Matsuda Japanese Restaurant

For Evon's birthday, I took her to enjoy her favourite Japanese cuisine at a place we normally do not visit - Kota Kemuning. Initially, I was thinking of taking her to Nihon Kai but ended up choosing Matsuda instead. Well, have to try new places, right?

I think you could tell what we ordered just by looking at the photos. We left the place feeling very satisfied with the service, the portion, the freshness of the seafood including the sashimi, and the flavours. 

Texture of the unagi was to my liking, the used quality ingredients in their miso and did not skimp on the size of sashimi cuttings.

I wouldn't mind visiting again, just to try more things on their menu. I also liked how they priced their food. And the best part would be, plenty of parking.

Matsuda Japanese Restaurant
35-1, 8 Jalan Anggerik Vanilla BE31/BE, Kota Kemuning, 40460 Selangor, Malaysia
Tel: +60 3 5131 6028

Weekdays Noon to 3:00pm, 6:00pm to 10:30pm Weekends Noon to 10:30pm

Madame Waffle @ IOI City Mall

One fine arvo, Alicia and I had a waffle craving and decided to satisfy it by driving over to IOI City Mall for a quick bite. We swiftly paced ourselves to the top level where Madame Waffle is located. We wondered what franchise waffles would taste like.

I liked the design of their store. I thought it was smart to use  cubes to represent waffle. One look and it would make people think, oh, yea, them.

As we wanted to quick bite, we chose simple things off their menu. As they sell themselves as the first artisan Belgian waffle-makers using Japanese ingredients in Malaysia, we of course, had to order a Japanese-ish waffle, right?

And so, we ordered a Matcha Waffle, which I paired with a hot cup of Japanese Matcha Latte. Ah, I have to say, I was surprisingly impressed. Freshly-baked, indeed and the latte, not shortchanged in flavour at all.

We thought it would be good to try a plain waffle. We then chose our own toppings to go with it and the below is the end result of our selection, pretty right?

Wouldn't mind going again to try their other waffles. Am quite attracted to the cinnamon one. Alicia, we go again, ya?

Madame Waffle @ IOI City Mall

S-K3 Level F2, IOI City Mall, Lebuh IRC, IOI Resort City, 62502 Putrajaya, Malaysia.

Daily 10:00am to 10:00pm

Let It Rain Cafe 下雨吧

There was a period of time when I was following people who were good with their hands - calligraphy, painting, sketching, printing, binding. One of these accounts belonged to the owner of this cafe and what really caught my attention was the name of the cafe. How unique is "Let It Rain"? Or in Mandarin, 下雨吧, which literally means just rain. Like, aiya, just rain la... how apt for the scorching hot weather in KL at the moment.

Visiting them on a weekday during lunch time is one of the most testing experiences because it is so darn difficult to find a legal parking spot close to the cafe. I say legal because Cyberjaya is not one of those places where you could double park or park on a yellow line or an unmarked spot without getting a fine. They carry out their duties responsibly, the officers from the Sepang Municipal Council. Most of my visits here had me walking from quite a distance.

The set up of the cafe is pretty simple and being creative people, there was evident use of recycled and inexpensive material. More importantly, they welcome visitors warmly.

There were also items from the past, to add a nostalgic feel to some corners.

In addition to food and drinks, there were also other things on sale. Upon closer inspection, I realised that there were mostly in support of local start-ups, local artistes and other local DIY people like the owner. Super like!

Their menu is constantly being modified and they try their hardest to offer home-cooked meals that are affordable, balanced and healthy. You can expect unique names to their food, too, like Porky Moonlight Hor Fun, Mama Mee Ah..., Crazy Office Porky Sandwich and Honey Bee Coffee.

One of my visits with Kelly saw her ordering a cold drink called Lemon Chrysanthemum. I thought it was an interesting drink because it was my first introduction to this combination. I mean, chrysanthemum ice cubes added to lemon juice, I would never have been able to come up with this refreshing mix.

