The Curious Goat Coffee Brewers – Damansara Perdana’s very own!

20-1, Jalan PJU 8/3A, Damansara Perdana, 47820, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

We just got back from a week-long trip to Taiwan (posts on that coming up soon) and saw that this brand-new shop had opened up a stone’s throw – well, maybe two throws – from our guard house.

It’s so new they still have congratulatory flower arrangements near the door and no shop sign up yet. We had to go inside to look at the menu to see that it’s called The Curious Goat.

Although the artwork they had seems to say ‘Angry Goat’ instead.

The place is simply but beautifully done up with an industrial look – lots of wood, wooden pallets, steel pipes and exposed lightbulbs. Cozy lighting and new air-conditioning that’s nice and cold makes this a good place to hang out.

Guess a lot of people agree because the place was pretty full when we were there.

On to the coffee. We ordered an iced mocha that tasted good and rich without being overly sweet. Since I don’t know much about coffee to speak on it with any authority, we snapped a picture of the blurb on their menu.

Yeah, what he said…

They have a small food menu too, a few dessert items as well as 3 pasta dishes: meatball, chicken or a mix of both.

My beef meatball pasta was nicely cooked in a flavourful, chunky tomato sauce and scattered with fresh herbs. Some may find the sauce a tiny bit acidic but I liked it just fine. They were generous with the meatballs – I got 4 good-sized ones which were all tender, juicy and tasty.

If the meatballs were flattened and grilled on a flat-top, I get the feeling they would make great patties for mini burgers.

Lady Fartsalot’s chicken pasta was slightly less successful. The pasta was a bit overcooked and the chicken quite dry with an almost imperceptible taste of herbs.

Tasted like the exact same sauce for both pastas.

The food took quite a bit longer than expected to arrive (they’re probably still getting used to the kitchen) but the quality is pretty decent overall. The portion size was also not too big – big eaters will have ample room for dessert.

We decided to forego dessert this time around, but are definitely going back to try them soon, along with whatever new food items that they’ll hopefully introduce.

Yep, we’re gonna stamp the hell out of this here loyalty card.

To my knowledge, The Curious Goat is the first truly cool coffee place to open in Damansara Perdana. We’re going to do our best to give it as much support as possible because I’m optimistic that – once it works out any minor teething issues it may have –it’ll be every bit as good as any of the ones in TTDI.

Bite-sized review

A cool coffee place in Damansara Perdana with a small but decent food menu which I hope will grow in the near future. Nice and cozy with friendly service. A good place to hang out.

Stats

Price: Pretty average for a place of this kind. RM14 for each pasta. RM12 for the mocha.

Hours:
8am-10pm from Monday to Thursday

8am-11pm on Friday

10am-11pm on Saturday

10am-10pm on Sunday

Go-Ji-Ra @ My Burger Lab – All hail the kings!

14, Jalan 21/22, SeaPark, 46300, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

I’ve not done a post on My Burger Lab till now because, honestly, what’s left to say that’s not already been said by other, better food bloggers?

We’ve visited a bunch of times but I never felt like I had anything significant to add. Their legendary service is great as always. Despite the opening of a new outlet in OUG, the queues are still as long. And we’re sure many a fan has felt Lady Fartsalot’s frustration on our most recent visit when the burger she wanted had sold out by the time she got to the head of the line. Okay, they now have additional seating upstairs but that’s hardly big enough news to merit a post.

What IS big enough was the monstrous Go-Ji-Ra burger I just had.

This thing is staggeringly huge. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was what caused Godzilla’s widely talked-about weight gain.

This must be one of those posts I’ve heard about that ‘writes itself’. Having had the Go-Ji-Ra, I suddenly noticed a jumble of words jostling around in my head demanding to get written down. Or typed out, as it were.

The words in my head insist that I tell you about how the King of Burgers and the King of Monsters have finally come together in a glorious explosion of flesh and flavour.

