Work in Progress - BB8 Pinata

If you've read the Nuffnang FBOTM write up, you would have noted that Aiden has requested the theme for his birthday to be Star Wars.

I am no big fan of Star Wars, but I certainly enjoyed The Force Awakens. I've only watched it once at the movies, but I am very lucky as Malaysia Airlines is showing the movie on their in-flight entertainment all throughout this month. Hence I've been using my time on the plane, observing the characters and their costumes. I'm planning to dress up as Rey, and I haven't even finalized my outfit yet!

On the other hand, what party would be complete without a pinata? Aiden wanted BB8 as the character for the pinata. I pondered on it for a few weeks, utterly lost about how I was going to 'make' the shape of a sphere... and it has to be a hollow sphere too!

As I sat thinking in my DIY room (aka the spare bedroom), my eyes landed on a pink lantern that I had bought eons ago. I probably bought the lantern some time ago to decorate a girl's birthday party, but it has been left unused since then. Perfect! I finally solved BB8's body!

To strengthen the lantern, I covered it with layers and layers of newspaper, using homemade glue - gam kanji! Aiden helped too!

To make cheap homemade glue, mix 4 tablespoons of tepung ubi kayu with 500ml of water, and heat it on your stove until it thickens. Make sure you keep stirring it to prevent lumps.

Next, BB8's head! I used a sphere shaped Styrofoam (available at most art shops) and cut it to half. The height wasn't really proportionate to the body, so I taped a Styrofoam plate underneath. Similarly, I covered it with layers of paper glued with gam kanji.

Half sphere Styrofoam and Styrofoam plate.

Filled the lantern with candy. We had to stop at quarter full, for fear that the lantern couldn't take the weight!

Next, I punched two holes through BB8's head. I tied strings to the lantern's existing hooks, and threaded it through the said holes. These strings will be used to tie BB8 up for some serious pinata whacking!

The assembled BB8 left in the garden to dry. Ignore the patchy grass, it was just freshly mowed that day.

That's as far as I have gone to date. Hubby tried spray painting it white, but it simply enhanced the horizontal lines of the lantern. Hence we dropped that idea. Therefore tomorrow I'll have to go hunting for white crepe paper to cover the body instead. I've also managed to find orange florescent paper, to be used to sketch BB8's circular shapes that decorate its body and head. Still need to think of something for it's black eye. And then hopefully it is done!

Here's hoping that the lantern is strong enough to sustain the weight of the candy! Wish me luck!

Nuffnang's Featured Blogger of The Month of March!

When I received the email from my blog manager, confirming that I was going to be bestowed as Nuffnang's Featured Blogger of the month of March, I was thrilled beyond words. Similar to when I was approached by Nuffnang to be featured for their monthly #NNFeatureFriday, I received the email while in the office. My colleagues probably thought I was slightly batty in the head, as I actually did a quick jiggle at my desk! *chuckles*

As part of the feature, I was asked to answer some questions. Some were easy to draft, such as why I started blogging, and whether I had a turning point in my blogging career. However, there was one question that I pondered for quite sometime - the story behind my blog name. Truthfully, when I wanted to start blogging, I never gave much thought to it. The name simply sprung in my mind, and I loved it because it rhymed!

Anyway, head over to the Nuffnang official page for the entire write up. Here's the link: http://www.nuffnang.com.my/featured-blogger/liz-yahaya

They also posted the same in their official Instagram and Facebook, below are the snapshots. Best part is, they also included the link as part of their current bio. Go check it out!

As always, thanks Nuffnang, for the opportunity!

Nasi Lemak Turbo, Denai Alam

Our ministers frequently preach some pretty incredulous things. For instance, that whole drama about "working two jobs" to cover the escalating costs of living, that happened sometime late last year. (And what a backlash it sparked!) But I guess, we must take it all in good stride. If you can juggle two jobs, why not? (Mine is blogging. Haha kidding kidding... trust me, I'm making peanuts so far!)

Which is why, I am especially proud of this friend of mine, who has the guts to juggle a day job and run a food truck at night. Selling nasi lemak! Nasi Lemak Turbo, to be exact. Can you imagine how tiring it is to cook the sambal, marinate the chicken and prepare the condiments - especially after a long day at work?

