Showing posts with label Dessert. Show all posts

[FOOD] 20130803 Privilege Restaurant & Bar @ Telaga Harbour, Langkawi


Privilege Restaurant & Bar (PR) is a one of a kind, fine dining restaurant and bar serving Western-Malaysian fusion food in Langkawi. It's a small restaurant located at the first floor of a end-lot shop at Perdana Quay, Telaga Harbour, just opposite The Loaf Bakery.

The owner Peter settled down in Langkawi some time ago and started the restaurant business. He and his team are very friendly and accommodating to all his guest's requests. Privilege Restaurant is highly reviewed by visitors around the world, thanks to its excellent service with personal touch.

Despite the excellent service and cozy environment, the food was disappointing for a nice upscale restaurant like this. Credits given for the innovation to create the fusion between western and Malay cuisine, the taste however was just mediocre. Perhaps my expectations were high back then. Don't get me wrong, the food is still good and pack with elements of surprise, but it is just not there yet to be called the best.

It is recommended to make your reservation prior to your visit to avoid disappointment as the restaurant is usually full.

Privilege Restaurant & Bar
B8, First Floor, Perdana Quay, Jalan Pantai Kok, 07000 Langkawi Kedah
Telephone: +604 - 956 1188
Opening Hours: 12:00pm until 11:00pm (Mon - Sat)


TO GO


The Perdana Quay is located at the Telaga Harbour which is towards the west side of the island, with a good view of sea and yacht. However, the location is kinda remote and it's recommended to rent a car as grabbing a cab may not be easy.


SPECIALITY



Dealing with the reservation was hassle free as the owner, Mr Peter was very attentive and responsive.  He would try his very best to accommodate any special request made to make your visit an enjoyable one. I was warmly welcomed by the service staff and directed to my table. There are only limited tables available in the restaurant and I could understand why it is always fully booked.



The interior was cozy and dark with modern western style restaurant decoration. The harbour fronting seats are limited hence you need to make your reservation as early as possible. 


Like some fine dining restaurants, the waiter will serve something (usually fresh and light) to awaken or cleanse your palate to avoid the residue taste from the previous course to overpower the next. In this case above, it's actually a starter or a awakening element to initiate your meal. I couldn't recall what it is made of as the taste is not really recognised in my limited "database".

New Zealand Lamb & Potato Curry Samosa with Imli Ki (Tamarind Chutney) - RM20 (current price)

I started off with a starter, New Zealand Lamb & Potato Curry Samosas with Imli Ki (Tamarind Chutney). It's a freshly made lamb samosa with a fusion of local curry.


I like this dish with it's strong curry flavour and tender lamb wrapped in the fresh and nice pastry. The tamarind sauce further enhances your taste buds. Two pieces definitely not enough.


In between my starter and main dish, a lime sorbet with pandan was served to cleanse your palate for the main course.


My main dish, Lamb Shank served with Basmati Rice and some sauce (turmeric? couldn't remember). This dish is no longer available in their latest menu. I probably can guess why. The lamb shank taste mediocre with heavy taste of blood. Overall didn't really enjoy my lamb shank as I had some better ones else where.

Roasted 5 Spices Duck Breast with Fried White Raddish Cake & Seasonal Green - RM48 (current price)

My partner had the Roasted 5 Spices Duck Breast with Fried White Raddish Cake & Seasonal Green. This is an awkward dish as I don't see how the fried white raddish cake is able to compliment the duck breast and with the bak choy that doesn't really blend with concept of fine dining where it's hard to eat. Probably bak choy was used to go along with the fried white raddish cake to symbolize the oriental side of the dish. The roasted duck breast was also mediocre where a normal cafe's smoked duck can easily beat this. Definitely not worth the price paid.


Fresh apple juice to accompany the meal.


Last but not least, dessert as recommended by Peter, a homemade smoked banana ice cream, which according to Peter, was their latest experiment. Flavour was at the heavy side but overall still a pleasant dessert to end the meal.

SUMMARY


Overall, dining at PR really does make you feel privileged and was an enjoyable meal despite the let down in taste. If you are looking for place in Langkawi to have an enjoyable night, then PR will definitely be up the task to serve you with a slight compromise in food especially the main course. The starter and dessert are up to mark and decent but the main courses were disappointing. Perhaps other main courses may not fair as bad. PR built up its reputation in Langkawi mostly through its service than the food as most of the reviewers are foreigners who may not have an idea on Malaysian cuisine.

