Wine and Dine at Lafite, Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Experience an evening of pure indulgence with fine French cuisine, dainty canapes, exquisite wines and more at ‘Wine and Dine’ at Lafite, Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur every last Friday of the month starting 29 September 2017 from 7pm to 10.30pm at RM 290nett per person.

Naughty Babe Dirty Duck restaurant, Bangsar review

I was hungry, naughty and ready to get down right dirty. And Naughty Babe Dirty Duck in Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar was just the dining place to suit my mood that night for dinner.  As expected of a place with the words babe and duck in it, whimsical pig and duck decorations were aplenty in the restaurant.

Under the delusion that we needed to balance the rich meal ahead with some greens, we ordered their Wildest Rocket salad. Wild rocket leaves were my favourite so I enjoyed this delicious healthy dish very much. With a mix of pomegranate for crunch, crispy turkey ham, a generous shaving of parmigiana and a drizzle of honey lime dressing, this salad was a combination of sweet, savoury and sour.

Frisky Goat Bakery Cafe, TTDI review

After hearing many good things about Frisky Goat in TTDI, I finally dropped by for a lunch. Parking however was a challenge and I had to circle the block three times before I lucked out and scored a parking spot right in front of Frisky Goat.

Upon entering, I was greeted with a cheery 'hello, welcome to Frisky Goat!', was quickly shown to a table and given a menu. It was a weekday and the cafe itself wasn't crowded with a nice upbeat music playing in the background. The chattering of three Australian ladies at the table next mine gave me the illusion of being in Australia. One can imagine, can't she. The ambiance was inviting with a corner offering their pastries and bread and a display of tantalizing cakes and desserts. The seats against the wall were lined with funky cushions and was quite cosy.

Gold Coast 2014: Day 2 - Hurricane's Grill & Bar, Surfers Paradise

So after running/walking 21km and overcoming 35 obstacles (or burpeeing our way through), it only seemed right that we treat ourselves to a scrumptious meal at one of the famous eateries in Gold Coast, Hurricane's Grill and Bar in Surfers Paradise. 

A good many blogs and TripAdvisor reviews recommended this place so we were excite to dine there especially after an exhausting day. Reservations were made a week in advance and a deposit was paid to secure our booking as we had a huge group of over 20 people. 

BluMed restaurant, the Gardens New Menu review

Strangely enough, no matter how many times I have been to Midvalley and Gardens, I never once thought to step into BluMed Ristorante e Bar for a meal or drinks. It might be because I was intimidated by the elegant and posh exterior and interior of the two-leveled restaurant that sits between Midvalley and Gardens.

Recently, I was invited by Ivy of Food Malaysia to try out several dishes from their new revamped menu (available 17 March onwards0. Upon entering the outlet, it turned out it wasn't at all that intimidating as the entire restaurant was warm and inviting with an open kitchen concept, a bar and a dessert display. 

Bite Hopping with 1Utama & the Butterfly Project Part 2

In this part of Bite Hopping through 1Utama with the Butterfly Project, let me introduce you to the eateries found in High Street. After covering most of Food Street (which you can read about in Part 1 here), the next part of my foodie mission took me to High Street lower ground (LG). 

[Non-halal] But before that, on my way to the former new wing of 1Utama, I dropped by this hidden little hideaway for my Bak Kut Teh fix, Pao Xiang Bak Kut Teh. How do you find it? Just look out for a giant bowl next to the escalator on the lower ground floor and it is right next to the Chinese medicine store, way inside. 

Pao Xiang Bak Kut Teh is famously known for their string-tied meat that ensure the meat remains firm and succulent when it is boiled in the herbal soup. It comes served on a ceramic burner to make sure it is constantly hot as you slurp on it. And it just so happened that when I was here, it started pouring cats and dogs outside. Talk about the perfect weather for piping hot soup and pork!

Bite Hopping with 1Utama & the Butterfly Project Part 1

Today's installment of Bite Hopping was brought to you by 1Utama Shopping Centre in collaboration with the Butterfly Project. Being the 4th largest shopping mall in the world, you can be really spoiled for choice in terms of food in 1Utama. Spoiled rotten like a kid in Candyland.

Thanks to the Butterfly Project, I got to try out some of 1Utama's hidden food treasures last weekend as part of their Blogger Wonderfood Adventure. My mission, should I chose to accept or not (I did, that's why I am doing this anyway) was to explore, eat, taste and photography 15 selected outlets of the lower ground (LG) floor. All within a 5 hours time limit from 11am to 4pm.

As soon as I collected my food passport to collect stamps from the outlets and my goodie bag from the registration counter, I started mapping out my foodie route for the next five hours. (cue Mission Impossible music)

Let me start by introducing you to Food Street, located in the LG Promenade area directly beneath Isetan if you need a landmark to find it. There is a good number of eateries here that can satisfy any sort of craving be it local or international, sweet or savoury.

Burgertory, SS15 Subang Jaya review

On Mother's Day, the family went to Burgertory after debating between steamboat buffet and pork burger. Obviously in my family, the latter was an instant choice. We got there at about 7pm and thankfully the crowd hasn't come it yet.

William, one of the founders was the friendly face behind the counter and he was helpful in making recommendations to my mother. I already knew what I wanted from all the blogs I've been reading.

While there was the option of ala carte, we ordered the three burgers sets and a salad from the extensive menu of pork, beef and vegetarian burgers. A burger set comes with fries, onion rings, meatballs and a free flow of soft drinks. Orders are made at the counter and we quickly seated ourselves at the long table which the Burgertory crew had built themselves along with the rest of entire restaurant.

Just Heavenly, Oh So Heavenly

Glorious cakes!

Bloggers and the media have been raving about this particular cafe located in Bangsar Shopping Centre. The brainchild of Nigel Skelchy and Allan Yap, Just Heavenly cafe offers a comfortable dining experience with a clear simplistic theme of calming blue, white and brown. Prior to visiting Just Heavenly, I tormented myself by reading up blog reviews on it and knew more or less what I wanted.

Simple inviting decor.

Sourdough with Nutella, bananas,
hazelnuts and orange reduction.

To start, I ordered the cinnamon toasted sourdough, topped with Nutella, delicious bananas and hazelnuts with a drizzle of orange reduction. The sourdough was toasted to perfection with a crunchy base that goes well with the Nutella spread and the lightly toasted bananas on top. A definitely must-try.

Moroccan Mint tea.

To cleanse my palate for the next dish, I ordered the Moroccan Mint tea which came in a triangular teabag to allow the tea leaves to seep better in the hot water.

The Classic Carbonara

Just Heavenly's Penne Carbonara comes highly recommended and I could certainly see why. The sauce was deliciously creamy and not too thick or too rich. With ample bits of bacon and mushroom, I could easily finish off the whole plate myself. My dining buddies who tried it too agreed it was one of the best carbonara they have tasted.

We also ordered Coconut Chicken Salad, Chicken & Avocado Open Sandwich with Cranberry Sauce. and the Tiger pie.

Coconut chicken Salad.

Coconut lovers would enjoy the Coconut Chicken Salad as the chicken slices has been cooked in coconut milk, giving it a nice juicy flavour. The chilli dressing offered a combination of sweet, sour and spicy to the salad made of cucumbers, pineapple, fried shallots, onions and lemongrass.

Chicken & Avocado Open Sandwich.

The Chicken and Avocado Open Sandwich was unusual for a lack of a better word. It looked like salad served on a fluffy pita bread but don't let its appearances fool you because it was delicious. While the chicken was juicy, the avocado was soft yet crunchy and the cranberry sauce complimented the entire dish with its sweetness.

Tiger Pie

The Tiger pie has no tiger in it but it does have beef.  Lots of it. The puff pastry was buttery and airy and soaked in the yummy beef sauce wonderfully. The beef chunks were succulent and juicy. On the side, a serving of mash, peas and gravy completed this wholesome comfort meal.

Durian Chocolate cake.

And of course, this being Just Heavenly, we must have their cakes to finish. It wouldn't be a complete affair without their famous cakes. The Durian Chocolate cake was just heavenly! (forgive the pun). The moment the fork sliced open the chocolate layer, the scent of durian hit us at full force, indicating its freshness. Real durian flesh was used for this delight, making it a definite must for durian lovers.

Key Lime Pie.

Another recommended slice of heaven (again, forgive the pun) to try was the Key Lime Pie. Unlike many places, Just Heavenly was really generous with the amount of cream which helped tone down the sourness of the lime custard. I dare say, this was one of the best Key Lime Pie I have tasted.

Carrot and red velvet cake.

We also had the Red Velvet and carrot cake but these two barely held a candle to the Durian Chocolate and Key Lime Pie in terms of flavour. Texture-wise, I would say they were moist with a good proportion of key ingredients like the cream cheese on the Red Velvet and crunchy nuts in the carrot cake.

Overall, food was a constant bullseye. Service was a bit slow but this was probably due to a lack of manpower at lunch hour. The waiter servicing us was accommodating and helpful in recommending dishes to try. Ambience was easy and relax and you don't feel the need to rush through your meals to make way for the next customer. Just Heavenly is a great place to just sit for 2-3 hours, catching up with friends over coffee or tea and cakes.

If this is what heaven is like, I would like to make a reservation please.

Just Heavenly indeed!

Just Heavenly Cafe
Level 2, West Wing
Bangsar Shopping Centre
285 Jalan Maarof
59000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603 2011 4866
Opening hours: Daily 9:30am – 10:00pm

Cakes at The Red BeanBag @ Publika

Photo credit: The Red BeanBag

A friend's friend introduced us to the Red Beanbag in Publika after a two hours hike through Gasing Hill in Petaling Jaya recently. The hike was exhausting but fun and we felt that after burning all those calories, we deserved a reward. In the form of cake.



Photo credit: The Red BeanBag

My friend's friend, Sher Lyn mentioned a friend's cafe in Publika that had the most amazing cakes. And that was how we ended up at this adorable restaurant overlooking the Square, near the Bee's and Plan B.


Photo credit: The Red BeanBag

We got there about lunch time and the place was buzzing with people waiting for a table. Fortunately we had the foresight to grab a bite at the food court downstairs which prevented us from salivating over the other customer's food. I heard people would wait 45 minutes to be seated, indicating the popularity of this place.

Pardon the poor quality pictures of the food as it had been an impromptu trip and I only had my phone with me. I had to steal some of the interior shots from their official facebook page here.

The interior design and ambience of the restaurant immediately reminded me of Australia and my friends from there quickly confirmed this, noting the cardboard menus and bottles of water to help yourself to on each table. The entire place, althought crowded, gave off a warm welcoming feeling that just invites you to come in and chill out for the rest of the day. Preferably with a cuppa and a slice of their yummy cake.

As soon as we were seated, I headed to the cake display to check out their cakes. Sher Lyn recommended the Rum and Raisin Mille Crepe cake (RM14.90) which was too die for! As soon as we dug in, we relapsed into silence to fully appreciate the smoothness of the cake and the mixture of sweetness with clear flavour of rum in it. It was slightly more expensive than the crepe cakes at Food Foundry but totally worth it! All of their crepe cakes are home made by Oneatezero and often sells like hot cakes!

 

 

I also ordered the Red Velvet cake (RM12.90) because I have been craving for one ever since trying the Starbuck's version. Sadly the Red Velvet was a disappointment as the cake was dry and crumbly while the layers of cream cheese were too thin and little. Perhaps it was because we had the Rum and Raisin before it which affected our taste buds but the Red Velvet was also lacking in sweetness.  

 

 

While we were there, Sher Lyn ordered a cup of coffee. It smelt divine! And that wasn't the only thing that smelt good there. The table across ours had the Mussels & Clams In Aromatic Wine Broth and the My Crustacean Cousin (Tiger Prawns, Scallops & Pipis Served With Freshly Pressed Tagliolini Pasta) that had us drooling despite our full tummies. We could smell the scents wafting through the air and we promised we would come again for a proper meal.

 

 

Service was prompt and efficient, I have no complains about that. The restaurant decor is just lovely and in the mood of Chinese New Year. The pricing of the cakes are slightly more expensive than what I am used to but the Rum and Raisin crepe cake is worth every cent and considering the location, I believe the prices are justified. I will certainly come back again, this time with a bigger group of friends, my trusty cameras and an empty tummy to try everything.

 

Aw, dammit. I've gotten hungry again just from writing this review. Oh and by the way, the Red Beanbag is also pet-friendly, ringing up another plus point in my books!

The Red Beanbag

Add: Lot A4-1-08, Level 1, (overlooking The Square)

Solaris Dutamas, Mont Kiara

50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +6 03-6211 5116
Hours: Tue-Fri, 10am-10pm;

Sat & Sun 9:30am-10pm,

closed on Mondays

 

Photo credit: The Red BeanBag

 



 *********

To all my readers,

Happy Chinese New Year!

Have a safe journey and happy eating!

myBurgerLab @ Seapark review

Hey, guys!

 

I know I haven't been updating as frequently as before. My thesis assignment has begun and I am now mostly overwhelmed with terms like 'conceptualising', 'theory', 'feminist', 'content analysis' and 'methodology'. So please bare with me and I'll try to update as often as possible!

 

Now on to the food review.

~.~.~.~.~.~

I have been hearing a lot about myBurgerLab located in Seapark and decided to dropby to see what the fuss was about. As a regular visitor to Seapark for years, it was surprising that this location was picked for what will become a popular burger joint.

I got there on a Saturday evening at about 7pm and walked out with my burger at 8pm. Yup, it was a one-hour experience of queing up and waiting for the famous charcoal-bun-burger.

The long line outside of about ten people did little to deter me as I quickly found a parking space and joined the queue. The queue weaved all the way into the shop where it was was jammed pack with ravenous people happily munching away at their burgers. I should mention that the line was due to the popularity of the burgers, NOT because of inefficiency because myBurgerLab provides very efficient and helpful service.

