Podgy and The Banker @ Sri Hartamas

It was a chilly Sunday morning & we decided to check out another newly opened cafe in town, located in the neighbourhood of Sri Hartamas. Podgy & The Banker is a full-fledged hangout spot which offers decent coffee kick. So if you are a coffee-lover, coffee-addict or having coffee-fever, you might wanna check this out as they serves up a pretty decent cuppa.

The ambiance of the cafe is very laid-back & simple, with workshop-like interiors and rustic decoration. It was 11-ish in the morning & boys are busy preparing the servings for hungry wolfs customers.

My cup of Macchiato is a great kick! Some might not like it as it is quite bitter in taste. However, I love my serving well. Boyfie had his favorite - Flat White & commented he still prefer Artisan's Roast. By the way, heard from some sources saying they are using Sumatran Mandheling "Kuda Mas" coffee beans. Would like to try out more in next visit.

Brunch Hour & he ordered omelette while I had Chicken Avocado Sandwich (coz I'm a huge lover for Avocado). I was in doubt at first & hope it is not made of Gardenia bread or a deoxidised avocado spread. And voila, my sandwich turned out to be awesome! Crunchy toasted bread, well-poached chicken with fresh sliced avocado, soft melty cheese and some mayo all came together became oh-so-delicious! Well, eat them fresh when it is served hot! Boyfie's Omelette with bacon (if not mistaken) was just fine, nothing to shout about. Perhaps we are too hungry or the serving size is not filling enough, we ordered desserts!

Spotted some freshly baked brownies over the counter & we just gotta try them out. I felt like I'm in heaven munching down each bites of the brownies. It is rich, full of chocolate flavor, fudgy & moist (without being overly dense). 

Also spotted is FAT BABY's ice cream. Am not a big fan of ice cream but would like to try it out if it is that good. I am actually attracted by it's packaging so I picked Salted Caramel. Overall, the ice cream itself was good & not too sweet but the caramel was too sweet for me. 

So if you are looking for a quiet & cosy place to do your work or purely chillax, this could be your choice. 

Podgy & The Banker

Ground Floor, No.2,

Jalan Sri Hartamas 8,

50480 Kuala Lumpur.

Operating Hours: 0900 - 2330, except Tuesday.

Food : 6.5/10

Service : 7/10

Pricing : 7/10

Ambiance : 7/10

Love,
Elaine

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Birthday | September Babies | 2013

I know, it's been a long hiatus. Sorry for the long pause as I've been tied down with works & travelling these 2 months  (will update my getaways in another post). 

Hope my dear readers are doing great and here's a short update on September. Why September? Haha... coz it's a meaningful month full of celebrations -- Birthday! Honestly, I don't really celebrate birthday coz I love Christmas more! But still, much much love & thanks to my dearies who celebrated with me & it's a FAT month filled with FOOD! Yes, I've gained weight. Dear Wifey, if you are reading this; *Yes, I know*

Ok, keep short on craps and scroll down:

A tired looking me after a long day work at KLCC. Visiting my dearest bestie sista who is in town and off we go for dinner+drink @ Changkat. 

Just so you know, we are the September babies! And yes, we are celebrating together. It's SEPTEMBER *everyday is our birthday* LOL!

It's Creamy Fettuccini with Smoked Salmon & Spinach @ Twenty.One Kitchen+Bar. Portion was huge and price is very affordable! Decent pasta with generous amount of smoked salmon, except it's too salty for me. Overall, it was delicious & I'll come back for more!

Oh well, food after food; dates after dates. Here's what happened on of of the weekend:

Self pampering weekend at Shangri-La Hotel, had a simple classic afternoon tea @ Lobby lounge. Cozy environment with live band entertaining, and relaxing by a lush water garden. Loves their design of floor-to-ceiling glass walls with a great view at the greens. The beautiful setting simply makes a tête-à-tête session greater. 

There are only 2 options on the menu for afternoon tea: Classic English OR Malaysian Tea. For each set, you get to choose your beverage: coffee/tea. I had the Classic English Afternoon Tea + Rose with French Vanilla.

Those who know me, I'm a big fan of tea especially English tea. Most of the time, it's either Earl Grey or Chamomile. It is hard to find a good cuppa to please the day, especially flower-flavoured tea.

Now, I know where to find the best rose-flavoured tea in KL. Many times, flower flavoured tea we had outside is either mixed with powder/preservative/colouring. But for this, I believe they use rose buds+vanilla french flavouring to enhance the taste. It comes along with honey but I prefer it to be original and plain. 

A 3-tier Classic Afternoon Tea set with sweet savouries. Bottom: Finger Sandwiches, Middle: Scones with Strawberry jam & Mascarpone cream, Top: mini fruit tart, mini cupcake & chocolate cake.

Banana Pecan Cupcake, Fruit Tart & Classic Opera. Kinda disappointed with these, overall below average. Cupcake & classic opera tasted bland & dry.

Plain scones with strawberry jam and mascarpone cream. The scone was abit heavy, I prefer it to be fluffy & light! I still prefer the fresh homdemade scones @ The Smokehouse, Cameron Highland.

Finger Sandwiches: Egg mayo & mustard, smoked salmon & corn fed chicken with celery & peanuts.Nothing much to shout about as it's hard to chew on, bread was too dry & hard as if it has been leave on for some time. 

