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07 October, 2012

Zen Garden @ Taman Cuepacs, Batu 9 Cheras

Steamboat and barbecues always go hand-in-hand, if you have been to BarBQ Plaza then you know what I mean. But this is the first time I try something different called Mookata. 'Moo' means Pork, and 'Kata' refers to BBQ. It is a famous Thai BBQ, traditionally over the charcoal. 

#1 Colorful, Vivacious Zen Garden

Zen Garden is relatively new in Cheras area, specializing in traditional Chinese Cuisine and Thailand's Mookata style barbeque. The atmosphere is rather lively on a Saturday night, as we enjoy fresh drinks from a selection of beers while enjoying the soul-moving music from their in-house DJ and live music.

#2 Steamboat Set @ RM49.90
A- Beef
B- Pork Belly Slices
C- Lamb
D- Seafood

For the steamboat, we order set meals for sharing, and additional plates of meat to satisfy our carnivorous cravings. The set has a good portion of chicken breast, vegetables, fish noodles, fish balls, fish rolls, fish slices, meat balls, prawns, quail eggs, fish stomach, and more. 


#3 Hot Pan with Steamboat Soup

As for the Mookata, what the waitress does is rubbing the lard over the exposed metal surface, then leaving it at the top so that it will drip down all over the plate. The well-marinated chicken, beef and lamb are delicious, but well...It's difficult to go wrong when the lard on hot BBQ makes everything tastes so good. 

Fish Bone Soup (鱼骨靓汤) @ RM14.90
Tom Yam Soup (冬炎汤) @ RM14.90
Yellow Wine Soup (黄酒汤) @ RM14.90

The choices of refillable soup base is quite interesting, but I only manage to try one of them. On a healthier option, we have the vegetable and seafood platter to be immersed into the spicy tom yam soup. I love the sour chilli dip which gives a kick to the food. Slightly disappointed, the tom yam here is toned down to cater for the local taste. 


#4 Cheese Crab (湿芝士蟹) @ RM48 for 1 / RM88 for 2

Knowing that Zen Garden is famed for its fresh seafood, we order a platter of signature crabs from the extensive a la carte menu. The sauce gives a finger-licking good creaminess that I'd wish to lick the dish along with the crabs.

#5 Fried Fish Belly (火爆鱼肚) @ RM13.90

Despite of having the mild tom yam, the fried fish belly is far too good for our expectations. The robust flavours from the sauce and heavy spiciness are perfectly complemented by the soft, chewy fish belly.

#6 Salted Spicy Fish Skin (椒盐鱼皮) @ RM12.90

I believe it's more enjoyable to munch something crispy while chatting, that's one of my habits, where the deep-fried fish skin becomes addictive and I can't help but to reach for more!

#7 Garlic Fried Rice (蒜米饭) @ RM3.00

A simple fried rice like this has a very aromatic, yet mild taste. It works perfect to pair with the heavy notes of the side dishes and barbecued meats. 

#8 Durian Pancakes

Being a steamboat & BBQ restaurant, I didn't expect to have durian pancakes in their menu as well! Drizzled with melted chocolate topping, the egg crepe wraps chunks of durian flesh, giving a melt-in-the-mouth sensation. Delicious!

Finding the restaurant can be a little tricky if you're a stranger in Cheras area. Located up on the sloppy hill, the restaurant has a great ambiance brightly-lit with Chinese lantern decor with no air-conditioning. Luckily the ventilation is quite good, with breezy wind gushing in. 


Verdict:
1. Zen Garden serves a good range of fresh food, I'm not surprised if I were to come back for the Mookata and ala carte dishes.
2. Recommended: Fried Fish Belly and Mookata Chicken and Beef
3. The ambiance is very hygienic, with quick service and beautiful open-space so that I can enjoy the steamboat comfortably.

Zen Garden
(Inside The Challenger Sports Centre)
16, Jalan Koop Cuepacs 3F,
Taman Cuepacs,
43200 Batu 9 Cheras,
Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Contact: 603-9074 0336
Fax: 603-9075 2355
Email: zen.bbq@live.com
Facebook: fb.com/ZenGardenBBQ
Business Hours: 5pm to 2am daily
GPS Coordinates: N 3.077116, E 101.758643

29 comments:

  1. steamboat and BBQ- totally agreed. thanks a lot for the recommendation , i love Cheese Crab (湿芝士蟹)...

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  2. I wanna try the cheese crab and the pancake durian i hope the odor isnt that strong tho

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  3. Cuepacs or Cuepecs? My cousin lives there - I wonder if she's been here before...

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  4. Oh! It is Cuepacs... Gee!!! All these years, I've been addressing my greeting cards wrongly. Ah well, as long as they reach my cousin, doesn't really matter. Hehehehehehehe!!!!

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  5. Ummm...what's fish belly? I would want to try that...and I love fish skin, provided it's not tough and rubbery like the skin of some fish. Ooooo....durian pancakes!!! I want!!! Slurpssss!!!

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    1. Hi Uncle Arthur, fish belly is just like pork belly :P soft and chewy stomach of the fish. delicious!

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  6. wahlao! looks attempting !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! >.<

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  7. Nothing is a better comment for a restaurant or a cook than, "I wish I could have licked the plate."

    It all looks really good.

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  8. that looks interesting i would love to try those

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  9. the food looks very appetizing here, with a good variety to suit everyone's taste buds and preferences :D

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  10. This is my kind of food and goodness!!! Looking at the pics is making my stomach Topsy turfy.

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  11. I still missed that fragrant and flavorful prepared plate of Spicy Fish Belly~ It had the oooomph that could not make me stop eating~ Another round next time? :P

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    Replies
    1. Hi Criz, that's definitely a good treat! I love group dining with lots of fun :D

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  12. I like this method of steamboat as the juices from the meat flow down into the soup and make it even more flavourful!!! No waste!

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  13. Hmmm food looks good! Thanks for hopping over my blog and commenting on our new Nissan LEAF post! :)

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  14. The cheese crab looks different and delicious.

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  15. price ain't cheap for the crab. But I like the ambiance here ;-)

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  16. Not really into prawn and crabs but the selection from beef to lamb, to chicken, to pork, makes it a 'wholemeal' kind of place to go for.

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  17. The fried fish belly looks good!

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  18. The fried fish belly does looks good!!

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  19. Ooo durian pancakes! Yum! Everyone looks really delicious

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  20. Al-fresco dining, would it be very hot?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Choi Yen, it's still okay when not much crowd :) quite airy

      Latest: Best of Ramen

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  21. Wish I could join you - the food looks delicious! The crab looks amazing... major drool going on here.

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  22. This hot pan look nice. The ingredients also look fresh and nice side order too compared to the one I tried before.

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  23. argh... i'm so tempted to try the fish skin :( :( :(

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  24. 火爆鱼肚 is nice, tried it somewhere else ! nice place, thanks Fish !

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  25. welcome to try our new menu @ https://www.facebook.com/zengardenbbq

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