alya's Real Deal

We walked through stalls and people from the point where the bus dropped us. The building around us where the stalls stood in between and people walking by looked new. There were some t-shirts and jerseys hanging from a few stalls, food and toys, accessories and trendy pashmina waved through our way. Wrapped in a kitchen jacket and walked in a huge group does caught attention from the crowd. I could not stop thinking what were this people suggest about us. Students from college going for a massive interview or maybe kitchen staffs who just went to have a dinner party?

After a few blocks ahead, at the far end of the block we were reaching, I could see tables and chairs filled with a few people which placed outside a restaurant. Some were having tête-à-tête among each other, and some were indulging themselves with food and drinks. It wasn’t fully dark yet at the moment but there were already people coming and enjoying themselves with friends and families, having dinner for the weekends. At last, here we were, in front of a restaurant runs by one of the most noticeable chef in Malaysia, Chef Zubir; the Laman Grill.

As I walked pushing in through the glass door, I was greeted by a soft music. I wasn’t an expert in music but I guessed it was a mix of jazz and little bit of blues. I stand for a moment at the entrance to catch a glimpse at wallpaper to my right which portrays pictures and newspaper cutouts about successful stories of the owner. I thought it was great as customer can enjoy the reminiscences of the owner while waiting for their food.

The Laman Grill

Later, we head to tables. The tables and chairs were made from dark, hard wood and some of the chairs had cushion on it. Two deco lamps hanging from the center of the ceiling gave some sort of Mediterranean feelings. The soft hue of lights creates a cozy feeling while we were wandering inside the restaurant. There was a bar which provides drinks for guest and a display kitchen at far end of the restaurant. From it, we could see the kitchen staffs, wearing black kitchen jacket with a black and white stripe apron, accompany by black cover on head busily cooking and plating food ordered by customers.

Display Kitchen

There were candles surrounded by flowers at each center of the tables. As we were seated, the maitre d’ of the restaurant came to welcome us. He told us the menu that would be delivered to us. The menu comprises of different main items such as salmon, lamb, beef and chicken. Luckily I was having a pre-headache and my head was feeling like burning at that time, I make myself an excuse to get to chose beef instead of lamb. While waiting for our food, I took the chances to take pictures throughout the restaurant.

The Menu

There were many guests dining outside the restaurant. I myself would love to dine at the al fresco since I could enjoy the starry sky and the warm weather of the night. But I guess these people felt obliged to dine outside since we occupied half of the chairs inside the restaurant. Maybe they didn’t feel comfortable surrounding by many ‘young chefs’.

Due to my headache, I don’t stand much chance to walk around. I went back to my table, refreshing myself with a glass of orange juice. From my sitting place, I could see what’s happening inside the kitchen. There were two to three men cooking and one man at the counter doing the plating. Suddenly I wonder, where were Chef Zubir? I held my head up searching for the being of him. None. I went to refill my glass for another orange juice at the bar counter. The woman behind the counter was refilling the juice container as I approached the bar. I smiled to her and she smiled back. I felt guilty as I pressed the juicer thinking that later she needed to refill and refill again the juice container.

I was back at my table when I saw a familiar face from the kitchen. He was one of my classmates when we were in diploma. We thought of calling him but he seems so busy. Maybe another time.

Not long after that, our food came. First, the Australian Baby Lamb Foreshank (RM 35.50). The lamb fore shank was slow cooked, making it tender to the teeth accompany with Idaho potato, pear salad and sautéed vegetable. Though I don’t ate the lamb, but I know it has an exquisite taste as it was served with its own au juice. Just by looking at the shiny brown surface of its au juice and its sautéed vegetables does make anyone’s mouth watering and craving for the lamb.

Australian Baby Lamb Foreshank

Next, came The Laman’ New Version Marbled’ Chicken Chop’ (RM25.50). It was a layered chicken terrine, which is oven-baked and grilled, comes with crispy cornflake coated chicken drumstick with a towering, bake, filled russet potato together with vegetables and a mushroom sauce. The oven-baked, grilled chicken terrine gave a juicy, moist and tender texture when it reaches the mouth, contradict to chicken drumstick which prepared by coating it with a crispy cornflake. It was as if two different texture and taste combine in one single plate, giving diners a double culinary taste of a single main ingredient. The mushroom sauce put on top of the chicken terrine was gravy enough with it’s just salty and sweetly taste to the tongue. What makes it unique was the towering baked russet potato filled with fillings which accompany the menu. The baked potato was fluffy and has the sweet taste of potato combine with the salty and sweet taste from the filling.

The Laman New Version Marbled Chicken Chop

Other than lamb and chicken, there were also baked, grilled salmon with mashed potato and creamy avocado sauce with sautéed vegetable. The baked, grilled salmon was flaky and fluffy as one’s fork cut across the salmon meat. Though it was grilled, there was still some juiciness and moist as it reached to the mouth. Plus, the creamy and lemony avocado sauces just a perfect pair to suit the light taste of the grilled salmon. As for the starch, from my point of view, it was a bit heavy to come out with the avocado sauce since both items were creamy. I thought it was best to replace the mashed potato with light pasta such as sautéed angel hair.

