L. table by Lavender

    Ever since the One Utama old wing has been renovated and revamp, there has been a number of new places that I've been wanting to try out like Plan B, Lavender, and Satay Satay, just to name a few. A few months ago i decided to try Lavender for the first time. It was one of the only places in One Utama that was open for breakfast. 

    The decor and layout of the whole place was very nice and had a very nice feel to it. You can choose to dine inside or outside. The service however was horrible. Even though all the waiters and waitresses had an electronic gadget in hand to take orders rather than the more traditional notepad....i think they would have been more efficient holding a notepad. I don't know if it was too early for their brains to be working or to put  a smile on... but they all had a very grumpy look on their faces. Not only that but they were very blur and slow! And this is not what i look forward to when i go for breakfast early in the morning.

   Their menu looked very good...'looked' very good. It really did the job. By this i mean that it made me want to order the food. It made me look forward to the food. Even when the food arrived, it looked so good that i could not resist taking a few pictures. However, when i finally took my first bite, i was VERY disappointed. ALL the dishes we ordered were bland and under seasoned to a point that i wanted to soak it in a bath of salt and pepper! And for the price i paid, i expected the flavors to be spot on (the price was not exactly reasonable). 

    This is what we had that morning. I would just like to point out that looks can be very very deceiving! (If i had to say one good thing about Lavender, it would be that their french fries were nice.-THAT.is.all)

Turkey Burger with turkey bacon

Lamb Pita

   I don't want it to seem as if all i do is complain, but I have to tell guys this story.When my sister went to the bakery and bought a ham sandwich (which cost her almost RM15)..they bakery part of the store didn't want to serve her the sandwich. They said they didn't serve whatever that was in the bakery to the restaurant. However, they said that she could bring it in and eat it there. Now for the best part! When she brought the sandwich into the restaurant..sat down and requested for a plate..the waiter told her she COULD NOT have a plate for her sandwich because it wasn't from the Lavender Restaurant!! I don't understand why they couldn't bring her a plate! If we were all sitting at the table having nothing but a glass of water and she brought over the sandwich from the bakery then i would understand why they wouldn't give her a plate. I would understand that they would be making a loss by that. BUT we were having drinks and food so i really don't see why they couldn't give us a plate! I guess that there will be some things in life that i will never understand. And this is one of them. 

   I think you can probably tell that I'm never going back to Lavender. I don't see the point of paying a lot of money or in fact ANY money for bland food and sucky service. However, i have put down the address for L. table by Lavender. Maybe some of you will like to try it out for yourselves. If you do try it out, please let me know about your experience there, good or bad. (if there are some good comments about it, i might consider giving it another shot...someday)

Price: 4/10 

Food: 3/10 (HALAL)

Ambiance: 8/10

Cleanliness: 8/10

Service: 3/10

Satisfactory level: 4/10

L. Table by Lavender

                                                                       Tel: 03-7728 6933                                         Address: G213, Ground Floor, 1 Utama Shopping Centre.

Halal Nasi Lemak Babi

    When i first heard about Nasi Lemak Babi, i thought it was real babi(pork)....but lo and behold!..nasi lemak babi had no babi in it AT ALL!It is actually just Nasi Lemak Ayam(chicken) and Kambing(mutton). Everyone just calls it Nasi Lemak Babi because there is a pork market and a Bah Kut Teh shop nearby. Well i believe that it is called Nasi Lemak Babi because the fried chicken they serve is so darn good that it might as well be babi! There are several names this place goes by, Nasi Lemak Babi/Bumbing/Seapark/Maybank and Indomee.

    If you're a clean freak or one of those people that do not eat at unhygienic places then this isn't a place for you..but you sure as hell don't know what you're missing! I'm not going to lie, the atmosphere and setting of this place would turn any sane person off but the food more than makes up for it! Whenever i go, i usually have the Nasi Lemak Ayam (tambah sambal) and a Limau Ice (lime juice). I love the way they fry the chicken to perfection with the right amount of greasiness and crispy-ness. The Nasi Lemak Ayam comes with rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaves, fried ikan bilis (anchovies), peanuts, an egg(either fried,sunny side up or hard boiled), and with a piece of perfectly cooked fried chicken.

