435 - the Magic Service Tax Number

Last week, after a rotten experience eating at Xenri Japanese Restaurant in Old Klang Road (food good, but menu waaaayyyyy too large, and kitchen obviously way too small to accomodate the expanded area - we need Gordon Ramsay in there people), my father decided to investigate whether or not Xenri is on the list of 435 restaurants sanctioned to collect Service Tax.

Well, we didn't find them on the list although it is possible they are listed under another company name (ie: Flams restaurants, such as the Bermuda and Onion and Flams are all listed under the Flams Group). Some restaurants like Esquire Kitchen, have taken to DISPLAYING their Service Tax license and their number on their premises, which is an excellent move.

For some background, please go to this entry at the Life's Happenings blog, or if you want to try your luck with the horribly slow Royal Malaysian Custom's website (www.customs.gov.my).

As the list itself is abysmally hard to actually find and the Royal Malaysian Custom's website has a horrible content management system (and an appallingly slow server) I have reproduced it here:

SENARAI NAMA RESTORAN YANG MASIH DILESENKAN DI BAWAH AKTA CUKAI PERKHIDMATAN 1975
(List of Restaurants still licensed under the 1975 Service Tax Act)

1 10th Avenue Food Mall Sdn Bhd 04000712/2004
2 A & W (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd 06585/1983
3 AEON Co. (M) Bhd 97000131/1997
4 Ah Koong Eating House (KL) Sdn Bhd 02001016/2002
5 Ah Yat Abalone Forum Rest (PJ) SB 06000831/2006
6 AJ Ashley Sdn Bhd (Secret Recipe) 29555
7 Akarumi F&B Management Sdn. Bhd 01000580/2001
8 Alexis Group Sdn Bhd 96000195/1996
9 All Stars Sports Café Sdn Bhd 04000610/2004
10 Amtek International Sdn Bhd 05000966/2005
11 Anjappar Restaurants Sdn Bhd 05000156/2005
12 APF Restaurant Sdn Bhd 00000410/2000
13 Artisan Naturan (M) Sdn Bhd 05000583/2005
14 Asia Star Crossing Sdn Bhd 02001642/2002
15 Aspac F&B Sdn Bhd 07001331/2007
16 Astaka Daya (Belisa Row) 2290
17 Astaka Daya Sdn Bhd 2289
18 Astaka Daya Sdn Bhd 2948
19 Astaka Daya Sdn Bhd 3128
20 Astaka Daya Sdn Bhd 3515
21 Astaka Daya Sdn Bhd (Secret Recipe) 3260
22 Athens-Link (M) Sdn Bhd 01000743/2001
23 Atlantis Seaworld Restaurant Sdn Bhd 29867
24 Attractive Choice Sdn Bhd 20539/1992
25 B.S.C Bistro Sdn Bhd 06000317/2006
26 Bangsar Café Sdn Bhd 01000824/2001
27 Bayee Sdn Bhd 00000335/2000
28 B-Canyon (M) Sdn. Bhd 04000587/2004
29 Beach Boy Restaurant Sdn Bhd 05000211/2005
30 Berjaya Roasters (M) Sdn Bhd 21829/1994
31 Berjaya Starbucks Coffee Company SB 99000128/1999
32 Billion Berg Sdn Bhd 05000627/2005
33 Blue Ocean Avenue Sdn Bhd (Mc’Donald’s) 40651
34 Blue Titanium Sdn Bhd (Teluk Intan) 34131
35 Bluefire (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd 01000439/2001
36 BNX Delight Sdn Bhd (Kinsahi Japanese Restoran) 45620/02
37 Booming Gain Sdn Bhd 05001015/2005
38 Budaya Caterers Sdn Bhd 20901/1992
39 Budaya Klasik Sdn Bhd 21868/1994
40 Bukit Mata Seafood Centre 04844
41 Castell Sdn Bhd 08672/1985
42 Catalyst Venture Sdn Bhd 4447
43 Century Viva Sdn Bhd 60815/05
44 Cergas Noble Sdn Bhd (Secret Recipe) 18137
45 Charming Whispler Sdn Bhd 03001078/2003
46 Chatterbox Sdn Bhd 04000168/2004
47 Chef Lee Sdn Bhd 04000522/2004
48 Chef Rasa Sayang Sharksfin Rest S/B 21105/1993
49 Chef’s Delicious 18045
50 Chef’s Special 51069
51 Chicking Eating House 51222
52 Chilli Peppers 51031
53 Chrisna Jenio Sdn Bhd 98000764/1998
54 Chuai Heng Rest (Kuchai Lama) SB 05000463/2005
55 Chuai Heng Restaurant (1 Utama) S/B 03000975/2003
56 Chuai Heng Restaurant Sdn Bhd 02001896/2002
57 C-Jade Express (M) Sdn Bhd 06000017/2006
58 Coconut Flower Seafood Restaurant 02000218-02
59 Conneezone Sdn Bhd 54908
60 Cosmic Deal Sdn Bhd 04000221/2004
61 Cosmo Restaurants Sdn Bhd 98000134/1998
62 Country Court 51058
63 Country DeCastle Sdn Bhd 51210
64 Crystal Jade Lmxlb Sdn Bhd 05000734/2005
65 Crystal Palm Seafood Restaurant SB 06000751/2006
66 Crystal Sun Sdn Bhd 21439/1993
67 D’Celia Food & Cafe Sdn Bhd (CFS Worldwide Movers Sdn Bhd) 45806/02
68 Daily Delight Café 02001530/2002
69 Dairy Natural Sdn Bhd 04000513/2004
70 Da-Light Food Court Sdn Bhd 14949
71 Damansara Palace Resturant Sdn Bhd 05000774/2005
72 Dauble Quest Sdn Bhd 01000584/2001
73 Dazzling Element Sdn Bhd 02001374/2002
74 De Crs (Sarawak)Sdn Bhd Y10-080000008/
2008
75 De Foodland Seafood Restaurant SB 02001883/2002
76 Delitaly Sdn Bhd ( Little Italy Pasta & Pizza Corner) 28948
77 Diamond Recipe Sdn Bhd 05000841/2005
78 Diskusi Jaya Sdn Bhd 05000641/2005
79 Dommal Restaurant Sdn Bhd 01000422-01
80 Don Sushi Sdn Bhd 45906/02
81 Dragon Venture Resources Genting Sdn Bhd 28217
82 Dragon View Restaurant 05000417/2005
83 Dunia Setulin Sdn Bhd 27311
84 Dynasun Sdn. Bhd 97000391/1997
85 Eagle Empire Sdn Bhd 04000735/2004
86 Eclat Inspiration Sdn Bhd (Old Town White Coffee) 3790
87 Elite Restaurant Sdn Bhd 05001048/2005
88 Embunan Mulia Sdn Bhd 02000041-02
89 Eminent Pedestal Sdn Bhd 01000347/2001
90 Empire Kitchen Sdn Bhd 06000253/2006
91 Eric Deli Paradise (KL) Sdn Bhd 06000310/2006
92 Essence Choice Sdn Bhd 05000422/2005
93 Estellium Sdn Bhd 04000029-04
94 Ever Rich Enterprise 06000133/2006
95 Evergreen Ahead Sdn Bhd 05000880/2005
96 Expert Corner Sdn Bhd 05000932/2005
97 Family Delight Café Sdn Bhd 00000584/2000
98 Family Food & Drink 28906
99 Famous Secret Sdn Bhd 05000444/2005
100 Famous Temptation Sdn Bhd 05000072/2005
101 Flam’s Sdn Bhd 04000089-04
102 Food Circle Enterprise Sdn Bhd 05000132/2005
103 Foong Wei Heong Restaurant Sdn Bhd 3106
104 Foremost Fine Cuisine Sdn Bhd 07000554/2007
105 Four Seasons Restaurant 04241
106 Gaya Erat Sdn Bhd 98000699/1998
107 Gayang Seafood Restaurant 29112
108 Gem Restaurant (Brickfields) S/B 02000276/2002
109 Gin Ryu Tei Japanese Restaurant SB 00000339/2000
110 Global Appeal Sdn Bhd 04000314/2004
111 Gold Dragon City Seafood Rest SB 01000152/2001
112 Golden Arches Restaurants Sdn Bhd (Mc’Donalds) 06549/1983
113 Golden Bengal (M) Sdn Bhd 01000354/2001
114 Golden Donuts Sdn Bhd 21150/1992
115 Golden Dragonboat Res (IMBI) SB 01000683/2001
116 Golden Palace Seafood Restaurant SB 06000721/2006
117 Golden Recipe Sdn Bhd 2380
118 Golden Scoop Sdn Bhd 22242/1995
119 Gorgeous Preview Sdn Bhd 04000072/2004
120 Grand Portview Seafood Restaurant 28881
121 Grand Straits Garden Seafood 60826/05
122 Grandpolitan Sdn Bhd 06000175-06
123 Guardian Catering & Restaurant Sdn Bhd 02000247-02
124 Hai Pa Wang Seafood Restaurant Sdn Bhd 41045
125 Hakka Restaurant (KL) Sdn Bhd 03790/1987
126 Happy Pie 51020
127 Harta Fermas Sdn Bhd 01000491/2001
128 Hartz Chicken (M) Sdn Bhd 01491
129 Hartz Chicken Buffet Sdn Bhd 06000574/2006
130 Haslam Trading Sdn. Bhd 02001511/2002
131 HD Marketing & Distribution Sdn Bhd 21826/1994
132 Health Food Centre 51226
133 Hee Lai Pon Restaurant Ipoh 54832
134 Hee Lai Ton Restaurant Sdn Bhd 01000365-01
135 Hee Lai Ton Restaurant (Puchong) Sdn Bhd 01000411-01
136 Hee Lai Ton Restaurant (Pudu) SB 06000887/2006
137 Hillview Village Seafood Rest SB 01000979/2001
138 Hj Samuri & Anak-anak Entp. Sdn Bhd 05000635/2005
139 Hudup Manis Sdn Bhd 05000130/2005
140 Ichiban Food & Beverages (M) SB 05001022/2005
141 Ikano Pte Ltd 97000240/1997
142 Indocape Consolidated Sdn Bhd 00000095/2000
143 Inner Peace Sanctuary Sdn Bhd 05000297/2005
144 IP Old Town Sdn Bhd 18163
145 Ipoh East Ocean Seafood Restaurant Sdn Bhd 54906
146 Izzi Lifestyle Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd 06000551/2006
147 Jack’s Place Restaurant Sdn Bhd 05000768/2005
148 Jaff Cuisine Sdn Bhd 06000197/2006
149 Jaya Noodle House Sdn Bhd 01000416/2001
150 Jintai Manis Café Sdn Bhd 02001596/2002
151 Jogoya Development Sdn Bhd 06000193/2006
152 JT Restaurant Sdn Bhd 05001059/2005
153 Jubilant Concept Sdn Bhd (Secret Recipe) 28450
154 Juice Works Sdn Bhd 06000547/2006
155 Jumbo Seafood Restaurant Sdn Bhd 16296
156 Kedai Makanan Kar Hee 98000597/1998
157 Kelana Seafood Centre Sdn Bhd 12934/1991
158 Kelantan Delights Sdn Bhd 01000772/2001
159 Kemboja Embun Sdn Bhd 06000438/2006
160 Kentmay Enterprise Sdn Bhd 04000509/2004
161 Kentucky Fried Chicken (M) Sdn Bhd 20947/1992
162 KFC (Peninsular Malaysia) Sdn Bhd 20955/1992
163 KFC (S’wak) Sdn Bhd 04937
164 KFC (Sabah)Sdn Bhd 4466
165 Kim Gary Café Sdn Bhd 02001028/2002
166 Kinabalu Ocean Seafood 28673
167 King’s Café Sdn Bhd 01000201/2001
168 KL Food Paradise Sdn Bhd 05000649/2005
169 Klang Palace Restaurant Sdn Bhd 07000056-07
170 Kluang Station F & B Sdn Bhd 05001021/2005
171 Kluang Station F&B (EM) Sdn Bhd 18166
172 KMS Sentul Curry House Sdn Bhd 05000535/2005
173 Kong Inn Seafood Restaurant 46227/04
174 Konsep Sukma Sdn Bhd 02000947/2002
175 Kopitiam Junction Sdn Bhd 3750
176 Kopitiam Soon Lee 02001572/2002
177 Kung Jung Delight (M) Sdn Bhd 01000816/2001
178 Kyros Kebab Sdn. Bhd 00000098/2000
179 Lala Chong Seafood Restaurant 04000020-04
180 Laser Empire Sdn Bhd 06000596/2006
181 Lavender Bistro Sdn Bhd 31891/01
182 Lecka-lecka (M) Sdn Bhd 06000177/2006
183 Legacy Leader Sdn Bhd 05000494/2005
184 Lim Hock Ann Seafood Company 41038
185 Lion Klang Parade Sdn Bhd 96000018-96
186 Little Penang Café Sdn Bhd 00000338/2000
187 Little Penang Café Too Sdn Bhd 06000002/2006
188 Living Bread Sdn Bhd (Burger King) 14352
189 Lunar Palms (M) Sdn Bhd 07000416/2007
190 Luxurious Noodle House Sdn Bhd 04000384/2004
191 Magnificent Empire Sdn Bhd 02000472-02
192 Mandarin Fortune Sdn Bhd 1197
193 Marcoma Kitchen Sdn Bhd 04000300/2004
194 Markmaju Corporation Sdn Bhd (Mc’Donalds) 51367
