G3 @ Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar

One of the newer eateries in the Bangsar Telawi area....

G3.....

I wondered what it was supposed to mean? Gentle Green Giant? Nah.
Apparently, it stands for Gastronomic 3, to symbolise the 3 owners who all love food. :)

It's one of the newer places in the main Telawi area, located in between the Telawi veteran Alexis, and the unfortunately now defunct Telawi Street Bistro)
Looking at G3 from across the street....
I excitedly headed over there last weekend to meet some of my girl friends for a long overdue catch up...
(I hate how life and work always seem to get in the way nowadays... but I guess that's just how things are - we are all on separate, hectic schedules that it is hard to meet up more often)
Inside the restaurant....
It was comfortable enough inside, simple and fairly casual, with a balance of wooden textures against the start concrete floor...

In a hopefully not futile effort to try to stave off evil oxidants, I started off with a (supposedly) high octane anti-oxidant drink - the blackberry, cranberry and yoghurt juice (RM 12++):
If I drink enough of this, will my skin cells become younger?....
Yummy! :)
There was a nice balance of sweetness from the fruits, balanced against a slight sour tang and smoothness from yoghurt blended in. I really wouldn't mind ordering this again although I find the price a little disgusting - it's not the restaurant's fault though - bloody berries in Malaysia are so expensive because they are not native fruits....
(It tasted best when it was just served though, when it was nice and icy cold)

My gorgeous friend Kristine had the Grande Breakfast (RM 22++), which came with a little bit of everything - (turkey) ham, egg (prepared how you want), grilled tomato, baked beans, hash brown, sauteed mushrooms, (chicken) sausage and topped with a crusty slice of bread and oozey butter:
Chocolatey dessert....
Overall, it was nice except for the sausages which looked a bit shrivelled *lol*.
(I thought the mushrooms were really yummy - chunky and juicy)

I have to say, I much preferred the Tuna Hash (RM 16++) that I ordered though, which came with a grilled tomato, fried egg, bread and some chunky avocado sauce/paste at the side:
A close look at the fishy carby Tuna Hash....
The interesting tweaked hash browns which had bits of tuna mixed in tasted savoury without being too fishy, and tasted with a slather of the avocadoes that came with this.
(Mmmmm, and the bread.... Crusty, yet fairly moist, and not starchy - delicious!)

I really like the sauteed mushrooms, so I order an extra side of it - Sauteed Mushrooms (RM 6++):
Juicy mushrooms....
I really liked that the mushrooms were well balanced - not too salty and cooked just enough that they were moist but still with some bounce to the bite.

My other gorgeous friend Ver had the Fritatta (RM 18++) (photo turned out horrible - sorry) which came topped with some sausages and arugula, which she said was just a bit too oily, but otherwise tasted ok.

There were several other options on the breakfast/brunch menu too - can't say I wouldn't mind checking out this place again, as it turned out to be a decent meal and overall nice venue for a catch up session with the girls on a sunny Sunday morning. :)
(Looking at some other blog posts, like Sean's, it also looks like the lunch/dinner menu is worth checking out too)

Overall: Casual but comfortable new(-ish) restaurant in Bangsar with a fair range of classic and some interesting breakfast/brunch menu BUT nothing much to complain - although prices are a little on the high side, it is Bangsar after all...

Summary Sheet:

G3 @ Telawi 3, Bangsar KL

No 19, Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.

Taste: 6
Ambience : 6
Service : 7
Price** : RM 20++ per person
Parking: OK

** Approximation - breakfast :), excluding drinks

Telephone No.: 03-2282 8019
Opening Hours: 11am to 12am (Weekdays) and 9am to 12am (Weekends)
Parking: Limited

NO PORK SERVED

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- Goreng.my
- The Life of Brian


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Restaurant, Western, Telawi, Bangsar, G3, Telawi Street

Cartoon (A play) @ KLPAC

Be Careful What You Wish For! :)....

Change is good, right?
(Right?)

Especially if you are a motley group of "typical" cartoon characters, ruled under a tyrannical leader?
:)

Well, sometimes it is, and maybe sometimes, it may just lead to all kinds of different problems..
Vivid poster...
I really had no idea what to expect when my friend Nina asked me whether I wanted to go watch Cartoons at KLPAC (which is a successful play, running for the first time outside the USA).

