Quick Bites #10 : Spicy Noodles with Fried Wantan

Located at Brighton Square, Life Cafe is renowned for its spicy noodles (RM 7.50). Add another RM1 and you can order Spicy Noodles with Fried Wantan! The fried wantan is delicious and really goes well with the noodles.

Spicy Noodles can be served in three ways : "small spicy", "medium spicy" and "large spicy". Extra noodles or extra spicy sauce can be added on for another RM 1.50 each.

Rating : 8/10
Price : RM 8.50

Honest Review : Gourmet Sausage Kuching

Gourmet sausage is quite a popular western dining restaurant in Brighton Square and as its name suggests, they are known for their sausages. We decided to pay this restaurant a visit and we ordered the Six Tiger Meal ( Rm 99.90) which comprises a serving of coleslaw, mashed potatoes, a burger, a bowl of spaghetti bolognaise , pork ribs, chicken fillets, pork sausages, satays , fries , 3 bowls of mushroom soup and 3 bowls of ice cream.

Coleslaw: 8/10

A favorite of everyone and we wished we could have more . Personally i would i rate it higher if there is lesser dressing as it is a tiny bit too sweet. 

Mashed Potatoes : 7.5/10

Another hit as we like the very natural and slightly chunky mashed potatoes unlike mass produced powdered ones avaliable in fast food chains. The amount again is too little for 6 people and i would lick the plate clean if they had the KFC style gravy. 

Mushroom Soup : Rating undeserved 

At first taste it was super bland and all you could taste was the shiitake mushroom after taste slightly bittersweet. After much addition of salt and pepper it was more palatable . However, i feel that this dish is poorly executed because it was beautifully presented. I hope Gourmet sausage would rethink their recipe. It needs cream, good chicken stock, butter,splash of white wine and sweated onions to lift the soup more.

Spaghetti Bolognaise: 8/10

I actually like the spaghetti bolognaise as it has a twist of pork sausages in them. I only wished there was more pasta as the sauce and meat kinda overwhelm the dish. It felt more like beef stew with pasta as the garnish. 

The Platter : Burger, Fries, Ribs, Sausages, Satays, Chicken Fillet

Rating: 7/10

There are some hits and misses for the last course . We think Gourmet Sausage has the best fries in Kuching as the seasoning on them are really nice. A great suggestion would to include options of shoestring size chips or wedges. Burger was also a favourite and so was the juicy sausages. I would definitely come here if i am craving for western sausages unlike our heavily processed sausages in the freezer. The meats on the other hand were on the dry size which is a shame as they are nicely flavoured. For example, the meat on the ribs were dry and flaky which is a sign that the  ribs have been overcooked. I hope it's not the same for our readers

Other highlights: 

1. The Tabasco sauce and mustard ran out and wasn't replenished on the counter. There should have been more condiments and sauces available for customers

2. A refill of ice water ended up being an additional order which is contrary to the "free flow of water" statement on the menu. Though it was an honest mistake, it is the principle that counts. 

3. Service from the waiter or waitresses were not attentive enough. For example, they did not clear the empty plates or dishes after the course quickly enough making it difficult for customers to eat as more dishes arrive. 

The experience at Gourmet sausage overall was great because of a clean cosy environment and mostly good food for the night. We did end on a sweet note , LITERALLY, because we had free ice cream and lollipops , a kind gesture from their restaurant to the customers. Prices are really affordable and we recommend this place to anyone who is looking for yummy sausages and western meals. It is not a huge restaurant but a good size for 10-20 people if you're thinking to go as a group.

Cheers! *Clanging of Root Beer glasses*

Visit them at :

1st floor, Sublot 10, L12161, Song Plaza, Jalan Tun Jugah, Jalan Song, 93350 Kuching, Malaysia

Off the Shelves : Royce Chocolate

Since the Chinese New Year and  Valentine's day is coming up, what better than to review yummy chocolates. Royce chocolates, a premier brand which can only unfortunately be ordered from KL or Japan 

Visit their page at http://www.e-royce.com/english/index.html

Rm 45 chocolatey goodness.

Yummy chocolate truffles and i highly recommend it. I rate it 9/10 as each truffles melt in your mouth. 

