Orange Flour-less Cake @ Marmalade Cafe

Orange cake fever was in town the past few months and I decided I will try yet another cake and this time, it was at Marmalade Cafe @ Bangsar Village 2. The cake is small and looks like a mini loaf, topped with cream cheese icing, coconut flakes and caramelized orange rind. The combination is perfect and the texture was just nice. One wonders how is the cake made without any flour, apparently it is possible. The cake is moist and goes well with a cup of nice hot tea, perfect as a dessert after a light meal. 

Orange & Almond Cake @ Alexis The Gardens

As I am a big fan of Orange/Lemon cakes, I get really excited when I see it on the display of a cake shop or restaurant. Having seen one the past week, I must say the cake looked extremely moist and delicious. However, the cake itself turned out to be rather disappointing, contrary to how good it looked on the display. This, of course is my own opinion and I have not really made orange cakes more than once, but I dare say I have tasted better ones. The cake itself was rather moist but the taste was a little bitter and overwhelming, in a very unpleasant way. However, the combination with Vanilla ice cream gave it a balance in taste and perhaps it was just a not so "Orangey" day. I shall make an attempt on Orange Cakes in the near future.

Strawberry Sundae @ Swensen's Bangsar

Creamy as it was, the Strawberry Sundae at Swensen's in Bangsar made my day especially since it was a celebration of my "friend's" birthday who happens to be on the 29th of June. The ice cream itself was vanilla but it had a very milky and creamy taste to it. The strawberries that topped the sundae reminded me of the Strawberry Sundae at McD's. Nevertheless it was special and what more for a special occasion. It was certainly worth it and what more with the chocolate flavoured ice cream chosen by the others, my choice was simply refreshing to say the least.

Strawberries & Cream Cake @ Valerie Pattiserrie, London

Having a sweet tooth is not always a dangerous idea at all. Having said that, I love cakes and especially cakes with fresh fruits such as the one above, where it had strawberries on top as well as in the middle layer of the cake accompanied by fresh cream.It caught my attention as soon as I passed by the Valerie Pattiserie in Soho London. The shop specializes in cakes and desserts including tarts and truffles and such.  The cake is rich in fresh cream and strawberries and is an Italian operated pattiserie. It goes well with some nice hot English tea in the cold winter, how splendid!!

Chicken Rice @ Young Cheng Restaurant, Leicester Square London

This has got to be the best chicken rice ever in London. I have eaten it uncountable times and it has always been my favourite, especially in the cooler months. While living there, a trip down to central London was not complete for me without a visit to Young Cheng Restaurant along Shaftsbury Avenue (Leicester Square) It cost about five pounds but its all worth it because the portion is huge. The most delicious part of it is that the chilly paste is actually made off pounded ginger, garlic, raw fresh chilly and some oil. The chicken is roasted and served with some sauce over and the rice is always moist which makes it all the more delicious. That is about the closes you can get in finding an authentic Malaysian Chicken Rice in Central London.

Peach Frangipane & Vanilla Ice Cream @ Delicious Cafe

One of my favourite desserts are baked and usually eaten with vanilla ice cream. Among them is the Peach Frangipane which is a popular dessert at the Delicious Cafe's around the Klang Valley. This dessert is actually made off almond meal, sugar, butter, nuts if desired and some all purpose flour. This dessert is classy and has a feeling of richness when eaten with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream. Although I have not had this dessert in months now, I still can taste the nuts and the peach and the freshness of it all. Formerly Ms Read's, Delicious Cafe is located at various locations around the Klang Valley, the notable ones would be in Bangsar Village 2 and 1 Utama. 

Fried String Hoppers with Egg

"String Hoppers" or better known as "Puttu Mayam" in Malaysia is one of my favourite food but seldom do we get really good and creative versions of it here in Malaysia. So each time I make a trip to the UK, I make it a point to indulge in some authentic food to cover the lack of it when I am home. So this time, I had the Fried String Hoppers with Egg. The string hoppers are made out of rice flour (either white rice or red rice) or wheat flour, water and some salt. The dough is then pressed into a mould for string hoppers and pressed onto a banana leaf before putting it into a steamer. It looks like thin white noodles and it is made into a few circles that resembles a flat dome. After steaming, the string hoppers are then ready to be eaten either with some curry, fired potatoes or fried eggs. The Sri Lankans also eat it with a creamed sauce or better known as "sody" and spicy Maldivian fish. The picture above, however is a different preparation, whereby the string hoppers are minced into small pieces and fried with any ingredients of choice, usually chicken, mutton or fish. It could be slated as a type of fried rice, since it is made of rice anyways. Usually, this item is served for breakfast or dinner as a substitute to rice. These days, some Malaysian restaurants specializing in South Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine offer Fried String Hoppers as part of their menu. 

Grilled Chicken Biryani @ Kapitan Restaurant, Penang Island, Malaysia

As we all know, Biryani's come in different styles and forms and they vary from preparations to ingredients as well. This particular Biryani was special because it was not only the rice that seemed biryani-ish, but the chicken too was special in its own way. The rice is of course cooked in various spices after a thorough marination, whereas the chicken, is marinated and then grilled on a flat pan with butter. If you ever go to Penang Island, there is a corner shop in Little India, called Restoran Kapitan, which offers a wide variety of Indian food and fusion Malaysian food. One of their signature dishes or favourites is the Biryani I am describing about. It comes with a small bowl of onion raita (onion salad) and some mint leaves and half a small onion  as garnishing. Besides the tender chicken from the grilling, one could also request for some curry or any gravy of choice. Great choice and highly recommended.  

