Pho Hoa, The Curve, Mutiara Damansara, PJ

The Unc always "tortures" me with photos of pho that he has in a lovely Vietnamese restaurant called Pho Ha Noi in Erlangen, Germany. Hence I am always on the lookout for good pho in KL, and glad that I found it at Pho Hoa located in The Curve. 

Pho Hoa is a Vietnamese chain of over 70 restaurants serving noodle soup, with locations all over America, Canada and Asia. It has been around for almost 30 years, and is now the largest Vietnamese fast-casual dining chain in the world. Pho Hoa specializes in naturally flavored and healthy soup, whereby each bowl of soup is carefully prepared with a variety of meat toppings and accompanied with fresh coriander leaves, bean sprouts, hot chili peppers, lemon wedges and basil leaves.

You can choose the meat toppings you want with your noodles, such as eye round steak, brisket, tendon, meatballs, flank or tripe. You can even choose how oily or healthy you want your soup to be (the oilier it is, the more tastier it tends to be!). Then, you can choose to omit or add items from your bowl (if you don't like it) such as Thai basil, coriander or lemon. And finally, you can choose to have more or less noodles at no additional charge. 

Steak and flank pho 

The herb/vegetable toppings are served separately

I chose the steak and flank pho (RM16.50) with all the toppings and regular soup. The soup was very tasty which does not leave you thirsty after. Flank is slightly more fatty, so it's a much more flavorful cut. The steak is leaner and is slightly cooked by the broth to "medium" by the time the order reaches the table. For me, this was a really great bowl of pho. 

Hot Lotus Tea

Hubby went for the brisket pho (RM16.50), with more noodles and richer broth and no coriander. The brisket was very tender. The soup was very rich (you can see the layer of oil) but it was really good if you're not worried about your waistline! Haha I guess once in a while it's ok. I feel that Hubby's soup was more flavorful than mine.

Iced lemon tea (RM5.20)

Verdict: Now I can also "torture" The Unc with photos of a great bowl of pho! ;)

Service: Good.

Price: Total bill RM47

Location: Pho Hoa Noodle Soup, G34, The Curve, Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya, 40870 Selangor, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-7725 9880

Set Lunch @ Senjyu Sushi, e@Curve, Mutiara Damansara

We were at IKEA recently (again!) to get some bits and pieces for the house and come lunch time, we found ourselves in a dilemma as to where to eat. Dining at The Curve did not appeal to me, so we ventured a little further to e@Curve, formerly known as Cineleisure Damansara. The Super Value Lunch Set at Senjyu Sushi caught our eye, so we decided to dine here.

Senjyu Sushi claims to be the first premium kaiten or conveyor belt sushi restaurant in Malaysia. However, with such a claim, I found it strange that the kaiten was not switched on at all when we were dining there. The sushi were all made to order, which was in fact much better. Browsing through their a la carte menu, I spotted premium items such as toro (fatty part of the tuna belly), giant air-flown scallops, wagyu beef and foie gras. But today, we just wanted something cheap and cheerful, so the set lunch it was.

I love the use of recycled green wine bottles as their wall decor

The Super Value Lunch Set is available Monday to Friday from 12pm to 6pm. Prices start from RM9.90++ onwards. There are 8 sets to choose from; amongst them are tempura set, chicken katsu don set, sashimi set, beef/chicken sukiyaki set and yakiniku set. All lunch sets are served with a choice of grapefruit or lime juice or green tea.

Refreshing lime juice

I had the Soba & Temaki Set (RM11.90). A bowl of hot buckwheat noodle, so simple yet so satisfying. This set also comes with 2 temakis (hand rolled sushi); the california temaki and salmon temaki. The california temaki was filled with crabstick, omelette, fish roe, avocado, cucumber and oodles of Japanese mayo (yum!). In the salmon temaki, the salmon sashimi was cut in a lengthy strip (which is apparently quite different from the way other eateries slice their sashimi). Do eat the temaki as soon as it is served though to avoid the seaweed wrap for getting too soggy and chewy.

Pickled ginger (gari) - eat as much as you like!

