RECIPE: QUICK CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

I'm storing this recipe right here because this chocolate brownies have received a nod of approval from The Hubby who is very particular with the taste of food.

I found this recipe online and the reason why it is being named "Quick Chocolate Brownies" is because the recipe doesn't require you to melt any chocolate chips / chocolate bars.

Less hassle and less mess as you only need one bowl to dump in all the ingredients.

QUICK CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

INGREDIENTS
1 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar (the original recipe requires 2 cups but I have reduced it to adjust its sweetness)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
* Optional (to intensify the taste of chocolate): Mix 2 Tbsp warm water + 1 tsp coffee powder

METHOD
1. Grease 9 x 13 inch pan
2. Pre-heat oven 170C
3. Whisk butter + sugar + cocoa powder until smooth
4. Add vanilla extract + eggs + sift in flour + baking powder + salt + coffee mixture
5. Pour into pan and bake for 25 - 30 minutes
6. Once done, let it cool before cutting into squares.

Sushi King Big Hero 6 Free Collectibles Promotion

Disney's Big Hero 6 hasn't even reached Malaysia yet. 

Our toddler and Mr Hubby are both highly anticipating the movie and excitedly counting down the days to watch it in the cinema.

There are collectibles being sold for the Big Hero 6 characters but quite pricey.

So hubby found out about the promotion Sushi King is currently running for Big Hero 6:

Big Hero 6 - Sushi King Promotion <click the link for more details>

Needless to say, we managed to acquire the collectible the following day at Sushi King and walked away from the restaurant with a happy tummy, a happy toddler and her happy Daddy. :)

* Cue Pharrell William's "Happy" song here ;)

The Grumpy Cyclist @ TTDI

LATTE - RM 10

Last Saturday morning, I wanted to try out nasi lemak at Santai, TTDI. 

Heard that the nasi lemak was good and the breakfast crowd enjoys the nasi lemak with lauk sotong.

Unfortunately, when we drove by Santai, it was closed for the day :(

Oh well. 

So we went driving around TTDI to find a breakfast spot. 

That's when I spotted The Grumpy Cyclist and told hubby, "Ok there!"

Truth be told, we had to make another HUGE turn around the block since it was a one-way street, aih! 

Luckily for us, when we were about to reach the cafe, a car pulled out of the parking spot so hubby manoeuvred our car into the vacant lot. 

That's when I noticed "Oooh, there's an Indian Cuisine restaurant, owh there's a Chinese Muslim restaurant, aha there's a local Malay restaurant!"

Suddenly, there were tons of choices available for us! 

No no, we should focus and head on in to The Grumpy Cyclist since I've read about this cafe somewhere. 

At that time, all the tables inside the cafe were filled with patrons so we placed our order at the counter, paid for it and headed outside to wait for our food to arrive. 

I felt a bit uncomfortable outside since we were with our toddler and all three of us were huddled on one long bench with an ashtray placed neatly at the end of the same bench. 

I moved the ashtray elsewhere and noticed that the fan wasn't really helping with the heat that was starting to warm up pretty fast. 

I prayed to myself, please please please Lord, have a table available for us soon.

When a couple emerged from the cafe, hubby quickly dashed in to check for an empty table. 

We managed to secure one table (thank you Lord!) and hubby brought in the latte and tea which were already served to us. 

There was a consistent stream of patrons, to the extent that some of the patrons left the place since there were no tables available. 

Frisky Goat has a much better control of managing the crowd as people would be lining up outside the cafe and the servers would usher the crowd in once a table becomes available. 

BIG BREAKFAST (THE GRAN FRONDO) - RM 18

Hearty breakfast meal :)

My latte had that heavy caramel sweetness aftertaste which I didn't fancy but hubby seemed to like it so it's a matter of preference. 

CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES - RM 12

Yummy fluffy pancakes, true to it's description as written on their menu board. 

The portion was huge and our lil' tot managed to finish off 2 slices whereas hubby and I shared a slice each. 

Shower, anyone? :D Yes, you're more than welcome to shower here too! 

I told hubby. 

I'm probably growing old already. 

I've outgrown this cafe hopping business. 

But for bicycle enthusiasts, you'd be welcome here. :)

Address: 36, Jalan Datuk Sulaiman, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur









Phone:019-229 1658

Website

Facebook

The Grumpy Cyclist being featured in The Star back in April 2014.

Papparich @ Centrepoint, Bandar Utama

Guess what, a new Papparich outlet had just opened in Centrepoint, Bandar Utama (next to KFC).

It's interesting that PappaRich opened in Centrepoint considering that Old Town White Coffee is just a few blocks away down the road. 

It's more of a preference, really, for those who prefer PappaRich and those who prefer Old Town. 

After all, they're both kopitiams with a slight variety in the types of menu being offered which goes along with the price. 

