Uni

  

.. as in sea urchin in Japanese. Have you ever wondered how sea urchins taste like? I've seen way too many videos on youtube talking about how heavenly, amazing, great (insert whatever good words there are to describe something that is so wonderful here) sea urchins are. Back in February, when I was having a reunion dinner with my family in Kura, One World Hotel I ordered a small portion of this Japanese delicacy to try. 

It ain't cheap btw. 😬

Here's a 1/4 portion of the actual full serving of uni. Priced at RM65 as per the menu.

Comes with a little bowl of seaweed (in case you like enjoy the uni with seaweed and rice) and freshly grated wasabi.

A closer look at the uni.

It was my first time trying out such a delicacy. I don't really know what to say about it but only one word, interesting. As in both its texture and the taste. 

The uni had a buttery texture, somewhat like buttercream icing or durian; soft/squishy and smooth. The delightful part of it is that it melts in your mouth. The taste was really interesting. In the beginning, as you chew on it slowly, the uni gives off a sort of bittersweet taste. As you chew it further, that bittersweet taste will slowly turn into that fresh sweet seafood-y taste (like crabs). That's the best I can describe. 😅

Overall, I think uni(s) have a rather unique taste compared to other seafoods I've had so far. I wouldn't really recommend this to anyone unless you're really adventurous and like trying out new tastes then do go for it! 😁

That's all I have to share with you guys 😋

Take care and stay safe!

      

BLUE LATTE? 💙☕ - Jamaica Blue, Midvalley

 
Last week, my sis and I decided to have our lunch at the Jamaica Blue cafe located on the first floor of Midvalley. The cafe has been there for years but we have never really thought of trying it out with our parents before since my dad isn't really into western food. That morning was the perfect opportunity for us to try the food out there since we were kinda craving for western food and only both of us were there.

We 'discovered' this cafe through the zomato app while browsing for restaurants and cafes.

The ordering process is simple. Just head over to the counter to place your order and they will hand you a table number stand. After that, just choose wherever you want to sit and place that number stand on your table and the staffs will deliver the food and drinks to you.

There are also a lot of cakes and pastries for you to choose from the counter.

Blue latte. RM14.10 (large).

Instead of ordering coffee, my sis and I agreed to try out their blue latte since it's blue! It's got a very interesting colour unlike other normal latte(s) that have a soft brown colour. Both of us shared a cup since we don't feel like drinking much that day.

It turned out that this blue latte had no coffee in it at all! According to their website, it is actually a blend of white chocolate, milk and blue curaçao syrup. Sounds basic but it actually tasted really good! The blue latte had a very sweet vanilla taste to it and not too sugary. We loved it.

I had a big breakfast set to myself, RM24.90.

This breakfast platter consisted of tomatoes, mushrooms, a sausage, ham slices, bread, omelette and I'm not really sure what the other thing was.. maybe two slices of cheese? It is also served with some tomato sauce and margarine.

The big breakfast was not bad but the sausage and the 'cheese slices' were a little bit too salty. 

Sis had potato hash with mushrooms, tomatoes and poached eggs, RM18.30.

Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience. The thing that I liked the most from here would definitely be the blue latte since it tasted pretty good and the colour was really pretty as well.

Jamaica Blue
1st floor, 75, 
Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, 
58000 Kuala Lumpur
   

Ladurée macarons (Pavilion KL) - Best macarons ever?

 
What is the first thing you think about when it comes to macarons? Its color? Its price? Its brand? Or its taste?

I personally think what makes a macaron stand out from the rest is not because of its beautiful colors but because of its taste and texture. I ain't a macaron fan so I don't really know how to judge whether  a macaron is fantastic or not but to me, what really matters is the taste of it. I enjoy macarons that aren't too sweet. 😛

Ladurée.. Its macarons are claimed as the best macarons you could ever find in Paris.

Is it true that these macarons are really that amazing?
I guess I just gotta try it out for myself.

But one thing about these macarons is that it is undeniably expensive. Classical flavoured macarons cost RM12 each whilst the premium flavoured ones are RM18 each. Pop one into your mouth and yeap, RM12 is gone within 30 secs hahaha.

