Fusion Japanese Fine Food @ Ploy Clearwater, Bukit Damansara KL

I remember reading / seeing / hearing about PLOY since eons ago, but the thought of giving them a try just never happened to cross my minds, probably because I always wanted to save it for special occasions, and when the special occasion comes, PLOY never pops up at the back of my head. 

So anyway, there was this one ordinary day, on an unassuming evening, we actually stepped into Clearwater to find out what is this hype all about. 

And spoiler alert, the food was pretty awesome and we had to wonder to ourselves why had we been putting it off trying out this place! 

We actually did not manage to take photos of the premise, but from my recollection, it is located within an office building and it was pretty much like a dead town when it's the weekend. There were quite a few options of upmarket eateries in the building but we eventually decided on PLOY because we love ourselves some Japanese food. 

The ambient was casual but yet refined, spacious but cozy, dimly lit but absolutely inviting, all in all, this place exudes an understated opulence which made it ideal for either a casual dine-in to fancy date nights; There were a couple appeared to be celebrating a special occasion of theirs and a big group of family celebrating the birthday of the little one; this place ticks the boxes for being romantic and yet family-friendly at the same time. 

Other than relaxing into the warm ambiance with the soothing music in the background, be prepared to also immerse yourself in a gastronomic experience. 

Our first dish of the night was 

Black Dragon Sushi (8 pcs) RM37

Shrimp Tempura, Grilled Unagi, Avocado, Shiitake Mushrooms

This is what I'd refer to as the absolute "sea"riously delicious sushi roll.

The breakdown of the ingredients practically sound like it's what you would get regardless of which Japanese restaurants you visit, 

but putting them together it's absolutely unexpectedly delicious. 

The crispy shrimp gave a contrasting texture to the soft and mushy grilled unagi, which Avocado added as an additional emollient to mush all of the ingredients into one, with a little help from the shiitake mushrooms to boost an incredible umami / aroma. 

Just one bite left us wanting more, we wanted to savour once more the unique burst of flavours on our taste buds. 

3 Musketeers (RM35)

Platter of Emperor, Crabby, Chicken Karaage Mantaos

As the name of the dish suggests, this dish is a compilation of all of their 3 mantaus options available in their restaurant. 

This dish is IDEAL for someone like me, who is always indecisive when it comes to food. 

Always wanted to try more, but don't really have a big appetite myself. 

So anyway the platter of the emperor is made from Wagyu Beef Patty, Shiso Leaf,

Japanese Tiugan Sauce. The tender and juicy beef patty didn't need more seasoning but they did it so skillfully that the flavours actually complimented it instead of overpowering it. 

The Chicken Karaage Mantaos were made from Fried Chicken Karaage, Sweet Mango, Sliced Cucumber, Shiso Leaves, Cabbage, Mayo, what seemingly normal looking ingredients were added with a Thai-fare with the sweet mango thrown in. I mean, the natural "sweetener" added a layer of sweet delight to the otherwise supposedly very savoury combination. It was a refreshing twist! 

The crabby mantao is made from Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab, Sliced Cucumber, Shiso Leaves,

Cabbage, Spicy Sriracha-Honey Sauce. 

This is not for the faint-hearted, as it was SPICCYYYYY, though they tried to tone it down with honey. The honey and hot sauce combo again reminded me of the thai-flavours and I am not complaining as I have always been a fan of Thai Food! 

Black Rice (RM32)

Squid Ink, Seafood, Thai Sweet Basil, Egg Yolk

This was probably the winner of the night for us, 

but surprisingly, it has no Japanese element int it? 

This was more like an Italian and Thai fusion dish. 

We absolutely love the creamy black rice texture, which was made even creamier and smoother with teture with the runny yolk. The Thai Basil looked as if it was an "extra" in this dish, but it was certainly the key player of this dish. 

The Thai Basil added an incredible aroma to this refreshing and mild flavoured dish.

Japanese Curry Katsu (RM30)

Katsu Chicken, Japanese Curry, Omelette Rice

This is quite an ordinary dish judging from the appearance. 

But you really gotta taste each of the items to experience the extraordinary. 

The egg was incredible fluffy, unlike any other omelette we have eaten before. 

and the Katsu chicken was also well marinated and fried to golden perfection, each bite is filled with an exciting crunch which added an incredible texture to the dish. 

Dip the chicken katsu into the thick curry sauce to soften the chicken katsu and add another layer of taste to it. 

All in all, this ordinary dish turned out to be a multi-sensorial experience, though simple, it was actually quite a comforting touch to this dinner. 

I do think that their pricing is a little bit upmarket for what they serve, 

but trust me, you would not be disappointed with the quality of their food.

PLOY 

Located at: Work @ Clearwater

Address: G-2, WORK@Clearwater, Jalan Changkat Semantan, 50490 Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, 50490

Hours: 

Mon - Fri : 12 - 3pm ; 6 - 10:30pm

Sat & Sun : 11 - 3pm ; 6 - 10.30pm

Menu: ploywithyourfood.com

Phone: 03-2095 0999

Lucky Peaches Eating Hall and Bar @ Plaza Arkadia

The recent years have seen the mushrooming of interesting cafes, 

so this scene has done nothing but raising our bars to a whole new life. 

Plaza Arkadia is one of the newer developments in the Klang Valley region which boasts a European vibe. 

The lights, the music, the building facade and obviously, the drinking scenes, 

all of them reminded me of the western country living, which I had to admit I was totally digging it.

But in recent years I have only seen the opening of more and more Chinese / Asian restaurants or eateries, which I must say, have ruined the vibe of the area a little bit. 

But then again, who can we blame? 

It's an Asian country anyway. 

