Simplicity Sandwiches & Coffee @ Jalan Pudu Ulu

I wasn't even aware of the existence of Simplicity Sandwiches & Coffee @ Jalan Pudu Ulu in D'Alamanda Condominium until recently...and they've been around since 2015!  I did notice them on ShopeeFood for quite a while but never thought of ordering.....until now.

That's because I only came to know recently (through a post by The Yum List) that (the owner of) Simplicity was a former student of Tommy Le Baker (someone that I've read about who is very well known in baking circles) and they also supply bread to a brunch cafe (Fox Paradox) in Jalan Ampang.  Ah, if like that, I must try their breads.

For my first taste, the Ribeye Steak Sourdough @ RM15 caught my eye straightaway.  It came wrapped in simple brown paper packaging which was great to see.

On opening, I was greeted with warm and crisp slices of well toasted sourdough with crusty edges and a nice, tangy bread with a good chew.  Maybe it's not the best tasting sourdough out there but certainly a very good one with one of the best prices around, if not the best.  We're off to a great start.

Lifting up the bread, I could see that the inside was filled with thinly sliced, tender roasted ribeye steak with fresh, juicy tomato slices and some sweet gherkins (or pickles).  I don't know how they managed to slice a ribeye steak that thinly.  It's something like a roast beef sandwich, not quite a steak sandwich actually.

Now this sandwich comes with cheddar cheese and, for once, I chose not to omit it...and that's because the picture in the menu showed fresh slices of cheese sticking out of the bread.  So I thought I could just easily remove it (after taking photos of the complete sandwich) but when it came the cheese was already melted and infused into the sandwich and I was like uh-oh, have I stabbed myself in the leg?  But what transpired next was not the norm.  I actually liked the cheese coz this one didn't have that distinctive, offensive smell and taste of cheese that I don't like...yay! ;)

The sandwich was nicely complemented by a spread of vinaigrette dressing and mayonnaise.  I could taste the mayo but the vinaigrette dressing (which included whole-grain mustard) was subtle.  Overall, the sandwich spread tasted nice, it was light and healthy as they don't over-sauce their sandwich (which appeals to me).

For my next sandwich, I went with Tuna Bran @ RM12 described in their menu as tuna with toasted sunflower seeds (didn't taste any, don't think there was any), tomato slices, cheddar cheese, vinaigrette dressing and mayonnaise on bran bread.

Loved how soft the bread was but the tuna filling was a bit of a letdown.  There just wasn't enough of it and I thought it needed a bit more mayo to bind everything together.

I can't believe I'm saying this...but it needed more cheese too coz, all in all, the sandwich lacked juiciness with not enough dressing making the bran bread feel a bit dry overall.  This won't see a repeat order from me.

With the bran bread not making an impression, I reverted back to the more successful sourdough and ordered the Chicken Sourdough @ RM12 next with roasted chicken slice, tomato slices, cheddar cheese, vinaigrette dressing and mayonnaise.

The chicken slices was nicely seasoned and turned out pretty good actually.  The chicken slices may look a bit dry in the photo but I assure you it wasn't.  It was pretty moist and I liked that there was a mixture of whole slices of chicken interspersed with smaller bits of chicken (the loose bits when slicing).

Again, the thinly sliced tomatoes were there to add a much needed fresh element to the sandwich.  I wouldn't have mind some crunchy, thinly sliced cucumbers in there as well.

The only type of filling left to try is egg but that's something we can easily make at home, so I guess I won't be needing to try that.  As for the other two types of bread I didn't try, I'm not a fan of baguette (as I find that's too much bread since it's so thick) and won't need to try Normandy (which is basically white bread that I already eat too much of). :P

With that, I turned my attention to their pastries.  I've not had dessert in the form of a cake, tart or pastry in a while, so I thought I should give myself a well-deserved treat, don't you?  Anyway, when I saw the Lemon Tart @ RM10 on the menu, I can't resist already since anything lemon-y is my thing! ;)

The lemon tart isn't very thick, no more than an inch (at its thickest part), with a very thin layer of crisp, buttery, delicious tart crust underneath.  On top was this luscious lemon curd that's creamy, tangy, lemon-y and absolutely yummy! ^o^  That distinct taste of lemon was undeniable in the lemon curd.