Malaysian Afternoon Tea set with all local delicacies. Bottom: Lamb rendang pie, net crepes (roti jalar) with chicken curry, keropok lekor. Middle: Coconut Chendol Jelly, red bean roulade cake, kuih lapis. Top: Apam balik, pandan layered cake & banana fritters. 

Shang's coffee with "S" draw art layout. 

Let's start off with the top tier: Pandan Layer Cake, Banana Fritters & Apam Balik

The middle tier comes with: Coconut Chendol Jelly, Red Bean \Roulade Cake & Kuih Lapis.

The bottom tier kicked off with Lamb Rendang Pie, Keropok Lekor & Net Crepe (Roti Jalar) with Chicken Curry. 

It might not be the best afternoon tea in KL but acceptable, I still love the environment though. The afternoon tea was quite filling and we could not finish them all.
The afternoon tea is available from 3-6pm daily. To avoid disappointment, call for booking.

Another of my favorite dining to share is SERAI@PARADIGM MALL. As the name goes, it's Lemongrass (Serai in Malay). A cozy place with good environment serving decent fusion food. Check out their menu HERE.

Beef with Spring Onion & Ginger

Steamed Seabass with Lime Sauce

Deep Fried Squid with Salted Egg *this is the bomb*

Dinner for 3 *burppppp*

With such hot weather, we are craving for shaved ice as dessert. And yes, we hopped over to Tong Pak Fu!

All time favorite Durian Shaved Ice! Ditched away the sides..some pearl ball thingy. Sorry I don't like spongy-like black/white pearl.

Boss punya Ice Kacang with Gula Melaka -- Le shaved ice version. 

Enough of FOOD. Indeed a FAT FAT month! I think I'm obese *facepalm*

Now, eyes roll over to birthday gifts. It might not be any high end branded stuff, it's all about the heart that counts!

Beautifully packed Cath Kidston Hand Cream & Body Lotion

Latest range of Shiseido hair care products. Please save my hair *cries*

Mini gift by Sephora for birthday babies, have you claim yours? 

SK II Facial Treatment Essence. My skin feel smoother and chapped skin improves! No more flaky skin in just 2 weeks! Looking forward to a better result. Of course, results vary on individuals. 

Thank you for all the meal treats & gifts! You know who you are.

It's Sunday, so cheers to welcome non-Monday blue!

Much Love,

 

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A Little Indulgence for The Soul

Time for an island visit, so let's take-off to a beautiful island for a short escape– Phuket. 

Beware to be poisoned by pictures!

Located in mid-western Phuket by Kamala Bay, the resort is approximately 45minutes drive from the airport. Snaking along the coastline is beautiful scenery of beaches. Cape Sienna is ideally located near Patong (15mins drive), one of the highlights of Phuket’s attraction – Patong beach, Jungceylon Mall, bars & restaurants, etc.

Entrance to Cape Sienna was simply stunning with a large arched wall along the driveway. Upon arrival, I was greeted by friendly staff that took down my booking number & informed me not to worry about my luggage; they will send it to my room shortly. Took the lift up to lobby and I was stunned by the great panorama view of endless sea, with hills and beaches on either side. It was indeed a breathtaking view at the lobby, fresh air (ahhh!). Check-in was fast & served with a warm towel and a cup of tea. Meanwhile, the ever friendly attendant also asked me to pick my favorite scent for my bathroom from a selection of Asian herbs/Cape Sienna’s blend. And yes, I picked my all-time favorite Lemongrass (but written Cape Sienna Blend).

Service was prompt and I was led to my room located in Block 3. Showed me around in my room and boy I’m in love with this sea-view room which comes with a balcony overlooking the Kamala Bay.

There are a couple of dining choices at Cape Sienna: Poolside Bar & Restaurant, Plum, Vanilla Sky Bar & Lounge.

Poolside Bar & Restaurant: I believe this attracts the most patrons as it is situated by the pool & sun deck. Basically, it offers a casual daytime dining (Thai & Western cuisine) for all so one can relax & chill in comfort. It is also served as a breakfast lounge in the morning, tables along the pool with comfortable sofas set up for breakkie and the view over the pool and Andaman Sea was simply fantastic.

After breakkie, time for sun-bath? Just right in front of the pool side restaurant, there's a beautiful layout of sun-deck. 

Plum: Located on the top floor which is one of the sophisticated dining restaurants offers authentic Mediterranean Dining experience. Didn’t manage to dine here but it would be a great experience to dine under such cosy atmosphere. Best for couples who are looking for a romantic fine dine. Check out more about PLUM here!

Vanilla Sky Bar & Lounge: One of the best parts I love in this boutique resort. It was a great laid-back weekend on Vanilla Sky which serves distinctive cocktails and breathtaking views of Kamala Bay.

Best time to chill in the evening at Sky Bar with awesome sunset view, it's a beautiful evening.

*Pictures credit: Cape Sienna

With sand, sea & sun in Phuket, Cape Sienna offers a multitude of options for relaxing. Beyond the privacy of your own balcony/Jacuzzi, there is Sienna Rocks – a man-made sand-club just above the sea (opposite the resort).

If you are looking for an island vacation purely for relaxation, try Phuket! Beautiful beaches, blue sea, bright sky, etc. But not the town, too crowded and over-priced items & food! Well, it's just my personal view. If you love to, you can always look for a day-tour island hop! 

Check out more on Cape Sienna’s Monthly Event on their offerings!

Yours Truly,

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