Black Kettle- Bistro, Cafe and Patisserie under One Roof; Beach Street @ Penang

Black Kettle is located at the corner of Beach Street (Lebuh Pantai) and Chulia Street Ghaut (Gat Lebuh Chulia). It's located in a restored heritage shop-house with landmark next to it would be the historical fire station at the same crossroad. The food establishment of Black Kettle combines being a bistro, cafe and Patisserie under one roof in the heart of Penang’s UNESCO Zone on historic Beach Street.While Penang is famous for various types of hawker foods like hokkien mee, loh mee, curry noodle, jawa mee, and etc., one might be looking for trying Western brunch/ breakfast to kick-start the morning. 

Upon recommendation from my friend W.L., we had brunch and gathering at Black Kettle during last visit to Penang Island. Black Kettle was unexpectedly spacious with classy setting. Black Kettle separated into a few sections: the bakery, coffee and bistro area and dinning area at the back. We were warmly welcomed by the large range of breads, cakes, pastries and other masterpieces from the pastry kitchen.

Bakery section with various pastries, cakes and breads to tame your taste buds.

The array of breads and flaky pastries were very attractive and it would be great to be bought for breakfast.

The beauties with the nicely presented pastries

In conjunction of Halloween, they had some scary pastries to be served too.

Was that a bloody eyeball? 

So, what's your choice of drink today?

Black Kettle had set a relaxing and yet sophisticated ambiance. The interior decoration of this restored shop-house was very modern with European style cafe/bistro.It somehow made me reminisced of the cafes in Paris. In the middle area of Black Kettle, there's a courtyard section with a light well to help illuminate the interior section by the direct sunlight. Several rows of pots with green plants were found adorning the wall, providing a green garden feel. It's one of the great spot which I had seen many food patrons chose to sit there to enjoy the comfort of coffee or tea and their favorite books. However, the tables were quite low, might not be suitable for dining purpose.

Comfortable place for enjoy the drinks and reading.

Of course, it's also an ideal place to take photo too.

The young girls :)

Time were well spent when you're with your favorite buddies.

Group Photos

Black Kettle remained the Halloween-themed decorations such as black bats and spider webs were seen at most of the corners and ceilings.

Black Kettle's menu emphasized on modernist Western cuisines such as eggs benedict, french toast,Aussie styled big breakfast sets,sandwiches, tartine, pasta, burgers, salads and etcetera. The logo of Black Kettle had combined croissant as kettle's handle, making me thought that they specialize of croissant. Interestingly, the given menu was printed materials which allowed us to highlight the food we would like to place order. The waiter introduced that coffee beans here were sourced from Dimattina Coffee, a reputable Australian roaster with wide range of coffee blends, hence we had ordered cappuccino,Flat white and Long Black to try. 

Enjoy the coffee with a Jazz soundtrack played as background music.

The breakfast sets, coffee, French toast, salad for group of ladies to share.

Food Verdict: The Long Black was freshly brewed, aromatic and bittersweet for sipping through. My choice of breakfast set was comprised of toast, scrambled eggs, chicken breasts, salmon slices and mashed potatoes. Breakfast portion may look small yet it really fill up the emptiness of your stomach. 

Tiramisu cake and fruit cake for the birthday stars

Food wise were with good quality yet pricey. The ambiance of Black Kettle was great for cozy chat and gathering. The main meals such as their signature soft shell crabs burger and pastas hadn't been tried out yet and I looked forward to re-visit again.  Being a loaf-lover, Black Kettle happened to be a great place to explore their bakery section for pastries.

Address: 

105, Beach Street, 10300, Georgetown, Penang. 

*Right next to the junction of Chulia Street and Beach Street

Delectable Pizza, Pastries and Macaroons @ Bread Lounge; GTower Kuala Lumpur

If you're looking for some peaceful and quiet with good quality of desserts for brunch or afternoon tea, Bread Lounge at G Tower fits the bill. The freshly baked breads, gourmet sandwiches, pastries, macaroons and cakes here are delectable have proven Bread Lounge to be another noteworthy hidden gem in Kuala Lumpur. Bread Lounge is a bakery slash cafe on the ground floor of the GTower in Jalan Tun Razak, famous for the pastries, croissants and artisan breads from Chef Eugene (Tanzini/Upper Deck) creations. 