Nasi Lemak Turbo, in Denai Alam.

And... you must give her credit for the cheeky (but oh so effective) advertising. The banner boasts about their fluffy rice - using only the best basmathi, a whole boiled egg - gerenti basuh, grade A anchovies dibuang kepala - gerenti tak jadi pelupa and sambal made from premium quality udang kering. Not only that - top notch spices, fresh chicken (delivered daily) and the finest oil for frying, including zero Abang Aji!

The menu.

The various condiments. The sambal is the bomb!

Can you believe that this used to be an ambulance? Her very nimble-fingered husband worked single-handedly to transform this into a food truck, including the wiring to install air-conditioning, lights and electrical points for the deep fryer.

What about the nasi lemak? You may think that I am biased, but trust me I am not. Last week, we had the nasi lemak three days in a row. And each day, as I arrive at the food truck just after work, there is always a long queue. They've had to resort to only doing take-aways, because they couldn't cope with the sheer amount of people turning up looking for seats for dine-in.

The sambal is just the way I like it - not spicy. Since it is not spicy, I use a lot of sambal with each mouthful, so I recommend buying extra sambal to go. The rice is extremely fluffy and flavourful, so if you're not on a diet, get some nasi tambah too! The chicken is marinated to perfection, and since it is deep fried at location, it is really crispy. The whole egg is too much for me, so I usually give it to Aiden who is crazy over eggs.

This is Set A - Nasi Lemak Ayam Goreng Berempah.

Our first visit at opening night.

The kids actually went into the food truck! Check out Ian, attempting a peace sign. *giggles*

Soooooo... if you're ever in the Denai Alam area, this is definitely a must try. They are located just beside Bank Islam. If you do go, tell the owner that you are a reader of Lizzieasamummy. You never know, you might get some extra sambal with your order! *chuckles*

Nasi Lemak Turbo

Denai Alam, beside Bank Islam

Open 6pm-830pm, weekdays only

Closed on weekends

Farewell School Holidays!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Sorry for the quiet week. School holidays meant that kiddos wanted full attention to be given to them, hence no time was able to be spared for writing. Nevertheless, some wonderful things happened throughout the week, namely:

• I finally found the perfect place for Aiden and Ian's upcoming birthday! I had basically lost hope of ever finding one within my requirements and budget. When I called Kizsport Main Place they were explicit that I had to order food from their cafe, hence I assumed all Kizsport had the same requirement. But fate decided otherwise; when I went for my monthly facial in Bangsar, I dropped the kids off at Kizsport BV2 and decided to just ask for a quote. Was pleasantly surprised to find out that they were the only branch that allowed outside food! So Kizsport it is for us!
• I was scouting around Tesco in preparation for the boys' upcoming birthdays. I didn't manage to find what I was hunting for, but instead I found a corner called 'Clearance' and it was selling some banged up boxes of Lego for 50% off! Oh wow I borong one of each design I could find. 

A banged up box of Jake and Neverland Pirates Duplo Lego - was RM40 only! Ian was ecstatic!

• Managed to get an extremely good deal for an airfryer from the newly launched Aeon Shah Alam. Can't wait to try out new (healthy!) recipes with it.

Philips Airfryer - albeit it being the first generation, the only difference with the second generation is a non-stick cooking pan and an internal cover.

• We managed to snag one of the last few rooms at Avillion PD. Our first time traveling during the school holidays but we still had a good outing. For the first time in a long while, we brought the maid along. Good thinking, cos we were able to leave the kids with her while Hubby and I 'dated' - swimming at the adult only pool and a spa session too!

We brought our own fishing rod, this time around!