... and when I heard the initial long political-ish monologue after the fun, zany theme song (nice! The cast are so multi talented - can act, sing and dance), I was a bit like =_= <--- I don't like political-ish monologues..

There was very nice pacing and build-up, with creative use of multimedia, and very soon after, I found myself really really enjoying the show. :)
Mr Puppet likes hanging out...
The characters** are all interesting, first in their perfect typical box-ed up "perfection" and even better when the chaos ensues and the cracks and craziness start to show.
(** The Puppet, The Damsel, The Suitor, The Japanese Kawaii Best Friends, The Mischievous One, The Cameo Song Guy, The Dictator and my favourite, The Rock Star - "RAWR". LOL)

Date: August 18 – 27, 2011
Venue: The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre
Tickets: Priced from RM 25 to RM 38. Call (+603) 4047 9000 or (+603) 2142 2009 for ticketing.


In short (IMHO):
Definitely worth a watch! - multitalented cast make good of a slightly tweaked, borrowed play from the USA that has a balance of zaniness, laughs and things to make you think. :)


Here are the details of the show:
CARTOON by Steve Yockey:
(Recommended for mature audience aged 18 and above only)

Executive Producer: Dato’ Faridah Merican
Artistic Director: Joe Hasham OAM
Director: Kelvin Wong
Stage Manager: Alvin Looi
Production Manager: Freddy Tan
Costume Design: Cassandra Lim

Synopsis:
...klpac and the director that brought you Indicinelive! present CARTOON by Steve Yockey. IT’S A WAR ON TERROR™ IN TOONTOWN! Chaos ensues after mischievous urchin Trouble steals the oversized yellow sledgehammer that bratty, Hitler-esque Esther commands her toonizens with.

Theme songs come to a halt as paranoia and violence follow a zany goose chase, while a band of mismatched cartoon stereotypes find themselves increasingly stuck in an existential rut – will there ever be a way out? Played through a series of TV episodes, CARTOON is a response to the rapid coalescence of media, politics and consumer giants – an in-your-face satire of a forthcoming totalitarian world, if you like.

MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY

Cast:
(In alphabetical order! To be fair....)
- Actors: Amanda Ang, Rashdan Harith, Lorna Hoong, UiHua, Grace Ng, Jabar Laura, Matthew Ong, Freddy Tan, and Alexis Wong.
Venue: KL Peforming Arts Centre (KLPAC)
(Sentul Park, Jalan Strachan (off Jalan Ipoh), 51100 Kuala Lumpur)

Dates: August 18 – 20, 23 – 27 @ 8.30 pm, Matinee on August 21 @ 3.30 pm (No performance on 22 Aug 2010)

Ticket Price:
- RM38, or RM25 (Students & the Disabled)

[PROMO!]
Buy 4 tickets of any price in one receipt and get 1 free!

[MID-WEEK SPECIAL!]
RM25 flat for August 23 & 24 @ 8.30 pm

[COSPLAY SUNDAY!]
Come dressed-up as your favourite cartoon character on August 21 and get your ticket at only RM25!



Ticket info:
- go to KLPAC, or
- call +603-40479000.
If you want more details, here is the KLPAC official website.


Hope you like it! :)
J


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- The Star


TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Musical, KLPAC, Cartoon, Sentul, Steve Yokel, KL Performing Arts Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

1 Malaysia Ramadhan Feast @ Chatz Brasserie, Parkroyal Hotel KL

Another round of Ramadhan feasting!...

Do take note that this is an invited review - So, here are my usual disclaimers:
1) I have not been paid to write this, but neither have I paid a cent for my meal,
2) I will still be as objective as possible re. the food/ restaurant, and
3) If I go back to the restaurant incognito and find that the food/service is horribly different from this experience, I will amend my ratings here...

How quickly time flies. An ex-colleague just reminded me that we had been trying to to arrange a Buka Puasa get together to catch up since... well, last Ramadhan...
=_=

