MoonTree 47 月树

this place was a homestay + cafe..

and it screams

VINTAGE!!! VINTAGE!!

just by looking at the outer part of the cafe,

i adore it already

and the rooms were fully booked on the day we were there

it was just a very small, cosy place and the word 'petite' actually came across my mind even i knew that's not the best adjective to describe this place

a well equip front bar. they use Illy coffee here but i'm never a big fan of Illy

saw the board on top? i would actually read the sign board hiang chin tian if they didn't spell out in the pinyin. that means how lousy my mandarin is nowadays

                                              

see.that's what i meant when i scream vintage.love the radio so much, i'm not so sure is it functional but it was really a display that match the place so much.there are much much more there, Marilyn Monroe's poster, ceramics, beads shoes, etc etc

my leopard crime partner sitting at the wooden chair observing the sky. or a better description, poser!!! haha!! but i do love the spot she sat, it was long wooden table with two wooden bench by the side, good for a group of friends to just lay back and chit chat. 

and when we have nothing better to do while waiting for our orders. its like as though you can take picture at every part of the place. 

hornbill: u don't see me, u don't see me!!!

HIde!!! hiDe!!

a glass of cold mocha for the barista and a cup of warm Twinings camomile for mua

i'm freaking hot but i need my warm Camomile just to soothe things down. they serve quite some numbers of drink there and if you something cooling to quench your thirst:

LEMONADE!!!!cooling!! refreshing!!!

we had their burger..or should i say mini burger as i forgotten their name

the patties is strong in spices and pairing it with yoghurt cucumber instead of mayonnaise to cool it off..its more of like a middle eastern burger..but it was pretty messy eating it as the yoghurt was dripping..it was not a bad bite for afternoon snack but nothing to be shout for though.

this is not to tell you how big is the burger but to tell you how small is her face. they call it in Mandarin 'pa zang lian'. i wonder how true is it hor?? haha

want something more healthy, u can opt for their Greek salad..a pretty big portion

erm, nothing special, a very common salad, the picture say it all.. we didn't finish it either, lets say, i prefer the burger than the salad 

there is a purpose of taking this picture, not the person making payment, not the light made of recycle item, but i'm trying to get a shot of the cashier keeping the money..saw the dumex tin?? that was where they kept their money, pull the tin can and you can rob them. haha. how bad i am. but how often do you see all these besides in hongkie drama.

aunty was even laughing coz i called her to pull twice.she so cute.

even the toilet and handwashing place is cute..so Hongkie drama right

wonder where they got all this items??hmmmmmm..

i guess this pretty wrap up the coffee hunting in my recent trip to Penang as i decided to just leave out a few post on other eating place and also Lighthouse coffee bar that i visited..

it was a pretty good trip and of course its always fun when i get to meet my crime partner.

like she say: how often you find people that has the same thoughts, same perception and same view as you..

i found but still so much obstacles to full fill something out..you know what i meant..

i can only carry hope and dream

sinny

47, Jalan Muntri

10200 Georgetown

Penang

Toh Soon Cafe

it was a windy Saturday morning,

and we decided to bring our barista to have some local coffee at Toh Soon Cafe

this is the place where a lot of Penangnites will have breakfast and this place had established years way ahead of Starbucks

no fancy Frap, Capuccino nor latte 

BUT, the you can find the hidden gem here

one cup of piping hot homemade Hainan coffee o

although i din have it that day, but i remember it being thick, aromatic the last time i had it and my barista was addicted to it at that point of time

but its Robusta roasted with a fat (butter, marjerin, pork lord?? maybe??)

you can always opt for the milk version wan, but she always fancy her coffee 'black'

but we were a bit unlucky that day as they were out of charcoal, so we need to missed out on their famous toasted bread with homemade kaya and substitute it with the steam bread and we had both kaya and the sugar version

i still prefer toasted bread especially when they had it charcoal toasted instead of doing it electrically like most ppl doing it now.. 

and their charcoal toaster was super old as it was modified from an oil drum where you hardly find not even at the heritage state itself..they have three compartments, the top part is for brewing coffee, the middle part is for charcoal burning, and the lower part was merely for toasting bread..don't have a picture of that, as the counter was so busy..

