p.s. while i am still sorting out my food excursions in hong kong and making plans on my travelogue sharing which will be written and published soon (i can't wait to write about my yummy adventures!), this entry is in conjunction to celebrate my mini success in completing korean beginner's 2 classes! ;)

it is ranked 6th by korean tourism organization (kto) as one of the top 10 korean dishes.

its popularity in south korea is astounding, so much so that koreans consume the most of this beloved dish in the world, often needing to import in order satiate the cravings of the locals.

and its name is SAMGYEOPSAL{삼겹살}.

essentially thickly sliced pork belly {돼지고기}, the name is inspired by the three distinct alternating layers of fat and meat where it is literally translated to three 'sam'{삼}, layer 'gyeop' {겹}, meat 'sal' {살}. typically uncured, not seasoned and not marinated, samgyeopsal is a barbecue dish {고기구이} where the meat is grilled over the charcoal grill or in this case, flat cast iron griddle over gas stove. this allows the meat to shine in its true essence and the 'seasoning' comes after the cooking.



i've explored KL's korean town in ampang to taste korea's most desired pork dish, which yielded pretty good results but a few weeks ago, a couple of my friends introduced me to a restaurant that puts a fascinating twist to the classic samgyeopsal at palsaik korean bbq restaurant {팔색삼겹살}. in fact, it was recently crowned by time out kuala lumpur in their 2014 awards as the 'best korean restaurant',

located in solaris mon't kiara, the restaurant replicated its flagship store's decor in south korea including the eye catching cute-sy little piggy table number that is hung just below the lamp. clean and simplistic, it starts with cement floors and wooden panels that lined the walls while the other half of the wall are ceiling high windows to allow the sunlight to illuminate the restaurant. there is one main dining area and also a few private rooms for bigger party of diners. practicality was reflected with the barrel-like stools with removable cushion that doubles as a bag storage and the utensils kept in the drawers at the table.




perhaps we were in luck because when we arrived on a sunday afternoon, the restaurant was rather quiet with 2-3 other tables occupied. it did pick up its pace a little as the afternoon progressed.

since palsaik korean bbq is a specialized restaurant, the menu was condensed into a mere two pages where there are three sets: 3color set {삼색한상} for 2 persons, and a choice of either 8color set {팔색한상} or the premium set {명품한상} for 3 to 4 persons. side dishes are available for addons as well.




like samgyeopsal, palsaik's name has meaning rooted within; 'pal'{팔} is eight while 'saek' {색} translates to color - the signature dish: the fresh pork belly {생삼겹살} marinated in eight sauces - ginseng {인삼}, wine {와인}, pine needles {솔잎}, garlic {마늘}, herb {허브}, curry {커리}, soy bean paste {된장} and hot pepper sauce {고추장}.





8color set {팔색한상} | palsaik pork belly which is not only good for your health but also tasty, seasoned with 8 different ingredients  - set for 3~4 persons; set + seafood soup + vegetables (rm 112)
{건강에 좋고 맛도 좋은 여덟가지 색깔 스페셜하게 즐기는 팔색삼겹살}


one of the things i love about korean food is that the meals are typically a balanced meal. despite the many strips of pork belly, there is a ton of vegetable accompaniment on top of the salad and kimchi, all of which are refillable by request.




the seafood stew - a clear broth with mixed vegetables, tofu and seafood of crab, shrimp, mussels, clams and squid in a shallow metal hot pot that turns fiery red as the soup simmers to a bubble. the soup (is also refillable!) was spicy with mild seasoning but didn't manage to extract the flavors of the fresh seafood into the soup without overcooking the shellfish.





while the seafood soup was cooking, two scoopfuls of kimchi was placed at one of the ends of the hot griddle pan, while the straw mushroom, slices of raw garlic and fresh green chillies joined in the party. and finally the highlight of the meal completed the hot griddle.

[#protip: the restaurant staff would be doing the grilling for you at your table!]