As with all lemon tarts, sugar is in play to balance the tartness of the lemon curd and I did notice a layer of clear jelly-like substance on top which presumably was a thin layer of sugar glaze.  So, if you like it less sweet (or don't have a need for it like me), you can easily scrape off the layer of glaze.

I actually ate this right after the sandwich (for breakfast!) coz, after the first bite, I couldn't put it away for later + it so happens that I was having a cup of black coffee with my sandwich that morning....and we all know a black coffee pairs really well with a lemon tart for that nice balance of bitter-sweet.  It's been a while since I've had a lemon tart that good.

They also sell just whole loaves of their artisan bread like baguette (RM5), bran sandwich loaf (RM6), Normandy sandwich loaf (RM7) and farmer sourdough (RM12) together with pastries like dark chocolate tart (RM10), banana almond tart (RM10), bread pudding (RM6), chicken & spinach quiche (RM10), financier (RM6 for 3 pcs) and croissants (butter, RM6 or chocolate, RM6.50).  I've to say that the farmer sourdough at RM10 (if you purchase directly from them through beepit) or even RM12 (through delivery platforms) is a real bargain when other sourdough can easily cost twice as much.  Now I know where I can go to pick up a loaf when I need one.

My Personal Opinion

Well, simplicity is their name, maker of artisan breads is their game...and they offer basically just four types of sandwich fillings (ribeye steak, chicken slice, tuna and egg) in a choice of four types of bread (sourdough, bran bread, baguette and Normandy bread).

If you like your sammies with tons of flavour, this may well fall short for you but I, on the other hand, like such light-tasting, honest-to-goodness, simple sandwiches made right.

You bet this will be my go-to for sourdough sandwiches hereon out (with very good prices, I might add) and I already have my two favourite repeat orders.....with the occasional classic lemon tart if I'm feeling a little bit naughty and in need of some sweet nourishment. ^.^

Simplicity Sandwiches & Coffee

2-00-55 D'Alamanda Condominium

Jalan Pudu Ulu

Taman Pudu Ulu Cheras

56100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2705 4086

myBurgerLab @ MyTown Shopping Centre

When one mentions burgers or gourmet burgers, you bet the name myBurgerLab would be in the mix.  Started by 3 friends who had no experience in the F&B industry in 2012, the brand was an instant hit and became a mainstay in the gourmet burgers industry.

Going from strength to strength, myBurgerLab now spans six branches located throughout Klang Valley in Seapark, OUG, Sunway, Cyberjaya, MyTown and Bangsar.  Not only that but their success led to spin-offs (like popular TV series lah) of myPizzaLab in Seapark, Desa Sri Hartamas and Subang Jaya and Chick n' Buns in Hartamas Shopping Centre.

After hearing that myBurgerLab is phonghongbakes favourite burger + news of them selling out daily during their heydays were well documented, there can be no further doubt as to how good their burgers are.  With an outlet opened near me in MyTown (in 2018), there can be no more excuses of not trying though I know I'm a decade late (lol)...better late than never, right?

For my first try of myBurgerLab's gourmet burgers, I got myself the Hangover (Set) @ RM32 (inclusive of soft drink and RM1 for the packaging).  First impression....I was indeed impressed by the thick quality paper box the burger came in.  The picture of a double beef patty (on the box cover) being pressed down by a fork with juices flowing was enough to get me salivating.

The Hangover burger was described in the menu as a beef patty paired with mushrooms, topped with a crispy hash brown and covered in maple syrup for a combination of sweet and savoury flavours accompanied by a side of awesome fries.  Sounded very promising....but that was all it was unfortunately! >_<

Let me dissect my burger experience for you.  First of all, when I opened up the box and placed the burger on a plate, I realised that there was no accompanying maple syrup.  Neither was it already drizzled on the burger (I peeked).  That was the first bummer! >.<  Missing out an accompaniment (like a sauce) is not accepted SOP from a gourmet burger joint....from a fast-food burger chain, maybe.  I used to get missing creamers, sugar and chilli sauce from McD (and having cheese when I requested for no cheese) but that's probably easier to forgive and forget seeing the price of their burgers.

