D' Legends bar, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur

Armed with our rumbling tummies, and seriously spoiling for some swine, we made our way to the friendly neighbourhood pub that is D’ Legends bar.

With a place that boasts a plethora of porcine pleasures, our dining location was a no-brainer.

Atmosphere of the joint was rather quiet (though hardly dull) on the night of our visit, which could be due to the long Chinese New Year weekend.

The ambience was made that much more pleasant by pop paraphernalia adorning the walls and cozy lighting embellishing the place.

Food wise, we started with some Bar Bites:

1. Chicken Tikka (RM16)

Juicy chicken breast marinated with our secret spices. Served with chutney and a side salad.

Shiv: The chicken pieces were tender and flavoured well, and the mint chutney was simple and delicious. Generous serving, which makes this a suitable starter to be shared by the pork averse.

Gaj: Very nicely done. If you are not a pork fan, this is a great starter to dig into.

Kav:  The chicken was cooked to perfection, and the tandoori marinade was spicy and tangy. The perfect balance of yogurt and spice. The mint chutney added a certain freshness to the savoury dish.

Mien: It was good, however, I felt it was toooo meaty. The chutney was amazing, accompanied the chicken well.

2. Pork Satay (Cannot be missed!) (RM24)

Plump and juicy! Served with our very own Chili Peanut Sauce and a side salad.

Shiv: I don’t know why I’ve stayed a pork satay virgin for this long, as it is maddeningly mouthwatering! Every plump morsel was so juicy and savoury, and the chili peanut sauce was crunchy and moreish. Again, generous portion size which can easily be shared 4 ways.

Gaj: OMG! Super yummy! I can’t say enough good things about the chili peanut sauce which was savoury and right on the money! A must-have indeed.

Kav:  Firstly, the satay serving was as generous as it gets. This was a first for me, eating pork satay, and God was it good!!! The meat was juicy and tender, and had a rendang-like flavour with a hint of sweetness. The satay was accompanied by a delicious peanut sauce which was spicy and not too sweet. Loves!!!

Next up were some Entrées:

3. Two-way Mushroom Tapas (Vegetarian) (RM15)

Creamy garlic mushrooms with crusty bread OR Olive oil, garlic and herb mushrooms with crusty bread. (We opted for the latter)

Shiv: The abundance of garlic and the strong herb-y flavour of the mushrooms was a treat to my taste buds. Would have preferred if they had served slightly fancier bread, but that’s just me being fussy.

Gaj: I had a bit of hesitance when I saw this on the menu as it said ‘creamy garlic mushroom’.  Fortunately, there was an alternate option which didn’t have that creaminess, and in fact, was light and had a nice garlic flavour.  A good dish for vegetarians.

Kav:  Garlic and I are best buds, so there wasn’t a chance in hell that I was going to dislike this dish. Yummy-earthy-herby-garlic-y goodness!!!

Mien: Amazing… loved it! So much flavour for a simple dish. It went so well with the simple baguette!

4. Baked Nachos (RM20)

Tortilla chips smothered with melted Cheddar, Parmesan & Mozzarella. Served with lamb chili, our own salsa and sour cream. For a vegetarian option, swap lamb chili for a creamy spinach & artichoke dip.

Shiv: The nachos really were SMOTHERED in those cheeses, which made every bite super-duper lip-smacking. The salsa was really good, although the lamb was a little scarce. We requested for additional salsa, which was slightly different, but as good as the earlier one if not better.

Gaj: I could not taste the lamb chili, but it was still an alright dish. The accompanying salsa was really good!

Kav:  This dish was not bad. The salsa was tangy and was flavoured well. However, was not the best nachos I have tried.

Mien: Hmm.. good.. but not the best as Kav puts it. The salsa was really good! It was a very simple Nacho dish; there could have been guacamole, jalapeños, etc.

We followed through with Mains:

5. Heaven is Pork Pizza (RM28)

10” kitchen made thin crust, spicy tomato sauce, minced pork, minced Italian sausage, spicy pork sausage, smoked streaky bacon, back bacon, olives, onion rings, cheddar, mozzarella & parmesan.

Shiv: I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that this is the best pizza I have ever tried in my life! It had such a strong savoury-cheesy-porkylicious flavour without having that overwhelming porky smell. The briny bacon married with the pungent olives made this an absolutely brilliant creation! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Gaj: Heaven is indeed pork pizza! =) The minced pork, pork sausage and streaky bacon just melted in my mouth. I could not get enough… gimme more! MUST MUST HAVE!

Kav:  I had many firsts in this restaurant – first pork satay, now pork pizza. This pizza could not be more perfect. Every mouthful was a dream. The salty and savoury bacon with the melty cheese was just to die for. What can I say, pork is life…life is pork.

