LOVE LIFE, CHERISH MOMENTS

   Nowadays i can hardly survive without coffee in my life. Recently i am so occupied with preparation for clinical school. There is a lot of things to do and i am literally exhausted every single day. I know coffee addiction is bad, in fact any addiction is bad, but i can't help but love everything about coffee! The smell, the taste and all the energy coffee gives me. Anyway, i really need to cut down on caffeine soon.

   Well, today i am gonna share with you a new found coffee shop in Publika that i find quite relaxing and perfect for a lazy afternoon hide-out. I went to Coffee Société in Publika last month with my friends who don't really like coffee. As a coffee monster, i had to educate them on how to appreciate coffee like i do. Hence, we visited Coffee Société, a Melbourne-inspired cafe, located at level G3, Block D4. For those who are not very familiar with Publika, take a lift/escalator up, at the ones beside Fat Boy Burger, you will reach level G3. Then turn around, go right, Coffee Societe should be right in front of you. Yea, it is a bit tricky to find but the environment is worth the work, i guess?

   My coffee choice of the day was as usual, cappuccino. I think this drink has become my standard choice every time i visit a new cafe, simply because i believe a good cafe must be able to make a great cup of cappuccino. This drink truly tests the quality and origin of its coffee bean, temperature of steamed milk and also the technique of a barista in creating creative coffee art.

My cappuccino--RM 7.90

Thanks to the barista for the specially made coffee art. I loved the details!

Small little indulgence

   After tasting their cappuccino, i have to say that i wasn't very impressed. Yes, the coffee tasted alright, like a normal cappuccino would taste like. It was too milky until it overpowered the taste of coffee. I could hardly detect any caffeine punch within. However, i was glad to see some coffee art on top of the foam, although it was just latte's leaves. It is sad that not many barista create beautiful coffee art anymore. A unique coffee art can totally change the mood of customers and to even elevates his or her liking towards a cup of drink.

Brandon's Hazelnut Hot Chocolate--RM 12

Puo Nen's Latte

     Overall, Coffee Société is a nice hang out place for friends to catch up or just to laze around. The environment is rustic and relaxing, staffs are all very friendly. Moreover, Coffee Société also came out with plenty of promotion. To all the ladies, on every Thursday, 6pm-9pm, come in a group of 3 and above, every one of you will be entitled to a cup of free drink. Don't worry guys, there is something for you too! On every Friday and Saturday, between 6pm--11pm, you will receive bottomless coffee! Hence, what are you waiting for? Let's head on to Coffee Société this holiday/weekend! Happy Merdeka Day Malaysian! xoxo

Contact info~
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoffeeSociete
Address: Unit 3A, Block D4, Level G3, Publika
Business Hours: 8.30am-12.30am

   Greetings my dear readers! As some of you might know, i just got back from my summer trip in Europe Union not long ago and i have so much to share with you guys! From the view, to the people, the culture, the food and the spirit of the communities. Europe had been awesome to me and i can't wait to share with you my fantastic experience from this trip. Hence, let's start off with today's entry, which is all about my first time at Ladurée Pastries House in Covent Garden, London.

Happy girl i was!

   Ladurée started off as a small bakery in Paris, opened by its owner, Louis Ernest Ladurée in 1862. However, not long after, the bakery caught fire and one thing led to another, it was transformed into a pastry shop. Since then, Ladurée has been serving high quality pastries and is best known for its macarons. Today, Ladurée has evolved as an international brand with a promise of indulgence and excellent desserts experience.

Ladurée's Macarons~Photo Courtesy of www.parisiensalon.com

   As a foodie which have a thing for colorful macarons, of course i learnt about this world-class pastry shop and was determined to visit one of its branch in Europe. Although i planned to visit Ladurée in Paris, but due to time constraint, i could not do so. However, thank God for giving me a chance to go on the last day of my trip in Europe. I keep grinning every time i think back on this incident. At first, i already scheduled myself to visit Ladurée in Harrods because it was on my way back to the hotel in Hammersmith. Hence, i started my day of visiting London with underground, going places like Arsenal, King's Cross Station and more. I dropped  by at The Covent Garden Station to have a coffee break in Monmouth Coffee Company as my friend/senior, Michelle recommended it. When i was searching for Monmouth Cafe, i accidentally pass by a Ladurée Pastry House there! Words cannot describe how excited i was when i bumped into it!

