Marmalade Afternoon

B dropped by this afternoon at my booth in Bangsar Village to purchase some chocolates and then we decided to have lunch together. Since B did not want to have anything to do with Japanese, I made the decision to try Marmalade. I have not tried it despite hearing the good reviews about it so I thought, why not give it a try since someone will be paying for my review?!! Sorry B, if you're reading this, I really did not expect you to treat me. Having bought chocolates from my booth, I thought I'm the one who will be giving you a treat!

This is the entrance to Marmalade. It's situated on the 2nd floor of Bangar Village II, just above L'occitane. It was a simple entrace, nothing fancy but you will not miss it since the Marmalade sign is big enough!

It's a cafe with boutique

Centre Piece

Upon entering, we looked for a comfortable seat. Ah, as usual, I like the seating with cushions or couch-like seatings. It's more comfortable and I like fancy... However, I was shocked that no one actually cared that we walked in. usually, there'll be a waiter showing the seats to patrons but this one, just find wherever you want to sit then sit la! The menu came shortly. Was quite disappointed how they present the menu. It's so simple, too simple. Just like their deco and ambiance. Despite being a minimalist in deco, the ambiance is nice. You don't get the next table seated beside you just an-inch away where the next table hears all your juicy gossips like Kim Gary and all the HK-styled cafes.

Can't really decide what to eat actually. At that moment, I think the choices of food is really limited but I understand that it's important to just stick to the good ones rather than having 100 over types of food and nothing tastes good. You get to choose from a variety of salads, foccacia, rice or spaghetti. I chose the Oriental Escape with multigrain bread. B chose the Passage thru India Focaccia, since he said that he will be going to India soon. My as well, get used to the food first eh. For drinks, I had the Peachy Passion smoothie, just like a lassi and B had an ice lemon tea. Hmm...how unadventurous...Oops someone's gonna kill me :P

B showing off his ball Oops I mean tomato

Look the other ball! I mean tomato...

Oriental Escape with Multigrain Bread
Chicken Char Siew, homemade pear, wanton strips and ginger & chilli gravy

Passage Thru India
Chicken Tikka Masala, cucumber & tomato cubes and mini papadum

Sorry half-way through and I realise I have forgotten to snap a picture

Overall, my Oriental Escape tasted okay. Not very good-lah. I felt that the chicken char siew don't really have a roasted taste. The pear cubes does not have any taste. However, the gravy was nice but they should have provided a bigger opening for the gravy instead of filling up in that tequilla shot-like glass which makes it so difficult to dip! The Peachy Passion is nice but I don't think it's worth the price. A hefty price of RM9 per glass and I don't see my bits of peach in there!

I'll give it a 3***rating. Ambiance wise a 4***. Good place to recommend for a meet up with friends as you can sit and chat comfortably.

Oh, btw if you're wondering why I call this friend of mine whom I got to know recently at my buddy's gathering of colleagues is that he wants to stay anonymous. That's why I had to blackened his eyes too. So, B, if you're reading this and at anytime you think you're ready to be exposed, please let me know. I can undo the black stripe.

[Disclaimer: This is strictly my honest opinion and tastes vary with tastebuds. Please do not even waste your time trying to sue me because just like my sister, we ain't rich! Thnx]

Great Meals that don't hurt your pocket!

Ok this is another one of my backdated entries. I really wanted to post this earlier but someone took the camera and I was unable to upload 'em and thus the delay. Earlier, I have posted an entry on my self home-cooked meals. Actually this meal came first but like I said, I delayed the posting due to the above reason. Will the person who took the camera please stand up?!!

This is really a good meal that won't be burning a hole in your pocket. The menu is Minestrone Soup as starters, mains would be Seafood Fettuccine with Golden Mushroom Bacon Maki and Sea Coconut with Laici as dessert.

For the Minestrone Soup - No frills at all because all you need to do is to get your bum down to the supermarket to get a can of Campbell's Minestrone Soup. Instant miracle. Just follow the instructions stated at the back label.



As for the mains, this involves a bit more work and preparation. Be patient because the end result is worth all the work. But then again, if money is not a problem, why the heck you're reading this? Just order 'em at the restaurant la! However, self-satisfaction after whipping a good meal is immeasurable.




Ingredients:

Golden Mushroom Bacon Maki - Please read here.
Seafood Fettuccine:

1. Fettuccine
2. Clams (La La - about 200g will do)
3. Squid (Sotong - about 300g)
4. Tiger Prawns (as desirable)
5. Tomatoes ( 3)
6. Prego's Tomato Spaghetti Sauce (1/2 can)
7. Fresh Basil Leaves (dry ones are acceptable)
8. Onions (4 medium sized)
9. Garlic (1)
10. Salt, Sugar & Pepper (to taste)

Method:

1. Clean the squid properly. Firstly, pull the head & tentacles from the body cavity. Pull out the pointy cartilage & insides or ligaments. Pull off the skin and cut the tentacles from the head just below the eyes. Now cut into small pieces and wash well.
2. Soak clams in a bowl of water for 1-2 hours.
3. Wash prawns clean and remove the head and shell, leaving only the tail. do not throw away the shells.
4. Wash tomatoes and dice.
5. Chop onions and garlic.
6. Prepare broth for the fettuccine by boiling a pot of water added with some salt and oil and throw in the prawn shells.
7. When water is boiling, put the clams, prawns and squid into the pot for a while and then dish out.
8. Now put in the fettuccine and let it cook.
9. In another pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and fry the garlic and onions. Then, put the tomatoes in. Mix well and then add in the Prego sauce. Let it boil and then add in the basil leaves and the seafood. Lastly add in the salt, sugar and pepper to taste.
10. Strain the fettuccine and mix with a teaspoon of butter to avoid fettuccine sticking to each other.
11. Garnish the plate with the vege, bacon maki and fettuccine. Then pour in the sauce and you're ready to serve.
12. Serves 4.

For Garnishing:

1. Blanch the french beans and serve
2. Wash the lettuce properly and serve


There you go. A good meal but cheap. No one is hurt in the process of whipping this meal. However, a few lives of the squids, tiger prawns and a handful of clams have been sacrificed for the meal. But then again, I got them from the supermarket and they are already dead when i bought them. I'm no killer, don't blame me.

Thumbs up!