I couldn't believe I have spent RM98 on a box of macarons! Mind you, there were only 6 pieces in it so you can imagine how quick my sis and I could finish them, maybe within 10 minutes? LOL. 😜



It's okay, you do crazy things once in a while in life.


So here am I, proudly presenting you the most expensive macarons I've ever bought in my life! 💥

Sis and I got the macarons in this little Napoleon box (fits 6 macarons).
We chose the blue box.

An array of flavoured macarons to choose from.

As far as I can remember, the ones with edible silver or gold foils on top costed RM18 each, an extra RM6 compared to the ordinary flavoured ones.

Here's what the bag looks like, subtle mint green with its logo on top.

There's the box of macarons!

The box of 6 macarons ✨

From left to right: Raspberry, Marie-Antoinette Tea, Rose petal, Strawberry and cream, Vanilla silver, Gold Chocolate.

Let's begin with Marie-Antoinette tea.

This macaron had a unique flavour which I really couldn't figure out what it was made of. According to one of the websites, this one is made of a blend of black tea, rose petals, citrus fruit and honey flavours. But it wasn't my favourite tbh.

Rose petals.

As literal as the name suggests, it tasted like roses. There's nothing much to it.

Strawberry and cream.

This was our favourite! It tasted very much like strawberry milk. Its filling is made with real vanilla beans (when you look into the cream, you can see specs of vanilla beans in it).

Very pleasing.

Silver vanilla.

Just a basic vanilla macaron with edible silver foil on top but I also liked this one a lot. It has a genuine and fragrant vanilla taste to it. Again, the filling of this macaron is also made with real vanilla beans, just like the strawberry macaron above.

Gold chocolate.

Chocolate macaron with edible gold foil on top and a rich chocolate-y filling. The chocolate filling tasted like expensive dark chocolate with hints of sweetness to it.

Raspberry.

Raspberry macaron with sour raspberry jam filling. The raspberry macaron shells are sweet so the flavours are balanced by the sourness of the raspberry filling.

Macaron flower formation.

Macaron tower!

My thoughts on these macarons

I think they're pretty good! I loved the texture of it, not too crunchy yet not too soft, just right. But it does taste a little bit too sweet for my liking. However, I gotta say I prefer these over the TWG tea macarons. The flavours of these macarons are much more genuine compared to the ones I had in the past. These macarons are best enjoyed with either tea or coffee. Worth the try but I don't think I'm going to get any of these anytime soon again because I don't want to break my wallet hahahaha.

Anyways, thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed!


Will you give these macarons a try yourself?

Ladurée

168, Bukit Bintang Street, 

Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, 

55100 Kuala Lumpur, 

Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

PAUL Bakery and cafe, Pavilion KL

     
Back in November, my dad and I visited the Paul Bakery and cafe in Pavilion KL on a weekday. We were intrigued by the number of desserts and pastries they serve in their cafe by just looking at their menu. This place serves not only pastries but also coffees, teas, sandwiches and some cooked dishes. Paul's bakery comprises of two parts; the dining area and an individual pastry kiosk. The individual pastry kiosk - for takeaway pastries is located right opposite of the cafe's dining area and can be easily spotted. I must say, Paul's bakery and cafe are aesthetically pleasing in its black-themed  setting. The entire place looks really elegant too. 🌟

Paul's dining area from the side view.

This is the view from my seat. 

From my seat, I can spot the individual pastry kiosk which is located just right opposite of the dining area.

Here's the individual pastry kiosk which displays and sells a variety of breads, tarts, eclairs and other pastries.

The prices of these pastries range from approximately RM5++ to RM20++. Not cheap I know.

I was merely craving for desserts and pastries hence I didn't really bother to look at the main course section in its menu. Although they do serve main courses but the choices that are offered were limited. As far as I could remember, they do offer options like pasta, cooked meats, salads, soup of the day and sandwiches. Not to mention that the prices of these dishes were quite pocket-unfriendly.. Or maybe the prices were meant to be high because they're exquisite french dishes??? I don't know.

All prices stated below are not inclusive of GST.