195 Matrix Consolidated Sdn Bhd 12988/1991
196 May Flower Restaurant ( May Queen Sdn Bhd) 29417
197 Mediaraya Sdn Bhd 06000006-06
198 Mei Keng Fatt Seafood Rest SB 01000661/2001
199 Meng Heong Seafood Restaurant 04000362/2004
200 Menglembu East Ocean Restaurant 54932
201 MFM East Sdn Bhd 18087
202 MFM Restaurant Sdn Bhd 01000210-01
203 MGM Entertainment Sdn Bhd 06000134/2006
204 Milanos Pizza Sdn Bhd 05001034/2005
205 Millenmight Sdn Bhd 51058
206 Miracle Paradise Sdn Bhd J31-06000030/06
207 Miu-Concept Sdn Bhd 04000375/2004
208 ML Breadworks J31-06000154/06
209 ML Breadworks Sdn Bhd 05001073/2005
210 MLH Supertanker 24435
211 Moly’s Place 51206
212 Momoyana Sdn Bhd 74029
213 Movenpeak Steamboat 41373
214 Mr Chicken Rice Shop 05000085/2005
215 Nam Heong Restaurant Holdings S/B 02001797/2002
216 Nando’s Chikenland Malaysia S/B 98000680/1998
217 New Gaya Seafood Restaurant 29169
218 New Hong Kong Restaurant 5474/83
219 New Lucky Seafood & Restaurant 7763/89
220 New Paris Restaurant Sdn Bhd 02000590/2002
221 Next Ring (M) Sdn Bhd 06000070/2006
222 Nijyumaru Japanese Restaurant Sdn Bhd 46146/04
223 Noble Banquet Sdn Bhd 06000880/2006
224 Nuocean Sdn Bhd 06000683/2006
225 Nuri Bersatu Holdings Sdn Bhd 99000463/1999
226 NZ Curry House 01000597/2001
227 OBS Restaurnats Malaysia Sdn Bhd 01000783/2001
228 Ocean Green Restaurant & Seafood Sdn Bhd 1882
229 Octo Jet Sdn Bhd (Breek Café Restaurant) 3330
230 Octo Jet Sdn Bhd (Seoul Garden Restaurant) 3331
231 Old Town Kopitiam Bw Sdn Bhd 3453
232 Old Town Kopitiam Cheras Sdn Bhd 06000871/2006
233 Old Town Kopitiam Kuala Lumpur SB 05000821/2005
234 Old Town Kopitiam Sdn Bhd 06000654/2006
235 Oriental Cravings Sdn Bhd 05000602/2005
236 Original Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar SB 05000053/2005
237 Pacific Hypermarket & Dept Store Sdn Bhd (Food Court) 40555
238 Paddington Pancakes Sdn Bhd 05000562/2005
239 Pak Li Kopitiam Sdn Bhd 06000084-06
240 Palm Resort Bhd 8444/93
241 Pan Heong Restoran 22374/1995
242 Pancar Pilar (M) Sdn Bhd 00000159/2000
243 Pangkor Fish Head Curry Sdn Bhd 01000951/2001
244 Passage Thru India (M) Sdn Bhd 98000091/1998
245 Passion Of Life (Secret Recipe Syuen Hotel) 54799
246 Pekin Restaurant 7839/90
247 Pelita Samudra Pertama Sdn Bhd 2931
248 Perkasavest (M) Sdn Bhd 05000062/2005
249 Pioneer Sensation Sdn Bhd 46108/03
250 Pizza Hut Restaurants Sdn Bhd 12566/1988
251 Plantinum Horses Sdn Bhd 05000392/2005
252 Platinum Attraction Sdn Bhd 03000062-03
253 Platinum Buffalo Sdn Bhd 05000958/2005
254 Platinum Paradise Sdn Bhd 02000473-02
255 Point One 51203
256 Ponderosa Golf & Country Club 13197/93
257 Popular Essence Sdn Bhd 05000102/2005
258 Port View Seafood Restaurant Sdn Bhd (The Water Point) 29185
259 Port View Seafood Village 71063
260 Prestige Incentive 71049
261 Pulim Holdings Sdn Bhd 12632/1989
262 Pure Symphony Sdn Bhd 05001016/2005
263 Purel Corporation Sdn Bhd 04000255/2004
264 Pusing Public Seafood Restaurant 10826
265 Rainbow Seafood Restaurant 54977
266 Rare Gain Sdn Bhd 25394/95
267 Rasa Ayamas Sdn Bhd 02000551-02
268 Rasa Ceriamas Sdn Bhd 06000138/2006
269 Rasa Thai Sdn Bhd 13720/1991
270 Reliable Rotary Sdn Bhd 02001304/2002
271 Rendezvous Steak Garden Sdn Bhd 04000535/2004
272 Resort Poresia 10691/94
273 Rest. Estra Super Tanker (PJ) SB 05000956/2005
274 Restaurant Foh Sun 10814
275 Restaurant Mun Cheong 10862
276 Restaurant Nasi Kandar Kg. Pandan SB 05000664/2005
277 Restaurant Oversea (Subang Jaya) Sdn Bhd 01000522-01
278 Restaurant Port Village 96000041-96
279 Restaurant Taman Rashna (Klang) Sdn Bhd 01000383-01
280 Restaurant Tien Sun Tien Sdn Bhd 02001037/2002
281 Restoran Ali Maju Sdn Bhd 05000605/2005
282 Restoran Cerana 05000128/2005
283 Restoran Choi Wah 01000903/2001
284 Restoran Daiman Pekin Sdn Bhd 30647/00
285 Restoran De Maw 04000386/2004
286 Restoran Fatty Crab Sdn Bhd 20540/1992
287 Restoran Golden Lake Sdn Bhd 01000284-01
288 Restoran Green View Sdn Bhd 00000455/2000
289 Restoran Gu Yue Tien Sdn Bhd 05000344/2005
290 Restoran Hawa Dingin Sam You 01000175/2001
291 Restoran Hokkaido 01000623/2001
292 Restoran Hong La Qiao (M) Sdn Bhd 00000612/2000
293 Restoran Janbo Cheras Sdn Bhd 04000525/2004
294 Restoran Janbo Seri Petaling S/B 22149/1995
295 Restoran Kari Kepala Ikan E & O S/B 98000281/1998
296 Restoran Lung Kee 98000768/1998
297 Restoran Makanan Laut Chong Fatt SB 01001045/2001
298 Restoran Ocean King Seafood 24308
299 Restoran Pekin Sutera Sdn Bhd J31-07000038/07
300 Restoran Pik Wah (Maba House) S/B 96000180/1996
301 Restoran Rashid Sdn Bhd 04000767/2004
302 Restoran Sai Kong 02000394/2002
303 Restoran Season Court Sdn Bhd 97000040/1997
304 Restoran Sempelang Sdn Bhd 29287
305 Restoran Shelaiton 2250
306 Restoran Singgah Selalu 30420/98
307 Restoran Sri Malaka 13804/1991
308 Restoran Sri Melaka 4452
309 Restoran Sri Pantai Jaya Sdn Bhd 28480
310 Restoran Tarbush Delicacies Sdn Bhd 07000419/2007
311 Restoran Teachew 08873/1986
312 Restoran Teppanyaki Concept Sdn Bhd 28231
313 Restoran Todak J31-07000031/07
314 Restoran Yau Kee Sdn Bhd 97000186/1997
315 Revenue Valley Sdn Bhd 03000011-03
316 Right Waves Sdn Bhd 02000926/2002
317 Rock Road Seafood Restaurant Sdn Bhd 16251
318 Rose Garden Coffee House (Teluk Intan) 34130
319 Rotol Food-Chain (M) Sdn Bhd 02000294-02
320 Royal Johor Country Club 8382/93
321 S & M Food Court Sdn. Bhd 96000449/1996
322 S.S.A.S. Golf Resort (M) Sdn Bhd 24750-91
323 Sabah Chicken Rice (Firmake Sdn Bhd) 29365
324 Saddad Enterprise 51239
325 Salihah Sundu (Kantin Hospital) 51219
326 San Francisco Coffee Sdn Bhd 00000005/2000
327 San Francisco Coffee Sdn Bhd 00000006/2000
328 San Francisco Coffee Sdn Bhd 00000301/2000
329 San Francisco Coffee Sdn Bhd 99000384/1999
330 Saravana Bhavan (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd 05000055/2005
331 Sari Ratu Prima Sdn Bhd 01000862/2001
332 Satin Padu Sdn Bhd (Secret Recipe) 40556
333 SDS Cafeteria Sdn Bhd 25552/96
334 Sea Good Food Centre 14915
335 Season’s Cafe Sdn Bhd 8376/92
336 Secret Recipe 11781
337 Secret Recipe (East Yik Sdn Bhd) 3537
338 Secret Recipe Cakes & Cafe (JB) Sdn Bhd 46017/03
339 Secret Recipe Cakes & Café Sdn Bhd 99000169/1999
340 Secret Recipe Cakes & Café Sdn Bhd 07000048-07
341 Sedap Corner 7827/90
342 Senang Sensasi Sdn Bhd (McDonalds Paya Bunga) 11789
343 Senibong Village Seafood Sdn Bhd 30525/99
344 Seven Ate Nine (M) Sdn Bhd 06000060/2006
345 Shakey’s Sdn Bhd 06000121-06
346 Shapura Catering 51218
347 Siang-Siang Food & Drinks Centre 51236
348 Sierra Circle Sdn Bhd 01000986/2001
349 Silver Pavilion Sdn Bhd 05000431/2005
350 Silverado Corporation Sdn Bhd (Kampung Nelayan Restoran) 24286
351 Smart Legacy Sdn Bhd 04000371/2004
352 SMTC Bukhara Sdn Bhd 05000446/2005
353 SMTC Highway Mart Sdn Bhd 05000448/2005
354 Solid Dragon Sdn Bhd 06000019/2006
355 Sosialite Sdn Bhd 51234
356 South Sea Chinese Restaurant SB 02000976/2002
357 Southern Pavilion Sdn Bhd 07000803/2007
358 Special Recipe Sdn Bhd 05000630/2005
359 Specialty Beans Sdn Bhd 00000072/2000
360 Stableford Development Sdn Bhd 06000304/2006
361 Station One Products Sdn Bhd 04000667/2004
362 Station One Products Sdn Bhd 05000639/2005
363 Steppes Karaoke Pub 51010
364 Straits Catering Co. Sdn Bhd 99000350/1999
365 Sugar Bun Fast Food Centre Sdn Bhd 51449
366 Suief Inc (M) Sdn Bhd 05000035-05
367 Sundanese Food (M) Sdn Bhd 99000375/1999
368 Sunway Lagoon Sdn Bhd 01000357-01
369 Super Dining Sdn Bhd 03000099-03
370 Super Sandwiches (M) Sdn Bhd 21912/1994
371 Sushi Kin Sdn Bhd 02000535-02
372 Swensens Café & Restaurant (Nationgate F&B Sdn Bhd) 3548
373 Synagold Sdn Bhd 07000163/2007
374 T & W Food Junction Sdn Bhd 30622/00
375 Tai Son Seafood Restaurant Sdn Bhd 46054/03
376 Tanjung Aru Seafood Sdn Bhd 29322
377 Tanjung Puteri Golf Resorts Sdn Bhd 08430/93
378 Taste Life (Secret Recipe Jaya Jusco) 16616
379 TCRS Restaurnt Sdn Bhd 01000120/2001
380 Teck Wah Restaurant 99000284/1999
381 Teppanyaki Sdn. Bhd 08599/1984
382 Teratai Putih Restaurant & Resort Sdn Bhd 16394
383 Tesco Stores (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd 04000241/2004
384 Thaiexpress Restaurant (M) Sdn Bhd 05000071/2005
385 The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (M) S/B 98000406/1998
386 The Cottage 14994
387 The Lotus Family Rest Holding S/B 99000307/1999
388 The Perfect Brew Sdn Bhd (The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf) 28808
389 Trinity Point Sdn Bhd 05000251/2005
390 Triple Empire Sdn Bhd 05000513/2005
391 Tropical Joy Sdn Bhd 02000537/2002
392 Tsui Village Restaurant Sdn Bhd 04000013/2004
393 Tuck Kee Restaurant 10765
394 Twinsky Seafood Restaurant 29108
395 Ultimate Donut & Coffee (M) Sdn Bhd 07001367/2007
396 Uncle Lim’s Café Sdn Bhd 05000133/2005
397 Uni Nirwana Sdn Bhd 03001158/2003
398 Unique Chapter Sdn Bhd 04000047/2004
399 Unique Grand Resources Sdn Bhd 06000242/2006
400 Unique Seafood (PJ) Sdn Bhd 07000016/2007
401 Unique Seafood Ipoh Sdn Bhd A10-0800065
402 U-Village Restaurant Sdn Bhd 04000220/2004
403 V Food Café Sdn Bhd 05000213/2005
404 V Garden Restaurant Sdn Bhd 04000027-04
405 Venice Franchise Holding Sdn Bhd 06000037/2006
406 Village Park Restaurant 05000706/2005
407 Village View Restaurant Sdn Bhd 06000398/2006
408 Wah Tua Guan Sdn Bhd 06346
409 Wong Poh Restaurant 04000236/2004
410 World Of Specialty Coffee Sdn Bhd 98000707/1998
411 Yakin Sehati Sdn Bhd 01000444/2001
412 Yesterday Melody Sdn Bhd 01000502/2001
413 Ying-Plus Ventures Sdn Bhd 04000250/2004
414 Yoshinoya Food Systems (M) Sdn Bhd 03001093/2003
415 Zen Corner Sdn Bhd 07001445/2007

