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A 7″ Thick Vegas Full House Burger @ Vegas Kitchen, Kampar

May 5, 2010 | 11,390 views

Vegas Full House Burger (RM11.50/USD3.60) – A monstrous of a calorie-laden horror, featuring two patties (a chicken and a beef), ham and cheese, a fried egg, and loaded with greens to balance out the guilt, in a most futile manner. 🙂

Wait, before you go screaming “NOOOOOOOOOooooooooo ……….. !!!! You moved AWAY from Ipoh?!!!!“, let me clarify this. I am STILL safe and sound in the comfort of my home here in Ipoh, but the frequency of posts on food from around Perak (ie: The Teluk Intan Food Tour, Kampar’s Curry Chicken Bread and now THIS post) might be slightly disturbing, I know.

After all, those who have been following this blog since my blogspot days would have known that my work requires much travelling, hence sometimes you don’t get to read about Ipoh food in a week or more.

Good for them, Democrats exist in Kampar of Perak?! 😉

I first read about Vegas Kitchen @ Taman Bandar Baru of Kampar (no doubt, THE most happening place to be in Kampar, perpetually packed with youngsters from UTAR (Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman) and locals around the residential areas, as well as tourists staying in Grand Kampar Hotel) from Live To Eat’s blog not too long ago.

Hence when the opportunity knocked on our doors this afternoon, we omitted the ideas of eating in Kampar market once again, nor searching high and low for food in Kampar old town. We hurried over to Bandar Baru Kampar on our way back to Ipoh, and made some rounds before stopping at Vegas Kitchen; a corner lot within spitting distance from Grand Kampar Hotel.

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Categories: Kampar Food
Tags: American Food, Burger, Kampar, Kampar Food, Perak Food, Taman Bandar Baru Kampar, Vegas Kitchen, Western Food
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David’s Diner Revisited – 180 Degrees Turnaround?

February 4, 2009 | 12,555 views

Still remember my previous (not-so-positive) experience at David’s Diner in Ipoh? Well, that was afterall, their 2nd or 3rd day in operation, and everything was in a mess, from the service, to the food, and the bane of all outlets serving lunch during peak hours; horrendous waiting time.

Obviously, the spirit of the Lunar New Year’s still in the air … somewhere. ..

Judging from one comment on that post, and other personal experiences at the place, surprisingly, they were good. No, good’s a rather mild choice of word here, they’re simply AWESOME, or FANTASTIC, or DELICIOUS. Or whatnot.

And that, certainly piqued my interest in the diner once again, plus the countless advertisements they’ve put up in the papers.

Mexican Tacos with Minced Chicken Filling (RM13.90)

So today, being rather indecisive about whereto for lunch, we hopped, skipped, and of course, drove to David’s Diner over in Greentown, hoping to debunk the myth, or so they say.

A little before lunch hour, we arrived to a rather empty restaurant, with occupancy rate bordering on 10-20%. But of course, we were early, and the crowd swelled to a near-full house by the end of our meal. Which was a good sign, was it not?

Mexican Burritos (RM13.90)

Service was prompt, in a friendly-manner, and on-the-spot, with no minor mistakes or gripes, aside from the forgotten menus on the table AFTER our orders were taken. But that’s nothing major, and kudos to the staff at David’s Diner, for if you’ve read my previous post on this place, you would’ve been exposed to the helter-skelter extravaganza on that unfortunate luncheon hour.

Drinks were served almost immediately, though no sky juice/warm water/plain water was in sight. It’ll do wonders had they served a glass of warm water while the patrons are pondering and browsing through the menu, given the sweltering heat outside. That’s but a suggestion.

Sour Cream and Tomato Ketchup for the tortilla in the Burritos, the Tacos and the Quesadillas

Miraculously, me, Mr.Z and KYT ordered almost the same item. I chose the Roasted Chicken Quesadillas, while Mr. Z and KYT had the Burritos and Tacos, respectively. The plates of warm tortilla wrapped with fillings arrived uncannily resembled one another, with KYT’s Tacos on the slightly colder and drier side. Mr. Z’s chicken burrito had a layer of melted cheese no top, with salsa topping, and served on double plates, as the burrito was heated before served.

