Malaysia Coffee Fest 2018 Part II

Continued from part I here.

A few things caught my eye and was worth mentioning. Nespresso didn't offer anything much and I was already familiar with their products. There was a company called Cristo which offered free machine rental as long as you order their coffee cartridges monthly. Their brew was quite good and straight forward but I've already got my Nespresso kit.

Krup machines were going quite cheap, about half price to what I've seen before. There were also discounts on prosumer coffee makers but the machines were just too complicated and I doubt that I could cope. Anita wasn't much a coffee drinker as well.

That kiosk brew me the best blend of the visitThis one was way too complicated for me ...More brewing and more sampling ...The best coffee I had was brewed by a company called Spetta. I wasn't familiar with their product but the latte they prepared for me was smooth and delicious. With enough kick to wake me up ... But I swore that the barista was Bangladeshi though from the way he was describing the product. I just couldn't get that out of my head as I left his kiosk ...

There were a few competitions going on at the time but with the activities around I lost track about what was going on.

These pastries were nice as well. But it didn't go for free ...I think the barista needed a break ...Some competitors being interviewed ...Time to go, although there were a few more events going on ...I would definitely go there again next time. Hopefully not on a post-call day. The caffeine fix I had should keep me up tonight in time for the World Cup Finals ...

Malaysia Coffee Fest 2018 Part I

Since downloading Facebook Local, looking for events to attend in town during weekends were that much easier. I didn't have to plan much despite this being post-call day. Left my car a Pavilion and I took the MRT to 1Utama. And I wasn't disappointed.

Looking down at the whole event from the upper floorCristo, the Italian blend offer a subscription-based service where the machine comes freeI had a few people recommending me VCR. I didn't get to sample it this time ..This would be the first time I attended the Malaysia Coffee Fest. Not really a big event but a packed one, held at the main lobby of 1Utama new wing over four days.

This being the last day, the place was packed and the barista competition were teaching the finale as well.

The Cristo machines looked to be a hitSamples which led me to drink too much ...Waiting for it to brewI spent about an hour there just looking around the rows of stalls, all selling coffee makers, coffee beans, introducing various method of brewing, some common, some not very ... There were also stalls selling tasty pasties. Plenty of things to sample.

By the time I took my fourth shot, I was really jacked up, blary eyed despite this being post-call. Some strong brew they got there.

Continued in part II here.

Xmas at 1Utama

The last time I went to 1Utama must have been during the Merdeka Day when they had some decor up for the Hari Raya celebration. Fast forward four months, and we were nearing Christmas. Puan Anita wanted to buy some car accessory for our minivan, planning for the weekend trip to Kuala Kangsar - she wanted to buy a bin I think - so we went to Jusco there for a quick look. There was not much in the once-fully stocked home furnishing center at the old wing there. Rather disappointing, but Anita got her bin as she wanted it. However, the Xmas decor was already up, and oh boy, weren’t they amazing.

The main foyer at the New Wing was transform into what appeared to be a skating rink. Not sure if there will be show there though.The Xmas trees here came in all shapes and sizesChocolates ........The main courtyard was transformed into what looks like a winter wonderland, complete with pebbles on the walkway. The central area was empty at the moment, but I think, they were planning to put up a skating rink judging from the flooring. The shops were up and fully made up as you can see from the pics, complete with fake snow. What interesting was the candies on offer were all imported, reminding us of Xmas in the UK. Marks & Spencer booth on the old wing also offered some authentic English condiments, such as Christmas pudding - non-halal of course, topped up with brandy sauce. The boys got some Twix bars and other chocolate.

More shops at the Old WingOrnaments ....They deserved a breather ..... There were shops selling Christmas decorations to those who will be celebrating. The ornaments looked authentic, especially the small Santa snow grottos they have with tiny little shepherd dolls and sheep. I think I will give the place another visit in a couple of weeks when the full decor would be up. Parking has always been a bane for visitors at 1Utama, and we spent a good 20 minutes trying to find a bay yesterday. The fact that we were driving a minivan did not help. We used to park at the OneWorld hotel, a building right next to the old wing, but it was also full yesterday. So, if you are visiting, be prepared to come extra early, or else you will probably be parking outside. Public transport was not an option for us unfortunately as the shopping mall was well out of any of our usual routes.