6. Pork Burger (MUST HAVE!) (RM22 + RM3 for the extra bacon)

Tucked inside our buttery light brioche bun is 200grams of juicy spicy pork patty made from scratch, salsa and gooey mozzarella cheese. Served with side fries and a dressed salad. (There was an option of egg and bacon add-ons – we opted for the latter only)

Shiv: Delicious! This place really knows how to get their pork right. The pork patty was crazy juicy and tangy and the mozzarella cheese offered a sublime gooeyness. The addition of bacon was genius and I only wish my dining companions allowed me the egg as well, because God knows a burger is nothing without a fried egg. =)

Gaj: Sorry Shiv! I hate egg in my burgers and this burger did not need help as it was AMAZING all on its own. =)

Kav: God, the patty was so good. It was flavoured well and the mozzarella was just stringy perfection, as it added that additional body a perfect burger needed. My only complaint was that the fries had a rancid taste.

And to end the night, some Cocktails:

7. Strawberry Margarita (RM20)

Jose Cuervo Tequila, Triple Sec & lime juice.

Shiv: Slightly more light-on-the-liquor than I would have liked, but tasty nevertheless.

Gaj: I enjoyed this margarita! Quite yummy indeed.

Mien: It was alright…. It was rather diluted.

Verdict: WOK ON

PRICE: Reasonable, with big portion sizes justifying most of our buck. (RM148.00 for 7 items – 4pax)

AMBIENCE: A stylish neighbourhood watering hole which is as trendy as it is cosy. Suitable place for after work drinks or simply a quiet dinner with loved ones.

SERVICE: Excellent. The staff was well-mannered, informative and very accommodating to some of our demands requests.

FOOD: Delicious, almost flawless food, with an extensive variety to choose from. Quite a number of vegetarian options are available too. One of the few pubs that take its cuisine as seriously as it does its cocktails. A MUST TRY!

D' LEGENDS BAR

24, JALAN DATUK SULAIMAN,

TAMAN TUN DR ISMAIL,

60000 KUALA LUMPUR,

Tel: +603-7725 6270

Email: hans@hansconnection.com

Website: http://www.facebook.com/dLegendsbar

Opening Hours:

Monday - Friday: 4.00pm – 2.00am

Saturday & Sunday: 11.00am – 2.00am

Marmalade, Bangsar Village II, Kuala Lumpur

Looking for a place with a homely environment where you can spend quality time with your family?

Need a place where you can have dinner with your partner while your toddlers are kept busy at a safe distance?

Out of options on where to throw a party?

Are you food lovers seeking a sumptuous meal?

Well now there is an answer to all these questions… MARMALADE!!! It boasts a warm and pleasant ambience suitable for Sunday brunches with your loved ones or just a quiet night out with your girlfriends.

For the mom’s out there, not to worry because this place has a wonderful play area, so you can enjoy your meal while the kids entertain themselves in the play area situated adjacent to the dining area.

They also cater for functions, be it a fancy birthday bash or a scary Halloween party.

HEHEHE… now for the best part….FOOD!!!!!!!!

Spaghetti Aglio Oglio

Tossed with chilli, cherry tomatoes, and sundried tomatoes with choice of turkey ham and mushrooms (RM23) or prawns (RM24).

We opted for prawns.

Mien: One of the best Aglio Olios around! Not bland at all. There is so much flavor to a very simple pasta. Prawns and vegetables were fresh. Loved it and would go back for more!

Shiv: A truly excellent version of this simple Italian favourite. Every mouthful packed a lip-smacking savoury flavour, and a generous amount of fresh ingredients were used. LOVES!

Gaj: Loved this dish, the pronounced garlic flavour perfectly complemented the ingredients. A must try for olio lovers!

Kav: Pasta-al dente. Prawns-fresh and bouncy. Brocolli-crunchy. Flavoured perfectly, as the sweetness of the prawn, tanginess of the tomatoes and earthy olive oil was delicious together. To top it off, the entire dish had underlying notes of garlic and mushrooms. Loves!!! 

Spaghetti Pesto

With grilled chicken, cherry tomatoes, sliced olives and cheese crisp (RM23).

Mien: The pesto was so good! You can taste the basil and the pine nuts! The chicken used in the pasta was cut to the right size and didn’t overwhelm the pasta and pesto. Possibly the best pesto pasta I have had in a while.

Shiv: Fantastic! A simple, earthy and classic version of one of my favourite pasta varieties. The pesto sauce generously coated the pasta, and the cheese crisps added a wallop of flavour to the already flawless dish.

