"OH no! What to eat today?" The thought flits through my mind as I disinterestedly scour the contents of my near-empty fridge for the umpteenth time.
Hmmm, there's a bag of carrots that's turning a worrying shade of green-grey; a container of leftover fried noodles; some relics of fish curry from God-knows-when; and wait, is that a half-sliced avocado leaning against the back wall of the fridge?
Much as I like eating home-cooked food — and not being too averse to cooking either — I'm starting to get a little muak (fed-up) of my errr, culinary creations.
I mean, how long have we been under the blanket of this terrible pandemic? And lived with the ensuing MCO, RMCO, CMCO and all the other "OO's" in between? Well, that's pretty much how long I've been fostering a close bond with my kitchen!
I'm sure I'm not the only one who's beset with this "First World problem" of what to eat every day, especially since we've been pretty much ensconced within the four walls of our home ever since Covid-19 began its rampage around the world.
"Ok, today I cook — again. Tomorrow, forget it," I mutter, dragging out the bag of carrots and some other bits and bobs before reaching for my phone to see what recipe I can concoct in as little time as possible on this humdrum Monday.
But a ping on the phone, indicating an incoming message, stops me from checking in with Mr Google.
"Hi Intan, any chance you might want to try some of the popular dishes from three of our restaurants in the comfort of your home?"
Wait, what?
Salvation! A flurry of exchanges ensue and before I know it, I've managed to secure a Wednesday lunch spread from EQ Hotel Kuala Lumpur, which is currently offering a takeaway and delivery service for those wishing to enjoy the regular dine-in orders from their restaurants — Nipah, Etoile Bistro and Kampachi — albeit at home.
GOING JAPANESE WITH KAMPACHI
I have to admit that I'm a fan of Japanese food. So when the option includes selecting items from the expansive menu of the award-winning Kampachi restaurant, a pioneer of Japanese cuisine in Malaysia since the 1970s, I didn't hesitate.
With the lunar New Year soon to be upon us, the obvious first choice is the Japanese-style Yee Sang, one of the restaurant's highlights.
With its mix of vibrant colours, flavours and textures, the Yee Sang, which I ordered with salmon, would be a great start to my Japanese culinary journey.
Eyes devouring the rest of the E-menu which had landed in my email, I eventually made my order — Soft Kani Maki (soft shell crab roll), Unadon (grilled eel on rice), Tempura Moriawase (assorted tempura of vegetables and seafood) and Dorayaki (Japanese pancake filled with red bean paste).
The Soft Kani Maki is my all-time favourite from the sushi menu.
I've always loved the feel of the perfectly crisp deep-fried soft shell crab and the crunch of the cucumbers when you bite into the roll. I'm sure Kampachi's version of this popular item wouldn't disappoint.
How can one go Japanese without ordering Unadon, a popular dish invented in the Edo era (the period between 1603 and 1868 in Japan's history) comprising fillets of unagi (eel) grilled in a style known as kabayaki (pretty similar to teriyaki) and laid on a bed of steamed rice?
Traditionally, the fillets are dipped in tare sauce, essentially a sweetened soy-based sauce, and thereafter grilled.
The sauce, I duly learn from a quick check with Mr Google, provides the necessary caramelisation to the fish during the grilling process.
I'm not a big fan of vegetables but I don't mind them so much when they're encased in batter and deep-fried. And what could be better than a tempura, a dish comprising seafood, meat and vegetables that have been battered and deep-fried?
My selection is the Tempura Moriawase, an assorted tempura of vegetables and seafood.
Here's a trivia: Tempura was actually introduced by the Portuguese residing in Nagasaki in the 16th century through the fritter-cooking technique. Now we know!
And how can one possibly end a Japanese dining experience without the ubiquitous Japanese dessert of Dorayaki?
This popular confection is traditionally made of two small round pancakes (but softer than normal pancake) sandwiched together by a filling of sweet red bean paste.
Incidentally, the original Dorayaki only comprised a single layer and apparently its current incarnation was invented back in 1914 by Usagiya in the Ueno district of Tokyo.
TOP PICK: The Soft Kani Maki is my pick of the lot. The crunch, the crispiness, the freshness and the flavours were spot-on. Dipped in the wasabi-flavoured soy sauce, I could have munched on this all day!
