Art Mansion, Crumbs Macarons & Purple Cow Cupcakes

Art Mansion Bistro took over from Muse at Jaya One this month, bringing pop art paintings for sale in a gallery-like setting.

Despite the name & management change, there's not much difference in the menu _ expect hearty pizzas, pastas & other Italian-influenced favorites.

Wandering for a bit to The Bee next door, which now offers macarons made by home baker Crumbs (not to be confused with Bangsar's Crumbs cafe). The most fascinating flavor: Cempedak (!!!), pleasurably bold. These macarons are also available at The Bee in Publika for RM3.90 each.

Other options: Madagascar vanilla mousse with salted caramel, strawberry with organic fruit preserve, hazelnut praline, wasabi & pistachio with Swiss white choc ganache _ each enjoyable, especially if you like sticky-gooey sweets.

Also now available at The Bee: Purple Cow homemade cupcakes _ creamy ones, with minimal sugar & no artificial flavoring or preservatives. The vanilla bean-infused cupcake with vanilla butter cream frosting supplies simple satisfaction.

Purple Cow's bestseller: Chocolate fudge cake. As they describe it: lush & decadent.

Cupcakes are about RM5 each, worth the cost, with premium ingredients. The Cafe Latte cupcake is infused with Indonesian coffee & topped with coffee butter cream.

Wrapping up with cocktails at Art Mansion Bistro: Honey Margarita (tequila, honey) & Waterfall (kahlua, bailey's, blue cacao, midori, brandy). Pretty potent.

Art Mansion Bistro,

Jaya One, Petaling Jaya.

The Pool @ Ampang

Now that the haze of whiskey & beer has faded after a week's worth of free-flow parties at The Pool, it's time to see what this Ampang freshman has to offer for regular customers on an ordinary evening.

The Pool might seem more of a watering hole than a restaurant, especially since most of its tables are a little too low & some of its seats are slightly too high. But it has heat right now, enough to entice everyone here.

If the menu feels familiar, it's because The Pool is the sister outlet of The Hill at Damansara Heights. Expect crowd-pleasing snacks like calamari coated with salted egg.

Gnocchi with chicken sausage in cream sauce. It's not haute cuisine, but it's not horrible cuisine.

Asahi beer battered fish & chips. We wouldn't be able to discern the difference between Hoegaarden-battered fish with something Carlsberg-battered, but rest assured that this is enjoyable.

Smoked duck wrap with nachos, something tastier than what many Tex-Mex restaurants in KL serve. The meat's pretty juicy & flavorsome _ fowl that's far from foul..

Cocktails here are essentially the same as The Hill's. Our fave: Marmalade Pie (Smirnoff Citrus Vodka, Muddled Orange & Vanilla Milk, topped with caramelized Cointreau meringue _ yum!).

Nutella Martini _ vodka, white curacao, frangelico, nutella, milk.

Malacca-Loda: Angustura 1919 Rum, Malibu, Orange Bitters, Kaya & Coconut Water.

The Pool is adjacent to Nihonkan Club on Jalan Ampang, beside the former Spasso Milano. Expect to hear more about this location soon: a Japanese restaurant called Kyoto Lab may open here by May.

The Pool,

Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

Cafe de Oriente

Spain, Part VIII: A popular stop for a bite, thanks to a prime location in busy Madrid.

Take an outdoor table at Cafe de Oriente for a pleasant view of the Spanish national palace.

Tapas are a treat _ particularly piquillo pepper stuffed to bursting with tuna, corn & langoustine.

Cabrales cheese & crispy pork bacon au gratin. Would probably be the perfect breakfast dish (except that we were here for pre-dinner snacks).

Jamon iberico with tomato compote. Cured meat really is everywhere in this city.

Green asparagus & goat's cheese with the most memorable component: richly savory duck ham.

Cune Rv (Rioja) & Seguras Viudas (Aria) sparkling.

And with this entry, we wrap up our Spanish sojourn. Hasta mas tarde!

Cafe de Oriente,

Madrid, Spain.

Splash Pizza

A laid-back alfresco pizzeria at PJ's Palms Sport Center, perfect for kicking back after work.

Wood-fire pizzas are the highlight; this Big Blue, topped with blue cheese, cheddar & mozzarella, is one stinky thin-crust treat. It's all cheese & all good.

