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! :)

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.

Coffea Coffee @ SS15, Subang Jaya

What is a cup of coffee to you?

Excuse me while I decide to use my absolute favourite television series in the whole wide world as a part of my demonstration.

1) A drink in which you need to consume daily to be on the go?

Penny looking like a zombie without coffee in the morning.


2) A reason to meet or hang out with somebody?



Like Raj on a date with a beautiful, deaf girl over coffee.


3) Or are you like Sheldon Cooper where coffee makes you hyperactive?



Boy, do I love Sheldon Cooper! I'd so write a thesis paper on him.

And as for the 4th and final option with no relation to the television series, are you immune to coffee but you just drink it for the heck of it? Peer pressure? Because it's cool?

****

I do know that the coffee experience is subject to the individual, but I can say that I'm one of the few who appreciate a good cup of coffee in the most suitable environment; be it a safe place like my room or at a café‎ surrounded by an ambience which compliments that cup of coffee. For instance, Coffea Coffee, which I would like to introduce in this blog post tonight.

Setting

You should know by now that I love these types of wall designs. 

I was impressed by the lighting and also the cosiness of the place like how each table somehow seems as though there's an invisible shield of privacy surrounding it. 

Bar-ish tables and chairs are available for two.

Yes, even the design of the table got me.

This is where all the magic happens.

Their Black & White menu. Classic design!

I was wondering what "Madonna" meant when my friend recommended the flat white. So there you go, what constitutes the flavour of a Maestro and Madonna coffee.

They have cakes, pastries and some light dishes as well! (Thank goodness)

More on the display counter. I can't decide if the oranges look completely out of place there or if they added balance to the variety. 

There's an air-conditioned smoking area upstairs which I did not visit because I was already heading back home that time. 

To me, personally, that woody, cosy feeling compliments a cup of coffee. If it is of any help, the coffee experience is like the Coca-Cola experience somewhat. It is so good and has the capability to create memories but yet you can't exactly describe what's so beautifully amazing and pleasing about it. So in terms of its settings, Coffea Coffee is one of the few places I would go to for that experience rather those usual Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf cafés where too many customers spoil the ambience. 

What went into our tummies

The Peanut Butter Latte [RM12.00] I had on my first visit. 

This drink caught my attention when I first laid my eyes on the menu. Being a peanut butter lover, without thinking twice, I ordered it. To my surprise, the taste of the peanut butter wasn't as strong as I expected it to be. Not particularly satisfied with the amount of peanut butter flavour in this drink. It was my first time at Coffea Coffee so I'm not sure if this is how it actually is supposed to be or not. However, it was worth the shot anyway.

My second trip, which I went with my family, involved a wider spread of their menu.

Drip Coffee: Indonesian Sumatra Mandheling [RM10.00], the strongest amongst their coffee types. We also tried the Brazil Cerrado Natural Passaro [also RM10.00] which is a bit lighter if you prefer something light.

Madonna Flat White [RM10.00]

I believe this is the Caramel Coolist [RM13.00]. Excellent for those with a sweet tooth!

Peanut Butter Chocolate cake [RM12.00]. I recommend this! Like I said, I am a peanut butter lover (:

Hummingbird cake [RM12.00]. I don't particularly like how the cream is easily separable from the cake which makes it annoying to slice. 

And good lord, the scones [I think this is RM5.90]. 

The bottle of jam from France served with the scones. I was amazed! Most places would just put a spoonful of jam in a small saucer or something. But this?! (Y)

Coffea Coffee is located nearby K3K Benta Kaya or behind Gold Chili. As of now, it is facing directly opposite the MRT construction between SS15 and SS17.

Do share your thoughts on what makes your ultimate coffee experience by commenting on this post or you may drop me an email at emilychoong.blog@gmail.com. Have a great day, everyone! 

Information

Address: A-10, Jalan SS15/4D, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor.

Operating days: Mondays - Sundays

Operating hours: 9.00 a.m. - 12.00 a.m. (Sundays - Thursdays), 9.00 a.m. - late (Fridays, Saturdays & eve of public holidays)

Contact no.: +60322013338 (BANGSAR BRANCH)

Website: https://www.coffea.my

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoffeaCoffeeMY

Twitter: https://twitter.com/coffeacoffeemy

Email: info@coffea.my

Shakespeare Boulangerie & Pâtisserie @ SS15, Subang Jaya [Brief Review]

This place opened only last Monday at a corner in SS15, Subang Jaya where Salmon Steak and the recently relocated Inter-Cultural Language School are situated.

The view outside.

I first laid my eyes on it a few days ago and somehow had a good hunch. I shouldn't have ignored myself. 

I went over with my family after dinner tonight and scanned the bakery. I then noticed something.

Do you see it? Perhaps you don't.




I asked the friendly supervisor/manager whether or not they are affiliated with Levain Boulangerie & Pâtisserie (reviewed here). And guess what? THEY ARE. This particular branch is the sister of Levain! What a discovery! I have more pieces of evidence:

Their menu!

It is just about the same! I see my RM6.50 mushroom soup along with the aglio-oilo and creamy mushroom spaghetti which I had at Levain the other day. 

And...

Déjà vu? (:

Initially, this was where I was supposed to grab dinner but as I searched online, their Facebook page had barely twenty likes (as of 8.00 p.m.) and no one, not a soul wrote a review of this. 

Until the 28th February to celebrate their opening, they have a 20% introductory discount.

I hope to try out the dishes at this place soon. Hopefully the mushroom soup is as good as Levain's (or better) so I need not travel to another state just for good mushroom soup again.

Anyway, these are some information from the flyer I took.

Address: 9G, Jalan SS15/7, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor
Operating hours: 8.00 a.m. - 9.00 p.m.
Contact no.: +60356326001
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shakespeare-Boulangerie-Patisserie/393480124072462?fref=ts
Parking: Public parking - RM0.50 an hour (purchase parking ticket at yellow coloured meters)
WiFi: I was so excited I forgot to check! D:

I am not going to rate this place until I've tried some of their dishes. You are more than welcome to leave a comment and share your experience dining at this place!