Delirium Cafe @ Suria KLCC

I read about this place initially from The Star newspapers but didn't think I'd visit since Delirium Cafe @ Suria KLCC, known for its world-renown Belgium craft beer, is more of a beer bar than anything else...and I don't drink beer! :P

But walking past the place looking for an early lunch one day, I chanced upon their lunch specials prominently displayed on the sidewalk.  A friendly-looking guy (not to mention easy on the eyes ^_~) immediately came out to greet us (there were another three ladies beside us who were looking at their menu too).  Now that's the way to go about getting more customers...with service and charm....and we couldn't say no (neither could the three ladies)...kekeke! ;)

We chose a seat in our preferred space, the air-conditioned area, which is quite a small space compared to the rest of the cafe.  This is one cafe that has more alfresco seats than air-conditioned seating. Understandably so, as the alfresco area, overlooking the KLCC park and water fountain, is probably the preferred seating for most beer drinkers.

Walking through the alfresco area, I certainly felt that I could be very comfortable seated in this area as it wasn't humid at all (even in the afternoon), so it'll be even cooler in the evenings when drinking starts.

Love the abundance of greenery surrounding the alfresco area.

That's the open bar with 12 beers on tap (coz I see 12 mini pink elephants...hehe!) and a good selection of over 100 types of the finest Belgium craft beers but don't expect prices to be cheap as these are imported beers and not your typical kopitiam beers.

It's impossible to miss the place...not when there's a giant pink elephant, standing tall and proud that's ever so cute (perhaps not as cute as Dumbo), waiting to welcome you.

Looking at the menu, the prices seem to be a tad on the higher end.  That's what I thought too when I commented about the RM89 mussels pot which I first read on eatdrinkkl...and guess what?  It's now RM139! O_o  I did notice the menu said that it comes with imported Belgian fries...hmmm, must be very expensive these imported Belgian potatoes.  I wonder if they taste any different from regular potatoes as I can't remember if I've had Belgian fries before.

But their Lunch Specials @ RM29, on the other hand, were totally the opposite....great value for money...and inclusive of complimentary drink and dessert some more! ^_~  You have four choices to choose from.

We went with the Lunch Special of Mama Fried Chicken Chop as our first pick with deep-fried crispy chicken, fries, petite salad and black pepper gravy.  The portion was huge for the price.

The fried chicken chop was super crispy and that's clearly evident from the photo of its crunchy batter (a bit too crunchy for me) that made the chicken a tad dry (but was glad to find the batter well seasoned).  I suppose the dryness could be helped with the black pepper gravy, which was chunkier than usual, but also a saltier rendition.

Some would appreciate the super crisp fries and there was a generous amount of it underneath the chicken chop but I prefer them fluffier (they were a tad overfried that day in my opinion).  The salad (of lettuce, onions, cherry tomatoes, yellow bell peppers and sunflower seeds) provided a fresh bite and was a welcome relief to the dryness on the plate.

Our second Lunch Special choice was the Skillet Beef Aglio Olio consisting of pan-seared beef fillet and spaghetti served with a slice of crisp garlic and herbed baguette.

Looking at the price of the beef aglio olio, I wasn't expecting much from the beef in terms of quality actually and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was of decent quality.  The beef was cooked well....to medium with still a slight pinkish centre.  I was anticipating it to be cooked all the way through seeing that it was a rather thin slice of fillet.  What was even more astonishing was just how tender the beef was...and sufficiently juicy as well. ^o^

The spaghetti with roasted garlic and olive oil was tossed in butter as well...a little too buttery for my taste. Loved the sweet roasted garlic but would have liked to see a bit more chilli flakes to up the heat level.

Complimentary drink choice was Iced Lemon Tea (other option is any can soda).

Complimentary dessert of one scoop of Ice Cream of the Day happened to be vanilla (our favourite) which came with a little chocolate twirl.  Turned out quite delicious surprisingly (better than most ice cream I've had that came free with set meals).