They also serve hand-drip coffee here, with a limited selection of beans. Their friendly staff would explain when asked.

Food-wise, let's just say that I am so happy that they only use brown rice here. I have tried their Ojisan Porky Don, which I thought would have been more enjoyable if there was a little more moisture to it. Still, it was flavoursome.

Their Rice Wine Ginger Porky Rice really tasted like something I would have at home. It was thoughtful of them to separated the pork to the rice, as some people prefer not to have the sauce mixed in with the rice.

I feel that it is a plus point that they also practice the lunar calendar vegetarian observance (1st and 15th days of the lunar calendar). On occasions, they hold flea markets, exchange bazaars and also autograph/media sessions.

Let It Rain Cafe 下雨吧

5 Block E, Jalan GC4, Glomac Cyberjaya, 63200 Cyberjaya, Malaysia.

Tel: +60 3 8322 5466; E-mail: letitraincafe@gmail.com

Weekdays 11:00am to 8:00pm

Saturday Noon to 6:00pm

Cash transactions only

Le Pont Boulangerie

I found out about Le Pont Boulangerie through David, their in-house coffee expert, whom I recently got to know through his smaller venture across the road. Coincidentally, it was their official opening the day I visited his smaller venture with Ray. Too many people and too many cars deterred me from visiting Le Pont to congratulate them.

Fast forward a few months, I figured that there would not be a crowd if I visited after work hours and so, I went with Evon and Suky for some birthday dessert. We did not order much, as they were not game to try any coffee for fear of not being able to sleep. I tried their Rose Latte just for the heck of wanting my drink to have some pretty colour. No complaints about the coffee here.

To share, we ordered their Le Pont Waffles, which was craftily presented on a thick chopping block. Piping hot, the waffles were quite enjoyable with a crispy exterior and soft interior. It came with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, some chocolate sauce, some whipped cream and some mixed berries marmalade, which we mistook for chilli sauce (LOL).

The girls bought some bread to take home. I would have to visit them again to try their main menu. But sigh, the parking issue there... oh well...

Le Pont Boulangerie
6 Jalan 1/137C, Batu 5, Jalan Kelang Lama, 58000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +60 3 7783 0900
Sunday to Thursday 8:00am to midnight
Friday & Saturday 8:00am to 2:00am

Le Moon's Eatery.Bakery.Zakka

The reason I started looking up this cafe was because of - don't laugh - an advertisement I saw. It was an advert by local duo Thomas and Jack 东于哲 and the peppermint door frame caught my attention. I thought, hm, that cafe looks nice and started Googling for the place. I don't recall if it was someone's blog or Insta photo that pointed me in the direction of Le Moon's in Jade Hills.

My visit here was to catch up with my childhood friend, my taikarche who watched over me throughout primary and high school, Ling Che. It matters when friends go to wherever to meet you for truly, it's the thought that counts.

We are both coffee people and thought that there is no way that we are to visit an Italian makan place without trying their coffee. Thankfully, the coffee was not too bad, my cup of cappuccino.

We ordered a serve of pasta and a serve of pizza to share. All freshly made on site by a kitchen led by a South African chef. We were happy with both dishes, really, but more the pizza than pasta because of the freshness of the pastry.

After having our mains, we headed upstairs to the smoking area to enjoy dessert.

We both really loved their Chocolate Marquee. We could not get over the combination of dark chocolate ice-cream with raspberry sorbet.

Environment was comfortable and staff were attentive although a little timid. Wonder if business on the weekends are good for them because it was pretty quiet when we were there. Well, it was a week night, though.

Le Moon's Eatery.Bakery.Zakka

18-G Persiaran Jade Hill Utama 1/1, Commerce Village, Jade Hills, 43000 Kajang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.