Bubble Talk : Chatime

Hitting the shores of Kuching just recently, Chatime, a worldwide brand for bubble tea has been raved over crazily by bubble tea fanatics. After a displeasing order previously, I've decided to give it another chance to review their Pearl Milk Tea. 

Rm 6.90 for a Large size Pearl Milk Tea. 

Just like Easy Drink Easy Go, Chatime equally has the same problem of not having adequate amount of menus. It would be easier if they use the advertisement boards and display more prices as it will help speed up the ordering process. The great thing is that their menus are more readable and clear. 

Chatime workers hard at work. 

Waiting time: 5 minutes without queue

Testing their customer service again, i ordered non-sugar Pearl Milk Tea and yet again, he failed to hear it can kept on repeating normal sugar. I had to repeat non-sugar till he got it . I would suggest using the numerical system of 100, 70, 50, 30, 0% instead of normal, non, less, more which is so subjective. 

Palm sized comparison of the Pearl Milk tea

Rate: 7/10 

Tasting their milk tea , the flavour of the tea leaves is more evident than Easy Drink Easy go but by a very small margin. The pearls are much nicer as it is more "QQ" or chewy however sometimes inconsistent. 

In a nutshell, it's a battle of quality over quantity. Rm 5.90 Easy Drink Easy Go which is huge or Rm6.90 for a smaller but better tasting tea and pearls? Rm1 can make a difference :)

Visit this store at the 3rd floor of The Spring near the MBO cinemas. 

Bubble Talk: Easy drink, Easy Go

We have a new segment entitled bubble talk where wewill review drinks on the go, mostly bubble teas.

So we decided to taste test Easy Drink, Easy Go which is located at The Spring basement level . First glance, it's hard to decide a drink to choose and their prices because of the limited amount of menus (only 2 that day) which i think is the major cause of the queue.

 

Rm 5.90 Signature bubble milk tea

Overall rating : 6.5/10

Milk tea : Taste okay but a bit too milky in my opinion. One can taste the distinct creamer taste

Tapioca pearls : Slightly too soft but good pearls nonetheless

To make a fair judgement of each bubble tea shop we decided to taste the basic of basics, their signature bubble milk tea. No flavourings, no frills.  Contrary to popular belief, the bubble in bubble milk tea are not the tapioca pearls but rather the milky froth from shaking the tea in the shaker or machine. Thus there was confusion when i was ordering my drink .

The great thing about this shop is large size for Rm 5.90 which is good considering it is more expensive than normal bubble tea shops out there. The other popular *coughchatimecough* size isn't as big as this. I was very impressed with super sturdy cups which is great for those who are driving or on the go where most give flimsy plastic or paper cups. I believe it wouldn't even give a dent if you drop it from waist height.

I'm also impressed that there are sugar levels to choose from and they do pay attention towards it as compared to Dingtea or Chatime who still GAVE me sugar in my drinks. That deserve a rant for another day. As i can't have sugar in my drinks, i kow-tow to Easy Drink, Easy Go for this. By the way you can opt for brown sugar or gula melaka which is kinda interesting to hear.

Conclusively, if you are thirsty, need a large drink and craving for milk tea which won't empty your wallet, do  give Easy Drink, Easy Go a try.

p/s: Googling them online reveals that this isn't a Taiwanese franchise but rather a franchise selling Taiwanese style bubble milk tea. It should be a Malaysian based company.

Quick Bites #9: Lunch at Little Borneo

Little Borneo is located at Jalan Song around the Brighton Square area. This Malay food(definitely Halal) outlet is close to Mars Cybercafe and Causeway Bay Restaurant. It is well known for its nasi goreng ayam penyet dish (which in my opinion beats the ayam penyet at Rumah Hijau, but that's for another time) and nasi lemak.

Nasi Goreng Ayam Penyet

RM 7.50

Rating: 8/10

*The sambal sauce is AWESOME!!!*

Mee Mamak

RM 5.00 (?)

