nutmeg
"one of the two distinct spices from a fruit produced by the evergreen tree, native to banda islands of indonesia, often called the spice islands. best used grated fresh."

breakfast
"the first meal of the day, usually eaten in the morning. some might even say it is the most important meal of the day"nutmeg, bangsar
"a cafe, located in bangsar village 2 - adheres to their motto of 'good food from our kitchen' by serving breakfast food all day long from am to the pm (lunch & dinner options available too) and boasts of their 3 must haves - classic reuben, their namesake big breakfast and their gravlax sampler"

perhaps that's the reason behinds the cafe's name: being secretly special. my other theory is the warmth it intends to bring with their offerings in similar fashion the nutmeg imparts warm flavors.the same secretly special warmth was reflected in the nutmeg cafe's decor - an eccentric mix of vibrant artistry with hints of vintage industrial chic and modern baba-nyonya. i love the use of the mason jars as lamps at the counter where you could watch the chefs hard at work, preparing the dishes as the aroma wafted from the open kitchen into the dining area.with brunch, lunch and dinner options aplenty, surprisingly it took me no time to pick my plate of choice when my eyes zeroed in on something that i've been craving for since returning from the states and haven't really been able to find anywhere else so far.

but first...

drinks - iced teas :: nutmeg mixed fruit tea | black tea, mint, orange juice, pineapple juice (rm 9)the iced tea tasted tropical, where the pineapple dominated with the occasional orange flavor sneaking in. the main star, the black tea was as subtle as the mint - so much so that more mint infusion could take the drink to another level of refreshing goodness. {mw} wasn't too thrilled with it. my take - it was pretty nice albeit slightly too sweet for my liking.


lunch & dinner - sandwiches :: bagel & lox | toasted bagel , cream cheese, choice of house-cured gravlax, capers (rm 21)

the toasted bagel had a crispy exterior contrasting the slightly chewy insides but was almost borderline dry. what i assumed was half a block of cream cheese (would have been a whole lot better if the consistency was of a schmear) was spread on the bagel that i scraped off enough for another serving. the side salad was a delightful crisp field of greens tossed in a vinaigrette that combined light berry sweetness and tartness.HUGE kudos to nutmeg for getting the gravlax aboard on the flavor train. fresh raw salmon, which was mildly salted paired perfectly with periodic briny burst from capers and the tartness of the cream cheese granted desirable yummy mouthfuls. the one small thing (and i'm nitpicking in this case) was i wished the lox was slightly more salty, which i eventually was fulfilled when i finally reached on the last slice which i suspect was from the end of the cured salmon block. on the flip side i have to admit that the mild saltiness allowed the salmon's natural flavors to shine.

all day breakfast :: nutmeg gravlax "croissant-wich" | smoked paprika gravlax topped with scrambled eggs, toasted croissant (rm 26)not very dissimilar from my dish, {mw} offered me a bite off her croissant-wich. the eggs were fluffy and seasoned perfectly with the buttery, chewy pastry and finally made whole by the same fantastic gravlax with a hint of smokiness from being mildly paprika-ed. {mw} gave her nodding approval for the dish and from the small bite i had, i'd give a preliminary concurrence

breakfast comforts :: hotcake stack | three pancake stack . vanilla ice cream & chocolate hazelnut praline ganache (rm 16)instead of breakfast for dinner, this is more dessert for dinner! {kbg} wanted something "lighter" and was determined to get a breakfast dish when i first told him that they served breakfast options for dinner, which to him, was quite an interesting concept. unfortunately, the pancakes were probably the least successful where it ended up dense and almost chewy instead of the fluffy pillow-like airiness that it should be. the chocolate hazelnut praline ganache was delectable though - mimicking the flavors of nutella.


nutmeg cafe, which was initiated by two brothers-in-law, has turned heads for its novelty idea (probably one of the firsts in malaysia) of serving breakfast food all day - be it for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. while there were a couple of misses in execution, nutmeg's gravlax had me at first bite.

