The Deli @ MiCasa All Suite, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur

Hidden gems are often hard to unearth in the dreary food and beverage scene in Kuala Lumpur but this place definitely trumps since its under the skillful hands of Takashi Kimura, a name familiar with fine diners. Usually overseeing Cilantro Restaurant, the talented Japanese chef is also dabbling in a little down-to-earth gourmet comfort food like sandwiches and salads at The Deli.

          Even though it has been in existence since last October, not many know of this place. Judging from its setup, it shares the same kitchen as Cilantro (it is right behind the esteemed restaurant). Even those homemade ice creams we often see gracing our dessert plates in the restaurant are sold here by the scoop.

          For main meals, you have a choice of salads (nicoise with tuna sashimi slices, caesar, duck leg confit, baby spinach), onion soup, a pasta of the day, fish and chips and sandwiches (grilled beef, salmon gravlax, chicken pate, mushroom). Desserts like apple tart, pithivier and homemade ice cream at RM10 per scoop (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, mango, kiwi, caramel, chestnut, green tea, pistachio and earl grey) Prices are very reasonable considering the quality of the food served ranging from RM10  to RM20.

          We sampled the grilled beef ciabatta sandwich (RM20) and it was gorgeous - thick juicy pieces of steak on top of a soft and lightly toasted ciabatta bread with cherry tomatoes, rockets and slow cooked onions. Beef jus with onions and french fries are served on the side. The sandwiches come with a choice of baguette, ciabatta or wholemeal.The duck confit salad (RM17) was equally good, tender and juicy with a healthy dose of greens on the side. Those who love homemade ice creams will fall in love with the wonderful selection here. That particular day, we tried flavours like caramel, pistachio, chestnut and vanilla. While the chestnut was a little icy, the rest were very creamy. Incrediby good stuff that had me hankering to return here again and again. If only my office was nearer, you will see me here everyday.

The Deli

Micasa All Suite
Jalan Tun Razak

Kuala Lumpur

(Pork Free. Open from 11am to 6pm. Closed on Sundays. Take aways are available. Prices quoted above are not inclusive of the 6% government tax. For more pictures, see my Flickr set.)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

Myungpum Chicken BBQ @ Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur

Desa Sri Hartamas is on track to be a bustling Korean town like Ampang with its numerous restaurants, boutiques, grocery stores and even hairdressing salons from the Land of the Morning Calm. Unlike the atypical Korean restaurant, a new culinary phenomenon has recently cropped up in the area - two places serving Chicken BBQ: one at the old Exotic Restaurant and another first floor place on top of Celicakes. Not to be confused with the fast food place (the one that fries in healthy olive oil!), we decided to give the bigger place a try one night since it was well patronised by many Koreans. It seems the place only started business about four weeks ago.

          It was a good choice as the food was delicious. Their main star was the galbi or chicken ribs. You have a choice of original dark or spicy dark, each are priced at RM22 per person. Once you place the order, they bring over a platter of vegetables (cabbage, onions, sweet potatoes, spring onions), rice cakes aka tteoksari and chicken. Topped with a fiery red gochujang paste, it's tipped into the large cast iron pot and cooked till cooked. Side lettuces, scary looking chilli peppers, kimchi (cabbage and radish) are served on the side. The menu is relatively limited, there's galbi, pajeon (pancake with seafood and green onion), chicken cutlet and diet noodle tray (looked very colourful). Available for lunch is Korean chicken soup (gamasot dartgyejang), and handmade noodle with chicken (dark sonkaiguksu). Extra sides such as the rice cake, rice, noodles can also be ordered.

          We love the chicken, it's spicy but not overwhelming and its piping hot since you pick it up from the pot. The pajeon (RM20) is good too, not too floury or oily with lots of spring onions. Our only complaint would be we kinda picked up the scent of the cooked food. Maybe next time we'll sit outside as the airconditioned area is not equipped with suction fans. I reckon another visit is in the works during the weekend as I want to give their lunch dishes a try. If you love Korean and you're looking for something new, drop by for something different.

