Manmaru Homemade Udon @ Midvalley

For the past one month, I've noticed people posting about this new eatery in Midvalley over Instagram and what attracts me the most is that it serves udon, and mainly just udon. I'm a big fan of udon cause that is what I normally order when I go for Japanese food. The fact that it's in Midvalley is definitely a plus point, at least I have new place to eat besides Sushi Zanmai now HAHA So back to Manmaru! It's a first Japanese self-service concept Udon Restaurant in Malaysia. Their udon are freshly made daily using the finest ingredients that are flown in from Japan. 

The open kitchen where you can see the cooks preparing udon.

Since it's a self service restaurant, you'll have to do the ordering on your own at the counter. 
A variety of udon illustrated with simple description on the menu, available in small and large. 

After ordering the udon, you can DIY your own meal by adding any tempura ranging from RM1.50 to RM3.80 or side dishes of your choice and drinks before making the payment. 

You will then have to help yourself with the cutlery, condiments and the green tea at the respective labelled counter bars. 

Basically, I love the simple interior design and good thing that there is ample seats as you can see.

Can't wait to dig in their udon already, itadakimasu!

キムチうどん Kimchi Udon | RM13.90 (L) RM11.90 (S)
If you are craving for kimchi and udon at the same time, you could probably give this one a try. I personally like it very much probably cause I love kimchi jiggae. Not too spicy either, YUMS! 

ニクうどん Niku Udon |  RM14.90 (L) RM12.90 (S)
If you're big fan of beef, then this is definitely your bowl of udon. It's one of my favourite too, pretty similar with the classic udon with soy broth, just that it has beef slices in it. Every slice of the beef are equally juicy and tender! 

カレーうどん Curry Udon | RM12.90 (L) RM10.90 (S)
The perfect udon for you if you love Japanese curry. I find it a tad salty, the thick gravy and rich curry taste might make you feel satiated after a few mouth. 

ざるうどん Zaru Udon | RM10.90 (L) RM8.90 (S)
I don't really fancy when my food is served cold so cold udon is never in my order list. I still give this a try and surprisingly the texture of the udon is even more chewy when it's cold.

梅うどん Ume Udon | RM12.90 (L) RM10.90 (S)
If you want something different and refreshing, try this! Pair the udon with the pickled plum (that brown paste on top of the udon) for a hint of sourness.  

カケうどん Kake Udon | RM10.90 (L) RM8.90 (S)
When you're indecisive, it's always safe to go for the classic udon served in its simplest form. Simply loving it! Definitely one of my favourite too, just add in a few tempura and you're good to go. 

ぶっかけうどん Bukake Udon | RM11.90 (L)  RM9.90 (S)
One would either love this or hate this. Served with radish and ginger on top, I couldn't really take the fish broth taste. Plus, it's cold too. This is my least favourite udon among all.

鴨せいろうどん Kamo Seiro Udon | RM15.90 (L) RM13.90 (S)
Plain udon served with duck meat and gravy.

釜揚げうどん Kamaage Udon RM12.90
Another classic udon served with warm sesame sauce. You'll need to dip the udon into the sesame sauce before eating it. Some customers tend to pour the whole sesame sauce into the udon which is a big no no. Since I don't eat sesame, I just dip my chopstick into the sauce and tried it. The sesame taste isn't that strong but it's really fragrant. 

クリームコーンうどん Cream Corn Udon | RM 14.90 (L) RM12.90 (S)
I was a bit skeptical when I saw this bowl of udon, what an unusual combination. It turns out acceptable to me cause the gravy tasted like carbonara. So it's like something like carbonara udon. Pretty unique!

I guess what makes Manmaru really stands out is indeed the texture of the udon, totally different from the others udon I've tasted before. Chewy on every bite and note that their udon are extra long too.

| Tempura Items |

Lotus Root Tempura | RM1.50/pcs

Tori Karaage (Fried Chicken) | RM2.00/pcs

White Fish Tempura | RM3.00/pcs

Brinjal Tempura | RM1.50/pcs

Ika Karaage (Fried Squid) | RM3.30/pcs

Mixed Vegetables Tempura | RM1.80/pcs

Green Pepper Tempura | RM1.80/pcs

Ebi Tempura (Fried Prawn) / RM3.80/pcs

Since I love fried stuff, their assorted tempura are delectable to me, especially the squid and prawn tempura. Even better to eat them when it's piping hot, crispy on the outside and soft in the inside. And another dish that shall not be missed would be their perfectly cooked Hanjuku Tamago! 