So anyway, blabbering about Plaza Arkadia aside, 

I am here to talk about this one place, which was thought to be the IT-place in Plaza Arkadia. 

Prior to my visit, I had high expectations of this place, imagine tall ceilings, rustic interiors with cozy vibes, relaxed but romantic with its dim lighting. But boy was I wrong.

I did not even get the chance to take a photo of the premise because it was incredibly small and narrow, with a non-well-ventilated second floor which had completely no decoration whatsoever. 

It was plain boring. 

If there was one thing that was worth an Instagram post, it would have to be their "bar" area, 

which I have failed to take a photo because there were other peopled seated there and it would be rude to take their photos. 

This place is great for hanging with pals after work, or chilling on a Saturday night for some boozes. 

I would not necessarily recommend this place for a romantic date, or girls' night out. 

So anyway, we were here for my birthday celebration. 

So we wanted something quite casual, but then a place nice enough for photos.

So this place only ticked one of the two boxes. 

This place serves Western cuisine with an Asian twist and they are probably more famed for their drinks (as in cocktails) rather than food per se. 

As we're not a drinker at all, we opted for the safe options, which was, juices. 

And they were, again, safe option, so expect nothing more. 😆

The indoor seating was rather greasy, either due to poor ventilation or their open kitchen concept. 

And thankfully we arrived there on a rainy day, so we were lucky enough to be able to enjoy the alfresco seating without feeling like we were gonna suffocate / we were in a sauna in this tropical weather. 

That said, they do have strategically installed fans which gave us breeze comfortable enough to dine and chill instead of having to spend most of our time battling with flying hairs and napkins etc. 

So if you ask me, I would 10/10 recommend their alfresco seating over their indoor seating. 

Smoked Duck Breast_RM 39.9

Their food presentation definitely deserved a 10.10 for effort. 

But the food portion was incredibly small for big eaters like us. 

While the duck breast was tender and flavourful, it was also rather salty and the entire dish felt pretty monotonous as there weren't enough vegetables thrown in to fill us up while adding texture and flavours. 

Asian Laksa Pasta RM27.90

As this place portrays themselves as an Asian fusion restaurant, 
I thought it was only appropriate if I tried out one of their Asian inspired dishes. 

Well, to be honest, I thoroughly enjoyed the sour and spicy flavours of the dish, 

blame it on my Asian palate. 

The pasta was cooked to the perfect al dente, and the sauce was tangy and creamy at the same time. 

It's like your usual Asian dish, but with an added creaminess to it, 

which to be honest, really complemented each other really well. 

So all in all, I would recommend this place for drinking and small bites, 

because boys and girls, trust me, their food won't fill your tummies, 

well, at least they certainly would not fill mine. 

But I do thoroughly enjoy the ambiance here even though we weren't there for the cocktails. 

Lucky Peaches Eating Hall and Bar

Address: B-G-8 Plaza Arkadia, 3 Jalan Intisari Perdana, Desa Parkcity, 52200 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2712 0705

Email: hello@luckypeaches.co   

Website: www.luckypeaches.co

Fb | Ig : @luckypeaches_kl  

Hashtags: #luckypeacheskl, #lifesapeach

Matcha Lovers Should Check Out These New Drinks At Gong Cha

 

Yes, you heard it right, Malaysians’ favourite bubble tea chain Gong Cha and Malaysia’s no.1 e-commerce platform Shopee are back for another round of special drinks. This time, they will be enticing matcha lovers with a whole new series of matcha drinks called the 10.10 Festival Drinks in celebration of Shopee 10.10 Brands Festival.

Brewing for a limited time only, matcha lovers will be treated to three exclusive drinks - Matcha Coffee Latte, Matcha Marble and Matcha Latte which are only available for purchase via the Shopee App from now till 25 October.

Matcha Coffee Latte

Who would have thought that matcha and espresso can go hand-in-hand in one drink. The silky fine matcha powder coated with milk and the rich espresso shot create a beautiful layered beverage. If you can't decide between iced coffee and a matcha latte, how about enjoying the best of both worlds at once!

Matcha Marble

An Instagram-worthy drink thanks to the beautiful marble texture created by the blending and weaving of fine matcha powder into rich milk to form a smooth and silky look. Sweetened to your preference, the drink is topped off with a layer of Gong Cha’s signature creamy milk foam that leaves you wanting for more.

Matcha Latte

Feel refreshed, especially on a hot day, when you take a sip of the iced matcha latte. Psst! We hear that matcha latte has some health benefits! So what are you waiting for? 

The Gong Cha e-drink series can only be purchased digitally via the Shopee App and redeemed at all Gong Cha outlets nationwide. Get the Shopee x Gong Cha 10.10 Festival Drinks exclusively on Shopee through the Food & Services Vouchers in-app portal from now to 25 October.

Fans can enjoy the drinks at an introductory price of RM10. Save more when you purchase the drinks at RM5 only this October on these special dates: 3, 7, 10, 15, 18, 21 & 24.

 

The 10.10 Festival Drink is in conjunction with the Shopee 10.10 Brands Festival that is taking place from now to 10 October. The region’s biggest online shopping event for brands like Gong Cha and many more, the Shopee 10.10 Brands Festival is bound to surprise users with greater savings. Enjoy exclusive RM10 deals, free shipping with a minimum spend of RM10 and choose a wide selection of 100% authentic products from favourite brands via the Million Dollar Brands Discounts in-app portal. Users also stand to win prizes, vouchers and Shopee Coins worth up to RM1,000,000 when they play Shopee Games such as Shopee Farm, Shopee Claw, Shopee Poly and more.

What are you waiting for? Visit https://shopee.com.my/gongcha-shopee-series now!