cucumber. The broth is good - rich and fragrant, though I always struggle to finish it all as it's a generous portion. Liked this a lot, so we returned for it again.

The nyonya laksa is pretty spicy, so I would order something non-spicy to share with the kids. On one of the visits, I ordered the Special Maggi Mee Goreng (RM14.90), which comes with an assortment of seafood such as squid, prawn and scallop, and it also comes topped with a fried egg. The noodle on its own is non-spicy, but a small dish of sambal is served with this - I would recommend that you add this in, the sambal is indeed very tasty!

On another visit, I had the Nasi Lemak 2.0 (RM16.90) which comes with Japanese style fried chicken. They have many different versions of nasi lemak which comes with different accompaniments such as chicken rendang, salmon or soft shell crab. All nasi lemak comes with boiled egg, ikan bilis, peanuts, keropok, kangkung as well sambal petai prawn, but I asked for the petai to be omitted. 

Mango smoothie (RM9.50) - nice retro mugs

Christmas Decor at Bangsar Village

After lunch, we stopped by Les Deux Garcons for dessert - we wanted the Le Palladio but they didn't have it in stock so we settled for the tarte au citron (RM11), as well as rose and salted caramel macarons (RM5.50 each). Pleased to find that the macarons texture have improved greatly since I last had it. :)

Opening times: Mon – Thu: 9:00 am – 11:00 pm; Fri – Sat: 9:00 am – 11:30 pm; Sun: 9:00 am – 10:30 pm

Location: Wondermama, G6, Ground Floor, Bangsar Village I, Jalan Telawi 1, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.

Website: http://wondermama.co/

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Recipe: Mee Goreng (Malay-style fried yellow noodles)

Today, I am sharing the recipe which I wrote for my guest post on The Beesley Buzz last month as part of the WORLDFOODS International Fusion Recipe Swap Challenge.The dish I chose to showcase was mee goreng, a much-loved Malay-style fried noodle dish which can be eaten anytime of the day.

For the challenge, we were required to incorporate WORLDFOODS sauces into a favorite or typical dish from our country and I have chosen the "WORLDFOODS Indonesian Fried Rice 'Nasi Goreng' Paste". Having used this sauce before to make fried rice, I was confident that it would taste good in the mee goreng recipe too.

For mee goreng, we usually use thin yellow noodles, however a good substitute if you cannot find yellow noodles where you are is spaghetti. Other ingredients that we can find in mee goreng is chicken strips, prawns, fish cake as well as vegetables such as choy sum and cabbage. The WORLDFOODS paste includes garlic, dried chillies, shallots, onions, turmeric and tomato paste hence the noodles is fragrant with a slight spicy kick. If you prefer it spicier, then add in more chilli paste.

Mee goreng is commonly served with a fried egg, or you can also have it with a spicy egg sambal. Enjoy the recipe!

Mee goreng (Malay-style fried yellow noodles)
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Serves 2-3

Ingredients
300g yellow noodles
2 heaped tbsp WORLDFOODS Indonesian Fried Rice 'Nasi Goreng' Paste
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 fish cakes
80g chicken breast, sliced
3 stalks choy sum
1 cabbage leaf
10-12 prawns
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp cili giling (chilli paste) (optional)


1. In a large saucepan or wok over medium high heat, add the oil and garlic, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned.

2. Add chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the WORLDFOODS paste and fry for a further 1 minute, until fragrant. If adding chilli paste, you can add it at the same time as the WORLDFOODS paste. Add the fish cakes and cook for another minute.

3. Add the noodles, and toss until evenly coated with the sauce. Add the choy sum greens, cabbage and prawns, and season with dark and light soy sauce. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until greens, prawns and noodles and cooked through.

4. Serve immediately with some sambal at the side.

Note: You can substitute the yellow noodles with spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti until 80% cooked, then add in as you would if using yellow noodles.

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*This recipe was featured on Asian Food Channel's Facebook page on 10 December 2014.

Recipe: Sambal telur (Malaysian Egg Sambal)

Last week, I cooked mee goreng and as an accompaniment, I also made sambal telur. Sambal telur, also known as egg sambal is a Malay dish whereby hard boiled eggs are coated in a spicy, sambal sauce. This recipe is pretty similar to the sambal telur tauhu recipe that I posted last year but with slightly less ingredients.

Sambal telur, absolutely enticing!

This is a much healthier version compared to the ones you get outside as I did not deep fry the eggs, and just pan fried them with a little oil. Lots of onions is a must for me and you can adjust the spiciness to your liking. This is great with any noodle dish or simply a bowl of white rice.

Try it and you'll love it!

Sambal telur (egg sambal)
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients
4 hard boiled eggs
2 tbsp cooking oil
3 onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp cili giling (chilli paste)
100ml water
1 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp soft brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt


1. Heat oil in a large wok. Add the eggs and lightly pan fry for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.

2. Add the onions and garlic in the wok and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the onions have softened slightly. Then, add the cili giling (I used about 2 tbsp first) and fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the water and cook for another 3-4 minutes, to further soften the onions.

