BAIT @ Jln Telawi Bangsar

Prawn and mango salad - RM24

We got BAITed! Fits-no-more-than-say... 25 pax (??), BAIT is another new kid on the block that did not fail to impress at Telawi Street in Bangsar (facing BV2, same row as The Social / El Meson / Smokehouse).


Baked potatoes with blue cheese and bacon bits - RM20++

Menu is not too extensive (though reading it under the dim lights will need some squinting). The prawn and mango salad was refreshing but could be slightly expensive. Those who love the acquired taste of blue cheese MUST order the baked potato with blue cheese appetizer. Makes a great addictive starter - mmmmm mmmmm lovely combination of protein, calcium and carbs.

 
Rock cod - RM34


Seafood aglio olio - RM20++


Butter poached salmon - RM30

For the mains, I plea and urge that everyone orders the butter poached salmon! Done sous vide (water bath), the natural flavours are sealed and melts in your mouth. I would return to have this (& the blue cheese baked potatoes of course). Nothing extraordinary for the pasta and and no complains for the cod.

Oysters (baked or fresh) is also available in the menu but with minimum order of 6 pieces. The prices are on the higher end, but the quality justifies and the service is excellent too -- I appreciate service staff who can & have the courage to recommend us their favourites from the menu. Note to self: A revisit is a must!


Bait
65, Jalan Telawi 3,
Bangsar Baru,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-22018187

* Visuals by iPhone 4

[Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. Please don't sue me, I don't have money. Kthxbye.] 

The Gastro Project @ Section 17, PJ

The Gastro Project bar

Joining the buzzing foodscene in PJ's Section 17 is The Gastro Project. It is located at the visible corner lot of the new block of shops next to Decanter / Bistro à Table / Verona Trattoria. PJ folks are really lucky that more quality eateries are sprucing up, so there is no need to drive all the way to KL for that good bite of food and good sip of drinks.


Project 'Ade' (mango, lychee, tea) & Passionade - RM8


Prawn bisque - RM15


Roasted tomatoes stuffed with mince lamb - RM15

Just opened for about a fortnight, the menu looks promising- offering simple and nothing too complicated selections of entrees, mains and desserts. Choices are not aplenty, but sometimes the lack of it can make food ordering a lot more easy and faster. Our choices of prawn bisque and roasted tomatoes were excellent. One of the better versions of prawn bisque that is creamy in texture but has deep flavour of roasted prawn shells (wish the bowl was deeper!) The roasted tomatoes was good too but felt that the price could be too steep for just 3 cherry tomatoes.


Greek Pizza (feta, olives, roasted artichokes, sun dried tomatoes) - RM25


Crabmeat aglio-olio with chilli flakes - RM20


Meat tortellini in cream sauce - RM20


Fried steak and onion pie - RM20

No flaws in the mains, we love the pizza though unfortunately the kitchen ran out of artichokes and we were not informed. We feedbacked accordingly (afterall, artichokes is the main ingredient of the pizza... and they're expensive too), and got this off the bill. The pastas were executed well - crabmeat aglio olio was well loaded although the meat tortellini was just ordinary. The fried steak and onion pie caught our eye, pastry was nice though the filling were a little heavy on black pepper.


Chocolate rum ball - RM15

Stuffed but 3 little chocolate rum balls will do no harm. The rum balls were too mild (not for Alcoholics!) and again, felt this was also a little pricey.

Happy hour starts from 5-8pm and overall food and drink prices are reasonable. Unlike a project which has a time period of start to end, we hope The Gastro Project doesn't and looking forward to return!



The Gastro Project
No. 25, Jalan 17/56,
Section 17, Petaling Jaya,
Selangor.
(new block of shops, same row as Decanter PJ)


* Visuals by iPhone 4

[Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. Please don't sue me, I don't have money. Kthxbye.]