Nasi Lemak Ayam with fried egg

Nasi Lemak Ayam with a sunny side up

    Honestly, at one point in my life i use to eat at nasi lemak babi almost every day! It is impossible to get sick of their fried chicken! You can tell that many people feel the same way as i do because Nasi Lemak Babi is ALWAYS full but don't worry, the wait for a table isn't that long. 

    One of the things i love about coming here is the atmosphere (minus the dirty factor) , if you come after 9 or 10pm, you'll be in for a treat as the CD shop across the street starts blasting all the latest clubbing music! And the best part is when the waiters start singing along! I had one waiter in particular that started singing Shots! by LMFAO. It was very entertaining:)

    You guys HAVE to give Nasi Lemak Babi a try. Not for the sambal or the rice but for the fried chicken! (they also serve a mean indomee goreng) However, i would recommend the ladies come with a few guys as the area is not exactly on the safe side. Then again, no where in Malaysia is safe anymore. Don't forget to let me know what you think about Nasi Lemak Babi once you've tried it! :)

Price: 8/10 ( <RM5.00 for a plate of Nasi Lemak Ayam)

Food: 9/10 (HALAL)

Ambiance: 5/10

Cleanliness: 3/10

Service: 7/10

Satisfactory level: 8/10

 Nasi Lemak Babi/Bumbung/Seapark/Maybank @ S.E.A Park 

Jalan 21/11b, S.E.A Park 

Petaling Jaya, Selangor 46300

Opening Hours: 5pm-4am 

Mukha

    One Sunday after mass, my sisters and I decided to give Mukha a try. The layout and ambiance was quite impressive. The outside was filled with a few mismatched tables and chairs and had a very charming feel to it. The inside was also very inviting. Yes, the place looked like a place where most hipsters would dine at but the barista and the guy who took our order were pleasantly nice and friendly.

    So anyway, we ordered the Eggs Benedict with a side of salmon, Bacon wrapped asparagus and French toast with Nutella. The waiting time was quite long so be ready to wait especially if you come during their busy hours but trust me...the food makes up for the waiting time. 

Eggs Benedict (with salmon)

For a person who just started eating eggs with runny yolks (they use to disgust me but now I'm obsessed with them), i found the Eggs Benedict to be really good. It was well cooked and well seasoned. The eggs were poached well and the hollandaise sauce was thick and really tasty. However, i think the salmon made a real difference to the dish. In fact, it was what made the dish really yummy. To my amazement, even though the salmon they used was not freshly cut salmon (they used sliced and vacuum packed salmon), yet it tasted really fresh! *So make sure you get the Eggs Benedict with a side of salmon! :) *

Bacon wrapped Asparagus

The bacon wrapped asparagus was satisfactory but in comparison to the other two dishes we had, this was definitely at the bottom of the list. Don't get me wrong, it was still very yummy because anything taste yummy with bacon involved but in my opinion, this dish was more of an appetizer to me than a main. The asparagus were cooked well. I say it was cooked well because when it was served, the asparagus still retained its gorgeous green colour as well as a real crunch to it. I've come across restaurants who have really killed the asparagus by serving it wilted and a dark green colour which is a sign of overcooking or failing to shock the asparagus in ice cold water to stop the cooking process. 

French toast with Nutella and Banana

Next we had the French Toast smothered in Nutella and slices of banana. O.M.G!!! This was a slice of heaven! Even though this dish took forever and was the last to arrive, i now understand the true meaning of save the best for last. When i took my first bite of this, i was in heaven when i bit into the two slices of bread with a piece of banana and warm Nutella oozing through my mouth..thinking about it is making me drool. It was SO good! If i had to criticize this dish, i would say that it could have been better if the french toast was a little crunchier and if they had caramelized the bread a little more with some brown sugar. If they had done that, i think it would have been more than perfect! 

I would definitely go back to Mukha to try more of their food, coffee and desserts. However, i think i will go there on a weekday during a non peak hour to avoid a long wait.

