More than just coffee at Black Canyon Coffee

Black Canyon Coffee is a place easily mistaken for one that serves coffee and tea along with light snacks as the name suggests at a glance as one takes a walk down the outer boulevard where it is located in Gurney Plaza.
There is no way one could have associated the place with main courses or even Asian food dining, simply due to the sound of the name itself, let alone think of proper course set meals or spicy food; unless of course, one has actually heard or been to the cafe itself.
It does not help with the clarification of their identity with their location along/beside cafes such as Starbucks and Dome either.

Originating from our neighboring country, Thailand, Black Canyon Coffee is indeed a cafe that specializes in their own local style coffee designed to their business's identity.
From iced coffee, lattes and tea, Black Canyon Coffee is just that kind of cafe for one to enjoy a good chilled drink and just well, chill.
Its roots from a land famed for exotic tasting food particularly in the hot and spicy department is just justification enough for them to include their local cuisine food; the pride of their cultural origins even in a cafe themed environment and that was how Black Canyon Coffee revolved into also a cafe-restaurant, serving more than just your regular dose of caffeine fix.

It is a little unusual and tad a bit weird (perhaps it's psychological) to imagine a menu bursting with full-fledged main course meals of an Asian origin in a place which is associated with coffee.
At least it is to me.
As I say, it must be psychological for I had made up my mind that this was no more than a coffee place and I dare say it must have also slipped past the mind of the many who have just walked past the place with a mere glance casted in their direction.
I think something has got to be done with the naming of the place, perhaps locally here?

I was surprised with the variety of meals and dishes offered on their menu and even set lunches designed to cater specific numbers are available (two pax, 4 pax, 6 pax).
They are just eager to attract their own share of diners who are on the hunt of set meals which come with recommended and pre-set courses which saves the trouble of deciding on what to eat from the menu itself.
It is a wise idea.

When you are in a place which started off as a cafe, you must pay homage by ordering drinks with a caffeine-theme.
It is an unspoken rule, and while I am not a caffeine person, I am glad my other half is.

Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte (MYR7.90)
It was tad a little diluted in its taste though the ice and chilled part of the drink came in useful when the food arrives...

Spicy Seafood Tom Yum (MYR16.90)



Well, the name says it all, and it was truly spicy that one could break into sweat within the first few spoonfuls (not that there is much to begin with). Of course our hot weather could be the reason for the perspiration but this is truly one spicy tom yum.



Portions were moderately sized and I would say it fits the serving size of a cafe themed restaurant, offering just that right amount to tempt your appetite but not leaving you stuffed with no room to breathe, if you get my meaning.

The seafood tom yum came with quite a generous amount of fish fillets, prawns, squids, mushrooms and tomatoes swimming in the flavorful soup spiced with lemongrass, tamarind pulps, coriander leaves and tomatoes.
It was quite addictive with that exotic taste, not to mention appetizing despite the 30 degrees Celsius temperature out there.





I was delighted to see that they have this, Pad Kee Mao, which was Spicy Stir Fried Seafood with Hot Basil (MYR13.90)



I used to enjoy this at one of my regular Thai restaurants that I haunt, but since they have ceased operations, I could hardly find this in most of the places I went despite this being a relatively simple and regular Thai dish. It is one of the most basic and probably one of the common street style dishes even.
This was again another spicy dish and while it is not too bad, with the generous amount of seafood (prawns, fish fillets, squids) along with an assortment of long breaks, button mushrooms and of course, wickedly fat slices of red chilies where the seeds were tossed all over the dish for that tantalizing taste, I would say I have tasted better.




Surprisingly, the salad which was supposed to be the appetizing start to my meal came to the table the last.

This, I must say, is the star dish of my entire meal.
If the theme of the Spicy Tom Yum and Pad Kee Mao did not do enough to stir up that sweat glands and trigger that excitement on the taste buds, this, just kicked it up a notch to remind one that they are truly at a Thai restaurant.

