At the age of 11, Saiful was more interested in playing ‘masak-masak’ than he was playing football – worrying some family members in the process. His dream then was to start his own hotel but evolved into wanting to open his own restaurant. The dream came true.
At the age of 11, Saiful was more interested in playing ‘masak-masak’ than he was playing football – worrying some family members in the process. His dream then was to start his own hotel but evolved into wanting to open his own restaurant. The dream came true.
Encouraged by supportive family members, that dream was realised when Be Sixth Comfort Food Restaurant served a dish of Pulled Beef French Toast to its first customer on 12 August 2017. Be Sixth is a family-owned restaurant. The name itself has a strong family connection. Saiful’s parents have lived in Melawati for around 40 years in a house on Jalan B6 – hence the name ‘Be Sixth’.
To Saiful, Be Sixth is about ‘comfort food from around the world.’ Saiful’s personal definition of comfort food is food that people grew up with homemade-using fresh, quality ingredients and spices that are prepared with love and joy.
At Be Sixth, it’s all about the food. “Be Sixth is for customers who want a delicious meal followed by a good cup of coffee,” explains Saiful who started out in the F&B business with two international coffee brands.
“We blend the spices and make the patties here in our kitchen and it is our special blend of spices that give our dishes a somewhat signature taste. It’s important for us to prepare the best dishes we can because it is both an honour and a joy that customers trust us to cook for them,” said Saiful.
When the restaurant was first opened, its menu was reviewed as ‘a globe-trotting compilation of reasonably interesting recipes’ by foodie website Eat Drink KL. Today, it has expanded its menu to include ASEAN Delights as well as healthy dishes with a kids menu on the way.
The Pulled Beef Crispy French Toast remains a fan favourite while the Harissa Spring Chicken and The Salmon Pasta with Pesto Sauce are very popular. The Be Sixth platter and Shredded Chicken Omelette are recently introduced dishes that are also getting a lot of interest.
At a recent visit, some of the Be Sixth team were busy decorating a table at the al fresco dining section of the restaurant. With a lovely night time view, the al fresco section, dubbed The Balcony@Be Sixth, is becoming very popular as a romantic dinner location. People are making bookings for anniversaries and candle-lit dinners – requesting for a table on The Balcony @ Be Sixth.
When asked about his best experience so far since opening Be Sixth, Saiful paused. Taking a deep breathe he said, “Its always about making people feel good. When people come back to eat here, that tells us we did good. That we touched either their taste buds or their hearts, or both, with our comfort food. That means the most to us.”
It was clear that making people feel good through serving them good food is a passion for this young man who recently turned father to a baby boy.
Now that he has achieved one of his dreams, Saiful is also helping others achieve theirs. Be Sixth is a place where people can work and gain knowledge as well as learn how to manage a restaurant. The staff aren’t just confined to either the kitchen or the front end but are encouraged to experience both aspects.
For delicious comfort food prepared with passion and served from the heart, Be Sixth is a ‘must-try destination’. Let Saiful and his team give you a reason to come back. 
Not many eateries start from a tasty sambal but that is exactly how this little cosy restaurant tucked away at Elements Jalan Ampang originated.
Not many eateries start from a tasty sambal but that is exactly how this little cosy restaurant tucked away at Elements Jalan Ampang originated.
Whether it’s morning, noon, evening or night, there is nothing Malaysians love more than to eat. This is of no surprise with the array of food choices available here in Malaysia. There are two things that most Malaysian’s can’t live without, and that is rice and sambal.
Sambal or chilli paste is a form of condiment used in cooking and can be added into all kinds of dishes to make it spicy. It is usually associated with more traditional cooking like ‘nasi lemak’ or as the base for dishes like ‘sambal udang’. But now, it is even used to add that extra heat in western dishes like pastas.
Just like any other Malaysian family, the Sainers love spicy food.
Adilah Sainer would prepare the chilli from scratch to be used in her cooking or as a side condiment to her dishes. However, making the chilli paste can take up a lot of time, and as a working mother, she rarely had enough time on her hands. So she began making the chilli paste in advance, which in turn made cooking a lot faster. Home cooked meals for the family and close friends became a lot easier.
Friendly and sociable, Adilah would have friends over for a good meal and a good time. On one of those occasions, she served the chilli paste as a side condiment and to her surprise, her friends loved it. What started out as a delicious homemade chilli paste, from her very own kitchen, is now a growing business. Adilah established Dapur Sainer in 2013.
Wanting a name that was close to her heart and her family, Dapur Sainer was the perfect fit. ‘Dapur’ means kitchen in the Malay language and represents her Asian heritage and love for cooking, whereas ‘Sainer’, taken from her (German) husband’s surname, represents the Western part.
A combination of Asian and Western also signifies the versatility of the brand. The Dapur Sainer products can be used in both Asian and Western dishes.
