103 Coffee

My first taste of the coffee from this famous establishment was immediately after I returned from Sydney in 2017. I ordered my then favourite drink, a mocha. Disappointed was an understatement. I was extremely disappointed. Due to the hype, I expected it to be at par with what I was used to in Sydney. Very wrong.

Fast forward to now, 6 years later, I was encouraged by a high school classmate and the bff to give them another chance. Does help that we know one of the two latte art world champions here, as she used to be the bff's barista when she was operating her cafe.

 

They have expanded from just using the ground floor to also using the first floor. More room upstairs and another coffee bar, which means shorter waiting time. For those who are susceptible to cold like me, I would advice to opt to be seated downstairs or to prepare a cardigan or jacket of some sort because it is freezing upstairs.

There are way more seats upstairs compared to downstairs, too. It stretches right up to the back of the shop, where you could even look out to the back lane.

I suppose with the refurbishment of the shop comes renewal in the menu offerings, too.

It is hard to browse the menu and not order their Parmesan Truffle Fries (RM26.90). The aromatic smell of freshly fried rosemary salt steak fries topped with grated parmesan cheese, drizzles of truffle oil, sprinkles of truffle salt and a dollop of truffle mayo could be whiffed from afar.

I was really intrigued by the Unagi Pizza (RM29.90) - because I love eating unagi - but was hesitant to order every time. I did not think I could finish the whole pizza on my own. Thanks to one of my high school classmates who assured me that it is a portion for one, I ordered it and oh yes, I finished it alright. Described as a crispy tortilla pizza, it had a thin base and was generously topped with button mushrooms, mozarella and cheddar cheese, unagi bits, Japanese seaweed, citrus teriyaki sauce, fresh parsley and chervil.

The Shiitake Risotto (RM29.90) is a chef's special and it is easy to see why. It is a good serving of Japanese short grain sake risotto with shiitake and portobello mushrooms topped with shaved parmesan cheese, and infused with truffle salsa and oil.

Judging from how the Samurai Don (RM25.90) is ordered each time I visit with different groups of people, I am guessing that this is one of their more popular dishes. Perhaps everyone is familiar with the flavours of this dish - teriyaki sauce, pan-seared chicken chop, onsen egg, pickled cucumber, fresh chives and Japanese seaweed. Simple, familiar, satisfying.

Two dishes that I found had refreshing flavours are the Spicy Tuna Tartar Don (RM32.90) and the Salmon Ikura Don (RM32.90). The Salmon Ikura Don is simple a bowl of rice served with with salmon flakes with wasabi mayo, fresh avocado, ikura and tamago slices.

The Spicy Tuna Tartar Don, as its name suggests, is rice with tuna. Specifically, it is a bowl of rice served with spicy tuna tartare with mayo, fresh avocado, ikura and tamago slices.

There is a variety of cakes to select from the cake display and prices vary accordingly. Those that are alcoholic would be pricier.

As the place is home to latte art world champions, it would more or less be a training ground for the coming generations of latte art enthusiasts. Although the taste of the coffee is so-so for me, the art never fail to impress.

They have expanded their coffee menu to include a selection of creative coffee. More than one person I visited with gave the thumbs up for the Strawberry Latte (RM18.90), an experimental milk-based coffee they curated for the 2016 Barista Competition. It was simply strawberry ice balls that you pour fresh milk and espresso over.

For a pretty looking drink, the Beach Runner is not bad choice. It is a coconutty symphony of cold brew, coconut, pineapple and lychee. It even has coconut shavings on the outside of the glass.

Cola No Cola (RM18.90) is a refreshing cold brew of calamansi, lemongrass, cinammon and tonic water. It even sounds healthy.

For non-coffee drinkers, there is a selection of soda pop (RM16.90) to choose from.

Passionfruit mint

Glad that I gave them another chance. Now, they have branched out to outlets in Chow Kit and Bangsar. However, I still reckon that their food trumps their drinks despite their reputation as a coffee place.

If you are familiar with Sri Petaling, you would know that street parking is limited and double parking is rife. I would say just pay for the parking using your TnG at the parking complex across the road and not worry about being blocked by some random person who may not leave their contact number on their dashboard.

103 Coffee

103-G Jalan Radin Bagus, Sri Petaling, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

M: +6012-519 7103; E: help@103coffee.com

Daily 8:15am to 9:30pm

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Yuzu Japanese Restaurant

It was the bff's birthday, and we chose to celebrate over a Japanese lunch at Yuzu. Although it has been open since 2007, it was my first and my only visit to date.

