Pork Noodles @ Peter's Pork Noodle, Brickfields

When it comes to Brickfields, almost anyone will talk highly of this off-shoot stall at Mayflower FoodCourt @ Jalan Vivekananda, that serves one of the best bowls of mouth-watering pork noodles.   Visit Peter's Pork Noodle and experience it for yourself - noodles in a clear broth, filled with pork meat and the usual mixed innards (if these are not your cup of tea, you can always omit them), and for that extra touch, a topping of raw egg.

The first thing I noticed about Peter’s Pork Noodle is the generous amount of pork served with each bowl.  Most stalls would rather skimp on the ingredients in return for a more handsome profit but Peter’s definitely deserves two thumbs up for putting a generous amount of meat.

The highlight of any pork noodle is their soup and of course, the juicy tender pork and I have to say this one tops it all.  If I had a choice, I would have just finished every single drop of that soup without even touching anything else.

Would I come back again?  Definitely, even if the place is hot (especially after a walk under the hot sun from KL Sentral).

Peter’s Pork Noodle

Mayflower Food Court

No. 144A, Jalan Vivekananda

Off Jalan Tun Sambanthan

Brickfields

50470 Kuala Lumpur

GPS:  3.131169,101.686575

Morning All Day @ That Latte Place, Persiaran Ritchie, Ampang

What do you do when you happen to have a few hours break in between appointments in KL and you just do not feel like doing anything where the crowd is?  The solution - head to a cafe.  Not just any cafe, but one where you will feel like you're on a relaxing vacation.

Just a 10-minute drive from KLCC, welcome to That Latte Place @ Persiaran Ritchie, Ampang.

Once a home to Artisan Roast Coffee, this semi-alfresco cafe serves decent all-day breakfast menu and some memorable coffee.  With the help of the trusty GPS, it's actually not very difficult to find this cafe.  It may not look like it's the right place from the outside, but do trust your instincts, because this small down-to-earth cafe is hidden within the compound of Yayasan Seni Berdaftar.

As we arrived pretty late in the morning, the cafe was quite empty (but the crowd soon gathers when it strikes 12).  First thing first, head straight to the counter to make your order.

While the menu is pretty limited but if what you need is a good, wholesome breakfast, it has all the choices you need.  Egg enthusiasts would love That Latte Place - their poached eggs seem to be pretty commentable among foodies.

As for us, we decided for the most luxurious possible breakfast on their menu - Hearty Breakfast (RM 17.90).  Well, I do go weak whenever it comes to hash brown, so it was a pretty simple choice.  Comes with two chicken sausages, a hash brown, scrambled eggs with mushroom on a thick homemade toast served with tomatoes, baked potatoes and baked beans, this is actually quite a big portion with lots of good stuff.

The most memorable item as well as the one with the most flavour is, surprisingly, the baked potatoes.  It is well-seasoned and cooked with perfection - soft on the inside with a nice crispy texture on the outside.  The toast is also nice and fluffy but sadly, the scrambled egg was lacking a bit of taste (salt, I think).  Otherwise, I would give a big thumbs-up for this breakfast dish.

The only setback is that this cafe doesn't serve pork.  American breakfast without good old bacon is just like coffee without sugar, like scones without butter & jam (You get what I mean?)

We also ordered their daily special promo - three assorted danishes with a choice of latte or cappuccino - for only RM 15.  That's really quite a good deal!

The danishes turn out to be raisin danish, chocolate danish and pineapple custard danish.  Looks good, actually but I find them a little too dry and flaky on the outside (you should see the mess we made while trying to get a bite of these danishes).  Taste-wise is okay, though - would have preferred if they had taken one extra step to warm the danishes.

I came to know about That Latte Place because of my brother, who gave a very positive feedback of the Affogato (RM 6) - a shot of hot espresso with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, topped with chocolate flakes.  I must say, this is one of the best affogato I have ever found in KL.  It's a thick, creamy caffeinated concoction that you'll never forget.

