Wadi Hadramawt

In the last few years, we have done Chinese, Indian, Minang, Western, Thai, so we thought we try Arab this year. Before everybody went overboard, the reason why we tended to go out for a big meal during my birthday was because I share it with my father-in-law - and Dr Mahathir as well if you must know - so, the family was actually celebrating his birthday and I just tag along for the ride. It tended to confuse my boys though as both their father and granddad share the same birthday.

Anita picked up Wadi Hydramawt. Every time we drove by Jalan Ampang, she kept looking at the restaurant and this time, she wanted to give it a try. Booking was straight forward, she asked for a private room upstairs and we turned up just after 8.30. Walking up the stairs proved a nuisance both for my kids and parents. So, be careful if you we planning to venture into the private rooms. We did not pre-order our food though.

Taking time to orderLet me start by commenting on the venue. It was a converted bungalow building, more of a colonial touch, right of Jalan Ampang, to your left if you were driving up from Ampang Park towards Jelatek. The building did look extravagant from the outside, and there were ample parking space for the patrons. It was attended full time apparently, so it was well-lit and safe. You have a choose of eating at the open verandah, or inside the building - our room were upstairs on the first floor. Pretty cosy but was crowded when we arrived. Sitting in the room, with the air-conditioning on cut us away from the buzz happening around.

The menu was straight forward, and we all took orders of rice with either chicken, lamb or fish. And here is a tip should you were there for a visit - order the set rice meals, such as chicken mendy rather than fish. The fish took a good half an hour to be ready, and were the laser to come. All the other rice meal I was sure were pre-cooked. The drinks came fast, so was the salad. Being a Sunday evening, I could appreciate that the restaurant was fully booked, but what did not help was they were clearly short staffed. And the staff on show were a mix of local and Arabs, and the Arab waiters could do with some English classes, as their Malay we non-existent. All that said, the waiter assigned to our table was courteous and did not mess our order at all. His English was another story.

So, what did I sample? Olive and hummus salad for starters, then chicken mendy for mains, with side orders grilled chicken - which looked and tasted pretty much like tandoori - and lamb with brinjal curry. For drinks, I had some freshly - and I really mean fresh - blended mango juice. We also had a variety of salads, and my children and father-in-law had fish for their main meals.

My chicken mendyTime to tapau!

On the whole, the food was better than expected. I couldn't resist the comparison with Al Rawsha, another Middle Eastern restaurant we frequent. The menu was comparable, and so was the price. I have to say that Al Rawsha's food was a touch better, with greater variety. The service at Al Rawsha was a bit slower though from what I experienced before. Al Rawsha's "castle" near Bulatan Pandan was much bigger however, although during peak hours, parking there could be a pain despite having attendants to help out.

On the whole, if you were craving for some Middle Eastern food, you could do much worst than here. Be prepared to pay a premium as it was not cheap. I might come here again on the odd occasions, and I would recommend you do the same as well from time to time. More information available here in their rather extravagant website.

Kenduri at Flamingo

CongratulationsDecember has always been busy for me. Not because of work, but due to the number of weddings I had to attend. It seems that I had invitations every weekend. Even though I was keen to attend, they can be a bit of an issue you if it were to happen every Saturdays and Sundays. I don’t usually talk about them, but I will have to give an exception this evening for a couple of reasons. It was the first time that I attended a wedding at Flamingo Hotel in Ampang. Secondly, it was one of the better organise one that I been invited to.

The gorgeous pelaminThe wedding was of the daughter of a very close family friend. I practically knew the bride since she was a young girl. A couple of months back, she, her mother and my Mum went to Indonesia to shop for the preparations. The akad nikah was held yesterday at the bride’s house, but was I was not able to attend. My mum did so on our behalf. Suffice to say that they make the plan well in advance for the ceremony and I was glad to see that everything turned out very well indeed.

My sister and her good friend texting while the proceeding was going on .... Oi! You should be concentrating!Flamingo Hotel was only about 10 min out from where my mum lives. Traffic getting in there can be tricky but it was rather light last night. After finding a parking spot, we went straight into the hall. We were given a number on to which table we were allotted to. We sat right in the end of the hall, maybe not to cause to much of a stir. We were well away from the pelamin, and since it was my sister, parents and another family friend, we spent the evening chatting away and laughing out loud. Walking in we were really surprised at how nice the hall was. It was a square, with the plumbing at one and and the high table on the side. 

