Cộng Cà Phê @ One Utama

 

New Outlet with Food Menu

 

Cộng Cà Phê has just opened its second outlet in One Utama recently, following in pursuit of their successful outlet in NU Sentral. The popular Vietnamese coffee chain has finally opened a bigger outlet where they have added more food menu to their enticing coffee and beverage menu.

Located in the old wing of the mall, Cộng Cà Phê latest outlet is just as attractive as their first outlet. A similar color themed echoed in this outlet as well but this outlet takes on a textile factory while their first takes on a school theme. All Cộng Cà Phê outlets are themed to reflect the childhood memories of its founder, Linh Dung as mentioned by franchise owner Peter Tan.

There are two level dining as well for this outlet. From their retro furniture to groovy wooden tables and chairs converted using refurbished old sewing machine parts to their impressive panel of sewing machines that has withstood the test of time, there’s even a wall of colorful rolls of thread that makes it an Instagramable spot for ardent coffee lovers. Knick knacks and the café’s souvenirs added much charm to the café’s concept of Vietnam’s socialism era.

Marco Creative Cuisine @ One Utama

The Journey of Flavours

Malaysia’s culinary scene has been a hype of deliciousness. Latest kid on the Petaling Jaya block is Marco Creative Cuisine. It’s certainly been a while since our culinary scene has be graced by fine food at affordable value.

Having made his mark from Miam Miam and Franco as well as other F&B scenes in Singapore, Chef Daren Leong is set to jazz up our very own Malaysian shore with his latest restaurant, Marco Creative Cuisine. Named after his son, Marco is all about serving affordable fine food. Located in One Utama Shopping Mall, Marco serves modern cuisine set in an elegant and beautiful ambiance.

One would definitely not miss Marco while you’re at the mall because you would certainly gravitate towards the magical illuminous display of jellyfish tank at the front of the restaurant. The enchanting jelly fish had almost everyone catch a few glances with its mystical like shape floating under the illuminous lights.

As soon as one steps into Marco, diners will be greet by the pastel serenity of the theme of whites, copper gold and Tiffany blues flanked by soft glow of the lights throughout the restaurant. The space is cleverly sectioned into various space to offer more privacy. There is a glimpse of the kitchen through the small long window at one side of the restaurant should one wish to catch some kitchen action.

Marco Creative Cuisine aims to take diners on The Journey of Flavour with their 7-Course meal, showcasing the very best of Malaysia’s own local produce as possible. The best part of this is the affordability of the 7-course, priced only at RM78 (GST inclusive but not service charge) per person. Never had fine food been so affordable to everyone in our culinary scene.

No prior reservation needed for the 7-course, one can simply walk-in for the journey of flavour or order from their a la carte menu if 7-course is too much for your liking. Of course to secure your dining experience, you should make a reservation. Marco’s menu is set to change every 6 months and is pork free.

The 7-course menu starts off with an unsual Velvety Matcha-Lime Shooter. Served cappuccino style, the frothy green speck shooter has zesty and tart citrusy note with hints of green tea. It’s a vibrant flavour to awaken the palate for the next few courses to come.

Second course revolves around a pretty Savory Éclair. Instead of bread and butter, Chef Daren tries to offer diners a Gruyere flavoured pâte à choux served with aubergine caviar, green chili pesto and tomato confit. Crusty with buttery notes, the choux pastry makes a tasty option with the creamy and delicious caviar.

For the third course, there are three options for diners to choose from in this soup course.

Chef Daren recommends the pretty Strawberry Gazpacho. Malaysians are not custom to cold soups but diners should at least try this because the gazpacho is refreshing and utterly delicious. Pretty in pink, the cold soup has such wonderful freshness of strawberries among other vegetables like capsicum, cucumber, onion and more. The slight savory, sweet and tangy notes blend really well and tasted beautifully refreshing on the palate, which is so great for our hot weather.

The French Onion Soup offer diners rich and robust chicken broth with deep earthy notes of caramelized sweet onions. Served with French toast, the soup is also topped with gratinated cheese, added more depth of flavors and richness as well.

The third option was a classic Truffled Mushroom Soup. Though I didn’t try this but I was told by my friend who had this that it was superb. Velvety smooth with beautiful truffle and mushroom notes, the soup was one of the best mushroom soups he has had for a while.

For the salad cum appetizer course, there are two salad options as well as an appetizer to choose from.