Rating: 6/10

One can also try the bakso when visiting Little Borneo. This reputable food outlet definitely serves delicious dishes at affordable prices :)

Vid Feed: Popular Kuching Food

From Sio bee to Mee Jawa to 3 Layered Tea to shaved ice drinks , the myriad of affordable and tasty food is a testament of Kuching's lifestyle. The video below will show anyone new towards the Kuching cuisine a glimpse of our food haven.

P/s: Vid is in mandarin



So what's your favourite Kuching food?

Let us know in the comment and do check out our poll at the sidebar. Thank you !

Moderators of Food For Thrones

Quick Bites #8 : Pan-Fried Dumplings

Fried Dumplings

RM 4.00

Venue : Wonderful Cafe (Taiwanese Cuisine stall) @ Hui Sing

Rating : 6/10

The fried dumpling is actually quite good considering the amount you get for the price of RM 4.00. The only thing lacking (as commented by one of the moderators) is that it isn't that juicy as we would have liked it to be. Another dish that is especially delicious from this stall is the Fried Egg Pancake (I would rate it 7.5/10) (Sorry for the lack of picture). Definitely one of the best I have tasted in my life though :)

Quick Bites #7 : Breakfast at Tar-Zen

A popular place for breakfast area for Kuchingnites, it's always a pain to find a good carpark spot. Do visit this place if you are willing to walk a little :)

Let's swing by Tar-Zen shall we ?

Rm 5.00

Lau Shu Fen (Mouse tail noodles) With Beancurd soup 

Rate 7/10 

A pretty average bowl of "lau shu fen" with mixed soup of stuffed beancurd, prawns, local veggies, fishballs and seaweed. I believe this is a very well balanced meal to start of the day and the price is decent for the amount and delicious soup you're getting. The only thing i'm unsure is the underlying overpowering sweetness from the bean sprouts in the soup. I would love to taste a salty soup stock rather than "bean sprout soup" . 

A typical bowl of Sarawak Laksa Rm 4.00

Rate 6/10

I did not have the opportunity to taste this but a friend mentioned that it is slightly above average. Nonetheless, it is a good portion for brekkie.

Other mentions is to try the Kolo Mee in this coffee shop. Next time maybe :)

Visit Tar-Zen at:

Tar-Zen Food Centre (大人饮食中心)

Jalan Datuk Tawi Sli, Kuching, Sarawak 93250, Malaysia

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Laughing Stock : Norwegian Interpretative Sushi Dance

I don't know whether you have seen these bunch of videos but this group of interpretative dancers from Norway are hilarious. Can you guess the types of sushi?

It certainly made my day.

Source: Laughing Squid

Share this post on Twitter or Facebook with the links provided down below. 

Honest Review : Sushi Buffet @ Orchid Garden Coffeehouse

What can i say, i simply love buffets and one of the places i do go to occasionally is their seasonal themed luncheon or dinner buffets at Orchid Garden Coffeehouse, Grand Margherita Hotel Kuching.  Last November, i had to opportunity to try out the Japanese or Sushi-themed luncheon and i was really excited. I was thinking of all the grilled eels, tempura and sashimi i could devour.

Selection of fried rice and grilled fish. I don't understand how chinese fried rice topped with Japanese dried tuna flakes is Japanese cuisine. 

Cold japenese soba noodles, baby octopus, jellyfish and sushi rolls

Selection of tempuras and meat skewers. And no, they are not yakitoris. 

Grilled salmon

Cakes and desserts

Sashimi of eel, tuna, and octopus

Udon

Temaki-California roll

Soba noodles

Chef of the day?

Dragonfruit

More Cakes

Generally i was left with a bad taste in my mouth not from the flavor of the food but the big disappointment as most of the food were a let down. 

1. I felt that the food design and menu is very poorly thought out and is very basic. Sushi rolls, tempura , udon and soba are of course signature dishes but there are so much more to the Japanese cuisine. Where are the okonomiyakis , yakitoris, miso soup , mochis, green tea desserts and etc? Green tea wasn't even served !

2. Basic food are alright but do them well. The usage of sushi rice flavouring was minimal but what irked me the most is the non-usage of sushi rice and fillings. I expected more variety other than just cucumber, crab sticks , tuna and egg. How about caviar, prawns, avocado, crab, and radishes? Most meats were overcooked including the fish which is hard to eat.  Not only that, the sashimi slices were very thin and not enjoyable. I felt like i was eating fish garnishes instead

3. The saving grace i would say is the tiramisu (sounds japanese but it isn't japanese) and the udon. I love the udon as the basic soup stock was right and noodles were cooked well.

