Toastina

Toastina: Round Three. Earlier entries: April 11 & June 8.

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.

View Rooftop Bar

An eagle's nest of a bar, with a soaring 29th-floor panorama of KL's skyline.

View opened this week, supplying an excellent escape from the city's evening traffic nightmare. It's a spacious hangout, split into three sections: an alfresco bar ...

... a whiskey lounge ...

... and a champagne room.

One highlight: customers are encouraged to customize their own cocktails. Simply name your choice of spirits _ vodka, gin, tequila, rum, etc _ then inform the resident mixologist whether you'd like it soft, silky, smooth or crunchy. For a creative twist, your own selection of herbs, spices & fresh fruits can also be thrown into the mix.

Our concoction was conservative but memorable: a creamy whiskey cocktail, laced with cinnamon for an aromatic potion of pleasure.

Mary's Melon (42Below Manuka Honey, muddled honeydew melon, De Kuypers melon liquor, rosemary syrup, vanilla liquor) & South China Sea Punch (Falernum almond-ginger syrup, passion fruit, orange, lime, Havana Club Rum).

The View Rooftop Bar,

G Tower, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2168-1800

Bistro a Table

Section 17 isn't synonymous with wining and dining, but if that ever changes, historians will trace the roots of this neighborhood's culinary evolution to Bistro a Table _ named for the French phrase "to the table," evoked to rustle up friends and families for a communal feast.

Cognac & walnut tart with rocket salad. Recipes here are created by chef Isadora Chai; if both ladies can forgive me for the comparison, eating here reminded me of Nathalie's Gourmet Studio, with French cuisine infused with fresh twists that raise the food to tasty new heights.

Coddled maple syrup egg with crouton dust & Fleur de Sel. A testament to the versatility of egg; this was an elaborate enterprise _ the shell comprised a soft-boiled egg, complete with a runny yolk & maple syrup (!!!) beneath the egg white, accompanied by hand-harvested sea salt for a combination of slurp-worthy textures and sweet and savory flavors. The best thing we've tasted in KL this month.

Caesar salad soup, with a poached egg ensconced in a lettuce-esque broth. The menu here insists this is a one-of-a-kind concoction; we're inclined to agree.

Duck liver parfait with cornichons & caper berries. Those phrases bandied about _ unctuous, velvety, luxuriously smooth _ all apply to this: one of the finest pates in the Klang Valley. Spellbinding.

Pan-seared line-caught barramundi with summer veggies. Bistro a Table seems suitable for a secret rendezvous; in the past week, we've sat here behind the curtains, noticing casual acquaintances and other food bloggers walk in. But nobody spotted us _ which means that (A) we've become persona non grata, or (B) our table was the perfect place for discreet dining.

Hand-made gnocchi with burnt sage & butter. On a personal note, also in recent days, I've had the honor of meeting and interviewing many extraordinary people in the course of my job _ children & adults who've probably never heard of gnocchi, but who are at least 1,000 times more courageous, selfless and better human beings than me.

Duck l'orange with puy lentils. It seems disingenuous of me to mention this here, but I truly am thankful for my blessings. I'm reminded now of a 13-year-old refugee girl whom I spoke to, who braved unspeakable hardship to reach Malaysia, where she perseveres through a much tougher existence compared to the worst day of my life.

Scampi & sea urchin linguini. The most delicious pasta we've had this year. Eat Drink KL will never be more than a silly, shallow food blog, meaningless when all is said and done _ written by someone who seeks comfort in evenings of inebriation with companions equally anxious to escape the tedium of daily drudgery. But for once, I'd like to acknowledge who I am and what I do, and insist in my defense that I take none of this for granted.

"Terribly alcoholic tiramisu." That's the name of this dessert on the menu. With a shot of booze provided to pour into this, who are we to disagree?

Kaffir lime & lemon tart. As crumbly and tangy as we could have hoped for. Let's call a spoon a spoon; this is the best new restaurant in Petaling Jaya so far in 2011.

Moet & Chandon Brut NV & Sixty Drops Sauvignon Blanc 2010.

Fontodi Chianti Classico (2010).

Bistro a Table,

6, Jalan 17/54, Petaling Jaya.

Tel: 03-7931-2831

Toastina

Toastina: Round Two. Earlier entry: April 11.

We've been feeding our current sandwich addiction here with mega-bites such as this monumental medley of mushrooms. Exceptionally earthy, laced with walnuts & cheese. Wish someone had sprinkled some truffle oil on this though.

Chicken ham & eggs in croissant. A creamy combo _ so simple, but astonishingly addictive. Sounds like something that Delifrance might serve, but well, this photo speaks for itself.

Hot salted beef with gruyere cheese & arugula. Succulent slices of meat, bundled in a convenient ciabatta loaf for both carnivores and carb-lovers on the move.

Bacon, egg & tomato. Tasted lovingly home-made, with a mound of boiled eggs, all chopped up for gooey goodness' sake.

Jalapeno chicken & lettuce in croissant. Bland; maybe the word 'jalapeno' made us anticipate something exotic and fiery.

Smoked roasted salmon with caper berries, tomato confit, wild rocket & horseradish. One of Toastina's pricier sandwiches at RM24++; healthy and hearty, stuffed in charcoal bread, but forgettable in flavor.

Asparagus, artichoke hearts & garlic aioli. These sandwiches are ready-to-sell items, not prepared to order; so if you can wait, order a freshly made customized sandwich instead, with your own choice of fillings (though that'll cost more).

Toastina's desserts are super-sweet but otherwise irreproachable, especially this "crimble crumble" (similar to a mince pie, packed with sticky fruit bits & spices, but no meat) & humongous white chocolate muffin, which boasts an alluring aroma of vanilla, a finger-lickin'-good frosting and a straight-from-the-oven texture.

Apple frangipane tart & cappuccino eclair. The former was a fruity, nutty pleasure, but we particularly loved the latter, with its rich, decadent filling.

Sheraton's own 'Zest' dark chocolate with lemon & candied ginger. An acquired taste, with a tangy zip and bitter cocoa flavor. Might be better if it were a a bit milkier.

Wine, wonderful wine.

Toastina,

Faber Imperial Court,

Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.

Gokuraku Ramen

A cheerfully non-halal restaurant that we wanted to love but ended up barely liking, despite the briskly efficient service that's well worth a mention.

Ultimate Tonkotsu Ramen with char siew, egg, black fungus, spring onions, leek, bamboo shoots, seaweed & garlic oil. Had the vital ingredients, but we prefer the recipes at Fahrenheit 88's Marutama Ramen & Jaya One's Mai Ramen. The noodles here were chewier, like kolo mee, while the broth seemed to have pervasive overtones of pork liver (love it? hate it?). The eggs felt like ordinary hard-boiled ones, instead of the flavorsome seasoned versions.

Ishiyaki Rice, featuring garlic fried rice topped with raw egg & minced pork in a stone pot. Looked alluring, but we had mixed feelings about this too. Hearty enough for carb-lovers, but not particularly addictive. Paled in comparison to, say, paella or bibimbap.

Breaded octopus tentacles. Crisp, but a little too starchy. Not our kinda thing, that's all.

Grilled skewered pork belly (somewhat stinky) & chicken skin (somewhat dried out).

No sake, shochu or wine is available, so Asahi beer is the sole recourse for booze devotees.

Goku Raku Ramen,

S25-S26, Level 2, North Court, Mid Valley Megamall.