KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

With stylish new cafes popping out by the dozens since late last year, Publika @ Solaris Dutamas is my current (f00d) playground. This time we found ourselves at The Red Beanbag, a modern contemporary Australian-inspired café situated same row as our favourite French Bistro – Nathalie Gourmet Studio.

The Place – This café interior has a striking combination of contemporary lines, clean, warmth and rustic charm. Adding to the cafe’s rustic flair, a number of bean bags imprinted with words like “play”, “passion” and “creative” adorn the walls.

The Menu – Printed on a corrugated cardboard, the menu item is created with quirky names such as The Nutty Professor (tiramisu), Shroom Shroom (mushroom fettucini), Beef Me Up Scotty (grilled beef fillet) and many more. Apart from serving all day breakfast, there’s also main meal such as pasta and burger.

The Food -We stared with the RBB Signature Breakfast (RM 19.90) with poached, fried or scrambled eggs on toasts, sauteed mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, beef/chicken sausages, beef bacon, baked beans and hash brown(RM 19.90). Everything was decent (but not exceptionally good) except for the rubbery and tasteless scrambled eggs. I am secretly hoping for pork bacon too; but The Red Beanbag is a pork free eatery. Savings grace came in the form of Egg Benedict (RM 15.90). The perfectly runny yolk surrounded by nicely cooked egg white is the greatest part of the pleasure of Eggs Benedict. We poked through the yolk and enjoyed the runny hot mess. RBB’s Specialty Baked Eggs (RM 17.90)was pretty good too; with eggs cracked into a baking dish of lamb bratswurst, sundried tomatoes, potatoes and cheese, baked to perfection and served with crusty bread.

The piece de resistance is Classic French Toast (RM 13.90) coated with almonds, served with seasonal fruits and maple syrup (RM 13.90). It was so soft and fluffy! The almond coating gave it a nice, pleasant crunch too. However, RM 13.90 for ONE piece of roti is quite a steep price to pay.

Since there were 7 of us, each of us picked a dish and somehow Shaun is craving for risotto. Don Scallopino (RM 24.90) is seaweed risotto served with seared scallops and seaweed. A generous hand with the scallops but the risotto were on the bland side. My Crustacean Cousin (RM 27.90) on the other hand; was quite good. With tiger prawns and mixed seafood served with freshly pressed pasta, I felt like having lobster bisque with pasta. The lobster/prawn gravy was probably the key to this delicious seafood pasta. We don’t quite like the Shroom Shroom (entree RM19.90/main RM 24.90), creamy mix of mushroom and beef bacon bits on a bed of creamy fettucini. Those mushrooms and beef bacon bits had appeared for the third time (first & second time in our order of signature breakfast & egg benedict) and we find the pasta to be bland tasting.

Like for all caffeine oriented antipodeans, the key to a treasured breakfast haunt is the coffee. No complains! I also love how the barista tried to create coffee art for everyone around our table.

How do we like The Red Beanbag? It was a tough call. We loved the ambiance, the service (which was way beyond excellence), the vibe but the food was somehow disappointing. Don’t get me wrong. Food was actually decent, but it was a case of setting our expectations too high after reading some of the rave reviews.

p/s: will revisit for the Classic French Toast though.

p/s: still think Antipodean Cafe serves best breakfast

THE RED BEANBAG
Lot A4-1-8, Solaris Dutamas
(opposite Publika’s open space/Ben’s)
Jalan Dutamas 1,
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603-6211 5116
Tue – Fri: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Sat – Sun: 9:30 am - 6:00 pm
Pre-booked dinners for functions available.
http://www.facebook.com/theredbeanbag

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Merry Christmas to our dear readers! The festive season has left us a pound or two overweight, so an organic post Christmas brunch is just what we needed the most. Even our good friends felt the need to cleanse after the inevitable Christmas excesses too, hence we agreed to meet up at Haven.