There were three (THREE!) satisfyingly thick and meaty beef patties that literally fall apart in the mouth. I had previously expressed mild dissatisfaction that My Burger Lab burgers had a rather small meat-to-other-ingredients ratio. This burger demolishes that complaint as completely as Godzilla demolishes buildings.

Damn near knocked me over as well, as the massive amount of meat almost put me in a food coma.

The mustard-grilled patties had an appetising sour zing, as well as a refreshing kick from wasabi. Absolutely delicious, and certainly enough to satisfy even the biggest of meat cravings.

I would have enjoyed the Go-Ji-Ra even more if not for the subtle aroma of the blue cheese that was added to it. But that’s completely my own fault for not knowing how to appreciate blue cheese, and nothing to do with My Burger Lab.

And because I don’t foresee another My Burger Lab post in the near future, I’m taking this opportunity to also publish all the burger pictures we’ve taken during our previous visits there.

Can't remember which burger this is. Cthulhu, probably.

Nope, this one doesn't ring a bell either.

This appears to be a chicken one that Lady Fartsalot had. Maybe she remembers... nope, no luck there.

A quick note to wrap up before I go off to collapse under the weight of all this meat inside me. I don’t know whether the Go-Ji-Ra is a permanent item on the menu. Maybe, like Godzilla, it will disappear back into the sea once it’s caused sufficient destruction to enough digestive systems. If you’re interested, you might want to go try it soon, just in case.

And if you’re not a big eater, for goodness’ sake bring back-up.

Old picture of shop interior. It's less packed now with extra seating upstairs, but only by a tiny bit. It seems that at My Burger Lab, with greater seating capacity come greater numbers of hungry fans.

Bite-sized review

It’s the My Burger Lab everyone knows and loves. This post is about how meaty and delicious the massive new Go-Ji-Ra burger is. Don’t know how long it will stay on the menu, so go check it out quick. And bring someone to help you eat it.

Stats

Price: About RM30 and worth every single sen.

Pan Mee at PJ Old Town – Springy!

Outside Yan Woh Medical Hall, 80, Jalan Othman, 46000, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia (Opposite Public Bank)

Lady Fartsalot has been bugging me to take her to this pan mee stall for months.

I haven’t been too eager to go because I am not very interested in pan mee in general, and the traffic and parking at PJ Old Town can get quite stressful.

But she is persistent and we finally went.

It was an outdoor stall set up right outside a Chinese medical hall (which happened to be closed) with tables and chairs placed wherever possible, including on the five-foot way next to the medical hall’s entrance. Wonder what the arrangement is on days when the medical hall is open?

Run-down stalls like this occasionally serve epic food. This wasn't the case here, however.

The wait for our food was surprisingly long considering we were pretty much the only customers there.

We ordered a bowl of dry noodles each and when they arrived, I could immediately smell the sesame oil – an ingredient not present in typical pan mee. This dish stands apart from regular pan mee in several other ways:

• The ‘dry’ noodles weren’t very dry because it had quite a lot of sweetish dark gravy.
• On top of the usual minced pork and ikan bilis, it also had thick, juicy slices of shiitake.
• Most interesting of all, the noodles were – as the headline says – quite springy as opposed to the doughy texture of most pan mee I’ve had.

The mushrooms – thickly sliced, plump and juicy – are definitely the highlight of this dish for me.

Overall it’s not too bad – while it’s not exactly epic, it is at least slightly above average. What it has going for it is that it offers flavours and ingredients that aren’t typically found in pan mee.

Worth a try if you happen to be in the area. I wouldn’t make a special trip for it, though.

Bite-sized review

Interesting pan mee in PJ Old Town with springy noodles, sesame oil, thick slices of shiitake and lots of sweetish dark gravy that makes the ‘dry’ noodles not so dry. Worth a try if you happen to be in the neighbourhood.

Stats

Price: RM14 for two bowls of noodles and two drinks.

Hours: Sorry, not too sure about their opening hours.

Kin Kin Kota Damansara – Now even more accessible!

No. 39-1, Jalan PJU 5/12, Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara, 47810, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

We found out recently that the legendary Kin Kin Chilli Pan Mee has opened an outpost in Kota Damansara.

