We had our Guinness draught flowing non-stop as well, that pretty much distracted me from the dread of waiting to have my tummy satiated Check out our Classic Cottage Pie and cute Pizza bites! Unlike the traditional English pastry pie, they way this was cooked/presented somehow reminded me of lasagna! I liked how it came in miniature pieces, so much easier to chomp it down and share among us.For every bite of the pizza was bursting to the max with sausages, smoked bacon and pineapples!We obliged. That's our Calamari and Onion rings served in a basket!Being a natural sucker for soup, I ordered a bowl of Leek and Potato SoupSure, I've gobbled down a slice of bacon or two or even a shred of pork knuckle before. But in general, I tend to avoid pork as much as I can. Why? Nothing of religious nature though, just a mere preference. But tonight, these Barbequed Pork Ribs were too hard to resist.Nothing like a burp of satisfaction from food paired with a smooth pint of Guinness.

So glad I found a total gem in Damansara


Being a Japanese food freak with perennial love for all things sushi, yakimono, soba, maki, teppanyaki, unagi and the like, I was overjoyed when all I wanted and loved could be found in Hokano.

Menu placed outside so you can ogle over their epicurean Japanese dishes even before you enter
Tucked along the row of shophouses, this cosy restaurant might be small in size but packed with people.

It's time to put these Japanese bites to test

Although it was almost full-house, our meals came pretty damn quickly. Thumbs up for efficiency!

First dish of the night served. Our appetizers!

Japanese potato salad

The plus point here is that this dish is home-made!

The 2nd appetizer which was served was the Spicy Ika

It's a stir-fried spicy squid chopped into thick and soft-chewy rings. Delicious Oh and for your kind information, this succulent baby isn't available on the menu (yet?) but it's certainly a must-order!





This fish lover approves! Their salmon was fresh and tender with each bite complemented with chilled lettuce, avocados, onions and cherry tomatoes. A healthy option, that's for sure!

And that's not the best part of it yet….

For the special sauce that comes with it is also a homemade house specialty

I don't know what its made of (I suppose it's a best-kept trade secret hehe!) it had this sweet yet tangy citrus taste to it. We drizzled it all over our salad and into our mouths it disappeared!

Another fabulous appetizer I do recommend is the Kaki Fry!


I did not know what it was initially by the looks of it. Figuring it was some kind of breadcrumbed potato, I took a bite and no.. I was so so wrong! It was warm and bursting with flavour from the inside.

Lo and behold, for it was actually huge, juicy oysters!

Do you guys want me to go past the appetizers and dive straight into the Mains already?

Hold your horses! Here's the final appetizer – Soft Shell Crab Schimi Age!



Soft Shell Crab is granny's fave btw – and also mine!

She'll never fail to order that at any Japanese food joints thefockers and I go to. This one is one that I will certainly bring her to on her next visit downtown.


Alright alright. Appetizers are officially done with.

On to the Main Dishes!

Served with a bowl of rice and Miso soup, this is the Chicken Teriyaki set!


As I'm very fond of teriyaki, this one I just tasted right here does not disappoint at all

It sure lived up to its standards!



I don't usually order set meals when I patronize restaurants (always prefer the a-la-carte for some inexplicable reason) but this one, might just be an exception I loved this bowl of delightful goodness!

The next 2 dishes that plopped on our table were somewhat similar but it's the sauce, condiments and style of cooking that makes it a world of a difference It's called the Rib Eye Steak and Moromiso Steak respectively.

Can't say which one tastes better because all 6 of us debated and it was an equal vote.

Rib Eye Steak 3 – 3 Moromiso Steak

Both are tender and lean slices of beef interlaced with asparagus, all stacked up neatly in a pile

The Rib Eye above is made with Teriyaki sauce while the Moromiso below boasts a strong miso taste

Temaki, Sushi, Makizushi, Nori and Wasabi galore! We were served many different kinds of sushi but here are the ones that won my recommendation, hands down!

Here's the Alaska Roll!
Loved it. Crabstick, cucumbers and avocado topped off with roe, salmon sashimi and even more avocado.

Quite a common dish in most Sushi joints but you know you can never go wrong with this. It's yum!

Cucumber, Tamago (Japanese for egg omelette), Unagi (Japanese for eel) and Avocado

Thumbs up

Finally, the creme de la creme of the crop is here. Yes, I saved the best for last.