(p.s. the daikon cube on the stick is not edible but instead is used to clean the flat griddle of grease throughout the cooking process)



the grilling was done with two batches where the first four strips were marinated in the lighter sauces followed by the stronger flavors.





while the first four strips were grilled to perfection, they are stacked aside while the rest of the pork belly were placed on the griddle.


i have learned the ways of koreans in savoring samgyeopsal in little porky parcels, although honestly it's alright to have fun with food and have it just the way you like it. start with the leaf of your choice, be it the lettuce leaves 'sangchu' {상추} or sesame leaves 'ggaennip' {깻잎}, place the piece of meaty goodness dipped into soy bean paste sauce {된장}, then toss in sides of warm kimchi, green chillies for heat and garlic for extra punch of flavor to get 'sangchussam' {상추쌈} or 'ssam' {쌈} which literally means 'lettuce wrapped' or 'wrapped' that should be eaten in one bite.




each strip of  the samgyeopsal had its own subtle differences and wore the flavors as you would expect them to.

ginseng {인사}: subtle earthy bitterness; wine {와인}: light wine flavor, almost undetectable; pine needles {솔잎}: murmurs a grass-like freshness, herbaceous; garlic {마늘}: a light garlic punch; herb {허브}: whispers of herbs (can't seem to figure out what) that was too soft; curry {커리}: prominently curry spices without much heat; soy bean paste {된장}: salty, savory with light sweet undertones; hot pepper sauce {고추장}: slightly spicy with the familiar salty savoriness.

the strips of pork belly had a good fat to meat ratio making them succulent and meaty simultaneously as the warm tart and mildly spicy kimchi contrasted the cool raw vegetables and the rounded saltiness of the soy bean paste. my favorite has got to be the soy bean paste, garlic and the hot pepper sauce for the occasional heat. more importantly, discerning the eight different nuances in flavors that tickled the five elements of taste in one meal has made this a rather special samgyeopsal experience.

side dishes :: cheese stir fried rice {치즈복음밥} (rm15)

with the five of us sharing the meal, we added an order of rice to fill our hungry bellies, which was prepared at the table by the staff. in similar fashion as 'dalkgalbi' {닭갈비}, as we have consumed the seafood broth to a minimal amount, the broth will be mixed with the leftover kimchi from the griddle which would become the base for the fried rice.











it was simple and quick by adding sesame leaves for the punch of herbaceous brightness to counter the mild spiciness of stock absorbed by the rice, mild saltiness from the seaweed and finished the creamy meltiness of the cheese. it was a a pretty tasty encounter although my personal preference would be to add a small spoonful of hot pepper sauce!




palsaik korean bbq restaurant offers something slightly different from its counterparts. while i would have had a happier belly if they served a few more side dishes {반찬} (including the spicy green onion salad which is surprisingly enjoyed in seoul {파절이} - a perfect accompaniment), the concept of samgyeopsal marinated in eight different sauces that deliciously seduces the taste buds in a mild manner had won me over. although the menu is very limited, it is worth trying out at least once with family/friends who crave for pork belly goodness with a twist! :)

[#protip: as with other korean grill restaurants, you will come out smelling like korean bbq! dress lightly since it will be warm with all the grills on the go!]

palsaik korean bbq restaurant | location

j-01-09, soho kl,
no 2, jalan solaris,
mon't kiara,
50480 kuala lumpur

{opens sunday - thursday: 1130 am - 1030pm;
friday & saturday: 1130am - 1130pm}

disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.

p.s. work has been demanding a lot of my attention lately. now that my beginner's korean class has finished for the time being before the next session, i'm searching for time for entry updates! sorry but please anticipate my new blog entries soon!

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remember my entry about ori-udon in midvalley?

and the special mention for seiji fujimoto in the entry?

that's basically the gist behind my desire to cross out sanuki udon on my wishlist!

let's rewind just for a bit. 

fujimoto-san is the the udon expert collaborator behind the inception of ori-udon, what transpired after my meal at the former was inevitable - i had to try the original. fujimoto's very own sanuki udon shack in taman desa. 

somewhere in old klang road, it was almost a challenge to find the right location and we were beginning to despair when we sorta got lost along the way. third time's a charm aptly described our 'excursion' cos we finally managed to get the accurate location of the restaurant after 3 tries - first time, it was google's fault and the second, i admit it was my mistake although i'm still trying to figure out why.

the petite noodles shack unpretentious. despite the simplicity of the decor, it breathed japanese - with the use of dark wooden panel that arched the entrance. mostly alfresco dining while the other half of the dining space inside was entertained by the open kitchen. 

sticking to their basics and the simplistic approach thus far, their menu was similarly contained within a single page menu with a handful of udon choices and kushiage as well as side dishes aplenty.