Dapur Sainer initially started out as a condiment or sauce on the side. Its first product was the chilli ‘kering’ oil, made out of dried chilli. Realising consumers want for something spicier, Adilah created the gourmet chilli ‘padi’ oil, which is not only the spiciest but also the best seller. Popular amongst sambal belacan lovers, the gourmet chilli ‘belacan’ oil, works as an instant sambal belacan goreng. One of the less traditional, more unique products is the gourmet pickled habanero chillies, which is used as a condiment to dishes — a favourite amongst chilli addicts. Last but not least, are the gourmet pickled ‘petai’ & chillies — adding that extra ‘kick’ to your dishes.
With the business gaining traction, Adilah and her husband thought of expanding further into the F&B line. They opened a restaurant called The Artisan Food Trail (TAFT) that serves a variety of western and local dishes. To spice things up, Adilah changes the local dishes every two weeks.
All the sauces and pastes used for cooking are prepared from scratch.
Just like Dapur Sainer, Adilah has added her personal touch to TAFT. Nothing here is ‘straight out of the bottle’, unless it’s a Dapur Sainer bottle, of course.
Everything served at TAFT is close to Adilah’s heart as the dishes are what she normally cooks at home. One of them has emerged as their best seller – the fusion black ink squid pasta. It is cooked beautifully with Dapur Sainer’s chilli ‘kering’ oil for something less spicy, or the chilli ‘padi’ oil, for something very fiery.
The love for her family and close friends shine through in her cooking. Some dishes on the menu are inspired by Adilah’s loved ones. Nina’s Maggi, for example, is based on how her best friend Nina, likes to eat maggi mee.
Adilah draws inspiration from her children for the kids’ menu. “I don’t know. I don’t care. Those are one of the two things my kids would say to me when I ask them what they’d like to eat,” she laughed. ‘I don’t know’ and ‘I don’t care’ are now, in fact, names of dishes on the kids’ menu.
Tucked in the heart of Taman Melawati sits a humble eatery by the name of Mak O Mak. Two families run this cafe cum coffeehouse that boasts opulent flavours reminiscent of mum’s cooking on Hari Raya.
Tucked in the heart of Taman Melawati sits a humble eatery by the name of Mak O Mak. Two families run this cafe cum coffeehouse that boasts opulent flavours reminiscent of mum’s cooking on Hari Raya.
Muhammad, the owner of Mak O Mak, works alongside his mother, also known as Mastura (or Aunty Mas) who is the head chef. Mastura is the brains of the kitchen and is solely responsible for the multitude of local cuisines this place offers. Growing up as the daughter of a restaurateur, she always had high culinary expectations.
“I didn’t have much choice cause I like good food so I had to cook myself,” Mastura shares.
While Mastura was working a demanding job, cooking had to take a backseat but the anticipation of her friends and family for her meals were very encouraging; even more so when her kids proudly brought her cooking to school and shared with their teachers who, to no surprise, loved it too.
Besides Muhammad’s family, his partner, Syafiq, also has family involved in the business. “I was working at my old cafe just around the corner. He happened to know that I work there and became my regular,” Syafiq recalls. After many cups of espresso, Syafiq now heads the coffee-end of Mak O Mak while his brother and cousin tend to customers.
In a workplace that can get highly intense, working with family can get pretty intimidating and take a toll on relationships. Interestingly, Muhammad’s fiancée, Nisya also spends a fair share of her time in the kitchen as Mastura’s apprentice. She acknowledges that working with her potential mother-in-law can be tough and requires her to constantly be in check of her actions. However, it’s a winning trade-off having Mastura, who she deems has very high standards and is a near perfectionist as her mentor.
Syafiq emphasizes that they are completely transparent with one another when it comes to the business. Being comfortable amongst one another ensures there isn’t much politics that come into play. He appreciates how flexible and understanding the team is especially with him still completing his studies.
For Mastura, however, she recalls the difficulty she faced in the beginning. Having past experience working in a bank with over a thousand staff, she could give instructions without giving much thought to people’s emotions. “I like working with family because staff will come and go but family will stay,” she assured.
Muhammad and his mother garnered this idea of opening Mak O Mak after having many repeated catering orders in the past. According to Muhammad, “it’s a home away from home. It’s not a typical cafe cause usually if its artisanal coffee, it’s pasta or Western food. We tried to make it different, we serve Malay food instead”.
Mak O Mak serves very memorable Malay food that you’d be surprised to find in a cafe. Their Nyonya laksa was one that tugged at my heartstrings—so rich, so colourful, even the thought of it makes my mouth water. The recently added daging salai, smoked beef served in a creamy turmeric broth, is also a must try. It’s tender with the right amount of zing, making it a perfect dish to fulfil your lustful masakan Melayu cravings.
“The food she makes is the food you get to enjoy over the weekend or at home that mum would cook on Hari Raya. We’re happy we get to eat it every single day and we get to share it with all of you guys,” Nisya says lovingly.