In order to qualify for a service tax license and therefore collect service as a restaurant, the turnover of the restaurant must be more than RM3 million per annum. Failing which, the restaurant is not permitted to collect service tax.

So check your receipts against this list (or print it out and carry it when you go out). And if the restaurant is collecting what it's not supposed to be collecting, REPORT THE BUGGERS.

Note that if they are found to be collecting service tax without a license, they will be hit by a bill from Customs for the amount due, on the assumption of revenue of RM3 million and above.

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Abracadabra - Theobroma!

Walked past Oriel's spot in BSV today and saw the fit-up has been postered over. It looks like the new tenant in BSV occupying the prime Feng Shui spot that Bakerzin previously occupied is Theobroma, the chocolate lounge.


I haven't tried their place in 1 Utama (once you've eaten Michael Cuizel's chocolate, really, nothing below that makes the cut). But I suppose now that it's in BSV, I might just have no excuse not to try it.

Although I have to say, the 2-3 times I've walked past the outlet in 1 Utama and have not been moved or inclined to venture in or buy the chocolate. Something about the cellophane wrap just makes me think - ugh. No respectable Maison Du Chocolat would allow their product to be wrapped in cellophane surely?

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Mad about Lepat Pisang

I am a sucker for Ramadan bazaars. Something about the kuih stalls that ensures I will have a browse and I will buy some kuih, eventhough I am not supposed to be eating kuih after far too many cakescapes this month.

In particular, I am a sucker for lepat pisang. The thing about lepat pisang is it's hard to find a good standard one. Isn't that the perennial challenge with all kuih? Sometimes the mixture is overly sticky and chewy (more kuih koci than lepat), making it impossible to wrestle from the banana leaf wrapper without feeling like you're in a gladitorial battle with some kind of kuih chewing gum. Other times, it just tastes floury without much banana taste, which from scrutiny of a few recipes on line, I have ascertained as wrong proportion of flour to liquid/banana. And of course, there's always the question of whether or not you're eating lepat pisang made with real PISANG, or just lepat with a generous splash of banana essence.

I like to think that I can detect banana essence but the truth is that it's only really obvious when you're eating a banana cake with a crumbly but unmoist texture (sign of an absence or lack of banana puree) and when the baker has over-egged the essence so to speak.

And as I love kuih, but lack the experience that comes from making it, I have no real means in which to be sure that I'm eating the real kahuna. I am convinced that a friend got it wrong when she said lepat pisang is made from pulut rice and mashed banana. Lepat pisang in my view is flour (rice flour maybe?), mixed in with pureed bananas, and a little coconut milk, placed into the wrapper and kukus-ed to set it. Hence the kuih koci like texture, but firmer. But I shall be diligently researching this soonest. Experts out there, please enlighten.

The thing about lepat pisang is that it seems to only make an appearance in vast numbers in non-Malay areas during Ramadan month. I am sure that if I ventured to the right places, it is probably as common as yau char kueh. But seeing as I am a Bangsar-lurking kuih buyer (must try some of the other bazaars at some point), I tend to associate it with ONLY Ramadan month.