• Speaking of spa sessions, Hubby treated me to a way way way overdue Mother's Day present - the AviSpa Signature Massage. It was one of the best massages I've had in a longggggg time. I'll dedicate a separate post just for this, later!
• Ian was able to 'swim' with floats! Contrary to Aiden who was supremely scared of the water, Ian actually pushed our hands away so we would stop holding him! He gulped some water too, but that didn't deter him from chugging along. (Unfortunately he was a bit too brave his first time on the kiddy water slide and flipped 180 degrees midway; Hubby had to go save him. He didn't want to go anywhere near the slide after that!)
• We received Aiden's exam results. He mentioned something about getting 50% for a paper so I had mentally prepared myself for the worst. But a sujud syukur is certainly due; he scored above 90% in BM, English, Maths and Science. (The 50% he mentioned was 50/50 for Paper 1!) However I am bracing myself for the results of his last paper - Pendidikan Islam. He really cannot read nor write jawi, so I am not expecting much. Honestly, I'm tuning my head to think positively; he still has a lifetime worth of exams waiting for him. He should be enjoying his childhood, instead of slaving over books all the time. 
• Last but not least, I was bestowed as Nuffnang's Featured Blogger for the month of March. It is certainly gratifying, when all the time you spend blogging is rewarded by such an honour. Read more at http://www.nuffnang.com.my/featured-blogger/liz-yahaya

Life can't be wonderful all the time. I'm nursing a really bad sore throat (my lymph nodes are actually swollen) and I can barely swallow anything. Wish me well!

Till my next blog post. Thanks for reading!

Wordless Wednesday - Officially a Bloggerati!

I am officially up on the Nuffnang Bloggerati webpage, here.

*blush*blush*

Thank you Nuffnang, for the opportunity!

Impromptu Teluk Cempedak

We were in Kuantan last weekend to attend a family wedding. Other than the departure, everything else was so impromptu! From what we wanted to wear, to which hotel we wanted to stay in. Nothing was booked nor discussed before hand. *shakes head in dismay*

Packing was only finalized that morning - it was my maid's weekend off so I found myself ironing clothes two hours prior to departure. We didn't have sufficient fuel so we had to make a pit stop at the petrol station. Thank goodness for drive thru breakfast, but with the long queue, it took us over half an hour to get out to the highway. Terrible traffic (and cranky kids!) the whole way. Upon arrival at the kenduri, we found out that there was a theme colour for the night reception hence a short trip to East Coast Mall for new clothes. Next we had to figure out where to sleep. I called many hotels only to find out that most of them were fully booked. Thank goodness we landed ourselves a room at Zenith hotel. We slept like babies that night!

Ian with his muka baru bangun tido.

After all the drama, we decided to take it easy the next day and headed to the beach. Again, an impromptu decision. We plucked the kids out of bed, fed them a big breakfast at the hotel buffet and went to Teluk Cempedak with only a towel in hand. Bought a beach set (pail, digger etc) at a shop by the beach, and then we let the kids loose. They certainly had the time of their lives!

Beautiful blue skies.

We took selfies while the kids frolicked in the sun.

Ian was slightly terrified with the huge waves, so he warmed up by playing quietly on the sand. Soon enough he conquered his fear and after a while he went running towards the crashing waves! Meanwhile, Aiden was contented with scouting the beach, choosing sea shells for his collection.

It was so hard to get everyone to smile and look at the camera!

From being fully dressed in pyjamas, they ended up with just their pants hiked up to their knees.

Huge waves!

We definitely had a good time at the beach. However, to get them out and cleaned with only one towel was a huge challenge. Finally, I ended up just rinsing their feet, bundled Aiden up in the towel while I kept Ian on my lap the whole way back to the hotel. The doorman at the hotel cracked up when he saw us walking into the lobby. The kids must have looked quite hilarious - wet pants, shirtless and all!  *giggles*

An hour at the beach was definitely too short. Tak puas! Itching to head for a proper beach holiday that is not too far from home. Perhaps Avillion PD again? Do you have any suggestions? Do share!

Birthday Party Venue Hunting

*Updated to include details of Kizsport and Kids E World.

I've been spending my last two weekends, hunting for a suitable location for Aiden's upcoming birthday. Usually, we would have his party at home. But this year, after attending so many parties at JKids, Kizsport and the likes of it, he requested to have his party at a similar play land.

Although his condition is clear and simple, unfortunately mine isn't that easy to fulfill. I want to be able to entertain and talk to my guests, hence I do not want a place that is too big, crowded and noisy. Also, given my love for dessert tables and anything personalized, I want the freedom to be able to bring in my own cakes, cupcakes and such. Lastly, since Malaysians are always prone to 'Malaysian time', the location must be flexible enough to allow the place to be booked long enough for me to setup the place and also to cater for latecomers.

So we've been visiting quite a number of play lands recently, and here I am sharing with you what I found. Sharing is caring, kan?

