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Review: Rocku Yakiniku Japanese Buffet, 1 Utama

>> Friday, January 29, 2016

Overall comment: Fresh meats & variety of seafood that's worth your money, especially if you can really eat (a lot) within 100 minutes & if you enjoy dining with some entertainment of live band/magician show on stage. It was a really fun dining experience for me :)
Halal: No

I was really excited to be here at Rocku Yakiniku, 1 Utama, last weekend with AP as the restaurant was also hosting the finale of a singing competition (top 10 finalists of the WILLIAM x ROCKU) & had many OneFM DJs hosting/attending the event as well :D


A familiar face, William San 辛伟廉, one of the many OneFM DJs at the event


Rocku Yakiniku landed on the shores of Malaysia 2 years ago with their 1st outlet at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur opened on 13th December 2014. A year after i.e. last year, they started their 2nd outlet at 1 Utama, which has since gained much popularity among residents in Petaling Jaya & its surrounding areas.

The restaurant boasts of "a restaurant with daily entertainment" concept. Diners can expect to enjoy performances from live bands every evening, with magician shows taking over the stage every Saturday at 1 Utama & every Friday at Pavilion KL.



Each diner will be given a 'ticket' upon paying for the Japanese BBQ buffet, which will indicate the time of entry (I think), so that when the 100 minutes is up, other diners waiting in line outside the restaurant can get an opportunity to enjoy their meal at the restaurant when your table is cleared. I thought this is a pretty good concept as those waiting in line will know how long they need to wait until the next table is available & if they can't wait, they can go off to another restaurant to satisfy their hunger pangs ;)

There will be occasions where the entertainment is just too good to leave once the 100 minutes is up, so diners can actually pay the RM9.90++ for each additional 20 minutes to stay on & enjoy the performances/ continue eating!


The restaurant has quite a good variety of pre-cooked dishes for diners to enjoy while they wait for the barbecued meats to be cooked & I have to say that their meats & seafood are fresh & tasty as well.


(L->R, clockwise from top) Beef ribeye & striploin, lamb shoulder, pork collar & belly, chicken

Fresh seafood platter: mussels, salmon, butterfish, scallops, prawns & squid


As the meats & seafood aren't available from the buffet counter (to ensure freshness & hygiene are maintained), you'll just have to order your meats/seafood each time once you're done with your servings of meats/seafood. I personally think it's best to order, cook & eat & once you're about done with eating the 1st round of grilled meats, to order the next round. This will ensure that your meats/seafood aren't left on your table raw (exposed to heat & all) while you eat. Somehow I feel that it'll be better this way, especially for the seafood as such raw ingredients may change color when left out in the 'open' for too long.

Variety of fresh vegetables that you can grill/eat as salads


Cooked dishes at the buffet counter
Their deep-fried chicken karage & tempura fried potatoes/sweet potatoes were really delicious. I didn't manage to snap some photos of them as they went into mouths far too quick!


Ponzu, Spicy Miso & Chili Sauce
All 3 sauces are specially prepared & mixed by the restaurant to compliment the meats & seafood. The spicy miso (not very spicy) was rated the favorite sauce by diners :)


 

Here at Rocku Yakiniku, the grills & suction equipment used are different from those that you find at Korean bbq restaurants. I reckon it's a typical Japanese method of barbecue as I came across the same at Gyu Kaku Restaurant the last time. The smoke suction is at the bottom of the grill & not from the top of the ceiling. This helps to reduce the smoke smell in the entire restaurant lingering on your body & clothes as you walk out of the restaurant after your meal.


Grilled seafood & enoki mushrooms in an aluminum cup 

Grilled lamb 

The night was filled with excitement & we were all well entertained by William & Yin + the WILLIAM x ROCKU contestants.

Hosts for the evening's event: William San 辛伟廉 & One FM Yin盈盈
They were really entertaining. Such naturals/talent! I really enjoyed the night thanks to their hilarious & spontaneous emceeing.


Also there to grace the event was Amber Chia 

My chef cooking dinner for me as I went around taking photos, videos & meeting other bloggers :)

Amber had to leave early, so they presented a token of appreciation to her to sparing time to attend the event & off she went... 

Apart from the delicious meats, seafood & vegetables, there are also an extensive selection of drinks available at the restaurant, which aren't included in the buffet price. We decided to try out the cold 'sweet sake' while we enjoy the performances that evening.





