Artisan Coffee Bar @ Bangsar Village

The artisans at work

We've become quite fond of a good cuppa latte and would give any cafe a shot if we were told (or often, read about it) that "the coffee's good". To be honest, when it comes to coffee, I am like many, amateurs who sometimes pretend (or tries to anyway) to know a little bit about coffee but my knowledge would have stopped at just knowing there are several ways coffee can be brewed - siphon, aeropress, french press, and err... 3-in-1 (??!) and the person who makes your coffee is called a 'barista'. Yup, that's about it.

Oh and erm, I do know the difference between a piccolo, latte and flat white :)


Latte - RM11

The coffee fad has just caught up with us KL-ites in just the recent 2 to 3 years. If we could time travel back to the early - mid 2000s, having coffee could possibly mean having it at Starbucks or CBTL or 'kopi-o' at the kopitiams (the cheaper alternative). These mushrooming indie coffee joints would have been unheard of, and possibly fighting a tough battle against the American coffee franchises. Though Starbucks and CBTL are still widely recognized and appealing especially when there's an outlet at every corner with free wifi, there's a little community within that community that has ventured out to patronizing these new indie coffee joints for a whole new different 'coffee experience'.

We have these indie coffee houses to thank for bringing a better alternative to the coffee drinking KL-ites ensuring it's not a rip off, but real quality coffee with individual character, and Artisan is one of them.



Coffee grinder - like a sir!

I am perhaps one of the last people who have just given Artisan a visit at its BV premises. The coffee is good, that's all I can say - because I don't know what other adjectives I could use to describe and certainly am not gonna try to pretend that I do. The Last Polka handcrafted ice creams are also available here with some other varieties of cakes as well.

Have (good) coffee will write.



Artisan Coffee Bar
UG, Bangsar Village 2,
2, Jalan Telawi 1,
Bangsar Baru,
59100 Kuala Lumpur.
Website: http://www.artisanroast.com.my/
* Artisan's first outlet is at TTDI


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.]

Yokotaya @ Section 17, PJ

Maguro zuke don - RM31.80
Sashimi tuna on rice


This is fresh from lunch today. We went to check out the Japanese place that opened up along the row of shops where The Gastro Project is. Yokotaya occupies 2 shoplots, making it very spacious with few formats of seating, i.e. tatami-style, diner-style or simple table & chairs.


Nigiri and zaru soba set - RM44.80

The menu is pretty extensive with multiple choices of ala carte and sets available. We picked the maguro don (tuna sashimi on rice) and a set that has both cold soba and assorted sushi. Service was a bit slow event though there was just 2 tables. Food was ok, not superbly great. The maguro don was nicely done but does not justify the > RM30 pricetag. Actually neither does the sushi and soba set. Prices are definitely too steep for common Japanese fare, which the likes of Sushi Tei could compare... at probably 1/4 of price less.


Chawan mushi

Still, I suppose it's a nice new addition to the nearby neighborhood and places to splurge... if it's on anyone else's budget but your own ;-)



Yokotaya
17G, Jalan 17/56,
Section 17,
Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-79317003


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.]

Menya Musashi @ 1 Utama

Not a fan of ramen, my favourite Japanese noodle would be the cold soba, but we gave this a shot anyway. Quite hard to be missed by all the actions in the kitchen, Menya Musashi made its mark with the first outlet in 1 Utama, hidden within the Eat Paradise section of Isetan.



Shiro (onion oil with 3 pieces of pork slices) - RM26


Kuro (with special fried shallot broth and 2 pieces of pork slices) - RM24

Ramen has never been cheap even at the mass ramen outlets like Ajisen Ramen. The other famous ramen eatery that we have is Marutama Ramen at Empire Shopping Centre. A bowl of the most basic (i.e. 2 slices of pork, half lava egg, clear broth) will sure to set you back at least RM20. We tried 2 variants, one with clear shallot oil broth and the other with special fried shallot (black broth looks a little scary though). Our overall verdict? It's ok, broth is flavourful but since neither of us are fans of this Japanese noodle, I think we'll give it a pass for a second visit.

Instead, we'll spend the same RM20 savouring 4 pieces of sushies at Ichiro!



