Eat Drink KL: November 2014

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Chequers Waffles @ TTDI Taman Tun Dr Ismail


KL's first cafe that specialises in both savoury & sweet waffles served in the spirit of experimentation has opened this week in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, setting the stage for what's expected to be a welcome explosion of waffle eateries in the weeks to come.

 Former engineer Terence, his marketing-whiz girlfriend Michelle & their chef-partner Fazli have made a timely leap to the forefront of the Klang Valley's waffle scene. Waffles-&-chicken are no longer a distant dream, thanks to Chequer creations like the Chicken Cobb Sandwich (RM19), featuring waffles with shredded chicken, hard-boiled egg, avocado, beef bacon, plum tomatoes & curry mayo. Alternatively, there's also the Chicken Square (RM22), with spicy waffles complemented by square-cut chicken, purple raisin slaw, chicken jus & sriracha sauce.

 
 
 Moo Moo (RM25), basically a waffle burger, with sirloin beef patty, cheddar, slaw, relish, crispy bacon & berry BBQ sauce, showcasing the skills of chef Fazli, a vet of establishments like Garibaldi & The Morning After. Are these recipes perfect? No (some need more sauces, others could use fine-tuning in the choice of components), but they're still convincingly tasty & competently textured, hearty & well-priced, served by a hospitable & enthusiastic team that wants customers to leave satisfied.

 
 
 Chequers' waffle version of Eggs Benedict (RM18) with watercress salad makes for a fun change. We like how several different types of kitchen-made waffles are available at Chequers, creating a more compelling sense of variety - this 'Down Home Benny' comes with extra-crispy waffles, while other offerings might surface with, say, waffles laced with pumpkin & cinnamon. Bonus trivia: Terence & Michelle were inspired to start a waffle place following their food experiences in the U.S.

 
 
 Of course, there's a vegetarian waffle too - tinged with bits of spinach, topped with a grilled portobello mushroom, glazed cherry tomatoes, balsamic reduction, rocket salad & shaved parmesan (RM18). Chequers can still push the envelope further with even more imaginative combos, but this works well enough for a promising beginning; the team says it tried out some Asian flavours, but chose to start with a streamlined Western selection first, which functions fine for consistent flavour profiles.

 
 
 Still, there's something akin to a 'goreng pisang' waffle on the dessert list - it's called 'Melting Moments' (RM16), comprising a waffle studded with chocolate chips, teamed with deep-fried bananas, salted caramel sauce, coconut & almond vanilla crust.

 
 
 We're fans of the tiramisu, soft & creamy, served with espresso & wonderfully fluffy waffles. Well worthwhile for RM13.

 
 Coffee is available, as are root beer-based beverages (like this one mixed with chocolate, milk & ice cream), but the star of the show is ultimately the waffles at Chequers, a destination that deserves attention this December. Head here soon before the crowds come.

 
Chequers TTDI
153 Jalan Aminuddin Baki, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur
Mon-Thurs, 10am-11pm; Fri, 10am-12am, Sat, 9am-10am; Sun, 9am-11pm


This restaurant is available for bookings under TABLEAPP, which enables customers to make instant reservations at Malaysia's top restaurants, while saving time and money in the process. Reserve your table at this restaurant by clicking here.

Check out the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favourites, featuring 100 recommended restaurants for October-December 2014, including more than 30 new entries for this quarter. 
This eBook is available to read or download at this link: http://eatdrinkkl.cld.bz/2014D 
This link expires Dec. 31, 2014. Please check the newest blog entries after that for fresh links.

Stay up to date: The Eat Drink KL newsletter is sent by email to subscribers every Monday; it's the Klang Valley's foremost weekly round-up of new restaurant openings (even before they're featured on this blog), F&B promotions & other tasty tidbits.
Subscribe to Eat Drink KL Weekly for free via this following link: 
Note to subscribers on Gmail: The newsletter will be in the Promotions folder of your inbox.

