The Loaf - Love It or Loathe It?

Hi everyone,

How was the long CNY weekend? If you felt that yours flew by just like that, mine was exactly the same! Wish we could have another long weekend to recover from this one.*sighs*

To chase our Monday blues away, Liv and I decided to meet up for lunch at The Loaf in Avenue K. 

A lifestyle bakery and bistro

Well known for their range of premium bread and pastries, The Loaf also offer Western and Asian cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad is a co-owner, so some of his favorite dishes are featured on the menu, including his much-loved breakfast staple, white bread with chicken or beef curry.

The interior

I’d been to the outlet in Avenue K twice before and on both occasions, I had the Lasagne which was absolutely the best in town. So guess what I wanted to have again? Lasagne! But I was in for a big disappointment when the waiter said they didn’t have any that day. So I thought maybe that’s a sign for me to try something different. 

When I asked the waiter for his recommendations, he looked a bit lost. So after scanning the menu, I decided on the Spicy Seafood Aglio Olio. But that one’s not available either! By now I was thinking that maybe we had chosen the wrong place for lunch. However, Liv didn’t face the same problem with her Fabulous Prawn Mee order so I gave up on the Western dishes and decided to go for something from Tun M’s Selection of Asian Cuisine.



Asian favorites

I’ve always enjoyed eating Ayam Percik, so I wanted to try The Loaf’s Signature Ayam Percik served with rice, acar rampai and papadam. But I was quite taken aback when my order arrived.







 I had expected the Ayam Percik to look like this

But this was what I got instead (RM14.90++)

The Loaf’s Ayam Percik looked a lot more like Ayam Rendang. Had there been a mistake in my order, I wondered. But that thought was quickly dismissed when I saw that the only Rendang item on the menu is Rendang Jawa and this is meat (beef?) served with sesame bun.

I took a bite of the chicken and bingo, it was definitely NOT Ayam Percik! It could have passed off as Ayam Rendang but only a mediocre one due to the lack of spices and “oomph” that one would expect from a Rendang dish. I was hungry, so I ate it anyway.

I wasn't too happy with the overall presentation of my dish either. The plate was smudgy, possibly from the papadam which looked like they had been drenched in oil.

As for Liv, her Fabulous Prawn Mee dish didn't turn out to be as fabulous as its name suggested. The presentation was not appealing at all - plain yellow mee and prawns in a simple gravy, served in a bowl that seemed too big for such a small portion. There wasn't much else in the dish either - there were no vegetables or fishcakes to give it that extra bite. The gravy resembled Maggi Curry Noodles gravy in taste and unlike other prawn mee dishes that Liv had tried before, this one lacked sweetness from the prawns.



The Fabulous Prawn Mee that wasn't (RM16.90++)

After our sub-standard mains, we were looking forward to end our meal with a nice dessert. Liv was super-excited to try the Hokkaido Honey Toast which looked really good in the menu.

Liv's dream dessert

To her utter dismay, it was unavailable as well, and all because they didn’t have any fruit to serve it with! How ironic is that since the MBG fruit shop is just right opposite The Loaf – "go and get the fruits from there!", we wanted to say. But we left it at that and Liv settled for the Brownie with Ice Cream.

The one that saved the day (RM13.00++)

Unfortunately the waiter had forgotten to serve the Brownie with a spoon. When Liv requested for one, he simply pointed to the untouched long spoon that came with my Latte earlier. Liv had to contain her annoyance and insist that he bring her a proper dessert spoon but he went away and came back with another long spoon! Despite this, we both agreed that the Brownie was absolutely delicious, the only thing we enjoyed so far.

For a meal that left us feeling unsatisfied and begging for more, we paid RM73.45, inclusive of a Regular Latte for me (RM13.50++) and Liv’s 500ml Bottled Mineral Water (RM5.00++).

The question is, would we be back to The Loaf for another meal? I think I might, if I could be certain the Lasagne is available on that day. I just hope that what we experienced today was a one-off incident. I'm sure they must be doing a lot of other things right 'cos each time I was there, the place was always packed with the lunch crowd. Perhaps their suppliers were on holiday due to CNY; that’s why the quality of the food we had was not up to par. 

The service level also required a lot of improvements and unless these issues are addressed promptly, The Loaf will stand to lose their loyal customers. Which would be such a shame really if that happens.

My overall verdict:

Taste: 5/10

Service: 6/10

Ambience: 7/10

Presentation: 5/10

Value for Money: 5/10

Address and contact details:

C-3, Avenue K
156, Jalan Ampang
50560 Kuala Lumpur
Tel :+603 2181 8991 

For more information, visit their official website.

