A few of us active food reviewers gathered together at Garage 51 on 19 Dec 2015 (Saturday) evening at 7pm. This time round it was on our own pockets. It was my first time doing this with them. I was contemplating the whole morning whether I should come since I had a pile of year end work piled up from the recent work trip of Vegas. Finally, after completing some of my work, I made a last minute decision at the nick of the hour to attend the food reviewers' gathering at Garage 51.I have heard so much about Garage 51 but I have never actually gotten the chance to dine here. Since it was a food reviewers' session, they all ordered the entire segment on main dishes served inly after 8 pm.SERVICE:

The service is just awesome! The waiters here are super friendly and ever ready to snap photos for us so it is the perfect place to hang out whereas usually places like this have terrible service due to lack of manpower and too busy place.

Chicken Parmigiano with Mashed Potatoes and Salad (RM 18)

The chicken is deep fried but it was definitely not chicken chop. I love the mashed potatoes which did not taste like the instant ones sold at the mall or at the hawker's or hawker stall at a food court or kopitiam. There was a big dollop of cheese on top.Grilled Salmon Spaghetti with Lemon Cream (RM 24)

This dish looks really simple. Anyone can whop this out but the trip lies in grilling your salmon in such a way that the salmon is not over-grilled till it's hard. The cream sauce is not as creamy as carbonara.Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Smoked Salmon (RM 23)

The spaghetti is usually a very common dish but they managed to make a common dish delicious and I applaud them. The salmon pieces are in very small chunks and pieces.Penne Basil Salmon Pesto with Grilled Chicken (RM 16)

This is one of the best pesto and spaghetti in Klang Valley. I am not a fan of the chicken breast meat used but thank god the pesto sauce remains rich and tasty and managed to coat the pasta. The piece of deboned chicken on top makes everything looks easy.Australian Beef Sirloin Spaghetti Aglio Olio (RM 19)

The 4 pieces of thin slices used to make our breakfast. The beef is just nice .Smoked Salmon Sandwich with Fries and Avocado (RM 20)

The thin piece of avocado is somewhat insufficient for me. I crave for more. The sandwich is just plain and I did not feel much of the avocado. The french fries are all too soggy and not to be eaten by human beings. Can you believe it that we actually asked the friendly waiter to cut this sandwich into 10 pieces? Seriously? Anyway, he understood us and was more than happy to help.Pan-fried Dory Fish with Carbonara, Fluffy Cream, Basil, Pesto and Strawberry sauce (RM 22)

Among the rest of the food, this is THE WINNER For me because I loved the thin corn flour pastry used to make the crispy wrap and eaten together with salsa, diced avocado, cheese, olives, tomatoes.Next up, is dessert galore!

DESSERTS FOR CHRISTMAS 2015

For Christmas 2015, there are special desserts called the Messed Up Family (RM 18.90). Being bloggers, we have ordered everything on the banner. This is the current hot item so much so that one can see every table ordering this.

1. The Santa

There is milk shake at the bottom with 2 big pieces of chocolate brownies and a lot of Garrett style chocolate flavoured popcorn overflowing at the bottom.2. The Cousin

This has pretzels as the crown with dark chocolate brownies below. Way right below is a mug of chocolate shake. The shake is very dark and thick with a syringe at the side. At first, I wonder what is the purpose of the syringe then my dearest friend Xin Yee explained to me that it is left there for us to pump in more milk shake when needed.3. The Son

Firstly, I am not sure of why this is the name. There are pretzels laid surrounding the top of the mug and marshmallows at the top. The milk shake is of nutella with hints of awesomeness (according to the menu) but I thought it would have been better with more nutella.4. The Father

OK, this has chocolate teddy bears surrounding the top of the giant mug. It reminds me of the chocolate biscuits babies and children eat. There are cereals and Coco Crunch on top and chocolate peanut butter milk shake at the bottom so naturally this is my top favourite.Garage 51 has many awards on its hat, amongst which:

Best Cafe by TimeOut KL,

Top 5 New Hidden Cafes in KL - Malaysia Tatler

Top 20 Must-Try Coffee Places in KL - SAYS.com

Great Gourmet Coffee and Cafe Food - New Straits Times

So naturally, the coffee love (yours truly) could not help trying the Mochatella (RM 16), one of my favourite things to order as it contains thick mocha ladden inside the ice cubes drank with milk and nutella. This is simply remarkable and I would have finished every sip if it isn't because it was dark. Hot Dark Chocolate

It looks like a great one looking at the dark brown colour. One can sense the richness of the chocolate. Finally, it's present exchange time! Due to my last minute arrival, I did not get to exchange presents.

