Breakfast @ The Istana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

I was invited to the Istana Hotel so that I could sample their daily breakfast, served at the Taman Sari Brasserie. As I mentioned in a previous post, there is nothing that I look forward to more, than a sumptuous buffet breakfast whenever I stay at hotels. Its the perfect thing to kick-start your day. Not to mention, I love my fair share of bacon and eggs.

Depending on the time of year, your stay at the Istana Hotel might be filled with many other people - as it was, during the end of December when I visited it. The Istana Hotel is located right beside the Jalan Raja Chulan and Jalan Sultan Ismail crossroads - as well as right beside Jalan Nagasari. Reading through the post, you'll begin to see the true size of my appetite.

I began my breakfast at the western section of the buffet, helping myself to Sausages, Beef Bacon, Baked Beans and Rosti-Style Potatoes. The sausages were succulent and flavourful, though the bacon remained tough to eat. The baked beans seemed like they were from a can, but the potatoes tasted fresh and had an element of 'originality' to it - not like the your usual hash browns.

I then adjourned to the Omelette Counter. The ingredients being used seemed fresh and were present in an abundance of variety. However, after having asked the gentleman to make myself an omelette with plenty of filling, he failed in having sealed the sides of it. In the end I received a deformed omelette, though it tasted great and I personally had no complaints.

I then adjourned to the Asian corner in order to add some spice to my morning. The highlight of the corner was the Fried Noodles and Nasi Lemak section with 4 different types of rendang - out of which, I settled for the lamb one. The Lamb Rendang was truly sensational and tender at every bite. The coconut rice and sambal was no different to your usual mamak stall one, though the noodles were rather dry.

I was also able to squeeze some cold-cuts and pastries into my stomach. Various Cold-Cuts were fresh and tasty, whilst the Gouda Cheese was a bit soft for my liking. The Danish Pastry on the other hand, was nice and flaky only when heated up. My entire breakfast was accompanied with English-Breakfast Tea, though long black coffee, juices and milk are available too.

To finish my breakfast at the Taman Sari, I had Waffles with Cream and Maple Syrup. My batch of waffles were slightly hard as they were presumably on the counter for quite some time after being made. I suggest you wait for a fresh batch before 'making your move'. There's nothing better than freshly made waffles in the morning.

On the whole, I would say that the breakfast here is nothing to complain about. If you are staying here, then I can say that you have a nice breakfast to wake up to, though bear in mind that it will have its ups and downs. They did compromise on quality when it came to some of their dishes - though still, nothing to complain excessively about.

Presentation: 6/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Service: 7/10

Overall Taste: 6/10

General Impression: 6/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Desserts at Alexis

Apologies for the poor quality of photographs, as these photos were taken using my BlackBerry phone.

Alexis has always been a favourite destination of mine, when it comes to having dessert. I recently paid a visit to Alexis yet again for some sweet indulgence, though this time - I strayed away from the status quo, and ordered other items apart from my beloved Mixed Berries Meringue.

Alexis has many different outlets that you can visit - such as their outlets in The Gardens Mall at Mid Valley, or along Jalan Telawi 3 in Bangsar Baru, or at Bangsar Shopping Centre, or at their establishment in the Great Eastern Mall at Ampang. The photos of this post were taken when we visited their outlet along Jalan Telawi 3.

One of the dishes we ordered was the Sticky Date Pudding served with Vanilla Ice-Cream. The texture of the pudding was perfectly moist, though I did find the combination of ice-cream and pudding a bit of a sugar-overload. Despite that fact, it was a pretty good dessert nonetheless.

We then had a Nutty Chocolate Meringue, instead of the mixed berries. The meringue in this dessert had a crisp exterior and a marshmallow-like interior. The various nuts such as almonds, pecans and walnuts provided different types of crunch and flavours to it.

Our third dessert was a Banana Bread and Butter Pudding with Cream and Vanilla Ice Cream. The dessert was incredibly filling and absolutely delicious. The bananas and raisins provided a lovely complement to the bread pudding, and the contrasting temperatures of the ice-cream and pudding worked brilliantly well.

