ronnycakes reviews: Serai @ Empire; Empire Shopping Gallery, Subang

On strong recommendation from a friend, we decided to check out this Thai/Western/Malay fusion place in Empire Shopping Gallery all the way in Subang. Before I even stepped into the compound, I did the obligatory research and found myself drooling over the menu on their website and pre-deciding all the things I already wanted to try.

I pre-booked a day in advance since many other food bloggers noted how packed it gets during lunchtime and were they right about that! At 12pm literally 80% of tables had been occupied and we were ushered to a small table at the brighter end of the restaurant. Forgot to take a photo of the interior, but I loved the ambience and deco; all whites and wood and modern minimalist.

In the background is Serai Iced Tea (RM12) – Lemon sorbet, lemongrass extract and a hint of fresh mint, and in the foreground is Minted Calamansi Soda (RM10.50) – Soda with crushed mint leaves and calamansi. Personally I preferred the Minted Soda (I’m a sucker for anything minty and fizzy!). The Iced Tea was just the right amount of sweetness and very refreshing.

How could we ever pass up a chance to have Tom Yum Seafood (RM8) in a Thai place? Serai’s version was a bit sweeter than usual and the taste of lemongrass was a tad overpowering.

The portion might look small but if you’re ordering a few dishes to share then one bowl is enough for two people.

The Deep-Fried Brinjal with Serai Spice (RM12 for standard portion) was fried to a crisp with a hint of lemongrass, generous amounts of scallions. Very crunchy!

We seem to be having a thing for squid lately… Hot Chilli Basil Squid (RM20 for standard portion). Tender pieces of squid fried with chilli and basil is one of my favourite combinations. Abundance of sauce went well with rice; love the aroma of basil so a thumbs up from me!

Wils had a long time craving for fish so we had a Garoupa Steamed with Lime Sauce (RM49 based on market price).

The dish came with fresh lime, but sauce-wise it was still a little too much on the sweet side for me (I love anything sour, the sourer the better!) but the fish was very fresh. My only gripe would be that portion seemed to be a bit small for the price we were paying.

Serai’s signature dessert is it’s Berry Pavlova (RM14) and it is a definite looker. I fell in love with it seeing the photo in the menu and just had to try one at the end of the meal no matter how stuffed I was. And I absolutely didn’t regret it!

It consists of a meringue base with layers of whipped cream, strawberries and grapes. It was very refreshing with the mix of tanginess from the strawberries and grapes, even for someone who was stuffed to the brim and sweetness of the dessert was controlled very well.

Layers of meringue and whipped cream!


The Chocolate Banana Parfait (RM10) on the other hand was quite disappointingly average.

Chocolate and vanilla ice-cream with layers of crushed oreos, honey cornflakes and sliced bananas.

All in all, I had a pretty satisfactory experience at Serai even though the bill came up to about RM160 for just two of us (must be the fish!!). Serai’s menu is pretty extensive, with fusion pastas, western food, Malay fusion dishes and even Chinese style dishes! So I can’t wait to make my return trip and try one of the delicious looking pastas or the nasi lemak which was given good reviews by other food bloggers.

If you’re looking to head down here for lunch or dinner do call in advance as it can get really packed.

Address:
LG37, Empire Shopping Gallery,
Jalan SS16/1, 47500 Subang Jaya.
Tel: 03-56370706

Map *here*

Clarissane reviews: The Vanilla Place @ Empire Shopping Gallery

A tiny quaint shop situated in the 2nd floor of Empire Shopping Gallery (ESG) offering a wide selection of food and desserts: something that definitely tickles my palette!

Pretty and simple, heart-warming ambience a great place to catch up over a nice chat and a cup of coffee. A plus point is its location on the quieter section of the mall.. away from the hustle and bustle of the crowd.

Was there on a weekday for brunch hence they were offering set lunches mainly catered for the working crowd.

Starters were assorted bread with olive paste. Loved that the bread was toasted to perfection. Dipped with the olive paste, it was something out of the usual olive oil dip.

For mains, we settled for the Honey Chicken Roasted Sandwich with Garden Greens. This was not bad, only complain I had was the chicken slices were rather hard and too chewy (I reckon it might have been leftover chicken). The honey sauce that came with it was really good though.. greens were crunchy and fresh topped with the whole muesli toast bread really complimented each other.

