Jamaica Blue Fine Coffees @ Setia Alam City Mall

Keep Calm and Drink Jamaica Blue Coffee

When it comes to coffee, the coffee masters of Jamaica Blue Fine Coffee go all out to search for the very best beans to be pair with their café menu. Named after the Blue Mountain in Jamaica, the successful Caribbean themed café chain has been serving their award-winning Jamaica Signature Blend and Blue Mountain coffees in several strategic locations in our country.

We paid a visit to Jamaica Blue in Setia Alam City Mall for a brunch and was certainly pleased with our experience. The café was spacious and designed with a natural theme of earthy colours contrasted with blocks of black. Splashes of colours are subtly injected through banquette seats as well as small hanging lighting.

A huge bar is designed with open concept to allow customers to catch preparations of coffees and other beverages along with a baked goods counter. Chalkboards are placed behind the bar as informative as well as decorative touches to the café.

The café has a wonderful laid-back vibe, which is perfect for those seeking solace in a good cup of joe with some relaxation time. The ambiance is also in theme with its brand identity where one evokes the spirit of coffee while reflecting the essence of the easy-going vibe at the Caribbean. Customers are sure to experience the café’s values of rich, warm, vibrant, relaxed, authentic and even a little exotic.

With 8 outlets spread all over Malaysia, each outlet offers main master menu with some tweaks based on its geographical location and its produce. The menu has the typical café list of just as much food as there is on the beverage list. Besides coffee, there are plenty of non-caffeine drinks, juices, smoothies and even tea. The menu consists of all-day breakfast bites, pasta, pies, burgers and sandwiches.

Coffee lovers should try both their award-winning signature coffee beans. The Jamaica Blue Mountain Cappuccino (RM23.40) and Jamaica Blue Signature Blend Cappuccino (RM11.70), both have respective aroma and flavours with one more pronounced than the other.

For a cheeky note, Jamaica Blue has featured a monthly special of Blue Latte (RM11.00). The caffeine-free beverage has blue Curacao syrup to give it that pretty pastel blue. The white chocolate and milk concoction has a pretty tree art latte as a finishing. The Pomegranate Soda (RM14.20) is also a refreshing drink to quench that thirst.

More drinks to check out, Nuts Over Caramel Frappe (RM14.50), Mango Gone Banana Smoothie (RM14.50) and Chocolate Banana Frappe (RM14.50)

The all-day breakfast menu of Eggs Florentine with Smoked Salmon (RM26.50) is executed with perfection. Perfectly poached eggs on a bed of wilted spinach with toast, crowned with luscious smoked salmon and finished with buttery thick hollandaise sauce. The combination befits the breakfast of champions!

The Warm Forest Mushroom, Feta & Spinach Bowl (RM20.00) is another healthy and delicious option that borders on between breakfast and lunch. The vegetarian option consists of a quinoa and almond porridge topped with sautéed warm mushrooms, chickpeas, wilted spinach. Finished with poached egg, whipped feta, sprinkling of sunflower and pumpkin seeds and a spice mix of dukkah, the dish has so much flavours and textures that is very easy to enjoy.

For more familiar classics, there’s burgers and sandwiches for lunch. The Vintage Ground Beef Burger (RM28.90) is a solid dish served with a side of salad. Thick beef patty with beef strips, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese and the usual condiments, the burger made a substantial meal on its own. The only thing I am missing is the fries on this dish.

There’s also the Classic Steak Sandwich (RM28.60). Grilled scotch fillet and beef strips with caramelized onions, aioli, gherkin and veggies on ciabatta roll sounded and tasted yummy.

If you do not take beef, the Jerk Spiced Chicken, Avocado & Mozzarella Roll (RM20) is a healthy option with lean chicken breast nicely dressed in a spiced up creamy dressing with avocado and cucumber on ciabatta bread.

Then there is pasta. Jamaica Blue’s pasta selection may not be a lot but what they serve are pretty good in my books. We were assured that their Traditional Pasta Carbonara (RM22.90) is authentic as it gets. Though it may not be drenched in the usual thick cream sauce that most places serve, this one is simply tossed in lots of olive oil with garlic, parmesan cheese, egg and turkey strips. Not too bad as it doesn’t leave one heavy after savoring it and yet the pasta is full of tasty flavours.

For an unusual note, try the Chicken Laksa Pasta (RM20.90). This dish was a surprising one as it taste so much better than it sounds. The balanced amount of spices hit all the right notes along with the much creamy coconut milk. This is bound to be a local favorite for its distinctive laksa flavour.