Taste
 ☆☆☆☆
 Disappointing main course but still good.
Value
 ☆☆☆
 On the higher end and pricey for the food but worth it for the service.
Service
 ☆☆☆☆☆
Excellent service
Cleanliness
 ☆☆☆☆☆
Opening Hours
12:00pm until 11:00pm (Mon - Sat)
Closed on Sunday
Wifi
Yes
Parking
Ample
Website
http://www.privilegerestaurant.com/

GPS: 6.368568, 99.682423
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[FOOD] 20130802 La Chocolatine @ Pantai Tengah, Langkawi


Had my first breakfast in Langkawi at La Chocolatine after my night flight back in 2013. It is a small French pastry shop owned by a French, who is also the pastry chef, serving some very nice pastries and desserts.

Although the price seemed to be on the higher end but it is totally justified by the quality of the pastries and desserts served, with some French desserts that are rarely seen in normal pastries. They do serve breakfast sets with sandwiches and omelette if you fancy a western breakfast.

La Chocolatine is located at Pantai Tengah, right after the junction between Jalan Pantai Tengah and Jalan Teluk Baru.

03 Jalan Teluk Baru, Pantai Tengah, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah
Telephone: +604 - 9558891
Opening Hours: 09:00am until 09:00pm

TO GO


La Chocolatine is located at Pantai Tengah, which is towards the South end of popular tourist spot of Pantai Cenang. If you are staying nearby Pantai Cenang or Pantai Tengah then travelling by foot is most recommended as you can also enjoy the beach front.

Any other locations would require you to either rent a car or bike or to take a cab.

SPECIALITY



La Chocolatine is a cozy little pastry shop with a striking orange sign board located just after the end of Jalan Pantai Tengah with a beach fronting (although some distance away).


It has a very simple yet homey interior with some trace of French culture. The service was friendly and prompt and I noticed some locals are working on the pastries in the kitchen.


Breakfast set menu are available but I don't quite get the reason of serving two beverages but only one bread, of course with the price tag of RM20 and above (that was in 2013!).


I opt for the ala carte menu instead to have more flexibility. They serve Nespresso coffee along with tea or hot chocolate to accompany your pastry. Although I would like to comment on my Cappuccino was just mediocre. Better just to focus on their pastries and desserts and to skip beverages.

Croissant - RM4

Their croissant was a killer. I'm not a fan of croissant but this particular croissant totally changed my perspective of croissant because I used to think that croissant is dry and oily with layers of pastries. The croissant made by La Chocolatine was different, it was soft and fluffy with rich butter flavour.


The inner texture of the croissant reassembles more like a bread (but not bread!) instead of the normal croissant that I used to have.


I also ordered this bread (sorry I don't remember the name!) which is also very good. I really like the texture of the pastries, not forgetting the flavour.


Desserts are also their signature and I believe the girls will definitely scream in front of the patisserie counter with arrays of sinful desserts for the sweet tooth. Common French desserts such as enclair, tarts, macaroons and many other fancy French-named desserts. However, do expect a higher price tag for such premium quality desserts with at least RM10 each.

I skipped desserts as it was too early in the morning for a sweet dip. Probably will try it next time when I'm in Langkawi again. 


SUMMARY


Very nice and authentic pastries that totally revamped my perspective of pastries. It gave me an insight on how well a pastry can taste like, if properly done. It was kinda rare to find a French pastry in a place like Langkawi but perhaps the peaceful and slow pace of Langkawi attracted many foreigners to reside here.

Taste
 ☆☆☆☆☆
 Very nice pastries
Value
 ☆☆☆☆
Price is on the higher end
Service
 ☆☆☆☆
Cleanliness
 ☆☆☆☆☆
Opening Hours
09:00am until 09:00pm (Daily)
Wifi
Yes
Parking
Yes
Website
Nil

GPS: 6.282507, 99.730884
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[FOOD] 20150114 Nam Sing Bird Nest 南星魚翅燕窩樓 @ Chinatown, Bangkok


Bird's nest, or swallow's nest is edible and prized by the Chinese as they believed it possess rich nutrition and healing properties since centuries ago. South East Asian traders often ship these valuable products back in the older days as it is only found and harvested at steep sea cliffs in South East Asia.

Hence, these valuable products, along with shark fins are widely found around Chinatown area in Bangkok as Thailand is one of the producers of bird's nest, along with main exporter, Malaysia.

