sandwich

Yeast Bistronomy @ Mid Valley Megamall, KL

by

Yeast KL

Yeast Bistronomy started out in the prestigious Jalan Telawi 2 address in Bangsar but expanded to Mid Valley Megamall earlier this year. I go to Mid Valley quite often during the weekdays but I seldom see people inside except for the odd couple or so enjoying a glass of wine. It’s part bistro, part bakery and part café and it really is owned by a French.

Yeast Bistronomy

Yeast is actually more of a boulangerie but they also serve a small selection of hot plates, just like some of its French counterparts. We were there over the weekend and was surprised to see quite a lot of people inside. They also have an al fresco area at the pavilion type extensions you see in the F&B outlets on the same frontage between Mid Valley and The Gardens.

Croissant au Jambon et au Fromage (RM 26)

Croissant Jambon Fromage

This is a ham and cheese croissant (which they swapped with a delicious herb loaf baked in-house coz they ran out of croissants) with a side of green salad and fries. I thought the use of this bread tastes much better than a croissant (although they have different textures) and the ham (real ham, not turkey ham or nonsense like that) and cheese combo was very comforting.

Caffe Vergnano Cappuccino (RM 12)

Caffe Vergnano Cappuccino

This is quite unusual. Yeast only uses Caffe Vergnano 1882 and all orders are *Double Shots* – that means you’re getting two (2) espressos in each order, not for the faint-hearted or caffeine intolerant. This is a very popular brand of coffee that is made by Italians in London and have even received praise from Gordon Ramsay.

Escargots à la Bourguignonne (RM 25)

Escargots a la Bourguignonne

Snails! Who doesn’t love escargots? I’m a huge fan of them and there’s nothing quite like eating this dish in a Paris bistro, it’s as common as French Onion Soup (with a croute covering the entire top). The ones at Yeast don’t come with the shell of the snail but in most restaurants, the shells are decorative anyway, escargots comes in huge cans for restaurants, unless you’re eating in a Michelin star restaurant.

Valrhona Chocolate Chaud (RM 16)

Valrhona Chocolate Chaud

We actually didn’t see this in the menu at first and when I perused it the second time I knew I had to order it for my dear. She quite liked it, although it wasn’t as thick as the one we had in Paris. Valrhona is a very popular brand of chocolate for cooking in France, we stocked up with a lot of their single origin 70 gram bars a while back.

Yeast Bistronomy KL

Yeast serves decent food and very reasonable prices, especially for their wonderful coffee. The bill came up to RM 83.75 for the two of us. The best thing about Yeast is that they don’t charge 10% service charge, it’s the standard 6% GST only and this is advertised quite prominently at their outlet in Mid Valley. It’s a nice place to go for a quick bite to eat in the afternoon if you’re into French casual.

3 delicious pork jerky sandwiches a.k.a. How to use up your CNY bak kwa

by

Pork Jerky Sandwiches

I bought a lot of bak kwa (pork jerky) for Chinese New Year and we’re still eating them now! Part of the reason is that we’ve gotten gifts of pork jerky as well so the stock keeps on piling up. Fortunately, I like bak kwa and I’ve made three (3) sandwiches made with pork jerky that would satisfy any tastes – one is hot, the other is room temperature and the last one is cold.

1. Open Faced Pork Jerky Sandwich with Gui Fei Meat and Pork Floss in an Omelet

Open Faced Pork Jerky Omelet Sandwich

This is a hot sandwich that I like to make in the evenings. Gui Fei meat is another popular product during CNY – it’s Chinese bacon, smoked with spices. I’ve been baking a lot of bread lately and Red Bean Toast is one of my favorites. I got the idea from a Taiwanese bakery, it makes the bread slightly sweet. I’ll use two eggs with a splash of milk to make the base and add in the pork jerky, Gui Fei meat and sprinkle some pork floss on it before buttering the thick slice of bread and grilling it. It’s delicious!

2. Pork Jerky Sandwich with Pasta and Arrowhead Chips

Pasta Arrowhead Chips Sandwich

The best thing about this sandwich is that it goes very well with arrowhead chips (ngaku chips). I use whatever leftover pasta my better half has and pile it on top of a slice of minced pork jerky. This works best with minced pork jerky instead of the tougher sliced pork jerky for some reason. Just put another slice of regular bread on top and serve with lots of arrowhead chips for a quick late night snack.