Let's start from the top.....the burger bun itself.  This is myBurgerLab's signature bamboo charcoal bun that's freshly baked to yield fluffy, tasty and oh-so-addictive buns.  It was soft and fluffy indeed but tasted bland like any charcoal bun...maybe that's how they want it to be for the rest of the burger ingredients to shine.  I felt it was just a tad dry too maybe because the sauce (in this case the maple syrup) was missing + I also had no runny egg yolk to help its cause.

I think charcoal buns, when they first came out, was a bit of a novelty but it's now quite common in many burger joints.  It's a pretty sight alright and looks striking in photos because of the contrasting black.  But I'd settle for a brioche bun anytime with its complimentary sweetness against the savouriness of a buttered and grilled bun (even better).

Lifting up the burger bun, I could see a piece of nicely fried hash brown.  The hash brown was perfectly fried to yield a crispy exterior with the finely diced potato cubes offering a good bite.  The hash brown was good but probably from a frozen food supplier like Simplot (coz I doubt they'd take the trouble to make their own hash brown)...hehe!  They offer this as an add-on in other burgers at RM3...and if it's offered with your burger of choice, I suggest you to take it...lol.

Underneath the hash brown lies a thin piece of lightly grilled tomato....too scant to offer much to the burger but still welcome that it's there for juiciness.  And beneath the grilled tomato was the beef patty itself.  It was seasoned well and cooked to medium doneness (as advertised) as it was still a little pink in the centre. The patty was well seared achieving a nice crust on the edges of the patty but not as juicy as expected (and certainly quite unlike the juiciness depicted in the photo sticker on the box....lol).  Overall, it was still a very decent patty.

Beneath the meat patty was the sauteed mushrooms atop fresh lettuce with some scant sauce (this burger does not come with cheese).  The sauteed mushrooms were properly seasoned and adequate in taste but ended up as the culprit that made the burger soggy.  I initially thought the fresh lettuce was some form of sauteed greens (like spinach) coz it was so soft and disintegrated (bits of which were left in the paper bag after I slipped the burger out onto a plate).

The sauteed mushrooms must have been scooped on top of the lettuce right after they were cooked while they were still hot thereby causing the fresh lettuce to wilt (and darken) tremendously and the bun getting soggy as a result (just cooked mushrooms tend to leak out water too).  You can see just how soggy the bottom piece of the bun was.

And because of that, you can't hope to hold the bun with your hands and eat it the way a burger should be eaten.  I had to eat it with a fork and knife. :O  That aside, I wasn't able to get the true experience of the burger without the maple syrup...and didn't get to find out if the sweet and savoury flavours worked in this case (though I know it has worked before in my other food experiences).

As with any burger set, it comes with a side of their Awesome Fries (if you sell it as awesome, it better be).....well...it didn't quite turn out as awesome as promised.  That's because they were no longer the thick cut fries (that I've seen online, with skin on) but replaced with shoestring fries (don't know when this took effect or whether it was due to the fries shortage experienced lately or they simply changed supplier or changed to a cheaper type of fries). >:(

These shoestring fries, though crisp on the outside, just weren't as fluffy on the inside as one would get with better quality, thicker cut fries (the insides tasted a bit powdery like those frozen fries bought from supermarkets).  If I wanted lower quality shoestring fries, I'd get myself a cheaper McD burger and fulfill myself with lower expectations.  To say the fries was a disappointment is an understatement.  The saving grace was the red dipping sauce that was creamy, tangy and moderately spicy.

My Personal Opinion

I know it's not fair to judge them on only one burger experience but with the burgers costing in the region of RM30 - RM40 (via delivery), let's just say it isn't the cheapest burgers around, so I certainly expected more based on the price point.

Until they improve their SOPs (on how to roll out a complete burger to ensure no missing items) or do some R&D to find the best way to serve the hot, freshly cooked mushrooms (maybe it should be prepared ahead and left to stand at room temperature first?) and not present an overly soggy, I can't help but be cautious so as not to end up paying for something that's going to be less than satisfying.

