{to eat is to love}

my first ben's experience was dinner in conjunction of new year's eve at their franchise in pavilion and it made a surprisingly positive impression. the decor mimics the ambiance of a cozy apartment with soft lights and wooden window panels covering one side of the wall. the other wall is adorned by black&white photography depicting people, love, friendships and relationships. each ben's decor is slight different where one might be cozier than the other but revolves around the same theme.p.s. pictures in this entry are from different visits.at the tables, there are conversation starters that prompt diners to think of what ifs and ponder about their cooking skills. so if you ever run out of things to talk about, it's a good catalyst to initiate a new topic of conversation.their menu was an interesting mix of local cuisines to italian, new american and mediterranean to name a few. it was a melting pot of different cultures on a single menu.

frosties & coolers :: watermelon lychee (rm 9.90)a warm sunny day often calls for a cool, refreshing drink - exactly what this drink fulfilled. slightly sweet, fresh watermelon blended in ice and incorporating the floral notes of lychee which finally ends with the freshness of the mint.it was just sweet enough but what i liked about it was the fact that the three ingredients fused well together but at the same time, i could still taste the distinct flavors of each. overall, a lovely drink.

nibbles :: crispy fried calamari | with tartare sauce and lemon wedge (rm 16.90)true to its description, they got everything done right to a T. served freshly fried, the crispy calamari was cooked perfectly without it being chewy which is always a plus in my book. slightly oily, the lemon wedge was a needed touch to cut through the oil while the tartare sauce was creamy and slightly tart. what struck me for this dish was the spices in the batter of the calamari was reminiscent of murukku. i can't help but to think of the south indian savory snack with each bite as the batter detaches from the calamari ring occasionally.

pasta :: beef lasagna | layers of pasta, minced beef bolognese & cheese, baked till golden (rm 18.90){mw} had the beef lasagna, which has always been her go-to dish. very cheesy and a huge chunk made out of layers of pasta and beef, it is served with a side of salad. from the one bite that i tried, it tasted alright but the sauce lacked the depth that could have brought this dish to life. a dash of salt and a sprinkle of fresh herbs for another added note to the flavor party.

pasta :: crabmeat linguine puttanesca | robust tomato sauce flavored with anchovies, capers & chili flakes (rm 25.90){mw} had dish envy when my order came to our table. i've always loved my seafood and the combination of crabmeat, capers and tomatoes with anchovies just sounded irresistible.plump, sweet and slightly tart cherry tomatoes crowned the dish while the al dente pasta was coated with the savory, sweet yet tart sauce that ended with a subtle spicy note, which thankfully didn't linger on the tongue. all of that are married with the natural sweetness of the fresh crab meat.

the occasional bites with capers introduced burst of briny saltiness that echoed the anchovies in the sauce. the balance of all the flavors orchestrated a symphony, pleasing to the taste buds. however, it was missing one ingredient that makes it puttanesca - black olives which would have lent another dimension of flavor. regardless, this pasta dish was a delight and it became a quick favorite.

my multiple visits to ben's has seen me try other menu items including
o1. coffees :: latte (rm 7.90)
one of the better ones i've had. a lot better than ones from starbucks but far from rivaling my favorite from espressamente illy. creamy, bitter but lacking that light tart note in the end.

o2. desserts :: chocolate truffle torte | served with a glass of icy cold milk (rm 11.90)
as i took my first bite, all i could think of was how many BARS of chocolate were melted into cream and made into a cake. decadent doesn't even begin to describe it and rich is an understatement. it was too sweet and the icy cold milk was definitely a must. the glass of milk was far too small for the amount of chocolate the torte forces us to consume.

o3. nibbles :: pandan chicken wing (rm 9.90)
the dish was basically three chicken wings (cut into 2 pieces giving six) and was seasoned a bit too well - basically, salty. the chicken was still moist and the pandan flavor was subtle which was a nice touch.

for a more photos and detailed review, check it out at http://sians.blogspot.com/2013/07/bens-by-big.html

with a name such as three little pigs and the big bad wolf, you just HAVE to wolf down some pigs yourself.

with a combination of rustic and modern contemporary decor taking on the minimalist approach, it suits the concept it was going for.

a couple of dishes that was tried were : the wolf's favorite, i am so hungry i could eat a wolf, baked meatlovers penne, eggs benedict, eggs royale, spiced wedges and chocolate caramel cake.

while there are work to be done, the restaurants shows promise with the flavors of dishes headed in the right direction.

more details read it here :: http://sians.blogspot.com/2013/01/three-little-pigs-big-bad-wolf.html

"breakfast, lunch, dinner;

'creamy' rice, spicy sambal;

irresistible."