I am a BIG COFFEE LOVER.....BUT I HAVE NEVER MADE A CUP OF COFFEE USING A COFFEE MACHINE...well, duh I am a commoner of the public, not that I am of royal blood hahaha....Anyway, now that I have gotten a chance of a Coffee Appreciation Class or more accurately, called Latte Art Class at the most appropriate place, Coffee Stain by Joseph at Publika, I jumped at the chance. I rushed from office to class for 7-9 pm.We had the privilege of a Yemen head barista named Yeman to teach and guide us.

The purpose of barista education for the public is not to waste the coffee beans and to educate the public on how to make coffee the correct way.

I would like to share some of the steps in making coffee using the Simonelli coffee machine. With the help of patient Yeman, I was able to follow the class with his every step and navigation:

1. Take out the water filter. Cleanse. Press out the water.2. Grind the coffee3. Level Up. Temping4. Clean water filter to remove small particles

5. Lock and extract coffee

6. Steam the coffee - We had a lot of practice of this step. According to Yeman, practice makes perfect.7. Pour out the coffee with cup at 45 degrees.The Result. Alright my heart shape is smaller than my other friends but then the Fun is much more!3 D Coffee Art:

To create 3D coffee art, it is important to have a very thick, hard and dry foam and a very thin stick to draw the eyes of the cartoon or figurines with thick sauce.

Yeman showed his prowess and skill in 3D Latte Art, something that not many upscale coffee places have.The normal Latte Art Class here is for the duration of 3 hours for RM 288, and it is done very privately with personal touch as there are only 2 pax in a class.More Details:

Add: Solaris Dutamas, 1, Jalan Dutamas 1, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaTel: 60362112022(Solaris)Website: http://www.coffeestain.my/

BWB Review 28 Nov
2015







For the last five months, BWB was established in the busy
bustling neighbourhood of Desa Sri Hartamas. It has bistro concept with a bar
at the side yet it remains as casual for hanging out with friends. There are
dining tables everywhere for ease to have a meal. Previously, it is well known as a yakitori bar but now it
has changed its name to BWB Flaming on Table. “Flaming on the table” is a
concept developed by the owners from their frequent traveling experiences to
New York, France and Japan. The flaming concept actually originates from France
but BWB is branded as an Italian fusion bar.

The Lemongrass Drink is very refreshing to be eaten with
everything here and cools the body down in the hot Malaysian weather.

The food presentation is very beautiful and almost like fine
dining at an affordable price.

Yellow Bomb (RM
20)





Our first dish is Yellow Bomb (RM 20) which is lobster salad
with caviar cucumber and mango. The mango looks so sweet and tantalizing and to
top this heavenly sight with caviar is simply remarkable. It leaves me drooling
while wondering when would I get to savour it. Cup Noodle (RM
14)





The second dish is Cup Noodle (RM 14) whereby angel hair
pasta is lightly fried with crispy pan fried bacon chips, dried chilli, aglio
and thyme. One thing is for sure, this is better than the name, Cup Noodle. The
noodles are served in a liquor glass. Secco Seppia (RM
12)





This is Grill Marinated Sun Dried Pulled Cuttlefish, reminds
me of the dried cuttlefish that kids like to munch on or even the one I eat as
a snack. It is slight spicy too, and nice to go with beer.Truffle Butter
Toast (RM 18)





Truffle Butter Toast (RM 18) is a simple dish. The truffle
butter that covers the crispy mini French toast lends the fragrance that beef
up this toast. The black caviar is a nice contrast to the whitish topping. This
is good to go with any alcohol. Salted Shrimp (RM
12)





Calling all fried shrimp lovers, this is first in the menu!
The deep fried shrimp is lightly sprinkled with assorted chilli spices. It kind
of reminds me eating those traditional village snacks. Very Malaysian. Knuckle Bun (RM
10)





These are mini hamburgers or what I call mantou sandwich with
a certain crisp. This is again a simple dish that is thankfully not oily. Sandwiched in between the Knuckle Bun (on the left), are sliced pork
knuckle with cucumber, cabbage and onions. Chicken Bun (RM
8)





This is similar with Knuckle Bun except that it consists of
chicken together with cucumber, cabbage and onions. Calamari Salsa (RM 16)





