Wondermama, Bangsar Village 1 + Les Deux Garcons, KL

We have been going to Bangsar quite a lot this month, so everytime we're there we would look for someplace different to have lunch. Wondermama has been around for a while, but somehow we never tried it until recently.

Wondermama serves Malaysian food with a contemporary twist and was recently awarded "Best Malay/Malaysian" restaurant by Time Out KL at the TOKL Food Awards 2014.

One of their most popular dishes here is the D&L's (which stands for Donald & Lily) Nyonya Laksa (RM14.90). Almost every table would order this. The nyonya laksa is served with both meehoon and mee, though you can put in a request for your preferred noodles. You will find a large prawn, slices of fish cake, cockles, beansprouts, tofu puff, and julienned cucumber. The broth is good - rich and fragrant, though I always struggle to finish it all as it's a generous portion. Liked this a lot, so we returned for it again.

The nyonya laksa is pretty spicy, so I would order something non-spicy to share with the kids. On one of the visits, I ordered the Special Maggi Mee Goreng (RM14.90), which comes with an assortment of seafood such as squid, prawn and scallop, and it also comes topped with a fried egg. The noodle on its own is non-spicy, but a small dish of sambal is served with this - I would recommend that you add this in, the sambal is indeed very tasty!

On another visit, I had the Nasi Lemak 2.0 (RM16.90) which comes with Japanese style fried chicken. They have many different versions of nasi lemak which comes with different accompaniments such as chicken rendang, salmon or soft shell crab. All nasi lemak comes with boiled egg, ikan bilis, peanuts, keropok, kangkung as well sambal petai prawn, but I asked for the petai to be omitted. 

Mango smoothie (RM9.50) - nice retro mugs

Christmas Decor at Bangsar Village

After lunch, we stopped by Les Deux Garcons for dessert - we wanted the Le Palladio but they didn't have it in stock so we settled for the tarte au citron (RM11), as well as rose and salted caramel macarons (RM5.50 each). Pleased to find that the macarons texture have improved greatly since I last had it. :)

Opening times: Mon – Thu: 9:00 am – 11:00 pm; Fri – Sat: 9:00 am – 11:30 pm; Sun: 9:00 am – 10:30 pm

Location: Wondermama, G6, Ground Floor, Bangsar Village I, Jalan Telawi 1, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.

Website: http://wondermama.co/

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Recipe: Mee Goreng (Malay-style fried yellow noodles)

Today, I am sharing the recipe which I wrote for my guest post on The Beesley Buzz last month as part of the WORLDFOODS International Fusion Recipe Swap Challenge.The dish I chose to showcase was mee goreng, a much-loved Malay-style fried noodle dish which can be eaten anytime of the day.

For the challenge, we were required to incorporate WORLDFOODS sauces into a favorite or typical dish from our country and I have chosen the "WORLDFOODS Indonesian Fried Rice 'Nasi Goreng' Paste". Having used this sauce before to make fried rice, I was confident that it would taste good in the mee goreng recipe too.

For mee goreng, we usually use thin yellow noodles, however a good substitute if you cannot find yellow noodles where you are is spaghetti. Other ingredients that we can find in mee goreng is chicken strips, prawns, fish cake as well as vegetables such as choy sum and cabbage. The WORLDFOODS paste includes garlic, dried chillies, shallots, onions, turmeric and tomato paste hence the noodles is fragrant with a slight spicy kick. If you prefer it spicier, then add in more chilli paste.

Mee goreng is commonly served with a fried egg, or you can also have it with a spicy egg sambal. Enjoy the recipe!

Mee goreng (Malay-style fried yellow noodles)
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Serves 2-3

Ingredients
300g yellow noodles
2 heaped tbsp WORLDFOODS Indonesian Fried Rice 'Nasi Goreng' Paste
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 fish cakes
80g chicken breast, sliced
3 stalks choy sum
1 cabbage leaf
10-12 prawns
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp cili giling (chilli paste) (optional)


1. In a large saucepan or wok over medium high heat, add the oil and garlic, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned.

