Millenium Eighty-Six @ Paramount Garden

I've been to this coffee shop, Restoran Millenium Eighty-Six @ Paramount Garden, numerous times for our Sunday breakfasts.

We're usually here to patronise just two stalls....one is the stall at the back of the shop that specialises in steam fish, fish head noodles and a variety of "tai chow" (stir-fry) noodles.

I shared the Steamed Garoupa Head Slices ("Sek Pan") and (Fried) Fish Head Meehoon with my mother-in-law.  Both dishes cost RM23 in total which saw an increase from RM21 the last time we were here.  I didn't ask for a breakdown of the prices, so I wouldn't know how much each dish went up by but my guess is RM1 each.

I still enjoy the subtle taste of the clear soup with coarse meehoon ("cho mai fun") and lots of fresh greens...and the slight hint of Chinese rice wine with the delicate steamed fish and silken tofu pieces.

Look-y what I found...an eyeball and a huge one at that! O_o  To some that may be one of the best parts of the fish head....to us it was not.  Even my M-I-L who loves the gelatinous parts of the fish wouldn't want to eat this! >.<

The other stall would be the one run by the adorable old lady selling "lor bak" (five-spice pork roll), "lo mai fan" (steamed glutinous rice) and "wu tao gou" (yam cake).

No increase in her prices...still RM2 for the steamed glutinous rice and RM3 for 2 pcs of yam cake, both still very good, especially her yam cake which is still one of the best (if not the best) around.

Eat it with her kick-ass, darn-good homemade chilli sauce (I have yet to find a better tasting chilli dip than hers).  You know what...I think she should just bottle her chilli sauce and sell them...it's that good! ^o^

Even my husband who likes to eat his lo mai fan with sweet sauce had to "kowtow" (bow down) to her when she insisted it's best eaten with her chilli sauce...well, who are we to argue with an 80+ year old lady, right? ;)

On one of our trips there recently, we didn't get to eat her wu tao gou or lo mai fan as she happily (and proudly) proclaimed that a lady bought her entire tray (she told me that this customer from Cheras doesn't come here very often).  On one hand I was happy for her that she managed to sell out quicky but on the other hand not so happy at being deprived of eating her wu tao gou and lo mai fan that day...haha! :D

Because of that, we had to settle for her Lor Bak @ RM12 which was acceptable.  Her lor bak may not be best around but we feel compelled to order from her just to ensure she has enough business.

This hard-working old lady definitely deserves our "love" for being so independent and running the stall by herself at her age.  And if you see her otak-otak and the yam-wrapped salted egg, make sure you get some coz those are good.

In our last trip here, we discovered a hidden gem in a plate of Nasi Lemak @ RM4 my son had with just fried egg.  A spoonful of the rice (even though it was a bit clumpy and soft) and I was immediately hooked...it was so, so fragrant.  The stall is located just in front of the shop.  This is a new stall and not the same nasi lemak that previously occupied the space.  You can smell the fragrant coconut milk-infused rice by just standing there...no kidding! ^.^

And I just had to ask what's her secret which she was more than willing to share.  It was a bit of a shocker when I found out the secret in her "nasi" that's "so, so lemak".  It's the use of coconut water to cook her rice (instead of water)! :O  And here I thought she just used a lot of santan to make her rice so fragrant.  Sadly, we didn't see her stall on our subsequent visits! :'(  I'm not sure if she's no longer there or she just weren't there when we visited.

But we did find two new stalls here.  The first was the chee cheong fun stall.  Judging from the looks of the reddish "tim cheong" (sweet sauce), this is Ipoh-style Chee Cheong Fun.  Unfortunately, the sauce wasn't good as it was leaning towards sourish (even the lor bak old lady concurred that there's not enough sweetness in the sauce when she saw me having it and graciously offered her tim cheong to me...haha!).

The other new stall is the beef ball noodles (now called Yang Ki).  One look at the stall owner and he obviously looked familiar.  I recognised him immediately from Pandan Indah's beef ball noodles (he is a dead ringer for his older brother who now runs the Pandan Indah branch).  I remembered him having a stall in Restoran Tong Fong in Seapark (called Yang Kee) but he has since shifted here (he told me).

His beef ball noodles are pretty good and, if you like oh-so-tender beef, their "Lobak Ngau Lam" (Braised Sirloin with Radish) is certainly worth a try (available on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays and only limited to 99 bowls or so the signboard said)! ^_~

My Personal Opinion

Our stalls of choice are still the one dealing in steam fish and fish head noodles and the fiesty grand ol' lady's lor bak stall with the best (and our favourite) yam cake.

