Marmalade Cafe @ Bangsar Village 2

Whenever it was past 12pm on weekends, I would normally tell Jenn that I don't wanna drive to the shopping malls anymore. The reason was simple - I don't want to spend 30-45 minutes looking for a parking spot. Those who had faced similar predicament should know how it feel to drive around just to find a empty parking lot. And if you see one, some other cars would probably be waiting for it too. The next thing you know, the excitement is gone and you are left frustrated thinking to yourself "why is it so hard to find a decent parking in this freaking place?"

The alternatives are of course the neighbourhood malls such as Bangsar Village and now also Bangsar Village 2. What not to love about this place? Within 15min drive from my house, parking relatively easy to find, and variety of restaurants to choose from. One Saturday while we were at Bangsar Village 2, we decided to check out Marmalade Cafe which I'd read from Bangsar Babe (http://bangsar-babe.blogspot.com). Since it was almost time for Sher Ryn's afternoon nap, the lunch would be a quick one.

I had the Avocado accents @ RM17 - roasted chicken cubes, peppers, avocado, apples, raisins, cashew nuts & sundried tomatoes over a bed of lettuce with zesty mustard dressing. I just love the colourful salad with so many ingredients that I love to eat. And yes, healthier too!

Smoked salmon quiche @ RM17 - Jenn's choice of this particular quiche proved to be a hit. A baked dish with a delicious combination of eggs, cream, cheese, smoked salmon, onion and leek :)

My choice of drink - Ginger Beer (ahhhhhh) while Jenn had the Cappucino. I don't have to say the bottle of milk is for whom right??? Ever noticed the small leg?

Leo's verdict - I'll be back for more :) period!

Delicious @ Bangsar Village 2

The first time I got to know about Delicious was when I visited the spanking new BV2 at the time when most shops had not opened for business yet. My first impression was good about the place... as everyone inside seemed having great time eating the food and chatting happily. I didn't go in at that time as I was in a hurry. And the first time I went to Delicious outlet was at their Mid Valley (opposite Starbucks) branch.. their breakfast had left such a good impression that both Jenn & I went back for lunch whenever possible, not only at their MV but also 1Utama and Dua Annexe outlets.

My chance to dine at their BV2 outlet came when Pat wanted to meet up somewhere in Bangsar, just to catch up on each other's lives. I jumped on the opportunity and suggested Delicious, as I had not gone to Delicious for a long time... hmmm, if not mistaken ever since the arrival of Sher Ryn. It was already packed by the time we reached there around lunch time.

The waiting lounge for those who have to wait for tables...

We started off with French onion soup with melting cheese crostini

Chicken avocado sandwich with pesto on toasted country white - we would prefer it if the size of the chicken meat was smaller instead of the big chunks. Thank God that the Avocado was fresh!

Mushroom mascarpone spaghettini with lemon zest, walnuts and coriander - this dish was basically tasteless even though with its creamy texture. It looked delicious enough when it was served though... I guess don't judge a book by its cover.

Duck confit spaghettini with sun-dried tomato & coriander - Jenn hit the jackpot with this dish. The duck meat was very flavourful and succulent without being too salty.

Carbonara spaghettini with wild mushroom, beef bacon, oregano and cream - I didn't taste this due to the presence of beef but according to Pat, this dish was done just right without being overly creamy.

Leo's verdict - I can't wait to go there again... the last time I read FBB's blog, he wrote that Delicious was going to whip out a few new items in their menu soon! And they looked absolutely DELICIOUS :)

Restoran Sun Huat Kee @ Lucky Garden, Bangsar

I used to come to Lucky Garden in Bangsar often in the past few years. Jenn used to stay nearby when she was still a student so she always have breakfast here. As for me, it was when we bought ourselves a lovely home in BU that she introduced me to this area. Why??? Because we have to pass by Bangsar on the way to her workplace in Mid Valley. Lucky Garden is the best bet to eat breakfast as not many options can be found in Telawi area.

One beautiful morning, both of us had something to do in Bangsar area. Initially we wanted to go to Rice Cafe but it was still closed (it was about 8.30am at that time), so we came to this place instead. During my many visits to these restaurants along this stretch in Lucky Garden, there was not many eateries worth mentioning. Not that the food was bad or anything, it is just decent.

The interior of the restaurant is very simple with many stalls plying their trade here.

Jenn had the pork ball noodle or sam kan zhong in Cantonese... dry version. Taste-wise was OK but it only came with one thin slice of roasted sausage and the pork ball that came separately in another bowl of clear soup was not "Q" or bouncy enough. Even the minced meat was pale (not fragrant enough) in comparison with my favourite in Win Heng Seng. When it comes to this particular dish, I can be very picky as I always compare to my all-time favourite in Jalan Imbi.

My order of yee mee with fish balls was mediocre. The fish balls lacked the bouncy texture that I love while the yee mee was over-cooked, resulting in soft and mushy texture.

Apparently, the famous Soo Kee (Jalan Imbi) has opened a branch here in Sun Huat Kee. Available only for lunch till late night, I read that it cost approx. RM30 onwards per pax. Quite steep if you ask me :) The one I had in Jalan Imbi last time cost almost RM20 only! I guess it's the price to pay for dining in Bangsar??? Better stick to Pan Heong I reckon!

Leo's verdict - parking is relatively easy to find in the morning if you plan to eat breakfast here. If you are not picky with the food and wish to have quick and decent breakfast, then you can check out a few restaurants here. Just don't expect too much OK?