2. Add chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the WORLDFOODS paste and fry for a further 1 minute, until fragrant. If adding chilli paste, you can add it at the same time as the WORLDFOODS paste. Add the fish cakes and cook for another minute.

3. Add the noodles, and toss until evenly coated with the sauce. Add the choy sum greens, cabbage and prawns, and season with dark and light soy sauce. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until greens, prawns and noodles and cooked through.

4. Serve immediately with some sambal at the side.

Note: You can substitute the yellow noodles with spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti until 80% cooked, then add in as you would if using yellow noodles.

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*This recipe was featured on Asian Food Channel's Facebook page on 10 December 2014.

Kampachi Japanese + Gelatomio Lounge, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

When I was growing up, we would sometimes make trips to KL to eat Japanese food at the reputable Kampachi Japanese restaurant located in Hotel Equatorial. Their Sunday buffet was legendary and it was something we looked forward to as the food was always delicious.

Chirashi don

The Kampachi in Equatorial KL is no more (hotel under redevelopment), but one can still find Kampachi in Equatorial Penang & Malacca, Troika, Johor Premium Outlets, Plaza 33 and Pavilion KL. The latter has been around for many years, but last month we visited it for the first time when we had our Japanese cravings. The restaurant in Pavilion KL is spacious and service is good although the restaurant was very busy during lunch time.

Sushi counter

I ordered the Soba/Udon & Chirashi Don set (RM54) and Hubby had the Una Don & Shake Sashimi set (RM62). Out of the two sets, I felt that mine was better value in money.

I opted for cold soba which came with 2 deep fried tempura prawn, as well as a delicious chirashi don. The raw fish topping (salmon, hamachi, tuna, squid, ebikko) was fresh. The tempura was also nice as batter was crisp. Enjoyed this set.

At one time, you could watch the chef preparing the handmade soba noodles at the shop front. 

Hubby's set comes with grilled eel served over rice (Hubby commented the eel was really tasty but the portion was a little small), as well as 3 slices of fresh salmon sashimi. His set also comes with miso soup.

Nice, fresh salmon sashimi, but wish there was more!

After some shopping, we stopped at Gelatomio Lounge for some ice cream. There are around 50 flavours of gelato to choose from here and does not contain any animal fat, coloring or preservatives.

We went for a large cup to share (RM16 for 4 scoops), and went for 3 flavours - cookies and cream, caramel with chocolate and mint chocolate. The latter two flavours were pretty good, though I would have liked it better if the texture was creamier.

Opening times: Mon-Thurs 11.30am - 9.30pm, Fri 11.30am - 10.00pm, Sat 11.00am - 10.00pm, Sun 11.00am - 9.30pm.

Service: Good.

Price: Total bill RM146.15.

Location: Kampachi, Lot 6.09.00, Level 6, Pavilion KL, 168 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: +60 3 2148 9608

Website: http://www.kampachi.com.my

Gelatomio Lounge, P4.17.00, Level 4, Pavilion KL, 168 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (opposite Cotton On)

Tel. : 03-2144 8382
Website : www.gelatomio.com



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Nyonya lunch @ Limapulo: Baba Can Cook, Jalan Doraisamy, Kuala Lumpur

Do you like Nyonya food? A good place to get delicious, affordable Nyonya food is at Limapulo. It is located on the Asian Heritage Row at Jalan Doraisamy (adjacent to Sheraton Imperial KL Hotel).

Lunching at Limapulo

The restaurant was packed with customers, just 15 minutes after opening time. Seems that on some days, you even have to queue to get in. Uncle John (also affectionately known as Baba), one of the owners of the place can often be found at the front of the restaurant welcoming the customers.

