Just the other day, I was a fortunate invitee to an exclusive closed dinner session with Big Boys Oven, along with other prominent food bloggers such as CK from www.what2seeonline.com, Ken from www.Foodpoi.com, SuperWilson from www.placesandfoods.com and Timothy (who’s a bloody fit salsa dancer, argh hate people who loves eating and CAN eat a lot but don’t have to worry about growing horizontally. Oh wait CK included then grrr). I tell ya, nothing beats a few rounds of saliva-inducing meals together with a bunch of food and fun lovers originating not only from different lifestyle backgrounds, but different location as well (CK flew from Penang, while Ken is, well, he’s everywhere! )

Anyway, I shan’t digress. When I found out later that it was to be at the Eccucino, located in Prince Hotel @ Residence, KL, I can’t help but feel that it was all a fated event, seeing that I have a season parking pass at Prince Hotel, too! Finally I am going to be able to try out this restaurant which I’ve been passing by almost everyday for the last 1 year lol. You cannot understand the anguish I had to go through, to breathe in the pleasant, saliva inducing aroma every morning and every night, teasing my visual sensories as well. And now, thanks to both Shirley (from Prince Hotel) and BBO(who made this possible), now I can

Arriving at the scene just before the main dining crowd arrives, I met BBO there, who immediately told me to snap some photos. Whipping out my Lumix LX2, I knew I was going to attract some attention as the other floggers were taking pictures with their respective DSLRs, making me the only one with a Point-n-shoot. Fortunately for me, people with good eyes like CK and Ken knows the power of my Lumix, so I didn’t really need to “prove” myself . After all, it’s all about the yummyliscious spread around us and we really couldn’t wait to eat! Even the buffet section shown in the pic above, without looking at the food content, is already preparing us for a visually stimulating experience as the restaurant cleverly arranges from where the plates go right into the nitty details.

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This is the area where our Chef of the day prepares his specialty, a really sought after dish as you’ve seen in the first picture above. The wrap and ingdigressredients shown above is then heated in the big oven to perfection, the cheese just lightly melted and oozing out. Dunk it into a choice of 4 different dips: avocado, cream cheese, salsa or chutney (?) and you will never go wrong. Best served with one of their selected house wines, which by the way, is on free flow!

Going around their spread, their appetisers and dessert area is of course one of their specialties. Their tantalising selection seems to really want you to forget about dieting, seductively getting you to try each and every one of them out to your hearts desire. This, is one example where even I won’t even try to resist the sinful and fatal attraction.

Let’s see if you can (oh and did I mention that they serve “teppanyaki-style” ice cream too? One banana split please!)

But of course, if you chose to go on a healthy option instead, their salad spread is as mouthwatering, if not plentiful in their choice of greens and sauces.

Of course, one can never miss out the Sashimi section, which is a must in every buffet spread nowadays. Though it may be only three main choices to pick from, I was impressed at their “choice” cuts. This time though my favourite was clearly the butter fish (white flesh at the right) and needless to say, I had quite a few rounds eating those tasty morsels with wasabi and soy sauce of course

The same goes for their selection of sushi, but really, unless you want to make yourself full by filling yourself with vinegared rice (hey, some love it okay? lol) you’d better off having larger portions of sashimi instead to get the full worth of your dinner.

Talking about making full worth of the money you pay for this buffet selection, here’s one section you wouldn’t want to miss out especially if you’re into seafood. Their oysters may not be as big as the ones you find in other buffet spreads at other places, but the least I can say is that it’s sweet, not that “smelly” compared to the larger species. Fresh, and with a spoilt choice of red or green pepper tobasco sauce plus lime, I think you can’t really go wrong with this. The huge succulent prawns are very, very sweet and supple too! These are, as usual, best taken with a glass of house wine or beer which I will remind you, is on free flow with your dinner set. People with high calorie count should close an eye and skip this picture, seriously, otherwise you’d forgoe your doctor’s advice and feast on this anyway.