Beautiful Macarons Tower in the shop

A beautiful and elegant corner in the patisserie

While choosing our macarons~ Photo by Johnny Kim~

I could barely control myself facing these sweet and vibrantly-colored macarons!

   Anyway, i managed to get me and my family some great-quality macarons. I was indeed spoilt by choice. After asking some suggestions from the staff there, i finally decided on pistachio, salted caramel, lemon, raspberry, chocolate, coffee, rose petal and coconut. Each flavor costs 1.30£, so 8 of them costs 13.60£. I did not get those fancy boxes which are more expensive so that's all i paid for the 8 beautifully baked macarons.

The above are some flavors of macarons that Ladurée offers. *Photo from atouchoffrench.wordpress.com

My first box of Ladurée macarons. I hope this is not the last one.

From left: Pistachio--Salted Caramel--Lemon--Raspberry--Chocolate--Coffee--Rose Petal--Coconut

In French perhaps? Pistache--Caramel à la Fleur de Jel--Citron--Framboise--Chocolat--Café--Pétale de Rose--Noix de coco

   I saved them until i came back to Malaysia, gave them a little photoshoot before biting into them. Well, i am glad to say they still tasted great except for some cracks here and there due to transporting. Before commenting on how they tasted like, here is some guidance on how to judge the quality of a macaron. I got this link from my blogger friend--Victoria.

Stack them macarons!

   My choice of flavors were pistachio and salted caramel. The texture of the meringue cookie was spot on! Not too chewy, not too sweet but a little bit fragile due to the travelling i assume. The butter cream filling in the middle was pleasantly smooth and blended everything together perfectly. Perhaps it will taste better and more fresh if i were to eat them on the spot. Sigh, i am starting to miss these beautiful creations from Ladurée already. How i wish Malaysia has one of the branch too. Hmm, i am thinking that i should go for a macaron hunt around KL city to search for its substitute one day. LOL. Well, thanks for reading and please stay tuned for more of my stories in Europe alright? Have a great week ahead! :)

Again, yours truly under the sunny sky of London, in front of Ladurée Pastry Shop, Covent Garden. Photo by Johnny Kim

More information~
Website: http://www.laduree.com/


   

   Hey, guys! As you can see from the title above, i have a great news for all of the coffee lovers in Klang Valley! If you are a coffee monster like me or simply a deal hunter, this is a post that you should not miss out!

Pacific Coffee's mission

   Before i get to the main point, let me introduce you to Pacific Coffee Company. This chain cafe started off in 1992 in Hong Kong by its founder from Seattle. Since then, Pacific Coffee has been mushrooming all over the world, promising a 'world-class coffee' and 'served as a urban oasis for customers wishing to have a moment of peace in their busy, hectic life'.

   Finally, Pacific Coffee opened its branch in Oasis Square, Ara Damansara, Petaling Jaya which is so near to my house. Yesterday, i came across this news of its grand opening on Monday, so today, as a committed foodie, i paid them a visit to try out their coffee.

The newly opened PCC, Oasis Square

ATTENTION: HERE COMES THE DEAL!
   Well, in conjunction with its opening, Pacific Coffee Company in Oasis Square is giving out a 'Buy-1-Free-1' Opening Promotion to everyone, at anytime for any beverages on the menu. Just make sure you visit this coffee branch from 18th August-1st September, 2013 and treat yourself with a cup of fragrant Pacific Coffee. A second cup with a same or lower value coffee will be given FREE to you! How great is that?!