Someone who works in the government service says it's a staple of government tea time jamuan, along with the must have kuih lapis, and onde-onde (not quite Malay, more nyonya, but that's another debate). But since I don't particularly have a good impression of the kuih shop in Bangsar Village or KLCC (too far anyway), the Bangsar Ramadan Bazaar is my only time to indulge my lepat pisang cravings.

Perhaps I will contemplate venturing further than Bangsar this year. I always long to have a go at the ones in KL but the traffic is enough to put such thoughts to bed, along with the recognition that I might end up going totally mad and buying more kuih than I should.

As these bazaars usually lelong the kuih at three for a dollar, I end up with three, good or bad. Since it has been ages since my last lepat pisang, I ignored the fact that I was carrying two other plastic bags and managed to stuff the lepat pisang in my mouth.

From the first bite, I knew I was onto a winner.

It was firm, no overwhelming banana essence, and a slightly textured taste that hinted at real banana within. And the gem: it had roughly grated kelapa (coconut) embedded in the center.

I beat a hasty path back to the stall and staked a claim to three more, leaving one more to whichever lucky bugger would land it. The curry puff, which for some reason is a necessary compliment to the sweet lepat, was so-so. The sugared ubi doughnuts were, in the words of my bro, 'crack'.

For those who are wondering, I can only describe it was the kuih stall nearest to the 2nd entrance to the Jolly Green Giant carpark, that is along the 1 way street. It is however not possible to be accurate since it is early times and more stalls may spring up. Will try to get a picture for ID purposes (although the thing is, the quality of the kuih tends to start to wilt as the month goes by).

Whilst browsing the bazaar, what immediately struck me was the number of people busy buying ayam percik, ordering roti john and murtabak and sapu-ing up the kuih who were not Muslims. Obviously, the non-Muslims also look forward to this time of the year because they get to savour the dishes that typically don't make an appearance during the rest of the year - the ayam percik and wide availability of murtabak and endless variety of kuih being the items with the most pulling power it seems.

Indeed, it occurred to me that it's The Great Malaysian Gastronomic Marathon season again. Crimped in together in one month is Ramadan and Hari Raya, with the Mooncake Festival sandwiched in between the two on September 15th. So along with rendang, nasi kunyit, kuih, bubur - I am a sucker for pengat pisang - murtabak, is mooncake, mooncake, mooncake! And let's face it, mooncake is amazingly versatile - great with coffee, perfect as a little after lunch sweet, and extra yummy after dinner with some tea. I'm keen on most of the traditional mooncakes ( except mixed nuts) and I am a glutton for trying all the exotic ones (kaffir lime milk chocolate mooncakes from Mandarin Oriental anyone?), although have gone off the Ping Pei.

And there is the chue chai peng (little piglet biscuits) - how do I love thee? Let me count the oinks (and calories since it is unadulterated lard mixed with flour and sugar and then baked.)

And to top it all off, there's Deepavali too look forward to. YUM.
By the time you're done, oh look, Christmas is here.

Is it any wonder we're more rotund than we should be? But then is it any wonder that after 51 years of independence, Malaysians don't know what their national identity is, but they sure as hell know that there's nothing in the world greater than Malaysian food.

PS: i welcome all suggestions for a good lepat pisang available 24x7x365. As long as it's not too far away. PJ ada ah?

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Oriels is GONE! Changes afoot at Bangsar Village?

Sitting in Starbucks, I notice that Oriels is now no longer there.

A white fit-out works plywood cover stands in it's place.

Renovations perhaps? I received lots of comments, some good some bad, about the new place.
I never got a chance to try the cakes and frankly, I absolutely did not really feel a compelling need to.

They looked like knock-offs of Bakerzin cakes, and lacked the finesse and finish of the Bakerzin cakes.

But I suppose if Oriels re-opens in BSV, I will make it a point at some time to try one of the cakes. Then weigh in my opinion.

UPDATE: Oriels is still open at 1 Utama so that seems to lean heavily towards Oriels BSV being under reno.

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Latest Condemn List Candidate: Marmalade Cafe, BSV II

One of my favourite places for Sunday Brunch is Marmalade Cafe. I like going to the one in Bangsar Village II.

I've had my fair share of people who wonder why I have brunch there, declaring the food to be variously 'weird' and 'tasteless' and cardboard. They have some winners on the menu (the salmon carbonara is not bad, and I do like their ricebowl options). Mostly, it's a good place to eat because the food is a reasonable effort at reducing the 'bad quotient' of most foods. It feels healthy, without feeling, like it's inedible. The staff are accomodating to requests such as serving the poached salmon with only brocolli, or cutting the amount of rice. And when it comes to weekend brunch, they have some interesting options beyond the usual boring eggs and toast.

They are the only place I know that does wholegrain pancakes. And since I'm on a bit of a health move, I try to chose wholegrain where I can and so Marmalade Pancakes are a good way to indulge without too much guilt. A friend likes their Green Eggs, and their French Toast is quite good too.

All this is a thing of the past.

Two weekends ago, we were at Marmalade and we noticed new menus.

New menus usually means, new prices. And sure enough, Green Eggs were up by RM2.

Now, obviously, prices going up is nothing to bat an eyelid at. It's surprising these days if you go to a restaurant and prices HAVEN'T gone up and portion sizes have said the same. But I'll get to what's objectionable in a bit.

At Marmalade, not only were the prices UP, but items had disappeared from the dishes. The Green Eggs usually come with 2 slices of mozzarella cheese, and avocados. The avocadoes were still there, but the mozzarella cheese had disappeared.

The wholegrain pancakes are usually served with cream cheese. Usually I get the waiters to get the chef to stick it into a separate saucer. Admittedly the last few times I have been there, I've not actually seen any cream cheese on the pancakes - this time I was there, there was a barely visible swipe on the pancakes. Now, it could be the waiters just decided that I was a health nut and since I always asked for the rice to be removed from my dishes, that I'd perhaps like not having any cream cheese on the pancakes.But here's the thing, that Sunday, I didn't ask them to take it out.

The French toast usually comes with a tumbler/shot glass of vanilla yoghurt. But given that the Green Eggs had come sans Mozzarella cheese, it was no surprise that the French Toast arrived with a container the same size as the miniature containers for chilli and soy sauce in the hawker center.

Now, I know dairy products have gone up in price but is it necessary to engage in these reductions AND embark on a price increase?

In all fairness, Marmalade has been frank by producing a new menu and indicating clearly what they are removing, and publishing new prices. Points must be given for not being deceptive (although of course, if I had my nitpicking ways, the waiters/staff should have been trained to tell customers that the Mozzarella Cheese was being removed).

But as far as I could tell, cream cheese was still part of the pancakes although I noticed in my copy of the menu, it was glued on. And there was barely any (not to say absolutely none, just BARELY ANY) cream cheese in my pancakes.

Am I harping? Yes I am. But as far as I am concerned, what aggrieves me is that there is no reason to cut back AND raise prices. I would be okay with a raised price for the same product - that after all is what inflation is all about. I would also be okay with a raised price, and say a slight cutback - one slice of mozzarella cheese vs two. But a bare scraping that's nearly not visible to the naked eye of cream cheese? And cutting back yoghurt by 2/3rds? Inflation means prices go up and if you've raised your prices, then you've address the inflation issue. But to charge more, and give less feels a lot like daylight robbery.

So what if Marmalade's argument is - we can't raise the price enough to cover our costs?

If an establishment is confident of the quality of the food that they are offering up, then they should be confident enough to increase the price to the level needed to maintain standards. And confident that the patrons will believe enough in the food to pay that higher price surely?

To increase the price AND reduce the amount of product, is a recipe for disaster for any restaurant. Patrons, specifically the REGULAR PATRONS, will notice. Admittedly, not all regular patrons will notice, whine/bitch and then blog about it. But they will notice.

Whether or not patrons will then translate that noticing of up price, decline in quantity and ingredients, into less visits, or simply not frequenting a place like me, depends. Significantly, it will probably depend on how easily you find a substitute for wholegrain pancakes, or green eggs or French toast. Unfortunately, there are hardly ANY places that do the wholegrain pancakes (although I am working my damndest on the chef at YogiTree). Green Eggs are a sort of niche dish of Marmalade as well so finding that substitute will probably be a challenge as well bar making it at home yourself. As for French Toast, one could make it oneself or visit Kim Gary and eat their heart-stopping version.

My friends and I, after contemplation, decided we will probably be going down the path of not frequenting Marmalade. And we will have to find another brunch place. I will miss the magazines, and the place. And the coffee was something else.

But I have put it on my condemn list. Which means, on principle, I shall not be frequenting it any more.

What's on your Condemn List?

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Reason #25342 to diet: mooncakes

It's that time of the year again - yes, mooncakes galore.

Cruised past the display at Midvalley today and noticed someone offering a ginseng chicken floss mooncake.

I cannot be sure if it is gross, a potential winner or beyond comprehension, food flavours wise. (still rolling it around my head).

Although, I did try the same company's Tiramisu and Black Forest mooncakes last year and was pleasantly surprised. Admittedly, it was hardly a quality product (I'm sure there were a lot of Es and Cs at work to produce those flavours. If you don't know what I'm talking about, try the last chapter of Fast Food Nation).

The KL Hilton's Chynna Restaurant has an exotic interesting offering this year - the Blue Mooncake. It has a blue skin and blueberry cheese filling. Sounds Vulcan (but interesting nonetheless.)

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Can you call something Pancetta if it's made from Beef?

Had dinner at Villa Danielli, Imperial Hotel (formerly the Sheraton Imperial).

We had a pizza that was described as Pancetta e Funghi. Which my rudimentary italian identifies as bacon and mushroom. Now, the description below informs the customer that it is beef bacon they are getting, not pork bacon.

My question - can it be called pancetta, if it is not made from pork, specifically pork belly?
Wikipedia does not seem to think so. And I don't think so either.

Why my blog does not have pictures of the food I eat

Somone asked me why my blog, which is about food most of the time, was so scant when it came to food pictures.

