Desserts at Alexis

Alexis is well known for their desserts, and we decided to try a few after having had a dinner with some family friends. We visited their BSC branch, which is located on the 1st floor of Bangsar Shopping Centre, right next to Busaba.

It was unfortunate that there were no slices of the mixed berries meringue available, but heck - I guess trying other cakes didn't seem that bad an idea. Lets face it, always good to break away from the norms every once in awhile.

The Black and White Chocolate Cake was a descent choice, though I personally felt that the cake was nothing out of this world. I felt it was a bit too dry and maybe a bit too one-dimensional.

The Tiramisu with strawberry coulis, however, is something not to be missed. Personally, I ate very little of it as I am not a fan of nuts - however having been the first cake to have been finished, it was safe to say that the cake remained a hit with the rest. The caramelized nuts provide a good crunch, whilst shards of chocolate within the cake and the strawberry coulis provide a nice sweet and tart contrast.

We ordered an Apple Pie a la mode as well. The apples were perfectly cooked with a hint of cinnamon - they maintained their crunch very well. The crust was a bit too hard, though pairing it with the ice cream compensated for that 'crusty' hiccup.

All in all, Alexis remains a great place for dessert and a popular choice for many. Though the quality of their deserts tend to remain inconsistent, it is safe to say that you will leave satisfied - at the very least. 

Presentation: 6/10

Ambiance: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Overall Taste: 6.5/10

General Impression: 7/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Breakfast Buffet @ Quality Inn, Madras

When visiting Madras, Chennai, it is important to bear in mind that hotel rooms here are pricey (probably even more pricey than a few in our own Kuala Lumpur). Though we managed to come across Quality Inn Sabari, a hotel located on Thirumalai Pillai Road in T. Nagar, Chennai.

Quality Inn Sabari is not a 5-Star luxury hotel, though it does offer you spacious rooms which are of considerable luxury, comfort and great service - all for a reasonable price, and central location. The above picture was my room -  a deluxe room, slightly more spacious than their normal ones. 

Two of those rooms came up to a total of Rs10000 (around RM640), including luxury tax. Each night at a room entitles you to a complimentary Buffet Breakfast. As you can see from the picture above, it was rather decent.

Being in India, local delicacies such as Idli, Thosai, Appam and various Chutneys and Curries were served. Everything was fresh and hot, and I absolutely loved it. It's not much in terms of splendour, but it was good and authentic food.

There was an Omelet Bar. The toppings were decent, though there were no meaty toppings, such as ham, available. I had about 3 of these because the omelet servings were unbelievably small. Though being a buffet, I had no complaints about going back again to get more.

Along with the omelet, there was some decent western fare available. These items such as Chicken Sausages, Baked Beans and Mashed Potatoes weren't that good, but were relatively decent (apart from the mashed potatoes, whose presence on the spread took me by surprise).

The one things I absolutely love about this buffet is their free flow of coffee, made to order. I indulged in two Cappuccinos that day, which went down very well with some of the Pastries on offer.

Other things on the spread include Fresh Fruit, an Assortment of Cheeses, and a variety of Juices. On the whole, my experience at Quality Inn Sabari was wonderful, with a spacious room, great service, a satisfying breakfast - all at a reasonable price. Definitely worth having a look at - if you plan on staying in Madras.

My buffet:

Presentation: 5/10

Ambiance: 5/10

Service: 7/10

Overall Taste: 6/10

General Impression: 6.5/10

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BrianandRepublic

Betel Leaf

Nestled along Jalan Lebuh Ampang is Betel Leaf. The restaurant, situated above the streets, is a cleaner and more up-market establishment in comparison to the other restaurants around. Betel Leaf serves both North and South Indian cuisine.

My mother had a Ghee Dosai for herself, worth RM6. Not the cheapest dosai out there, and this one was certainly not worth RM6. The dosai and chutneys were indifferent to those available at your corner stall. I had white rice.

We ordered Gobi Manchurian worth RM9. The dish had a deep hint of pepper, more than any other spice - the monotonous flavour of the dish made it boring. There was also no crisp to the deep-fried cauliflower. Thumbs down.

The Butter Chicken Masala worth RM12 was much better than our vegetable dish. Though it looked unusually red for butter chicken, the pieces of poultry were tender and there was a good texture to the curry, which contained a myriad of spices.

The Raita that we ordered was simple, but too simple for my liking. It was simply yoghurt, with sliced carrots, onions and green chillies inside - nothing more unfortunately. No additional taste to it whatsoever.

For dessert, I ordered the Kulfi. When the kulfi arrived, it was rock hard - I kid you not. We waited for 20 minutes until we could finally break through.

My mum ordered a Coffee worth RM2.50. The coffee was full of flavour and sweetened just right, though I would have loved more foam on the top.

Betel Leaf does not serve the most expensive Indian food in town (as a matter of fact, it is quite reasonable to think of it), though the food there is not that great for the price we pay - as it's not AS cheap as your Sri Paandi. In comparison with other restaurants in the area, this certainly is one of the cleanest.