Disclaimer: Information below are correct at time of writing, based on my interpretations. Please expect some variants in the packages and prices, as most of the locations are more than happy to customize according to your needs. Please call the venues directly for more information, and depending on your power of negotiations, you may be able to strike a better deal than what I got below!

JKids, various locations

Jkids, image from here.

With over 7 locations to choose from, Jkids offer a very competitive price as compared to the rest. Entrance fee for kids attending parties is just RM26.50 per person. Kids below 6 months old and above 13 years old, enter for free. You will need to pay RM159 to book the party area for 2 hours (add RM53 for additional hour), and order one item from them (food, party pack etc) but other than that, you are home free to do anything you want, i.e. outside food, own cake, personalized decorations etc. One entrance and one exit, hence you don't have to worry about your little guests roaming out of the play area. 

JKids Paradigm - single entrance/exit. Ian really loves the sand pit area! However the sand pit closes at ~6pm.

Unfortunately, since the price is very competitive, it is almost always fully booked. If you are unlucky, you may even have back to back bookings with your own party, hence you will not have sufficient time to setup and then have to rush to pack up afterwards to make way for the next party. Lastly, activities here are more suitable for kids younger than ~7 year olds. There are no activities catered for your more matured guests.

KizSports & Gym, Bangsar Village
Four outlets to choose from, namely Main Place Subang, Great Eastern Mall Ampang, Desa Park City and the one I usually frequent - Bangsar Village II. I was told that the Bangsar Village II is the only branch that allows outside food, as they do not have an in-house cafe. Yeay! Entrance fee for party guests is RM42 per child for unlimited play time, including use of their party room for 2 hours plus a party pack. Add RM150 per additional hour, and RM150 for a games coordinator (~45mins). (Do note that entrance fee for party guests may be slightly higher for other branches, as their package includes food from their cafe.)

The two cheeky boys posing as mascots, at KizSports, Bangsar Village II.

Jungle Gym, Atria
Two outlets to choose from, BSC and the newest one in Atria. Apparently the BSC branch has a play area concept that is similar to Jkids, however the one we visited in Atria has a more elaborate play area and even a movie screening room. It is huge!!! Entrance fee for guests entering the party is RM38 and RM58 for kids 1+ years old and 3-12 years old respectively. Adults enter for free. To book a party area for 2 hours, you need to pay RM1500 (or RM3000 for 5 hours) which you can offset to pay for entrance fees and food. You will need to order a minimum of 5 kinds of food from them, and then you have the luxury of bringing in anything extra at no cost. Very strict security at entrance and exit posts, manned by staff with access cards and all.

There are 4 different party areas within the Jungle Gym, hence 4 parties can go on at the same time. It was quite chaotic and noisy when we were there. You would have to raise your voice to be heard! Giving them the benefit of the doubt, maybe it is quieter if you book a slot in the earlier part of the day, if compared to when we went (~6ish pm).

Two of the party areas, side by side.

The only party space located at the front of the play area.

Kids E World, Ikano

Two outlets to choose from, one at Ikano Power Centre while the other at The Gardens Mall. The one I visited was the one at Ikano. Entrance fee for each child (above 100cm in height, below free) is RM45 for unlimited playtime, use of the party room for 3 hours, plus a party pack. However, you will need to pay separately for food. Children's menu starts at RM30 while the adult menu is RM45. You can also choose to opt out of the children's menu and just order for the adults, as the child can always enjoy the same food as his/her parents. By the way, they also have a special promotion now - RM58 per child inclusive children food menu but without the party pack.

If you choose to bring outside food, you will be charged RM100 per item. Same goes for dessert tables, magician, clown etc. Each activity will be charged RM100. Only the cake enters for free!

However, I noted that the party room is located outside the main play land. There is also another small play area suitable for toddlers, adjacent to the party room and also outside the main play area. My main concern is that while the parents are eating or mingling around, the kids are free to walk in and out of the main play land to get to the party room/toddler play area and vice versa.

Funtopia, SS15 Courtyard

Funtopia is not officially open to the public just yet, but you can go check them out for a few minutes trial. Since this is not so much a play area but rather an 'extreme sports' kinda play, I took Aiden over last weekend to see whether he would like it. Exactly like his mummy, he's scared of heights, hence I wanted to make sure that he is able to have fun during his birthday instead of just watching everyone else climb over him, literally!

