Dr. Massimo Minecci started Gelatomio (aptly named My Gelato), from a humble 12 flavours shop to currently a gelati-empire boasting 60 flavours with outlets in Time Square, Subang Parade, Pavilion KL, Penang, Melaka and Johor.
He supplies approximately 70 major hotels and restaurants in KL which includes Shangri-La, Le Meridien, Pan Pacific, Prince Hotel, Hilton, G Hotel, chinoiz and espressamente.

Here at Pavilion, KL, the concept is a cosy lounge where you can sit back, use the WIFI (yay!) & slowly savour your dessert.

Massimo’s secret to his success? HARDWORK (what else?) & top grade ingredients; only the best are chosen, and most of them are imported from Italy to preserve the authenticity of his gelati.

His gelati adheres to stringent Quality Control, where the toppings/nuts & CHOCOLATES are imported from Italy, and the FRUITS used for Gelatomio fruits-based gelati are sourced from the best countries that produces them.

I love Gelatomio ‘s Mango (the flavours of the fruit are really intense) & I find the Soy-apple to be a lovely sourish-sorbet gelato.

The DARK CHOC (Regular – RM6.60) is rich & creamy (NO MILK added!) and the Black Sesame (GOMA) (Regular – RM6.60) is one of the best I tasted so far. I started to compare it to other Japanese restaurants’ version, till Dr Massimo grinned & said he supplies if not ALL, 70% of the gelati in the Japanese eateries in Malaysia!!!

Actually, prior to this session, I sampled Gelatomio’s gelati before ( in April, as per the date of picture taken). I had the Crunch & Rum (RM6.60) then.

As soon as I put a spoonful in my mouth and swooshed it around with my saliva, I thought, “….hmmm…NICE.” :yes:
The Crunch & Rum is delightfully ALCOHOLIC :good: :good:

The Gelatomio Pavilion KL added a new feature that his other outlets do not carry: the cold stone. Aptly called ‘Gelatomio on the Rock’, you can choose your favourite flavours to be ‘fried’ together with your favourite toppings on the cold slab.

I had alcohol on the rocks before but ice cream on the rock?? :unsure:

below: The cold stone.

So cold that you can see a layer of thin ice on the surface.

2 different bowls at the side of the “work space” holds MELTED white & dark chocolate. Massimo ladles a spoonful of melted chocolate onto the slab & spread it out thinly. The liquid chocolate cools & forms a paper thin layer.

For our chocolate “bowl”, Massimo mixed both white & dark chocolate.

An order of Gelatomio on the Rock is RM 19.80 where you choose 2 flavours of gelati – (ours was Macadamia & Double Choc) & 2 toppings to be mixed with your gelati. If you wish to have it served to you on a chocolate bowl, ADD RM2.00. Additional toppings are RM1.00 each.

The lucky bunch of us enjoyed: (anti-clockwise frm top left)

Gelatomio on the Rock - Macadamia & Double Choc gelato with Oreos, chocolate crisps & chocolate chips imported from Italy. :good:
Gelatomio on the Rock – Strawberry Cheesecake, Blueberry cheesecake gelato with apple pie fillings (made in house), figs & chocolate chunks (all imported).
Rum & Raisins, Orange Cointreau & Crunch & Rum – the ALCOHOLIC gelati bowl. :good:

All of Gelatomio gelati is 93 – 97%  FAT – FREE ! (hence my title – License to Indulge ;-) ).  For their Fruity range, it is only water, sucrose, fruits added (and of course whatever it is that is needed to make it set). No cream or milk.

Another option: The Platter (RM16.00) which is great for sharing & also to prevent the gelati from being mixed up once it melts.
For our platter that day, Massimo chose Coffee (rich aroma & taste of coffee), Berries (made from Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries & raspberries, & as expected was sweetish sour), white chocolate ( smooth & not overly sweet), & Calamansi (sorbet-like & extremely refreshing! This one really perks up the tastebuds!).

I “Liked” Gelatomio on FACEBOOK !!! Have you?? :heart:

With so many flavours offered by Gelatomio, you can be sure to find one that you’ll enjoy. I would personally recommend Dark Choc, Sesame, Calamansi, Crunch & Rum, Coffee & Mango!

Gelatomio, Level 4, Pavilion KL (in front of Forever 21).
www.gelatomio.com
Branches:
Pavilion, Times Square, IOI Mall & Subang Parade.
Dataran Pahlawan – Melaka, City Sq – Johor & Gurney Plaza, Penang.

Gelatomio on FACEBOOK.