I mean, this is kicking spicy.

Spicy Salmon Salad (MYR10.90)

Who would have thought that the salad, which was supposed to be one to balance and even out the tastes turned out to be the main killer of the entire meal?
I have truly underestimated you.
It did well, and it really pushed up that adrenaline and sweat glands and I was just panting and the ice in the drink, that was the savior.

I was enticed by the name and theme of the salad which uses salmon and at such a reasonable price that the salmon-crazed me just have to have this.
The colors were just brightly appealing and drawing one to just enjoy the dish.
Deep fried salmon chunks tossed with largely diced tomatoes, cashew nuts, onion slices, stalks of spring onions and coriander leaves drenched with a sweet and sourish tasting sauce on a bed of lettuce leaves were just luring one into its colorful lair.
Those evil bird's eye chili did all they could to just numb your senses and just sends that hot sensation down your tongue, throat and straight into your tummies to just give them that surge of warmth.



Salad as an appetizer or a safe choice?
This is definitely not and is all about spunky attitude.
I have underestimated the power of the salad.
I have learnt my lesson and I will never do that again.

The food is truly a mind-blowing feast and if that is not enough, the presentation of their rice here could be something to draw your attention to.



I just love the creativity and this "square box" of rice is just too cute to be eaten, but is necessary to help cushion the effect of the spices on the lining of the stomach.
Can I have a "Square box of rice"?
It is just too adorable.
I love it when people get creative with their food presentation.


Black Canyon Coffee is definitely more than just plain coffee and tea and their move with set meals and even the affordable prices of their food and drinks at a well-sized portion could be attracting more to their turf soon.
They have definitely brought along the alluring tastes of their homeland to warm the hearts and of course stomachs of the local Malaysians, or rather, Penangites where they are currently based.




I know I am definitely pumped up, not to mention spiced up on my first visit!




Disclaimer: 
All the experiences are based on my personal tastes and are in no way representing the general.
This is not a sponsored post by the restaurant, and is purely based on my personal opinions.



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Tastes of Thai with love from Annathai Kitchen

Nestled in a merry neighborhood with just a stone's throw away from the Pulau Tikus Market is this humble house turned into a restaurant, known as Annathai Kitchen.
Surrounded by the rowdy sounds of the metal and ongoing construction taking place in the area, Annathai seems unfazed by it all as all is peaceful and calm when one steps into their unpretentious abode.

 

There is definitely no frills about their simple interior; filled with neatly arranged tables and chairs set against the glossy finished walls decorated with black and white scenes of the old Siam glistening under the soft lighting. While the interior was just kept to the bare minimum, it was more than sufficient to create a relaxing ambiance and I was quickly made to feel at home.







Drinks:
Green Salak Syrup - also available in red (MYR3.50) and Home cooked Water chestnut (MYR2.00)


The green syrup is a drink favored among the Thai, as we were told by the Thai lady who took our orders, and it also comes in a red version. The drink is slightly sweeter in taste and will be better appreciated by those with a strong penchant for sweet drinks.
The water chestnut drink is a good option to chill and refresh one's senses; with the grounded chestnuts and in the lightly diluted juice.

Stir-fry Kailan/Kale with salted fish is one of the common vegetables we order and with the simple list of options for vegetables on their menu, this was the one which appealed to our interests and familiarity zone. Salted fish was definitely the salty factor; given its revelation in the name and it was served in a relatively home cooked style.





I cannot remember the name of the next dish; which was a unique presentation of prawns in their special sauce (MYR25.00)
While the prawns do not come in extravagant large quantities, they were good enough to feed portions of two and the light creamy curry sauce was an interesting complement to the juicy freshwater prawns.




On my first visit here, the Kang Som Fish (Seabass) (MYR45.00) was the one which left us perspiring from the spicy sensation which sends that hot thrill, numbing the tongue all the way to that warmth in the tummy. Perhaps it was my low tolerance for spicy and hot food, as this was already requested with a milder degree of spicy and yet, I was still in for a sapid peppery ride with each taste of the fish.
The fish was delicate in its flesh, signifying the well-steamed techniques applied in the process to deliver this appetite-tempting dish to perfection to keep the customers screaming for more, well, literally.