There are many traders along Chinatown that sell these bird nests, but one must be vigilant when choosing it due to existence of imitation products, usually made of agar. Other than the raw bird nests, some traders or restaurants will serve these bird's nest in soup, often clear soup with rock sugar, which is able to preserve the flavour as well as the nutrition of the bird's nest, despite no direct scientific evidence on the nutrition properties.

You may find cheaper bird nests soup from the street vendors or slightly more expensive ones from the Chinese restaurants. Price ranged from as low as 150 Baht up to 1500 Baht per bowl of these bird nest soup. The price is differentiated by the quality and quantity of the bird nest in the soup.

There are many restaurants serving bird nest soup around and I don't have the time, nor budget, nor tummy space to try one by one. After a quick search online for some reviews online and some consideration, I decided to try the one served by Nam Sing bird's nest, just next to T&K Seafood where I just had dinner previously. Nam Sing is also a Chinese restaurant which serves Chinese cuisine but they mainly promote their bird nest to the tourist passing by instead of their food.

Nam Sing Bird Nest
Soi Phadung Dao, Yaowarat Road Chinatown, Bangkok 10100, Thailand
Nearest MRT Stations: Hua Lamphong Station
Telephone: +66 2 222 6292
Opening Hours: 09:00am until 02:00am (Daily)

TO GO


Nam Sing Bird Nest is just next to T&K Seafood, hence you can just follow my directions in T&K post as below:
Unfortunately there is no direct access via BTS or MRT and most likely you will need to take a cab to reach Chinatown. But be mindful on the peak hours as some taxi drivers may not want to travel here due to the jam, hence, plan your journey ahead to avoid disappointment. 

The nearest MRT station will be the Hua Lamphong Station, which you will need to walk for another 15 minutes to reach Chinatown. Walk along the main street of Chinatown and you won't miss the smell and the scene of busy workers grilling fresh seafood on the grill. Look for the green stall for T&K and Nam Sing will be just next to it.


SPECIALITY



You can see the notice sign board of Nam Sing just next to T&K Seafood. 

Despite Nam Sing being a Chinese restaurant, I hardly see any patrons during my visit and I have no confident on their menu, no idea why. Anyway, I'm here to try bird nests soup only and they have various grade and pricing for the bird nest soup, ranging from 200 Baht up to 1000 Baht.


I ordered a Grade 2 bird nest soup which cost 350 Baht. To be honest, I will not know if they serve me a lower grade one as you can't really tell the difference between the grades from taste. Experienced housewife or frequent consumer of bird nest would probably be able to tell you the difference from the texture or taste, but not me. All I hope is that the restaurant don't con poor tourist like me.


The bird nest is served in a small bowl along with condiments such as gingko, longan and red dates, all processed and cooked in syrup. It goes well with the bird nest soup, giving a sweet addition to the soup. I have tasted bird nest soup before, prepared by my mother with Chinese herbs and also those in bottle packings. To be fair, it doesn't taste bad or good, come on, how can you go wrong with just adding rock sugar? The quantity of bird nest is not generous but still reasonable.

SUMMARY


Overall, it wasn't a bad bowl of bird nest soup. Does it worth 350 Baht? I wouldn't know. Will you get pretty overnight after drinking? Definitely not. It is more for the experience and taste if you never had one before.

Taste
☆☆☆☆
Simple, but towards sweet side.
Value
N/A
No idea, depends on individual
Service
☆☆
Bad service
Cleanliness
☆☆
Little cockroaches crawling on your table.
Opening Hours
09:00am until 02:00am (Daily)
Wifi
Nil
Parking
Limited
Website
https://www.facebook.com/NamsingBirdnest

GPS: 13.740176, 100.510641
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[PLACE] 20150113 Thong Lo Food Street @ Thong Lo, Bangkok


Street food is what Bangkok is known for, and to find abundance of street food, you need to find a food street where the food stalls gather. Similar to our Malaysian version of "wai sik gai" (Glutton Street) like those in Jalan Alor, Pudu or PJ SS2, There are many street foods around Bangkok, some open in the morning, some in the night, some all day long.

Thong Lo Food Street would probably be one of the well known ones with some famous stalls around. The Sukhumvit Soi 38 transforms into a busy street after 6pm with shops and vendors opening for business.

The number of tourist is less here compared to hot areas like Chinatown or Pratunam. You may find most of the common street food like soup noodles, rice, pork satay, mango sticky rice, desserts, pad Thai etc including the famous stalls like the Pad Thai Fire Look and Ning Mango Stick Rice that I introduced in separate posts.