Menya Musashi
Eat Paradise
2nd floor Isetan,
1 Utama Shopping Center (old wing),
Petaling Jaya.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MenyaMusashiMalaysia


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.]

Ichiro Sushi Bar @ 1 Utama

Heaven in a Japanese bowl : Salmon sashimi with ebiko on rice - RM30

How I took so long to discover Ichiro is beyond me. Eating at an authentic sushi bar in Japan has always and still is in my bucket list. Not the kaiten style (conveyor belt), but those little sushi bars that seats less than 10 pax at the chef's counter and all you eat is just sushi and sashimi (watch Jiro's Dreams of Sushi).

Ichiro is in some ways resembles the little sushi bars that I had imagined. This little sushi corner seats no more than 20 pax, with maybe about 6 seats at the chef's counter. The menu is displayed via an iPad and ordering is also through the tablet.



Assorted sashimi for 2 - RM60


Heaven on a plate of ice

For our maiden visit, we tried the salmon sashimi with ebiko on rice and an assorted sashimi for 2. One can really see and taste the chef's knife skills especially the thinly sliced transluscent salmon sashimies. The cuts are nicely done for the sashimi platter as well. There is only one word to describe... FRESH. So fresh, you can almost taste it dancing in your mouth! I skimmed through all the tips posted on foursquare about Ichiro, the same adjective is used too. I read blogs for Ichiro's review, and again the same is mentioned over and over again.

Prices may be steep (after all, you'll expect the same for quality Japanese food), but it's really worth the splurge and we are considering to return for just the sushies... (roughly calculated, per piece is at an average RM5-6, it'll approximately cost RM120+ to try all the sushies available).



Ichiro Sushi Bar
Eat Paradise
2nd floor Isetan,
1 Utama Shopping Center (old wing),
Petaling Jaya.



* 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.]

Ante Kitchen & Bar @ Publika

Dine like a sir

I had the opportunity to dine at Ante, courtesy of my sis who decided to buy me dinner for my birthday last month. Ante is run by a few 20-somethings young men who are good friends and decided to start something together (makes things easier when at least one's a chef) and two of them are coincidentally my sis's friends. I wish I have friends who want to start a Bed & Breakfast with me, until then it becomes a lifelong dream :(

Who and what inspires the name? I managed to have a quick chat with one of the partners, and questioned him the same. He told me that ANTE refers to 'a poker stake usually put up before the deal to build the pot'. I hope you'll be able to figure out by now what Ante means to these young 20-somethings, cos I think it's a great and meaningful name.


Chunky mushroom soup - RM12



Caramelized garlic olio (there's bacon in it too!) - RM23



Char-grilled pork steak - RM40+

For those who's never dined with me, my first choice of soup will always be the mushroom soup if it's on the menu. My first impression towards any eateries will be the first spoonful of mushroom soup that I taste. It's not easy to make a good bowl of mushroom soup that isn't too creamy and bursting with shroom flavours. In essence, a good bowl of mushroom soup can warm the cockles of my heart. Ante's version though not the best (since I found the best at Milk and Butter), it passes the acid test.

The mains that we had was a garlic olio, though I think they should rename it with the word 'bacon' in it to attract orders. Nicely done and portion is just right too. I had the honor to order one of the most expensive dish within the mains. There was an option to choose the type of pork slab... and I was given the green light to pig out (expensively), so bring on the expensive pork! Served with a side of baked apple, mash and greens with glorious berry cream sauce. The pork steak was 1/4 fat, 3/4 meat. and honestly a heavy porky dish for me to handle - hence, I'll recommend sharing this. I like the baked apple though!

Be sure to check out Ante when you're in Publika - maybe spotting a mustache like a sirrrr could score you a free beer! (heh)



Ante Kitchen & Bar
A2-G1-09,
Publika, Solaris Dutamas,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-62063364
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ante.kl?group_id=0



* 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.]