TQ to sweet Mei Ying for the invite & Dr. Massimo for having us! *hugs*

Their menu is not extensive & as per it’s namesake, Whisk – Espresso Bar & Bake Shop prides itself on it’s coffee & it’s array of home – baked goodies, all dotingly baked by the trio of mother and 2 sisters.

Flaky puffs, fat pies and pretty cakes were all lined up vying for attention at the counter. Everything radiates a “family”, home -baked vibe. My attention was, of course, held captive at the sight of cakes!

This pretty cake here is the HummingBird. Originally a favorite cake of the south United States, the Hummingbird Cake is moist and flavorful with chopped pecans, crushed pineapple, and mashed bananas. It is then frosted with delicious cream cheese.

Here at Whisk, The Hummingbird would be more aptly named “Banana” cake. The many-eyed fruit (pineapple) failed to make it’s presence felt and hence the cake seemed to have lost its identity. However, a follow up sms to one of the sisters confirmed that there were pineapples in the cake but “balanced” out as to not overwhelm the flavour.

Well, I still think it is a banana cake ;-) . (Oh, Check out the Daily Grind’s Hummingbird here for comparison.)

Anyhow, texture – wise it was perfect. Less dense than the average, it was light and bursting with the aroma of sweet bananas. The cream cheese icing is lovely as well; dainty & spreads easily. I do detest those heavy paste-y kind!

One cake is never enough. And I just had to try their Carrot & Pecan Cake. In any case, I’m still in the quest of searching for the best carrot cake in town. The version at Collins Bakery in Mt Kiara was good; but sadly now it only comes in cupcakes versions which somehow affected the taste. Haute Food’s Carrot cake was alright….but still not quite the one.

While the Hummingbird was spongy, the carrot cake here is dense. Dessicated coconut was very prevalent, but not so much of the carrots & just a slight nauce of cinnamon was detected. The icing is a replicate of the Hummingbird’s.

Another close up picture of the Banana, err.. I meant Hummingbird cake   :whistle:

There was no Red Velvet available that day, so I guess this calls for a re-visit  :yes: . And yea, gimme the lamb pies, quiches and all the savoury goodies too!

Whisk – Espresso Bar & Bake Shop
Location : LG03A, Empire Shopping Gallery, Subang.
Right beside – SuChan.  Which is opening soon.  ..

LeVain Boulangerie Patisserie
No. 7 Jalan Delima, Off Jalan Imbi, (right beside Fukuya)
55100 Kuala Lumpur
03 – 2142 6611
Open: 8am to 8pm – DAILY.

A very fussy bread lover, I was most excited when I first heard of this place. Many thanks to Eric for tweeting about it & for the specific directions!

It’s poshy name matches it’s interior. The bungalow that houses LeVain Boulangerie Patisserie is really beautiful, classy and cosy. I love the spaciousness, the high ceilings & aristocratic feel.

Inside, families and young couples dined; and every table is occupied. A good sign; for it was lunch time on a Sunday. However, I have expected this place to have attracted more of the expats & well-heeled crowd. Yet I saw only locals; with 90% being Chinese.
Surprising, considering that LeVain Boulangerie’s menu only has bread, buns, pastries, cakes & 3 types of pasta. This got me thinking, people are actually appreciating good breads & even finding it an acceptable alternative for a main meal. :unsure:

LeVain Boulangerie’s unique factor offering is it’s stone oven baked pastries. I didn’t get a chance to see it, and I’m assuming it’s somewhere behind all these electrical ovens.

The range and diversity of their breads, pastries, sandwiches and cakes were awesomely impressive. Instead of the boring chicken sausage pizzas, there was olives and chicken crusty thins, Mentaiko (marinated fish roe) Buns in place of bland tuna, Cashew maple replacing common butter honey buns. :yahoo:

On the “French” side, there were Rye cranberry loaves, 4 kinds of crusty baguettes (multi cereal, rye & etc) , croissants, Ficelle Breads & then there are freshly assembled sandwiches (looking deceptively very Sun Moulin here) with bountiful fillings yet all reasonably priced. :good:

Of course, let’s not forget some Malaysian-ised items like Durian Melon buns, fried noodles buns (char kuey in a bun anyone?) :yes: & beef rendang donuts (which was heavenly by the way).

I almost went berserk, :wacko: loading my tray with almost everything, and putting them back cos I couldn’t decide exactly which I want! :unsure: Everything looked absolutely amazing and obscenely delicious. It didn’t help that I’m a BREAD obssessed freak.

