Toastina Café & Bar

Open Now

Now Closed

Love sometimes strikes when least expected. We've never been smitten with salads and sandwiches before, but we're hopelessly devoted to the ones at Toastina now.A brief introduction: ensconced at the entrance of Sheraton Imperial Hotel's office block, Toastina comprises two outlets in one venue _ a bright, breezy deli that operates between 7am-7pm and a casual, comfy lounge that stays open past midnight. Toastina's menu is compact, but that makes choosing much easier. For fresh, clean flavors,

Love sometimes strikes when least expected. We've never been smitten with salads and sandwiches before, but we're hopelessly devoted to the ones at Toastina now.A brief introduction: ensconced at the entrance of Sheraton Imperial Hotel's office block, Toastina comprises two outlets in one venue _ a bright, breezy deli that operates between 7am-7pm and a casual, comfy lounge that stays open past midnight. Waldorf salad with crab meat & micro cress. Here's one that packs a protein punch, with hea

Love sometimes strikes when least expected. We've never been smitten with salads and sandwiches before, but we're hopelessly devoted to the ones at Toastina now.A brief introduction: ensconced at the entrance of Sheraton Imperial Hotel's office block, Toastina comprises two outlets in one venue _ a bright, breezy deli that operates between 7am-7pm and a casual, comfy lounge that stays open past midnight. Colorful desserts are an attraction too. This Linzer tart proved to be a pleasure, boasting

Toastina: Round Two. We've been feeding our current sandwich addiction here with mega-bites such as this monumental medley of mushrooms. Exceptionally earthy, laced with walnuts & cheese. Wish someone had sprinkled some truffle oil on this though. Chicken ham & eggs in croissant. A creamy combo _ so simple, but astonishingly addictive. Sounds like something that Delifrance might serve, but well, this photo speaks for itself. Toastina's desserts are super-sweet but otherwise irreproachable, espe

Toastina: Round Two. Bacon, egg & tomato. Tasted lovingly home-made, with a mound of boiled eggs, all chopped up for gooey goodness' sake. Asparagus, artichoke hearts & garlic aioli. These sandwiches are ready-to-sell items, not prepared to order; so if you can wait, order a freshly made customized sandwich instead, with your own choice of fillings (though that'll cost more). Apple frangipane tart & cappuccino eclair. The former was a fruity, nutty pleasure, but we particularly loved the latter

Toastina: Round Two. Hot salted beef with gruyere cheese & arugula. Succulent slices of meat, bundled in a convenient ciabatta loaf for both carnivores and carb-lovers on the move. Smoked roasted salmon with caper berries, tomato confit, wild rocket & horseradish. One of Toastina's pricier sandwiches at RM24++; healthy and hearty, stuffed in charcoal bread, but forgettable in flavor. Jalapeno chicken & lettuce in croissant. Bland; maybe the word 'jalapeno' made us anticipate something exotic

Toastina: Round Three. Toastina seems like an unlikely choice for Malaysian halal favorites, but after a few spoonfuls of its Assam Laksa, we were licking our lips over how flavorsome this was, overflowing with slippery rice noodles in spicy, tangy mackerel gravy, complete with all the pungent aromas that I had slowly come to enjoy during three years of studying in Penang. Chick-kut-teh. Of course, the absence of pork in this one was obvious, but it was well-executed enough to recommend, offerin

Toastina: Round Three. Nyonya curry laksa. Also very tasty, but cockles would have made it even better. Loh mai kai. As glutinously good as a pork-free version gets. Chocolatey, crunchy cookies, colossal in size. Carrot-&-raspberry cake (ultra-dense) & tiramisu (ultimately forgettable). Chocolate brownie & vanilla cupcake. Skip the nut-laden brownie, since there are richer, fudgier ones elsewhere _ but try the cupcake, which has a lovingly baked feel that might seem surprising for a hotel deli

Toastina: Round Three. Nasi briyani. No complaints; a tummy-filling portion for only about RM8 (!), with all the essential ingredients tasting fresh and fragrant. Braised beef cheek pie. The crust was too thick and doughy, but the bountiful filling of tender, gravy-soaked beef morsels was what made this addictive. New York cheese cake & black forest cake. Deliciously moist; the cheese cake was enhanced by a lovely cheese flavor and scent, proving that second-rate ingredients are shunned here.

Since 786 isn't a dessert destination, sugar-seekers can stroll over to Sheraton Imperial Hotel's Toastina cafe to satisfy their sweet tooth (or savor a surprisingly luscious spinach quiche). Go nuts over something topped with hazelnuts ... ... or paved with pistachio mousse. Classic cheesecake and red velvet, both more than competently prepared. Macarons are available here now too; our favorite is the florally fashionable lavender, though others might prefer the banana or black sesame varietie

Since 786 isn't a dessert destination, sugar-seekers can stroll over to Sheraton Imperial Hotel's Toastina cafe to satisfy their sweet tooth Feeling fruity? Here's something swollen with strawberries ... ... and another one primed for passion fruit. Europe is represented by the Esterhazy torte, a buttercream-almond meringue layered cake named after a Hungarian prince ... ... as well as the French Creme chiboust, flavored at Toastina with mango for a tropical twist. Another addition at Toastina:

For Asian delights of a Malaysian bent, take a 10-minute walk to Sheraton Imperial Hotel, where Toastina serves lunchtime favorites. There are hits and misses here nowadays, but the chicken rice is surprisingly satisfying for a hotel-cooked version. Toastina's Penang prawn kuey teow soup is thick and tangy. Stir-fried chicken with cashews. Will stuff the tummy, won't stun the taste buds. Skip Toastina's wan tan mee and head to a kopitiam instead if you want some.