village park restaurant nasi lemak.

this place needs no introduction.

the proof is in the constant crowd inside and outside the restaurant throughout the day although i can only really vouch for weekend mornings.

in fact, it is one of the top searches for the argubly best nasi lemak in klang valley. i've got to admit that i was a little very late to the party and yes, i finally had my plateful a few weeks ago to try for myself what draws the malaysian crowd back for many years. trust me, malaysians are huge on nasi lemak - they take the art of this delicious local favorite very seriously!i was lucky on both visits - i managed to get a table in under five minutes, granted you have to be a little quick to snap up a table as diners leave. or perhaps be willing to share the table with strangers - a necessitated communal dining experience, if you will ;)although village park restaurant seems synonymous to nasi lemak, there are other offerings as well ranging from noodles, kaya-butter toasts and rice with dishes for your choosing. but why not try their most popular signature dish especially if it was my first time there. and yes, this entry will be dedicated to just that one dish.15 - 20 minutes of after watching many plates of nasi lemak whizzed past us (and not without me staring at the staff expectantly, hoping it was ours), it was finally here - the moment of truth. village park is famous for its nasi lemak but their speciality lies in the nasi lemak ayam goreng (rm 9) or literally translated 'fatty rice with fried chicken'. for variety sake, we also tried the rendang daging ('beef rendang') (rm 8.50) rendition.all the fixin's made their appearances - the chili sambal, the fragrant rice, half a hard boiled egg, a handful of crunchy fresh ground nuts and cripsy, salty anchovies, a couple slices of fresh cucumber and of course the huge piece of dark meat, leg quarter, all strewn almost in an organized haphazard manner.

one of the main stars that makes it nasi lemak is the chili sambal (chili paste with blended onion). my personal preference is a fiery spiciness balanced with the slight sweetness mingled with the onions. unfortunately, village park's had a milder disposition that was decent but not memorable. it was one that i didn't find myself reaching for with every spoonful of rice.speaking of which, the essence of a great nasi lemak is the rice itself, which only a handful has mastered that skill in the many different nasi lemaks i've tried. soft, fluffy yet you can taste each grain of rice with the fragrance of pandan and ginger whispering its presence softly in the midst the subtle creaminess of the coconut milk, finished with salt to bring out its flavors. the rice was yummy that i would have happily wolfed down the rice on its own although i wouldn't have mind a bit more decadence of the coconut milk.the signature of the nasi lemak ayam goreng - a generous portion of the leg quarter, fried in secret blend of spices. warm, succulent and juicy meat encased in a golden brown shell of a skin seasoned and marinated generously with spices which i detected notes of tumeric, garlic, ginger and perhaps lemongrass.i loved the little, runaway, savory crispy bits of batter that gave it that occasional punch of salty in between bites of the mildly seasoned meat. yum.the beef rendang was definitely overshadowed by the fried chicken. while the flavors had the makings of a great rendang, my mom thought the kaffir lime leaves would have elevated the fragrance and added another dimension of mild tangy-ness to the dish. on the other hand, i thought the parts of the beef pieces were a tad chewy, overcooked and borderline dry. sad face.

the plain nasi lemak had most of the foundation right while the fried chicken takes it to another level. the serving size is huge that it held me over breakfast and lunch. [#protip] if you are a smaller eater, one option is to share one piece of chicken (rm6) between two plates of plain nasi lemak (rm3) oh, take away here also means queueing up in the very long line to get your orders and then moving into another line at the payment counter. so be prepared to wait even if you were here to get a to go meal.my parents opined village park restaurant serves above average nasi lemak but they've had better and my parents has had their fair share of nasi lemak. i'd concur with them since there were some room for improvement but so far this is one of the better ones i've tasted. (my next project is to try out the nasi lemak my parents love!) however, there was probably added msg in the dishes since we were gulping down glasses of water to quench the thirst after our meal there.

a good plate of nasi lemak this is, definitely worth a visit to try it for yourself if you are willing to wait for just a bit..

nutmeg
"one of the two distinct spices from a fruit produced by the evergreen tree, native to banda islands of indonesia, often called the spice islands. best used grated fresh."

breakfast
"the first meal of the day, usually eaten in the morning. some might even say it is the most important meal of the day"nutmeg, bangsar
"a cafe, located in bangsar village 2 - adheres to their motto of 'good food from our kitchen' by serving breakfast food all day long from am to the pm (lunch & dinner options available too) and boasts of their 3 must haves - classic reuben, their namesake big breakfast and their gravlax sampler"

perhaps that's the reason behinds the cafe's name: being secretly special. my other theory is the warmth it intends to bring with their offerings in similar fashion the nutmeg imparts warm flavors.the same secretly special warmth was reflected in the nutmeg cafe's decor - an eccentric mix of vibrant artistry with hints of vintage industrial chic and modern baba-nyonya. i love the use of the mason jars as lamps at the counter where you could watch the chefs hard at work, preparing the dishes as the aroma wafted from the open kitchen into the dining area.with brunch, lunch and dinner options aplenty, surprisingly it took me no time to pick my plate of choice when my eyes zeroed in on something that i've been craving for since returning from the states and haven't really been able to find anywhere else so far.