The Diner on Maarof

After reading numerous posting on Shivz, particularly from Joe's... I knew that someday, someday I would be coming here for dinner. But it was like 6 months ago when I read those postings... lol!! Better late than nothing :) Anyway, with the baby along I knew that we couldn't go out too long... so we packed our stuff and drove to Bangsar immediately after Sher Ryn's feeding. Lucky for us that we found a parking spot right in front of the restaurant itself, saving me the hassle to walk all the way (you know how difficult it is to find parking in Bangsar Baru).

Actually I was expecting a lot of diners as it was already dinner time. According to Joe, the restaurant's concept is to provide value for money food and ambience.. but the whole place was almost empty. On the outside... Have I gone to the wrong place??? I walked outside again just to make sure... next to Maybank (check!), Shivz Diner at Maarof (check!), on Jalan Maarof (check!!)

And inside... actually there was only another table of family having dinner. Oh well! At least the setting looked comfortable. We chose a table at the corner end so that we could place the stroller (can you spot my wife and the stroller??)

The interior was quite dim, providing a relaxed environment but then I spotted the club-like bar which was very bright. For once I thought that the whole place would turn into a clubbing scene after certain hour.. lol!!! Oh yes, Bollywood songs were also playing non-stop too... to my dismay and it was quite loud too.

We started our dinner with soup and appetisers. The bruchetta platter (RM8) came first... where the toasted baguettes were topped with mushroom, capsicum, tomato basil and eggplant. While I thought that the ingredients were fresh, the breads were quite hard to chew & rather cold. By the way, I think that they were out of eggplant, as there were two baguettes with mushroom :)

Wild mushroom soup (RM8) - the soup was hot, rich, not overly creamy and prepared with fresh mushroom... just the way I like my soup to be! The complimentary garlic bread was fresh and crispy too. Still I prefer the version with heaps of mushroom chunks in it.

Lemongrass dory (RM15) - it wasn't a hard decision to make as I am a huge fan of lemongrass. I pointed to the dish straight away to the waiter upon sighting the word "lemongrass"... LOL!!! This dish is a pan fried dory marinated in lemongrass mousse and served with cilantro sauce. I hardly tasted the lemongrass flavour due to the strong taste of cilantro sauce. However the meat was firm and flaky. And I love how they actually placed ginger shreds on top of the sauteed potatoes, which were then placed under the dory fish. Accompanied with fresh vegetables, I enjoyed each and every bite. Thumbs up!

Rack of lamb (RM32) - grilled rack of lamb with fresh rosemary sauce and comes with baked potatoes and sauteed vegetables. The rosemary sauce was a killer!! But then the lamb was slightly under-cooked. She promptly informed the waiter at the end of the dinner in which he apologised and promised to improve the quality in the future.

A glass of Shiraz Cabernet for her and a glass of Tiger beer for me. They only have one selection of wine so we had no choice. The wine was quite sour-ish too! My beer??? Ahhhhhh.....

Leo's verdict - the total bill came in at RM91!!! There were no service and government tax charged. Reasonable price for the dishes and service was not bad too... but at that time we were served by a waiter with heavy Indian accent so we had to listen carefully on what he was trying to say. Apart from that... this place is definitely worth a visit! I've set my sight on some other dishes in the menu (now if I could only find the time)

The place : Shivz Restaurant

Tasting Room @ Jalan Bangkung, Bangsar

What would you do if you have the opportunity to be free for a day or two???

Yeah I know... too short for holiday or vacation elsewhere. But a weekend getaway won't hurt :) that's what Jenn & I did when her mother agreed to look after Sher Ryn for the weekend. Both of us had not gone out for a romantic dinner ever since Sher Ryn came into our lives. The feisty little princess really had us restless most of the times.

Off to KL we went... wanted to go somewhere quiet and romantic for dinner, we opted for Tasting Room in Bangsar. Located above Wine Cellar, this place was indeed very quiet and perfect for both of us to chat the night away :)

Once we were seated and orders were taken, this was given to us... I like the crispy-ness of the nachos-like crepe, and the tangy-ness of the sauce. Both of us were so darn hungry that night and so the plate was literally licked clean in seconds!!

Creamy seafood chowder with seafood and diced vegetables @ RM15 - two hot from the oven toasts were given to dip into the soup. Both of us loved the creamy and cheesy soup with lots of seafood bits inside. Breads were fresh too!

For main order, Jenn had the Pan Seared New Zealand Lamb Tenderloin @ RM48 - served with shimiji mushroom , rosemary sauce and sauteed creamy potato gnocchi with herbs and spices. For someone who doesn't eat lamb (me!), I tried to have a bite and found it to be tender when it was done medium-well. Still... it had the smell of lamb which I didn't like. But then, I finished almost half of the potato gnocchi... simply a delight!

I had the Smoked Duck @ Chicken Thigh @ RM38 - baked in oven with onion compote and roasted vegetable. I really love the tenderness of the smoked duck meat. I'd not tasted anything better than this compared to our Chinese style roasted duck. The chicken was good as well but I prefer the duck.

As for dessert, we settled for Chocolate Cosmos @ RM19 - another hit with both of us. It was not overly sweet with ice cream on top... and chocolate + strawberry sauce to complement it.

Our romantic outing is definitely not complete without a bottle of red wine. We had this... Treehouse Pinot Noir 2006. Jenn always like wine which is fruity and not too strong. Costing us RM82, it was a perfect ending to our dinner... maybe both of us had not tasted wine for a long time as we were quite tipsy at the end of the night.

Leo's verdict - to keep it simple, we love this place and will be back!!!