Despite the semi-alfresco setting, you don't have to worry much about the heat because surprisingly, it's very cooling, with light natural breeze and lots of shades from the thick, luscious landscapes around the compound.

To be honest, food was nothing fantastically out of the ordinary.  But packaged with the environment that That Latte Place offers, it is something that will definitely top my favourite list.  Spending your time here is as though there's a special force that slows down time - a moment where you paused to be mindful of the details of nature and leave behind all the worries from your daily hectic life.

However, apparently (according to most bloggers), the waiting time is actually quite long.  Maybe it was the relaxing and serene ambiance or we just visited during the less crowded time, because it didn't actually feel very long to us.  So, on the caution side, maybe just consider the possibility of a long wait when deciding to drop by here for a meal.

That Latte Place

Yayasan Seni Berdaftar

333, Persiaran Ritchie

Off Jalan Ritchie

55000 Kuala Lumpur

GPS:  3.159108, 101.74026

Opening Hours: 8 am - 5 pm

Closed on Monday

An Italian Experience @ Nerovivo, Changkat Bukit Bintang

A few days ago, it was KS's birthday and I decided to bring him to Nerovivo @ Changkat Bukit Bintang after work for a special dining experience.

Serving authentic Italian cuisine, Nerovivo sits in a chic and trendy inner-city bungalow, decorated with bold, sexy artworks and extensive displays of wines.  Outside, there is the open-air wood-fire pizza ovens where pizzas are made and baked.  Seats inside the restaurant is pretty limited, but luckily, as I have made reservations, we get to sit inside instead of the al-fresco setting.

While we were examining the menu, we were presented with a complimentary basket of freshly-baked pizza bread and balsamic vinegar dip.  Oh my, they are so deliciously addictive - full of herbs and garlic flavours with a nice smoky fragrance.

First on the menu is the starter.  We ordered the Zuppa di Zucca e Porri (RM 24), a pumpkin leek soup with roasted onions and sea salt.  The soup has a very light, uncomplicated flavour, with a hint of pumpkin sweetness.  It is quite thin in consistency and hence, it didn't give that feeling of fullness too early in the meal.

One thing that impressed me very much at this point was their service.  During the order, our waiter noticed that we only ordered one soup and kindly asked if we intended to share the soup, of which he then, to my surprise, offered to split the soup into two bowls for convenience.  How thoughtful!  This is the kind of service that warmth the heart of the diners.

The birthday boy ordered the Pollo Alla Diavola (RM 55) as his main dish.  This Devil's Chicken served with rosemary roasted potatoes and seasonal garden salad accompanied by black pepper sauce is one that brings a big smile to my birthday boy.  The forequarter chicken was very juicy and tender, and with each bite, you can feel the juice bursting out in your mouth.  We're very impressed with how well the chicken was cooked.

The flavours are quite gentle but wholesome.  Even without the black pepper sauce, the well-seasoned chicken is good enough on its own.  The roasted potatoes are also very nice and soft.

As for me, who love all things pizza, ordered the Pizza Contadina (RM 40) which has mozzarella, Italian chicken sausage, eggplants, ricotta cheese with tomato sauce.

Voted as the Best Pizza in the Time Out KL Food Awards 2009, Nerovivo delivered quite an impressive pizza (in my opinion).  The thin pizza crust was well-baked without having a burnt presentation.  There was a good balance of the ingredients and the cheese was so gentle-flavoured.  Although the eggplant was quite little (KS joked about not able to find the eggplant), I quite enjoy my pizza.  It didn't have the oiliness feel and was moist.

Finally come the desserts, which are beautifully plated and decorated with strawberry and gooseberry.  Both are also decorated with a piece of chocolate almond brownie-like biscuit, which I find very tasty.