but first...

drinks - iced teas :: nutmeg mixed fruit tea | black tea, mint, orange juice, pineapple juice (rm 9)the iced tea tasted tropical, where the pineapple dominated with the occasional orange flavor sneaking in. the main star, the black tea was as subtle as the mint - so much so that more mint infusion could take the drink to another level of refreshing goodness. {mw} wasn't too thrilled with it. my take - it was pretty nice albeit slightly too sweet for my liking.


lunch & dinner - sandwiches :: bagel & lox | toasted bagel , cream cheese, choice of house-cured gravlax, capers (rm 21)

the toasted bagel had a crispy exterior contrasting the slightly chewy insides but was almost borderline dry. what i assumed was half a block of cream cheese (would have been a whole lot better if the consistency was of a schmear) was spread on the bagel that i scraped off enough for another serving. the side salad was a delightful crisp field of greens tossed in a vinaigrette that combined light berry sweetness and tartness.HUGE kudos to nutmeg for getting the gravlax aboard on the flavor train. fresh raw salmon, which was mildly salted paired perfectly with periodic briny burst from capers and the tartness of the cream cheese granted desirable yummy mouthfuls. the one small thing (and i'm nitpicking in this case) was i wished the lox was slightly more salty, which i eventually was fulfilled when i finally reached on the last slice which i suspect was from the end of the cured salmon block. on the flip side i have to admit that the mild saltiness allowed the salmon's natural flavors to shine.

all day breakfast :: nutmeg gravlax "croissant-wich" | smoked paprika gravlax topped with scrambled eggs, toasted croissant (rm 26)not very dissimilar from my dish, {mw} offered me a bite off her croissant-wich. the eggs were fluffy and seasoned perfectly with the buttery, chewy pastry and finally made whole by the same fantastic gravlax with a hint of smokiness from being mildly paprika-ed. {mw} gave her nodding approval for the dish and from the small bite i had, i'd give a preliminary concurrence

breakfast comforts :: hotcake stack | three pancake stack . vanilla ice cream & chocolate hazelnut praline ganache (rm 16)instead of breakfast for dinner, this is more dessert for dinner! {kbg} wanted something "lighter" and was determined to get a breakfast dish when i first told him that they served breakfast options for dinner, which to him, was quite an interesting concept. unfortunately, the pancakes were probably the least successful where it ended up dense and almost chewy instead of the fluffy pillow-like airiness that it should be. the chocolate hazelnut praline ganache was delectable though - mimicking the flavors of nutella.


nutmeg cafe, which was initiated by two brothers-in-law, has turned heads for its novelty idea (probably one of the firsts in malaysia) of serving breakfast food all day - be it for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. while there were a couple of misses in execution, nutmeg's gravlax had me at first bite.

"good food from our kitchen?"
yes, yummy but not out of this world....
....with maybe the exception of the gravlax.

i have a new dessert obsession.

my first taste was about three months ago when they opened their third franchise at paradigm. and i've been more there than just a handful of times.

a couple of signs that it's turning into an addiction :
o1. when your sister tells you that you're obsessed or...
o2. when you're there almost weekly or....
o3. when the staff at the cafe begins to recognize who you are ><

okay, i have to confess. i've once been there three days in a row before. lola japanese patisserie that is baking up a storm in malaysia, cafe komugi {こむぎ} is quickly becoming my tasty obsession - i wanted to try most of what they can offer. komugi simply means "wheat" in japanese. just like its name, the decor of the cafe leans towards minimalist - no flairs, just clean simplicity with an injection of japanese influence. the two decor pieces that caught my attention were the artistic chairs and multicolored tiled floor.

the menu ranges from sandwiches, salads, pizzas to noodles.
let's start with their freshly prepared dishes straight from the kitchen.

komugi pasta {こむぎパスタ} :: wafu mentai spaghetti (rm 22.90)served in a asymmetrical bowl, it was as what the staff has described it to me - spaghetti coated in a cream sauce with salmon roe, served with shrimp and topped with nori. what they failed to tell me was that it was going to be too creamy - too being the understatement.