I opted for the Chicken Liver Parfait. It’s luscious, nutty, creamy with a sweet note of the brulee top. Served with toasted bread and hydrated crisp apple chip, the chicken liver parfait is yummy and velvety smooth.

Chef Daren played his creative twist again on a salad and served his with a savory ice cream. The Savory Ice Cream Salad had assorted baby greens, heirloom tomatoes, and seasonal microgreens with violet flowers for a touch of prettiness. The lightly savory ice cream was invitingly cold and lovely when savored with the salad.

The Garden Platter had fresh mixed greens, heirloom tomatoes as wel las edible flowers on edible soil and Gribiche sauce. The Gribiche sauce is actually a French tartar sauce. It’s tasty and light, a simple course in anticipation of the main courses to come.

There are six main course to choose from and choosing is definitely a difficult choice because they all sounds so wonderful in the menu.

The Squid Ink Japonica Rice was my chosen dish and I was pretty satisfied with the dish. Japanese short grain rice cooked with squid ink with prawns, baby squid and omelette served with garlic mayo summarized the dish. Cooked al dente, the rice is moreish and moist. The seafood is cooked just right, beautifully succulent, tender and sweet while the fluffy and creamy egg omelette made the dish even better.

I also tried the Salmon with Jet Black Hollandaise. Gorgeous looking crispy skin salmon with tender flesh, the fish is     excellent with the unctuous black hollandaise sauce tainted with squid ink. The pickled beetroot added a nice tang and texture to the dish together with the green chili pesto. A must if you are a fish lover…

The Duck Breast with Orange Puree and Roasted Beetroot looked gorgeous at sight! It was like a piece of modern art and a delicious one indeed. Using local Pekin duck breast, Chef Daren sous vide it first before finishing it on a pan to achieve that crispy duck skin. The duck was cooked beautifully and remained succulent and tender. Served with smooth orange puree and roasted beetroot, the duck was further elevated with a masterful swirl of valrhona dark chocolate sauce. One word sums this dish… Divine!

The next best dish on the list has to be the Chicken Roulade with Brussels Sprout. The dish took us by surprise and we loved it so much that the few of us vowed to return to Marco for this dish. Chef Daren was inspired by his grandfather’s Hainanese Chicken when created this dish. Roulade of chicken made so perfect with hours of sous vide and finished in the oven. The chook was tender and goes so yummy with the chicken jus. Even the brussels sprouts was well-chargrilled with a wonderful smokey and buttery note with sweet corn kernel.

There were two other main dishes of pasta for those who enjoy heavier mains. The Pomodoro Cream Seafood Pasta is served with baby squid, clam and mussel while the Vegetarian Arrabbiata is penne in pomodoro sauce with aubergine, zucchini, shimeji and hot sauce with parmesan cheese.

Dessert time and there are also three choices to choose from. The Deconstructed Lemon Meringue Pie won raved reviews from my friend who really enjoyed this dessert a lot. It has elements of lemon curd, passion fruit gel, italian meringue and white chocolate sherbet.

My Raspberry Decadence was a luscious raspberry cheese cake with raspberry gel, passion fruit gel, white chocolate sherbet and finished with lemon meringue shards. The raspberry cheese cake is tangy and creamy. The white chocolate sherbet is refreshing and creamy too, pairing well with the cheese cake and all the other components.

The third choice of dessert is the Crème Brulee with White Chocolate Sherbet. The baked egg custard finished with a crunchy brulee top is served with white chocolate sherbet and meringue kisses.

The 7-course menu finished with French Press Coffee or Tea or Sparkling Iced Berry.

Truly an unforgettable journey of flavours, Marco Creative Cuisine has really brought dining on to a whole new level. Never has finely presented modern cuisine been so reasonably priced and every course keeps getting better. If you’re a small eater, a la carte menu of all the dishes are also available. It’s one of those dining experience that you just can’t wait to go back to try again!

7-Course Menu

RM78 nett per person

Ala Carte order

Soup, Entrée – RM18 per serving

Main – RM35 per serving (+RM10 for Duck Breast)

Dessert – RM20 per serving

MARCO CREATIVE CUISINE

Lot G146, Ground Floor (Old Wing),

1 Utama Shopping Centre

1, Lebuh Bandar Utama,

Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Tel: +603-7731 8293

Website: www.marcocreativecuisine.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/marcocreativecuisine/

Business Hours:

Lunch: 12pm to 3pm

Afternoon Tea: 3pm to 6pm

Dinner: 6pm to 10pm

A Delicious Christmas by E & O Group

A Christmas Menu plus The New Delicious Menu

With Christmas just around the corner, everyone is looking forward to a feast of Christmas flavours and indulgence. Delicious’ CEO, Steve Allen, has created a new Delicious menu in conjunction with their A Delicious Christmas specials available at all their six Delicious outlets starting December 2015.

