#8 Coffee Stain by Joseph (Parkamaya Fahrenheit88)

As the only coffee kiosk settled at Fahrenheit88's Parkamaya floor, Coffee Stain's unique sense of caffeine culture oozes certain subtle independence and simple yet straight-to-the-point emphasis on coffee brewing.

With just two person in charge (a barista and his associate) behind the counter on a crowded weekend, service was sluggish at its best since one was busy preparing drinks while the other juggled herself between taking orders, serving drinks and keeping the tables clean. Oh, and it took nearly half an hour for our orders to arrive, with no less a few apologies from the courteous pair.

 Let's get to the drinks...

Cafe Latte (RM 8.50)

As usual, my regular mug of latte tasted the way as it should have been. Strong but lacking that extra kick due to my single shot request.

Mocha (RM 9)

Infused with cocoa essence, the taste of the mocha lingers atop the fulcrum between the right degree of chocolate sweetness and mild bitterness by the espresso base.

Iced Cafe Latte (RM 9.50)

A slightly chilled-out version of the latte. Not much to say.

Oreo Cheesecake (RM 13.90)

Deemed as the branch's best-selling item, the Oreo Cheesecake didn't disappoint with its sinfully generous layer of concentrated cheese. Without exaggeration, the taste kinda pulverized my sweet tooth to sugary smithereens. (Check out the very cool if not festive looking Christmas Tree powder art..)

Coffee Stain by Joseph (Parkamaya Fahrenheit88)
Lot OT-02, 3rd Floor, Parkamaya Fahrenheit 88,

No. 179 Jalan Bukit Bintang,

55100 Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel: 03-21102428

Business hours:
Daily: 10.00 a.m. - 10.00 p.m.

#7 Tous Les Jours (Bukit Bintang)

Riding on the wave of local Pâtisserie scene, the always bustling district junction of Bukit Bintang will never be the same again with the advent of Tous Les Jours (which means 'Everyday' from its apparent French translation), a French-style boulangerie owned by South Korean international business conglomerate CJ Group. Situated within the newly opened WOLO Hotel, the bakery cafe boasts two storeys of ample seating albeit an atmosphere that is spacious and relaxing.

Enough with the cafe decor shots, Tous Les Jours is a brand name well-known for its freshly baked goods using natural recipe of highest quality. With a sprawling selection of baked items to choose from, it's quite hard to make up your mind, especially when your stomach's grumbling in such aromatically charged environment.

Right: (Clockwise from top) Iced Caramel Machiatto (RM 9), Cafe Mocha (RM 9) and Cafe Latte (RM 8)

The drinks were okay, basically tasted the same and definitely nothing to shout about.

We were there for breakfast at 9 something on a public holiday, the place wasn't crowded at all. Service was initially sluggish at first (the waiter forgot to send our drinks), but then improved with the person-in-charged coming around to recheck our orders ad make sure if everything's okay

We ordered quite an amount of items.

Cream Soboro (RM 3.80)

Highly recommended, the peanut butter bread topped with cookie crumbs is a delightful treat to the palate. Soft and fluffy, the collision of both bread and cookie had manage to create a unique sort of sweetness and mouthfeel that is sure to leave you craving for more.

From left: Sweet Garlic Stick (RM 1.80), Almond Croissant (RM 3.90)

While the croissant here is to die for (the texture is crispy and flaky upon cutting, and the custard filling is heavenly..), the garlic stick is a total miss for being too hard and dry for my liking.

The Devil's Food Cake (RM 10.50)

Friends found it ordinary, but I love it. Must be my bad case of chocolate addiction.

From top: Pain Au Chocolate (RM 3.90) and Cream Cheese Danish (RM 3.90)

Milk Buns (RM 3.80 each)

Our last minute order included signature Milk Buns. Produced using Korean organic milk, the flat breads came in two flavours -  Original and Strawberry. Milky and mildly sweet, our final vote goes unanimously to the Original since it oozes the original taste and milk-infused scent when compared to the concentrated Strawberry one.

We ordered two very simple and basic-looking breakfast dishes.

TLJ Breakfast (RM 12.90)

The breakfast dish includes a sunny side up, turkey ham, potatoes and slice of sour dough with a side salad.

WOLO Egg Benedict (RM 9.90)

Poached egg and turkey ham with hollandaise sauce in between toasted English muffin. Served with a slice of beef bacon and side salad.