S.Wine @ B.I.G. Independent Food Store, Publika

Parma ham, arugula and peach salad - RM19.90

The BIG Group needs no further introduction to the F&B scene in Kuala Lumpur. In the recent couple of years, the BIG Group has launched and opened so many new eateries - some repeated but located in different venues (i.e. Plan B, Ben's General Foodstore, T-Forty Two), but many concepts still remain independent (The Estates, Hit & Mrs, S.Wine, Botanical, Canoodling, Barn BBQ, Ricetaurant, B'wiched), you can almost be assured they have no plans of stopping! Every new eatery that pops out is sure to be checked if it's by The BIG Group - but if you notice, most BIG outlets have some sort of similarities, the deco props and the type of chairs (prove me wrong, or right?). Sans the fixtures, some of the items in the menu are similar too -- compare Ben's to Ben's General Foodstore and Plan B (maybe the coffee too).

Whatever the similarities or differences, one thing's for sure... there's a Ben-outlet in every corner of the town.


BBQ chorizo cheeseburger with bacon - RM24.90

The people behind The BIG Group are in fact genius - setup your own high end supermarket and bring in all your F&B outlets within the supermarket. That way, you don't have to pay rental twice, economies of scale in getting ingredients but at the same time the brand presence is loud and clear.

S.Wine was introduced when B.I.G. opened doors as (in my opinion) part of leveraging on the supermarket's purchasing power in getting the freshest and bestest quality of ingredients as the deli was already importing poultry (midstream?), why not have the downstream covered too? The menu is strictly focused on (duh!) swine so ditch that diet away when you're here.


Momofuku-inspired pork buns - RM16.90

As always, we'll pick an entree to share, either a soup or a salad. The parma ham caught our eye, and Parma ham, arugula and peach salad it was. The salad as I remember, was okay - the price tag has to justify the fancy ingredients anyway. The BBQ chorizo cheeseburger with bacon was nothing less than amazing. This is one burger that you'll be thankful you're not a vegan. The Momofuku-inspired pork buns was comfort food. (A little foodnote: Google-search tells me that Momofuku is the famous restaurant in New York City that first 'created' this dish). As Chinese, we grew up with eating Tung Po pork and steamed mantou, so this should be nothing foreign to us. Although it's delicious, it's a bit pricey for just 2 pieces of these pork sandwich.


Assam refresher - RM9.90
Assam boi, lime, cucumber and soda

If you have additional RM10 to spare, give this assam refresher a shot (the assam is frozen within the ice!)... do I think it's worth RM10? No. Will I pay for creativity? Maybe.... sometimes yes.


Latte and Piccolo at Plan B

After a heavy lunch at S.Wine, some grocery shopping at B.I.G., what better way to cap it all up with a cuppa at Plan B. Don't you see the it's ingenious?



S.Wine
Ben's Independent Grocer,
Publika, Solaris Dutamas,
Kuala Lumpur.
Facebook:


* 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.]

Yeast Bistronomy @ Jln Telawi, Bangsar

 
Yeast - Bangsar's answer to authentic French bistro food

If there is one thing the Telawi Street shopowners are doing right, it is renting out their properties to new quality restaurant / cafe owners. In the past few months, we've seen quite a few shops close down and new eateries quickly opening up to fill the gaps (Milk and Butter, Coffea Coffee, Yeast, Bait). The recipe to survival in this competitive and realistic food business is good food (not necessarily mind blowing), good ambiance (patrons want a comfortable place to hang out, sip on coffee, have a smoke, catch up with friends, etc), and good service. I'm leaving out the pricetag - as it proves to be inelastic to the society in Bangsar (those who either stays here or generally loves hanging out in the area).

Yeast has been garnering attention from the online and offline world, perhaps because it is a true-blue Parisian themed and inspired bistro, whipping up authentic but affordable French bistro food and run by a couple of whom the husband is a French, and from what we saw, the kitchen is helmed by a gusto French lady chef and the masterpieces from the boulangerie are from the artisan baker who is also imported in from France.


Frisée aux Lardons - RM22
Frisée salad, smoked duck, poached eggs

The premise was packed to brim - an indication that food must be good? We had to wait for a good 15 minutes before some tables start vacating, but we chose to sit at the bar instead - which is not a norm for us, but there is always a time and place to defy the norm and you may be pleasantly surprised by the experience.

We saw how poached eggs were made, or how many slices of smoked salmon goes on the toasted brioche for the eggs benedict dish, or how the cheese was melted on the croque madame, or.... the list goes on.

