Cafe at Terrace @ Hock Choon

A calm, cosy outlet where customers can spend an entire evening sipping coffee.

Caramel-flavoured cafe latte and cocktail of Citrus Cukhai with Tahitian Lime.

Cafe at Terrace,

Terrace @ Hock Choon,

Lorong Nibong, Off Jalan Ampang.

Ahwa & Little Lim Penang Pancake @ PJ 222

The place was still bustling by the time we arrived at nearly midnight.

Alas, they had run out of Hokkien Mee, so we settled for Hokkien Beehoon instead. Still delicious, full of all that "wok hei" jazz.

We also checked out a stall here selling crispy folded pancakes.

Two varieties: Ham, meat floss & mayo and egg, peanuts & cheese. The pancakes were nice and thin, while the stuffing was surprisingly well-prepared, especially the warm, soft egg. The combinations sound a bit strange, but they tasted goooooood.

The only misfire was the oyster omelette. Bland and utterly forgettable.

Ahwa & Little Lim Penang Pancake,

Jalan 14/48, Off Jalan 222, PJ.

Utara @ Armada Hotel

Reindeer flew in from the North Pole to Utara to spread some festive cheer.

This year, more than ever, it seems like turkey is a Yuletide necessity. Utara's roast turkey was a letdown; it had no stuffing at all. The giblet gravy & cranberry sauce offered little consolation. But everyone lapped this up, forcing the restaurant to bring out three turkeys in two hours.

The rest of the buffet was a hit-or-miss affair, ranging from tasty things like chicken ballotine stuffed with raisins to run-of-the-mill recipes such as fried fish with belacan.

Desserts were slightly better than expected. Loved the log cake, stollen and chocolate mousse (most of which aren't in the photo above, but oh well).

Utara Coffee House,

Armada Hotel.

Neo @ Sultan Ismail Kuala Lumpur

Click here and here for previous reviews of Neo (July 27 & 30).

This third trip to Neo was for their desserts and specialty cocktails, which had not been available back in July.

Mascarpone with tropical fruit ribbon and assorted berries. Loved this. The mascarpone was thick, creamy and had a mix of herbal flavours that we couldn't quite identify.

The warm chocolate cake with beetroot crystal and vanilla ice cream was a letdown though. Not as luscious and luxurious as similar versions elsewhere.

Neojito (white rum, mint leaves, kaffir lime leaves) & Dark Clouds (aged rum, DOM, cherry puree, apple juice, vanilla). Tasty but not particularly potent.

Neo,

Jalan Sultan Ismail.

Click here for online reservations.

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Overtime @ Life Center

A life-saver for city workers desperate to escape the evening traffic.

Customers can choose to eat and drink inside this quirkily decorated watering hole...

... or savour the calm outdoors if the weather isn't too humid.

Honey-glazed char siew. Good stuff; the balance of lean meat and fat was perfect. They also got the sweetness 100 percent right, though it should have been stickier.

Fire Pork. Basically spicy, crispy siew yoke. Addictively flavourful.

Smoked pork shoulder. Skip this; it was chewy and forgettable.

Starker fresh beer, a full-bodied brew with both fruity and herbal hints.

Pina Colada and Long Island Iced Tea.

Overtime,

Life Centre,

Jalan Sultan Ismail.

Craft Brews @ Mutiara Damansara

This comfy watering hole has opened near The Curve. Lotsa good grub & sparkling service.

The beers are the main attraction, so let's start this entry with drinks. Direct from Singapore's RedDot Brewhouse, we had the Monster Green Lager (brewed with spirulina) and English Ale (a ruby-red beer). RM17 for a half-pint, both were pleasantly smooth & not too strong-tasting.

Flying Dog's "Doggie Style" Classic Pale Ale and "Old Scratch" Amber Lager. Tasted like regular beer, but I'm really the wrong person to be giving any opinions on this, since I usually stick to wine and cocktails.

Skewers of roast pork wrapped with bacon. Succulent stuff, full of flavour.

Caramelized roast pork with onions, chillies and curry leaves. At first bite, this is sorta similar to Vintry's version.

Honey mustard pork back ribs. Tender and well-marinated, with an addictive sweet-salty taste that kept us munching tirelessly.

Caribbean Spice Chicken, marinated with RedDot Pilsner beer, peanuts and brown sugar. The meat was a tad too tough and surprisingly kinda bland.

Deep-fried eggplant chips coated in crispy salted egg batter. Ideal for snacking.

Tex-Mex Hickory BBQ Pork Back Ribs. Portions here are pretty hearty.

A big bowl of salad was meant to ease our guilt, but I'm not sure we finished it.

Craft Brews,

Menara Batu Kawan,

Mutiara Damansara.

Tel: 7722-3000

Cilantro @ Micasa Kuala Lumpur

Cilantro is finally back, looking not all that different despite the long refurbishment.

As expected, the crowds have begun packing this place from Day One (regardless of the staggering prices _ none of the main courses costs less than RM118). The restaurant was empty when the doors reopened at 6 pm, but a few hours later, it was a hive of activity.

Bread with truffle butter. We finished two whole servings and asked for extra butter too!

Angel hair pasta with sea urchin. A slippery sensation. Other outlets offer similar versions of this, but Cilantro's might be the best: the firm yet delicate pasta would be praiseworthy on its own, but the uni added a milky, subtly sweet flavour that made it perfect.

Wagyu beef tartare with poached egg & anchovy toast. Tasted light, fresh and healthy.

Meuniere of tara shirako (cod sperm sac) with foie gras. A creamy combo that the phrase "melt in the mouth" was invented for.

Slow-cooked chapon with mushroom fricasse and foie gras. Really, this just proves that EVERY recipe should include goose liver. It's like the surefire secret to success.

Ginger-infused blanc manger with mango sorbet. Luscious, though not something we'd try again, since we're not major fans of ginger or mango.

Feuillantine of balsamico ice cream and mascarpone. A refreshingly chilly dessert that brought out the sweets-loving kids in us.

Bruno Paillard MV Brut Premiere Cuvee champagne.

Cilantro,

Micasa All Suite Hotel.