You can either order from their set lunch menu (available from 12 to 3pm) or their a la carte menu. We chose from the set lunch menu, which was reasonably priced, at RM9.90 each - amongst the items you can choose from are nyonya laksa (Mon/Wed/Fri only), nyonya fried mee/mee hoon/rice, pongteh chicken,and gerang asam fish (pari).

Authentic mee siam + Peranakan Ale

We ordered the mee siam (a special on Tue & Thurs) which was served with a spicy nutty sauce (apparently it's not authentic if it's served without it) as well as the tamarind chicken and ayam berempah. The latter two comes with rice, fried omelette and a side of vegetables. They were all very tasty, but out of the three, I loved the ayam berempah the most. The sauce was thick, creamy, spicy and very appetizing. We were told that the tangy tamarind chicken is made without any oil at all, definitely great for those wanting a healthy option for lunch.

Since we were here on a Thursday, we didn't get to try the nyonya laksa. I am definitely going to return for that.

Ayam berempah.. my fav!

Tamarind chicken

Some other side dishes that we tried - mangga patchree (a sweet-sour poached mango curry with turmeric).

Pai tee (RM2 each) - hot from the fryer... crispy with a delicious filling 

Mystery Green, an appetizing made with the by-product from the Mangga Patchree. We also tried the Peranakan ale (RM4.50), nice and gingery, great for my cough.

My boy loved this classic dessert, sago gula melaka (RM3.50). Richness + sweetness level is just perfect.

Thanks Eunice for the lovely cakes from Yut Kee :) as well as your company during lunch. xoxo

On a separate visit, I went back to try their Nyonya laksa (RM9.90). It's available here on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during lunch time. The broth is rich and delicious and inside you will find tofu puff, half boiled egg fishcake and fishballs and if you do not specify, it will be served with both meehoon and yellow mee. Big generous portion too!

*They have also opened another outlet in Intermark called Limabelas. It is located at LG Floor (near Jaya Grocer).


Pork-free.

Opening times: Monday to Saturday 12pm - 3pm; 6pm - 10pm.

Service: Good.

Price: Total bill RM54.10.

Location: Limapulo, 26 Jalan Doraisamy, 53000 Kuala Lumpur. (near Sheraton Imperial KL/Heritage House)

Tel: 03-2698 3268

Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Baba-Can-Cook/635621076504974

GPS Coordinates: 3.158284, 101.699541



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Recipe: Mee suah 麵線 noodle soup with prawns, chicken and tofu

We have been getting quite a lot of rain here in KL and the rainy weather is definitely making me crave for hot soupy noodles. A delicious noodle dish that we like is mee suah 麵線 in a chicken or ikan bilis (dried anchovies) broth.

Mee suah noodle soup

This is a dish I have been eating since I was a little girl. We have it when we want a simple and quick meal. Also, when I'm feeling under the weather, my mum always makes this for me - it is comfort in a bowl.

Now, my kids also often request this- their favorite version consists of prawns, sliced chicken, tofu and choy sum. Tasty, nutritious and best of all, this is something you can whip up in under 30 minutes.

Most Chinese mums (or dads) would have cooked this for their family at some point in their life

The brand of mee suah that I buy is in a red packaging from a company called Chin Peng Mee Factory with two dragons on the front. For some reason, most mee suah comes in red packaging (perhaps to signify prosperity). Mee suah noodles cook very quickly, so do not overcook or else you will end up with a mushy lump.

Mee suah 麵線 (flour vermicelli noodles) with prawns, chicken and tofu
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20-22 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 pc flour vermicelli noodle (mee suah 麵線)
600-700ml ikan bilis stock
1 tbsp cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
200g choy sum, washed and cut into 2 inch lengths
A handful spring onions, cut into 1.5 inch lengths
20 king prawns, peeled and deveined with tails intact
100g chicken breast, sliced thinly (or pork)
1 tofu, cubed
6 shitake or Chinese mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced thinly
Salt, to season

To serve - Condiment
6-8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4-5 cili padi, deseeded and chopped
Soy sauce


1. To make the ikan bilis stock, simply add about 1 large handful of ikan bilis (rinsed) with 700ml water and simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Strain away ikan bilis and discard.