Lotsa Luv

One of my favourites

Hi Everyone!

Dancing Fish is one of my favorite restaurant when it comes to Malay-Indo cuisine. My bestfriend and I always pick this restaurant for our regular catch-up session over lunch. I was enjoying my food too much that I forgot to take notes of the prices of the meals. So I shall keep this post brief and let you guys enjoy the pictures of the food instead!

Table Set Up and Menu

The restaurant

Appetizer - Emping Malinjo with Sambal Terasi

The restaurant is named over this meal - The Dancing Fish (deep fried Talapia with Sambal)

Gulai Pucuk Paku - They ran out of pucuk paku so they changed it to mixed vege, still yummy nonetheless!

Tauhu and Tempe Goreng

Caramelized Banana with Vanilla Ice Cream

Are you salivating already? The food is definitely super delicious and each meal is totally on-point! If you're a fan of Malay-Indo cuisine, I highly recommend this restaurant. Currently they have two outlets in Klang Valley - Bangsar Shopping Center and Setia City Mall. The restaurant usually runs full during lunch and dinner time so be sure to make your reservations to avoid disappointment.

For more information, do visit their official website.

Till Then, Happy "Dancing-Fish"-ing!

Liv

Lean is the new Mean

Hi Everyone!

Have you ever felt guilty for eating greasy unhealthy stuff through the weeks? Nasi Lemak Sambal Paru for breakfast, Mcdonalds for lunch and Mee Goreng Mamak for dinner sounds like your usual breakfast to dinner menu? Is your cholesterol level through the roof and you have always wanted to begin eating healthy but don't know where to start? Well, now you can order  pre-cooked and nutritious healthy meals and have them delivered to your doorstep!

Don't you just love how social media has made our lives as a consumer much easier? You can order things online and have them delivered right to your doorstep. You don't even have to leave your house to make a purchase! 

The Lean Canteen is a healthy-meal service that was created by food lovers for food lovers, who are also looking to stay healthy while keeping up with a busy schedule. 

It is important that the food you eat on a daily basis does not only keep you full but also provide good nutrition for your body. Good nutrition, coupled with regular exercise combat illnesses as well as will help you maintain your ideal body weight. It is basically your ticket to a healthy lifestyle.

The Lean Canteen works closely with a nutritionist and a qualified chef to ensure each meals average around only 500 calories. The meals are freshly prepared from a centralized kitchen, and are then delivered to dedicated pick-up point (at eCurve) or straight to your doorstep!

To order, you can contact The Lean Canteen via email or whatsapp. The contact details are listed at the end of this post. When I placed my order through e-mail, Aina, was very quick to reply and address all of my queries. They update their menu from time to time so be sure to ask for an updated menu. Pick out your orders and choose your payment options (COD or bank transfer). Do note that there is a minimum requirement of four orders to proceed with delivery. They deliver every Mondays and Wednesdays and aim to deliver to all customers between 10.30 a.m. - 1 p.m. and they normally charge between RM5-7 for deliveries around KL and PJ.

February Menu

There was a typo in the Fisherman's curry description listed in the menu above. 

This is the updated description.

As you can see, the price of the meals ranges between RM13 - RM18, very reasonable and affordable I must say. The food are vacuum packed to maintain its freshness and can last up to 6 days if you keep them refrigerated at all times. The best before date is displayed on the container. This is great for you to pre-planned your weekly meals in advanced! When you're ready to have your healthy meal, you can either choose to reheat using microwave for 2-3 minutes over medium power or using your conventional stovetop. They also provide clear re-heating instructions on the container.

Delivered in clear food container

Vacuum packed to retain its freshness

This is how "Tok Sambal" looks like after being re-heated

Fisherman's Curry

Fisherman's Curry after being reheated - A well balanced meal and only 362 calories!

I must say, the food was delicious, ingredients used were fresh and the portion is adequate to keep you full. Contrary to popular belief,  healthy food does not always have to taste horrible! Now, I am totally out of excuses to start eating healthy more frequently.

To order, you can contact Aina either via email at theleancanteen@gmail.com or alternatively you can whatsapp her at 012-2086440. For more information you can also visit their facebook or instagram page.

Till Then, Happy Healthy Eating!
Liv

Authentic Padang Cuisine Fit For A Queen

Hi guys,

How was your weekend? I was in the mood for Nasi Padang last Sunday, so I took the family to Restoran Sari Ratu Prima in Kelana Jaya for lunch.

