Levain Boulangerie & Patisserie: Christmas Dinners & Cakes

The tree is lit, the wreaths are up, the lamb is stewing and the log cakes are baking in the oven: Levain Boulangerie & Patisserie is ready and raring to celebrate Christmas this year, serving a five-course dinner exclusively available on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, as well as special cakes to usher in the Yuletide cheer. 

Set in a refurbished colonial-style bungalow with soaring ceilings and a leafy patio, Levain was born as a stone-oven bakery in 2010 and has endured an entire decade now, expanding with a full-fledged kitchen that's capable of cooking up a storm. If you're seeking a cosy setting for the Christmas meal with your loved ones, consider Levain, with one of KL's most reasonably priced, generously portioned festive menus.

Levain will offer its Christmas Five-Course Meal on 24 and 25 December, 5pm-830pm, for only RM79 per person. Reservations are strongly encouraged, though if you're looking for a last-minute spot, walk-ins are also possible if there are a few tables remaining.

Dinner kicks off in classical European fashion with an authentic French onion soup, complete with a baguette chunk layered with creamy parmesan cheese, a soothing broth with mild peppery notes that'll transport you to the bistros of Paris in wintertime.

The second starter brings a soulfully earthy interlude, showcasing juicy baked portobello mushrooms layered with prawns and cheese gratin with a crisp breadcrumb crust, rounded out with a zesty sauce of porcini mushrooms and tomato paste, whetting the appetite for the heavier recipes ahead.

A pasta course follows, whisking us next to Italy with a vegetarian-friendly choice of either truffle mushroom tagliolini (this pasta is made from scratch and hand-cut in-house), alluringly aromatic and umami-rich with truffle paste, mushroom sauce and sliced portobello, or butternut squash spaghetti (perfectly al dente, relying on pasta made by the nearly 150-year-old Italian family-owned producer Barilla), a pleasurably wholesome pick with the sweet nuttiness of blended butternut squash, carrots, onions, zucchini, eggplant and confit tomatoes to bring the spring back into your step.

Customers also have two possible options for their Christmas main course, featuring meat or fish. Both are gorgeous enough to recommend heartily - the stewed Australian lamb shoulder is beautifully baked for fall-off-the-bone tenderness, brightened with a buoyant tomato-and-vegetable puree, rounded out with grilled potatoes, while the pan-seared Atlantic salmon is supremely moist with a lightly crisp skin, its oceanic sweetness balanced with a lovely parsley lime sauce, complemented by a cushion of asparagus and finely sliced potato cake for an elegant-looking flourish.

Dessert makes us feel like snuggling up near the fireplace and waiting for Santa to come down the chimney: Levain's dark chocolate brownie is served sizzling for a crowd-pleasing hot choice, with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and walnuts, a can't-fail treat to satisfy patrons of all generations.

Christmas cakes are also now available to make this season merrier (call 03-2142-6611 to order at least three days in advance), with a 10 percent discount for Levain members.

The hazelnut chocolate log cake (RM65) is decadently textured, a chocolate sponge cake roll with thick hazelnut butter cream and chocolate crunch, coated with more chocolate and shaved chocolate for the chocoholic's ultimate indulgence.

The Christmas black forest cake (RM65) is joyously decorated, with each slice yielding a bounty of luscious vanilla cream layered with chocolate chantilly cream, a base of almond sponge cake, and dark cherries in the middle for the final delightful touch.

Many thanks to Levain Boulangerie & Patisserie for putting us in the festive spirit.

Levain Boulangerie & Patisserie
7, Jalan Delima, Off Jalan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur. Open Mon-Sun, 730am-9pm. Tel: 03-2142-6611

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Flying Monkeys at Tribeca, Imbi

Defying gravity and dancing through life over the streets of Bukit Bintang, Flying Monkeys promises everything we'd want from a cocktail parlour - the courage to come up with cheekily unconventional concoctions, the brains to brilliantly weave culinary magic into both food and beverages, and the heart to make this place feel like home. The first bar-focused foray by the team behind KL's Yellow Brick Road and Wizards cafes is similarly Oz-inspired but stands distinctively on its own merit, a ravishingly textured eighth-floor space with a striking evil-shunning winged-monkeys mural by Malaysian artist Ellie Yong.

