Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Subak

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Subak.
We read about Subak on Masak-masak's website, and decided to go hunt for this 'highland' dining restaurant, for ourselves.

Subak's architecture is inspired by the highland, Balinese styled rice terrace irrigation system and you can immediately feel the calm, serene vibe of the place when the only sounds you hear are the gurgling of water and the hum of nature.

It took some effort getting here (but we had a great navigator so we didn't get lost.. not once!) but if you are unsure of the Kampung Sungai Penchala area, kindly refer to the map at the end of this blog.


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Blue Coracao Soda and Mango Coracao Soda RM7.00 and RM10.00

The Blue Coracao is the house specialty. Mocktails, of course but still incredibly refreshing and tangy.

Though we are sitting outdoors, the place is airy and cooling even in the heat of day. Looking up, we noticed that the roofing was some sort of organized, dried leave weave. Asking the waiter if it was the normal attap leaf, he said no, it was in fact, dried lalang which the owner had brought all the way back from Indonesia. Heat/bug/rain treated and Fire-proof, it is a more expensive, classy, durable alternative to the common attap coconut leaves. It also lets in a lot of cool air and breeze. Lovely!

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Gado Gado RM10

We were recommended the following starters by our friendly waiter. As a matter of fact, we were recommended all the dishes you will see below.

Ibu Yati's gado gado is essentially vegetable salad in a crispy popiah skin bowl, served with a bumbu peanut sauce. Oh my word! This peanut sauce was amazing.. neither too sweet nor over pulverized, it had the most nutty taste and gritty texture imaginable. I drank the whole damn bowl.


The Pak Ajelan's Balinese Style Chicken "Soto" was fantastic as well. We are normally use to the less thick version but this chicken consommé served with cubes of compressed rice, vegetables, shredded chicken, potato etc, was the thickest broth I have ever tried. It tasted almost like it had been enriched with santan - that's how rich it was. Delicious.


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Soto Ayam RM10


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Seafood kebab RM65.00

Next up was this strange looking kebab. The guy said there was no skewer for this kebab of sea scallops, tiger prawns and fish pieces. How weird.. first time I have ever eaten a stickless kebab. (Wait a minute, they did not say shish kebab though, did they?)

This dish had a strong prevailing taste of garlic, ginger, spring onion and a long lingering after taste of teriyaki marinade. I loved the baby potatoes that came with it as it tempered the sweet notes of the teriyaki most effectively.



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Seafood Aglio Olio RM28.00
The Seafood Aglio Olio was a let down. The pasta was overcooked and the so called "spicy" sauced lacked punch.

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Lamb Shank RM40.00

The lamb shank served on a bed of mashed up sweet potato was good. Not the best I have had - the meat was tender enough but I wish it had more cartiligous parts to it. The Masala marinade was a nice touch, lending the tenderized meat an exotic, spice infused aroma.


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Tapai RM8.00

I could not possibly pass up the only chance I had of 'alcohol' that day in a halal restaurant, so I picked the Tapai. Oh, that stinky, cloying vapour of the Tapai hits my nose the minute the rice touches my palate... Yes! I really do enjoy a good Tapai! I was more than happy to have that rice, all on its own, but the ice-cream that came with it, went nicely as well.


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Es Teler RM8.00

The Es Teler, some sort of version of the Thai Tap Tim Grob perhaps, was an assortment of fruits served in chilled coconut milk. This was a great refreshing dessert and of special note was the inclusion of avocado in the mix. Apparently avocado is a complete meal in itself, as it contains all the major food groups in its silky, plump, little yellow and green body.
Well it looks then, like I've had TWO delicious meals today, in one sitting. Good for me.

All in all, a memorable, off the beaten track, dining experience for us. For PJ folk, it's a real bonus, not having to traipse all the way to Ampang for 'forest' dining. All that's lacking in this place is a spa... We will be back!




