Basil Pasta House

The BFF couple took me to Basil Pasta House for my birthday. If they say a place has good pasta, then it must be really good.

They spotted an open kitchen but it was not fully open. More like partially, as from a seated height, you could see the chefs in action but could not see the food.

The place felt quite cosy, homely even. The decor was no fuss, which in this case was one of less is more.

Their selection of hand wash liquid caught my attention. I think they are the first place that I have been to that provided that many types of hand wash liquids and even hand towels. I wondered if they were trying to be more environmentally-friendly, as paper towels and tissue paper do more harm than good to the environment.

Apparently, this place was started by three brothers and I had a feeling that either one of them or all of them had some proper Italian cuisine training of some sort because I spied with my little eye the different types of pasta they had!

I was impressed at how they made everything from scratch. However, this meant that our food took longer to prepare, which had us waiting for quite some time.

We shared a serving of Wild Mushroom Soup (RM6.90). I was surprised at how cheaply priced this trio of Button, Shiitake and Oyster Mushroom Puree with Cream and Truffle Oil was. Amazing start to dinner, I thought, and was really looking forward to mains.

Have you ever heard of the pasta called orecchiette? I have not until this meal. It means small ears in Italian and I ordered it because it was cooked with smoked duck breast. Light tastes, I really enjoyed this dish.

Hand-made Orecchiette with Smoked Duck Breast (RM19.90)

Their Pesto Genovese with Grilled Chicken Leg (RM17.90) did not disappoint, either. The hint of charcoal on the chicken made it more delicious.

Do not be fool by this dish - it may look like a small portion but it was in fact, pretty filling. This was their Black Truffle Fedelini Pan-seared US Scallop and Prawn Bisque (RM29.90), a huge plateful of Fedelini sautéed with Onion, White Wine, Black Truffle Paste served with Caramelised US Scallop, Prawn Bisque, a dash of Cream and Chilli Oil.

We left feeling extremely satisfied tummy-wise yet not that much poorer pocket-wise. If their service was quicker, this would definitely be a must-go place on my list of makan places for freshly-made pasta.

Basil Pasta House
21 Jalan Kuchai Maju 6, Kuchai Entrepreneur's Park, 58200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +60 3 7972 8884; E-mail: basilpastahouse@hotmail.com
Weekdays (except Tuesdays) Noon to 3:00pm & 4:00pm to 10:00pm
Weekends Noon to 10:00pm
Cash only
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Indulge Cafe

In all honesty, I did not even notice that there was a cafe in this location. The layout of the place was simple and no fuss, and they had a simple menu, too. 

I gave their Croque Monsieur (RM7.90) a try.

Apparently, it is a French version of toasted sandwich with chicken meatloaf and cheese gratinated with Bechamel sauce. I interpreted that as a fancy version of French toast and was attracted to the sauce, which I have never heard of.

Although it looked small, it was actually quite filling. Perhaps it was the cheese. I did not even eat much of the fries! I wanted to save space for some dessert - their mille crepe.

We shared a slice of Oreo mille crepe (RM7.50) and I was quite impressed with the texture of the cake. I could bite into each distinct but soft layer of the cake. So it is not just the N brand that makes good mille crepe.

I also had their Lime and Mint Bliss (RM3.90) and found it rather refreshing. Perhaps the next time I would ask for less ice for a stronger mint taste.

If you know where NSK is, you would have no problems finding this cafe. They are right where the guardhouse is and you could tell them apart from the white picket fence at the front of their shop.

Indulge Cafe
Block A-0-11, Kuchai Business Park, No. 2 Jalan 1/127, Off Jalan Kuchai Lama, 58200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel: +60 3 7984 0866
Open daily from 11:00am to 10:30pm
Cash transactions only

Snowflake Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park

Have you had Snowflake? Hm, Snowflake? What's that? My friend's description were these exact words: It is like ais kacang but Taiwanese style and has lots of stuff in it.

Er, right. Okay...

It was super packed, even though it was late. Nearly 11:00pm on a Friday. Not only was there a long queue but also there was not an empty table in sight. Great.

Thankfully, by the time we place our orders, a table became empty. When my friend collected the orders and placed the tray on the table, my reaction was: Oh......... okay. So it is like Meet Fresh. They even sell the same stuff. Or at least, they look the same to me. Coincidentally, both brands were started by a Taiwanese.

Japan Combo II RM6.90

Soya Ice Series RM6.50 with sweet potato, barley and pearl toppings

Perhaps because I had something else to compare with, I found them very typical Taiwanese dessert. The texture of their toppings was chewy and soft while their shaved ice had the melt-in-your-mouth quality, and in humid Malaysia, that is always a welcome treat.

To improve, they could perhaps have more staff to come round to clear tables of empty bowls.

Snowflake Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park
18 Jalan Kuchai Maju 8, Off Jalan Kuchai Lama, 58200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Sunday to Thursday 12:30pm to 10:30pm
Friday & Saturday 12:30pm to 11:30pm

100ºC Steamboat, Teppanyaki & BBQ Restaurant

It was by chance that we ended up having dinner at 100ºC Steamboat, Teppanyaki & BBQ Restaurant. He initially wanted to take me to the restaurant next door but it was not open. Well, we were not sure which places would be open on the third day of Chinese New Year. As this was just beside us, we thought we could give it a try.

We were quickly ushered to an empty table and took some time to browse through the menu. As I hardly eat at steamboat restaurants, I was a little unsure of how to go about ordering but I did enjoy looking at all the food they had in the menu.

He taught me what to do. And so, I decided on my soup base first. He then suggested we order a double value set to share and I agreed. When he ordered his Tom Yum Goong soup base, the waitress informed us that they had ran out. So, I suggested to order the Thai Style Spicy and Sour soup base.

I was really happy with my Bak Kut Teh soup base when it arrived. Thankfully, his soup base turned out to be a good one, too, so phew, not a bad choice. However, I found his soup base a little too spicy for my liking. He, on the other hand, seemed to really enjoy it.

Other than the cleanliness of the place (we saw a baby cockroach scurry across the table), the service and the food were apt. Price was affordable, too.

100ºC Steamboat, Teppanyaki & BBQ Restaurant
3 & 5 Ground Floor, Dinasti Central, Jalan Kuchai Maju 18, Off Jalan Kuchai Lama, 58200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel: +60 3 7980 0899 / +60 12 645 2221; Fax: +60 3 7981 8669
E-mail: enquiry@100c.com.my