Mukha @ TTDI

Mukha in panaroma

Mukha has a mix of Arabian and Western influence judging by the menu and deco but whatever influence it has, the equation brings the answer to = simply comfort food.


Wake up to a cuppa Latte - RM7

After our first experience of sitting by the bar counter at Yeast, we didn't mind doing it the second time here though it wasn't as interesting as the first because the kitchen is... in the kitchen. We did have a good view of the barista at work. The coffee did not disappoint and I was very delighted as it was a big cuppa too.


Asparagus wrap - RM13

I settled for the asparagus wrap as anything with poached eggs and bacon (halal - so it's beef) will never fail to catch my eyes when it comes to breakfast. 2 perfect poached eggs and asparagus wrapped in beef bacon, nothing mind blowing but surely comforting.


Choc banana French toast - RM15

The most successful (food) marriage in any country and culture - banana and chocolate (Nutella in this case)... kids will love this, but adults will love it more as it is childhood comfort food once more.


Winning combo of Nutella and banana

Our inner child wanted more of Nutella and the serving staff quickly abides. Yums!


Menu on the board and barista at work


Coffee. The universal legal caffeine.

I love how the KL & PJ scene is quickly mushrooming with these indie joints that serves good coffee, comfort food and a cozy environment.



Mukha
15, Lorong Rahim Kajai 13,
Taman Tun Dr Ismail,
60000 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-77322248
Website: http://www.mukha.com.my/home/about-us/


* 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.]

Magenta @ Publika

Magenta

Dinner at Magenta was a unplanned visit - we wanted to eat somewhere else as we've bought the voucher but the redemption period has not started. Magenta was popped into mind as 'the place with a cool coffee machine displayed, let's try it'. 

Magenta was running a dinner promotion for RM99.90, you get a starter, 2 mains and 2 drinks. We were attracted by the choice of mains: the Tuna Steak and Grilled Ribeye Steak as a peek into the ala carte menu revealed that both mains costs almost RM45 - 50 each, so the RM99.90 deal should be pretty worth it.

Grilled escargots

It's been awhile feasting on this French appetizer. My taste buds calls for more garlic but otherwise it's not too creamy and perfect for bread-gravy-licking.


Tuna steak

Tuna steaks are not common in restaurants' menu, so it was a rare discovery that Magenta has Tuna Steak in its menu. The outcome of the big and generous piece of Tuna was a tad too cook as we would prefer to have it in Medium Rare but the waitress told us that it is only done in Medium Well. Some parts of it still spots pinkyness but not the pink middle that remains red and rare that we were expecting, like a tuna tataki. Generosity in portion is applauded though.


Grilled ribeye steak


Done medium rare

The meat counterpart to the tuna steak would of course be the real deal, real meat - the Ribeye. Requested to be done in Medium Rare, it was the opposite of the tuna steak. Some parts looked too red and rare but in actual fact consumable and was a satisfying piece of meat. The mains are handsome on the sides too - thick cut fries, sauteed mushrooms and salad.


Pink guava and lemonade

And a nice cold refreshing glass of fruit juice to wash all the protein down.



Magenta
Lot G2-42,
Publika Shopping Gallery,
Jalan Dutamas 1,
50480 Kuala Lumpur.
Business hours: 11am - 11pm
Tel: 03-62111663


* 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 (Brunch #2) @ Jln Telawi, Bangsar

Egg cocotte - RM16

Yeast is quickly becoming a favourite especially when we are in Bangsar. We are one of those people who wouldn't mind lining up for a table under the warm and humid weather and would compromise comfort for a table and chairs (saying yes to sitting at the corridor area where it's hot and humid... I don't even remember when was the last or first time we agree to do that besides at Nirvana Maju banana leaf or hawker stalls... what were we thinking??!).


Look there's smoked duck and Gruyere cheese!


Egg mayo croissant - RM13

Well, so far the brunch items have not disappoint - we've sampled their best selling eggs benedict and croque madame on the first visit, this time we had the egg cocotte and egg mayo croissant. The egg cocotte was amazing... ultra simple if you think about it, 2 eggs in a ramekin, throw in some smoked duck and gruyere cheese and bake it. The outcome is much less equivalent to the texture and form of soft boiled eggs. So easy right?

I did not have the egg mayo croissant but with the pastries made fresh and their forte is with eggs, don't see anything should go wrong too.