There are of course many options being paraded in the newspapers, billboards, etc, right now - Last week, I got to check out the offering at Chatz Brasserie in the Parkroyal Hotel, located conveniently in the heart of KL's Golden Triangle Shopping area.
:D
- Simple but comfortable - classic hotel setting:
Comfortable setting....
- A must have at any reputable hotel nowadays, fresh Oysters and prawns:
(Their theme was "1 Malaysia", so they had a range of Malay, Chinese, Indian as well as Nyonya and Western dishes)
A luxurious addition to any meal....
- Healthy Salads and Ulams to balance your meal:
Leafy veggies and herbs are good for you....
- Tantalising curries:
(Other than the usual curries and rendangs, there was also a range of delicious Nyonya recipes, taught by the talented chef Debbie Teoh,... There was a very appetising blend of aromatic spices with a hint of assam tones in the curry, and I especially liked it paired with the yummy Nasi Ulam that they had that night)
Some of the lovely, spicy dishes....
- Petai dish, for those who love these pungeant beans:
(There were also many "stalls" serving up a pretty wide variety of local favourites (Satay, Nasi Ayam, Briyani, Assam Laksa, Ayam Pansuh, etc) as well as foreign treats (Spaghetti, Grilled Lamb, Grilled Beef, etc)
Love it? Or hate it? :)....
- Desserts, both local....
One of my (many) favourites - Sago, with gula melaka and santan served at the side....
- ... and foreign:
(There was also an array of Haagen Daz ice creams for you to choose from...)
Cakes and tarts too :)....
In terms of pricing, it is reasonable, as there really is quite a variety of food to choose from:
- RM 86++ per adult,
- RM 43++ per child (4 to 11 years old).

Well, there you have it. This is probably the last Buka Puasa buffet I'll be attending this year. I hope you have lots of fun buka-ing with your family and friends.... :)
(Thanks to Lilian for the kind invitation - was really nice meeting you!)

Summary Information:
1 Malaysia Ramadhan Feast @ Chatz Brasserie, Parkroyal Hotel KL
(August 1 to August 29, 2011)
(Reservations highly recommended)

Opening Hours: For the Buka Puasa - 7pm onwards
Phone: 603-2147 0888
Address: Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur
Official Website: Click here

HALAL

OTHER REVIEWS:
-

MAP:

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TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, One Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Parkroyal Hotel, Chatz Brasserie, Buka Puasa Buffet

d'italiane kitchen @ Jaya 33, PJ

Yet another choice for Italian food in PJ...

It would seem that Malaysians (or the general KL/PJ population anyway) love Italian food, as there appear to be many eateries serving up the robust food from that part of Europe.

One such place is d'Italiane Kitchen, located in Jaya 33, PJ - It's not new, having been open for a few years now, but I only ventured there recently after a short shopping trip to the conveniently located PJ Digital Mall**.
(** Really like this place as its existence = I don't have to go all the way down to Low Yat to get tech-y stuff)

We weren't as hungry/greedy as usual so we skipped straight to the mains. :)

The Pasta Salmon Alfredo (RM 28.90++) was pretty yummy - Sufficiently creamy, but thankfully not too thick and cloying, with chunky cubes of salmon:
Pasta + Creamy sauce = Decadent meal :)....
I preferred the Pasta River Prawn Arabiatta (RM 29.90++) though, as I like red sauces much better than creamy ones. Also, the prawn was fresh and the bits of rich flavour from the roe really added some extra "Oomph" to this dish:
That's a pretty big prawn!....
The Tiramisu (RM 20.90++) was also nice, taste wise - It was just a tad too sweet though but overall, creamy and chocolatey/coffee-ish enough and an interesting mix of moist, creamy and crunchy:
(The hefty price tag would probably deter me from ordering again though)
(Eeyer. Why are tiramisus in KL getting more and more expensive? *grumble*)
A classic Italian dessert....
So was it mindblowing?
Nah.

Still, the taste is above average and pricing is decent (considering the amount of stuff that comes with each dish - wah! such a big, meaty prawn!)...
(Definitely wouldn't mind venturing back here to try out some of the other dishes on the menu)

So it's: Simple yet cosy ambience, friendly service, fairly wide range of Italian food for reasonable prices (just slightly more expensive than average) BUT nothing bad really - :).....

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

d'italiane kitchen @ Jaya 33, PJPG-01B
Ground Floor, Jaya 33, No 3 (Lot 33) Jalan Semangat, Section 13, 46100 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.

Taste: 6
Ambience : 6
Service : 7
Price** : RM 55++ per person
Parking: OK

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-7956 3684
Opening Hours: 1130am till 11pm
Official Website:

(They also have a new outlet in Sunway Giza)

NO PORK SERVED

MAP:

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- Melaka Boy.com
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TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, d' Italiane Kitchen,Jaya 33, Sri Hartamas, Italian, KL, Kuala Lumpur