Restoran Seremban Chicken Porridge, Seremban

Earlier this week, we made a trip back to our hometown, Seremban... eating our way around some of our favorite foods.

For dinner, we headed over to Restoran Seremban Chicken Porridge. We grew up eating the porridge from these folks, followed them when they moved from place to place and finally they now have their own shop at Templer.

Business is still as good as ever, so it is advisable to come early to avoid disappointment. In the past, they would sell out on the chicken as early as 7pm, even though they start selling at 6pm. Not sure about now, but we didn't want to take the risk and arrived early at 6pm. If you're dining here, take a seat and one of the servers will take your order.

Service is efficient, and within 5 minutes, we were served piping bowls of pork offal porridge (chee chap chuk) (RM5 each) and a plate of the smoothest, most delicious poached chicken (RM23 per plate).

Here, you can specify which parts of the chicken you want, and we usually go for the chicken breast. Now before you think, "chicken breast is sooooo dry", you can be assured that the chicken breast served here is super moist and tasty. And their soy sauce-sesame oil concoction which they pour all over the chicken is just sooooooo good and complements the chicken meat perfectly. They serve their chicken with some kickass chilli dip on the side too.

The porridge here is really awesome; the kids had the chicken porridge and it's only RM2 a bowl! And the chee chap chuk is as fantastic as ever. It's loaded with ingredients (tripe, liver, lean pork and deep fried intestines) and the texture is so smooth and thick, absolutely the best bowl of porridge ever!

So, the next time you're in Seremban, do head over to try the porridge.. I know many who have fallen in love after the first taste. ;)

Opening hours: 6pm until sold out. Closed on Tuesdays.

Price: Total bill RM48 for 4 adults 2 kids, inclusive 2 drinks.

Location: Restoran Seremban Chicken Porridge, 295G, Templer Commercial Centre, Jalan Tun Dr Ismail, Taman Suria, 70200 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. (Street parking available)

GPS Coordinates: 2.739478, 101.925457



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Toriden Lot 10, The Table, KL + GIVEAWAY!

For those who love hotpot (aka steamboat), Toriden is the place to be, for an authentic Japanese hotpot experience.

Located on Level 4 of Isetan The Japan Store at The Table, one can savour the Mizutaki, a traditional dish originating from Japan's Hakata region, Fukuoka at Toriden.

Every day, Toriden produce a luscious chicken soup by boiling farm fresh chicken for at least six hours to fully extract its flavours and natural collagen; this soup is the base of their chicken hotpot (Mizutaki).

To start, we were served a Toriden Tamago each (RM10). One of Toriden's signature dishes, the soft boiled egg is topped on chicken miso and garnished with a sansho pepper. Maki, the restaurant manager, explains the right way to enjoy this - break the egg into half and mix in the chicken miso. Beautifully runny, the chicken miso added a lovely umaminess to it.

For the Mizutaki, a pot, containing the rich, flavourful chicken stock is brought to the boil at your table. The good thing about having hotpot here, is that you can sit back and enjoy while the staff prepares everything for you and guides you on how to enjoy Mizutaki. The Mizutaki is priced at RM60 per set (for 1-2 person) and comes with 1 breast, 2 thigh, chicken meatball and vegetables.

First, our server scoops out some soup into a small bowl and invites us to taste the pure, unadulterated taste of the soup (with no seasoning). She then points out a couple of condiments on the table, which we can add to enhance the taste of the soup according to our preference - original yuzu, red chilli yuzu and green chilli yuzu kosho from Kyushu, Japan as well as salt. We liked ours best with the original yuzu kosho and salt.

While we sipped on our soup, our server removed the chicken pieces from the broth and topped it with green onion and leek which she added to the soup previously. High quality chicken parts such as thigh and breast meat is used. For this, our server suggests adding some ponzu sauce - the tangy flavours whet our appetite and complements the chicken well.