Gaj: Agreed, the pesto was very very good. They didn’t stinge on the basil and pine nuts, thus resulting in a flavourful pasta that was not cloying, like other pesto pastas.

Kav: My favourite dish here!!! The pesto was done with just the right balance of basil, olive oil and cheese, with the basil flavour taking centre stage unlike other pestos I have tried, where either they adulterate it with cream or too much cheese. The acidity of the tomatoes provided a great contrast to the earthy pesto.

Spicy Lamb Burger

With rocket leaves and haloumi topped with tzatziki, served with sweet potato wedges (RM24).

Mien: Lamb too gamey… Hence… DISLIKE!

Shiv: Pales in comparison to some of the other lamb burgers I’ve tried in recent times, but not a shoddy rendition. The patty was juicy, but sadly, not flavoured thoroughly. Sweet potatoes added a unique touch to the sides, however, I didn’t care much for the salad, as it had raisins, which I so hate in my salads.

Gaj: Not the best lamb burger in town, but alright. It lacked the oomph that most lamb burgers have. I hate raisins, so didn’t enjoy the salad.

Kav: This was just alright for me. The patty was a little bland as it lacked that oomph. Loved the sweet potatoes as it was cooked through and the natural sweetness came through. Did not quite enjoy the raisins in the salad.

Avocado salad

Mixed lettuce, poached chicken cubes, peppers, raisins, walnuts, avocados, tomatoes, and cheese crisp with zesty mustard dressing (RM21).

Mien: Love this salad. It is so fresh tasting. The combination of the green apples with the avocado, chicken, cucumber and the vinaigrette is a perfect medley of flavours.

Shiv: The proof is in the produce! =) This salad was so fresh and delicious – the medley of ingredients pairing brilliantly, with little fuss made about the dressing. Calling all cynics: Please head to Marmalade to appreciate healthy food that is delicious when done right.

Gaj: I usually dislike salad, but the avocado was so so good. If I ever would order a salad, it would be this!

Kav: The creaminess of the avocado coated the entire salad, giving it body without overwhelming the other ingredients. This dish was flavoured well. Loves!!!

No meal is complete without dessert, so here we go…

Salted chocolate caramel cake

(*Note: The price of the desserts varies, please check with your waiter :-))

Mien: Good. Cake – moist, chocolate – not cheap, and not too rich. However, I felt that The Daily Grind’s version of this cake was better.

Shiv: I have never met a salted chocolate caramel cake that I didn’t like, but this one… OMG! This was too sinfully delectable. Every chocolate-y bite was so amazingly luxurious and luscious.

Gaj: Loved this cake! Probably one the best chocolate cakes that I have had in a long long time! Must have for all you chocolate lovers J

Kav: The chocolate flavour was enhanced by the salt, and the caramel complimented the combination of salt and chocolate. The cake was moist and delicious. Perhaps a little too sweet for my liking (certainly not for you sweet tooths out there).

Vanilla cupcake

Mien: Vile! Icing was so bad, cake itself was dry and just plain bad. No words to describe it!

Shiv: Very bad. The texture of the icing was funky, and the butter cake beneath the icing was dried out and lacked finesse. Also, the vanilla essence was too mild, and hardly recognizable. Overall, one big buttery fail!

Gaj: Quite bad indeed, the cake was dry and the icing really didn’t help matters.

Kav: Awww…this was just bad!!! The icing tasted like powdered milk and to top it off the cake was dry. Epic Fail!!!

Verdict: WOK ON

PRICE: Reasonably priced. Like any other café.

AMBIENCE: Very homely and conducive for family get-togethers.

SERVICE: Good service.

FOOD: Excellent. We would recommend the pesto pasta and the Chocolate cake

MARMALADE

1F-18, 1ST FLOOR, BANGSAR VILLAGE II,
NO. 1, JALAN TELAWI DUA,
BANGSAR BARU,
59100 KUALA LUMPUR

Tel: +603-2282 8301

Email: marmalade.cafe.my@gmail.com

Website: http://www.ilovemarmalade.com/

Opening Hours:

10.00 am – 10.00 pm daily

Canoodling, Bangsar Village II, Kuala Lumpur

Let’s CANOODLE!!!

Another one of The B.I.G group restaurants, Canoodling serves Chinese hawker food in a very convenient and affordable way.

These are what we had:

Dan Dan Mein (RM12.90)

Hand-made noodles tossed in a peanut buttery spicy Szechuan sauce with minced chicken heaped with curly cucumber & crunchy peanuts.

However, we replaced the hand-made noodles to charcoal noodles... SCORE!

Mien: This is my usual at Canoodling. Love the peanut-y taste, mixed with the taste of the charcoal noodles. Tasty on its own or with the Pan Mee chilli. LOVES! Peanut butter lovers... this is the one for you!!!