nevermind that, it only give me more excuses to travel back there

having breakfast there was fun, you don't only see old folks there, expect to find quite a number of youngster sipping coffee before heading back to office..impressive..save a lot of money too from fancy fancy frap.haha

ahh..not to be forgotten, half boiled egg in plastic cup, a must have when you have breakfast at local joints right..a dash of soya and pepper..yummyyyyyy....

see, i meant it when i said it was windy..really windy,,

my hair was super messy but wonder why their hair stay so still

and in such a windy day, my face was blushing and i almost look like a roast pig..aiks..not going to post that pic for sure.

lovely morning and we had a very funny and attentive server :)

sinny

photos courtesy of hyuan

Toh Soon Cafe,

Campbell Street,

Off Penang Road

Georgetown, 10100 Penang

open from 8am to 6 pm (closed on Sunday)

Coffee Lane

this place is pretty well known nowadays as it was so packed at the brimmed afternoon

i still remember the first time i was here, the place seems more spacious as there are less people

totally heritage with the deco till the flooring, an behind the counter was Mr. Terry Bay, the barista cum the owner

they only served brewed coffee here and of course, sandwiches, mee sua, cookies, cake and etc etc

they roast their own coffee too and they have pretty wide variety of coffee beans, coffee accessories which you can purchase

but today we are merely here for coffee only

we decided to have a cup of geisha and also the famous pricey Luwak coffee

the Luwak i tasted here was different from the one i tasted at Cheryl Luwak Appreciation class

maybe its due to the high expectation but the cup we had doesn't seem to make an impact on us

i expected to have a bolder and higher acidity in term of taste, but this seems to be pretty mild and at one point, it make me felt like it was diluted. felt bad saying that though

but Geisha which is a Colombian coffee make up to it..it definitely gave us the spices taste..very smooth and it have a long end that linger in the mouth..to compare both, my vote went to Geisha..

when i practically have nothing much to do, i start scribbling and drawing on my sketch pad and newspaper..haha

while my barista enjoyed her homemade ti a kuey made by Terry's mum drizzle with thick thick gula melaka..lovely lovely!!!

don't you love coffee

sinny

10-B, Lebuh King

10200, Pulau Pinang

Sage

this was way back dated

but i wanted to blog it no matter what. so bare with me

it was for my bday..so i guess u know how long it have been 

nevermind that. eating at Sage was fun when you have two companions with two very different palate

we had their tasting menu and also a la carte

Sage need no further introduction, so lets chuck in

Fresh Pacific Oyster Potage with Scented White Truffle Oil, Watercress

the big fat plump juicy oysters was yummy!!!! i love oyster especially when they are fresh

i'm not a big fan of green soup but this was alright, very mild flavor of watercress and of course the aroma from the truffle oil..lovely for a starter!!

Hiramasa Kingfish with Smoked Avruga Caviar Cream

love this dish a lot.. the kingfish was so fresh until my companion that heart sashimi so much find it too 'raw'.

one bite into it, it felt so solid and firm, not much needed to be done to the fish especially when you have caviar cream. the slight saltiness of the caviar just balance the mildness taste of the fish. this dish to me is to die for. no wonder, its KINGfish!!

Homemade Tagliolini with Fresh Water Prawn, Mozarella Cheese

my darling's appetizer, it do looks like a plate of normal pasta but the flavor of the fresh water prawn was so so strong, if you love those flavor of prawn broth and crab roe, u will fell in love with this. it was so flavorful and the tagliolini just fully absorbed the aroma. we were joking, if they could give us a bigger portion coz i was eyeing at the plate all time..

