LOVE LIFE, CHERISH MOMENTS

   Another crazy week has gone by. I am always looking forward to the weekends, because it is the time for me to take a break from all things in life and hide in my cozy harbor, rest, recharge and reflect. I know, i have been MIA for too long, so today's post is going to be something new, i'll be writing about Italian cuisine. It was around one month ago when we celebrated the boys' birthday in La Risata, Medan Damansara. 




   It is not that hard to locate La Risata. It is situated just behind Victoria Station, off the Sprint Highway, towards Bangsar & KL direction. La Risata has been a trusty old brand around this area, serving warm and hearty Italian cuisine for the food lovers.


   Complimentary basket of bread, served with olive oil, vinegar and herbs. This is a good started while waiting for our orders.

Clockwise: Iced Lemon Tea--RM 8++ Iced Coffee- RM 9++ Hot Latte--RM 8++

Insalata Peperoni Arostiti Mozarella--RM 18++ Mixed leaf salad, roasted red peppers & mozzarella with an anchovy pesto dressing & croutons

Stinco D'Agnello--RM 36++ Wood fired oven braised lamb shank in a rosemary sauce on a bed of mashed potato

   The lamb shank was quite up to standard. It was well-braised, well flavoured and the meat was surprisingly tender and melt-in-your-mouth smooth. However, i still think Monte's lamb shank is number one!

Pizza Romano--RM 28++ Anchovy, fresh basil, tomato, mozzarella & parmesan shavings

   This pizza was a fairly simple dish. A plain pizza base topped with tomato sauce, basil leaves and cheese. However, the basil's fragrant really went well with the richness of the tomato and cheese. It is simply beautiful.

Pizza Salmone--RM 32++ Smoked salmon on a light cream base with caper & sliced onion

   This pizza is still my favourite of the day, simply beacuse i love salmon. As usual, smoked salmon goes well with cream cheese. However, i found the smoked salmon was a bit too salty to my liking. Otherwise, it would be a great dish.

Tiramisu (Pick-Me-Up!)--RM 16++ Layers of Savoiardi biscuits soaked in espresso & filled with Italian mascarpone cream cheese

   We ended our course with a dessert item, a must-have while dining in Italian restaurant--Tiramisu. This dessert is completely Halal, without alcohol. Therefore, our Muslim friends can enjoy this dish as well. I find this dessert average, the cheese was too thick and i would have love this if the coffee were stronger.

   Overall, La Risata serves good Italian food. I appreciate their traditional Italian food menu, the old wooden interior design and good service. The pricing is considered above average, approximately RM 50 per person. It would be great if they can offer a more affordable set lunch. Nevertheless, the crowd is still plenty, their business was good! I guess this restaurant could not satisfy my hunger for good traditional Italian cuisine, i will continue my quest in search for the best in town! That's all for today, i hope you enjoy this post. Have a pleasant day ahead! xoxo.

Le birthday boys--Aaron & Jason

Group shot!

 Contact info~
Website: http://la-risata.com/index.html
Menu: http://la-risata.com/cibo-and-bivande.html

   Hey my dearies! A million apologies goes to you because of my belated post. Yours truly have been insanely busy as the new semester started. I know, busy is no excuse, so please accept my sincere sorry. *puppy eyes Anyway, today i'm gonna talk about my trip back to hometown Penang last month with my dear cousie, Ms Caryn. We decided to head on to Penang to celebrate her victorious acceptance into SIA as a trainee flight attendant! I'm so proud of her. She has always been my little sister that i never had. We spent so much time together, growing up, learning and supporting each other. Knowing that she is certain and clear of her future just made me so proud of her. Congrats, all the best and take care alright?

YAY! Cousie unite!

   We picked Kaffa Espresso Bar as i've heard some pretty good review about their coffee there. Hence, coffee monster was determined to try it out herself. Kaffa Espresso Bar is located on Jalan Greenhall, just opposite of Segi College. For those that is not familiar with Penang island, Jalan Greenhall is a small alley right next to Light Street Convent School. Its vibrant entrance made it stood out among rows of cafe there. Thumbs up for that.

Good coffee here?

Every single day of my life

   We were welcomed by a full house of crowd since it was a Saturday afternoon. We quickly made our order and found a seat soon after. The coffee of the day were Cafe Freddo & Salted Caramel Macchiato; while the food of the day were Creamy Tomato and Chicken Spaghetti & Grilled Chicken, Swiss Cheese & Avocado Triple-Decker Sandwich.