Let me introduce to you my favorite dish of all time in this restaurant, the Hokano Roll!
It's the signature of Hokano Japanese Restaurant itself, chef's specialty

and my recommendation all in 1 fine hand rolled sushi

Word of advice? Don't ever leave this restaurant without ordering this dish



It's just everything delicious all packed into one satisfying bite. A stellar combination indeed, if I do say so myself!

All in all, this place definitely gets good ratings from me.



My verdict? A hidden gem offering awesome food (pretty affordable too!) along Uptown Damansara facing the LDP highway.

i was at Tong Yuen in Hilton Hotel last week to taste their auspicious set menus and CNY delicacies
First thing I saw as I stepped in:

Mandarin ducks, money frogs and china teapots. I started taking pictures of this very impressive, spacious and lavish Chinese restaurant.

Oh and I also learned that Toh Yuen is adjoined to the al-fresco and swimming pool area

Pretty good idea for weddings to be held! Nice place to entertain guests and throw the after-party too!

Separated only by a huge glass door



I then took my time to walk back to my table. But still, not a single soul to be seen yet.

So I made use of the glass mirrors they had all over the walls for some self-absorbed entertainment

After catching up and chit chatting, it was time to bring out the food

Toh Yuen's Yee Sang specials was the highlight of their Fatt Choy (fortune and prosperity) menu selections

Crackers represents happiness, peanut and sesame symbolizes harvest, oil represents wealth,

pomelo means good luck, raw seafood symbolizes life and longevity.


I especially loved their Sliced Abalone yee sang. It was fresh, tasty and had that tinge of sweet-sourness in it. The abalone came in abundance and it was very delicious and chewy too (I initially thought it looked like chicken slices before I had a bite of it! LOL)

The 2nd course that arrived was Braised Shark Fin Soup with Crab Meat and Roe.



Trust me, I've eaten this since my childhood days and there isn't really a complete Chinese dinner without it.

Served hot right outta the pot, it was just as good as what my tastebuds imagined it to be. You can never go wrong!

3rd Course : Deep Fried Chicken in 2 Flavours

Now this one was rather outta the ordinary



This poultry dish came with chicken – cooked in 2 different styles – encircled around each other. Yup, it was plated in a very pleasant way! The chicken with the darker sauce stayed in the middle while the whiter chicken surrounded it.

I loved the darker chicken while some of the others preferred the whiter one. Ohwell, looks like both of it were popular among us anyway; seeing that this dish was finished in such a jiffy!
After chicken, came the fish

4th course : Steamed Fish Pomfret with Soy Sauce





This fish fanatic is at it again. White pomfrets are one of my favorite types of fish, apart from Salmon and Snowfish. It was so fresh that I reckon it was just caught right off the sea yesterday! None of that stinky stale stench that some fishes tend to have.

The flesh was tender and was made right for our palate.

5th course : Stir Fried King Prawns in Pineapple Sauce



Now if the fish dish didn't exist, this one would most definitely fall in line being my favorite of the lot!

The prawns were really soft and succulent to the last bite! Kinda the type that melts in your mouth The tangy natural flavour of the pineapple complemented this dish very well too.

I like how most Chinese chefs cut up lotsa random things that their instincts tell them *might* just make the perfect dish and voila! It DID end up perfect after all.

The broccoli came cooked with so many other ingredients and condiments that it was bursting with flavour

Last weekend, the three of us caught up at uppity town Bangsar for some delicious bites and sweet indulgences.

Arrived at a restaurant called Nosh. Had a chat with the waiters and soon decided that’s where we’re gonna be parking our arses for the afternoon.

The facade was enough to draw me closer into the dining area.
Loved its classy, clean-cut concept. Wide spaces were used very well!
It boasted an interior of bright and colourful modern art as well as a neat layout.
On the right was the drinks bar where drinks and light food takes shape.

The main kitchen is inside, of course.

On to the food! May I first warn you that they taste just as delicious as they look in photos?

Nosh did a great job in the food presentation and plating.

Beef Bolognese on Chunky Chips

This was a really tasty beef bolognese topped with melted cheese on a bed of potato chips.

Every bite had a light and hearty, smoky aftertaste. I liked how the chips were cut into wide chunks instead of the skinny versions.

Pumpkin Ravioli

Also another signature Italian dish, this boasted delicate gourmet pasta sheets filled with pumpkin served with a luscious onion butter sauce and fresh sage. Very used to the usual spinach ravioli, Nosh’s version of mashed pumpkins gave me a fresh alternative and complemented these ravioli very well.

