Toastina seems like an unlikely choice for Malaysian halal favorites, but after a few spoonfuls of its Assam Laksa, we were licking our lips over how flavorsome this was, overflowing with slippery rice noodles in spicy, tangy mackerel gravy, complete with all the pungent aromas that I had slowly come to enjoy during three years of studying in Penang.
Chick-kut-teh. Of course, the absence of pork in this one was obvious, but it was well-executed enough to recommend, offering a nice combo of herbal, earthy and meaty flavors.
Nyonya curry laksa. Also very tasty, but cockles would have made it even better.
Loh mai kai. As glutinously good as a pork-free version gets.
Nasi briyani. No complaints; a tummy-filling portion for only about RM8 (!), with all the essential ingredients tasting fresh and fragrant.
Braised beef cheek pie. The crust was too thick and doughy, but the bountiful filling of tender, gravy-soaked beef morsels was what made this addictive.
Chocolate brownie & vanilla cupcake. Skip the nut-laden brownie, since there are richer, fudgier ones elsewhere _ but try the cupcake, which has a lovingly baked feel that might seem surprising for a hotel deli version.
New York cheese cake & black forest cake. Deliciously moist; the cheese cake was enhanced by a lovely cheese flavor and scent, proving that second-rate ingredients are shunned here.
Chocolatey, crunchy cookies, colossal in size.
Carrot-&-raspberry cake (ultra-dense) & tiramisu (ultimately forgettable).
Cheese cake & chocolate eclair. Sinfully sumptuous, especially the eclair.
White chocolate doughnut & mini-pavlova. The sweet tooth is satisfied.
Toastina,
Faber Imperial Court,
Sheraton Imperial Hotel,
Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.