No stranger in our F&B scene, Delicious, owed by Eastern & Oriental Group, started out as a tearoom at 1 Utama Shopping Centre back in 2004. It has long grown in many ways from expanding its menu to a wholesome spread of dishes as well as its famous dessert menu. Today, The Delicious Group has a chain of 6 Delicious and 3 Simply d Cafes as well as a catering service in the Klang Valley.

We visited the original 1 Utama Shopping Centre Delicious Café one weekend for a taste of their Christmas menu as well as their new Delicious menu. The café is cosy with a very relax and stylish ambiance. Themed in their signature turquoise blue interior throughout the café, there are also the quirky birdcages and stylized trees that represents the cafes’ signature looks.

First up, the Delicious Christmas Menu!

Roasted Turkey Breast & Stuffed Leg with Cranberries, Roasted Vegetables in Chili & Herbs

CEO and Chef Steve Allen and team is serving up their version of the classic roast turkey with a creative touch. Diners can enjoy the Roasted Turkey Breast & Stuffed Leg with Cranberries, Roasted Vegetables in Chili & Herbs (RM36.50) at all Delicious outlets this festive month. Presented simply with minimal touches and allowing the turkey to be the center of attention, it was a lovely plate at sight.

Turkey is prepared two ways with the breast being roasted and the dark meat of the leg is stuffed into a roulade. The breast meat is beautifully tender and moist, the roulade tasted even better with its richer dark meaty notes and delicate stuffing. The bed of tender roasted potatoes, carrots and Brussel sprouts are yummy too. Coupled with a beautiful dark and robust turkey jus and fruity tangy cranberry sauce, this plate rocked in flavours and textures.

One can also order the whole Roasted Turkey Breast Y& Stuffed Leg with Cranberries, Roasted Vegetables in Chili & Herbs for your party. A 5-6kg turkey with all the trimmings are priced at RM445. This is available till 28 December 2015. A minimum of 3 working days (excluding public holidays & weekends) advance notice are required.

Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Creamed Mushrooms, Asparagus & Roasted Vegetables

Next festive dish to be savored was a classic of Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Creamed Mushrooms, Asparagus & Roasted Vegetables (RM50). Cooked to your preference, the beef fillet was tender and paired so well with the creamy mushroom sauce. I enjoyed the earthy notes of the chunks of mushrooms as well as the charred asparagus. It’s a dish that carnivores will definitely enjoy.

Salmon Gravadlax with Walnut, Lemon & Horseradish Salad

Salmon is always a crowd pleaser and Chef Allen has dishes up his version of Salmon Gravadlax with Walnut, Lemon & Horseradish Salad (RM18.50). The lightly salty cured salmon was creamy and quite the indulgence. It was balanced up with a light tossing of romaine lettuce, walnuts and herb in a citrusy lemon dressing with a horseradish kick.

Mincemeat Crumble Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream

For a Christmas sweet ending, there is the Mincemeat Crumble Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream (RM14.50). Mincemeat pie is a classic British favorite during this festive holiday. A creative twist had us enjoying a slice of warm and spiced up mincemeat pie topped with a streusel of buttery crumbles together with a contrasting hit of cold vanilla ice cream. It definitely reminds me of Christmas with all the aroma of the spices and sweet notes. Recommended to share as it is very rich…

A Delicious Christmas starts on 14 December for a limited period up till the 31 December 2015. Along with the festive menu, Delicious also has a Christmas Takeaway menu filled with Roasted Turkey Crown, Beef Wellington Tenderloin, Roasted Stuffed Leg of Lamb, Baked Fillet of Salmon and more as well as a list of festive desserts for your Christmas Parties at home. For takeaway menu, a three day advance notice is required.

Besides the Christmas Menu, Chef Allen has revamped his menu to introduce his latest New Delicious Menu from all his recent travels to UK and Barcelona, Spain.