2. In a wok or large saucepan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic, and cook for 2 minutes, until lightly browned. Then, add the mushroom and stir fry for about 1 minute, then add the ikan bilis stock (or chicken stock) and bring to the boil.

3. Add the chicken and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until it is cooked through. Then, add the mee suah noodles and cook for about 2 minutes (depending on which noodle you use) and quickly add in the king prawns, tofu and choy sum and cook for a further 1 minute, until the prawn are cooked. Finally, taste and season with salt as required, and just before serving, add in the spring onions and cook for about 10-15 seconds. Divide into bowls and serve with a condiment of garlic, chilli and soy sauce.

Note: You can also use chicken stock instead of ikan bilis. See here for a light chicken stock recipe.

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Taste Enclave Classic + Chapter Two @ Pavilion KL

Taste Enclave Classic has been open in Pavilion KL since August 2014, and this week we stumbled upon it when we were looking for a lunch place. Located on Level 2, you can find authentic hawker fare here, and the difference with Taste Enclave in Avenue K is that you get table service here i.e. you will be seated by the staff, and will receive table service (look through the menu, the staff will take your order and serve you). I guess you could call this a "classy food court".

There was a slight queue when we arrived since it was lunch hour but still, we were seated within 5 minutes. Over here you can chooose from the famous Sentul Ah Yap Charcoal Hokkien Mee, Ah Hu Bak Kut Teh, Nasi Ayam Singapura, Tong's Roast, Jalan Kayu Prata, Heun Kee claypot chicken rice and more. There is also a cafe here, Coen cafe, which serves Scandinavian cuisine.

Hubby decided to try the Penang char koay teow with duck egg (RM12.90) from Sentul Ah Yap stall. It was decent enough, but slightly lacking in wok hei. Should have went for the Hokkien mee since the last time we had it in Avenue K, it was really good.

Kopi ping (RM3.30) and tea (RM2.30). All their cups and even chopsticks are branded with Taste Enclave.

I thoroughly enjoyed my order of dry wantan mee from Tong's Roast; I opted for roasted duck (RM14.90) and requested for duck breast. The duck meat was juicy and flavorful. It also came with a small bowl of soup and two wantans. We also ordered a plate of char siew (honey-glazed BBQ pork) and siew yuk (roast pork) to share - I was pleasantly surprised that the portion was quite generous and I would happily pay the RM20 charged for it. The siew yuk was excellent, one of the best I've had - super crispy crackling (don't you just love hearing the "cruk cruk" sound as you bite into the crackling) and the char siew wasn't too shabby either.

Dry wantan mee with roasted duck

Roasted duck breast

A glorious plate of porky goodness!

Overall, we had a nice meal here at Taste Enclave Classic. Prices are a bit higher than normal food court/hawker stalls, but it's worth paying for the nice ambiance and dining comfort. Yup, I don't need to sweat buckets to enjoy these local delights.

Checked out the Moschino store in Pavilion KL and spotted these McD-inspired bags and shoes

After some shopping, we stopped by at Chapter Two cafe (near Mercato supermarket) for some coffee and cakes. We shared a slice of tiramisu mille crepe (RM12.90), and it was really really good. The texture and flavours were spot on. I'm impressed.

Really lovely kolam display at Pavilion KL for Deepavali/Diwali

Opening times: 8am - 10pm on Sundays to Thursdays and 8am - 11 pm on Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays.

Non-halal.

Price: Total bill RM58.75.

Location: Taste Enclave Classic, Lot 2.65.00-2.67.00&2.74.00, Level 2, Pavilion KL, 168 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Chapter Two, P1.02.00, Level 1, Pavilion KL, 168 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-2110 6968

Website: www.tasteenclave.com



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