French 'Bahn Mi'

On my 3rd visit, which was a farewell lunch with some colleagues, I ordered the French 'Bahn Mi'. I've had the original Vietnamese Bahn Mi when I was in HCMC a few years ago and totally loved the fluffy crispy bread (though not a fan of liver pate). Unfortunately, this is the only item that I am not impress (so far). Though the baguette was crispy, it was hard too and soon became a jaw exercise. I did not enjoy it though the filling is pretty good. Well, love the fries too.



Latte - RM9

I wonder when will the 4th visit be and what am I going to sample next...


Earlier entries:
Dinner - http://yilinglim.blogspot.com/2013/02/yeast-bistronomy-revisit-jln-telawi.html
Brunch #1 - http://yilinglim.blogspot.com/2013/01/yeast-bistronomy-jln-telawi-bangsar.html



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.]

Little Heritage House @ Section 17, PJ

Little Heritage House

A 'Little Heritage House' opened up in Section 17, PJ (sandwiched between The Gastro Project and Yokotaya Japanese Restaurant), and it is literally a heritage house. The facade and entrance of the restaurant may mislead you into imagining yourself entering a Baba & Nyonya museum in Malacca. In a little postcard / leaflet given out during the opening month, Little Heritage House is described as a...

'.... timeline concept dining experience dedicated to the revival of the Straits Chinese culture...... to exhibit the material culture contextually while allowing diner to 'relive' bygone times and 'my grandmother' memory......... this project will lead to young generations to understand the bygone culture and appreciate their 'heritage & heirlooms'.......'

Old is gold

Every piece is a beauty - the grandeur furniture, the olden kitchenware, the antique lamps and window panes and the stained cowboy doors. Once you step your foot in, it's literally a 'blast from the past' and immediately you're transported to the glory 'our grandmother' era.


Barley lemon and nutmeg cooler - RM4 & RM8


Penang rojak - RM10


Kiam chye soup - RM28


Assam prawns - RM33


Grilled sambal brinjal - RM22


Inche kabin - RM28

The menu was limited to only authentic Nyonya cuisine. For 3 pax, we ordered in small portions so that we could sample more dishes. In all honesty, I think the food was great, absolutely no complains for the main dishes - prawns were fresh and succulent, kiam chye soup was sour and homely as it should, the inche kabin (nyonya fried chicken with spices and coconut milk, deep fried twice) was hot and delicious, and oh brinjal and sambal how can anything possibly go wrong, goes well with rice too...

My only grouse was the drinks, which were priced too expensive in my (purse's) opinion.  


Complimentary homegrown pineapple from the 'backyard'

It must either be our lucky day or the owner was being generous to offer us this cute little pineapple said to be homegrown in their backyard. On normal days, you would need to pre-order in advance if you would like this as desserts. Oh, trust me you would want to pick up that phone and pre-order them cos it's really good - very sweet and refreshing.


Dine like an imperial Chinese royal upstairs

Granted that prices are steep, but if you are into antiques, you would really wanna start planning your weekday and weekend dinners and make sure you have one night scheduled here ;-)



Little Heritage House
No. 23, Ground & First Floor,
Jalan 17/56,
46400 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor.
Tel: 03-79321810


* 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 (Revisit) @ 1 Utama

Yamagata - RM66
Chu-toro, Salmon, Hiramasa, Ika, Amaebi, Eel, Akagai, Salmon roe, Sea urchin

After our maiden visit to Ichiro, we decided to return again and we did it twice in the past 2 months or so. On our last visit, we were determined to sample all their nigiri sushies but apparently their menu is not fixed -- we realised this when flipping through the iPad menu, there were over 2 pages of nigiri sushies to choose from but has reduced to 1 page and additional of other sashimi sets and ala carte items. Feeling (a tad) disappointed, we went for the Yamagata set which gave us 10 pieces of sushi topped with the kitchen's freshest for the day.


Soft shell crab roll - RM18


Salmon maki - RM4

Boy, the disappointment just disappeared at the very moment the first piece of sushi went into the mouth. Every piece was hand crafted with the freshest of ingredients, even the cheapest and usually simplest item on the menu (salmon maki) was excellent. We also went for a soft shell crab roll, though nothing much to shout about.


