Grilled Chicken Biryani @ Kapitan Restaurant, Penang Island, Malaysia

As we all know, Biryani's come in different styles and forms and they vary from preparations to ingredients as well. This particular Biryani was special because it was not only the rice that seemed biryani-ish, but the chicken too was special in its own way. The rice is of course cooked in various spices after a thorough marination, whereas the chicken, is marinated and then grilled on a flat pan with butter. If you ever go to Penang Island, there is a corner shop in Little India, called Restoran Kapitan, which offers a wide variety of Indian food and fusion Malaysian food. One of their signature dishes or favourites is the Biryani I am describing about. It comes with a small bowl of onion raita (onion salad) and some mint leaves and half a small onion  as garnishing. Besides the tender chicken from the grilling, one could also request for some curry or any gravy of choice. Great choice and highly recommended.  

Sticky Rice and Mango @ Food Republic, Pavillion Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Thai food is always my top three favourite if given a choice. I love Thai food especially since it is usually tasty, rich and nutritious. If given a choice, I'd love to have Thai food everyday but it may be too overwhelming in the long run. My favourite Thai dessert is Sticky Rice and Mango. This particular dessert was captured in the food court in Pavillion Shopping Centre, located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur's golden triangle. The food court is called Food Republic and offers a wide variety of Malaysian and international cuisine, one of them is the Sticky Rice and Mango. Sticky Rice in simpler terms mean glutinous rice and is very popular in Thailand and in most of South East Asia. The rice is usually steamed and served with freshly cut Thai mangoes and a couple of table spoons of fresh and sweetened coconut milk. The portion is rather huge and can fit a good meal. 

Pan Fried Sea Bass @ Sassorosso Italian Restaurant Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Fancying the word Sea Bass finally paid off when I had it at a friend's engagement dinner at Sassorosso Italian Restaurant located at the back of the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. The other main course option at this very small yet meaningful dinner was a Lamb Rack but the fish somehow caught my attention and it was worth the choice made. The fish was coated with a layer of potato on the top with a special truffle butter sauce, grilled mushrooms and broccoli. The sea bass was fresh and certainly made the main course the preferred choice, not too much and not too little; just nice nonetheless.

Mee Goreng Mamak @ Canning Gardens, Ipoh, Malaysia

Noodles are originally from China, they say. But today, it is so diverse that it is hard to detect the origins as some say it originated from Italy and that is how the spagetti came about before China discovering the art of making their ever famous noodles. Nevertheless, I am not usually a  fan of noodles but this noodles' was particularly tasty and caught me by surprise. A friend brought me to this restaurant called Restoran "1 Malaysia" and it is located at Canning Garden's in Ipoh, a northern city in the Malaysian Peninsular. The noodles are prepared in an Indian style, where it is a little spicy, contains yellow noodles, mustard greens, egg, pieces of fried dough and a small lime to squeeze before eating. The restaurant consists of a few stalls reflecting the various main Malaysian cultures be it Malay, Chinese or Indian. Public transportation is scarce but getting a car or taxi would be ideal if not for known people in this city. It certainly was the best "Mee Goreng Mamak" I have ever had.

Chicken Rice Balls @ Jonker Street, Malacca

Visiting Malacca would not be complete if you do not stop by Jonker Street and taste the ever famous Chicken Rice Balls. This speciality is only available in Malacca and can be found around most restaurants that sell Chicken Rice. What is interesting is that it is the same preparation of the usual chicken rice but the rice, is specially cooked in a special consistency of water and some oil to ensure that the texture is suitable enough to make the rice balls firm. According to the owner, they have a few staff who sit in the restaurant and make these balls the whole day. The chicken is cooked either roasted or steamed, accompanied by cucumbers and chilly sauce (ground fresh chilly, ginger and garlic). The other side dishes available are cabbage and carrot and fish prepared in the typical Malacca style Assam Pedas(spicy and sour sauce) To get to there, just find your way to Malacca Sentral and you may get on a taxi for RM15 to Jonker Street and just ask arpund for the Chicken Rice Ball Restaurant. 

Chicken Biryani @ Masala Zone, Angel, London

Travelling to London has always been something exciting for me due to many reasons and one of them is because it offers very authentic cuisines be it Chinese, Italian, Indian or even Japanese. My excitements or food dreams are usually for the Indian or Sri Lankan cuisine as they are really authentic and freshly prepared from the spices to the final product. On my recent trip there, I had the opportunity to dine at a fusion Indian restaurant called "Masala Zone" and they have a few branches worldwide. The one I went to was in Angel, London. To get there, you need to get on the Northern Line and it is just a ten minute walk from the Angel Underground station.  The food I had as shown in the picture above, is a simple Chicken Biryani but it was tasty and very fulfilling. The rice is marinated with the usual spices and then cooked in layers with the chicken (cooked) usually stuffed in between a few layers of rice. The side dishes that came along with this set was an onion raita (onion salad) and a dhall gravy. In the cool autumn weather, this is a perfect meal with a nice glass of lassi after that.

Gastronomical Escapade: Avocado Salad @ Marmalade Cafe, Bangsar Village

Gastronomical Escapade: Avocado Salad @ Marmalade Cafe, Bangsar Village: "If you are a fan of salad's or on a special diet, this would be a perfect meal for you. One of the favourites in Marmalade Cafe, located at..."

Avocado Salad @ Marmalade Cafe, Bangsar Village

If you are a fan of salad's or on a special diet, this would be a perfect meal for you. One of the favourites in Marmalade Cafe, located at Bangsar Village in Kuala Lumpur, this salad is called the Avocado Salad and is very much worth the price you pay. The salad consists of  avocados, salad leaf, green, yellow and red capsicum, raisins, crouton, tomatoes, all cubed with a sprinkle of shredded nuts. It is a wholesome meal and it is highly recommended. Hopefully, more and more Malaysian restaurants have salad's like these as an alternative to rice or noodles.