Tous Les Jours,
WOLO Hotel,
126, 126A-C, Jalan Bukit Bintang.
55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Business hours:
Daily: 8.00 a.m. - 11.00 p.m.

#6 Ah Wah Hokkien Fried Mee

Warning: *Non-Halal post*

Perhaps when it comes to a certain well-known Hokkien Fried Mee joint at Petaling Jaya, fingers will no doubt be pointed at Ah Wa's of Jalan 222. However, I and the gang were dare enough to decide and go against the common culinary demography by unleashing our rather inner sense of hipster(ness). As being different means venturing into foreign territory of another side of the map, we went for another Ah Wah's instead (Yes, with a slightly alphabetical tweak in the name, an extra 'H').

Hokkien Fried Mee

Greasy and smooth, the noodles were fried with sufficient 'wok hei' to warm up your appetite. Furthermore, this dish just couldn't go wrong if you're a fan of pork lard. Imagine the a joyful outburst of burning oil in your piehole upon crunching these sizzling pieces of porky goodness. In conclusion, this Ah Wah might come close as a strong contender in this race (P.s. 'might' 'as I have yet to give the other Ah Wah a try).

'Wat Tan Hor' (Cantonese fried flat noodles)

However, the dish fell short of being underwhelming and extremely slimy. Nothing to shout about.

The stall is located in Restaurant Millenium Eighty Six. Do drop by for dinner if one happens to be loafing around Taman Paramount! (P.s. Sorry for not posting the price this time due to the fact that my memory loss is getting worse, but I do remember the bill ended up RM 8 something for each of us four.

Ah Wah Hokkien Fried Mee,

Restaurant Millenium Eighty Six,
Jalan 20/22, Taman Paramount,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Business hours: Evening till late daily.

#5 Namoo Korean Dessert Cafe & Bistro On The Park

As if K-Pop fever isn't dissipating anytime soon, South Korean's cultural impact is still immense and ubiquitously felt. Nowadays, Korean fashion has somewhat made a de rigueur fashion statement among local youngsters with all the glitz and glamour channeled by K-Pop artistes (You don't say!).

To me, a Korean dessert cafe does, indeed sound like a breath of fresh air. Don't get me wrong, I have null ideas and knowledge regarding what's hip and what's not when it comes to the trendy Korean scene. Now that there's a Korean dessert cafe, it's good to explore a thing or two about these foreign desserts (at least to me.)

Located on Level G3 of Publika Solaris Dutamas, Namoo Korean Dessert Cafe & Bistro On The Park is a great place to chill out with friends. Dimly lit and cosy, the cafe's simple interior design casts a rather ruggedly laidback spell with its wooden tables and cold, hard grey cement walls and floor.

Shortly after having a big-portioned lunch, most of us were already having our sweet-toothache and nothing, and I do mean nothing (not even our heavily satisfied appetite..) can ever stop us from having this self-imposed toothache cured. The only remedy to our gustatory thirst seems to be another fun postprandial round of guilt-inducing desserts.

We ordered two items. The service was rather bad here as it took almost a lifetime for the waiter to come by and take our orders. Oh, the place is well known for its rice burgers.

Sweet Potato Cake (RM 12.90)

"KOREAN special recipe cake made from 100% natural ingredients with fresh cream" was the description written in the menu. To me, it tasted no difference to eating a sweet potato. It's starchy, pasty and I just couldn't get used to the texture and mouthfeel of the cake. However, the ambrosial taste of sweet potato will certainly be one's favourite bit.

The King's Bing Soo (RM 17.90)

As grandeur as the name might suggest, Bing Soo, or 'patbingsu' is a Korean shaved ice dessert enjoyed during the summer season. It's a wholesome bowl of smooth shaved milky ice base embellished with rice cakes (my personal favourite!), red bean, mixed fruits and ice-cream sprinkled with multi-grain powder and nuts.

Piquant and extremely delectable, the bingsoo is a delightful treat served in a huge portion. Great for sharing indeed!

We took a couple of snapshots under author Steven Denn's quote on the wall.

So, that's a place worth another go, trust me the rice burgers...they're still in my to try-list.

Namoo Korean Dessert Cafe & Bistro On The Park
Lot 4A, Level G3,
Publika, No. 1 Jalan Dutamas 1, Solaris Dutamas.
50480 Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia.
Tel: 03-64116698

Business hours:

Sunday -Thursday: 11.00 a.m. - 10.00 p.m.

Friday - Saturday: 11.00 a.m. - 11.00 p.m.