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

p.s. Heard of this project called Made With Map? Click on the picture below to view my profile and do follow me! :)

greyskymorning, SS13

So I sailed away into a grey sky morning...

This is my current favorite coffee hangout spot at the moment. Considering the fact that I'm based in Subang Jaya, it is so convenient to drop by for a coffee fix without having to participate in the horrendous search for parking.

greyskymorning carries strikingly familiar elements of a few existing cafes (i.e., Podgy & the Banker, VCR and Rekindle) in the concept of its interior design - a refreshing change from the typical dimly lit, small, and cozy settings.

Sipped cappuccino [RM9.00] and a slice of chocolate peanut butter cake [RM11.00]. 

Coffee is the primary attraction on the menu alongside cakes (from the similar cake supplier to Rekindle in SS2) and smooshies (a refrigerated fruit juice blend in bottle) as of now. 

Flowers in tiny bottles present on every table. Where's the fault in that?

Food/coffee photographers will have a bliss here. These are some of the other shots I took:

When the evening sun greets coffee.

Loving the gypsophila against the grey wall. 

Happy visiting! (: 

Follow me on Instagram for more frequent updates.

Information

Address: EX8, No. 3, Jalan SS13/4, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor.

Email: greyskym@gmail.com

Opening hours: 10.00 a.m. - 11.00 p.m.

Closed on: Mondays

To visit their Facebook page, click here.

Kee's Creampuffs, Subang Jaya

Hello everyone!

Quick update: So I just recovered from stomach flu; not fully but enough to consume small portions of primary meals. Nearly 10 days of fresh hell, the experience was perfectly horrid as nausea came and tormented me even when I decided to re-hydrate myself with water. That was the reason behind my sloth-like sleeping hours and surprisingly sleepless nights from feeling nauseous in the middle of the night. I suppose the bright side of this was a weight loss of 2kg within less than a week. Not sure if I put it on again - nope, not checking.

* * * *

Cappuccino [RM7.50]

Earlier this month, I was invited to a cream puff tasting session by Kee's Creampuffs (thank you, Katherine for the invite and André for accompanying me!). Since I haven't had cream puffs in a while, I thought it'll be great to give this a go.

Their spread of 15 flavours of cream puffs is impressive; including the classic original flavour. Alongside cream puffs, they also have a variety of cakes and the usual tea and decent coffee.

Setting

The menu chalkboard (and André).

View of the cafe from the entrance.

Their display of cakes and cream puffs.

Cozy side table seating for anyone in the mood for a tea time setting.

What went into our tummies

Yes, I'm a coffee person but I decided to order English Breakfast tea [RM6.50] that very afternoon. Don't question.

André's iced mocha [RM9.50].

I decided to have a cappuccino (pictured at the beginning of the post) at the end of the session because I had some room to spare - and it was pretty decent! They handcraft their coffee rather use am instant coffeemaker so I'm glad.

Katherine explaining the flavours to us. It's amazing how she remembers them in their exact orders without referring to notes or whatever!

These three are my personal favourites:

Looks like the original, eh? This one's durian [RM2.50/pc] and it tops my list with no surprise. 

Chocolate banana [RM1.80/pc]. They also have chocolate but I'm a fan of bananas so it made a significant difference.

The gougère [RM5.00/2 pcs] is a unique savoury cream puff which was a relief from the 14 sweet flavours. This is a cheese cream puff - made with a blend of parmesan, mozarella and cheddar cheese, toasted, and served with sour cream infused turkey ham bits topped with a sprinkle of parsley and thyme. The sour cream somehow goes very well with the toasted cheese puff and the flavours were just right. Honestly, this can pull off as an atas appetizer.

The following are other flavours we tried:

[RM1.60/pc]

Classic

[RM1.80/pc]

Blueberry (made with fresh blueberries)

Lemon (which was quite strong)

Cookies 'n' Cream

Chocolate

Choco top (quite memorable)

Green tea (quite bitter but they're adjusting the flavour)

Hazelnut

Coffee (they use Nescafe)

Strawberry (made with fresh strawberries)

Peanut (which has a very local touch to it. Reminds me of ba chang kuih)

Mocha

The amount of half cream puffs I ate could probably last me a year or so but I'll definitely come back for the durian and gougère!

Information

Address: 30-G, Jalan USJ 9/5Q, Subang Business Centre, 47620 Selangor.

Contact no.: +60173842813 or +60380819897

Email: keescreampuffs@gmail.com

CLICK for Facebook page

* Kee's Creampuffs does catering in bulk for parties, weddings, events, and re-sellers.

Meltz Cafe, SS15 Subang Jaya

Do you still ever head to A&W for waffles and indulge in its smell that overpowers any thought of buying burgers and onion rings? I guess that's where smell manipulation pounces illustrations of food.