"good food from our kitchen?"
yes, yummy but not out of this world....
....with maybe the exception of the gravlax.

being a coffee junkie, searching for the best coffee in town is inevitable.

found a favorite in kl (and that is illy) and it is the foodie's job to not settle and find for one that tops the best! my visit to whisk was spurred by a newspaper article, detailing how the petite shop started and the person behind it. i wanted to try it simply because it was coffee and it sounded promising!a petite cafe just a couple of shops away from jaya grocer in empire shopping gallery, whisk was set up in the simplest, rustic way that can only be described homemade but in a nice way, clad in a theme of black and white. the space was small and the seats limited. the cakes proudly presents themselves on a pedestal of glass cake stands while beckoning you to take a bite into a slice of your favorite dessert choice(s) with a cup of warm coffee.

espresso bar :: caffe latte (rm 11)my yard stick for all espresso based drinks - the latte. the simplicity of espresso and milk is not a mere task but requires finesse and mastery to produce a good quality cup of latte. oh and the mood of the barista helps too so be nice to them

the big question comes with the first sip of latte that i took. did that cup of latte take over the throne of yumminess from illy's? not quite but it's very close. whisk's caffe latte now reigns as one of the my other favorite cuppa joes which is stole my heart in a different way than illy's did. whisk's latte took of a more full bodied, creamy, smooth approach that complimented the coffee/espresso itself. the bitter note that ends with every sip of the latte was mellowed by the lovely milk creating a delicate balance between the two. yum!

the desserts enticed and i responded by giving in. a slice of red velvet cake makes it to our table with some expectations of what it will taste like. it was slightly overly sweet and i thought the cocoa was masked by the other ingredients of the cream cheese frosting. it was alright but doesn't give my favorite red velvet cupcake a run for its money.

where there is good lattes and coffee, you know you'd see me there and whisk is one that i wouldn't mind returning for more.

one of the first restaurants under the B.I.G family that i've tried was ben's general food store in bangsar village.

it was a sunday afternoon and bangsar was bustling with people. the same was with ben's general food store but it was a good thing that we managed to get a seat without having to wait too long.i loved the decor -- cozy, inviting and somewhat rustic with a touch of vintage. the main hues were black and white on wood cladding the walls as well as wooden furniture. a couple of recipes fill the blackboard space around the restaurant..there is also patio dining but considering how warm and humid the weather is usually in malaysia, i'd prefer staying in the inside (hail to the air conditioning!). for those who are wifi starved such as i am until i get my unlimited internet (yum!), they have it! ^^ i think you may need to request the password from the wait staff.the menu was quite extensive ranging from salads and pastas to deli items and pizzas. {wy} and i kept looking at each other, trying to see what the other person was going to order... lol.

shake 'em buns :: lamb burger | served with fries and coleslaw (RM24)as i looked through the menu, i realized i kept picking out things with lamb...lamb shank pie...lamb meatballs.. and then finally the lamb burger which was what i had my heart set on. i was quite surprised that they didn't ask me about what doneness that i wanted.it came well done with excellent grill marks. could have done with more crust on both sides of the patty. the gamey flavor was rather light, probably masked by just enough seasoning and good punch of herbs and spices rooted in the mediterranean style . it was flavorful and juicy -- which was a great job since they managed to lock all the juices despite cooking it all the way through. the bread was soft and could have used a bit of a toasting in the oven for textural difference.. and the arugula lends a subtle bitter flavor but fresh touch coupled with the tartness from the sauce. but overall an enjoyable burger and i'd order it a second time..

i can't say the same for the sides..the coleslaw was overdressed and i wished it was chilled. the fries were neither all that crispy except for a couple -- but it definitely needed salt.

hot deli items :: b.i.g. lasagna | served with side salad (RM23.90)it was quite the generous serving of lasagna -- {wy} was craving for lasagna and b.i.g. lasagna was chosen. i had a small bite and thought the sauce could use some more fresh herbs and extra cheese but overall a decent lasagna. {wy} seemed pretty happy with it but it got too much as she tried to finish the whole lasagna.

{wy}'s dish comes with a side salad. she ordered the marinated button mushrooms & barley but instead they served her scorched sweet corn & crabmeat with frisee, lime and mayo. it's somewhat a good thing since as soon as she asked for mushroom salad as her side salad, she laughed and admitted that she wasn't a fan of barley lol. which was probably why we didn't ask them to take it back in exchange for the salad we ordered.i absolutely love sweet corn. {wy} offered to share her salad which i gratefully tasted. fully expecting it to be sweet, the corn lacked in that aspect -- almost flat in flavor which was disappointing. the crabmeat was scarce. the dressing was almost right. i'd give the salad an okay. i do, however, think that it's great that any salads on their menu is fair game which is a plus and you don't just end up with a garden/tossed salad with a generic vinaigrette.

ben's general food store is one of the many popular restaurants under ben's independent grocer. extensive menu of classic favorites but it definitely has room for improvement. the ingredients are pretty fresh which is the base for awesome dishes waiting to happen. not amazing but alright..

fat spoon had me at its decor.

well, at least enough to get my attentionmy story with fat spoon started with a friend's instagram picture. like its decor, i found the whimsical creativity of using story book favorites we used to grow up with somewhat endearing . a blasphemy to book lovers though >.<located in damansara uptown, its exterior is reminiscent of the petite colonial houses in penang island and malacca, with detailed accents - a home-y feel that is inviting.i am kind of a sucker for vintage inclined decor in a modern setting, which was its main theme. it's interesting how fat spoon is able to make disjointed pieces of decor work tastefully together, which i loved. almost eccentric but artsy. to give it a cozy ambiance, the presence instax of happy moments, the rustic feel of the furniture pieces with the backdrop of walls of exposed clay bricks completes the whole stage. i was expecting the story book menu so i wasn't taken aback when i was handed peter and jane books. the menu was an interpretation of malaysian homemade classics with a fusion of different cultures, which i have yet to decide whether it was good or bad.

grandma's recipe :: sambal fried rice | wok friend rice with sambal belacan and dried prawns served with kunyit fried chicken (rm 11.90)a favorite at fat spoon, i usually try to not take huge chances with food choices when it comes to my first time at restaurants. i was expecting a plate of spicy fried rice but instead was surprised by the sambal belacan served separately in a little dish. well, i suppose you could decide the level of spiciness you'd like that day. the fried chicken with a lovely seasoning of salt, pepper and tumeric was fried to perfection resulted to crispy skin and moist inside. i wish the piece was a tad bigger. the fried rice had the pleasant surprise of the chopped up dried shrimps in it, lending an occasional seafood-y burst of saltiness but in general could have used a bit more seasoning.. the undercooked long beans could have definitely used some more time in the pan. the main star of the dish - the sambal was a spicy yet delicious accompaniment that worked so well with the rest of the ingredients.

grandma's recipe:: spicy beef macaroni soup | a comforting bowl of spicy beef broth over served over macaroni (rm 11.90){wy} was in the mood for something soup-y and i was more than happy to give it a taste when she offered. the one sip, i thought the taste was lackluster and lack the seasoning. it was missing the robust flavor that i was searching for when it was neither here nor there with the spiciness but it did offer some comforting warmth. {wy} requested for a couple more of lime halves to try to spruce up the flavor profile which helped give it a tart note to the monotonous broth.

grandma's recipe:: dry spicy beef macaroni | dry version of our signature spicy beef macaroni garnished with coriander & topped with medium boiled egg (rm 11.90)

this was probably my least favorite of the bunch. the under seasoned noodles was topped with equally under seasoned beef which rendered the dish bland. so much so that the coriander was a pleasant addition although i am not a huge fan of the herb.

spicy - ever so slightly. dry - yup, perhaps too dry that i had to shower the noodles with the side bowl of soup (which was also a move to add flavor). i even had to ask a couple more lime halves to salvage the meal but even after the addition, i just couldn't finish it. the medium boiled egg was cooked very well though but not enough to make up for the rest of the meal.

desserts :: red velvet cake (rm 9.90)one of my favorite cakes, i'm always searching for one that blows me away. the classic pairing of cocoa infused cake with cream cheese frosting, this one did not have the right proportions of sweetness (it was too sweet) and the tartness of the cream cheese to counterbalance. the other flavors were so pronounced that it took the cocoa flavor out of the equation. and what surprised me even more was when they served the cake warm - it was probably heated the microwave for a few seconds. i chuckled at the first warm bite...never have i had red velvet cake warm especially with cream cheese frosting and it threw me of in a not so good way.

where the food is they serve is a reflection of its decor, fat spoon serves malaysian classics which we have grew up eating in our homes but with minor updates with the chef's personal twists. unfortunately, i think i am more besotted by its decor more than its food. if you're interested in trying, i'd say keep to the classic favorites.

antipodean.

defined as:

o1. relating to new zealand or australia; or

o2. being on completely opposite ends or opposite sides of the earth.antipodean cafe.

defined by:

o1. its motto - coffee . cafe . culture
o2. it being shortlisted for time out kl food awards' best coffee 2011 and 2012 and in 2011 for best new restaurant.