4. Tempura wasn't tempura as the coating is for banana fritters. 

5. Cold dishes were great but i can buy that from any supermarket in Kuching

6. Jellies were HORRENDOUS. Please don't make them anymore, you are doing Kuching a favour.

In a nutshell, any Japanese who walks into this buffet would probably throw sake all over the restaurant , burn the place down and then proceed to do a harakiri. I'm afraid it gives a bad name to the Japanese cuisine which is full of flavour and technicalities. Unless you are rich and is willing to spend approx RM50-60++ for cold dishes and udon , be my guest .

To end positively, the restaurant and toilet is clean .

p/s: Try their western or Ramadhan buffet instead. Those are way WAY better.

Rating of Japanese Menu: 3/10
Rating of restaurant: 7/10 (service can be slow at times)

Orchid Garden Coffeehouse
Grand Margherita Hotel 
Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, 
P.O. Box 2362, 93100 Kuching, 
Sarawak, Malaysia.

Tel: (6082)423111 
Fax: (6082)426169
Email: contact@gmh.my

Quick Bites #6 : Matcha and Red Bean @ ZenQ

Hooray for the first dessert post ! I bet most of us Kuchingnites have been to ZenQ which is a moniker for the texture of the jellies and gelatinous treats in being very "springy and chewy". 

Typical dessert at ZenQ .

My friend decided to get the grass jelly (awesome taste by the way), sweet potato , taro and pearl jellies. I know how to make these and i find them overrated but i shall leave that to another recipe post in the upcoming future. I'll definitely come back for the grass jelly :) 

However , the highlight i wanna bring today is Matcha and red bean shaved ice. I'm a fan of green tea desserts and it's really hard to find good drinks or desserts in Kuching with matcha in them . I still dream of the shake i drank randomly at a Japanese shop which has underlying flavours of nuts, sesame, red bean intermingled with the essence of tea. ZenQ's version cannot compare to the elites but i give them a fare score of 7/10 . I like that it isn't sweet and allow the red bean to shine through. I would love to have whole adzuki red beans which is glossy from the long stew and hints of sesame seeds through the shaved ice.

Overall, it is a great place to cool down on a hot day and i would encourage all Kuchingnites to visit this place at least once .

Price Range : Rm 4-10 depending on your flavours and customization

Ground Floor, Lot 4, 
Premier 101 Commercial Centre,
Kuching, Malaysia, 93350

Quick Bites #5 (sort of) : BREAKFAST

Char Kueh

Venue : Woon Lam Cafe (behind Secret Recipe in town)
No. 189, Ground Floor, Jln Song Thian Cheok,
93100 Kuching,
Sarawak

Rating : 7.5/10

RM 4.00

Woon Lam Cafe is famous for its char kueh, kueh chap and laksa. The char kueh has a distinct crispiness that outclasses most char kueh's in Kuching. It's served sweet, salty or mixed with homemade sambal/chilli sauce. I personally prefer the salty one (as shown in the picture).

As the laksa at Woon Lam had finished selling, we decided to head to Chong Choon Cafe in town.

 Teh C Peng (medium, but it's HUGE)

Venue : Chong Choon Cafe

Rating : 8/10 (according to an average score from 4 people)

RM 4.00

Sarawak Laksa

Venue : Chong Choon Cafe
 Lot 121, Jalan Abell, Section 3, 93100, Kuching, Sarawak, 93100

Rating : 8/10

RM 4.00 (small)

RM 5.00 (special)

One of the best laksa in Kuching. Be sure to go there early if you want the special. When we arrived, they had run out of their "special" ingredient to be added in their special. Nevertheless, the small bowl was superbly yummy too.

Quick Bites #4 :Pork Porridge @ Ciak Pa Boi

"Have you Eaten? ", is the translation of this interesting biker inspired cafe, Ciak Pa Boi. It was a rainy morning and we decided to check this place out. 