In conclusion, it is quite appropriate to say that Alexis serves fantastic desserts on the whole. You truly get your money's worth, with all desserts priced at around RM15 each. Each dessert has its own unique quality to it, and you will not be disappointed when you try this establishment's sweet temptations.

Presentation: 6/10

Ambiance: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Overall Taste: 8/10

General Impression: 7/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Ipoh's Curry Noodles @ Jalan Labrooy

Whenever I visit my father's hometown of Ipoh, I make it a point pay homage to a Curry Noodles stall. This curry noodles stall was introduced to me by my cousin, who certainly knew what she was talking about when she labelled this quaint establishment as serving the best curry noodles she'd ever tasted.

The stall, previously located at Merdeka Gardens, is now located along Jalan Labrooy, opposite shop-lots at the entrance to Taman Pari. There are a few people here who sell curry noodles, however according to my cousin - only the old Chinese uncle gets it right, all the time. He opens at 8pm and finishes at 3am everyday. So if you intend on going there - hold your appetite and keep watch for him.

When ordering, you are given a bowl, in which you place the filling that you choose. There are a variety of fillings on offer, such as radish, foo chok (fried soy sheets), fish-cakes and other crispy, flavourful delicacies.

You then choose the respective noodles that you like. There are three options - thin rice noodles, yellow egg-based noodles and thicker rice-cake strips (more commonly known as kway teo noodles). You can eat your selection with a coconut-based curry sauce, or a clear broth. It is, however, the curry sauce that has kept my cousin coming back for more.

After paying for our meal, we returned to my uncle's place to feast. The intense spiciness of the curry sauce turned into somewhat of a pleasure to me. The curry contained enough flavour, though not too much as to overpower the ingredients. I finished the bowl and drank the sauce until there was nothing left.

If you find yourself in Ipoh, I highly recommend that you head on over to this hidden gem that serves this wonderfully rich and spicy Malaysian delicacy. Screw any health concerns that you might have, and indulge - as it isn't everyday that you'll have the opportunity to try curry noodles this good.

Presentation: 2/10

Ambiance: 3/10

Service: 3/10

Overall Taste: 8/10

General Impression: 8/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

On Top of the World @ The Skylounge

If you love dining with a view just as much as I do, then you will be pleased to know that I have discovered a hidden gem of a place, which definitely boasts some fine views. This hidden gem is often overlooked, due to the presence of 7atenine, a well-known establishment throughout KL.

The Skylounge is located on the 22nd floor of The Ascott, along Jalan Pinang, right opposite Mandrin Oriental and nearby Suria KLCC. Unlike Luna Bar or Skybar, the Skylounge maintains a more casual and family-friendly atmosphere whilst boasting the same breathtaking views.

The Alfredo Chicken with spaghetti in herbed cream sauce and turkey ham, worth RM 19.70, was a hearty serving. There wasn't any herb element that I got from the sauce, but the dish was great comfort food nonetheless, containing plenty of tender chicken pieces, and large pieces of turkey ham.

The Sky Salad, worth RM 15.70, consisted of a bit-too-generous portion of mesclun mix with huge tomatoes slices, quite a bit of croutons, a few pieces of fresh smoked salmon and a homemade tangy dressing - essentially, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. This dish was easily forgetful, though nothing to complain about.

The Sky Club Sandwhich consisted of pieces of rather dry chicken breast, a normal fried egg and rather chewy beef bacon, on an over-toasted bun. Not exactly what I hoped for - looks can be deceiving. Though the fluffy potato wedges with a spicy chilli-mayo dip were addictive. This dish was alright, being priced at RM 17.70.

Our Coffee flavoured Crème Brûlée was more like coffee flavoured cream, then crème brûlée. Despite having an amazing taste, the dish's texture didn't quite work out as caramelised crust was barely crisp, and everything likened to a texture, similar to that of melted ice-cream.