No one was happier about this than Lady Fartsalot – who’s something of a Kin Kin addict. She’s also a pan mee snob – flat-out refusing to eat at any other chilli pan mee shop, insisting that the noodles are just ‘not the same’. I personally can’t tell the difference but seeing as I’m equally sensitive about sub-standard char koay teow, I will take her word for it.

I think most people have eaten the Kin Kin dry chilli pan mee before, but if you haven’t, here’s a quick description… along with my deepest sympathies. The thick, chewy noodles come with minced pork, crunchy ikan bilis, scallions, little bits of chue yau char (crunchy pork lard croutons) and a perfectly poached egg with runny yolk.

This is a historic moment: the first-ever food photo on this blog taken by Lady Fartsalot's brand-new camera.

On the table is a container full of oily chilli flakes that you add to taste. I usually add 2.5 spoonfuls, then mix thoroughly. The heat of the chilli doesn’t feel very intense in the mouth, but it starts to burn quite uncomfortably in the tummy about 20 minutes after the meal.

The new camera really captures the oily menace of the chilli extremely well.

As I eat, I try to get a little bit of everything in every bite: firm noodles; salty, crunchy ikan bilis; meaty minced pork; fresh, crisp scallions – all held together nicely by the spicy chilli.

Before you know it, there's barely anything left in the bowl. As you can see, the chilli flakes turn the creamy-white noodles a potent-looking orangy yellow. Consider the colour an effective visual warning: the deeper the colour, the more it'll burn.

They also have pan mee soup, but I’ve never ordered it before.

The Kota Damansara branch opened in early 2014, but I guess not many people know about it yet because – though there was a steady stream of customers – it wasn’t as packed as I expected.

Maybe it’s because Kin Kin fans are now spread out over more outlets. They currently have branches in Cheras, the Publika food court and Kota Damansara in addition to the main branch in KL. They’ve also just opened an outlet in Singapore, prompting a buddy of mine to comment that it’s now just a matter of time before the Singaporeans try to copyright Kin Kin Chilli Pan Mee as a Singaporean invention.

But that’s a problem for the future. For now, PJ folks rejoice! It’s now easier than ever for you to satisfy your Kin Kin addiction. As a bonus, the new shop is clean, air-conditioned and run by two nice ladies who provide good service. Go eat there quick before the queues start to form!

The new place is air-conditioned, brightly lit and so clean it's almost clinical. Perhaps the lady in black is looking so glum because she misses the grimy 'character' of the main branch?

Bite-sized review

The legendary Kin Kin Chilli Pan Mee now has an outlet in Kota Damansara! PJ folks can now enjoy this unique pan mee in air-conditioned comfort without having to endure shitty KL traffic.

Stats

Price: RM7.00 per bowl. The Publika branch charges RM7.90 a bowl – likely because of higher rent. We haven’t been to the KL branch in a long time but we suspect it’ll be about RM6.50 or thereabouts per bowl there.

Hours: 10am to 9pm.

Dining in the Dark – Mediocrity amplified

50, Changkat Bukit Bintang, Bukit Bintang, 50200, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

We went to Dining in the Dark recently for a very belated Valentine’s Day dinner and I must say it was a pretty disappointing experience.

As I understand it, the idea is to deprive you of visual input so your tastebuds are not influenced by what you see. Your sense of taste is sharpened and you experience your food more intensely. If we follow that logic, then this will only be a good experience if the food is great in the first place, right?

Sadly, much as their website boasts about ‘surprise menus’ that take diners on a ‘marvelous gastronomic journey’ the food is no more than mediocre.

And, I'm guessing, they're not too big on food presentation either.

What they did deliver on – in spades – was the ‘total darkness’ bit. We couldn’t see anything other than the red dots of light on the security cameras – presumably installed to capture footage of clumsy diners for a ‘funniest videos’ show… or to catch kleptomaniac guests emboldened by the cover of darkness.

We weren't allowed to bring phones or anything else that glows into the dining area. This 'picture' of the security camera is an artist's impression.