The quality of the food at Mak O Mak is undeniable. The way each item is prepared illustrates the kitchen’s thoughtfulness and attention to detail. “I think I’ve been spoilt by my mum’s cooking since I was a child,” Muhammad smiles knowing that his mother’s picky eating habits is one that he mimics.
Chow it all down with some artisanal coffee or if caffeine’s a no-go, opt for the mojitos or coolers instead. Syafiq kindly prepared their Pandan Gula Melaka Latte for us. It was aromatic, generally enjoyable and something I’d definitely order again.
All in all, this friends and family-run cafe is worth a visit. Each item is pretty straight-forward and served in the best quality. If you’re ever in
the area, drop by and try them out yourself.
I remember someone I work with say that every time he hears the word ‘Matcha’, the first thing he thinks about is ‘Macha’, the term of endearment used back in the day much like the way we use ‘Bro’. Matcha, a finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea leaves, primarily served as hot beverages, is now commonly found as a flavour of ice-cream, cakes, and lattes. The in-trend flavour is a favourite to many but what’s the story behind the hype?
I remember someone I work with say that every time he hears the word ‘Matcha’, the first thing he thinks about is ‘Macha’, the term of endearment used back in the day much like the way we use ‘Bro’. Matcha, a finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea leaves, primarily served as hot beverages, is now commonly found as a flavour of ice-cream, cakes, and lattes. The in-trend flavour is a favourite to many but what’s the story behind the hype?
Niko Neko Matcha, based in Bangsar, supplies green tea products to cafes and restaurants around Malaysia as well as internationally. It all began when two university buddies, Syun Hattori and Izzat Iskandar ventured into business in Japanese green tea.
Syun Hattori who is half-Japanese grew up learning much about green tea and the tea ceremony from his Japanese family. After many business endeavours with Izzat during his university days, he finally found his calling to pursue a green tea business focussing on Matcha.
“Green tea is not just Matcha and Matcha is not the only green tea”
So how well do you know your green tea? Unlike what most people think, green tea is not just Matcha. The duo explained that there are various types of green tea apart from Matcha, such as Kukicha, Genmaicha and Fukamushicha which are all produced through different processes using different parts of tea leaves.
Green tea is made from shade-grown Camelia sinensis tea leaves that take several weeks of preparation before harvesting. This slows down its growth causing the leaves to turn into a darker shade of green. The rest of the process will differ the type of green tea produced.
Matcha is made dried flat and into a slow grinding process. However, rolling the leaves dried will result in a jade dew tea. Kukicha is made of stem, stalks, and twigs that produce a mild nutty and slightly creamy sweet taste. Meanwhile, Genmaicha has a mild nutty taste but is much creamier as it is green tea roasted with brown rice. The ones you can find at Niko Neko Matcha are recommended for beverages, desserts and pastries. Fukamushicha on the other hand is a deep-steamed green tea.
Unlike most mainstream franchise outlets, Niko Neko Matcha aspires to savour the classical Japanese tea and incorporate it into modern living. They focus on the authentic taste of Matcha, catering to three different basis; Kiku for wellness & beauty, Yuri for Patisseries, and Ren for a more luxurious taste. Niko Neko Matcha elevates Matcha from its basic traditional form and into something artistically tasteful. Not only do they supply tea bags and powders but tea tools as well. On occasion, they share their passion through workshops on methods of serving quality artisanal tea.
“A lot of people think that green tea or Matcha should taste bitter but it’s actually the other way around”
Contrary to popular belief, green tea is not defined by its bitterness. “An excellent green tea has no bitter taste at all,” Izzat explained. However, green tea is definitely defined by its colour. The greener the tea, the better! High quality green tea tastes very fine on the tongue without the rough texture and is very aromatic. Like coffee, it has a creamy and nutty essence or as what Syun calls an umami taste. (It’s an actual English word, look it up!)
One of the latest additions to their menu is a beautiful blend of red, green and white in collaboration with Ladurée. The Iced Matcha Latte Strawberry Compote interestingly unifies Ladurée’s freshly-made strawberry compote with their signature Yuri matcha latte and topped with frothed fresh milk, making it a colourful subject for an Instagram shot.
You can find their servings at over 400 cafes and restaurants, such as Thursdvys, Acme Bar & Coffee, and Le Petit Dotty’s. You might even discover Niko Neko Matcha servings at the cafes near you! Learn more about the Matcha life at their concept store in Bangsar and enjoy the physical experience of the brand. Look out for their new store opening in March.
Iced Matcha Latte Strawberry Compote in collaboration with Ladurée
From the cool wall art and the industrial lights, to its warm and chill ambience, it is no wonder POP’S has become a popular food attraction for those from and around Wangsa Maju since it opened in 2014.
From the cool wall art and the industrial lights, to its warm and chill ambience, it is no wonder POP’S has become a popular food attraction for those from and around Wangsa Maju since it opened in 2014.