3. Add the eggs and allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Season with light soy sauce, soft brown sugar and salt. Add more cili giling if you like it spicier. Mix to coat well.

4. Serve with rice or noodles.

Note: For instructions on how to cook hard boiled egg, see Step 1.

Photo by Baby D, using my iPhone.. good job boy x

If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates. Thanks :)

*This recipe was featured on Asian Food Channel's Facebook page on 23 November 2014.

Recipe: Nasi lemak with Malaysian sweet chilli chicken + WORLDFOODS Giveaway

Happy Malaysia Day, folks! To celebrate this special day, it's only apt that the recipe of the day is Malaysian's national dish and everyone's favourite, nasi lemak. :)

Nasi lemak with Malaysian sweet chilli chicken

Nasi lemak is literally translated as "fatty rice", because coconut milk is added to the rice while cooking, resulting in a rich dish. The basic components of a traditional nasi lemak is rice cooked in coconut milk, fried ikan bilis(anchovies), peanuts, hard boiled egg, cucumber slices and sambal. You can also add other extras such as chicken, beef rendang, sambal sotong/kerang or prawns.

This time, I created a braised chicken dish using the WORLDFOODS Malaysian sweet chilli coconut sauce to go with our nasi lemak. The braising sauce also doubles up as our "sambal" so I added in lots of onions to the dish. We prefer a sambal which is both sweet and spicy, hence we added in about 1 tablespoon of cili giling (chilli paste) to the sauce. The mild spiciness is just nice for the kids, they certainly enjoyed eating this a lot.

I really like the convenience of the WORLDFOODS sauce - it is quick and easy to use and I only had to add a few extra seasonings (chilli paste and salt) to create the taste that I want. The sambal tastes really good, and goes so well with the rich rice.

GIVEAWAY!

This giveaway is open to Malaysian and Singaporean readers only. Please complete the Rafflecopter app you see below; it is also mandatory to post a comment on this post "I want to enter this WORLDFOODS giveaway." Please also include your FB name and email address so tht I can contact you if u win.


Prize: 1 x 3 bottles of WORLDFOODS products

Contest ends on 21 September 2014 23:59 . Good luck! (Those who have entered the previous WORLDFOODS giveaway can enter again).


WORLDFOODS products are food allergens free, trans-fat free and gluten free with no artificial preservatives, coloring or flavouring, as well as being suitable for vegetarians, vegans, coeliacs and Muslims. You can check out WORLDFOODS products in these locations in KL - Village Grocer (Bangsar Village 1, Sunway Giza, Mt Kiara), Jaya Grocers (Intermark, Empire Shopping, Plaza Jelutong), Hock Choon @ Ampang, Jason and Ben's Independent Grocer as well as in all Cold Storage stores in Malaysia.

Nasi lemak with Malaysian sweet chilli chicken
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 25-30 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 bottle WORLDFOODS Malaysian sweet chilli coconut sauce
1-2 tbsp cili giling or chilli paste
1/2 tsp salt
2 chicken maryland, separated into thigh and drumsticks
2 large onions, sliced
1 1/2 tbsp cooking oil
1 stalk lemongrass, thinly sliced
1 tbsp coconut milk (optional)

For the rice
2 cups rice
90g thick coconut milk (from 1 small coconut)
Thin coconut milk (amount dependent on rice used)
2 pandan leaves, knotted

For condiments
30g ikan bilis (anchovies), deep fried until golden brown and crispy
70g peanuts
1 egg per person, boiled and peeled, cut into half
1 Japanese cucumber, thinly sliced (round)


For the Malaysian sweet chilli chicken:
1. In a saucepan/pot over medium high heat, heat oil and then add the onions. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes, until the onions are softened slightly, then add 1 tbsp of cili giling and lemongrass and fry for another minute, until fragrant. Add the WORLDFOODS sauce, and cook for a further 1 minute.

2. Add the chicken, stirring to coat with the sauce and simmer over low heat, covered for 20-25 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through. Turn the chicken pieces a few times throughout the cooking time.

3. Taste and add more cili giling as necessary (if you prefer it spicier), and season with salt. Stir in the coconut milk, if using.


Note: If you do not have cili giling, blend 1-2 deseeded red chillis with some water until you get a paste. If using chicken breast chunks, you can reduce cooking time to 15-20 minutes.

Note: 1 tbsp cili giling gives u a mild sauce, for spicier sauce, please adjust accordingly.


For the rice:
1. Wash rice until clean, then drain. Measure, in grams, how much water is needed to cook the rice you are using (different rice grains use different amount of water). To find out how much thin coconut milk you require, deduct the amount of thick coconut milk [90g in this instance] from the total amount of water required (ie if total water required is 200g, you need 110g thin coconut milk).