And in the pitch-black, not able to see my food, tasting something not-so-great makes my mind conjure up some pretty disturbing stuff. For example, the pasta was cold and the room-temperature, watery sauce made me think I was eating someone else’s leftovers. One of the soups tasted like it came out of a can. One of the dessert items tasted like it was cheap chocolate ice-cream that came out of a cardboard box sold off a pushcart. As the darkness enhanced our sense of taste, the mediocre food only tasted even more intensely mediocre.

That’s not all – our sense of hearing got enhanced too, with equally undesirable results. The couple sitting two tables away sounded like they were having their intimate conversation with us instead of each other.

As if this wasn’t bad enough, eating was hugely uncomfortable too. We had to grope about in the dark to find our plates. Then we are encouraged to use our fingers to push the food onto our spoons to avoid scooping up thin air. If this is a ‘fine dining’ experience like they touted on their website, they could have served bite-sized servings of food on individual spoons. Then we would get the right proportions of everything in every bite. But no – they made us use our hands, clumsily shoveling haphazard spoonfuls into our mouths like we were starving refugees.

Finally, perhaps what irritated me most of all about this whole crappy experience was the preachy talk at the end of the meal reminding us how clumsy we were when we couldn’t see what we were doing. Well DUH!

You may think I’m sounding whiney but you have to consider that they did promise an incredible dining experience filled with fresh sensory delights. I was expecting to eat well. But instead, they focused so much on the darkness part of the experience that the food tasted like an afterthought tacked on at the last second.

It’s a shame, really – an interesting concept that was poorly executed. But, much as I dislike it, I guess there will still be people who are interested to go dine in the dark for the experience, so I won’t go into any more detail about the food to avoid spoiling the mystery. Just remember to lower your expectations of the food and you may have a better experience than I did.

Bite-sized review

Eat in pitch darkness. Interesting concept but executed poorly – focused too much on the darkness gimmick and not enough on the food. The result is mediocre food that tastes more intensely mediocre in the darkness.

Stats

Price: RM118++ per person for a 3-course ‘fine dining’ menu that isn’t very fine at all

Hours: 6:00pm to 9:30pm – Tuesdays to Sundays

Reservations: Required – no walk-ins allowed

Marini’s on 57 – Fulamak, damn 7 atas

Level 57, Menara 3 Petronas, Persiaran KLCC, 50088, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Lady Fartsalot took me to this super high-end Italian place for my birthday this year, and I must say everything is exceedingly atas about this place: its altitude above sea level, the standard of service, and prices so stratospheric they’ll give you a nosebleed… and then probably a coronary for good measure.

The feeling that I am entering a totally unfamiliar world began when we arrived at the ground floor of Petronas Tower 3.

I didn’t even know the Twin Towers had a runt of a little brother.
(Image stolen from wgc2012.com)

There were two people at the ground floor reception to greet us. Then a few more to point us toward the lift – which had a ceiling higher than the ones in most homes I’ve been to. Yep – even their elevator is more atas than others. Then we arrive on level 57 and a whole TEAM was there just to greet us. I think I counted more than 10 people whose only job seemed to be to stand around in suits looking smart and saying hello and goodbye to customers.

 We had a table by the window, and the view during sunset was really quite spectacular. 

(Image stolen from their website) 

Our server introduced herself and her partner – there would be two of them taking care of us that evening. I was about to tell her that we are very low-maintenance customers and would not require this much attention when the breads arrived. There were about 5 varieties but our favourite were the crispy, wafer-thin ones.

They're the ones in the middle of the basket - crispy and nicely seasoned, they make perfect snacks for movie night.

We ordered based on our server’s recommendations, and were settling down to enjoy the view when suddenly a bonsai-looking plant landed on our table in a pot with two furry-looking green fruits attached. It was explained that this was a complimentary appetiser from the kitchen. The ‘fruits’ were fried kalamata olive snacks coated with parmesan and basil powder. It was nice and crumbly, tasting strongly of olives with a nice touch of parmesan.

