Bangsar Babe

Food Bites, Jaya One

May 18, 2012 11 Comments

Food Bites Feature Blogger

Food Bites is happening this 26th May 2012 in Jaya One from 11am to 6pm. Over the past few weeks, I posted pictures of the food tastings I’ve attended; all of them unique, tasty and gourmet in their own way. If you’re a foodie and would like to try all the goodies Food Bites has to offer, block your date and get ready to indulge!

Gourmet food, street style!

Panini from Crumbs

Haute Dogs

The Potong

Iced coffee with apple syrup - Espresso Lab

Iced coffee with strawberry syrup - Espresso Lab

Alcohol-infused fudge brownies

Mini roasted vege quiche from "A Quiche To Remember"

There’s more…as there are nine (9) participating vendors and I’m aching to get my hands on those yummy delights again!

Here’s the good news: I’m giving away RM50 cash vouchers to ten (10) lucky readers*. All you need to do is answer the questions below (tips can be found here) on my Facebook page.

1. What is Food Bites?
(a) A food market
(b) A shopping mall
(c) A restaurant

2. Where and when will Food Bites be available?
(a) Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, 26th June 2012
(b) Jaya One, 26th May 2012
(c) Jaya 33, 26th May 2012

3. In 15 words or less, what about Food Bites excites you?

*Contest ends at 11.59pm on 23rd May 2012

I hope to see you guys at Food Bite, Jaya One this 26th May 2012. Curbside Gourmet FTW!!

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Filed Under: Feature, Food Reviews Tagged With: A Quiche To Remember, Brownies, Coffee, Crumbs, Espresso Lab, FOOD, Food Bites, Food Review, Fudge Brownies, Haute Dog, Ice Cream, Jaya One, Quiche, The Dali, The Paintbrush, The Potong, What the Duck?!

Hotel Maya Kuala Lumpur

May 17, 2012 26 Comments

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Lobby

“Have you gone for your honeymoon yet?”

“How’s married life?”

“When are you having kids?”

So we got married…a year after he popped the question. Within that year, we were both busy with work and planning our wedding. After the wedding, we went straight back to work and only had a mini vacation in February 2012. I always feel happier and refreshed after a vacation, especially if the hotel room is nice and cosy.

Our getaway nest...

Spacious and bright

View from our room! Nice right??

Our recent getaway was in Hotel Maya, where we stayed at the deluxe suite overlooking the view of KL city. Prior to this, the only contact I had with the hotel was when I parked my car at the basement and crossed the road to Zouk. Checking in was a breeze – the staff were friendly and efficient. The lobby had a contemporary boutique-like feel; high ceiling, marble walls and warm colours.

Coffee machine

Chilled drinks (chargeable)

Coffee, tea or me?

Our deluxe suite came equipped with the usual amenities and more – I liked the coffee machine provided. The bathroom is connected to the (sort of) walk-in wardrobe and natural soaps including bath salt are available. I settled in quite immediately. Wine glasses are also available which was perfect as we brought along a bottle of bubbly.

Natural soaps

Walk-in wardrobe...sort of

Wi-Fi is provided so you can surf the net all day long without worrying about the additional charges. The bed was large and plushy with a pillow menu for the fussy sleeper. You have a choice of feather, non allergic, bolster, buckwheat and hollow fill pillow. I’m generally a heavy sleeper so any comfortable bed will do. All I need is my ~~bantal busuk~~ two fluffy pillows. Heh!

Mirrors everywhere!

*Like my moustache ring? It’s from The Aura.

Hotel Maya’s swimming pool is located on Level 3, indoor. It is said to be the only heated hydrotherapy pool in Kuala Lumpur where you can enjoy a ‘massage’ from the water jets. Alternatively, you can go for a more extensive massage at Anggun Spa, which I will be writing about shortly. After such a hectic week, it was a damn good massage. I got rid of so many ‘knots’.

