KL Sedap Part 7: Krispy Kreme

Okay so we have come to the end of our KL Sedap Series.
My darling wife and our guest reviewers, Razali & Azim, have joined me in exploring just a tiny fraction of the makan paradise we know as Kuala Lumpur.

And although this it the last post in the series for now, I have a strong feeling that it might be the most popular in the series.

Oh come now. There's no need to be shy.
Everyone I know has a soft spot for doughnuts. Specifically - Krispy Kreme.

I remember a time when Dunkin' Donuts completely dominated the doughnut market.
When my family used to travel into Malaysia, there would surely be a few boxes of Dunkin' Donuts in the car with us on the way back.

But it appears the times have changed.

Since Krispy Kreme appeared in KL, it seems that it has completely dominated the doughnut scene not only there but everywhere else.

Is a superior product? Better variety? Great location?
Well when Krispy Kreme opened in the US, their Original Glazed® Doughnut quickly gained legendary status. When it spread closer to us (in HK), we started seeing people bring back these white boxes with green dots when they returned from their travels. Litttle did we know the treasures within...

In KL alone, they have 3 outlets. Two are located at Sunway and one more at Mid Valley Megamall.
The 3rd (and most convenient) is located at Berjaya Times Square. Why convenient? Well, quite a number of travellers who take the coach in and out of KL have the chance to take a coach operator who stops and picks-up at Berjaya Times Square.

This means lots of doughnuts for loved ones at home!
And as you can see from the picture above, you're gonna have quite a time choosing your doughnuts.

Original Glazed®

Without a doubt, the most popular doughnut at Krispy Kreme is the Original Glazed®.
The beauty in their doughnuts is not only in the toppings but the doughnut itself. It's really really soft and gives you such a heavenly feeling when you take a nice big bite.

And the best thing - it remains soft even after a few hours.
If you have to keep your Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the fridge, just pop em in the microwave for about 15 seconds before you serve and it'll be as soft as when you first bought them.

In the mood for something a little more decadent?
Well I'm a sucker for Orange Chocolate so I was helpless when I saw these beauties staring back at me.

At first, I though it was gonna be just the orange stripes which would give me the orange flavour but I was pleasantly surprised! The chocolate that covered the doughnut was a dark orange chocolate that was FULL of flavour! Quality is never a question and Krispy Kreme passes that with flying colours!

Not an orange chocolate fan?
Well then you might consider the Chocolate Dream - chocolate within chocolate!

But hey, I can't go through every single doughnut they have right?
Well I'll just lay them out for you and you can take a look for yourselves if anything tickles your fancy.

See anything you like?
I'm guessing some of you might be drooling like Homer Simpson right about now.
I know I am!

A single Original Glazed® doughnut costs RM2.50.
A half-dozen Original Glazed® sets you back RM12.00.
A whole dozen Original Glazed® is RM19.00.

Flavoured doughnuts are RM2.80, RM15.00 and RM23.90 respectively.

I didn't do very well for my maths but I reckon the best deal is the box of dozen.

And for the kids (or even yourself if you're looking to cut down on your sugar), they also have Mini doughnuts that promise to pack the same delicious taste as their bigger counterparts.

EAT ME!

Looks like I could fit one in my whole mouth. 
Really like Homer Simpson!

Adam's Verdict:
Krispy Kreme 5/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Krispy Kreme 5/5

I think it's quite safe to say that Krispy Kreme is tops.

The big question is - when is Krispy Kreme coming to Singapore?
I've heard several rumours (as far back as 3 years ago) and read several online articles that say the brand franchise has already been bought for Singapore but so far no news on any outlets opening.

Some online forums claims that it's supposed to open in "March 2013".
Well it's already June anyways. Looks like I need to go to KL for my Krispy Kreme fix.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Berjaya Times Square
Level 1
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: 60 3 21440790

www.krispykreme.com.my/doughnuts.html

Operating Hours:
Sundays to Thursdays - 8.00 am til Midnight
Fridays, Saturdays and PH Eve - 8.00am til 1.00am

KL Sedap Part 5: Shimino Japanese Crepes

 

So at the top level of Pavilion shopping mall, there's a small section they call Tokyo Street.
You can find all kinds of Japanese-inspired shops there like fashion, accessories and even food.
There's even a shop that specializes in selling traditional Japanese tea including all the pots and utensils.

It's actually pretty nice to talk a walk around

One of those shops selling makan is this place called Shimino Japanese Crepes.
Japanese and Crepes are not 2 words I normally put together...
So how different is a Japanese Crepe from a Non-Japanese Crepe? Well let's find out...

And to help us find out we have our fellow guest reviewers;

Azim & Razali

 As you can tell, they've got smiles on their faces so the crepes must nice right?

