Singapore: The Beast @ Jalan Klapa

A bit late to the party but Happy New Year! (at least on this blog considering it's the first post of 2015)

2 months ago, which backdates to 2014, I was in Singapore for a short trip and had the opportunity to attend Burpple's Tastemakers' Meet-up at The Beast. Honestly, it was no ordinary dinner - it was a feast.

Upon arrival, we were served lemonade [$6] and iced tea [$7]. 

We were told to mix the two because that's how it's best consumed. Personally, I liked them separately.

Magic Hat, an American craft beer (not part of the meet-up) [$14].

Bar Bites

Homemade corn bread [$6]

Pulled pork sliders [$16]

Bacon mac & cheese [$9] - yes, this is listed under the right category.

We also had Jack & the Beast Stalk [$12] which I have no photo of because we walloped it all. I have no clue what 'secret seasoning' is in that dish but it was so lovely with a thirst-quenching drink. 

Plates // Mains

Chicken & waffles [$20]. It looks deceivingly dry but I can assure you the tenderness of the chicken with bourbon maple butter sauce does a lot of justice. 

Blackened pork collar [$24] with beans mashed potatoes, thyme and garlic cream sauce. Where is the wrong in that?

And the highlight of the mains goes to ...

The Beast Burger [$125] which, I quote, "adequately feeds 2 stoners or 4 adults." 

Here's for the sake of comparing its size to my iPhone 4S. 

Honestly, after feeding 6 people with everything before this arrived, I wasn't sure how we were going to finish it - and we unfortunately could not. The size of it was just overwhelmingly alarming. 

Desserts 

Bourbon pecan pie [$12] - one of the best pecan pie's I've had.

Peach crumble [$12]. To describe this dish, I shall not "compare [it] to a summer's day" because thou art so achingly beautiful in that stone cold plate. It felt as if the textures and flavours were dancing in felicity on my tastebuds.

Bacon maple glazed donut [$5/piece].  

I'll let this picture describe the whole experience to you.

You can tell we took a while to take the photos. Time and ice cream wait for no one. 

* * * *

That's a wrap!

Thank you for this amazing dinner, Burpple! I never felt more full.

Burpple is available in Malaysia. Download the app and like their Facebook page HERE. 

Information:

Address: 17, Jalan Klapa, Singapore 199329

Contact no.: 6295 0017

Email: info@thebeast.sg

Opening hours: Monday – Thursday: 5.00 p.m. - 12.00 midnight, Friday – Saturday: 5.00 p.m. – 1.00 a.m., Sunday: 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.

Website: www.thebeast.sg

* Prices in this entry are listed in Singaporean Dollars (SGD)

* This event was by invite only and courtesy of Burpple (including the additional lighting for photography because they are awesome like that)

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! :)

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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Follow me on Instagram at @_emilyec for updates!

Food Trail @ Damansara Uptown

- Inspired by people who have done numerous food trips all over the place. -

Here's what you'll need:

1) 5 hours of your precious time.

2) Good company - in your terms. A small party of 3 is excellent for the sake of seating convenience.

3) A relatively big appetite. Don't be fooled by the idea of walking around being quickly burning off what you have eaten.
4) Money. About RM35 - RM40 per person should be sufficient in this case.

A tip that will most probably save your lives:

Control yourselves and do not get ambitious at each stop.

Ready, set, go!
p.s. link to the map of this food trail available at the end of this post

Stop #1: Village Park

Yup, no surprise that this is a part of the lot. I can finally say that I have had tasted their nasi lemak. The place was swarming close to 11.00 a.m. and you'll need luck to get a table. Fortunately for us, Carmen managed to get us a spot.

Nasi lemak with fried chicken [RM9.00]

It took ordering through 3 waiters to finally get this dish to our table. The way the rice was done wasn't up to standard (a little towards the dry side and not fragrant enough) but the sambal did some justice. The fried chicken had a gingery hint to it which complimented the rice. In all honesty, I had set some expectations for this place but this turned out to be rather ordinary to me. 

If you wish to have a classic Malaysian breakfast of roti bakar and soft-boiled eggs, you can get them here as well. Might I suggest a cup of kopi ais to accompany them; something I ordered to kick start my day.

Information

Address: 5, Jalan SS21/37, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Contact no.: +60377107860

Opening hours: 7.00 a.m. - 8.00 p.m. (Mondays - Saturdays) & 7.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m. (Sundays and Public Holidays)

Ratings (out of 10)

André (A): 7.5

Carmen (C): 8.0

Emily (E): 7.0

Stop #2: Ecole P

Located along the same row as Village Park, Ecole P is a restaurant designed for you to reminisce about your primary school days. 

Upon entry, you'll see a whole bunch of your childhood candies, chocolates, biscuits, etc. available for sale.

