Weekend in Melaka...or is it Malacca?

One blazing hot weekend in June, The Boy and I celebrated a milestone. It was our first weekend away since moving to KL and we were going to Melaka, that lovely UNESCO heritage-listed historical port town about 2-3 hours drive away.

The Boy and I on Melaka River

Melaka centres on the river. The water is not the best but the brightly painted restored shop houses that line the river on both sides - some converted into cafes and accommodation - and the cruise boats ferrying tourists up and down give it a nice life. We happily did the 10-minute leisurely stroll up and down the river to our hotel several times over the weekend, always finding something new to notice and enjoy at different times of day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Melaka is perfect for a weekend trip because most of the tourist sites are clustered close together, which makes for easy sightseeing. The only obstacle was the heat, which seemed to be about 5 degrees warmer than KL! Luckily, cold fresh fruit juices, refreshing bowls of cendol and beers (The Boy's drink of choice) are plentiful, and people-watching enjoyable.

Melaka town centre

Melaka town centre

Colourful tri-shaws lined up waiting for customers

While we chose to walk, it seemed the 'tri-shaw' was the mode of transport of choice for many other visitors that weekend. For some reason, the drivers of these bicycle/carriages insist of blasting loud music as they ferry passengers around, anything from loud 80s ballads to dance club hits. 

St Paul's church ruins

 

Water wheel

A'Famosa fort ruins

Maritime Museum

Malaysians will tell you to go to Melaka for the food. In fact, one of The Boy's staff drives there with friends every couple of months for a feed. Melaka is known for several dishes including chicken rice balls, satay celup and cendol. We had a delicious lunch at Famosa Chicken Rice Ball restaurant on Jonker Street, returning later to check out the night markets, which were bustling.

At the top of Jonker Street

Sunny afternoon in Chinatown

Rice balls and chicken = simple but oh, so satisfying

Lovely interior at Famosa Chicken Rice Ball restaurant

Heaven is fresh juice in a jar on a hot day

Good night Melaka, we'll be back!

We travelled to and from Melaka by Nice Executive Coach which was great aside from a miscommunication which saw us miss the bus on the way there (luckily there was another one 2 hours later) and on the way back we were unfortunately seated beneath a leaking airconditioner which splashed water on our feet every time the bus took a sharp turn. The seats are comfortable though and it looks like one of the nicer coaches that do that route.

Travel tip: If you can help it, don't travel on a public holiday weekend. The roads were so crowded with Malaysian holidaymakers, the trip took an hour longer than scheduled each way.

Dinner at twentyone kitchen+bar, Changkat Bukit Bintang

As you may have heard, Air Asia started flying Sydney-KL direct as of April this year. Prior to that, your only option was Malaysia Airlines for a direct flight or a range of other full-service airlines via Singapore. Air Asia's entry into the market at the low, low, low end of the price spectrum (and now Scoot as well from Singapore to Sydney) is welcome news for many, but certainly for me as it means trips back home will be possible more often.

Of course, the opposite is also true - it means that Sydney friends and family can now come and visit without having to use up their entire holiday budget for the year. And so it was that just before Easter, an entertaining ex-colleague of mine came to KL for a week with her partner and a pair of food bloggers in tow.

On the one night our schedules managed to align, The Boy and I decided to take the troop to Changkat Bukit Bintang. You would not be an expat in KL and not know of this fantastic street lined with countless bars and restaurants and offering a lively energy no matter what night of the week. It's been six months now and we have still only been to a handful of places on the street, it is my goal to gradually make my way through the entire row and choose my favourite establishments.

This particular balmy evening we headed to Gypsy for a few drinks first. There are nicer bars in Changkat, but Gypsy has a good range of beers and decent happy hour prices, which is important when you are out with thirsty menfolk. 

We then headed to the main event of the evening - dinner at twentyone kitchen + bar. The Boy and I had been there before for drinks a couple of times and I liked the wide upstairs balcony where you could sit and sip on a yummy cocktail from a big list and watch the world go by. Having done a bit of research into suitable places that might impress my foodie colleague, I had read some good reviews about twentyone's menu and so for some weeks had been looking forward to finally trying it out.