Interesting trivia:
The receipt mentioned Acme Bar & Coffee and their website says Delirium Cafe by Acme, so I'm guessing they're under the same management (or ownership) of Acme or, at least, have some affiliation with Acme.

My Personal Opinion

The beef aglio olio was certainly the better lunch set of the two (in terms of taste) but the fried chicken chop set was a generous portion which some may appreciate.

The tender beef, perhaps not so much in terms of flavour of the beef, caught me by surprise and that dish alone is enough to entice me back to see what else they offer (some nibbles caught my attention too)...plus there are still the other two set meals to try. ^_*

A great place to relax and hangout with colleagues (after work) or friends (in the weekends)...especially so if you're a beer enthusiast...with a few nibbles in hand!

Delirium Cafe
G48 Ground Floor Suria KLCC
50088 Kuala Lumpur

Spring Garden @ Suria KLCC

The cuisine of choice is almost always Chinese when we want to accommodate a table of ten for a family dinner and it was no different this time.

The venue was Spring Garden Restaurant @ Suria KLCC (part of the Tai Thong Group of Restaurants).  I've only eaten at this one (once or twice) and the one in Cheras (a few times) prior to this.

By the time my family arrived (we were the last ones there), my sister-in-law had already made the orders, so I may not know the actual names of the dishes as all I have are the brief descriptions listed on the receipt.

The first dish to arrive was the Seafood Treasure Plate (S) @ RM188 (RM288 for large).  This one I know as it's a special listed on their table stand menu.  You can opt to add on abalone, scallops, fish balls or more tiger prawns, green mussels and mushrooms.

We didn't choose to add on more stuff as the plate (or more like mini wok) was already full of seafood treasures with a whole roasted fish, tiger prawns, mussels, shiitake and enoki mushrooms, tofu, pineapples, Chinese cabbage, soybean sprouts, tomatoes and a vegetable that tastes like "tong oh" (edible chrysanthemum leaves).  My brother-in-law says it's celery leaves.  Well, whatever leaves they were, I disliked it immensely as it tasted 'stinky' to me and wished they weren't in the pot! :(

The roasted fish was sweet and flaky and the clear broth tasted good too although, towards the end, the broth intensified in flavour to taste a bit more on the salty side as it continued to simmer throughout our meal.  The rest of the seafood tasted fresh and I liked the addition of pineapples in the broth that brought some sweetness.

The Beef Tenderloin Cubes @ RM96 (we asked for 2 portions) @ RM96 (I was told) was recommended by the restaurant.  Cooked with shimeji mushrooms and onions in a sticky sweet sauce (almost Marmite-like), the beef chunks were tender and moreish.

The next dish was a vegetable dish of Lily Bulb with Honey Peas (again, this is the price for 2 portions) @ RM60 which had lily bulb petals, celery, honey or sugar snap peas, carrots, shiitake and eryngii mushrooms. Lily bulb (a kind of root vegetable) can be easily mistaken for white onions as they look rather similar if you ask me.  This healthy dish with crunchy vegetables had nice clean flavours.

We finished with a Seasonal Vegetable of "Ching Long Choy" (portion x 2) @ RM58.  This "Ching Long Choy" (green dragon chives) is best simply stir-fried with garlic.  It retains a nice crunchy texture, but yet soft, if it's not overcooked.  It's fast becoming one of my favourite vegetables.

With Titbits x 4 @ RM22 and Jasmine Tea per pax @ RM4.50, the total bill came to slightly above RM500 for our table of 9 though I think the amount of food seems to be more suited for a table of 5.  Well, it's good to eat modestly sometimes, right?  Though some may beg to differ or need supper after that! :D

My Personal Opinion

I have to admit that the food was more than decent as all four dishes we had were well executed.  But prices may be on the high side and it'll be even pricier if we take the portion size into consideration.  We ordered two portions for each of our dishes but the portion size actually seems more like one portion (when compared to other places)...hehe! ;D

So, if you're a small-eater or someone who loves petite portions, then the food here could be just right for you. For me, it's one of those 'once in a long while' places to visit :)

Spring Garden Restaurant
Lot 413 & 414 4th Floor
Suria KLCC
Kuala Lumpur City Centre
50088 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2166 9881

Yuzu Japanese Restaurant @ Suria KLCC

We happened to be in this mall one public holiday and decided to have lunch at none other than our usual 'go to' Japanese restaurant in KLCC, Yuzu Japanese Restaurant @ Suria KLCC.