Next,  using minced chicken and gizzards, our server makes chicken meatballs and drops them into the hot soup. Then, vegetables, tofu and Kudzu starch noodles are added. Ten minutes later, this beautiful bowl of colorful, healthy goodness is placed before me. Who says healthy eating needs to be boring? The meatballs were deliciously juicy and I made sure I had extra helpings of the sweet, hearty broth.

Toriden also offers tantan-men on their a la carte menu, and if you love hot and spicy flavours, this is not to be missed. We had the special chiken tantan-men (RM28) and it was terrific. The broth was flavorful and packed a punch. The ramen noodles were springy and the bowl of noodles also came with half a runny egg. We loved it! Diners who order this will also be given a disposable apron to wear, how thoughtful! ;) Other than the soup version, they also do a dry or mixed salad variety.

Chicken is the highlight at Toriden, so you will also find other dishes such as toriwasa (chicken salad), fried chicken and chicken tempura.

For dessert, we had the petite Koicha Panna Cotta (RM10) and Hojicha pudding (roasted green tea pudding - RM10), both made using green tea from Hoshino Tea Garden in Yame city. Loved the silky smooth, delicate texture of them both, but especially the koicha panna cotta which had an intense green tea flavour.

Tatami seating is available at Toriden Lot 10.

GIVEAWAY!

Toriden would like to offer one lucky blog reader a RM200 cash voucher to spend at the Toriden outlet in The Table, Lot 10.  

To enter this giveaway, please complete all the below steps to qualify.

1. Follow Toriden on both Instagram and Facebook (IG:Toridenlot10 , FB:Toridenlot10)

2. Follow Baby Sumo on both Instagram and Facebook (IG: babysumo, FB: GoodyFoodies)

3. In the comments below, tell me what you would like to try at Toriden and leave both your IG and FB handles.

[Optional] Receive a Bonus Entry if you share this post on Facebook, with hashtag #ToridenXBabySumo. (Please ensure your profile is public so that I can view it)

Contest will run from 28 December 2017 until 2 January 2018 3pm. Winners be will chosen at random and notified via Instagram or Facebook DM. Voucher is valid until 31 January 2018.

Good luck!

[4 Jan 2018] Winner announcement: 
Congratulations Angeline ML Ong - you are the lucky winner of the RM200 cash voucher! Please respond to Instagram DM by 5/1/18 6pm, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

Menu can be viewed here. The restaurant is pork-free.

Opening hours: Lunch: 11:00am - 3:00pm (L.O 14:00); Dinner: 6:00pm - 11:00pm (L.O 21:30). Closed on Wednesday.


Location: Toriden, The Table, Level 4F, Isetan the Japan Store, Lot 10 Shopping Centre, 50 Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Parking RM6 for first 3 hours)

Tel: 03-2141 7777

Website: http://thejapanstore.mistore.jp/my/en/index.html

GPS Coordinates: 3.146451, 101.712460


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Get a Goodnite's Sleep, with the Love Series

Recently I had the pleasure of attending the official star-studded product launch of Love Series, the latest range of mattresses available from Goodnite Malaysia.

Goodnite Sdn. Bhd. is the largest bedding manufacturer in Malaysia and have been producing quality bedding for domestic and international markets since 1989. Goodnite believes that every individual should obtain sufficient sleep for good health, hence the company places great emphasis on creating quality mattresses and bedding products. The new Love Series, which include three sets of products with different designs, namely Forever Love, Eternal Love and True Love are now available via the vast distributors network across Malaysia.

We were entertained by the vocal talent of Ribbon Ooi as a bevy of models dressed in nightwear appeared on stage and paraded around the Love Series on display.

During the product launch, famous Malaysian actor Harith Iskander and MYFM radio DJ Jack Lim were unveiled as Goodnite's Brand Ambassadors. Harith aka The World's Funniest Person joked that the Love Series mattress was so luxurious that it may result in the Iskander clan increasing in number during his tenure as ambassador :-) Jack Lim added that it's no secret looking at the two new ambassadors on stage that they both like to eat well and sleep well therefore the partnership is a good match.