What we ate:

Entree (shared)
smoked duck and sour plum spring rolls - 16RM
king prawn spring rolls with a sweet chilli and tamarind dipping - 22RM
wild rocket with feta cheese and balsamic - 22RM 

The duck spring rolls were a fantastic flavour combination, while I thought the rocket was a bit overpriced in comparison.


Mains (individual)

braised wagyu beef burger with tomatoes, onions, lettuce, pickles, rosemary crusted chips and gherkin aioli - 38RM
wild mushroom risotto with tempura of oyster mushroom and parmesan wafer - 34
pan fried salmon served on a potato croquette, tomato, asparagus and caper butter sauce - 38

There is one missing from the above list (2 of us ordered the risotto) but I have simply forgotten and don't have any photos to remind me. Verdict? Good. 

The Boy was over the moon with his burger, so much so that I didn't get to try more than a small mouthful. The rosemary crusted chips were rough cut and had the right amount of crispiness on the outside. 

I had the salmon (which I do have a photo of!) and it was the perfect size, even a little too large. The fish was slightly under-cooked which is the way I like it. The potato croquette was yummy and reminded me of arancini balls; the vine-ripened tomato juicy and the caper butter sauce was not too heavy and provided a nice background to the rest of the dish. 


Dessert
passionfruit creme brulee with dark chocolate mousse and caramel - 18RM
tiramisu with mascarpone and chocolate moelleux - 24RM

I was pretty full but my sweet tooth wouldn't let me pass up the delectable dessert menu. The creme brulee made a pleasant crack just as it's meant to and the passionfruit flavour was a nice change from the usual. 

My friend had the tiramisu and proclaimed it beautiful, and this coming from someone who doesn't even like tiramisu is high praise indeed!

All in all, we had a lovely night albeit having spent a bit more than our usual budget. You can probably order 3 courses and a drink for about 100RM each but we shared the entrees so it could be even less.

The menu is appetising and quirky with its XYZ, 3-course layout. Combined with an extensive cocktail and wine list, twentyone really has everything you need for a nice evening of wining and dining. The Boy and I already want to go back, we're just waiting for a special occasion so we can justify the splurge!



 

Dinner at Watami, Pavilion KL

I am constantly on the lookout for good Japanese food and as I've said on this blog before, I'm happy that there are so many places to choose from in KL as it will keep me going for a while!


As part of our ongoing quest to find delicious food from my mother country, The Boy and I paid a visit to Watami, a 'Japanese Casual Restaurant' in Pavilion. We had received a flyer with their menu on it and thought it looked appealing enough to try. The menu is extensive to say the least and usually that's a danger sign for me as typically, restaurants that try to do too many things tend to excel at none of them.


The clincher for me was the mochi cheese okonomiyaki on the menu. Okonomiyaki (Japanese savoury pancake) is one of my favourite Japanese foods and the mochi-filled variety my favourite of them all. Unfortunately, I've found decent okonomiyaki very hard to come by outside of Japan. So when I saw this on the menu at Watami I had to try it even if it was going to be average, just to satisfy my cravings. 


So on a casual Saturday night we strolled up to Level 4 of the constantly buzzing Pavilion mall and were quickly shown to a table. After a few minutes of deliberation (as I said the menu is big!) we decided on edamame and kani hotate cream croquettes to start, then okonomiyaki for both of us - Hiroshima style (with soba noodles) for The Boy, mochi cheese style for me.

Edamame (RM7.90)

The edamame arrived within minutes, pleasantly salted and warm as we had requested (you can choose to have them served hot or cold). As we happily munched our way through these delicious beans, the croquettes arrived.

Kani hotate cream (crab and scallop in cream) croquettes (RM12.90)

These are another food I love and usually request when I visit my grandparents in Japan. The traditional croquette (obviously not a Japanese word!) is potato and beef mince, but I love the decadent creaminess of the crab cream variety. The ones I usually have in Japan are slightly flatter circles rather than balls and have a drier crumb. 