Because there are already enough food blogs out there with endless pictures of food, and not enough food blogs out there with WORDS in 'em. That's why. Especially Malaysian food blogs.

It makes you wonder why they are even called blogs if they are just full of pictures. A blog, lest we forget, was supposed to have originated as an online diary/journal which whilst it is appropriate that it includes photographs, should be more about WORDS.

From wikipedia

A blog (an abridgment of the term web log) is a website, usually maintained by an individual, with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (artlog), photographs (photoblog), sketches (sketchblog), videos (vlog), music (MP3 blog), audio (podcasting) are part of a wider network of social media.

So that is one of the reasons why I do not have an endless pile of food pictures on my blog. This is a blog where I talk about food - it is not a catalogue of every meal I have eaten, or for that matter, only about what food I have eaten.

Another reason: I'm not a professional photographer and my food pictures would just look like amateur food pictures anyway. Why would I want to insult the chef or restaurant owner by publishing amateur photographs of their food?

A professional photographer, assisted by a food stylist and further assisted by an army of assistants is how pictures in food magazines look so good. Since I am neither professional, not assisted nor willing to invest in the equipment or time to learn how to do it well, I refuse to accordingly do injustice to the food and to the Chef by photographing his or her food in bad light (or just lousy light), using a snappy camera and failing to complement what's on the plate with an appropriate styling.

Admittedly, most Malaysian food blogs are not pro-blogs wherein the bloggers are full-time pros who earn their living from their blog or who use their blog for purposes of showcasing their work as writers/photographers/food writers. So really, they can write whatever they want, and use as many pictures as they want. But I maintain that the biggest problem we have towards educating people on gastronomy and culinary arts and sciences in Malaysia is simply that there is insufficient exposure to quality writing about the subject of food. And a slew of food blogs that are picture driven don't help.

Which brings me to the conclusion: Malaysians are lazy readers and lazy reviewers.

Why bother to work at describing what you ate when you could just show a picture right? Save time writing mah. And no need to describe so much. After all, why crack one's brain trying to figure out a comparative descriptive of what you are eating when you can just slap a picture there and tell people - nah, so obvious right what it is no? And why bother to arrive at your own conclusion about whether what you ate was of a high standard compare against an objective standard, or revolutionary, or exciting, or unique - slap a picture there and let people see for themselves lah!

And heaven forbid if Malaysians are actually asked to IMAGINE what something tastes like using their brains, and taste memory, or composite two flavours through their imagination (think Ratatouille) and based on a description written in text form. Yes, photographs cut across the language barrier, but they also function as an intellectual barrier. They ultimately reflect the absence of a need for critical thought when it comes to how we approach the subject of food.

Which naturally results in Malaysians becoming IMHO faux gourmands and lazy foodies.

Admittedly, food should not be a complex exercise. It is after all about enjoyment. But it is another thing to entirely remove any measure of intellectualising from food - that is to simply downgrade all food into two categories: YUK or YUM. No, I do not ponder and contemplate every mouthful of food that I consume, but I am particular about what I will eat and will not eat, am very clear about when I am eating nonsense food and when I'm having a serious gastronomic experience (and also all those experiences in between).

Does anyone bother to wonder why it is that top notch restaurants do not provide you with PHOTOGRAPHIC menus? You can't be a serious foodie/gourmand if you're too lazy to read the menu or the description of the food. Photographs are only fit for fast service restaurants or in places where the menu is in a foreign language or the food is extremely foreign and you need a photograph to know that 'pesce' is 'fish'.

Check out a food review in The Times or the Guardian - guess what? There are NO food photographs. The focus is on the food, but you don't get pictures of the food. You might get a photograph of the restaurant's exterior to help you identify it's location if you happen to go looking for it, or to give you an idea of the ambiance. But NO FOOD PICTURES.

Look at the Dining and Wining section of the New York Times. Mark Bittman's 'The Minimalist' column this week on Blueberry Cheesecakes (blueberries are in glut, hence their sudden availability for RM10.99 at BSV) features ONE PHOTO. The rest are words. Descriptives. Explanations. Science. Commentary. Insight. Knowledge.

The restaurant review section of the New York Times restaurant review archive has a similar pattern of wordiness. Each review contains a singular photograph taken of the interior of the restaurant and guess what? More words.

Gastroporn can be about pictures and words, but one without the other or one without being respectfully and sufficiently complimented by another?

Words are what provide us with a more complex vicarious food experience and most importantly, and indication of TASTE. A photograph capture a limited number of textures (wet, dry, textured, smooth) but it cannot communicate sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, hot, cold, warm, comforting. Photographs show you what something looks like and a multiplicity of colours (which can also help influence your viewpoint of the taste of something) but it is wordscapture complexity in flavour, the combination of tastes, the different textures, and most importantly, the sensation of the food.

So no, I do not put pictures unless I have a very good reason to do so, or I am just feeling frivolous. And I personally find it annoying to sit in a restaurant and see people photographing their food. I can understand if say, you were on a quest to eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant for 365 days of the year, and your blog contained an image of every Michelin-starred meal. Or if you were documenting a special meal (for example, a blow out on a really expensive degustation menu at a top tier restaurant) and just wanted to have a memory of the blow-out moment.

Photographing your afternoon snacks, and lunchtime meals and late night cakescapades? I'd be insulted as the baker/chef at a restaurant if someone took amateur snappy camera photographs of my food and slapped it up on the Internet. What if the pictures don't do justice to my food? What if it makes people just say - oh that looks yummy but in fact, my food is BEYOND MERE YUMMY?

Learn to read. You'll be a better gourmand for it.

Chocolate Ricotta Cheesecake @ Alexis - Jury Still Out

Had it for lunch today. (no pictures people, learn to use your imagination)

Biscuit base, and then a light fluffy chocolate 'cake' on top. Biscuit base tasted like digestive biscuits but wasn't crunchy or hard, but quite soft.

Ricotta always produces a 'lighter' cheesecake compared to cream cheese, which can be claggy and dense, especially if used in the wrong proportion, used in too much quantity, cheap cream-cheese is used, or you just have a refrigerator that is too cold. All these basically create a cheese but claggy cheesecake which leaves you feeling like you still have cheese stuck to your teeth despite the coffee you glugged down.

It does taste like a compromise choice - neither sinful enough to satisfy a desert craving (for that, please refer to the gorgeous Bittersweet Chocolate at Alexis) nor low in calories to make the dieting feel guiltless.

Jury is still out although for a change, it provides a different texture and a certain fluffyiness.

Bye Bye Bakerzin, Hello Oriel?

So, it has finally happened. The Titanic has hit the Iceberg.

Yesterday, whilst lurking at Starbucks, I noticed that my once-favourite cafe, Bakerzin, (to find out why it has fallen from favour, see 'Thoughts on Kuchen') has changed names. It is now known as Oriels.

Now, I am inclined to think that it possibly has the same owners or at least, it is not a total change of hands as the staff are the same, furniture is the same, and everything is more or less the same. Even if you sell a business to someone, they're going to surely make some changes? But perhaps the name change is the 'big change' then.

I am not surprised that this has happened, although I can only speculate why. The easy possiblity is that the franchise owner of Bakerzin here in Malaysia (Billion Berg) and Bakerzin (which is a Singaporean company) fell out - most franchises go pear shaped over one thing usually and that's $. Maybe Bakerzin Singapore was taking too much of the profit from Bakerzin Malaysia, making it hard for Bakerzin Malaysia to put enough money back into ops and expansion, which may also have been part of the franchise agreement.

The requirement of expansion of a certain number of stores is not uncommon in the franchising world. The doughnut-mad amongst us who are wondering why it is that Krispy Kreme has not set foot in this part of the world or who are considering if a KK Asean franchise might be the key to world domination might want to consider the following criteria (as published on the the Krispy Kreme website):

• Applicants must have current ownership and operating experience or previous ownership and operating experience of multi-unit food service operations in the market that you desire to develop.

• Our franchisees must possess the capital sufficient to fund the development of the market. We currently grant franchises on an area development basis. Specifically, our area developers are required to build multiple stores (10 or more) in a market. The minimum net worth requirement is $30 million or $1,000,000 per store to be developed, whichever is greater. For instance, a 15-store market requires a minimum net worth of $30,000,000. (emphasis is mine)
  

Perhaps Bakerzin Singapore was being very demanding and requiring Bakerzin Malaysia to open up lots of outlets quickly and this put a strain on Bakerzin Malaysia's resources, which in turn created a cash crunch problem.

Or perhaps, Bakerzin Malaysia was insisting on making the cakes here, rather than getting the primary cake ingredients from Bakerzin's central facility in Singapore, and this was a deal-breaker. I know that for some time, Bakerzin Malaysia was working on making the cakes locally rather than getting their primary cake ingredients (sponges, mousses and the like) from the Singapore central facility. (this is the reason for their meagre collection of cakes, which has been the state of things for a good six months).

Now, the obvious reason for this would be cost control - delicate items like sponges, mousses and ganaches need to be stored in a refrigerated storage facility, and also need to be transported in refrigerated trucks. All this adds significantly to cost especially in light of the price of petrol going up (transport costs 30% more now) and electricity bills going up for commercial premises (imagine having to keep a refrigerated facility going). Compare that to having to just store the basic ingredients to make these items (which you wouldn't need to store up in advance since the supplier is local and can just deliver on demand) and not having to pay the considerable freight/transport change of transporting the delicate cake ingredients from Singapore to KL.

But on Bakerzin Singapore's side, the central facility is the key to two goals: firstly, maintaining quality. By centralising the production of the key components of their cakes, they can ensure that the end product will always be consistent since the franchisor is only effectively doing 'assembly' of the cake or just doing modest finishing touches onto the cakes. Secondly, this ensures they are able to protect their culinary IP - meaning, to minimise the risk of anyone copying their cakes or passing off their cakes as their own. It also is a sort of leash that they use to control the franchisor. This is quite common in ALL franchise concepts - the master franchisor always controls the ingredients going out. For example, all cakes at Secret Recipe outlets come from a singular factory source and franchisors have to buy the cakes from the factory. This is a requirement of the franchise agreement.