Both the Tacos and Burrito were served with Mexican rice, a mildly spicy/sweet side dish of rice, and some salad. The portion’s definitely filling, albeit the smaller-than-expected visual appearance. So far, so good.

Roasted Chicken Quesadillas (RM11.90)

Opting for a lighter meal, after a rather heavy breakfast of Nam Chau Dry Curry Mee (ooohhh …. they’re still the BEST, I tell ya!), I picked the Quesadillas set with 2 side dishes, bearing in mind a few pieces of starters can’t be anymore filling than their burritos and such. Wrong.

4 BIG pieces of Quesadillas, using the same tortilla wrapping I presume but toasted, filled with tender roasted chicken meat, melted cheese, chopped onions and scallions, and served with sour cream and ketchup for additional flavour. I’m a sucker for anything with cheese and sour cream, and was mesmerized by the burst of flavours. Thumbs up, as I doubt one can find quesadillas as good as these in Ipoh.

Mac & Cheese

From the list of side dishes available (a staggering 20 or so choices!) I picked the Mexican rice (without knowing that KYT and MrZ’s dishes had them as well) and Mac & Cheese. The macaroni with cheese was a little too much to stomach, too rich & creamy. On its own, it manages to hold its pride, but the pasta was a little soggy, not as al dente as expected.

David’s All-American Cheese Burger (Chicken) RM8.90 (?)

TallGal picked the cheese burger, with chicken patty. Their burgers are still small, sadly. But, one major plus point is that, their patties are homemade, NOT those from the supermarket. Amnesiac me forgot about the buns though, as previously I abhorred their generic dry and tasteless buns from the freezer. TallGal, kindly advise here!

Italian Roasted Potatoes

With 2 side dishes of her choice, she had the roasted potatoes (smaller serving this time) and the fries. Nothing spectacular, but yet worked well. Stole a bite of the burger, and was glad the chicken was tender, warm, and served with melted cheddar.

So, on the whole, we were pleasantly surprised at the change in the service, the management, and the food. But do take my words lightly, as taste is a rather subjective preference. One man’s meat may be another’s poison, right?

Will we return again? Well, it was almost a resounding YES. =)

Address & Contact Number :
DAVID’S DINER (HALAL)
B-G-1, Ground Floor,
Greentown Square,
Jalan Dato Seri Ahmad Said,
30450 Ipoh,
Perak, Malaysia.
Telephone : 605-242 5733
They also provide American catering services.
Opens daily from 12pm until 10.30pm.

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Categories: Ipoh Food
Tags: American Food, Halal Food, Ipoh Food, Western Food
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Truely American Food @ David’s Diner, Greentown, Ipoh

November 25, 2008 | 15,376 views

You know sometimes, when you least expect a place to be special, the food to be marvelous, and the service to be impeccable, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to discover a hidden gem, unearthed for all to savour and share its glory?

Freshly-opened for business a day before … David’s Diner, a restaurant serving “TRUELY AMERICAN FOOD”…. or so they claim.

But inevitably, or in reciprocal, when you put too much hope in an eatery, brimming with fresh concept and spanking menu, you’re bound to be slightly, or sorely disappointed. One time or the other. Sigh …..

The ambience sets the mood for a no-frills, American fare commonly seen in diners in the movies, complete with mirrors and artificial bricks on the wall. But of course, Kimball sauces instead of Heinz or a good ol smoky BBQ sauce was a thorn in the flesh …?

Recently opened … in fact, they started business yesterday, David’s Diner managed to grab our attention with its cool signboard, proudly proclaiming their brand of “True American food.” And when we went for another round of Nasi Vanggey yesterday for lunch, we realised David’s Diner was opened for business, and offering FREE breakfast on opening day. Shucks … we missed. But pledging to come one day, we succeeded in doing so today.