Slow cooked of threadfin fish with seared sea scallop and saffron broth

another awesome dish, see the name 'threadfin' and it proves the name as it was really silky smooth. it was my first slow cooked fish, and nevertheless it was a perfect one, done just right..scallop was seared nicely and compliment well with the saffron broth. a comfort dish, it would be awesome if its on the a la carte

Glazed Atlantic seabass with Cataifi Prawn, Crustacean Oil

at the first mouth, i thought the waitress made a mistake cause it taste exactly like cod even the texture of the skin. but she say this is a Atlantic seabass..felt so 'sua ku'. but nevermind, my palate learn new things everyday. it was not a thick glaze like those teriyaki glaze you have at those Japanese chain restaurant, the glazed was lovely. my companion said the kataifi prawn was really fresh. but the crustacean oil don't seem to make an impact..hmmmm

Two ways preparation of duck with Rougie Foir Gras, braised daikon

ducky ducky, wanted to order this for myself but decided to give it up because i quit foie gras though who doesn't know Sage is famous for their foie gras dish. nevermind that either. he mention the duck breast was well cooked, the proportion of fat was just nice and not too tough and the duck confit was awesome especially paired with the fat foie gras. they are not stingy on the foie gras and he loves it.

one after another it was pretty filling, but i just can't miss out on dessert right

and they have souffle!!!!  souffle was really a difficult dessert to tackle although the ingredients seems so easy.

and since i do a perfect one why not just order one

Praline souffle with Varlhona Bitter Sweet Chocolate Sorbet

tada!!!erm i prefer the sorbet than the souffle..although it was a bit coarse but Varlhona make it feels better..haha. souffle was just alright for me, or maybe after i taken the photo, it started deflatting. nothing much to shout for. a pleasant one at the least better than the........

Apple Tart tartin

the apple tart tartin, this was for sure not made the traditional way. the apple slices was not fully caramelized and i prefer my tart tartin to have more apple. aiks..what a sad one even with the beautifully done quenelle

a good meal overall, i shall come back for their degustation menu

thanks to all

sinny

Marquise Patisserie, BSC

it was a day well spent with my beloved Vic,

and we decided to have tea break together

i had pass by this patisserie a few times and i felt today is the right day to try as lileng has a sweet mouth too

they do custom cakes order and they have wide array of display at their glass cabinet

custom made fondant cake has been a hit in the market besides macaron of course

but how many of the cakes tasted fabulous with all the figurines. i'm always amazed with the details work and structure of fondant cake but not much when it comes to taste. the one that i fond of will be from Delectable by Su..the cake was lovely and the fondant aren't that sweet..good fondant i guess.i wonder how Marquise fondant cake taste like

we decided to go for the hi-tea set as the picture on the banner look tempting

each of us has a pot of tea. but it takes them really long to serve us. i don't remember the brand of tea. but the tea was good after letting it sit for while. i opted for the raspberry and vanilla infusion while she opted for blackberries. the sourness from both tea just balanced up the food that we consume. however, the flavor of vanilla is barely detected as the flavor of raspberry had overpowered it. 

this is the hi-tea set. remembering this holder from the Stella Maris hi-tea i had months back with my roomie

i felt a bit disappointed when the set arrive. it was different from the picture displayed

none of the cakes in the chiller display were there.aiks

the macarons were so sweet and tasted so artificial (thinking of Nathalie's now)

the madeline is not nice, not to say i taste a lot of madeline, but this is soggy and i don't see the bulge

the tart was nothing to be shout for. we did not finish the cookies either..

the things we gave our compliment on is

this tiny piece of chocolate cake that is shared by both of us.

if i could, i rather replace the madeline with the cake, the appearance certainly don't look tempting but it was soft, and not too sweet with the creaminess of the filling

Vic adores their egg sandwich too which is to me not too bad

maybe next time when i was there i should just stick to their pastry in the chiller as i heard a lot of raving about that. and they sell gourmet chocolates too..next time then.

overall, its a pretty disappointing hi-tea to me

but the companion was really a good one

it was a great day to meet her again

miss u Vic

Sinny

Marquise Patisserie

Bangsar Shopping Centre

59000 Kuala Lumpur

03-20957017

Full of Beans, Straits Quay

another coffee place mushroom at Straits Quay proclaiming handcrafted coffee

everything are done manually there starting from grinding

and Penang coffee aficionados can get your quick fix here, or coffee bean supply or even coffee accessories

they have variety of coffee

and since we had syphon coffee at another coffee place

we decided to try their ice drip coffee

this was my first ice drip coffee and barely knew anything about it

there is only limited seating at the place

and you can actually sit at this long table to have a close look at the process of brewing and have some interaction with the barista..i guess the maximum number they can only fix 20 pax at their place though