We also wanted to add on our latest find which is the nasi lemak that's-so-lemak-it's-bonkers at the front of the shop but we couldn't find it on our later visits.  But then the new beef ball noodles stall gives us another good option here.  

Restoran Millenium Eighty-Six
13 Jalan 20/22
Paramount Garden
46300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor

Fish & Co @ Pavilion

I think it has been 3 years since I last stepped into Fish & Co @ Pavilion.  It was already late (after taking a tad too long for shopping), so I chose to have something quick as we wanted to head home soon.

The place still looks exactly the same as it did the last time I was here...not a single bit of refurbishing or upgrading in terms of looks.  A quick glance at the menu also revealed more or less the same stuff.

I went with the Arctic Fish & Chips @ RM22.95 served with chips and mayo dip (and realised when I was writing this post that it was the same one I had last time).  It came with two nicely battered and fried pieces of Atlantic Pollock fish fillets and the fillets were flaky and fairly moist but not as fresh as I'd like it to be though.

The fish fillets were fried till very crispy, so that warrants no complaint.  They were also of a decent size which two light eaters can share if they're not too hungry.  I also noticed a new entry in their fish & chips menu...the Salted Egg Fish & Chips (RM24.95).  I guess everyone is jumping on the bandwagon of anything salted eggs! ;D

We also had the Seafood Platter for 1 @ RM36.95 (yet again), their award-winning seafood platter that has a bit of everything with white fish fillet, grilled prawns and calamari served with two sides of choice, paella rice and chips.

The well charred calamari was a tad chewy for me (unlike previously) and their grilled prawns (still) needed a little bit more charring (for extra flavour) if you ask me.  Still, it was a good value dish which two people can easily share.

You can top-up your meal at a special price of RM10.95 (usual price is RM15.90) for a soup of the day (that day it was fish chowder) and a drink (iced tea/coke/sprite/passion fruit/orange juice).  The soup wasn't good and it was made worse by serving it barely warm (and I hate my soup lukewarm!) >:(  I really don't know how they can mess up such a simple thing....just keep the soup hot!

We had Pineapple Juice @ RM7.95 (not the fresh kind) and Iced Tea (as our promo drink).

Besides the ever popular stuff still gracing their menu, I did see a couple of new entries and one of the standouts was the introduction of customisable combos...and chicken (yeah, you heard right....chicken!!.....in a fish place!) ;D  I guess  they have to diversify to give their customers more choice.

Step 1 - Choose One Combo from either White Fish with Lemon Butter Sauce or Grilled Peri-Peri Chicken (or upgrade to Fried Chicken at RM2).

Step 2 - Choose Two Common Sides from Mashed Potatoes, Paella Rice, Chips, Seasonal Vegetables or Homemade Coleslaw.

Step 3 - Choose One Premium Side (which will determine the price of your combo) from either Baked Scallops (RM36.95), Crispy Soft Shell Crab (RM34.95), Golden Fried Fish (RM34.95), Grilled Salmon (RM36.95) or Grilled Prawns (RM36.95). 

My Personal Opinion

Well, they say "one bite 'n' you're hooked"....well, I used to be but not anymore since I've now had the privilege of eating better fish & chips elsewhere.  It's funny how things taste good at one time don't seem to be so later on in life (or vice versa, in some cases, like what bitter gourd used to be for me).  I think it's because our tastebuds got elevated (over time) from all that eating....I know mine did! ;)

But the fact that they continue to open more outlets (the latest one being in Sunway Velocity) goes to show that some still find their fish & chips worthy for its reasonable pricing and big portions.

Fish & Co
Lot C4.02.00 Level 4
Pavilion KL
168 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2141 1350

28 Fireplace @ Persiaran Ampang

With my friends' children making a ruckus at Flint, it was time to flee to somewhere else to catch up over a cuppa after a long hiatus of not meeting up.  We didn't want to get into our cars again, so we walked two doors down to 28 Fireplace @ Ampang.

The name of the place already conjures up a feeling of warmth and laidback coziness and that suited us fine after our sumptuous dinner at Flint.  We just needed a place to relax and chit-chat further.