We witnessed the official contract signing of the brand ambassadors and learned from Mr Teo, Goodnite's Managing Director that the company is committed to continuous improvement via R&D and RM5 million has been allocated for Advertising and Promotion in 2018 to cement Goodnite's position as the best in the business.

At the launch event I was able to test the full range of products for myself; they all exude a luxurious feel and are very pleasing to the eye. My brief encounter with each mattress was a very positive experience.

Product innovations in the Love Series include the 5 Zone Pocket Spring System that contour to our body shapes, Double Posture Coil (DPC®) system for better back support, and organic foam made with palm oil, all of which are able to incorporate various sleep requirements of consumers for a more pleasurable sleep. We spend one-third of our lives in bed, so it is important to choose the best mattress for our home.

Forever Love

In today's world where we all interact constantly with electronic devices such as mobile phones and laptops, our bodies are more susceptible to accumulating electrons that cause body static. An example of body static is when you remove a sweater and hear or see the sparks fly. Amazingly our bodies can accumulate huge amounts of electrons and if these are not discharged before we sleep, it can affect our wellbeing in several ways. In some people the static build up can induce nervousness and tension throughout the day and prevent the individual from experiencing deep sleep during the night. The downsides from not feeling relaxed and improper sleep are often displayed in poor metabolism, becoming weak and being more susceptible to illness and even acceleration of the aging process.

The Love Series use Goodnite's patented anti-static technology, StatFree® which contains ultra fine carbon threads which will discharge the accumulated electrons from our body, thus allowing deeper sleep, revitalizing individuals every night and waking up fresher, allowing them to perform at their optimum levels throughout the following day. Live life to the fullest, with Goodnite mattresses.

You can learn more about the StatFree® technology and the Love Series in this video.

The Love Series consists of queen and king-size mattresses, with prices ranging from RM1,999 to RM5,199.For more information, please visit Goodnite's website or Goodnite's Facebook page.



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Merry Christmas 2017 & Thank You!

Here's wishing everyone a Merry Christmas 2017!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for visiting me on my blog frequently during 2017 and helping me reach 12 Million Page Views in Dec 2017.

I hope Santa visits each and every one of you and makes you merry :)

BabySumoKids say THANK YOU too.

Have a great celebration with your loved ones, and do check back in the coming days as I will be doing a couple of giveaways on the blog as well as on my Instagram and Facebook!

Ho Ho Ho... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from BabySumoFamily!

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Omakase @ Hanare Japanese Restaurant, KL

Hanare has always been one of our favorite Japanese restaurants in town. For many years, we have been patronising them for their weekend Japanese buffet, one of the the finest in KL offering Wagyu beef and premium sashimi.

At Hanare, quality fresh produce specially hand picked by their staff in Tsukiji Market in Tokyo are air-flown in twice a week. For the ultimate dining experience, go for the Omakase, which literally means "leave it to the chef". Only highly skilled chefs such as Chef Akira Yonomoto, with over 45 years of experience in sushi making, are able to prepare such a feast, using the best available produce on that day to create an authentic, traditional experience for guests.

For the omakase, prices start from RM450++ and is presented in a variety of courses (usually between 7-9 courses). Guests having the omakase or any sushi courses, are recommended to sit at the sushi counter as the chef will explain each dish to you as he presents them. Furthermore, you'd be silly not to... afterall the sushi counter offers the best seats in the house, where you can watch the chefs skillfully slice the fish or prepare the sushi.

We are loving Hanare's sushi counter, featuring a top forged from a solid piece of wood, much like many of the beautiful tables in the restaurant.

Best seats in the restaurant

To start, I was served a trio of appetizers - an interesting wasabi kombu, whole plum and fish liver to whet the appetite. I especially love the whole plum which was sweet and sour, and refreshed the palate.