It was my friend's birthday today and we thought of having brunch and afternoon tea at somewhere with good food and exclusively dining ambiance for cozy chat. She was attracted by Bread Lounge which had the high ranking of best cakes in KL featured in TimesOut.com and the photos of artisan breads and cakes in Bread Lounge website were appealing. It's like a hotel lounge for me and Bread Lounge was easy to be spotted with the giant chilies sculptures seen in the center of GTower lounge. 

Bread Lounge; GTower Kuala Lumpur

Stepping in Bread Lounge felt like stepping into a hotel or airport lounge as the overall design looked very high class. We passed through the display counter filled with assorted slices of cakes and flicked through the menu before we seated. It was almost 4pm and there weren't crowded due to it was a busy working day. I felt very delighted to indulge on afternoon tea to relax while others were still on the midday of work.

Each of us chose a cake and each priced at RM 14.90.

Raspberry Yogurt mousse; marble cheese; green tea and bunga kantan opera were our choices of pastries. The raspberry yogurt mousse baked with a handful of fresh raspberries and coated generously with raspberry icing with velvety texture and dark chocolate pieces as design. The design of raspberry yogurt mousse had attracted us to order this and particularly suitable for non-sweet tooth as it has some hint of raspberry sourness.  The marble cheese was well blended with mild chocolate tasted very buttery, soft, melted in our mouth. The taste was pretty straightforward in the sense that the flavor is reminiscent of cheese! This smooth, white appearance or powder-liked marble cheese pastry had the highest vote among us although it looked simple. Green tea and bunga kantan opera; renowned as the signature cake in Bread Lounge which was recommended by the staffs there. The typical combination was chocolate and coffee or vanilla and chocolate, but instead of coffee, green tea was used here.  I never know bunga kantan could be used as one of the ingredients of desserts as it was popularly used to cook tomyam. It's a  fluffy layer cake rich in the bitter-sweet essence of green tea with a subtly fragrant with the scent of green tea powder and flowery note. It is really an interesting flavor combination. Chocolate had a deep and strong sweetness but green tea helped making the cake became having mild bitterness. Green tea and bunga kantan opera - the ideal cake for green tea lovers and also for not-too-sweet cakes lovers.

I expected each cake served in a smaller plate, nevertheless this was much presentable.

Pizzas with cakes of our choices

Margarita Pizza (RM15) was the only pizza that wasn't often seen in other restaurants' menu. The description of the menu stated the ingredients included Mozzarella cheese, olive oil, tomato concasse, cherry tomato & basil pesto. We decided to give it a try although satay pizza sounded nice as well. The Margarita Pizza was served hot and it's not circular in shape nor square shape. A thick layer of dough baked to a crispy yet chewy perfection with the toppings were fresh cherry tomatoes, Mozzarella cheese and basil pesto. The ingredients were simple yet each bite of the pizza was really flavorful.

 Delectable pastries, the beauty and chilies sculptures

Birthday girl :)

Ambassadors 

Group photo with a big smile :)

Macaroons with RM6 each 

 

The macaroons here reminded me of Laduree's famous French macaroons which were not over sweet and chewy at each bite. The coconut flavored macaroon was very delectable and had firmed texture with hint of pandan. Lemon macaroons were very fresh and tangy, The sugar content of the macaroons here were less and nice to be paired with the hot coffee.

The oat loaf I bought home - photo taken from Google Image.
It was said to be without preservatives.

Bread Lounge; GTower is a highly recommended place to check out.
It's a well spent day lifting up the spirits and cheerful mood with a warm cup of coffee, good company, and some scrumptious cakes on a peaceful afternoon.