After several rounds of horrific indecisive picking, my tummy growled it’s protest & I finally settled for the Cheese Mango Tart & a French Loaf. Brendan & Jeremy took less than 5 mins each & was already seated with their coffees by the time I got to the table ;-)

The beef rendang donut was really good, & it helped that we got ours piping hot out of the kitchen. The crisp exterior went wonderfully with it’s savoury insides. The baby chocolate croissants was flaky & buttery as how it should be for RM1.50 each. The crab bun (RM3.60) was utterly forgettable & not recommended for it’s price. My mango cheese tart (RM4.30) was alright, but I certainly hope they could use FRESH mangoes instead of the preserved ones!!!!!

The best was the mashed potato bun, with small cuts of ham inside. :mail: The smooth creamy potatoes were studded with some potato chunks which helped to give it some body & the long sausage roll (RM4.60) was fun to chew on. Even Jeremy’s simple donut & butter roll (RM1.00) was exquisitely yummy.

All in all, it was very obvious that the kitchen got it’s TECHNIQUES and ingredients right. All the buns were deliciously fluffy & soft & each bun’s top layer is pleasantly crisp. I do wonder how that’s achieved! The crusty breads were nicely eerrrrr…crusty without being too hard and it’s insides soft & chewy. I personally opined that LeVain Boulangerie one of the best bakeries in town; better than most hotels & comparable to The Loaf!

Oh, we ordered a Dry Beef Curry Pasta too ( RM9.90). Delicious thin angelhair pasta with fragrant curry!

I bought some cakes for take-away (my stash for the week) & BOTH were splendid!!!

My vote goes to this one – Ananas - RM8.00 (Pineapple cream/custard, chocolate with a banana cake layer). (Ananas – pineapple – get it???)

Noisette (RM8.50) – mocha mousse, hazelnut chocolate with crumbly hazelnut “cake” for the bottom layer.

We walked around and took some pictures. I was particularly liked the coffee- making apparatus displayed. There were 2 cabinets full of them.

More random pics:

It is Self Service here, so make your choice, you can ask the staff to cut your buns/ breads or slice your loaves to the desired number of slices for each loaf.

Once done, proceed to the cashier for payment. Your bread/cakes/pastry will be placed on plates & you are free to choose your table/seat.

Note: LeVain Boulangerie Patisserie is owned and managed by Beryl’s Chocolate & Confectionery Sdn Bhd.

In Japan, Okonomiyaki is mainly associated with Kansai or Hiroshima areas, but is widely available throughout the country. Toppings and batters tend to vary according to region. (source: Wikipedia)

In Malaysia, Okonomiyaki can be found in…… of all places;  Low Yat Plaza, though I just read recently of another restaurant who offers this tasty & simple pancake.

The dining area is very bare; or should I say there is none? Your choices are either right in front of the teppanyaki hot plate, or on tables on the walkway in front of their tiny shoplot.

The set-up is no-frills and simple, and the same could be said of the food. Meats and seafood are all lightly seasoned & grilled. Portions are fair for the price you pay, which starts from RM16+ onwards for each Okonomiyaki.

Ok, I’m gross. I actually dug out the fillings for my Seafood & Pork Okonomiyaki   But I’m sure guys wanted to see  what you get for RM16+, right?

Like I said, the ingredients are a aplenty. There were copious amount of squids, prawns, bean sprouts, noodles and large pieces of pork.

Below: The proper Okonomiyaki before I started dissecting it.

It all started out with the a layer of batter, which forms the base layer of the okonomiyaki. Shredded cabbage & bean sprouts followed by the meats and seafood were then piled on top.

I do not know what the original noodles should be, but here I got these “Chinese yellow mee lookalike”.  These were lightly seasoned and fried.

The okonomiyaki is then flipped over, allowing the ingredients to cook (note the meats and seafood is on top, presumably for direct contact with the teppanyaki pan).

I was worried at first, seeing that the raw ingredients were not mixed up and fried but just left overturned as below. I wondered if it’s going to be undercooked but it turned out alright so there wasn’t any cause for concern in the end.

Then an egg was cracked & spread out to form the top layer. The okonomiyaki is transfered onto the egg layer.

The whole okonomiyaki is flipped around again, leaving the egg on top and a ‘special’ sweet sauce ( I suspect it is Teriyaki-based) is slatered generously over the top.

A dash of salt & pepper plus a sprinkle of chopped parsley later,  the Okonomiyaki is ready to be served.