Coming to an Italian restaurant, I cannot missed ordering the Tiramisu (RM 28).  When it first arrived, I thought it was ice-cream as it really looked like one.  Served in a crispy, sweet waffle-like tuille, the lady finger biscuits are arranged at the bottom and topped with scoops of mascarpone cheese mixture.  Generally, the flavours are light with a mild espresso flavour and very smooth texture.  The mascarpone cheese mixture has a nice  balance of sweetness and quite gentle on the taste-buds.  However, both of us preferred a more solid texture from the soaked biscuits as it was kinda too mushy for our liking.  But still, a good piece of dessert.

The other dessert which we ordered is the Dark and White Chocolate Mousse (RM 28).  The mousse is quite firm but velvety, and resembles very muck like a cake.  Surprisingly, this dessert was not overly sweet despite having so much chocolate in it.  However, I find the white chocolate portion being a little less captivating as it didn't have a strong milky, vanilla flavour but the dark chocolate portion was really good.

Overall, the food served in Nerovivo is very good.  Their flavours are generally lighter and focus more to the natural flavours of the ingredients.  I quite love how the flavours blend in perfectly without overpowering other flavours.  Thumbs up!

I love the cosy ambiance in Nerovivo with its soft lightings.  For a moment, it actually felt like I was on a holiday.  It is so comfortable that you feel all the day's stress has been lifted from your shoulders.  Not to mention the good food to heal your inner self and a good companion to share your thoughts.

Well, most importantly, my birthday boy is happy with the experience :)

Nerovivo

3A, Jalan Ceylon

50250 Kuala Lumpur

Tel:  03-2070 3120

GPS:  3.148411,101.706018

Wedding Banquet @ Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur

One of my close university friend was finally getting married in May and had her wedding reception at a 5-star Starwood hotel, Sheraton Imperial Hotel Kuala Lumpur.  After a long, tiring morning as one of her ji mui, I finally can sit back and enjoy the night as a guest.

Coming to a wedding banquet, one will never fail to scan through the menu for the night despite being very aware that Chinese wedding banquets are always very predictable.  But for this wedding, it was slightly out-of-the-box.  The menu was quite unique as it has a combination of Chinese, Western and Local flavours.

Before we start on the food, I must comment how superb the service was at Sheraton.  Everything was served into individual plates by the waiters and so, we are pretty much spoilt for the night.  The good thing is, it gave us quality time to mingle with our friends and catch up with the good old times (as well as taking loads of pictures).

Now, comes the food.

The first to arrive was none other than the Four Hot Precious Combinations.  I usually deem the first dish of a  9-course banquet the best and usually made it a point to satisfy my appetite first by eating more of it.  This is, of course, not an exception.

As the name suggests, there are four different items served:

• Stir Fried Fresh Top Shell with Capsicums:  Cooked in kung po style, the flavour was quite mild but the top shell was fantastically thick and fresh.  And no, it was not spicy.
• Deep Fried Almond Coated Ball:  Despite its fancy name, it was just fish paste coated in a slightly crispy almond flakes.  Tasted average.
• Steamed Prawn Dumpling with Supreme Sauce:  Looked like sui gao but tasted like har gow.  Flavourful and juicy, with the sweetness of the prawn meat but would have preferred that the prawn tail to be removed.
• Vietnamese Yam Roll:  This was my favourite of the four!  Gooey, sweet purple yam wrapped in rice paper and deep-fried.  Something you would normally find as a dessert, but having it presented here acts like a palate cleanser to neutralise the heavy, complicated flavours of the other food.

I was very glad that her wedding did not involve any shark fins.  In fact, if I ever have mine, I will also not serve shark fins – not only do they actually not add much flavour to the soup, they are extremely bad to the environment.

Instead of the usual Chinese double-boiled soups, we had the individually-served Cream of Pumpkin Soup with Seafood.  I must say, this is a very good bowl of pumpkin soup.  It has a nice, thick consistency and is super flavourful & sweet.  However, the seafood, which is mainly shelled prawns, was barely a part of the soup.  While the seafood was fresh, you can’t taste the seafood infused into the soup.  It felt like the seafood was added into the pumpkin soup just for the sake of being there instead of actually contributing to the overall flavour.