The plus for the Franchisee (ie: Billion Berg) is that they can concentrate on just operations, knowing that the food is already a winning formula and the brand is already a known brand.

A sign of the impending demise of Bakerzin could be seen when they switched out of Illy coffee to Lavazza (a sign the operator is trying to cut costs to make more profit) and I think when they started wanting to make their own cakes, Bakerzin Singapore either balked or saw it as an attempt to muck around with the quality. Conversely, it is also possible that Bakerzin Singapore just started becoming very unreasonable. Who knows. Whatever happened, it is an unfortunate fact that those of us who are fans of the sublime Lemon Tart, and the divine Jivara cake, that light Japanese-inspired Strawberry Shortcake, and the amazing molten chocolate cake....and the Oreo Cheesecake...and - well, one could go on. I mourn the loss of Bakerzin Malaysia, for it now means I can only get an alternative cake fix in Kiasuland rather than BSV, and there is one less option for cake on the 'must-have-cake' days.

Once again, Alexis (I'm really starting to wonder if the name was an inspired choice now sic Dynasty) rules the cake roost.

Life's a Grind...

I was quite excited when the Daily Grind opened up in Bangsar Village in December 2007. After all, the local restaurants should always be kept on their toes with a good bit of competition and really, I was getting kind of tired of the La Bodega burger (getting tired of La Bodega also).

I was also a bit curious to see how well this establishment would do, since they touted themselves as a 'Gourmet Burger Diner'. My previous experience with the 'other' gourmet burger place, Relish (located ironically round the corner at the car showroom opposite Bangsar Village) was decidedly poor. At Relish, we waited 45 minutes for our burgers - it was almost like they were looking for the cow, then slaughtering the cow, then grinding up the meat and the service was nothing short of appalling. Then came the crinkle cut chips! I expect a place with the word 'gourmet' in its name to make their own chips for heavens sakes. Hand-cut MINIMUM. If I want crinkle cut chips, I'll buy a bag of McCains and make them in my own oven!

So Relish is definitely on my Condemn List.

In any case, all seemed interesting when the day before they opened, I walked past and was told that the Daily Grind made it's burgers from Wagyu beef. Ah, this might explain the rather high price. However, this turned out to be misinformation (or an error perhaps) on the part of the staff. The Daily Grind makes its burgers from Australian-grain fed beef, not Wagyu.

So ahem, not quite the same moo.

I have been in twice, and by my reckoning and in gossip sessions with some other food aficionados, the Daily Grind's future does not look so bright. Admittedly in the first lunch I had there, there were some teething problems. Notably at the start they were having trouble getting the orders out quickly and in a timely fashion. This is common problem most restaurants have - opening week yips and teething problems from getting the staff to work with the kitchen folk. My burger arrived on time but I suspect it was also because two diners (who I knew) before me cancelled their orders out of annoyance.

All in all, the Cheeseburger I had was quite good. The hand-cut fries were also nicely made - crisp, and thick cut. But does it justify the term 'gourmet' and my RM42.55 cents bill? (respectively RM27 for the cheeseburger, RM10 for my cranberry juice, RM3.70 service charge and RM1.85 GST)

Me thinks not.

The obvious problem I had was with the perfectly formed burger patty. A gourmet burger should be hand-made and hand-shaped. It certainly should not be perfectly formed like it came out from a mold. And at RM27 it was about average-sized as far as burger's go. I've seen bigger.The burger bun was admittedly tasty, slightly sweet, but crisply toasted and buttery. Very more-ish. But again, RM27? I have a definite beef with that price.

Still, condemnation should not come after one try. So I went back again with some friends, and this time I had the chicken burger (waistline was dictating my choice). Impressions did not improve given that the first time around, my chicken burger was still flapping when it arrived (read:not cooked).

Now, if a beef burger is perhaps a little underdone or a bit pink in the center, this is quite understandable because beef does taste better under-done and burgers generally do not benefit from the charcoal treatment. But for a cook to get a chicken burger under-cooked (and it was cooked outside) is suggestive of firstly, a lack of attention being paid to the cooking process but also, indicates the burgers are most likely pre-made (my chicken burger was also perfectly 'molded') and more importantly, are possibly frozen when they arrive at the store. Thus, when it hits the very hot grill, the outside cooks quickly but the inside remains under-cooked.

Of course, they sent for another and this time it came properly done and cooked inside. And the policy of bottomless fries refills apparently had been instituted between my 1st visit and 2nd visit. The fries were still good of course, but my impression was certainly affected and since then, I haven't contemplated a return visit.

And it's not because I have an issue with the price per se. My view is, if the product justifies the price, then pay premium. But premium had better be premium. For RM27, I don't expect a machine molded burger, or just a nice bun. I expect maybe a burger that's big enough to be shared OR posh bread and maybe some sophisticated proprietary sauce that goes with it.

Speaking of sauce, the owners are proud of their home-made ketchup. I am not impressed again. It tastes more like tomato puree than ketchup (which SHOULD be sweet, not just spiced and tomato-ey), and it has a distinctly unpalatable texture and appearance. For the amount they have bottled on the walls, either there's going to be a lot of tomato puree (oops, ketchup) being thrown away, or the recipe isn't changing for a while. So if you plan to check it out, I suggest you bring your own ketchup or chilli sauce.

I'm told that the Daily Grind is modelled on a burger diner that the owners liked to patronise during their time in Australia (Aussies AGAIN!). From my two visits, I think a lot of work needs to go into the product to really give it a touch that justifies the description 'Gourmet'(which incidentally, Wikipedia defines as "meals of especially high quality, whose makers or preparers have used special effort or art in presentation or cooking the meal"). In short, that personal touch is essential to justify the use of the term 'gourmet'. Machine molding your burgers already violates this concept in spirit and in principle.

Of course, this is not just a problem we have here in Malaysia. Serious Eats has a lamenting post on the subject matters of 'The Sad State of American Burgers' - what I like about this post is that it delves into the question of 'What is a Gourmet Burger' and what qualifies as a gourmet burger.

The Daily Grind sure doesn't.

Postscript: I wrote this review around six months ago. Since then, I've observed that the traffic at the Daily Grind has been...well, hardly daily, and grinding to a halt quite possibly. This is despite their very attractive and well-done poster ads all around BSV. And I have not stepped foot into the Daily Grind since, preferring to eat my expensive burgers at Carl's Jnr - the subject another post, another day. At this point, it would seem that both the establishments that attempt to tout themselves as the place for a gourmet burger, namely Relish and The Daily Grind, are over-rated attempts at getting people to buy an expensive mediocre burger.

Perhaps we need a law against the random use of the word 'gourmet'.

The Doyen Returns

Alexis @ Telawi has re-opened and gosh, is the place gorgeous. A certain blogger was spotted there the night I was there. And shamefully I must confess I couldn't help myself and snapped some photos with the BB, which is proving to be a damn good de-facto camera.






Some visitors to my blog have noted that there is a distinct lack of photographs. This subject to be discussed, tackled and dissected forthwith. In the meantime, Alexis @ Telawi is my new favourite of all the Alexis outlets in Bangsar (and the Maitre'D there is just a real dear).

A new cake has appeared in their delightful front door facing freezer: Chocolate Ricotta. *interesting*. Cake-free for another 4 more days so it may just end up on my review list soon.

Thoughts of Kuchen...

Have declared the next two weeks to be cake-free weeks - not because I am off cake...I am NEVER off-cake. The waistline demands I be off-cake although honestly, it has simply driven me potentially into the arms of Goreng Pisang.

Anyway, as a result I have been thinking a lot about cake. And how hard it is to get good cake. When I used to make an annual pilgrimage to H.K to visit sibling and friends, finding good cake was also a bit of a challenge. I found myself ending up in the Peak Cafe, MidLevels on a regular basis because as much as I got through their cake menu in a week of being in H.K, it was good cake. I never made it to this shop called Antique, highly recommended by a friend (next time maybe). The problem of finding good cake isn't just a uniquely Malaysian challenge it would seem.

Here in good old Kay-El, I have abandoned my old favourite, Bakerzin (more on this in a bit) And it seems as though the old faithful, the ever-reliable when it comes to cake, is that doyen coffee-house, Alexis. Thankfully, they have expanded the number of outlets, thus enabling me to obtain my cake-fix without too much difficulty (all the worst for your waistline, grandma, whines my diet conscience). The Bangsar Telawi outlet is finally getting a long-overdue facelift, and it seems frantic renovation is going forth to ensure that the Telawi outlet opens in time for the Bangsar Shopping Center outlet to shut pending BSC's massive renovation of the East Wing of BSC.

My favs at Alexis remains the staples: Tiramisu Cake (emphasis on the CAKE), Bittersweet Chocolate (fabulous on a very, very good day when they get the sticky, gooey chocolate top perfect, excellent even on an off-day) and the Black and White, which tends to only make sporadic appearances and even then, has to be eaten only if absolutely fresh (read, don't eat the last two slices). I do also like the Strawberry Mascapone Cheesecake and the Chocolate Mousse, and if the baker is having a good day, the Chocolate Moist is also a good bet. They do have cakes I won't eat. The cheesecake is claggy, and way too dense, and frankly, it the kind of thing which anyone on a diet who only is allowed to eat cake once a week will order and immediately regret the calorie wastage. This is one cake they haven't got right. I tried the White Forest Cake a week ago and it excites me not. I have an occasional weakness for the Pear and Ginger Upside Down Pudding, but most of the time, I just go between the Tiramisu and Bittersweet Chocolate because they just are so good and so satisfying.

As a second string option during the day if there is a cake emergency would be the YogiTree at the Gardens, MidValley. Personal favs there include the flourless chocolate cake (you wouldn't KNOW it has no flour), the Oreo Chocolate Cheesecake and the Cheesecake with Berry Compote. Consistency-wise, the flourless chocolate cake is usually a very very safe bet. The cheesecakes can fluctuate if the temperature of the refrigerator is too low and the cheesecakes get a bit dense. A new feature on the menu is a Pineapple Upside Down Cake - a nice choice if you're looking for something sweet but not too calorific.