Tel: +60 3 8741 2697; E-mail: bnd@lemoonsb.com

Tuesday to Thursday 8:00am to 9:30pm

Friday to Sunday 8:00am to 10:30pm

ICONS Music

This post is different from my other posts, is it not? Normally, I would talk about food, my travels, events I attended and aspects of working with Mum. This post is a super delayed favour I promised to fulfil for an ex-classmate of mine, the very sweet Tommy, a friend I have had for 19 years to date.

Although we were in the same class for only 2 years, our classes were next to each other for another 2  years, which meant that we saw each other heaps regardless. The whole group of us, in fact - all still pretty close-knit till today.

We have seen each other go through life using different pathways, the ups and downs of each journey, the many crossroads taken to arrive at where we are at today. For Tommy, he did a few other things before actualising this music studio with his brothers, Michael and Daryl. If I remember correctly, he dabbled in property and also in pharmaceuticals prior to becoming his own boss.

His music studio is called ICONS Music and is located along one of the busy Puchong stretches of the LDP highway. Conveniently, there is a big food court, the Puchong branch of Asia Cafe, should one need fuel for the body and parking (there is basement parking under the food court).

Tommy is constantly on the go, either delivering instruments to clients, coordinating events or stocking up his warehouse. He hardly gets time to rest but he ensures that he gets quality time with family and close friends. He is one of the few I proudly share quality catch up time with and also the few I can hold a conversation in Hakka with.

He carries quite a few instruments of different labels at his studio. There are drum sets, guitars, basses, ukuleles, amplifiers and other accessories. Some of the brands available include Epiphone, Gibson, L. Luthier, Pearl, Tama, Peavey, Marshall, MXR, Boss, DigiTech and Behringer.

In addition to selling and supplying instruments, he also provides guitar repairing services at his studio.

And like any other music studio in Malaysia, they provide music lessons for both adult and children. There are rooms for guitar, drum, ukulele and piano lessons.

However, to me, what makes his studio stand out is the availability of recording and jamming studios. There are two of these studios and I have heard him sharing stories of how some college bands record demo tracks till the wee hours of the morning sometimes. They charge by the hour and from what I remember, the prices are reasonable. Best to contact them for the most updated pricing.

Oh, and they are situated on the top level of a three-storey shoplot, so be prepared for a climb. ;)

ICONS Music

30-2 Jalan OP 1/3, Pusat Perdagangan One Puchong, Off Jalan Puchong, 47160 Puchong, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Tel: +60 3 8071 5433; E-mail: enquiry.iconsmusic@gmail.com

Daily Noon to 11:00pm (except public holidays)

Banh Mi Cafe

What is a banh mi? Banh mi refers to bread and in this case, baguette. And so simply put, this cafe is a Vietnamese baguette cafe serving well, er, traditional Vietnamese baguette in a variety of choices.

I am unsure if it is because I have had different kinds of banh mi when in Sydney that made me feel a tiny bit disappointed when I saw the banh mi here. The banh mi in Sydney were all stuffed to the brim, like extremely packed to the verge of bursting. Here, it was not so. But I have only visited once, so my observation would be a little unjust.

You cannot visit a Vietnamese place without having Vietnamese Drip Coffee. Here, it is served the traditional way. Not bad in taste, too.

I tried a Da Me Asam Boi or Tamarind Drink, which I thought looked interesting. I would not say that I entirely liked it, though. It took some getting used to.

 

Banh Mi Cafe

1 Jalan Puteri 7/10, Bandar Puteri Puchong, 47100 Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.

Tel: +60 3 8060 0127

Daily 10:30am to 10:00pm

Bakeology Cafe

Although it is quite a far trek for me to get to Taman SEA from home, I try to visit. Not that I am biased but because I know them personally, I know their history of making good quality hearty food at home. If the food they make at home is good, how can the food they sell not be?

I have known this family from young, say for about 20 odd, almost 30 years I have known them. When I heard that they opened a cafe, I made it a point to find out where they were and paid them a visit. They were not hard to locate and it helped with yellow and black as their signature colours.

While Caryn (the youngest and who is so grown-up and pretty now), more or less takes charge of the front, Cheryl is in charge of the back, where the main action is. Not too bad for a new place, their mocha.