Being a Subang girl and having to go to PJ all the time for A&W waffles can only be done by grave cravings, or the way some of my friends and I may go to relieve our temptations badly: "Die die also must go!"

Setting

After reading Jia Qi's blog entry on this place, I dragged accompanied my parents and brother to check out Meltz just located opposite a very popular place for shisha and Arabic cuisine, Oregi. Not the cleanest area to locate a cafe at but heck, if they had good food and/or coffee, I'm sold. 

Upon writing this entry, I have visited Meltz easily about 5 times now. This entry tells you the story of my first experience.

* Had only my phone with me when I shot the pictures.

This is pretty much their menu but you might want to pay attention to the column at the most right because this place is known for those items.

Just two cafe setting shots here. If you sit towards the back, you'll find a shelf holding many board games like Reversi, Uno and SNAP!

So they invested in not one but two fountains; one with butterscotch sauce and the other with dark chocolate. Absolutely mouth-watering.

Crêpe in the making! They are indeed quite cruel to allow the smell of cooking crêpes & waffles circulate throughout the whole cafe, making the wait the most severe and "worst" part of the experience.

What went into our tummies

My first cappuccino [usually RM10.00 but was RM3.00 because of their offer. See menu.] which was the nuttiest I've ever tasted so far. Although I was warned about the nuttiness, I didn't expect it to be this strong. Other returns were not too bad and no complains about how they make it.

Basic waffle [RM14.00] topped with vanilla ice cream, which took relatively long to melt, and drizzled with dark chocolate and butterscotch sauce. This would be my parents' favourite. The batter is exactly between light and strong to the extent where you could still taste the sauces and ice cream when eaten along with. I absolutely love how the waffles are constantly crispy, made fresh upon ordering, and not soggy. This is a highly recommended dish if you're looking for an amazing waffle.

Basic crêpe [RM13.00] served with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with the same sauces, butterscotch and dark chocolate. Ordered this only once and I've got to admit the portion is huge which I suppose makes it affordable. On the downside, the texture and thickness of the crêpe just didn't do for me as it was a little hard to tear pieces apart before consuming. Might give it another go soon when I'm up for crêpes! 

I have yet to try the main dishes as all my visits are typically after 9.00 p.m. for supper.

* * * *

Address: 41, Jalan SS15/4B, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor.
Closed on: Mondays
Operating hours: 11.00 a.m. - 12.00 a.m.
Email: meltzcafe@gmail.com
Facebook page: https://www/facebook.com/meltzcafe
Payment: CASH ONLY

Caffeinated March

- On Thursdays, the grumpy cyclist consumes butter and beans with his flat white as he tries to rekindle his interest in the recent upstanding theory on brew and bread. -

Spot the names of 7 coffee places!

* * * *

Hi everyone! Apologies for being MIA. It's been a hectic month of so many events. I'm just thankful I can finally sit down and write.

Just to update you guys, check out my lists on Foursquare if any of you are interested in places I'd like to visit / have visited. I'm not the most updated with new and upcoming places but I hope the coffee list will make your caffeinated lives easier (:

Lately, I've been checking out these places:


1. Rekindle, SS2

There's something so humble about this cafe that makes me not hesitate to return. Its rustic ambiance and decorations may perhaps be the main contributing factors; sewing machine tables, bean bags, brick walls, etc.

Cappuccino. I've had it twice and the house blend (beans from Brazil, Guatemala, Indonesia & Australia) isn't as sour as most types you'd typically experience. The second try being too hot for immediate consumption but other than that, I'd have this cuppa any other day. 

Chai latte. It was an impressive glass with the right balance of cinnamon flavour to the milk, none significantly overpowering another - and this is coming from a person who rarely has chai latte.

Soy cappuccino. Thought I'd give it a shot but it seems as thought they're catering to the way Malaysians would expect a cup of soy coffee to be. The market here seems to picture this as having soy-flavoured coffee which is odd to me. 

Hot mocha in which I enjoyed. Truth be told, I prefer the iced version. Even mom loves it!

I love how the chocolate part isn't sweet or taste evidently like sweet chocolate milk. They use cocoa in which its bitterness when mixed with the coffee blend makes a perfect marriage. I personally do not drink mocha often because of how rare a few places would get the balance to my preference. If you're the type who loves a super sweet cup of mocha, I recommend you skip this one. 

Hats off to my good friend who made the cappuccino, chai latte and mocha for me!

p.s. Their cakes are to die for - red velvet, Nutella hazelnut, banana pecan, peanut butter chocolate and apple & cranberry. Do not ask me to choose.

Address: 25, Jalan SS2/64, Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Closed on: Mondays 

Operating hours: 12.00 p.m. - 12.00 a.m. (Tuesdays - Thursdays & Sundays), 12.00 p.m. - 1.00 a.m. (Fridays & Saturdays)

2. Standing Theory, SS2

Located at one of the shop lots in the middle of SS2, the area wasn't very well lit and couldn't spot the place at first sight especially at night.