POP’S Eatery is a cool, community cafe selling comfort food made from fresh ingredients.
According to Kenny, one of the owner’s of POP’S, the name of the café was inspired from the Archie comics. Kenny was obsessed with the character Jughead who used to hang out at Pop Tate’s Choc’lit Shoppe, a classic, community diner. Even as a kid, Kenny always wanted to hang out with his friends in a place like that
Kenny started POP’S with his business partner Arze — wanting to provide a place for the community to have good food at affordable prices using fresh ingredients. According to Kenny, “All of our sauces and stocks are made from scratch, all using fresh ingredients. It’s important to us to do this and at the same time keep it priced at fair value so that people can enjoy it. We have managed to advance to a point where we now employ food technology in our central kitchen to keep our quality at a consistently high level.”
Kenny and Arze noticed that there was an unhealthy trend where people were consuming more and more food that may not be very good for them. POP’S Eatery is their way of suggesting a better alternative by offering fresh affordable good food. They are incredibly pleased that POP’S has been well received.
The business received a boost when the eatery was covered by a few blogs. The socialtaiment site OHBULAN! and the Eat Pray Love blog allowed POP’S to expand their reach to a larger demographic — OHBULAN! reached the mass Malay market and Eat Pray Love, written purely in Chinese, reached the Chinese college students to late 30s. POP’S was covered by the New Straits Times in conjunction with National Burger Day to feature their delicious burgers and was recently featured on Bernama TV.
The coverage has definitely helped POP’S gain traction but the food is what keeps people coming back for more. POP’S serves a wide range of dishes from pastas to burgers and sandwiches but their customer favourites would be the cheese sauce fries, churros and the spicy cheese pasta with grilled herb chicken. To keep things interesting, POP’S introduces new dishes as ‘monthly specials’. Some of their monthly specials have turned out to be such big hits with the customers that they become permanent on the menu, like their salted egg dishes.
POP’S has been planning to add rice dishes to its menu for a while now and the recently added rice dishes have proven to be popular. The best selling rice dish is the POP’S Fried Chico Chicken served with POP’S Buttered Rice. “We are planning to introduce more rice dishes in the future,” Arze said.
Wastage, a big issue in the food industry is something POP’S takes seriously. Always conscious about wastage, POP’S takes measures to control its wastage amounts. “Sauces and batters are the most challenging to manage,” says Kenny. The trick is to balance the amount prepared against the amount used – a balancing act those of us in the F&B industry would know is easier said than done.
After about three years, POP’S has become more adventurous with their dishes. Their salted egg sauces, very own Mozarella Cheese Sticks and Stuffed Potato Croquette are some examples that Kenny shared with us.
POP’S also has its own catering services. To date, amongst their largest catering gigs were canapés for a 200-guest event and a more than 120-guests sit down dinner.
An expansion of the business is on the table as Kenny and Arze look to open another POP’s outlet in KL. As the business grows, the wellbeing of the POP’s team remains a priority item on Kenny’s list. “While the quality of the food we serve and the level of service we provide are important, we must also make sure that the employees are well taken care of,” he adds.
Pretty On Plate, the name itself conjures up beautiful delights on a plate and the team of Aaron and Mikaela don’t disappoint. Their creations are beautiful to look at, amazing to taste and interestingly named.
Pretty On Plate, the name itself conjures up beautiful delights on a plate and the team of Aaron and Mikaela don’t disappoint. Their creations are beautiful to look at, amazing to taste and interestingly named.
You have to catch their futuristic Silver galactic chocolate coated strawberries, their Unicorn Cakepop Troops and their Pink Ombré Floral Designer Madeleines to name but a few. All a sight to behold.
Co-founder and Pastry Chef, Aaron Quay is the creative mastermind behind these wonderful creations. He took us for a behind-the-scenes glimpse of where and how he comes up with all of Pretty On Plate’s amazing cakes and desserts. Armed with a Business major and an insatiable love for baking, Aaron turned his hobby into a business. Serious about his craft, Aaron enrolled at The Academy of Pastry Arts arming himself with an Advanced Diploma in Patisserie and Bakery Arts. With his friend from way back in Standard Four, Mikaela, they started Pretty On Plate in 2016.
“Pretty On Plate is about making something pretty, something with artistic value. It has to be Instagramable,” said Aaron.
It’s true. People love taking and sharing photos of their beautiful dishes. The lovely desserts of Pretty On Plate are irresistible. You find yourself compelled to pull out your phone and snap and share away.
Pretty On Plate started out as a cafe at the Amaya Serviced Residence. According to Aaron, there were a number of challenges and differences in opinions between him and Mikaela along the way but the arguments have always been about the business and wanting the best for the start-up. Aaron went on to declare “business is one thing and friendship is another. We won’t let business jeopardise the friendship.”