The next dish to arrive was the Oven Roasted Pei Pa Chicken with Sesame Paste and Bean Paste.  I was hoping for some crispy and air-dried skin, but the sauce has wet the skin too much.  For me, the meat has quite a mushy not-so-fresh texture, although KS didn't really find it an issue.  Although the chicken tasted good (mainly due to the sauce), the texture was too unbearable for me to continue.  For me, this was a big no-no.

Luckily, the next dish, the Steamed Omega Barramundi with Japanese Soy Sauce, made up for its disappointing chicken  dish.  The meaty fish was very fresh and sweet.  The fish skin, soaked with the gentle sweet soy sauce, was delicious with its fatty and slightly chewy texture.

You know it is almost towards the end when you start seeing the Braised Japanese Mushroom with Vegetable being served.  The Japanese mushrooms were huge and meaty but unfortunately, there was just not enough flavours that managed to be absorbed into the mushrooms itself.  The sauce that braised the mushrooms was just so-so - mainly just starch.  But the broccoli was crisp and sweet.

The next dish to come is the Baked Tiger Prawn with Cheese and Garlic.  Okay, I do admit I am not a fan of prawns (due to allergy) and usually opt to leave it out.  But, it just so happened that this dish came out right when everyone from our table decided to go out of the hall for a re-union picture taking.  In fact, when the waiter took finally took it away, the dish was not really touched at all.  Quite a waste, actually.

We came back just in time for the final dish, which most of us were really looking forward to because it is rarely (almost never) to find an Indian cuisine in a Chinese wedding banquet.  Yes, Nasi Minyak with Diced Chicken and Anchovies on Banana Leaf.

It definitely looked and smelled good but a little disappointing in the end.  The rice is very dry own its own and hence, adding the curry is a must.  However, the mixed vegetable curry is heavily concentrated with spices without much balance in the flavours – hardly any sweetness or acidity to tone down the spices.  Despite that, the rice (minus the curry, obviously) is quite flavourful especially with the salty but fragrant fried anchovies mixed into the rice.  Just a little more moisture would go a long way to make this dish more memorable.

Last but not least was the Western Desserts.  Depending on your “luck”, the dessert options are alternated.  Since KS and I attended, I can try two different types of dessert.

The one I had, which is the tastier dessert, is the Chocolate Parfait with Passion-fruit Coulis.  The chocolate parfait was very creamy and silky.  Chocolate lovers would love this rich chocolate dessert.  The blueberries gave quite an acidic punch to the dessert although I felt they have overdone the acidity by combining the passion-fruit coulis with the blueberries.

KS had the Cheese Cake with Berries Compote instead.  The flavours are quite mild and not too cheesy, which is suitable for those who are not a big fan of cheesecakes.  The berries compote was quite sour, which unfortunately is annoying as it keeps masking the flavours of the cheesecake.

For both desserts, they are laid on top of a sweet, crispy mixed sesame tuiles.   KS liked it very much as it was very fragrant.  I don’t fancy it much as it is very difficult to break it into reasonably sized pieces without making a mess to the dessert or almost “breaking” the plate.  Tried to be lady-like and refrain from using my fingers, but obviously, failed.

Generally, it was a very good and memorable experience.  After all, it was not the food that actually makes a wedding successful but the joy and sweetness of the couple and their guests celebrating through the night.

My dear friend, hope you will have a everlasting, happy and sweet marriage!

Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel

Jalan Sultan Ismail

50250 Kuala Lumpur

Nyonya Brunch @ Onde Onde, Desa Park City

On a nice Sunday morning, before we headed to the Kepong Metropolitan Park for a morning stroll, we stopped by at Onde Onde @ The Waterfront, Desa Park City for a simple local brunch.

Since I was not in the mood to eat something too heavy, I ordered a bowl of Half-boiled Eggs (RM 3.90) to go with Toasted Bread with Curry (RM 5.90).