3. Bagel with Pork Jerky and Salad

Pork Jerky Salad Bagel

This is my favorite cold pork jerky sandwich! I use a bagel shaped bread (it’s actually more like a brioche) and slice it in half before adding a slice of sliced pork jerky. I like carrots so julienning 1/3 of a stick with a mandolin works for me. I also added some thick sliced cucumbers and mayonnaise on top. There’s lettuce on the bottom of the pork jerky and some sweet corn on the side. It’s a perfect cold sandwich, eat this chilled for the best effect!

My Little Helper

It’s quite fun to think of new combinations! I have one hot, one cold and one room temperature sandwich which I can modify around. Best of all, I have my own little helper! Haha.

Lemongrass Chicken Vietnamese sandwich (banh mi) @ quick bites, Publika

by

Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi

We were out really early this morning to do some Chinese New Year shopping in Publika and decided to have a quick breakfast before we hit the aisles. My better half wanted to try this shop on the same level as Ben’s Independent Grocer, right beside the food court – it serves bánh mì!

Quick Bites Publika

I was quite intrigued by the different sandwiches they have, especially the unusual combinations. I have been to Vietnam before and eaten a lot of interesting things in Hanoi, the most popular notorious being dog meat. This is far from that though, the Asian themed Vietnamese sandwiches (banh mi) sounds really good.

Banh Mi

We decided to share a Lemongrass Chicken Egg Combo on a regular baguette. I found out during my travels that Vietnam was once colonized by France, which leads to the introduction of the baguette into their diet. I went for the set, which comes with gỏi cuốn (Vietnamese spring rolls).

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

You get an option of shrimp or chicken Vietnamese spring rolls and we went for the former. It’s pretty good, the dipping sauce has crushed toasted peanuts inside and a fiery hot sauce that will sear your tongue, but it’s wonderful. It’s better than the Vietnamese spring rolls I made anyway. The set of a sandwich with a starter of spring rolls and a drink will set you back RM 16.50.

Banh Mi Sandwich

We both loved the Lemongrass Chicken Egg Banh Mi! The chicken pieces are nicely seasoned and you can taste the lemongrass in the sauce. There’s also an egg and lots of vegetables in the baguette, and there’s just something very satisfying about biting into a baguette stuffed with ingredients and tasting fish sauce as an end note.

Vietnamese Sandwich

The baguettes are baked daily and it’s crunchy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. It’s really delicious! quick bites claim to be from San Francisco and I couldn’t verify that but they certainly make the best and most authentic banh mi I’ve had in Malaysia!

Flaming Melt @ Kota Damansara

by

flaming melt

I’ve watched this grilled cheese café with great interest. I live around the corner and usually eat here at night so I’ve seen it grown from an empty lot being painted and renovated to the opening day. However, I had to go back to Sibu to finalize some stuff for my late mom so we didn’t visit until a couple of days ago.

flaming melt kota damansara

The Flaming Melt is a self-service restaurant (kinda, sorta). You order at the fast food style counter with a very familiar ordering experience for quick service restaurants aficionados and the food gets delivered to your table. The service was really good for a QSR – the Japanese-style Welcomes and Goodbyes are in full effect here (and it is a Japanese custom, you just don’t holler like that in the States, diner or deli).

flaming melt menu

The friendly lady behind the counter asked us what we wanted and we asked for recommendations. We finally went with the two best-sellers:

BBQ Pulled Chicken Melt (RM 11.90)
Homemade BBQ Pulled Chicken, Mac ‘N’ Cheese, Cheddar

BBQ Pulled Chicken Melt

My better half had this (actually we each had half of each other’s order since the sandwiches are conveniently sliced in half for sharing) and I quite liked it. You can add RM 2.90 for a soda (the usual suspects) but we opted to order a la carte and get a milkshake instead. The chicken was slightly dry but I love the addition of macaroni and cheese to the sandwich!

That’s exactly how I like mine! The creamy addition of mac and cheese really made this sandwich, although I would have preferred a more generous helping. It’s still good comfort food.