Myungpum Chicken BBQ

No.2, Ground Floor

Jalan 24/70A

Desa Sri Hartamas

Kuala Lumpur

(Non Halal. Open from 11.30am to 11pm daily. Place is the same row as RHB Bank, the other corner of Burger King. More pictures including the interiors are in the Flickr set.)

Note: mas-issneun means "delicious" in Korean

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

Dry Chilli Pan Mee @ Madam Chiam Curry Noodle House, Taman Connaught, Cheras

I've not been poking around places for good food these few weeks being busy with work. However, last Saturday, the prospect of working that day plus the combination of an early wake-up call (a miracle for me since I'm part-owl), I decided to explore Cheras for some good food.

         Cheras is one of those places I inevitably get lost in. I always seem to stumble upon a maze of highways that gets me bewildered and confused. Surprisingly, that morning saw relatively jam free roads, which made my spur of the moment driving around a breeze. I had read about this place from After Giovanni. Always at the back of my brain to give it a try (it's been tagged in a guidebook I've flipped through), her blog post was a juicy wake-up call to the tummy to wander here for some noodle satisfaction.

          Even though Madam Chiam toots her horn about her curry noodles, it's her dry chilli pan mee that graces almost every table here. Unlike the other establishments in town, her noodles are a different bowl game. Expect to slurp down thin strands with kinks that seemed to scream instant noodles visually but once bitten, there's little of the starchy gumminess that sticks to your teeth or even the springy taste you associate with your 2-minute noodles. It seems the good old madam had tweaked the recipe omitting yeast hence the textural difference. I was expecting springy noodles like a sprightly bunny on Energizer batteries but I felt that my strands were lacking like an old man without Viagra. Maybe it was a dud day. Nevertheless, the whole ensemble of minced meat, poached egg, dried chilli flakes, deep fried anchovies and a squeeze of the calamansi juice, when tossed together makes it a tummy satisfying brekkie.

           Even her greens are different here as she serves the more commonly found spinach versus the usual sweet tasting pucuk manis or Sabah vegetables. Those obese looking dumplings aka. the sui kow are also available here per piece. While they're plumped up, these ones seem to lack much textural taste with the lack of crunchy ingredients like water chestnuts and black wood ears fungus within even though their skins are silky smooth like a baby's bottom.

Madam Chiam Curry Noodle House

No. 20, Jalan Cerdik

Taman Connaught

Cheras

Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 016-2107559

(Non Halal. Closed alternate Monday. Note that they're close this Monday. Open from 7am-5pm.)

  

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

Favola Italian Restaurant @ Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur

Last year, Italian food captured the hearts (and tummies) of KL-lites, hence we saw a flurry of homestyled trattorias, fine dining places and etc. flinging open their doors in the city.  Recent closures like Il Divo and Chiaroscuro (they're looking for a new premises) make one wonder whether the city's "amore" with Italian fare is waning a little. Nevertheless for Italian stalwarts such as Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur's Favola, things are going strong with monthly specials and from I hear, a new menu is also in the works. It has been a while that I dined here that it was lovely to find aesthetic changes recently added to the restaurant - the nostalgic fable of Strega Nona and her enchanted pasta pot on the ceiling, the new bronze chandeliers hanging from the rustic wood-like ceiling and cosy little private dining rooms tucked on one side of the restaurant. 

