Haru Zen

It's my big boy birthday! I decided to have a dinner with him without little boy messing around. Well, little boy won't really mess up things but he will keep demanding for food, and that may mess up our great dinner date.

Japanese food is one of our favourite cuisine. There is a new Japanese restaurant in town and we decided to give a try - Haruzen!



The restaurant is basically divided into two parts by a bamboo divider - one part is dining for group and another part is dining for two. There is also a bar section right after 'dining for two'.

This restaurant knows how to present their food, not to the extend of fine dining but close to. And I like the way the food was served as they all look nice and delicious. It brings excitement for someone who likes to eat!


Kanimaki and salmon maki

These were our appetiser. We all know how common these sushi are but they just look so much nicer than the one in Sushi King. Crab meat in kanimaki is not the normal crab stick we found in hypermarket, but a more high-end crab stick (although it is still a crab stick). Salmon is also fresh. I think the appetiser is quite ok.


Salmon sashimi

Salmon sashimi lover may like this restaurant because the salmon sashimi served here is very fresh and smooth. And obviously, it is thicker and bigger pieces than the others. Of course, the price is more expensive but I think it is still affordable. I couldn't remember whether they serve salmon belly sashimi, but if they do, I think it would be a must-try since their salmon sashimi is so fresh and nice.


Cawanmushi

Other than normal ingredients for a cawanmushi, they added lemon skin. Jo doesn't like it much but I find it is a plus point. I like the fragrance the lemon skin added into the cawanmushi, very refreshing! A smoothy cawanmushi mixes with crunchy refreshing lemon skin, how unique it is! Something different from the normal cawanmushi I had before.


Japenese garlic fried rice

Our another routine order for Japanese food is Japanese garlic fried rice. It is nothing better and I find it is not as tasty as it looks. It is a good fried rice if it is intended to be an egg fried rice. It is served in big portion and suitable for two if you have a lot of other dishes on the table.


Gindara cooked with miso paste

This is not Gindara Shioyaki (grilled cod fish) but Gindara with miso paste. I like Gindara and miso when they are served separately, but not the combination. The fish is fresh and texture is good, but the taste is not really what we expected. And I think the chef has overcooked it, look at the black parts! And the overcooked parts taste exactly like chinese barbecue pork (char siew). I find it odd to have chinese barbecue pork in a Japanese restaurant. Nevertheless, the presentation is good! At least it looks delicious and seductive when it is served!


Atka Saba Shioyaki

I loves Saba Shioyaki (grilled mackerel) and I wanted to try out Atka Saba Shioyaki. According to the waitress, it is a different type of saba from Hokkaido. I think I made a mistake because we both don't like it at all. It is not as juicy as saba shioyaki. In fact, it is very dry and taste like salted fish. Again, I think the chef has overcooked it because it is too dry and hard. I think it is the worst dish we had for that night. Well, maybe we just don't know how to appreciate it.

I think Haruzen may be a good place for sashimi but not for cooked dishes. Maybe I should try out their Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake / pizza) next time since it is their special dish. For those who would like to try out:



Haru Zen Japanese Restaurant
Lot G28, Ground Floor, IOI Boulevard,
Jalan Kenari 5, Bandar Puchong Jaya,
47170 Puchong, Selangor D.E.
Tel: 03 80766512

The Keg Bierhaus

It was one of the nights when we have some private dinner time without Jayden. Jo and I were in Puchong, just after we bought some jelly moon cake from Q Jelly... and we were deciding what to have for dinner. I was looking around while Jo was driving, and I found this bistro - The Keg Bierhaus.



When you walk in, you will see rows of old photos of Germany hanging on the wall, with descriptions and numbers of year. On the other side, a big mirror displaying current beer promotion for happy hour. Towards the end, hanging TV with football match on screen. So Germany and football... a good place for beer and football lovers! In fact, a great place for men!



The Keg Bierhaus is basically divided into three parts. The front right (if you are coming from the front door) is the bar side. It takes about a quarter of the bistro layout. Front to almost end left is the table side, where typical Germany high chairs and tables are in rows. Then, a small part at the end is the sofa area.



We were sitting at the table side. Sitting on high chair and looking around the bistro was quite enjoyable. I could see few white collars chit chatting while drinking... probably talking about the working day and issues. Two Indian man drinking, in silent, pretty enjoying the joy from alcohol... leaving behind the reasons for it... And we were the only couple, having few hours private time before going home.



Germany bierhaus is a definite place for German sausages. And we love sausages! Not being able to recognize and differentiate the difference in sausages, we ordered a combo for two. It serves five different sausages, all cooks in different way... also mashed potato and salad. We like grill sausage, good taste and texture... while steam sausage is too soft for us. Of course, different type goes well with different sauces and we were offered four types of sauces as shown in the picture. I will make sure I remember all the different types and names when I come next time.



Sausages must go with beer, and Jo got his favourite Hoegaarden. I decided to get ice lemon tea, bearing in mind that alcohol maybe harmful to Jayden. Still, I sipped two sips of Jo's Hoegaarden and I understood why it is his favourite. It is so smooth and not as gassy as Carlsberg or Heineken!

I will revisit this bistro in the future... for the beer, for the sausages, for the atmostphere and for the feel...... The Keg Bierhaus!

Big Toe

Jayden was lying on the bed, lifting both hands and legs. He was moving his body left and right, his back was slightly higher... He was trying to hold on his legs. He made it at last and was in such a posture for a very long time. I realised it because he was unusually quiet, and I found that he was looking at his right foot. To be exact, he was looking at his right toe!



Poor Jayden! His sleeping suit is too small for him until his big toe comes out from the bottom. However, he seems to be amazed by his big toe. For him, it is such a big achievement to be able to torn his sleeping suit... in such a cute manner! He was looking at his big toe the rest of the night until he fall asleep.

I wonder how interesting a big toe could be. To me, it is a message: IT'S TIME TO BUY NEW SLEEPING SUIT FOR YOUR SON!!!