Hubby had the Chicken Teriyaki Set (RM9.90), which came with a huge plate of grilled chicken marinated in a sweet, sticky teriyaki sauce. Wholesome and delicious. Served with rice and miso soup.

He also ordered a Unagi Sushi (RM4.00). Two mouthfuls and they were gone.

We would definitely return to Senjyu to try the more premium items the next time we find ourselves in this area. For more promotions at Senjyu, visit the eCurve website.

Pork free.

Opening times: Sunday to Thursday 12.00pm to 10.30pm; Friday to Saturday 12.00pm to 11pm.

Service: Good.

Price: Reasonably priced set lunches.

Location: Senjyu Sushi, e@ Curve, Lot G2 & G3, Ground Floor, Cineleisure Damansara, No.2A, Jalan PJU 7/3, Mutiara Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. (beside McDonald's)

Tel: 03-7727 9028

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

GPS Coordinates: 3.157485, 101.611176

Teh Tarik Place, The Curve, Mutiara Damansara

I always find it a struggle when deciding where to eat when we're at The Curve. This is possibly due to the fact that we've encountered numerous below par restaurants here in this shopping mall.

Initially, we wanted to try Bumbu Desa (Indonesia's leading restaurant chain) serving authentic Sundanese food, however when we stepped into the outlet, the food suddenly didn't appeal to me anymore. Perhaps another day.

After some deliberation, we finally ended up at Teh Tarik Place, a place serving local dishes such as nasi lemak, roti canai, murtabak, curry laksa and nasi kerabu. An extremely popular place with the working crowd as we witnessed that day. Prices are reasonable; the crowd mainly went for the value set lunch (RM6.90-RM7.90) that came with a main dish of chicken / seafood / beef / mutton, rice, vegetable and drink.

This place reminded me of The Warung in Midvalley, minimalist decor and laidback.

Limau Ais (RM2.50) and Teh O Limau Ais (RM3.10)

I fancied some noodles, so my order was for the Mee Goreng Mamak (RM6.10). A hawker favourite, this fried noodle dish was laden with generous amounts of chicken, prawns, tofu, tomatoes, potatoes and cucur udang (prawn fritters). It was a decent plate of noodles, moist and tasty with a mixture of sweet, savoury and spicy flavours.

Hubby had the Nasi Goreng Ayam (RM8.10), fried rice served with a piece of deep fried chicken and some crispy keropok ikan (fish crackers). The chicken was a little cold, possibly deep fried much earlier before the place got busy.

Verdict: Food was decent and price is very affordable. One of the better food places we've eaten at in The Curve.

Any readers care to recommend some good restaurants/eateries in The Curve?

Location: Teh Tarik Place, Lot GF, 36 & 36A The Curve, 6 Jalan PJU 7/3, Mutiara Damansara, 47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Tel: 016-2138854

Website: http://www.tehtarikplace.my/

GPS Coordinates: 3.157485, 101.611176

Bavarian Bierhaus @ The Curve

Wanting to celebrate Oktoberfest (which is ongoing in Munich, Germany), we chose to dine in Bavarian Bierhaus restaurant when we were at The Curve.

Hubby decided against having a beer since he was driving. We both ordered milkshakes (RM9.50) instead. The milkshakes were nice - cold blended ice cream.

The food however was not that great. I had the Cider braised pork shoulder served with caramelised onions, bacon bread tartlets and sauteed asparagus (RM43). The meat was quite tough and didn't taste of cider. The best bit of the dish were the caramelised onions. I was deeply disappointed as this dish was off their 'Pork Specials' so I expected it to be half decent.

Hubby had the Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb served with pancetta ham, french beans, mashed potatoes and brown gravy (RM38). His dish fared slightly better than mine.

Comfort: We were the first to arrive and the fans or A/C were not on, so it was hot.

Service: Good.

Food rating: 3/10. Food didn't taste great but the food presentation was OK.
Price: Quite pricey. I wouldn't have mind if the food was good.

Location: Bavarian Bierhaus, Lot G66, Ground Floor, The Curve, No 6, Jln PJU 7/3, 47800 Petaling Jaya.