Grilled Salmon with Avocado Sauce

Last but not least, my meal for the night, Braised BBQ US Beef Short Ribs (RM49.50). What can I say, I totally adore it! It was the limelight of the night. The short ribs were braised in barbeque sauce. The meat was soft and tender and melts as it reached into my mouth. The barbeque sauce was awesome with its sweet and salty taste. The roman lettuce salad was crunchy and seasoned with the saltiness from the bacon and a little sour from the dressing. For the starch, it was the fluffy, baked russet potato with fillings like the one in marbled chicken chop. Only that this time, it was a bit shorter.

Braised BBQ US Beef Short Ribs

While we were eating, each person at each table would ‘donate’ a piece of the main item to one another so we all could experience the taste of each every meal we were having. It was fun for me as we can share and indulging ourselves to different taste and different kind of meal. The same thing goes when we were served to desserts.

There were four desserts prepared for us. Four? Who cares about the calories when it comes to desserts? First, there was Chocolate Caramel Banana (RM12.50). It was a moist chocolate cake coated with thick, dark chocolate mousse and spiced caramel banana at the center. The cake, as the name proposed, was moist and sweet adding to the soft, creamy texture of the dark chocolate mousse. At the center, lay a little bit of sweet and sour from the caramel and banana. To balance the creamy taste, it was served with sour preserved of raspberry sauce and a cut of strawberry on top of the mousse with a chocolate stick for the deco.

Chocolate Caramel Banana

There was also Raspberry Vanilla Cream Cake (RM12.50), compromise of light almond lemon sponge coated with creamy vanilla mousse, balanced with raspberries preserved. The chilled vanilla mousse fairly sweet and soft dissolving into the taste buds, along with the spongy almond lemony cake. To equalize the creamy taste of vanilla mousse, it was complement with the sweet and sour of raspberry preserved as the sauce and a cut of strawberry with a chocolate stick on top of it.

Raspberry Vanilla Cream Cake

I had the Tiramisu (RM12.50). As other tiramisu, it consists of coffee soaked lady finger sponge coated with mousse of mascarpone. It has the bitter taste of the coffee from the soaked sponge and a mild, soft, creamy taste of mascarpone. Luckily, the sauce was raspberry to balance the creamy taste of the mascarpone mousse.

Tiramisu

Lastly, we had the Warm Lava Chocolate Cake (RM12.50). It was a warm, moist chocolate cake, served with cold vanilla ice-cream on top of the cake. You can feel the combination of warm from the chocolate cake and cold of the ice-cream at the same time. The chocolate cake was slightly sweet and has a spongy texture and it was moistened by the melted mild and creamy vanilla ice-cream. Like other desserts, it also came with the sweet and sour of the raspberry sauce.

Lava Chocolate Cake

We all sank into our chairs as we took the last bite of our desserts, looking into one another. A few of us wandering around, sharing the dining experience with each others. Some were discussing about the loads of assignments that were still ‘untouched’, and some took the chance to capture more pictures ‘after’ the meal. I, myself was drowning in thoughts. I thought about the food I ate, the juice I drank, the chefs who made the food and the people who serve. I watched people coming in and out from the restaurant. What makes these people coming to this restaurant? What attraction does this restaurant have? Two words; good food and excellent service.

Who cares whether the restaurant situated at the far end of the village or it was just a small stall underneath a durian tree. As long the food taste good and the service is fast, it is enough. From my point of view, a restaurant with great food and excellent service always merrier with guests. While an attractive restaurant attracts a numbers of people, but for a short period of time. Nevertheless, what’s important is that you know what you are going for and never say a single regret.

I’ve told mine. What’s yours?

This article is prepared based on writer’s recent class trip to Laman Grill.

Laman Grill Business Card

I once remembered when I was small. It was in the early 90's. We, four siblings were taken by our parents to Kuala Kangsar (KK). Me and my brothers were so excited whenever our parents took us for ride to KK. We would go and have some laksa at stalls near Sungai Perak river and later we would drive around the castle. Later, when we were going back home, our parents would stop by at KFC to buy us some dinner. At that time, I thought they only have KFC and nothing else until we moved to Kedah a few years later. In Kedah I was introduced to A&W. The restaurant was situated near City Point mall in Alor Star but now it was changed to other store. I heard they went to a bankrupt when I was in primary school.

http://www.rootbeer.com.my/menu.php

The first thing that caught my eyes when I entered into the restaurant was the smile of the dark brown bear. It reminded me of warmth and happiness. My first meal was a float and a coney dog. The moment my taste buds reaches the coney dog, I was thrilled since it was my second best food since KFC I've ever tasted at that time. The fluffy of the bun with the large hot dog at the center accompany with the juicy sauce just makes me want more and more. Plus, the cold of the root beer with sweet vanilla ice-cream makes it a perfect meal for a kid like me during those time and I would call it My 1st Tasty Fast Food.

Writing this right now just make my mouth watering since I am hungry... : )

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