Their menu as well as their blend of the day.

Their signature round table which gave the impression of a medieval meeting area somewhat.

Their cappuccino which came with a piece of chocolate chip cookie rather the usual biscotti. Not my most favourite blend because it was extremely lemony and sour but not bad for a capp.

Address: 26, Jalan SS2/103, Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Closed on: Mondays

Operating Hours: 11.00 a.m. - 11.00 p.m.

3. Butter and Beans at Seventeen, Seksyen 17

First coffee place I've visited that closes its kitchen at around 8.00 p.m. - earlier than the typical night coffee hour.

I believe this was a rhubarb & strawberry sort of pie.

Did someone steal that cuppa?

I absolutely love the mural on the wall! Apparently it was done by the artist responsible for the murals in Penang, or so I've been told by one of the workers.

Address: BG-1, Happy Mansion, Jalan 17/13, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Operating Hours: 8.00 a.m. - 8.00 p.m. (every day)


4. Brew & Bread, Kota Kemuning

Drove to Kota Kemuning for the first time to meet a few friends, particularly one of my good friends who was heading back to Australia in a couple of days at that time.

I was surprised at how reasonable the prices were for some of the dishes. Fancy ones aside, the varieties of food & coffee I've tried here are all below RM10 each.

Jo Lyn's cuppa.

... as well as her omelette wrap which turned out to be an omelette but not a wrap. 

My cappuccino. Yeah, the art is cute but the coffee was just average to me.

RM6.00 french toasts which considerably cheap!

I made a second trip there with my high school girls and opted for sandwiches instead.

The ciabattas were absolutely warm and they look so cozy in the little baskets. It was no disappointing experience. 

What are sandwiches without coffee? Their cappuccino is still average to me the second round.

I also discovered their second branch in which recently opened at One City. Check them out when you can!

Address: 10, Jalan Anggerik Aranda M 31/M, Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam, Selangor
Closed on: Thursdays
Operating Hours: 8.00 a.m. - 7.00 p.m.


5. The Grumpy Cyclist, TTDI

An impromptu trip this one. Dad and I decided to head here after visiting Standing Theory because one dose of caffeine wasn't enough for the both of us.

This, and only this, was what I ordered. You should know what it is by now. Once again, being picky me, the blend isn't to my liking. On the side note, their long black is relatively cheaper than most coffee places in TTDI.

This was hanging on the wall literally above my head while dad and I were sipping our cuppas away.

Address: 36, Jalan Datuk Sulaiman, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur
Closed on: Tuesdays


6. Flat White Cafe, SS15

I've been visiting this place ever so often to get my weekly coffee fix due to distance. This is probably the best you can get within SS15 methinks.

I was quite excited when I saw this display. Spot the coffee beans from Melbourne!

I only ever recommend this: Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake, their best seller.

They have other interesting drinks in which I have yet to try because I always go there for their cappuccino. Recently, mom tried their Espresso Bomb (no image) - a variation of the jagerbomb shot. At first, I couldn't match "fizzy" and "coffee" but after trying it, it was different but a legitimate drink and not something horrid. The fizzy part of the drink comprised sparkling water, vanilla flavouring and non-alcoholic Kahlua and you must drop in the espresso shot before consumption. Another popular choice is their Nutella cappuccino. 

Address: 73-1, Jalan SS15/8A, Subang Jaya, Selangor
Operating Hours: 12.00 p.m. - 12.00 a.m. (Mondays - Thursdays & Sundays), 12.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. (Fridays & Saturdays)


7. Thursdvys, TTDI

As usual, I save the best for last. Thursdvys is the latest addition to the TTDI coffee culture. My parents and I visited this place after our trip to Quar/tet a couple of weeks ago.

Their concept is extraordinary. Their standard coffee is of one part ristretto (a short version of a shot of espresso) and one part milk. You may have your cuppa black if you please but I do recommend their standard.

The "v" in Thursdvys is simply for branding purposes. Thursday happens to be an important day to the founder for many significant events in his life fall on that particular day. To some it may seem ironic but I suppose in honour those events, this place closes on Thursdays.

It's interesting how there's this one orange section that stands out of the cafe. Made me ponder for some reason.

They started serving food on the 22nd March. The lamb pasta seems to be missing something in terms of flavour. Also, I expected strips of lamb rather diced pieces. 

I browse through that coffee guide every single time I visit this place because I miss Melbourne so much. Not once their coffee had put me in disappointment.

Their signature dessert: Banoffee Pie in which I absolutely love and highly recommend. I blame one of the barristers for introducing me to this. 

Address: 22, Lorong Dato Sulaiman 1, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur
Closed on: Thursdays
Operating Hours: 9.00 a.m. - 10.00 p.m.

* * * *

Happy cafe hunting! Till then, cheers.