I actually lined up the next 2 - 3 burgers that I wanted to try after making this order but (sadly) had to take a step back.  But having said that, I do admire myBurgerLab for how they respond to criticism from customers and (hopefully) they'll take all the constructive feedback and strive towards being purveyors of the best burger experience (as they claim or aspire to be).

Perhaps when their fries become awesome again and they re-introduce the cheese crisp (I read that this had been dispensed with...I may not like melted cheese but I do like a fragrant cheese crisp after trying it at another burger place)...and hopefully no more foul-up in the orders, I may still revisit this burger brand one day...for their burgers were great once (based on reviews) and can be again...but for now, it's a No for me! :'(

myBurgerLab

G-020 Ground Floor

MyTown Shopping Centre

No 6 Jalan Cochrane Seksyen 90

55100 Kuala Lumpur

The Best Bacon Sandwich I Ever Made

And just like that, Chinese New Year (CNY) was over.....it came and went without much fanfare as I had expected.  There were no invites for makan gatherings (at home or otherwise), so no sit-down multiple-course dinners nor yee sang tossing (it's no fun tossing alone or in small numbers).  It was a rather quiet affair all by ourselves really (other than a meet-up meal with my mom).  Even she didn't want to dine out due to the increasing number of cases, so I brought a yong tau foo meal to her home instead.  This has to be the quietest CNY I've had in recent years...with lots of time to do what else but cooking.  So.

I've made a lot of bacon sandwiches in my life.....and I mean a lot!  But they were usually made with fried streaky bacon stuffed between two slices of bread (usually Gardenia).  So, on a Sunday afternoon, I thought I'd make them again for our light lunch...but make it a little bit more special-lah since it was still Chinese New Year.....and it turned out to be the best bacon sandwich I've ever made! :P

For my special-a-bit-lah bacon sandwich, you first start with store-bought butter buns from a bakery (instead of the usual mundane Gardenia bread...lol).  These were from Ficelli (formerly known as Fougasse) and they were shaped like a croissant (RM3.30 for 3).  I'll tell you why this is a better choice in a little bit.

And what's better than a butter bun....even more butter on the bun, of course (as Paula Deen says "mo-butter-mo-betta" coz there's no such thing as too much butter)! :D  So, I sliced it open but not all the way through as I wanted it to maintain the croissant look and so that the fillings won't fall out during the eating process.

Talking about cutting, I don't have a proper bread knife + the bun was so soft it was difficult to slice through (I ended up tearing it apart with my fingers, so the first one looks a bit cacat with jagged edges).  That was before I realised that I could cut it open with my kitchen scissors.  Because they weren't cut all the way through, the inside of the bun could not open up to get charred marks.  So, if you like your bun more toasted, by all means, cut it all the way through so that it can lie flat in your toaster oven.

Second, you need good tasting bacon and this time I tried something new...I got this premium wood smoked streaky bacon from another pork specialist shop in my neighbourhood (RM22.50 for 500g, not too much more expensive than the usual ones I always get).  And, no, back bacon that's drier and chewier won't work for me either, it has to be streaky bacon. ;P

Can't say I detected any extra smoky taste in the bacon but I did notice that the slices were much thinner and, because of this, they crisped up even more when fried.  Can you see just how paper-thin they are until they're almost see-through? ^_~

They're so thin that they take on this wavy shape when fried.  Now this looks more like a piece of bacon I see actors biting into on TV....wakakakaka! :D  And when it's thin like this, you know it'll be super crispy but not hard (like some of the previous ones I've bought can be).

Now to assemble my best bacon sandwich.  After the bun has been buttered and toasted, it's a few layers of Japanese cucumber (I like to use a peeler to slice them into thin ribbons, that way it can cover the whole bun and the slices won't fall of when you bite into them like the thicker slices of cucumber tend to) followed by a piece of omelette and a layer of crispy bacon (stuff as many pieces as it can hold or as you like).