There were a few canapé choices to select from, and I can honestly tell you it was very hard to miss them, not when they are so creatively presented in this fashion. You just cannot resist taking a spoon and making a quick pop into your mouth just to taste the flavours each and every choice offers. If I’m not wrong, there was the exquisite sweet-sourish morsels of lamb, and the one above is bite-sized tofu in some complex fusion of sauce, lending an incredibly sexy taste to it.

And who can ever avoid taking pictures of this lovely set of Chocolate Fondue, presenting itself so well that it’s hard not to notice. The constant flow of hot, melting chocolate makes it so irresistable, and the fact that choices of dips have been prepared so nicely for you (right sided of pic) makes it all the easier to choose from, instead of wasting time in your indecisiveness in picking your bits. The fruits selection is on the limited side, but they were so creatively presented that you’d just ignore everything else lol

I don’t usually talk much about the soup selection but I must add that the choice we had that day was pretty special. Here we have some kind of spanish soup whose name I’ve forgotten, and it was quite a… unique soup. I have to say the taste was uniquely Spanishy I suppose. The other one is the wild mushroom soup which can’t really go wrong, maybe something to wet your throats with.

And of course, the assortment of condiments you can have on top of your soup. I love the fact that for every dish they have, they will also prepare a large selection of sauces and condiments to go with it. You can be a little creative and try adding certain flavours here and there to get your perfect concoction (for free)!

So here comes the topic for the day: Grilled to Perfection! Every Wednesday night is Grill Day, presenting a lavish choice of meats and seafood to choose from, a myriad of marinades and sauces to select thereafter and the chefs will do the rest, creating the perfect grill for you. Here you’ll see chicken and beef patties in their interesting mix of flavours, huge succulent tiger prawns, half lobsters and huge cuts of tuna and salmon.

At the other end of the grill section you’ll find chicken thighs among other parts, skewered pieces of selected seafood, squid rings and last but not least, 2 different cuts of beef.

These were my choices (round 1 la) and don’t let the picture fool you, that half lobster is really big, making the sirloin beef look seriously puny. lol.

One of my “rounds”. I love selecting little portions of food to decorate my plate, making it visually appetizing. Selected here is a very aromatic portion of mashed potato which is rich in cheese, baked sweet potato, springy fried mee hoon, my butterfish sashimi of course, 2 different canapes and the cocktail prawn dish. Yummy.

That was my personal experience in Eccucino, Prince Hotel KL. Made possible by the guys above, and of course my sincerest thanks to BBO for contacting me in such a personal manner… You guys are all so down to earth that if I were a Ostrich, I’d have to bury my head deeper underground to be in your level! (lame section, sorry) Once again it was really great meeting Ken, Wilson and CK as well (who’s food review gets circulated in corporate institutions even!) and I hope to meet you guys more often for more fun and food!

The Wednesday “Grill to Perfection” dinner buffet costs RM88++ per adult for the variety of food as you saw above, together with free flow of selected house wines, draught beer and soft drinks (to make you full no doubt, giving less room for the REAL food. If you’re a buffet person, you’d know what NOT to do to make full use of the money you pay ). Eccucino can be found at the Grand Lobby, Level 1, on the right hand side once you enter the main entrance, you can hardly miss it. Make sure you go in between 6.30pm to 10.30pm for the Grill Experience (TM) daily, otherwise there’s also the buffet breakfast and lunch (weekdays only), during morning (6am – 10.30am) and lunch time (12pm – 2.30pm) respectively.

To make a reservation, here are the following details for your convenience

Eccucino
Tel: 03-2170 8888 ext 8119
E-mail: restaurants@princehotelkl.com.my

It was called Sushi Tei and so, with the availability of one of my dearest friend, we were set on a date in this restaurant which wasn’t too hard to find at the Ground Floor. We were instantly greeted, sent to our seats and we were served by what look like the manageress of Sushi Tei. Feeling a little wealthy, I was set to kill.

After making our orders, a quick glance around the area tells me that the restaurant relies on the comfy atmosphere to invite the restlessness in you to make its exit. Beautiful blend of colours and textures helped please the eyes, while the moving trays slided by our sides with selections of sushi making their way past us one by one.