Dessert: The Last Polka ice-cream!
I was very delighted to find out that the restaurant offers ice-cream by The Last Polka for only RM3.90/scoop! It's by far one of the cheapest restaurants to find such premium home-made ice-cream with intense flavors. Most cafes are selling a cup of the same ice-cream brand for an average of RM9.90/cup. I think, even if 1 cup is equivalent to 2 scoops, enjoying this ice-cream here is still more affordable.

Current flavors: Black Sesame & Green Tea (they have Chocolate too)
Rocku Yakiniku changes their ice-cream flavors from time to time, so if you're here once a month or once in 2 months, you may find yourself enjoying a different flavor of ice-cream on top of your buffet spread.

Special performance by local artist, Yun Mei Xin 雲鎂鑫
She has a pretty good voice & I must say that her keyboardist has the groove in his playing as well! *star struck*


Watch the video that I've captured to have a taste of what I've experienced that evening
This was only 1 of the 2 songs that she performed, but this video is clearer & nicer in sound, so I'm just sharing this :D

Not only did we get to witness & experience 10 different voices competing for the prize, but we got to listen to Yun Mei Xin singing PLUS William San singing as well! There was also a lucky draw for 4 lucky diners to win dining vouchers at Rocku Yakiniku.

William's special performance
It was quite hilarious. I didn't edit the video that I've taken as it's just fun to watch the whole performance even when some parts didn't turn out as great as he expected it to be :P


Lucky draw winners - Congrats to Betty & Auntie Lilly, 2 lucky bloggers who won 4 complimentary vouchers to dine at Rocku Yakiniku again! :D
Together with them in the photo are One FM DJs Emily子颖, Yun Mei Xin 雲鎂鑫, Chrystina Ng 黄玮瑄, & Kyan.

Winners for the singing competition: 2nd runner up 

Winners for the singing competition: 1st runner up 

Winners for the singing competition: 1st prize winner!

Rocku Yakiniku is truly a restaurant to enjoy yourselves after a long day at work or during the weekend with family & friends. With the great entertainment lined up everyday, each week & the delicious spread available, this may be the next 'talk of the town' to try out for yourselves ;)

Various on-going promotions



Rocku Yakiniku @ One Utama
Lot F355/356/357
1 Utama Shopping Centre
First Floor, Rainforest
47800 Petaling Jaya
Selangor, Malaysia.
Tel: (+603) 7710 9884
URL: http://www.rocku.com.my/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ROCKU.Malaysia


Ratings:
Presentation: * * *
Price: * * *
Environment: * * * 1/2
Taste: * * * 1/2
Service: * * *


Overall:






Rocku Yakiniku rocks!

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Invited review: Ultrasonic Facial Cleansing by Premier Clinic

>> Tuesday, January 26, 2016

As a food blogger, I generally blog about food, so when the invitation arrived at my mailbox to review products/services for a medical aesthetic treatment clinic, I was quite surprised. You'll see some non food related posts from time to time if I receive such invitations, so read on & be informed ;)

There are 2 outlets for Premier Clinic, a well-known & established medical aesthetic treatment clinic i.e. at Taman Tun Dr Ismail, KL (TTDI) & the other's at Bangsar. Since my office is at Damansara Heights, I decided to have the review session done at the Bangsar outlet.


With Dr Elaine Chong at the Bangsar Premier Clinic

Premier Clinic offers a wide range of aesthetic treatments from fat/weight loss, skin related conditions, & facial/body contouring to hair loss, vaginal rejuvenation & many more. You can check out their full range of services on their website. Prices begin from RM100.00 per session & varies from treatment to treatment. They even offer flexi payment plans for various credit cards from 6 - 24 months.

As my skin is more dry than oily (especially at my cheeks), I decided to take up the quick & simple yet impactful treatment of Ultrasonic Deep Cleansing that I've actually done 2 weeks before my visit to Premier Clinic at another facial centre, Gladys Beauty & Body Center in Damansara Uptown (the fantastic Groupon promo that I was raving about on my Facebook!). I find this treatment very helpful to get the skin deeply hydrated & to reduce the redness/sensitivity of my skin, especially around my nose area. Here at Premier Clinic, 1 session of Ultrasonic Deep Cleansing costs RM200.00 & for better results, you may need to go through this treatment several times since the 'effect' of treatment lasts just 2-3 days. The treatment helps to make your skin cleaner, more radiant, & less sensitive.

Fiona cleaning my face

The hydrogel used

Why Ultrasonic Deep Cleansing, you may wonder. Basically, the treatment involves a special device that emits ultrasonic wave motion to remove aged surface skin cells & any surface impurities like whiteheads & blackheads. Once the impurities are removed,  a specially formulated detox gel with potent antibacterial & anti-inflammatory properties will be 'rolled' onto your face. The treatment concludes with the deep permeation of the light hydrogel (as per photo above) that contains herbal/vitamin potions to improve blood circulation & the skin's health.

