Hokkaido Santouka Ramen @ Pavilion KL

We think of choice as desirable, something that makes us happy. However, according to Barry Schwartz, there is such thing as too many choices. We will get confused, overwhelmed and less happy when we have too many options. On the food:

Surroundings - A newly opened restaurant located at the 6th floor of Pavilion Shopping Mall. If you here during lunch time, be prepared to queue for at least 20-30mins. Alternatively, you can get someone to stand in line for you, while you take stroll down "Tokyo Street". If you are a bargain shopper, Daiso is somewhere you want to drop by.

Menu - It starts with Ramen and ends with Ramen. All you need to do is to decide on the size ( S, M or L), flavor of the soup (Salt, Miso, Soya or Spicy) and toppings (Egg, char siu, etc). Price ranges from RM23-RM40, depending on what you choose.

Ice Green Tea

Hot Green Tea (refillable)

Pork cheek char siu - well seasoned and melts in your mouth.

The Egg, the wonderful egg is Divine. Hard on the outside, heavenly inside. Don't bother sharing because its TOO AWESOME.

Chawanmushi - Soft and silky

Miso Ramen - I was so busy working on my ramen that I totally forgot to taste this. Gomene.

Salt Ramen - The saline soup coats the bouncy noodles perfectly. I spared no soup behind.

Overall - Will I queue for a bowl of ramen again? The answer is YES (100x). In my opinion, this is better than Ippundo Ramen, but still lags behind my all time favorite Daikokuya Ramen. Nonetheless, you can't find another ramen of this standard in Malaysia.

Verdict - TOTALLY SMITTEN

Bayu Timor @ Taman Megah

Researchers have found that happy countries tend to be those in temperate climates, Iceland was once ranked as one of the happiest country in the world. That was of course before the financial crisis in 2008, now, the country is frowning everyday as it continues to sit on a high pile of debts.

While, researchers in Netherlands can continue ranking each country in accordance to their happiness metrics. Perhaps we should be less fixated on the places and environments around us and focus more on our soul. A good example would be the lotus flower - despite growing in a murky pond, it was never affected by its surroundings. It continues to stay true and strives for sunlight. In the end, it manages to rise above the water and blossom into a beautiful flower. On the food:

Atmosphere - This neighborhood cafe has been around for more than 10 years. It is situated at Taman Megah (same row as 7 Eleven & Guardian). What's unique about this restaurant is that all the furnitures and decorative items are for sale. Like what you are sitting on? Just pay for it and they will send it to your house.

Menu - The menu offers a wide variety of cuisine, ranging from local delights to western dishes. It is reasonably priced too.

If you look around, you will see this banana leaf shaped plate on most of the dining tables. This signature fruit rojak is something you can't afford missed. The fruits and keropok are fresh and the prawn paste rojak sauce is delicious once combined with the generous amount of ground peanuts.

We all know that the best place to enjoy a bowl of Laksa is to go back to Penang. At Bayu Timor you will get to taste the less popular Sarawak Laksa.

This home cooked ox tail soup is slightly different from what you usually get at a western restaurant. It is less creamy and less peppery.

If you can't decide on what to order, I highly recommend you the Sarawak Curry Noodles. I guarantee that you will enjoy this bowl of noodle as much as I do. The soup is lemak and the additional chilli paste will blow your mind away.

Overall - This place has been here forever and I've always been loyal customer. Good food, nice environment and friendly staffs. I hope this place will continue to live on its legacy. Perhaps one day, I will bring my kids here.

