Hit & Mrs @ Lorong Kurau, Bangsar

Dark always spells elegance - ground floor interior of dining & kitchen area

The BIG Group is always coming up with new F&B concepts to surprise us. While some of us have already mastered the skills to tell if a new eatery is BIG-associated, the Ben siblings never fail to surprise us with the unthinkable... like this new concept restaurant & bar, quirky-ly named 'Hit & Mrs', a homophone to Hit & Misses -- a general expression writers or bloggers use to put a verdict to food reviewed.


The dinner tasting menu @ RM175/pax (additional RM10 if you opt for the 'pricier' mains) & the drinks menu

I had the pleasure to give the dinner tasting menu a try as a birthday treat in December last year. The restaurant was still relatively new, but word of mouth has spread like wildfire of this new BIG venture. The restaurant seats not more than 30, and has 2 sessions per night - either 7pm or 9pm.

How it works? 
You can have the option to order the dishes in the dinner menu as an alacarte item (portions will be appropriately adjusted) or go for the tasting menu, with 2 choices from small plate (appetizer), 2 from main plate (mains) and 2 from sweet plate (desserts), + 2 surprise chef's special.


Bread and butter


Amuse bouche - can't remember exactly what this was?


Small Plate - Beetroot, Orange


Small Plate - Scallop, Paprika, Confit of Potato


Small Plate - Foie gras parfait, Brioche, Cranberry


Small Plate - Salmon, Horseradish, Celery


Chef's special #1 - Pan seared foie gras, peanut crumbs, raspberry jam

The appetizers were done up nicely - playing with flavours and texture. I don't usually willingly opt for anything with beetroot, but this combination is really refreshing maybe because of the strong citrus taste. The other favourite is the salmon which was done sous vide (actually we notice that all the meat and fish are done sous vide before being seared, grilled or pan fried, etc), hence the incredibly smooth and soft texture. The salmon is a melt-in-your-mouth! Foie gras parfait was a very different experience - foie gras (savoury) in ice cream format. First taste was unique... but once you acquire the taste, there's no reason to dislike it. No complains on the scallops and very delighted with the bonus of pan seared foie gras :)


Big Plate - Lamb, Barley, Peas


Big Plate - Fish of the day, Brown Butter, Chestnut
* additional RM10


Big Plate - Grain fed tenderloin, BBQ gnocchi, Onion toffee
* additional RM10


Big Plate - Chicken, Trufflondaise, Quinoa


Chef's special #2 - Brie, barley, mushrooms

The sous vide method was genius on the salmon, but didn't quite work for the lamb. We had to send back the first serving as it was not the texture we were expecting (still raw-ish, even after grilled). The second serving that came back from the kitchen was much better but the enthusiasm was gone. The fish and chicken dish was nothing memorable (I don't really like quinoa - the black grain-like seed). The beef tenderloin was okay, though again expectations were high especially on the poultry and unfortunately the expectations weren't met.

The second chef's special which was aimed to be a palate cleanser before moving on to desserts was quite ingenious. Who would have thought these 3 (rather) independent ingredients can jive so perfectly. 


Sweet Plate - Peanut butter, Chocolate


Sweet Plate - Lemon custard, Raspberry


Small Plate - Tiramisu, Mixed berry sabayon

Desserts were presented in a 'deconstructed' manner, but unfortunately nothing over the moon. If you're a fan of peanut butter, then you may like the peanut butter & choc combo as it's rich and filling. 


Tequila watermelon punch - RM90
Tequila, agave nectar, watermelon, lime, soda, aloe vera

Drinks are not easy on the pocket with cocktails starting at RM30 - RM40 per fix and punches in jug ranging from RM90 - RM240.

Perhaps aptly named, we find the food somewhat refreshing and interesting but not all were inspiring and memorable (prices are steep too). We heard that lunch is now available and we'll see if it renders for a return...



Hit & Mrs
15, Lorong Kurau,
Taman Weng Lock,
Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
Biz hours: 6 - 10.30pm, closed on Mondays
Tel: 03-2282357


* Visuals by iPhone 4 & 5

[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.]

BAIT (Revisit) @ Jln Telawi Bangsar

BAIT

This is a revisit. Read our first visit here.


Whitebait - RM24


Seafood chowder - RM17


Lager steamed mussels - RM29

We weren't that famished, so this time around it was a 3-course meal to share. Starting with the bowl of lightly fried whitebait, we chomped these little fishies down with an imaginary glass of beer. At RM24 for a bowl of these pub-grub, price was perhaps a little steep. Our 2nd course of seafood chowder - Bait whips up a slightly different version of this popular used-to-be "poor man's food". It has the usual suspects of mussels, shrimps, clams and potatoes that makes the broth thick. A slice of lime does the trick to carry a mild sourish flavour. We wouldn't say it's the best, but it's definitely different. Our mains of lager steamed mussels was polished off to the last drop! Traces of lager or beer was strong as we could instantly smelt it the moment the dish arrived. The broth has flavours and bites of leek, mustard seed, oregano, and beef chorizo.

Bait could however improve on the bread - we would welcome a little creativity instead of normal plain toasted baguette.

Once again, Bait has managed to hooked and reeled us in for possibly a 3rd and many visits to come.



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.]

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.]