Next came my favorite part of any Japanese meal - the sashimi platter featuring six types of the freshest seafood. Beautifully presented, Chef Akira explains each type of fish to me before I tucked in. There was the rare ishidai, buri (yellowtail), otoro (tuna belly), hirame (flounder), shima aji (horse mackarel) and scallop, served with freshly grated wasabi. Most of these species are highly prized for their fatty texture and intense flavours during the winter months. Loved the clean flavours of the ishidai and hirame, contrasted by the fatty, buttery texture of the otoro and sweet tasting scallops. So so good! Much to my delight, Chef Akira (he must have seen how much I enjoyed it) offered me a bonus piece of otoro... YUMMMM!

Otoro.... so good!

The different cuts of tuna 

Chef Akira-san with the freshly grated wasabi

Ayu or better known as sweetfish to the locals, belong to the salmon family that thrive only in clean rivers, lakes and coastal waters. The name ‘sweet fish’ is due to the sweetness of its tender flesh, which has a distinctive, sweet flavour with ‘melon and cucumber aroma’. For the next course, I was served a grilled "pregnant" ayu, so other than the sweet flesh, one could enjoy the roe within too.

Inaniwa udon is one of the top three udons from Japan; this thinner, smooth variety of udon was served with scallop, prawn and mushroom. Light and delicious!

A basket filled with sakura ebi tempura as well as vegetable tempura was placed before me. Light and crispy, I especially enjoyed the slightly salty sakura ebi. 

One of the highlights of the omakase are the nigiri sushi, which are presented one at a time to the diner. First, we watched as Chef Akira skillfully slices the pickled ginger into thin slivers. He reaches into the rice bucket for some sushi rice, adds a dab of fresh wasabi to the underside of the fish, tops it on the rice and then applies a thin layer of soy. He then presents it to me to enjoy, and then the process repeats once the sushi is devoured.  We certainly enjoyed watching the whole process, while chatting with Chef Akira. I had a total of seven piece of nigiri sushi, starting with toro (fatty tuna.. omg so good!), kampachi belly (firm bite and sweet), hirame, buri, shimaaji, ikura and round radish.  Sorry I can't remember exactly how they each tasted, but I sure can remember enjoying each and every one of them!

Toro 

Kampachi belly

Hirame

Buri

Shimaaji

Ikura

Round radish

A soup with hamaguri clam was served; this should be enjoyed after each nigiri sushi is consumed.

For dessert, I had the sweetest, juiciest Japanese melon with green tea mochi.

Thank you Chef Akira-san for the wonderful omakase experience; not only was the food amazing, we enjoyed the affable chef's company too.

Please stay tuned for my next post about Hubby's sushi kaiseki experience at Hanare.

Enjoy 6% cashback everytime you dine in any restaurants managed by Globalfoods and RM5 off on your first bill. Recommend a friend and enjoy 3% cash back when they dine here too.

Download free app UDS by following this link, register and press the link again to get the membership.
https://promo.uds.app/apps/?code=uhxc0548

You can enjoy the cash back at
1- Hanare, their Japanese fine dining at Intermark KL (pork free)
2- Royal Canton, their Chinese restaurant serving dim sum and HK style roasts at DC Mall, Damansara Heights
3- Golden Valley, their halal seafood restaurant at Melawati Mall
4- Harley's, their no-frills all natural Burger and fried chicken cafe at DC Mall, Damansara Heights and Third Avenue, Cyberjaya



Opening times: Lunch 12.00pm - 2.30pm; Dinner 6.00pm - 10.30pm.

Location: Hanare Authentic Japanese Cuisine, Lot G06, Ground Floor, The Intermark, 182 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur. (Parking RM5 per entry after 5pm)

Tel: 03-2164 2133 / 03-2164 2633

GPS Coordinates: 3.161620, 101.719670

Website: https://www.facebook.com/HanareJapaneseRestaurant/


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