The dynamic duo decided to focus the business on curated and bespoke events where they create designer dessert spreads and fulfil customised cake orders. Weddings have been their biggest events so far and there have been many a memorable wedding they have been involved in. However, when asked about their most memorable event so far, Aaron talked about their involvement in a bespoke fashion event with non-other than Malaysian fashion icon, Melinda Looi.
“We were approached by Melinda Looi’s assistant to participate in this fashion event they were staging in Ampang, KL themed Bespoke Desserts,” explained Aaron. “It was a new and exciting experience. Opportunities like this aren’t easy to come by so we grabbed it.” In fact, it was because of this event that Mosaic had a chance meeting with Mikaela at a Starbucks where she was having her pre-event coffee.
Needless to say, the event was a success and Pretty On Plate’s name and reputation grew as a result of it. In 2018, Pretty On Plate was involved in the Clair De Lune’s 1st Anniversary event—designing a beautiful table decor set up for 250 guests. It was dreamy.
So far their best seller is the 54% Dark Chocolate Cake. Made from 54% 811 Callebaut Chocolate, it has a moist and dense texture filled with luscious Dark Chocolate Ganache. Pretty On Plate’s other popular selections are the Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting. “We also created the playful and dreamy Unicorn Cake which was very popular and trending. It’s a good thing that these popular and trending desserts aren’t the most difficult to create,” explained Aaron.
According to Aaron, the hardest dessert for him to make are the Plated desserts. “The Plated desserts have several different components to them and these require different preparation techniques. They have different elements and textures too so it’s all about getting the balance right.”
Aaron comes across as a perfectionist with a painstaking sense of duty to detail and craftsmanship. His creations look meticulous with what seems to be perfectly placed gold flakes, curated expressions and lovingly sculptured contours.
In the second half of 2018, Pretty On Plate struck up a collaboration with YPC International College. “We believe that there are many young people out there who may be intrigued by the idea of opening a cafe but may not realise that it takes much more physical effort, knowledge and skill to run the business than originally expected. We feel there is a gap between what is taught in textbooks and what the reality of running a cafe really is,” Aaron explained.
Together, Pretty on Plate and YPC International College decided to create a more practical approach to training and helping students in entrepreneurship and business skills. As a result of this, Pretty On Plate moved their cafe to inside the college premise as part of the canteen. They currently have three business students helping them with the daily operations.
Why not get in touch with Pretty On Plate and have them create bespoke
desserts for that special occasion, upcoming fairy tale wedding or that
anniversary you are celebrating? We are sure Aaron, Mikaela and team will
surpass your expectations and put something incredibly pretty on more than
your plate. They will create pretty memories that last the rest of your days.
Converted into a food truck of sorts, the Roxanne by Thyme Out food combi is reason enough to pay these guys a visit. And we haven’t even started talking about the amazing food they serve.
Converted into a food truck of sorts, the Roxanne by Thyme Out food combi is reason enough to pay these guys a visit. And we haven’t even started talking about the amazing food they serve.
The brainchild of Josh, Kyan and Ryo, a trio of very likeable guys in their late 20s, Roxanne by Thyme Out specialises in Mexican food and is on a mission to bring tasty flavour full Mexican food to KL−ites.
As a base of operations the guys didn’t want a typical food truck but instead wanted something that was more of a statement. “We wanted something that would embody Mexican food and fit in with the whole personality of our business. We thought the Combi would work perfectly. It’s different, bold, fun and cool, ”said Josh. It was already decided that the business would be a ‘she’. The guys searched online for Mexican girl names and came across ‘Roxanne’ which they felt fit the bill. “It’s memorable, cool and sounded sexy. Much like the food we serve.” “The good, and bad, thing about Mexican food is that not many people really know about Mexican food,” said Ryo. This lack of awareness of Mexican food added a newness to the experience of the food and a sense of adventure.
“People mispronounce the dishes constantly and come up with all kinds of versions so there is also an educational element involved,” Ryo explained.
The food served at Roxanne by Thyme Out speaks volumes in bridging the gap between being familiar with Mexican food and just hearing about it. Full of flavour and delicious, the guys are also fans of the food they serve. They each have their personal favourites and speak passionately about them. Josh’s and Ryo’s favourite, the Braised Lamb is a definite winner and just so happens to be the most popular dish on the menu. “A lot of people like the lamb. We had one customer who was ordering a huge serving of the lamb every week to a point that we were worried about him.”
According to Josh, Roxanne by Thyme Out serves all forms of tacos, a folded or rolled tortilla filled with a variety of fillings such as chicken, beef or lamb and for those preferring vegetarian they have on offer a mushroom Taco too. They also serve the more filling burritos. Served with rice, the burrito consists of a flour tortilla with various other ingredients wrapped into a closed-ended cylinder that can be picked up. The Lamb and Beef Burritos are amongst the more popular ones with the Beef Burrito being Kyan’s favourite. You can also order the Quesadilla which is a tortilla filled primarily with cheese and sometimes with some other meats, vegetables, and spices.
