Malabar Palace @ Hartamas Shopping Centre

Foodscapade fun was brought forward a couple of days as Bravo was heading off on yet another holiday. And he calls me Miss Gallivanter!

This week's cuisine - Indian. We went ahead with a recommendation from my colleague from India. If she thinks it's good, it's got to be authentic. However, said restaurant was nowhere to be seen as we drove past the row of shop lots. Determined and hungry, we went on the hunt for this restaurant but as it turned out, it had closed down 5 days earlier!

Anyway, we went with another one of my colleague's recommendation which happened to be in the mall right across the road in the form of Malabar Palace, which specialises in South Indian cuisine.

Malabar Palace.

My pick for the appetizer - Onion Fritters! Covered in lentil butter, green chilli and a range of flavourful Indian spices, this definitely prepared the tastebuds well for what was to come.

Onion Fritters (RM8)

All the names for the dishes were long and unfamiliar so we decided that going with ones with either a chef's hat or a chilli next to it. The Malabar Lamb Varattal has both! Certainly can't go wrong with that. This onion-rich (much to Bravo's dismay surprisingly since he enjoyed the fritters!), lamb masala enriched with ginger, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and cardamon was simply mouthwatering.

Malabar Lamb Varattal (RM21) and Butter Chicken Masala (RM21)

A departure from the previous dish, the Butter Chicken Masala - tandoori chicken cooked in rich creamy tomato gravy has neither a chef's hat or a chilli but was delish nonetheless. It was however, slightly too salty.

To balance the meatiness of our meal, we got a vegetable dish - Palak Paneer. This is basically very rich and creamy blended spinach gravy and diced cottage cheese. It may not look very appetising but it's actually pretty tasty. Nutritious and sweet!

Palak Paneer (RM15)

All this would not be complete without some Garlic and Butter Naan. Fresh from the restaurant's very own tandoor (clay oven), the naan was superbly crisp on the outside yet chewy on the inside.

Garlic (RM5.5) and Butter Naan (RM4.5).

Verdict: Unexpectedly awesome carb-filled and protein-rich meal. Will def be heading back.

What did I learn this time? To be flexible and adaptable to changing situations, like the almost foodscapade disaster above. Nothing from Bravo this time (*hint hint)! 

Where:
Malabar Palace
G13A Ground Floor,
Hartamas Shopping Centre,
60, Jalan Sri Hartamas,
50480 Kuala Lumpur.

When:
Daily 10am - 10pm

Rakuzen @ Tropicana City Mall

All Ozzied and Waffled out, Bravo and I waste no time in continuing our foodscapade fun. Straying from our porky love, we settled for Japanese - Rakuzen.

Not realising how popular this restaurant would be on a Friday evening, we had to put our name down and went shopping while we waited for a table. Good thing the wait wasn't too long, was pretty famished especially after a run! As for Bravo, he's got an equally bottomless pit so...

First up, Ikageso Karaage - fried squid tentacles. I'm a sucker for squid, and when it comes deep fried, it's a match made in heaven.

Ikageso Karaage (RM12)

The Salmon Shioyaki - grilled salmon with salt looked slightly charred but was surprisingly beautifully crusted on the outside, while the flesh was moist and flavourful.

Salmon Shioyaki (RM18)

The 'normal' plate of sushi Bravo picked in the form of Tekka Maki - raw tuna roll looked pretty normal but was wonderfully fresh. Not usually a raw fish person but quite enjoyed this dish.

Tekka Maki (RM12)

Then, the 'special' sushi. The Cranky Salmon Roll - a roll of salmon, crispy chips, spicy mayo topped with bonito flakes and flying fish roe. Salmon that's cranky? Hahaha.. eye catching enough for us to pick it. This combo was super delish though. I especially enjoyed the chips.

Cranky Salmon Roll (RM16)

Of course, we must have dessert. Nama Choco Ice is basically small cylinder-shaped ice cream wrapped in their respective flavoured powder. If you ask me, ice cream is good regardless of its form.

Nama Choco Ice - green tea and chocolate (RM13).

The Macha Ice to Chocolate Cake. Well, actually it's white choc ice cream on the menu and my request for the substitution was accepted to my surprise. I've always believed in going for what you want, so no harm asking right. 

The initial shock of the size of the chocolate cake slices dissipated as quickly as it melted in my mouth. Hard, rich and dense to start, it melts and liquifies, the rich cocoa flavour blanketing the entire surface of the tongue. Quite an experience for the tastebuds.