Sticky Rice and Mango @ Food Republic, Pavillion Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Thai food is always my top three favourite if given a choice. I love Thai food especially since it is usually tasty, rich and nutritious. If given a choice, I'd love to have Thai food everyday but it may be too overwhelming in the long run. My favourite Thai dessert is Sticky Rice and Mango. This particular dessert was captured in the food court in Pavillion Shopping Centre, located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur's golden triangle. The food court is called Food Republic and offers a wide variety of Malaysian and international cuisine, one of them is the Sticky Rice and Mango. Sticky Rice in simpler terms mean glutinous rice and is very popular in Thailand and in most of South East Asia. The rice is usually steamed and served with freshly cut Thai mangoes and a couple of table spoons of fresh and sweetened coconut milk. The portion is rather huge and can fit a good meal. 

Pan Fried Sea Bass @ Sassorosso Italian Restaurant Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Fancying the word Sea Bass finally paid off when I had it at a friend's engagement dinner at Sassorosso Italian Restaurant located at the back of the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. The other main course option at this very small yet meaningful dinner was a Lamb Rack but the fish somehow caught my attention and it was worth the choice made. The fish was coated with a layer of potato on the top with a special truffle butter sauce, grilled mushrooms and broccoli. The sea bass was fresh and certainly made the main course the preferred choice, not too much and not too little; just nice nonetheless.

Mee Goreng Mamak @ Canning Gardens, Ipoh, Malaysia

Noodles are originally from China, they say. But today, it is so diverse that it is hard to detect the origins as some say it originated from Italy and that is how the spagetti came about before China discovering the art of making their ever famous noodles. Nevertheless, I am not usually a  fan of noodles but this noodles' was particularly tasty and caught me by surprise. A friend brought me to this restaurant called Restoran "1 Malaysia" and it is located at Canning Garden's in Ipoh, a northern city in the Malaysian Peninsular. The noodles are prepared in an Indian style, where it is a little spicy, contains yellow noodles, mustard greens, egg, pieces of fried dough and a small lime to squeeze before eating. The restaurant consists of a few stalls reflecting the various main Malaysian cultures be it Malay, Chinese or Indian. Public transportation is scarce but getting a car or taxi would be ideal if not for known people in this city. It certainly was the best "Mee Goreng Mamak" I have ever had.

Chicken Rice Balls @ Jonker Street, Malacca

Visiting Malacca would not be complete if you do not stop by Jonker Street and taste the ever famous Chicken Rice Balls. This speciality is only available in Malacca and can be found around most restaurants that sell Chicken Rice. What is interesting is that it is the same preparation of the usual chicken rice but the rice, is specially cooked in a special consistency of water and some oil to ensure that the texture is suitable enough to make the rice balls firm. According to the owner, they have a few staff who sit in the restaurant and make these balls the whole day. The chicken is cooked either roasted or steamed, accompanied by cucumbers and chilly sauce (ground fresh chilly, ginger and garlic). The other side dishes available are cabbage and carrot and fish prepared in the typical Malacca style Assam Pedas(spicy and sour sauce) To get to there, just find your way to Malacca Sentral and you may get on a taxi for RM15 to Jonker Street and just ask arpund for the Chicken Rice Ball Restaurant. 

Chicken Biryani @ Masala Zone, Angel, London

Travelling to London has always been something exciting for me due to many reasons and one of them is because it offers very authentic cuisines be it Chinese, Italian, Indian or even Japanese. My excitements or food dreams are usually for the Indian or Sri Lankan cuisine as they are really authentic and freshly prepared from the spices to the final product. On my recent trip there, I had the opportunity to dine at a fusion Indian restaurant called "Masala Zone" and they have a few branches worldwide. The one I went to was in Angel, London. To get there, you need to get on the Northern Line and it is just a ten minute walk from the Angel Underground station.  The food I had as shown in the picture above, is a simple Chicken Biryani but it was tasty and very fulfilling. The rice is marinated with the usual spices and then cooked in layers with the chicken (cooked) usually stuffed in between a few layers of rice. The side dishes that came along with this set was an onion raita (onion salad) and a dhall gravy. In the cool autumn weather, this is a perfect meal with a nice glass of lassi after that.

Gastronomical Escapade: Avocado Salad @ Marmalade Cafe, Bangsar Village

Gastronomical Escapade: Avocado Salad @ Marmalade Cafe, Bangsar Village: "If you are a fan of salad's or on a special diet, this would be a perfect meal for you. One of the favourites in Marmalade Cafe, located at..."

Avocado Salad @ Marmalade Cafe, Bangsar Village

If you are a fan of salad's or on a special diet, this would be a perfect meal for you. One of the favourites in Marmalade Cafe, located at Bangsar Village in Kuala Lumpur, this salad is called the Avocado Salad and is very much worth the price you pay. The salad consists of  avocados, salad leaf, green, yellow and red capsicum, raisins, crouton, tomatoes, all cubed with a sprinkle of shredded nuts. It is a wholesome meal and it is highly recommended. Hopefully, more and more Malaysian restaurants have salad's like these as an alternative to rice or noodles.