Another of my personal favorite choice of serving the fish, which I tried on my second visit was this Lemon Steamed Fish (MYR42.00) which is definitely another winner.
I love how the fish was steamed with careful thought to maintain the freshness and tenderness of its flesh while the sourish sweet and a light piquant note of taste in soup, composing of the zesty lemon juice enhanced with finely chopped garlic, chilies, coriander leaves and lime, seeped in effortlessly into the fish.





A Thai meal will never be complete without a good bowl of hot and authentic Thai tom yam soup and the Seafood Tomyam Soup was just the right companion to polish the meal nicely.



Another interesting appetizer to try at a Thai restaurant, though not every restaurant will offer it is the Mieng Kam which is a healthy and interesting way to start a meal the Thai way.



I am not sure if you have tried this; which is mainly composed of ingredients which includes vegetables and fried nuts, cucumbers to name a few placed atop leaves which can then be lightly rolled and enjoy with the special sauce to enhance the taste and whet one's appetite.
The uniqueness of this appetizer lies in the sauce, and is a good experience for those who are opting for a light way to commence a meal.

Annathai is definitely a household name to the Pulau Tikus neighborhood and has courted their very own customer base over the years they have been operating from the terrace house.
Run by the family, where the mother is the chef and a Thai daughter-in-law, Annathai Kitchen has definitely planted her roots in the hearts of the local residents, bookmarked as one of the simple and homey Thai neighborhood restaurant.

Rainy night at Awet Thai Garden

It was a rainy night when we were heading out for dinner, eager to try out a new Thai Restaurant we were told about and to enjoy an evening dining with the family.

Awet Thai Garden, located in Sg Chua, Kajang is an interesting name for a Thai restaurant, but the pond nearby provided a setting for the restaurant to arrange for a platform overlooking the pond to be built which gave the restaurant a rather unique environment.
However, to our disappointment that night, we did not get to try out the dining environment nor had any view of the pond as it was raining cats and dogs and we were advised against sitting near the pond to avoid the furious patters of the rain coming in on us.

It was raining heavily and while we were pondering on how we could get out of our cars, we need not think further as the helpful staffs of the restaurant rushed out and directed our cars to drive into the main entrance pathway which was shaded to drop off the passengers in our car.
Then he followed the driver out in the rain with an umbrella to shelter the driver of the car from the rain as he gets out of the car.
Bravo for the extremely great service; the best that I have seen and this is what I call going beyond the bars for service. We were really touched and impressed on our first time here, and it's a thumbs-up for the service.





As we sat down at our tables, another waiter came forward with a jug of water, which had the pleasant fragrance of panda leaves in it, to serve us while handing us the menus.
(I originally thought this was complimentary since we were not asked if we wanted it, as they just served it directly. However, turns out, it was charged to the bill at MYR0.80 per pax.
I personally think this could be improved by confirming with the customer, and not assuming that the customer would want the water. It is not the matter of the price to pay for water, but just courtesy).




Service was rather prompt and we did not have a long wait for our food to arrive, after ordering from an extensive menu with a wide variety of selection and recommendations from a helpful waiter.

Stir fried Paku pakis with belacan (chili shrimp paste) (MYR12.00)
This is a crunchy and rare vegetable which is seldom found in most restaurants. The vegetable was well tossed with the right amount of chili paste which lent it the flavor though the portion was slightly smaller.




Kerabu Seafood (MYR12.00)
The sight of the huge and juicy squids already tempted us even before the plate was placed down on the table and the dish certainly did not disappoint.
They were generous with the seafood; and the squids and prawns were juicy and succulent, just satisfying our tastes all the way.





