Coffee Time @ Coffee Famille, Kota Damansara

If you have a thing for coffee, then you definitely should drop by Coffee Famille @ Kota Damansara.  You know their coffee is good because the moment you pushed the door open, you will immediately be greeted by a very strong but lovely aroma of freshly roasted, brewed coffee.  Boy, does it make me feel excited with the smell.

Looking at the menu, only did we realize that there's so many types of coffee to choose from.  Not knowing what to drink, we requested the waiter to recommend, who is superbly helpful as he took the time to explain which coffee would be suitable to our liking (he knows his stuff).

For KS, who prefer strong black coffee, he recommended the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe (RM 16), which according to him, has a distinct fruity (citrus) and flowery taste that will leave a very unique aftertaste.  Beware, because it is very very bitter at the start.  But, if you take the time to let the coffee gently travel across your tongue (as though you are drinking wine), you will be able to taste the fruitiness of the coffee behind that bitterness.  KS loved it very much.  I love the homemade biscotti - sweet and cruncy.

As for me, I prefer the coffee with milk, so Homey Cafe Latte (RM 12) was recommended to me.  It is coffee latte with gula melaka.  However, the taste of the gula melaka was not very distinct.  But, it is nevertheless a very nice cup of smooth, fragrant latte.

We also ordered the Famille Sandwich (RM 15) - their house-baked rosemary bread sandwiches filled with chicken ham, mushrooms, vegetables and cheese, accompanied by a refreshing salad.  The bread is super fragrant and because it has been lightly toasted, it was warm and crispy.  The bread is not too dry and tasted very good.

For desserts, we ordered the Tiramisu (RM 12), a must-have coffee dessert.  This beautiful dessert is well-presented and you can know how much effort they have put into this dessert.  It's like a piece of art that you  would stare forever.  I also love how much espresso taste it has.  All the flavours of the tiramisu, - espresso, mascarpone cheese - blended perfectly well without overwhelming each other.  Not too sweet, but not too bitter.

We love the whole setup of this cute, little cafe because it is very relaxing, just like home.  If you need a quiet spot for some private time, or hangout with friends for some small chat, this is a very nice place to visit because it will leave you feeling totally recharged (of course, there's the caffeine kicking in).

By the way, if you are a cyclist, you get 10% discount.  What a good way to encourage me to start picking up cycling.

You can visit their website or their Facebook page for more info.

Coffee Famille

6-G, Garden Wing

Sunsuria Avenue

Persiaran Mahogani

PJU5 Kota Damansara

47810 Petaling Jaya

(near Tune Hotel)

Taiwanese Desserts @ Queen of Spades, Subang Jaya

Not wanting to go to a super crowded place, we opt for a newer, lesser known Taiwanese dessert shop, Queen of Spades @ Subang Jaya for desserts.

Signature Taro Q

This sweet dessert is totally loaded with lots of cincau flavour. What I love about Queen of Spades is that their taro and sweet potato balls, although not QQ enough, but they actually tasted like taro and sweet potato.  I'm pretty ok with the not-so-QQ-enough as I don't like it being too chewy.  Also, it has lots of sweetened red beans which I love very much.

I like how they presented the deesrt in a wide bowl so that you can see nicely each different ingredient.

Milk Tea with Red Bean

They were very generous with the sweetened red bean.  Together with the milk, it is very nice although could barely taste the tea.

In my opinion, I actually prefer Queen of Spades than Snowflake, especially on the sweet ice dessert.  The taste is better and doesn't feel too commercialized.   Price-wise, it is pretty decent.

Queen of Spades 

No. 84G, Jalan SS15/4,

47500 Subang Jaya

Open:  Monday to Saturday, 12pm-7pm

Herbal Jelly @ Koong Woh Tong

Although Koong Woh Tong has been here in Malaysia for a very long time, I had never actually been there until KS brought me to try the herbal jelly or guai lin goh.  Somehow, my parents never fancy herbal jelly and so, my exposure to the herbal jelly is close to zero.

But after my first visit, I have never failed to return for it again and again (KS is very happy about it).

To be honest, the herbal jelly is not as bitter as everyone claims it to be (at least for Koong Woh Tong).  If eaten with the honey water, it is actually very pleasant.  I have never tried the warm version - always been ordering the chilled version.

Not to forget there's the health benefits of eating this herbal jelly especially on a hot, sunny day as it expels the heat from your body or to detox.