   Anyway, i got myself a cup of hot Vanilla Latte and got a free Iced Hazelnut Cappuccino for my brother. Both in Aldo size/ Large.

My vanilla latte was smooth and sweet. Both of us love the amazing coffee from PCC!

PCC also serves various desserts and bites plus non-caffeinated drinks too.

    Publika is always my favourite hang out place, aside from Bangsar. Mainly because the relaxing environment and plenty of food choices there. Therefore, before Puo Nen went back to Singapore, i decided to bring him here for lunch and coffee. Since the set lunch menu of Silver Spoon looked quite appealing to us, we decided to give it a try, hoping for some pleasant surprise.

I expect to see some silver spoons hanging from the ceiling but got wine glasses instead.

   Silver Spoon is located on the same row as San Francisco Coffee and The Fat Boy's Burger, next to The Social. The weekday set lunch menu here is a 2 course meal: an entree and a main course, all for RM 15.90 only. View Lunch Menu here. 

Choices of entree:

Garden Mix Salad

Mushroom Soup

Carrot Soup

 Choices of Main Course:

Chicken Lasagna

Club Sandwich {beef bacon, fried egg, lettuce, tomato on toast}

Creamy Spicy Linguine {with prawns and mushroom}

Mac and Cheese {with turkey ham, green peas, topped with cheese}

   I was very pleased with the choices and quality of the set lunch menu. I notice, the cheaper set lunch offered by restaurants to attract business are usually below their average standard. However, in Silver Spoon the food was up to mark. My carrot soup was sweet and creamy. The toast on top of it just added some extra texture to the item. Besides, my main--Mac & Cheese was rich, creamy and cheesy, just a Mac & Cheese was supposed to be. Too bad, i am not a fan of cream, or else i would adore it more. For the rest of  my company, they all loved their dishes and finished every bites of it.

   I always say a meal is not complete without a dessert. Hence, we also had a Tiramisu because Jo In recommended it. She had it from the other branch of Silver Spoon at Bandar Menjalara and urged us to try one too. Personally, that Tiramisu was not of my liking. I found the lady fingers were too soaked with alcohol, to an extend of overpowering the entire dessert.

Silver Spoon's Signature Tiramisu--RM 15

   Overall, i would give Silver Spoon, Publika an 8/10. The food was up to standard, service and environment is excellent as well. Pricing for this set lunch is so worth the price, only for RM 15.90++  per person. This restaurant is a great place for those who wants to have an enjoyable meal at an affordable price in Publika. Hopefully i added another food choice when you visit Publika next time. xoxo

Contact info~
Website: http://www.silversp.com.my/publika/index.html
Business Hours: 11am-11pm Daily



 

That was at 9+ at night, look at the crowd!

   We were very lucky to be arranged to dine beside the chocolate fountain. Ohh man, those have to be the biggest chocolate fountains i have ever seen. There were 3 in total, white chocolate, milk chocolate and dark chocolate. Three chocolate ganache in different colors, all looking totally sinful and tempting. I can imagine myself dipping my whole head inside it! LOL. Just a random thoughts.

See what i mean? :)

    We actually ordered 2, one as shown below: Dip & Dip's best seller--Triple Chocolate Crepe. The other one was a Cinnamon Crepe Pouch. However, we barely finished the rich chocolate crepe so had to cancel the second one. First thing that hit my palate was the chocolate ganache. One type of chocolate is dense enough, imagine that, times three. It was very sweet, dense and rich. Secondly, the tenderness of crepe. Crepe layers was done perfectly, soft and full of the goodness of eggs. Thirdly, the chocolate-crumble-like fillings in between the crepe. It was bitter and rough, gave the entire dessert a different texture. Overall, it is a best medicine for the sweet-tooth, heart-broken and anyone who adores chocolate.