        Even the menu sports new favourites, like this month's special, the decadent Kobe beef lasagna (RM108). Unlike their signature wagyu beef lasagna, which I felt the meat was overshadowed by the cheese and bechamel sauce, this dish boasts of seared melt-in-the-mouth Kobe beef slices tucked within loose layers of pasta sheets. A wisp of grated cheese and a hearty dose of a hearty tomato sauce round up the whole ensemble to give it a tummy warming sensation with a touch of decadence. Some changes have also been made to the menu as instead of the unusual seared sea scallops (RM45) with the faux risotto (made from cauliflower), they have replaced it with a lighter version that tops a cauliflower flan and sprinkled with jewel-like green and yellow zucchini cubes. I'm always partial to hearty soups hence I enjoyed their zuppa di pesce alla marina (RM35), chockfull of seafood and tomatoes even though one can't really taste the saffron within. The insalata di buffalo mozzarela e pesca alla giglia (RM35) with grilled peaches and locally made buffalo mozzarella went well with the peppery rocket and raddichio salad topped with shaven Pecorino cheese.

      Comfort food is risotto, the creamy versions of course and I thoroughly enjoyed the risotto con cappesante (RM50) with seared sea scallops. A touch of softened leeks, lemon zest, chillies and basil adds a tinge of zing to the risotto to give it a difference. On the other side of the fence, the potato gnocchi and crab dumpling (RM40) wasn't a big hit with us since it did have a strong marine twang that didn't go so well with the roasted bell peppers coulis and Italian parsley foam. Instead, we found solace in the gamberetti ai pinoli (RM45), cappellini pasta tossed with seared prawns, chilli, garlic, parsely, pine nuts and mushrooms dressed simply in olive oil. A shake of the chilli peppers gave it all the zing it needed to make it a crowd pleaser. Being a big fan of Italian cookbook author Marcella Hazan, I was swayed by the crespelle di pollo (RM45) since she describes them beautifully in her books. This version is hearty with chicken, spinach and ricotta with a roasted Roma tomato sauce.

       We end the meal with sweets. No wonder they say, life is sweet (la dolce vita) in Italian since they make wonderful tiramisu (RM30) soaked with Illy coffee and lashings of sweet mascarpone cheese. Chocolate lovers will enjoy their warm chocolate cake, budino di cioccolata (RM25) with the icy cold vanilla ice cream and divine chocolate sauce. On another occasion, we choose canoli (RM25), crispy sweet dough filled with chocolate and nougat mousse. While there's no trace of nougat, it's a pleasant dessert with the slightly tart fruit sauce served on the side.

      Portions are hearty here so come with a big appetite or a large group to share. There's also a decadent beef consomme risotto to look forward to for March's special with foie gras cubes and oil (it's just the oil rendered from pan frying the duck liver). One must admit that an earlier visit yielded a heavy hand with the salt but this time round, my two visits here seems to prove that they have rectified that little issue hence the meal was thoroughly enjoyable.

Favola Italian Restaurant
Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur

Jalan Stesen Sentral

Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2263 7888

(Pork Free. Antipasti and dessert buffet is available for RM98++ every Sunday. For more pictures see my Flickr set.)

Italian phrase, "Mangiare per vivere e non vivere per mangiare" means eat to live and not live to eat.

*Notice: The reviewer declares that part of this review was by invitation from the restaurant. Some items were paid for by the reviewer in the second visit to the restaurant.

Jelly Koi Fish for Chinese New Year

Gong Xi Fa Cai! Apologies for the long blogging holiday but I decided to take a break from writing that my notebook started to collect dust at home. Am sure some of you are still enjoying the long break or have gone back to work today. This is definitely the best time of the year - 15 days of celebrations with family and friends. Eat, eat, eat away...

It's been great homecooked feasts at home or at friends that I'm so stuffed from good food. To kick off the Lunar New Year instead of a rabbit, I thought I'll introduce you to these amazingly good and gorgeous looking koi fish jellies, a friend brought for a party yesterday. It consists of a family of medium sized koi fish and 18 baby koi fish jellies that are arranged to mimic them swimming in a water lily pond (it's actually edible blue food dye). Each of the koi fish jellies are made from Japanese Konnyaku jelly with bits of ginger and nata de coco. The jelly is not too sweet with a nice bite. I especially liked the ginger bits that give it a nice aroma. Best of all, we loved the whole presentation of the jellies since koi fishes are auspicious.