Down Memory Lane: Choki Choki

Familiar with this?

If you recognized this immediately, then welcome to the club because this is one sweet, chocolaty treat that we as kids (ages ago) love squeezing into our mouths, long before we came to know about Nuttella.  Say hello to Choki Choki.

You must be thinking where in the world did I get hold of this tube of chocolate paste.  Well, I didn't.  My colleague seemed to got hold quite a lot of these Choki Choki and started treating us to "our childhood memories" in the office.

DIY: Lychee Sorbet

This time, I decided to try making sorbet as my mum was requesting for some non-dairy dessert.  Since we have some cans of lychee sitting in the fridge, I decided to make lychee sorbet.

Lychee Sorbet

Makes about 1 litre

1 can of lychee
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 can of water
sugar

1.  Combine the lychee (with its juice), lemon juice and water.  Blend it (Depending how fine you want it.  For me, I wanted to have some small bits of lychee).

2.  If you feel that it is a bit too sour, add some sugar to balance it.

3.  Once done, chill it for a few hours before popping into the ice-cream maker to churn.

This frozen dessert is very refreshing especially during hot weathers.  The acidity from the lemon juice brings out the fruitiness of the lychee sorbet.  Lovely and addictive.

Next up, watermelon sorbet! :)

Black Tea Roses Mooncake @ Purple Cane

It's that time of the year again where mooncakes are now seen almost everywhere, where bakeries and restaurants have already filled their shelves with this traditional delicacy.  This sweet pastry is a must at every Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节), or commonly known as the Mooncake festival.

Purple Cane, a popular tea house in Malaysia, offers a range of tea-infused mooncakes.  As this is something new to us, we decided to try one before actually buying a whole lot.  As recommended by the saleslady, we bought the Black Tea Rose Lotus Paste Mooncake (RM 8.70).

The pastry crust of the mooncake was added with ground black tea leaves while the lotus paste is infused with fragrant rose petals.  As you slowly sample the mooncake, you can savour the delicate and flavourful lotus paste.  The fragrance of the rose is not too strong until it overwhelms the lotus paste.  My parents really loved it, and so did we.

Purple Cane's tea mooncake is very suitable for those who are health-concious as it is not too sweet and not oily.  Add a pot of freshly brewed tea and it will be a perfect match.

A very unique thing about Purple Cane's mooncake is the way the mooncake is packaged.  Packed in a plastic, microvable container, the packaging is very cute.  It is very convenient, and definitely a good, hygienic way to store any leftovers (which I doubt there will be any) without having to scramble around to search for one.

The only setback is that the mooncake is a bit tiny than usual.  Weighing only 100g, you'll most likely able to make 6 slices only.

But despite that, I still prefer Purple Cane's mooncake given the quality that it offers.  As this is a once a year affair, why not just splurge a little bit for your loved ones to enjoy this healthier delicacy while slowly sipping hot tea under the full moon.

Italian Tiramisu @ Spaghetti Sweet Tea Cafe, Ipoh

If you were trying to look for this Italian restaurant, it will definitely be quite a challenge.  With no clear signage, you will need a very good eyesight to spot the small signage bearing the SSTC - the short name for Spaghetti Sweet Tea Cafe @ Ipoh.

We came here (highly recommended by our friend cum "tour-guide") for the Italian Tiramisu (RM 18), SSTC's signature.  This "pick-me-up" espresso-based dessert was definitely not a let-down because it actually tasted different, not your usual tiramisu.  It had kept to the tradition whereby the ladyfingers (sweet sponge cakes) were soaked in espresso and layered with mascarpone cheese, topped generously with cocoa powder.

However, I find the tiramisu slightly lacking the intensity of the espresso, and for a coffee dessert, this is a bit disappointing.  Luckily, the mascarpone cheese manage to save the dessert.  I love the mascarpone cheese - light and fluffy - truly the star ingredient of this dessert.  It is also not to sweet, a lovely dessert.

While the tiramisu is nice, but if you ask me, for that price, I felt it was a bit on the high side, especially for Ipoh's standard.  Given that they used imported ingredients to make this tiramisu, maybe it is justified.  You will need to try it for yourself to judge if it is worth it or not.