A great, healthy wholesome meal.. perfect combination of right carbs and protein for the health freak in you.

For sides, we had the Smoked Duck Salad, RM 14.80. This was the highlight of our meal, The duck was soft and tender, with just the right amount of fat. Crunchy, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, capsicums, carrots topped with pine nuts and cashews.. this was just heavenly to the mouth, and especially to our bodies too lol!

A meal wouldn’t be complete without trying out their coffee, I settled for the Café Mocha, RM 8.00 that came with a slice of biscotti. Fragrant, thick and frothy.. I loved this. Being a huge fan of mocha, I would definitely be coming back for more of this!

Other mains like Seafood Pesto Pasta and their Hawaiian Chicken Salad are also pretty popular; with their wide range of desserts (everyone’s saying how good their bread and butter pudding is!) and three-tier teatime set with macaroons, brownies, pie-tees and assorted cakes …I’m definitely going back for more!

Address:
The Vanilla Place
FK01, 1st Floor, Empire Shopping Gallery,
Selangor, Malaysia
603-50222198

Clarissane reviews: Din Tai Fung @ Empire Shopping Gallery

Good Chinese cuisine is hard to find. I’ve tried DTF a number of times and I don’t think I will ever get tired of the food here. I reckon I can just drop by and have 2 servings of their famed Xiao Long Bao’s :p

An award-winning restaurant, it was voted one of the world’s top 10 restaurants in the world by the New York Times (so obviously the food is good hehe).

We started off with their appetizer.. Golden Pumpkin, RM3.80. This was sooo good I was so tempted to order another plate. It came hot and crispy, fried to perfection. Take a bite, and the pumpkin just melts slowly in your mouth. AH!

Look at the pumpkin! Looking at it makes me salivate already. This dish is now the ‘must-order’ dish on my list!

We also tried their apparently famous appetizer.. Xiao Cai, RM3.80. It was not bad, with slices of tofu, chilli and some springy type of vege. I was trying to figure out what it is exactly made out of but I could not figure haha. Pretty okay, something out of the ordinary.

Looks a bit like glass noodles.

And of course, the MUST ORDER dish here is their famed Xiao Long Bao (Meat Dumplings), RM9.80 for 6 pieces. It was delicious of course.. I always preferred the ones here compared to Dragon-I.

Dip it with the vinegar and ginger provided and voila…. Perfect Xiao Long Bao’s that oozes out meat and gravy when eaten… heavenly!

Making them is an art and a skill that is mastered.

There’s also a certain way to eat it, always take the dumpling at its tip. If you don’t, high chances are, all the gravy in it would come spilling out, and well your dumpling won’t be as delicious anymore :p

The sifu’s hard at work dishing out the Xiao Long Baos!

This is a definite dish to order if you visit this place! It goes synonymously, trust me it’s never enough!

One other dish we never fail to order is their Cha Jiang La Mien, RM12.80. One of their best-sellers, I fully understand why. Noodles served here are all hand-made giving it the perfect texture and springiness. It’s not the ordinary noodles that will make you feel so overwhelmed after a few bites. Topped with minced meat, tofu and their secret ingredient, this dish never fails to deliver!

Oh, and don’t forget to add the chilli flakes in it.. oozes up the taste even more ;)

The Braised Beef La Mien, RM16.80 was quite tasty as well. With hints of spiciness in the soup, accompanied with soft and oh-so-tender beef slices.. it was a perfect-ending to the meal. This would be good on a cold, windy night when you crave for something warm :p

The beef was really tender it literally melts in your mouth. I reckon they boiled it for hours before serving. Oh, and the beef here does not have that strong kind of smell (which absolutely puts me off) so it gets extra points :)

In my previous visits, I’ve also tried their desserts mainly their Tong Yuen (Glutinous Rice Balls) with sesame and peanuts. It is really really good as well, a perfect, sweet ending to top off the meal.

A good place to visit to satisfy that Xiao Long Bao cravings, at the same time have some delicious, comfort food !

Address:
Din Tai Fung,
Empire Shopping Gallery,
Jalan SS16/1, SS16
47500 Subang Jaya.
(also with outlets in The Gardens and Pavilion KL)