Fresh Mango & Honey Crepe (RM8.90)

Fresh Strawberry & Chocolate Sauce Crepe (RM8.90)

So the first thing you notice is that the crepes are made into a cone shape which makes it easy to eat on the go. Try to think of it as like you're having an ice-cream or something.

The crepes itself are made to order which means you get it fresh. I guess they kinda have to make it fresh because the crepes would definitely be sucky if they we made then left to sit waiting for orders.

Whatever filling you choose, you can actually mix and match what else goes in the crepe.
Fro example, ours was actually a Fresh Strawberry and Honey crepe but we opted for the Chocolate Sauce instead and they top it off with toppings like almond flakes, peanuts, rainbow sprinkles etc.
But the one thing that you should leave alone is the fresh cream that is packed with the filling.

I actually thought it was going to be just whipped cream out of the can or something but it really was a nice surprise that it was FRESH cream! And they're not stingy with the filling as you can see. Packed full of sweet strawberries!

And they actually have wide varieties of crepes to choose from.
Classics like Banana Chocolate, Peaches, Kiwi and Pineapple and all ready for you to eat.
They also have more interesting flavours like Mandarin Orange and Coffee Jelly!

And in case you feel like having some savoury crepes instead, they have flavours like Roast Beef, Chicken Teriyaki, Roast Duck and Seafood Mayo.

Adam's Verdict:
Fresh Strawberry & Chocolate Sauce Crepe 4/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Fresh Strawberry & Chocolate Sauce Crepe 3.5/5

Razali's Verdict:
Fresh Mango & Honey Crepe 3.5/5

Azim's Verdict:
Fresh Mango & Honey Crepe 3.5/5

Well I'm not sure if it's different from any other crepe I've had but it's still a good dessert nonetheless.
Just try to maintain when you eat... Like Azim.

Shimino Japanese Crepes

Pavilion KL
168 Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tokyo Street (Level 6) P6.16.00

Operating Hours: 10.30am til 10.00pm Daily

KL Sedap Part 4: Nasi Kandar Pelita

My parents started driving up to KL for short trips since we were kids.
And the routine was almost always the same - leave the house at 6am, drive up to KL, makan Nasi Kandar and then finally check-in at the hotel.

We would literally drive straight to the Nasi Kandar and have lunch first. Kind of like a tradition.
Our Nasi Kandar place is actually Mohd Yaseen Nasi Kandar (along Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman) which my darling wife and I have had in a recent trip there.

But since her trip up to KL with a friend, she's been raving about the Nasi Kandar from Pelita.

I remember having it once but I can't really remember much.
And since our hotel this time was nearby a rather famous Pelita branch, Razali, Azim, my darling wife and myself decided to have a hearty lunch before heading out for shopping.

So what exactly is Nasi Kandar?

Apparently, Nasi Kandar actually originated from Penang and is basically mixed rice with an Indian influence. That means you'll get a wide spread of dishes including seafood (fish head, squid, crabs, prawns), meat (chicken, beef, mutton), vegetables and other assorted side dishes.

You'll normally also get a serving of veggie mix (normally cucumber, pineapple and carrot) as an accompaniment.

So far like normal right? But what makes Nasi Kandar unique?

Well just give the guy dishing out your food the 'word' and you'll find out.
Say 'kuah campur' and he'll put a little bit of each type of curry/gravy on display for you including the special 'kandar' gravy which is dark and tasty.

Don't worry he's not going to drown your rice in gravy until it becomes a soup.
But just how many types of gravy are we talking about here?

Well it's normally at least 5 types and mostly curry.
Crab curry, prawn curry, chicken curry, meat curry and Kandar gravy. If there's more then he'll put more.

So common things to have with your rice?
Chicken is a popular choice like fried chicken for example. They also have a special dish of chicken which is basically the chicken with the Kandar gravy. (RM6.00 per piece of chicken)

You can also have seafood. Prawns will cost between RM5.00-RM15.00 depending on size.
Squid will be about the same. And trust me - they have some pretty big prawns and squids.
You can even get a Fish Head (Curry) for about RM30.00.

Nasi Kandar with Ayam Kandar, Ladyfingers and Salted Egg

Nasi Kandar with Fried Chicken, Cabbage, Ladyfingers and Salted Egg

 The average price per plate for the servings above is about RM9.00.
And it may not look like much in the photos but believe you me that's a full meal right there.

For my Ayam Kandar though, it was a little different from what I usually have at the other Nasi Kandar place. It seems that here, they fry the chicken here first which mean they just put it in the gravy later.
This kinda makes the outer skin have that Kandar taste but the meat is completely clean.
Definitely a minus for me.

And apparently, Azim had the fish and he wasn't really impressed either.
Only the Fried Chicken seemed to be okay. Maybe because it was just simple.

