Three Little Birds

A little birdy told me about this outlet in Sentul and I was delighted to know that they opened a kiosk in Desa Park City.

I was impressed by how clean and shiny the whole outlet looked. With spanking brand new machines and brightly-smiling employees, I definitely felt the warmth!

I ordered a latte and expressed my concern on the acidity that I have been reading about in the blogosphere. If there is anything that puts me off, it's a sour-tasting cup. I prefer my beans to be less raw and punchier. However, the barista assured me that their latte is now more balanced. She even offered to make me a new cup should I not like the original one! How's that for service!?

Naturally, I decided to give them a chance and was pleasantly surprised. The balance was definitely there, with a subtle hint of acidity. Smooth frothing topped it all off!

Trivia: Barista Ang Bo Ling emerged second runner-up in the recent Malaysia Barista Championship 2015.

Stopping by again the next time I'm around :D


Three Little Birds Coffee

Addresses
Sentul
D7 Jalan Sentul
Sentul

Desa Park City
G18, The Waterfront

Business Hours
Monday - Thursday: 08:00 a.m. - 23:00 p.m.
Friday - Saturday: 08:00 a.m. - 00:00 a.m.
Sunday: 09:00 a.m. - 22:00 p.m.

VCR

Attention all social media junkies, VCR Cafe is a place you have to go to. 

Attention all caffeine junkies, VCR Cafe is a place you have to go to. 

Attention all cake junkies, VCR Cafe is a place you have to go to. 

That being said, parking is a bitch here. 

Located just behind the Swiss Garden Hotel (yes, the aged building opposite Berjaya Times Square and the old Pudu Jail), this cafe looks like a converted double-storey house

Hipster wannabes' hangout? Something like that, but don't be surprised to see families and backpackers lounging around too. There is something about the clean interior in black paint highlighted with woody finishes that adds charm to the cafe.

Honest opinion: I don't think I would be too comfy sitting on these for too long!

VCR prides itself on offering quality coffee, both Artisan and Coffex. Apart from the usual coffee suspects on the menu, they also have filter coffee (aeropress, Harlo V60, Chemex, Harlo Syphon, etc). The up and coming Tapping Tapir sodas are also available here.

Upon placing your order at the counter, you won't miss this hulking beauty. Sleek with a matte black finish, this Synesso fits in perfectly with the building interior and exterior. It invokes class and professionalism in the eyes of the beholder.

Dim lighting fixtures are complemented by the flood of natural lighting via large windows.

The second storey has an outdoor area with some faux greenery should you wish to enjoy some sunshine. There is also a large table on this floor, great for large groups or sharing with other people. 

The lattes we enjoyed were silky smooth, with a dense foam sitting on top of the magic liquid. We hear that the VCR baristas (professional and all-knowing as they are) use Coffex beans for dairy-based caffeine and Artisan beans for the non-dairies. Now, such ability to distinct quality base for coffee is highly appreciated, especially since most cafes these days only harp on cost and stick to one bean to avoid over-oxidation of the other. The hot chocolate came as a surprise as we have been disappointed one too many times by hot chocolate with no art. The expertise with which the barista poured the milk to create the art only served to highlight how well they understand the physics of their liquids.

The King: Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Cake

VCR gets their cakes from Frost & Flourish, which is essentially a one-woman show run by Sophia Foo. This piece of royalty sits majestically atop the cake counter and is ever-so popular among customers. It maintains a wonderful balance between savoury and sweet. Nuances of fluffy banana cake interspersed with a layer of banana and melted chocolate, coated with a frosting of creamy peanut butter make mouths water and it is common to see only one or two slices left on the counter top, but those are quickly snapped up too.

Black Velvet

When asked to recommend something apart from The King, the cash registrar suggested the quiche. However, we just had had lunch and wanted something to satisfy our sweet tooth so we went with the next recommendation: Black Velvet. Very much a Red Velvet, we suppose that the only difference is that unlike some bakers, Frost & Flourish does not

a) dump red colouring into the cocoa batter

b) use vinegar which will react with the cocoa & baking soda to create a red tint

The cake itself is lovely, soft and fluffy. We do prefer the cream cheese frosting a tiny bit cheesier for that additional bite to tea time. Nevertheless, the Black Velvet deserves praise for both its taste and dramatic aesthetic appeal.