Jamaica Blue has quite a few options for desserts like the Dark Chocolate & Walnut Brownie (RM12.00) and Sticky Date Pudding (RM14.00). Both decadent and great for a sweet note, especially to go with coffee.

Besides the desserts, there’s plenty of sliced cakes, muffins, scones, pastries and more for anytime of the day to go with your cup of joe!

JAMAICA BLUE FINE COFFEES

Setia City Mall

LG – 12, Lower Ground Floor, Persiaran Setia Dagang,

Seksyen U13, Setia Alam,

40170 Shah Alam,

Selangor, Malaysia

Tel: +603-3359 2778

Website: www.jamaicablue.com.my

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jamaicabluemy/

Business Hours:

Mon - Sun 10.00 am - 10.00 pm

Upperhouse Kitchen and Dessert Bar @ Bangsar

Hidden in the bustling square of Bangsar area lies Upperhouse Kitchen and Dessert Bar. Despite the not so noticeable location, foodies are known to flock to Upperhouse Kitchen and Dessert Bar through the many beautiful and delectable food pictures on their social media platforms.

Owned by passionate duo Gerard Ng and Hester Ling, Upperhouse is their culinary fortress for foodies who enjoys delicious food along with gorgeous desserts. It is a foodie sanctuary as the restaurant offers a realm of peace among the busy area of Bangsar.

Besides adults enjoying the restaurant, little ones will jump with glee too as the owners of Upperhouse are thoughtful to set up a kiddies corner filled with children’s toys and activities to keep them busy.

Upperhouse is design with an open concept kitchen where diners can catch all the kitchen actions of the team whipping up their food and beverages. The owners believe in making everything from scratch and goes all out to incorporate elements of healthy and nutritious options to their menu.

With a wall panel of glass that offers natural lights into the dining area, coupled with their painted mural of ‘Wings’, Upperhouse is perfect for Instagrammers as well as other social media enthusiasts for photo opportunity.

The restaurant is very spacious and designed with minimalist concept incorporating natural wood with plenty of whites to give it a clean and comfort ambiance. It is also perfect for private events and special functions.

We visited Upperhouse for a taste of their new menu as well as some of their classic signatures. Kicking off the list of beverages, their house made Sangria (RM11) is deliciously satisfying. The concoction has been steeped with fruity notes and has a smooth and lingering finish.

There’s also Planter's Punch, Mojito, Sparkling Pomegranate and Apple Oolong Tea (RM12 each) for those who enjoy fruity mocktails.

For hot beverages, Upperhouse signatures include Housemade Almond Milk (RM8), Hot Chocolate Lolly (RM12), Satongo Hot Chocolate (RM12) and Sweet Potato Latte. Their hot chocolates are simply divine with various cacao intensity of your choice. The Housemade Almond Milk is also very enjoyable as it has a lovely and rather delicate nutty almond aroma that is not overpowering.

For a healthier option, go for their Housemade Kombucha tea with two options of black or green tea Kombucha. Fermented using tea and sugar, Kombucha is said to have health benefits such as rich source of probiotics and antioxidants, strengthen the immune system, detoxify the liver and may reduce heart disease and help with weight loss. The fermentation of the tea gives it that hit of tang and is easy to enjoy.

Upperhouse is launching a new menu that consist of some newbies and some of their best signatures. We started with golden crumbed Croquette (RM13) served with ketchup. Decent with crispy breading and creamy soft potato filling, this one makes a good snacking option.

What impressed us was the Creamy Crab Bisque (RM21), served ‘kopitiam’ style in an old school coffee cup with some golden croutons on the saucer. Comes with a cloud of foamy topping, the crab bisque is full of robust seafood essence. With just the right creaminess, the bisque is so tasty that one might even contemplate to drink from the cup!

The Wild Mushroom Soup (RM18) is also delicious. Served with mushroom bruschetta on the side along with fried mushroom and finished with a drizzle of cream, the soup is thick, earthy and creamy. Every spoonful is redolent of mushrooms. The clever injections of the bruschetta and the fried mushroom added a nice touch of textures and flavours to the soup as well.

For those who wanted sharing appetizers or even a meal, the Savoury Toast (RM27 for set of 3) makes a lovely option of a variety of open sandwiches. From fresh tomatoes to earthy mushrooms and crispy fried shrimps, each of these has their own flavours that will certainly appeal to many easily.