 

Address:

Bread Lounge

GTower Hotel

199 Jalan Tun Razak

50450 Kuala Lumpur; Malaysia

[Opening hours: 7am-8pm]

 

Japanese Hanjuku Cheese Tart from Tokyo Secret | Selectable Sushi from Empire Sushi @ Ikano Power Centre

Tokyo Secret, the Japanese Hanjuku Cheese Tart ( Half Baked Cheese Tart ) specialist from Hong Kong had arrived in Malaysia, opening their first outlet in Ikano Power Centre ( IPC ) Shopping Mall. At first, I thought the cheese tarts were originated from Japan due to the Japanese words on the signature yellow packet/ box of Tokyo Secret. Actually the cheese itself was freshly imported from Japan based on the website. Tokyo Secret was a hype here as I often saw long queues waiting to purchase the famous Japanese Hanjuku cheese tarts.

We entered the Tokyo Secret branch @ Ikano Power Centre to try the popular cheese tarts during last weekend.We bought a box of cheese tarts at promotional price at RM29 for 6 cheese tarts. We chose 4 original flavour cheese tarts, 1 matcha flavour and 1 hazelnut-chocolate flavour cheese tart. A complimentary vanilla soft-serve / ice-cream was given with 15 minutes waiting time.

The presentable cheese tarts which were freshly baked from oven.

The wait was about 15 minutes together with the soft serve given.

Hazelnut chocolate flavour cheese tart 

Matcha flavour cheese tart

Original flavour cheese tart

The aroma of the cheese tarts were very attractive and we had tried out 3 different cheese tarts on the spot. The buttery pastry crust was crumbled in the mouth at first bite, followed by the creamy cheese oozing out.  The hazelnut chocolate flavour cheese tart was suitable for those who are sweet-tooth and not so preferable cheese. The crunch of the sugary hazelnut crumb sprinkled on top made it tasted different compared to the another two types of cheese tarts.

On the other hand, the matcha flavor cheese tart was rich with green tea flavour cheese with some red beans. The classic one with original flavour was still being my most favourite cheese tart due to the rich and creamy cheese. The cheese tarts were best eaten when they were freshly baked. As the cheese filling were oozing out, it's advisable to have smaller bite to avoid ending up with a mess. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We passed by Empire Sushi after tasting the delectable Japanese Hanjuku Cheese Tarts.  I was attracted by the sushi here and had ordered some to try. The price was much cheaper compared to the rest of sushi restaurant and had plenty of choices. There were only limited seats for dining on the spot. We ordered  6 types of sushi and all were very tasty and would like to purchase in near future.

Tasty sushi for quick bites.

Salmon Fish Fillets Noodles @ Norway Salmon Fish Head Noodles (behind Brem Mall Kepong)

Ever since my mom has changed to have haircut at a new barber shop, we have more choices of meals around the housing area. Norway Salmon Fish Head Noodles at Kepong (挪威三文鱼头米粉) has been recommended by the barber and we have chosen to have our breakfast on this Sunday morning. 

Salmon fish head noodles are the main dish here. However, you could opt for salmon fish fillet, fish cake or fish paste noodles to get rid of the hassle of picking out bones of fish. For non-fish eaters, prawns could be opted as main ingredient. There are 4 choices of soups such as original flavor (milky), curry, hot and sour, and bitter gourd. There's only a choice of noodles i.e. thick rice vermicelli.

Big display of the main dishes

The menu for the Norway Salmon Fish Head Noodles. 

Hot and spicy salmon fish fillet noodles

The blend of light spicy-sourish soup with crispy, tender salmon fish fillet is appetizing. Overall,  for a bowl of fish fillet noodles, a good slurp of spicy and sourish broth alongside with sliced ginger, sliced tomatoes.the salmon fish fillets are in satisfying portion and fresh. 

Fried salmon fish fillet with mayonnaise was served in a separate plate.

As it's not dipped inside the bowl of soup, the meat remains tendered inside yet crispy at the bite.

The original soup-based fish fillet noodles comes well with the thick sourish and peppery soup which is added with evaporated milk in it. Slightly sourish, yet pungent. However, my mom still prefers the original type as salmon fish is not favorable.

It's a simple yet satisfying meal, but considering the price, I am expecting for more ingredients in a bowl of fish fillet noodles. Anyway, salmon fish fillet noodles have been added in gastronomic checklists and I shall try the curry flavor next time.