Tomato Sriracha Chicken Melt (RM 11.90)
Chicken, Chopped Tomatoes, Sriracha, Cheddar

Tomato Sriracha Chicken Melt

This is as Americana as it gets. A grilled cheese sandwich with Sriracha sauce! Sriracha sauce is a hot sauce that is popular in the US. This is the green capped rooster sauce made by Huy Fong Foods, not the generic ones you actually get in Thailand (which tastes different). You can add RM 3 for your bread to be changed to wholemeal.

I was lamenting the fact that the sandwiches don’t come with some type of side starch like French fries but you can get that as a side order and the red cabbage coleslaw is delicious!

S’mores Melt (RM 10.90)
Homemade Strawberry Compote, Marshmallows, Nutella

Smores Melt

I got this one to share since I wanted a dessert sandwich to finish our lunch. They can actually serve it after you’re done with your “mains” upon request! I asked them to prepare it only when we’re done and that’s what they did, which I thought was nice in a QSR. The marshmallows goes very well with the homemade strawberry compote and it’s all dusted with sugar. I couldn’t taste the Nutella though.

Best eaten while hot, the melted marshmallows are heavenly. I just wish there were (s)more. smirk

oreo milkshake

We also ordered an Oreo Milkshake (RM 7.90) to share. Flaming Melt has a variety of shakes and sodas and this one came with a full Oreo cookie on top. It was suitably rich, while not the best milkshake I had, it did hit the spot nicely. Our lunch came up to RM 42.60 and we also got a RM 2 coupon off our next order.

flaming melt bill

Flaming Melt has a RM 8.90 breakfast special for their set of The Classic (mozzarella, cheddar) with tea or coffee on weekday mornings. It’s too bad this outlet doesn’t serve pork coz I felt that it limited the choices of their grilled cheese sandwiches. Flaming Melt is billing itself as Everything Grilled Cheese and I think they’re trying very hard to get there.

flaming melt grilled cheese

It’s the Malaysian version of Spencer Rubin’s Melt Shop – at least, the signage and color scheme reminded me of that Manhattan grilled cheese restaurant which put sinful comfort food back on the trendy food map.

Flaming Melt
17-1, Jalan PJU 5/10
Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara
03-6150 4248

Sunday breakfast: Japanese square persimmons and a smoked Virginia ham sandwich

by

japan square persimmons

Look at this! It’s square persimmons from Japan! I’ve seen square Japanese watermelons before (apparently, they’re easier to pack) and with their penchant of all things square, the humble persimmon has not been spared this treatment.

square persimmons

I bought two of this last night. It’s RM 25 for two – each square persimmon costs RM 12.50! I got it on promo though so it was 50% off. It felt just the right amount of squishy so I thought it’ll be alright. It’s not cheap though – one bite will cost you RM 6.

japanese persimmons

We had it for breakfast this morning after chilling it in the fridge – the square persimmons are really sweet and juicy! We both loved it! The skin is very thin and not tough at all so you can eat it if you want but the epitome of decadence is to just eat the flesh inside. A delicious start to the day!

virginia ham gouda cheese

I also made us sandwiches for breakfast. You will need:

  • Smoked Virginia ham
  • Crab pate
  • Arugula (rocket leaves)
  • Gouda cheese slices
  • Thick sliced bread
  • Eggs

scrambled egg

I made a sunny side up egg for myself and a “scrambled egg” over easy with milk, pepper and salt for my dear. She also wanted a open face sandwich while I opted for tradition as we had a really thick sliced milk loaf. I also omitted the crab pate and Gouda for hers but it’s essentially the same sandwich…just more work for me since we like our eggs different.

Kidding, dear! smirk

kewpie sandwich sauce

I fried the thick milk bread with butter for the additional crisp. Her version is a single slice with the over easy scrambled egg, one slice of smoked Virginia ham and rocket leaves, served up as is. She added some of that dreadful Kewpie sandwich sauce she likes on top.

I don’t use salt, pepper or any other condiments for mine coz I reckon the ham, crab pate and Gouda cheese has more than enough flavor! (and the fragrant butter to fry the bread too)

gouda cheese

I spread a bit of crab pate on one slice of the bread and added two (2) slices of Hormel smoked Virginia ham. It was on special – I asked for 150 grams and got 148 grams (6 thin slices) for RM 10.35. It’s less than RM 2 per slice! I fried the other side with butter and put the Gouda cheese on top so it’ll melt and slid my sunny side up egg and some arugula in.

