Frontera Sol of Mexico @ Jaya One

I celebrated my birthday a couple of weeks back and SS treated me to some awesome Mexican stuff. Thanks gal! :) After experiencing a highly satisfying Mexican delight at Las Carretas last month, it was hard to think anything could top that. And was I wrong about that.

Although the atmosphere at Las Carretas excelled at bringing out the best of Mexico, Frontera showed its Mexican passion in its authentic dishes and tequila-infused drinks. Burritos, chipotle, fajitas, chilli con corne, enchiladas, and cheeseburgers are the order with the day together with a variety of margaritas and no less than 6 types of tequilas to choose from!

Dining area is reasonably lit but it could have borrowed more from the Mexican theme as how Las Carretas has done.

You can't go to a Mexican place and not order a margarita. Hence, introducing the Horny Margarita (RM22.95). A weird name for a margarita but besides that, the HM is a real knocker; infused with Sauza Hornitos 100% blue agave tequila and good till the last drop! Frontera supposedly serves the best margaritas in town, and by the taste of the HM alone, I can only conclude that to be true. There are about 4-5 other margaritas to choose from which are pricier than this, which can only mean better.

To start off things, we ordered the Frontera Fiesta Platter (RM34.95) which comprises of (clockwork from top) Stuffed Jalapenos, Habanero Hot Wings, Golden Chicken Tender, and Taquitos de Pollo served with salsa verde, honey mustard, and blue cheese dips. The stuffed jalapenos at Frontera are way spicier than those at Las Carretas and my guess is the seeds are left intact, giving it a real spice kick. Golden chicken tender were some reasonable boneless fried chicken that went very well with the dips, and the famous Taquitos de Pollo are hand-wrapped corn tortillas filled with chicken and then flash fried. A highly recommended starter, especially if you're in groups of 3-4.

Oh wait, I missed one more. Habanero hot wings! Its literally hell on Earth! There's 3 levels of spiciness to choose from but I can only remember the one that mattered.. The spiciest.. The Inferno! I know I know.. It might blow a hole in my tummy or intestines, but how can I leave this place without trying the hottest wings in Malaysia?! And then the moment of truth. After your first bite, you might feel you have this monster under control, but after a while it hits you with all guns ablaze! Frontera's Habanero hot wings is not only damn hot, it taste good as well. I would have eaten my second piece of wing, but I didn't want to order too much water :p Order this with your crazy friends, and watch them cry. Remember.. Inferno!

We also ordered their Chili Cheese Burger (RM22.95) upon the waiter's recommendation. Big, juicy, spicy, and tasteful; a burger that could easily fill 2 tummies, the CCB is topped off with a layer of cheese and the best chili con corne I have tasted in my life! Forget Chili's non-spicy or Wendy's watery version, the chili con corne here is spicy, chunky, and the way a good chili con corne is meant to be. You can also order their chili con corne separately which is served with onions and nachos.

On the house for the birthday boy; chocolate brownie with ice cream :) At this point, I was too full. But what can I say, it was good :)

Lets just say it didn't end there. Although she denies it wholeheartedly, it felt like SS was getting her sweet revenge for me making her down that tequila on her last birthday :p Anyways, with 6 types of tequilas to choose from, here's the Sauza Gold (RM14). Clear and easy going stuff.

Being me with itchy fingers, I was wondering how would the Sauza Gold compare to the others. So I decided to try a shot of 1800 Anejo (RM16). If the Sauza Gold tasted lighter and clearer, the 1800 was stronger and richer in taste. Frontera tend to have promotions on their tequila shots which can go as low as RM50 for 6 shots. So do look out for them.

Overall it was an awesome birthday dinner and one that I wont be forgetting anytime soon ;) If I had to compare Frontera to Las Carretas, I would say Las Carretas gets my thumbs up for their ambiance,decor, and superior customer service, whereas Frontera nudges ahead in the dining and drinking department, but both represent excellent Mexican dining destinations in town.

Frontera Sol of Mexico

18-G-2, Blok L, Jaya One

Jalan Universiti

Petaling Jaya

Tel: 03-79588515

Las Carretas Restaurant & Bar @ Ampang

Forget Chili's! This is my new favorite Mexican restaurant! How could I have missed it all my life!

I've been wanting to visit this joint for a while now and I finally did. Since it was a special occasion for me and SS, I was quiet eager to give Las Carretas a try, and so we headed to their Ampang outlet.

A slightly dim but colourful atmosphere greets you, Las Carretas' Ampang outlet is comparatively smaller but makes up for it with loads of memorabilia and Mexican-themed artifacts. No corner on the wall were left-untouched and you really get that Mexican feel.

