Gelare @ The e-Curve

A friend of mine recommended Gelare for an authentic American waffle and I was glad I took his advice. Instead of cheap RM 3.00 waffles that you can get it from the stalls, this was an exceptional all American waffle. Located in The e-Curve, same row as Espresso Lab. it is a small shop decorated in black and settings.

Gelare serves an array of waffles with several type of ice cream and also coffee. It makes a good place for dessert, dates and meet up.

Original Waffle with Cookie and Cream Ice Cream 

The epitome of orgasmic waffle is here! The original flavored waffle was just as good. It was thick, crispy on the exterior and soft on the interior. The rich drizzle of maple syrup together with the rich creaminess of the cookie and cream ice cream is divine. It was so worth my RM 18! It was just that good, I'm not going to have waffles any other way anymore!

-thevanillapudding-

Yeast Boulangerie, Bangsar



Instead of following suit of all the budding Melbourne-inspired cafe, Yeast was somewhat different. It was like a breathe of fresh air, no more typical breakfast menu of salmon, big breakfast and poached eggs with hollandaise sauce. I would never imagine myself saying that I'm bored of all these Melbourne-inspired cafe which was once my favorite go to places.

 

Yeast, true to its name, focuses very much on croissants, bread and pastries which requires yeast in the process of making that perfect bun. Their interior was simple but yet classy. It reminds me of cafe in Paris where classy table and chair deck the walkaway. The smell of bread and pastry was even more intoxicating.

 

Unlike Antipodean, the crowd in Yeast is definitely smaller than the former, smaller and different. But that doesn't mean their food is horrible, just different without mushrooms, toast, sausages and baked beans. The crowd here appreciates good pastries and buns for breakfast, or sometimes, it could be just because Antipodean is too packed. 

 

Pick your buns

Breads decking out beautifully on the rack

Classy little cafe deck out in the streets of Jalan Telawi 2

Cappuccino

Definitely not illy coffee for sure, but its good enough. The cappuccino was rich and the taste of coffee wasn't subdued by the overwhelming steamed milk. It was froty and light, but at the same time rich enough for you to crave for more.

Long Black

Yeast's long black has been pop's favorite. Of all the places we visited, dad still love their coffee the best with the rich amount of crema and a suitable amount of acidity.

Croissant and Cappuccino

Almond Croissant

Their croissant was good. Buttery, flaky and rich in almond. Behind the simple fascade of this croissant, do not underestimate its taste. The almond taste was not strong, but it lingers in your mouth for a fair bit, urging you to take another go at it. I've tried Tous les Jours and Levain's croissant, but Yeast wins hand down.

Croissant with Tuna

See that glossy top? Just as the almond croissant, the plain croissant wins for its simplicity. Buttery, flaky and just so good.

 

The smell of fresh bread and pastry filling your senses can be one of the best things on earth. Alright, I might be exaggerating, but I like a change from the usual big breakfast and salmon. And, Yeast is the perfect way to do so.

 

 

-thevanillapudding-

Lai Foong Beef Noodles, KL

One of the oldest hawker in down town KL and one of the best. I rarely take beef but this was recommended by someone and I decided to give it a go and boy that was one of the best decision I ever made.

Located along the bustling street in KL, it is located in one of the corner coffeeshop on Jalan Tun HS Lee. This hawker has been around for quite a while and the place will be jammed pack with office employees, so if you want to have a taste of it - better be prepare to sweat and get sticky! Well, I went in the morning, so the coffeeshop was literally empty.

I bet you are already drooling because I am! What's so special about this bowl of beef noodles? EVERYTHING! The noodles are known as "lai mien" meaning pulled noodles - it is a traditional way of making the noodles by hand. Not many people make their own noodles these days and you can taste the difference so badly! The noodles was really chewy and there was a type of taste to it, a very homely delicious taste that makes you go back for more!

The soup was W.O.W. Thick, rich, aromatic and flavorful. It was rich in beef taste that I could just drink the whole bowl of soup alone. The beef balls were decent but the beef loin was so ohmygod. It was prepared, marinated and cooked till tenderness. Each bite of the beef was a burst of flavor and juiciness - so tender that it just falls apart after a bite. That's how good it was.

It is a pretty big bowl and for about RM 7, I think it is so worth it. 

Ratings : 5/5

Price : 5/5

Lai Foong Beef Noodles

138, Jalan Tun HS Lee 
Kuala Lumpur  (right next to KotaRaya)

Tel : 03 2072 8123

Operating hours : Early morning till lunch time

-thevanillapudding-

Chocolate Lava Cake/Moltan Cake

I've been posting so much review on restaurant and coffeehouse that I think I should drop a few post on my own baking adventures. I'm no professional in baking, most of my baking experiences are based on online recipes and trial and errors.

So today, I'll be posting about my all time favorite recipe! Chocolate lava cake, a oh-so-sinful dessert that just melts in your mouth. This desert has a solid but firm texture on the outside, but when you cut into the centre, rich velvety chocolate oozes out. With a spoonful of pure vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate oozing out from the cake, what you get is a lustful bite of haven.

I've made it a couple of time and I've never receive any lashback from it, so I suppose its good enough for everyone. A fine delicate dessert but its just so simple that amateur wouldn't have an issue preparing it!

My first attempt at it

My third attempt at it 

The two pictures above, I prepared it during a Christmas party at my friend's place and I was too busy working in the kitchen till I forgotten to snap a picture of it, these were taken by my friend's iPhone. I apologize for the bad resolution. But the whole plate was worthy of a five star hotel dessert, so don't fret about something so simple!

Prep Time : 20 mins
Cook Time : 10/15 mins
Serves : 4 ramekins

Ingredients :
Good quality dark baking chocolate - 113g
Butter - 113g
Eggs - 2
Sugar - 35g
All purpose flour - 40g
Coffee powder - a pinch (optional, my preference to enhance the chocolate taste)
Cocoa powder - to coat the ramekin after buttering (optional)
Butter - to coat the ramekin
Chopped walnuts, icing sugar and mint leaf for garnishing

Steps :
1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. (Place a heatproof bowl/pyrex bowl over a pot of boiling water. Reduce the heat to low once place the bowl on top. Add chopped chocolates and stir till smooth)
2. In a mixer, beat eggs and sugar till fluffy and light.
3. Once the chocolate are fully melted, add in the butter. (Usually the heat in the chocolate will melt the butter, if the chocolate had cool, put it over the pot to help melt the butter)
4. Add chocolate butter mixture in sugar and eggs and add the flour. 
5. Add a pinch of coffee powder to enhance the chocolate taste. Mix well till fully incorporated, don't overmix.
6. Butter the ramekins and coat it with a layer of cocoa powder to give it a richer cocoa flavor.
7. Fill it with the mixture at least 3/4 of the ramekin.
8. Bake it in a preheated oven of 180C for 10 minutes to have gooey center or 15 to have solid center.
9. Serve it with vanilla ice cream, sprinkles of icing sugar and chopped walnuts and garnish with mint leaf.

Tips :
*The mixture can be kept overnight if you intend to bake it other times.
*This can be made advanced and if you intend to bake it a month later, put it in the freezer; if you plan to bake it 2 days later, the fridge would be fine.
*Check the chocolate lava cake when placed in the oven to ensure you don't over bake it. The moment, you see its solid on the outside, take it out and serve immediately, NEVER leave it in the oven or you'll overbake it.
*Use a kitchen knife to go around the edges to ensure easy flipping when you flip it over the plate.
*BE CAREFUL as the ramekins are very hot.

Original recipe adapted from Molten Lava Cake.

-thevanillapudding-