Cheryl dabbled in a few things before settling down to start a family and completed a pastry course. During my younger years, Dad would share stories from the office relating to how she was helping Aunty Millie in the kitchen and how Uncle Bernard would complain about buying expensive ingredients. Complaints aside, we could tell that he was proud. And which explains why they also offer freshly-baked pastries and cakes - Cheryl has been practicing her craft from young.

I have visited them twice and so have not tried too many things on their menu. One thing I had to was the French toast because, well, I am a sucker for French toast. Do not be deceived by this little loaf of French toast. It is packed full of flavour. Some may enjoy it, some may not, depending on whether you like or dislike egg, banana, or caramel sauce.

I devoured my slice of Blueberry Zuchie in almost its entirety before I remembered to take a photo of it. Sorry, I ended with a very unflattering photo of my slice of Blueberry Zuchie. Ah, yes, it was good, the combination of blueberry and zucchini. Refreshing and healthly. Just its name sounds healthly already. I mean, how can blueberry and zucchini not sound healthy? However, my friend and I did think that it was a tad too hard in texture and suggested to adjust the temperature of their cake chiller. But that was just us, perhaps other customers like that texture.

They now also do fresh-pressed juices and are occasionally closed to run their stalls at markets. Like them on Facebook and follow their Instagram to keep yourselves updated. I wonder what new cakes would be available when I return to KL next. Hm... ;)

Bakeology Cafe
49 Jalan SS23/15, Taman Sea, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
Tel: +60 3 7886 4149, Mob: + 60 12-575 7844; E-mail: bakeologycafe@gmail.com
Monday to Saturday 8:00am to 6:00pm
Cash transactions only
Wifi connection available

Bookmark Coffee

Seems that many cafes are opting to operate from the first floor instead of the ground floor now. Cost issues and I suppose, security issues, as well?

I first got to know about this cafe through my FB timeline - yes, I learn so many things through social media, which is both good and bad, me thinks. Anyways, it was with the bestie couple that I visited for dessert after dinner. You know, one of those random moments when you miss your bestie and needed a cuppa to end the day.

Their set-up was pretty simple and straightforward. Nothing fancy, no bright colours. Just you, the sound of the coffee machine and soft chattering, and the food.

Crazy Crispy Cornflake Toast with Strawberries and Ice-cream sounded like a good choice for a fattening happy meal and so we shared that. It arrived piping hot and definitely very crispy. The somewhat sharp edges of the cornflake batter made it a little harder to chew the already hot toast pieces, though.

Instead of my usual mocha, I opted for green tea latte and when they said that we could request a latte art of our choice, I requested for a Totoro. Ah, so kawaii!!!

For more impressive latte art, do pay them a visit. And for fans of the latest Korean drama, Descendants of the Sun, here is a latte art of Captain Yoo Si Jin drawn by their barista:

Bookmark Coffee
12-1 Jalan Menara Gading 1, Taman Connaught, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: +60 16-513 1305; E-mail: kennichi07@gmail.com
Thursday to Tuesday Noon to 11:00pm

Les Deux Garçons

I first heard of them from the bff's wife. There is no dessert place that could escape that all-encompassing radar built into the dessert-lover in her. The outlet she visited was in Bangsar but the one I visited with Evon was the one in Taman Desa.

What else would you order from a French dessert place? Cakes and all that, of course!

Before I proceed, let me get this out - I was impressed with the set-up, the selection of sweets and even the quality ingredients they used. All of what we ordered were divine and we would be back to try other selections.

Try visiting them on weekends to ensure ample parking spaces. They now have a full menu for dine-in meals but they do not have seating arrangements for big groups, so would be helpful to ring them ahead for a booking or something.



Les Deux Garçons
16 Jalan 2/109E, Desa Business Park, Taman Desa, 58100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel: +60 3 7980 0200
Daily 8:00am to 5:30pm