The Bollywood: spicy lamb sausage, spinach & raita. Decent, though some might prefer a pizza loaded with more toppings. Prices are fair; six-inch choices cost an average of RM16, while the 12-inch ones are around RM28.

Need more pizza? Drive 15 minutes to Bangsar's Italian Tomato, where wood-fire wonders also await, including one topped with anchovies, basil, tomatoes, mozzarella & parmesan.

Gorgonzola, mozzarella & cream sauce pizza. Its flavor is surprisingly mild, indicating that the mozzarella-to-gorgonzola ratio is likely 5:1.

This savory-spicy one is another lamb sausage pizza (yes, we like our sausages), but more generously topped than Splash's version, with plenty of grilled peppers, olives, chili flakes & ricotta cheese. RM28++ for a regular serving.

Need more pizza? Drive another 15 minutes to Bukit Damansara, where La Risata's well-laden pies attract full-house crowds on weekends.

Pizza with panache _ a white one, free from tomato sauce but still punched up with flavor, thanks to ridiculously juicy smoked duck, rocket leaves, anchovies, caramelized onions & mozzarella. Definitely the best-looking pizza in this entry.

More pizza! From La Risata, drive 10 minutes to Verona Trattoria at PJ's Section 17, where the Quattro Stagioni is for folks who can't decide which flavor to order. Of these four quarters, the meaty ones blanketed with chicken & beef seem more satisfying than the vegetarian slices.

And if you're still feeling passionate about pizza, drive to Ampang, where Earth Food serves relatively healthy creations with organic, preservative-free ingredients.

A stone-oven sensation: Going Coconut, topped with coconut kernels, Gula Melaka & mozzarella, broadcasting predominantly Malaysian flavors that a Nyonya grandmother might love.

Panzerotti, stuffed with onions, garlic, mushrooms, basil & mozzarella. Could be more aromatic, but in terms of textural fulfillment, it passes the test.

KWV Pinotage 2008 at Splash Pizza. Gotta have the booze.

Splash Pizza,

PJ Palms Sport Center, Petaling Jaya.

Back To Skool & Devil's Brew

Anxious for alcohol (as always!), we headed to Back To Skool at Solaris Dutamas.

Bad Boy (vodka, triple sec, orange juice) & Naughty Girl (vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice).

Nice names, decent drinks: Discipline Teacher (Jack Daniel's whiskey, sauza tequila, tabasco) & Ex-Girlfriend (grenadine, midori, bailey's).

A is for alcohol, B is for booze, C is for cocktails ...

If only our school cafeteria had a menu like this ...

Happy days are here again (and happier nights) ...

Next up, Devil's Brew at Damansara Intan: fear not _ no demons will steal your soul at this friendly pub, which echoes on many evenings with the rocking sounds of a cover band.

AK-47 & Long Island Iced Tea, standard stuff. Pub grub _ mutton varuval to pork ribs _ is on the menu, but the cook was on medical leave while we were here.

Wrapping up at La Risata in Bukit Damansara, with food to pair with booze.

The food at La Risata is good, with standards remaining high all these years.

Fresh flavors: salad with sliced grilled pear, toasted walnuts & gorgonzola cheese in white wine vinaigrette. Ideal for the dieter.

Potato gnocchi & prawns sauteed in herb butter. A recipe copied by at least one other outlet, but La Risata seems to have done it first (in KL) & still does it best.

Optimum Orgasm (Courvoisier VS cognac, Bailey's, frangelico, amaretto di saronno, kahlua, cream, cherry) & Ultimate Grasshopper (Skyy vodka, Bailey's Irish cream, Joseph Cartron green, white peppermint liquor, cream).

Everything's coming up roses: Remembering Endless Dates (Rose tequila, jose cuervo gold tequila, monin mint, monin blood orange, soda) & Rose Cream Margarita (Tequila Rose strawberry cream, jose cuervo gold tequila, triple sec, lime juice, sugar syrup). Some of the sweetest cocktails in the city.

Back To Skool,

D5-G3-3, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur.

Devil's Brew,

Damansara Intan Business Park.

La Risata,

Jalan Kasah, Bukit Damansara.