Shiv: The pleasant and aromatic taste of peanut sauce, married with the earthiness of the charcoal noodles make this a go-to dish here. Simplistic and fresh – reminiscent of rojak pasembor.

Kav: Nicely done dish. The peanut sauce and charcoal noodles are a good pairing. Taste better with a heaped spoon of Pan Mee chilli (not for the faint of heart though).

Gaj: Enjoyed this dish, a big favourite amongst peanut butter lovers!

Pasta Pad Thai (RM14.90)

A classic reinvented; linguine stir-fried Thai-style with prawns, squid, egg & bean sprouts, garnished with fresh coriander & peanuts.

Mien: Tasty... Just the right amount of spice and sourness! You can taste the ‘Thai-ness’ of this dish!

Shiv: Loved this. The linguine was al dente and the Thai-style base coating the pasta was not sweet, as you find in most pad thai noodles. Not too spicy, and the freshness of the seafood is worth a mention.

Kav: Loved this dish. The tanginess of the sauce was perfect together with the crunchy bean sprouts and earthy coriander. Again add a little Pan Mee chilli for a little spice!!!

Gaj: I am usually not a big fan of pad thai as it is has a sweetness to it, but this dish was good, not too sweet and generous amount of ingredients.

Wok Fried Loh Shu Fun (RM14.90)

Thick rice noodles wok-fried with seafood, egg, beansprouts, chives, a touch of chilli and garlic.  

This noodle comes with sambal.

Again, we decided to become chefs, and requested for the thick rice noodles to be replaced with yellow egg noodles.

Mien: One of the better Loh Shu Funs I have tasted in a loooong time. Really good. The sambal is sour and spicy! Yummy!!

Shiv: Fantastic! They managed to achieve the brilliant wok hei flavour, and the garlic adds a nice pungency to the dish. This one needs no help with additional condiments.

Kav: The garlic-y flavour combined with the wok hei and seafood flavour was just sublime. The replacement of the noodles were brilliant as egg noodles are more flavourful than the Loh Shu Fun noodles (not a big fan of Loh Shu Fun noodles).

Gaj: Probably the best dish of the night! Love the spiciness of the dish and the yellow egg noodle actually taste better than the thick rice noodles. Great swap idea, Kav!

XO Chee Cheong Fun (RM6.90)

Wok-fried rice flour sheets in our special XO sauce, made with dried shrimps, scallops, chillies, garlic & spices.

Mien: This has a very unique taste, but in a good way! The portion is small as this is an appetiser.

Shiv: The xo sauce had a deliciously unique flavour, but I wish they had been a little more generous with the shrimps and scallops, as the chee cheong fun can be quite floury without the host of other ingredients to help it. Also, I wish they would serve this in a regular portion so big eaters, such as moi, can have our fill… =)

Kav: Agree that it should come in a bigger portion, as I couldn’t get enough of it. This was hands down the best dish of the night. Was very much like a classic Char Kuey Teow except with thicker rice flour sheets. My only complaint is that there was a lack of ingredients as the noodles were thick and it drowned the other ingredients and flavouring. Loves!!!

Gaj: This dish is interesting, I have never had this variation of Chee Cheong Fun before. It was really good, the spiciness and XO sauce complimented the Chee Cheong Fun. A perfect dish if you are not too hungry and a small portion is sufficient.

* Canoodling is now closed until further notice. Their rental contract with Bangsar Village II ended, and it is in the process of finding a new home! QUICKLY FIND A HOME CANOODLING!!!!!!!!!

** Ricetaurant, under the B.I.G group as well is located directly next to Canoodling, and one can order from the Ricetaurant menu in Canoodling and vice-versa. However, Ricetaurant is also closed due to the same reason as Canoodling.

Auf Wiedersehen Canoodling, until we meet later!

Verdict: WOK ON!

PRICE: Reasonably priced for hawker style food in an accessible, clean and convenient environment.

AMBIENCE: Simple decorations and child friendly. They provide crayons for doodling and most of their utensils are plastic, so no danger of tiny tots breaking anything.

SERVICE: Prompt, good service, and the waiters are more often than not willing  to oblige our requests to swap to different varieties of noodles.

FOOD: Good, tasty hawker style food. We will definitely revisit when Canoodling sets up shop at another location.

CANOODLING,

2F-29, SECOND FLOOR,

BANGSAR VILLAGE 2,

NO.1 JALAN TELAWI 1,

BANGSAR BARU,

59100 KUALA LUMPUR

Opening Hours:

11am -10pm, daily.

(9.45pm: Bar & Kitchen last order.)