Complimentary nachos! What the.. I had to fork out RM10 for these in Chili's! And they even taste better! Jumbo Margarita (RM27) serves two and is ideal for sharing. But this is by no means child's play. Even though Las Carretas has several other more potent margaritas on offer, I was surprised this one had quite a good kick to it, testament to the quality of tequila used I suppose. Las Carretas also serves a variety of other cocktails, beers, coffees, liquors, and wines at reasonable prices.

One item that caught my eye on the menu was Poppers; deep fried battered Jalapenos stuffed with four types of cheese. Why wouldn't I try it! You could either have 3 pieces (RM9.90) or 6 pieces (RM16.90). It was a perfect starter with hot melting cheese oozing out with each bite. I only wished the Jalapenos were hotter. Habanero version perhaps? :p Crema Campinones (RM9) was one of the best mushroom soups I've tasted with fresh ingredients and chunks of mushrooms giving a flavorful and authentic taste to it.

Main course was Mixed Fajitas (RM30.90). You can choose your fajitas to come with either chicken, beef, prawn, lamb loin, or a mix of chicken and beef. Whichever you choose, you can bet it comes juicy and tender. Together with the other condiments of onions, peppers, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and cheese rolled into a tortilla, this is another I feel beats Chili's version. Las Carretas also serves a wide variety of steaks and frequently holds offers for high quality meat and seafood on their website.

It was a truly memorable first visit to Las Carretas. Food aside, the best thing we enjoyed had to be their excellent service! From the time we set foot into the restaurant, the friendly and attentive waiters made you feel comfortable and pampered. And if you are celebrating a birthday, you can have one of them wear those huge Mexican hats and play happy birthday on a guitar! Now how cool is that! Las Carretas may not be as famous as Chili's, but if you ever cross paths with them in Ampang, Subang, or Damansara Heights, I can bet you'll get a better Mexican experience.

Las Carretas Restaurant & Bar

22 Persiaran Ampang

Kuala Lumpur 

Tel : 03-42571668

Web : Las Carretas

Happy New Year @ Chili's, KLCC

Avenue K's Club Quattro

Wonderful weather over KLCC as a new dawn approaches. Cold clear skies, colorful lighting, and a buzz echoing from the groups of people gathering in and around KLCC.

Margarita Presidente

But first up, dinner with SS and a visit to one of my favorite spicy outlets; Chili's :)

Salty, Sweet, and Sour

Perhaps my year could really be summarized by this cocktail. The pain through the salt, the sweetness through the margarita, and the sourness through the lime. After steps 1,2, and 3, what do you do again? Yes, repeat it all over again. Why? Because life puts you through saltiness and sourness so that you appreciate its sweetness :)

Grilled Lamb Shoulder

The last time I came here, I totally missed this on the menu. Not again! Its so hard to find good lamb shoulders these days and Chili's did not disappoint. I actually asked for it to be well done but it came somewhat medium. I guess they were rushing with the number of customers queuing up at the entrance.

Oh yea, It took us close to 2 hours to secure a seat. We had to get in a queue just to sign in onto the waiting list. Haha.. But it was fun..

Oh back to the food.. Yes.. At just below RM25, the Grilled Lamb Shoulder is a feast fit for 2. As it was medium, the meat was pink and required a bit of chewing. But the taste, excellent! A light bloody liquid on top of the meat did not deter us but made the meat look shinning-ly tasty. Chili's wholesome and specially made mashed potato is a killer together with fresh vegetables and garlic bread to round up this experience.

Old Timer Burger w Chili & Cheese

Well I'm not too well versed with the burgers from Chili's. I was slightly disappointed with the dry Cajun Chicken Sandwhich I had the last time I was here. Well looks like lightning does strike twice! Old timer, although comprising of mostly lean meat, was far too dry for my taste buds. The additional chili and cheese did not help either. Hopefully third time is a charm ;)


Overall we had a good time. A good dinner and chat to end 2008. Then its time to head outside and join the hordes of aimless people who have come to witness the fiery skies.

Aimless dots

So tall yet so big

More beautiful than fireworks

And that is why all my fireworks' shots were horrendous! :p


HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

TO MY FRIENDS & FAMILY

LOVED ONES

AND NOT FORGETTING

ALL MY DEAR READERS

Lets begin 09 with more sweetness, and less saltiness and sourness..

- rubinho

Chili's Grill & Bar

Lot 346 B, Level 3

Suria KLCC 
50088 Kuala Lumpur

03-21641400