To stay true to its name, there was a fireplace inside this 1 1/2-year-old Melbourne-inspired cafe...but only a decorative one, of course.  So, you'll just have to use your imagination if you want a real fireplace! ;P

I think we got there around 9pm and were kindly informed that their kitchen has just closed but coffees and cakes were still available (incidentally, they close at 11pm on Fridays & Saturdays).  Since we didn't finish on a sweet note at Flint (+ we couldn't even if we wanted to because of the racket the children were making), I courteously asked if they could accommodate us with some pancakes and French toast, two breakfast items that I spotted on the menu that could well 'qualify' as something sweet for us to end our meal (since we didn't feel like having cakes)...and they graciously obliged (which was very kind of them).

The Fatty Pancake @ RM22 featured two signature Fireplace pancakes served with blueberry compote and caramelised bananas (there's also an option with butter & maple syrup for RM16).  What we got was probably a combination of the two as it didn't seem to have any blueberry compote but it had caramelised bananas, butter and maple syrup.  Maybe they ran out of blueberry compote and they didn't want to make a fresh batch...and I certainly wasn't going to complain since they were more than gracious to extend their kitchen hours just to accommodate us.

I can see where the pancakes got their name as the two pieces of pancakes were fat alright.  Not only were they thick, they were fluffy and delicious....and they made for a good bite (unlike some thin pancakes that require a few layers to make a bite)! :P

The Classic French Toast @ RM13 comprised of four thick slices of butter bread with crushed peanuts finished with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Again, I liked that they were thick slices which made them extra fluffy and delish...and they had nice crisp edges too.  The crunch from the peanuts and the sweetness was just right from the drizzle of maple syrup as they didn't go overboard with the dusting of sugar.

And, of course, chit-chatting is always more pleasurable when there is coffee in the mix.  We ordered the usuals except for one, the Firebomb @ RM15, coz we were curious what a coffee and cream soda blend would taste like.  It was unique alright but not quite my cup of tea coffee probably because I prefer coffee with milk (I've never liked black coffee other than our local kopi-o...lol!).  But if you like black coffee, you'll probably find this both interesting and pleasurable, something different at least.

Iced Latte @ RM13

Iced Caramel Macchiato @ RM16

Hot Cappuccino @ RM12 (oops, my friend excitedly drank one before a photo could be taken...hehe)! ;)  It was great to catch up with one another and we stayed till closing time.

My Personal Opinion

This charming cafe has a warm (no pun intended) and welcoming vibe.  It's a great place for brekkies and coffees.  I'm sure you'll find something to your liking from their breakfast menu of big breakfasts, bagels, pancakes, french toast, eggs benedict, florentine or arlington, or even just a classic egg toast.  If that's not enough, they also have gourmet sandwiches, healthy salads and pastas for you to choose from.

Service is warm (again, no pun intended) and friendly.  I appreciated that they were very accommodating too to keep their kitchen open just a while longer for us.

I envy Ampang folks as they're so lucky to have this great coffee joint near them (as well as that fantastic steak place just two doors away).  Well, I suppose I ain't too far away myself and, as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, I'll be back! ^_~

28 Fireplace
28 Persiaran Ampang
55000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-4265 5077

#ewew cooks Corn on the Cob 3 Ways

Yes, I can't believe I've dedicated one whole post to the cooking of the humble corn! ;P  I was at the market the other day when my regular vegetable seller gestured me to buy his corn as he had lots of them for sale that day, so I bought some.

I like to eat sweet corn, especially when they're corn kernels tossed in butter (my favourite snack while watching movies in cinemas), but I've never bought and cooked corn at home (the only time I've ever bought corn was to make soup...and once when I tried to grill it in the oven and failed!).  So, I had to ask the seller how long I need to boil them for (coz when I buy them from a stall, that's how I find them...steeping in a big pot of hot water!).

But then he told me, "Aiyo, don't boil it, all the taste would be lost in the water.  Steam it!  10 minutes should be enough."  Aiks, till now, I've never thought that corn can be cooked by steaming, I thought it has always been boiled.  So, when I reached home, I googled how to cook corn!  Well, most sites will tell you to boil, microwave, bake or grill it.  I found only one that says to steam it.

So, after googling on how best to cook corn on the cob (other than boiling), I decided to experiment with my corn and try my hand at cooking it.....in 3 ways! ^_~

1.  Steam It

Shuck your corn and remove the silky threads.  Put a steamer rack or just any rack into your pan or wok. Make sure the water does not touch the rack.  Once the water comes to a boil, place your shucked corn on the rack and steam over medium heat.

