Fatty Cat Steamboat, Dataran Mentari

The deal: All-you-can-eat steamboat buffet at Fatty Cat Steamboat for RM21 (adult)

What we got:

Steamboat is perfect for cold, rainy days--but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy it in our current hot and dry weather. Fatty Cat Steamboat's air-conditioned interior provides a comfortable environment for those wishing to indulge in steamy affairs (of the food variety!).

Unfortunately for us, we were given unstrategic seats--right in front of/blocking their storeroom. We had to shift our chairs several times just so they could access the entrance of the room; pretty inconvenient,really.

Famous double boil soup and tom yam

On to the food. We chose to try two soup bases; their famous double boil soup (essentially pork bone broth) and tom yam. While the pork bone soup was good, the tom yam suffered from being too salty and rather lacking in spiciness but it was, weirdly, kind of addictive in its own way.

There were 5 types of sauces provided: belacan, red chilli, green chilli, satay peanut and one that which was rather reminiscent of taucu (fermented black beans).

They started us off with a set, comprising items such as cocktail sausages, seafood tofu, mussels, scallops, bamboo clams, fish noodle, fish fillet, and enoki mushrooms,amongst others. We could add on other items such as pork slices and beef slices with a limit of 2 plates per round (but no restrictions on the  number of rounds). Fatty Cat Steamboat also had fried items like fried squid and crispy pork (pictured above) but they were nothing to shout about.

Menu

We had a chat with (who we think is) the owner, an affable man, who informed us that the outlet had only been open for a month. His concept of having customers place orders with the employees, rather than to have all the buffet items laid out, was so everyone could enjoy their meals without having to get up from their seats to get the items or battle amongst themselves when an ingredient gets refilled. We like this concept too (as well as the conveyor belt format some hotpot outlets offer, though we've had experiences where items run out on the belt and the staff were unhelpful in filling them up again) for its convenience.

The buffet came with an option of ice lollies, which you'd have to walk to a nearby freezer to take, but without drinks. Towards the end of our meal, we observed that some tables had orders of cooked crab. After checking with the staff, we  were told that they offered items such as fried rice, fried noodles and fried crab as well--which we were not aware of as this wasn't stated in the menu. The fried crab was limited to half a crab per person, though there was no limit on the number of (raw) crabs you could order for your steamboat. Alas, we were too stuffed by then give it a try.

Was it good? Although we wouldn't quickly rank it our favourite place for days when cravings for hot, soupy meals hit, I'd say yes, we wouldn't mind visiting again. They've got variety, and we like that it's done buffet style (the price for a la carte steamboats can really add up especially if you've got a good appetite). 

Tax: None

How much we paid: RM42 (RM21 per adult)

Baba Low's, Bangsar

The deal: RM15 for RM30 cash voucher for food and drinks at Baba Low's

What we got:

Located in Lorong Kurau, you'll find Baba Low's nestled within a cosy neighbourhood in Bangsar, a slight distance from the bar-lined area of Telawi and mere steps away from the BIG Group's Hit & Mrs. Don't expect a fancy establishment; Baba Low's kopitiam-like setting and one-page menu makes for a simple, fuss-free dinner.

Pai tee (RM5.50)

Popiah peranakan (RM4.50)

What better way to start off a nyonya meal than with a plate of pai tee and popiah. The pai tee was pretty average, while the popiah turned out to be rather yummy--the skin was thicker than usual (may be a plus for some, minus for others) and the spicy-sweet sauce they used provided a nice change to your run-of-the-mill popiah.

Nyonya laksa (RM7)

Pong teh (RM7) and white rice (RM2)

Baba Low's nyonya laksa would be perfect for someone who loves a good, lemak curry; the laksa, which comes with half an egg and several beancurd puffs (we asked for no cucumbers please!) was absolutely creamy. It may not, however, satisfy someone looking for a curry with a kick, because the laksa wasn't big on the spicy. 

The pong teh chicken proved to be value-for-money. The dish came with several big chunks of chicken and potato, more than enough for one diner. Taste-wise, although not the best we've had, it was tasty enough and went very well with the white rice.

Cendol (RM4.50)

We expected more from the cendol though. We could taste the fragrant gula melaka in the first few bites of the frozen dessert, but once we mixed everything up, the taste became rather  weak. Too much ice, perhaps?

Tax: None

How much we paid: RM15.50

Ayers Rock Butcher & Grill, Avenue K

The deal: RM20 for RM40 cash voucher for food at Ayers Rock Butcher & Grill

What we got:

200 grams grainfed tenderloin steak (RM58)

Located on level 3 of Avenue K, Ayers Rock was pretty quiet when we stepped in--there was only one other customer at one-thirty in the afternoon. 

I ordered the 200-gram grainfed tenderloin steak, which came with a side of potato salad and garden salad. While it may not have been translated well in the above photo, the steak turned out pretty small--just compare it to the size of the sauce bowl. I asked for the meat to be done medium; they gave it to me well done instead, with only the middle-st of the middle of the steak medium-well. While the overcooking could be due to how thin the cut they gave me was, you'd think a steakhouse would know how to get the meat's doneness right. 

280 grams premium striploin (RM48)

My partner got the 280-gram premium striploin, medium doneness, which likely due to the fact that it was thicker than my smaller tenderloin, was done somewhere between medium to medium-well rather than my medium-well to well-done. So while his steak didn't suffer from overcooking as much as mine did, we both faced the same problem--the meat lacked flavour. For 50 bucks a cut, we expected decent, juicy steaks, but were left disappointed. We also felt the sauce the steaks came with were out of place; wouldn't it have been better served au jus rather than with a creamy sauce that will drown out the natural flavour (or lack of it, in our case) of the meat?

The staff also did not appear to be well-trained; a diner at a table near ours asked the waiter what the difference between two different cuts of meat were and  his answer was 'it's the same to me but one is just more expensive than the other'. What?

We also weren't particularly pleased that the menu stated a service charge of 8% but we weren't charged any. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather not be charged for service, but they should've told us upfront so we could order an extra side or something instead of wasting the rest of the voucher value.

Not a good experience overall. It was a good thing we were eating on vouchers, because I would've popped an artery if I had to fork out full price for such mediocre food. Even for what we paid, we still felt overcharged.

Tax: Menu stated a service charge of 8% but we weren't charged any

How much we paid:  RM60