This became a light lunch for three.  My son commented that it was the best bacon sandwich I've ever made because of one, the type of bun used and two, the super thin bacon.  Because it's a butter bun, the butter (on the whole bun) will help char and crisp up the outside of the bun as well when toasted making it all glossy and buttery.  That's why I think a butter bun is ideal.

So, guess which two my son chose.....the two most charred ones, of course, but he said he was being thoughtful so that his parents won't have to eat the overly charred ones (so considerate of him...lol).  The bun is crisp on the outside but remains soft and fluffy inside.  It's just different from using two slices of toasted white (or wholemeal) bread. ;P

Since this bacon was extra thin and crispy (without being hard), it had a nice crunch with just the right amount of savouriness.  What can I say, it was super delicious in our books! ^o^

Actually, besides butter buns, it works just as well with raisin buns.  I would get the raisin buns (RM4.50 for 3) instead if they run out of butter buns.

The studded raisins add sweetness to a bacon bun.  Thought I'd show you these two rather pretty-looking angpows that I received (I understand that these were just two of 8 designs from Citi).

I used one-half of the 500g pack bacon to make the bacon sandwiches and the other half for our not-so-big breakfast....simple but good.

On a little side note, I must have been living under a rock or something that I wasn't aware McD had started using soft buns for their breakfast meals until I chanced upon them recently via ShopeeFood (you see, I've stopped having McD's breakfast meals for quite a while already as I didn't like the dense and chewy texture of their McMuffins).  Well, it looks like I've not eaten their breakfast for at least 3 years since these buns were introduced way back in 2019! :O

My favourite is their Sausage & Scrambled Egg Sandwich Breakfast Meal (RM12 with hash brown & coffee) and I've had this quite a few mornings already.  I like the soft buns and the scrambled egg is quite fluffy (but can differ from branch to branch...I've ordered from 4 different McD's and obviously some do the scrambled egg better than others).  It comes with cheese and mayo (sometimes I even forget to request for no cheese but nothing a squeeze of chilli sauce can't fix + luckily, this cheese isn't too pungent anyway + chilli mixed with mayo tastes almost like Thousand Island...haha).

Oops, sorry for the little digression....back to the bacon sandwich I made over CNY...which incidentally happens to be the best bacon sandwich I've ever made (even my son concur).  And for that you need 1) a toasted soft butter bun (with more butter in between) and 2) paper-thin wood-smoked bacon to make it work wonders.

I guess that's how I will be having my bacon sandwich from now on! ^_~  But if you're like my blogger-friend, phonghongbakes, you'll probably make sandwiches with atas-punya sourdough bagels that I reckon is just as good.  She's done it before with bak kwa, ham and (I'm sure) bacon too at some point.....hehehe! ;P

Roti Bakkwa @ Taman Shamelin Perkasa

Christmas came and went.....and so has the New Year.  No new clothes.....no gifting...no special meals....no get-togethers...well, basically no fanfare (at least for me)!  And I expect Chinese New Year to be pretty much the same.   Let's hope we can get out of this rut in 2022 and finally put all this behind us (though I'm not holding my breath).  This pandemic has changed our lives forever, especially in the way we interact....it has changed friendships, relationships and family dynamics.  We try not to congregate in large numbers (even if it's a celebration of some sort or a festivity) unless absolutely necessary just to be safe...and, after a while, that becomes the norm of what we're comfortable with so much so that I don't even miss not dining out.  And just as we were getting to grips with the highly transmissble Omicron variant, we now learn of the new IHU strain...when will it ever end!

Even though dining out is allowed now, many are still cautious....even my spouse is not so in favour of it.  I don't even miss eating out now although we have started to dine out minimally but are selective.  We only eat at familiar places and tend to choose open-air spaces or non-airconditioned places.  We avoid popular, crowded places and small, confined spaces without well spaced out tables.

