Asmara Penchala @ Jalan Sungai Penchala

3:12:00 PM

In the midst of all the submission chaos for my finals, I was fortunate enough to be invited to join Foodirector for a food review hangout session at Asmara D' Penchala. Its located at Jalan Sungai Penchala, just right after Mutiara Damansara following the highway. The place was surprisingly hard to find even with Google Maps due to the small signboard. Regardless, here is my comment of food for the restaurant.



Look at that tiny signboard, not to mention it blends in with the wall.


Asmara Punch

We were served with a ridiculously red looking drink with a slice of a heart-shaped watermelon. Entitled Asmara Punch, truly a punch to my tongue. It was extremely sweet, way beyond anything I had before. A mixture of watermelon, orange drops and syrup, the combination was just too overwhelming. 


Cocktail Thai Fishcake

For appetizers, we had a plate cutely arranged Thai Fishcake "mini burgers". The idea was really cute despite the portion. Flavour was alright, not too bad, works as an appetizer.


Asmara Kentang Goreng

Although translated as "Asmara French Fries", this felt more like hashbrowns instead. Lightly fried with a crispy golden layer and dipped in chili sauce, the taste and texture of it was surprisingly good. Besides the chili sauce, I somehow do not fancy it.


Creamy Butter Prawns

Fried prawns with creamy butter sauce topped with cherry tomatoes. The sauce was great but the prawns were not up to standards. I reckon the duration in which it took to fry the prawns was a bit too short, which resulted in a "not-so-crispy" texture. The shell was a also a little hard to chew as we assumed it was not fresh. The only memorable thing about this was the sauce. It was creamy, well seasoned, a little spicy and consistent. 


Asam Pedas Asmara Tenggiri

I believe this was the my personal favourite of the day. A bowl of Asam Pedas Tenggiri. Although the fish was severely overcooked and some of the vegetables (tomatoes, ladies finger etc) was half cooked, the soup was pretty intense. It was spicy (to almost everyone), rich, aromatic and a great combination to rice. Although I would ask them to increase the spiciness, but I guess it is good enough for the majority. 


Lamb Masala

Another dish that I would recommend purely based on the sauce. The parts of the lamb was horribly cut, as 70% of each chunks were bones. Despite that, the flavour was really good, texture of consistent and it simply smells amazing. Another perfect compliment for rice.


Rendang Tok

As far as I understand, Rendang Tok has to be a little tough and it takes a pretty long time to prepare and cook. However, this puny serving of Rendang Tok was sufficiently tender. It wasn't has hard as overcooked chicken or beef but neither was it as tender as braised pork. Regardless, the flavours in this dwarven cube was really good. Small, but pack lots of flavour!


Chinese Fried Rice


Indian Fried Rice


Malay Fried Rice

1Malaysia Fried Rice, each with its different style of serving. Chinese Fried Rice includes eggs fried with rice, fried prawns, grilled fish and a chunk of meat. Indian Fried Rice includes lamb masala, crackers and prawns. Last but not least, the Malay Fried Rice includes sambal belacan, a chunk of chicken and some fried prawns. 

Overall, all three of the rices were a little blend. Occasionally and unfortunately, I bit on a pure salt crystal. Not my personal choice of fried rice at this moment as they have plenty to improve on.


Rendang (Beef or Mutton, I forgot)

I can't remember what exactly was this but all I have to say is the sauce was great. I somehow have come to a conclusion that all their rendang based dishes have great depth and flavour.



Grilled Salmon with Spaghetti in Olive Oil

Possibly the most disappointing dish of the evening. The large chunk of salmon was amazingly overcooked; more than it ever should. It was so tough that I almost assume it was chicken or beef. Spaghetti was dry and not seasoned properly. I felt like I was eating  curry noodles without the soup. Another issue here was the salad. Pineapples and mangoes do not go well with Thai Chili Sauce. It was horrifying. Last but not least, the white sauce. Surprisingly, the only living soul left on the plate. Creamy, rich and well seasoned. Simple but delicious.


Sago with Ice cream and Gula Melaka

The first serving of this was incredibly sweet, almost as sweet as the Asmara Punch. However, after informing the person in charge, they made another one for us and it was much better. It was still a little too sweet for me but it was alot better than the original serving. Sago was chewy and jelly-like, ice cream was smooth and the gula melaka was just right.


Overall, my experiences at Asmara Penchala had been a little roller coaster. There were good and not-exceptionally-perfect dishes here and there, but the company and people in the hangout were great. Not forgetting one more thing, Asmara Penchala's main function is events. They normally hold wedding ceremony, engagement parties, birthdays etc. Their venue can hold up to 1000 pax (yes, it does sound surprising but this was what we were told). 

Reservation can be made at here at : 


Last but not least, do not forget to check out MyDeal.com for the best dining deals in Malaysia. They have variety of restaurants ranging from Asian to Western to even European. Happy Shopping!


Address:

2933, Jalan Sungai Penchala,
Kampung Sungai Penchala,
60000, Kuala Lumpur

or 

Search "Asmara Penchala" in Google Maps

Operating Hours:
3pm - 12am daily

You Might Also Like

4 comments

  1. been here once, months ago for streamyx installation.

    that chunk of salmon, first look, is way too cooked. I hate my salmon overcooked.

    overall, how's the price?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ahaha, yeah, wayyyy overcooked. We weren't told the price for the dishes as some of them were still in their trial period so I do not know haha.

      Delete
  2. Pancake, how many bowls of rice you had with the asam pedas?

    ReplyDelete