Salmon with Lemon Capers

Always a fish person, I couldn’t possibly give this salmon treat a miss. Loved it to bits!

A thick piece of salmon fillet grilled to perfection greeted me the moment I laid eyes on my plate. Served in a lemon caper cream sauce, the salmon came with delightful sides of roasted rosemary potatoes and grilled seasonal vegetables.

I could definitely order another one of this and finish it in under 10 minutes.

Dessert time. Which one should I pick?

We are sweet tooths by nature so we were spoilt for choice!

After taking almost half an hour to narrow down and select our mutual favorites, here’s what we got!

We chose the Peanut Butter Heaven and Mont Blanc in the end.

The Peanut Butter Heaven promises heaven to the last bite – and heaven I experienced indeed.

As a diehard fan of both peanut butter and chocolate, this peanut butter cheesecake slice was right up my alley. It was light, not too heavy on the cheese consistency, drizzled with caramel on top and sat on a bed of chocolate crumbles and chopped salted peanuts.

The Mont Blanc was a chocolate cake soaked in rum and resembled a mountain after a snow blizzard of chestnut cream. Dusted with sprinkles of green tea powder, it gave this treat a slight bitter aftertaste to an otherwise sweet dessert.

It was a fantastic day catching up and noshing delectable food and desserts.

Thanks, NOSH for a delightful evening!

Price range for this restaurants from its lighter, smaller meals at RM9 onwards to the heaviest main event at RM70. However, you can be satisfied with most decently sized meals ranging between RM19 to RM40.

Who would've thought a cosy and quintessential British colonial restaurant would be tucked away amongst the lush greeneries; up high at almost 3000 feet above sea level?

Yup, with an authentic British heritage and garden ambience, as well as a bird's eye view of Penang's landmarks and its city skyline, David Brown's Restaurant & Tea Terraces stands tall (literally!) as the perfect, memorable dining spot in Penang

It took us approximately 15 minutes to get up to the peak of Penang Hill via the funicular train

When we arrived, we were buzzing around – just like everyone else – taking in the picturesque scenery of the entire Penang island and mainland.

Our tummies got the better of us so, we adjourned to the elegant, British-styled restaurant for lunch + tea time.

It was not only beautifully appointed, it was baronial – the historical British interior design was lovely!

The dining area was spick and span, spacious impeccably furnished with rustic wooden furniture and a brick-built mantelpiece as well

But being the al-fresco enthusiast I am, we moved out into the terrace; on the porch overlooking the garden.

A little bit of sunshine does everyone good!

French Onion Soup as the starter



It was amazing! The buttery hint and rich aroma of onions was to die for. If you're a fan of onions just like us, that is.

We also loved the texture, so thick and chunky not too creamy at all. Crisp croutons came as an accompaniment.

Mine : Roast Lamb Shank



I loved this in its entirety! It was such a delicious and hearty meal.

The meat had just the right tenderness. It was definitely simmered to perfection, thus juicy and succulent as you sink your teeth into it.

Its rich and flavoursome gravy alongside baby carrots, onions, cauliflower, celery, mushrooms did a magnificent job in complementing the meaty taste. It came with Mashed Potatoes as a side too.

His : Oxtail Soup & Dumplings



Despite the flavourful tomato and meaty taste, most of the oxtail chunks had very little meat on it.

It was so difficult to gnaw into whatever little meat that clung onto the bone! Must be a very skinny ox, with an equally bony tail, methinks. Don't order Oxtail before reading how to eat it properly lest you end up looking like a Neanderthal.



Wanting to make the best out of this visit (and being the sweet tooths we are), we ended up ordering some chocolatey dessert!

When I came back to the table, the dessert was waiting on the table for me!

Tempting.. tempting..Chocolate Crepe served with Chocolate Ice-Cream & Strawberries
What can I say? We both love chocolate. This sweet and simple dish suited our tastebuds well

Fork a swatch of the crepe, dip it with the ice-cream and poke into a strawberry – and that's the way to go!

We took a light stroll around the cottage garden after our meal



Well fed by David Brown's Restaurant & Tea Terraces, it's no wonder we had to walk around a little bit to ease our over-filled tummies!

Pretty sights amongst nature and walking along the gravel path – count me in!

Great times and great memories atop Penang Hill