Superb lighting, delicious cakes and coffee handled with care = kau tim lah!

(Don't say we didn't share!)

VCR Coffee & Cakes

Address

• 2, Jalan Galloway
• 50150 Kuala Lumpur

Business Hours

08:30 a.m. - 23:00 p.m.

Tel

+60 3-2110 2330

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/vcr.my

Waffles at Lewis Gene

I love waffles. I love pancakes. Those pictures of waffles and pancakes can make me either drool or scroll past really fast so I don't subject my gadget to intensive drool-cleaning.

Lewis Gene is a rather subtle outlet in Solaris Mont Kiara (i.e. the Korean food haven, not the Publika area). Located on the first floor at the corner end of a row of shop lots, it reminds me of the cosy tea houses which were the to-go places instead of the commercial coffee shops and cafes that are populating like rabbits in spring. 

One thing that will strike you when you enter is how unpretentious the place is. There are a number of coffee machines but they are either for sale or for use. No fancy-schmancy Instagram-worthy shots with bird cages and funny props but that makes it even more endearing to me. It is real, it brings us back to the fact that we go to cafes for food and company.

I came just for the waffles and was truly impressed by the range of teas they have. I mean, just look at these little jars of tea. And the large jars are pictured below. Kau tim for tea lovers! Mint, Earl Grey and English Breakfast? Puh-lease, you can have the infamous Birthday Tea, Mate Energy Booster, Pu-Erh and more.

More tea for you?

The doorbell

 

 The food menu

If I had something to fault, it would definitely be the menu. It's all up on the blackboard in chalk and scrawled tightly like so, reminding me of having to copy homework into my exercise books. 

The caffeine selection

Just craning my neck to try to identify something to have made me pucker my lips and furrow my brows. Note to Lewis Gene team: I love reading but some visuals or a reading menu may help. 

Whizzing down the caffeine menu, my furrowed brows started to lift. Their interesting range of beverages in the caffeine end are must-tries. Red kacang kopi ice and Taipei Affogato were one of the recommended ones. As for the drinks in red, I would surmise that these are alcoholic coffees.

Lewis Gene has curious-looking contraptions which I found out, were for drip coffee. The owner sources for these drips and does use them for certain coffees. Furthermore, the beans they use are house blended, meaning that they source different kinds of beans and then create their own balanced blend.

Another coffee drip?

No, just a lit candle with lots of melted wax

I went with the Butterscotch Cream Latte (doesn't that just invoke fuzziness in you?) as I needed to satisfy my sweet tooth. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Lewis Gene has got their coffee pat down right. I have scarcely seen any coffee outlet that gets so much right. From their latte foam-to-coffee ratio to the velvetiness of the milk and the presence of the aromatic coffee, they nailed it. The palpable richness of the butterscotch and cream was as unforgettable as watching shooting stars fly across the sky over and over again. Later on, after lots of stifled moans, I was told that the butterscotch was made by themselves. No syrup bullshit here, guys. And any one that can make a beautiful butterscotch deserves warm hugs, endless love and yes, shooting stars. 

Here comes the star I initially came for:

The Belgian Waffle

Just like Christmas came on a platter, the Belgian Waffle is one of their popular desserts. Visually, they score for arranging the waffles in such a non-conventional way. And the colourful hundreds and thousands, oh, don't tell the boys but I love those! 

The waitress lay this in front of me and sauntered away with a mysterious smile. Ah, that minx, she knew how much I would enjoy it.

Toasty warm waffles kicked up the score but I am not sure if everyone would like so much cream. I appreciate that the cream was also not of the canned variety (really, if you are a true food lover, you would never serve that) but it did make the waffles slightly soggy after I tried to extend my eating pleasure by taking it slow. The strawberries were juicy and red but I did get a bit of an off-vibe, perhaps it was an older batch, seeing that it was a weekday. Ice cream always goes well with waffles. While I am not sure what ice cream they used, I wished there was more flavour to it, maybe a gorgeous vanilla to pair with the waffles.