Crunchy Chicken Wing with a Sesame & Seaweed Crust, Mustard Mayonnaise

Kicking of the new 16 dishes list is a few appetizers, starting with Crunchy Chicken Wing with a Sesame & Seaweed Crust, Mustard Mayonaise (RM18). A unique touch with the seaweed crusts but the wings are so tasty. It is very crunchy on the crust and soft and moist on the flesh. I do like this with the mustard mayonnaise as it added a zesty note to it.

Pumpkin Risotto Balls with Mushrooms & Rosemary Risotto Balls with Pesto Mayonnaise

I love the Pumpkin Risotto Balls with Mushrooms & Rosemary Risotto Balls with Pesto Mayonnaise (RM13.50) so much, I polished quite a few of these that day. Crispy golden crust that unveiled creamy soft and tasty risotto rice stuffed with lots of earthy mushrooms. It is very rich and I do like the pesto mayo that gave the heavy and luscious rice ball a fresh herb taste. Best for sharing unless you are a big risotto fan like me…

Duck Arrabiata Linguine in Spicy Tomato Sauce with Black Olives, Capers & Parsley

Chef Allen was definitely inspired by visit to Barcelona and though heavy hearted, he replaced a Delicious signature of Confit Suck Spaghettini with his new creation of Duck Arrabiata Linguine in Spicy Tomato Sauce with Black Olives, Capers & Parsley (RM29.50). The result is a fresh and gorgeous plate of slow cooked shredded duck coked in rich and robust tomato sauce pumped up with olives, capers and parsley. The flavours are rich and has a little heat factor. It’s also very hearty and certainly makes you want to eat more.

Roasted Pumpkin, Coconut & Beef Serunding Salad in a Spicy Lime Dressing

Salads are what Delicious is famous for when they started out. So many diners do tend to visit Delicious for their fresh and creative salads. New to the salad list is Roasted Pumpkin, Coconut & Beef Serunding Salad in a Spicy Lime Dressing (RM26.50). Taking our local dish and jazzing up with creamy and nutty roasted pumpkins, fresh cuts of papaya, crisp greens and a generous sprinkling of beef serunding in a spicy tangy dressing showed us that there no boundaries to a delicious salad. It’s interesting as it has savory, sweet, tangy and freshness of flavours that is a bit unusual but nevertheless enjoyable.

Chicken, Avocado & Pine Nut Wrap with Cherry Tomatoes, Parmesan & Cucumber

For light lunches, try their latest Chicken, Avocado & Pine Nut Wrap with Cherry Tomatoes, Parmesan & Cucumber (RM28). Wholesome, light and definitely tasty with the lean grilled chicken, creamy avocado, nutty pine nuts and all the rest of the fresh vegetables.

Chocolate, Coconut & Pecan Cake

Desserts are a must, especially when they all sound so amazing on the menu. Visit their cakes showcase chiller and you will also have a tough choice in selecting just one. This beauty of Chocolate, Coconut & Pecan Cake (RM14.50) looks and taste divine.

Pineapple, Watermelon, Passionfruit & Lychee Sundae

Else go for a fully loaded sundae of Pineapple, Watermelon, Passionfruit & Lychee Sundae (RM16). A tall icy and creamy treat of ice cream with lots of fresh fruits that will have everyone digging in with gusto!

Coconut Cake with Fresh Thai Coconut

If you are ever at Delicious, you must and I reiterate, must try their signature Coconut Cake with Fresh Thai Coconut (RM13.50). The fluffy and creamy cake has such a wonderful coconut flavour and every bite melts like a sweet dream on the palate.

Enjoy thirst quenching beverages of Apple & Mint Lemonade (RM13.50) and Rose Lychee Frostie (RM12.50) with your meal!

There is a lot happening at Delicious this month and moving forward. Catch their BUY 1 FREE 1 promotions happening every Monday and Tuesday as well as a new Tapas inspired menu featuring 10 small dishes showcasing from January to March. Visit their Website and Facebook for more details of the promotions and the locations of the Delicious outlets.

DELICOUS

Lot G316, Ground Floor, One Utama Shopping Centre (New Wing),

1, Lebuh Bandar Utama, Bandar Utama,

47800 Petaling Jaya

Tel: +603 7724 1086

Website: www.thedeliciousgroup.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thedeliciousgroup

Business Hours:

MON-THU: 11am - 10pm (last order 9.30pm)

FRI & SAT: 10am-10.30pm (last order 9.30pm)

SUN & PH: 10am - 10pm (last order 9.30pm)