Triple Chocolate Crepe--RM 17

   It was such a shame that i could only try one chocolate dessert that night. I would love to go back and try other stuff that is less sweet but still great! The environment is average, service is average too, blame the massive crowd. Pricing wise, i reckon it is above average, around RM 20 per person, a little bit too much for desserts only. Nevertheless, this one and only chocolate cafe in Bangsar has its charm and will surely wow the desserts lovers if given a chance. xoxo

le blogger eyeing hungrily over the mighty chocolate crepe.:)

10.30pm: the line was still that long.

Contact info~
Website: http://www.dipndip.com/
Address: Jalan Telawi, Bangsar
Opening Hours: Sat-Thurs: 11am-1am, Fri: 2.30pm-12am, Sun: closed.

   I am always the idealist for brunch. I mean, how great is that to combine 2 meals of your day so that i'll have more space for afternoon desserts? Admit it girls, i know most of you have the same thought right? Anyways, today's post is all about brunch with my high school peeps at Acme Bar & Coffee, The Troika, or better known as The ABC.

   I first known of this place a year ago, when one of my friends celebrated her birthday there. Then, of course, i did my research on the internet and judging from the vast criticism, i knew i ought to give it a try. Therefore, few weeks ago, on a lazy Saturday, i brought my bunch of Penangnites to this exclusively located, elegant restaurant for brunch. It was not easy to find the place. According to the Google Map, The Troika is located on Jalan Binjai, just next to KLCC. However, i took two rounds around KLCC to find it. You can park your car at the parking lots provided by Troika and take a lift up to Ground Floor. Acme is just situated beside the business suites, outside of the building. If everything fails, just ask directions from the friendly staffs.

Pei Eng and me~

Joven & Zheng~

   We were welcomed by two huge and tall metal doors along with few energetic staffs which led us to our table. As much as i dislike the poor lightning of my table, i couldn't help to admire the modern, chic interior design of Acme. No wonder people always quote it as the best place for brunch because the ambiance here is so bright, cheerful and relaxing. They serve breakfast from 9am-5pm, but you can also order from the other section of the menu. As a fan of brunch, i certainly chose one from the breakfast menu--Salt Beef Eggs Benedict. Pei Eng went safe with Spaghetti Bolognaise while Joven chose a Salmon Panini with chips. Zheng's pick was a Farmer's Breakfast Hashbrown.

Spaghetti Bolognaise

Salty Beef Eggs Benedict--RM 27

Look at the beautiful poached egg

Salmon Panini

Farmer's Breakfast Hashbrown--RM 23

   I am quite satisfied with my dish as the technique used was spot on, perhaps they should cut down on the saltiness of the beef, that would be perfect. Spaghetti bolognaise, like its name was ordinary, nothing special. However, judging from the look of Joven's salmon panini, i know, that was the best dish of the day.

   They said, 'when you pay a visit to ABC, you got to try their signature--Jack Fruit Cake/Cempedak Cake'. Cemepdak is a tropical fruit in Malaysia, by incorporating this fruit into a high class dessert, i was hoping that this would be a killer. Nevertheless, i was disappointed greatly. The appearance was simple, just a normal layer cake would look like. The first bite was quite horrible. The pandan layer cake was blend and the jack fruit/cempedak mousse fillings was way off. It tasted like melted 'cempedak potong' ice cream. Those two did not go well together at all and definitely not worth RM 15.

Jack Fruit/Cempedak Cake--RM 15

     Perhaps the nice view and possibly great coffee might bring back their customers? I noticed they have this unique little Italian coffee machine sitting at the coffee bar. Too bad we were too stuffed by its huge portion meals and couldn't stomach anything extra. I would love to try out their coffee one day.

le coffee machine. notice it has 2 ways so two people can use it at the same time.

I must admit, the environment is very relaxing

The outdoor section is equally charming too.

    Conclusion: great environment, good service, average but over-priced food. The average price per person can go up to RM 50. It is up to you to judge whether it is worth the money? After all we are talking about dining in The Troika, a golden area right next to KLCC. I guess that's all for tonight, stay tuned for more about my Europe trip! xoxo.

Contact info~
Website: http://acmebarcoffee.com/