Tamago nigiri - RM7 (2 pcs)

On our 3rd visit, we were looking for tummy fillers so we ordered a set of tamago nigiri (2 pcs), which we had wanted to try on our 1st visit but not available. Now, the colour of the tamago did put us off a little bit when we saw it but remember what did the wise man say? "Never judge a book by it's cover"... and never judge a tamago by its colour! Simple but delicious.


Chawan mushi - RM6


Grilled salmon roll - RM18

Having had the chawan mushi as part of the sashimi and Yamagata set on our 1st and 2nd visit, I just have to order the chawan mushi as part of ala carte as we didn't have order any sets in our 3rd visit. The chawan mushi is one of the best in town I would dare say. Silky smooth and piping hot, I could eat this every day! The grilled salmon roll was excellent too, lightly torched and flavourful, we would (seriously) recommend this.

Can you tell I'm already looking forward to return again???

Earlier entry: http://yilinglim.blogspot.com/2013/01/ichiro-sushi-bar-1-utama.html



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.]

pH Pastryhouse @ Lakefields, Sg Besi

pH Pastry House

A soon-to-be neighborhood to watch out for is Lakefield @ Sg Besi where a township of lakeside living is being built and will be the home to many middle to upper class in the future. pH Pastry House was established in Jln Imbi before this, but it was torn down to make way for the MRT. It has since relocated to Lakefield.


Mushroom soup - RM9.90


Seafood chowder - RM9.90

I've never been to the Imbi establishment, but have read about the good things especially its affordability. The soups proved the point - hearty, comforting and easy on the wallet (anything under RM10 is a steal these days!).


Soft shell crab salad - RM12.90


Duck confit with plum chutney sauce - RM20.90


Beef Wellington - RM42.90

Another appetizer we shared was the soft shell crab salad. 2 breaded pieces of soft shell crab served with spicy marinara sauce and lemon butter sauce - doesn't shout amazing but the affordability was something.

For mains, we had the duck confit and beef Wellington. The duck confit fell short of expectations being a little dry and not too tender, perhaps should have opted the pastas instead. The beef Wellington was pretty good, 200g of well seasoned tenderloin beef with the right doneness, stuffed with mushroom and spinach, enveloped in a fluffy puff pastry. It is hard to find Beef Wellington on restaurant menus, we had our first taste of this English dish at Smokehouse, Cameron Highlands. Now at least we know where we could get a fix in case of a 'Beef-Wellington-cravings'.


Delectable desserts



Being a pastry house, there are also cakes, desserts and bread available.



pH Pastry House
1, Jalan Tasik Utama 3,
Lakefield Sg Besi,
57000 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-90548339
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pastryhousekl


* 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.]

CNY Dinners #3 @ Imperial Garden, PJ

Prosperity Salmon & Sea Bird's Nest Yee Sang

As with the eve till every single 15 days of the CNY, feasting is a must. Usually focus is given to the Reunion dinner on the eve of the 1st day of CNY and Chap Goh Mei -- the 15th and last day of CNY. I made a booking at Imperial Garden, one of the Chinese restaurants under the Tai Thong Group. It was our first try with Imperial Garden. Going for the easy way, we took a pick from the set menus available -- RM448.00++ for 6 pax.


Braised Shark's Fin Soup with Crab Meat


Suckling Piglet


Steamed Mandarin Fish with Preserved Vegetables


Baked Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk


Sauteed Mushroom with Fish Maw & Dried Oysters


Fried Rice with Waxed Meat & Anchovies


Double-Boiled Sea Coconut with Ginseng & Snow Fungus


Chinese New Year Fancy Duets

Boy, lesson learnt. Never go for set menus during festive seasons. They're usually:
1. Generic
2. Cooked up with fancy names on the menu to entice
3. Quality is below par
4. Expensive

The dishes were less than impressive. Yee Sang was below par, sharks fin was mediocre at best, suckling pig was oily, fish was not too smooth, prawns were so-so, vegetarian dish was average, we were too stuffed by the time fried rice arrived so it was a takeaway, and the desserts were crap.

I should have just spend RM500.00++ elsewhere. A plate of nasi lemak would have satisfied us better. I guess we'll just stick to the more reliable and consistent Palace and Oriental Group.



Imperial Garden by Tai Thong
7th Floor, Intan Square
No.3, Lorong Utara C,
46200 Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-79566868


* 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.]