I love sunny side up eggs coz the yolk just oozes out when you slice the sandwich!

virginia ham sandwich

Sunday breakfasts is something we both look forward to – we get groceries before and see if there’s anything new. The square Japanese persimmons gets two huge thumbs up from us! I’ll wake up early and make a sandwich (or sometimes it’ll be her who cooks). I have amassed quite a lot of sandwich recipes!

open face sandwich

It’s not crappy store-bought commercial bread with unusual ingredients for experimentation and a laugh either. I think my cooking has improved a lot and my sandwiches now are more, dare I say it, artisanal (even sounds anally-retentive from the last two syllables ;)). I should put up a Top 10 lists of the best sandwiches I’ve made, a new list with artisan bread and ingredients like prosciutto. smirk

Death by Chocolate Ultimate Breakfast Wrap

by

death by choc wrap

I made this sinfully delicious wrap for *breakfast* over the weekend. I just woke up and wanted to get something to eat. We went grocery shopping the night before and we always get a huge tub of ice cream before heading back. My dear picked this one:

death by chocolate

It’s appropriately called Death by Chocolate Premium Ice Cream. It’s described as “a chocolate lover’s delight featuring decadent chocolate ice cream, chocolate candy pieces and crunchy almonds”. It also has bits of chocolate brownies inside!

death by chocolate ingredients

To make the Death by Chocolate Ultimate Breakfast Wrap, you will need:

  • Wholegrain tortilla wraps
  • Death by Chocolate Premium Ice Cream (or any other ultra chocolate ice cream)
  • Soft cheese stick from a bakery
  • Muesli

The muesli is not just there to give it a healthy illusion – it actually tastes really yummy! It’s Dorset Cereals – 50% of the contents are fruit, nuts and seeds. I was eating the Super Cranberry, Cherry and & Almond – described as “an exquisite blend of cranberries, cherries and almonds with raisins, sultanas, sunflower seeds and toasted cereals”. It’s essential for the crunchy texture it provides!

muesli

I also thought that putting a soft cheese stick (we got it from a bakery) would make this a more substantial meal since we’re going to share it. I was right since it was so good I think she ate more than her fair share. smirk

I scooped out *almost a pint* of the Death by Chocolate ice cream into a tortilla wrap and sprinkled muesli on it before adding on the cheese stick. I couldn’t actually wrap it so we ate it like a soft taco.

death by chocolate us

I had one bite and she had one bite and we started taking bigger and bigger bites and before long it was all gone. It’s coz we used so much ice cream in the wrap, it’s the exact opposite of the healthy Greek yoghurt sandwich I made. This one is absolutely delicious – so much so that it was devoured more than eaten. Haha!

death by choc

I gave her more though coz I know she really liked it. <3

Sweet pineapple + Greek yoghurt sandwich with alfalfa sprouts & beans, vintage cheddar and Chiang Mai strawberry on Poppy seed bread

by

pineapple yoghurt sandwich

I made this vegetarian (it’s almost vegan if not for the dairy products) sandwich for my dear one morning. We went out grocery shopping and I took whatever I thought would taste good in a breakfast sandwich – a sweet start to the day.

I don’t want to toot my own horn but this is one damn good sandwich! 🙂

You will need:

breakfast sandwich recipe

  • Dole pineapple slices (the canned stuffed that comes in a ring for burgers and such)
  • Greek yoghurt (plain)
  • Alfalfa sprouts (I got a mixture of broccoli and alfalfa sprouts)
  • Combo beans (comes with slight sprouts and adds texture)
  • Aged vintage cheddar
  • Strawberry jam (I used a gourmet Chiang Mai strawberry spread)
  • Poppy seed bread

I chose to use poppy seed bread as it goes really well with this. We had 3 different kinds of bread at that time and this seemed the most appropriate choice.

greek yoghurt

The true secret to this sandwich though is the Greek Yoghurt. I got the plain, natural full cream version and the texture of this compared to regular yoghurt is remarkably similar to sour cream. I ate a lot of this when I was in university (alfalfa sprouts too) and loved it – it’s thick, spreadable, and piles on like nothing else.

bean sprouts

I spread scooped about a good *heaping* inch of the Greek yoghurt on one side of the bread and used the Chiang Mai strawberry gourmet jam on the other.

alfalfa beans sprouts

Next, I spread some mixed beans with sprouts on the Greek yoghurt side of the bread (so it’ll sink in and provide texture and taste).