Presentation: 6/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Service: 5/10

Overall Taste: 4/10

General Impression: 5/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Seri Angkasa Revolving Restaurant @ the KL Tower

I love nothing more than dining with a good view, and one day my mother surprised me - taking me to the Seri Angkasa Revolving Restaurant atop the KL Tower. The KL Tower is hard to miss, located at the heart of KL, on Jalan Puncak, right off Jalan P Ramlee.

My mum and dad have given me negative views of the restaurant, after having visited it a few times themselves - so my expectations were not really high. At the end of the day, I came for the view more than anything else.

The restaurant mainly serves a buffet, which you have to pay for downstairs before entering. There is no set cuisine as the buffet line, priced RM135 per person for dinner, consists of Japanese, Malaysian and Western dishes.

The Carrot Soup was surprisingly good. The creamy, tangy soup was accompanied with pesto and some croutons which heightened the soup's flavour and provided some crunch. So far so good…so I thought.

Some dishes from the Cold Cuts Section included (clockwise from the top) Fresh Oysters which were large and meaty, Potato Salad that tasted mediocre, Salmon Sashimi which looked old due to the brownish tinge, and some Marinated Grilled Chicken which was tough and dry.

The Japanese Section consisted of (clockwise from the top) Jellyfish Wrapped with Rice, Inari, Tamago, and what seemed like Jelly shards Wrapped with Rice. Each sushi piece had too much of rice. Guessing that they were trying to cut costs.

A selection from the Western Section comprised of (clockwise from the top) Pan-Fried Fish which tasted soft and soggy, Beef Stew which was tough and unappetising, Roast Chicken with Brown Sauce, hard and dry, and lastly Potato Croquettes; the only good thing on my plate.

The Malaysian Section consisted of (clockwise from the top) Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce, Rojak, and some Asian Beef Salad. The satay was tough and far from authentic. The rojak was stale though the sauce tasted satisfying. The the salad was way too sour.

More from the Malaysian corner: (clockwise from the top) Sweet and Sour Fish which had more batter than fish, Beef Rendang which was surprisingly good, Stir-Fried Cuttlefish which was soft though too bland for me, Plain Biryani and Lemang Rice, both of which were not bad, though I've tasted better.

The Dessert Spread looked rather satisfying, though looks can be deceiving. Most of the desserts, with the exception of theBread and Butter Pudding, tasted bad and of low quality.

On the whole, the Seri Angkasa Restaurant didn't manage to live up, even to the low expectations that I had. The food was good, don't get me wrong, but for RM135? Seriously? You must be bloody joking!

If you're in for a view, don't even consider Seri Angkasa. Tanzini at the G Hotel and Twenty+one at BSC are great alternatives. The RM135 meal also includes your choice of orange or mango juice, and coffee or tea after your meal.

Presentation: 5/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Service: 4/10

Overall Taste: 4/10

General Impression: 2/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Burgers Galore @ Tony Roma's

In the midst of my mock exams my sister, cousin and I had lunch at Tony Roma's in conjunction with my cousin's birthday. Though there are many branches throughout Kuala Lumpur, this particular branch was located on the Ground Floor of 1Mont Kiara Mall along Jalan Mont Kiara.

Each of us ordered from the Set Lunch Menu, which consisted of various different options to choose from along with different prices. Each of these options came with a soup and drink of our choice, and each one of us opted for burgers, which, in the end became burgers galore for all!

The soup that came with each of our sets were somewhat comforting, despite being simple and subtle in flavour. The Beef and Onion Soup consisted of scrap pieces of beef, with onions in a broth. We were also served Bread with Garlic Butter - nothing extraordinary, but still good nonetheless.

I ordered myself the Bistro Burger worth RM24. This burger was of an extremely large portion, and my patty was served medium-rare. Cooked perfectly, the patty had an abundance of juice and exploded in flavour. The cheese and caramelised onions were a good accompaniment, though I couldn't taste the pesto which was supposedly in there.

My cousin ordered herself the Roma Burger worth RM23. This burger, though similar to the Bistro Burger, was seen as a more healthier alternative. The lettuce and onions provide a nice crunch to the burger, though nothing beats the caramelised onions on mine, in my opinion.

My sister ordered herself the Chicken, Swiss and Beef Bacon Sandwich worth RM23. Though a simple combination, the sandwich (though not technically a burger) was a pleasure to eat, though I felt that the chicken was slightly overcooked. The dish also came with honey-mustard sauce which was perfect to eat with the fries.

As a drink, we had ordered Coke Light and Iced Lemon Tea, both of which were bottomless.

And to top it all off, my cousin received a complementary treat from the accommodating staff, as well as a serenade. The treat was a simple, but indulgent Chocolate Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream, and though it was brought a martini glass - we all had to help her finish it.

In conclusion, Tony Roma's serves satisfactory burgers. They are a lot better than the ones served at McDonalds across the road, though they definitely can't beat the daily grind when it comes to originality and quality. I recommend that you try their lunch sets, however, as they are of value for money.

Presentation: 4/10

Ambiance: 5/10

Service: 8/10

Overall Taste: 7/10

General Impression: 6/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic