Thursday, August 02, 2007

Bijan Bar & Restaurant, Jalan Ceylon KL

(Halal)

It was with a sad heart but the gathering also brought happy moments when the group of us met up for Norz's farewell dinner. On July 29, Norz and her family have gone off to Vancouver, Canada...when will we see her next, we don't really know.

We decided to do the dinner at Bijan (meaning "sesame") as I had just gone recently prior to this gathering of ours and thought that it'll be a good place for us to gather. Bijan has been serving good Malay cuisine since September 2003 and was awarded Best Malay Restaurant 2004 by the Tourism Board of Malaysia.
KL Tower
The close up of the KL Tower behind Bijan, lovely night shot!
Bijan
The facade of Bijan and the back view of the skyline
Bijan
A shot of the bar area, nice soft lights and good ambiance.

It's a nice place to gather and chat too but somehow, it was a busy night and the place was filled. Luckily I had manage to reserved a table and ordered dishes in advance with the help of the co-owner of Bijan who was most helpful ;o)
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Masak Ayam Lemak Dengan Nangka - Chicken pieces simmered in spicy turmeric curry and young jackfruit. We found this curry gravy a bit diluted, hence it wasn't rich enough and wondered if it was because of the jackfruit.
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Kerutup Daging - Beef stewed in spiced coconut gravy. This dish was very nice. The beef was tender and the rich gravy was flavourful, making this the crowd favourite.
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Sotong Cili Gajus -Baby squids cooked with cashew nuts, onions and curry leaves in a fragrant spicy sauce! This was another dish which we like, the baby squids was not hard to chew on and we love the spiciness of it.
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Ikan Siakap Masak Asam Pedas - Sea bass simmered in a tangy chili and tamarind gravy with okras and aubergines. Couldn't comment much as I'm not a fan of fish but I did take lots of the gravy, which I like and loaded it onto my white rice!
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Terung Goreng Bercili - Fried eggplant topped with spicy chili paste and shallots. The taste of this was spicy enough but we found the eggplant a bit on the hard side. A couple more minutes would have made this simple dish good.
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Pucuk Paku Goreng Tahi Minyak -Wild fern stirred fried with chili, caramelized coconut and shrimps. I have always like Pucuk Paku, and this dish was no exception. It wasn't that oily, which is nice and the bits of coconut make this dish interesting. However for those who like their vegetables savoury, this dish is on the sweet side.
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For desserts, Pandan Cendol Ice-Cream - Pandan Ice Cream topped with cendol pieces and palm sugar syrup. Ahhhh....this was lovely, I ate it sparingly and when it melted completely, I drank it all up, pouring the last few drops onto my teaspoon!

We sat around chatting and not really wanting to go off but it was a weekday and eventually we said our goodbyes and look forward to our next hello ;o). Norz, we wish you all the best and may our paths cross again in the near future. Take care of yourself, my dear friend....


"Friends are the most important ingredient in the recipe of life." - Anonymous



Bijan Bar & Restaurant (click HERE for map)
3, Jalan Ceylon
50200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel :603-2031 3575
Mon-Sat 12pm - 2.30 pm & 6.30 pm - 10.30pm
Sunday - 4.30pm - 10.30pm


Check out Lots of Cravings' review on Bijan too...

31 comments:

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

hehee..u also go bukit ceylon mah.. i felt the pucuk paku too sweet..abit funny la.. but you should have tried the beef ribs..damn good..

wheres the durian cheesecake?? choc durian?? hahaha...

Babe_KL said...

very mouth watering indeed!

Unknown said...

awww..dun be sad..theres web cam and 3 G phone whenever u miss her..i love puncuk paku but i tried some kelat version which is so bad..wheres the durian cheesecake?

Xiu Long Bao said...

oh no, bijan the new rave.
*noting down in my list--now 3 metres long*
I wana try that cendol. Looks so yummy n wiv ur good comment somemore... spread virus to me again!

Rarebeet said...

Such gorgeous pics! Er, can I steal a couple from you? Call you later!

Kok said...

wmw,
This pucuk paku looks better than the one Joe had it. haha! But the name, "Pucuk Paku Goreng Tahi Minyak" a bit gross. Direct translation "Pucuk Paku Fried Oil Sh*t". Erm.... :P

New Kid on the Blog said...

is this the malay cuisine that won many cuisine awards???

Anonymous said...

Wah! Everything looks so spicy hot. My palate has changed over the years; I can only take mild stuff. But my Japanese friends always pass me packets of spicy Asian food, thinking that I can tolertate it.
Love the way you take the food photos at different angles.

Precious Pea said...

A reason to go Canada for holiday now :)

Yummzzz...i want bijan's durian ice-cream now leh...'WHEN'?

wmw said...

joe : I also go? I how old leh? You how old leh? Hahaha....can't compare. Not everyone is a fan of durian that night so that was not ordered.

babe_kl : Mmmm...I think you can try cooking these dishes at home, I really like the beef!

kampungboycitygal : You and Joe the same! :o) No durian cheesecake, some of my friends don't like durian.

xiu long bao : I like the cendol ice cream. Actually most of the ice cream there are nice!

Paprika : Thanks for the compliment. A couple? Hahaha....will look through and see the rest.

Kok : LOL...well actually tahi minyak is the brownish residue after coconut milk has been cooked over low fire till it turns into oil.

NKOTB : I only know it won that Best Malay Restaurant Award in 2004. Not sure about the others.

