Happy New Year!! A new year, a new place to visit of course. Ah... These are the time of the year where we put the diet resolutions aside till all the festivities are over. This would be the beginning of it, and trust me, the up and coming Chinese New Year would not be the end of it (because it is suppose to last a month!). I doubt there will ever be an end to the food hunt we're on. Our taste-buds are just born to savour good food. Well, even if we found out its not as good as expected, we'll just be honest with you. *winks*
So before the clock strikes twelve and we all turn one year older in a couple of hours, stepping into 2009 - the year of the Ox, we gathered a few old high school mates for a little outing/gathering. Too much to catch up with, too little time.
Our destination this time? MaiCafe!! I know, the name is quite punny... MaiCafe... MyCafe... It reads the same anyway. ^.^ "Mai" in the northern Malaysian accent means "come". Cafe means cafe-lah.
The entrance to MaiCafe. Its actually located next to a vast green paddy field. They do serve lunches too, so it would be a relaxing sight looking out to the endless ocean of greenery. When night falls, the paddy fields are not quite visible unless you're several feet away from it, or perhaps when you find yourself in it.
The ceilings are pretty high, definitely good for ventilation (its open space anyway). The entire restaurant has traditional Malay touch to it, decorated mostly with teak wood and pots of fresh plants. The dim lighting enhances the cosy feeling, its just like dining in a Malay home with a modern edge.
You would expect a wholesome Malay menu to have such beautiful ambiance as a compliment. You're in for a surprise. There are several typical Malay dishes like fried rice and noodles in the menu, but they also serve a variety of western cuisine. We practically had enough of Malaysian cuisine that day, so we're in for an adventure. Wonder how their interpretation of chicken prepared the western way would taste like...
This, ladies and gentlemen, is Cheesy Chicken. I have no idea why, but it just sound so tempting when we first saw it on the menu. Its the most eye catching dish in the page. Tender chicken drumstick, slightly marinated, coated with a crispy breadcrumb crust and overflowed with CHEESE~ This was the first dish to arrive, and I am thoroughly surprised with their food presentation! The dish is served in a classy triangular plate, on top of crunchy fresh vegetables in the midst of a pool of CHEESE. Don't mind my cheese frenzy... I just have this thing for CHEESE.
Verdict: The dish is satisfactory. I myself am a picky eater. The others would say that the dish is pretty good, but I think that they could do it better if only the cheese they use are more salty than sweet. The only appropriate sweetness for this dish should be from the freshness of the white meat itself and the fresh vegetables, not the coating nor the cheese.
Ah, pretty pretty spaghetti aglo olio. Now THIS is a dish that I do enjoy. The pasta is salted just to the right note, and it retains its bounce despite being tender. I think the entire dish is simple yet sophisticated. The chef had the sweets to chuck in a combination of green, yellow and red capsicums to flavour and brighten up the dish.
Verdict: I like this dish though it is simple. Even the portion is just right for ladies. Served in a cute round-edged square plate. Cuteness!
Ahah! This is MINE. Fried chicken with mushroom sauce. It is dished out the same way the Cheesy Chicken was, but doubled up on the sauce. There is the sorta sauteed mushroom sauce (the darker overflowing one) and the pool of creamy mushroom sauce surrounding the crispy, slightly spicy chicken.
Verdict: The first bite was tantalizing. The forth onwards... rather dull. The breadcrumb coating is just way too sweet for my taste. It leaves the palette numb with sweetness rather than savoury tastes by the end of the meal.
One of our drinks for the day. Fruit juice... a combination of banana and mango. Well, tropical fruits come in abundance here. What more to say?
Erm, chocolate anyone? *grins*
Just for munches. Crispy golden french fries with chilli sauce for dipping. Do I need to say more? Its just regular fries. Haha!
