Event: New Zealand Dessert Showcase @ Empire Shopping Gallery, Subang Jaya

Three New Zealand brands: Whittaker's Chocolate, Omaha's Organic Ice Cream, and Marcel's Pancakes organised a dessert showcase at Empire Shopping Gallery in collaboration with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Kuala Lumpur last month.

While preparing the ingredients and equipment, a small crowd of people from the media started filled up Jaya Grocer's demo kitchen that afternoon. Each attendee was given a goodie bag with compliments from the organisers which included a packet of Marcel's Pancakes tandum and a bag of peppermint chocolate from Whittaker's.

Preparing the dark chocolate mousse with tofu and pancake pieces.

Using Hubbards muesli as the base for the parfait.

Preparing the parfait alongside the dark chocolate peppermint cake.

We were served the following breakfast combinations:

Dark chocolate mousse with tofu, a piece of pancake, a scoop of organic blueberry ice cream, chocolate shavings and a fruit of your choice. 

For something with milk, go for the muesli with dark chocolate mousse and a scoop of organic ice cream.

That dark chocolate peppermint cake can be eaten by itself or served with organic ice cream topped with fruits.

Of course, strawberries would be first choice.

Ice cream would normally be extremely sweet but these organic ones are not to say bland, but rather guilt-free in my opinion. They don't taste like dessert at all.

We took a break from mousse and pancakes and proceeded with baked breads and of course, the organic ice cream. Seem they're advocates for having ice cream for breakfast!

We ended off with crepes and more ice cream. I actually love the crepes because they are less fluffy than the pancakes and still are light. Would very much prefer this with ice cream.

Generally, all the breakfast options did not have an overwhelmingly sweet note even though most of the ingredients are conventionally sweet and suited for dessert. And no, this is not an excuse to have ice cream for breakfast! The ice cream used in the demonstration is organic and healthy unlike what we mostly have here in Malaysia which conventionally has alarmingly high sugar content. 

Thank you for the invite, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise!

For more information on each product, click on the links above.

LA/PA @ Bangsar

Hey everyone! Sorry for not updating frequently these days (I really try though). Hope you all celebrated Chinese New Year well and ate to your hearts' contents! I was in Penang again for Chinese New Year and managed to explore even more new places. Should I do a blog post about it? Let me know if you're keen in the comments :)

Have you heard of this food app called Burpple? No? I suggest you download it now and start following all those hungry foodies! Before I continue, please note that Burpple did not pay or ask me to mention them whatsoever. I am genuinely telling you about how great this food app is when it comes to looking for food and also sharing the ones your recommend! I'm typically a little lazy to write extremely long reviews these days like the ones on my blog unless there is something I have to say. Other than that, do check out more of my favourite places on my Burpple profile HERE.

Three Burpplers and I met up in Bangsar a few weeks back to catch up because it truly has been a while since we all first met last October. LA/PA (pronounced as "lapar". For non-Malaysians, it means "hungry") is one of the newest places to makan in Bangsar so naturally we collectively decided to meet there.

As usual, parking was a nightmare so I parked at Bangsar Village II to skip the tedious, endless rounding and rounding.

Here's are some quick snaps I took of the menu. We went during brunch so we ordered 4 out of 5 items of the "Breakfast" section along with a cup of coffee each. The coffee was pretty ... meh. Nothing to shout about.

Provencal French Toast [RM19.90] of dark rye loaf seasoned with herbs de provence made with kale, basil pesto and feta cheese.

Fair warning to those who are appealed by its name, this is a savoury dish and may come off as oddly otherworldly to some.  I was impressed at the seasoning but thought it would go better with the conventional pasta. One of the Burpplers didn't fancy it considering french toasts are normally served sweet here in Malaysia. Nevertheless, it was a great thing we tried it for a new experience. The price is a downside because of its puny portion. 

Bread Basket [RM12.00] of assorted house-made breads served with garlic herb butter, spiced brown sugar & raisin butter and Bonne Maman jam. 

This is something definitely worth ordering if you're not particular about a wide variety of flavours. For that price and that amount of bread and spreads, it's a great breakfast right there. I love garlic so the garlic herb butter was a bliss to my tastebuds. 