Cafe Freddo--RM 12++

Ms Caryn's Cafe Freddo is basically an ice-blended coffee with milk, a very refreshing drink, suitable for the summer days like these. Coffee is very light, just nice for non-coffee drinker.

Salted Caramel Macchiato--RM 12.90++

   My choice of the day is certainly the famous Salted Caramel Macchiato. I chose this drink mainly because it sounded so special and it tasted unique as well. It was smooth and fragrant, with a mild sense of warm salted caramel, but the coffee essence was still strong. It was a beautiful fusion between bitterness, salty and sweet.

Creamy Tomato & Chicken Spaghetti--RM 20.90++

   Ms Caryn's food item of the day. It was a disappointment because it was bland, flat and not memorable. The only thing i appreciated was its chewy pasta.

Grilled Chicken, Swiss Cheese & Avocado Sandwich--RM 17.90++

Enjoyment.

Momentary peace found.

   In conclusion, Kaffa Espresso Bar is not a bad choice for afternoon coffee and meals. Their coffee was great but might need to improve more on their food kitchen department. I love the creativity of the menu here, but more improvement on execution will be marvelous in making this place a comfortable, memorable and food-tastic place. The setting of this cafe is relaxing, artistic and classical in a way. Their service was alright. Pricing is above average, approximately RM 30+ per person. It is indeed a must-go cafe when you are in Penang! Have a great weekend and i'll talk to you guys soon! xoxo

Contact info~
Website: http://www.mykaffa.com/

   Bello my dear earthlings! It's our favourite time of the week again, Saturday, off day, chillax day, whatever you call it. Let's take some time to relax and unwind after a full 5 days of work! Therefore, i'm here to introduce some new cafes i visited in February. They are both awesome cafe that serves great coffee and will be a perfect spot for you to sit back and relax for the weekends. So enjoy yourself as you journey with me!

1. Eight Ounce Coffee, The Gardens Mall.

Freshly baked pastries

Variety of cakes

   I went out with my travel buddies few weeks ago to have a quick catch-up over coffee. I've heard that The Gardens Mall welcomed a new tenant recently, replacing The Espresso Lab. Hence, we went to try it out. It is located opposite T.G.I Friday, right at the intersection between The Gardens Mall and Mid Valley Mall, but lean towards The Gardens. We ordered some coffee and a slice of Mandarin Orange Cheese Cake to share.

Latte--RM 12++

Hot Cappuccino--RM 12++

Mandarin Orange Cheese Cake--RM 14++

Americano on the right--RM 9++

   I recalled that it was during the Chinese New Year period when we visited this cafe. Therefore, the horse-looking coffee art and seasonal Mandarin Orange Cheese Cake. Their coffee was good. Although i'm not sure about the origin of the coffee beans, but i could truly appreciate the mild fragrance and richness of caffeine screaming within the smooth and silky latte. I must also compliment their effort of making me a special latter art. The mandarin orange cheese cake is my favourite of the day. I love the unique ingredients they picked to infuse with a rich creamy cheese cake--mandarin oranges. Unlike the normal orange cheese cake, by using mandarin orange, it gave the cheese cake a slight acidity as well as nectarine after taste. However, i would love the cheese cake to be chilled for a little bit longer because its consistency was too soft. The rest of my friends love their coffee as well, but Mr. Kim complained about the overwhelming bitterness of his Americano.

Mr. Kim-The IT nerd

Ms Xin Lun--the pretty doctor

Hmm, i noticed yours truly gained weight since CNY, time to diet :/

   In a nutshell, Eight Ounce Coffee's dessert was pleasant and coffee was good. However, i do find it a bit overpriced. Each person costs around RM 20 for a cup of coffee and cake for sharing. Its simple setting of tables and chairs just on the corridor does not provide much privacy or comfortable space for chatting or fellowship. The service was not bad. There is still room for improvement, i'm hoping for a better dining experience in the future.

Contact info~
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/8ouncecoffee

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2. Coffea Coffee, Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar





   So next up, i'm gonna talk about Coffea Coffee in Telawi, Bangsar. Coffea Coffee is a Korean-Malaysian collaborators cafe. This is its first and pioneer branch in Malaysia. I was curious about its fast growth around the entire Klang Valley, so i visited this new and rising coffee chain last month to find out more about it.

