Weekend Buffet @ Rama V, KL

Almost like a mini holiday :)...

This was 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...

What have I not said about Rama V already (in my previous posts)?

Hopefully I don't sound repetitive... but truly, I love the ambience there - it's so wonderfully resort-like, nestled in a low key, charming bungalow on Jalan U-Thant (off Jalan Tun Razak).
(You can almost feel like you are on a holiday, without having to get on a plane):

The main dining area in Rama V....
Recently, I went there to try out a new promotion - the Rama V Weekend A-la-carte buffet.

"A Rama V Weekend A-la-carte buffet? What's that?", you ask.

It means that you get free flow of wine/ beer (or non-alcoholic Fruit Punch/ Soft drinks, if you don't want alcohol, for whatever reason), and you get to order endless rounds of freshly cooked food. :)
(The explanation on the menu that day was a bit confusing but basically, they only try to limit how much you order each round to help make sure that you don't end up accidentally wasting any food...)

Red or white wine, or Tiger beer? - up to you....
We had a lot to eat that day (and we didn't even make a dent in the menu - there's so much choice!)... so I'll keep each description short and sweet.

APPETIZERS:

- Pik Kai Tod – Chicken Wing stuffed with Minced chicken and Mushroom

Great with beer....
Delicious... Crispy yet moist - a nice way to start the meal.

- Chor Ladda – flower dumpling stuffed with minced chicken and peanuts

ALMOST too pretty to eat....
Their famous, beautiful starter that is a nice combination of sticky, moist, sweet and savoury.

- Poe Tak - Seafood soup flavoured with Thai herbs

Generous portions....
Loved this soup - it was everything I enjoy in a Thai soup, fragrant with spices, salty, sour, spicy, and with lots of juicy, fresh seafood.

MAINS:

- Gaeng Ped Pol Linchee – Roasted Duck Curry with Lychee

Quack quack....
I really enjoyed this mildly spicy curry that has moist slices of roast duck, accentuated by the sweet tenderness of the lychee - goes so well with rice.

- Asparagus, fried with garlic

Vegetables are good for your health....
A simple dish but it complements the meal well. :)

- Nuer Pad Prik Thai Orn – Sauteed Beef with Young Pepper, Chili & Oyster Sauce

Yummy! The slices of beef were really tender and the sauce was nice - a nice balance of savoury and slightly sweet.

- Pad Thai Kung Reu Kai – Thai Fried Rice Noodles with Shrimp or Chicken

Looking up at Rama V....

A Thai classic for the carb addicts.

DESSERT:

- Red rubies

OM NOM NOM NOM....
My favourite Thai dessert... and the one at Rama V is really good - big enough chunks of water chestnut wrapped in bouncy jelly,.. so refreshing in the icy "soup".

- Mango sticky rice

There's always space for dessert :D....
Another of my faves at Rama V - perfectly ripe mango slices matched so well with the sticky sweet rice.

What a lunch! :D
(They did a good job with the choice of wines - easy to drink and it went well with all the dishes... I liked the white wine better tho)

Price-wise, I think it's one of the best deals in town:
(Better book, to avoid disappointment)
- RM 68.90++ (adults)
- RM 34.45++ (kids under 10 years old)

(12noon - 3pm on Saturdays & Sundays, with last order of food at 2.30pm and last order of wines/beer at 2.45pm)


After our wonderfully long, looooong lunch, we went to check out the new addition upstairs - a new function room, this fully AV equipped meeting room, now available for rental.
(Can seat up to 70 people depending on the type of function - more if its a theatre style meeting, less if it's an annual dinner, or board room time style meeting)
(Oh, and it even has an en suite bathroom - so convenient!)

Part of the function room....


PS/
Thanks to the gorgeous Ciki for extending the invite and of course, to the ever so charming Andre Shum and Danny Jee of Rama V for being such good hosts.
(Also to all the bloggers+friends who was there that day - *HUGS* You make a good meal even better with your company...)


So, it's: Affordable price (considering it's an a-la-carte buffet with free flow wine), beautiful resort-like ambience, delicious Thai food BUT nothing bad to say really, if you like Thai food, you'll LOVE Rama V....

Summary Information:
Weekend Buffet @ Rama V, KL

Opening Hours: (For this buffet) Saturday & Sunday 12 noon -3 pm
Phone: 603-2143 2428
Address: 5, Jalan U-Thant, Kuala Lumpur

NO PORK SERVED

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Cumi dan Ciki
- PureGlutton
- Eat Your Heart Out
- Bangsar Babe


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, Jalan Ampang, Jalan Tun Razak, Jalan U-Thant, Rama V Fine Thai Cuisine, Weekend Wine Buffet

Tommy le Baker Boulangerie Pâtisserie @ Viva Residency, Jalan Ipoh KL

A (bread) gem just off Jalan Ipoh....