Anyone's school canteen had cups like these? Mine had styrofoam cups though.

This is the most classic one of all, methinks. I'll let you figure out the significance of the clock. 

Hint: We did not visit at 10.10 a.m. 

This drink is called the Pokemon [RM8.90] which comprised mango, pear, raspberry, lemon, orange and passion fruit juices. It's technically a punch and there were too many competing flavours in one drink. T'was refreshing, nevertheless. 

Chicken chop fried with goldfish biscuits batter [RM16.90] served with a nicely done side of mashed potatoes and mushrooms along with a sour-ish fruity salad. The concept is pretty clever but we found the chicken chop quite ordinary. 

Despite the friendly owner and atmosphere, I personally don't plan on returning knowing that there are cheaper and more filling options around Damansara Uptown. I still, however, recommend that you try this place out at least once because it's not often one discovers such a nostalgic environment.

Information

Address: 19M, Jalan SS21/37, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Contact no.: +60377329711

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

Closed on: Thursdays

Ratings (out of 10):

A: 5.0

C: 5.0

E: 5.5

Stop #3: Annie 1 Family Restaurant

We stopped by here to try only one dish: their dry wantan noodles with char siew. 

[RM6.50] The char siew was pretty amazing and no complains about the noodles. We only found the boiled cabbage, instead of the typical field mustard leaves, a little out of place.

We arrived at lunch hour only to find one table indoors available in the entire double shop lot restaurant. For the sake of lighting, we decided to sit outside anyway.

Information

Address: 18-20, Jalan SS21/58, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Opening hours: 7.30 a.m. - 9.00 p.m. (Mondays - Fridays) & 8.30 a.m. - 3.30 p.m. (Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays)

Ratings (out of 10):

A: 6.0

C: 7.0

E: 6.5

Stop #4: Obanhmi Shop

One of the most talked-about places in Damansara Utama serving Vietnamese sandwiches.  

Fresh bread ready to be eaten - the reason behind the mesmerizing smell of the restaurant.

We ordered the BBQ pork sandwich [RM10.50] which was pretty good thanks to the Vietnamese chili sauce. The portion is huge for one person considering the thickness of the bread (not my kind of bread, unfortunately) and the amount of filling it holds. I love the beautiful colours of the ingredients and how they compliment each other so well.

Topped up RM5.00 for a iced Vietnamese coffee and this was superb. Now I understand the hype over Vietnamese coffee.

Can't say much about how authentic this place is but it certainly has a different feel to it judging from its significant flavour in the food. Also, be prepared for ingredients to be falling out of your sandwiches.

Information:

Address: 33, Jalan SS21/56b, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Contact no.: +60377328540

Opening hours: 9.30 a.m. - 9.30 p.m.

Closed on: Monday

Ratings (out of 10):

A: 9.0

C: 9.0

E: 7.5

Stop #5: Fat Spoon

We were stuffed full like teddy bears primarily from Obanhmi despite only ordering one sandwich. Thankfully, we still had room for desserts. Wait, what am I saying?! There is always room for desserts. 

It was a hot day but we were in need of something to flush our system. Hence, green tea [RM7.00] it was. They have free refills so why not? #TypicalAsian

Durian crème brûlée [RM15.00]. I love durians and I'm perfectly fine with crème brûlée but this was a complete rip off because of its tea-cup size of serving and price. 

This was the saviour of the day; cempedak spring rolls served with ice cream [RM12.00]. The warmth of the spring rolls and cempedak filling complimented the ice cream well although I personally prefer having the spring rolls simply by themselves. 

Information:

Address: 73, Jalan SS21/1a, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Contact no.: +60377283323

Opening hours: 11.30 a.m. - 3.00 p.m. // 5.00 p.m. - 10.00 p.m. (Tuesdays to Sundays) & 11.30 a.m. - 10.00 p.m. (Fridays to Sundays)

Ratings (out of 10):

A: 5.5 (3.0 for durian crème brûlée, 8.0 for cempedak spring rolls)

C: 5.0 (2.0 for durian crème brûlée, 8.0 for cempedak spring rolls)

E: 5.0 (2.0 for durian crème brûlée, 8.0 for cempedak spring rolls)

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All in all, we have covered the following the following cuisines: 

Malaysian, Western, Chinese, Vietnamese, Nyonya

Parking tip: I am a newbie when it comes to food trails but I can tell you that I was in dilemma trying to pick a parking spot. Especially when your first and last location are miles in between, the primary encounter would be, "Do I walk far now or walk far later?" My advice: "Walk far now." Why? You have energy now, use it. By the end of the day, you'll be exhausted, stuffed with goodness, and would want to head to your car ASAP.

Thanks for reading and have a good day!

Click HERE for the map of all 5 locations in this trail.

Special thanks to Carmen and André for being a part of the plan, contributing your calorie counts and your great company.