Azuma Sushi: One trick tasty pony

There is a new sushi shop in Gunung Rapat area, which is a new surprise. This pique my interest on the how good it will be. Located behind HSBS Gunung Rapat, it is just a stone throw away from McDonalds and also beside Starbuck Coffee. The name Azuma Sushi is bright and anyone would not miss the place.

Inside, it is the usual kaiten sushi restaurant setting. With the smart design of the sushi belt, the shop can fit in quite a large number of patrons without feeling cramped. Service is as expected, since the sushi is readily circulated on the belt, it is "eat as much as you want". Beside kaiten sushi, there is obviously other choices via the menu, especially the rice and noodle ramen dishes.

For today, Lyn and I decided to go all out on the kaiten sushi instead of the menu. For those who do not know kaiten sushi, it is basically sushi placed on plates, usually with different colors to indicate different pricing, and the plates will be circulated via a belt that runs beside each table. You see the sushi that you like, just take it and eat it. Once full, the staff will come to count the number of plates and we just pay at the cashier. There is a fair range of sushi from the usual maki sushi to simple rolls. Expect to pay from RM1.70- RM3.50 for each dish depending on the ingredients. The rice is flavored nicely.  The toppings are fairly average, with no new surprise like the ones we had in Mentai. Some of the rolls are nice, but generally I find the use of cheese and mayo is too frequent. It tasted good in the first few sushi, but by the last bite, it felt a bit too much for the tummy to gulp in. In the end, the whole range lacks variety, and the sushi do appeared to be a one trick pony.

It is still a nice eating experience. Probably the trick is do not eat too much of the sushi and to mix it with other choices in the menu. Then, the sushi would be very tasty.

ratings: 3 poink~!
comments: Have not tried the ala carte rice/ ramen or sushi, but do look nice.

Azuma Sushi
3,5, Laluan Medan Rapat,
Gunung Rapat, Ipoh
05-318 3190

Kampar Sushi Mentai: Affordable Delicious Japanese treat

As a child, I would not imagine my small hometown of Kampar would host at least more than one Japanese restaurant. I am not a fan of Sushi King, so it was nice to have an alternative in Sushi Mentai. Located along the road of some new restaurants that I recently reviewed, this big orange colour shop is just next to Old Town White Coffee, on the same road as Econsave in Kampar New Town.

Firstly, the setup of the restaurant is as any other local kaiten sushi restaurant. Just imagine sitting comfortably on a table and the sushi will pass by you on a conveyor belt. It is interesting to note that most kaiten sushi restaurant in Japan will be slightly cramped and the seats are arranged bar like rather than family seating.

The main offerings are sushi, from the basic maki to more sophisticated ones which need to be ordered via ala carte. The taste? I can safely assured you that the taste is one the better sushi found locally. Though not as authentic as Japan, the sushi are tweaked to suit our local taste. The varieties on the belt impressed me. Some of the sushi are really impressive, especially the salmon and tamago ones which were grilled with a hand torch in front of you. The most important ingredient of any sushi is the rice, and I can share that the sushi rice here is seasoned really well. However, some may prefer the rice to be lightly sour but I prefer mine to be lighter on the vinegar side. The price would not burn a hole in the pocket, with the kaiten sushi ranging from RM1.80 to RM2.80. That is as cheap as eating dimsum. For those who do not favour sushi, of course there are the usual ramen, udon or bento. We had the tori teriyaki don which cost us RM12.80, Though not bad, the chicken are grilled more oriental favoured rather than teriyaki. We indulged ourselves with a specially ordered spider crab maki (RM13.80). It is nicely deep fried, though the batter shadowed the taste of the crab.

We had a delightful time here. The sushi on the kaiten belt appeared to be more impressive than the offering in the ala carte menu. And the sushi are quite impressive. To top the good taste, the price are really reasonable.

ratings: 4 poink~!
comments: though not as authentic, the sushi are definitely on par with some of the more expensive restaurant.

Sushi Mentai Kampar
5&6. Jalan Batu Karang,
Off Jalan Batu Sinar
Kampar

Cawan Mu: local cuisine fine dining style

It was a plesant surprise to see so many new shops in Taman Siber, Taman Song Choon and Botani area in Ipoh. Tucked deep inside Taman Siber, is this new cafe, Cawan Mu, part of new boutique hotel 1969. The restaurant, is really really nicely designed, even sitting without the the food gave a visually comfortable satisfyingly experience. The menu is on a electronic tab, and every inch of the diner is classy. The service of course is hotel class, which add to the dining experience.