Rm 6.00 Pork Porridge

Two thumbs up!
Rate 8.5/10

Out of the many stalls that was available to patronize , i decided to try the pork porridge on a whim. I wasn't having any high expectations and have never heard any recommendations about it, but i was absolutely blown away by the amazing taste every grain of rice it gives. It's truly a testament to our blog's motto where peasant food like a bowl of rice gruel can be served to a King.  The pork balls were juicy and flavorful and they were so generous with their century egg. The only downside is that i wished i could have a larger bowl for the price compared to other porridge places in town. Mark my words, this porridge rocks your socks way higher than the ones served in  Open Air market  Kuching. If you like "juicy pork balls" and creamy porridge , this is the place for you. 

Did i mentioned we were treated like Kings?

They had a dedicated umbrella guy to escort you from your car to the cafe and back FOC! Excellent service and attitude more cafes in Kuching should have . Thank you unknown stranger if you are reading this post.

Visit this amazing cafe at G/F, 521-522, S/L 1, Jln Datuk Tawi Sli, Kuching, Sarawak 93250, Malaysia

Other things you should check out are their charcoal grilled toast :) 

p/s: They have clean tissue-loaded toilets :)

Quick Bites #3: Pork Burger @ Coffee Talk, Tabuan Laru

Pork burgers have seen a (not so recent) uprising in Kuching, with moderate to good stalls opening up throughout the town. Today we will introduce the Pork Burger Stall at Coffee Talk, Tabuan Laru. As you can see, the prices are slightly above average. This is justified by its quality taste. 

Here are some of the burgers we tried:

The Great MotherPorker, Signature dish!

Rank: 8/10

The Outback Burger
Rank: 8/10

We feel that the pork patty, although suitably thick and juicy, has a bit of a "processed" taste to it as though too much Spam was added to it. The toasted bun was fresh and crispy, but did not break down when bitten into. Also, we were able to fit the burger into our mouths so it was neither too big nor too small.

But in conclusion, its not bad and deserves a try for burger aficionados everywhere.

Visit the pork burger stall, Pig's Barn from evening onwards at:

Coffee Talk Cafe, Jalan Song (Jalan Setia Raja), Kuching.

Quick Bites #2 : Big Mouth Chicken Rice

 One of the moderators of this blog had a random craving of chicken rice so we head out to Big Mouth Cafe , reputedly known for their chicken rice and an interesting piece of story. Rumour has it (cues Adele music) that the chicken rice owner severed a hand of a customer over the bill . I'm not sure whether it's true but if you know the whole ordeal, do comment as we would like to know more.

Rm 5.00 chicken rice

Up Close

We rate it 5/10

To us, it's the typical run-of-the-mill chicken rice which taste pretty average. The rice, pickles, soup were okay but slightly disappointed with the chicken and chilli. I had the dark meat however was really dry while the chilli lacked the tangyness from the fresh lime and ginger . Maybe, they just had a bad day with the meat. Compared to Rm 2.50-3.50 chicken rice elsewhere it's pretty decent but props to them for excellent fast service.

I don't know about you but i rather "hand" in the bill  :P

Visit Big Mouth at :
355 Jalan Batu Kawa (at Jalan Dogan), Kuching, Sarawak 93250, Malaysia


Let us know in the comment section below of any great chicken rice in Kuching and we might just rate it. 

Quick Bites #1 Char Kueh with XO sauce

Fried Carrot Cake with XO Sauce
Venue: Causeway Bay Restaurant

RM 4.80

 Rating : 7/10

Honest Review:Secret Garden, Kuching

Secret garden is a bistro and bar nestled in the city area , neighboring the Civic center and Jambu restaurant. Greeted by beautiful landscaping of palm trees, golden lights and what seems to be like a private outdoor banquet dining area gives high hopes that perhaps the night would be perfect. 

The outdoors

The Interior Design

We decided to rate the restaurant  a 6/10 for the ambiance and service. The great thing about this bistro is the large spaces available for groups of 15 or more perfect for birthdays. Decorations and lighting are nice and creates a warm friendly atmosphere. Negative points go towards the chairs which are mostly unstable or old and the environment which can be too warm at times. Not being anti-religious, it was also awkward halfway through the dinner when the Muslim prayers were blasted through the night. It was hard to talk and communicate during that period. The waiter was impressive handling a large group and remembering most of the order placements. However, he can improve by speaking louder and communicating clearer. Toilets are clean too which is super!

