SandWHICH is Sandwich

Recommended by a colleague that we should try out SandWHICH as we're all sandwich lovers. It's located at i-Avenue and this is another place that is selling healthy sandwich in town. Starting from the vegetable with varieties in colour, egg with Omega-3 to the Salmon fish and pork that are prepared without frying, they're talking about less cholesterol or low fat.

They've 6 standard sandwich menu that consists of Prime Porker Ciabatta, Wholesome Porker, Chicken Fiesta Puff, Tuna Salad Croissant, Fruity Slim Deluxe and Ranch Egg Club. They're providing plenty of breads that include the squarish white bread, croissant, sesame bun to the Ciabatta that you can go in meaty or just be a vegetarian. Anyway, you can also 'CREATE YOUR OWN WISH' by mixing and matching the ingredients by yourself. Attila and I have decided to make our own sandwich by asking for pork slices and egg. Both of the pork and the egg are quite special whereby the meat has been marinated and boiled with some spices while the egg is alike the layer cake that the thin slices are stacked and rolled together. The sandwich is then topped with different salads and being completed with mayonnaise and cheese sauces. We're not really satisfied with the sandwich because the tastes are quite split! The ingredients somehow don't have a matching taste towards each other. Furthermore, the sweetness instead of saltiness inside the sandwich has indeed blocked the deliciousness and juiciness of the pork meat.

It's good to have healthy sandwich in the town. Besides, I like the decorations and cozy environment inside the restaurant. But, they're definitely not the best sandwich that I've tasted. For time being, I'm not really motivated by the sandwich here.

A Small Forest yet It's so Sweettttt...

It's sort of a mistake while we bump into Sweet Forest. We're indeed searching for a sandwich shop but we've accidentally walked into Kedai Pastri Sweet Forest and starting to order our food. Uncleaned tables, unmatched colours between the wall and the furniture and also the waitress that is slow and soft, we're almost reaching to the point of emotion that we should walk out from the restaurant.

The menu is simple and the choices are mainly sandwiches and pastas. I've decided to take one of the Chef Recommended, the Japan Squid in Swamp that is spaghetti being cooked with imported Japan Squid Ink. I've upgraded the pasta into set menu that comes with a soup of the day, a bun and a glass of drink; it's just simply topping up RM 6 additionally. I like the tiny chopped garlic inside the creamy Mushroom soup but I find that it's lacking of mushroom to create a strong taste and a nice aroma. Nothing is to be commented on the bun except that it's soft and warm. Frankly, I'm a little surprised to see my plate of pasta as it looks "adorable". The blackish pasta with a fried whole squid and being garnished with some green leaves, I can't wait to try out this squid ink delicacy. It's a little localised as the Chef has added the Cili Padi to create the spiciness inside the pasta but the taste is indeed very refreshing and it matches the herbs and spices completely. Besides, the "biteness" of the spaghetti is just perfect that I'm totally amazed by the deliciousness of this pasta. It's just not logical that the ugly squid ink can create such beautiful dish! More surprise to come while biting the fried squid, the meat is very fresh and it's very crispy.

A little doubtful about the Homemade Charcoal Bread yet Attila has decided to take the Forest. It's a type of sandwich that is layered with sliced beef that has been fried, Cheddar Cheese, lettuce, tomato and their special homemade sauce. It's definitely a complete blackish bun either from top view or from the side view. The meat is very tender and being coupled with their special sauce, it's not only delicious but it also doesn't taste alike the ordinary sandwich that you can find anywhere.

I'm honest that we're blaming ourselves at first that we've stepped into Sweet Forest but we're then shocked positively by a great meal. I'll definitely visit the restaurant again as I just can't wait to try out other menu and also the pastries here. One small advice, they should consider to change the customer service if they wish to boost the business in the future.

The Bulgarian at Tanjung Bungah

The only Bulgarian's food in Penang yet we've never stepped into Vintage Bulgaria Restaurant & Bar that is located at Tanjung Bungah. It's just next door to the famous Ingolf's Kneipe German Restaurant by the hillside. I've just learnt that the business is ran by a Bulgarian family. Their intention is to create a cosy Bulgarian dining environment for the Penangites to enjoy this Eastern European cuisine that comes with a Greek and Turkish influence.

