I’m a dessert fiend.
As much as I advocate ‘eating clean’, I have a love-hate relationship with sugar. I can’t live without it still.
The best I could do is opt for less sugar or select “healthier” sugars (honey, agave, coconut palm sugar) in my drinks and food. I do limit my intake of desserts (I seldom finish a whole slice of cake or a full scoop of ice cream) and weekends are my indulgent days.
For this article that I did for Zafigo.com I had put together my top picks of desserts in town. I’m posting it here as well (original article –> HERE ) and adding a few more to the list. 🙂
Let’s begin with something local, cheap and simple. Like our dear ais kacang; the familiar mould of shaven ice drizzled with our rose syrup and gula melaka and topped with all things sweet and delicious in a bowl.
As much as I adore my Italian gelato and Japanese mochi, the ais kacang stays top in my list of favourite things.
WHERE: Ais kacang and chendol at Brickfields
In our hot and humid city, sweet, finely-shaved ice with toppings of various textures and flavours (usually nuts, jellies, beans, sweet corns) is perfect to sooth parched throats and to cool the body down.
Shaved ice is very popular in Malaysia and can generally be presented in 2 forms; “ais kacang” (or simply ABC) or Chendol.
The former is a mound of fine ice drizzled with red, black syrup and evaporated milk with toppings such as sweet corn, red bean, jelly, attap chee (palm seeds) and for some versions; creamy ice cream and fresh fruits.
The latter includes rich coconut milk and aromatic palm sugar with green starched jelly noodles. A version with fresh durian pulp is popular too.
Many coffee shops, hawker centres, food courts, cafes, hotels and restaurants offer this dessert though the ones in hotels, restaurants and cafes are expectedly more elaborate in terms of the ingredients offered.
Ais Kacang – RM3 or RM3.50.
The stall:
How to get there:
Address: Ah Keong’s ABC is located in front of 7-Eleven, opposite YMCA
Jalan Tun Sambanthan 4, Brickfields, KL.
Closes at 7pm.
Take the train (RapidKL LRT – PUTRA Line OR Monorail) to KL Sentral Station.
Refer map:Â https://goo.gl/maps/8Yfn7
Other recommended places:Â
2. SS2 Wai Sik Kai – Stall No. 41.
3. Stall No. 22 Ayer Panas Hawker Center (tel: 012-624 7610).
It is located inside the Ayer Panas Hawker Centre, Off Jalan Genting Klang. From KL, drive along Jalan Pahang until you reach Jalan Genting Klang, then turn right into Jalan Ayer Panas. Continue until you reach the T-junction at the end of the road. Here, turn left and you will see an old hawker centre on your left. Look out for the stall with empty Hennessy boxes hung around.
GPS: N03 11.388, E101 43.82
Reference:Â https://www.rebeccasaw.com/hennessy-lor-mee-yummy-ais-kacang-at-setapak/
**********************************************************************************************************************
After our humble ais kacang, the simple pancake is another cheap and enjoyable snack/dessert.
Do try this one at Bangsar – Sweet Apam at Om Shakti Chelo’s Apam Stall.
An apam or apom is essentially a pancake (the soft version) or crepe (the crispy version) made from the basic ingredients of flour, egg, sugar and some with coconut milk.
The Om Shakti Chelo apam is unique even to local Malaysians as this version has a soft molten centre while the edges are crispy.
Plain Apam. RM1.20.
This is good….
The batter is a special recipe as well and we are quite certain it is one of its kind in Klang Valley.
The original (RM1.20) is creamy, sweet and addictive but what we would personally recommend is the palm sugar (Gula Melaka) version (RM1.50).
Brown Sugar Apam . RM1.50 .
With added aromatic palm sugar the sweetness took on a nice caramelized flavour which really complements the richness of the apam.
The apam is the main attraction for me here but there are other Indian snacks available as well and all are freshly made/fried on the spot. Take your pick from the chapati, curry puff, Â kuih gulung, tosai, vadai and fried bananas, potatoes and spring rolls.
Om Shakti Chelo’s Appam
Lorong Ara Kiri 3,
Lucky Garden,
59100 Bangsar,
Kuala Lumpur.
**********************************************************************************************************************
Cakes are close to my heart.
I can’t bake (actually I can but I’m not good at it. I just can’t spare the time to perfect a recipe!) well enough to churn out such delectable creations.
There are many bakers in town but I give utmost respect to Cheng Cheng of Swich for her dedication and inventiveness. While the tried and tested chocolate and red velvet remain popular for some unexplainable reason, Cheng Cheng’s Swich Cafe offers the norm and more.
Her weekly specials could get crazy. Marmite, gula melaka, chendol, seasonal local fruits like jackfruits and cempedak are incorporated cleverly into her bakes.
I kept myself updated on her inventions via her FB page (www.fb.com/Swichfinefood) and visit her cafe at Publika to get my weekly dose of cake fix.