Sky Lounge (inside)

Chocolate brownie

The Sky Lounge on Level 13 offers hotel guests a selection of petit fours with a choice of coffee or tea between 9 to 11pm. I thought they were pretty decent, especially the brownie – moist and rich. Also noteworthy were the assorted cookies, with my favourite being the cornflakes. If you’re there early, you get to sit outside and enjoy the view (and breeze if you’re lucky). Unfortunately, we got to Level 13 at close to 10pm so we settled for the plush sofa seats inside.

Crumbly, light and buttery!

Wines are available

Coffee...and some quiet time

Huge bathtub!

Room service was a breeze. While we didn’t order anything to eat, our request for a bucket of ice arrived within 10 minutes. The bathtub was big enough to fit two adults and I totally dig the shower ceiling. Better water pressure.

Cheese selection

Good pastries. Better than the ones from a famous bakery on Jalan Delima.

Cakes and kuih

Fruits to start the day!

rif's omelette with extra cheese

Tomato and orange juice

Sunny side up

Sourdough and wholemeal bread. With salted butter. Yum...

The breakfast spread at Maya Brasserie was simple but of high quality. There was a selection of cheeses, healthy cereals, juices, three types of milk, local food, western food, pastries, good breads and an egg station. On top of that, we got to choose a main course from the menu provided. I ordered the Monte Cristo and rif, the lamb murtabak.

Good pastries

Scrambled egg, ham, sausage and alfalfa sprouts

Monte Cristo

Mmmmm....

My Monte Cristo was a gooey-rich combination of turkey ham, cheese, mayonnaise and sandwich bread, dipped in egg batter and deep-fried till golden brown on the outside. If I ate this every day, I would go from size 24 to size 42 in a few months! The lamb murtabak was nothing to shout about. I found the filling scant and the skin was a tad chewy. That said, I liked the accompanying curry chicken – thick, aromatic and spicy.

Lamb Murtabak

During breakfast, I couldn’t help but notice how particular the head chef was about quality and presentation. He kept coming out of the central kitchen to arrange the (slightly) crooked plates, check if the breads were properly cut and kept, and whether there was enough pastries for the guests. #perfectionist

View from our bed

After breakfast, we snuggled in bed and watched Gossip Girls until it was time to check out. Our stay at Hotel Maya was short but it relaxing, rejuvenating and peaceful. Just what we needed – a break from the hustle and bustle (and stress) of city life.

*If you’re keen on a getaway like mine, check out the Deluxe Suite Dreams Promotion (RM595++ per night inclusive of 2 breakfasts). Alternatively, you can get the Weekend Escape Package (RM799++ for 3 days 2 nights inclusive of 2 breakfasts).

*The breakfast buffet is RM65++ person from 6.30am – 10.30am.

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Hotel Maya
138, Jalan Ampang,
50450 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia
Tel: 03-2711 8866
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.hotelmaya.com.my

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: Breakfast, Deluxe Suite, FOOD, Getaway, Holiday, Hotel, Hotel Maya, Hotel Maya Kuala Lumpur, Spa, Suite, Vacation

Imbi Market Breakfast

May 15, 2012 18 Comments

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Chinese style nasi lemak

My late grandfather used to get up at 5am every day for breakfast at a nearby coffeeshop in Sitiawan. He would buy some pau back home for my breakfast but more often than not, I would only eat it at noon – that’s usually the time I wake up, involuntarily. In KL, I can never fathom how some people can have their breakfast as early as 6am. My only exception for breakfast this early is when my night out ends at 5am.

rif and I were up at 6am one weekend to send my parents to KL Sentral for their trip abroad, so we decided to revisit the Imbi Market. It’s been 8 years since we last visited this market and I could vaguely remember how the kaya toast was.

Check out the generous slab of butter!

At 6.30am, the place was dark with market vendors setting up their stalls. With my smatter of Cantonese, I ordered a set of kaya and butter toast, two portions of steamed bread with butter and kaya and Hainan tea. The toast – thinly sliced and crisply toasted – came with a thick slab of cold butter and generous slathers of kaya. Crumbly, light and still as good as I remembered it to be.