This seasonal jelly is available from Jelly-Lah (a very cute name since it's been Malaysianised) until Chap Goh Meh for RM38 per set. If you wish to order, call 012-3095660. They also have other types of jellies available like ketupat jelly, jelly cakes including durian and mango flavours, and etc. Definitely makes a big change from cream and cake for that special occasion.

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

Erawan Classic Thai & Fusion @ Sunway Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya

In the books, Selangor may be known as a state that has chalked up a population of around 5 million people but at Erawan Classic Thai & Fusion, it feels like Cheers the pub..."where everybody knows your name". This Thai place is definitely the flavour of the month for many hence the convergence of people here every other night. Walk in here and you'll definitely bump into someone you know. My first visit here yielded one ex-boss and a financial consultant I used to corporate wheel and deal. Lurking in the background was someone else I vaguely remember from my old tuition days.





Numerous dining expeditions later, I've racked up a long list of food bloggers, old friends and even a few famous restauranteurs I've met here. It's not only me who have been bumping into acquaintances as Splashie Boy also encountered a few ex-colleagues here. Another food blogger even bumped into her pharmacist here. I guess this little slice of heaven hidden in Kota Damansara is a darn village in the big city.





One of the best things about dining here...the food is so great and diverse that you find yourself drawn back to keep sampling the varieties. Take for instance, my latest visit here last week. Friends who visited the place for the first time..Erawan virgins, we call them...are now hooked and from what I gather, later this week another visit has been planned. Don't worry, it's all very respectable...its been just seven days since they walked into this magical place.





Run by Anan (who mans the front) and Korn who rules the kitchen with his iron hand, this place is in the most unlikely place - sandwiched between a car workshop and a chicken rice shop. One indication it is a little different from the cookie cutter shophouses is their frontage, framed with greenery and flowers. There's lovely little touches on the outside to entice you inside...orchids floating in the water, cutesy animal figurines and beautiful mosaic patterned tables. Once you're inside, you will be charmed with the whole look - hand painted walls, beautiful paintings, orchids in large vases, and etc.





Dining here requires a little discipline and rules. For instance, you need to plan ahead and be punctual. The restaurant runs on the premise - food should be ordered ahead for them to give you the best food and service. It can be quite frustrating especially for those who prefer to dine on a whim but if making a teensy weensy effort on your part gives you great Thai food as a reward, it's worth it.





In our many visits here, I've chalked up a long list of favourites that one visit is never enough to cover them. In fact, I often feel like a casanova here, after I decided one is my favourite, I discover something else to slowly edge it down the list of popularity. My first love was the roast duck curry - silky smooth to our tongue, the curry mesmerized us all with its sweet flavours from the fresh fruits that we drank every drop of the curry like precious nectar. For my second visit, I was enamoured with their luscious green curry with salted egg yolk or more precisely fish paste stuffed with egg yolk.



Like an onion, we kept peeling through Erawan's menu to discover more hidden treasures. Our greatest discovery was during their appreciation night....the rose apple with special topping. That night, we saw Erawan transform to an intimate place for guests and friends to mingle as the restaurant was celebrating their entry into the Miele Guide. Looking innocently on the table like a fruit dish, we almost ignored the humble looking pieces of rose apple until we took one bite of the whole concoction with a spoonful of the special topping. The sweet, fragrant and slightly sticky topping made with cashewnuts, roasted coconuts and dried shrimps complemented the sweet crunchy rose apple perfectly. Needless to say, once the people discovered how wonderful it was, you could see people crowding around the table to keep spooning the topping over the tiny pieces of the fruit.