"let's start out slow," {mh} and i figured. thus, the order of a noodle each and a couple of accompaniments was our menu with our drinks of refillable green tea at rm 1 per glass. 

it didn't take long for all the dishes to make their appearances. i'd say our choices made up a pretty balanced meal! ;)

sanuki udon :: house special with egg | hot or cold {rm5}

when i can't seem to make up my mind, my fall back plan is to go with their speciality. i mean, it's already in its name AND you can't really go wrong with the soft cooked egg to top it all off! this was more of a basic version of the one i had from ori-udon.

starting with a base of a couple of spoonfuls of dashi broth that seasoned the noodles sufficiently, breaking the soft yolk was gratifying as the silky richness embraced the freshly made udon, cooked el dente, it gave a chewy texture with a hint of elasticity. the udon was a slurping goodness that shone in the simplicity of the dish. uncomplicated and the dish made complete sense. no need for extras and is best to be experienced as is. oh it's probably better hot instead of cold. 

sanuki udon :: original soup | hot or cold {rm 5}

{mh}'s choice seemed to be well received. topped with a handful of vegetables, the same freshly made thick udon that is made out of japanese wheat dough was served with a warm light broth that i guess was dashi but had a bias towards the konbu flavor.  it was a comforting bowl of tasty noodles, perfect for the rainy evening.

topping :: kakiage {rm 3}

my first introduction to kakiage that i remember was at ori-udon. prepared tempura style, kakiage is a mix of vegetable (perhaps onion, carrot and burdock root), thinly shredded into thickness of match sticks. 

just ever slightly less greasy than its ori-udon counterpart, it was missing that crispy crunchiness that left me rather unsatisfied. although subtle different between the two, ori-udon had the ratio of vegetables mix that better suited my taste buds with a more prominent natural sweetness of the roosts and onions. 

kushiage :: tori momo | chicken leg meat {rm 2}

breaded in panko bread crumbs prior to the deep frying, my first bite had me pause to reassess the flavors of the skewer. while the chicken mea remained moist, the lack of seasoning on on the chicken and the not-as-crispy-as-i'd-hope panko breading compelled me to slather a generous amount of the delicious sauce which had the much needed punch from the japanese yellow mustard, which i loved. 

there was something amiss about the tori momo kushiage that we couldn't quite put our finger on and was staring at some tables that ordered the karaage which seemed to suggest a better feedback from the clean plates. *nods subtly*  yeah, we were sorta wishing that we had ordered that instead.

one word that resonates the being of sanuki udon is simplicity - but definitely in an optimistic way, allowing the basic and clean flavors that highlight the essence of the dishes although a couple of tweaks in the execution would probably be good. thus, proceed with a simple expectation and you may be greeted with a pleasant surprise, especially with the very reasonable price tags, to boot. 

sanuki udon | location

9 jalan bukit desa 5,
taman bukit desa,
58100 kuala lumpur
{opens tuesday - sunday:
10:30 am - 2:30pm;
5:30pm - 9:30pm}

disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.

ask me what type of japanese ramen i love most and my answer is almost reflex-like.

-- tonkotsu broth ramen.
hands down. period.

not to be mistaken with tonkatsu which is also a japanese dish but is instead a deep fried panko breaded pork cutlet, tonkotsu is best described by mr j.kenji of food labs at serious eats.

thank you, mr kenji because it's like you've read my mind and put them into words most exquisitely. 

so when someone at work recommended marutama ra-men {まる玉 らーめん}, which is one of his top favorites for ramen places (btw, his other half is japanese), i was intrigued but i wasn't sure what to expect of it. after the popular ramen trend took the local food scene by storm a couple of years ago, marutama stood out from the rest of the porcine-based counterparts by being the pioneer of chicken soup for ramen in japan. 