Eliminating new eateries, perpetually crowded places and closed-up air-conditioned spaces (in the foreseeable future) + the lack of makan get-togethers (by choice) would mean I won't have much exciting/good food to write about.  Haiz, without good material, I'm not even motivated to write these days coz I feel they'll just be boring posts about boring food.  After all, food photos via delivery or tapau lacks the presentation of dine-in food and wouldn't look tempting at all! :'(

Oh well....so here's my first boring post of the year about some boring food.....Roti Bakkwa @ Taman Shamelin Perkasa which I found through ShopeeFood.  P/S: By the way, the good times have come to an end (as I knew it would) on ShopeeFood.  The discounts have dwindled down (though there are discounts still but only at selective restaurants).  Even my regular shops have mentioned to me they noticed a drop in orders too, so it's more economical to tapau again...though delivery is still practically free and when they no longer are, it's back to considering other delivery platforms again, I suppose.

As the name suggests, the first one I tried was the Roti Pork Bakkwa & Floss @ RM6.20.  We all know that bakkwa is that ultra-delicious Chinese salty-sweet barbecued dried meat (a very popular snack during Chinese New Year).  The bakkwa may not be the best quality (like the well-known brands) but it still does its job as the meat of the sandwich.  I just love the simplicity of these kind of buns for breakfast...so good! ;)

The bun itself was pretty long as it managed to fill the entire box (at least 6 inches in length, I think). Traditionally, some stalls still toast their buttered buns (sometimes even the slice of bakkwa) over charcoal to give it that smoky, charred flavour but most do it on an iron flat top nowadays.  It still had that nice, roasted flavour (when grilled well) just like if it was toasted over charcoal (like Hainanese toast).

The toasted bun was filled with a piece of bakkwa, chicken floss and crunchy cucumber slices.  It's then drizzled with mayo and chilli sauce.  Even though we have many wonderful western-type sandwiches, this one is just different.  It appeals to our local tastebuds and bring back memories of yesteryears when we used to have it as a kid.

Next, I wanted to try the Homemade Luncheon Meat with Egg @ RM7.50.  It boasts of a piece of homemade luncheon meat, wrapped in an omelette, in between the same fluffy bun with cucumbers, mayo and chilli sauce.

Looking at the size (as in length) of the luncheon meat, I believe this could be homemade (maybe not by them) as it was rather long (judging that the meat reached the end of the bun, I think it reached the other end too).  It tasted pretty good for the price I'm paying (I've had worse luncheon meat from chap fan stalls).

Then there was the Roti Ham with Egg @ RM6.80 which is made up of store-bought ham with omelette....and the omelette is always fluffy and tasty.  I don't mind processed ham (prefer them over processed sausages) and would buy them all the time to make sandwiches at home coz they're the simplest to assemble.

Finally, I might as well go for the Roti Fish Fillet with Egg @ RM7.40 too just to try every version possible...lol.  Just like the earlier luncheon meat sandwich, the fish sandwich was also encassed in an omelette.

As expected, the fish is probably the frozen, commercially-produced kind though it didn't taste like the fried breaded ones that stalls use for our local version of western breakfasts.  The texture of this one was more like fish paste.  I was ok with it but my son didn't quite like it.

To wrap up their choices of sandwiches, they also offer Roti Hotdog with Egg (RM6.80) and Roti Cheese with Egg (RM6.20).  Besides sandwiches, they also have meat & egg, cheesy pork meat and chicken chop burgers as well as cheesy pork or chicken, chocolate banana and smoke duck wraps.

My Personal Opinion

This type of simple sandwiches is a favourite breakfast choice of mine whenever I can't decide what to eat or don't want too heavy a breakfast like nasi lemak or a bowl of noodles.  I'd pick our localised sandwiches over western-type sandwiches anytime especially when the latter involves the use of baguettes which I find crusty, hard and dry.

What is it about these sandwiches that's so comforting to us?  We make these luncheon meat, ham, omelette and bakwa (especially during CNY) sandwiches at home all the time...but having someone make these for me is even better! ^_~

It's becoming more difficult to find makers/sellers of these types of sandwiches nowadays...they're a dying breed.  There used to be a stall (in a coffee shop) selling this in my neighbourhood and a food truck plying this at a nearby wet market but both have disappeared.  So, I'm happy to have found this one through ShopeeFood.....and I've been ordering it regularly.

Roti Bakkwa

One Shamelin Food Court

2 & 4 Jalan 5/91A

Taman Shamelin Perkasa

Cheras 

56100 Kuala Lumpur