Another night, we discovered the cockles curry. If you are a fan of cockles in your curry laksa, here you have a big bowl just dedicated to that humble bivalve. You find yourself drenching your plate of rice with the wonderful curry scented with betel leaf and enjoying every bit of the cockles. Another curry we love is the Panaeng beef curry - tender beef pieces served with an aromatic red curry. Equally good is the soft shell crab served with the curry cream. It's a rich concoction of curry powder, creamy coconut milk with eggs that begs for you to sully your pristine white rice. For those who prefer light curries, the prawns with pineapple will suit them, while those who love peanuts and sweet curries will enjoy the Massaman curry that is served with chicken or beef.



How rude I am, I jumped ahead to the main dishes, when I didn't rave on about their appetizers. For the festive period, there's yee sang available till 17 February. Erawan's version is extremely colourful and healthy with nary a coloured yam shred in the assortment. We spied Thai ingredients such as pineapples and colourful purple cabbage in the assortment. Served with a Thai-ish sauce, it was not too sweet and crunchy after we mixed everything up together with the pok chui crackers.




Other appetizers I should rave on about is the lemongrass salad, a crunchy concoction of sliced lemongrass with toasted coconut and seafood. I also love the four angle bean salad. It's similar to the yee sang, as you pour the sauce over the eggs, toasted coconut, sliced four angle beans to toss it together. The deep fried papaya salad is unusual as it reminds me of eating tempura (in a Thai restaurant) with a spicy assorted vegetables dip. The crab in the shell dish is also good. They're very generous with the crab meat and shrimps and it is served with their homemade plum sauce. A must is their pomelo salad, their best seller. Chunks of Thai pomelo is served with crushed peanuts, prawns and a sweet sticky sauce.




Once you have enjoyed the appetizers and mains, don't forget the desserts as they are equally good. Unlike the usual pumpkin custards, Erawan's version is a different breed as it contains a dark chocolate custard heart. It's also served with a vanilla sauce...that makes it simply divine. A big favourite with all of us is the roast bananas - a dish with soft and sweet bananas that have us requesting for it everytime.




Banana fritters is another alternative for banana lovers - filo pastry crackers with banana. On another occasion, we tried refreshing coconut jelly. Another favourite is the mango glutinous rice, the Thai traditional dish. They even serve a durian version but it is only available when durian is in season, so grab it when it is served. I've also tried their crisp shallots custard cake in the cocktail party, soft and luscious with an unusual deep fried shallot topping. The tapioca is also very good. Something else I also tried before in their cocktail party that I love but its not on the menu is the sago with coconut custard topping. Really good as they put a bit of salt in the coconut custard layer. Don't forget their homemade ice creams...the durian one is gorgeous.






I hope it's not been a whirlwind as believe me, we have eaten a lot of items from the menu. Just go through the Flickr set for the full set of pictures. You can run through the Erawan's menu on their website. Study it and make the right choices for your pre-booked dinner.





Hopefully you will discover and fall in love with this little gem of the place like all of us have. I'm looking forward to my next visit here already after running through my pictures since everyone of them has me salivating especially late in the night.


Erawan Classic Thai & Fusion
No.22-1, Jalan PJU 5/16
Dataran Sunway Kota Damansara
Petaling Jaya


Tel No: 03- 6141 2393


(Pork Free. Closed on Mondays. Open for lunch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Dinner available from Tuesdays to Sundays. The place is opposite the ICCA.)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

Chinese New Year Celebrations @ Restaurant Chef Choi, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur

The Year of the Rabbit is just around the corner...in about three weeks time. Tis' the season to feast and celebrate with customs rich in auspicious meanings. In the Chinese New Year festival, food plays an important role - uniting family for the all important reunion dinner, gathering with fellow workers to mark the end of the lunar year and of course, the get-togethers with friends to feast on the festive goodies.

 


One of my favourite traditions is the yee sang. Essentially it is a salad in essence packed brimful of assorted vegetables, crispy crackers, sesame seeds, peanuts and raw fish, all tossed in a plum sauce. Previously reserved for the seventh day of the Chinese New Year (i.e. Yan Yat), nowadays restaurants capitalise on this tradition by serving the auspicious salad as soon as Christmas is over.