But there was certainly nothing wrong with the ones we were served at Watami. They came out searingly hot and in my impatience I burned my tongue but they were delicious all the same. It was the first time The Boy had tried this dish and it got his thumbs up of approval.

Mochi cheese okonomiyaki (RM17.90)

When my okonomiyaki came out I was pleased to see it served on its own hot plate with an authentic metal spatula and topped with delicious okonomi sauce, mayonnaise and dried bonito flakes. I could almost imagine I was in Osaka sitting at the counter as the chef prepared the okonomiyaki on the hot plate in front of me. Almost.


I found the okonomiyaki to be slightly smaller than the ones you would expect in Japan. But there was plenty of mochi inside and plenty of sauce on top, which got big ticks in my book as there's nothing worse than being tight with the toppings. And it was delicious, I polished the whole thing off in a few minutes and was only sad to find myself too full for dessert!


I settled for a refreshing drink instead and ordered a Strawberry & Citrus Coola. 

Strawberry & Citrus Coola (RM9.90)

It was full of real strawberry pieces and had a delightfully refreshing fizz without being overly sweet. Perfect end to a wonderful meal with prompt, friendly service and all very reasonably priced.


We will be back again to sample more of the menu which also has sushi and sashimi, meat, noodles, salads and an array of Japanese desserts. Watami also has set menus for lunch (starting from RM17.90++) and dinner starting from RM40++ per person for dinner for 2. 


Details:
Watami Malaysia
Level 4, Pavilion KL
168 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
www.watami.com.my 

Afternoon tea at Acme Bar & Coffee (ABC), The Troika

KL seems to me a city that is forever competing against the jungle it came from. And yet there are some spots where everything is neat and tidy - the pavements aren't cracking from the pressure of huge tree roots, there isn't any rubbish scattered around, trees and plants line up in neat rows, and even the blare of the traffic is in the distance, not right in your face. 


Persiaran KLCC is one such place and it is here I found myself one sunny Saturday afternoon. I was meeting a new friend at a fairly new cafe I had read so much about - Acme Bar & Coffee in The Troika building.

Approaching The Troika building on Jalan Binjai/Persiaran KLCC with the Petronas Towers in the distance.

Acme Bar & Coffee, or ABC, is as the name suggests, a cafe/bar. And it's a trendy one at that. I walked in and immediately felt at home with memories of great cafes in Sydney and Melbourne floating through my head.

The bar at ABC, its shelves lined with exotic blends of tea and bottles of Italian mineral water

Pretty flowers at the front desk

The rather industrial structure has been softened by abundant flowers, mirrors, lights and a rather pretty menu. It's the kind of place that's just perfect for you and a group of girlfriends during the day or a romantic late-night date for two.

Plenty of natural light prevents the place from feeling dark and cramped

Lights hang from the ceiling in a row, streetlamp style

The menu is enticing and had I not already eaten lunch, I would have been sorely tempted by the brunch/all-day selection, cutely named 'Too Late for Breakfast'. 

Instead, I decided to order a tea and a slice of apple and olive oil cake, having read a good review recently. The menu is on the pricey side with a cup of tea costing RM15++ and when it arrived, I was slightly disappointed that it was just a tea bag in a cup as for that price, I would have hoped for a teapot with proper tea leaves. Just as well the teabag was super adorable and the tea delicious. 

Storm in a C cup...White Ambrosia tea served in one of Acme's signature ABC cups

The cake didn't disappoint. It was on the slightly fluffy side of moist with a lovely apple flavour that was made decadent by the rich cream cheese icing on top and in the middle. 

Apple & olive oil cake at Acme Bar & Coffee

Dessert menu at Acme Bar & Coffee

As I enjoyed my cake, I found myself already mentally planning a return visit with a Sydney friend who is coming to stay and who I know would love this place. 


Acme Bar & Coffee has recently started offering a Sunday Brunch Buffet for RM99++ (RM199++ with free-flowing sparkling wine) which my friend had been to and enjoyed. It's on the pricey side like everything else on the menu but for a slightly special occasion or when you feel like a bit of a splurge, Acme is a good place to go.


