Pick n Brew, Glenmarie

Posted on December 16, 2007 by Lyrical Lemongrass

1. Old Friends.

When a Makan Club member gets married, we honour her. This is my pictorial tribute to my dear friend, Jo aka Pretty Pui, who married her childhood sweetheart on 15 December 2007.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. – 1 Corinthians 13 v 4 – 7.

2. And New Friends.

It was a jungle of sorts. A concrete jungle filled with homogenous looking structures. Gigantic mammoths spewing smoke in their imposing garments. As I sped along the grids of Glenmarie industrial area, I looked left and right, drinking in my surroundings, committing names to memory as that was the only way I would be able to escape this imposing looking place on my way back.

I hunted for a welcoming light, but I only saw white fluorescent lights illuminating coffinlike guardhouses at the entrance of each industrial building. After only one wrong turn, warm lights beckoned me from a distance. In the heart of this maze was a diamond in the rough, bearing the name “Pick n Brew”. I was late, of course, even though Bukit Jelutong was only 10 minutes away. I barged into the private room with a very loud “Happy Birthday, Teckiee!!”.

What I like about Pick n Brew is that it exudes warmth. From the cozy sofas to the huge glass panelled walls letting in sunshine during the day, it is the kind of place where I feel comfortable reading my newspapers with my daily cuppa.

Since Jackson was entertaining us as his special guests that evening, his chef whipped up two special appetisers for us. The Salmon Gravlax with Scallion Cream and Parmesan Tuile was very unique. The scallion cream went wonderfully with the smoked salmon, where it effectively downplayed the saltiness of the cured fish, and the parmesan basket was wonderful – chewy and full of flavour.

Equally good was the chicken consomme, a clear broth with a pure, refined flavour that didn’t reek of that dirty word, MSG. The sundried tomato and spinach gnocchi had an almost melt in the mouth texture which I reckon would be an acquired taste to those who prefer their dumplings with a little more bite.

My main course came from the Christmas menu, aptly named Seafood Galore on Feta Spinach. At RM40, it came with spinach baked mussels, prawn thermidor and grilled fish. The grilled fish lay on a bed of spinach and feta cheese. While some liked the flavour of the cheesy sauce on the grilled fish, I found that it slightly overpowered the delicate flavour of the fish. Then again, I prefer my fish with little dressing. The spinach baked mussels were brilliant; certainly no fishy smell there. And the prawn thermidor was excellent, thanks to its freshness. Definitely a recommended dish.

And what did the others have? Like me, Boolicious also had the Seafood Xmas special, while her honey buns, Splashie Boy, went for Chicken Chimicangas (RM19), a tortilla filled with minced chicken and spices, which he pronounced better than any other Chicken Chimicangas in Malaysia. I had to agree with this non-blogging foodie who definitely knew his chicken chimicangas. WMW had the grilled medallion of beef (RM35) in a special sauce of infused oil and coffee bean mustard. Jason went Asian with his Lamb Tikka served with Pilaf Rice (RM17). I must say that the Lamb Tikka was very good and it’s probably something I shall try on my next visit there. Precious Pea’s Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb (RM33) with apple mint yoghurt was enticing too. Birthday girl, Teckiee, had the Grenobloise Salmon Fillet (RM30) which came recommended by Jackson.

Jackson’s Angel Hair Marinara (RM22) served with prawns, green mussels and squid in a tomato sauce was infused with the flavour of the seafood, and despite the fact that it was a little on the soft side, I’d vouch for the flavour of this dish.

A variety of desserts are also available, and believe me, these cakes taste wonderful. The most outstanding of these cakes is the apple crumble cheesecake, inspired by the Apple Crumble team’s participation (consisting of Jackson, Teckiee, Precious Pea and WMW) in The Star’s recent Drive For Food contest. Incidentally, this was the cake that was presented to Teckiee as we melodiously sang Happy Birthday to her! (Yes, food bloggers can sing.)

As a treat, we all got to create our own latte art. (Yes, food bloggers can draw.) Now that’s money well spent, if you ask me!

Pick n Brew also has a great breakfast menu. All downed with a large cup of coffee.

My American set (RM18) also came with a muffin. Yummy! Breakfast sets are priced from RM9 for a pancake to RM20 for a breakfast steak.

Pick n Brew,
Wisma CNI, No.2, Jalan U1/17,
Section U1, Hicom-Glenmarie Industrial Park,
40000 Shah Alam.

Tel: 03-5569 1216

I swiped the operating hours from Precious Pea’s blog. (You can also read what she has to say HERE. For the birthday girl’s account, click HERE):

Operating hours :
Monday – Friday : 8am – 8pm
Sunday : 8am – 3pm
Closed on Saturday and public holidays

The good people of Abu Dhabi may view the pictures HERE.

The MIGF dinner that almost was – feat. Gobo Upstairs, Traders Hotel KL

Posted on November 15, 2007 by Lyrical Lemongrass

The month long Malaysian International Gourmet Festival (MIGF) is back. It features a number of really great restaurants, but the prices can be rather expensive (a relative term) even though one would get pretty good value for the prices paid.On Henry’s persuasion, I enthusiastically rounded up a group of foodies to visit Gobo Upstairs, a restaurant in the relatively new Traders Hotel. Unfortunately, as the day arrived, my body was suddenly attacked by the dreaded flu, but being the responsible coordinator that I was, I persevered for the greater good. Ahem.