Flying Monkeys' illustrated menu is a beauty to behold, tempting patrons to order as many potions as possible. Of the five we tried, our favourite is the Wizards' Butterbeer, bringing together the Emerald City with Hogwarts, deliciously offering more depth and dimensions than expected from a single goblet, bolstering the sultry smokiness of Laphroaig 10-Year-Old Scotch Whisky with Guinness Stout, sweetened with brown butterscotch, spiced with nutmeg and sharpened with a house-made ginger syrup for a creation that lingers on the taste buds and in the memory (RM45).

Monkey Magic is a mischievous must, perfect for the young at heart: Jim Beam Bourbon, Baileys Irish Cream and Malibu, made smoothly nectarous with milk-blended peanut butter, bananas and a hint of jackfruit, playful on the palate (RM45). Also in the easy-sipping category is Rum & Raisin - sultana-infused rum with coconut water, lime and raisin cordial, a cocktail that could turn out cloying becomes a revivingly spirited elixir in the hands of the skilled bartenders here (RM25).

Fifth Taste is more challenging, unleashing umami upon a cocktail, courtesy of a tomato cordial that dominates its companions of Edinburgh Seaside Gin, campari and calamansi - the experiment is an acquired taste, but it's well worth trying (RM45).

Local elements also form part of Flying Monkeys' spell - belacan, buah pala and gula Melaka all make their intriguing presence known in the whiskey-based Hudak (RM42; named for the Slovak bartender Martin Hudak, inspired by his discovery of Penang rojak), with buah manggis, bunga kantan, durian belanda, asam jawa and kesum popping up in multiple mocktails as well.

With nearly 18 original cocktails in its current repertoire, there's more to explore at Flying Monkeys - Glinda (with a French rose and sumac syrup) and Elphaba's Brew (gin, changed for good by green tea) should be next.

Bar snacks also showcase a lively sense of imagination - the savoury banana chips come complimentary, but double the addictive crunch by ordering the morning glory chips too, comprising deep-fried water spinach tossed with cheese (RM20). 

The drunken wontons offer a crisp bite as well but prove more dense than juicy in their stuffing of prawns and minced chicken marinated with rice wine for a subtly aromatic uplift (RM22); a better bet are the unagi baos, packed with warm, tender eel that conveys both spicy and saline notes, the latter thanks to a salted egg yolk crumble (RM32).

Ultimately though, what makes troubles melt like lemon drops might be Flying Monkeys' own-churned truffle ice cream, elegantly earthy, sandwiched in dacquoise pastry for fun finger food (RM26).

Flying Monkeys

8th Floor, Tribeca, Jalan Imbi, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. Open Wed-Sun, 5pm-1am (till 2am Fri-Sat). Tel: 03-2713-1630

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Cureé, Imbi

Hokkaido-inspired soup curries spice up the scene at this new Imbi restaurant: Cureé's Malaysian founder adapted these recipes from traditional classics that he learned from a friend in Japan, crafting soulful meals that hit soothing harmonies.

For lunch, soup curry sets are available, centred on curry bowls in a choice of tomato-based (mildly tangy, served with carrots, pumpkin, lotus roots, eggplant, capsicum and okra) or typical Japanese (mild or spicy, with carrots, potatoes and lotus roots), completed with rice, seasonal fresh fruits and hojicha tea.

The soup curry sets can be ordered in their basic form or with add-ons - the tomato-based with avocado clocks in at RM17.50, while the typical Japanese with natto chimes in at RM16.50. Hearty, heart-warming comfort fare, with suitably potent flavours.

Soup curries are also offered for dinner, along with evening snacks.

A complete breakfast selection also intrigues, with tasty temptations like an okonomiyaki waffle, crafted in the shape and texture of a waffle but laced with okonomiyaki fillings like cabbage, made savoury with okonomi sauce and mayo drizzle (RM6.50), and a mashed avocado toast topped further with mashed potatoes, purple cabbage, Marmite and bonito flakes (RM11.50). Chocolate ice cream by local purveyor Kasi Melts is a highlight of the dessert section, while drinks include matcha lattes with green tea by Matcha Hero Kyoto as well as draft beer.

The space is artistically and architecturally striking, with enticing corners to explore.

Cureé Cafe

38, Jalan 1/77A Off Jalan Imbi, Jalan Changkat Thambi Dollah, 55100 Kuala Lumpur. Daily, 730am-3pm, 6pm-12am. 

This feature first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

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