I found a recipe online that say to steam it for 4 mins.  I steamed it for 10 minutes (I chose to listen to the vegetable seller) or until it becomes a deep yellow (that's how you tell or you could always poke it with a fork to see if it's tender enough).

Eat it just as it is for the most healthy option :)

2.  Oven-Roast It

Place the corn on the cob (with husk) directly onto the rack just as it is (if you happen to have many ears of corn to roast).

Or just put the single corn on a sheet pan.

And roast at 180°C for 30 mins.

Remove from the oven and peel off the husk.

Be careful, as the corn will be hot, so use a kitchen towel to hold onto your corn.  But the best (and most convenient) thing was, the layers of husk came off easily along with almost all the fine threads, so you don't have to deal with the messy job of removing the silky threads.

At this point, you can eat it as it is or slather some butter (I used half a knob of slightly salted butter but you can use the whole knob of 10g if you want to) and sprinkle more salt (and freshly cracked black pepper) over it.

The melted butter on the hot corn, the hint of salt and black pepper together with the sweetness of the corn makes the corn taste so much better...enjoy! ^.^

3.  Microwave It

Now this method was a revelation for me when I found out....what?.....microwave it while it's still in the husk without the need to even shuck it first? :O

Just put it on a microwave-safe dish and microwave it on high for 5 minutes.  Some websites will tell you to microwave it for 3 mins.  I did but found it a bit hard still when I pressed the cob, so I put it back and microwaved it for a further 2 mins and it came out perfect.

Beware as microwaving tends to trap steam, so use kitchen towels to hold on to your corn.  Take it out from your microwave oven, cut off the bottom of your corn and it will slide out easily (or so they say).  No, it didn't happen...at least not to my corn...haha!  I had to peel off the layers of husk (which was much harder to handle as it was hotter than the one that was oven roasted).  This method also eliminates the stringy mess of removing the fine threads.

Again, you could eat it as it is or slathered with butter and salt.  But my favourite way of eating sweet corn is remove the kernels from the corn.  I know, I know, a lot of us don't like to do that as it causes such a big mess...with the kernels ending up all over your chopping board (or around your sink or even on your floor)! >_<

That was until I discovered the trick to do it (from an episode of The Kitchen).  Simple...just use two bowls. Place a small bowl upside-down inside a large bowl.  Stand the end of the corn on top of the small bowl and cut the corn off the cob (the reason for the small bowl is so that you can cut right to the bottom of the corn). The kernels, instead of flying everywhere, will just fall and collect in the bottom of the larger bowl.  Or, if you're a baker and you have one of those Bundt pans, you could just prop the corn upright in the centre hole of the pan and slice down on the cob to remove the kernels.

After the kernels have been removed, toss them with butter and salt (and black pepper if you like)....and it'll be just like those corn in a cup you'd buy as a movie snack.  Yum, yum! ^o^

Of course, you could do it the most common way...boil it but since the flavour of the corn will be lost in the water, I think not.  I have boiled corn soup before where I'd agree that all the corn flavour is in the soup, so I believe cooking corn other than boiling it will certainly taste better.  Also, you don't have to deal with the messy threads when you microwave or oven-roast it.

Then there's the grill it method on a barbie (which will get you some nice charring) but since most Malaysian homes don't own a barbecue grill + it'll take too much trouble to set up a makeshift one, this doesn't seem like a viable option.

Of the 3 methods, which one would be your favoured option to cook corn on the cob?  I think all 3 methods have their own merits.  Microwaving will be the fastest and an option to consider when you want to make something quick to munch in front of the idiot box.  Can you imagine getting to eat fresh corn in just 5 minutes?  Wonderful, just wonderful :)

Oven roasting will be a choice if you're already using the oven to roast (say) chicken, then throwing in a few ears of corn into the same oven sounds like a wise option.  This would also be the best option if you intend to cook many ears of corn at one go (as many as the rack can fit).

Well, whichever way you choose, you're assured of perfectly cooked fresh, juicy, sweet corn in the comfort of your home.....anytime....every time! ^_~

Boxes Cafe @ Sunway Velocity

Even though I don't particularly dig this mall, I can't deny one overwhelming factor in its favour and that's the convenience of it located less than 10 minutes from where we stay.  After our maiden visit and first "makan" (eating) stop at Bentoya, we were back here again, this time for a very late dinner.

We wanted to try Boxes Cafe @ Sunway Velocity as I read about this pop-up container cafe when they were in Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC), a cafe amidst the EcoWorld gallery.  I liked what I saw then, so I thought it would a safe choice to eat here.  Now relocated to Sunway Velocity, they have kept with the 'container-style' decor.

