Pizza Duo @ Bamboo Hills

Co-existing and sharing the same space with Tap Room (along with PaperKite beer and cocktail bar Tap Tap) is Pizza Duo @ Bamboo Hills.  We enjoyed the ambience, experience and food at Tap Room very much during our first visit and vowed to return to try the pizzas.

Moreover, a friend of mine was interested to return at night to feel the ambience after seeing the beautiful and serene surroundings when we were here for lunch before (it was indeed pretty as a picture as night fell). The atmosphere seems even more lively at night.  Luckily we made prior reservations as the place was brimming with waiting patrons.

Pizza Duo specialises in Neapolitan pizzas, an authentic Italian pizza originating from Naples, known for its thin, soft crust with simple toppings cooked under high heat in a wood-fired oven.  That impressive-looking oven is apparently called a Stefano Ferrara oven...and apparently it's also currently the largest Stefano Ferrara oven in Malaysia.

And, for this visit, we came specifically for that! ;)  But, before we get to the pizzas, let's start with a couple of starters and bites...beginning with something that's part of their signature menu, the Chilli Lava Crab @ RM48.80 which unquestionably did not disappoint.  It knocked it out of the park! ^.^

Featuring crab meat in a spicy chili/sweet & sour crab sauce, this dish is distinctively Malaysian, a highly sought-after dish in Chinese seafood restaurants, except this one you don't have to get your hands messy and dirty to get at the crab meat.  It's already done for you...what better way to eat crab than to have all the meat picked out for you, right?  I would say yessss to that! ;D

The crab meat was super fresh and the sauce well balanced with a spicy kick.  Served with golden mantou and crispy youtiao which were the perfect vehicles to soak up all that awesome sauce.  We used it (and wished we had more) to mop up every single last drop of that rich, flavourful sauce.  We couldn't get enough...it was beyond what I expected (and my friends loved it too).

Up next was a dish we did not get to sample on our last visit here, the Grilled Padron Peppers @ RM25.80 as it wasn't available then.  Padron peppers, a Spanish tapas staple, are typically mild and slightly sweet although occasionally you'll get one that packs a spicy punch.  The unpredictable spice level of each pepper adds that element of surprise and fun to eating them (no wonder I got one that was really spicy)! >_<

Blistered and charred to perfection and tossed in shrimp floss, they're best eaten dipped in the accompanying creamy shrimp paste sauce that tasted somewhat like a spicy Thousand Island sauce.  This was something different that we tried...and it was another winning dish.

We remember liking the simple, refreshing take on this dish the last time we were here, so we just had to order the Watermelon Meze @ RM13.80 again with chuka wakame and crushed peanuts tossed in Thai dressing.

Now, onto the main event, the very reason we made this return trip for...especially after seeing their impressive wood-fired oven that's touted to produce the best-tasting pizzas due to the high temperatures and unique flavour imparted by the wood which produces a smoky, rich flavour that's hard to replicate in other types of ovens.

We started with one of its most popular pizzas, a speciality of theirs, the Shroomami Pizza @ RM72 (which also happens to be the most expensive pizza on their menu) with Parmigiana fondue, truffle salsa, fior di latte (fresh cheese), portobellini mushrooms, ricotta and truffle oil.  Hands-down, this has to go down as the best pizza I've eaten thus far.  Being a non-fan of cheese (as many of my readers already know)...but this one I super enjoyed.  Apparently I enjoy cheese if it's good Italian cheese like Parmigiana Regianno (especially), Fior di Latte and Riccota...hehe! ^_~

The intense heat and flames cooks the pizza quickly (like maybe in just 90 secs depending on the pizza's thickness and oven temperature).  And because the pizza cooks so quickly, the crust is still moist with a slightly chewy interior...and not dry, hardened or overly crispy like many others that I've eaten before.  I used to leave the crust behind for those that fell short but this one...I wanted more! ^o^

Just look at the super puffed up and perfectly charred crust with its super light and airy texture and its umami filling of portobellini mushrooms and truffle...so, so good!  I once heard a Top Chef contestant say "that puffed up, charred crust can only be achieved if you use a wood-fired oven" (and he's right, of course).  