Compared to its neighbor (perhaps an arch rival now?) - Antipodean, Yeast's brunch menu is more focused to offer what a typical bistro in Paris would offer -- simple no-frills, could be prepared easily, and fast. Therefore, what you see in the brunch menu typically revolves around comfort-food ingredients such as egg, cheese, tomato, smoked salmon or turkey ham, and typical French pastries such as brioche and croissant.


Oeuf Poche 'Benedictins' - RM18
2 soft poached eggs on brioche toast with smoked salmon or smoked turkey, bearnaise sauce and greens

We ordered a frisée salad to share. 'Frisée' is a type of vege known as French curly endive, while 'Lardons' are small strips or cubes of bacon or lard, but Yeast's version uses smoked duck. If you deconstruct the whole dish, you'll find that this is a very simple salad, but the hefty pricetag may be due to the ingredients. 

The eggs menu is available daily until 3pm. So be sure to catch the brunch menu if you're in the mood for the crowd's favourite 'Eggs Benedict' (there seems to be a sure-order on every table, including ours!). Everyone has opinions on how a perfect Eggs Benedict should be, for me - if it's on a toasted brioche, this gets a spot on the podium. Toasted brioche with generous portion of smoked salmon, perfectly poached eggs and not too overwhelming hollandaise sauce? (Yeast replaces the traditional with bearnaise) - we've got a champion!


Croque Madame - RM25
Grilled turkey ham and cheese topped with a sunny side up egg
 
The other crowd favourite seems to be the Croque Madame, though we find it steeply priced especially the next item after the Madame in the menu is Monsieur (sans the sunny side up egg) is priced RM4 lower. One tip for this one, if you're not a huge fan of cheese, the Croque Madame can fill you up very easily as the cheese (suspect it's Gruyère) is quite powering. In my opinion, best to enjoy it shared half. Fortunately, we love cheese, it was on toasted brioche, and we shared it!


The perks of bar counter seats - you get to see everything in action in the kitchen!; Latte - RM9

On the other side of the bistro, is where the artworks of the artisan baker are proudly displayed and offer for sample & sale. Yeast believes in baking the freshest and serving its customers the freshest too, so from 5 - 7pm, the pastries and bread are sold at 30% off.

We'd love to return to Yeast to sample their dinner fare and see if it could be an affordable option against the higher end Café Café. 



Yeast Bistronomy
24G, Jalan Telawi 2,
Bangsar, 59100,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-22820118
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Yeast-Bistronomy/351724934917371


* 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.]

Wondermama @ Bangsar Village

Dancing squid - RM15.90

Wondermama is not new and has been blogged, raved and reviewed by many so I will not go into details of the interior / concept / origins etc (plus, this is already 5 months backdated visit). I too, like many, absolutely loves the concept and interior deco. Anything ol' skool and vintage seems to catch my attention and the same too seems to catch on with the society these days. Perhaps there is no smoke without fire to the catchphrase 'Old is Gold'.


Nasi Lemak 2.0 - RM16.90

Since old is the new 'new', WM takes on the classic Malaysian favorites but improvises with a twist / tweak of the original recipe. Such creativity from the kitchen can be seen from the menu offering of Nasi Lemak 2.0, Otak-otak sandwiches, Pizzas on naans, or WM's version of Maggi Goreng or Soup.

We sampled the Dancing Squid for appetizers as it looks awesomely delicious on pictures. The pictures did not deceive, I love the warm broth that brought hints of celery and fish roe with the fishy squid flavour, it was so good we slurped every drop! The improvisation element in the Nasi Lemak 2.0 is the replacement of the usual chicken rendang or kampung-style fried chicken for soft shell crab instead. One thing I can assure you, anything with soft shell crab is a sure-win though some may consider paying 30% - 40% extra for a plate of nasi lemak that has soft shell crab is foolish -- but hey, rental ain't cheap! 


WM Kimchi sliced beef burger - RM15.80

I am not a fan of Korean food with exception for bulgogi, so it was surprising that I craved for the Kimchi burger after seeing it online and decided to give it a shot. Life is full of surprises, I tell you -- I actually like the Kimchi burger! (though not Kimchi on its own) I guess if you're looking for out-of-the-ordinary burgers, do give the Kimchi burger a try.