The food offering, is rather bland on the other hand. Although they do promote fusion local cuisine, the offering felt more local cuisine in fine dining style. So you would not find fusion to the extent of nasi lemak sushi, or curry pasta. What we get is more of nasi lemak, nasi bryani or nasi hujan combination with ayam masak merah, ayam rempah or rendang ayam. The choices are rather limited, besides the chicken rice combination, there are 2-3 noodles selection such as curry noodle and laksa, western breakfast, one salmon main dish, pasta and subs. The food is nice, though not ground breaking. Pleasant but probably would not stand out among the many shops or restaurant in Ipoh.



I really hope they expand their menu, many of the local favourite such as chicken chops are missing. The menu seems heading towards kopitiam style of offering. In one corner there is a small bakery which the buns and pastries do look delicious. Maybe I will try it on a different outing. While dining here will not save us money, this is far from burning a hole in my pocket. Expect the main dish to start less than RM20 which is very reasonable compare to some of the fine dining or western restaurant in Ipoh. The only thing I felt was pricey are the drink which is priced very near to the main dish.

Would I return? I would, for the dining experience, and the price is just nice for the visit. For the similar food, I would still stick back to our usual western diner spot in Pasir Puteh.

Ratings: 3 poink~!
comments: sometimes, we just want to pamper ourselves...

Cawan Mu
1, Jalan Lapangan Siber 1
Bandar Cyber,
Ipoh

Sun Tack Kee Kampar: pleasant outing for fried noodles

I had visited the similar shop in Ipoh, so I had a rough idea what to expect from Sun Tack Kee in Kampar. Located on the same row as Old Town in New Town, Kampar, it is just stone throw away from Econsave. In the row of new shop lot, the restaurant is nice and comfortable. Though the food offering is what we expect from a simple "da-chow" type of fried noodle, dining here is comfortable minus the road side stall.

The list of food is rather typical, with different types of fried noodle, as many as you can count. Though they may be slightly expensive compare to stalls, we must remember we are dining in a comfortable shop rather than stall. Expect to spend at least RM6-7 per person which still way cheaper than dining in a fancy restaurant or fine dining. The food, surprisingly is quite nice, with adequate amount of "wok-hei". You can felt the noodles are fried in a hot wok rather than mix around and dished out. Sometimes, it is rather difficult to explain what "wok-hei" actually means. We had a few dishes, including the recommended moon hor-fun, which is quite smooth. Portion is enough, slightly big for the elderly. Dining here definitely would not disappoint, we do like the place for the dining comfort more than the food. For comparison of the typical fried noodle, this still yet to replace our favourite "da-chow" spots, which remain one of the road side stalls.


ratings: 3 poink~!
comments: there is a loyalty card of sort when we dine, so remember to enquire about it.

Restaurant Ipoh Sun Tack Kee
25, Jalan Batu Krang, Off Jalan Batu Sinar,
Taman Bandar Baru,
Kampar

Ant-Man and the Wasp: well deserve filler

Having seen Ant-Man and the Wasp in NuSentral last month, I nearly forgotten to write about it online. For those who are following MCU movies, this may not fit into the flow of the current timeline. AntMan and Wasp occur right after events of Civil War and before Infinity War, and the film do assume that the viewers had watched Ant-Man 1. For those who have not watch those movies....shame on you, though you can jump straight into this movie, you probably would not appreciate all the details. Why Ant-Man can control ants, why he is in house arrest, what were they referring to when they say how big he grew... and stuff like that.



The opening of the film do try to summarize the first Ant Man movie, telling how the original Wasp disappear into quantum realm while in a mission to save the good old US of A. This movie centres on Ant Man and the new Wasp on the mission to rescue the original Wasp. In the process, there are gangster trying to steal the technology for quick buck and also the Ghost, who has similar aim to steal their laboratory but with a different motive.