After tasting our first pizza, we immediately ordered a second.  This time we placed an order for a simple, classic Pizza Margherita 2.0 @ RM44 filled with San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte, parmigiano reggiano, semi-dried cherry tomatoes and basil oil.

Again, the slightly charred, soft, thin crust gives it a distinct smoky flavour that makes it absolutely out of this world.  A good pizza doesn't need to go overboard with all its many toppings...just a good crust and simple, fresh, high-quality ingredients for Neapolitan perfection!

After stuffing ourselves silly with two awesome pizzas, we still had room for dessert...and we kicked off with the Molten PB Choco @ RM26.80 which featured a chocolate and peanut butter lava cake served with vanilla ice cream, granola, fresh strawberries and blueberries.

The chocolate and peanut butter lava cake did live up to its name....the molten chocolate centre, with its intense chocolate flavour, flowed out when cut into (sorry, forgot to take a photo of the gooey, flowing lava). This is certainly a delight for chocolate lovers.

Our second plated dessert was something similar to the Orange Souffle Waffle we had on our earlier visit. Since we enjoyed it the last time round, we ordered the Lemon Souffle Waffle @ RM19.80 this time.

The only difference was that it was served with earl grey (instead of vanilla) ice cream and a lemon (instead of orange) reduction.  I particularly liked the intense lemon-flavoured reduction with the souffle and waffle.

Finally, to wash all that good food down, you need good beer...and we ordered the PaperKite Flight @ RM58 featuring 4 types of (mini-sized) craft beer...Pale Ale, Copper Ale, Oatmeal Stout and IPA for sharing.

I also had a Iced Caffe Latte @ RM16.  A friend also had a cocktail, Day & Night (Sake/Peach/Yuzu/Lemon) @ RM30.

My Personal Opinion

If you're a lover of pizza or haven't had a good one thus far, make sure you have a go at this one...made with the finest ingredients like fior di latte, San Marzano tomatoes and Italian flour, it's no wonder that this was by far the best tasting pizza experience I've had in a long while.  I've a new found love of pizza (and cheese) if it's this good...and the Shroomami comes highly recommended as your first choice.  Just the mere thought of it at the time of writing makes me yearn for it with such great desire! ;)

Not only that but the fact that Pizza Duo shares a space with Tap Room makes eating here a double joy as you can cross order from both fabulous menus.  So far Tap Room's starters and light bites have not disappointed one bit and this visit's choices of Chili Lava Crab and Grilled Padron Peppers added two more to that fantastic list.

Tap Room's menu is rather extensive and together with Pizza Duo's many other pizza options as well, there are still lots more to try here...and we look forward eagerly to yet another visit. ^.^

Pizza Duo @ Tap Room

Lot P10 Bamboo Hills

Taman Bukit Bambu

Off Lebuhraya Duta-Ulu Kelang (DUKE)

51200 Kuala Lumpur

De' Parlour (Set Lunch) @ Pandan Indah

I recently returned to De' Parlour @ Pandan Indah with a friend for a lunch appointment, so I thought I'd give their set lunch promotion (which seemed pretty good value to me) a try.

Actually, I've not returned since my first visit here some time in 2023 and that was because the food didn't quite hit the mark that I was hoping for based on the prices they were charging comparatively (it's fine if the quality and taste matches the steeper prices).

Their Gourmet Business Lunch promotion starts from RM35 nett and you have a selection of 4 choices to choose from...and they're Grilled Chicken Chop, Fried Dory Fish, Chicken Maryland (+RM4) and Grilled Lamb Shoulder (+RM10).