Address:
Norway Salmon Fish Head Noodles,
Jalan Jambu, Taman Batu,
52000 Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur Wilayah Persekutuan

Taiwanese cuisines @ Fong Lye Taiwanese Restaurant (蓬莱茶房台湾料理); Desa Sri Hartamas

Fong Lye is a chain of restaurants which serves Taiwanese cuisines and most people has compliments for the signature dish i.e. three cups chicken. The first visit of mine was at Mid Valley branch three years ago. Upon the celebration of my dad's birthday, we chose to treat him a hearty chinese-style meal in Fong Lye Taiwanese Restaurant. We went there around 8pm and the restaurant was very crowded and luckily no queue was seen lining outside.

We were lucky to be seated as the seats were fully occupied after then. After glancing through the menu, we had ordered the following dishes which were shown below. The Pu-Er tea were served while we waiting for our food to be served. 

Yam chunks with minced meats

The yam chunks were stir-fried together with minced pork meats, small prawns and dried shrimps. Flavor and aroma were inextricably linked together for this firstly served dish, making our stomachs growling louder. Well, as usual, cameras "taste" the food first.

Claypot Eggplant with Minced Meat 

Another homely dish which tasted similar to the one cooked by my mom. So, that's nothing much special about this dish, and I would prefer it to be in Sichuan style with some spiciness. Anyway, it's still a succulent dish and surprisingly the dish was not oily.

As green dragon vegetables were not available, the waitress had introduced another similar vegetables to be stir-fried with sliced chickens. It's simple yet delicious. We thought the tastiness was due to MSG, but we weren't thirsty after eating the dishes. 

Bean curd in Claypot with Abalone Clams 

A simple dish comprised of Japanese bean curds, shiitake mushrooms, abalone clams, fish maw, sliced carrots and sweet peas. The gravy was plain and rather plain, yet good to be matched with rice.

3 Variety Supreme Chicken/ Three-cup chicken

The last food served in a bobbling pot was the popular three-cup chicken. After the waiter stirred the chicken with fresh basil leaves, then we started our feast. 

The dish derived its name from three cups of sauces that required to cook this dish including a cup of rice wine, a cup of sesame oil and a cup of soy sauce.Fresh basil leaves, chilies and garlic were added to this Taiwanese culinary triumvirate, contributing an irresistible combination. The chicken meats were tender and flavorful, accompanied with fragrance induced by basil leaves. It's a mouth-watering dish and I had lost my counts on how many chickens I had eaten.

It was a pleasant dining experience and I missed the three-cups chicken.

Busy schedules of both parents and children make it harder to have family dinner nowadays, it has become a precious moment whenever we gather to have a meal home together and celebrate each family member's birthday. There're certainly few things that currency has no value, especially the time spent with family.Well, spend more time with the priceless loved ones!

Happy Birthday, dad!

Hua Hin- Delectable Local Cuisines @ Pak Jua Mango Sticky Rice, Koti Restaurant and Jek Be-Ak Seafood Restaurant

Located on the Gulf of Thailand, Hua Hin is about three hours drive from Bangkok airport. There's nothing much nice scenery during the journey to Hua Hin and you could sleep off if you trust the driver. Hua Hin is a much popular seaside district which is more tranquil town with theme parks and to view the history of the summer properties of royal family owned. During the 4 days 3 nights Hua Hin tour, we had enjoyed the delectable local cuisines of Hua Hin Town. These food stalls/ restaurants that we had visited were often having queues lining up to wait for seats.

1.  Pa Jua Mango Sticky Rice Stall บ้านป้าเจือ

Address：118/1-3 Naret Damri Rd (opp Hilton), Hua Hin, Changwat Prachuap Khiri Khan

118/1-3 ถนนนเรศดำริห์ ต.หัวหิน จ.ประจวบคีรีขันธ์ , หัวหิน 

We had mango sticky rice as breakfast on the 4th day in Hua Hin before we departed to Bangkok. P Jua บ้านป้าเจือ , a very old shop which only sells mango sticky rice from 9.30am onwards and it's said to be the only stall in Hua Hin that sells the best mango sticky rice. The stall is opposite of Hilton Hotel and you have to stroll along the road to search for this stall.

