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2014-01-23
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it is very natural to want to fit in.in fact, garage51 seemed to have taken the notion of fitting in the neighborhood to another level - down to its very name. located in bandar sunway, this cafe under coffee societe's repertoire, drew whimsy decor inspiration from its car workshops/garages neighbors. hence, the name garage and 51 is simply the building number. firstly, finding a parking space here is almost just as bad as trying to find a parking spot in midvalley on the weekends :: CHALLENGIN
in fact, garage51 seemed to have taken the notion of fitting in the neighborhood to another level - down to its very name.
located in bandar sunway, this cafe under coffee societe's repertoire, drew whimsy decor inspiration from its car workshops/garages neighbors. hence, the name garage and 51 is simply the building number. firstly, finding a parking space here is almost just as bad as trying to find a parking spot in midvalley on the weekends :: CHALLENGINGLY DIFFICULT just like finding one of the golden tickets to willy wonka's factory. i'd say it's a good idea to bring a leprechaun or a rabbit's foot with you for luck or simply have a ton of patience.
the line out the door and extensive waiting list as we requested for a table for two, confirmed the cafe's popularity. the space was petite with a quarter of a second floor to accommodate more tables. the hues were kept to the basic black & white, echo-ing the whimsical industrial approach with its smooth concrete floor, while being the ideal background for some bright colored oil barrels, converted into seats. these were complimented by the rustic tables and metal chairs.
with publika's coffee societe's grabbing the coveted award by time out kl for the best place for coffee 2o13 and my love for coffee, i had to get me one of those.white coffee :: latte (rm 8.9o)
soy latte - my usual go-to cuppa joe for new cafes to confirm the skills of the barista.
the good: a perfect ratio of foam to coffee for latte.
the lacking: unfortunately, the espresso was overbrewed, leaving an unpleasant bitter aftertaste and dominating my palate that i was completely distracted, followed by distraught that i didn't notice the other elements of milk and temperature of the drink. the coffee beans were so blatantly over brewed, noticeable via observation when i compared my glass of late to {owy}'s regular latte - the shade of my latte closely resembled a mocha instead.oh, the inconsistencies :/
to be fair, {owy}'s latte displayed a better balance of bitterness mellowed by the creaminess of the milk. however, not enough to displace my top favorite from its pedestal.
weekend's brunch :: roll-with-a-hole | smashed avocado on bagel with salsa, sliced salmon, cream cheese (rm 18)
the bagel was somewhat fresh with a nice chewy softness but surprisingly the upper half displayed a different texture that was a tad dense. a thin slather of cream cheese spread (wished for slightly more) to impart a creamy tanginess to counter the sweetness of the diced tomatoes, and the mild saltiness of the thin, raw salmon slices. the dish worked as a whole but a few more slices of the salmon would have bring a balanced ratio of fish to bagel.
the side salad was a mix of greens and cherry tomatoes tossed in a garlic-y sweet vinaigrette which did not connect with the flavors the bagel had to offer. tldr: the dish as a whole was okay.
room for improvement: a better salmon/avocado/tomato ratio to bagel and perhaps a pinch of salt.
weekend's brunch :: kipferl jr | croissant with egg mayo (rm 12)
{owy} was craving for buttery and flaky croissant. i had a bite of the egg mayo and was taken aback by the taste. two words: mayo overload!
the mayo was overused that it felt it was mayo with a side of smashed eggs combined together. mayo was all i could taste and the richness of the mayo becomes too much very quickly. not something either {owy} or myself would order again.garage 51 has left us a little disappointed with the food and my coffee (well, {owy}'s latte was miles better than mine) considering the trouble we took with the parking. in fact, this experience has left me wondering if i'd return for a second visit anytime soon
for full review and more photos: http://sians.blogspot.com
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