Mizuiro is a name to remember - this new Japanese-inspired cafe specialises not only in surprisingly wholesome ramen & meticulously made Maruyama coffee but also one of KL's most delicious desserts.
Warm, woodsy hues, married to a soothingly meditative sense of spaciousness & serenity, form a pleasing backdrop for what's still a hidden secret of a restaurant, tucked away in the far-flung neighbourhood of Bandar Menjalara; head here soon before the calm is inevitably shattered.
Ramen is served at wallet-friendly rates, between RM12 & RM16 for each big bowl. The noodles are made with a mix of unbleached flour & rye for a more natural flavour, coupled with a bite that nicely straddles the line between soft & chewy. The soup is light, catering to patrons who prefer recipes that are less rich & savoury.
We ordered the Garlic Tonkotsu (RM15), which surfaced with two meaty slices of tender pork chashu, lots of veggies & half a hard-boiled egg. It's a mild, mellow change from commercialised ramen - not so intense, but evocative of a home-made recipe.
Mizuiro's Japanese chicken curry with rice (RM16) is also less punchy than the norm, but it's still creamy comfort food.
The menu is wide enough to placate meat-seekers - 'buta kakuni' braised pork belly (RM14), 'tori karaage' fried chicken (RM16), 'tonkatsu' breaded pork cutlets (RM14) & 'idako' baby octopus (RM13) ...
... & vegetarians - small baskets of sweet potato fries (RM8, a moreish snack), agedashi tofu (RM7) & edamame (RM7).
But our favourite find at Mizuiro is this: A beautiful treat that's the closest thing in KL to the watermelon strawberry cake with rose-scented cream that's become the signature dessert at Sydney's Black Star Pastry patisserie.
Mizuiro's interpretation is branded the 'Rose Blossom' (RM10), a flourless, dacquoise-like cake that features a thick layer of juicy-fresh watermelon with almond meringue & cream. It's ravishing - & it reveals Mizuiro's links. This is also one of the recently introduced specialities at Mont Kiara's Watercolour bakery - plus, Mizuiro is the Japanese word for watercolour. Q.E.D.
Coconut ice cream is also available (RM9), with pumpkin gelato promised eventually too.
Mizuiro is currently KL's only outlet besides Exhibit Cafe in TTDI that permanently serves much-respected Maruyama coffee.
'Slow coffee' of deep & dark dimensions, showcasing pour-over & French press preparations, served at the end of the meal. Hot Coffee (RM14) is described on the menu as a dark roast with a chocolate-like texture, while the Ice Coffee (RM18) is a house blend with a floral aroma.
Mizu Iro Ramen + Coffee @ Bandar Menjalara, Kepong
49, Jalan 9/62A, Bandar Menjalara, Kepong. On the row of shop-houses that includes Sekmechoy.
Open Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-10pm
A customer at the Shear Madness Hair & Beauty Salon in PJ's Happy Garden has murdered Isabel Fernandez, Malaysia's most famous pianist! But who?!? You and the audience have been watching them come and go, getting their hair washed and cut on-stage at this one-of-a-kind show that will play at the PJ Live Arts in Jaya One, Nov. 26-Dec 7.
"It's basically a live version of Law & Order or CSI," says the show's director, Richard Harding Gardner. "When I first saw Shear Madness at The Kennedy Center in Washington DC, I was amazed at just how observant the audience was! Stuff that I had missed, someone, somewhere in the audience pounced on it!"
So it's like Cluedo, plus it's very, very funny. Come and see if you can work out who-dun-it! It's not even the same person every night, so take YOUR turn to play armchair detective, question the cast and catch the culprit.
Tickets can be purchased at www.tix.my or by calling 017-2289-849
For the November 26 premiere, Gardner & Wife Theatre is offering a "Buy Two Tickets for the Price of One" exclusive bargain for customers who type the coupon code EDKL when purchasing your ticket online.
Check out the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favourites, featuring 100 recommended restaurants for October-December 2014, including more than 30 new entries for this quarter.
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