Restaurant

I EAT: Le Relais de l’Entrecote @ Boulevard Montparnasse, Paris – Delicious Steak Frites the way the French do it!

November 8, 2016

I was in Paris a little while ago, for the first time in almost 20 years. This time, I did a little homework for food, and one of the first places I went to eat was at Le Relais de l’Entrecote. I do enjoy my steak frites the way the French do them. While I don’t usually enjoy skinny fries, the French do do them very well!

Le Relais de l’Entrecote is a famous and popular bistro restaurant that serves, you guessed it, steak frites, and has a few different branches around Paris and apparently now, even globally.

I’d read about queues and long waits, but when the taxi pulled up at the Montparnasse branch, I was gratified to see that there was absolutely no queue! It might be because it had just opened for lunch.

I’d also read some unsavoury reviews that called this a tourist trap or that it served mediocre fare. But I was determined to try it anyway. You only live once!

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I Eat: Bakar @ Lorong Kurau, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur

June 5, 2015

Curiousity brought me to Bakar at the quiet end of bustling Bangsar, when I arranged to meet a friend for lunch. Parking is notoriously difficult at Lorong Kurau, but Bakar offers a valet service if you really have problems.

The frontage is fairly nondescript and the interior is very simple but with surprisingly little seating. There are only 3-4 long tables that seat about 6, and some counter-style seats for the rest. Not a place to go if you have a big group of people, but a nice place to head to for a tete-a-tete or a quiet lunch.

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I Eat: Coliseum Cafe & Grill Room @ The Gardens Mall, Kuala Lumpur

March 25, 2015

Coliseum Cafe is an icon of Kuala Lumpur. At least, the original cafe at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman is. I was last there many many years ago, and the slightly run-down, old school grandeur adds a certain charm to what is the longest operating Western-Colonial themed restaurant in Malaysia, being in operation since 1921. I remember rumours they were going to tear it down but evidently it never materialised.

I remember going to the original Coliseum cafe and breathing in the smokey air, rich with smells of sizzling grilled lamb and beef, their signature dish. You get a little white napkin tied around your neck when your sizzling platter is served.

But nostalgia aside, I saw that Coliseum Cafe now has a branches in different malls, and when I was at The Gardens/Mid Valley Megamall, I stopped by one day.

The old school decor is charming and reminiscent of the original restaurant. However, the prices aren’t old school. Oh no! I found myself quite shocked actually, which probably shows how out of touch I am with this restaurant or eating out in general.

To share, I had the Oxtail Soup (RM16.90). The bowl of thick oxtail soup was hearty and would have served as a meal on its own. There were 2 pieces of meaty oxtail and the soup was flavoursome, spicy and a bit salty. It was good, but not something I’d crave to return for.

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