To the guys, Roxanne by Thyme Out has been an adventure. From getting the Combi retro-fitted and seeing it transform over a period of two months into a fully operational food truck to working on the menu and getting the right mix, balance and taste to the food.
All the guys had the dream to one day open an F&B business and a sense of belief inspired by an animated rat named Ratatouille who said, “Everyone can cook”.
“All of us love food. We are passionate about food!” exclaimed Ryo.
Ryo added that there was a lot of trial and error in getting the consistency, blends and balance right. Friends and family were used to taste and try the food—both good and bad.”
The feedback has proven invaluable as the guys consistently serve up box after box of delicious Mexican food. Kyan added that running an F&B outlet is not easy. There is so much to do from the choosing and buying of the ingredients, delivering and prepping, cooking, serving and cleaning. “Imagine cleaning at 10pm after running the outlet the whole day. But it’s fulfilling and worth it when people come up to us and say ‘Good job guys’ or someone shares on social media that they enjoyed it,” says Ryo.
And for those of us who would rather savour this in the comfort of our own home, Roxanne by Thyme Out does deliveries too. If the thought of having a Mexican themed get together or party ever crossed your mind, these are the guys to go to. They cater too. Suddenly the thought of having a Mexican themed get together with friends seems like a pretty good idea.
When asked what’s next for Roxanne by Thyme Out, this is what they had to say. “We didn’t harbour any thoughts of growing it into a franchise. This is our baby. We just want to make good quality food and cater to more people. We believe good food should be shared amongst the people.”
If you haven’t yet tried Mexican food, head out to Roxanne by Thyme Out for a memorable introduction to Mexican food that will leave you
wanting more. You can find them at APW Bangsar from 11am to 8.30pm Tuesdays to Sundays serving home cooked and freshly made Mexican food.
Cakes. There is something special about them. We seem to have them at every special occasion — birthdays, weddings, baby showers and other celebrations. They not only taste good but make us feel good too. Everyone just loves cakes, and this family is no different.
Cakes. There is something special about them. We seem to have them at every special occasion — birthdays, weddings, baby showers and other celebrations. They not only taste good but make us feel good too. Everyone just loves cakes, and this family is no different.
What started out as a love for cakes became a business opportunity for Faris and his family. Faris’ sister started baking at home for friends and family but they decided to share their love of cakes with everyone else and thus, their family business was established. It started out as an online business, serving the surrounding community closest to where they live. Now, the business has expanded into a dessert truck called Sundaydo. The idea behind the name Sundaydo is to make everyday feel like Sunday with their cakes and sweets.
The truck has been in operations for a year now, serving irresistible homemade cakes — from the traditional chocolate cake to the new generation of cakes like raspberry pistachio and Ferrero Rocher Nutella cheesecake. They also serve chocolate chip cookies and soft cookies.
As a co-owned family business, Faris runs the business while his sister continues to bake the cakes. The cakes are made using only premium ingredients like French butter and Belgian chocolate. They also use fresh fruits instead of artificial flavouring.
Their cakes have been luring customers from all over Kuala Lumpur and from as far as Shah Alam to the Sundaydo dessert truck. Their best sellers, the Devil’s Food cake, Nutella Red Velvet and their Ferrero Nutella Cheesecake are sure to make your mouth water. The Devil’s Food cake is made of a delicious chocolate ganache layered with Kinder Bueno, Maltesers and salted caramel. The price of their cakes start from RM12 per slice and RM120 for a whole cake. “That would be the starting price of our cakes but for whole cakes, the pricing could differ if there are additional requests like extra toppings or decorations,” Faris explained.
Serving their customers is one of the most important aspects on making and growing the business. Faris believes that being nice to the customers and serving them well has been a key factor to their success.
“Customers are important. You get a lot of feedback from them for continuous improvement. You just need to listen,” he said.
Focusing on the customers and ensuring their cakes are consistently of high quality has also led them to be featured by a few blogs and magazines. Faris recalls the first time they were featured. “It was a happy moment. We were just starting out and people already knew about us. It made us feel that all the hard work we put in was paying off,” he said with a smile.
All of their moist and sweet temptations can also be ordered online. However, orders for a whole cake needs to be made 3 days prior. They even do free delivery to offices in the Nu Sentral area on certain days.
Western food for the most part is considered expensive. There are many a time when we have stopped ourselves from ordering the juicy sirloin steak or lamb chop because we felt the prices were either high or downright unreasonable.
Western food for the most part is considered expensive. There are many a time when we have stopped ourselves from ordering the juicy sirloin steak or lamb chop because we felt the prices were either high or downright unreasonable.
I remember the number of times I wanted to ‘belanja’ my family to a western steak dinner but opted for pastas or pizzas instead because it was beyond my budget. That is all about to change.
Founded by Kenny Teng, also the owner of the popular POP’s Eatery, The Grill brings a modern twist to a traditional style of cooking and just as importantly, if not more so, serves good food at prices that will not burst your wallet.