Sausages to sambal. Muffins to marshmallows. Peanut butter to mango chutney. Cornflake ice cream to honey aloe yogurt. Lavender-laced lemonades to lychee-&-guava juices.
Eat Drink KL: Small Businesses, Huge Flavours is the first eBook to help customers navigate the diversity of independent F&B entrepreneurs who bake & boil in their own kitchens, offering some of Malaysia's finest, most fascinating food products.
This resource will be continuously updated with new listings: www.eatdrinkkl.publ.com/businesses 

Saturday, November 29, 2014

EGG: Eight Gourmets Gala @ Bandar Sunway

Eight is enough at this new dining destination in Bandar Sunway, which brings together eight eateries in a single space.

 
 
Grab a table anywhere in this hall & order from the eight options; not all were open when we visited earlier this month, but they will be really soon. There's Hakka Crab for Chinese hawker fare, Hook & Cook for seafood, Malt Berry Ape for wine & whisky, Chiyo Sushi for Japanese cuisine ...

 
 
 ... Yi for vegetarian fine-dining (hmmm), Nibbles (a salad, soup & sandwich bar), Confessions of Lady Laura for desserts & Caffeinees - the final name is a clue to the origins of Eight Gourmets Gala. This place is run by the folks who operate various other restaurants, including Caffeinees, Black Market & Niu Taste in the city centre.

 
 
 Our orders came from Hakka Crab, Caffeinees & Malt Berry Ape - we stuck to seafood, starting with the moreish crispy-fried squid heads (one piece isn't enough once you begin munching; heck, five isn't enough) with salad & sesame dressing (RM22).

 Hakka Crab's mud crabs were a bit out of our budget (RM168 for a 1.1-kilogram serving, cooked with salted egg, curry, egg white, dry curry, kam heong garlic or sweet-&-sour sauce), so we settled for a cheaper but still satisfactory big bowl of mee sua with crab meat (RM38 for a portion that three can share).

 
 Fried mee hoon with clams & petai? We knew we'd be ordering this when we spotted it on the menu. RM28.

 Hakka signature stir-fried prawns (RM46), a solid recommendation with vibrant, complexly briny flavours. No complaints about most of EGG's food; everything tastes reasonably fresh & well-executed - kudos to the kitchen.

 
 Wrapping up with Japanese-inspired salmon skewers, tender & topped with plenty of roe & mayo (RM18) ...

 
 ... & Italian-influenced pizza with dory fish & a light mint sauce, a decent bet for RM22.

 
 No lack of coffee here, though the Gigacino (RM13; a super-sized cappuccino) seems somewhat gimmicky.

 The bartender was missing when we visited, so we couldn't try the cocktails (one with vodka, passion fruit & chia seeds sounds cool); wine is available from RM66 per bottle, but note that's a retail price that doesn't include a RM30 dine-in corkage fee. Alternatively, liquor lovers can sample a Royale Iced Coffee laced with a little bit of Cognac (RM13).

EGG: Eight Gourmets Gala
Ground Floor, The Pinnacle Annexe, Persiaran Lagoon, Bandar Sunway, Selangor
Somewhere behind Sunway Lagoon Resort. Park at The Pinnacle office building basement. Open 11am-11pm daily


This restaurant is available for bookings under TABLEAPP, which enables customers to make instant reservations at Malaysia's top restaurants, while saving time and money in the process. Reserve your table at this restaurant by clicking here.

Check out the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favourites, featuring 100 recommended restaurants for October-December 2014, including more than 30 new entries for this quarter. 
This eBook is available to read or download at this link: http://eatdrinkkl.cld.bz/2014D 
This link expires Dec. 31, 2014. Please check the newest blog entries after that for fresh links.

Stay up to date: The Eat Drink KL newsletter is sent by email to subscribers every Monday; it's the Klang Valley's foremost weekly round-up of new restaurant openings (even before they're featured on this blog), F&B promotions & other tasty tidbits.
Subscribe to Eat Drink KL Weekly for free via this following link: 
Note to subscribers on Gmail: The newsletter will be in the Promotions folder of your inbox.

Sausages to sambal. Muffins to marshmallows. Peanut butter to mango chutney. Cornflake ice cream to honey aloe yogurt. Lavender-laced lemonades to lychee-&-guava juices.
Eat Drink KL: Small Businesses, Huge Flavours is the first eBook to help customers navigate the diversity of independent F&B entrepreneurs who bake & boil in their own kitchens, offering some of Malaysia's finest, most fascinating food products.
This resource will be continuously updated with new listings: www.eatdrinkkl.publ.com/businesses