Each choice of main dish comes with a free Creamy Mushroom Soup and a complimentary choice of beverage.  The mushroom soup was served in a rather big dish-type bowl garnished with a few slices of button mushrooms and some crispy croutons.

The mushroom soup was done right....nicely thick and creamy and I found myself enjoying it very much.  Not a bad mushroom soup at all.

For the main dish, we chose two (for sharing between us) and we went with the Grilled Chicken Chop @ RM35 served with a side of aglio-de-olio pasta (other pasta choices include carbonara & pomodoro).  There are also other sides selections like fries & side salad, Caesar salad or rice & sunny side-up egg.

We chose black pepper sauce for the grilled chicken and it was cooked right just like any black pepper sauce.  Other options for sauces include mushroom, BBQ, citrus tartar, salted egg and buttermilk.

The next main dish we selected was the Fried Dory Fish also @ RM35 featuring three generous, good-sized pieces of fried dory fish but before you dis this dory fish (like many would, me included), this one was of decent quality.  I've eaten my fair share of fishy tasting dory fish but this one tasted far better.

For the dory, it's a no-brainer that the choice of sauce would be citrus tartar for a nicely creamy, lightly tangy accompaniment to the fried fish.  It was served with thick-cut fries and a side salad.

For beverage alternatives, you have a choice of hot drinks like coffee (Americano), English tea (English Breakfast/Earl Grey/Chamomile), green tea (Jasmine/Sencha/Spring), Oolong rose tea and Peppermint tea or cold beverages like homemade iced lemon tea, natural honey green tea and carbonated drinks.  We chose Iced Latte which we had to pay an additional RM4 but it was worth it as the coffee was satisfying.  The other coffees which you have to pay extra RM4 for are Cappuccino and Flat White.

My Personal Opinion

Even though my first visit didn't turn out as pleasant as I had hoped, their set lunch promotions on my second visit has certainly changed my initial impression of their food.  These I thought were not only good value but decent tasting as well.  I guess they're more capable in executing these simpler dishes than perhaps their higher end menu.

Paying RM35 for a set meal that comes complete with a soup, main dish and drink (or a little bit extra at RM39 with a satisfactory glass of latte) and getting to enjoy it in comfortable settings is something I can certainly see myself returning for.  It seems like an ideal place for a meet-up with friends (to chit-chat), a working lunch with colleagues or a business lunch with clients.

De' Parlour

2G Jalan Pandan Indah 4/33

Pandan Indah

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 013-391 1316

Update on Poppy

Poppy has been with us for about 5 months now.....and she's settling in nicely, I believe.  She's about a year old now (the vet put her unofficial birth date as September 2024)...and has grown into a pampered little young princess.

She has been keeping up with her visits to the vet to get her vaccinations as well as the groomers to have her bath, ears cleaned, hair brushed and nails clipped.  She's a princess after all! :D

Seeing that there are many cat-nappers in my neighbourhood, I've made the conscious decision that she'll be a 100% indoor cat although I wish I didn't have to do that.  I wish I could let her roam free outside but the danger outweighs good intentions (based on what happened to my previous two part-time cats).  Since she's expected to spend a considerable amount of time in her cage (she'll be in the house in the earlier part of the day and retire to her condo in the evenings), I decided to invest in a bigger cage (big enough to house 3-4 cats actually) to accord her a higher comfort level.

She has since moved into her multi-storey condo from her previous single-storey apartment...hah..hah!  It's equipped with a scratching post and toy ball besides a cooling mat on the ground floor for hot days and cotton cushion mats on the 1st & 2nd floors for cooler days.  The top floor is pretty much for gazing and (perhaps) bird/people-watching (lol)....if we draw the sitting room curtains, she can actually look in. 

She has progressively put on weight since the day she came (as a skinny little kitten above)....though I wouldn't call her a fatty bom-bom yet.  She eats quite a lot...3 meals a day for now as she's still a young cat.  She gets wet food in the mornings and kibbles for the afternoon and night meals.