Since we were there in the afternoon, it meant we could finally get to savour their affordable lunch set menus...yay! ^_^  We've always enjoyed their dinner sets but we've been eyeing their value set lunches for a while now but weren't able to have any since we were never there in the afternoon.  Their lunch sets, available from 11.30 am to 2.30 pm (I think it's daily since the menu didn't say Monday - Friday), are much cheaper (RM28 - RM56) than the dinner sets.

Our choice for the first set was the Saba Shioyaki Bento @ RM38.  It had so many dishes and sides that even a big-eater will be pleased.  A smaller-eater may need a bit of willpower to polish off everything.

It came with salmon sashimi, tempura prawns and vegetables, chawanmushi, salad, miso soup, some pickled vegetables, rice and fresh fruits (of watermelon, honeydew and grapes).  In the end, I wasn't able to finish all the sides.

The main of Saba with Shio (BBQ mackerel with salt) was nicely grilled rendering moist-enough flesh with a lovely charred flavour.

Our other set was....what else but the Unagi Bento @ RM56.  Ok, this one maybe not as cheap-lah if we were to compare it directly with the dinner sets which also offer unagi (between RM59 - RM69) with slightly different variations.

The grilled unagi in teriyaki sauce was served with some shredded omelette.  The unagi is always good here...it ranks among some of our all-time favourite unagi.

It also featured similar side dishes as the one above with salmon sashimi, tempura prawns and vegetables, chawanmushi, salad, miso soup, pickled vegetables, rice and fresh fruits.

My Personal Opinion

Yuzu continues to satisfy us with their food each time we dine here.  Their a la carte menu (albeit with higher prices) is so extensive you'll be spoilt for choice.

But if you're looking for a more affordable Japanese meal, their lunch and dinner sets will certainly be better value...and better priced.  Probably three not-very-hungry people can share two sets for even greater value! ;)

Yuzu Japanese Restaurant

Lot 412 4th Floor Suria KLCC
Kuala Lumpur City Centre
50088 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2161 4176

Madam Kwan's @ Suria KLCC

When I was working in the area (a long time ago), Madam Kwan's @ Suria KLCC was a regular haunt for lunches with my colleagues then as it was within walking distance from our office.  We'd sneak out earlier than our scheduled lunch hour (so that we can guarantee ourselves seats quickly)...those were the days and, although I've been to Madam Kwan's other outlets (sporadically), I have not stepped into this particular outlet since.

So, when I was here on a weekend, I decided to revisit this old place for dinner.  Back then, the place was so popular that there would always be long queues at peak meal times....and it was no different today (still packing in the crowds!).  There's even a Miss Kwan's here serving more or less the same food.

The matriarch of the family as well as the business, the grand old dame must be in her eighties now...and that's actually how she looks like in real life too with her trademark hat and scarf.

A dining experience at Madam Kwan's wouldn't be complete without having one of her most famous items on their menu and that's her signature Nasi Bojari @ RM24.90 (new price RM29.90) with assam prawns, beef rendang and a whole deep fried chicken leg served with tri-coloured rice of red, yellow and white on a piece of banana leaf.  Other condiments of hard-boiled egg, cucumber and tomato slices complete the dish.

If I had to choose my top item of the dish, it would be the fried chicken.  Totally fragrant and aromatic from whatever spices used in the marinade, the chicken is fried to perfection to offer a crunchy skin and moist, tender meat....so good! ;)

The dish of assam prawns uses fresh and fairly good-sized prawns with lots of shredded onion.  A tad on the sour side for me but still acceptable nonetheless.  The beef rendang, in shreds, resembled the texture of pulled pork with the same degree of tenderness but not quite having the authentic rendang and kerisik flavours.

