Ana Ikan Bakar Petai

The literally awesome menu.

This dining experience actually occured over Deepavali. After watching the kids tire themselves out at my parents house the entire afternoon, we thought we would take them out and watch them go crazy at some other innocent location. There are only two restaurants in Bangi that I know of that has a playground area for kids (please let me know if there are others): McDonalds and Ana Ikan Bakar. After the Gaza episode we are done with McDonalds --for now at least. (Put that french fry down, now). We headed to Ana Ikan Bakar.

Restoran Baser (a new experience with deer!)

This is one of Izham's bright ideas to get me to try something new so that I'd have something different to blog about. That's the best thing about Izham, he's always full of encouragement. "You should write more" he would say, or, "there's this ________ you need to try", or, "don't worry, I will let you know if you put on weight". Ok, well, it didn't sound so obvious in BM. But I am expecting an extra large Raya hamper from his company to make up for that last sentence.

Udang masak merah.
So sedap with the nasi goreng. A!

Baser is this really cosy place at Bandar Puteri Puchong that serves cute animals for dinner: deer! (hmm, would that be suku-sakat Bambi or the notorious kancil? I wonder). According to their website, they are quite well-known in Johor for their nasi briyani and nasi ayam. Since 1978 apparently.

Nasi goreng ayam. A+!

As a consequence of their established popularity, Izham booked us a table for iftar yesterday. And I had silently hoped we didn't get to share tables with some monotonous couple who barely spoke to each other like we did last time. Wish granted. We got our own table. That's an A+ right there already for Baser.

The bubbly waitress took our order as soon as we arrived. Izham ordered the deer briyani for me and I obligingly obliged. He had wanted me to try deer for a while now, assured me its halal, and that in real life the animal wasn't really that adorable. Then he went ahead and ordered the fried chicken rice for himself. :|

The food was good, but I thought the atmosphere at the place was great~. I am always happy to see families eating together and cute little boys standing on their chairs ready to fall off any minute as they go through their food. They seem like they're unsteady, you know, but not really. Watching them while you eat is like munching salt-free pop-corn at a horror-suspense movie. Very versatile are kids nowadays.

My deer briyani!!!

On food, the nasi briyani was nice for briyani, but if Mr Baser re-named it nasi minyak, I would say awesome. The deer tasted like really tough chicken liver to me but that's because I am inexperienced with deer, so my brain was in transient and got confused at this new protein; unlike someone I know who's had it since he was a kid because his father hunts wildlife with a rifle like the dude from National Geographic. That must have been one awesome childhood. 

All in all, it was a cool, interesting and enjoyable deer-tasting experience. And Alhamdulillah a few thousand times, for the great food we had and for the ability and opportunity to enjoy it. Izham casually mentioned landak few times throughout our conversation. That's the technique he used to get me to try deer. I hope there are no landak restaurants in Malaysia. I am sticking to fish and chicken.

This is an Izham recommended
restaurant! Two thumbs up!

Restoran Baser
Bandar Puteri Puchong, Puchong

Cleanliness: A
Food: B++ (I am new to deer, but A for the udang!)
Price: ~RM35 for two people with drinks. I would think. Thanks Izham :))
Satisfaction Level: A
Service: A
Atmosphere: A++ (malay style hustle and bustle, complete with police officers outside)

Kak Long Panas, MMU (best malay food on campus :))

Nadia's catfish

Just got back from UM and had a really nice nasi goreng for linner (too late for lunch, too early for dinner). And as I rest my tired feet from 2 hours of lecture, I might as well just sit back and blog about yesterdays lunch at MMU's very own, Kak Long Panas, the place at the Centre food court, at the sportsplex. At MMU.

Miza's catfish

I am not so sure why Kak Long is panas (hot), because usually the dishes are warm, but perhaps its the place, because it is a bit hot there, open space and all. If we compare the food at Kak Long's with erm...let's see, the only other similar Malay place on campus, HB3, then Kak Long is definitely first place. HB3 recently created a stir with their maggot-filled fish and since we're lacking in competition, I guess it can go 2nd place.

Sheemz's veggies. Yay~ no catfish
for me today. Maybe tomorrow.

Kak Long serves a variety of Malay dishes. Chicken in yellow coconut milk (ayam lemak), chicken in soy sauce, cillied fish (usually 2-3 types of fish), local salads including jering, cilli with fermented prawns (sambal belacan), and some dishes to order too. But, somehow or another, we always end up getting the cillied catfish. Why huh? Am I subtlely implying the other dishes are not as good? y  e  s.

The cillied catfish is crunchy, and delicious. And it only costs around ~RM5 with rice and vegetables. We do get tired of it though, some times, and when we do, we order the Pari in the claypot. And when we get tired of that, we go back to the cillied catfish. Or the mamak place at FCM. Its a pretty straightforward cycle. Of the eating habits of rocking MMU lecturers. 

And, by the by, cillied catfish is scientifically proven to get you Professor within 10 years.  

Cleanliness: C- (sit first, then someone comes and cleans the table)
Food: B (ok lahhhh..)
Price: ~RM5 per pax.
Satisfaction Level: B
Service: B (I don't get it why the guy there calls me kakak)
Atmosphere: B (hustle and bustle)