I went ahead and ordered a cup of vanilla black tea. RM 10.20. 🍵

I didn't quite like the taste of the tea at its first brew because the taste of the vanilla itself was quite overpowering, almost artificial but after a couple of brews, the tea tasted better as the vanilla taste becomes more subtle. Overall, the tea was good.

It comes with a pot of hot water for refills.

Dad ordered a cup of iced lemongrass tea. RM 12.10. Nothing special about it.

Waiting for my tea to brew.

I had a citron meringue tart - aka lemon meringue tart for RM15.10.

I really enjoyed this lemon tart, it's delicious! The tart shell was a bit tad too hard to cut with a knife but it's crunchy, I liked the lemon fillings as it wasn't too sour and it was quite sweet. The meringue was good. Absolute perfection. 🍋

Compared to the lemon meringue tart from Rubberduck hartamas, I liked this one better since it's less sour in taste.

Ordered a creme brulee to share with my dad. RM 17.

The creme brulee was also fine but I personally didn't like the layer of torched sugar on it because it was kindda bitter to taste. The creme itself is alright and its less sweet. It was okay for me.

Dad had a plate of salmon pasta - Rigatoni salmon. RM35.90. He enjoyed the dish a lot.

While enjoying my desserts I have also took a few foodie shots.

The total bill came up to RM105.15 inclusive of GST and 10% of service charges.

Final thoughts, I would return to this place again for its pastries and tea but not the main courses just because I didn't quite like the variety of the food that was being offered on the menu. I wish to try out other pastries like the eclairs on my next visit. I say, the pastries and desserts in this cafe were worth the try!

COSTA Coffee Malaysia (in Shell stations) - Nice or not?

       
Coffee has always been my go-to beverage whenever I'm feeling exhausted and needed some energy boost, especially in the mornings. After being a super loyal fan towards Starbucks for so many years, I thought I needed to try out other coffee brands for a change. I have heard from Char a lot of things about Costa coffee because she studies in London. She told me that Costa coffee is London's favorite coffee brand besides Starbucks. I was pretty excited once I got to know that Costa coffee is now available in Malaysia, but only in selected Shell outlets. I finally got to try it out last Sunday.

My first ever Costa beverage was their hot vanilla latte which was priced at RM11 (medium) per cup. I got it from the Shell station at Jalan Tun Razak. I forgot to take a picture of the beverage that night because I was rushing to somewhere else. But I have to say, their Christmas edition cups are really cute! The large-sized hot beverage cup has a gingerbread man figure on it while the medium-sized one has a blue-uniformed soldier printed on it.

Compared to the lattes from Starbucks, the Costa ones tasted milder; the coffee isn't as strong as the Starbucks one. I would describe the coffee as smooth and milky. As it's milder in taste, it's better for people who have gastric problems like me (my tummy would get upset easily whenever I drink really strong coffee). 👍

A thing to note about these Costa coffee outlets is that they are all machine operated. You'll get to choose whatever beverage you want from the screen and then take the printed ticket to the counter to pay. The average price per cup is around RM10-11 for medium sized beverages.

Went one of the Shell stations on Friday to pump petrol and to grab a cuppa.
Here lies the glorious Costa coffee machine ⭐

This is the beverage machine. Press start to access the beverage menu to select which beverage you would like to order. The prices will also be stated on the screen. Remember to grab that printed ticket and make your payment at the cashier.

This is the ice machine. To make cold beverages, pick the size of the cup of your choice, then fill it with some ice and then take it to the beverage machine to create your beverage.

Pick your desired beverage and place the cup underneath the screen area.

Sis ordered strawberry flavored milk, priced at RM13 (medium).

It tasted exactly like the Dutch Lady strawberry flavoured packet milk that you can find in supermarkets. Oh and notice how cute the cold beverage cup is too? 😍

Here's my iced vanilla latte, RM11 (medium).

Remember not to pour too much ice into your cup or else your beverage will overflow.

Overall, I think that the beverages served by Costa coffee isn't too shabby. It definitely could be a nice quick fix for those who need their daily cup of coffee while on the go. 😜