Sukhumbit Soi 38 is very accessible via BTS as it is just right below the BTS Thong Lo Station and spans across more than 200 meters. It opens from 6pm onwards until mid night.

Sukhumvit Soi 38, Thong Lo
Nearest BTS Stations: Thong Lo
Telephone: Nil
Opening Hours: 06:00pm onwards

TO GO


The Thong Lo Food Street is conveniently located under the BTS Thong Lo station. Just take the Sukhumvit Line (Light Green) and exit at Thong Lo station. You wouldn't miss the sight of the busy Sukhumvit 38 street from the station.



ATTRACTION



Restaurants, shops stalls and street vendors are all here waiting for you if you are looking for your dinner or supper.


There are more locals than tourists here but nevertheless you will still spot some around due to its convenience by the BTS station.


Stall selling Thai dessert, which I guessed should be something like the red ruby or sweet soup with condiments.


The famous award winning Pad Thai Fire Look at the alley on the right of the street.


The famous Ning Mango Stick Rice which serves very quality mango stick rice, definitely recommended.


Pork satay (skewers) and sausages like those you commonly seen around the streets of Bangkok.


This fruit juice stall sells cheap and quality juices with price ranges between 20 Baht to 40 Baht, depending on the type of juices.


Passion fruit juice is one of the recommended juices because you rarely see this in other place, but you need to bear with the blended seeds although it is edible.


Too much spicy food in Bangkok and need something thats lighter? Try the congee stall as well as it serve Cantonese-liked porridge which is cooked into very fine and almost watery texture. The one in the picture above is the salted egg with mince pork, Chinese style.


Last but not least, a glimpse on my dinner, the Pad Thai by Pad Thai Fire Look.


SUMMARY


Overall the Thong Lo Food Street has many to offer especially with the famous stalls around to guarantee your journey here. The price seems to be on the higher side with minimum cost per dish of at least 40 Baht and up. However, the people here don't speak Englishv very well, most of the ordering are done by pointing and numbering. Those stalls who are familiar with tourists will have a picture menu ready and you just need to point. It may not be the best food street, but it also will not disappoint.

Attraction
☆☆☆☆
who can resist food street??
Cleanliness
☆☆☆
food by the street, but that's what makes it delicious
Entrance Fee
Nil
Opening Hours
06:00pm onwards (Daily)
Wifi
N/A
Parking
N/A
Website
N/A

GPS: 13.723467, 100.579003
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[FOOD] 20150113 Ning Mango Sticky Rice @ Thong Lo, Bangkok


The sweet mango and the savoury sticky rice, the combination of both is probably one of the most popular Thai dessert that is served in almost every Thai restaurant and found in many streets around Thailand.

It is very easy to prepare, but it is not easy to make a mouth watering mango sticky rice without the understanding of the ingredient. Among all, the best mango sticky rice I had so far is definitely the Ning Mango at Thong Lo Food Street.

There are a few stalls selling mango sticky rice in Thong Lo Food Street located at Soi Sukhumvit 38, but the one you need to look out for is definitely the one hidden at the side alley, which is the same location with the Pad Thai Fire Look.

Right side alley, Sukhumvit 38, Thong Lo
Nearest BTS Stations: Thong Lo
Telephone: Nil
Opening Hours: 06:00pm onwards

TO GO


The Thong Lo Food Street is conveniently located under the BTS Thong Lo station. Just take the Sukhumvit Line (Light Green) and exit at Thong Lo station. You wouldn't miss the sight of the busy Sukhumvit 38 street from the station.

Once you are at the street, you need to locate the side alley at your right side, behind the fruit juice stall. Inside this alley is where two hidden gems are located along with a Korean food stall operated by a Korean lady. The Ning Mango is right behind the fruit juice stall.




SPECIALITY



The view from above at the BTS station. The whole stretch of the street are all food stalls while the Ning Mango is located at the right alley seen in this picture.


Here, meet Ning, the stall owner who has her smile everytime, preparing plates and plates of mango sticky rice. The serving here is either small, medium or big, priced at 60 Baht, 80 Baht and 100 Baht respectively (RM6.60, RM8.80 and RM11). Pricey? maybe. Worth it? Definitely.


I ordered the medium one and the portion is generous as shown above. What separates Ning's mango sticky rice with the rest is the quality of ingredients used. 

The mango is very sweet, and fiberless which I believed it's the famous local Thai Nam Doc Mai mango. I can just eat the mango alone! The sticky rice texture is just soft and nice unlike some other stall which might be hard or undercooked, with the thick coconut milk to add the creamy texture and flavour.

