The popiah in Padang Brown is perhaps one of the best popiahs in Penang. I watched as the hoisin sweet sauce and chilli sauce were placed on the popiah skin followed by a piece of lettuce. Then the vege filling was placed on top followed by the crab meat, fried beancurd (minced finely), fried egg, and fried shallots. It was then wrapped. You may request for the sauce from the vegetable filling to be poured on top of the finished popiah, but if you like it dry, you may want to request for the uncle to skip this step. Padang Brown is located at the junction of Perak Road and Anson Road, opposite Convent Dato Kramat School. Besides popiah, this place is also popular for lok-lok, pasembur and sup kambing (available at night). Other hawker stalls are also available such as char koay teow and fried oysters, and they open in the afternoons until late evening at about 6-7pm.

My favourite dish of all time is Caramelised Roast Pork. It allows me to indulge in my two most sinful sins, sweet stuff and pork. In our attempt to be healthy, we ordered salad; Roast Pork Salad. There was succulent “siew yoke” in it and the dressing was quite nice. Everyone went for the pork, and by the end, there was not much pork left, just vegetables. We also ordered plain roast pork (“siew yoke”). The roast pork, which I cannot stress enough, was so tasty. We did order a non-pork dish; garlic prawns. The prawns were fresh and nice.

El Cerdo means “the pig” in Spanish, and the restaurant specialises in porcine delights. As an appetiser, we had a goulash and a bread basket. The goulash was spicy without being too overpowering and there was loads of meat at the bottom of the cup. We ordered the Crispy Knuckle, which serves two but I reckon it could feed three easily. The superb wait staff recommended we sprinkle chilli flakes on the meat before eating, and the flakes heightened the taste of the knuckle by many notches! Trying it with the mustard too lent a different flavour to the pork.

We all started with an Amuse Bouche of warm pea soup. The warm sweet mushy soup had an extra depth of flavour because of the bacon fat. This was a very rich surprise because slices of bacon lay hidden beneath the thick pea soup. The appetizer was an outstanding surprise. It was a plate of Spanish Jamón with steamed White Asparagus, melon balls and sautéed Artichoke Hearts (I could be wrong here). Spanish Jamon, especially Jamón ibérico is one of the finest and most sought-after hams in the world. For those in the know, the Jamón ibérico is actually a healthy meat to eat because most of its fat is Oleic Acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid which has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. Anyway, the Jamon we had was silky smooth with a deep smoky taste that coats the mouth with flavour long after it’s gone. The vegetables and fruit were well-paired to provide a little spark of acidity in all that richness. Moving into a smooth cruise, a trio of Pork Schnitzel, Oyster wrapped with bacon and a pork shoulder arrived. This was a competently executed trio and the pork shoulder was tender and juicy. Topped with herb mustard, it took a while for us to realize what the crunchy tidbit was. The pig tongue was tasty. And speaking of recommendations, the Braised Pig Tail was also very tasty. It went very well with the Paella, one of El Cerdo’s signature dishes. While I avoided the seafood, the rice was still infused with the flavours of the seafood. Moving along, the other signature dish of El Cerdo is the roast baby pig. This is done with a baby pig just a few weeks old and marinated in

RESTAURANT Angus House (View Details)
ADDRESS Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Lot 6.44 & 6.55, Level 6, 168, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
TEL 03-2145 6015 BUSINESS HOURS 11.30 a.m. – 3.30 p.m., 5.30 p.m. – 10 p.m.
CUISINE Japanese Steakhouse | Fusion | Halal
SEATING CAPACITY 98 (Private rooms for functions available)

Text Ooi Sulyn | Photography BK Loh

Being born and bred in a small town, I naturally prefer to dine in homey settings. Thus I was a little hesitant at first when I headed to Angus House for lunch, a fine dining Japanese steakhouse tucked away on the highest floor in Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur. But what greeted me was not an ostentatious display, but an inviting place that lets quality speaks for itself. Softly lit and furnished in a clean-cut style, it gives off a minimal yet elegant air, and with sultry piano music playing in the background, it felt like I was stepping away from the city and into a calm, tranquil place. After being introduced to the manager, Julian, I took a seat with my colleagues and let the restaurant’s accommodating staff take us through a very pleasant dining experience over the course of an intimate afternoon.

Living up to its name, Angus House boasts of their selection of steaks which are mostly imported from Australia, with the exception of their Wagyu and Kobe. Their specialty lies in preparation: the steaks are charcoal grilled, which sears in flavor and retains the meat’s tenderness, and using Japanese ingredients in their sauces give an eastern twist to otherwise very western fare. In fact, most of their culinary has that kind of approach: there will be one or two key ingredients in an unassuming dish to remind your palate of the land of the rising sun. Apart from steaks, they also offer seafood, pasta and poultry, and of course a meal of this cuisine is not complete without wine to finish: their wine cabinet, which will be the first thing that catches your eye as you enter, carries a fine selection of reds and whites from countries as far as Chile and New Zealand.

The Encyclopaedia of American Food and Drink states that on the average, an American eats 3 hamburgers per week. Overall, Americans consume up to 38 billion annually. Rule #1. Cut it into smaller bites to prevent getting ketchup and mustard stains all across your rosy cheeks. Rule #2. Hold it correctly. If you would rather eat it without cutting it into smaller pieces, be sure to hold it correctly. Well, the best way is to leave the burger in its wrap, or wrap the bottom with a napkin, or tissues.

Rule #3. Do not squeeze your burger too hard or the juices will start to spill and get all over you. You wouldn’t want your mommy to be grumpy about the grease drippings on your clothes.

Rule #4. Chew it nicely and steadily, preferably with your mouth closed. Nobody would like to see chewed-up hamburger working its way around your mouth. You may become an unwelcome lunch companion.

Rule #5. In addition to that, please do not talk with your mouth full. That’s definitely a no-no. For the same reason as Rule #3, talking between bites will disgust your dining partner and burger juices may start to drip all over you. Urmm…

A dinner party celebrates friends gathering around your table for a meal. And hosting one never needs to be stressful or time-consuming. Williams-Sonoma Dinner Parties is a comprehensive guide to creating stylish and fun dinner parties that fit the way we live, work, and entertain today. It’s packed with easy, inventive recipes and simple decorating ideas for everything from sophisticated soirees to casual alfresco dinners. Each of the seven seasonal menus include work plans, serving suggestions, hosting tips, elegant tabletop ideas, and gorgeous photography. This book provides all the inspiration and information you need to become a confident dinner party host.

The last time I went to Tho Yuen Restaurant for Dim Sum, it was nearly lunch time and all the dim sum were sold out. The Pineapple bun (polo bun) on the left and lou pho peng (wintermelon biscuit) were very nice. The pineapple buns had purple yam paste as filling. All the dim sum were pretty good except the one with mixed vegetables. With all the dim sum we had, and a pot of tea, the total was RM16.20. Tho Yuen Restaurant is located along Campbell Street beside a big Rolex corner shop, you won’t miss it.