At our sides, the warmish colour contained inside what look like a house with a huge rooftop made us feel more comfortable. I particularly loved its clean look and beautiful lights.

The first to come was this Sake Yam (Salmon Yamakake) dish (sake for salmon, not the alcohol) which I ordered because I positively swear I haven’t heard of this dish anywhere else. My date says otherwise, and warned me against it. Looks like her warning did not prove false; the texture of the yam was really… something out of this world.

If I were to explain the texture, I would say it comes across the texture of a saliva of one who just suffered from flu, who’s saliva is still thick and noticeably sticky thanks to the phlegm residues. Have you ever cooked fried rice, stored it in a tupperware immediately and left it inside the fridge? If you were to reheat it the next day, the rice would have been all sticky and left with a weird aftertaste that leaves nothing to be desired. Even the salmon pieces were soaked with that sick aftertaste. Okay I better stop before we all puke.

What came next was our Sashimi Set, which was 5 generous slices of Ootoro (Tuna belly) and this raw clam (Akagai) which was apparently most sought after in this restaurant. Fortunately (either that or we were tricked) for us, there was only one more left and the chef prepared this RM30 delicacy for us. It was served in such a tantalising way, that each morsel we had tasted really, really good.

The Ootoro was slightly thawed from frozen (which explains the slightly cheaper price compared to others) but nevertheless melted in our mouths, giving that sweet, oily flavourful taste that only an Ootoro can give. I loved every bit of it. The clam-y thingie however was a little more unique. It tasted alright, and yet, it did not leave me craving for more. Then again I’m not such a fan of oysters- or anything clammy for the matter, so if this did not throw my tastebuds into a frenzy, I guess it was okay. Definitely not for everyone though.

Next was our Japanese Hot Pot (Kaminabe). We had the broth made a little spicy, but not too much. I found it a little eccentric that they used paper as a “cover” for this meal, honestly it was a little weird. Taste wise however, the broth didn’t disappoint at all.

Of course we had the Hot Pot with slices of beef. Looking just as yummy as the sashimi, I almost put the whole damn slice into my mouth before I was reminded that it should go into the hot pot. The trick was to not have it cooked too much, so that the texture and taste is maintained, giving a truly delicious experience.

Finally we had an assortment of sushi (Hakone Set), one of the expensive sets among others. In this collection we were served Uni (Sea Urchin), Ikura (Salmon Roe), Tobiko (Flying Fish Roe), Unagi (Eel), Swordfish, Ootoro (Tuna belly), Salmon Belly and Hamachi (Yellowtail Fish) and a couple of mini California rolls.

The bill amounted to RM150, which I thought was a lot less than I would have to pay, say, if I’d eaten at Yuzu. We were plenty full by then so the amount was satisfying (especially since I expected the amount to be a lot more!) and I guess if I wanted another round of Ootoro again, I could always drop by since I’m not really fussy when it comes to whether it’s fresh or not, so long as it gives me that orgasmic pleasure again (5 pieces for RM30++ if I’m not wrong)

And that’s it really. Quick and beautiful meal to please both the tastebuds and eyes, this makes a fantastic opportunity for dates and/or catching up.

My Elephant is located in Happy Mansion, which is at SS17. It is at the third building from the entrance, and if you’re a regular customer of Food Foundry or that nasi lemak place, then it shouldn’t be too hard to find. I love the way they have glasses on the exterior, it does exudes some kind of elegance to it.

Once you enter the restaurant, you may find that it’s always packed. We had to make reservations earlier or otherwise would have to wait at the waiting area, which looks like the above. Then again, seeing how classy it was I wouldn’t mind just lying on the sofa cum bed, if only there weren’t a lot of people there to give you the stares.

There’s this really comfy section for group sessions, and it feels like some sort of hearthy area, where you have the fireplace nearby to give you a nostalgic feeling especially if you’ve lived overseas. I’d love to come back if possible to celebrate, say, a friend’s birthday over here. It is, however, a little cramped as there’s not enough space to go around anywhere.