She eats grain-free Cindy's Recipe Wet Cat Food Pouch (70g) @ RM2.70/pkt for breakfast...and she licks the plate clean.  This is the meal she looks forward to the most as wet food is every cat's favourite.

For lunch, it's kibbles and I give her Egocat Salmon @ RM16 (1kg repack)....and for dinner, it's Egocat Weight+ (original pack) @ RM21/kg.  This was what Cookie used to eat too.  I actually switched back to this brand when I realised she didn't like the Snappy Tom kibbles (which is what I give the cats that strayed into my home) coz she would never finish her kibbles.  With Egocat, she finishes her food.

With the amount she eats (and she usually finishes all 3 meals), I'm surprised that she hasn't put on more weight.  That was when I decided to introduce the Freeze Dried Pet Food which is touted as a Booster Gemuk (fattening booster) that helps increase appetite...and she loves it! ;)  You can choose either freeze dried chicken cubes, liver cubes or chicken egg yolk or a combo mixture of all three (which I chose at first, the 3 in 1 Booster @ RM18/200g).  There are also other flavours like duck, beef & salmon.  You just have to put a few cubes over his kibbles to enhance appetite.  At first, he would eat all 3 types of freeze dried cubes but then started to avoid the egg yolk (and carefully leave them on the plate uneaten).  It was a way of her telling me she doesn't like the chicken egg yolk. >_<

So, now I just buy the flavours separately....the chicken cubes to be exact.  But I'm also trying out other flavours like liver & salmon coz the chicken cubes are always the first to be sold out in most stores.  Since starting her on this freeze-dried food, she has clearly put on more weight (even the groomer said she now has a tummy).

Seeing how much my dearly departed Cookie once loved chicken, I also tried giving her more protein-based food like Masti Steamed Chicken Breast @ RM1/pkt but she didn't tuck into it with gusto.  She's clearly not into fresh chicken (though she loved the freeze-dried chicken)...so I won't feel so guilty about not making fresh chicken breast for her (like I did for my late Cookie).  Poppy is a fish lover...I've given her freshly fried kembong fish before and she loved it (finally, a cat who loves fish!).  Since having a taste of human food, she now circles around me when I'm eating, waiting for a handout and hoping that fish is on the menu...lol! ;D

I also supplement her feeds with Ishtar Creamy Cat Treats @ RM0.20/stick which she took to immediately and was very excited each time I take out that treat.  Unfortunately, that initial excitement has waned and she now rejects it completely.  I now have leftovers Snappy Tom kibbles and this (don't know what to do with them as the strays also don't come now that I've a resident cat).

I've since introduced a new snack, Sheba Melty Creamy Cat Treats @ RM1.50/stick (which my sister-in-law first bought for her...notice the price difference!).  This atas princess of mine knows the good stuff...I guess there's no going back to the cheap stuff now! O_o

So, that's typically what Poppy eats in a day....living like a princess...and eating like one too! ^_~  Pretty much similar to what my late prince used to eat (except with the additional freeze-dried food and creamy treats).  It's not cheap to upkeep a cat...let alone one with an atas taste! ;D

I love this girl to bits.....and I hope she's happy in her forever home! ;)

CoffeeLicious @ Pandan Indah

My neighbourhood is now home to a quaint little new cafe, CoffeeLicious @ Pandan Indah, that's been around a little over a year ago...and I only just discovered it recently, some 3 months back actually.  That's because it's located in the quieter part of the neighbourhood which I seldom venture out to.

I bumped into the place when trying out a new mamak restaurant on the same row.  After my breakfast of roti canai, while walking back to my car, I chanced upon the cafe...and was eager to try it out as there's a lack of such cafes (that's any good) in my neighbourhood.