In case you are wondering, Nasi Padang is the cuisine of the Minang folks of Sumatera, Indonesia. It is steamed rice served with various choices of pre-cooked dishes. The dishes are spicy and full of rich flavors due to the generous use of chillies and coconut milk.

Easy parking

Finding the restaurant was not difficult since I’ve been in this area a few times before. I’ve always wanted to check out the place and see how it fares to other Nasi Padang outlets in town. Parking was a breeze since there were ample spots in front of the restaurant.

Outdoor seating

When we arrived, the alfresco dining area was fairly empty but we chose to eat in air-conditioned comfort instead. As we stepped into the restaurant, we saw that a few tables were already occupied. There was also a sectioned-off area for private dining so we quickly made our way there.

Nice interior

The restaurant was well-lit, the floors clean and paintings of Minang traditional houses brightened up the walls.

Wall deco

The array of dishes available was enticingly displayed in a glass case and we were stumped for choice. It is common in a Nasi Padang restaurant for customers to take a look at the display, choose the dishes they prefer, return to their tables and wait for the dishes to be served.

Mouth-watering!

All the dishes looked so yummy and the glutton in me wanted a taste of everything but we finally settled on 5 dishes to eat with our steamed rice: Ayam Pop, Gulai Tunjang, Rendang Daging, Sayur Singkong and Sambal Hijau. Service was swift and within minutes the rice and dishes were presented on our table, ready for us to dig in.

Ayam Pop (RM8.50++)

The plain-looking Ayam Pop (short for Popular) turned out to be absolutely delicious! The ayam kampung (free-range chicken) was marinated, steamed and briefly fried. That’s how it became slightly golden on the outside but still juicy inside. It was served on a bed of blanched pucuk ubi (tapioca shoots). The dark sauce was a combination of sweet soy and chillies; a perfect accompaniment to the chicken.

Steamed rice (RM2.00 per serving)
Gulai Tunjang (RM20++ for 2 pieces of beef tendon)

The Gulai Tunjang or Beef Tendon Curry was my dish of the day. The curry went very well with the steamed rice; it was thick, flavorful with spices and not too oily. The beef tendons were also perfectly cooked and each chewy bite was packed with bursts of flavor from the curry.

Rendang Daging (RM15.00++ for 2 pieces of beef)

The Rendang Daging or Beef Rendang was cooked Minang-style which was almost similar to our Malay Beef Rendang, except that the Minang version was a tad more salty. The chunks of beef were tender and full of robust flavors from the thick and spicy gravy.

Sayur Singkong (RM4.90++)

Cooked with coconut milk and anchovies, the Sayur Singkong (tapioca shoots) was fairly tasty. The green shoots were neither soft nor mushy, which indicated that they were still fresh when the dish was prepared.

Sambal Hijau (RM3.50++)

The Sambal Hijau or green chilli sambal was a nice complement to the other dishes. I wished we had ordered some fried tempe or tofu to eat with the sambal since there was still quite a bit left over after we had finished the rest of our food.

Alpukat Juice (RM9.50++)

A meal at a Nasi Padang restaurant is incomplete without the Alpukat Juice, a drink that is made from avocados and drizzled with chocolate sauce. It is easy to go wrong with this drink but the one served at Sari Ratu had just the right amount of chocolate sauce added without overpowering the freshness of the blended avocados.

Es Teler (RM8.50++)

We rounded off our meal with Es Teler which is the Indonesian version of our Malaysian ABC or Air Batu Campur. Shaved ice topped with avocado, young coconut flesh, slices of jackfruit, palm seeds and pink sago, this sinful dessert was a perfect ending to our satisfying meal!

Meal for 4 (RM115.90)

Our bill came up to RM115.90, which was slightly on the high side for a Nasi Padang meal. However, if you are looking for authentic and delicious Padang cuisine in a clean and comfortable setting and don’t mind paying a premium for quality, then this is the place to go.

My Overall Verdict:

 Taste: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Ambience: 8/10

Presentation: 7/10

Value for Money: 8/10

Address and contact details:
Restoran Sari Ratu Prima

AG-10 & AG-11, Dataran Glomac,

Pusat Bandar Kelana Jaya.

Tel: 03-7806 4122

Till my next culinary adventure, 

Lotsa Luv

Baking Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hi Guys!

