A Gift of a Little Black Pastry Box

Recently, I was privileged to be at the receiving end of a little black box (oh God, no, not the airplane kind)...a little black pastry box, that is.  Well, I've heard of a little black dress (you know, that versatile little black dress that seems to fit any occasion that every stylish lady has in her closet at one time or another)...but not a little black box.

Well, now there's a Little Black Pastry Box of artisanal hand crafted pastries that's perfect as a gift for loved ones for any occasion.  I was introduced to these artisan handcrafted pastries recently when I received the gift of a little black pastry box....and not just one, mind you, but three such boxes! :O

And no....I didn't receive it because of a special occasion or a celebration of some sort.  I got it from my neighbour's daughter (it was a surprise alright!) who lives in Australia.  Well, it was her way of thanking me for helping her parents out when they were under home quarantine.  You see, my neighbours (who are retirees) visited their son in the US in February (just after Chinese New Year) and got stuck there for close to 6 months after the pandemic hit.  They finally managed to return in late July and had to undergo two weeks home quarantine.  They were actually lucky as they returned just days (three, I think) before the government announced that overseas returnees were no longer allowed to quarantine at home but had to do so at government designated places.  So, I was tasked with getting them their groceries during the quarantine. They just gave me a list or let me know what they need and I go out and get it for them.  It was no trouble at all.  Occasionally, whenever possible, I would tapau cooked food for them too (just to give them a break from their own cooking).

And this was my neighbour's daughter's way of saying thank you.  I told them it wasn't necessary + it was too much since my neighbour had already earlier brought home gifts for me from his son when they returned.  My neighbours (and their children) are just too courteous.  It's not that I went out of my way...I go out to buy groceries and food (for myself) too, so it was just a case of buying extra on my trips.

Anyway, coming back to the little black boxes, you can just google little black pastry box (I did) and it'll take you to their online ordering website and facebook in case you want to check them out.  With so much sweet stuff to get through, I had to call in reinforcements (aka my sisters-in-law) to help with the eating! ;P

Let me show you what's inside little black box no. 1...with a fancy French name of Fleur Pour Vous (RM53) which means flowers for you.  There's also a version of chocolate-flavoured cupcakes in colours of pink and peach (called Cupid Cups, RM48) that's ideal if you're planning to send it to the lady in your life.

They were pretty flower cupcakes in flavours of vanilla and vanilla mixed berries.  The presentation was absolutely beautiful.  Don't you think they're just too pretty to eat? ;)

I took close-up shots of the cupcakes to show you just how intricate the buttercream frosting designs were and how stunningly gorgeous the end result.  The dark blue and green ones really resemble chrysanthemums...and those roses in a lovely tiffany blue...pretty as a picture.

Luckily, they weren't just pretty, they were lusciously delectable too.  The cupcakes and buttercream frosting weren't too sweet though I was quite frightened off by the amount of buttercream initially.  Thankfully the buttercream wasn't cloying but because colouring was used to achieve the desired colours and design, watch out...you'll most probably end up with a blue tongue! :D

Opening little black box no. 2, it was certainly the most alluring and one with the most variations.  This gem inspired dessert called The Mystical Sapphire (RM109) will have the ladies swooning over its beauty. 

With a name like sapphire which, incidentally, it's my second most loved gemstone...after diamonds (coz diamonds are a girl's best friend mah :P) with a bluish theme (my favourite colour) coursing through four different desserts, it was a sight to behold when the box was opened.

With this box you get four different varieties of desserts:

• One jasmine mousse with cherry jelly & sapphire gems
• One chocolate mousse with mango jelly & clear crystals
• Four chocolate macarons with topaz gems
• Four chocolate pralines with white chocolate ganache & raspberry jelly dusted with blue & silver edible dust

The heart-shaped jasmine mousse is the perfect gift for your Valentine, don't you think?  I didn't taste this one.  The sapphire gems were just sugar crystals with some touches of blue colouring and edible gold leaf for that luxury touch.

Now the chocolate mousse was probably the most gorgeous of the lot.  They call this the blue marble and it looks like a shiny marble indeed.

Here's a cross section of it just to show you all the chocolaty goodness inside.  It was luscious...but also a little sweet for me.

The four chocolate macarons with topaz gems (similar to the sapphire gems) were adorably dainty.  The macarons with a chocolate ganache filling were super sweet (as most all macarons are).  Love the baby blue colour though.

Finally, four chocolate pralines complete the box.  You'd be better off admiring the stunning hexagon-shaped gems from a distance than eating it as they were beyond sweet (and all that glitter of edible dust will transfer to your fingers and lips).

Finally, inside little black box no. 3 was A Choux Box (RM59) of choux pastry in flavours of strawberry cream cheese, chocolate hazelnut and pandan.  There's also a version of plain ones (Choux Simplicity, RM39) in a mixture of vanilla and chocolate flavours.

I enjoyed these the most probably because I love to eat cream puffs (with just a simple pastry cream filling) to begin with for its light, crisp and airy texture. ^.^

My favourite was the strawberry cream cheese one coz it offered a slight tang in the strawberry topping from the sweetness of the choux pastry.  It was also a tad less sweet compared to the other two.

Oh my, these are so perfectly done with a shiny glaze on top...uniform, identical, cute as a button.....and absolutely desirable too.  Well, this one at least tasted as good as it looked.

Even the packaging is impressive.  A very good quality hard box in black that's stylish, elegant and ritzy.  In other words, so atas-lah (high-class)! :P  Guys, imagine sending this to your girlfriend, fiancee or wife....at the office....their colleagues will go "aww" and you will score some extra brownie points! ;P

I have to say I wasn't aware of their existence until I received a few of these little black boxes as gifts.  Personally, not to sound ungrateful or anything (it's the thought that counts and I do appreciate the gesture), I probably wasn't as ecstatic as I could be at receiving such sweet gifts since I'm not a sweet tooth person (neither is my family) and don't really eat sweet stuff all that much (I only did a little taste test and left the rest to my sisters-in-law).  But I know of many ladies who would love to be at the receiving end of something like this and who would be in awe when they open the box.

So, you may wish to keep this Little Black Pastry Box in mind when you want to order a box of love and happiness to impress that special someone in your life.  They make ideal gifts to that special someone (or even friends and family) for special occasions like Valentine's, birthdays, Mother's Day, anniversaries or just about any celebration.  It can also simply be for your own personal indulgence and guilty pleasure (we won't judge)! ^o^

Some New Food Alternatives I Tried because of the MCO

Well, with the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) being imposed upon us once again (with more stringent measures being lined up in the immediate future), it looks like there'll be more cooking in the not too distant future.  Having said that, I have to say I found a couple of new finds (food related-lah, of course) because of the MCO.  Let's start with everyone's favourite canned meat.

#1 - Luncheon Meat

I had to eat other brands of luncheon meat coz beggars can't be choosers.  During the MCO (and post-MCO), you don't have the luxury to get the specific brand you want, you just get what was available.  In fact, during the MCO, luncheon meat was hard to come by as they were hoarded sold out everywhere.  Post-MCO, I still cannot find my favourite brand of luncheon meat and it was during the CMCO and RMCO that I tried out 3 other brands (I had no other choice).

#1.1 - Lotte Luncheon Meat from Korea (RM13 for a 340g can)

This metal can is very easy to open and the luncheon meat slides out effortlessly from the can which is a far cry from some of those that takes so much effort to release the luncheon meat from the can.

Surprise, surprise...I liked it a lot!  It was fragrant and tasty but slightly oilier than the other two brands I tried.

#1.2 - Golden Bridge Luncheon Meat from Singapore (RM14 for a 340g can)

This one was pretty tasty too, just not as fragrant as Lotte (and not as easy to get out of the can compared to Lotte).  If you're a health freak (but is still tempted by luncheon meat), this is probably your best bet as it's gluten free with no MSG added (I can hear Uncle Roger dissing this one already....haha!).

A supermarket promoter told my sister-in-law that this can even be eaten by cancer patients...well, I'm sure cancer patients will be thrilled to hear that...but is there even such a thing as healthy luncheon meat?.....hmmm...but, for your peace of mind, I didn't find the words sodium nitrite in the ingredient list of this can which the other two have. :P

#1.3 - Mei Ning Luncheon Meat from China (RM12 but it's only a 198g can)

This one is obviously pricier than the other two since it comes packed with chopped ham bits.  Expect the luncheon meat to be more difficult to slice evenly because of the ham.

Otherwise, this one tastes ok too but my least favourite of the three...partly because of the higher price + the ham bits are kinda troublesome (in terms of slicing and frying as they tend to get detached).

At the end of the day, did any one of these three unseat my favourite YiGe brand?...nope, not quite....but they're good alternatives and they'll have to do until I find my YiGe again!

#2 - Fried Dace with Salted Black Beans (RM12)

During the MCO, I also couldn't find my favourite brand of fried dace with salted black beans or dou si yue (it's some China brand, don't know the name as everything is written in Chinese).

I've eaten Golden Maid Fried Dace, Eagle Coin Fried Dace and some other brands I don't even bother to remember the names as none were able to match or even come close to the standard and taste of my favourite one.  Even my sister-in-law got me one brand to try during the MCO (that one actually turned out the worst).

#3 - Pork Meatballs (RM11 for 15)

These pork meatballs that I discovered from my neighbourhood pork butcher shop has become a staple in my freezer.  They sell a variety of pork meatballs but these ones (which looks more homemade because of their uneven texture) are my favourites and they come either plain or with spring onions.

I use them regularly in soup noodles (I even add them to instant noodles) + it's also a great addition as the meat component in soups.  Can be kept frozen for a long time, it's so convenient you don't even have to bother to make your own meatballs.

#4 - Bacon (RM13 for 250g)

This was a very recent find when I was looking to get more meatballs from the same shop and found them in the chiller.  I was shocked to find out that it cost only RM13 which works out to be about RM5 per 100g or RM1 a slice (you get 10 -16 slices per pack depending on the size of each slice).

Taste-wise, it was just like any delicious, pricier bacon I've been buying from supermarkets.  Now I know where I can get my hands on some good tasting, cheap bacon...and you bet there'll be more morning breakfasts like these in the future...hehe! ;)

#5 - XO Shrimp Sambal (RM7.50 for a 230g bottle)

But the gem of a find has to be this XO Shrimp Sambal that I first saw sold by my vegetable vendor at my neighbourhood small wet market right after the MCO.  I don't know what's the actual name of this sambal (since it's written in Chinese), so I just look for the distributor's name (Siang Sheng Food Enterprise) to confirm it's the same one.  Warning: Comes with MSG!

During the MCO period, I noticed quite a few vendors selling ready-made sambal and pastes (to ease cooking convenience).  I bought from the vegetable vendor for RM10 a bottle but never saw him sell it again at his stall.  Anyway, I found it later at my neighbourhood vegetable/fruit shop at only RM7.50 and bought my second bottle (now I know where I can replenish stocks).

The XO Shrimp Sambal is fragrant and delicious, savoury and sweet, and only slightly spicy (you can certainly taste the hint of sweetness in the sambal).

The sambal can be used in many ways....or eaten just straight from the bottle.  Great as dips too.  I use it as a (quick) chilli paste substitute for my fried ikan bilis and potatoes.

It goes really well with fried rice.  I stir-fry some of it together with the fried rice and finish by sprinkling even more on top.  So good.  I even sprinkle on bought fried rice.

When I'm lazy to pound my own chilli paste, I use it to fry vegetables too....like french beans and kangkung. For a super quick vegetable dish, I would even sprinkle them on top of steamed okra or eggplant.

And best of all, you don't have to pay over RM50 (!) for a super expensive bottle of say Lee Kum Kee XO Sauce (220g) when this makes for a worthy, tasty and much cheaper substitute. ^o^

Let's face it, some of us have never cooked as much as we've done in our lives since the MCO was enforced on us, so we look for quick and easy alternatives to help with our cooking, more so when some of us aren't great cooks (I need all the help I can get + there'll be some tired days of cooking when we just want to put something fast on the table).

The MCO forced me try new alternatives which I wouldn't have done under normal circumstances if not for the MCO.  I would just stick to my usual try and tested brands.  I'm glad to have discovered some new alternatives because of the MCO.  Have you found any new foodstuff (as a result of the MCO) that you liked too? ^_~

Kapital (Vegetarian) Kafe @ Pandan Kapital, Pandan Indah

Pandan Kapital is a rather rundown shopping complex in Pandan Indah.  You don't find many shoppers here and I'm amazed that they're still in operation until now.  People don't really visit Pandan Kapital to shop other than to buy groceries from Giant, one of the tenants.  I come here for only one reason...and that's to eat at Esquire Kitchen which has a branch here.

And it was because of such visits to Esquire Kitchen that I noticed this Kapital Kafe @ Pandan Kapital as you have to walk past this eatery to get to Esquire Kitchen.  They're not an enclosed eatery but a set-up of what I'd call an inside alfresco with seating out in the open on the floor space of the shopping complex.  Although I've been aware of the existence of this restaurant for a while, it used to serve Malay food as I recall.  I don't know when it was changed to this vegetarian restaurant but I noticed they were gaining more customers (even Malays eat here since the food is vegetarian), so we decided to give it a go one evening.

Let's start with the so-called meat dishes aka mock meat-lah.  First up, Special Fried Mushrooms @ RM14 in a sweet and sour sauce that's always a favourite.  The batter coating was surprisingly crisp but I don't think I've ever had dried shiitake mushrooms deep-fried before.  I thought the flavour of the dried Chinese mushrooms was too intense for this dish and the sweet and sour sauce was a bit too sweet but I did love the inclusion of pineapple chunks in the dish.  The earthy mushrooms were also very meaty making this dish rather filling.

The Salted Egg Mushrooms @ RM14 fared much better than the previous mushroom dish.  The taste of the salted egg (wished there was more) and the fragrance of the curry leaves made this dish very appetising.  Not sure what type of mushrooms were used but they certainly tasted better than the dried shiitake mushrooms. They were probably eryngii (or king oyster mushrooms) though it was listed as enoki (probably wrongly translated since the menu was predominantly in Chinese).

Of all the mock meat dishes, I enjoyed the recommended (aka with a thumbs up on the menu) Butter (Vegetarian) Fish @ RM12.70 the most.  They managed to get the batter on the mock fish light and crispy with the butter sauce slightly sweet and tangy.

Of course, tofu is expected to feature abundantly on menus of any vegetarian restaurant.  We had the Guai Ma Tofu @ RM10.60 (no idea what guai ma means) which (to me) is similar in looks to any braised tofu dish (minus the meat) but with vegetables instead (of cabbage, carrot, long beans, peas and mushrooms).

We also tried the recommended Jiu Yim (Pepper Salt) Tofu @ RM10.60 that was stir-fried with red and green bell peppers, cabbage and onions.  Although I was happy with the silken tofu cubes that had a crisp outer layer while the inside remained superbly soft, they were not only dusted with salt and pepper but also tossed in five-spice powder before frying which left the tofu with an overwhelming taste of five-spice for me (but my family enjoyed it).

Since this is a vegetarian restaurant after all, vegetables would certainly be expected to feature abundantly in many of their dishes like this simple dish of Fu Yue Yau Mak @ RM10.60 (stir-fried romaine lettuce with fermented bean curd).

We also loved the Claypot Curry Mix Vegetables @ RM12.70 which is a favourite order of ours here (and even at non-vegetarian restaurants).  At tai chow places, they usually do it with fish head (or fish meat which we prefer) but with solely vegetables is our no. 1 choice (since my family don't like to eat fish all that much nor deal with fish bones).

The one here, filled with vegetables of long beans, eggplant, ladies finger, cabbage, potato and tofu puffs, was very satisfying with well balanced flavours in the curry, just missing a bit more of that creamy santan that I crave.  I especially liked the addition of chunky and adequately soft potatoes.

But I have to say the Yin Yong Kai Lan @ RM12.70 came out top of the list (for me) and that's because they do it two ways here (I guess that's why it's referred to as yin yong).  It's similar to the kai lan (Chinese broccoli) dish I first had many years back at a Chinese restaurant (not sure who came up with the idea of doing it two ways first which was later copied by many other restaurants and tai chow places).

The leaves are deep-fried till super crispy while the stems (sliced diagonally and somewhat thinly) are stir-fried and remained crunchy to the bite.  You can't see much of the stems as they're hidden beneath all the leaves.  I don't buy kai lan to stir-fry at home often because I don't like to eat the hard-textured stems but seeing how they treat the stems here, I'll be encouraged now to buy those thick-stemmed kai lan...and copy them.

The kai lan was a little salty and a little sweet, so I'm guessing some sugar was used in the cooking of the dish (probably to take away some of the bitterness from the kai lan).  We would order this dish each time we're here...and based on the three photos, it's obvious we've been here three times by the time this post was written. :P

The restaurant also offers various types of fried rice and noodles (like this Ginger Beef Kway Teow @ RM10.40) as well as single vegetarian dishes with rice.  I don't mind paying a bit more for the Chinese Tea (RM1.50) here since it tastes a lot better than many of its equivalent.

My Personal Opinion

I can't say I'd go out of my way to seek out vegetarian restaurants even though I do love to eat vegetables as I'd still prefer to have some proteins at the same meal.  Having said that, a vegetarian meal every now and then wouldn't hurt anyone and finding this decent one in our neighbourhood was a welcome surprise.

A dinner of four dishes for a family of three cost only around RM60 (including rice and drinks)...and that, to me, is what I call super value at very affordable prices.

I won't say everything is good here but there are enough choices to make for a decent vegetarian meal when we feel like it and I can foresee us coming back here regularly for some of our no-fuss family meals when the cook isn't cooking! ^_~

Kapital Kafe

60GF Pandan Kapital

Jalan Pandan Utama

Pandan Indah

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 013-277 7727