Hmm.. I was never inclined to vegetarian food but this is just to die for. Call me nuts, but I reckon real men (and women wtf) eat meat. Any form of meat, be it beef, chicken, lamb and the like.

I’m that girl you know whose momma had to force veggies down her throat. Popeye never had much of an impact on me… pfft, bloody propaganda!

It was all until I was invited to a food tasting session in Yishensu, a vegetarion connoisseur located in Klang.

This is the kinda place you’d go to for family meals or occasions. Chinese banquet food never tasted this good. Especially if it’s vegetarian! That, coming from me – the carnivorous author of yours.

The setting of the place itself was very well organized, with neat ivory-white tableclothes and upholstery for each table. Upon entering Yishensu, you’ll be spasmodically nodding in approval.

We got there early and was chatting with Ken and his friends prior to our gluttony. I do remember making a tactful remark that vegetarian food wasn’t my cup of tea. That was of course, before I had a bite of what was in store for us.

To start off any other Chinese course meal, the (wiki it!) Poon Choi was being served to us. There was a whopping 12 ingredients in that wholesome dish itself! To name a few, abalones, shark’s fin, mushrooms, prawns, yams, monkey mushrooms were aplenty. I reckon it’s recommended as an 8 pax meal.

When the next meal came, I was taken on a ride down memory lane once again. The Curry Chicken Bread Bowl made me reminisce the times during my BRATs days, organized by The Star Newspaper.

The Chef came to tear it apart for us to dig in later. Watch as he deftly makes incisions into that huge bread that bore gastronomic wonder.

Tocky and I couldn’t have enough of that. The ‘chicken’ was so tender and tasted almost like the real deal. Andrew and Ken was also eating as though the sky was falling.

Then came the most sinful dish of all – Nestum Prawns. I used to have it quite often back in Penang.

I will punish myself for eating so much of the curry chicken + potato bread bowl and nestum prawns with downing pure veggies.

There was thankfully, something else that would not instigate my guilty conscience. It was the bean curd. I like how it’s named – the Golden Brick Beancurd.
But trust me, once you sink your teeth in it, the word ‘brick’ has completely no relevance.

Anything glazed with honey perks my senses. When this dish came, I rubbed my hands together with glee. Whoooopeedoooo!

So much flavour, goes best with a fluffy plain bun

With an excellent alternative to our meat-laden everyday diets, today’s lunch was fabulous without a doubt. We then went home with our happy tummies, grinning as we anticipate more.

Check out what pastry chef Sunny Yaw cooked up this time! I don’t read Chinese characters but my two cents tells me it should be Gong Xi Fatt Chai (Happy Chinese New Year).

Pork Ribs - every non-muslim’s favorite! Tender and succulent, it’s impossible not to sink your teeth in it

The next one imma share with yall is the prawn dish. Served in a small portion, it will leave you wanting for more! I certainly did, as it was only a mouthful can’t have enough?

It’s time for dessert! The famous Chinese traditional dessert comes in many varieties, among the notable ones are of course the Chrysanthemum Rice Cake.

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.

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.

I’ve always been a fan of fine dining – come to think of it, isn’t everybody? Hmm I’m pretty sure if we all had enough moolah to throw around, everyone would be flocking to those fine dining spots and posh eateries already.

Chef Jerome, the Executive Chef
cooks up a storm!
In this new menu presentation, we were served with fine portions and a good combination of foie gras, mussel soup, cod fishes, roasted beef and caramel custards.

Le Bouchon isn’t like an outlet like any other set in the row of the thriving F&B square of Changkat Bukit Bintang. It’s one of the premier ones which for your info, is an 8-time award holder of the Malaysian Tatler’s Best Restaurants.
scuba diving
Lemme take you around for a lil visual tour, shall we?

Upon entering, you will be greeted to the likes of many wine bottles all arranged by indexes and organized in order. Also, a wooden coffee table for two for those wine-lovers out there to chill.

After walking down a few flights of steps, you’ll come to an intersection where a door on your left leads you to the kitchen. You obviously do not go in there… however, you can peer at those hardworking chefs preparing your meals via the glass pane just like I did!
There will also be a little fishpond at the corner laced with more wine bottles.
Authentic interior decor
There are a few different sections for you to choose from though – the mainroom, the private room and the couple room. Plenty of room for different occasions!

Okay, time to vanquish those gastric juices already! To kick-start the whole session, we were served with some bite-sized cookies and warm house bread. Following which was the Appetizer itself, Terrine de Foie Gras maison.

Next up on the line is the Soupe de moules noires au safran et legumes aromatiques. Nevermind the extremely long dish name. It’s basically black mussels and saffron soup with aromatique veggies. Good things come in small portions, I couldn’t get enough of this! Every last drop was worth a voyage into wonder.

Let’s take a closer look at those springy yet tender mussels.

Man, they were succulent
As we moved on to the main courses, I could not help but to rub my hands together with glee.. especially when I knew there was gonna be some fish on the plate. Long-time readers of benjicajessdotcom will already know that I’m a lover of all things fishy. (Pun unintended)

Served with asparagus, this roasted codfish was to die for.
I’d give them brownie points for the beetroot sauce too!
Get ready for the name of this dish in French. It’s called *deep breath* Filet de morue roti au sirop d’erable et piment, asperges vertes a l’ail, beurre blanc de betterave. Woots! Try saying that in one breath LOL

As cosy as it is, there were immaculate sculptures with fine carvings as well. Check out this statue of a medieval angel atop a mantelpiece of the makeshift fireplace.

Back to where I left off, we had Roasted Beef Tenderloin. I instantly took a liking to it as was glazed with Bordeaux wine sauce and it was perfectly done. Not anything close to overdone toughness yet not undercooked with those bloody traces of flesh.

It came with ratatouille veggies and sauteed potatoes
with smoked duck bacon

Heavenly. This is a winner for all you carnivorous meat-swashbuckling lovers out there. According to Chef Jerome, the cattle imported over are all grass fed. Unlike those grain-fed ones. Anyway, more beef pictures for you?

The steak made us full to the brim.. with absolute goodness! Ahyes.. I’m pretty sure I wont be touching another slab of meat for the next couple of days. Heh. Don’t wanna overkill, yo! <
span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">But make no mistake, that Roasted Beef is one to get your teeth sinkin’ into.
Dessert came to wrap up our dinner session with sugary sweetness of a caramel custard. It was Creme Brulee with raspberries – known in French as Creme Brulee aux framboises.

Loved the texture.
My tastebuds sang in unison upon tasting it
The upper crust layer was hard and sweet, but once you scoop it up with your spoon a smooth milky taste of custard follows through. As I hit rock bottom, the raspberries ended my experience with a sourish-sweet spring of fruity delight.