taco

By Aiman Azri Determinedly standing the test of time for nearly three decades, D'Tandoor has long delighted devotees of North Indian cooking with its skill around spices, mastery of meat, brilliance with bread and reputation for rice. With current outposts in Selangor, Putrajaya and even Penang, D'Tandoor originally opened in Damansara Uptown in 1992, more than a lifetime ago for most restaurants - this is where we headed for a taste of the brand's capabilities. It's a lovely venue for a meal, transporting us out of this commercial enclave into a setting that evokes a sense of heritage and history, complete with classical paintings on the wall and copper cups on the tables. An assurance of peerless authenticity prevails in D'Tandoor's kitchen, spearheaded by a fleet of Pakistani chefs and cooks who tackle North Indian and Arabic cuisine, thoroughly versed in the traditional fare of their home region. Their repertoire is encyclopaedic, spanning more than 100 dish...

The Forkers' kitchen spoons out a variety of Indian cooking, reputedly with a Kerala-origin chef (according to the service crew) who offers a knife-sharp focus on the Malabar Coast state's cuisine. Keralan specialities, rich and robust with coconut milk, include the Mango Fish Curry (RM23.50), Prawn Moilee (RM26.90) and Chicken Varutharacha Curry (RM16.90) - our favourite is the creamy-sweet moilee, though both the fish and the prawns would benefit from being fresher. The menu is wide-ranging, extending beyond Kerala to everything from chicken peratal to mutton varuval, biryani to naan, with a few fusion novelties like masala burgers and pav bhaji pizzas. The Rose Lassi (RM9.90) and Kulukki Sharbath (RM10.90) are reviving coolers, though the latter - a limeade with basil seeds - also carries the fiery kick of chillies. The Forkers 38, Jalan SS15/4B, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor.  Open Tuesday-Wednesday, 11am-4pm, 6-11pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-11pm. Closed Mondays. Tel: 03-5885-9...

By Aiman Azri Bananabro takes a mother’s advice to heart, promising banana leaf rice that abides by the words of its head chef’s mom: “If it isn’t good enough to serve to your family, it isn’t good enough to serve to your customers.” That passion for food has been part of Bananabro’s DNA since the beginning – the brand is spearheaded by three Malaysian bros who travelled the country on bicycle, always savouring authentically local dishes throughout their routes. Fate intervened when they reached mainland Penang and fell in love with banana leaf rice that they tried there. Within months, they had coaxed David, the man who ran that BLR outpost, to move to KL and become the head chef of their new enterprise. Bananabro, which began in Berjaya Times Square exactly a year ago and has since spun off a second branch in Sri Petaling, offers soul-warming fare that generations of patrons can relish together – as a mural on its wall in Sri Petaling illustrates, the food here is meant to bring peop...