Alice : These are not that spicy, I think it should suit your palate. Thanks for the compliment on the pics!

MeiyeN said...

omg.... i want, i want! i want to try this place..... been really busy lately :( hopefully can try da food here asap!

Lyrical Lemongrass said...

I especially love the udang masak tempoyak here....drooling just thinking about it. And the choc durian...omg...!! Ur pics are lovely, girl.

Tummythoz said...

That sotong cili gajus pic really made me go weak. No time to go eat oso must get someone to 'tapau' balik!

Kok said...

wmw,
Wow! That's interesting. Does that mean that the Pucuk Paku is cooked with lots of coconut milk and then lower the heat to make the coconut milk become thick? New technique of cooking. I like! ;)

Anonymous said...

Seems that the food is not as good as it claimed to be? Why are you not a fan of fish - does this make you not a fan of tigerfish too ;p ? LOL!
I guess the atmosphere/ambiance and the company of good friends make this dinner more enjoyable than the food.

wmw said...

meiyen : Don't forget to try the durian cheesecake!

Lyrical L : Didn't try that dish....thanks for the compliment! :o)

tummythoz : Eat there better...take some time off.

kok : Not sure about the technique of cooking but I am sure if you google, you can find the answer.

tigerfish : Whether the dishes are good or not are very much subjective to one's personal taste. Hits and misses here but one thing of sure that's good are the desserts! Not a fan of fish....means I'm a lover of fish cos I don't eat them. Guess that makes me love you, tigerfish! ;o) LOL...

Anonymous said...

Dear WMW,
Vancouver B.C. is 5 hours drive from Portland Oregon (where I live) and I am 12 hours away from your sis. The next time you come to the US, would you consider a road trip from California to visit Norz and her family? You could have a stop over at my place and I can take you shopping. Did I mention it is tax free in Portland?

teckiee said...

Ahhh thanks for the post. The nangka dish reminded me of "paturi nanas". I think I'll make that for Babe's virtual merdeka open house dish

SteamyKitchen said...

You are so insanely talented...always capturing just the right moment at just the right angle and perfect lighting....I am guessing that you're an award winning journalist and photographer....

Kenny Mah said...

Just missed it the last time I was in the neighbourhood. At Nero Vivo next door instead. Ambience at both these places is really nice. And if it weren't a weeknight, ah --- imagine spending hours just chatting away till one gets shooed! :)

k.t.x said...

hv not really tried malay fares in an upscale restaurant but from the pics...really yummy. heard about this place, passed by it a thousand times coz my ex-co was in bkt ceylon...must check it out one day....if u guys go again....do include me huh....WHEN?

Anonymous said...

Lovely pics, sister! Aww, don't sad, although he/she's not in Malaysia, but you guys can still keep in touch. :)

Anonymous said...

should the word "tahi" be on the menu at all? lovely pics though!

Anonymous said...

Wahahaha, so tahi minyak is not foong yeow?
I tell you, all the dishes look fantastic. Wah, I haven't had brinjal for ages, but with tahi minyak?
How come when I was in KL, no one took me there? I never knew such good restaurants existed in KL until I came across your blog.

wmw said...

Precious P : Sorry, left out your reply...Yes, when? See k.t.x's comment, hahaha....

Lee Ping : Thanks for the invite...will try to work out travel plans the next time I head over to US. But you'll only take me shopping? How about eating? Ha ha ha...

Jackson : You can always bring your four wives plus an ex next time!

teckiee : Ok, what meat will you be using ??? BSG's version or my version which is safer??? LOL...

steamykitchen : You're visiting my blog! I'm so honoured...Or is it because you require the "fan blowing your hair" service"? Hahahaha....Thanks for the compliment but I'm none of those. Still waiting for someone to discover my talent! Muah ha ha....

kenny : Yes, nothing like chatting the night away with the soft lights and lovely ambiance... ;o)

k.t.x : LOL! You learn fast...Yes, WHEN?

jason : Intend to...talking about a friendship that's gone on for 25 years!

Mrs Pitt : But that's what it's called...maybe should rename it "bunga minyak". hahaha...Better?

Judy : Foong yew is minyak angin leh...Looks like you weren't taken anywhere when you were in KL. Hahaha....Aug 'o8?? ;o)

backStreetGluttons said...

food looks solid. friends r essential 'ingredients' but how about 'method' ? that shud be no 1 ? hehehe

boo_licious said...

The pixs look great and the food I can testify is also yums!

Anonymous said...

Sure, I can take you to restaurants as well and then head back to my place for coffee. If you can, bring me a snack from Malaysia, preferably a snack that I can't buy in the US.

Dry snack should be able to go through custom, right?

~Christine~Leng said...

another attracting place for me to add on to my list! thx ya ;)

Kenny Mah said...

Oh wmw, I can just imagine the both of us under some large canopy, night and breeze, tealights and soft glances, chatting till the wee hours of dawn... Would be nice, won't it? :)

wmw said...

team bsg: Strawberries now? Method? Different people, different strokes...

boo_licious : Thanks! Kerutup Daging!!!!!

Lee Ping : Dry snacks are okay I suppose. Maybe only making a trip to US next year, Mrs Pitt might be coming back for a 2 week visit in October! Yay! Thanks for you offer, and if you are ever here in PJ/KL I'll take you around too! :o)

Christine : Hi there! Thanks for dropping by...

kenny : Hahaha...I think you got the initials wrong, should be MMB, not WMW! ;o)