The Kraffmen

After a long time of not meeting my classmate, Le Shin, like since we left high school, so I decided to meet up with her, Yik Fong and also Vivian Chang. I told them, this time round, my trip to Penang, like all my other trips, is about eating. Anyway, all other tourists come to Penang for food, if not what? I arrived first at Kraffmen along Jalan Zainal Abidin, Georgetown at 2.50 pm but the cafe was brimming with lunch crowd. The ever friendly director/owner, Christy Foo told me that she would bring me upstairs so I went to see. The upstairs has a few private rooms fit for big gatherings. Then she said that the lunch set is not available that time so I was a little disappointed and wanted to change meeting place but Vivian said not to do it since the rest was already told to come here. Then after contemplating to leave the place, I asked the lady again whether it could be arranged for us, a table downstairs and also for the lunch menu - the famous St Ali that's much talked about by bloggers.

St Ali (RM 21) 

Thank god we met Christy otherwise we would not get the chance to try this St Ali which is the lunch menu. This is actually named after the St Ali Roasters cafe in Melbourne, which goes to show that the coffee and food in The Kraffmen are Melbourne inspired, even to the extent of the imported coffee beans. St Ali is an artful presentation of  Potato Rosti pan-fried with crispy edges. When you dip down, one discover the creamy Avocado Spread, Mushroom Duxelle (of shimeji and shitake), shaved Parmesan and topped with not one but two poached eggs. The mushroom with truffle sauce really won me over hands down. The eggs that had thick egg white made us feel very full. A visit here without the taste of St Ali can be considered wasted. I took a long to finish this due to the cheesiness that made me full fast so I recommend eating this with empty stomach.

Croissant with Mixed Tuna (RM 13) 

This is another item highly recommended by Christy. The tuna is creamy sandwiched between fluffy and big croissant. Vivian ordered this and let us all have bites of it.

Flat White (RM 11) 

It is on very rare occasion that I order Flat White but this time I ordered it because it was recommended and also because I was on vacation hence I didn't want to have too strong coffee like how I always like. The coffee is not bad here and that's why most customers come.

Affogato (RM 15) 

The affogato is served in a giant coffee cup in three scoops of vanilla ice-cream with espresso compared to the way that affogato is normally served in cocktail glasses.

Iced Chocolate (RM 15) 

A mere sight of this and most people would have mistaken it for Chocolate Smoothie. The chocolate is very thick and ingredients are imported from Australia too.

Kambucha (RM 15) 

It is rare for a coffee cafe to sell enzyme drink, but this is unique. I like the sourish taste and the realisation of its benefits such as improving digestion and curing constipation, being rich in probiotics, protects against microbial infections, detoxication (cleanse your liver),  strengthens immune system, rich in minerals and vitamins, aids in maintaining cellular health, improve joint health and beneficial antioxidants for healthy skin.

Orange Flourless Cake (RM 15) 

We tried this as the last item, where the cake was without the common cream overload with a sprinkle of sunflower seeds and a strong taste of orange.

The ambiance is really cosy for friends and good for any hangout and do come at lunch or dinner time to enjoy fine dining food at affordable price.

Details: Add: Kraffmen Cafe, 80, Jalan Zainul Abidin, Georgetwn 10400 Penang

Mon Boulangerie

On 14 Jan 2017, I brought my mother-in-law here for breakfast just before bringing her for the cheapest hair coloring in whole KL in Hair Color Expert, Sri Petaling. Little did I know she doesn't like western styled breakfast like Jonathan. 

Apple Pie Mocha Latte (RM 8.90) 

They serve the cheapest and tastiest, weirdest combination of latte and coffee here. Ever heard of Apple pie mocha latte? Or peppermint latte? Well, here you have it and it's not bad too! 

Mon Big Breakfast (RM 19.90)

The big breakfast is really BIG with all the sausage, ham, toast, scrambled egg, hashbrown, baked beans, bacon and cherry tomatoes and the best grilled mushrooms! 

Seafood Pesto Spaghetti (RM 16.90) 

This is just superb! I am kinda crazy over pesto and it tasted even better with calamari, prawns and scallops. 

Details: 

Add: N0. 17, Jalan Radin Bagus, Bandar Baru Seri Petaling, 57000 KL 

Tel: 03-9054 3067 

Antipodean Cafe @ Midvalley Mall

After a long time of not having a classmate reunion, we finally had one when Lin Wei came to UPM for a neurology conference. They wanted to go to Coffee Bean but I wanted to go somewhere that I can eat something and finally settled for Antipodean, Samantha's favourite place. She even went to the Antipodean in KL in the past when there was too long queue in Bangsar.

Samantha ordered her coffee which looks so cute with a kitty on the foam. It looks thick too.