Attracted by the wide selection of menu, we've decided to start with the Orley Wraps. This is a traditional Bulgarian dish whereby the cheese is wrapped inside the pork bacon that is then being skewed and grilled to a slight brownish skin. As being seen by the colours, the whitish cheese is a goat cheese while the yellowish one should be coming from the cow such as Gouda or Cheddar. This is definitely a great starter and you can choose between the goat or cow cheese on your preference. We've then decided to share the Bulgarian Sausage Platter that comprises mixed grill of homemade Kebapche, Kyofte, Karnatche and pork fillet. Kebapche and Karnatche are both made from the minced pork and beef that has been mixed with some special spices but I find the sausage has a stronger smell of the beef while Kyofte is the meatball. They're all delicious but I personally prefer the Kebapche and the pork fillet as they're tasty especially with the spices and the saltiness in the meat. I like the slight dryness inside the meat that has created the "biteness" yet it's not hard. The sauce is made mainly with the mushroom and the onion, it's a good match to the meat. Another dish that is not to be missed is the Traditional Sizzling Plate with a mix of grilled boneless pork, chicken and sausage together with assorted vegetables on a hot plate. The coolest thing is we don't need to worry about the bones but the dish is definitely very delicious! The meat is so tender and juicy while the sauce is so appetizing that I've loved to have it with bread or rice.

It's enough with the pork or beef or chicken, we've decided to order a Roast Halibut Fish Fillet. The name is interesting, isn't it? I don't really like the fish for its slight fishy smell yet the mushroom sauce is definitely tasty that I would like to have it gets flooding over the fish. Besides, do try out the potato that comes together as the side dish. Being oven-baked with some cheese and sliced onion, I really like the potato so much.

Ending the meal with a Lemon Cheese Cake and a Tiramisu, both of the desserts are quite okay but with a need for improvements. The Lemon Cheese is very smooth and tasty but the base of the cake is definitely not my favourite. Can it be replaced with a layer of crunchy cookies instead? The Tiramisu here is the cake-based that I prefer the traditional and original Italian type that comes with Mascarpone cream and Amaretto liquor.

No regret that we've made this decision to visit Vintage Bulgaria. The originality of the food is preserved here and it's definitely a worth for money. The portion is quite big, the deliciousness is guaranteed, the environment is very comfortable... We've enjoyed our dinner here except with a slight disturbance that we've a hard time to get the waiters to attend to us.

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Ben's... What is Good Here?

Thinking about the lunch for Saturday's afternoon, I've suggested to take a look at Gurney Paragon since we're just around the area. A new place in town yet we haven't tried it out, here I've suggested to go to Ben's that is located inside the white building at the ground floor. I've a high expectation over the restaurant because of the positive comments from my colleague and as well from some random blogs over the Internet.

I like the single sheet of the menu but it's hard to figure out what is actually good here? Let's do it by random pick! Attila and I have decided to take the Crab & Ebiko Salad for starter. It's a type of Coleslaw that is mixed with tiny slices of crab meat and Salmon roes and then being served on top of the butterhead lettuce. It's totally a wrong choice because the salad is very fishy that the smell and the taste have killed our appetites. Besides, it's a mess that the Salad comes together with our main courses. This is a fine-dining concept of restaurant, do I need to remind them about the sequences?

  

We've ordered the Ben's Cheeseburger on Sesame Seed Bun and the Ben's Nasi Istimewa respectively. In 1st impression, Attila has been so disappointed with his burger as it's topped with the caramelized onion despite he has reminded the waiter repeatedly. Attila is not so satisfied with the meat as it's not as tasty as and as juicy as any beef patties that he has tried before. I've not tasted the burger but this is most likely not a good burger if it can't fulfil my Boyfriend's requirement. Besides, the French Fries are so soft that I guess they're exposed to the air for a long time before they're served to our table. However, one good point is the sesame bun that is not only soft but it also tastes and smells nice from the black and white sesame seeds.