As promised, today I'm gonna write about my first attempt at baking chocolate chip cookies. I am not a passionate baker but I do enjoy simple baking recipes from time to time. So, when my friends from uni suggested a meet up before I pop, I dread the idea of loafing around cafes or catching a movie (yes, now that I am heavy I very much prefer staying at home than going out) so I invited them to my place instead.

And what better way for four girl friends to bond and catch up other than baking cookies together! We had so much fun spending time together and the cookies turn out really delicious as well. I brought them to the office today and they were instant hits with my colleagues. Some even said that it's famous - amos like (I promise this was genuine compliments and I wasn't trying to flatter myself!)

If you feel like trying 'em out (Chinese New Year cookies, maybe?) , here's the recipe:

Ingredients: 1/2 cup castor sugar
1 cup  brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup cooking oil
1 whole egg
1 tbsp fresh milk
4 cups flour
A little bit of salt
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 cups semisweet chocolate chip (We used Hershey's)
1tsp vanilla essence

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 175C
2. Beat sugar, butter, cooking oil, egg, milk, and vanilla essence until the mix is thorough and consistent
3. Add in flour (part by part), salt, cream of tartar, baking soda, walnut and chocolate chip to the mixture
4. Once it is thoroughly combined, spoon the mixture into baking tray according to the size you like and be sure to keep some distance between the cookies as they will expand a little in the oven
5. Bake between 10-20 minutes, the cookies will be golden brown when they're done!

Be sure to space the cookies out as they will expand in the oven

Bake between 10-20 minutes - keep checking

Don't forget to cool them on wire rack before shifting them into your cookie jar!

There you go, easy peasy steps to making yummylicious cookies!

Till Then, Happy Baking!
Liv

China Treasures.. Is it really a treasure?

Hi Everyone! How did you spend Valentine's day? Well, I had a few friends over at my place and we spent some time catching up and baking chocolate chip cookies (I will share the recipe in a different post).

After spending the whole afternoon baking batches and batches of cookies and poking fun at each other we were all pretty much exhausted and hungry. A friend suggested Halal Dim Sum for dinner and another friend quickly suggested China Treasures as it's kinda near to my place and she's tried the Dim Sum buffet lunch there before and they're delicious!

So the four of us went to restaurant and we were ushered to a round table in the middle of the restaurant. We asked the waiter for the buffet and he informed us that it has been discontinued. Disappointed, we decided to order the Dim Sum ala-carte instead only to be told that they only serve Dim Sum for lunch. Since we were already there and hungry we decided to scrape our Dim Sum plan and order some dishes instead.

While waiting for our food we were served a small bowl of boiled peanuts which is a common tidbits served at a Chinese restaurant. Not very much later, our Hot and Sour Soup arrived.

Hot and Sour Soup (Portion for One pax) 

We ordered two of this and it is definitely more than enough for four pax (or more).

When we asked the waiter what was the recommended portion size for four pax he recommended Medium (usually for 4-5pax) but when our main course arrived, to our surprise, the Mediums can definitely feed at least 8 pax!

Fried Rice with Salted Egg and Seafood (Medium)

Butter Prawn (Medium)

Sizzling Beancurd with Minched Chicken (Small) 

Even the Small portion (recommended for 2-3 pax) is too much

Black Pepper Beef (Medium)

All four of us agreed that with the exception of the Butter prawn, the rest of the dishes were only mediocre. Really, there's nothing to shout about taste-wise. We also ended up with at least half of each dishes untouched as the portion is definitely too big for the four of us. When we call the waiter for the bill (a different one from the one who took our order), looking at the leftovers, he said, "You girls should have ordered Small size for all of your orders"


We didn't even bother telling him that his colleague was the one who actually recommended Medium! He must've thought that we are all a bunch of gluttons!

When the bill arrived, we were all surprised that the bill came out to RM410!! Really RM6 for tidbits, RM54 for fried rice?? We knew the place is a bit on the "high-end" side but it is not exactly a fine dining restaurant or anything like that. We expected our bill would perhaps come up to about RM300+ but RM410 is just ridiculously pricey! And may I add that the restaurant was very noisy throughout our dinner since there is a private event going on in the private hall and the service was also mediocre as most of the waiters were busy serving the guests at the private event.

So, there you go, the story of my Valentine's Day dinner with my girlfriends. I will definitely NOT be coming back to this restaurant for dinner but perhaps I am still open to the idea of the Halal Dim Sum Buffet Lunch.

