Straits Food Company, Bangsar

"It feels like being young again just by sitting in this restaurant" says my mother.  This restaurant is one of the latest blooming restaurant with fancy concepts that one can find in Bangsar. Nostalgic, Rustic and Elevated. The restaurant brings in Baba and Nyonya food; un-extravagant which to me is good because people love to eat classic food as it is, maybe some improvisation but not too much. 

I believed they walk the talk because the price here is rather cheap, for a restaurant in bangsar.

Simple and spacious

It is just the opposite of Institut Kesihatan Umum, so you won't possibly miss it

Food wise, I came here with an empty stomach so I enjoyed food more than usual.

Pai Tee RM 5.50.

Traditional peranakan snack of crispy 'Tophat' pocket packed with chopped vegetables, egg strips and fried shallots. It is recommended that you take the pai tee with the sambal provided because it is quite bland on my tongue if pai tee alone. But with sambal it is a good starter. 

Popiah Peranakan RM 4.50

Turnip stuffing, fresh corriander, fried shallots, bean sprouts, egg strips, cucumber, a dash of gula melaka sweet sauce, garlic and grounded red chilli. 

Just by looking at the wraps, immediately you will know it is home made wraps. Again, maybe a malay's tongue needs something spicy all the time. One good thing about the dishes so far, they are fresh and felt original. They are not fancy, they are not extravagant and they are not exclusive. But they are delicious as it brings back the taste bud that almost vanish in urban areas. 

Mee Siam RM 6.

Spice-fried bihun with cucumber and egg stripss, hard-boiled egg, fried shallots, lime and fishcakes. Topped with home made tamarind dressing.

I know it kinda resembles Pad Thai in the Thai cuisine, of course with some notable differences in the ingredients and the preparation method. Some may find this a bit overly spiced. For me the best way to eat this is by tossing everything on the plate evenly. Yummy. If one thing worth criticizing, maybe the noodle shouldn't be soaked with hot water. Soaking bihun with hot water will cause the strips to break while cooking. So soak with cold water, will take some time but you will notice the difference. 

Nyonya Laksa RM 7.

A choice of noodle(bihun or mee kuning or kuey teow) served with spicy gravy, a touch of coconut milk with cucumber, beansprouts, shrimp, cockles, fish balls and egg.

Unlike the laksa of the malays, we usually mix shredded fish in the gravy. Here is smooth. Good flavour. However I wished the gravy to be a little bit thicker.

Sambal prawn RM 8.

Prawns cooked in special sambal.

What is so special? I know the sambal is basic but it is good actually. It is that peranakan sambal. I am not quite sure myself how to make sambal the Nyonya style but the end result is fantastic. Not that spicy, not that sweet, not that salty. It is a balance sambal. 

Ayam goreng kunyit/tumeric fried chicken RM 7.

Normal ayam goreng kunyit but the plus point is the chicken though cuts into pieces, were tender and moist inside. Crispy on the outside. 

Cendol. RM 4.50

Dark green pandan cendol, shaved ice, flavoured with fresh coconut milk and gula melaka.

Again, nothing is fancy. But please do learn that sometimes, less is more. And this is exactly the case. 

Straits Food Company is still new compared to its brother, Baba Low. I wish to see more authentic but still elevated Baba and Nyonya food here in this restaurant. Especially the desserts. Can't wait for it. 

Chemistry Cafe + Lab, Seksyen 7 Shah Alam

As I was reading a local newspaper the other day, I came across a small column about a chain of cafes with a chemistry-science concept. One located in Shah Alam, why not give it a try? There is no harm travelling for good food. 

What is so attractive about this cafe is the concept of chemistry lab, which is the first in Malaysia. 

The entrance, kinda remind me of Wood & Steel cafe

Feeling like exploding? Highly corrosive dining tables is here!

Seriously!? What is chemistry without periodic table? I feel smart already.

Though this is a chemistry lab cum cafe, this deco can use a little bit of touch. Plus what is the keyboard doing there? If you don't use it then keep it away.

Indoor dining area

This one is quite eye-catching

The lab counter where you need to line up and they'll take your requests. No waiter or should I say lab assistant is going to take your order at the tables.

Frankly speaking, I was quite disappointed with the execution of the concept. They should differentiate what is a concept and what is a decoration. Especially the dining tables, as if they took it from somewhere and simply put it there. And there was this rustic table with a pot of flower, it should not be there. And the cleanliness, the furniture were dusty all over. Sad. Since the chemistry lab concept is what they are selling actually, they should have delivered it well. 