On the whole, I felt that the Skylounge is a must-visit place if you love breathtaking views, though I felt that their food was average. Apart from western cuisine, the Skylounge also serves some local delicacies. The service, on the other hand, was excellent and I (being a lover of panoramic views) am definitely set to return.

Presentation: 7/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Overall Taste: 6/10

General Impression: 7/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Italian Fine Dining @ il Lido

Apologies for the poor quality of photographs, as these photos were taken using my BlackBerry phone.

Being a true connoisseur of food, my cousin was keen on trying out some of KL's most talked about places. I've been told my many people of the wonder that was supposedly il Lido, and both of us decided to put that claim to the test.

iL Lido is a gourmet Italian restaurant originating from Singapore, strategically located right opposite the Australian Embassy, along Jalan Mayang off Jalan Yap Kwan Seng. The courteous waiters brought us to our table, helped us order and had were very knowledgable of their extensive menu and wine list.

The complementary home-made Focaccia Bread was good enough to be eaten on its own, and it just kept on coming and coming. It was hard not to stuff ourselves with it because it was really good. The soft bread contained pieces of sweet onion, and had a crispy crust. With our meal, we had a bottle of sparkling water.

Each guest dining is served a complementary Amouse Bouche, which varies from day to day. We had Crusted Parmasean with Arabiatta Sauce. The stringy cheese was enclosed in a crisp crust, complemented wonderfully by the Arabiatta Sauce, which contained a hint of pesto.

My cousin ordered the Squid-ink Tonnarelli with Spicy Crab and Tarragon Foam worth RM 55. The pasta was perfectly al-dente and the spiciness of the chillies gave warmth to the palate. The pieces of crab were in abundance, though it didn't taste like crab at all - more like chicken. I am not a fan of tarragon, but my cousin is, and she loved the dish.

We both ordered the Sardinian Suckling Pig worth RM 85, to share. This dish was truly divine, with reasonably sized pieces of pork, roasted to perfection. The skin, crisp. The meat, tender. The pork laid on a slice of potato, and was accompanied with amazing onions, roasted in honey.

I ordered the Set Lunch Menu, worth RM 50. This set consisted of a choice of an appetiser or soup, a main course, a dessert, some Petite -Fours with a cup coffee or tea, made the way you like it. Each course was served in its normal size, as if ordered from the menu itself.

I opted for the starter of the day, which was the Crab Salad, topped with Jelly, on an Avocado Bisque. The crab salad was fresh in flavour and texture, though it had an evident fishy smell, as well as a hidden crab shell in it. The tangy bisque, if eaten in right amounts, accompanied the crab very well. Though at times, it overpowered the subtleness of the crab.

Out of a choice of 3 main courses, I opted for the Tagiatelle with Pork Belly and Shallots. This huge portion filled me up, and was comfort food at its finest. The simple pasta dish was flavoured by nothing, except the Saltiness of the Pancetta and Pecorino Cheese, and the sweetness of the shallots. A few pieces of the tagiatelle, however, were undercooked.

My dessert for the day was a classic Tiramisu. The Italian classic looked spectacular, though it was such a small portion! The berries complemented the dish well, and I made sure that I finished every single bit of it up, even though I was quite full.

I had a Cappuccino for my choice of coffee, which became one of the most amazing coffees I've tasted to date. The milk and foam were rich, and the body of the coffee was bold, without being overly acidic. What a lovely smell it had too!

The Petit Fours consisted of an Italian Biscuit, which had a strong almond flavour and was slightly stale, a piece of seemingly average White Chocolate with Nuts in them, and a luscious piece of Dark Chocolate covered in Shredded Coconut.

iL Lido certainly proved us right, and I personally felt that their Set Lunch was somewhat of a hidden gastronomic deal that would definitely bring me back once again. I highly recommend you try this establishment if you're contemplating on fine Italian dining.

Presentation: 9/10

Ambiance: 9/10

Service: 10/10

Overall Taste: 8/10

General Impression: 9/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic