Food: An Afternoon Luncheon with DOLLEE - a Truly Malaysian Favourite

What I really craved when I was studying abroad in Australia, especially on those cold nights when I especially missed home, was some good hearty Malaysian food. I wasn't much of a cook growing up, having much preferred baking, so pasta and some simple stir-fries (oh and of course, maggi mee too!) were my go-to meals when I was there. Simple and fast did the trick.

A lot of times I relied on ready-made pastes and bottled condiments for my taste of home. There was quite an okay variety at the Asian grocery in the suburb where I stayed - mostly Japanese, Korean or Chinese stuff. Sure, bulgolgi and plum sauces, tom yam pastes were nice, but they weren't Malaysian to me. And when I say Malaysian, I mean fiery nasi lemak sambals, piquant curries, slurp-worthy laksas... yum.)

Which is why when I saw the well-rounded range from DOLLEE, I couldn't help but wish that they were around during the time we were in Melbourne. A Malaysian home-grown connoisseur of local flavours and essences, Dollee has today created a large variety of ready-made pastes and condiments through years of painstakingly perfecting its timeless recipes. 

At a recent afternoon luncheon, we got to see for ourselves just how easily Dollee recreates some of our favourite dishes.

We started off with the Chicken Curry Paste, where all we needed were some chicken, potatoes, and coconut milk. 

You can use either the ready boxed coconut milk, or instant coconut cream powder - both work the same :)

Ingredients (serves 6-8, prep time 20 mins):

• 1 packet Dollee Chicken Curry Paste
• 1.5kg chicken
• 2 potatoes, quartered
• 350-500ml water
• 200ml coconut milk or fresh/low fat milk

1. First, stir fry 1 packet of Dollee Chicken Curry Paste with 1.5kg chicken pieces and 2 potatoes which have been cut into cubes for approximately 5 minutes.

So, we added in the paste first to heat it up, and then in went the chicken!

At this point, my tummy started growling embarrassingly loud because the aroma from the spices began filling the kitchen. Too good!

2. Next, add 350-500 ml water, depending on how thick you'd like your curry to be, and let simmer for 15 minutes or until the meat is tender and potatoes have softened.

Dollee recommends to use a variety of chicken cuts, a mixture of parts with some fat and bone for a better tasting curry. However, if you'd like to use chicken breast instead as its less fatty/oily, then remember to simmer it for a little longer to get a tender, succulent bite.

3. Add 200ml coconut milk or fresh/low fat milk. Stir well and bring to a quick boil. Serve hot!

We followed the recipe to a tee, and we found the level of spiciness and the thickness of the gravy just right for both Adam and I. If you'd like something less spicy, you can always add more water or coconut milk in steps 2 & 3 above.

The result was a richly-hued chicken curry, robust in both flavour and spice. The chicken was tender and absorbed the flavours of the paste extremely well; plus, Adam & I loved how home-cooked the curry tasted, like mom had combined the spices from scratch. He even went for second helpings. Best part? It feels like an extremely laborious dish, but in actual fact, it's really very easy!

Next up was the Curry Laksa Paste, which was even more idiot-proof, if you can believe it. You may need more ingredients, but the steps are simpler.

Before starting with the laksa broth, choose your type of noodles and sides - whatever floats your boat! Lightly blanch the noodles, and set aside any other ingredients you'd like - tofu is a must have for me, and  we find that fish balls or even steamed chicken make a great addition to a bowl of laksa.

Ingredients (serves 5-6 prep time 15 mins):

1. 1 packet Dollee Curry Laksa Paste 
2. 1400ml water 
3. 200ml coconut milk 
4. 100g tofu puff 
5. Rice Vermicelli or Yellow Noodles 
6. Bean Sprouts 
7. Ingredients of your choice such as steamed chicken, cooked prawns or fish balls

1. Mix 1 packet of Dollee Curry Laksa Paste in 1400 ml boiling water.

2. Next, add 200ml coconut milk and 100g fried tofu puffs (here, we popped in our fishballs as well!) and bring to a quick boil. 

3. While the laksa broth is boiling, you can quickly distribute your blanched noodles and bean sprouts into bowls. We also had some lightly pan-fried egg plant and long beans as well.

4. You can top each bowl with more ingredients of your choice (some cooked prawns would work as well!). I like my laksas big and bountiful, so the more the merrier.

5. Finally, pour piping hot Curry Laksa Soup into the bowls of noodles and serve immediately for a tummy-warming bowl of spicy goodness.

Ta-daa!

We were quite surprised at the little amount of time it took; perfect for someone like me who is quite illiterate in matters of anything to do with spices and herbs. 

I loved that the outcome wasn't too spicy, because we could easily slurp down spoonful after spoonful of the tasty broth without suffering (I downed nearly every drop :p). I've tasted god-awful laksa-s before, where the soup was one-dimensional and lacked any real blend of spices, but I can assure you this was anything but. My mom has also tried making a packet at home for dinner one day and my family enjoyed the authentic soup thoroughly.

The curry broth was not as creamy as Adam would have liked it because he's more a Singapore Katong laksa kind of guy where it's santan galore, but that can be easily fixed by tweaking the amount of water and coconut milk used to suit his/your palate. It's absolutely versatile, and extremely easy. (I'm quite sure Adam also can make lor...)

Besides the two above, Dollee also has some pastes like Prawn Noodle Paste, Seafood Curry Paste (for some lip-smacking fish curry) and Meat Curry Paste (for red meat) under its belt. In addition, it also has a host of other Malaysian favourites like ready made Nasi Lemak Sambal, Hainanese Chicken Rice Paste and even Kaya (coconut spread). Sounds heaven-sent, especially if you're away from home... this can more than make up dinner for every night of the week okay. :D

Like I've said, the pastes are incredibly easy to use and taste good to boot - to those of us away, Dollee delivers a nostalgic taste of home; and for the rest of us, a hassle-free way to enjoy Malaysian favourites any day of the week.

*

Dollee products are halal-certified.

In the Klang Valley, Dollee products are currenly available at these locations:-

• A'Han Nyonya Kuih (next to myBurgerLab in Seapark, PJ)
• Bake with Yen outlets

Overseas, Dollee products are at major Asian groceries near you in Australia, the UK (like Wing Yip), the USA, Ireland, New Zealand, France, Holland, Hong Kong and Canada for now.

For more information on Dollee products:
Email: dollee@synergiccircle.com

Site: http://www.dollee.com.my or like them on Facebook here

Food: Four Seasons London @ Empire Shopping Gallery, Subang Jaya

When Empire Shopping Gallery first opened, we used to go quite often. That's when we were writing about places like Opera (which has now closed - Tong Pak Fu has taken its spot), Serai, and even the Lex Firefly Flight Simulator and plaster painting at Plaster Fun House. But lately Empire has been just too out of the way for us, which is why we never even knew that there was this Four Seasons London that used to be tucked inside the supermarket area.

We say 'used to' though, because they have now expanded into their own shoplot, still located on the Lower Ground floor. 

Space doesn't abound here, but they make good use of whatever they have to put up nice decorations, with a very traditional yet slightly modern theme. Though the name is Four Seasons London, don't expect to see lots of Tower Bridges and London Bridges here.. =P

At Four Seasons, the specialty to try is the roast meat. Since there was only 2 of us, we had a Two Combination (RM 29) of Roast Duck and Crispy Roasted Pork (siu yuk). Other choices for the combination include Barbecued Pork (char siu), Roasted Chicken & Soy Sauce Chicken.

Portions here are markedly smaller than other chicken and duck rice stalls, but the emphasis here is on the quality. The evenly-sliced siu yuk had very crispy skin that crumbled sinfully in your mouth, and not a lot of fat; exactly what good roast pork should be like in my books. If the consistency of the roast pork can be maintained for every serving, we will definitely go out on a limb to recommend this roast pork.

On the other hand, the duck slices were really quite small, smaller than the average we're normally used to, though the flavour was all right. We enjoyed the duck, but found it a bit dry. The sweet duck sauce it was served with was great though, especially drizzled over rice. In the end, we still prefer the duck at Village Roast Duck in Bangsar Village, and wouldn't be coming all the way here just for the duck.

Other sauces are provided, but nothing we fancied with roast pork or duck. The ginger condiment was very good, but alas, we didn't order any chicken! In future we'd definitely order a portion of chicken just to have it with. It's that good. =D

Don't mind roast meat, but don't feel like partnering it with rice? Swap it out for some Plain Noodles (RM 5.80 - pricey for plain noodles, if you ask us) instead. These "wan tan" noodles had quite a nice and springy texture - obviously nothing like the ones in Hong Kong, but still, good enough, with just enough sauce. This is the kind of noodles that goes perfectly with roast meat!