(Decided to turn off the flash and took the photos under the restaurant's dim lighting)


Tomyam Seafood (MYR18.00)
Priced at MYR9.00 per pax, the waiter recommended a portion for two pax for us.
The tom yam soup had the right amount of spices, tamarind and lemongrass which made it just perfect in its blend of tastes of sour and spicy at the same time, and again, with the generous portions of seafood and oyster mushrooms.



We are all extremely picky with the tastes of tom yam soup, where some tends to be too spicy to the point of numbness, or some too creamy and lacking that right percentage where everything is well-balanced to give the soup rightfully its title. We found this fits the bill, and it was just the perfect soup for a cold rainy night.
(No photos of the ingredients as I was taken away discussing about the tastes of the soup with my family).

Fried prawns with eggs (MYR15.00) 
We opted for this, since it looked unique on the menu, passing over on fish cakes.
It was like prawn omelette from its appearance, but the egg batter was well-fried with the right amount of energy from the wok (wok hei) to result in this complex omelette weaving a generous amount of prawns in it.
(According to my mum, it is not an easy task to produce eggs batter while frying in this style).

This definitely did not disappoint and we were pleased with our choice, though we will definitely order the fish cakes the next round.


Steamed Tilapia in Thai style (MYR31.40)
The fish was weighed and charged according to its weight upon its selection from the aquarium where they bred the different types of fish.
This was a recommended style by the waiter, which had a rather unique taste and it was not too spicy.


While there was an assortment of ginger, lemongrass, spring onions, and a handful of chilies in it, the broth was not really spicy. The unique part was the fish was also served with minced meat as part of accompanying broth, and it is rare to me.



We wanted to order the desserts as they were tempting us with the widest selection I have ever seen in a Thai restaurant menu, and everything looks and sounds so enticing that it was really hard to resist to order. However, to our disappointment, most of the desserts ran out that night and we had to just abide by fate to just keep a watch on the waistlines and overindulgence.

Overall, the food was good and the service, was as mentioned above, impressive.
Even the restaurant's owner was rushing about to serve the customers, and yet he had the time for a quick banter with each of his customers to ensure the satisfaction.
The meal above costs approximately MYR20++ per pax, and is rather reasonable although some of the servings tend to be smaller than expected. However, they were definitely not stingy with their ingredients.

So, desserts maybe in our next visit, along with fish cakes, and the other dishes....I think I need to make a list...

Bangkok Food Diary: Mango Sticky Rice

There seems to be no end to this dessert when I was in Thailand; with a friend who was obsessed with the Mango with sticky rice.
I have heard of the fame, and how it tops the must have list when one travels to Thailand and it is always customary to do touristy things and eat the oh-so-local type of food (which the locals don't really bother with most of the time), that this automatically lands a spot on the list of our travel itinerary in Bangkok.
As it is so famous, and probably common too, we learnt that there is no need to search for the dessert in particular as it could be found anywhere; yes, almost everywhere we went. It was that common.

For instance, at the food court in Terminal 21, there is a stall which is practically made of, I meant, covered with mangoes.


The first mango sticky rice she tasted...and she was on cloud nine for having satisfied her cravings and curiosity of this local dessert.


I am sorry to say I do not share in her obsession or sentiments for this dessert, or even the fruit.
Yes, it is weird, and I know you are about to shout aloud, what kind of person does not like mango?
I am, in fact, one of those who does not fancy mango, at all (another of my weird picky style)
So, what is one non-mango lover about to do when surrounded by mango obsessed fans?
I take photos, of something I do not eat, but warrants a mention since it is so famous!





Another round of the dessert in Chatuchak market, which was supposedly cheaper compared to the food court (obviously, as this was on the streets!)




There was just mango with sticky rice overload during this trip, if you ask me, but it was all for the good fun and humor. Just when I thought we were done with the dessert, then we spotted it at the airport while waiting for our flight and my mango obsessed fried was still contemplating whether she needs another dose before leaving the country.
Yes, she was that big of a fan, but thankfully, she dropped the idea upon realizing that it was overpriced at the airport :-)

How about you, are you a fan too?
To the point of almost having it at every meal? LOL~ :-P

Note: The mangoes are famous in Thailand and are said to be really sweet and juicy; compared to the local mangoes found here in our country.