At Chef Choi's, in a celebratory dinner among good old friends who are devout foodies, we sample one of the best yee sangs in town. Going down to the core of the whole dish, Chef Choi's owner had concocted their own secret yee sang sauce that lightly dresses the salad. Made with preserved plums, apricots and the ingredient X from China, the sauce is so delectable, we end up having it for dessert!





The yee sang is lightly anointed with the yee sang sauce....just a smidgeon to coat the vegetables and raw fish so the textures don't mash up into each other until they are no longer noticeable. Unlike other restaurants that drench their festive salad with the sauce, the mouthfeel here is different since the dough crisps remain crackly good.




A feast is never the same without a deluxe item since celebrations always call for "the best of the best". This is said to symbolise wealth and I guess in terms of positive thinking, probably wealth in the upcoming Lunar New Year too. In this simple yet decadent feast, we supped on what the Chinese term as fatt tiu cheong - the prized soup filled with the most luxurious ingredients. Also known as the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, legend claims that the soup was so enticing that it tempted a monk to leap over the wall to taste the wondrous soup.



This deluxe version (RM450++) is double boiled over a slow fire for 16 hours. All the goodness is sealed in a large tureen glued tightly together with paper and egg white. A whiff of the slow cooked soup may not make us jump walls but we were tempted too since it was incredibly concentrated with the essence of all the wonderful ingredients.




The soup is served in a special manner, layer by layer...the first for me even though this is not the first time I'm eating this dish. The first layer is thick and slightly gummy from the collagen from the sharks fin and rich with the abalone essence. The key to the aromatic soup is the prized cordyceps that resemble worms. These small unassuming Chinese fungi can fetch a crazy whopping prices and was by far the most expensive item in the soup. Nowadays, due to the difficulty to source for cordyceps, most of the soups contain cordyceps flowers, a cultivated fungi with an aroma similar to the prized ingredient.




The second layer had us enjoying each of the ingredients - the sea cucumber that is a blob of soft collagen, the fish maw, the whole Japanese scallops and the fork-tender soft abalone. The soup is not as rich as the first drawn thick broth but still incredibly aromatic. Lastly, we enjoy the tender black chicken with the prized cordyceps. The whole dish is incredibly tummy satisfying especially since that night was a little chilly from the heavy rain.





Next is another prized dish, steamed soon hock (bamboo or marble goby fish) in soy sauce - the best way to enjoy this delicate and sweet flesh. Last but not least, it is Chef Choi's special waxed meat rice. Unlike other restaurants, where this rice dish can be overly decadent and cloyingly rich, this version is light and fluffy with the use of basmati rice. It's even low GI so health freaks don't need to worry if they ask for a second helping. There's no crust but you can enjoy bowl after bowl of the fluffy rice with the aromatic waxed meats. Again the goose liver sausages are my favourite...they're from Hong Kong's famous Yung Kee Restaurant.





That night we made history, ending our meal with freshly cut fruits with the yee sang sauce on the side. The yambean and the green apple goes so well with the sweet and fruity sauce that one is not enough. It's also a great ploy to get us to eat more fruits as the sauce is simply addictive. I reckon we made a revolutionary discovery that night and who knows, this may be the start of a new dessert for the restaurant.

I'm sure you must be enjoying the run up to the festival with all the feasting. Just remember, all this is for a cause since it is filled with auspicious symbols to usher in a prosperous Lunar New Year.


Happy Feasting!!

Chef Choi Restaurant
159 Jalan Ampang
Kuala Lumpur


Tel: 03-2163 5866


(Non Halal. Open from 12-2.30pm, 6-10pm. Restaurant is located in a standalone bungalow between the Chinese temple and Nasi Kandar Pelita. For the full set of pictures, see my Flickr set. For the full array of Chinese New Year set menus, click on this link.)