Plenty of good light streaming through the windows and cushioned seats suggest a meet-up that would be comfortable with lots of pictures.

Lewis Gene, kau tim lah!



Lewis Gene

Address

• Lot 2-1(First Floor), Jalan Solaris 3
• Solaris Mont Kiara
• 50480 Kuala Lumpur

Tel
016-328 4438

People of Kheng Chew (POKC)

[Non-halal]

When we first heard of "Pok-See", we scrunched up our left nostril and flared the right, eyebrows knitted (go ahead, try it). Later on, we found out that it was actually POKC which is an abbreviation of People of Kheng Chew.

Founded by Sheena Ng, a former bar owner, guests can frequently see the dolled-up lady boss on the premises as she flits from table to table. 

Despite being a Hainanese eatery, POKC has decided to take on the yuppie's coffee culture by bringing in Papa Palhelta's beans. Nevertheless, we hear that they aren't chopping off the idea of offering authentic Hainanese brews in the future (*ahem* kau tim only lah!). Sadly, when we went there, they were experiencing some problems with water supply due to SYABAS restrictions, so no coffee or hot chocolate touched anyone's lips that night.

The menu

African Autumn by Harney & Sons

The friendly waitress suggested for us to try African Autumn by Harney & Sons, which is a New York-based tea name making its rounds around town, we note. Being a rainy day, we agreed to have tea and went with the latter as well as the mint tea. The caffeine-free African Autumn had unsubtle notes of citrus, with a rooibos base. We discovered that it contains cranberry and oranges, hence the citrus flavours. Definitely an appetizing tea. While mint is a familiar tea, we feel like Harney & Sons got this tisane right! Some mint teas are too strong, leaving a bitter taste in the mouth and your stomach just ends up unsettled (totally the opposite of what mint is supposed to do). This one was balanced and was a delicious way to end our meal.

On to the food!

 The Hainanese are very proud of their Roti Babi.

 Roti Babi

Large pieces of bread are fried in an egg batter and hollowed out slightly, then mince pork seasoned generously with spices is pushed in between. Despite the presence of the chilli slices, there does not seem to be any chilli spiciness. This dish, good to share, lies on the oily side as all Roti Babis usually do.

Cordon Bleu Koi

"Koi" means chicken in Hainanese. Chicken is pretty synonymous with this group of Chinese. Hainanese Chicken Rice and Hainanese Chicken Chop are good examples. We have been craving for a good Cordon Bleu for a while now and so, of course, upon seeing it on the menu, KAU TIM LAH!

Crumbed chicken rolled up with thick slices of ham and oozy cheese. 'Nuff said? No? How about sweet potato fries? Together with the sauce (is that Worcestershire, Sheena?), it's definitely something worth ordering. The breadcrumbs stuck on well and the cook's patience to deep fry the pieces were evident in the quality of it.

 Menu clipped like those newspapers in the library

We saw this intriguing door and proceeded to ask the waitress about it but she had no inkling either! Hmmm...could it be a Hainanese bar or a Hainanese Happy Hideout?

This is a rather nice place to catch up with friends. The interior designs were done by Karen Tan while the coffee was handled by Sima Manan. Both of them have since left POKC, for reasons Kau Tim Lah does not want to be nosy about.

We wished we could have their desserts as they have mille crepes but by the time we were done, we were too full to even move! Never mind, we already kau tim-ed our next date to be here at POKC Coffee & Eatery to try their famed comfort Lamb Stew and coffee.

POKC Coffee and Eatery

Address

12 Jalan SS21/35, 

Damansara Uptown, 

Petaling Jaya, Selangor

(Located in the row behind Village Park, few doors away from Vicchuda)

Business Hours

Everyday except Tuesdays

11.30 a.m. - 10.30 p.m.

Tel

03 77326080