Train2eat with Danny Chen

Everyone is longing for normalcy as we gladly accept the removal of travel and other restrictions but that is not commonly shared as some are still cautious of the risk of being infected, which I think is fair. A visit to the Asian Heritage Row recently reveals that recovery is no where near, a once popular drinking hole for white collar professionals in the city dotted by popular restaurants all around is a far cry from its hey days. Shuttered stores with signs for sale or rental was a scary sight and tell tale sign of how the businesses were pummelled by the lockdown. Flanked by Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Raja Abdullah, KLites throng this area especially during the weekend for a slice of coffee and breakfast culture.  Before the pandemic, getting a table at the Tapestry would be basically impossible without prior reservation. I was pleasantly surprised that I managed to get a table after a 15-minute wait. Still rustic and industrial from the outside and yet, airy and pleasant on t

One of my favorite café for sourdough bread. A limited menu that revolves around the trademark sourdough and croissant but quality ingredients to go with your favorite cuppa. Helmed by bassonist and sound engineer turned baker-preneur, Terence Chong is happy that business is doing well despite the lockdown and is looking forward to the recovery. Terence began his sourdough venture as a partner with Tommy Le Baker circa 2013 and went on his own in another location in Jalan SS17 before moving to this quaint neighborhood in Jalan SS22 just before the pandemic in 2020. During my last visit (4 September 2021), the cafe is still not open for dine-in but it should be soon. Nevertheless, business was brisk with customers making a beeline to order take-always. I ordered the vegan options - Egg Mayo and Brie sandwich. Very hearty sandwiches and absolutely delicious. The sourdough is dense and crusty.  For the month of September, get free cruffin (croissant + muffin?) with your orders. Don’t for

A wholesome breakfast in a 4 steps.  1) Cut your bacon strips into half and lay them on 3 layers of kitchen towel and then cover with another 2 layers of kitchen towel. Place onto a microwave friendly plate and microwave on high for about 3-4 minutes (depends on how crispy you like your bacon). This is a life saver tip, avoid pan frying your bacon and making a mess in the kitchen. 2) Once your bacon is in the microwave, drop two slices of bread into the toaster.  3) Break 2 eggs into a small oiled pan at low heat for 2-3 minutes. For sunny side up, once you see the yolk bubbling slightly, your eggs are ready. 4) While everything is cooking, make a cup of coffee. Slide your eggs onto your breakfast plate, add the bacon, your toast and garnish with your choice of salad or condiment.  Enjoy. 

MCO is really taking a toll on businesses? Usually there is a long line but this time, I didn’t have to wait very long. Universal Bakehouse, famed for its sourdough bread, sits in middle of Jalan SS20/11, Damansara Kim often had to turn away customers. As I wiggle through the door,  I was greeted by the waft of freshly bakes. How delightful?  I am not alone. There were customer before me and another steps in after. Packs of brown paper bags lined itself on a table nearby ready to be picked up. It’s the new norm and online orders and contactless pick-ups is here to stay. Tucked in the corner, someone frantically replying messages on the laptop and taking phone calls. Loaves of sourdough were lifted one by one from its basket. Then fresh ones were added. Eavesdropping I overheard, “onion focaccia? Yes, we still have some. One? Two.”. Moving on to the next order. “Hi, sir!” It’s my turn. “One oatmeal honey sourdough, please and can you slice it for me?” “Sir, if we slice it now, the sourd

Little Bourke Street from Melbourne, of course! How legit is it? Let’s find out. The menu was rather eclectic and why not? After all, Melbourne is known as one melting pot down under. This cafe nestled along Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail. A matured residential area soon becoming the new mecca of gastronomy with neighbors like DC and Bref (By Darren Chin), David’s Bistrot, Yeast, Akar all within 1KM radius.  So, let’s see. Coffee. Tick and it’s good. Probably one of the smoothest latte, I have had in town. The house lemonade was just a bit too sour for my liking.  The barramundi & wedges - well, I did have the impression that Melbourne was the other land of fish and chips, where dory is wrapped in yesterday’s newspaper. Reminiscing uni days where fish and chips was a slab of battered fish and a whole kilo of chips. Sadly, little Bourke’s version fell short, way short. The battered barramundi was quite dry and no tartar in the world could rehydrate it.  Next, going

I was planning to have lunch as it was close to noon but when I asked for a recommendation, our friendly waiter without any hesitation recommended the Big Breakfast. A quick peer across to the neighboring tables and realized that they too subscribed to their friendly waiter's recommendation. Well, I succumbed but longing for something sweet, I ordered the banana pancake as well which was on the menu board for today's special -  of course alongside, the Big Breakfast (what else?). Another item on the gigantic wall-to-wall menu (chalk) board that actually caught my attention was the beef noodle (fried)… Fried beef noodle like our cantonese style stir fry beef kway teow (ngau hor)? Not sure and didn't ask. When in doubt, better not try. Strangely enough or maybe not because it could be a pretty clever pricing strategy, almost all the items on the menu was under RM20. I think it is really quite reasonable. It was a Sunday and as expected everyone was brunching or hav

Sunday brunch... wanted something healthy, so went for the passion fruit, garden greens with vinaigrette dressing. It was interesting that the chef mingled some spring onion with the usual salad greens. I didn't think that it enhanced the flavor in anyway but I really like the passion fruit addition. It is a bit overpowering but at the same time refreshing. Bringing along the bitterness that you normally derive from the red endive or lollo rosso. If you don't know what I am talking about, look this up: http://www.foodsubs.com/Greensld.html I ordered the pasta as my main.... It was sort of like a stir fry spaghetti with lean chicken slices and tomatoes. It was disappointing... too bland, too dry. I think it could use a bit of gravy or at least a bit more oil. Maybe if they substitute the olive oil with peanut oil, then perhaps it will be more fragrant. Maybe it is me, I like my char kuey teow too much. The baked fish was recommended in the menu and it was such a deligh