I ordered Egg Benedict with Bacon (RM 27) which was amazing! In fact, I dare declare this place as serving the best, fluffiest egg benedict in Klang Valley! I have never had any egg benedict so tasty. When I popped the eggs with my fork, the egg yolk flowed like the fountain of eden. The ham was also so fresh and soft. The salad was done so simply but maintained the freshmess and crispyness with a drench of balsamic vinegar.

The only downside of eating here is the outdoor alfresco dining caused my skin to be bitten by mosquitoes.

Details: G(e)-011A, Mid Valley Megamall, 59200 KL

Artisan Coffee @ Section 13

Today, being Easter, I planned to go to DUMC church Easter service in the morning despite sleeping so late last night due to my work. Since Artisan Coffee is nearby, I came here for breakfast. There are a few tables having breakfast here. I figured the owner must be very clever to have everything self service including the food and drinks pick up area as it saves on additional manpower for waitress. The place has some ventilation issue so it was not that cold. They are also clever in turning a plain warehouse into a sleek contemporary and artistic coffee place. 

Egg Benedict (RM 10) 

Egg benedict is my favourite so I never fail to order this wherever I see this on the menu. The 2 big eggs pop out, running all over a piece of ham and muffin. There is Hollandaise sauce spread on top of the egg, fooling me into thinking it was egg yolk. At least the muffin is softer than the one at AMPM. The 2 eggs kept me full till lunch time at 12.30 pm! The price of this is quite reasonable compared to those sold in other coffee places. 

Toast Butter & Jam (RM 7) and Scramble Eggs (RM 3) 

My friend ordered this as he is a big fan of scramble eggs. If we were in my house, I would have said, save the money and I would cook the scrambled eggs. But this one is made soft and runny and quite ok. 

Dolce Mocha (RM 13) 

Dolce Mocha is differentiated from conventional mocha by using white chocolate. Coffee here is made at room temperature so I have specially requested for it to be made hotter so that it is still hot after my breakfast. 

Iced Chocolate (RM 12) 

The chocolate is so thick that even though there was a lot of ice, one could still taste the chocolate. 

Details:
Address: Jalan 13/2, Seksyen 13, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Tel: 03-79318978

The Carpenter's Daughter

I have passed by this small cosy-looking cafe a few times whenever I am in USJ Taipan. This time round I decided to google and find some blogs about this place to check out what is cooking here.

The moment I entered this cafe, I was mesmerized. At the front is a bakery whereas the back side is converted in a cosy restaurant that is vintage and also has a mix of old British look with the paneling at the sides fully decorated with teapots, frames and photos and some knick-knacks and decorative items.

The tables are ladden with minnie mouse inspired white polka dots on red backgrounds, instead of the conventional red and white chequers. At the right side are a few comfortable and soft velvet sofa sets with lamp and lamp shades that were so inviting I had to make it a point to take a photo there after filling my tummy. 

According to the story, the owner is indeed a carpenter's daughter and all the wood work here is made by her father, The Carpenter.

I actually spotted the carpenter's daughter, going around like a tauke. There was a young girl baking bread and slicing bread using the bread slicing machine at the end of the dining area. This shows how fresh the bread here is. After seeing this scene, I made it a point to buy a fresh half loaf of soft fluffy French Brioche bread for RM 6. Moreover, all the bread here are said to be baked daily which means there are no preservatives. 

Since I saw a lot of newspaper articles talking about the carbonara and cream soup here, due to the fresh cream used by the owner. I did not hesitate to order one too. Furthermore, the owner would not use flour to thicken the soup but used potato and cream instead, which means everything used here are original natural ingredients.

Carbonara with Smoked Salmon (RM 23.90)

The carbonara is the thickest I have ever eaten and beats those served in local franchises. I could not believe how generous the cook or owner in putting in so many pieces of salmon with oyster mushrooms and 2 types of capsicum to add some colour and crisp. The sauce is super thick, hence coating the spaghetti really well and would have been great with fettuccine too.

Quiche of the Day (RM 15.90) 

My friend was just about to order this at Ben's Grocer on New Year's Eve as he loves quiche so much but since  I told him not to order as RM 23 for a small piece of Quiche is not worth it. This time round, they gave us a big round of leek quiche. It was my first time having leek quiche instead of the ubiquitious spinach quiche. The ingredients are a lot. One can see a lot of leek inside. Most importantly, the crust is very crispy despite being a little thick.

Red Berries Tea (RM 8.90) 

The tea was served in a very tiny tea pot that could not last more than 2 refills and started discolouring. The Red Berries Tea reminds me of Winters Warmers' Tea which is sourish and has a lot of ingredients to come up with the beautiful berry tea aroma.

The total price came up to RM 54.70; and RM 4.87 Service Charge, and 6% GST of RM 3.21 which means the nett price was RM 62.80.

They also have Tea Party Set at tea time that includes British scones, tea, cakes and pastries.

Details: Address: 46, Jalan USJ 10/1E, Taipan Business Centre, Subang Jaya, USJ.