The simple but commendable dish of Fried Rice @ RM17.90 (new price RM20.90), fried with chicken, egg and salted fish that had a bit of "wok hei" going on.

On another day, after a bit of shopping on my own, I decided to stop by for a late breakfast.  The first thing that greeted me was a new menu (on the left)...yikes!  And we all know what happens when we get a new menu! >.<  To accommodate new prices!! :'(

I went with a crowd pleaser, the dish of Nasi Lemak @ RM21.90 (old price RM17.90) with aromatic coconut steamed rice, chicken curry, sambal ikan bilis, dried shrimp floss, hard boiled egg, acar and cucumber.  What can I say, it's still a respectable nasi lemak.

I'm not sure if I was lucky and gotten two pieces of chicken (thigh & drumstick) or it's now the only cut used or it's been like this all this while (I can't recall).  I surely wasn't going to complain as those are my favourite parts.  The chicken curry was still good although I faintly remember that it used to be thicker.

Whenever I dine at Madam Kwan's, my dessert of choice has always been the Sago Gula Melaka @ RM9.90.  I never saw the need for any other dessert (though I've had the Cendol once before I reverted back to my favourite dessert) here.

What I like most is that the gula melaka is always served separately which is great for people like me who don't like it sweet.  Just a light drizzle is quite enough for me.

This is a simple dessert that Madam Kwan does extremely well...it's the combination of biting into cooked-just-right pearls of sago with good gula melaka coupled with the absolutely thick and fragrant coconut milk that seals the deal.  It's still the best sago gula melaka for me.

Fresh Orange Juice @ RM9.90

Teh Tarik (Cold)  @ RM5.90

I noticed this on the table.  Looks like it's one of their new items....jumbo prawns made four ways...Fish Noodle Soup with Jumbo River Prawn (Sang Ha), Penang Prawn Noodle, Curry Noodle & Ipoh Kway Teow Soup all served with Ming Prawns.

My Personal Opinion

Even after a long layoff of not stepping into Madam Kwan's, I have to say that the food is still as I remembered though a tad overpriced (more so now that the prices have increased further)!  The food may not be as intriguing as the story behind Madam Kwan's but kudos to the team for maintaining the standards and tastes all these years.....since 1977!

It's great to see a restaurant going the distance with the same sought-after dishes (though the menu has expanded somewhat) that her customers first fell in love with and continue to still love after all these years.

So, for those who can look past the prices and want to relive the taste of Madam Kwan's....go get yourself her iconic Nasi Lemak or her ever popular Nasi Bojari! ^_*

Madam Kwan's
Lot 420/421 Level 4 Suria KLCC
Kuala Lumpur City Centre
Tel: 03-2026 2297/8

Chateraise Patisserie @ Suria KLCC

Chateraise Patisserie @ Suria KLCC, a famous Japanese pastry and cake shop, finally landed on our shores with its first store in Isetan KLCC.

Opened in March 2016, they have since opened another outlet in Isetan 1 Utama (in June) and, more recently, in Publika this month.

I've been to the one in KLCC in the mornings, at dinner time and on weekends....no queues to contend with whatsoever more than six months since opening...everything dies down after the initial hoo-ha (hehe!) :D

Walking into an outlet of Chateraise, you can't help but be mesmerised by the array of absolutely colourful and eye-catching cakes and pastries on offer, all air flown direct from Japan.

So many to choose from.....^o^

Decisions, decisions...which ones, which ones?.....>_<

And all so expensive wor.....T_T

In their marketing and promotion, you'll probably hear (or see) this over and over again.....Hokkaido Fresh Cream and natural water from Hakushu which supposedly make their sweets extra delicious.

The Strawberry Cube Cake @ RM13.50 is one of the hot selling items in Chateraise (No. 3 based on the display card).  This cake has fresh whipped Hokkaido cream sandwiched between two layers of Japanese sponge cake.