Hello.
*waves*

Sorry I haven't been updating much. :(
I'm back in "Drowning in Work" mode again (to my despair) - this is really not where I imagined my new job would take me, but *sigh* as much as I dislike this new imbalanced life, I am not one to shrug off responsibilities...

ANYWAY.....
:)
(Onwards to the food review, and less bla bla bla)

I recently stumbled upon a little bakery, just off the main Jalan Ipoh area:
(Thank you BFM! - I was in the area running errands when I heard the interesting interview segment with this very passionate baker, Tommy... His bakery was nearby, so I just had to go check it out)

Tommy's Bakery, hidden behind the trees....
It's such a small little place - with only about 4 tables available (as almost half the area is taken up by the large ovens/ equipment/ work area. The proximity is nice because you can smell all the delicious breads baking, and see Mr Tommy and his assistants hard at work.
(Mind you, it can get a bit warm in there though... and it's hard to get a table during peak hours)

Bake bake bake! Super bakers at work... :)....
They don't have much in terms of meal options, just a few sandwiches, and a daily special - it was Chicken Croque Monsieur that day (RM 15.60):

Simple, classic French food....
To be completely fair, overall it was just ok:
Cons - Very normal (although fairly moist) slices of chicken, not quite enough cheese and bechamel sauce.
Pros - The sauce was creamy enough without being stodgy, and MMMMMMM the sourdough bread was yummy! It had nice crusty edges, with a nice hint of sour flavour.
(Would definitely order again if it's on the specials again)

I was already full at that point, but nothing could stop me from having dessert. :D
(My eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach that day)

The Chocolate croissant (RM 4.90) caught my eye and I went for that:

The French pronounce it kwah-sonn....
I liked it enough, but unfortunately my expectations were way too high - was hoping for the same "OMGGGGGG It's so goooood" feeling that I got when I ate my first Pan Au Chocolate in Paris. :(
(The croissant at Tommy's isn't fragrant/ flaky/ crispy enough in comparison)

Still, it was definitely one of the better croissants in KL (that I've tasted so far, anyway).

(Another day, when I dropped by to buy more bread) I also tried the La Jaconde (RM 12) cake:

Yummy....
Luverly. :)
Moist layers of nutty sponge, chocolate and cream made for a delightful pairing with my cup of coffee... and what I loved most is that this dessert was just nice in terms of sweetness - a rarity in Malaysia where most times, the desserts are sweet enough to give you an immediate toothache and sugar high.
(There were also a few other tarts on display that looked really interesting - planning to stop by to try those soon)

Of course, being a bakery, there are a selection of breads (prices vary from RM 3 to RM 8 depending on the bread):

A simple thing but hard to get right....
There are not that many different types available but so far, so good. :)

I particularly like the sourdoughs (they have 3 types - Country, Farmer and Fruit) and have been making sandwiches for breakfast over the last few weeks.

I brought some home and had a chunky slice of Tommy's Farmer's sourdough (RM 8 for a whole loaf) topped with Gouda cheese, smoked pork loin slice and tomatoes, lightly toasted for breakfast - a great way to start the day!:

My stacked breakfast....
As much as I am a typical Asian (I love rice. LOVE it), the foodie in me really enjoys good bread.... and boy, am I glad I found Tommy's. :)

OK. Now I gotta get back to work. :(

Take care y'all!


Hugs,
J

So it's: Small but delicious range of delicious breads and some pastries, a few sandwiches and hot meals (daily special) BUT there's only 4 tables for "dine in" and when there is a sudden surge of customers, service level drops although it remains friendly (Aiyah, just don't be so fussy and wait your turn la hok? There's only 3 of them manning the shop and baking at the same time)......

CONTACT INFO:
Tommy le Baker Boulangerie Pâtisserie @ Viva Residency, Jalan Ipoh KL

B-0-7 Viva Residency,
378, Jalan Ipoh
(Opposite KLPAC)

Telephone No.: 03- 4043 2546
Opening Hours:
Tues - Fri, 10am - 8pm
Saturday, Sunday & Public Holiday , 10am - 6pm
(Closed on Monday)

Official website: Click HERE
NO PORK SERVED


MAP:

View Larger Map

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Brought up 2 SharE
- thenomadGourmand
- Eat Drink KL
- Sharing Plates
- Coffee & Bread


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, French Patisserie, Artisan bread, Bakery, Tommy Le Baker, Jalan+Ipoh, PJ, Viva Residences, KL, Kuala Lumpur