Doraku @ KL Life Center

After a (pretty) long hiatus, I'm reviving the food blog once more. I did initially thought of retiring from blogging but as they say, "never say never". January 20th, perhaps a good day and date to put up my first post for the year.


Agedashi Tofu - RM18

Since the inception and launch of group-buying sites like Groupon, Living Social, Dealmates, etc. in the online-sphere, I've unashamedly became one of 'em who downloads all the apps and check on the latest deals everyday! However, I must say some of the deals especially F&B are pretty good buys, like this 50% off cash vouchers for Doraku from Living Social.

Ahi Hawaiian Poke - RM36

Fresh Ahi tuna, sweet onion, seaweed mix and nuts, marinated in Doraku special sauce (sesame-ish)

A quick search on Doraku revealed that it's a modern Japanese-American concept. Founded by Kevin Aoki (doesn't the 'Aoki' family name rings a bell? Steve Aoki - the house musician or Devon Aoki - the Hollywood actress, they're all siblings). Anyway, with all the famous connections and 50% vouchers, we hit Doraku for dinner! 

Sashimi Moriawase - RM55
4 slices of 4 variants of maguro, shiba saba, tako, hotate

 
Sirloin Garlic Steak - RM48
200g grilled sirloin with ginger garlic sauce


Emperor Roll - RM38
Tuna, salmon, crab, shrimp & avocado rolled then crusted in Panko breadcrumbs and then flash fried served over a bed of greens and tempura sweet onion finished with special Aioli sauce


Doraku Roll - RM30
Crabmeat and avocado roll topped with seared tuna, Daikon radish, Shiso leaf and crispy garlic chips, finished with special Wasabi Yuzu Citrus sauce


Sweet Philly Roll - RM45
Marinated salmon, cream cheese and avocado laced with deep fried sweet potato strings and finished with eel sauce

Doraku reminds me of Sushi Groove (if you remember, later became Tokyo G) where you will find the menu is focused on creative and fusion rolls. Ingredients are fresh but unfortunately not everything was mind blowing - we love the Ahi Hawaiian Poke, the sesame-ish flavour sauce complimented the cold dish with thick generous cuts of Ahi tuna. The other favourite was the Sweet Philly Roll - I love the deep fried sweet potato strings, so crispy and addictive! The sashimi was fresh but the restaurant seemed to run out of salmon, so maybe that's why we got the cured mackerel which normally doesn't appear in sashimi platters? The rest fared in between ok and so-so. I expected more from the Emperor and Doraku Roll but they didn't impress much.

With half price vouchers, it's well worth. At full price, I would have expected more.



Doraku Sushi & Sake Bar
Mezzanine Floor, Life Center,
Jalan Sultan Ismail,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-21814828


* Visuals by iPhone 4

[Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. Please don't sue me, I don't have money. Kthxbye.

Urban Spoon Bistro @ Sri Hartamas

Urban Spoon Bistro

About a month ago, I received an email from Sean of Urban Spoon Bistro for an invitation to have a taste of what Urban Spoon has to offer. Little did I know that in fact my sisters also received the same invitation, so we picked a date and did this together.

It's relatively quite easy to look out for Urban Spoon as they are at the new Plaza Damas 3, just opposite Hartamas Shopping Center and facing the main road. For that, I don't think they have problems with getting walk-in customers.


Cocktails - Apple Mojito, Watermelon Margharita, Soho La, Lychee Gimlet (RM25 each)

We were greeted by Sean who is the co-owner of this new establishment which is about a quarter-of-the-year-old. With the play of colours - stripey blue diner booth-style seats, brick walls at a corner, a bar counter that's grey but not gloomy, and curtain laced walls, Urban Spoon did not fail to impress at first glance.

After we were comfortably seated, the waiter whipped out the menus to us. Of course, we studied the menu to see what are the 'extraordinary' dishes that no other restaurants would have attempted - but decided that we will leave it to the chef to decide what goes in our stomach that day. We took the liberty to order the drinks though.