Bangkok Food Diary: Suki at MK Restaurants

MK is no stranger to the local Thai food industry; having established her name and outlets all over Thailand. Serving the Thai Suki, or simply known as suki, it is the Thai version of the shabu shabu or Chinese steamboat (hot pot) although the name bears resemblance to the Japanese sukiyaki.
The resemblance to the Japanese version ends in the name, as the Thai Suki is more similar to our local hot pot with variants of fresh raw vegetables, meat and seafood to be cooked in a pot filled with soup prepared before the serving.
Just like the Chinese hot pot, one may select from the types of soup available; clear, spicy, chicken soup, etc.



Having heard of the fame this chain of restaurants had garnered nationwide is enough to pique our interest and without question, it became the unanimous choice for dinner on the first night upon our arrival in Bangkok. (When traveling in a group, it is inevitable to have different opinions on the itinerary and choices of food, never mind the specific preferences, BUT, I was indeed fortunate to be traveling with this group who just went with anything and there was no trouble at all. It made the whole traveling experience a less-stressful one, definitely!)

We visited this particular outlet located in the popular shopping mall famous for its quirky interior design, Terminal 21.

I was rather fascinated with their cutleries, to be honest, as they came in unique designs and shapes!






The Menu; with a 3D-like effects on the front cover. Obviously, it was designed in a way to attract and to tempt your taste buds ahead for a tantalizing experience. It is always a good marketing gimmick to play with the vision and minds to stimulate the appetite of the diners.


Another interesting and cuteness factor overload in this little yellow duckie multipurpose holder; for signages, pamphlets, tissues, and toothpicks.
It is definitely not only for cute display, but proved that cuteness and functionality can go together!~



Setting up of the hot pot with the clear soup we had ordered; and the pot was filled with the clear chicken soup.
It was a better choice to go for a non-spicy version on the first night of our trip to minimize the risks before embarking on our adventures for the next three days in the city.




Platter of raw seafood and meat


Putting all the raw ingredients into the soup




The boiling soup indicates the food is ready to be consumed (cooked), and the table is designed with the tabs/buttons to turn the cooker on and off, or to adjust the temperature to the customers' preferences.


The dipping sauce is one of the important parts of enjoying the suki; the nam chim is also prepared to suit the local Thai tastes with the combination of chilies, coriander leaves, lime to make it spicy and flavorful to the Thai's liking.


Besides the suki, the restaurant is also famed for their Roasted Duck and Crispy Pork which my friends ordered in a small platter.







There are also dim sum on the menu, and we decided to try their Prawn Dumplings (Har Mai) which looked rather good in the pictures shown in the menu.
(Another marketing gimmick, did you realize how the food photos in the menu always look good? It would be luck if the actual turned out to be exactly as they were, but then again, the photos are always tagged with the disclaimer that they are for illustration purposes which probably meant heavy editing to make them look good.)


Still, we were not that unlucky either, as this did turn out to be quite good too.

Overall, I would say the dining experience in MK was not a bad one and was rather satisfying.
Price wise, it was also reasonable as it is after all, an air-conditioned restaurant (with a fame) and additionally, it was located within a shopping mall (higher rental prices for the shop).

The only thing was the unique factor; as this may be a Thai version of our local hot pot, and it is good for an experience of taste, but you don't travel all the way to another country to enjoy something you can make at home, right?
That aside, there are still plenty of other things to try on their menu, which is worth considering and besides, the plus point is also the hygiene which is definitely better in a restaurant compared to the streets.

My personal opinion? The Thai Suki may not be much different from our hot pot, but I am a fan of steamboat/hot pot anyway, so I'd definitely enjoy this anytime~ :-)