Tarbush, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

Erin and I first really discovered middle-eastern food in Seoul, living in the expat enclave of Itaewon, where there was the only mosque in the city. There was one restaurant in particular, called Petra that had amazing food, and we went a few times every month.

Unlike Seoul, there is no shortage of Middle-Eastern people living in KL; I spend a lot of time talking with Iranians, Libyans, Iraqis, Saudis etc. at work, so where do they go to get their fix of their own cuisine? Well so far, our experience of Arabic food in KL has been rather limited so we thought we'd put that straight this weekend.

When searching for good Arabic restaurants in KL, Bukit Bintang often comes up as the place to go. A short walk down the main street and you'll go past numerous shisha restaurants and see middle-Eastern men with their burka-clad wives in tow.

In the middle of a parade of shops on this busy street is Tarbush.

After we sat down, the waiter brought us some complimentary soup:

It tasted like chicken and lentil soup. It also came with some crispy croutons.

A few minutes later it looked like this, a very promising start!

First off we ordered some fattoush with aubergine. RM17 (approx$5).

This came with a lot more on the plate than previous versions of fattoush I've had, with three types of pepper, aubergine, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, lemon and some crispy crouton pieces.

The salad came with a lovely balsamic dressing which combined with the juices of the other ingredients to excellent effect. When Erin orders a salad and I get a meaty starter, I don't usually try to steal so much, but I did with this!

Overall - An excellent fattoush 4 / 5

Next up was the falafel RM11 (approx $4).

I'm generally a big fan of falafel, which is somewhat of a surprise because deep-fried ground chickpeas don't sound particularly appetising to me on paper. It's something I've really discovered since living abroad, in middle-eastern restaurants in Seoul's sleazy Itaewon of all places...

These five pieces were a decent size for a starter, and the restaurant generously gave us more than enough pitta, which we soon started filling with a falafel-fattoush combination.

What you see above is what looks like a middle-eastern taco, but with a yoghurt and tahini mix replacing the sour cream. I'm not sure if you're supposed to eat it this way but it tasted great.

Overall - Finally a KL falafel fix - 3.5 / 5

We were feeling pretty hungry and predictably ordered too much, here was another starter - arayes RM22 (approx $7).

I've never had good chips in a middle-eastern restaurant, and still haven't...

These things were basically fried flatbread stuffed with minced lamb, as modelled expertly by my lovely assistant below:

I must say, these were very enjoyable but tasted like something that should have been eaten after a night on the beers rather than a starter. We didn't even come close to finishing them...

Overall - best shared among a big party, not a couple 3 / 5

Last up was my main course, which was lamb maklouba RM28 (approx $9).

This was a ridiculously-sized plate of food, and it came on an oversized plate that Alan Partridge would be proud of. An old favourite of mine, lamb maklouba comes with aubergine and nuts served on a fragrant heap of rice.  In the picture below you can see the fried aubergine on top of the lamb shank.

The lamb was tender and fell apart with ease.

I like my lamb to be pink inside because it can get quite dry if overcooked. My only criticism of this whole dish was actually that it was a bit dry, it needed a sauce to link the different elements, which were better than the sum of their parts. Nevertheless, it was a highly enjoyable main course and I would order it again.

Overall - Not the best Maklouba I've had (still Petra in Seoul) but satisfying nonetheless - 3 / 5

We left Tarbush feeling uncomfortably full but satisfied. We will return to try their mixed grill.

Slightly chaotic road outside

Senya Izakaya, J P Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur

I've spent the last 15 months or so ignoring Senya Izakaya, purely because of the ladies standing outside yelling 'Irasshaimase' and trying to persuade me to come in. There's nothing wrong with trying to attract customers, but in putting me under pressure to make a quick decision, I'm invariably forced to make a quick decision to keep walking. This time however, my trip had been planned 10 minutes prior, giving me enough time to prepare myself and deal with the overly enthusiastic women outside.

Despite having lived in Japan a few years back, I've never completely taken to Japanese cuisine outside of sushi, yakiniku and ramen. I do however enjoy the odd drink with pub grub in a Japanese izakaya (pub), and being an Izakaya, Senya offers an eclectic mix of Japanese dishes to be enjoyed while having a cool pint, or warm sake on the balcony upstairs.

A novel and effective feature of Senya is the i-pad menu, which means that human contact can be kept to a minimum if you're feeling anti-social.

I went in a group of three, and we ordered some beers, which were RM22 a pint. Two of us also ordered the same food - the Hokkaido Pork Don, also RM22 (approx $7).

Although the picture above is slightly misleading, this was actually a very large bowl of rice topped with charcoal-grilled pork, covered in a sweet Japanese barbecue sauce.

The pork had a real melt-in-your-mouth quality to it and the sweet sesame sauce was addictive, also giving the rice a really nice flavour.

