TWG Revisited

After almost a year, we returned for a spot of tea at Twining TWG at Pavilion. The place has certainly became more popular compared to the last time we were there, and there was actually a queue to get in - for sure as it was Saturday evening then. luckily we didn't have to wait for too long.

So, off we went onto a table of four. And we waited for almost ten minutes before we were attended to, despite indicating that we wanted to know a bit more about the tea on the menu. Unfortunately, the staff that came around later was a foreign worker who spoke bad English and basic Malay. I couldn't believe it that a restaurant of such caliber had staff who struggled to communicate. And sure enough, he got the order mixed up …..

We were not in the mood to argue and just took up what was offered - and he forgotten that we ordered for two pots as he brought only the one. We were quite surprised that we had enough teacups. Then came the tricky part when the tea was finished in the pot. Apparently the tea was brewed off the pot, so refilling with hot water would not do. So, just remember that there would be no refilling when your pots were done. You need to order another pot.

The food was not bad, as we just ordered light dinner. I had wagyu burger, which was well cooked - with a tea infused sauce of some sort. I had some cocktail - lychee with tea - which was a big mistake. It tasted …. disgusting!

So, even though the quality of the food and beverages were still up there, TWG would need to pay more attention to their service. Because after all, not everyone went there solely for the food. They would like to enjoy the ambiance as well ….. suffice to say that the visit did not go as I hoped for.

U-Cafe Wangsa Walk

Anita and her friends had been harping about it for the last month or so. During one of their get together, the had tea at U-Cafe at Wangsa Walk Mall in Wangsa Maju. It was a revelation to them. And after having a sample of the place yesterday evening, I couldn't agree more.

It was a simple cafe which was built as an annex at the the main entrance to the mall. You couldn't miss it if you enter from the main car park although the sign to the restaurant was rather obscured. Once you were in, you would've to negotiate a flight of stairs onto the main deck, but the place was secluded and cosy.
With a nice jazz music in the background, I studied the menu. It was fusion food, Oriental meets the West. I soon settled into a seafood platter, salad to share with Anita and Nasi Ayam for my main. I couldn't fault any of them, although the portion for my rice was on the small side, even for me.

I had some mint lychee for drinks, and it was a real thirst quencher. The salad was heavenly, fresh and topped with some form of cheese dressing. The seafood platter was Anita's favourite, serving sample of skewered prawns, soft-shell crabs and squids. It was also the most expensive order on the table.

The seafood platterMy sumptuous RM10.90 nasi ayamAll done!For RM10.90, the Chicken Rice was definitely well worth the order. And I could've had a couple of them with the small portion and all. The price was very reasonable.

Highly recommended. I would like to sample other sites in their on my next visit. Make sure you look for signs for U-Cafe the next time you visit Wangsa Walk Mall .....

En Ginza Cafe

Tokyo Street, on the Sixth Floor of Pavilion had been opened for more than a year. A nice area to loiter, and I was drawn there mainly for the food. It ranged from the quintessential Japan dining, to easy going cafe and bakery, all in a nice cosy ambiance. There were also plenty of titbits and ornaments to case the eyes on, for some light retail therapy.

I personally like the bakery by the entrance there, called the En Ginza Cafe. My children loved the wasabi and seaweed fries. They would mess up their faces, with their fingers turning green from the colouring. The drinks there were not bad either. But I love the ambiance, especially if you come in a bigger group when they would offer the sofa should it be available.

Idlan waiting for his fries.... and it was finally hereI told you it was cosy .....Well worth the time to explore the place actually. There were crepes and sweets aplenty, but Irfan especially loved the ornaments shops there.

Tokyo Street is on the top floor. You won't miss it if you venture around Pavilion.

TWG Tea Boutique, Pavilion

After berbuka and prayers last evening, I took the boys out for a drive. We planned to see some lights in Kampung Baru, but it turned out that traffic was really bad. We ended up stopping at Pavilion instead for some drinks.

As we came out of the car park, we saw this intimidating new restaurant there. Well, not rally a restaurant, but more of a boutique cafe, something similar to the Starhill Tea Salon, called TWG. We saw a branch before during our stay at Marina Bay Sands Singapore earlier this year, and we got curious.

An eye-opener!

But we had a slight issue. The boys were already in their pajamas, and this being an upmarket cafe, they might throw us out. Idlan and Irfan were having none of that, and insisted to go in to have a look, bearing in mind, Irfan especially was a tea drinker. The wait did not mind, more so after Idlan went to the counter and started ordering some chocolate bars.

We were sat down in the middle of the restaurant and had a look at the menu. There was at least 200 blend of tea on offer ...... some being just simple iteration is the next, but the list was impressive none the less. Picking time.

Yes, they sell teapots tooAnd some gifts tooIdlan ordered some Assam tea - by some exotic named blend of course. A second flush brew for extra kick! Irfan went for chamomile, but mixed with some exotic herbal concoction. Being a coffee drinker, I decided to go with some iced beverage, coffee mixed with watermelon juice. Not bad.

Irfan's brew, chamomile. Very fragrant.Anita's a bit strongerWagyu burger. Well done!Irfan had some quicheYup! Grounded tea powder sprinkled on them fries!For food, I had a burger, while the children shared some quiche. The fries which came with my burger had ground tea powder sprinkled on them. And the food was actually rather nice. I would definitely be coming back for snacks.

The restaurant was situated in the second floor of Pavilion, turning to the right wing on entering them all from the Bukit Bintang entrance. More details here.

The Pondering Almost Done

People sit at an Internet Cafe for the free wifi. They drink coffee there to pass the time. I often to go there while waiting for Puan Anita to finish up what she was doing at the mall. And the cafe seemed to be the right place for me to chill out alone as well. In fact, I made a lot of my life decision, figuring things out while sitting at such cafe. Trying to catch a moment of clarity.

Before my boys arrive, such moment were had in the early mornings. My favourite were the early hours of Saturday mornings. Why Saturday? Because I never used to work on Saturday and I can catch up on sleep on the afternoon while having the rest of Sunday to recover.

There had been a catalogue of decisions believe it or not. The decision against heading to Australia for further studies and sabbatical. The decision for a career change. The decision to move. All was actually made at the same spot, over a period of five years. The same very cafe. Not just the same chain of Starbucks, but the same Starbucks. Talk about finding one's muse eh!

So, I pondered again earlier this morning for more decisions. Now that things were finally in place, it was the time for the execution. And the breakfast this morning with Puan Anita at La Bodega was nice as well. But I did most of my thinking alone. And she knows when to leave me to figure things out. After all, she had been with me for the last 25 years …..

Decision time boys!