Haven is not just a cafe, it is a green space with wholesome food, healthy juices, good coffee, organic fresh produce and even skin/body care:

cafe by Haven Cafe

coffee by RAW Coffee

groceries by Little Green Planet

fresh bread & juice bar

beauty & skincare products by Bodybar

spa treatments by Organique Therapies

mom & baby products by Tiny Tapir

Housed in a standalone building, the casual and family-friendly restaurant features its own private lot with ample parking. It has an outdoor patio outfitted with seating too.

The spacious interior is bright and airy thanks to the impressive front bay glass door looking out onto the garden.

Apart from being a nice, calm place for brunch; Little Green Planet groceries is also available here.

free water

RAW coffee runs a kiosk here, serving fresh roasted coffee using a Kees van der Westen lever espresso machine. The beans were roasted in house too, to ensure the best of quality.

Flat White & Mocha (RM 10 each)

RM10 is a steep price to pay for a cuppa, but not for a cup of small but strong flat white topped with very creamy, well-frothed milk.

Garlic Bread (RM 6); the smell is great and it’s an ideal tummy filler.

French Toast (RM 12); classic french toast made with free range eggs, served with organic jam and raw rainforest honey. Warm, fluffy and absolutely satisfying!

Fluffy Pancakes (RM 12); stack of traditional pancakes served with butter, organic jam and raw rainforest honey. Straight off the griddle and served fluffy and hot with raw rainforest honey, these pancakes were the crowd’s favourite.

Grilled Free Range Chicken (RM 18); warm free-range grilled chicken, organic greens, tangy orange dressing.

Mushroom & Onions (RM14); white button mushrooms, sauteed onions, organic greens.  These fresh, no-frills sandwiches were perfectly toasted on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. My other gripe is the lack of sandwich filling; we were expecting a generous and fuller version for the price which we are paying for.

Have it Your Way (RM18, choose 3 items). We chose fresh mushroom, poached free range eggs  and turkey ham to go with our bread. Our selection was nothing to shout about and and the portion was a tad too small. Smaller portion = Healthier lifestyle?

Chicken & Mushroom Pot Pie (RM 18); kampung chicken, mushrooms, mixd root vegetables, cream sauce, puff pastry. The pot pie reminded us of Dome’s signature Gourmet Chicken Pie. Both version was equally creamy and satisfying.

Gift Exchange Time

Let’s have a look at some happy, jolly festive pictures!

The many faces of KampungBoy

All in all, Haven Cafe serves good coffee, decent food but with pricing a bit on the high side (I suppose organic food is generally more expensive than intensively-farmed food?) The quiet and calm atmosphere makes it a very nice place to chill out and have a light snack too.

Haven Cafe
12, Jalan Ampang Hilir, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-4252-3100
Opens daily from 930am to 9pm.
http://havenkl.com/

Dreams come true they do
Dreams come true
From all of us to all of you they do

Don’t you know that dreams come true
Love is just a second away
(Better take a look inside)
Make that magic rule, let the miracle stay
(You gotta take a look inside)

Dreams Come True, Westlife

The dream of running a small cafe has nothing to do with the excitement of entrepreneurship or the joys of being one’s own boss—it’s all about one’s passion and enthusiasm. Such is a case of Dreamz Bakery. It is a love story about a pastry chef (the boy) and a designer (the girl). They both shared the same dream – opening their own cafe. That dream came to fruition when the boy had decided to return home from Singapore where he received training and the girl graduated from a design school.

Dreamz Bakery is small but warm. Customers can choose to sit on a bar top table on the right with high stools or a floor seating area on the left. The affable staffs and owner always smile brightly and the cafe design is kitschy without being cliche. The interior is quite simple; there are no fancy lampshades, mass-manufactured furniture or expensive paintings, but they focused on delivering personal touches. I love the wall adored with portraits of the café’s regular, the pink polka dot table cloth and the quirky guest book which allows us to sit in one corner scribbling and drawing.