My conclusion for MaiCafe would be, love the ambiance, nice place to hang out during noons and evenings. Compliments to the chef for putting in the heart and effort to decorate the dishes in such a proper manner. It is something I least expect from a smalltown restaurant. A pleasant surprise indeed. The food is passable, but I'm happy paying for the ambiance, warm services and to have good company to share it with.
So before the clock strikes twelve and we all turn one year older in a couple of hours, stepping into 2009 - the year of the Ox, we gathered a few old high school mates for a little outing/gathering. Too much to catch up with, too little time.
Our destination this time? MaiCafe!! I know, the name is quite punny... MaiCafe... MyCafe... It reads the same anyway. ^.^ "Mai" in the northern Malaysian accent means "come". Cafe means cafe-lah.
The entrance to MaiCafe. Its actually located next to a vast green paddy field. They do serve lunches too, so it would be a relaxing sight looking out to the endless ocean of greenery. When night falls, the paddy fields are not quite visible unless you're several feet away from it, or perhaps when you find yourself in it.The ceilings are pretty high, definitely good for ventilation (its open space anyway). The entire restaurant has traditional Malay touch to it, decorated mostly with teak wood and pots of fresh plants. The dim lighting enhances the cosy feeling, its just like dining in a Malay home with a modern edge.You would expect a wholesome Malay menu to have such beautiful ambiance as a compliment. You're in for a surprise. There are several typical Malay dishes like fried rice and noodles in the menu, but they also serve a variety of western cuisine. We practically had enough of Malaysian cuisine that day, so we're in for an adventure. Wonder how their interpretation of chicken prepared the western way would taste like...
This, ladies and gentlemen, is Cheesy Chicken. I have no idea why, but it just sound so tempting when we first saw it on the menu. Its the most eye catching dish in the page. Tender chicken drumstick, slightly marinated, coated with a crispy breadcrumb crust and overflowed with CHEESE~ This was the first dish to arrive, and I am thoroughly surprised with their food presentation! The dish is served in a classy triangular plate, on top of crunchy fresh vegetables in the midst of a pool of CHEESE. Don't mind my cheese frenzy... I just have this thing for CHEESE.Verdict: The dish is satisfactory. I myself am a picky eater. The others would say that the dish is pretty good, but I think that they could do it better if only the cheese they use are more salty than sweet. The only appropriate sweetness for this dish should be from the freshness of the white meat itself and the fresh vegetables, not the coating nor the cheese.
Ah, pretty pretty spaghetti aglo olio. Now THIS is a dish that I do enjoy. The pasta is salted just to the right note, and it retains its bounce despite being tender. I think the entire dish is simple yet sophisticated. The chef had the sweets to chuck in a combination of green, yellow and red capsicums to flavour and brighten up the dish.Verdict: I like this dish though it is simple. Even the portion is just right for ladies. Served in a cute round-edged square plate. Cuteness!
Ahah! This is MINE. Fried chicken with mushroom sauce. It is dished out the same way the Cheesy Chicken was, but doubled up on the sauce. There is the sorta sauteed mushroom sauce (the darker overflowing one) and the pool of creamy mushroom sauce surrounding the crispy, slightly spicy chicken.Verdict: The first bite was tantalizing. The forth onwards... rather dull. The breadcrumb coating is just way too sweet for my taste. It leaves the palette numb with sweetness rather than savoury tastes by the end of the meal.
One of our drinks for the day. Fruit juice... a combination of banana and mango. Well, tropical fruits come in abundance here. What more to say?
Erm, chocolate anyone? *grins*
Just for munches. Crispy golden french fries with chilli sauce for dipping. Do I need to say more? Its just regular fries. Haha!My conclusion for MaiCafe would be, love the ambiance, nice place to hang out during noons and evenings. Compliments to the chef for putting in the heart and effort to decorate the dishes in such a proper manner. It is something I least expect from a smalltown restaurant. A pleasant surprise indeed. The food is passable, but I'm happy paying for the ambiance, warm services and to have good company to share it with.