The chemistry between the leads are fun to watch, and the action is pleasantly paced. The dialog are light and many funny moment. Though it may not be as zany as Deadpool or Guardians of Galaxy, the whole story felt light and fun. It may not impact a lot to the current Infinity War story, just to explain the disappearing of Ant Man in that movie, though lots of theories came out to how the quantum realm will fit into Avengers 5. After watching the whole movie, it did not have the full impact as Infinity War, it felt more like a good filler in an ongoing series....nothing much to change the main storyline, but leave us satisfy none the less.

ratings: 3 half poink~!
comments: stay at least for the first post credit scene... that may have some connection to the coming Avengers 5

Ah Boy Noodle: Refreshing take on Soup Noodle

Have not been trying new places lately, given that not in Perak most of the time. Mum was the one who suggest we eat out and try the new restaurant in town. Apparently a few of the friends had given good feedback on Ah Boy Noodle.

comfortable dining

It is situated in the new row of shops next to Econsave in Bandar Baru, along the same row as Old Town and M Boutique Hotel. Just look for the cute face hogging a bowl of noodle. Being a new shop and probably established by a group of young entrepreneurs, this place is designed for comfort and practicality. Not to the point of being fine dine, but simple arrangement of the restaurant make sure dining here is a comfort. The service is attentive, and ordering uses self filled order sheet. I noticed that many of the current shops ran this system, similar to most stalls in Taiwan.

huge pork balls

curry lala noodle

The basic selection is actually rather simple, varieties of noodles, varieties of soup, varieties of sides and you get different types of combination.  There is nothing to boasts about the noodle, I am sure it is found in most noodle stalls. The soup selection is based on clear chicken soup or curry. The clear soup is one of the better version out there. Stock used is full of taste and with the right combination of freshness, sweetness and saltiness. The curry, on the other hand, is not to my liking. Too watery and not spicy enough. I prefer my curry thick and spicy. The presentation and type of sides boasts a rather wide varieties, from pork noodle (comes with pork balls), seafood to simple presentation with eggs and sausage. Although theoretically anything can be combined with anything, but I find that certain combination works better. For example, having my bowl of curry la-la noodle would be better in clear soup to lift the sweetness of the seafood.

pork noodle

Overall, price here is acceptable, slightly more than what we can get in a normal roadside stall. Dining here comfortably, coupled with the air-conditioning background, I would not mind to come again for a different combination.

ratings: 3 half poink~!
comments: the chilli sauce is one of the best out there.

Ocean's 8: the higher the expectation, the harder the fall

I support female empowerment. The message is popular nowadays, as seen in mass media, TV shows and even movies. However, the idea may not translate well in the movies. Having seen the similar idea, Ghostbuster was fairly entertaining, but did nothing to the franchise at all. It just fade into the mass collection of those forgettable movies. Will Ocean's 8 end up in the same fate?

On paper, it should be a winning entry. Big casts. Successful formula. What else can go wrong. Well, it did not go wrong. It just end up with a big "meh...". The story follow Sandra Bullock as Clooney's sister. While previous Ocean's series prove to be more successful, this latest entry just pale in comparison. The movie still follow the same heist formula. Bullock gather a group of specialist to steal a very expensive piece of jewelry, while looking good in the process, while avoiding a few miscalculation, and a twist at the end of the movie to provide the big "ah....". 

What went wrong, I kept asking myself. The cast should be perfect, with so many veterans on board. The problem is the whole story focus on Sandra Bullock's character without any characterization on the other cast. It was made in such a way that nobody actually care to remember the supporting cast. There was just minimal effort to stereotype them, so you would get a funky East Asian, a cool nerdy Afro American, add a resourceful South Asian, a superficial white bimbo, and there you have a team. The only character which hold on its own is probably Cate Blanchett. The action is seriously lack of style compare to other similar movies recently. Now You See Me, while may have ridiculous story-line, but the heist was done in such a stylish manner. The pacing of the whole Ocean's 8, is rather slow. It did not help it as I watched in during a midnight slot in the cinema. The mini twist at the end of the film, did not help to salvage the movie, as it is really a small, mini, tiny twist which do not do anything to the story at all. 

To be fair, it is not a bad movie. It is fairly entertaining. However, having decided to hitch hike on a popular vehicle, you cannot avoid comparison with the more successful bigger brother. If they would decide to make an independent movie rather than an addition to the Ocean's family, it may turn out differently. 

ratings: 2 poink~!

comments; would help if not catch the film during midnight show.