The ultrasonic facial cleansing treatment

The treatment takes only 15-20 minutes & is not painful (quite relaxing). It is suitable for acne-prone, dry/sensitive, blemished or clogged skin just like my skin. With regular ultrasonic facial cleansing treatment, your skin's health will actually improve & you won't need to use hydrating facial masks so often.

Before (top) & After (bottom)
I think it's not so red/sensitive.

If you're unsure whether this treatment is suitable for you, you can consult the doctors at Premier Climic first, who will be more than glad to provide the best advice for your enquiries.

A healthier skin for this new year! *woohoo*


Premier Clinic (TTDI)
31 Jalan Wan Kadir 2
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
60000 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: (+6012) 662 5552 - contactable daily from 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
URL: http://premier-clinic.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/Premier.Aesthetic

Premier Clinic (Bangsar)
40, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: (+6012) 662 5552 - contactable daily from 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.


All for better-looking skin,

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Movie Review: 爸媽不在家 (Ilo Ilo) - Singapore Film Festival, 14 - 17 Jan 2016

>> Wednesday, January 20, 2016

I rarely do movie reviews as my blog focuses more on food. The Ruthless Eater/PerutBesi covers not just food (although primarily food), but anything that comes with adventure & friendship as well :) It's been a "motto" that the blog has been living on for the past erm...9 years or so?

Recently, I had the opportunity to watch a movie from the Singapore Film Festival (14 - 17 Jan 2016) at any either GSC 1 Utama or GSC Pavilion. Having live too far from the city centre, 1 Utama was no doubt my pick to watch one of the Singaporean movies featured in the festival. My schedule is somewhat tight these couple of weeks, but I managed to squeeze in some time to watch a family movie (with my family, of course!) on a Saturday evening.


Ilo Ilo (爸媽不在家) was my best option as the timing for other movies that feature Jack Neo's creations, one of our family's favorites, weren't at the times where we could make it :( So our next best options were any other movies that won awards + in English/Mandarin or that were on Saturday evening where we could make it.


This movie, directed by Anthony Chen, that was released in the year 2013 has won quite a number of awards. Among the few are:

  • Yeo Yann Yann, Best Supporting Actress, Asia-Pacific Film Festival 2013
  • Anthony Chen, Camera d’Or, Cannes Film Festival 2013
  • Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best New Director and Best Film, 2013 Golden Horse Awards 
  • Sutherland Prize for the Best First Film, 2013 London Film Festival
The plot is set in a typical Singaporean lifestyle where a Chinese family who lives in the HDB flats has to hire a Filipino domestic helper, Teresa/Terry (Angeli Bayani) to assist them with looking after their son, Jia Le (Koh Jia Ler), who is a troubled delinquent, while they work. The father, Teck (Chen Tian Wen), works as a salesman for a glass company, while the expecting mother, Hwee Leng (Yeo Yann Yann), works as works as a secretary for a shipping company that is undergoing retrenchment.

The movie began with Jia Le & Terry not having the best of relationships with each other as Jia Le deems Terry as an outsider who needs to share a room with him & be with him throughout the day. Almost everyday, Terry will get into trouble thanks to Jia Le's mischief & be bullied by Jia Le as well. Due to his mischief, Hwee Leng, the mother, receives calls frequently, either from the son or the school, where she had to leave the busyness of her stressful office work to meet the school authorities.

As the plot grows, Teck losses his job, but hides the truth from his wife, with only Terry knowing the truth of her master. The poor mother, filled with stress & feeling helpless with her family's condition & her work stress slowly turned to a motivational speaker, thinking that it's her glimmer of hope for a better future. She ended up finding out that the seminars that she signed up for was a scam & she loss money from it. Not only was her husband jobless & slowly penniless (he loss money from buying stocks as well), she too loss more money from what they own.

The movie actually ended with Terry being sent back to the Philippines as the family couldn't afford to have a domestic helper with the arrival of their newborn child. Teck's car was sent for scraping & he started working as a taxi driver. Jia Le, who by then was very attached to Terry was truly upset with Terry's dismissal that he couldn't even bring himself to bid goodbye to her at the airport, but took a scissors to snip off part of her locks for his own keepsake. (It was rather weird, I know)

A story of relationships, of the importance of truth & love in a family & of respect for others, this movie was truly touching & 'real' that warmed the hearts of movie goers. I'm glad that I could treat my family to this relatable movie as my parents haven't been to the movies for years :)


Family movie time!

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