Next to the "Order Here" counter was the blackboard menu written out in colourful chalk, like in primary school. Carnivores have the option of either beef or/and chicken while vegetarians can go for the vege burgers. There is apparently a secret menu that offers the Elvis burger. Intriguing, right? If you are uncertain of what to try, there is a friendly staff at hand to make recommendations.

I ordered two burgers, takeaway because there was no place to sit. There was a pickup counter where you'll find an African staff shouting out your names for you to pick up your orders. The diversity amongst the workers and teamwork there was impressive and highly recommendable. Maybe a certain government should take tips from myBurgerLab on how to unite a country.

Through a common love for food.

Speaking of love for food, I ordered the ala carte Say Cheese and the A+.

Say Cheese was practically oozing with sharp chedder. The entire patty was coated in cheese with a bed of lettuce and mushroom. The patty was tender, succulent and juicy. And the buns were fluffy, soaking up the sauce and cheese well.

The A+ was indeed deserving of its grade. The caremelised onions and shikate and enoki mushrooms added a sweet kick to the ever yummy patty topped with sharp chedder. I must say my favourite part was the crunchy cheese bits which I left for last.

myBurgerLab also offers Smooshie, a refreshing juice drink that comes at RM5. I ordered the mandarin orange and lychee drink with wolfberry bits inside, a seasonal special. Yummy!

 

If you order the set, the burgers comes with highly recommended oregano fries and a drink. Drinks are refillable by the way for dine-ins. Despite the one-hour queue, I would like to go back and try their other burgers there, especially the mysterious Elvis burger. But this time, I'll definitely come earlier to secure a seating place and a chance to fully relish their burgers with fries this time.

Details:
myBurgerLab
14, Jalan 21/22,
SeaPark, 46300 PJ,
Selangor.
Hours: Tuesdays – Sundays, 5.00pm – 11.00pm (closed on Mondays)
Contact them at their official FB page: https://www.facebook.com/myBurgerLab



Burgers, anyone?

Chef & Brew@Bukit Damansara

If you're looking for a restaurant for an intimate gathering of friends and family, then Chef & Brew, Bukit Damansara might just be the place for you. My friend, Celine decided to celebrate her xx (shh, it's a secret) birthday there. 

 

As we were there on a Saturday night, parking was no issue. The restaurant itself wasn't full but had a consistent crowd coming in and leaving throughout the night. I guess we were the noisiest group there that night with the exception of a family with a wailing baby.

The restaurant consisted of an outdoor and indoor dining area, both offering a cosy and comfortable ambiance for you to just sit back, relax and eat. Our group was seated by a wall of ingredients, liqour and random items, resembling the backdrop setup of G3, Bangsar (or is it the other way around?)

Celine had worked out a fixed menu with the restaurant to cater to everyone's preference and the menu was as such:

To kick off the dinner, we were served with toasted bread and butter. I prefer buns over bread when in a restaurant and this bread just didn't do it for me too. It was too tough when bitten into, indicating the lack of freshness. The butter was yummy though.

CNB's Chilli Lamb was a letdown because it was too spicy and soaked in oil. It was served on a papadum which had 'masuk angin' and had soaked in the oil from the lamb curry.

CNB's Chilli Lamb

Cheese wanton & deep fried sotong

The cheese wanton and deep fried sotong wasn't too bad although the sotong was a tad too rubbery. The cheese wanton was my favourite appetizer, filled with delicious cheesy goodness.

Grilled Chicken fillet with roast sauce.

I ordered the grilled chicken with roast sauce. The sauce was too salty for my liking but the chicken fillet was perfectly cooked. I liked it so much I stole my sister's share. My mom and dad ordered the fish and chips and the spaghetti turkey ham and wild mushroom olio which were just above average. Nothing really stood out from these two dishes. 

Fish and chips

spaghetti turkey ham and wild mushroom oglio

Once everyone had settled in from the main course, the birthday celebration commenced with cake(s), a lot of picture taking and friendly banter.

Photo time!

We're all crazy people!

 We had many many flavours of Secret Recipe cakes and as usual, their cheesecakes do not disappoint. By the end of the night, we were all so full, rounded and happy....

Thank you, Celine for inviting my family and I for this special celebration and 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! 

The birthday girl and her plate of many cakes!

While we were there, I could smell the sizzling steak from another table which smelt promising. Chef & Brew carries an extensive menu of western and local dishes at reasonable prices. Despite this so-so experience, I wouldn't mind coming back to Chef & Brew to try its sizzling steak and its desserts as I have heard good reviews of their desserts. Any takers?


Details:
Chef & Brew 
1 Jalan Medan Setia 1,
Bukit Damansara, 50490
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 - 2095 9799
Hours: 11am-late