This is simply deep fried small pieces of calamari served
with salsa and onions at the side. Appetizing to be eaten with cold beer.Sizzling Seafood
(RM 30)

Eating this dish reminds me of eating at Manhattan Fish
franchise as the food is usually served sizzling. From the photo, you cannot
make out what you are actually eating
when in actual fact, they are sizzling prawn, salmon, squid, oyster and mussel
with sizzling spicy sauce. Petai Toast (RM 16)





For a fusion western bar, it was a big surprise when I saw petai, of all things, to be served on top of the toast! Petai Toast reminds me of the times when we have leftover petai curry and would dip bread inside the curry. On top of the toast, there is a beautiful half-boiled egg, that is similar with benedict eggs.This is my favourite as I love petai so much. It is also creative to add egg this way, and believe me, it is my first time seeing this sight!Bolognese Toast
(RM 16)




This toast is served with minced pork and half-boiled egg egg, recreates the
Chinese style spaghetti on toast minus the spaghetti.Fragyu (RM38)

Fragyu is actually pan fried wagyu topped with fois gras.
The names of ingredients look very sophisticated as though we were eating in
fine dining restaurant. The dish is even served with a glass cover on top. It looks
so tasty that one of my friends popped it into her mouth so I could not give a
taste review. I have a burning desire to try this dish, one fine day, if the day ever comes. Piggy Burger (RM
28)





This is quite a small burger for RM 28. Anyway, the sakura
minced meat with oat and onion pork patty is nicely cooked, whereby the texture
is not too soft nor too hard and rubbery. I like the fact that it is not oily.
It is served with sunny side bun, a good change from how people normally serve
burgers.



Ocean on Fire (RM
65)





BWB Flaming on the Table, being famous for the food to be
served flaming, serve the ocean trout, scallop and prawns. This is my favourite
dish compared to the rest of BWB Flaming on Table food that are available after
5.30 pm. I loved the fresh salmon, big prawns and mussels that have a slight
spicy taste. The salmon was not overly hard. The scallops are incredibly
enormous. I also like the soft, sweet and fresh vegetables sides like the French
beans and bacon bomb.Below is the video of the food:

https://youtu.be/LKeud64rDoYAll BWB Flaming dishes comes with side and garnishing subjected to change alternatively. Today’s side dishes are asparagus, tomato, carrot, cabbage onion, bacon bomb, corn, sweet potato, baby kalian, Italian potato, mashed potato and coleslaw, The garnishing are mixed green such as green beans, zucchini, broccoli, spinach, cauliflower and Asian vegetables.More Details:

Add: No. 10, Jalan 27/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +603-6206 3800

Business Hour: 12pm - 12am (Daily)

Non-Halal

https://www.facebook.com/BWB-Flaming-On-Table-1632431673704148

I just have to admit that this is the first ever food review

session where we were made to feel like kings. We had an awesome time eating

like no tomorrow. Let our diet plan fail, who cares!

The bistro like environment is just marvelous with the

wooden circles in the middle that make it very cosy yet retains the bar

environment. The F & B here has only 1 word of description – MUY DELICIOUSO!

The alcoholic drinks are so tasty and there is a very wide

spread of specialty Japanese drinks in the whole menu. Our no. 1 favourite were

the Yuzushu (Yuzu Wine) and Umeshu (Plum Wine) which have fragrance minus the

strong alcohol and bitter taste. Yuzushu (RM 19.80) and Umeshu (RM 17.80) on

the rock were just incredible with the unique taste inside. My friends even

ordered 5-6 glasses of Yuzushu! The Cuba Libre

Cocktail (RM 17.80) has a strong rum taste that is well balanced with coke.The Apple Frazzel

Mocktail (RM 8.90) has just a little apple flavor with soda.

Pickled Plum Sour (RM 17.80) has just a little plum taste so I feel

that this place is not well known for non-alcoholic drinks.

All cocktails cost only RM 17.80. Pink Shawa-Shawa (RM 17.80) is quite diluted by the time I drank it so I could not be a good judge but quite good in diluting my other alcohol.Kinshiro Glass Rice

Shoshu (RM 20.80) has a very strong rice wine taste, something that I

cannot take. I guess rice wine is not my thing. Ginger Highball [RM

20] that is whisky with ginger ale was a little too diluted for me. I prefer

drinks with a strong taste but I guess it would be good for beginners.