It's further topped with more cream and the fresh strawberries and single blueberry provided a fruity zing.  The cake is soft, light and airy and I found the sweetness just nice for my liking.

The cream isn't cloying at all (coz it's so light), so, you won't feel "jelat" eating it...but, in the remote chance that you do, the many strawberries on top provide relief in terms of acidity and freshness that will cut through any cloying taste that you might have.

The Legendary Fresh Cream Cake @ RM14.80 is their No. 1 hot selling cake here.  Looking at it, you can see that it's quite similar to the strawberry cube cake except this one had more of the fresh cream going down the sides of the cake and probably because of that, it was delicately sweeter for my taste buds.  I actually preferred the previous one just because it had less fresh cream.

I believe Japanese strawberries are juicier and sweeter but these ones weren't as sweet and luckily so, they (together with the layers of strawberry cream and fresh strawberry compote) provided some tartness to counter the sweetness of the fresh cream.  It was good but not legendary status...as its namesake....hehe! ;D

And you know I love my coffee, so I just had to get a piece of Supreme Tiramisu @ RM12.50 which quickly turned out to be not one of my better decisions.

It didn't have much of a coffee taste and the cocoa powder on top was flavourless and of a poor quality...it was like I was eating dry sand (to put it bluntly).  Bluek! >.<  It's safe to say you can skip this one entirely.

The Azuki Bean & Cream Pancake (aka dorayaki) @ RM4.80 is the No. 3 hot selling pastry in Chateraise....and I can understand why!  Coz it's so darn good!!  It consists of two small pancakes wrapped around a filling of Adzuki red bean paste and whipped cream.

Even Cookie knows a good thing when he sees one (he came to sniff it the moment I put it on the table to be photographed)! :D  This dorayaki was absolutely divine.

Let me give you a sneak peek inside :)  The whipped cream is so incredibly light, you feel you're eating foam (or air).  This actually reminded me of the lovely Creamy Anpan I had from The Loaf (another Japanese concept bakery).

Taking a bite of the ultra fluffy dorayaki, together with the absolutely delicious red bean paste, the sweetness was just right for me.  One bite and it's pure love....the best dorayaki I've had so far...and worth every cent of the RM4.80 I paid!  I can easily gobble up a few of these if I wanted to.  I'm so coming back for more!!

On another visit, I bought a piece of Fluffy Cream Roll and Japanese Sponge Cake to try.

And, as usual, here comes the "kepochi" (busybody) again.....always "nosing" around...haha! ^.^

The Fluffy Cream Roll @ RM4.80 is also one of their best selling items.  Roughly about 3.5 inches in diameter, it's quite the price to pay for such a small swiss roll-lookalike.  It was decent, maybe not quite as fluffy as initially thought, but the Hokkaido cream did its part to moisten the roll.

The Japanese Sponge Cake (aka castella) @ RM4.80 was a piece of cake about 3 x 2.5 inches (again a small piece).  This plain sponge cake was soft but a bit dense and dry.

I wonder if it's because of the long shelf life (it had a further 22 days from the date I bought it, actual shelf life could be longer, as opposed to 3 days for the cream roll and dorayaki).  I remembered the one from Lavender Bakery was fluffier and lighter.

Besides cakes and pastries, they also offer macarons and even these delightful looking dainty chocolates...so pretty!  And in their newly opened outlet in Publika, I also see (from their Facebook page) baked cheese tarts, mitarashi rice dumplings (?), fruit jellies, ice creams and sherbet (sorbet?).

My Personal Opinion

To know what's good here....just follow one simple rule.....stick to anything that has Hokkaido's fresh cream in them (*wink wink*) coz those that I tried that didn't have that fresh cream weren't as successful.

I've only scratched the surface with this one as there are loads more on to try but the high prices stop me dead in my tracks...though it won't stop me from getting my all-time favourite dorayaki! ^_*

Chateraise Patisserie
Isetan KLCC Concourse Level
Suria KLCC
Kuala Lumpur City Centre
50088 Kuala Lumpur