Enough with the concept. Let us go to the food. I didn't sample many dishes, just a few. And I misplaced the receipt so I can't include the price. Sorry. But nonetheless the total price is RM54.50. 

Apple pie.

The last apple pie that I want to eat is sad cold apple pie. Which exactly what it is all about. I can accept if it is under room temperature. The crust was soggy. If they wanted to serve it cold then they should go with Tarte Tatin which is another variation of apple pie form France. The taste of the apples was okay. Can use a little bit of cinnamon or nutmeg to taste. Apple pie, though not that hard to make, one should be careful because it carries a long culinary history, so one should never make it half-heartedly. 

Spaghetti Carbonara.

The taste was extremely BLAND. I felt sorry. Some of the spaghetti were sticking to each other. I infer they are using bottled white sauce. 

Chocolate lave cake

It was quite good actually, the taste. But I have a big issue with this one. While I understood that NOTHING in this restaurant is freshly made, except for the waffles, I do hope that they pay a little bit more attention to their food. A lava cake is supposed to have that lava-ish runny chocolate in the inside. When you slice the cake, it is supposed to be runny, that is why it is called lava cake. I'd appreciate if they take sometime to put the cake in the oven or microwave so that it is hot inside out. The one I had was an almost solid chocolate. But I do like the taste, nevertheless. Right amount of sweetness. Spot on. 

Caramel Macchiato. 

Normal coffee and normal taste. 

Creme Brulee

Another let down. I was puzzled as they listed down this one under the beverages category. I love creme brulee. It is a french dessert. Usually vanilla scented custard topped with glazed sugar. The only recipe that I would use the real vanilla pods, though expensive. But this baby here is not a dessert. It is a drink. A beverage. I was intrigued to taste it. And it tasted nothing like creme brulee. Instead it tasted like coffee. Tasted like tiramisu to be exact. A liquid tiramisu. I have no problem if the name was Tiramisu. 

Before I decided to come here, I read commentaries on the internet before hand. I saw many bad critics. But I came all the way, anyway. The serving was quite fast. Friendly staffs, most of them. Forget the chemistry lab concept, not that I can eat them. At the end of the day, a cafe is still a cafe. Food is what important. A cafe cannot rely on its concept forever but with food they can. I do hope for Chemistry Cafe + Lab to improve on their food. They need it and they need it quick. 

Jamaicablue, Mid Valley Megamall

If you are a coffee lover, then you must know what is Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. To those who do not know, the least that I can tell you is the beans is grown in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. This notable coffee bean is known for its mild and less bitter flavour. Protected under Geographical Indications law, this particular type of coffee bean can only be grown in the aforesaid area and no others. 

The Jamaicablue source: jkdrooling.blogspot.com

Assorted of cakes, muffins, scones, lasgana et cetera. source: wanista

Jamaicablue is more than just a coffee shop, though still primarily a coffee shop. It is good to compare Jamaicablue with The Coffee Bean. 

Wallenford Latte RM19.90 but I upgraded to medium with an additional RM2.40

I usually go for espresso to feel the real taste of the coffee bean, but it was 5.30 in the evening and I needed something else other than plain black coffee, hence latte it is! Unlike any other lattes, the above latter is the Wallenford latte. Wallenford is one of the estate in the Blue Mountains that harvest coffee beans. Though I seldom take coffee but I love coffee, especially the good ones. And THIS is GOOD. The taste of the coffee was overwhelming in the good way! The mild taste which was so apparent. A balance acidity too. So it didn't upset my tummy. Well, there are also options for non-wallenford's coffee bean. You can order for the normal beans, which gonna cost you much lesser, less than RM10. 

Lemon Sugar Muffin RM6.90

Muffin and coffee seems like a good pairing. Though I prefer madeleine with coffee. Sugar on top, lemon custard(I think?) underneath the surface and whipped cream on the side. A fair dessert. But I asked for more whipped cream and they gave me another cup. They apparently gives you a cup of whipped cream together with dry desserts like muffins and scones. Which is a good thing. 

Beef and Vegetables Lasagna RM18.90

I am not a fan of reheated foods. Taking that into consideration, this one is okay I guess. Lotsa veggies like cucumber, cherry tomatoes, arugula, radicchio etc. The lasagna itself might be wonderful if eaten fresh from the oven. 

Jamaicablue is still new in Malaysia. But it already has membership cards (which I have one) that gives you advantages like a free coffee after online registration, points rewards system, a free slice of cake in the month of your birthday, newsletter and so on. I will definitely be back for its Wallenford's coffees.