Overall - 3.5 / 5

The other dish that we ordered was a Japanese izakaya classic - the hamburger steak RM20 (approx $6).

Although a downright bizarre combination of food (what's that spaghetti doing there??), this was another enjoyable example of Japanese pub grub. The burger was a home-made, thick and juicy patty, which came with lashings of gravy and cheese on top.

Overall - The definition of enjoyable slop - 3 / 5

We also ordered some gyoza.

These looked promising but didn't really have much inside, which is always a shame....

Overall - 2 / 5

Senya is in the middle of one of KL's most well-known nightlife streets and makes a cheap and pleasant pre-drinking venue. I might not be walking past so often in the future.

Din Tai Fung, The Gardens Mall, Kuala Lumpur

There are a range of Chinese restaurants, often found in the various malls of KL that have multiple outlets within the city, and Din Tai Fung is probably the most famous of the lot. Originating from Taiwan, Din Tai Fung is found throughout Asia, and has recently spread to the U.S and Australia. The DTF in Taiwan has even been given a Michellin star, something I treat with a touch of skepticism based on my experience of Michellin starred Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong. However, with all its commercial success, this franchise must be doing something right...

 Today we went to the branch in the Gardens Mall on a Sunday afternoon - it was packed as usual..

While we waited 5 minutes to get a table, we were given this order form, good if you already know what you're having. Luckily we did!

First to arrive was the pork chop fried rice. RM 16 (approx $5).

Although technically one dish, the two components come separately. The pork chop had been marinated in Shaoxing wine and arrived as a plate of glistening goodness. The pork itself was pleasantly lean, juicy, and was gristle free.

The egg fried rice that came with the pork was for me, much better than your typical Chinese fare. Erin and I speculated as to why Din Tai Fung's fried rice is so good, we thought maybe due to more oil or egg but couldn't be sure.

Either way it has a lovely, fluffy texture and would make an excellent side dish even without the pork.

Overall - both components were done very well 4 / 5

Next up is the star attraction of Din Tai Fung - the xiao long bao. RM 12.90 (approx $4).

These are what have made DTF so famous and successful. I've eaten in outlets in Korea and in Malaysia, and the one consistently excellent dish is this. The balance between thickness of the skin and the quantity of the soupy-pork mixture inside is spot on.

As usual, they are to be dipped in vinegar with ginger, allowed to cool and then swallowed whole. These ones are an explosion of flavour when you bite into them, and are very hard to beat.

Overall - Still the best xiao long bao I've had - 4.5 / 5

Last to arrive were these Taiwanese spring rolls RM 6.90 (approx $2).

These little spring rolls were a bit of an afterthought for us. They contained minced pork and were relatively grease free. They were decent but nothing really to write home about. 

Overall - Good but unspectacular 3 / 5

Judging by the review scores, you might think Din Tai Fung is the a contender for best Chinese restaurant in town. It is however, a bit of a one-trick pony, the xiao long bao are great, as is the fried rice but everything else we've tried there has been nothing out of the ordinary. That said, we go there quite often because it does do these few dishes extremely well, and is very good value.

Dim Sum chefs hard at work

WIP, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur

I used to think WIP was just a play on the Chinese/Indian mis-pronunciation of VIP, however it actually means Work In Progress....WIP is primarily a bar, and a noisy one too - it's literally across the road from where we live and the thumping bass can be heard almost every night until the early hours. It does however, do food and has a comprehensive, eclectic menu serving all kinds of different cuisines. This failure to focus on one area of specialism is often a slightly worrying sign as it's almost impossible to do everything well.

We arrived after 10pm for some much needed post-work drinks and comfort food.

Happy hour beers are RM17, happy hour mojitos are Rm19. WIP considers itself a bit of a mojito maestro:

As it turns out, the Mojito is pretty average with too much sugar and not enough alcohol.

After 10pm, WIP has a snack menu which still has quite a variety of options on offer. We went for the humus and fattoush.

The first impressions of this dish were that it was a pretty decent-sized portion of pitta and humus. Secondly, that the fattoush looked nothing like fattoush, where are the mixed greens that should come with the tomato?

The combination of pitta, fresh tomatoes and humus makes for a satisfying bar snack. We had no complaints over the flavours, and would order it again.

Overall - 3 / 5

Next up was the Mexicana Pizza RM27 (approx $9).

This came with peppers, jalapenos, and loads of spicy minced beef on top.

While this pizza certainly isn't going to win any awards any time soon, it makes for very enjoyable pub grub. The beef was well spiced and loaded with oregano, it almost tasted like something you'd russle up at home after coming back from the pub. The advantage of this one is that you don't have to leave the pub...