We decided we wanted to try the wantan dumplings as well, so we got the Dry Noodles with Wantan, which gave us the noodles above with a small bowl of 4-5 wantans. We were not so impressed with these though, because their prawn and pork filling didn't mesh well together. Too much pork, we reckon. I like prawn wantans and I like pork dumplings, but if you can't do the mixture well - well then, that's not the same as 1 + 1 = 2! For us, it was more like 1 X 1 = 1; neither here nor there, turning out just so-so in the end. You can get a full bowl of these wantans for RM 10.80, but we wouldn't recommend them.

So, for a quick and simple meal at Empire Shopping Gallery, Four Seasons London is an option to keep in mind. There is a more substantial menu - stir-fried meats and vegetables, as well as a dim sum menu, but we would most probably return for their siu yuk, which we really liked. Since they've been able to expand into their own shoplot after just a couple of years, they must have a pretty strong following now. =)

Four Seasons London

Lot LG30, Lower Ground Floor,

Empire Shopping Gallery

Jalan SS16/1, 47500 Selangor

Opening Hours: Daily, 10am-10pm

Food: Three Little Pigs & the Big Bad Wolf @ Bangsar Village

The entrance into the big bad wolf's den... from Village Grocer.

I still remember the days when Bangsar Village was just Bangsar Village (without the 1 and 2), there was this little restaurant tucked in the corner which was accessible from the grocery store called Delicious. Now after what seems like just a blink of an eye, Delicious has become a household name, and a new place called Three Little Pigs & the Big Bad Wolf (or TLP for short) has taken it's place!

Though the name is rather long (and obviously taken from the well-known children tale), there is actually a purpose for it, as the afternoon session, 8 am - 6 pm has a slightly different menu compared to the after hours session from 6 pm - 11:30 pm. We like this amusing play on the names; it's the first time we've seen a restaurant actually make an effort to distinguish between their day & evening menus. =)

Although TLP appears to have quite a big lot from the outside of Bangsar Village, on a weekend you'd be hard pressed to get a seat, especially during those busy brunch hours! But if you're like us with just a party of 2, your chances of getting lucky are higher. =D

A hearty American breakfast seems to be all the rage these days, and customers seem to be more and more discerning in the quality of food as more outlets aim to please. Just the other day we were at Plan B where I had their big breakfast set, and although there was nothing wrong with it, it just lacked that little bit of extra 'oomph' that other places have. Couldn't quite place my finger on it. But anyway, back to TLP...

On the other hand, breakfast at TLP was a little better, though a little on the pricey side. One thing you'll notice about their I'm So Hungry I could Eat A Wolf! platter (RM 28), is you don't have to choose between a sausage or bacon strips - you get both! If there's one thing I can't stand about most big breakfasts around town, it's the lack of protein. I know bread and baked beans and eggs and mushrooms are all cheap, but would it really hurt to give an extra sausage? Or a bit more bacon? 

The other items on the plate were also nice. The eggs were done perfectly sunny side up with a very runny yolk while the mushrooms are very juicy and succulent. The sausage looked run-of-the-mill, but we were pleasantly surprised with its juiciness when we bit into it. My favourite routine? Break the runny egg yolk over the rye bread, take a bit of sausage, bacon, and mushroom, put it all on a fork and swallow in one mouthful! Breakfast at its best. =D Wendy still prefers the signature breakfast at Red Beanbag though.

As with all other non-halal restaurants, the ability to serve pork is an advantage that must exploited to its fullest! While there's nothing wrong with a spaghetti carbonara with turkey ham and chicken, it just isn't complete without the saltiness of pork bacon to enhance the flavour and balance the cheesy taste. 

Understanding this, TLP unabashedly ensures that they pack The Wolf's Favourite (RM 27) full of bacon strips and button mushrooms with the crowning glory of a poached egg for added effect. The combination of bacon & egg was great and we loved that they didn't scrimp on bacon. This is one of the best carbonaras we've had so far this year, on par with the one we get at Ante Kitchen & Bar on a good day. 

But if you think TLP only knows what to do with a pig, think again! Their cake range on display that day had Wendy intrigued (who had been craving cake... again). Thankfully, we were very impressed with our choice - this Pandan & Gula Melaka Cheesecake (RM 14), which layered yummy pandan sponge cake in between the cheese unlike traditional cheesecakes with a thick cheese centre and a minor biscuit bottom. The sponge was very well done, not dry at all, and we liked the light cheese tinged with gula melaka. Pandan and cheese don't sound like a good combo, but we did enjoy this for its light and fluffy texture. (On a side note, is it just us, or are cakes getting terribly pricey everywhere?)