This will be a stall I will definitely come back for my next trip when I'm craving for mango stick rice.

SUMMARY


Tried many mango sticky rice in Malaysia and Thailand, and I think Ning's mango sticky rice might be one of the best thus far. It is professionally prepared with fresh and quality ingredients, and most of all, 5 star restaurant quality at street price. 

Taste
☆☆☆☆☆
Probably one of the best you can get from the streets
Value
☆☆☆☆
slightly pricey but well worth for the quality
Service
☆☆☆☆☆
very friendly Ning
Cleanliness
☆☆☆☆
Opening Hours
06:00pm until midnight (Daily)
Wifi
Nil
Parking
Nil
Website
http://www.facebook.com/NingMango

GPS: 13.723178, 100.578379
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[FOOD] 20150113 After You Cafe @ Siam Paragon, Bangkok


After You Cafe, with their tagline "there's always room for dessert" simply reminds you not to miss out their delicious dessert even after your tummy is filled with Bangkok's street food.

The cafe started off from a college girl' passion in baking back in 2007 and has expanded ever since until what it is today with 11 outlets around Bangkok, serving the signature toast and cakes like the well known Shibuya Honey Toast and Chocolate Lava Cake.

Besides delicious dessert, the cozy environment is also another reason why this cafe is so well received by the patrons. Some outlets are located in shopping malls while others are at shoplots which are road fronting under the outdoor environment.

They have been constantly improving their menu by adding new dessert choices, making sure you will have a refreshing visit every time.

Outlets:
- Siam Paragon
- Siam Square One
- Central World
- Silom Complex
- J Avenue
- Lavilla, Paholyotin
- The Crystal, Phase 2
- Central Plaza, Ladprao
- The Mall Bangkapi
- The Crystal Ratchapruek
- INT Intersect

After You Cafe, Siam Paragon, Ground Floor
Nearest BTS Station: Siam Station
Telephone: +6602 - 610 7659
Opening Hours: 10:00am until 10:30pm (Daily)

TO GO


There are as many as 11 outlets around Bangkok, which you may pick one outlet which is nearest to your location, with Siam area being the most convenient and highly recommended. Just take a BTS from any line and travel towards Siam station, which is also the interchange station for both BTS line. From here, the nearest outlet will be either Siam Paragon or Siam Square One.



SPECIALITY



You have to be early to beat the crowds as I have read online reviews that the cafe will be swarmed by patrons during peak hours. If you have a tight schedule, I would recommend you to come early or to some other outlets that are further away, whichever is convenient. It was an early weekday during my visit, hence the kinda empty tables with some tourist and students around.


The menu didn't come cheap for Thailand's standard with each dessert costs average above 150 Baht (RM16.50). Besides desserts, they do serve coffee and other hot beverages if you are looking for an early fix. They have complimentary drinking water, to be self serviced as well.

Shibuya Honey Toast - 170 Baht (RM18)

Frankly, I'm only here for the Shibuya Honey Toast, which was what the hype was all about. This thick toast with two scoops of vanilla ice cream and some cream topped with almond chunk costs 170 Baht (RM18) if not mistaken, pretty pricey for a piece of bread. It better holds up to what it claims!


What's a honey toast without honey? The Shibuya Honey Toast is best served with a pour of honey over it. The toast, despite thick, is very soft and buttery. You can easily press down the knife through the toast of bread and top your bite with the sweet dip of honey and vanilla ice cream. It does have other variants of the toast like Nutella, Strawberry, Matcha etc etc.

Recommended to be shared by at least two person as it was quite a big serving and it is also too much for one to stuff the whole toast by him or herself. Might visit another time to try out the others, but for now, some tummy reservation is required for my next stop.

SUMMARY


The main shout out will be the toast while others are just toppings and add on to compliment the toast. Recommended for those who have a sweet tooth or dessert/toast lover, not so much for a guy like me. Portion is big, recommended to be shared.

Taste
☆☆☆☆
Key is the toast while ice cream is just compliment.
Value
☆☆☆
Very pricey for a toast and Thailand' standard, but still worth a try
Service
☆☆☆☆
Friendly staff and service
Cleanliness
☆☆☆☆☆
Opening Hours
Varies according to outlets
Siam Paragon: 10:00am until 10:30pm (Daily)
Wifi
Yes
Parking
Yes
Website
http://www.afteryoudessertcafe.com/

GPS: 13.746330, 100.534692
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