Add:
Subak
Lot 3213
Jalan Penchala Indah
Bukit Lanjan, KL.
(Look here for a MAP!)

Tel No: 603 772 99030

20 comments:

Rebecca Saw said...

ohhh i like!!
Es Teler would be my number one order, but me cant tahan tapai smell..1st time i see it served w ice cream tho!

Selba said...

It's Balinese? But no Balinese food? Hehehe... I like Es teler, you know what "teler" means? It means "drunk" can be because of alcohol or drugs :D

Sean said...

yeah, they really should expand their menu with more indonesian stuff, cos they do it so well! that peanut sauce is one of the best things i've tasted this year!

Chaokar said...

oh, near my place, i shall explore this weekend.

Lyrical Lemongrass said...

Oh when will I ever make it here? Been talking abt this place for months, and still haven't moved my ass yet (more than 5kg..damn heavy).

Paranoid Android said...

The restaurant looks idyllic and kampung like. Too bad the prices did not reflect that! Will certainly have to add that to my already very very long "places to dine" list.

@LL: Let's plan an expedition there one day!

Rarebeet said...

Something for everyone on the menu I see. Looks promising and am sure the ambience is super romantic in the evenings. Maybe will ask Hunky to take me there for date! ;-)

backStreetGluttons said...

This looks like a lost Planet with fantasy food ( where are the women ?) . As soon as we get out time machine repaired and ready we shall come. Maybe July 13

HairyBerry said...

sekeping serendah comes to mind. and great pics la. i especially like the gaduh-gaduh pic! classyyyy...

just looked at the map and realised that it's quite near my place. so, yayz!

sc said...

the gado gado and soto are both delicious, satisfying grub. my frens love the curry mee too. i have not really tried their western menu, time for a revisit. pop over at night, the ambiance is very different too :)

choi yen said...

The gado gado sauce taste like our satay peanut sauce?

Bangsar-bAbE said...

Lovely shots! I especially love the pic of the Es Teler. =)

I was thinking the same thing...how come the kebab got no stick wan?? LOL! =P

ling239 said...

tapai...o.O
if i am not mistaken some kind of fermanted durian right ? =.="

wmw said...

Still pretty much a place to come for the ambiance :o)

fatboybakes said...

"I could not possibly pass up the only change I had of 'alcohol' that day"

change?

ohhh, this is the restaurant thamby was talking about! looks quaint hor.

Ciki said...

TNG:
really ar? the reverse of moi! LOL

Selba:
they have indonesian food, but they just don't recommend it! they recommended all the food you see - that we ordered. strange but true;)

Sean:
yea i agree. Must really go back for the asian part of the menu. i wasnt particularly impressed with the pasta. the shank could have been more cartiligous

Chaokar:
ah! lucky u .. took us a while to find the place la..

Ciki said...

LL:
move ur booty .. chop chop! now ur wiv ur new haircut u should be 2KG lighter:P

PA:
yes, expensive hor.. LL sed she wants to check it out soon.. call her la..

Paps:
I am sure all you have to do is ask;)

BSG:
you got a time machine? borrow pls..

Nic:
gado gado picture is for you la. TOP SHOT ala Hairy;)

SC:
yar, u tried the reverse of me! at night got mosquitoes or not? eeks!

mimi:
yes, but better. Not sweet and really extremely NUTTY!

Ciki said...

bbabe:
yar so weird rite? why no stick! LOL

ling:
close. fermented rice. If durian ciki will RUN 10 miles. haha

wmw:
agree. food is ok. expensive side. ambiance is like full marks la. LOL

fbb:
thank you! i hv typo:P yes, thamby and PA wanna go. kindly arrange mr. fatboy

J2Kfm said...

isolated, cool respite from the maddening crowd elsewhere.
lest, you brought along YOUR gang to trample the tranquil place down ....;)

worldwindows said...

Just 10mins from my office! Wanted to go for a quite awhile. The Es Teler and Lamb Shank looks so delicious!