Macha Ice to Chocolate Cake (RM13)

Verdict: One of the better Japanese restaurants out there in the Klang Valley. Def a healthy meal, we were pretty pleased with how we managed not to overeat! 

Didn't learn anything scientific today but what I did learn was that the Great Barrier Reef is actually in Queensland and not another state. Not sure how I missed that in the first place.

Where:

Rakuzen
Tropicana City Mall

G-41, Ground Floor, 

3, Jalan SS20/27, 

47400 Petaling Jaya,

Selangor.

When:

Daily 11:30am - 3pm; 6pm - 11pm

Group Therapy Coffee @ Duxton

Aaand I'm back in Singapore! Had brunch with my high school girlfriends at Group Therapy Coffee. When the suggestion was initially made, I'd thought it was a serious one for us to go for actual therapy haha.. Well, it'd been over 8 months since we all met up so it was a good session to catch up.

Group Therapy Coffee.

The girls both got coffee, a Latte and a Flat White. No complaints nor high praise so I suppose they were only okay.

Flat White and Latte.

Down to the food!

M got the Sunnyside Ups, which basically is two sunny side ups, perched on top of grilled ham, cheddar and guacamole, stacked on thick toast. We didn't get a taste of this as she was famished and it went in a flash. It must have been good! She was especially impressed with the guacamole.

Sunnyside Ups ($16.5)

J got the Poached Eggs. covered in hollandaise and placed on smoked salmon, gruyere, and thick toast. The bread so fresh, salmon was high quality, and the hollandaise smooth and creamy. It was simply delicious! 

Poached Eggs ($16)

Then there's the Pancake Stack. This photo just does not do it justice. Thick and fluffy, and I swear it was at least 15cm in diameter, this sinful stack of not one, not two, but THREE pieces of pancakes was just heaven on a plate. The seasalt caramel sauce is worth a mention, although the pancakes could easily stand on its own. The little honeycomb bits also added a delicious touch.

Pancake Stack ($16)

Verdict: Will def head back! Would like to try some of their desserts. The 4-layer carrot cake sounds interesting.

Where:

Group Therapy Coffee

49 Duxton Road

#02-01

Singapore.

When:

Tues - Thurs: 11am - 6pm

Fri: 11am - 11pm

Sat: 11am - 10pm

Sun/PH: 10am - 6pm

Dutch and Belgian Waffles!

Just returned from a trip to the Netherlands and Belgium this morning. Only managed a collective 2 hours of sleep in the 12.5 hour long flight and am determined to fight the urge to nap because if I do, I'll be a total insomniac tonight!

What can I do to stay awake? Looking at photos and reminiscing fun times from the trip helped, then there were the delicious waffles. Surely, I couldn't just let this one slide from my blog.

The waffle adventures started in Maastricht, NL - the city where the EU was formed. The waffle is clearly taken seriously here because at every corner turned, there's bound to be at least one person with a waffle in hand, happily munching away. It was clearly a sign.

Pinky in Maastricht, NL.

Pinky is the place to go. Hot off the griddle, the waffles smell heavenly. Dusted with icing sugar, chewy to the bite, these babies were simply divine! 2 Euros well spent. My only regret? Not having another one!

Presenting, the simply divine Pinky Waffle.

Not to fret, more waffles to be found in neighbouring Belgium, in Brussels to be exact. Lined with tourists, one is easily sucked into the trap. Luckily, the shop we picked had cleared by the time we headed back.

Waffle Factory in Brussels.

Here, I learnt the difference between the variation in waffles in Belgium:

The Brussels Waffle - rectangular in size, these are light, crisp and airy.

The Liege Waffle - chewy to the bite, these are richer, denser and sweeter than the others.

The Waffine - similar to the Liege except it is round with your choice of filling.

In case you're wondering, there is no such thing as a Belgian waffle in Belgium. Adapted in the US, it is a simplified version of the Brussels Waffle.

The Waffine and the Liege Waffle.

The Liege (2.5 Euros) is similar to the Pinky Waffle, just too good to be true. My Maastricht regret lifted!

The Waffine (3.5 Euros) is slightly less dense and chewy then the Liege, but the highlight has got to be the Belgian chocolate oozing out and onto my welcoming taste buds. It was truly a party in my mouth.

I suppose they were on the slightly pricier end, but again money well spent.

Left - right: The Liege Waffle and the Brussels Waffle.

Finally, the Brussels Waffle. Indeed, they're much lighter and crisper than the others. Personally, not my preference.

My taste buds have been spoilt. I will no longer look at waffles outside of Netherlands and Belgium the same way ever again. 

On the plus side, I'm wide awake now! May - 1, Jetlag - 0.