I believe this is called an amuse bouche in French cuisine – I certainly found this whimsical presentation highly amusing.

Next, came the starter we ordered to share: two big, juicy scallops, lightly seared and still raw in the middle, resting on a celeriac puree and liberally sprinkled with sea asparagus and black truffle shavings. The scallops were plump, sweet and luxurious – probably my favourite seafood next to uni – and I regret cutting dainty bites instead of just popping the whole thing into my mouth.

This dish also gave me my first real taste of truffles. It’s nice to finally know what all the fuss is about.

Lady Fartsalot’s main was angel hair pasta with Maine lobster tail in tomato sauce. Obviously, everything was perfectly cooked, and the tomato sauce had a rich, smooth, creamy seafood flavour.

We wiped the plate so thoroughly with bread, the dishwasher probably wondered why they brought him a clean plate.

For my main, I ordered cod, cooked 3 ways. I was told I should eat the dish from left to right – so that’s how I’ll describe it.

Well, looking at it from this angle, it's bottom to top.

We begin with strips of cod tripe in a rich, slightly spicy seafood bisque that tasted quite strongly of lobster. The texture was chewy and gelatinous – which may be a bit of a challenge for some but which I happened to like.

Yes, I mopped up the sauce in this one, too.

In the middle, a cod mousse, which was not the pureed cod that I had imagined. Rather, there were pieces of salty cod meat in a buttery, porridge-like substance. Somehow, the term 'grits' came to mind when tasting this - though I don’t believe I’ve ever tasted grits before in my life.

Cod porridge would probably have been a more accurate description.

Finally, there was a chunk of perfectly seared cod, with firm, juicy flesh and tasty, crispy skin. This rests in a humongous bowl amid a thick puree that tasted like green peas.

The bowl probably cost more than what I spend on food in a week.

Finally, our shared dessert arrived – a breathtaking geometric sculpture constructed from about a dozen different kinds of chocolate and chocolate mousse. There was chilli in some of the chocolate pieces, and a refreshing orange sorbet plus sour berries to cut the richness and sweetness.

Sharp, precise, beautiful and a little intimidating as well. We almost didn’t want to eat it.

We were stuffed but the meal didn’t end there. There were freebies galore.

The first was a complimentary dessert: little sweet cakes that were soft but chewy.

We wondered if they’d let us take the tin, but we decided not to risk it.

Next, another free dessert: four cubes of chocolates made by the kitchen. They all had different flavours, and we were told to guess what they were. We thought they tasted remarkably similar. One of them probably had some chamomile tea in it but we weren’t sure.

We failed this taste test rather miserably.

And last, breakfast! Yes, they packed us one complimentary croissant each for breakfast the next day.

Complete with reheating instructions, too.

What a meal! The food was good, obviously. The service, great, if a little over-attentive (we were asked about 5-6 times how everything was – is the chef that insecure about his cooking?). The view, breathtaking. The bill, even more so: a whopping RM711, and no, we’re not missing any decimals.

Was it worth the price? Based on the food alone, probably not. But I guess we have to factor in the swarms of service staff they have, the L’Occitane toiletries in the bathroom and especially the telepath waiting outside the bathroom door for Lady Fartsalot to come out, who knew to open the door just as she was reaching for the handle.

Overall, this meal was perhaps a little too atas for me – I certainly felt out of my depth trying to describe some of the stuff we ate. But what did make this experience truly special for me was being there with the love of my life, who thought I deserved all this lavishness and more.

Bite-sized review

Super-atas Italian place at KLCC – with an amazing view and very high-end food, service and prices. No walk-ins – reservation only, and a strict dress code… so they’re kinda snooty as well.

Stats

Price: Very high. RM711 for a meal for two.