I'm looking forward to going back to try one of their cocktails!


Details:
Acme Bar & Coffee
Ground Floor, The Troika
50450 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
www.acmebarcoffee.com 

Sushi Zanmai, Fahrenheit 88 KL

Sushi is one of my favourite foods. I know it's a bit stereotypical, my being half-Japanese and all, but honestly I think I could live on the stuff.

I've been fortunate that over the past few years sushi has really taken off in Sydney and among the many (some of them unfortunately very average) conveyor-belt sushi places and tiny shops at stations, there are some real gems.

Since moving to KL, I've happily discovered that sushi, and Japanese cuisine in general, is popular here and Japanese restaurants are ubiquitous. I'm yet to go anywhere truly incredible but I have been making a point to try the various sushi train/conveyor belt outlets nearby. They are a good option when you're looking for something tasty, affordable and fast that's a little nicer to your waistline than McDonalds!

The best one I've tried so far that's walking distance from my place is Sushi Zanmai, tucked away in Fahrenheit 88 on Bukit Bintang. I like to browse the shops in Fahrenheit every once in a while and can usually find a new dress or top to buy - the shops makes a nice change from the likes of Suria KLCC and Pavilion and they're so cheap!

I paid a visit to Sushi Zanmai on my most recent browsing trip through Fahrenheit, though I actually first discovered it last year when I was visiting The Boy in KL before moving here.

As soon as you walk inside, you forget you are in a shopping mall. The restaurant is beautiful, done largely in black and white with muted lighting which gives a classy feel. Sit at the counter and you can see the fresh fish behind the glass where the sushi chefs are hard at work.

On my most recent visit I was only there for a quick bite quite late in the afternoon so the sushi train selection was quite sparse and I ended up ordering off the (very extensive) menu. Although Sushi Zanmai mainly offers sushi, you can also choose from a big range of other Japanese dishes like udon and soba noodles, donburi (rice in a bowl with topping like chicken or eel), tempura and bento (Japanese lunch boxes). 

I ordered aburi salmon, salmon roll and california roll, plus hot green tea (1RM) to drink. Every dish was beautifully presented, which is what really made it a memorable experience. 

Aburi salmon

Salmon roll

California roll

I think for the quality of food, the prices are very reasonable and the service was good too with staff attentive and all my dishes coming out quite promptly. 

I'll be going back there again soon to sample some more of their menu! 

Sushi ZanmaiLot No. 2-03
Fahrenheit 88
Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur
Website: http://www.supersushi.com.my/f88.html

Brunch at Wild Honey Singapore

I have to write about another food highlight of my recent trip to Singapore - brunch at Wild Honey. I've already said how much I love brunch and this particular place was fantastic if a little overpriced.

Located up on the 3rd floor of the rather posh Mandarin Gallery on Orchard Road, Wild Honey is open early till late serving all-day breakfast. Got to love a place that knows the value of a good breakfast at any time of day!

They don't take reservations so Father and I showed up a little ahead of our  meeting time with Brother #1 and had to wait 15-20 minutes to be shown to a table. At 11am on a Saturday the place was rocking and it stayed consistently busy for the next couple of hours we were there.

Inside, the decor is cosy and homely, dimly lit with plenty of small tables and an assortment of quaint furniture like fabric-covered chairs. There are no individual menus; rather, everything on offer is written up on several blackboards and you place your order at the counter. (This and they still whack on a 10% service charge to your bill, a bit cheeky!)

Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to take photos of the interior so I will let the pictures of the food do the talking.

Sweetly decorated cappuccino at Wild Honey

Proper sugar cubes make a nice change from sachets

We each ordered one of their various all-day breakfast options named after places around the world. They're not cheap, ranging from $18-22 SGD before tax, but it is a tempting selection and we had a hard time choosing. Well, perhaps not Father who was always going to choose the English Breakfast!

English Breakfast

The English Breakfast comes with scrambled eggs and bacon, pork sausage, sauteed mushrooms, vine-ripened tomato, home style baked beans and toasted brioche. Filling much?