 The pelamin was exquisitely prepared. There were adorned with clear crystal chandeliers with lightings and crystals, creating a shimmering reflection. The couple entered in a light gold traditional costumes, followed the obligatory doa and tepung tawar ceremonies. Very classy, and after the main meal, the they made a quick escape to change into a dark brown evening attire. The meal itself was very nice. I have been to a few other venues before and after being there for a few times, you can sort of guess what the menu would be. The change certainly made the difference, and we were served with tasty soto as starters before starting the nasi minyak meal. I must say that the meal was well above average to what was normally served. The rest of the ceremonies also went through without a hitch, and we left at about 10.30 before the crowd built at the exit.

I wish the happy couple the best for the future in starting their new journey together. And should I get another invitation to attend a wedding at Flamingo, I will definitely attend without hesitation. And for those planning a wedding, this place deserves serious consideration.

Iftar at Flamingo

One of my pet grief is having iftar at hotels or restaurants. They usually offer buffet. Often with not much choice with the patrons clamoring for the offerings. The price were never cheap. You will be doing well to get them for less than RM50 per head. You also have to think about the children - with will also be charged even though there weren’t fasting, and the maid. With all the chaos, jostling for food and table, it can often be a frustrating time. And then, there was the traffic getting in and the parking. We ended up arriving very early, staring at the food, with the children driving us up the wall!

When my sister Julia asked if we wanted to take our parents out for iftar, I cringed a bit. Over the years, it had not been that pleasant an experience. We phoned a few joints, but they were already booked. Understandable. It was Saturday evening after all. Puan Anita then went through her Halal Food Guide book and came across Flamingo Hotel in Ampang and gave it a call. A couple tables were booked. Flamingo it was.

Driving in was fine. Got there around 7 pm. Shortly after, with all the fumes and excitement, Idlan had an asthma attack. Oops! We forgotten to bring the inhalers. A mad dash back home and a lecture from mum-in-law later, and all was well. I got in around 10 minutes after iftar. Puan Anita got the food ready for me, sparing me the hassle of queuing for food. Off we went.

The selection were authentic Malay. There were bukhari rice, tempoyak, roast lamb, fried kuey teow, nice satay. Not bad. The customers were booked into tables, so one do not have to worry about seatings. Since the place was actually a converted exhibition hall rather than their a usual restaurant, there were plenty of space. The tables were comfortable and well-spaced - which is important because when my boys met their cousins and had some sugary dessert, you know what they would to do? Run around in circles! What does a good parent do? Leave them as they were and went on to enjoy the food of course!

From left - Imran, Idlan and Irfan. Yes, we need imagination ....Self-made ais kacang for dessert. More syrup and creamer please.

The place was well organised, plenty of staffs and the food was very well-stocked. One thing I noticed was, the waiters and waitresses were in high spirits. Very friendly and accommodating. While we were having food, there were also some live music, some traditional Malay ensemble. The food were fine. The nasi bukari and satay was good. They also have a continuous supply of iced Milo and teh tarik - important this!

The traffic going in was kind, even when I had to drive back home to get Idlan’s inhalers. Parking was aplenty on site - at RM4 per entry. Those were the pluses. It was not perfect. One of my main gripe was the surau. It was a makeshift one on the second floor. A partition put on at the end of a corridor. One also had to walk to a toilet for absolution. It was not a purpose-built surau. The management should at least opened up a couple of the meeting rooms and convert them for praying instead of just some partitions. It looked like an afterthought. They should also provide some slippers for those wearing shoes to go to toilet for absolution. I was OK with my Crocs because I sort of knew what to expect.

How much do they charge? RM65 for adults and RM35 for children aged 4 to 12. They should have made children under 10 eat for free. I suspect the charging was to discourage parents from bringing in children really. Iftar during weekends were supposed to be a family affair, and to be honest, I did not see that many children. RM35 for them? A disgrace! As for the adult pricing, you really had to do very well to find a joint that charged less than RM50 per head in KL nowadays. Bora Ombak in Ampang and Penang Village in Great Eastern Mall were a couple which springs to mind. Judging from the venue and the food selection, it looked reasonable.

Will I come here again? Not for this Ramadhan I think, but definitely in the future. Will I encourage others to come? Certainly worth considering. Food was aplenty and there were hardly any jostling. Parking was ample and staffs were friendly. Do check the place out at http://www.flamingo.com.my/main.htm. 5, Tasik Ampang, Jalan Hulu Kelang, 68000 Ampang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia, Tel - 03-42563288.