Don’t be fooled by the size and simple outlook. This darn omelette is very filling. I almost couldn’t finish it myself. ALMOST. :mrgreen:

I enjoyed my FIRST Okonomiyaki & I’m pleased that in a way, it is a very healthy snack since minimal oil was used. I hope to taste an actual one in Japan. This is supposedly authentic but then, who could verify?

Original Okonomiyaki Hiroshima Style
Lot LG3, LG Floor (Foodcourt of LowYat, opposite a magazine shop & near the ATM machines)
Plaza Low Yat,
Jalan 1/77 Off Jalan Bukit Bintang,
57100 Kuala Lumpur
Non Halal
Opening Hours : 1130 – 2130
Price : RM 16+ each.

Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland features a new adventure in the form of a 19 year old Alice, about to be married off to a ‘Lord’ of an acceptable social standing & reputable family, which other than an indigestion problem, would have been considered a catch as a husband.

In the midst of discovering herself & her direction in life (wow, you mean this kind of thing do happen back then?), she was unwittingly bought back to the Wonderland she visited as a child, but this time with absolutely no recollection of what happened.

I am writing this review as someone who has absolutely no idea of the story of Alice in Wonderland. Nope, I haven’t read the book, nor I do have any such intention to do so in the next 10 years.

Back to movie….I’m sorry that I didn’t really enjoy it. I mean, yeah, there was plenty of props, an almost unbelievable FASHIONABLE attire (check out Alice’s dresses!) and dialogues at most parts that was completely UNcomprehensible.

The 3D rendition was almost negligible too;  for all that I could make out of the special effects (if there was any to begin with).

Now now, don’t let a cynical 28- year- old who does not believe in fairy tales deter you from the snaking long queues at the ticketing counter.
I think this makes an entertaining watch for those who are fans of Alice and is certainly a very child- friendly film, though The White Queen is a bit too bimbo-ish to be of any role model. All in all, it is still the perfect movie for families.

For me, the tea party made up for any disappointment. Scrummy sandwiches, English cookies and ok-can-eat-la cupcakes. We ate for free of course, but no fret, the tea set is available for RM35++ at Dome or Aseana Cafe.

Eye candy: Coffee, tea or me? ;p

For the KLCC screening (there is another in MV this coming Wed, which promises to be bigger, better & more extravagant!), the tea party was at the Melium Galleria, Ground Floor, Suria KLCC. The whole place was decked out in props and an actual tea table for Alice and her friends were laid out at the venue.

Greedy me walloped the whole plate (it was meant for 2 ) by myself.  My vote goes to the sandwiches and scones.

Free popcorn & Coke at the entrance to the cinema hall. A big thank you to Disney, Buena Vista Columbia & The Melium Group for the exclusive Media invites.

I can’t resist snapping pics of these dresses by The Melium Group. I didn’t bother asking for the prices of course.

However, I doubt these people actually make any purchases. They were all much more fascinated watching the making of these yummy candies.
Likewise for myself, I joined the crowd & went click-happy.

The still soft & pliable candy were stretched manually by hand from its original huge shapeless mass. Then they were rolled & left for a while to cool. After it has harden enough, it is cut into little pop- into – the -mouth chunks.

It is then packaged into these little transparent jars & sold between RM13 – 19 each, depending on the flavours.
They have these huge ones packaged in plastic too, though I do wonder who would buy these!

STICKY is apparently a very popular hand made candy brand in Australia; specializing in hand-made, quality rock candy and sugar art.

Each of these rock candies comes with their own colourful design and even have words inside them. Again, I wonder how they “shape” the designs. A colour for the outer layer, inner another colour plus different wordings & shapes within. Yet, the candy is one huge lump of coloured sugar before it was rolled into long sticks.

Taste-wise, they were a ‘lil sourish & not too sweet. Although I am not a candy person, I actually liked them & won’t mind a bottle as the sweets tasted very ‘fresh’ & “non artificial”.

This shop was officially launched on the 7th of November ’09 and the crowd on that day was a huge one as they were giving out free samples. So yeah, free samples + Malaysians = ruckus

A thing to note; STICKY takes order for customisation of sweets too. I asked for orange & blue colours, 2 layers & the initials “TNG” inside and was quoted RM730 for 6kg.
I didn’t order it of course ;p, but it is a good option to keep in mind for special occasions like corporate launches, weddings, gift packs & so forth.

Sticky Malaysia
LG 213 Lower Ground Floor,
1 Utama Shopping Centre,
1,Lebuh Bandar Utama ,
Bandar Utama , 47800 Petaling Jaya
Tel :603-77277688
Fax : 603-77257688