We reached there before 9.30am and the stall owner had begun preparing the ingredients. Mangoes were placed all around the stall. Mango sticky rice is like pathai or tom yam, one of the few Thai dishes that foreigners whom are familiar with even before arriving in Thailand.

Pa Jua Mango Sticky Rice Stall

Ingredients

We watched how she peeled off the mangoes' skin and cut them to thick slices.
The mangoes slices were then placed onto a white plate with sticky rice topped with coconut milk.

A plate of two mangoes and sticky rice topped with coconut milk and sprinkles of dried peas.
The mango slices were very sweet and tasted nice when matched with the warm and salty coconut dressing. The sprinkled dried peas did not add any taste to the dish, perhaps it made the mango sticky rice tasted different by having crunchy texture.

2. Koti Restaurant 
Address: 67/1, Phetkasam Road, Tambon Hua Hin, Amphoe Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan (Intersection to the night market)

We visited Koti Restaurant on the 2nd night before shopping at Hua Hin Night Market. It's easily spotted in front of the entrance towards Hua Hin Night Market and it's crowded most of the time. Koti Restaurant had an extensive menu and there were several choices of dishes ranging from fish, squid, prawns and etcetera. The food portion was very big and we had over-ordered therefore couldn't finish all the 4 dishes except for Tom Yam Goong.

Tom Yam Goong wasn't too sour or too spicy, the combination was great with many seafood like prawns, chicken slices and squids were available. 

Tom Yam Goong

Stir-fried spicy seafood with chilies, fresh peppercorn, basil and lime leaf

This dish happened to be quite spicy yet appetizing to be eaten together with the fried rice which was served next.

Fried Rice

Stir-fried  mixed vegetables with mushrooms

3. Jek Be-Ak Seafood Restaurant 正盛食堂
Address: 

51/6 Dechanuchit Road,Hua Hin, Prachuabkirikhan,Thailand 77110

Jek Be-Ak Seafood Restaurant was introduced by the Tour Guide when we asked him which local restaurant that locals including him would dine in. We came here after the visit to Swiss Sheep Farm and Santorini Park, however Jek be-Ak Reafood Restaurant was unexpectedly fully occupied. It was just about 6.30pm. Anyway, we got our seats after a short while. After experiencing over-order of food at Koti Restaurant, we became cautious when we came to this restaurant.

 Jek Be-Ak Seafood Restaurant 正盛食堂 located opposite of Grill and Chill Restaurant.

Mango fruit shake

 Refreshing coconut shake!

Fried chicken with garlic and pepper served with chili sauce
Chicken breast was being used in this recipe hence eating it would feel less guilty as no meat fats were seen at each bite. Crispy chicken meat which were well marinated before being fried.

Deep fried spring rolls with crab meats

Crispy spring rolls were very delicious. The mixture of chili and lime sauce was superb!

The popularity of sukiyaki style hotpot could be seen by the presence of a hotpot on almost everyone’s table. Hence, we had ordered the famous sukiyaki style hotpot with seafood for 2 persons. It's seem like Japanese style shabu-shabu. The soup was served in a hotpot over a stove of charcoal.

Ingredients of sukiyaki style hot pot-
A plate of fixed vegetables and a plate of seafood topped with raw egg.

When the water in the hotpot is boiled, you could ask the staff to give you assistance. A female staff helped us to pour the ingredients into the sizzling hotpot. 

It's clear soup-based and cooked along with the mixed seafood, vegetables and raw egg.
Undoubtedly, the soup became very flavorful and delicious.
By seeing how she cooked, it reminded of the clear soup from home :)

Our sukiyaki style hot pot was ready !

The broth was clear and very flavorful with the fresh ingredients providing a natural sweet taste.

You could dip the seafood and eat together with the given mixture of chili and lime sauce.
Overall, I prefer the scrumptious food from Jek Be-Ak Seafood Restaurant which gave a more homey feeling. What's better than a warm fire and a big bowl of comfort food when travel oversea right?