My Overall Verdict:

Taste: 5/10

Service 6/10

Ambiance 5/10

Presentation: 6/10

Value for Money: 4/10

If you don't mind spending ridiculously big amount of money for mediocre Chinese cuisine, China Treasures is located at the top floor of Sime Darby Convention Centre (same floor as Halia Restaurant).

Address and contact details:

Sime Darby Convention Centre,
1A Jalan Bukit Kiara 1, 
60000 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur
03-2089 3788

For more information visit Sime Darby Convention Centre official website.

Till Then, Happy Valentine's Day.
Liv

Liv & Luv at Lunch - Las Vacas

Hi Guys!

So this is the second episode of Liv & Luv at lunch. Actually we didn't plan for this lunch. I was on my way to work from Uni after my MBA Viva (Oral Presentation) and I thought I'd celebrate my freedom from MBA with a good meal. I wanted to go somewhere near the office with easy parking access so we decided to go to Las Vacas in Jalan Yap Kwan Seng. 

At 12 noon, we were amongst the first to arrive at the restaurant. The restaurant set-up is pretty cozy with open concept and natural light beaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. You can opt to either dine inside or outside. We chose to eat inside (it can be a bit warm to eat outside in the afternoon) and Luv picked a table by the window. 

The Restaurant Set-up

It was a hot, hot KL afternoon

Food Menu

Dessert and Beverage Menu


My Favourite Drink of all time - Bickford's Old Style Creamy Soda  (RM8.60)
(Note: I know it is best for expectant mothers to avoid drinking soda, but I believe anything in moderation is okay and to my defense I only drank half of the bottle.. Teehee!)



Luv's Skipper Peach Juice (RM9)

I was in the mood for seafood that day so I opted for the Pan-fried salmon fillet with cream dressing and spinach ricotta. When the food arrived, my first impression was, “Wow, this looks really good!” but unfortunately the salmon wasn’t fried to my liking. I like my salmon crispy and well-seasoned but unfortunately it was neither. I had trouble finishing the salmon; combined with the cream dressing and spinach ricotta, the whole combo tasted kinda “bland” to me. I knew it was a mistake to order fish at a meat shop!

Pan-Fried Salmon with Cream Dressing and Spinach Ricotta (RM40)

Luv ordered the Beef Burger. She finished every bit of her 250gm Beef Burger ‘cos  she said it was super-yummy! The patty was juicy, seasoned perfectly and even though it was grilled to well done, it retained its juiciness. The burger was supposed to be served with a side of french fries but she requested to substitute that with a mixed salad instead. Wise move on her part since the salad gave a refreshing twist to an otherwise hearty burger meal.

If you like your burger more meaty, try the 350g burger which comes with breakfast beef or the 500g burger with breakfast beef and egg. We can’t wait to go back to Las Vacas and try their Lamb Burger since we heard that it is just as good. They also have a nice selection of sandwiches if you are not a burger fan.

250gm Beef Burger (RM22)

After we were done with the main course, we were contemplating dessert. Las Vacas do not offer an extensive dessert menu although the Panna Cotta was quite enticing, but since Luv was already full, I decided to opt for ice-cream. 

Range of Fatbaby Ice Cream flavours

Coconut Ice cream with Desiccated Coconut and Choc Chips (RM9)

I am a coconut fanatic. I love everything coconut – water, fruit, jelly, shake, ice cream… especially ice-cream. Fatbaby ice cream is no Sangkaya (I will blog about this in a different post), but it is absolutely wonderful. It is light but tasty and the desiccated coconut and chocolate chip add texture to the soft and creamy coconut ice-cream. It is a nice “ending” to my meal... makes up for my somewhat disappointing main course.

In terms of service, despite having only one other table occupied, we had to wait 20 minutes for our food to arrive which seems like forever when you're hungry. The waiter seems a bit inexperienced and wasn't able to advise eloquently on food choices and most of the time he appeared aloof and it almost seemed like he pretended to look elsewhere when we called for assistance. 

Our Overall Verdict:

Taste:7/10

Service: 6/10

Ambiance: 7/10

Presentation: 7/10

Value for Money: 8/10

Las Vacas also has outlets in Kelana Jaya (near FAM) and Mont Kiara (opposite Plaza Mont Kiara). Details of the KL outlet is as follows:

Operating Hours

Monday to Sunday

7 days a week: 12pm – 11pm 

No.33, Lot 5, Ground Floor, Wisma

Winbond, Jalan Yap Kwan Seng,

50450, Kuala Lumpur 

Tel: +603-2181-5586 

For more information on Las Vacas, you may visit their Facebook page or their official website