The thing about the flu is that one loses practically all of one’s tastebuds, except maybe the ability to taste salt. Anyhow, I decided that instead of wasting RM160++ on the MIGF menu, I should consume something hearty instead. Like soup.

And that’s exactly what I had. A robust lobster bisque bursting with flavour (which I could taste!!). The others, except for Henry, took my lead and decided to order from the ala carte menu which was surprisingly priced very decently. I mean, can anyone think of any other fancy restaurant that serves baby beef short ribs at just RM38? And according to those who tried it, the meat was literally falling off the bone. The lamb shank, at RM38, was apparently an equally good option. I could literally see Fatboybakes’ face glow with happiness in the very dimly lit, chic restaurant. Nipples Joe had a very strange looking pumpkin risotto which he guarded with his life, so I didn’t get a chance to taste it. Oh, they treated me like the plague just because of a little itty bitty flu, so I wasn’t allowed to share any of their food. Except for Precious Pea, that sweet darling. She was kind enough to share a creme brulee with me.

The creme brulee came in four different flavours. My favourite (and Precious Pea’s least favourite, my gain) was the ginger flavoured brulee. The other four sections consisted of coffee, chocolate and hazelnut. My main course of grilled cod was overly salted, but other than that, I found the flesh to be very moist and tasty.

Henry’s choice of the MIGF menu came with a tomato appetiser, Black Ink “Spinosi” Tagliatelle with Octopus Merlot Ragout and Green Asparagus for the starter, Chargrilled Australian Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Confit, Lentil’s Fava Beans and Fresh Mushroom Ragout for the Mains, and Chocolate, chocolate and chocolate for desserts.

Overall, I like the ambience at Gobo, and I’d certainly revisit the place for a few reasons:

1. Service is excellent. From the moment I entered, I was greeted by name, and they made the effort to explain all the items on the MIGF menu as well as the ala carte menu. They were also able to make recommendations on house specialties.

2. The restaurant is lovely, if you like the modern look with subdued lighting. It doesn’t feel cramped, although it isn’t a very large restaurant with a seating capacity of approximately 60 people.

3. Good value for money. One can get a good meal for about RM100 per pax. Am not sure about the wine selection, though, so maybe someone can enlighten me on that?

4. Parking’s a breeze. The hotel shares the parking area with the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, so there is ample parking.

GOBO UPSTAIRS LOUNGE AND GRILL
Traders Hotel
Kuala Lumpur City Centre
50088 Kuala Lumpur
Reservations: +603–2332 9888
http://www.tradershotels.com/

Also see Fatboybakes’ take on Gobo.

Bijou, Mont Kiara

Posted on August 31, 2007 by Lyrical Lemongrass

The buildup towards Merdeka Day has been amazing. Through publications and exhibitions, one can almost feel like one were there when Tunku Abdul Rahman proclaimed Independence to the nation, his fist raised and his voice filled with emotion.

Happy 50th Birthday, Malaysia!

The holidays are perfect for catching up with old friends. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy the day than to spend it with two of my oldest (literally!) friends from school, Yvonne and Rachael. I can’t say that I’ve kept in touch with many friends from school, having left school half a lifetime ago, but those who are still in my life are dear to me. I remember, in the days before email, Yvonne and I used to write to each other during the school holidays, and we’d create little booklets out of our letters and illustrate the pages, sometimes creating secret pages to hide clues and presents for each other. Perhaps that is how creativity is born and moulded; imagination is a wonderful tool in the days before home computers and electronic gadgets. Lest I sound like Fatboybakes and his favourite “Young people nowadays..” lament (hehe!), I should state here that I welcome technology, but children should really be exposed to more educational activities. Hmmm. Maybe I am beginning to sound like FBB after all. *gulp*

Bijou is great for an intimate get-together like ours. The term child-friendly absolutely applies to this place as there is a little playground for the kids, while the restrooms have diaper changing facilities and diapers to boot. To keep the children busy while mummies and daddies get a chance to catch up with each other, there are papers and colouring pencils for the kids to doodle away. And what better way to keep a child busy than to give her balloons!

The decor is clean and breezy. The predominant colours of pink and orange prevailed in the colours of the cushions, balloons, pictures and even the flowers on the table.

We caught up with each other over tea and cakes. The cakes were, without a doubt, marvelous. The almond brownie (RM8) was chocolatey and dense, while the lemon poppyseed cake (RM10) with the cream cheese frosting was very moist and tasty. Both cakes were not overly sweet either. Little Amanda had the coffee cupcake (RM5).

Bijou
Ground Floor, Damai Sari,
Mont Kiara Damai,
3 Jalan Kiara 2, Mont Kiara,
50480 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-6201 2131

For map, click here.

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Category Archives: Food Type: Misc Western

Pick n Brew, Glenmarie

The MIGF dinner that almost was – feat. Gobo Upstairs, Traders Hotel KL

Bijou, Mont Kiara