Hanjuku Tamago | RM2.00/pcs
I can't resist eggs like this, cooked white with runny yolk YUMMMEH

So if you're looking for a decent meal with reasonable price in Midvalley, I'll recommend you to drop by Manmaru Homemade Udon which is located just beside Machines. Also suitable for those who wanted something light for dinner or lunch. I've been there three times already within a month cause I keep craving for their udon, will definitely see myself coming back more often (:

Manmaru Homemade Udon
S-045A, Center Court, Second Floor,
 Midvalley City Mall, Lingkaran Syed Putra,
 59200 Kuala Lumpur.
Operation hours : 10am-10pm
Website: http://manmaru.com.my/

xx

GTower Ramadhan Buffet Preview Night

Since Hari Raya will fall on August 8th, it means that the holy month of Ramadhan will be here in a month time! When it comes to Ramadhan, all that we can think of, for the non-Muslims is definitely the food at Ramadhan bazaar. Stalls after stalls selling all kinds of mouthwatering local delicacies, right? 

Well, speaking of Ramadhan, I was previlliged to be invited to the Preview of Ramadhan Buffet at GTower last month, right after my exam. It's really good to be able to relax myself with plenty good food and great companion after a hectic week of preparation for my exam.

Let's not babble more and move on to check out the scrumptious buffet spread!  

- Cold appetizers and Salad -

#1. Preserved fruits // Jeruk buah-buahan 

#2. Malay Traditional Salad // Malay Ulam-Ulaman
As you can see, there are different types of dressings to choose from. 

#3.  Assorted Kerabu and Fried Salted FishThey have Kerabu Ayam, Kerabu Jantung Pisang and Kerabu Pucuk Paku.

#4. Penang Pasembor
Something similar like the rojak that you eat by the road side, with peanut gravy and black rojak paste too.

Hot steaming lemang!
Two choices to choose from: glutinous rice and black glutinous rice.
I always crave for these during Ramadhan, so delighted to see these being served.
Best eaten with peanut gravy or chicken curry gravy YUMS

Somehow I find it a bit weird that they are serving assorted breads and pastries for a Ramadhan buffet.
But they have quite an array of fluffy bread and pastries, didn't get to try any of them. 

- Hot Dishes -

Have you seen such colourful rice? It's called Nasi Hujan Panas.
They tasted like actual rice, just that they are colourful. 

I can't help myself but to have a few servings of these! If you're a fan of seafood, you'll love this. The scallops and prawas are really fresh and juicy too. 

Of course you couldn't miss satay when it comes to local delicacies!
They have chicken, beef and mutton satays. All of them are equally tender and well marinated. 

This, my friend would be the highlight of the entire buffet spread!
The Roast Lamb Shoulder with Arabic Rice.
Each slice of the lamb is nicely roasted and delectable.
The meat was really tender and juicy.
Even Joeann, who is not a fan of lamb loves it. So I bet everyone would love this dish too. 

This delicious baked red snapper is one of the dishes that I enjoyed that night too.
The flesh of the fish is still moist despite being baked and it's not overcooked.
Tantalizing on every bite.  

With all the mains, how can we not have desserts to end the meal right? So for desserts, they serve assorted malay kuihs, Assorted French Pastries, Mixed Fruits Platter, Cendol, Fruits Cocktail, Mango Pudding, Banana & Orange Triffle and Pengat Labu with Sagu as well to satisfy that sweet tooth of yours.

You can customize your own ais kacang and cendol too :D
I was too full when I remembered that I haven't try out this, so I gave it a pass. 

Bandung Syrup and Sugar Cane drink (:

They also serve hot coffee and tea. 

The super savory sup ekor and I had two bowls of it.
I love the rich taste and aromatic smell of the soup, another plus point is that the beef was tender. 

Bubur Lambuk and a slice of tuna filled bread.
Well, this porridge might not look appealing but I was proved wrong after I had the first spoon of it.
It was fragrant and flavoursome, liked this too! 

My plate of goodness :9

The gravy of the Mee Jawa wasn't thick enough to my liking.
Not the best Mee Jawa I've ever had but it was still acceptable (:

Not a really big fan of the local kuih but I still tried some. 

Of course, I had to taste this macarons! Not disappointing as I have tasted macarons that was far worse than these. They are actually chocolate and strawberry macarons, not too sweet and it's pretty soft.
And no, I did not have all of these to myself :P 

Since this is my first Ramadhan Buffet preview, I would say that it's quite an impressive buka puasa buffet spread with an extensive menu. It's perfect for diners who are looking for a variety of home-cooked comfort food and local delicacies to break fast. Tastewise and food quality wise, I think it's pretty fair and decent. Worth a try! Hope you'll enjoy the buffet and have a great experience dining at the Rajang GTower, at least I did. Besides, GTower itself is pretty convenient to reach by just taking the  LRT, it's located near the Ampang Park LRT Station so you can skip the bad traffic in KL and break fast just in time. Even if you decide to drive, the parking fee is reasonable too. 

Rajang GTower Ramadhan Buffet
Rajang Hall, Mezzanine Floor,
GTower, 199 Jalan Tun Razak.
Tel No: +603-2168 1919 ext 7040

RM 90 ++ per adult
RM 45 ++ per child (ages 7 - 12),
Kids under 6 years old will eat for free.

For more enquiry: email them at  fnb.admin@gtower.com.my

P/S: Ramadhan Menu changes on a daily basis from Monday to Sunday.

xx