Durian crepe with ice cream and cereals - RM6.90

Curiousity kills the cat in me when it comes to durian-flavoured desserts. So when I saw this on the menu with all eyes focused on the somehow imaginary bolded words of durian with capitals, I have to give it a try! It came served in a tin mug (don't the older generation used to use these mugs to brush teeth as seen on tv??), the recipe is nonetheless simple: one scoop of vanilla ice cream, a durian crepe, topped with mixed muesli and cornflakes in a tin mug. Nothing big on taste, just few simple but comfort ingredients whipped up as a dessert to end the meal on a sweet durian-ish note.

Generally, I do like WM for the ambiance and deco and would not hesitate to return to try out other items in the menu.



Wondermama
G6, Ground Floor,
Bangsar Village 1,
No. 1, Jalan Telawi 1,
Bangsar Baru,
591000, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-22849821
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mywondermama


* 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.]

BBQ Thai @ Old Klang Road

 
BBQ Thai - little huts, interesting seating concept

We stumbled upon this Thai eatery when we were over at their neighbor steamboat restaurant (Coco Steamboat - another post for another day). The catchy 'signboard' interestingly made from a plastic water container and brightly lit caught our attention to make sure we check it out soon.

I search through the internet for some or any reviews and was surprised to see the interesting seating concept. Instead of open air dining on communal tables or the usual round plastic tables, the dining area was split into multiple little huts, each fitting from 10 to 20 pax. The planks that make up the huts are salvaged from boats (it's becoming quite a trend). Communal dining under the stars is available too.


Paku pakis - RM13


Seafood tom yum (small) - RM20


Thai deep fried platter (4 x fish cakes, shrimp cakes, pandan chicken, mango kerabu) - RM48

I concur with what has been blogged / reviewed about this place. Food is so-so, nothing spectacular though the tom yum was commendable as it's not diluted but very spicy! In my opinion, prices are steep considering these are just normal dai chow style Thai food. 


BBQ Thai
17, Lorong Jugra,
Off Batu 3 1/3,
Jalan Klang Lama,
58000 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-79819888
Website: www.bbqthai.com.my



* 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 Havelock Place Bungalow @ Colombo, Sri Lanka

Welcome to The Havelock Place Bungalow

I stumbled upon The Havelock Place Bungalow during one of those many google searches when I was in the apartment alone. Unable to find any further write ups or google images of what to expect (environment, food menu and prices, etc) except its own website, the best thing to do is pop by the place and check it out yourself.


A boutique hotel doubling up as a restaurant

The Havelock road was a little further from the place I stayed, I remembered calling for a cab instead of tuk-tuk. The main public transportation in Colombo is the tuk-tuk, and trust me taxis are so hard to come by, it's pretty impossible to flag for any without calling for a booking through the taxi company. I had imagine The Havelock Place to be exactly what was pictured in its website gallery... lush greenery, tranquil garden setting, warm wood furnitures that exudes colonial charm. The gallery pictures did not disappoint me.


Curled up butter & balsamic vinegar


Asparagus cappuccino with chargrilled garlic prawns - Rs 350


Caramelized onion and mushroom tart with garden salad - Rs 850

I chose to sit at the garden area, not a wise choice if you don't want to be bitten by mozzies. But if a little insect bite is the least of your worry, enjoy the sunshine and indulge in the warm weather. The menu is simple and straightforward, clearly written on a blackboard display (not too sure if things have changed since then). My choices of entree, mains and desserts were flawless, though nothing mind blowing but it was simple comfort food in a very peaceful and serene environment.

 
Papaya lime sorbet

If you are not a hotel guest, feel free to walk around and check out the bungalow. It has 7 bedrooms - 3 suites and 4 standards and comes available with what a luxury hotel would offer (and maybe more).

The Havelock Place Bungalow is in my Top 10 list of places to visit & dine in Colombo!



The Havelock Place Bungalow
No. 6-8, Havelock Place,
Colombo 5,
Sri Lanka.
Tel: +9411258191 / +94112506153 / +94112506154
Website: http://www.havelockbungalow.com/


* Visuals by Sony T series

[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.]