perhaps that's the reason behind the hype for this cafe.

my stumble upon this cafe was not intentional - sorta. the original plan to try a french patisserie in the area fell through when it declared its own public holiday last monday. plus, the crowd at antipodean cafe lured us closer, filling in as a substitute for our much anticipated brunch.

with the huge parties waiting ahead of us, i assumed it might be a rather long wait but surprisingly about 5 minutes after we put our names on the waiting list, we were seated in the petite cafe that was a borderline fire hazard as a result of it being overcrowded. proof: there were barely room to sit comfortably between tables. the decor was simple with the coffee bar lined with silver bags of fresh coffee beans against the bright hues of red and orange.sunlight streamed in the wall lined with windows, highlighting the opposite wall painted as a blackboard where the menu was handwritten. loved the wall menu idea but it sorta irked me that they didn't have printed menus and instead had to strain our necks to read the cafe's one and only menu.it was off to a bad start when one of the staff stood by the table instantly after we were seated and asked if we were ready. it's good to be enthusiastic but seriously, how can i be ready the minute i walk in and haven't even had the chance to glance at the rather extensive menu selections. i responded with a "i'm not ready yet" and off she went to attend to another diner. less than 2 minutes later, another wait staff paused at our table with a notepad and pencil out and before he could utter the words, i impatiently repeated "we're not ready to order yet". less than 2 minutes later, i gave up when another came to get our order and i ordered something even though it felt so rushed. it put a slight damper to the rest of the meal but i brushed it off.

drinks :: latte (rm 9)appreciating the beautiful coffee foam art, i took a sip and was greeted by a good amount of bitterness from the espresso (although lacking that tart note in the end) mellowed by the creaminess of the milk that shone with a crown of foam.warm and satisfying. but if i had to compare to my favorite-st cuppa joe, it was missing the same smoothness and richness. however, overall a yummy mug of caffeine goodness.

breakfast :: smoked salmon omelet (rm 20)a huge portion of omelet served with a side salad of greens and sweet cherry tomatoes tossed lightly with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. when i picked out this dish, i expected the smoked salmon to be semi raw but was slightly disappointed when i noticed the salmon pieces were cooked completely after my first bite. the smoked salmon sprinkled saltiness in between each bite of the soft fluffy eggs which was otherwise slightly monotonous in flavor and lacked textural difference. the dish's saving grace was the crunchiness of the salad with occasional flavor injections of sweetness and tartness from the lovely tomatoes.



breakfast :: all day breakfast | toast, bacon/chicken/beef/pork sausage, baked beans, scrambled egg, grilled tomatoes (rm 20){hr} selected the chicken sausage from the list of proteins and also found out that any extras of mushrooms or hashbrown, to name a few, resulted to an additional rm 9 to the price tag. while {hr} was happy with the huge serving portion, he concluded that the food itself was lackluster. i had a bite of the 'grilled' tomatoes - if you can even call it that. the open-faced thick sliced tomatoes lacked grilled marks and caramelization that i was hoping from being grilled. it literally tasted like they seared one side of the tomatoes for 30 second.

a quick glance at the offerings of food on the adjacent table, i was appalled by the doneness of the bacon - it looked like the bacon could have spent more time in the pan to get it crispier &gt;.&lt;

i began to understand the reason behind the quick turnover of diners. as soon as we took the last bite of our food, they cleared the plates off the table. some might construe that as effective and efficient but it got out of hand that they wiped the table before we even asked for the bill - almost like they were hinting for us to leave.

oh, my suspicions were confirmed when the wait staff came by to ask (i suppose it was done politely) if he could bring us our bill so that they can accommodate the patrons on the waiting list. without even asking if we wanted more food or desserts.

i paused and thought. "wow. i think i was just 'kicked out' of the cafe" i don't think i've been ever asked at any restaurants or cafes to pay the bill and leave just minutes after i finish my meal, no matter how busy or popular the place is.



was the cafe worthy of all the hype?

my response: honestly, its popularity boggles my mind.

the food, in general, was mediocre at best. however, the combination of the overly effective service that annoyed rather than impressed me as well as my first time ever being "kicked out" from a cafe/restaurant (even though it was done in a polite manner) have left a bitter taste in my dining experience at antipodean cafe.

as i described my experience to {mw}, she captured it rather accurately - it sounds more like a stressful, brisk morning brunch. definitely opposite from how i'd imagine myself spending my free mornings.