But strictly speaking, it is only if the day is going very badly that one can justify breaking the cake emergency alarm and having cake after lunch. There is no real reason to eat cake at lunch if one actually wishes to remain un-fat. (that's diet conscience talking again....shoo!)

Now, admittedly it sounds like no where else does decent cake. I suppose my standards are high, on the theory that if I am going to expend calories eating something sinful and bad for my waistline, I want nothing less than an excellent top-notch cake-dessert. Which is why for the longest time, I practically had a seat with my name on it at Bakerzin. And which is also why contrary to popular viewpoint, I do not think that highly of the cakes at Delicious. And it is also why I will not just eat cake anywhere either unless it is vouched for. Those extra calories are too precious (and the amount of time spent sweating it off far too torturous) to justify 'average' cake.

For those who are wondering, Bakerzin has been put on on my Titanic Watch - meaning, it's headed for the iceberg of the Condemn List. Reasons being that the management has recently decided that they want to start making the cakes in-house rather than bringing in some of the ready-made sponges and ingredients from Singapore, where the Bakerzin franchise originates. As a result, you basically go to Bakerzin nowadays and your choices are all of about six cakes. From a selection of over 20 cakes, it's now down to about 6. Not only does that suck, but it also means that the cakes get sold out quickly. So late night coffee and kuchen raids are out as far as Bakerzin goes.

And of course, my major motivation previously for eating cake at Bakerzin was the coffee. Perfect cake, with perfect coffee? A reason to be fat really. Although both Alexis and Bakerzin (and Delicious) use Illy coffee, Bakerzin made a mean latte and great Americano and for reasons I still haven't figured out, Alexis still can't get their coffee to taste better than a few notches beyond air longkang (it has improved of late but still not doing justice to Illy). Delicious does a decent job though but because I don't like their cakes, I won't go there just for the coffee. Now, Bakerzin has switched to Lavazza coffee, which during my brief visit to Italy, I seem to recall as coming in 3rd after Segefreddo and Illy coffee. So I don't drink Lavazza and I certainly won't pay top dollar for a cup of Lavazza coffee. Nor do I want to ruin my cake with a yuk coffee.

But anyway, that's why Bakerzin is no longer on my great cake list, which now seems to just consist of one place, and that's Alexis.

So why do Malaysians rave about cakes that are generally just average? Cost probably plays a part. Two cakes and two coffees at Alexis can set you back about RM40 - expensive in a time of inflation, and especially the case now that the prices of key baking ingredients like flour, butter, dairy products and especially cream cheese are going up through the roof. Ditto cake at Bakerzin averages about RM7 a slice. And because at Bakerzin, they're dainty portions, the Malaysian ringgit psyche deems it to be not 'value for money'.

Secondly, I am going to go out on a limb and say most Malaysians don't know what good cake should taste like (and hell, good food) because most of them don't actually cook or bake and thus don't actually KNOW what is good or what is bad. They simply know what they like and thus equate that with what is good. What you LIKE, will taste good to you.But it may not be good on an objective assessment level. Being able to evaluate food on an objective level means to be able to determine if it is good or not, based on the benchmark of the product FIRST, and then by your personal preferences second. Most of the time, when Malaysians say something is good, they mean, by their tastebuds, it tastes good. (Ratatouille rat mode off).

For example, the lemon tart is a rarity in cake shops because not only is it hard to get right, but it's not the sort of dessert that most Malaysian taste buds are attuned towards eating. Yet, a good lemon tart is an absolutely sublime experience and is something I'd consider ordering if I was sure I'd get a good lemon tart (so far, I'm still looking and no one has topped the one at Bakerzin).

Similarly, the perception of the dainty portions of cake like Amer and Jivara at Bakerzin being not value for money reflects ignorance rather than intelligent wallet management. To the average Malaysian, RM7 on a small piece of cake that they could probably scarf all by themselves, and RM7 on a gigantic slice they can share - duh, obvious choice right? But hang on - if I'm getting Valrhona chocolate in one, and Van Housten or worse, Cap X cooking chocolate in the other, I'm paying my RM7 to the Valrhona thank you. But really, if you didn't know your Valrhona from your Michel Cuizel, and your Hersheys from your Van Houston, you'd think RM7 for a dainty slice of cake is a total rip-off.

And at the absolute bottom of the triangle are those who eat cake just to have some sugar or something sweet to go with their coffee. There is no eating in the pleasure, just a sort of sugar or cheese craving that is being satisfied.

Beyond a cake being dry (which most people would instinctively AND correctly associate with bad cake), you don't get a lot of discrimination in what Malaysians are willing to give the thumbs-up to as good cake for the above reasons. And so, we will continue to have establishments that make just average cake (because hey, no one can tell the difference right?)
and get away with it, and I will just have to keep going to Alexis.

Temporary Irreverance II - KeAdilan Rally in Bangsar

On the final lap, after deciding not to go for the DAP rally in SS2 (which apparently caused a major traffic jam), I rushed to Bangsar to catch Nurul Izzah Anwar speaking in Bangsar, in front of CIMB Bank near TMC.

Pictures uploaded first. Account to follow tomorrow AM soonest, after voting.

Highlight of the evening: met Raja Petra Kamaruddin! Unfortunately, felt too shy to ask to have my picture taken with him despite the formidable photography power of my new Blackberry 8300, which was on hand to take these pictures.

Interestingly, parking to Bangsar Village I was sealed off, forcing us to go to Jolly Green to park. Is the Ng family subtly showing an allegiance one way?

Temporary Irreverance - BN Rally at Bangsar

As they say, one has to know how the other half lives, or rather, campaigns. Pictures taken from last night's BN Rally 'Malam Mesra' in Bangsar. I'm putting this on the web because it will be easier for everyone rather than send massive files of the pictures (and also it will collate the images from all the various sources)

The turnout was abysmal with most of the observers preferring to camp out at the VIP Corner of Nirwana Restaurant for teh tarik and milo ice, and steadfastly refusing to actually enter the tent set up. The entire lane sandwiching Bangsar Village II and the row of shops where Nirwana is located was cordoned off, with the lane running in front of BSV II cordoned off for the VIP cars. (of which included a Mercedes S class, a BMW 5 series, a BMW 4 wheel drive - wonder who those cars belonged to and why they were getting a police escort). Bangsar has never felt safer with half a dozen cops on every nook, cranny, corner and back lane. Pity it's not like that EVERY night of the year.

At 9.15pm the stated time for Najib to appear, there was nary a sight of the DPM (which is strictly speaking incorrect since Parliament has been dissolved and he is NOT the DPM any more at present time). The tent was still only about 1/4 full with the organisers having shoved the first few rows of chairs closer together to give the impression of a packed tent. But it was empty all the way.

Here at the pictures taken at around 9.15pm.

The Lion Dance Troup kills time...pity they got washed out by the rain

Here is a video of the start of the rally showing the empty seats, from KeAdilan's website.





Alas, the pulling power of Erra Fazira and uber-celebrity Siti Nurhaliza (who sang in Malay AND Chinese - waitaminute, who the hell in Bangsar speaks Mandarin?) was not enough to bring out the crowds from where they were at Lembah Pantai. There was also somewhat misguidedly a Bhangra band, which as one of the observers sharing our VIP perch at Nirwana pointed out, is a bit silly considering Bangsar doesn't actually have a large Punjabi population.

Erra performs to the no-crowd

From our perch at Nirwana, we noisily made rude comments throughout Najib's rally - he is an appallingly nervous speaker, having to constantly wipe spittle from his mouth during his rally and he spoke in a ponderous fashion more appropriate to a kampung crowd than the sophisticated intellectuals that haunt Bangsar. It was shocking how he made remarks about Islamic states when he himself has been quoted as saying Malaysia is an Islamic state. Needless to say, I don't have much confidence in this 'Dopey' being the next PM. Or should that be Drool-Boy.

There were no loud cheers whenever he tried to get the crowd to respond and react to him and except for the BN chorus that cheered 'Hidup BN' on cue during select pauses in his speech, it was a tame crowd.

Shahrizat speaks but preaches mainly to the BN converted. View from Nirwana

Shot towards the end of the rally

Here's what the NST published this morning - obviously the rally was not a success, hence it didn't make the front page:


The Star buried the story in 2 paragraphs, with ZERO mention of the pathetically small turn out, which could not have numbered more than 100. Full points to Najib and Shahrizat though for keeping up the face and smiling all the way through despite the appalling turn out. I would have given a million bucks to have mind-reading powers at that point and know exactly what was on their minds.

In a disgraceful moment of manipulation, the national anthem was played, in an attempt to get everyone present to stand up (and thus show I suppose our respect for these politicians). Some people stood up, but a number of people (yours truly included) refused to stand, for obvious reasons of declining to be a part the propaganda. I shan't say anything about the inclusion of a prayer for the BN candidates by some ulama wearing a BN shirt.

Shahrizat promised Bangsar a police station of their own should she be returned with a heftier majority. It kind of conjures up images of majority comparison contests in the backrooms of the BN doesn't it? Except I guess they play who's majority is bigger, as opposed to whose appendage is bigger and pisses further.

There were a couple of BN cap wearing heavies on the next table who obviously didn't take too kindly to our sarcastic remarks about 'commissions' and 'altantuya' which periodically punctuated our conversation. And then it bucketed in the midst of Shahrizat's rally and we wondered if it was the PAS bomohs at work (but since it also rained in Lembah Pantai at the KeAdilan Rally, perhaps it was the result of both sides bomohs cancelling each other out!

Haris Ibrahim's Blog carries an account of the two Lembah Pantai ceramahs.
Another account from a blog, with comparison pix of the two ceramahs here

Doughnut Discourse - Much Ado about Doh?

Prologue

This lengthy diatribe on doughnuts is finally ready to be published...some people argue taste is subjective (you say potato, I say po-tato and all that), but really taste is not. It is objective. At least, I'm trying to suggest it here.

This has been lying in the edit folder for at least a month and keeps getting longer each time. Although I haven't had a chance to revisit JCo doughnuts (and being back on diet, that's not happening for a while), I have revisited the Big Apple ones. And I affirm my verdict still.