This is the first time I actually tried Sake. Can you

believe it? I sipped the Sake like a brave girl, for the sake of being a food

reviewer or at least I can proudly say I have tried this. The blue bottled Shochikubai

Mio Sparkling Soda – 300 ml [RM 61] is like alcoholic soda with the

best taste I have ever had. I can safely say that I would accept this as a gift

if you were to offer it to me (ha ha). It is so refreshing and cooling for the

throat and soul. First up on the menu is for the yakitori lovers. It is the Chicken Thigh Skewers with Leek (Negima)

[RM 7.80]. It is so tender and juicy. The best part is that it was not

overly salty like the ones at the hypermarket or any other Japanese street café.

It also does not have too much teriyaki sauce or soy sauce. The Torikawa Chicken

Skin Skewers [RM 7.80] is a tad too oily for me as I am not a big fan of

meat skin but the others seem to take a liking to this. The Eihire Grilled

Ray Fin [RM 12.90] has a certain form of moisture enveloped in it. The good

thing is that it is not rubbery like the normal dried cuttlefish. The best part

for me, is that it was not salty or oily. It tastes good with mayonnaise and a sprinkle

of fish roe. The Nankotsu Karaage

(Deep-fried Chicken Soft Bone) [RM 18.90] is something very different. Well,

the Japanese are always very resourceful and creative. Fancy making a dish of

out soft chicken bones? I have been to one Chicken-based Japanese restaurant in

Hartamas which makes use of every part of the organs of the humble chicken

including ovaries to make a dish and sell it to you for about RM 20. The

deep-fried chicken bone is quite special, and can be ordered by those who like

to go down a different lane. The Ishikari Nabe [RM

19.90] is salmon and vegetables in miso-based soup. It looks normal but the

soup is sweet, the natural sweetness coming from salmon, tofu, cabbage and

vegetables. The radish plays a core role in making this soup a cooling feature

for the body. The best part about Japanese soup is their ability to retain the

taste without oil and overload of salt like how the Chinese cook the dish. It

is no wonder that the Japanese society has the oldest population. Ramen Sarada [RM

16.90] is another dish welcomed by the stomachs of the health conscious. It

contains ramen noodles, lettuce, onions, non-oily omelette, and shredded

cucumber, bacon, leek, carrot, cherry tomato with sesame dressing. The salad is

raw and fresh as though it was just picked from the garden the way Jamie Oliver

does his. It is also refreshing that they included sliced bacon inside. What I like

is the non-existence of guilt because there was not a tinge of oil felt inside

the bacon, hence making the experience of eating bacon here something enjoyable

compared to eating the western bacon. The Imo Mochi [RM

8.90] is touted to be one of the popular snacks here. It is Hokkaido Style

Deep fried mashed potatoes which was made to taste like fish cakes. It is sweet

as it is coated with goeey honey. Potato Mentaiko Yaki

[RM 13.90] :Is a sizzling Hotplate of potatoes with seasoned egg

roe and cheese. This is definitely a must-try. The potatoes are seasoned in

such a way that you cannot feel the carbs or the overly hard part of potatoes.

Seriously I never like potatoes but this one is simply amazing. The fish roe

and cheese blended so wonderfully, atop starch like potatoes. Ontama Tsukune

Teppanyaki [12.90] : grilled minced chicken (soft bones) with hotspring egg

is what I would have preferred compared to the ubiquitous burger. Coming from a

non-burger fan like yours truly, surely this incredible taste review means

something to you. The best part is that there is not much oil oozing out unlike

the common burger. The soft half-boiled egg that acted like a bull’s eye is a

perfect dollop of icing on top of the patty. If you ever wonder what makes this

dish delicious, care to relate it to the “chicken and egg story?” Wakadori Zangi [RM

13.90] is Hokkaido Style deep-fried chicken thigh. To me, it is just

normal, like karaage chicken.The Burikama Yaki [RM

42.50] is a grilled yellowtail collar fish. It reminds me of the deep fried

ikan Gurame Terbang in Bali. The fish is so delicious and crispy, but in the

Japanese version. It was so crispy that one could bite through the bones. Hokke Hiraki [RM

52.90] is grilled Atka Mackerel that is actually Hokkaido styled salted

fish. It bears reminder of those salted fish hanging in the market of Sarawak.