Yuzu is literally a citrus fruit and is widely used in Japanese cuisine. While the fruit is not normally eaten fresh, its juice is commonly used in the cooking process, much in the same manner as lemons are used.

We were at a loss when deciding what to order due to their extensive menu. We wanted too many dishes, and had to use the elimination method to choose what we really wanted to have.

We all concurred that we must have at least one "healthful" dish and chose a salmon salad (RM44). While we could taste the mayonnaise, we were unsure what was the special dressing mentioned in the menu.

I have the habit of including sushi when having Japanese, and opted for Ebi Avocado Maki (RM42), reason being the bff really likes avocado.

The bff is also a steamboat fanatic, and so is the other bff. They shared a Kimuchi Hokkai Nabe (RM88) amongst themselves. There was so much salmon, prawn, scallop, squid and vegetables in that bean paste soup that also had kimchi. It smelled tempting but I gently declined, as I am not a fan of the entire combo of seafood, kimchi and steamboat.

Another dish that I did not taste and had an enjoyable smelling was the beef that came on a sizzling hot plate. I swear I still smelled like it even after the meal.

For those who prefer to not share their food, there is a selection of bento sets on the menu.

They also accept reservations for groups, as we caught glimpse of private rooms further in. Although I personally feel that I have had better Japanese elsewhere, I would give a thumbs up for service and ambience. Oh, and location-wise, conveniently inside one of the most popular malls in the country.

Yuzu Japanese Restaurant

T236, Third Floor, The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

T: +60 3 2284 7663, +60 3 2284 7763; E: yuzujapgmail.com

Daily 11:30am to 10:00pm

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Teppan Sakaba

Le bff and I discovered this izakaya thanks to a heavy downpour. We initially wanted to have dinner somewhere else but due to the rain, we decided to change to somewhere with covered parking. And as we were in Taman Desa, the best choice was Faber Tower.

Both of us are not familiar with the eateries in Faber, so we just chose the closest one to the the lift. We scanned the menu and thought, okay, why not.

 

We rather liked the interior, as we found it rather authentic. Perhaps we were rather early and also because it was raining, there were not many people there. Therefore, the waitstaff were pretty responsive.

I personally liked how they even have signs on the floor. Although it is something rather simple, it added to the vibe.

We did not quite understand why there were dinosaurs on the tables, though. I thought they were Ultraman-inspired, but that was just my hunch.

Onward to food. We wanted some green, so we had edamame.

We enjoyed the pan-fried gyoza lots - crispy on the outside, soft and flavourful on the inside accompanied by pickled ginger. Totally could see why this is one of the most popular dishes.

Pork never seems to not be on our order list. Instead of somethin grilled, we ordered salted belly miso. This was new to our palates and we enjoyed it.

We also tried clam soup, which befitted the cold and wet weather.

For me, the best was the unagi because, well, I love unagi.

Affordable pricing, cosy ambience and attentive service. Not bad for a random coincidental find.

Teppan Sakaba

Lot G13 Faber Tower, Jalan Desa Bahagia, Taman Desa, 58100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

T: +60 3 7971 7678

Daily 4:30pm to 11:30pm

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The Tokyo Ramen

 Always random meals and trips with the bff. When she called to ask about dinner, I assumed that we were going to just have a simple dinner nearby our homes. When I got into the car, she asked if I was good with ramen. Of course I would be. Then, she announced: We go to Lot 10 ya. I was speechless for a second and responded with an affirmative.

Bff's younger sister was already there waiting for us - she went straight from her office. What was special about this place is that it is a halal establishment. I found that interesting, as most ramen places would include pork in their menu. Not this one.

Seems like we had all the more popular items on the menu. They tried the miso base one and a black sesame base one. I cannot recall what the miso base one is called though, unfortunately, but the soup was definitely flavourful.

The black sesame base one is the Azabu Sakana Shoyu Ramen, which was a little strong for my liking. Distinctive flavours, though, and the bff enjoyed it.

I had a Shibuya Taiwan Mazesoba, as I was attracted by the onsen egg. Simple and light flavours, just right for me.

Personally, I feel that if you enjoy ramen, this is definitely a place to try at least once. You never know, you may find yourself returning more than once.

The Tokyo Ramen

Level 4, Lot 10, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

T: +60 3 2119 2623; M: +6012-789 8652; E: tokyo.isetanicj@gmail.com

Daily 11:00am to 3:00pm, 5:30pm to 11:00pm

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Ground Eatery

 Did you know that other than Walnut Cafe and Bar, there is another cafe in PFCC? In fact, this other cafe is just two doors up from Walnut and it is called Ground Eatery. In the beginning, their name kept reminding me of The Grounds in Sydney but that is besides the point...