Sawah at 1Utama

Keeping away the pesky birdsWhen I was in the UK, during the cold o winter, one thing always kept me going. The decorations at the shoppings malls and around town centre during Christmas. There will be carols, Santas and the Santarinas of course, store fronts with gorgeous decorations. There were also blockbuster movies being released. All the TV programs will have special airings during these festive times. To cap it all off, there was the Christmas sale from Boxing Day onwards.

BubuI guess I was hoping for something similar come the festivities. The main issue with Malaysia maybe there were just too many celebrations for the malls to really invest in and make an effort to decorate their lobbies. There will be the Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali and of course Christmas at year end. Last Raya, KLCC won hands down with Dato’ Lat’s effort. Chinese New Year, I must say The Curve had a really superb decor. I think this Raya, 1Utama will definitely win. For God’s sake, they brought in a whole paddy field into the lobby, removing the tiles and all. That was what I called effort!

On Merdeka Day, I had the chance to give it a visit. I was impressed. And judging by the number of visitors, plenty of people did as well. The children are running around. Family busy posing at the huts and scarecrow. Eager dads explaining what was on show to their city-dwelling kids. Some of which may never have been to a real kampung, let alone getting their feet dirty in the muddy paddy fields. One Dad was explaining his young boy how to use the bubu to catch fish. So sweat!

The floor tilings were removed, and the base was lined up with some plastic material on which real paddy were planted on a bed of soil. Some of it were already sowed, while the rest was still green. There was also a scarecrow, replica houses and some other kampung tit bits. I managed to browse through the upcoming programs they have in the days leading up to Aidilfitri. There will be demonstrations by real farmers, and other craft making shows. The programs were mainly for kids, and it was pretty obvious that the kids were enjoying what on show. It was a shame that I couldn’t bring Idlan and Irfan. I didn’t think they would have enjoyed the traffic and the rush coming in. Parking was already a struggle at 10.30 am. Imagine arriving there in the afternoon ……

Definitely One to Avoid

As I mentioned in my previous entry, the lunch at Theobroma Chocolate Lounge is something to be avoided. The decor and ambiance was nice. The cafe was strategically placed on the first floor of the New Wing in 1Utama. Anyone passing by would have noticed it. Certainly a nice place to crash into should you become peckish after a day shopping. So, you better be desperate before you get here.

The place thrive on specialties such as novelty chocolate coffees and chocolate-dipped fruit cutlets and the likes. There we also promotion for roasted chicken with rice and the menu seemed simple but elegant. I went for pasta, as I know you really need to make an effort to mess up an order of pasta. The one that I ordered was something along the lines of 'seafood pasta olio olio' or whatever it meant. So what did I get?

Pot of tea anyone?It was basically spaghetti dipped in chili oil as the sauce, topped with some poached mushrooms and prawns. On the side was a cut of baguette that was hardly fresh smeared with garlic butter, to be passed as garlic bread. As for the roasted chicken, it was a piece of chicken thigh, precooked, then microwaved to warm with a small bowl of rice. For drinks, I ordered iced white chocolate, topped with shaving of cocoa. The chocolate had a hint of vanilla to it, but the after taste was too bitter for my liking. They need to cut down on the cocoa shavings, or use a less concentrated chocolate bar!

The saving grace was the a la carte chocolate pieces that my children had. It was not as nice nor as expensive as our usual Godiva offerings but at least it was an improvement to the food. I think the place should concentrate on simple meals, sandwiches and the likes rather than attempt anything more filling. I am sure the drinks can't be that bad, maybe it was the overzealous barrista being generous on the cocoa shavings. The ambiance was really nice, and if it was not for the food, I would probably go there again. As it stands, it was not worth it! So stay away guys and gals!