Soft shell crab tempura (RM18)
with apple-papaya som-tam, garlic lime dressing


Stuffed Jalepenos (RM18)
with cream cheese


Roast beef salad (RM18)
with French beans, shallot, lemongrass, chilli, eggplant, with lime & fish sauce dressing

The starters that Chef Steven picked were soft shell crab tempura salad, stuffed jalapenos and the roast beef salad. We enjoyed all three starters as they really whet our appetite with the potpourri of sourness (that comes from the fish sauce) and spicyness. Sensing that the roast beef must be some really good meat, we asked Chef Steven what type of beef was used - he said it is a aged beef and they are all hand sliced, there is no sight of a slicer in the kitchen! Wow, talk about skills!


Carrot and orange bisque (RM14)
with seafood ceviche and braised leeks

The soup was very delicious too, creamy, slightly thick but not starchy and came piping hot. It would have been mistaken for a pumpkin soup from the colour. I like the use of caramelised shallots and leeks which gives a crunch to the soup.


Emperor Tang duck confit (RM38)
with roasted potato, seasonal vegetables, maltose, soy, calamanzi reduction


Pandan chicken & 'kam heong' angel hair (RM28)
with guacamole, leek compote, baked onion


Yaki fillet of cod (RM55)
with sauteed tomato, oyster mushroom, seasonal vegetables, wasabi mayo, anise-mirin glaze, bonito flakes


Cajun wagyu beef burger (RM38)
with homemade spicy tomato chutney, cheese, fried egg


Sunshine is halved

Chef Steven's pick for us for the main courses were a duck confit, cod fish, angel hair pasta, and beef burger. That's quite a balance of seafood, poulty, carb and protein. The mains bear more of a fusion theme, i.e. the duck confit which not only named after a chinese emperor but the method of preparing this is through steaming. Unfortunately, it didn't go too well as the meat was stiff though I did read elsewhere that somebody else had a good experience with this dish.

The kam heong angel hair pasta was something different, the guacamole was the saving grace from the too-dry pandan chicken (according to the menu, soft shell crab is used, but Chef changed it to a chicken side as we already had the crab for starters). The cod fish was alright, though in my humble opinion cod fish is still best cooked via the chinese way of steaming and soy sauce! The best mains of the day had to be the wagyu beef burger which all of us really enjoyed. The minced patty is perfect, sunny side up was a bonus and the buns was soft - a must order.


Zesty crepe with vanilla ice cream (not in menu)


Black pepper tamarind macerated strawberry & peach (RM14)
with chardonnay au gratin & watermelon-basil slashy




Chocolate cherry fondant (RM18)
with vanilla ice cream and alcoholic option

Desserts time! We were first served with the crepe & vanilla ice cream which was not in the menu. Then we got to taste the dessert that caught out eye in the menu due to the complicated name 'Black pepper tamarind macerated strawberry & peach'. It does look like a very complex dessert, appearance wise it looks like mochi but actually it's crepe covered with what I think are breadcrumbs and underneath there's foam, peaches, and strawberries. With this, there's the watermelon slash to go with it. Interesting, but complex.

The other more straight forward dessert is the choc cherry fondant that will make any chocolate desserts lover squel in delight. Warm and chocolate oozing centre, pair it with the cold ice cream and cherry chunks - sinful. Make it a double sinful dessert with the alcoholic option where Grand Marnier is used as an ingredient for this dessert.


Cafe latte (RM10)

We ended the lunch with coffee and exchanging stories about kitchen affairs with the chef. Overall, there are some hits and misses. Improvements I'd like to see is the expansion of the desserts menu and hope the consistency issue can be addressed.



Urban Spoon Bistro
Plaza Damas 3,
Jalan Sri Hartamas 1,
50480 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-6201 2108
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/urbanspoonbistro
Business hours: Mon - Sun 11:am - 11:00pm


* Visuals by iPhone 4

[Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. Please don't sue me, I don't have money. Kthxbye.]