2. Once you have ascertained how much thin coconut milk you require, for example 110g, then measure out this quantity of water, add to the coconut and squeeze out the milk. This is how you get the thin coconut milk (also known as "second round milk").

3. Pour thin coconut milk over rice in rice cooker, and place the pandan leaf inside. Add about 1/8 tsp of salt. Cook rice until 75% dry and then use a wooden ladle or spatula to loosen the grains.

4. Pour the thick coconut milk in, and mix well to evenly distribute the coconut milk. Continue to cook until the rice is dry, then leave to stand for 10 minutes. Before serving, loosen the grains again.

For the peanuts and ikan bilis:
1. For the peanuts, dry fry in a wok (ie no oil added) over low heat, until the peanut skin takes on a dark brown hue. Just before removing from the wok, drizzle a few drops of oil - this is to give the peanuts a nice sheen. Remove from heat and place in a bowl, and season with some salt.

2. For the ikan bilis, place 2 tbsp of cooking oil in the wok and shallow fry the ikan bilis until golden brown and crispy. Remove from heat and place on a kitchen towel to absorb excess oil.


Assembling your nasi lemak:

1. To assemble your nasi lemak, ladle rice into a small rice bowl and overturn on to serving plate. If possible, try and get a piece of banana leaf and place your rice on the leaf (more fragrant). Serve with a side of ikan bilis, peanuts, sliced cucumber, hard boiled egg and Malaysian sweet chilli chicken/sambal. Enjoy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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*This recipe was featured on Asian Food Channel's FB page on 16 September 2014.

Ramadan Buffet 2014 @ Latest Recipe, Le Meridien KL

During the month of Ramadan this year, Latest Recipe in Le Meridien KL (LMKL) will be showcasing traditional local Malay cuisine by celebrity guest Chef Zubir as well as the team from LMKL. Chef Zubir is renowned for his stint as a judge on the MasterChef Malaysia cooking competitions. 

"It is essential that my cooking remains as traditional as possible as diners look forward to familiar tastes that is reminiscent of their mother's or kampong's home cooked food," says Chef Zubir.

Latest Recipe will feature culinary styles from Kedah, Kelantan, Perak, Penang, Negeri Sembilan and Johor.  The buffet dinner is available from 29 June to 27 July 2014, priced at RM138++ per person (Monday to Friday), RM128++ per person (on Saturday & Sunday). Children between the ages of 4-12 yrs old are entitled to a 50% discount as well as senior citizens on weekends only. SPG members will receive a 20% off total food bill. There are also early bird vouchers available at RM100 nett per person, to be purchased before 20 June 2014. 

Buffets are fun as you get to try a little bit of everything. I was eager to try the wonderful array of food on offer. To start, diners can choose from an array of kerabu (local vegetable salads), Malay spiced spring roll, fruit acar, prawn fritters, ulam-ulam and more. Must-tries (recommended by Chef Zubir himself) is the Ayam Masak Gulai Merah Lengkuas and Masak Lemak Cili Padi Daging Salai Bersama Rebung. There are also celebrated dishes such as roasted baby lamb marinated in Arabic spices, gear box soup, Javanese rendang beef with offal and tripe, and cat fish cooked in fermented durian and coconut chilli gravy. In addition to the authentic Malay fare, there will also be a selection of Indian, Japanese, Western and Chinese cuisine as well as desserts.

Some of my personal favorites from the preview Ramadan buffet spread includes kerabu pucuk paku (fiddlehead fern kerabu), Javanese rendang beef, as well as the baked red snapper with Portugese spices. I also enjoyed the selection from the Indian (lamb kashmiri) and Japanese (teppanyaki, sashimi) kitchen. Oh and I was really excited to see that they had deep fried cempedak here, one of my favorite Malay goreng snacks.

Javanese rendang beef - really tasty, had to go for seconds :)

Spicy prawn with black pepper and dry chilli

Catfish with fermented durian (tempoyak)

Butter Crab

Baked Red Snapper with Portuguese Spices

Roasted lamb with Yemen spices and tomato minted sauce and pickled onion

Indian counter

Noodle counter

Sashimi

Sushi

Fresh seafood

Goreng-goreng counter

Cempedak - can't say NO to that

Desserts galore

Coconut cendol pudding

Pandan Layer Cake

Putu Piring and Putu Mayam

Mochi

With Chef Zubir at Latest Recipe :)

Complimentary parking for all diners on Saturday and Sunday. Free flow date juice, sirap bandung, sugar cane juice and soya bean milk is included with the buffet.

For reservations, please call Dining reservations at 03-2263 7434 or email dining.lmkl@lemeridien.com


Opening times: Monday to Sunday: 6.30pm to 10.30pm (Dinner)

Location: Latest Recipe, 5th Floor, Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur, 2 Jalan Stesen Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03- 2263 7434

GPS Coordinates: 3.135685, 101.686524

Website: http://www.lemeridiendining.com.my



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