 Coffea Coffee is multi-award winning establishment,  specialising in Specialty Coffee from seven top producing farms around the globe including Brazil, Guatemala, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sumatra, Colombia, Costa Rica. We are widely known for our own roasting and blending styles, featuring Maestro and Madonna as our superstars. We are one of the official members of Cup Of Excellence™, an esteemed organisation that awards top coffees.  Coffee connoisseurs worldwide with discerning palates who appreciate the complex flavours and aromatics found in a world class coffee, buy and savour these winners. --Coffea Coffee.

Cappuccino--RM 10+

Latte--RM 10+

Salted Caramel Cheese Cake--RM 13+

   Can't believe that my precious holiday is almost over, with most of the time spent of falling sick. I don't know whether is bad luck or what, yours truly have been under the weather for a week, suffering from severe flu. I couldn't go anywhere, couldn't smell or taste a thing, have no appetite and everything just seems so depressing. I really hope i can get better before the new semester starts, i need more energy to survive in this hectic new life!

   Well, today i'll talk about Miam Miam, a newly opened restaurant in One Utama that i visited last week. Miam Miam first opened in Penang, Gurney Paragon and has been well accepted by the locals. It gained its fame quickly via social media, focusing on its Western cuisine, more on their delightful desserts. As a Penangnite, i did not have the opportunity to visit its pioneer branch, so i settled with the second branch, which is located in One Utama's new wing, replacing Petite Millie.



   Please don't be misled by the photos above which i took when the shop was almost closing. Miam Miam here is always packed with people, from lunch to supper. Its interior is simple, space is used optimally to contain more customers. I could hardly get a table when i paid them a visit for dinner. The staffs are all highly energetic, swift in action and friendly in servicing. Thumbs up for that!

   The selection of food for the day was simple. Me and my partner had 2 pasta and 2 desserts. My pick was Miam Miam Spaghetti and their Signature French Toast. On the other hand, my partner had a Squid Ink Pasta with Matcha Souffle.

Miam Miam Spaghetti--RM 26.80++ Pasta with frankfurters, tomatoes, baby spinach and turkey ham, tossed with french butter, their secret broth and shoyu.

    The Miam Miam Spaghetti is kind of unique, my first time trying such combination of ingredients for pasta. It is like a fusion between local and Western. I like the consistency of the spaghetti, elastic but not too soggy. It tasted slightly similar to 'Pan Mee' with baby spinach and half boiled egg and shoyu. Everything blended together perfectly, but it was slightly salty at the bottom when i was about to finish the dish.

Squid Ink Pasta--RM 26.80++ Pasta tossed in Extra Virgin olive oil, ikasumi and squid rings.

    This particular dish scored average only mainly because the one flat taste we got, which is salty. I could taste a little bit of garlic and olive oil but the seafood did not shine in this dish. Again, the pasta got really salty at the end of dining. Other than that, there was no major mistake and it was still pleasant overall.

Matcha (Green Tea) Souffle--RM 16.80++

An additional RM 1.20++ for the vanilla softee to accompany matcha souffle.

   Note that the matcha souffle did not come with the Vanilla Softee. We ordered that because the waitress recommended us to try it, as it will go well with our matcha souffle so we gave it a try. The souffle we got was steaming hot and fresh, with a delightful crust outside and soft inside. It crumbles down quickly after we cracked open its crusty top. I like the matcha flavor within, subtle and not too overwhelming, the vanilla softee works amazingly with the souffle, giving a smooth finishing on your palate.

French Toast--RM 16.80++ with whipped cream and honey

      Judging by the look of this, i guess you would order it immediately right? The presentation is over the top, several pieces of golden toasted bread served on a little pan, topped with a big scoop of whipped cream and drizzled with honey. The toast were crispy on the outside and chewy-tender inside. However, i would prefer if the toast were put in the oven a bit longer to get the absolute crunchiness. I adore how the smooth and light whipped cream complemented the fragrant toast. The honey offered a little bit of sweetness, just nice to bring up the dessert to a whole new level.

   In conclusion, i would say Miam Miam's desserts fared better than their pasta. Presentation topped the flavor. Nevertheless, the service and serving time were both excellent despite of the busy crowd that night. Miam Miam has great potential to succeed in Klang Valley judging from this dining experience and the smartly designed menu. Pricing is considered above average, with RM50 per person. I'll definitely go back for their desserts, if i have more money to spare. I hope you enjoyed this review and i'll see you soon! xoxo

Contact info~
Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/miammiammalaysia