Mods Cafe Melaka

Mods Cafe

Sometimes the best places are discovered by chance, not the long queues spotted from a mile away.

I am sure most will not disagree.



And this rare gem of a find is in Melaka, it's actually a quaint historical shoplot called Mods Cafe. We stumbled upon it when we were doing our usual 'touristy' Jonker Walk-around. Mods Cafe is not exactly along Jonker Walk though, one needs to get out to the street branches and look for one that shows Jalan Tokong.







What attracted us and prompted us to 'have a look' is the brightly coloured VW van parked inside the shop! Next to it are tables and chairs, so we'd figured it's a cafe. The decorations are as retro as you'd imagine - those spinning barber lights, old skool tv and stereo sets, miniature figurines of Vespa scooters, and adorning the wall is about 200 empty beer cans from different parts of the world! (Oooh love the red switches too)

Now, how can anyone not like it here?


Cafe Latte (RM8)


Cafe Mocha (RM9)

We had the Cafe Latte and Cafe Mocha and they're both nicely done with the right amount of froth and beautiful latte art. Believe the guy who served and brew our drinks was Albert, the owner of Mods Cafe (I later googled about it and discovered many who also likes and recommends Mods to be a must visit).

Mods Cafe has become our favourite coffee place in Melaka, and we will surely return when we're in Melaka the next time! We would strongly recommend to skip all the touristy places and be adventurous to find your own gem.



Mods Cafe
14, Jalan Tokong,
75200 Melaka.
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/modscafe


* Visuals by iPhone 3Gs and iPhone 4

[Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. Please don't sue me, I don't have money. Kthxbye.]

Sunday Buffet Brunch @ Acme Bar & Coffee

Acme Bar & Coffee

On my birthday a month ago, my sister suggested to celebrate it with a Sunday brunch at Acme Bar & Coffee (ABC) @ The Troika. For those unaware of where The Troika is, it's a new luxury condo located in the heart of KL with KLCC as its neighbour - how awesome is that. Needless to say, one can expect high standards and quality if any retail or eateries open at that location.


The array of salads

The setting of the outlet is simple yet brilliant. Instead of plain solid walls, the area overlooking outside of the building is surrounded by glass for sunshine (feng shui says sunshine is good chi), laminated wooden floor, comfortable furnitures and space for people to enjoy their meals with a good catching up session.


Smoked duck pizza and selections from the sea - mussels with chilli pesto, smoked salmon potato fritters, fresh prawns with dips


Poultry carving section - roasted spring chicken, roast leg of lamb, roast beef, salt baked fish


Desserts corner - Apricot bread & butter pudding, profiteroles, christmas fruit cake, opera cake, churros with choc sauce, sago gula melaka


Prawn bisque and mussels

The buffet is segregated into a few sections, an array of almost 10 types of salads / small chomps, the poultry carving section where roast beef, lamb, spring chicken and salt baked fish is dished out freshly from the oven, a few other trays of mains like pasta, fish, and chicken, and at the bar area lies the desserts section.

Overall, I think we all enjoyed the array of salads, my favourite being the grilled zucchini and eggplant salad, the prawn bisque is served warm and individual, and the mussels, prawns, salt baked fish, roast lamb and beef are delicious too!

My only grudge is the desserts selection which we all agreed is too limited and not exactly people's favourite type of desserts - we ended up only enjoying the churros and ice cream which was individually served as well.


Clos du Caillou 2009

The Sunday brunch buffet is priced at RM89++ per pax and does not cover for beverages.


Good company

Thank you to all who celebrated and treated me to a good birthday brunch! Cheers :-)

Read Eiling's review here.



Acme Bar & Coffee
Ground Floor @ The Troika,
Jalan Binjai,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2162 2288
Business hours: Daily 11:00am - 12:00 midnight, Fri & Sat till 1:00 midnight


* Visuals by iPhone 4 and Olympus XZ-1

[Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. Please don't sue me, I don't have money. Kthxbye.]