nestled in a hidden corner on the first floor of fahrenheit 88 mall in bukit bintang, the petite noodle joint mimicked the simplistic japanese decor of its sister franchises in japan, indonesia, thailand and hong kong. it took a bolder approach with the focus walls painted in my favorite hue of red that contrasted yet complimented the other grey and white walls as well as dark & light brown furniture. as the sun set, the last of the evening sunlight streamed in through the ceiling-high windows that faces the back roads of bukit bintang.

i picked a spot by the window to enjoy what was left of dusk before the night rolled over. the restaurant was quiet that evening with me being the sole diner, granted it was still pretty early for dinner.  

the compact menu was filled with the choices in the combination of either spicy/non-spicy broth and toppings of chashu, pork belly or ajitsuke tamago. in fact, if you're feeling hungry, why not all three? or you can even order the toppings (or their other offerings) as a side to be shared with others if variety is what you're looking for.

ajitsuke tamago ra-men | chicken soup ra-men with a slice of roast pork, seaweed, spring onion and a seasoned egg (choice spicy or non spicy) (rm 21) 

as much as i love spicy versions, the best way to savor the nuances and notes in its stock will be in its most natural and basic version of the non-spicy.

being the only diner at the restaurant meant that the bowl of goodness got to me really quickly. the broth was warm and i inhaled its fragrance when i tasted my first sip. 

as the warm soup trickled down my throat, it sung a couple of the same notes as my favorite tonkotsu broth but on a milder, subtler tune. the stock almost had the similar sticky lipped richness and light creaminess in a flavorful disposition.. a lighter version, if you will but seasoned just nicely. the soup is cooked for five hours daily over high heat using the freshest ingredients and that it takes one whole chicken to make two bowls of soup to achieve that level of flavor intensity. plus, marutama boasts of no added preservatives nor msg.

the handmade noodles were fresh as it was coated lovingly by the thick broth. i've always liked my ramen's texture to be cooked el dente for that firm, springy bite with each chew but this was slightly overdone, thus making it a little softer than i'd like.

one of my favorite ingredients in the bowl has got to be the understated and unassuming imported river bed seaweed from japan that gave another layer of flavor that somewhat cut through the richness of the stock. i would call it the secret (although not-that-secret) ingredient that made this bowl of noodles whole.

the slice of roast pork loin with its great lean to fat ratio was cooked to its tenderly satisfying texture. flavor-wise, pretty good but it didn't stand out as memorable.

and finally, a must have with every bowl of japanese ramen -- the ajitsuke tamago. very mild flavors of soy and mirin infused into the marinated soft boiled egg, done using almost textbook perfect techniques (although i've definitely tasted better ones). as i pierced the egg with my chopsticks to split it open, the runny yolk streamed some of its golden richness into the stock to accentuate the flavors.

don't miss out on the fried garlic flakes on the table and you can even have a second experience with that same bowl of ramen with the addition of their signature condiment. perhaps first half without and the second half with. ;)

the fried garlic flakes gave a slight earthy, sweetness mingled with a bitter undertone from the garlic itself to give a more robust punch of flavor with the occasional crunch of the fried flakes. don't forget to try it for yourself to figure out if you prefer it with or without.

[#protip] while you can't add more stock, you can always have an additional order of ramen (rm 3) if you would like extras to slurp up all that chicken stock with. 

oh, and if you are wondering whether the green tea is refillable, it's a yes ;)

marutama ra-men has a tall order to fill especially when i've always advocated tonkotsu broth. i'd definitely commend its chef for the care and technique in achieving the flavor intensity to rival their pork-based counterparts though it had not swayed the latter from its pedestal. an enjoyable bowl of comforting, hearty bowl of japanese ramen with a lighter twist in its chicken stock. go forth with an open mind/stomach/taste buds and who knows? you might find a different kind of ramen joint to be added to your favorites list.

p.s. marutama {まる玉} translates from japanese into 'round ball'....which totally explains its logo!

marutama ra-men | location

f1.27.01. first floor
jalan bukit bintang
55100 kuala lumpur
{open daily: 11am - 10pm}

disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.