Price: 8/10

Food: 8/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Service: 5/10

Satisfactory level: 7/10

Mukha Cafe @ TTDI,

15, Lorong Rahim Kajai 13, Taman Tun Dr Ismail.

Tel: 03-7732-2248

Opening Hours: 
Mon. 08:00-22:00,Tue. 08:00-22:00,Wed. 08:00-22:00,Thu. 08:00-22:00,Fri. 08:00-00:00,Sat. 08:00-00:00,Sun. 08:00-22:00

Puran B by Plan B

    About a year ago, I had dinner with a couple of friends at Plan B in Bangsar.The service and quality of food did not satisfy me as most of the dishes were tasteless, under seasoned and too oily for my liking. The desserts were also very bland and dry. I vowed never to go back there after finding a strand of hair in one of our drinks. 

    However, after hearing my friends constantly rave about Plan B, I decided to give it another shot when Puran B by Plan B opened in Isetan, One Utama. This time I decided to only try the coffee and desserts. My friend and I decided to go for the Macadamia Cheesecake and the Apple Crumble tart. As for drinks, I had an Affogato and my friend had an Iced Chocolate.  

Macadamia Cheesecake

The Macadamia Cheesecake looked very appetizing but looks can be deceiving. Much to our disappointment, the Macadamia Cheesecake was very dense and dry and the toffee on top tasted a little like plastic. I had high hopes for the cheesecake to be very cheesy and luscious but it was cheesy in a very wrong way. It tasted like cheap cheese, the kind that separates the oil from the cheese itself. 

Apple Crumble Tart

On the other hand, the Apple Crumble Tart was simply divine. When it was first served to us, the temperature of the tart was not to my liking but the waiter was nice enough to heat up my Apple Crumble Tart for me. The size of the apple cubes were just right, it was not too big or too small so the apples retained a nice crunch after being baked in the oven. The crumble was really yummy too with the right amount of sweetness and it had the right texture. However, pastry for the size and base of the tart could be improved slightly because it lacked the right texture. It was very hard and difficult to cut. Overall, the Apple Crumble Tart was still very tasty and I would come back just for the Apple Crumble Tart.

Affogato

It was my first time trying an Affogato. The thought of warm coffee and cold ice cream really intrigued me so i decided to give it a try. I do not know what an Affogato should taste like but i really enjoyed the taste of the Affogato at Puran B. I think this is going to be my new fav drink and dessert. I mean it's like killing to birds with one stone! I cant wait to try Affogato's at different cafes and restaurants!

My friend had an Iced Chocolate. According to her, the Iced Chocolate in Ben's,Publika is nicer and more chocolate-ty. I did not try the Iced Chocolate because i was too busy with my Affogato. (Sorry, i do not have a picture of the Iced Choc)

    I can safely say that my recent trip to Puran B by Plan B was definitely better than my previous trip to the Bangsar branch. However, i still don't think that the food, desserts or drinks in Puran B (Plan B) is as good as what 'everyone' makes it out to be. Sadly, i think this is just another place that people rave about and dine at just for its name. 

Ps: The choice of background music is very interesting. If you're a k-pop/j-pop fan, you're gonna love it. As for me, a non k-pop/j-pop fan, i found the music to be really annoying and loud. However, i might be biased because that genre of music is not my cup of tea. But i have to state here that Puran B has no say in the choice of music played as the music is piped through the whole of Isetan! I can't help but pity all the staff in Isetan, One Utama! ;)

Price: 4/10 (Our bill came up to about RM48)

Food: 5/10

Ambiance: 7/10 (it would have been an 8 if the speakers were broken!)

Service: 7/10

Satisfactory level: 5/10

プラン b is located at: Lot G102 F101 & F102, Isetan 1 Utama Shopping Center, 1 Lebuh Bandar Utama, Bandar Utama City Center, 47800 Selangor. 
Contact No: 03-77256177
Opening hours: Daily 11am-10pm

From one foodie to another!

Hey guys!

This is my first blog:) Looking forward to sharing my love of food with you guys . Ps: most food pictures are taken with my iPhone and edited with instagram. Do follow me on instagram at meganjanz.

Have a good weekend guys!