Her kiosk in Publika offers about 20 types of cakes daily but if you only have space for 2, make them the Mangosteen Cake and the Cempedak Cake.
Frosted with mangosteen cream and served topped with fresh mangosteen, we love the tangy sweetness of the fruit and the light sponge base.
How to get there:
Address:
Swich Café,
G3 Publika Shopping Gallery, 1 Jalan Dutamas 1, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Take the train (Putra LRT) to Bangsar Station.
Refer map: https://goo.gl/maps/L9KrZ
**********************************************************************************************************************
Close friends of mine would know I have a weakness for ice-cream and gelatos.
And it can’t be just any ice-cream. I do not favour commercial brand ice-creams and I actually dislike Baskin Robbins and Haagen Dazs. Most commercial ice creams are sickeningly sweet and if you read the labels you will shocked at the amount of chemicals (in forms of stabilisers, etc) added into the tub.
My pick of local artisanal gelatos/ice cream?
Cielo Dolci (Paradigm Mall) and its “offspring” the Whimsical Gelateria & Caffe at Publika.
Kee Win is another madhatter churning out Nasi Lemak gelato (coconut based gelato with topping of chilli flakes, crispy anchovies and peanuts) and other localised unconventional flavours such as tau fu fah, kedondong (Ambarella) and black glutinous rice.
(pic above courtesy of CD FB page).
Another joint that I visit regularly is Inside Scoop. Their first outlet is at Telawi Bangsar and they had since opened another at Damansara Jaya.
Their durian and cempedak ice cream is full-bodied fruit flavour and thus such a delight to savour. I can’t honestly say I like all flavours but the durian and cempedak ones are definitely my top picks.
Where:
Cielo Dolci
Address:
D2-G3-05, Solaris Dutamas, 1 Jalan Dutamas 1, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia OR Paradigm Mall.
Take the train (Putra LRT) to Bangsar Station.
Refer map: https://goo.gl/maps/L9KrZ
Inside Scoop
Damansara Jaya outlet: 57 Jalan SS22/19, Damansara Jaya, 47400 Petaling Jaya.
Bangsar : 9, Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru
KL, Malaysia.
**********************************************************************************************************************
Moving back to the old and traditional, how many of you are fond of the boiled sweet soups? Or the creamy lentils, peanut and coconut milk bubur chacha?
Tong Sui Stall @Pudu Wai Sik Kai (Traditional Sweet Soup Stall)Â offers such “tong sui” (sweet soups) on a rotational basis.
On some night it is red bean and mung bean and on other nights it could be black glutinous rice and barley soup.
Some has added coconut cream (such as the one below which is called mak chook or bubur gandum) and while these little bowls may look non-substantial they could actually be quite filling. It is best to order a few to share.
Each bowl is about RM1.20.
To be honest I find the ones here not as good but you certainly can’t beat the price. There are better ones in other areas though those may not be as accessible.
However for restaurant versions, most Chinese restaurants would have a dessert section so do check it out!
How to get there:
Address: Jalan Sayur off Jalan Pudu
Take the train (RapidKL LRT – Ampang Line) to Pudu Station.
Refer map: https://goo.gl/maps/1HVvD
**********************************************************************************************************************
Next I pay homage to the King of Fruits.
Commonly banned from most commercial establishments it was a surprise to see specialty dessert shops in a swanky shopping mall.
The unfortunate part is they don’t sell durians in its original form, but instead in various permutations such as cream puffs, chiffon cakes, Swiss rolls, cheesecakes, mousse and mochis.
Still one can’t complain, especially when good durian are used; which are spot-on homages to the king of fruits.
Durian Durian at Suria KLCC.
The durian mochi is chilled satisfaction; soft to the touch, pleasurably sticky to the bite.
Try the durian kuih bahulu if you’re a lover of traditional sponge cakes as this is a spin from the traditional bahulu.
The buttery crust with creamy durian infused cream is a marvelous adaption of the common cheese tart.
While you’re at it, make space for a pungent cone of durian ice cream.
Or the durian cake. Or the chiffon. Or the chilled durian cream puffs, else you can try the baked, flaky ones too.
Some are packaged for longer lasting freshness and are just ideal as souvenirs.
Also within KL city, Durian Lagenda is another brand that offers durian desserts.
The range here is less, but the durian mochi, durian pancake and the durian crepes are still worth a shot.
DURIAN DURIAN Kiosk at Suria KLCC:
How to get there:
Address: Concourse Floor, Suria CC, Jalan Ampang, KL City Centre, Kuala Lumpur
Take the train (RapidKL LRT – PUTRA Line) to KLCC Station.
Refer map:Â https://goo.gl/maps/PUE80
DURIAN Lagenda kiosk at Hutong Lot 10:
How to get there:
Address: Hutong Food Court, Lot 10 Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur
Take the train (Monorail) to Bukit Bintang Station.
Refer map: https://goo.gl/maps/0ec3D
*********************************************************************************************************************
To be continued…