Verdict - TOTALLY SMITTEN

Real and Wholesome (R.A.W) @ Wisma Equity

Some say, happy people are those that don't ask for much. While others say, happy people are those that have achieved many things in life. Somehow, things are often associated with happiness. There is nothing wrong wanting more in life, there is nothing wrong wanting to be successful and there is definitely nothing wrong wanting to be happy. Wanting doesn't equates to evil. Things, success and happiness are endpoints that we often give too much credits to. What is more important (and often forgotten) is the journey itself. Most of the time, we want to experience unhappiness in order to truly appreciate happiness. We want to experience failure, in order to truly appreciate success and of course we want to experience nothing to truly appreciate something. On the food:

Atmosphere - R.A.W is located @ Wisma Equity (opposite KLCC). If you are looking to go meatless, this is the place to go to for some Real and Wholesome food. The settings of R.A.W is very simple, nothing fancy, just a long counter with a couple of standing stools and some tables behind it. What caught my eyes was the red giant coffee roasting machine - at first I thought it was some ancient cotton candy machine, thank god I did not embarrass myself by ordering a cone of cotton candy.

Menu - The menu is simple with only a few types of sandwiches and bars. If you looking for something very hearty - cereals, bran flakes and muesli would be your best bet. The food prices range from RM7 - RM15. In terms of coffee choice, you will get to order some fancy aeropress or syphon method filter coffees at RM15 each.

The dip platter (RM15) is a trio of pumpkin hummus, chickpea hummus, basil pesto with toasted ciabatta pieces, celery, carrots and cucumber sticks.

This is a toasted rye bread with mushroom and pesto sauce. The bread was fresh and the mushroom pesto sauce was very well balanced. The overall taste was pleasant.

I ordered a Pumpkin Hummus Ciabatta and it was better than the mushroom pesto toastie. The sweet pumpkin was smooth and silky. I can't believe a simple pumpkin hummus combined with some vegetables would yield such tasty sandwich. Kudos to the chef.

Overall - Despite the limited food choices. I was impressed by the amount of flavors it managed to pack in a simple meal. Best of all, it doesn't contain any meat. As for drinks, coffee lovers will thrive there.

Verdict - TOTALLY SMITTEN

Senja @ Saujana Resorts

Surroundings & Atmosphere – Nestled in the heart of The Saujana Hotel, this charming Italian restaurant only opens at night from 7pm to 1030pm. Senja’s interior white décor as well as outdoor patio overseeing the lake offers guests the finest dining experience around Subang area.

The Food – We ordered an antipasti which comprises Marinated Salmon, Anchovies and Seafood’s Salads (RM45), a Vegetables Soup for my dad (RM28), Pizza Primavera (RM38), Pizza Quattro Stagioni (RM49), Fillet of Seabass for mum (RM72), Beef Tenderloin (RM85) and Pave of Salmon with Squid Ink Risotto for myself (RM85).

Menu – Senja menu is a blend of honest Italian cooking with a contemporary touch. Chef Giovanni takes pride in its authentic Italian menu as it prepare most of its food from scratch.

The freshly baked bread was delicious, thanks it textured and appetizing spread.

Honestly, I didn’t have a chance to taste this bowl of soup since my Dad slurped up the entire bowl within minutes.

Even though the Seafood Salad was fresh and not overcooked. I felt there was something missing, perhaps some additional herbs will do good to this dish.

The Smoked Salmon was pleasant - not too smoky and the quality of the meat was good. I wished I had a few more pieces of these yummy fish.

The briny Anchovies was sharp and pungent. Just look at the colors of the anchovies skins.

This dish was a piece of art. The red pepper puree lifted the dullness of the fish and added a unique twist to it. The Seabass was not over cooked and the puree completed the dish by giving it a little zest.

The presentation of the food was superb, however the salmon was overcooked. Nevertheless, the Squid Ink Risotto was rich and tasty.

The Beef was tender and juicy, however I didn't quite like the milky taste.

Since I'm lactose intolerant, I won't be able to comment on these two beautiful pizza.

Overall – I always enjoy dining at Senja since it is so close by my house. The food is good but slightly overpriced. Honestly, I wouldn’t have come back here over and over again, if it wasn’t for my Saujana card.

Verdict - SOMEWHAT SMITTEN