This shop has been around for years now - not sure how long exactly.l It's located in Pudu, one of the lanes from Pudu Plaza. They offer a variety of Malaysian desserts - angku, Malay kuih, fried radish cake, Hakka abacus beads, and the list goes on. One of my favourite is the egg tea - possibly something you don't get out of Malaysia. Some of their desserts are quite bland but I would say the quality is rather inconsistent. Sometimes the bubur chacha is thick, sometimes it's really thin. Nevertheless, I'm always happy with my egg tea.

They restock their kuihs twice a day - for morning and evening shift. Once it runs out, it runs out.

Likes: Reasonable price for the portion, lots of choices, fresh traditional kuihs

Dislikes: Dirty, parking is horrendous, food runs out very quickly so be there early morning or early evening (can't remember the second slot of restock - either 5pm or 6pm)

Pink Beetroot Latte (IDR35k) & Mango Pineapple Smoothie Bowl (IDR65k)

This is definitely an uprising cafe in Bali's lists of cafe to visit... It was just across the street from our hotel so we popped by for breakfast.

I've got to admit I ordered this because it was beautifully pink - it's not very often you see coffee in such colour.. It tastes horrible though, the beetroot that created the pink is so pungent I just cannot take it. On a positive note, if you love beetroot this is the right drink for you! But don't be like me if you dislike beetroot. It is seriously not drinkable at all.

Likes: Beautiful, very instagram/picture worthy place, reasonable price, great selection

Dislikes: Lots of flies in the cafe, don't see any effort to keep them away

I am heavily influenced by Monocle, I believe that Monocle is more than just a media. It is a lifestyle. Given the opportunity to visit the Monocle Cafe in London, as an avid follower, I had the urge to check out the cafe myself.

Nestled in the Marylebone neighbourhood, the Monocle Cafe embraces the classic essence of Monocle - simple, hipster, diversely global and refreshing.



The interior is noticeably narrow. Extra seats are available on the lower ground, however the entire cafe is designed in a minimalist fashion that you won't feel cramped up despite the lack of space. They have a basic menu and a typical range of coffee selections.


On our table, we had chicken katsu sandwich, Scandinavian breakfast, flat white and latte to start our day. Overall the food was great, the coffee was average and the service was acceptably fast. This place is a cafe for everyone. Whether you're with friends for a meet-up or a writer looking for a caffeine fix, it fits those moments you're looking for. And, definitely, it makes every Monocle fans feel at home.


Location:
18, Chiltern Street, London

Opening hours:
Mon-Wed 7am til 7pm
Thu & Fri 7am til 8pm
Sat 8am til 8pm
Sun & Bank holidays 8am til 7pm

Price range:
£3 - £10

Red - Rosella cream, beetroot cake, watermelon, dragon fruit, strawberry

Red, literally invites everything "red" on the plate. This is the mildest dessert of all, that is why it's also the starter. P/S: I never thought beetroot cake is THAT good?! The cake is so fluffy and light like a pink sponge with a hint of beetroot, which is really easy to consume! Surprise, surprise, coming from a person who dislikes beetroot.

Pandanbert - Pandan panna cotta, salak ice, kacang hijau, pear

This idea came from Camembert cheese... The round container is made out of pandan leaves, the panna cotta has a nice pandan aroma and I actually prefer it without the mung bean. The mung bean is overpowering the pandan flavour of the pudding so I thought it's nicer and more refreshing without it. And no there is no cheese in this dessert... 

White Chocolate, Black Heart - Cocoa butter cake, tamarind, kemangi sorbet, injin meringue

This is one confusing plate but it balances really well - a mixture of strong flavours and subtle sourish and anything with meringue hardly disappoints.

Taro Card - Taro Pudding, toasted coconut gelato, jackfruit, soy meringue

The jackfruit cake is lightly torched for the roasted flavour, topped with a scoop of milky coconut ice cream (it's not the regular light coconut ice cream), served with passionfruit for the sourish taste and topped with coconut flakes. A combi between coconut and jackfruit creates a very tropical feel and taste.

The Sugar Refinery - Coconut nectar chantilly, chocolate toblerone, soursop, Balinese meringue

This is also another confusing dish. It has chocolate and it's sour. Creamy, chocolate, and sourish from the soursop sorbet. I really like the meringue, it says Balinese meringue and has this light unique taste...

Gingerbread Man - Sorghum pain d'epice, passion fruit curd, crackjerjack, long pepper

It's basically a different way of serving gingerbread with a texture of a cake. I never like gingerbread to begin with so this is probably my least favourite of all. Don't get me wrong, it's actually very good and that's why I ate more than usual - I usually won't take more than a scoop as I prefer ginger to go with savoury dishes more than desserts!

Ghostface Keller - Doughnut, Reblochon cream, papaya, apple tatin, cocoa nibs

The ghostface was my favourite for the night... It was the one with the most unique taste. The white stuff on the doughnut is cheese. The cheese may have a cream cheese texture but no it tastes nothing as good as cream cheese, it's like eating rotten cream cheese. But if you eat it together with the papaya and apple tatin, the odd taste is covered. It creates whole different taste, it makes this doughnut so heavenly - the combi of sweet, savoury with a creamy touch is there. OMG I could have this all day!!!!!!!

Caramel Tea Brulee - Caramel, black tea, cardamom, sea salt

Very nice brulee texture with a hint of tea, cardamom and salt. I've had foie gras brulee before, I'm sure I can handle this one!

Season 6 Finale - every dish is carefully prepared and they are all too beautiful to eat!!

Menu changes every 6 months...

Don't let the entrance yet to you - it looks like a factory but it's more than just a factory!

Likes: Very creative "fine dining" desserts to substitute a full fledged meal, friendly service, creative cocktails, cocktail pairing available 

Dislikes: I can't think of anything that I do not like here - everything's too fine, from food to friendly service! Perhaps the only downside is the location... You'll have to travel all the way to Ubud for it!