…and topped it off with a healthy handful of alfalfa and broccoli sprouts.

homemade vintage aged cheddar

The last bit on this side before putting it together is adding some crumbled pieces of premium handmade no-preservative vintage Tasmanian Farm True Cheddar Cheese that’s been aged for 18 months. This can be a bit intense so you’ll notice there’s *two different sandwiches* – I spread just a little yoghurt and omitted the cheese for my dear.

I took a pineapple ring (refrigerated) and put it on the Chiang Mai strawberry jam side for the finishing touch!

his hers

It’s an awesome sandwich, if I say so myself. The secret to making it good is that everything (except the bread) needs to be in the fridge so it’s cold. It’s supposed to be a breakfast sandwich.

I like making sandwiches and I consider this fruit and yoghurt concoction with cheese on poppy seed one of my best sweet breakfast sandwiches. I use my love as a taster, she’s an awesome cook, but she’s honest with my sometimes (admittedly) bizarre culinary creations. I’ll know if my sandwich experiments failed.

breakfast sandwich

This isn’t one of them. 🙂

greek yoghurt sandwich

The pineapple ring and strawberry provides a tangy morning juice kinda vibe and the slightly sour thick Greek yoghurt goes well with the fruits and alfalfa sprouts and beans for texture and taste. The 18 month aged true cheddar cuts across with a savory tango on your tongue. It’s a very refreshing start to the day!

Pete’s Deli

by

petes deli

Pete’s Deli is a small gourmet deli in Miri. I was looking for a place to eat at around 3:30 pm and most of the eating establishments were closed, so I called Kim up and asked her to recommend a place that’s still open at this hour. She told me to try Pete’s Deli, so off we went to check the place out. Pete’s Deli has been around since 1992 – or so the signboard claims. That’s more than a decade of deli goodness!

petes deli interior

The interior of Pete’s Deli is decorated in retro 60’s style with B&W posters of The Beatles and Elvis Presley (has left the building) dominating the wall facade. The place is small enough to be cozy and there are seating arrangements to accommodate about 30 people if you really don’t mind having no elbow room. 😉

petes deli counter

Pete’s Deli is self-service and orders are taken at the counter. The person manning the counter is none other than Pete’s son. He asked me if I am a blogger, which took me by surprise, before I remembered that the blogging profession (?) has mushroomed and most people who take photographs of everything is probably a blogger. 😉

Peach Lassi (RM 5)

petes peach lassi

This was recommended by Pete’s son. The lassi is made with their famous home made yogurt. It tasted good but there is one major problem with the presentation – with a place like Pete’s Deli, you’ll be expecting proper glassware instead of a disposable Coke paper cup. It’s just not right. I noticed that the other patrons were also served with paper cups, this is a major turn off for a deli of this standard.

petes toasted sandwich 

The Original Pete’s Deli Toasted Sandwiches (RM 7)

petes sandwich

The Original Pete’s Deli Toasted Sandwiches comes with fillings of tuna & mayonnaise, roast chicken, corned beef, cheese or a mix of two fillings of your choice. I went for the roast chicken and cheese toasted sandwich. It was alright – the fillings were recommended by the proprietor, my original choice was for tuna and corned beef but he said it wouldn’t taste right.

petes oxtail stew

Oxtail Stew (RM 24)
Oxtail slow cooked till fork tender.

petes oxtail

This is the oxtail stew which is one of their more popular dishes from the dinner menu. Pete’s son was kind enough to cook this for us despite that fact that the dinner menu doesn’t officially start until 6:30 pm. It can be ordered with rice or mashed potatoes. KJ went with the rice. The oxtail stew is great, and there’s no false advertising here – the meat really is fork tender. 🙂

petes lamb shank

Lamb Shank (RM 34)
Lamb shank braised in mouthwatering gravy.

petes lamb

This is Faye’s order and is one of Pete’s Deli’s signature dishes. The lamb shank is huge and comes with an option of rice or mashed potatoes. Faye went for the mashed potatoes.

petes lamb meat

The lamb shank comes off easily from the bone and the meat is tender and flavorful. This comes highly recommended from me.