Don't hope for much from the coffee art though. Perhaps, they were just extra busy that afternoon. Either way, we paid more attention to the coffee itself - the Caramel Latte (RM 11) may not have been the best in town, but was just right by my standards, milky and not too sweet.

TLP is definitely the kind of place that's here to stay. I've tried a little bit from the Wolf's dinner menu, and I can safely say it's just as good. Seems like TLP takes the advice from the three little pigs' mother very seriously; "The way to get along in the world is to do things as well as you can!"

Three Little Pigs & the Big Bad Wolf | Facebook

(accessible via entrance in Village Grocer)

Lot G1A, Ground Floor,

Bangsar Village, No. 1,

Jalan Telawi Satu, Bangsar Baru,

59100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +6 03 2283 2270

Email: info@pigsandwolf.com

Opening Hours: Daily, 8am-11:30pm

Food: Potpourri Cafe @ Jaya One, Petaling Jaya

It's always exciting to see friends start business ventures. As we move through our 20s, more and more friends begin to shun the rat race for a road less traveled, trying to make it in the world on their own terms. Potpourri Cafe in Jaya One is opened by one such friend whom I met as a banker, and is now an entrepreneur. =)

Potpourri Cafe takes over what used to the Fireman steamboat restaurant, next to the entrance to the carpark and down the same row as Old Town White Coffee. We never went to Fireman, but we hear the furnishing is still a little similar, with a few extra tables here and there. 

Food here offers a mix between middle eastern fare and local fare. My friend's husband is Middle Eastern, which explains the influence on the food. We went on the 2nd day of opening so the menu was still a work in progress, but since then we hear there are a lot more choices in the menu! =D

For starters, I spotted there was Deep Fried Sotong (RM 12.80)  which I'm always a sucker for! The calamari here are fresh and juicy, with a mixture of squid rings and legs. I particularly like that there were squid legs, a tad more texture in my humble opinion, since a lot of places tend to only serve the rings. We were slightly disappointed with the portion size, which we were told would be changed over time. =)

For mains we tried a bit of both middle eastern and local, opting for the Potpourri Moroccan Lamb Stew (RM 24.80). This may not look like the most appealing dish in terms of presentation, but boy, was it tasty! The lamb tasted like a result of a good slow cook, leaving the flesh succulent and soft. The gravy was also extremely flavourful and appetizing, fragrant with a mixture of spices and sweetness. We would return to have this. 

For those not feeling so adventurous, there's always familiar names like the Beef Hor Fun (RM 10.80), slithery kuey teow noodles with beef, in a thick spring onion & ginger sauce. In case you were wondering, Potpourri is a halal restaurant, so Muslim friends can come here and enjoy simple Chinese-style cuisine as well. And I would recommend Potpourri for their Chinese food too, because this Hor Fun had plenty of flavour, it wasn't too salty or bland, and it didn't taste like a lot of MSG. The beef was also tender, leading us both to give this a stamp of approval. =D

Drinks at Potpourri deserve their own special mention. The bartender at Potpourri definitely has a creative flair, as he makes up his own recipes like this Summerino Ice Tea (RM 6.80). I was pleasantly surprised by how much I actually liked this drink, since it was really very refreshing and fruity. Some may say it's a bit too sweet, but I put that down to the sweetness of the fruit rather than added sugar. 

Wendy on the other hand gave the After Eight Chocolate (RM 7.80) a go, and her gamble paid off. While iced chocolates can sometimes be thick and filling, the use of After Eight chocolates that have a minty centre ensure the drink turns out much more lighter and easier to drink, with a lovely lingering chill from the mint. This is one of those drinks that leaves a lasting impression on you, one that we haven't forgotten after over a month! =D

So with food that's simple, affordable and worth a second go, there's no reason not to make Potpourri a regular haunt. They have also inherited an upstairs portion, which has now been turned into a more relaxed dining and chill-out spot. An added bonus? There are extractor fans left in the restaurant since the previous owner served steamboat, but now instead of extracting steamboat steam, it now conveniently turns the upstairs area into a possible indoor shisha area. We think that's a really unique point of the place, that can definitely attract a crowd. =D

And yes, I did say shisha in the previous paragraph. So whether it's for a quick lunch meal, a more satisfying dinner meal, or just a quick hang out with friends, Potpourri has it all covered. We certainly wish them all the best in this new venture! =D

Potpourri Cafe | Facebook

(few doors away from Old Town Kopitiam, facing the main road)

Lot 43, LG2, Block C, Jaya One

No. 72A, Jalan Universiti

Petaling Jaya, Selangor