The chicken curry was not very spicy and is seasoned well enough.  While KS found it a bit salty, I think it was perfectly alright especially when dipped into with the toast.  The texture was creamy and thick with a few pieces of chicken meat.  The only setback was that the toast was too thinly sliced, too crispy and slightly burnt which left a bitter aftertaste.

KS initially wanted to order the mee siam, but because shrimp paste was used as the base of the sauce, he had to make a pass and settle for the Curry Laksa (RM 7.90) instead.  Served with springy thin yellow noodles, the curry soup is a fish-based broth which is very light and sweet.

Unlike the usual standard curry noodles, it was not very creamy or heavy and hence, we find it suitable for a morning stomach.  While some might find that the spiciness a little bit on the milder side, both of us find it reasonably okay.  It was a good bowl of curry noodles with a lot of shredded chicken and fried bean-curd.

Seeing what I had ordered for my brunch, KS was afraid that I might not be full enough and insisted to add on the French Toast (RM 3.90) for me to snack on.  The french toast looked and tasted pretty normal but the good thing is that the toast was not too sweet or oily.

Overall, Onde Onde is quite a good place for a decent meal since it is reasonably priced and has a homey feel to it.  The ambiance is quite cosy and service was really friendly and accommodating.

Onde Onde

Lot GF-03A, Ground Floor
The Waterfront @ ParkCity
5 Persiaran Residen
Desa ParkCity 
52200 Kuala Lumpur

Lunch @ Delicious, St Mary Place

As KS and I just completed our exams, we decided to celebrate by having a nice lunch at Delicious @ St Mary Place.  This place was quite new with less than 6 months since it was open, and given it was within walking distance from our office, I felt it is a sin to not visit at least one time.

So happen, Delicious was having a Japan Pasta Promotion, whereby the menu includes some popular pasta  dishes but infused with Japanese flavours.  Any dish that is ordered from this Japan Pasta Promotion menu entitles you to a cup of green tea at only RM 3.00. Although the green tea is not exceptionally different, what comes with the tea was very unique.  Most places would serve with a biscotti or cookie, but here, it came with little balls of bitter, dark chocolate instead.  A lovely treat to kick start the meal.

 KS ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry on Spaghetti (RM 22.90).  The sweet Japanese curry which served as the base to the pasta was tasty and sweet, but not too overwhelmingly complicated.  It tasted as though there were mashed pumpkin in the sauce, giving a nice creamy texture, yet without the fatty content of cream.  As for the deep-fried chicken cutlet, it was beautifully browned and looked absolutely delicious.  However, despite the nice look and a crispy texture, the chicken cutlet, unfortunately was the breast part, was a bit dry and lacking some seasonings.  Had it not for the sauce, the chicken katsu would have been very difficult to finish.

As for me, after my exam, I still have a bit of trouble getting back my appetite and hence, only ordered something light.  So, Quiche Lorraine (RM 18.90) was my choice instead.  It was a beautiful and large slice of quiche filled with fragrant beef bacon and sun-dried tomatoes served with garden salad.  It was delicious and I loved it because of the nice, herby but sweet sun-dried tomatoes that accentuate the flavours even more.  The quiche was nicely flavoured, juicy and simple.  The only dissatisfaction I have was that the crust was too dry and didn't have the buttery fragrance.

Overall, Delicious @ St Mary is quite cosy and spacious, and hence, is a pretty nice place to unwind. The service is fantastically fast, so there is actually no worries about not getting back to work in time.

Delicious

G-7 & G-8 Tower A

St Mary Place

No. 1, Jalan Tengah,

Off Jalan Sultan Ismail

50250 Kuala Lumpur

GPS:  3.151813, 101.707641

Breakfast @ Swiss Oven Bakery & Cafe, Menara MIDF

I was initially on leave for study but a last minute meeting forced me to be back to the office.  Since there was still some time to waste before the meeting, I decided to have a proper breakfast at this newly-discovered cafe hidden inside Menara MIDF @ Jalan Raja Chulan called the Swiss Oven Bakery & Cafe.

