iamthewitch.com

Posted: 13 Oct 2011 07:00 PM PDT

Sri Petaling, the place where I spend most of my lunch time in, has recently evolved to be an emerging food haven, especially with the new establishments along the new shop houses next to The Store. The new restaurants kept popping up like mushrooms, so much so that it’s hard to catch up even though I lunch there more than 50% of the week! Herbs & Spices happens to be one of the relatively new restaurant here and had it not been Christine, I wouldn’t have stepped foot inside so soon since there are so many still in my long list to try out.

Crispy chicken chop

Nestled in a row of eateries, it’s easy to miss out on this restaurant due to its rather dull signboard in green (owner had promised to change it soon) and the relatively quiet environment within. But as they say, never judge a book by its cover, so in we went. We were greeted with this huge poster on the various signature dishes, and our hopes were lifted.

Some of the signature dishes at Herbs & Spices

We started with the Hainanese Mutton Soup, one of their must-order dishes that came in a bowl with generous amount of tender mutton and delicately flavoured soup. It was not overly gamey, if that’s what you’re worried about, yet tasty enough to know that enough time was used to cook this such that the mutton flavour was infused into the soup.

Hainanese Mutton Soup (RM10.90)

My favourite dish that day had to be the Hainanese Chicken Chop, hands down. It was fried to perfection – the skin was very crispy but not oily, while the interior remained tender and juicy. Also, the gravy with green peas and onions really brought back memories – that’s how my grandma cooks it too. A well recommended dish!

Hainanese Chicken Chop (RM15.90)

Alas, the same could not be said about the Prawn Fritters. I thought the amount of flour was too much and the prawn meat within too little. The result was eating something crispy but quite starchy. It would have been better with a lighter batter, I think.

Prawn Fritters (RM16.90)

The Rib Eye Steak was not too bad too, grilled to a lovely charred finish on the outside. Edges of the steak were slightly well done but the centre parts were still pink and tender. I personally think that a good steak does not need any gravy, it should just be devoured as it is. So it’s a good thing that they put the gravy on the side, giving the option for the diner to eat with or without it.

Rib Eye Steak (RM28.80)

It would seem that we couldn’t get enough of the chicken chop, for we also had the Spaghetti with Chicken Chop, which used the exact same chicken chop, but with a side of spaghetti instead of coleslaw and fries.

Spaghetti with Chicken Chop (RM15.90)

We also shared a serving of the Lamb Shank which was quite enormous! I definitely wouldn’t be able to finish this on my own. Thankfully the meat was tender and easily fell off the bone, while the gravy was flavourful enough to bring out the best of the lamb. It also came with a side of vegetables and mashed potatoes – definitely meant to be shared.

Lamb Shank (RM26.50)

Apart from Western dishes, this restaurant also has a Kelantanese chef who whips up delicious Nasi Dagang to give it an Asian twist. My favourite was the Nasi Dagang with Ayam Berempah, served with a glorious piece of chicken thigh, marinated and fried to an aromatic finish. Truthfully, I couldn’t care less about the rice, but the chicken was a totally different story. The addition of curry leaves also brought a new dimension to the chicken, even though it was good as it was already. Add to it some of the fiery belacan, and you’re good to go.

Herbs Spices

Nasi Dagang with Ayam Berempah/ Spice Chicken (RM12.00)

If you’re not a chicken person, there’s also the Nasi Dagang with Ikan Tongkol which came with a side of fish. In my opinion, this paled in comparison to the chicken, so I’d still go for the chicken anytime.

Nasi Dagang with Ikan Tongkol (RM9.50)

Saucer saw the picture of Nasi Goreng Sri Petaling on the wall paper, complete with satay (skewers) and a sunny-side-up and couldn’t resist from ordering one to try. It was a dish of fried rice with sambal on the side, nothing really spectacular, except that the satay was pretty tasty. I wonder if they sell satays on their own.

Nasi Goreng Sri Petaling (RM12.50)

For desserts, I found the Sago Melaka to be quite good, but perhaps I’m a sucker for anything with gula melaka (palm sugar). All in all, the desserts definitely left us with a sweet palate after such a satisfying meal.

Herbs Spices

Creme Caramel (RM5.00) & Sago Melaka (RM4.00)

Apple Pie (RM8.00) & English Trifle (RM6.50)

The experience at Herbs & Spices was actually quite an enlightening one. I walked down the memory lane with their delicious chicken chop, and met my love the gula melaka. Best of all, this place is comfortable, air-conditioned and has free Wi-Fi. I can foresee myself coming here more often for lunch!