Doughnuts away...

The Great Doughnut Dissertation

Okay, so Malaysians (and it seems Singaporeans) have gone crazy over doughnuts. The queue at Big Apple at The Curve is long and big enough to convince the owners that they must now be also in MidValley, and Pavillion and One Utama.

For the uninitiated, they are taking a leaf out of the Rotiboy book and positioning the store right in front of the elevator - lazy Malaysians are more likely to spot something next to an elevator than the stairs. Indeed, the outlet in MidValley is positioned on the lower ground floor, in the bypass to the new Gardens @ MidValley - the lowest possible level so that non-stair-climbing Malaysians do not have to go far for the dougnut fix.

Doughnuts it seems, are the new must-eats, judging by the number of Malaysian bloggers who have raved about the Big Apple Doughnuts and the queue at JCo in Pavillion.



Being a discriminating doughnut person, I decided to investigate (at cost to my waistline) - the Doughnut. And herein I present my Doughnut Dissertation.

First, terms of the experiment. I have had the opportunity to eat Krispy Kreme Doughnuts during my visits to HK (for those are are KKK - Krispy Kreme Krazy - it is only available in SEA in either Hong Kong or Indonesia, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Jakarta). I have also eaten JCo Doughnuts and Big Apple Doughnuts. Secondly, basis of comparison. The comparison will be glazed vs glazed, in the interests of fairness, naturally. Of course, the ultimate ultimate comparison would be a blind test, but my waistline won't have it so the experiment is somewhat limited in that the doughnuts were not all tasted at the same time. However, as I have eaten Big Apple and Krispy Kreme doughnuts quite a few times, I believe it is possible to compare the taste of the two, and against that of J Co.

Meet the Contenders.

In the Blue Corner, the local boy, Big Apple.



And in the Red Corner, the American Giant, Krispy Kreme:



In the Yellow Corner, the Indonesian Juggernaut, JCo:



I have deliberately left off Dunkin Doughnuts from the equation because honestly, I don't think Dunkin Doughnuts qualify as doughnuts. A piece of grandma's shoe sole maybe. But doughnut, I don't think so. But, in the interests of a complete discourse on the doughnut, I'll probably have to buy a Dunkin Doughnut at some point, to add it to the mix. However, as Dunkin Doughnut does not actually have a 'glazed' doughnut and only powdered sugar ones, the comparison of how DD lines up against KK and the other Contenders, will have to be saved for a discourse on my other favourite type of doughnut: the jelly.

I doughnut wish to digress...so let's move to the analysis.


a) Colour

KK doughnuts, as can be seen by the photo comparison below, are clearly, fried (yes, doughnuts have to be fried so let's not delude ourselves that they're somehow NOT fattening) more consistently, to produce a consistent golden tan to the doughnuts. By contrast, Big Apple doughnuts are frequently paler than the Krispy Kreme version and oft-lack the caramelised flavour that comes with a properly fried doughnut.

The reason for this could be either the fryer is not timed properly so the doughnuts from Big Apple are coming off a little bit earlier than they should, or the oil is not as hot as it should, thereby cooking the doughnut but not giving it the right golden tan, or it is related to the dough mixture. I'm more inclined to lean towards the first two, although the dough mixture is probably a contributing factor - flour and sugar proportion, as well as sugar quality likely play a part in determining how 'golden' the doughnuts come out.

J Co on the other hand, seems to be not quite in the same league as KK, but looking less pale definitely.

b) Texture

Texture-wise, the KK doughnut has a more cakey texture, and holds up better after one day, maintaining its cakey softness. By contrast, the Big Apple doughnut, whilst still tasting pretty okay a day later, tends to be doughy on first bite, and lacks that cakey fluffiness that Krispy Kreme has. JCo doughnuts seemed to have the right mix, slightly cakier than the Big Apple doughnuts, but also just enough fluff to them.

Big Apple doughnuts seem doughey in general, and have a stick-to-the-top-of-your-mouth dougheyness that one tends to associate with local Chinese pastries rather than a proper cakey-flour texture.

I have also noticed, whenever I step off the elevator at 1Utama, where the Big Apple store is, that the scent of trans-fats (that sort of semi-rancid oil/grease smell) is particularly strong from Big Apple, compared to J Co (you get a bit of it from a KK doughnut but you really have to hold it up to your nose). The flavour of the trans-fats can be quite obvious when the doughnut is a day old but as I have only experienced this with KK doughnuts (and post-diet, sensitivity to trans-fats smell is high) - however, the smell factor is something which again, I take into account as a measure of quality and standard. All doughnuts have to be made to a degree with trans-fats but typically the smell only permeates if the frying oil is an issue. I am of course no expert...but I trust my nose...

C) Glaze and Toppings

The glaze from Krispy Kreme is of course infinitely superior - smooth like marble, and it doesn't have a sugary texture (which is usually an indication in my humble opinion, of either a poorly mixed glaze, or just inferior quality sugar). This smoothness is evident also in the JCo doughnut, although not to the same standard. Whilst the glaze on the Big Apple doughnut is okay, it is clearly not of Krispy Kreme standards, and lacks the marble smoothness of a quality glaze.






In order of appearance: JCo, KK, Big Apple - the superior glaze is obvious IMHO. KK doughnuts photographed in the day, JCo at night with Flash, Big Apple in the day.Both Big Apple and J Co doughnuts were photographed fresh whilst KK doughnuts photographed one day later, and after a 3 hour plane journey.


Toppings are another issue (and fillings as well).

A good indication also of the quality of chocolate being used on Big Apple doughnuts is the amount of shine visible on the doughnut under the lights in the display. When chocolate has a lot of shine, it is first usually in my mind an indication that it is not of particularly good quality chocolate and secondly, that it has been kept or reheated often, thus nearly separating the fats from the cocoa butter. That's why if you buy cooking chocolate, good quality cooking chocolate is glossy without an oily appearance, whilst poor quality cooking chocolate derives an unnatural amount of gloss from the addition of other fats into the chocolate. In short, the less high quality the chocolate, the shinier it appears under the light.

Taste also will give an indication of the quality of the chocolate being used. (and anyone can use Belgian chocolate in their toppping - the question is HOW MUCH is being used, along with other things).




My photography skills (and these shots are not photoshopped) aren't the greatest but tastebuds and eyes don't lie, even if photos don't always do justice to what is being said.


Your eyes of course do not lie...and nor do tastebuds (especially when it comes to sussing out cheap peanut butter vs better quality peanut butter - don't believe me, do a blind test between Skippy and Steffi peanut butter...).

Why is doughnuts have suddenly become so popular? Deprivation is probably the answer, with faddishness or novelty coming in next. For most people, Dunkin Doughnuts was the only doughnut in Malaysia for the longest time. And frankly most people know it's not a particularly good doughnut but what choice do you have if you want a jelly doughnut? Compared to the doughnuts in conventional bakeries (which are usually pale, covered with knobbly sugar, and potentially a mouthful of clumpy dough), Dunkin's Doughnuts were vastly superior.

Compared to the doughnuts in Big Apple, the stodginess of Dunkin's loses out to the lighter and fluffier texture of Big Apple.

But compared to Krispy Kreme, Big Apple is a whole doughnut short of the Krispy Kreme standard.

Coming in the middle is the JCo doughnut. I haven't dared brave the queues that have been piling up since it opened in Pavillion but I have eaten them, early when the Pavillion store first opened. And I resoundly am of the view that they trounce Big Apple doughnuts, hands down. (assuming standards have not declined since then - queues have a habit of wrecking quality control I find).

My increased reservation of putting Big Apple doughnuts in the same league as JCo (forget KK) comes from the fact that I have concluded that Big Apple seems to be engaging in obvious and clear imitation of JCo doughnuts. From the box design, to the types of doughnuts on offer (the Green Tea and Tiramisu ones are a dead giveaway) to the fact that the doughnuts at Big Apple appear to look a lot like the ones in JCo (and really the difference between a 'Glazzy' doughnut and a 'Glacier' doughnut is?), there's more than a hint of suggestion that Big Apple is in fact, knock-off of JCo.

Its almost like the owner went to JCo, studied their selection, and then prodigiously implemented it, with slightly different names, but the same look and feel of the doughnuts,and even the same flavour concepts.

Clearly between JCo and Big Apple, JCo has a greater legitimate claim to being the Grade A fake, if Krispy Kreme is the doughnut being copied. But my view is that we can't put JCo in the category of mere imitator (that would be Big Apple, albeit not so good mere imitator.)

JCo is in itself, a very good purveyor of doughnuts in their own right.Extra points to them for NOT copying KK wholesale and actually coming up with their own concept doughnuts with their own unique take on the doughnut (in fact, someone told me that Indonesians are actually known for making really amazing rustic doughnuts). I plan to brave the queue again one day at Pavillion to see if they have maintained their standards...I hope they have.

But back to the original topic of this blog which was to decide which doughnut takes the cake so to speak. My personal verdict is Krispy Kreme still rules the doughnut roost, but JCo a very close second (not just as an imitator, but in its own right, a good doughnut shop) and Big Apple, well, distant, distant third place, for the reason that it is not only nowhere near being a KK substitute, but it deserves points being knocked off for...well, knocking off other people's stuff. Alas, though, right now, in the absence of KK being in KL, it is only a toss up between JCo and Big Apple realistically (although rumours of the KK Franchise coming to Malaysia no doubt will regularly be doing the milkrounds). I'd prefer to save my calories for JCo, even if Big Apple is more conveniently located, and less insanely crowded.

Postscript:

Aliens vs Predator is a nice doughnut, but my stomach squelches at the though of how much of that chocolate is really 'the good stuff'.) The smell of the trans-fats from the Big Apple doughnuts cooking oil has started to get to me and I've heard also a few remarks from people who have bought doughnuts from Big Apple of the same 'scent' of trans-fats. Granted you get it from KK doughnuts too but you have to have a really sensitive nose to suss that out. So strike one more blow against the Big Apple doughnuts...

I still don't understand the crazy queue at JCo, but I guess when you are the only one, the Keynesian rules of supply and demand apply. Just call it doughnut economics I guess.