Pete’s Deli Cookie (RM 4)

petes deli cookie

This is not on the menu but was again recommended to me since it just came out of the oven. RM 4 for a cookie is a little on the steep side, despite the sprinkled powdered sugar presentation. It tasted good though, as all oven fresh cookies do. 🙂

petes deli us

Pete’s Deli would be your friendly, neighborhood deli that serves delicious lamb shanks and oxtail stew. Now, if only they would do away with the disposable paper cups…

All Stars Sports Cafe review

by

all stars cafe

All Stars Sports Cafe is a sports themed restaurant and pub located in Mid Valley Megamall. It also has sports memorabilia and plasma TV’s dotted throughout the place tuned to satellite/cable sports channels.

all stars rock climbing

The restaurant presents itself with a life-sized rock climbing figure hanging from an outcrop on top of the dining area in front. There are also various sports related autographed photos and posters adorning the walls.

all stars back

All Star Sports Cafe also has a pool room and seating arrangements at the back of the restaurant (or front if you walk in via Mid Valley Megamall). The place serves alcohol and has an emphasis on western food, but also a menu with eastern cuisine.

all stars beer

Maisel’s Weisse (Dunken) beer (RM 26). This imported beer is served from a 0.5 liter glass beer flask that pours into a perfect 0.5 liter glass. The dark beer tastes sweet, with a strong malt aftertaste – it tastes like Guinness Malta.

all stars beer bread

The beer comes with a serving of bread – hot buns with a German butter and a knife to butter it with. I found that rather odd.

all stars four seasons platter

Four Seasons Platter
RM 40
The ultimate snack! Combining the unique tastes of Honey Crab Balls, Soya Spring Roll, Hong Kong Sharksfin Egg and assorted Vegetables with Prawn.

all stars crab

This is the first entry in the Four Seasons Platter appetizer – the plate is HUGE and long, easily occupying two tables. It’s crab meat and some other stuff wrapped in a roll.

all stars prawns

This is the second feature of the Four Seasons Platter – prawns with sweet mayo sauce. It’s the best part of the platter.

all stars rolls

The third component of the platter is deep fried soya spring rolls. It’s not that great.

all stars chicken

This is the fourth part of the Four Seasons Platter – chicken. It’s just boneless chicken, but it’s very well flavored. Nice.

all stars salmon

Grilled Norwegian Salmon
RM 32.50
Imported fresh Norwegian salmon fillet served with ratatouille and crusted potato.

all stars salmon dish

The salmon was cooked to perfection – pretty in pink!

all stars sandwich

Grilled Turkey Ham Cheese Sandwich
RM 13.50
Toasted sandwich with ham, turkey slices and cheese.

all stars sandwich dish

It’s a good club-type sandwich, filling and not too painful for healing tongue piercings to chew. 😉

all stars surf turf

Surf n Turf
RM 42.50
Our petite sirloin steak and a big juicy tiger prawn, topped with home made garlic sauce.

all stars surf turf dish

This dish is really good – it’s a medium rare sirloin steak served with a large tiger prawn on top, allowing the prawn juices to seep into the steak. The garlic sauce goes very well with this unusual pairing, bringing out the best in both the seafood and the meat.

all stars eeva cherie

I was at All Stars Sports Cafe with Cherie and Eeva…

all stars midvalley

…and then all three of us got lost while stoned in Mid Valley. 😉

]]>

Malaysian canteen style BLT sandwich

by

sesco blt

Behold! I present to you Malaysia’s very own BLT sandwich, available
not only in most office and school canteens, but in lower end bakeries
as well. It differs from the classic BLT (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato) of
other countries due to the premium nature of bacon over here, so the B
is substituted by (more) BREAD. Our very own variant also has TUNA mix
in lieu of TOMATO sometimes.

sesco gula melaka

I’ve been eating canteen food for the past few days, and the only thing I enjoy is this caramel tasting kueh made with lots of Gula Melaka. It has a very chewy texture. Hey, at least it beats the canteen’s “BLT” sandwich any day. 😉

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...