So far, I visited twice. Both visits were with different people and different purposes. The first visit with Jenny was for dessert after dinner while the second visit with Dad was for lunch.

I think from the photographs below, you would be able to deduce which photographs belonged to which visit:

Evidently a Japan-inspired pasta dish, this Mentaiko Pasta was a visual delight. Well-plated and with ingredients of attractive colours, it also tasted delicious, especially with the poached egg all mixed in with the pasta. The roe gave it additional texture, too.

Evidently a Japanese-inspired pasta dish

I found their Grilled Char Siew (MooPing) with Chazuke Rice and Zuzu Chilli to be an interesting dish. A teapot is served along with the bowl of rice. The waitress then taught me to pour the tea into the bowl before savouring.

Poppyseed cake

There was one aspect that really stood out for Jenny and I, though. On the night that we went for cake, we were served by a waiter whom we guessed is non-Malaysian. We were really impressed by his service - very obliging, friendly and helpful.

Ground Eatery

G-09, Tower 4 & 5, PFCC, Jalan Puteri 1/2, Bandar Puteri Puchong, 47100 Puchong, Selangor.

T: +603 5879 7292, M: +6012 751 1963, E: groundeatery@gmail.com

Mondays to Thursdays 11:00am to 9:00pm

Fridays to Sundays 11:00am to 10:00pm

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Okonomi

Not long after the first invitation to Green Tomato Cafe, I received another invitation to review a Japanese place in Publika called Okonomi. I asked Alicia if she was free to go with me again and when she said yes, I replied the e-mail to set our lunch food review date and time.

Alicia sure knows her way around Publika - I duly just followed wherever she pointed me to.

We were warmly welcomed by the staff and were shown to our designated table. It was a rather breezy order, as there were already some dishes that they specifically wanted me to try. We just ordered some other dishes that caught our attention (without thinking that perhaps we would not be able to finish so much) and our drinks. Our huge meal is as follows:

Gratin Chicken (RM15.90) is a piece of boneless deep-fried chicken served with a rich cream sauce and salad.

Katsu Chicken Burger (RM15.90) is a burger of gently breaded deep-fried chicken, melted cheese and crunchy iceberg lettuce layered in season rice topped with sesame seeds. It looks like nothing fancy, right? But I tell you, looks are deceiving for I can have this all on its own if I should come here alone.

Slammin' Salmon (RM19.90) is a freshly-made and toasted sushi roll of uramaki, seaweed, white rice, double portion of salmon, Japanese cucumber, tamago, spring onion and garlic mayo. They definitely generous with their portions here!

Chicken Karaage Waffle (RM18.90) is a dish of deep-fried kimchi-flavoured chicken served with golden brown waffles and a rich cream sauce.

If anything, you should order this and any other dish of theirs that comes served with this rich cream sauce - amazing flavours this sauce has! We couldn't get enough of it!

The main selling point of Okonomi is that you get to customise your own sushi roll.

Having chosen the type of rice, how you like your seaweed, your fillings and your toppings, they then roll 'em up for you.

Fresh. Like you can watch them do it, too.

We had no idea if our combination would be alright but we went ahead with it anyway. Wah, did we regret choosing the spicy mayo - we were burning! If you can't take spicy, please do not choose that. 

While I only sipped on normal green tea, Alicia ordered a matcha latte and dare we say it is the best one we have ever had in Malaysia. Aiya, cannot compare to those in Sydney la (she just returned from visiting me in Sydney a few months back), but this definitely has standard. Didn't manage to get a pretty shot of the cup full but goes to show how irresistible it was!

Our food blogger friends, Chris and Christine from Brought up 2 share recommended their Matcha Lava Cake (RM21.90), and so we reminded ourselves to order one portion to share.

The wait for it is 15 minutes, so would be good to order it along with your main meal. The wait staff would know roughly when to inform the kitchen to start baking. 

It really was mouthful after mouthful of indulgent matcha heaven! I can just imagine one of my ex-students crying out of bliss if she were to be eating this. 😂

A big thank you to David from T3 Digital Agency for the invitation - my friend and I had a really good time, so good that we wished our stomaches were way bigger!

Okonomi
A4.G2.02, Ground Floor, Block A4, Publika, Solaris Dutamas, 1 Jalan Dutamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Mob: +60 14 971 5493; E-mail: info@okonomi.com.my
Daily 11:00am to 11:00pm
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