But despite that, they do serve a nice range of drinks.  The one that caught my attention on the drinks menu is the hot Wild Berries tea from Naturalis.  We first came across Naturalis Wild Berry tea at one of the restaurants in Citta Mall, Ara Damansara, and ever since then, both KS and I are hooked to this fruity berry tea.  Never thought we can find this lovely beverage all the way in Ipoh.  A perfect beverage to end the sweet experience at SSTC.

Spaghetti Sweet Tea Cafe

19A, Jalan Medan Ipoh 1E

Medan Ipoh Bistari

31400 Ipoh

Tel: 05-5488832

DIY: Home-made Blueberry Ice Cream (Philadelphia-style)

Philadelphia-style or American-style ice cream is an egg-free ice cream.  As no cooking is actually required, this style is more foolproof as it calls for lesser and simpler steps, unlike the custard-based ice cream which required handling of eggs.  Having a lighter texture and a more delicate flavour, this eggless ice cream is highly recommended for fruity flavours.

******************************

Home-made Blueberry Ice Cream (Philadelphia-style)

Makes about 1 litre

400ml heavy cream (commonly known as whipping cream)

200ml milk

1 tsp of vanilla extract

125g blueberries

10ml lemon juice

150g brown sugar

1.  Combine the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice in a bowl.  Mash the blueberries with a fork until it is well-combined to get a heavenly syrup.

2.  In another bigger bowl, combine the heavy cream and milk.  I added some of the bigger chunks of the blueberries (especially the skin) into the milk mixture and using the hand-blender, I blended it until smooth (and at the same time, incorporate air into the mixture).

3.  Then, combine the remaining blueberries mixture and mix well.

4.  Place the ice cream mixture into the refrigerator to chill for a few hours.  Note this is a very important step because if the mixture is not cold enough, it wouldn't churn very well.  (This was where my mistake was).

5.  Once you're pretty comfortable that the mixture is cold enough, pour it into the ice cream maker.

6.  Process it according to the manufacturer's instructions, which may take approximately 30 minutes to churn.  The end product will look like a soft-serve ice cream.  But even if it turns out watery/softer than expected, don't worry.  It doesn't mean that it is a failure.

7.  Scoop the ice cream into a freezer-safe container (or any recycled ice cream container) and pop it into the freezer for at least 2-3 hours and it should harden perfectly.

8.  Before serving, let it thaw for a few minutes so that it is easier to scoop it.

 ******************************

This simple ice cream is very easy to make.  Being the very first attempt at making ice cream and having some setbacks here and there, I am very pleased with the results.  Although it turned out slightly icy, but the creamy, milky texture is there.  It tasted light and the blueberries shined perfectly nice (the lemon juice did a good job to bring out the fruitiness).

And the satisfying part is, after the second day, the 1-litre ice cream is finished :)

Time to plan the next ice cream!

Yao Yao Bing @ Rawang

Remember those younger days when we go crazy over ice potong when the ice-cream man come cycling your neighbourhood?  Well, at Yao Yao Bing @ Rawang, you can find a similar treat that can remind you of those old days.  The form may be different but the taste is exactly the same - after all these years, this stall still manage to maintain the taste.

Come in various flavours - red bean, assam boi, lychee, cendol and sweet corn - the crushed ice are scooped and packed tightly into a paper cup.  These inexpensive treat is very nice and refreshing on a hot afternoon.  Each time I go to Rawang, I must stop buy to buy one cup.

For me, the red bean flavoured ice is my favourite.  This not-too-sweet ice has a lot of sweet red beans in it and a right balance of coconut milk.

Yao Yao Bing
Jalan Welman, Rawang
(in front of TOTO shop)

Japanese Shaved Ice Dessert @ Kakigori, 1 Utama

Kakigori is actually the Japanese term for shaved ice dessert, just like the Taiwanese 刨冰.  The shaved ice is very fluffy like cotton but melts instantly in your mouth just like snow.

I had my first shaved ice dessert in Mei Heong Yuen (味香园) @Temple Street, Singapore.  This is the best so far and I highly recommend that you drop by at Chinatown to taste this heavenly treat (especially the black sesame with almond).

So far, we have not come across one that is good enough to compete with Mei Heong Yuen.  We had a try at Tong Pak Fu, but the texture and taste does not meet the expectation (but then again, their bestsellers were sold out on that day, so maybe we didn't try the right flavours).

But recently, we found one that come close enough (but just not there yet) in KL - Kakigori @ 1 Utama.