Steamed bread with kaya and butter

rif preferred the steamed bread for its softer and fluffier texture. This had more bite compared to the crumbly nature of the toast and was just as tasty. The Hainan tea however, wasn’t thick, aromatic or sweet enough. Quite disappointing, this one. I’m not sure how much each item was, but we paid slightly over RM8 for the above.

Hainan tea

Fiery sambal!

The Chinese style nasi lemak was alright. I’m generally not a fan of Chinese nasi lemak because the rice lacks coconut milk and the sambal isn’t spicy enough. This sambal was VERY spicy but the rice was hardly lemak. I also thought the sambal tasted very one-note.

Curry wantan mee

The curry wantan mee stall was quite popular so I ordered a bowl (RM4.50) to try. It was nothing to shout about. While the noodles were toothsome, the broth was quite bland and watery. On the bright side, the cockles were plump, slightly bloody and fresh.

I plan to try the popiah and egg tart next round (they were not ready when I was there), but only if I have to up at 6am. Otherwise, nothing beats my bed and pillow.

Ambiance: 4/10
Price: 6/10
Toast: 7/10
Food: 5/10 (non halal)
Verdict: If you’re an early bird, check out the food stalls here.

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Imbi Market (Pasar Besar Bukit Bintang)
Pudu, 55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Opens: 6am – 12noon
Closed on Monday

View Larger Map

Filed Under: Food Reviews Tagged With: Breakfast, Butter, Curry Mee, FOOD, Food Review, Hainan Kaya Toast, Hainan Tea, Imbi, Imbi Market, Imbi Market Breakfast, Kaya, Kaya Toast, Nasi Lemak, Pasar Besar Bukit Bintang, Toast, Wantan Mee

Sang Kee, Lorong Yap Ah Loy

May 14, 2012 11 Comments

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Much raved about sang har mee...

I’ve been wanting to try the sang har mee at Sang Kee for quite some time especially after my in-laws told me how tasty the noodles were when they ate there a couple of years ago. But when you’re dressed in office wear, the thought of eating in an alley on a hot afternoon isn’t practical…especially if you have a meeting after lunch. Luck was on my side last week as I had a relatively free afternoon (plus it was smart casual Friday) so I checked the place out with two new makan kaki.

Wet alley

The eatery is located near Petaling Street – off Lorong Yap Ah Loy to be exact and can be difficult to find if you’re not familiar with the area. Good thing one of my makan kaki knows the place well so I followed him like a blind mouse. Sang Kee is an old-school restaurant that has been around for more than half a century. To get there, we walked through a back (and wet) alley which can be off-putting to some.

Get in queue...

Uncle at work

At half past noon, the place was crowded. Plates of noodles were lined up at the cooking station waiting for the chef to add the gravy and meat on top. We ordered a plate of ginger beef kuay teow (RM18) and sang har mee (RM29 per prawn) for 3 pax. Service wasn’t the most pleasant; it’s best to know what you want to order as any delays while ordering might cause the auntie to nag.

Ginger Beef Kuay Teow

The beef kuay teow was pretty decent, at first. I say at first because there wasn’t enough gravy and halfway eating, the noodles dried up. That said, the kuay teow had a fluffy texture and a touch of wok hei. The beef slices were smooth and tender but scant for a portion of three. Unlike most beef noodles I’m accustomed to, this one was lighter in colour, with less ginger and less beefy. An old-school method, I reckon.

Light in colour

Not-so-fresh fresh water prawn

I’m not sure if I had set my expectations too high on the sang har mee because when I finally tried it, I was disappointed. For RM29 per prawn and in such ambiance, I thought it was way overpriced. To make matters worse, the prawns were mushy and powdery. It was devoid of any seafood sweetness – something very important in sang har mee. To be fair, the thick yee mee had a good bite and the egg gravy was richly flavoured (from some MSG and prawn stock).

The bill came up to RM113 inclusive of herbal tea for the three of us. Very expensive, if you ask me. The RM29 I paid per prawn can full well buy me a satisfying antipasti lunch buffet or a better plate of sang har noodles at Pan Heong. Oh well, at least I can say I’ve tried it.

