Ole Ole Bali

The Empire Gallery shopping centre in Subang Jaya is apparently not a great shopping place. But I really cannot tell for I dislike shopping. The idea of walking the whole day into shops after shops does not at all appeal to me. My department is food. I know the Empire Gallery offers a good selection of it. And we have been eating there a lot. We were there again not long ago before it went boom. The place we randomly popped into was a Indonesian place called Ole Ole Bali.

We didn't realize it then, but we had eaten the food there before - although not in the same restaurant. Had we been aware of it, we probably would had gone somewhere else.

The place was very nicely furnished. The atmosphere was elegant, elaborate and distinctly Balinese with numerous artifacts that authenticated this aura.

Particularly impressive was a huge painting that was so intricately and artistically done.

They have 2 dining areas - a comfortable conventional indoor place...

 

And a relaxing alfresco (outdoor) area for smokers.

It was when we browsed the menu that deja vu crept in. Crystal commented that the menu was the same as that at the Waterlily. The listed food certainly looked the same. But we doubtful. That was Waterlily. This was Ole Ole. Could they be the same? We asked the waitress who took our orders. She confirmed that we were indeed in the same restaurant chain.

Somewhat disappointed because I wanted to taste a different Balinese place, we made sure not to order the same dishes we had at the Waterlily. Our first was the "Sop Buntut" - the oxtail soup. The soup was light. The beef (tail) in it was adequate. There were some nasi impit (rice cake). It was served with a piece of garlic bread, some deep fried shallots, fresh coriander and a slice of lime. I had tried "soup buntut" in Jakarta and I had liked its rich and spicy flavor. The soup here paled in comparison.

The next dish we shared was the "Tipat Cantuk". It was like the Indonesian gado-gado (a salad) with some veges, tofu, boiled egg and a piece of grilled chicken. It was served with a peanut sauce. It was pleasant. The sauce was very nice. But I would prefer a little more veges.

Lastly, we had a plate of chicken and fish combo. Both the meats were grilled. It was served with half a cob of corn and a bowl of slaw. The gravy was thick and peppery which was quite good. The essence of this dish was really the gravy.

I really cannot pin point the reasons but somehow the experience here was not as good as that in Waterlily. Perhaps it was the disappointment that this was the same restaurant and not being able to try something different. And when we scanned the menu again for dessert, we were not in the mood to remain there and decided to go elsewhere.

We moved one floor up to this place named 'T forty two'. It is a combined boutique and a tea/coffee place. They offered a tantalizing selection of  over-priced cakes and pastries. We made our orders and proceeded to their sitting area outside the shop.

 

Their sitting area in a barricaded foyer of the first floor is rather chic. It had elegant furniture. But because they were so over-priced, the place was largely vacant - save the 3 of us.

The coffee was served in quaint small cups and saucers...

So were the macarons and tiramisu that Crystal picked...

Fanciful place and crockery alright. And so was the money we had to pay....

At the time of this blog posting, the Empire Galley is still recovering from the boom. They have not yet re-opened. When they do, I wonder if the place would be the same. The boom was quite devastating. And I am sure there would be major make-overs in some of the places. I am looking forward to go back there again. Not for the shopping - but for the food.

Waterlily Balineses

We did not expect this to be a Balinese restaurant at all. I mean - the name 'Waterlily' - it did not remotely suggest any thing related to the exotic Indonesian island. We had passed by this place many times, and had harbored the impression that it was a pub, perhaps cum restaurant or bistro.

Thus when we walked into the place, we were most pleasantly surprised. This was also the first Balinese restaurant we have ever been to - in Malaysia and in any other part of the world.

The restaurant is located on Jalan Mutiara Tropicana 3 (off Persiaran Tropicana) in Mutiara Damansara, PJ. It may be a wee bit tricky to find if you can not familiar with the place. It is not too far from the Tropicana Golf Club.

The place was very pleasantly and tastefully furnished with unmistakable Balinese wooden furniture, paneling, soft lighting, and various Balinese artifacts and paintings. They used oil lamps to create a real soft cozy dining atmosphere.

We were ushered to a table on the ground floor, which was very well patronized that night.

After making our menu selection, I wandered upstairs and discovered an even more cozy and conducive dining hall. The up-stair dining area had a more Balinese ambiance, with wooden benches and throw-pillows.

I have never been to Bali and had no idea what Balinese food was all about. The menu was both familiar and new. I could recognize quite a number of the selections that were common with Malay cuisines. Others were totally alien.

The soto ayam was one familiar name. But the way it was served was anything but. It was presented as a soup, without any noodles or nasi impit (rice cake). Instead, a piece was garlic bread was offered. The soup was ok, not particularly great. It was a bit starchy - kind of a strange texture. I have tasted better soto ayam.

We selected the Balinese Trio - a combo of 3 types of food. We thought it would be a good way to taste a bit of the various Balinese cuisines. The three were barbecued chicken wings, 'cumi cumi goreng' which was deep fried squids, and 'sate lilit' which was a grilled fish and meat paste wrapped around a lemon grass (serai). They were served with 2 different types of sauces. All 3 servings were delicious. However, I did find them rather dry. Considering that the dish was meant as snacks for beer drinkers, I guess my complaint is unjustified.

The Kambing Bumbu was delightful. It was stir-fried lamb served with nasi kunyit (turmeric rice) and various accompaniments including kangkong, a small plate of tempe (fermented soy beans) and long beans and a piece of crispy fried cracker. I particularly enjoyed the nasi kunyit. It was fluffy and aromatic.

We shared a serving of pisang bakar for dessert. It was grilled banana served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, dessicated coconut strips, a sprinkling of peanut candy and a generous amount of rich caramel. My family found it too sweet, but I enjoyed it. It was great dessert after the spicy Balinese meal.

My meal was made complete with a mug of nice cold beer.

It was a very satisfying meal. As we walked out, I noticed they installed a wash basin at the entrance of the restaurant. What a considerate convenience. You could use it after your meal, or as mum had always insisted, wash your hands before you eat.

 

After the heavy meal, we took a walk and explored the nearby Jaya Grocers to burn off. Then we headed for home. We got into the car, inserted the key but nothing happened. The car was dead. The battery went flat. What an end to a lovely evening. The conked battery - that is a separate story....