Have you ever been to a place and you feel like you’ve entered
another realm? I know that is how I would usually feel when I’m travelling. More
often than not, that would always be how I feel the moment I land and step
outside the airplane, that is possibly why we all love travelling so much.
Sometimes, I get that feel too when I’m watching a really good movie. Surprise
me, but I got the same feeling when I stepped into Asmara Penchala.
* * * * * * * * * *
Once you stepped through the wooden doors which is pretty
similar to those in Bali, you’ll be greeted with tall bamboos, pergolas and a
pond around one of the raised pergola. The place has such a romantic feel, I
know why weddings are often held here. Ambiance aside, how does the food fare?
Thai Fish Cake
We kicked things off with the Thai Fish Cake, which was served
in a bite sized, miniature piece. It was easy to eat and the presentation looks
good. This is what I would say, visually appetizing. One bite in, you’ll be
teased with the taste of fish cake which I felt seems more like
otak-otak to me. It’s nice, but such a tease because the serving of
the fish cake is tad too thin.
Crispy Hash
Next, we had the hash browns. This is deep fried hash, so trust
me, you cannot go wrong with it. True enough, it was fried just to the right
crisp level with the softness of the hash maintained inside.
Creamy Butter Prawns
Prawns are my weakest spot, when I see one I know I must have
them. Needless to say, when the Butter Creamy Prawns arrived, I was so tempted
to dig it immediately. Can you see the glorious amount of golden butter sauce,
dressing the deep fried prawns? When I finally got to dig in (after all the
formalities, picture taking, angling, ya-da ya-da), the prawn was crispy
enough to be eaten with the shell. The sauce itself was rich and it complemented
the prawns really well. Buttery rich, and heavenly, yums.
Lamb Masala
Initially, when this dish arrived, it kept us wondering what
type of meat was used. Was it beef? Or was it mutton? We tried asking the
waiters but some of them don’t know what it was. We later found out that it was
lamb, no one thought of that though. The lamb meat was tender and it was well
marinated. I do like how it tasted, but it didn’t leave much of an
impression.
Asam Pedas Asmara Tenggiri
This is the asam pedas, served piping hot in a claypot with
generous amount of chili flakes over it. This dish itself is daunting for
someone like me, because I don’t usually take much chilli. I am able to handle
spicy, but I prefer not to. As I carefully sipped the soup, I was greeted with a
burning sensation of spicy chilli rush. The dish is hot spicy hot spicy, but it
was flavoured nicely. I once had an asam pedas in Melaka and it was the most
watery plain one I have ever eaten. This was way better than it. There was
however, something I didn’t like about it. The vegetables (brinjal, ladies
finger, tomatoes) are very fresh, or uncooked, I would say.
Nasi Goreng Cina
Nasi Goreng India
We were then served with a couple of nasi goreng which was
accompanied with side dishes. For the Chinese style, it was served with deep
fried prawns, pandan chicken, pan seared dory fish and fish crackers. For
the Indian style, it was served with lamb masala, deep fried prawns and all time
favourite papadom!
Salmon Steak
Just when we thought the dinner was over, a western dish of
grilled salmon arrived with a small serving of plain pasta, corn cob and fruit
salad. One look was enough to tell that the salmon steak was too dry, pasta
seemed bland and fruit salad has chili flakes on it! I thought just maybe this
was a fusion attempt. As I tried each one of them, they tasted pretty much the
same as how it looks and how I expected it to be. However, according to the
manager, he mentioned that customers had requested for their steak to be cooked
as such. So, my best bet is that if you plan to have this, put in a little
request to have the steak cooked medium well done.
Sago Gula Melaka
And last but not least is the sago with gula Melaka
topped with a scope of ice cream. I’m not a fan of gula Melaka but the
ice cream have made this dessert just the right amount of creamy and it gives
you the creamy chewy sensation like. Pretty neat, I would say.
* * * * * * * * * *
All in all, I love how beautiful the place is. It is one of the
places that gives you a relaxing feel and a very romantic ambiance with it soft
light. There is even cushions in some of the individual pergolas. The restaurant
is rather spacious, and I understand it can fit around 800 pax. Beware though
because most of the restaurant are open air with a nature like concept, there
tend to be plenty of mosquitoes around. You can also opt for a room as well.
* * * * * * * * * *
&. Thanks to Nomster and Asmara Penchala for having me. +
You can find the best value in money dining deals here at http://www.mydeal.com.my/dining/kuala-lumpur.
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