The only fault with this was not with the dish but rather the kitchen. Our spiced sugar & raisin butter had a plastic wrapping around it. Luckily, one of the Burpplers decided to investigate it before consuming (we thought it was gelatine!). The waitress briefly apologised, took the entire dish back to the kitchen and returned with all the spreads replaced. We discussed if we should ask for a refund but decided to just let it slide.  

Pancakes & Orange Quinoa Compote [ RM19.90] of fluffy buttermilk pancakes served with spiced orange and quinoa compote, Indonesian long pepper and vanilla bean whipped cream.

The picture looks as unenthusiastic as I was when I took my first bite. The presentation made it a bit hard to grab a good picture of all 3 pieces of pancakes (or maybe I'm just a horrible photographer). Photo composition aside, they were just average pancakes lacking the fluffy texture to live up to its description in the menu. They were not all fluffy, based on what reviews are saying. They were more like a cross between fluffy and chewy. Some may like it, but sorry I don't. The quinoa was a redundancy on a plate and the orange could be just the wrong type or the wrong fruit even. It's sad to say that none of us enjoyed this over-priced breakfast. 

Duck Eggs in Purgatory [RM21.00] made with Australian spinach in creamy garlic sauce, a dash of paprika and served with baguette.

Another garlicky type of food, but this one saved me from leaving with a disappointing brunch in my stomach. It tasted so good and well flavoured even though the eggs were a wee bit overcooked. Very satisfying dish! 

Maybe they're trying out new flavours, maybe they're trying too hard to add a twist to the classic. But one thing's for sure, it'll be a while till my next visit.

Information

Address: 15, Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.

Opening hours: 8.00 a.m. - 11.00 p.m. every day

Contact no.: +60322014395

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lapabangsar?fref=ts
Website: http://www.lapa.co 

Metal Box & Cat In The Box @ Empire Damansara

If I were to pick an activity to define "infinity", I would go with cafe hopping in Kuala Lumpur/Selangor. In other words, the list shows no end.

Don't get me wrong, visiting cafes is an adventure and seeing concepts differentiating one cafe from another never ceases to amaze me. Sadly, there are just way too many popping up in such a short period of time and I simply cannot catch up (I try though!); which makes me wonder if this is yet another trend in the midst of digging its own grave. I would be absolutely disappointed if it were. 

Metal Box 

A few days ago, I managed to grab brunch with my favorite people immediately after my second exam paper. I know, going out during exams. But a girl's got to eat! 

The Metal Breakfast [RM20.90]

Truthfully, this is one of the slightly better ones I've had so far. For starters, the French sour dough slices are set beside the eggs (they use free-range and you can have them poached, scrambled, sunny side up or over easy). Most cafes serve the eggs on top of the toast every time. Why would go through the trouble of toasting good bread and ending up serving it soggy? I just can't wrap my head around it. 

Unlike most big brekkies where there are no signs of greenery on the plate (potatoes and mushrooms do not count!), this one comes with a spread of salad leaves with balsamic vinegar and grilled vine tomatoes. Feeling less guilty? Certainly, although I'm a little bummed from the absence of sauteed mushrooms :(

No complains about the chicken (or beef) sausage and beef bacon (or turkey ham) but some may argue that the plate lacks meat for its price. The homemade cannellini beans, though, are a little disappointing due to its blandness but next to them are cute bite-sized potato hash browns which are a delight to look at somehow. 

Guinness Pancakes [RM14.90]

Basically fluffy and moist pancakes with Gula Melaka syrup served with mixed berries tossed in raspberry coulis. The minute you pop one of the berries into your mouth and bite it, you will feel a burst of juice. It's a wonderful feeling! Apparently, the shot of Gula Melaka had a touch of homemade Guinness dressing but it wasn't very profound in my opinion. 

Specialty French Toast [RM14.90]

Don't be fooled by the size of its portion. It may be small but it's packed with flavour and texture. Served with the similar Gula Melaka syrup as in the pancakes, these French toasts are also very fluffy with a slight crisp. 

The coffee (cappuccino [RM9.90]) was strong and bitter which is memorable if you're into that kind of coffee. 

Sitting outdoors in Malaysia can drive one insane due to the humidity and scorching sun. Thankfully the weather was more forgiving so we decided to dine outside. There was a fan above us, we were facing the forest of trees opposite and the sky was cloudy enough to block off some of the sun. It was certainly the most appropriate ambiance to accompany any meal. 