Let's tuck in shall we?

Longkang Water, I mean... Mushroom Soup. Rm5.90
Rank: 3/10

The first thing that we ordered was the mushroom soup. When it first came in its flimsy plastic bowl, we were apprehensive at best but decided not to judge it until we've tasted. However, it was very bad. Tasted like longkang water + salt. Im sorry. Mistakes goes toward the lumpiness of the cream and using Shiitake mushroom stock which is pungent to the taste.

We wanted to rate it 1/10 but decided that since we (unbelievably) finished it in the end, we'd rate it 3/10.Reason being it has mushroom, cream and it is edible though unpleasant.

Note: One of our editors have tasted the Mushroom Soup at Gormet Sausage and insisted that THAT should be ranked 1/10 instead, but it is a story for another day.

Aglio Olio

Aglio Olio Rm15.90  poorer
Rank: 4/10

Next up was the Aglio Olio. It did not look appetizing at all when it came messed up on a plate. One taste of it confirmed our beliefs: bland, tasteless, wetter than it was supposed to be. Nothing more can be added to increase its food rating. Pasta wasn't al dente and lack the olive oil , garlic, parsley, chilli flakes and good ol' parmesan cheese.

Secret Garden Salad

Secret Garden Salad Rm6 .90
Rank: 7/10

 The Secret Garden Salad was well needed for the bowel movement to excrete previous food mentions. We ordered the house salad because it was important to judge the restaurant by their signature dishes. Presentation was above average and came with a wide selection of fresh veggies and my favourite olives. Well done! A refreshing start to the night . The portion is great for the price and the plate was licked clean.

Negative points were due to the long strips of carrots and cucumber which made it hard to eat (like noodles)  which often flicks the dressing around. Besides that, I was a bit apprehensive whether the dressing was watered down or homemade. Still tasted great nonetheless.

Lamb Chop

Lamb Chop RM24.50.
Rank: 8/10

The lamb chop arrived and we were impressed by the quantity. Usually restaurants are rather stingy with their meat, but Secret Garden served up two beautiful pieces over mashed potatoes and boiled carrots, with black pepper sauce on the side. Cutting into its tender juicy meat assured us that it was going to taste good, and indeed! We licked it clean off the platter.

We wished it could have been served with mint sauce. Also, the restaurant should give the choice for the cooking of the meat. Across the table, we could see inconsistencies in cooking times some being medium rare and some being well done. Great thing is that none was raw, PHEW!

Cordon Bleu

Cheesy goodness stuffed in fried chicken breast, it fared well at Rank 6.5/10 . As we didn't try it but trusting in the diner's ranking, it's an above average dish to try.

Fish and Chips
Rank: 5/10

The Fish and Chips was not so much an actual meal than a filler. Covered with a thick layer of bread crumbs, we were having a hard time fishing for the fish proper. In our opinion, Fish and Chips are either amazing or bland, and these ones were amazingly bland.

In defence of Secret Garden, we know of other fish and chips out there that taste worse. And we still licked the platter clean. Its just very hard to please us.

Tomato Bee Hoon RM6.90

Rank: 8/10

Secret Garden also serves a wide array of Asian Cuisines so  we decided to give it a go. A Kuching gem, the tomato sauce noodles is hard to cook but Secret Garden fared well. Good amount of carbs ratio to the sauce of perfectly balanced salty and sweet with golden nuggets of fried onions , the dish was great! The chicken breast and accompanying condiments were succulent and fresh which is a great surprise. It seemed Secret Garden had a great asian food strength other fellow diners were raving about their Fried Rice. 

I didn't rank it 10/10 because that would mean i died and went to heaven over a Tomato Bee Hoon. It's not there yet. Haha

If you would like to patronise this place

In a nutshell, this place is great for big dining parties and for selective food. We would recommend the steak  or chops and the Asian cuisine as we can say for sure that those would be safe options for a great evening. 

The Food for Thrones moderators
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