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Cafe
Introducing SixCents – A No Frills, Free Voucher Website
Dec 9th
What if you could get a free beer by showing a printed voucher, or just by flashing it from an iPhone app? For those without an iPhone you don’t have to fret, as the voucher can still be displayed on any mobile phone as long as it supports a browser. What if I tell you this is real and the best thing is the voucher is absolutely free? Yes, free as in zero transaction and no purchase required, which essentially means you got nothing to lose but everything to gain. If I have got your attention then you need to check out SixCents.
But first, I know what you are thinking so let me just clarify that SixCents is not yet-another-group-buying-website. Instead, SixCents is a voucher website aimed at providing exclusive dining experiences for everyone to enjoy minus the unnecessary frills. One perfect example is that you don’t even need to have an account to use SixCents!
Most of the chosen restaurants at SixCents are handpicked by the website owners themselves based on the criteria of quality and service, where some of the prominent ones are like Tom, Dick and Harry’s, Souled Out, 7atenine and Senjyu. Different restaurants have different vouchers. For now, you will find most of them being discount based, buy 1 free 1, and buy five, pay for four kind of vouchers. As time goes by, the number of restaurants and vouchers will grow as well, giving you more choices in future.
Among the list of outlets, I have chosen to try Fat Spoon first, a pork-free cafe at Damansara Uptown that serves Asian and Nyonya influenced food. They are currently running a Jus for Juice promotion exclusive only to SixCents users. After presenting the voucher, you just have to play a game of One Two Jus with the owners (and winning it of course) and a bottle of freshly squeezed orange juice worth RM6.90 will be yours for free. And yeah, there are some terms and conditions that apply but they are so easy to meet they are negligible.
Mille Crepe @ Nadeje Cake House, Dataran Pahlawan – nice meh?
Nov 29th
Have you heard of Mille Crepe? This cake-like-dessert is actually French and got its name from the many layers (hence Mille) of crepes and cream used to make it. Maybe because of its unique appearance for a cake and its rarity in Malaysia, it became a hit on the Internet a few years ago. But now it is quite common in Klang Valley since many cafes are serving it over their cake counters.
My first time trying it was at Food Foundry at Section 17 PJ, where I found it to be so-so at best. I didn’t hate it nor love it, just felt it was nothing quite impressive except for that special layered texture it offers. So when I expressed my not-so-favorable response towards this dessert, some hardcore Mille Crepe lovers defended it furiously and asked me to try ‘the best one’ at Melaka, which is Nadeje Cake House.
So during my last trip to Melaka I also took the effort to look for this cake house to try the highly acclaimed cakes. I was really curious of how good the ‘best’ could be. Verdict? It tastes only marginally better, if not the same with the one I had at PJ. Click here to continue reading >
菠蘿包 (Pineapple Bun / ‘Polo Bao’) @ Kam Wah Cafe, Mongkok
Sep 19th
I think 菠萝包 (Pineapple Bun or Polo Bao) hardly needs any further introduction. Surely you must have seen and eaten it at least once at some point in your life. You haven’t? Well, just head to the nearest Old Town Kopitiam outlet because they actually serve it on the menu. You might think it is nothing to shout about and I do agree with you on that – if only you are talking about the Pineapple Buns we have locally.
As one of the most eaten buns in Hong Kong either as breakfast or snack during tea break, Polo Bun is yet another thing you shouldn’t miss there. But just so you know, these pineapple-skinned-buns in HK are not halal because the top crust usually consists of pork lard.
The best Polo Bun is said to come from Kam Wah Cafe‘s oven. This unassuming-looking ‘char chan teng’ at Bute Street, Mongkok has been featured on countless media with their proudest being able to make it to CNN. I know I haven’t eaten enough Polo Buns to pass any judgement or claim that this is the best out there, the fact is that Kam Wah’s Polo Bun is pretty darn good.
You can have the Polo Bun plain or sandwiched with butter or egg @ $7, with the former being the more popular choice. The salted butter is said to be home made and gives a good contrast of flavor since the Polo Bun’s crust tastes sweet.
The Loaf Bakery & Cafe @ Bangsar Village 2
Apr 21st
You don’t need me to tell you that The Loaf, the gourmet bakery and pastry restaurant owned by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is expensive. There are a few outlets that serve full a la carte lunch and dinner menu so you could enjoy the breads and pastries in-restaurant if you wish. I was at the Bangsar Village 2 branch not long ago and found the food to be generally good and prepared with quality ingredients. And since this is a bakery cum cafe themed restaurant, expect a lot of bread to appear in the dishes.
For example, the Creamy Mushroom Soup @ RM18 is served in a big hollow bun. It is noteworthy that Truffle oil is added into the soup for a slightly earthy aroma, which also explains the expensive price tag.
I really liked the Smoked Salmon Croissant (RM16.80) It is light, flaky but not overly flaky to the extent of not being able to hold itself together. The moist and nutty Norwegian smoked salmon slices are the perfect filling while the shaved parmesan cheese topping is ingenious to bring out the former’s flavor.