Information
Address: G12, Empire Damansara, Jalan PJU 8/8, Damansara Perdana, 47820 Petaling Jaya
Closed on: Mondays
Operating hours: 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m., 6.00 p.m. - 10.00 p.m.
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/metalboxcafe

Cat In The Box

One cafe visit was not enough to keep us going for the day so we decided to explore Empire Damansara and naturally found Cat In The Box. Contrary to its name, there are no cats in boxes.

Vanilla frothie [RM10.00]

Grilled cheese toast [RM8.00]. I'm sorry to say that this was a rip off.

Potato pie served with corn & bell peppers salad [RM12.00] which was actually quite a delight with coffee. 

They serve single-origin East Timor beans for coffee which has a chocolate and nutty flavor to it. Pictured: cappuccino [RM10.00]

What you've been seeing on Instagram does not do justice in describing the atmosphere of this place - ceiling-high glass panel windows and facing the same green hill opposite Metal Box. And the bonus? Rain. It's a lovely setting to go into solitude especially when there is no crowd.

Information:

Address: Lot 111 Heritage Lane, Empire Damansara, Jalan PJU 8/8, Damansara Perdana, 47820 Petaling Jaya

Operating hours: Monday - Thursday & Sunday (11.00 a.m. - 10.00 p.m.), Friday - Saturday (11.00 a.m. - 1.00 a.m.)

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/catinthebox.events

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Grandeur Gallery Café, Le Rozell French Café and Crêperie & TBC Café @ Kota Kemuning

The long overdue tales of café hopping with my lovely friend, Kimm, in an area known for its never ending trail of roundabouts: Kota Kemuning.

Grandeur Gallery Café

The bar counter and cake display.

One of my favourite spots to snap photos.

The setting is quite dim in the gallery section where paintings are hung up on the black walls. 

It was a late Saturday morning and there was no crowd, probably because it's quite well-hidden and not to mention facing an empty land opposite. According to Kimm, the locals (hereinafter referred to as people who reside in Kota Kemuning) go there to fly their kites. 

Cappuccino.

Tiramisu (Kimm's recommendation) - this is only available on weekends! Notice the sponginess of the slice which suggests that it's very light and not too filling.

Address: 22-2, Jalan Anggerik Vanilla BE 31/BE, Kota Kemuning, 40460 Shah Alam.
Contact no.: +60355255568
Email: grandeurgc@gmail.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ggc.kk

[CLOSED] Le Rozell French Café and Crêperie 

A spacious restaurant serving both sweet and savoury crêpes run by a French lady who was ever so kind to spend a couple of minutes chatting with Kimm and I. 

La Campagnole of shredded duck confit, pan-seared mushrooms with cream, honey, and topped with chives. If you're visiting for the first time, I suggest you go with this!

My favourite of the lot (and Kimm's too) goes to the panna cotta topped with rose syrup. It is so smooth and a great relief from the savoury dish earlier.

We also tried the mille-feuille which reminded me of the vanilla slice I used to have in Melbourne. This was quite filling after the panna cotta and savoury crêpe. 

Address: 35-1, 8 Jalan Anggerik Vanilla BE, 31/BE Kota Kemuning, 40460 Shah Alam.
Contact no.: +60351314092
Email: lerozell@hotmail.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Le-Rozell/468373496598311

TBC Café

Kota Kemuning's newest café on the bandwagon which was packed full upon arrival at lunch time. There is no way you'll miss this bright yellow place when you drive along the roads across. 

Took this in a rush which explains the tilt. They have a pretty cool door that spins 360 degrees!

They use PULP's Throwback blend for their coffee - so glad because it's my favourite blend! Very satisfied with the outcome.

Kimm ordered tea. Love the cup and lid!

Highlight of the visit: Espresso maple bacon sandwich topped with scrambled eggs served with a side of fries and coleslaw. Now let that sink in for a bit.

Address: 2-39-1, Persiaran Anggerik Vanilla, Kota Kemuning, 40460 Shah Alam. 

Contact no.: +60163178180 

Email: jndpartners@gmail.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/tbccafe.my/timeline

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