Clearly, The Grill’s reputation and following amongst the Wangsa Maju-Taman Melawati crowd is growing. The few times I have been there for dinner, it was either waiting only or very nearly full. We noticed that people mostly opted to wait for a table. An indication perhaps that the food is worth the wait?
The Grill serves up a menu of interesting dishes with just the right amount of choices–not too many to get confused with and not too few that you can frequent the place and still have something new to try.
My first impression of The Grill was a good one. Its simple yet trendy industrial decor, floor to ceiling glass walls and friendly servers made me feel at ease and comfortable. Service was prompt and efficient and the waiters tried their best to answer any questions I may have had about the menu.
The menu has an interesting selection of meats and seafood with its highly recommended sirloin steak and grilled salmon.
“We focus on good quality meats,” said Kenny proudly. He continued, “Our steaks are marbled 5 rating and we charge RM32 for a 200g steak.”
It is generally known that steaks are at their best done medium-rare but according to Kenny, steaks at The Grill are served medium-done. This is because the way they prepare the steaks locks in the juices and flavour. In Malaysia, steaks are largely preferred medium-done, especially amongst the Malays, which makes up a fair share of The Grill’s customers. This is just another example of The Grill knowing their customers’ preferences, giving them something they prefer and making it a delicious experience too.
The Grill is also introducing a more discerning taste palette to its customers. As an example, the mushroom soup served at The Grill is made from blanched Shitake and Button mushrooms and is a fair bit thicker in texture to the mushroom soup that most of their customers are used to. Some customers were rather uncomfortable with this ‘new’ mushroom soup until they tasted it and were pleasantly surprised that it actually was more flavourful.
Amongst the more popular dishes on the menu are the Rosemary Garlic Grilled Lamb, Australian Rib Eye Steak and Salmon with Apple Relish. The dishes are pleasantly plated, look good and taste even better.
The Grill’s lunch promotion menu has what seems to be a slightly more Asian take with dishes like Hainanese Chicken Chop with Mash and Gravy & Louisiana Coleslaw or Grilled Beef Striploin with Mediterranean Rice. Having tasted the Grandmas Prawn & Chicken Sambal with Mediterranean Rice, we would recommend it to all chicken and rice lovers. Lunch promotion is from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday to Friday.
The Grill is mainly promoted on social media. Acknowledging that it is just as easy for good news and bad news to be shared on the likes of facebook and instagram, Kenny emphasises the importance of customer service.
“It’s important to get feedback from our customers and to act on it. At The Grill we manage any complaints within 24 hours. We are proud to say that there hasn’t been many complaints though,” he said. Kenny added that he is extremely grateful to customer feedback and feels it is invaluable to stay in the game.
Given that The Grill is getting more and more popular as people discover this gem of a restaurant in Wangsa Maju, we asked Kenny about his expansion plans.
“I feel that expanding out has to be for a reason beyond just making money. Our goal is to bring good food at affordable prices and feed as many people as we can.“
Kenny added that he wants to make their kind of food and the way they offer it more available to the mass market. “I feel there is a market for what we do,” he added.
If you are in the area and haven’t been to The Grill, give it a try. It’s a cosy and friendly restaurant that offers just the right amount of choices on their menu and, what we believe is, quality beyond what
you pay for.
When cafe hopping and hashtags took social media by storm sometime around 2010, the demand for ‘insta-worthy’ cafes was made very clear. Not many small cafes can manage to sustain for very long but Taman Tun’s Thursdvys, however, is very much still in demand and has its returning regulars.
When cafe hopping and hashtags took social media by storm sometime around 2010, the demand for ‘insta-worthy’ cafes was made very clear. Not many small cafes can manage to sustain for very long but Taman Tun’s Thursdvys, however, is very much still in demand and has its returning regulars.
We managed to talk to the founder, Hadri, at this beloved coffee joint. Hadri’s good looks are reminiscent of models that are often found on Hypebeast or Complex; though to be fair, he has actually done quite a bit of modelling in the past.
Why the name Thursdvys? According to Hadri, many of the key events and milestones in his life have coincidentally fallen on this day with the most prominent one being his dad’s passing. He had a dream of his tooth falling out not long before his dad passed on. Malay folklore has it that such dream suggests the death of a loved one is coming.
“I felt like it was the perfect symbol to actually share my journey of how it started,” Hadri shares on how the tooth became the cafe’s logo.
After the death of his father, he opened up Thursdvys to pursue his caffeine-interlaced affair with coffee. You’d expect them to have special promos or discounts on Thursdays as it is their name after all but they actually close on Thursdays.. Just for the LOLs. “In the first year, we got a lot of angry customers that were so disappointed. But after awhile, it became a joke and word of mouth, and that’s the best marketing tool,” Hadri chimed in.