I Love N.Y. Breakfast

Brother, tired after a late night, considered the Mexican and Tunisian options before choosing the New York breakfast. Scrambled eggs with smoked sturgeon (fish), caramelised onions, a sesame bagel plus cream cheese. Yum.

European Breakfast

And lucky last, I chose the European Breakfast after even more deliberation than my sibling. Eggs Benedict is one of my favourite breakfast treats but it's always a risk at a new place because it can be done so badly. Luckily, the European Breakfast, which is Wild Honey's 'interpretation' of this dish, was beyond good.

Two poached eggs, sauteed mushrooms and prosciutto on toasted brioche with hollandaise sauce. The prosciutto made it a little more special than your average ham, and the brioche tasted like heaven to this closet bread addict.

Wild Honey might not be cheap but it certainly is cheerful and I will happily go back next time I'm in Singapore to sample another dish from their All Day Breakfast menu...or just get the same again!

Chilli crab at Jumbo Seafood Gallery Singapore

3 days and 3 nights in Singapore with Father. What would we eat?

Having moved to Singapore a couple of weeks ago and seen the place from one end to the other, Brother #1 now considers himself to be pretty much a local. And being a foodie, I knew we would be in safe hands if we left our dining options up to him.

Of course, our first dinner as (3/8 of) a family had to be chilli crab, Singapore is famous for it. So we agreed to meet at Clarke Quay, Singapore's trendy waterside spot for socialising, before heading to our seafood dinner.

Entrance to Clarke Quay

Night lights sparkle at Clarke Quay, Singapore

Clarke Quay is beautiful, especially at night when the multi-coloured lights reflect off the buildings into the water. I couldn't help but think of Darling Harbour and Cockle Bay Wharf back in Sydney when we got there.

Clarke Quay

Father and I got lost trying to find our way to a trendy rooftop cocktail bar recommended by aforementioned Brother of mine so instead we found ourselves at Harry's bar. One of several Harry's outlets, it's a standard bar with good food, good beer and good cheer. Sitting outside on a not-too-hot evening overlooking the water, it felt good.

Harry's bar, Boat Quay

Father-son moment

Once Brother #1 arrived and another beer was consumed in a father-son bonding moment, we left to go to dinner at Jumbo Seafood Gallery at Riverside Point. Another Singapore institution, there are now six Jumbo outlets around the city, all of them packed with people noisily and messily eating their choice of live seafood from lobster to crab and prawns. 

Riverside Point is literally around the corner from Clarke Quay

Jumbo Seafood Gallery, Riverside Point Singapore

We decided to make things easy and ordered one of their set menus which comprised 6 courses. Actually, the set menu is for a minimum of four people but Father and Brother #1 both being confident of their big appetite, we ordered one for just the three of us.

Let the eating begin - me at Jumbo Seafood Gallery

Boiled live prawns (served with a tasty dipping sauce)

Chilli crab! Yum yum yum

I should point out that the chilli crab is not actually that chilli for those of you who are not so good with the hot stuff. Having said that, I was still thankful for my honeydew melon juice by the end of the meal.

My giant crab claw

I have never been very good with food that requires the use of fingers and/or results in messy hands e.g. corn on the cob, ribs, I even eat pizza with a knife and fork! So you could say that me and crab aren't great friends - usually I sit there while The Boy does all the hard labour cracking the crab open and getting the morsels of crabmeat out, then I just eat! 

On this occasion however, it seemed that neither of the men in my Singapore life were going to let me play my usual princess act so as a consolation, they let me take the claw which is the least fiddly and has the most meat. Now that's love :)

Fried rice with diced chicken and silver bait

Sweet potato sago

We were all stuffed by the end and proceeded to roll home to our wonderful serviced apartment off Orchard Road. But that's a story for another day. 

Our set menu cost $138++ (SGD) for four people, which for the amount of food we ate I thought was pretty good. Some courses were better than others - the fried rice was basically tasty filler food and the boys weren't overly keen on the dessert, but the crab would be enough to make me go back again - this time with someone willing to prepare it all for me I hope!