OOH LA LA WITH ETOILE
Etoile Bistro is the swanky French outlet located on the lower ground floor of EQ hotel.
The menu is described as eclectic and "as good as what you'll find in Europe". A quick scan reveals the usual suspects such as French Onion Soup, Cheese Platter, various pies, pasta, sandwiches and a lovely selection of freshly-baked breads and cakes from the bakery.
Being a big fan of pies, I opt for the Chicken Pot Pie, a type of meat pie with a top pie crust made of flaky pastry.
The filling can be many things but this one from Etoile comprises chunks of chicken, carrots, potatoes and mushrooms.
I remember enjoying this hearty comfort food back when I was living in England, especially during the cold, winter months.
Not that Malaysia is cold but tucking into this is sure to bring back fond memories!
Another item to catch my attention is the Banh Mi Saigon, which I order to come in a Ciabatta, an Italian white bread made from wheat flour, water, salt, yeast and olive oil.
Banh Mi is an iconic Vietnamese sandwich that's normally stuffed with various marinated meats, cucumbers, pickled veg and herbs.
This version from Etoile comes with delicious pulled chicken, pickled vegetables and spicy mayo.
The final dish to make my selection is the Oven-roasted Duck Leg served with garden vegetables and sautéed potatoes.
To be honest, I'm not a big fan of duck, but it sounds like an interesting proposition.
And if the French like their duck, who am I to argue? Anyway, I can always devour the sautéed potatoes should the strong flavour of the duck meat not be up my alley!
TOP PICK: A toss between the Chicken Pot Pie and the Banh Mi Saigon. Pressed — and pressed hard — to choose, I'm going for the Banh Mi Saigon. The fillings were so flavourful and the crispy Ciabatta was the perfect vehicle for holding it all together.
LOCAL DELIGHTS FROM NIPAH
Nipah, formerly known as Nipah Coffee Shop at the old Hotel Equatorial KL, is located on the ground floor of EQ Hotel.
It is a bustling all-day dining restaurant serving the best of local Malaysian classics, Pan-Asian and western cuisine.
Well, it was bustling before the pandemic wrought havoc on everything.
Under this present climate, one can still enjoy the restaurant's delectable local offerings such as the Hainanese Chicken Rice, Nasi Goreng Kampung, Satay, Mee Goreng Mamak et al, albeit via take-away or delivery straight to the house.
From the expansive local selection, I eventually opt for the Rendang Daging Basah (beef, coconut milk, galangal, turmeric, and lemon grass) served with Basmati Rice; the Rogan Josh, a braised lamb curry in a tomato gravy cooked with onions, red chilli, and coriander, and served with Basmati Rice, and of course, the Mee Goreng Mamak.
I mean, you can't possibly go local without ordering this versatile hawker favourite, a stir-fry noodle dish initially introduced by the Indian-Muslim community.
Furthermore, this version from Nipah looks quite a vision, laden with vegetables, prawns, chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, chillies, vegetable fritters and bean curd.
I ordered the Rendang Daging Basah for the simple reason that I normally have to wait for Raya to enjoy this rich, and tender coconut beef dish.
It's a laborious process to make rendang as you need to cook on low heat to slowly stew and simmer the meat to the point that the sauce is fully absorbed.
Rendang originated from West Sumatra and it's believed that the dish came to this country when the Minangkabau settlers from Sumatra migrated to the southern part of the Malay Peninsula during the era of the Melaka Sultanate.
My final pick from the menu is the Rogan Josh, an aromatic curried meat dish originating from the region of Kashmir and a staple of Kashmiri cuisine.
Comprising pieces of lamb or mutton, the meats are cooked by braising them with a gravy that's flavoured with ginger, garlic and a whole host of aromatic spices. After the initial braising, the dish may be finished using a slow cooking technique.
Incidentally, the name Rogan Josh means red passion! Must be a nod to the redness of the gravy.
Anyway, the Nipah version consists of braised lamb curry, onion, tomato gravy, red chili, coriander and is served with long grain Basmati Rice.
If my memory serves me right, the Rogan Josh was also one of my favourite dishes during my student days trawling northern Indian restaurants in East London!
TOP PICK: Rendang Daging Basah. Worth waiting for — for all its flavourful glory and tenderness of the beef.
Go to www.eqkualalumpur.com/dining for more details and to place your orders.