Food, Booze and Sanook (Fun) by the Lake

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Hidden within the trees and the quiet shop houses along Kelana Jaya is a row of swanky bars and restaurants facing the calm lake. It is surprising to know that this row of bars has been around for more than 2 years now but it’s my first time stepping my foot there. Surprising, because the environment feels nothing like being in the metropolitan – it’s peaceful, by the lake, cooling (at night) and away from the hustle and bustle of the chaotic traffic after work. It is, in other words, a break from the city. Among this row of bars is a place with the name Sanook, which also means “Fun” in Thai. It is one of the few bars around that actually offers food apart from booze.

Alfresco dining by the lake at Sanook

Yes, in case you’re spotting something familiar, this is indeed the place that I went to for Valentine’s Day dinner. I was pretty satisfied and comfortable during my first visit here (this post) that I didn’t mind visiting again for the romantic night out.

Lychee Margarita

There we were, a group of friends having a fun night out, or should I say, a Sanook night out (how apt!), together with food and booze, while catching up and enjoying the brilliant atmosphere. It couldn’t get any better.

A pint of Guinness (RM24)

Apart from old friends, I made some new friends as well! This group of tourists sitting nearby ushered me over when I was taking pictures, and asked for a photograph. I gladly obeyed and eventually found out that they’re from Italy. And guess what they told me? “The pizzas here are the best in KL!” and that got me wide-eyed in shock. I mean, a statement from that coming from Italians shouldn’t be taken lightly. That’s why I made a mental note to order pizzas soon after.

Friendly Italians giving thumbs-up the Sanook’s pizzas

Our dinner began with some finger food as appetizers. The Walking Snail Escargots were sauteed in garlic herb butter, giving it a most delicious flavour, while maintaining the chewiness of the meat. The dish came with slices of toasted and crispy garlic bread, which went very well with the savoury gravy.

Walking Snail Escargots (RM25)

Whenever booze is involved, finger food such as the nachos would be a popular hit regardless of where you are. The Chicken/Beef Nachos served here had generous toppings on top with a layer of cheese.

Chicken/Beef Nachos (RM18)

My favourite appetizer of the lot would have to be the Tod Man Kung, Thai-style fried shrimp cakes with sweet basil. The cakes had a lovely crunch on the exterior, while revealing a generous and thick patty filled with shredded shrimp. It was tasty, succulent and very addictive!

Tod Man Kung (RM24)

Of course, after such a strong recommendation from the Italians, I had to make sure we ordered a pizza that night! The pizza was painstakingly baked in the wood-fire oven, feeling the blazing heat even though I was just there for a mere few seconds.

Wood fire Oven

We had the Sanook’s Seafood Special Pizza and the first thing I noticed was how incredibly thin the crust was! It was crispy with slightly charred bits, reminding me of good old-fashioned homemade pizzas and it was topped liberally with crabsticks, calamari rings, shrimps and of course, loads of mozzarella. One thing to note though, is that the pizza has to be eaten once it’s served for the best effect and taste, and oh, for that ‘crunch’.

Sanook’s Seafood Special Pizza (RM36)

Superbly thin crust with cheesy toppings

The menu at Sanook is really extensive, for it does not only serve Western food but also Asian! The Sang Har Mee or Freshwater Prawns Noodles, is a testimony of that. The plate of noodles was topped with 2 medium-sized fresh prawns and plenty of flavourful gravy. I could even spot the prawn roes swimming inside the decadent and soupy gravy, making this a hearty and delicious comfort food.

Sang Har Mee (RM38)

Yakidoori came next, a clever play of words “Yakitori” and “Tandoori”. This was a skewer of Tandoori chicken with Bombay onions and Moroccan spices, accompanied by a tomato chutney dip. Huge chunks of chicken breast meat were used in this, and since I’m not that big a fan of chicken breast, I found this to be average.  But I know someone was in love with the chutney dip though!

Yakidoori (RM10)

The Raviollo Braised Oxtail was more of my kind of dish! Truth be told, it was my first time having oxtail and I never knew it could be so meaty! The meat was soft and gelatinous, a sure sign of hours of slow-cooking it, and it was amazingly tender. Served with tomato chutney and kailan, this fall-off-the-bone oxtail meat was delicious and would be perfect with a few slices of garlic toasts on the side to soak up the gravy.

Raviollo Braised Oxtail (RM38)

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