What we loved about PappaRich at Centrepoint was the decor. 

The design is a slight upgrade than its predecessors so it had a bit of posh feel to it. 

The designers had surely thought about the intricate designs to add flavour to this brand new branch. 

We love that PappaRich maintained its open kitchen concept to prepare drinks and other light bites ie toast. 

You'll also notice that some of its tables have plug points ready to be used, welcoming patrons to stay longer in their restaurant whilst enjoying their roti kaya and kopi.

The table setting is customized to cater to both small and large groups, in addition to the al-fresco style for those who enjoy outdoor dining.

What's more, their business hours cater to the late dining crowd looking for supper from 11pm onwards. 

If you're a PappaRich fan, here's another outlet you'd want to check out! :)


PappaRich @ Centrepoint, Bandar Utama 
Lots G1 & G2, Ground Floor, Centrepoint, 
No.3 Lebuh Bandar Utama, 
47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor 

Business Hours
Mon - Thu: 9am - 11pm
Fri - Sun : 9am - 2am (Nice!)

website: http://papparich.com.my/

Goodsaltz The Curve, Mutiara Damansara

One fine Sunday afternoon, hubby, our tot and I headed to Goodsaltz after catching a movie at e@curve. 

We've read raving reviews about the restaurant so we went to check out the place.

It was packed with the Sunday afternoon lunch crowd but we managed to secure an empty table inside. (The only ONE table left. Alternatively, you could sit at the bar).

Thank goodness for the a/c as it was scorching hot outside!

What we love about new cafes and restaurants in Klang Valley (well, some, that is) are the ID. They're simply awesome!  :)

Goodsaltz had it too! 

CRISPY SHIITAKE SHROOMS - RM 12

The mushrooms were good, you know why? Our toddler who's a picky eater loved it! :) 

BUTCHER'S RAGOUT WITH FUSILLI - RM 24

Hubby loved this dish, particularly the sauce. The only thing was that the portion was quite huge so he had a tough time finishing it. :)

CARBONARA - RM 24

I changed my pasta from fettuccine to spaghetti. 

MANGO TANGY - RM 10.90

Hubby's thirst quencher was this drink, he loved it as it tasted like pure mango juice.

In the event you feel like checking out the place, here's a glimpse of their menu.

Service was good as the staff were friendly, attentive and efficient. 

When we asked for a baby chair, the staff even helped our toddler climb the high chair. 

As we were about to leave the restaurant, they echoed their thanks and gave us warm smiles.

I sure do hope they'll retain this level of service as this is one restaurant we'd definitely come back to.

Address: Lot G41, Ground Floor The Curve, No. 6 Jalan PJU 7/3, Mutiara Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Phone number: +603-77337860

Email address: mailbox@goodsaltz.com

Opening hours:
10am-12am (Weekdays)
10am-1am (Fri, Sat & Eve of Public Holiday)

Sam's Groceria @ Encorp Strand Mall, The Strand, Kota Damansara

I instantly fell in love with THIS supermarket! 

I'm extremely impressed! 

Sam's Groceria at Encorp Mall, The Strand in Kota Damansara.

The supermarket, located on the Ground Floor, is extremely CLEAN, smells fresh and everything is just organised. 

(Notice me using the word 'extremely' for the second time? It really is an AWESOME supermarket!)

The staff are friendly and from time to time, they'd make their rounds to check out the aisles and re-arrange items on display to ensure that the shelves look neat and organised. 

Seriously, I don't mind doing my grocery shopping here. 

They also have another section called Sam's Deli where all the baked / fried / cooked dishes are ready to be picked out and they also have a dining area for you to enjoy your meals.

The concept is quite similar to Ben's Independent Grocer (B.I.G) in Publika.

The latest trend in our local supermarkets would be the self scan facility.

This feature is quite common overseas but only recently we have seen this implemented locally. 

Check out the video and guide on how to go about using this. 

(You will need to register with the Sam's Groceria Family Card Program)

Video explanation on the Self-Scan feature

I'm willing to frequent Sam's Groceria in a heartbeat, the only pain is the traffic jam as you'd need to brave through traffic due to the on-going MRT construction. 

You'll need to figure out which timings would be feasible so as not to get caught in the jam. 

On another note, they have JKids located on the 2nd floor, right next to TGV Cinemas. 

For the Muslims, a surau is located on the Ground Floor and is extremely comfortable too. 

You may check out their list of tenants here 

Best part, as of now, parking is FREE of charge!

The mall is THE best place to go to ... now, if only the traffic jam heading there wasn't such a headache! :(

Address: G-01, Encorp Strand Mall, Kota Damansara PJU 5 Petaling Jaya, 47810 Selangor, Malaysia

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Business Hours: Open Daily, 10am - 10pm

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Contact Number: 03-6143 7512