Moving on to mains, Upperhouse does a beautiful rendition of a classic breakfast favorite of Smoked Salmon Benedict (RM30). Not only does the presentation look so pretty and colourful, the benedicts are generously topped with sublime smoked salmon before being crowned with perfectly poached eggs and luscious hollandaise sauce. A must-order!

Pasta is always a popular main and Upperhouse offers a nice selection of pastas such as Mushroom Aglio Olio (RM20), Buttermilk Chicken Pasta (RM26) and Salted Egg Yolk Prawn Pasta (RM25).

Out of the three pasta, the Buttermilk Chicken Pasta is the most popular choice for many it seems. Generous crispy golden buttermilk marinated fried chicken, served with aglio olio pasta, makes a hearty meal for anyone. The chicken is moist and flavourful while the pasta is cooked al dente and has a light note with some heat.

The Mushroom Aglio Olio is great as meatless option. Packed with robust garlicky flavour with some heat, the pasta makes a lovely light meal. It comes with sautéed and fried mushrooms for added textural bites. The Salted Egg Yolk Prawn Pasta is the opposite of the mushroom pasta as it is heavier and richer with creamy and unctuous notes of salted egg yolk. Fresh prawns, tomatoes and crispy fried fish is added to the pasta to make it more sufficient and enticing.

Standing tall and mighty, the Buttermilk Chicken Burger (RM24) is one burger to take on. Generous portion of the tasty and juicy fried buttermilk chicken along with the hearty condiments, this is a burger that will surely please many burger lovers out there. The thick cut fries are done well and is the perfect sidekick to the yummy burger.

If there is one thing that foodies flocked to Upperhouse, its their desserts! Fans of Upperhouse are attracted by their gorgeous desserts, all made from scratch from the pastry team. The effort the pastry team at Upperhouse puts in is indeed noticeable as every little detail is well thought and set at each plate of dessert served.

Available only during weekends, the Strawberry Watermelon Cake (RM15 per slice) is simply a must-order. In fact, this is one of the best version here in Malaysia. Commendable portion and each layer of fluffy sponge, crème pâtissière and watermelon slice is meticulously sandwiched and finished with dollops of whipped cream, lots of chopped strawberries and sprinkling of pistachio nuts. The fresh and juiciness of the cake is what makes this dessert so easy to enjoy without the guilt or heaviness…

Cheesecake lovers will swoon over the Burnt Cheesecake (RM15). Made famous by a Japanese eatery, the version here is the closest to it in my opinion. Sinful and luscious, every spoonful offers a cheese haven of silky rich cheese custard. This is one dessert that is hard to stop once you had a taste of it…

Carrot (RM20) is a clever interplay of various dessert components such as carrot sponge, carrot jelly, Greek yoghurt parfait, honeycomb pieces, walnuts, chocolate soil and burnt honey ice cream. The dessert is pretty and dainty while the flavours are uniquely delicious. The burnt honey ice cream is sublime!

Another pretty dessert to check out is the Mille Feuille (RM24), with buttery and flaky layers of mille feuille pastry is filled with decadent chocolate orange mousse and topped with whipped vanilla cream. The finishing touches of dried fruit to edible flowers and lacy decoration gave the dessert its wow factor. Hay ice cream is another delicious house made ice cream that complimented the dessert so well.

Last but not least, there is currently an Afternoon Tea (RM65 per set, available daily from 3pm-6pm) promotion daily. A value-for-money tea set of dainty and mini versions of Upperhouse’s signatures of savory and sweet along with tea of your choice for two. This is great for catch-up sessions with friends and family. The best part is the little array of choices on the tiered tea set makes great conversation starters as well as instagramable worthy!

Upperhouse Kitchen and Dessert Bar is such a hidden gem in Bangsar. We think the owners are super passionate about what they do and the effort that they put in can be seen through all the little touches they take to make their food and beverage, not only pretty in presentation but delicious as well. This place is also really great to hold private parties and is kid-friendly. Must-orders are Creamy Crab Bisque, Wild Mushroom Soup, Smoked Salmon Benedict, Salted Egg Yolk Prawn Pasta and all their desserts, especially the Strawberry Watermelon Cake!

UPPPERHOUSE KITCHEN AND DESSERT BAR

27-A Jalan Telawi 3

Bangsar,

59100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 011-2872 0083

Facebook: www.facebook.com/upperhousebangsarkl/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/upperhousebangsarkl/

Business Hours:

11am to 10pm

Closed Wednesday