Hours:

Restaurant – Mondays to Thursdays, 7:00pm-11:00pm | Fridays to Sundays, 6:30pm to 12:00am

Bar – 7 days a week, 5:00pm till late

Lounge – Mondays to Saturdays, 3:00pm till late

Dress code: Strictly smart

Reservations: Required for the restaurant, no walk-ins (they recommend to reserve 2 weeks in advance for Fridays to Saturdays, and 1 week in advance for other days) – walk-ins possible for Bar and Lounge

Coffee Sprex – Basic

No. 9, Jalan SS25/23, Taman Plaza, 47301, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

I normally just write about the food at a restaurant, but here is a rare opportunity for me to furnish a little backstory.

A while back, there was this new cafe that opened up in Damansara Perdana called DiB, which stands for Deaf in Business. It was a Hawaiian-themed joint opened by a doctor to – as its rather unimaginative name indicates – provide jobs for the hearing-impaired. Its name aside, DiB did serve up pretty good food and coffee. They used quality ingredients and I felt that they offered good value for money.

So I was rather saddened when they shifted away to the nearby PJ Trade Center – and thus outside the radius within which Lady Fartsalot would be willing to walk.

Then in August 2013, two of the staff from DiB decided to strike out on their own and thus opened Coffee Sprex. My lazier half found out about it on Facebook and here we are at lunch one weekend.

Firstly, the place is very small. It occupies just half a shoplot and in that space they had to fit their kitchen, coffee machine, a display cabinet with cakes and pies and six tables that can seat two each.

It may only be half a shop, but the food is not half bad!

The menu is interesting, with many items that are probably unique to Coffee Sprex. We’re curious about quite a lot fo them and will definitely go back often to try them out.

The staff are hearing-impaired so we ordered by pointing at items on the menu. Then they somehow managed to crank out all the stuff we ordered from a tiny kitchen that has only one burner.

The drinks arrived first. Mine was a macadamia latte that didn’t really taste very much like macadamias, but was still a decent glass of iced coffee.

Let's just call this kopi ais, then.

Lady Fartsalot decided to be more adventurous, and ordered one of their ‘exotic brewed teas’. It was a turmeric milk tea that was incredibly thick, particularly if you stirred up the bits at the bottom of the really, really big teapot they brought to our table. It was sort of like a pale yellow porridge, and tasted of, well, turmeric… and – to me – dried Chinese medicinal herbs. It certainly was exotic, perhaps a bit to much for us.

Seriously an acquired taste.

The food was more successful.

The steamed burgers are very basic, devoid of sides or garnishing, and at a basic price that’s just slightly higher than Ramly Burgers. Steaming made the patties extremely tender and juicy.

The beef burger had some runny sauce that tasted strongly of dried herbs – perhaps oregano – and was sandwiched between incredibly soft steamed buns.

And the cheese was all nice and melty, too.

The pork burger was as juicy, though with a more springy quality. It had a porky taste that was just right and its sauce was more barbecue sauce-like and less herby.

The pork burger is nice, but I still think lamb and beef make the best burger patties.

Our favourite of all was the lamb – which we had on a later visit and didn’t get a picture of – just like the beef burger but with a very nice lamb flavour.

Spicy Joe was a pasta dish with a spicy, tomatoey sauce and minced pork. It tasted hearty and delicious, but the pasta was unfortunately overcooked.

Sigh.. if only the pasta had been a little more al dente... 

Finally, the cheese dip with toasted bread. I was expecting a creamy dip but what we got served was a very watery liquid with strands of half-melted cheese and bits of bacon and mushroom floating in it. It tasted fine but I really wouldn’t call this a dip. I actually ordered this on two separate occasions and was served the same thing – so I guess this wasn’t a mistake and they really meant to make it this way.

They should name this 'cheese soup' instead.

All in all, we had some interesting and creative dishes, though some perhaps not executed as well as others.

I hope they do well and expand to a bigger place with a better-equipped kitchen. In the mean time, we will definitely go back frequently with our support and appetites.

Snack-sized review

A tiny, basic place offering an interesting and creative menu. Decent, no-frills food at no-frills prices. Some items are executed better than others. The steamed burgers are our favourites. Seats 12 max, so don’t bring a large party.

Stats

Hours: 8:00am to 7:00pm

Price: Very good prices with most items below RM10.