They have a pretty unique way of hiring team members too. Hadri mentioned that they mostly hire young local students who are still finding their path. “We give them a piece of paper and this paper will say ‘this is you’. We don’t want any resumes because we’re not corporate,” he said. They are asked to creatively express themselves on that piece of paper. The warm ambiance from the floor crew makes it apparent that Hadri takes the service of his cafe quite seriously.
“Everyone else is making coffee as well. What makes it an experience is actually the interaction between the staff and the customers. We’re selling food, we’re not selling iPhones.”
Thursdvys changes up their menu every quarter so their customers (and team) don’t get bored very easily. Their items are a collection of ideas from the the team which means everyone gets to contribute to what they serve. They love their filtered coffee while their customers tend to go nuts for their burgers.
The interior of the cafe is quite interesting with obvious nods at industrial interior design. The pop of orange juxtaposes well against the otherwise monotone colour scheme. The inspiration for the interior was just rojak (a mix of everything), according to Hadri. A big component in the cafe is the slanted wall by the door, one which Hadri wanted more dramatically inclined but his architect sister disapproved of.
While we were seated at Thursdvys, it’s apparent that many of their customers are part of a tight-knit community. People tend to jump from table-to-table as many of their friends hang out (and work) at the same cafe. It’s pretty heartwarming to see a cafe act as a catalyst for young people to work, pursue their passion, get together and enjoy exceptionally good food with their friends while supporting a local business.
Hadri hopes to one day open his own roastery and a training ground for baristas where they can be more experimental with coffee. He also looks to provide more support for the industry and open more outlets.
Need a cup of energy booster? If coffee isn’t really your thing, you might just have a change of heart once you’ve tasted Wolf & Turtle. The drinks here are catered as much for those that love coffee as well as those that don’t. Syed Arif, who was initially not a fan, experimented with the essence of coffee and came out with a recipe that persuaded him to start drinking the caffeinated beverage.
Need a cup of energy booster? If coffee isn’t really your thing, you might just have a change of heart once you’ve tasted Wolf & Turtle. The drinks here are catered as much for those that love coffee as well as those that don’t. Syed Arif, who was initially not a fan, experimented with the essence of coffee and came out with a recipe that persuaded him to start drinking the caffeinated beverage.
Desperate to score his final year, he needed an energy boost to keep himself going as he crammed for his exams. Like most university students living on a student budget in the UK, he had to be thrifty with every penny. While working as a barista, he began experimenting with coffee tailored to his tastebuds and much to his surprise, he discovered he had a knack for coffee-making. Syed’s new found interest in coffee led him down a rather unexpected path–going on a hiatus to learn and explore about coffee in London. Now armed with big dreams, he embarked on a quest to establish a cafe of his own.
“What I do know for a fact is that Malaysians love sugary stuff, we all love chocolatey stuff”
Syed developed a formula inspired by coffees from three different regions—Indonesia in Southeast Asia, Guatemala in Central America and Columbia in South America. He feels that a nutty and milky coffee formulation with more body is the kind of flavour that Malaysians would enjoy. He blended the coffee at medium roast to enhance the chocolate and caramel taste. He calls it The Wolf Blend.
However, opening a cafe isn’t just about brewing nice coffee with a perfect blend. The onus was putting your business together and managing it. Syed needed someone with experience, someone who knows how to run a cafe. Scouting for people with the same affinity, Syed quickly created his ‘wolf pack’. Faiz and Nabil came onboard and with their background, experience and expertise, were the perfect fit.
When asked why ‘Wolf & Turtle’, Syed shared that apart from being his favourite animal, wolves are best known for their teamwork and how they look out for each other. Turtles, according to Chinese feng shui, represent longevity and sustainability–something they hope to see in their business. The dream is to slowly but steadily make Wolf & Turtle synonymous among the best coffee in the market.
Wolf & Turtle’s specialty drink is called ‘The Magic’. Brought from Melbourne, arguably the number one state for coffee in Australia, ‘The Magic’ has a smooth and intense taste. It is a quarter espresso mixed with the right amount of heated milk. If you’re coffee aficianado, spend an afternoon at Wolf & Turtle and give this hard-to-find drink a try.
Besides serving great coffee, they also serve memorable dishes that pair up well with their drinks. Syed partnered up with Chef Nik Michael Imran from Master Chef Malaysia to design the menu at Wolf & Turtle. The line up of dishes are all-embracing, serving the local traditional Nasi Lemak for breakfast, and Lindhagen, which is basically a fancy name for their English Big Breakfast. Keeping it intercontinental, they also have some Japanese rice bowl fusion on their menu while their best selling item is the buttermilk chicken.
Syed opened his first cafe at Menara Weststar as a ‘grab & go’. Their drinks were sold out on the first day. They now have three branches in KL with Faiz managing their first cafe, Nabil heading the one at Melawati Mall and Syed stationed at Wolf & Turtle, Menara AmBank on Yap Kwan Seng. Much like wolves themselves, they’ve grown from just a trio to a pack of twelve.