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Ambiance: 4/10
Price: 2/10
Sang Har Mee: 4/10
Beef Kuay Teow: 6/10
Verdict: Overrated sang har mee but the beef kuay teow is worth trying.

Sang Kee (non halal)
5, Lorong Yap Ah Loy,
50050 Kuala Lumpur.

Filed Under: Food Reviews Tagged With: Beef, Beef Kuay Teow, Chinese, Fresh River Prawn, Ginger Beef Kuay Teow, Hawker, Kuala Lumpur, Kuay Teow, Lorong Yap Ah Loy, Noodles, Petaling Street, Prawn, Prawn Noodles, Sang Har, Sang Har Mee, Sang Kee, Stall, Yee Mee

Uhrenholt Young Chefs at Berjaya University College of Hospitality

May 11, 2012 7 Comments

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Dinner menu

What do you get when you put 7 executive chefs from 5-star hotels with 43 talented culinary students? Uhrenholt Young Chefs. I recently attended the Uhrenholt Young Chefs (UYC) Fundraising Dinner at Berjaya University Collage of Hospitality where 6-7 students were put under the wings of each executive chef to create canapés and a 5-course menu based on seafood and cheese, Asian style.

Mentoring the students were Chef Antoine of Le Meridien, Chef Rajesh of Sheraton Imperial, Chef Martin of Ritz Carlton, Chef Sabri of Royal Chulan Hotel, Chef Andrea of Renaissance Hotel, Chef Rudolph of Shangri La and Chef Nikolaj, corporate chef of Uhrenholt Food Service. I missed out in the canapés created by Chef Rajesh and Chef Martin but Yen told me they were pretty good.

1st dish by Chef Sabri & team

Dinner started with the steamed prawn roll with otak-otak filling and chilled custard flower with crabmeat and galangal fish floss by Chef Sabri and team. The otak otak prawn roll was tasty, as was the chilled custard flower with crabmeat but I thought the fish floss tasted a bit bland. That said, lovely presentation.

Chilled custard flower

2nd dish by Chef Antoine & team

Hot broth

The second course was the Asian broth with Pacific halibut, Vannamei shrimps, shredded young coconut and diced vegetables by Chef Antoine and team. The soup was mildly spicy and tangy – similar to tom yam – and poured over the raw halibut and shrimp. I enjoyed the toasted mantou bread topped with basil, tomatoes and cheese. A pity it was just a tiny slice. The salad of julienned papaya, cucumber and toasted peanuts was Chef Antoine’s version of the Thai papaya salad. Simple, yet delicious.

3rd dish by Chef Andrea & team

I wasn’t a fan of the Cinnamon Sautéed Bee Hoon on Fondue, Buah Keras and Prawn Terrine with Dry Longan Reduction by Chef Andrea and team. The vermicelli was too hard and chewy to enjoy and took the attention away from the prawn terrine and fondue. Also, the candlenut and dried longan’s sweetness didn’t quite go with the rest of the ingredients. But that’s just my personal opinion.

4th dish by Chef Rudolph & team

Our fourth course was the Asian-style Slow Braised Angus Beef Cheek with Bleu Cheese Macadamia Crust, Kumara Mash and Eryngii Mushrooms by Chef Rudolph and team. The beef was fork tender and crusted with bleu cheese and macadamia nuts, giving it a slightly pungent flavour. Delicious when eaten the five spice flavoured beef jus reduction. The sweet potato mash was a nice change from the usual baked or mashed potato.

5-way Cheese Canape

I found the cheese canapé, a pastry spoon filled with five types of cheese a tad strong as all the cheeses had rather bold flavours. But I did enjoy the sweet cream cheese tofu in Gula Melaka consommé with sea coconut, sesame two ways and passion fruit curd by Chef Nikolaj and team. This was an interesting combination of textures and flavours which worked well.

Dessert by Chef Nikolaj & team

A round of applause for the chefs and students, for making dinner a pleasant affair. This is a good platform for young chefs to learn and grow from the experience. Thank you Chef Nikolaj, for extending the invitation to me.