Overall - Enjoyable slop - 3 / 5

With its various water features, fire features and liberal use of fairy lights, WIP is an interesting and stylish place to have a drink. I'd recommend going before 10 0'clock when the music is more chilled, the happy hour is in force and the food menu is at its most ambitiously comprehensive.

I just wish they'd turn the music down...(that's where we live in the background)

Village Roast Duck, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur

Located in Bangsar Village, Village Roast Duck specialises in roast duck (you'd never have guessed...!). Anyway, its on the second floor and looks like this.

 We were given some duck soup when we sat down. It was a bit bland, but at least it was free...

The first ordered dish to arrive was the string beans and minced pork RM 15 (approx $5).

This dish is a bit of a Chinese favourite of ours, and this version was pretty good. The beans tasted fresh and were nicely sauteed in the right about of soy sauce. The pork worked well with the beans but could have been minced a little finer for my liking.

Overall - No complaints! 3.5. / 5 

Our starter was the honey glazed chicken wings RM 15 (approx $5) but actually came last of all our dishes.

These wings were big, juicy and came piping hot. The honey glaze was pretty thick but worked very well. My only complaint is that 4 wings is maybe a little stingy for the price.

Overall - Big, chunky wings with a nice glaze 3.5 / 5

We certainly weren't going to come to a restaurant with called Roast Duck without actually ordering some. After a bit of a husband and wife battle over Beijing style roast duck vs crispy aromatic duck, a victory due to my persistence led to this arriving on our table:

RM30 (approx $10) for half a duck, pancakes, spring onions and cucumber was pretty good value. The duck meat itself was crispy on the outside but was still juicy enough on the inside to satisfy Erin, who often points out that crispy duck can be too dry, hence her preference for the Beijing style.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, with the only gripe being that the pancakes were a bit thin and kept ripping - probably my fault....I often order this dish back home in the UK, but I've rarely had better or cheaper than this.

Overall - What we came for, and it didn't disappoint - 4 / 5

Village Roast Duck has a few rivals in Bangasr, with Paradise Dynasty and Melbourne Roast Duck offering very similar things but VRD certainly holds its own with its signature dish. My only gripe with the place is that it lacks a bit of soul, it's quite a small, pokey place with little in the way of decorations.

No complaints about the food though!

Trattoria, Jalan P Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur

There are actually two Trattoria restaurants, about 500m apart, in the same area of KL. One of them is non-Halal, and typically goes on an all out attack to satisfy people with cravings for pork. The other, which we visited today is Halal and benefits from being in a better location than its pig-loving cousin.

I can't say that either of the Trattoria outlets have gone on the charm-offensive when it comes to decor and atmosphere, but they do however both offer outside seating. This visit was on a busy Friday evening so we were forced to dine inside with the riff-raff. 

One of the nice things about this restaurant is that the selection of breads is superior to what you usually get in the Italian restaurants in KL. 

The highlight of the selection above is undoubtedly the dough balls which have been lovingly deep fried, we asked for more when this lot was gone.

We skipped the starters, and the first main course to arrive was the tagliatelle with meatballs RM36 (approx $12).

In my opinion, any self-respecting Italian restaurant will make their own pasta - it pays off. A glance at the picture above will therefore indicate that Trattoria is a self-respecting Italian restaurant. The pasta and tomato sauce was delicious, and could have been a respectable dish on its own without the meatballs. 

The meatballs unfortunately let the side down. They aren't your typical meatballs; they clearly haven't been cooked with breadcrumbs, resulting in small, firm chunks of beef. This didn't really work for me, and to be a bit of a purist, I think a real Italian meatball should be made of up beef, veal and pork.

Overall - Great pasta, the meatballs were a bit disappointing 3.5 / 5

The next dish to arrive was the spinach and ricotta calzone Rm 32 (approx $11).

I don't really see much point in going for turkey ham, beef bacon etc. If we wanted pork we'd have gone to the non-Halal Trattoria down the road. It made perfect sense to therefore go for this calzone, and it turned out to be a good decision. 

The inside of the calzone was generously filled with cheese with just enough spinach to add a pleasant bitterness without overpowering the ricotta. The dough was also done very well - the right level of thickness, and nice and floury. 

Overall - A very good calzone 4 / 5

The final main course (we went with friends) was the gnocchi with mozzarella and parmesan cheese which came in a creamy bolognese sauce.

Gnocchi dishes can often be a touch on the small size but this one had no such problem. The meaty sauce accompanied the potatoes well and the cheese on top made this a very hearty dish of comfort food.

Overall - Very enjoyable 3.5 / 5

While I think both Trattoria outlets are good, I would go out on a limb and say I might prefer the Halal Trattoria to the porky version; it's better located and the homemade pasta dishes don't suffer from the lack of pork. That said, if I was to go for a pizza I'd go for the non-Halal version.