the top carafe is filled with ice cube

and the total time of processing takes around 8 hours

its certainly long enough to get a cup of cold coffee

and the caffeine of ice drip coffee is 4 times more than the normal coffee brew

this is enough to make me drunk in the sea of coffee

of course its cold but totally different from those ice coffee where you filled with ice cubes to make it cold

at the first sip, it was really bitter enough for me

we decided to add some syrup into it

and one things that pop out of our mine is wine

i guess its due to the long dripping just like fermenting wine

it was a pretty strong coffee and smooth to just go down the throat though it didn't linger very long in my palate

and yes we shared the coffee, i'm practically almost overdose that day

they had macaron on sale too and i saw hisako ogita macaron book which i have been ranting to my friend but i didn't pick it up.not on that day i guess

the owner say, the macaron baker is a self learner in making all the macaron.and since its the macaron craze nowadays, i'm not surprise they decided to put in on the menu

however, taste wise..the macaroon was on the soggy side and the filling for the lemon macaron tasted artificial to me.chocolate was also so so..no comment on the berries since my partners wallop up everything..

i guess ill just stick to the coffee for now

do you need coffee ambassaddor??

and this is definitely the professional look when tasting coffee

my teacher cum barista from Coffee Connection

really impress on the amount of coffee she can consume in a day without getting drunk,nausea or tummy upset

more coffee hunting next

and yes this trip is meant for coffee sipping at one of my fav place; Penang

sinny

Il Lido, Jalan Mayang

 

 it was a night of celebration and to start it off, lets PARTAY!!!!

start it off with some bubbly...Blended strawberry with Processco

the sourish of the strawberry pairing with the champagne was lovely

don' mind having another few glass but sad to say my partner don't drink..aiksssss

complimentary from the chef: cherry tomato stuffed with mozarella cheese, saffron sauce and top with shiso

if only the amuse bouche is in the menu so i can have extra

we were serve with the black olive bread but its a let down though

the bread is tad too oily for me but its okay..forgiven by the next course

tada...pan roast scallop with roast garlic cream

scallop was cook perfectly, mildly season as the crunchy bacon is pretty salty

they are match made in heaven that night..did i make it sounds like i'm describing a pair of lover??

and not forgetting, the rustic garlic cream..they all paired well to a great start..

beef carpaccio with bed of arugula..two thumbs up for this..although the greens seems to be a bit too much

but extras are always good right..

a slice of beef + the greens + shaved parmesan + TRUFFLE = satisfaction

yes..i capsized the word TRUFFLE..i love truffle and they are certainly generous with truffle

its like as though im having truffle feast because its porcini mushroom cream with truffle oil

its the first time i had porcini cream and the aroma of porcini was just subtle

the creaminess and the hint of truffle oil just linger in your palate..i wish i don't have to share this..

but people always say; sharing is love..okay, for this time then..

next was my main course, prime beef tenderloin with truffle potatoes

the beef was cooked well although i would prefer it to be slightly less cook..and i do ask for more sauce

typical Malaysian i guess..but that's also because i love their sauce..good excuse huh

and i wouldn't push away more truffle, could i..nom nom nom..yum yum yum..

pan roasted atlantic cod..the fish was cooked just nice, flaky and juicy..

skin was crispy but quite salty..wonder did the chef have a heavy hand that day..

but i don't remember the foam as i only have my eye on the saffron sauce that paired well with the fish..still continue to nom nom nom...

so i thought the meal will be ending perfectly with of course, dessert..

we ordered two dessert being greedy even we are already full

the usual found dessert, the molten lava with vanilla ice cream..nothing to be shout for though.as it was a pretty decent one..

but the next one was just disappointing though

the brulee four ways..besides the classic brulee, the remaining three was just disappointment

the strawberry brulee was watery..the taste of the pistachio brulee is just so not my type..and the coffee brulee was practically rough..should have just make other choices..its ok..its ok...

ahh.. a complimentary cheesecake..taste better than the brulee though..haha....i felt bad saying this though..

but nevertheless it was a great night..

thanks to the chef and the service crew..

till then

sinny