Garden Salad

The place was rather packed during lunch, a positive sign of good things to come? The owner is an Indian guy,married to an American lady, and both returned to Malaysia to open this outlet. With so much American influence, one can’t help but anticipate in glee for some good ol’ American fare.

But sadly, that was not the case. First off, the service was horrendous. Only 2 waiters managing the lunch crowd, plus the countless amateurish mistakes made by those newcomers had some other patrons raging in their seats. And the half hour wait for our food was somewhat distressing, as one of us is strictly bound to the hospital’s one hour break ruling.

Italian Chicken Burger Set (RM9.90)

But poor service can be easily forgiven, as staff training takes time, and customer service needs experience. We were not daunted by the many ‘black faces’ occupying the tables all around us, as I hoped (and prayed) that the food would somehow excelled in response to the shortcomings, proportionate to the longer-than-average wait.

But reality bit me in the a$$ … HARD. Pricing-wise, all the items are reasonably-priced, with most burger sets below RM10, and the pasta, chops, Mexican Tacos and Burritos, etc will not burn a hole in the pocket. Most mains come with either a soup or a salad, and 2 side dishes of your choice. And credits must be given where they’re due, the side dishes list is an honorable 15 items, at least. From the potatoes (mashed, fries, roasted and baked!) to the salads and soups, and mac+cheese and beans+franks, you’ll have fun picking 2 of your preference.

Meatball Spaghetti (RM13.90) with Salad and Garlic Bread

Nan’s Italian Burger was a miniature version of TGIF’s, or Chili’s grander version. Even smaller than your average Big Mac or Whopper. OK, EVEN smaller than a McD’s Chicken Burger. Seriously. But size does not matter, does it?

The meat patty (chicken or beef) was marinated well, fortunately, with hints of herbs and whatnots (I got a mere small sliver for sampling) and not too dry. But the accompanying buns were measly, generic burger buns WITHOUT toasted sesame that you can easily purchase in bulk from your favourite hypermarket. In short, a Ramlee burger type of buns. The crinkle-cut fries were NOT crispy, and slighty soft.

The spaghetti was far from al dente, soggy and drenched with tomato puree. The flavoursome meatballs and melted cheese saved the dish somewhat, yet the tough garlic bread was nothing amazing. (TallGal’s comments, not mine as I sampled few strands of the pasta and sulked).

Popcorn Shrimps (RM15.90)

Dipping the shrimp into the sour salad dressing for some taste …. Notice how small the shrimp is?

My Popcorn Shrimp (12 pcs of S-sized shrimps) came on a big platter. Mostly occupied by the baked potato and the salad. The 12 pcs of shrimps were sitting in one corner, battered and deep-fried. Yup, they were fresh and succulent, but this is NOT a good choice for big eaters, as you can basically finish all the shrimps in two spoonfuls.

Baked Potato

Fortunately, for some carbo-boost, they have potatoes cooked in every way imaginable. I chose a baked one, and some roasted ones. Since their Macaroni and cheese was out-of-stock. Yup, heard that right. Only knew bout this AFTER I’ve finished my main.

The baked potato was served with very little sour cream, and the potato tasted mysteriously like sweet potato. The four of us could not intepret the REAL nature of the potato. Was it a sweet one? Or the usual one? Hmmm ….

Italian Roasted Potatoes

As replacement for my initial order of Mac+Cheese, I picked the Italian roasted potatoes, as even the Mexican Rice was not served this afternoon. The roasted potatoes, lightly seasoned, were good. Though a bit over-carbo for lunch, I just munched my way through it all.

And ended up feeling darn sleepy for the remaining 3 hours until the magical 5pm.

Will I return for another round of TRUELY AMERICAN FOOD? Hmmm …. Maybe sometime down the line. But not so soon, not before they sort out their teething problems, less-than-stellar service and quality of the food. And service charge’s at 10%. Go on and have a try, I’d like to hear some comments from you guys.

Location : DAVID’S DINER @ B-G-1, Ground Floor, Greentown Square, Ipoh.