I came back immediately the same week to explore.  The inside of the cafe is small with a simple decor but certainly cosy and comfortable, even a little posh for a residential cafe.  You don't need a big space (really) for a neighbourhood cafe as most of the clientele would probably come from the residents staying here.

I'm always on the lookout for a good western breakfast and coffee to start my mornings, so I started my taste test with one of their breakfast sets (that's available between 8 - 10 am)....the Egg Sourdough Toast @ RM18.

You get some fluffy scrambled eggs on a piece of crispy sourdough toast accompanied by some baked beans and a simple salad of lettuce and cherry tomatoes lightly tossed in roasted sesame dressing.  For those who enjoy their scrambled eggs a little bit more cooked (and less watery) like I do, you'll be pleased with the rendition here.

But what's great with getting the breakfast set is that it comes along with a free drink...coffee or tea (hot/cold)....and I chose a Hot Cappuccino (which otherwise would have cost RM11 separately).

On another morning, I tried another of their breakfast set, the Tuna Croissant @ RM25 which came abundantly filled with tuna flakes well dressed in mayo for a creamy bite.  It came with the same sides of baked beans and salad.  This time I had an Iced Latte.

The croissant was utterly flaky and crisp...and buttery enough, which are the very hallmarks of a good croissant.  There's no way of eating this other then to make a mess as the super flaky croissant crumbles into tiny little pieces easily (all over the table) as you cut/bite into them...lol!

There's only 4 breakfast set choices and the other sets was between a choice of Plain Croissant/Bagel (RM15) or a Salad (RM20)...now who wants a salad for breakfast! :D  So, this was followed by an a la carte order of the Big Breakfast @ RM25 one morning.  Since this was not a breakfast set, I had to pay for the Iced Latte @ RM12 separately.

No false advertising of the Big Breakfast...it was indeed big!  It proved too big/heavy for breakfast and I had to tapau some of the items home.  It arrived at the table comprising of ham, sausage, scrambled eggs, hashbrown, sourdough toast, baked beans and a salad.  Although most of the items on the plate are ready-made, store-bought items, it's still nice to have someone cook it for you once in a while instead of making it yourself at home. 

Next I had the Egg Mayo Croissant (or Bagel) @ RM15 with chopped hard-boiled egg mixed with mayo served with the same sides as the earlier breakfast sets with my favourite Iced Latte.

I found myself enjoying this simple egg with mayo filling quite a bit as the mayo brought a little sweetness to the chopped egg.  If you're one who loves an egg + mayo sandwich (like I do), this is certain to give you pleasure.

Then there's also the Ham & Egg Croissant @ RM16 with scrambled eggs and ham (which you can't really see coz it's hidden beneath the scrambled eggs).  I had this with a Long Black (Hot) @ RM9.

Just be forewarned that the scrambled eggs here are cooked a little bit more.  In fact, this one (I've to admit) was a little overdone that day.  Consistency in cooking eggs (like steak) to the right doneness is always tricky.

My Personal Opinion

They're open only for breakfast and lunch which is perfect for me as I've been looking for a nice, quiet place to sit down and enjoy a good cup of coffee to start off my day...and if it comes with some good bread and eggs, even better!  Recently they've introduced a couple of new menu items, so I'm sure I'll be checking those out pretty soon. ^_~

Even though they don't make their own bread inhouse, both their supplied croissant and sourdough are of a very decent quality.  The croissant (especially) stayed extremely flaky, light and crisp even after reheating.  I liked that they pay attention even to the smallest of details as the lettuce leaves are always fresh and crisp, even the baked beans served are warmed up.

I'm happy that I've this little cafe in my neighbourhood...and I've been coming here on a weekly basis ever since to get my coffee fix as well as a good breakfast to kickstart my day.  Of course, the standard can't be compared to the many well-known, good cafes out there...but for a neighbourhood cafe, this will do just fine.

CoffeeLicious

3G Jalan Pandan Indah 4/33

Pandan Indah

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-4288 3387