It was close to 9pm by the time we got to Boxes Cafe.  A quick glance at the menu showed that they offer some breakfast options, soups, salads, burgers, pasta, chicken wings and waffles.  In fact, the various pasta dishes make up half of their menu with styles like tom yum, carbonara, salted egg and aglio olio...and you don't get a choice on the type of pasta.  I assume there's only one type available since they didn't ask us what we'd like! >_<

We went for pasta obviously, their Soft Shell Crab Salted Egg Pasta @ RM18.90 served with deep-fried soft shell crab (obviously) and linguine tossed in their homemade salted egg sauce topped with a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese (that looked like parmesan to me) and dried parsley.

First of all, the salted egg sauce looked yellowish instead of orangy.  Perhaps it's because they used the whole salted egg and not just the yolk?  That's why they called it salted egg sauce and not salted egg yolk sauce?  I don't know how to describe this salted egg sauce...all I can tell you is that you won't want more mouthfuls of it.  It had this dry yet sticky mouthfeel to it.  It feels like the sauce was made way ahead of time and left to the 'elements' for far too long.  Suffice to say that this dish was left unfinished.  The only saving grace was the edible soft shell crab.

The other pasta dish we tried was the Tomyam Seafood Pasta also @ RM18.90 that came with mussels, prawns and squid rings tossed in their homemade tomyam sauce.  This one was (at least) better than the salted egg sauce.  It had the makings of a tomyam sauce that was quite spicy.

The seafood of mussels and prawns were alright, just not super fresh.  Unfortunately, the first prawn I dug into wasn't cooked all the way through...yikes!  Since the prawns weren't particularly fresh, I decided to send it back to the kitchen.  I don't know why it took so long (it took them a good 5 - 10 minutes) to return with the dish as we were the only table still being served (there was just one other table occupied besides us).  Both the prawns came back neatly arranged (with one mussel as I ate one already before the dish was sent back), so I thought they fired up a new prawn for me.  But when I dug in with my knife and fork, I found the prawn head detached (which was my doing earlier on when I tried to eat the prawn), so I suspect I got back the same prawn! :O  I guess that's why it took so long for the dish to come back....they were trying to re-assemble the prawn!  Double yikes!! >:(

We also ordered a Mushroom Soup @ RM6.90.

As for the drinks, their Cone Coffee @ RM9.90 attracted my curiosity...and from the name, I assume it's coffee in a cone...and that was exactly what it was.  Except you get a waffle cone covered with a layer of melted (but frozen) chocolate on the inside of the cone filled with coffee.  The tiny amount of coffee in the cone (probably as much as an espresso cup) wasn't any good...and, worst still, the coffee was barely lukewarm.  I wasn't expecting the coffee to be hot coz, if it was, it would melt the chocolate inside very quickly...but I was hoping that it would be at least a bit warm.

The Cone Coffee came with a stand to hold the cone in case you need to put it down when you're eating. Unfortunately, they failed to take into account what would happen when you try to put the cone back in its stand once part of it has been drunk and eaten.  It became increasingly difficult to put in and take out the cone from the stand as the cone got shorter and shorter! :P

In the end, it's not worth the money for such a small portion of coffee.  A coffee in a cone may look pretty or instagrammable but neither practical nor tasty! >.<  In fact, the coffee was so difficult to drink that I welcomed the overly sweet melted chocolate to counter the bitterness and acidity.

The Summer Smash Smoothie @ RM11.90 is made up of a sweet concoction of pineapple and orange with some canned pineapple chunks.

And guess what?  When it was time to pay, they got our bills mixed up.  How?  I don't know.....there were only TWO tables of customers!!  I actually paid the other table's bill before realising the mix-up myself...and they subsequently refunded me the difference! >:(

My Personal Opinion

The two pastas dishes that we tried were the very two recommended pastas on their menu.  If their two 'must try' pastas already taste like this, I doubt I'll be bothered to try their other pastas.  Their coffee in a cone is also listed as a 'must try'....well, you know my verdict on that.

Perhaps, their other menu offerings fare better.....but I won't be back to find out! :(

P/S: If this Boxes Cafe is still run by the same people as the one from BBCC, they must have revamped the menu as the dishes (reviewed previously) are very different from the ones here (even similar dishes seem to have been given different names).

Boxes Cafe

4-08 Sunway Velocity Mall

Lingkaran SV

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-9202 6586