It is most suitable to eat this together with the -1 Degrees Asahi Beer [RM

20.80 for Medium glass], through the true blue Japanese way, “KAMPEI!” Tonpeiyaki [RM 12.90]

was the best version of Okonomoyaki I have ever known simply because it is

served without rice inside which makes it less fattening with less carbs. It is

actually omelette with sliced pork and cabbage. Of course you can have your

traditional Okonomoyaki (RM 17.90) of traditional Japanese pancake with sliced

pork and bonito flakes. The Stir-fried vegetables with 4 thick slices of salmon was

just amazing. I think that kind of forgotten that the original dish in the menu

is sliced pork with stir-fried vegetables [RM 12.90] and ended up putting in

salmon or they just thought of creating a new dish with salmon. The star dish of Hokkai

Kamameshi [RM 36.90] is a great mystery when served and laid on the table.

We all stared at it and then relented to let the waiting begin! It is a big

steel and wood pot that takes 20 minutes to cook raw Japanese rice. The natural

juices of seafood such as king crab, scallop and salmon was absorbed into the

rice, creating a fragrance like no other whereby the rice was not even

overburnt like how we Chinese have our Claypot chicken rice. The shimeji

mushrooms were a delight to be eaten and it was juicy and not overcooked. I

guess when it comes to cooking, we are safe in the Japanese hands. The most famous dish finally turned up. It is the highly

anticipated Nagashi Somen Setto [RM 27.90]. It is THE FLOWING Somen Noodle Set.

It comes served in a special equipment, that has a “Play” and “Pause” button to

make water inside the machine swirl like a waterfall. We can choose to have Cha

Soba or the Green Mee Sua. It looks best in the camera and in water if we use

the cha soba. Step 1: Add ice to make the water icy cold and the ice will

then cool down the noodles.

Step 2:Add in thinly sliced zucchini, cherry tomatoes and

also baby mandarin oranges into the cold water. Press "Play" for the water to swirl together with the ingredients. Step 3: Scoop up the soba noodles and dip it inside the

individual bowls containing a special soy sauce that is not too salty.

Step 4: Add condiments such as spring onions and shredded

cucumber into the small bowl and lastly, dip the entire thing into your mouth,

and voila, you are in soba heaven! It is said that in Japan, the original way of eating this is

through a bamboo machine whereby one would scoop the slippery soba that flows

down the bamboo. Then, if Japan is out of bounds for you financially, then this

is the next best place.Addition of noodles cost RM 8.90. Addition of tempura cost

RM 12.90 and the tempura is simply amazing. The ebi and eggplant and another

item were just simply incredible. The tempura was well-balanced in coating and

the batter was smooth and not overly oily. Cha Soba with assorted tempura costs RM 20.90 here.

After this, we were served a dish fit for the kings – Buta Hakusai Nabe [RM 29.90] which is

another signature dish here. The thinly sliced pork belly with Chinese cabbage

in Mille Feuille Claypot was just amazing. This is a great dish to eat in

winter. Every single piece of pork belly is layered with Chinese cabbage. The

natural sweetness from cabbage and pork belly contributed to the sweetness of

the soup. Finally, it is time for dessert! No matter how full we were,

there is always room for dessert.

Yuzu Shabetto [9.90] – Japanese citrus sherbet, beats all the complicated matcha series or any other creamy dessert they have. Sometimes, people say that simplicity is best. I always find it hard to like simplicity, so I cannot believe it when I contradict my normal self today. The citrus pieces bears a truly strong zest to it, and would never leave citrus and fruits lovers disappointed.Matcha De Roru [RM

14.90] is green tea crepe rolled rice cake with red bean inside. After all

the creamy crepes I have tried, this definitely rules them all. True Japanese

crepe, that is neatly wrapped with not a mistake. The Shiratama Matcha

Kurimu Zenzai [RM 12.90] is a delight for us as it comes together with rice

flour dumplings with green tea ice-cream and red beans. For me, the Yuzu

ice-cream still beats the green tea ice-cream. Probably once you have had your

first love, nothing else compares to it. Kakuren bo Aisu [RM

14.90] looks very special but in actual fact it contains vanilla and green

tea ice-cream with rice cake and red bean. I guess the art of presentation of

food scores highly here to make one feel hungry when the food is served even

though you do not know what is inside.

I was exploring Kuchai Lama as usual. 

Dad ordered the chicken thigh herbal soup with white rice. 

Mum ordered the plain pork noodle soup with seaweed, salad and bean sprouts. The soup is clear without hints of oil. I love the super spicy chilli that they use here. 

Even better is the Red Curry with fake crabstick, onion, pineapple, and meatballs and also glass noodles. I liked the curry so much that I finished every drop of it. 

The food here are the most reasonably priced at less than RM 10 per bowl.