the pasta was cooked slightly overdone but it was seasoned well. however the monotonous flavor on top it being too creamy (yes, i've mentioned it twice already) without anything to cut through the richness. to the point that when {wy} had a bite, she joked that perhaps the chef had a lot of heavy cream lying around about to expire that they've decided to use it all in this dish which i was progressively inclined to agree... lol.

sandwich {サンドイッチ} :: smoked salmon open face (rm 22.90)after what i might have called a disappointing choice with the spaghetti, i had set my eyes on their sandwiches and the smoked salmon caught my eye. i figured i would have better luck with a sandwich since they were a cafe and japanese at that - so raw salmon should be great too. my assumptions had some truth in it - it sorta fell short of my expectations.

two slices of smoked and cured salmon lies on a bed of lettuce that rests on a crusty bread which was too lightly toasted (almost tasted like they didn't). a squeeze of lemon resonated with the briny burst of tartness from the capers which are paired classically with smoked salmon. however, the salmon itself was not the freshest confirmed by the lackluster color of the fish - the fishiness was echoed in each bite. the dressing on the salad was surprisingly yummy with a sweet tangy-ness to it yet creamy - actually come to think of of it..tasted a lot like thousand island dressing.

omelette {オムレツ} :: omelette with sausage (rm 13.90)omelette was probably one of the more successful savory entrees they serve. {cyh} offered a taste from his plate and from the sneak peek i had from that bite was fluffy, wonderfully seasoned omelette. it wasn't outstanding but it was an enjoyable meal for {cyh} although the serving size could have been a lot bigger since it barely filled him up.

let's switch gears and move over to my favorites here - pastries and cakes {ペストリー & ケーキ} but first : bread/pastries

bread :: mini choc croissant | (rm 1.20)probably one of my favorite breads they have from their many selections. a lovely petite bite size treat, i feel slightly less guilty since the size is somewhat miniature. the flaky, slightly sweetened caramelized crust of the croissant protects the layers of soft, buttery, doughy inside wrapping around the dark chocolate center. just a nice sweetness with occasional dark chocolate burst of flavors. ideal for a quick chocolate and buttery bread fix.

slice cakes :: mille crepe {ミルクレープ} | (rm 7.50)this was my introduction to komugi pastries and cakes for the first visit to the cafe - a momentous point to my quick attraction to komugi's sweet creations. the expertly made thin layers of crepe were soft while holding its integrity with the evenly balanced amount of the sweet cream in between each layers. surprisingly though, the bottom layer is a soft vanilla sponge cake layer to offer some textural difference and intensity in flavors. one pet peeve though was my subsequent tries of this dessert has yet to shine as my first and often find the cake slightly dry towards the evening.

tart :: hokkaido cheese tart {北海道チーズ} | (rm 6.90)

mixed reviews for this cheese dessert variation. i am for the dessert while {chy} thought otherwise. if i were to describe the dessert by virtue of other desserts -the crust was of the shortbread cookie buttery and crumbly sweetness and the filling reminded me of a key lime pie but mellowed by the sweetness and creaminess of the cheese. definite a significant punch of acidity of the lemon zestiness from the smooth cheese filling, sprinkled with powdered sugar and topped with a fresh raspberry. hidden between the cheese filling and the crust was a thin layer of reduced raspberry sauce lining the inner pie tart crust but it didn't do much for the tart.

on the flip side, {cyh} reckoned that the tartness was a bit much and the raspberry sauce reduction tasted a wee bit artificial. so it was a cross in his books.

cake :: hanjuku cheese {半熟チーズ} | this delicious masterpiece is made with select cream cheese, eggs and other surprisingly simple ingredients brought together by a secret recipe (rm 3.50)

i've save the best for last - this is the one thing that keeps me coming back to cafe komugi. my message to the brilliant mind who created the komugi signature hanjuku cheese : chef furuta yoshikatsu {古田 圭克} - thank you. this pastry can be interchangeably called half baked cheese because half baked in japanese is hanjuku. there are two variation - the original and the chocolate counterpart.the original hanjuku cheese has ranked on my all time favorite dessert list - a signature dessert by komugi for the right reasons. what makes it so special is the fact of the lightness and airiness that results to a creamy, lightly cheesy, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth experience with the lovely amount of sweetness that leaves a honey end note on your tongue. to give it a minor textural difference is a layer of vanilla sponge cake that echoed the softness of cheese itself. simplicity as its best and i could eat a couple of these if not for my guilty conscience. lol

non the other hand, the chocolate half baked cheese pales in comparison. the balance of the sweetness is slightly off and it was more of a dark chocolate pudding like consistency. don't get me wrong, it tastes alright but just not the same caliber as its original counterpart.

for more detailed reviews, you can find it here : http://sians.blogspot.com/2013/08/cafe-komugi.html