According to its promotional banner, they serve 100% Pure & Natural flavoured ice desserts with 11 different flavours, served either in a cup or a crispy waffle shell.

Decided to give it a try, we head there right after dinner.

I selected the Strawberry ice:  Shaved strawberry flavoured ice, served with sour yogurt balls and slices of mango jellies on a crispy waffle shell.

Now, I never ordered anything that says strawberry-flavoured as I always have this strong feeling that the only thing that makes it feels strawberry-ish is the colouring (of course unless I see real strawberries in it).  So, when I ordered it (no idea what made me do that), I was a little sceptical.

First of all, it didn't taste like it was made from some unnatural chemical-infused strawberry flavour.  It really felt as though you're eating the real thing.  So, for the tagline '100% Pure & Natural", I have a very strong confidence about its truth.

Now, the ice, like real strawberries, are sour-ish, so the whole thing combined with the sour yogurt balls was a little too sour for me to finish it.  If they had put something sweeter instead to balance the taste, it would have been better.

KS selected the Green Tea ice:  Shaved green tea flavoured ice, served with sweet Azuki red beans and sunflower seeds on a crispy waffle shell.

The red beans are sweet enough to go with the green tea as the ice has a little bitterness.  But I find the sunflower seeds a bit not crunchy.  It would have been better if the seeds were slightly toasted to bring out the nutty flavour.

Overall, not too sweet & it is quite refreshing.  The sitting area is quite comfortable & spacious despite being a small stall.

I would definitely come back for a second time to taste the other flavours.

KAKIGORI

LGK103A, Lower Ground Floor,

(near to Hokkaido Ichiba)

1 Utama Shopping Centre

DIY: Black Sesame Soup

Black sesame.

Do you know these seeds are really beneficial to our health?  Among all the different types of seeds, black sesame is the most nutritious seed - they are rich in vitamins and minerals as well as dietary fiber, which improves cardiovascular health, reduce inflammation and prevent other chronic health conditions.

**************************

You can find these seeds used in many desserts/snacks nowadays.  The most familiar one would be black sesame soup.

My mum loves black sesame soup very much and I thought, maybe I should try making it at home since it is quite expensive to get one outside.  Plus, homemade is always the healthier option.

Searching for a recipe online is quite a task as every blog recommends a slightly different version.  So, I decided to be creative and used all my researched information, combining the best of every version.

***********************

Basically, the ingredients are very simple:

1 cup of black sesame, lightly toasted
1/2 cup of uncooked rice
rock sugar
2 litre of hot water
(will approx make to about 5-6 bowls)

As long as the ratio of black sesame to rice is around 2:1, it should turn out just nice.  But if you like your dessert to be more starchy, you can increase the amount of rice used.

1. Toast the black sesame on the frying pan for a few minutes (approx. 1-2 mins) until fragrant.  Not too long as it burns easily.
2. Put the black sesame & rice into a food processor, and blend it.  Don't worry if it is not very fine as the purpose is to let the black sesame oil seep out.  By now, you should be able to smell the fragrance of the oil.
3. Place the black sesame mixture into a pot & add hot water.  Add rock sugar accordingly to your level of sweetness.
4. Bring it to boil, while stirring it occasionally.
5. After simmering for 10 to 15 mins, place it into the thermal cooker for an hour or so.  The longer the better so that the soup becomes more starchy.
6. Before serving, place the hand blender into the soup & blend it until smooth.  How long to blend it depend on how smooth you like it.  I like it super smooth, and so, I blended for quite a while.
7. And you're done :)

 ***********************

Cooking is something very subjective and it really depends on your preference - you always need to personalise the recipe to get the exact taste you want.

The above recipe was a result of my own trial-and-error.  It took me 2 trials to get the consistency right.  The first time, I followed exactly the recipe I found on the Internet and it didn't out very well.  For the second time, I decided to experiment by using my instincts and improvising along the way.

I also decided to make full use of my new thermal cooker as I didn't have the time be around to look after the fire.  If you cook it on the stove, you need to constantly stir the soup so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pot, else it'll get burnt.

The last thing you want is to have your hard-work go wasted.

Key to a nice black sesame soup?

• The black sesame need to be toasted until fragrant
• If possible, keep cooking for as long as you can.  The longer the better the taste & texture.
• Blend it as fine as possible before & after.

Will post some pics the next time I cook this dessert again :)