"breakfast, lunch, dinner;

'creamy' rice, spicy sambal;

irresistible."

village park restaurant nasi lemak. 

this place needs no introduction. 

the proof is in the constant crowd inside and outside the restaurant throughout the day although i can only really vouch for weekend mornings. 

in fact, it is one of the top searches for the argubly best nasi lemak in klang valley. 

i've got to admit that i was a little very late to the party and yes, i finally had my plateful a few weeks ago to try for myself what draws the malaysian crowd back for many years. trust me, malaysians are huge on nasi lemak - they take the art of this delicious local favorite very seriously!

i was lucky on both visits - i managed to get a table in under five minutes, granted you have to be a little quick to snap up a table as diners leave. or perhaps be willing to share the table with strangers - a necessitated communal dining experience, if you will ;)


although village park restaurant seems synonymous to nasi lemak, there are other offerings as well ranging from noodles, kaya-butter toasts and rice with dishes for your choosing. but why not try their most popular signature dish especially if it was my first time there. and yes, this entry will be dedicated to just that one dish.



15 - 20 minutes of after watching many plates of nasi lemak whizzed past us (and not without me staring at the staff expectantly, hoping it was ours), it was finally here - the moment of truth. village park is famous for its nasi lemak but their speciality lies in the nasi lemak ayam goreng (rm 9) or literally translated 'fatty rice with fried chicken'. for variety sake, we also tried the rendang daging ('beef rendang') (rm 8.50) rendition.



all the fixin's made their appearances - the chili sambal, the fragrant rice, half a hard boiled egg, a handful of crunchy fresh ground nuts and cripsy, salty anchovies, a couple slices of fresh cucumber and of course the huge piece of dark meat, leg quarter, all strewn almost in an organized haphazard manner.

one of the main stars that makes it nasi lemak is the chili sambal (chili paste with blended onion). my personal preference is a fiery spiciness balanced with the slight sweetness mingled with the onions. unfortunately, village park's had a milder disposition that was decent but not memorable. it was one that i didn't find myself reaching for with every spoonful of rice.


speaking of which, the essence of a great nasi lemak is the rice itself, which only a handful has mastered that skill in the many different nasi lemaks i've tried. soft, fluffy yet you can taste each grain of rice with the fragrance of pandan and ginger whispering its presence softly in the midst the subtle creaminess of the coconut milk, finished with salt to bring out its flavors. the rice was yummy that i would have happily wolfed down the rice on its own although i wouldn't have mind a bit more decadence of the coconut milk.


the signature of the nasi lemak ayam goreng - a generous portion of the leg quarter, fried in secret blend of spices. warm, succulent and juicy meat encased in a golden brown shell of a skin seasoned and marinated generously with spices which i detected notes of tumeric, garlic, ginger and perhaps lemongrass.


i loved the little, runaway, savory crispy bits of batter that gave it that occasional punch of salty in between bites of the mildly seasoned meat.  yum.



the beef rendang was definitely overshadowed by the fried chicken. while the flavors had the makings of a great rendang, my mom thought the kaffir lime leaves would have elevated the fragrance and added another dimension of mild tangy-ness to the dish. on the other hand, i thought the parts of the beef pieces were a tad chewy, overcooked and borderline dry. sad face.

the plain nasi lemak had most of the foundation right while the fried chicken takes it to another level. the serving size is huge that it held me over breakfast and lunch. [#protip] if you are a smaller eater, one option is to share one piece of chicken (rm6) between two plates of plain nasi lemak (rm3) oh, take away here also means queueing up in the very long line to get your orders and then moving into another line at the payment counter. so be prepared to wait even if you were here to get a to go meal.




my parents opined village park restaurant serves above average nasi lemak but they've had better and my parents has had their fair share of nasi lemak. i'd concur with them since there were some room for improvement but so far this is one of the better ones i've tasted. (my next project is to try out the nasi lemak my parents love!) however, there was probably added msg in the dishes since we were gulping down glasses of water to quench the thirst after our meal there.

a good plate of nasi lemak this is, definitely worth a visit to try it for yourself if you are willing to wait for just a bit..

village park restaurant | location

5, jalan ss21/37,
damansara utama,
47400 petaling jaya
selangor
{open mondays to saturdays: 7am - 8pm;
 sundays: 7am-6pm}

disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.