Coffee & Dreams, Seremban 2

Located in the far corner of Uptown Avenue, I was excited to know that there are more coffee joints opening up in Seremban. Coffee & Dreams opened just yesterday (2nd November 2013) and seem to give new hope to coffee junkies who are (stranded) living in Seremban.

After mass, we (Fab and I) hurriedly went over to Coffee & Dreams at S2 for a good Sunday morning breakfast. They are using Lavazza coffee beans for their coffee and also serve a wide range of decent desserts from New Zealand Natural's Ice cream, Sweet Montage Handmade Puddings, assorted cakes (Red Velvet, Chocolate, etc.), Mille Crepes, Muffins to cookies.

From the outside, you would be able to see the clean and simple layout of the store.

And this would be the view from the inside. :)

 The counter of Coffee & Dreams, cakes and puddings were nicely placed in the glass cake display case. Classic blackboard Menu. (Which i think could be improved on)

Mocha (RM7.90)

Fab and I shared this Tuna Croissant (RM 8.90)

**They serve Sandwiches, Panini Bread, Ciabatta and Croissants along with Wedges and Salad.

Complimentary Mini Chocolate Puff Pastry and Apple Puff Pastry

Latte Goloso- (Espresso, milk, whipped cream and crunchy sprinkles: a sinful fusion of creaminess and crunchiness, for maximum taste and pleasure ;) )

 It was quite upsetting as we had to wait a good 25-30 minutes for our Tuna Croissant (which I kept telling Fab that it SHOULD be yummy since it took that long to prepare a Croissant). When it arrived, the Tuna Croissant was supposed to be served with a simple side salad of coral lettuces and cherry tomatoes with wedges. Sadly, it wasn't served with the wedges. 

So, I asked the owner about it and he apologized about the whole incident. Whilst we were waiting for our wedges, the owner gave us a complimentary Mini Chocolate Puff pastry and Mini Apple Puff pastry to try. We thought it was good but because we ate it when it's cold, it became slightly hard.

The Tuna Croissant was so-so. It was quite a refreshing combination of finely chopped tomatoes, capsicum, pomelo and Tuna. The Croissant was nothing fantastic but somehow there was this buttery taste which complimented the Tuna filling well.

The Mocha was alright, we couldn't really taste the chocolate but at least the milk was steamed nicely.

We ordered another cup of Latte Goloso, but they did not have whipped cream so it was topped with foam instead. I personally think that the glass was too big and the entire drink tasted more milky than coffee/chocolate. Towards the end, it became better as the chocolate and coffee was thicker and there was this crunchy chocolate like biscuits too. I would suggest they serve in a smaller glass with double shot of espresso to give that whole "sinful fusion of maximum taste and pleasure". 

All in all, it was actually quite a pleasant breakfast experience for us though there was some shortcomings. I do understand that this could be their very first store and there are still alot more things to learn on especially the management side. What's more important is that, they acknowledged their mistakes and tried to make it up to us. Major plus points from me! :)

Quite a nice place to chill and have tea time or late night desserts but it was lacking of music. :(

Price : 3/5 (Standard Cafe prices in KL)

Ambiance : 3.5/5

Service: 4/5 (For the owner)

Food : 3/5

Beverage: 3/5

We weren't able to try their waffles (batter not prepared yet =.=) and desserts. But next time, I will definitely come back for those. 

Give it a try at:

Coffee & Dreams

No. 199, Jalan S2 B14, Uptown Avenue,

70300 Seremban,

Negeri Sembilan

Telephone number: 

06 601 3855

Open from: 8am to 10pm (Will confirm it next visit)

Check out their facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/CoffeeAndDreamsS2 

Restoran Kim's Seafood Palace, Port Dickson

Restoran Kim's Seafood Palace 大晶宫海鲜酒家

Coming from Sabah, where seafood is just so fresh, I can't help but to feel slightly skeptical when people tell me that there is good seafood elsewhere. However, since Seremban is just 35-40 minutes away from Port Dickson (using the Port Dickson toll = RM3.20) , my friends and I decided to treat Liz for a nice seafood dinner at Port Dickson for her birthday.

Image taken from:

http://my.openrice.com/negerisembilan/restaurant/photos.htm?shopid=214199&page=1

Located just along the coasts of Port Dickson and next to McDonald's, Kim's Seafood Palace looks quite decent and rather posh from the outside.

We went there on a Friday night, and surprisingly the place was not packed. Few tables were occupied and our presence immediately changed the quiet atmosphere.

Like all seafood restaurants, we ordered Crabs, Lala (Clam) soup, Fried Squid with Chilli and Salt and a Fried Kangkong with Belacan. (A Malaysian local delicacy)

Their signature dish "Salted Egg Yolk Crab" 

"Kam Heong" Crab 

"Superior Lala (Clam) Soup" 

"Fried Squid with Chilli and Salt" 

(Would love to try this in Salted Egg Yolk style next time)

Tonight, Liz is a happy girl!