Marche @ The Curve

Marche is a market place restaurant (pronounced mar-shay - French for market) developed by the Movenpick Group (famous for their delicious ice-creams!).

Upon entering the restaurant, we were given a 'Marche passport' which will be stamped each time we ordered from a food station. You pay after you finish your meal. For those who think they can try and get a free meal out of it, think again. Each person gets a passport which has to be handed back to the cashier or else a RM200 fine will be imposed.

We really liked the informal and relaxed atmosphere. What I liked most about the place was that their fresh produce was on display and you knew exactly what you were getting on your dish ie you could customise your own pizza.

Hubby went overboard with the drinks - he had a teh tarik, bottomless Sprite and a 'Botak' coconut. I had a strawberry milkshake - very nice. For food, we shared a wagyu beef set that comes with mash potatoes and small salad and calamari fritto which came with homemade tartare or Thai chilli sauce. The beef was really tasty. I would have liked the calamari better if the batter was lighter.

Fresh salad

The market

The meat station (chicken/ lamb chops / steaks / bratwurst)

Our wagyu beef cooked medium - yum!

Fresh botak coconut

Fish counter - grilled to your liking

Dessert (scone / muffins / cakes / brownies)

Calamari fritto

Our Marche passport

Good experience, would definitely return.

Location: Marche Movenpick Restaurant, Lot G87, Ground Floor, The Curve, Mutiara Damansara, 47800 Petaling Jaya.

Opening hours: 11am - 11pm

Comfort: Clean. Informal.

Food: 8/10. Good for sharing. Large selection of fresh juices, homemade drinks, seafood, salad, pasta, pizza, rosti, soup, grill, dessert and wine.

Price: Reasonable. Rm100 for 2 persons.

Website: http://www.marche-malaysia.com/

The Apartment @ The Curve

I was a little apprehensive about dining at The Apartment as I had previously read some bad reviews about this place. We were looking for a place to have lunch at in The Curve, and Hubby decided we should give it a go.

In here, you will find different "rooms" you may find in an apartment. We were given the option of either the 'bedroom' or 'bathroom' and opted for the bedroom. Bathroom looks a bit shabby to be honest.

The bedroom section - a daybed which was rather comfy to laze in but not so appropriate to eat in

Bathroom section

The bar

The menu comprises of tapas, seafood, salads, sandwiches, Western and also Asian style cooking. I had the lamb rack and ice lemon tea whilst Hubby had the sheppard's pie (I think the correct spelling should be shepherd). The ice lemon tea was the homemade kind 'with a teabag and lemon squeezed in'. For me, it wasn't sweet enough.

When our food arrived, I was pretty impressed and thought 'Okay, this looks like a promising start to our meal'. Hubby enjoyed his shepherd's pie - cheese on the mash potatoes and the beef mince with a hint of tomato provided complementary twists to this traditional dish.

Hubby's shepherd's pie

When I took my first bite of my lamb dish, I was impressed. The meat was cooked pink in the middle (just the way I like it). The crushed basil sauce went really well with the lamb. However, (okay this is the part where it starts going wrong...:-( ), the sauteed new potatoes were really undercooked. You couldn't even crush it with your fork, that's how hard it was. Hubby kindly offered me some of his mash potatoes.

Lamb rack

So, when the waiter cleared our plates, I mentioned the 'hard potatoes' to him and he didn't apologize or make any comment about it. To me, that is bad service. It's as though they ("the restaurant") do not care about what they serve their customers. I didn't bother with dessert. Later when we asked for our bill, it took about 10 minutes as they had some technical error with their machine.

Overall, I felt quite disappointed with the meal as they couldn't even get a basic side dish cooked to an edible standard. Cooking potatoes is not rocket science. Not worth a return visit.

Location: The Apartment, Lot 72-74, 152 Ground Floor, Western Courtyard, The Curve.

Food: 6/10. Very bad potatoes.
Price: Reasonable. RM80 for 2 persons.
Service: Poor. Their waiters can't speak English. And they have lousy etiquette.
Website: http://www.atheapartment.com/