I'm definitely shocked by the portion of the Nasi Istimewa. Short Rib Rendang, Chicken Berempah, Sambal Udang, Ulam, salted egg and prawn crackers being served together with a high tower of rice, is it for 1pax or indeed to be shared by 2pax? I like the beef rendang for the meat that has been stewed for long hours that it becomes so soft and I like also the strong taste of the spices. But, it's still a little weird that the meat and spices are indeed not "bind" together. The chicken meat has absorbed the marination sauce completely that the meat is slightly salty yet it's very appetizing. The Sambal sauce is just too sweet and I'm unhappy as the prawn is not fresh that the meat is so softy. The only side dishes that I've enjoyed is the Ulam that tastes very refreshing with a little sourness from the lime and a little spiciness from the chopped chili and also the instant prawn crackers that can't go wrong!

I admit that I may have made a mistake by taking an Asian dish here but it's still a big disappointment that they're not good even for burger. We're totally disappointed by the 1st trial here and the meal is definitely not worthwhile for money.

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Twelve is 12 + Cups

It has been a well-known place to hangout for coffee and cake, The Twelve Cups that is located at Logan Heritage by Bishop Street. It has caught a lot of people's attention despite it's still quite newly in town. Being approved by the Fussies that it's worthwhile to try out the dessert here, Su and I have decided to come here after our dinner gathering.

Highly recommended by the house, we've taken the Hokkaido Chocolate Mille Crepe and the Hokkaido Milk Mille Crepe. Mille Crepe is as well being known as thousand layers cake because it's being made by stacking the thin layers of pancake alternatively with the cream. We've counted it twice, the Mille Crepe is made up by 18 layers! The Hokkaido Chocolate is the blackish pancake that is layered with the white cream and the chocolate rice balls. The black and white are very interesting whereby they look alike the stripes of the zebra. For me, the specialty of this Mille Crepe is the crunchiness of the chocolate rice balls. I indeed prefer the Hokkaido Milk as it's more creamy and the texture is smoother. But, the milkiness is very filling that I'll advise not to have it with a sweet drink.

Oh ya, to be here is to feel good and every single cakes are actually being decorated with different designs on the plates! I've mine with the symbol of 12 Cups. Looking back to the picture by Su, she has additionally a smiley face.

Angus to the Steak with Japanese & Charcoal

Fussies #1 and #4 are out of the town, Su and I are "allowed" to go for new blogging at Angus House Japanese Charcoal Steak that is located at Gurney Paragon. This restaurant is taking up the front corner at Level-1 and it has been styled as the fine dining concept. As its name, they're famous for the Steak that is char-grilled in Japanese way. One interesting information that has triggered our attentions, they're serving the same set menu for the day but the lunch is indeed cheaper than the dinner.

We've decided to share the Spaghetti a la Angus House that is called Salmon & Scallop with Miso Sauce. It's hard to imagine the combinations of Italian Spaghetti with Japanese Miso, aren't you? We're almost to laugh out loudly as the Spaghetti is served with plenty of seaweed on top. Surprisingly the sauce is good whereby the Chef has mixed the butter into the Miso sauce to create the saltiness that matches the Spaghetti completely. I'm just a little disappointed that the Scallop is not as fresh and as juicy as I want it to be. But, I'm still giving a "Thumb Up" as the creativity to combine the Italian Spaghetti with the Japanese sauce and seaweed has turned out to be a perfect deliciousness.

Our next order is a dinner set of Mixed Seafood Grill that is served together with the Hors-d' oeuvre or appetizer, soup of the day, salad, rice or bread and then a dessert. We're 1stly amazed by the small bun that is very crispy yet the inner is still hot and it's very soft. Simply to go with the butter and it's just tasty. Next is their appetizer that is a cold platter of fish meat with a yellow sauce. I've no clue about the sauce but the sweetness definitely goes well with the meat. I don't really like the Cauliflower Soup as it's too milky while the Salad is just fine being dressed with the Balsamic Vinegar. The main character is following then and here comes the King Prawn, Cuttlefish and Scallop inside a Sizzling Plate. The Seafood is quite okay but the taste is surely not too special. Oppositely, the sauce is quite interesting as it tastes alike the ginger and the orange. A yellowish cream cake that is beautifully decorated with the "Angus" in chocolate sauce, this is our dessert to end the dinner and I find it not tasty at all.

I'm not a meaty person that we've not ordered the beef here. How stupid or how weird we are?!! Anyway, we'll come back here again with the Fussies for their Japanese Charcoal Steak.