We also ordered their "Homemade Tofu" which was quite delicious as well.

The total bill was about RM 150++ for 2 x 0.5kg Flower crab, Small plate of squid, Tofu, Vegetable and Soup. Approx RM30 per pax.

Price: 4/5 (Slightly pricey over the weekends or during peak season for the crabs. RM88/kg or RM98/kg;on Non-peak season: RM68/kg *Subject to change)

Taste : 3-3.5/5  (We loved the Salted Egg Yolk Crab and it was really good, however the quality fluctuates depending on the crowd; I went there on a separate occasion when it was packed .It was quite a disappointment but it was still ok.)

Ambiance : 3/5 (Near to the beach; can take a stroll after dinner. :))

Highly recommended: Salted Egg Yolk stir fried Bitter Gourd

I have also tried their steamed Tilapia fish on another occasion. It was really good and fresh. Would love to try their meat dishes next time. 

Overall, this is a really good seafood place, a good "getaway" if you would like to experience something different. It's located next to McDonald's so once you reach Port Dickson, try locating McDonald's and it will lead you there.

This place is also Pork-free though I am not sure whether it is halal certified or not.

Location: 26, Persiaran Water Front, PD Water Front, Negeri Sembilan, Port Dickson, 71000

Opening Hours: 

Mon.-Sun. 11:00-15:00

Mon.-Sun. 18:00-23:00

Phone: 

06-646 2828 / 016-667 1107

La Roasteria, Seremban

After moving to Seremban, I was really upset that I could not find a good coffee place.
Little did I know, hidden in a quiet area at Seremban 2, La Roasteria is located inside a 2 stories grey building along with a saloon, an anesthetic clinic and a gym. Rather a weird combination, but the ambiance of La Roasteia is cozy and comfortable.

My friends and I were quite thrilled that there is a place serving decent coffee in Seremban besides Starbucks. This place serves coffee, tea, smoothies, pie, main courses, sandwiches. A great place for breakfast, brunch and tea-time.

Macadamia Nut Latte (RM8.20)

Mocha

Original Cheesecake

Chocolate Banana Cake

Chocolate Moist Cake

Seremban Town's Macadamia Nut Latte

Scones with Blueberry Jam and Fresh Cream

Turkey Ham and Cheese Croissant

I have tried taking away coffee at both places and find it disappointing. I took away a latte from Seremban Town's branch to find that 1/4 of the cup was filled with foam and once I'm home, the foam settled and there was 3/4 coffee left. The Macadamia Nut Latte which I took away from Seremban Two was equally disappointing as the milk was burnt, leaving the coffee tasted bitter although the macadamia nut syrup was trying its best to cover up the taste.

I think the coffee is best enjoyed in the respective cafes, however, my friends and I would prefer if the place would play some good music to compliment with the ambiance.

For the food review, we think that the cakes are quite good, but slightly too rich for our likings. So I would suggest sharing the cakes and try more of their other cakes such as Tiramisu and Pavlova. 

The scones are average, suffice to cover up my cravings but not the best. It's slightly dry and isn't as buttery as I have expected. 

They also serve the big breakfast set which includes toast, sausages, omelettes and some salad. A downside of it is, they do not have an ala carte selection for us to add on sunny side ups/sausages/turkey hams. It would be good if they would do that in future.

Price : 3/5 (Above average)

Ambiance : 3/5 (Cozy and comfortable, but needs better music)

Service : 3/5 (Some of their staffs are really friendly :) )

Food : 3/5

Drinks: 3-4/5

Overall, I would still come back to La Roasteria and would want to tryout their other food.
So, stay tune for part 2! :)

La Roasteria Coffee

16, Jalan Kong Sang, 70000 Seremban, NDSK

Time : 8am to 6pm (daily)

LRC S2

69 Persiaran S2-B2, Seremban 2, 70300 Seremban, NDSK

Time : Sunday - Thursday (8am-10pm); Friday and Saturday (8am - 12am)

They have their own stamp coupons as well. Purchasing one cup, gives you a :) stamp.

For 10 :), you can get a free cup of coffee!

The beginning

I've actually wanted to have a food and travel blog a long time ago but I just couldn't bring myself to do it because:

a) I am very lazy

b) I am very busy

So because of these two extreme reasons, I have postpone what I have always wanted to do. Until recently, I am in such dire cravings of "Oo Chien" (Fried oyster) in Seremban that I have decided to ask "google". From my utter disappointment, I was given an unknown location together with a vague description about the whereabouts of the Oo Chien. 

From thence, for world peace, I have decided to blog about my food entries from my random travelings and I hope from my sharing, this will bring joy to you and your loved ones.

#Random Quote 1: A happy stomach makes a happy (wo)man! :)

Let's get it started!