While waiting for the rest to come (I arrived the fastest) I made the orders upon recommendation by other bloggers which I will include at the end of this post. One of them is the Fish Cake that you see above. Dipped into this sweet sour chilli sauce, I thought the taste sorts of whets my appetite, to prepare myself for the incoming main dishes. Savoury and yet not salty (which I usually find in most fish cakes), it does make one hell of  a good appetizer

My Elephant has quirky drinks in its arsenal. I can’t for the life of me remember what you call this flower but I remember having them before, so once again it did brought back some nostalgic feeling. Apparently it’s good for health etc etc but you know, a lot of people would have said that as a gimmick so I tend to just let it all pass, relying just on its sweet yet subtle taste.

When the rest came, we were served. First off we had healthy multigrain brown rice, which had a particular flavour that may not interest some people, but when eaten with savoury dishes it will be totally drowned so it was okay for all of us. A healthy option of course.

I ordered an apparent specialty that they have (though I missed their famous  Miang Kum which is a self-service Thai delicacy, sadness) but was a little disappointed. The Yam Mamuang Talay or otherwise known as Mango Salad (Gado-gado look-a-like) was more bland than it is tangy, and the salad isn’t as crispy as I’d like. We actually didn’t finish this dish, but then again, the three of us ordered quite a lot.

Of course when eating rice, Kangkung belacan is never to be missed! This was obviously one of our favourites as we started whacking it the minute it was set down (well of course I wouldnt’ let them touch it until I took a decent picture of it lol). Savoury and spicy, definitely a good try to have when you’re here in My Elephant.

I also had the honour to order  a main specialty of theirs, which is the Salt Baked Siakap Fish. Interestingly enough you’d have thought that it would cost you a bomb, but it is surprisingly moderately priced! It was so interesting as the waiter brought an aluminum foil wrapped fish looking all hard and brittle, then as he proceeded to knock it with an apparatus, peeled off the aluminum foil I swear you could see steam rushing out of the hardened salt baked skin of the Siakap. He then proceeded to take a portion of the skin off like you see above, and there it was; a meltingly delicious looking fresh Siakap meat that had the aroma enough to skin a cow! It was baked in salt just long enough to maintain the right bounciness of the flesh as well as having it marinated just right. Needless to say it was so irrestiable and looked so easy to eat that we basically tore at it without mercy.

Oh and need I mention that to eat the other side of the fish, one just needs to pull of the bones in the middle and snap it off at the rear end? Ah the beauty of it all, it’s certainly a gastronomic experience.

How could we not order Tom Yum in a Thai restaurant? It would have been an insult worthy to be punished by Heavens above! So here we had Tom Yum Gong which is a clear-based tom yam soup with seafood. It was surprisingly spicy but not to the extent tha would have made you teared. Once again we were not disappointed as we gulped every ounce of Tom Yam there was in this generous bowl.

This dish was delicious as I remembered it, but easily forgettable too, so much so that I forgotten what it was called. If I had to give it my own name, it would be “Fried Spiced strips of Chicken” which had a unique aroma, thanks to the herbs which they used to marinate it. If I can recall we didn’t finish this dish either. But then again, we were only 3 and….

There was at least THIS much of food in front of us. Lol. Talk about being greedy But then again you have to admit the squarish table coupled with that cute little round banana leaf on top of the plate lent to the aesthatic factor in My Elephant

The total amount came up to just about RM140, which for the amount of food we ate, would be actually quite cheap! Rare it is these days to find cheap but quality food especially in PJ or KL. As you can see, the fish costed RM40 which, for the size of the Siakap, really priced at a great value! 3 of us paid RM46 or so each (which could’ve been less if we were 4 people, since we ordered enough for 4, really, amounting to RM35 each) and left the place in high spirits. Service was par excellent despite the horror stories we heard of My Elephant staffs (and even bosses, I hear!) so I guessed we either hit it at the right time and were lucky enough to be spared, or that these rumours were unfounded to begin with.

How was your experience?

ps- The drink I had was Roselle cordial in herbal tea, called the Krachiap cooler. It’s apparently packed with Vitamin C and reduces cholesterol level! Hahahaha… If only it were so, there’d be less deaths caused by cholesterol now, won’t it? Source taken from here.