KS had tried this place (another branch at Sentral KL) numerous time before and claimed that its croissants were very good.  Unfortunately, when I went there, the croissants were already sold out and I had no choice but to settle with another breakfast set, which has sausage, sunny side up egg, beef bacon with a slice of toasted bread (RM 6.90).

It is a simple but delicious breakfast at an affordable price.  Everything is fine except the egg was a bit too oily while the cucumber slice was overly huge.  Other than that, a pretty decent and filling breakfast.

To go with the breakfast set is a complimentary black coffee or teh tarik.  To add milk, that is an additional RM0.50.  However, as it was nearing mid-day, I wanted to cut down on the caffeine and hence, decided to order a Caffe Mocha (RM 6.00).  Unfortunately, they didn't let me upgrade for a nominal fee.

Anyway, it was a pretty decent, large mug of mocha.  The mocha was lacking in a lot of ways - coffee didn't taste very strong or aromatic and it was way too milky.  Still, for the price paid, it was reasonable. 

Despite with almost no one during the time I was there and preparing this breakfast set was supposedly not something very complicated, the service was a bit slow.  If you are in a hurry, definitely not a place you want go to, but the place is indeed a nice place to unwind and relax.  The place is brightly lit, especially with the natural sunlight, and well-conditioned.

Swiss Oven Bakery & Cafe

Ground Floor, Menara MIDF

82, Jalan Raja Chulan

50200 Kuala Lumpur

Yong Tau Foo @ Madras Lane, Petaling Street

Every year, right after our annual family affair at the Guan Ti Temple along Jalan Tun HS Lee, we will always head to the Penjaja Gallery Tun HS Lee for our yong tau foo lunch.  It became a habit we practice religiously and I believed it will carry on until when one day, the owners of the yong tau foo stall decide to put an end to their family business.

One of the main crowd-puller at this hawker place, this legendary yong tau foo stall has been in business for 3 generations and is very popular among locals.  For tourists, this will be a good chance to sample local street food in a nostalgic environment - a setting that never seemed to have changed since decades.

It's not hard to miss this stall.  Along a narrow alley, you will find a long queue where people are frantically snapping up all the freshly-prepared yong tau foo pieces into their plates as though they were the last few pieces for the day. Even I had a hard time squeezing in to snap some nice decent photos.

Because they prepare these yong tau foo on-the-spot behind the stall, they are replenished almost immediately.  So, as long as you don't come after lunch hours, you'll be guaranteed with your choice of yong tau foo.

The key to their popularity is the fish paste which they have used as the stuffing.  Prepared daily, the ikan parang or wolf herring is sliced and whipped using the power of hands only, giving a nice, smooth and elastic texture.  The nicely seasoned fish paste is very juicy.

No yong tau foo will be complete without the soup.  Make sure you ask for the soup because it is very flavourful and sweet with the all the goodness from the ikan parang.

While the yong tau foo may not look very beautiful but it is very good and definitely worth the trouble.  For RM 1 per piece, it is quite a deal since the size is quite big and has a lot of fish paste.

The best way to come here, without having to past through the wet market, is through the Pak Pheng building along the Petaling Street or the lane in between the Sri Mahamariamman Temple and Public Bank.  I usually go for the latter as there's a parking lot (ex-Madras Cinema) there, which unfortunately is a pricey one.

Just a word of caution, note that the sitting territory is a big, sensitive issue here at the Madras Lane market.  Sitting at the wrong tables may attract nasty experiences from the stall owners (I am not sure to what extent, though).

To be sure, just ask the stall owners where you can sit.  If you intend to order dishes from other stalls to go with the yong tau foo, then make sure you order from the stall that is in good terms with the yong tau foo stall.

Madras Lane Yong Tau Foo

Penjaja Gallery Tun HS Lee

Off Petaling Street

Kuala Lumpur

Close on Monday

GPS:  3.143596,101.697258