And another thing. He may have put all the different curries and gravies for us but somehow it still turned out to be only a little bit of gravy on our plates. A case of stingy-with-the-gravy?
Normally at other (Pelita) outlets they apparently are a lot more generous and dish out the kuah the way it should be in Nasi Kandar.

Sotong Goreng Tepung (RM15.00)

We also decided to have the Sotong Goreng Tempura.
As this is only made to order, this would mean it was supposed to be fresh and hot and crispy but unfortunately this was not the case. I'm guessing it was sitting on the counter for awhile before the server finally picked it up and sent it to our table.

Anyways, don't expect much in the flavour department. The batter was completely tasteless.
But at least the squid itself was not overcooked.

Adam's Verdict:
Nasi Kandar 2.5/5 -- Sotong Goreng Tepung 2/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Nasi Kandar 2.5/5 -- Sotong Goreng Tepung 3/5

Razali's Verdict:
Nasi Kandar 2/5 -- Sotong Goreng Tepung 3/5

Azim's Verdict:
Nasi Kandar 2.5/5 -- Sotong Goreng Tepung 3/5

Pelita is actually a very famous Nasi Kandar chain in KL so I have no doubt that it's actually a nice place to have Nasi Kandar. Maybe we just went to the wrong outlet on the wrong day. Maybe next time other outlets might be better.

Oh. Any by the way. Avoid going during lunch hour unless you're okay with a large crowd.

Nasi Kandar Pelita

No 149 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: +60 3 21625532
www.pelita.com.my

Operating Hours:
24 Hours Daily (Closed between 1pm til 2pm on Fridays)

KL Sedap Part 2: Hard Rock Cafe

I'm sure you guys remember when we headed to Hard Rock Cafe (HRC) in Melaka right?
Well before there was HRC Melaka, there was HRC KL!

But before we start, let me apologize in advance for the quality of some of the pictures.
The place was rather dark and I had no choice but to fire the flash in most of the shots so they appear rather bright. But I guess that's better than having pictures of the silhouettes of the food right?

Hickory-Smoked Chicken Wings (RM26.00)

When you order your wings, you have to choose between either Classic (Normal), Tangy BBQ (Mild) or Heavy Metal (Spicy). Talk about lighting the fire of my appetite am I right?

Well it's basically like an order of Buffalo Wings.
The wings are tossed with the special sauce of your choice. They douse the wings with the sauce just nicely because you will get some on your fingers when you pick it up but not too much that it's overpowering.
Served with a Blue Cheese ranch dressing!!!

And at RM26.00 for half a dozen wings, it's a steal!!

Famous Fajitas Trio (RM55.00)

So these are the famous HRC Fajitas. (My mum's favourite!)

You have a choice of beef, chicken, shrimp, a double combo of two meats or a trio like mine!
It's served on a hotplate with a bed of sizzling onions. Awesome!

Fajitas Accompaniments

The Fajitas come with some accompaniments of course.
Some tortillas for you to stuff with the meat. You've also got lettuce, guacamole (avocado), herbed diced tomatos, Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses plus sour cream!

So if you're looking to have a party in your mouth, all the guests are already invited!

I can tell why my Mum loves this so much.
The grilled meat on the hot plate taste so much better when they're still sizzling hot and getting to choose what you want (or don't want) to be in your tortilla makes it even better. In fact, ditch the bread and just eat the meat! It's totally fine!

Hickory-Smoked Bar-B-Que Beef Ribs (RM78.00)

This is something we wanted to have in HRC Melaka but we passed.
And my darling wife decided she wasn't going to pass it up twice in a row!

BRING ON THE MEAT!!!

The tender beef ribs come smothered in BBQ sauce and cooked absolutely superbly.
The meat is so tender you don't even need a knife! You can just use your fork to twist of the meat and it comes falling off the bone just like that. Wish they would have laid off a little on the sauce though because I'd rather enjoy a little more of that beefy flavour instead of the BBQ sauce which is also in the baked beans.

It comes with fries, coleslaw and some baked beans.
This is a MUST HAVE for any meat lovers!!!
(My mouth is literally watering as I type this now while looking at the picture above)

Adam's Verdict:
Hickory-Smoked Chicken Wings 3/5 -- Famous Fajitas Trio 3/5
Hickory-Smoked Bar-B-Que Beef Ribs 4/5

Maryah's Verdict:
Hickory-Smoked Chicken Wings 2.5/5 -- Hickory-Smoked Bar-B-Que Beef Ribs 4/5

Still so many items to try on the menu at HRC.
I reckon we'll be making our way there a few more times. At least.

Hard Rock Cafe (Kuala Lumpur)

Concorde Hotel
No 2 Jln Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: +60 3 27155555
www.hardrock.com

Operating Hours:
11.30am til 2.00am (Sunday til THursday)
11.30am til 3.00am (Fridays and Saturdays)

Kitchen closes at 10.30pm Daily