*Note that this meal was not paid by the reviewer.

DIET Cafe @ Cheras Business Centre, Kuala Lumpur

When my friend CS waxed lyrical about DIET Cafe's offerings to me, I was a little skeptical since anything with a word "diet" usually meant it won't be very tasty even though it's good for you. Thus, one Saturday morning all of us got whisked away to Cheras. As we approached the cafe and saw their signboard, all of us simultaneously burst out in giggles as we discovered DIET stood for Do I Eat Today? That's when all our fears on eating healthy food flew out of the window...

My friend CS had discovered this small tucked away cafe serving Western meals since her chiropractor was just round the corner from there. She swears by the pesto pasta and the bangers and mash. With so many mouths to feed that afternoon, we had fun trying out various dishes.




The spaghetti with pesto (RM12) got a big thumbs up from everyone that we had to have seconds. It was a custom made order, specially for us since it usually gave with seafood. We wanted to just sample the pesto on its own glory. My only complaint would be the pool of oil left at the bottom but otherwise this pesto came pretty close to what I blend up in my kitchen.





Bangers and mash (RM18) is Splashie Boy's ultimate comfort food. Must be some streak of England in him that he likes this quintessential English dish. Here they serve it with premium chicken sausages that tops mash potatoes. It's all drowned with onion gravy, a must-have. The onion gravy is gorgeous here, with a nice hearty taste to it. The sausages were a little inconsistently cooked though, some were a bit overcooked and dried out while others were juicy. It's definitely one of the better renditions of this particular dish but maybe not the best ever.





A surprise came in the form of the pan fried seabass (RM28). Served with a mustard cabbage and apple slaw, the fish was perfectly cooked - juicy with a crisp skin. I especially loved the mustard cabbage, not overly tangy but still tart enough with the grain mustard to cut through the slight oily taste of the fish. Rounding up the dish was this diced apple slaw that made it really refreshing.





It was a series of hits and some misses. The chunky mushroom soup (RM9) passed our favour but we did find fault in the pumpkin soup (RM8) since it didn't taste anything like pumpkin but orange! The salt beef sandwich (RM18) was pretty decent even though I did think they overdressed the lettuce with mayonnaise. We loved the crispy sweet potato crisps on the side though. The mushroom carbonara (RM16) was simple yet comforting. It was quite light tasting even though it was cooked with cream.





The place has a quirky feel to it, kinda like it is caught up in an English floral landscape with sunflowers and fake flowers. There are also various decorative plates around. The owner obviously has a soft spot for ducks as in one corner, it is dedicated to those feathery creatures.





We finished with desserts including pancakes (RM8) from the brunch menu (yes they do an all day breakfast menu). We love the fluffy pancakes drenched in syrup that is given a nice healthy twang in the form of chopped mixed fruits. The mocha cup (RM10) sounded interesting, their take on egg mousse with chocolate and coffee but it just didn't excite our palate. Instead, what stood out for us were their apple crumble and the caramel banana puff (RM8). Both look similar since it is presented in a filo pastry cup and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream but tastewise, they're different. The apple crumble (RM10) consists of diced apples topped with a crumbly browned pastry topping, while the banana puff is cooked till it is super meltingly soft. We were surprised to discover the caramel had a slight salty kick to it. Both desserts are not too sweet and can be thoroughly enjoyed without going into diabetic shock.





We leave the place with full tummies and vow to return again to try out more items since there's so much to offer in the menu. They also serve various kinds of juices including cute drinks and mocktails like the pinkish dung (their version of bandung).


DIET Cafe
27, Jalan 3/101C
Cheras Business Centre
Kuala Lumpur


Tel: 03-9130 1700


(Pork Free. Open from 10am to midnight from Mondays to Fridays. For weekends, they start from 8am. See my Flickr set for the full set of items including the location map. For more details, see their website and Facebook page.)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.