Apart from specialising in artisan cakes and desserts, wedding cakes and occasion cakes (birthday, anniversary), there are also cookies for sale. We tried quite a variety of those cookies, and boy they tasted good! My favourite was the kitty almond cookies and chocolate chip nut cookies. I got my Latte (RM 7.50) while Ivy got her Cappuccino (RM 6.90). I thought my coffee was nothing to shout about. The yam cake (RM 9) was moist and dense, but surprisingly leave a light feeling in my mouth, and just sweet enough. Chocolate Mille Crepe (RM 9) was a tad too “flourly” and thick to my liking.

All in all, Dreamz Café is open for anyone seeking great company to come together and enjoy a leisurely afternoon. Here are some photos of this cozy cafe design:

Dreamz Bakery (3rd floor)
No 32-1, The Strand Jalan, PJU5/20D
Pusat Perdagangan Kota Damansara
47810 Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 012-2003441
Monday :10.30am-7pm
Tuesday : CLOSE
Wednesday to Sunday :10.30am-9pm

Do check out Dreamz Bakery facebook page for more info!

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Set among the tranquil greenery of Eastern Nursery in Sri Hartamas, Coffee in Love is a place to sit back and relax whilst enjoying a delicious cup of Columbian coffee with home made cupcakes. The café is a mixture of retro, nostalgia, and quirkiness. I love the charming table settings and the travel collectibles and toys which the owners have collected over the years. I read about the start up story from their website:

How it all happened?

Well, every trip to Hartamas in KL, we would pass this secluded hidden corner tugged right after under the bridge and everytime we wonder what it is and how it’s like if we did a make-over ! …calling to us to come right in and browse.

And so we did !

In Autumn 2010, we finally stopped by. …. and many visits after that.

And finally here we are. A cosy little hidden cafe is being born.

I’m glad their curiosity got the better of them! Hence, the birth of such an artsy cafe. The coffee was decent; not to strong and not too light and we really like the distinctive flavours of these cupcakes - Lemon Poppyseed, Dark Chocolate with Salted Caramel, Peanut Butter and a Guinness (RM4.50 each).There is also free WIFI so feel free to have a seat with your laptop or pick up a book and relax over a cuppa. You couldn’t find a nicer more relaxing atmosphere in the heart of the city. My only gripe about sitting outdoor is the humidity of our tropical climate and the lack of cooling fans.

COFFEE IN LOVE @ EASTERN NURSERY

Off Jalan Sri Hartamas 1,
Kuala Lumpur.
Business hours : 2pm – 7pm (Tues-Fri), 12pm – 7pm (Sat-Sun)
Closed on Mondays.
Tel No : Helen : 012 3139831, Alison : 019 3828074
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/CoffeeInLoveCafe

Directions :
In Desa Hartamas. With Plaza Damas on your left, go down the road, after about 150m, you will come to an underpass. After the underpass, on the left is the plant nursery, Eastern Nursery. Go right in. Cafe is called “COFFEE IN LOVE”
(From their Website)

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Few weeks back, I braved the rain to attend a food review session at Racks, a newbie in Changkat BB which specialises in porcine goodies. Racks is owned by Paul Corrigan, Shu Min Lim and Paul James, who also run The Magnificent Fish ‘n Chips and Havana Bar along the same road on Changkat Bukit Bintang. The place boasts a casual interior and a laid-back vibe. Look up and you can see witty quotes adorning the brick wall.

The sleek and functional bar, where all the action is, with flair bartenders, flaming cocktails and a killer menu.

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Benjaming Yong has done it again, Ben’s General Food Store being his latest venture replicating the success of For Goodness Sake, Ben’s, Canoodling, Plan B & T Forty Two.

Occupying almost one third of the menu, Ben’s General Food Store specializes in both sweet and savoury wood-fire pizzas. The simple one page menu also features salads, hot deli item and some dessert selection.

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