Aiden trying out rock climbing for the first time. Riding that huge slide is cool too, check out the video on their official FB page.

Tons of climbing obstacles for everyone.

Two party packages to choose from, at RM70 and RM110 per pax for the Classic party and Premium party respectively. The package includes food etc. etc. Since the minimum age is 4 (or 100cm), thankfully there is a soft play area for the younger ones (Ian and his guests!), chargeable at RM10 per child.

Ian checking out their soft play area.

Unfortunately, you are only allowed to bring outside food with a fee. Just to give you a feel, you will have to pay RM50 to bring in a birthday cake. I guess I will have to pay more to bring in my own dessert table. Furthermore, the Classic party package is only for an hour's worth of party space, hence a bit too short for my needs.


Amanville, Space U8
I haven't been to Amanville for a while, but when I was last there (over 4 years ago), it had so much potential. Location is awesome too (for us), as it is just 5 minutes away from Bukit Jelutong. Unfortunately, they no longer take bookings for birthdays. I guess they are planning to close down soon? *sigh* Such a shame.


Jumpstreet, Petaling Jaya
Their party package starts at RM55 per pax, which includes an hour of jumping, a coach dedicated to the kids for the entire hour, jumping socks, food and use of the party room for half an hour (after the kids are done with their one hour jump). Kids below 3 are free of charge (for jumping) but if you want food for them, then you have to pay the same price. 

Read my previous review on Jumpstreet here.

You are not allowed to bring outside food, other than the birthday cake itself. Cakeage charge is RM30. Guests cannot enter the party room until the half hour starts, hence my guests would have to wait outside at the common area (or probably jump together) before that. Half an hour is simply too short for me. Also, the place is very big so you cannot just leave your little ones loose while you chit chat. Hence, I do not foresee a lot of mingling around!

The party room.

If you have any suggestions on other play areas to check out, do leave a comment. Thanks in advance!

Solar Eclipse

Did you manage to catch the partial solar eclipse this morning? Such an amazing rare natural phenomenon!

This morning, after showering and getting ready for work, I woke Aiden up for the eclipse. Since the next partial solar eclipse visible in KL will only happen in Dec 2019, I didn't want to miss sharing this experience with him. He isn't really a morning person, hence it wasn't easy getting him interested in looking at the sun. It was only after I told him that "Something is wrong with the sun, the moon is blocking the sun, and it is dark outside!!!", did he agree to wake up. He trudged lazily outside, put on a pair of sunglasses, gazed upwards at the sun for a good 5 seconds, then went back in to continue his snooze.

I wasn't quite ready to give up, so I walked in and explained how the eclipse was an extremely rare phenomenon and that the next time it will happen he will be 10 years old! Only then did he agree to give it another try. With his sunglasses, he squinted for a while and finally he was able to make out that the sun was in the shape of a crescent. He squealed gleefully, exclaiming that something was obscuring the sun! Aaahhh finally he was excited!!!

Pointing to the solar eclipse.

A solar eclipse results when the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun, casting a shadow over the Earth. It is only possible during the new moon phase, when the dark side of the moon faces the Earth.

Sometime ago, I had explained to him that as the Earth rotates, it also orbits around the sun, and due to this rotation, different locations on earth will experience night or day at the same time. Hence when we went traveling to Europe last year, he understood why we would call him at weird times of the day... when it is daylight in Malaysia, it is night time in Europe. 

This morning, he asked me a simple question. "So Mummy, since the moon is covering the sun in our country, does this mean that in Europe the sun is covering the moon? Or are they seeing the same thing?" I was dumbfounded! I actually didn't have an answer! I actually had to use Google for the answer.

http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2016-march-9

The simple answer is, not all parts of the world will be able to see the solar eclipse. For those on the other side of the world, it will already be night, so the sun will not be visible.

Ian woke up shortly after, and of course he wanted his own sunglasses. 

Ian actually smiled!

We soon got bored looking into the sky (the moon was moving too slowly!) and went in for some breakfast. As soon as we were done, we walked out, and it was nearly over! As the eclipse period drew to an end, I bade goodbye to the kids and left for the office.

So how did you guys enjoy the solar eclipse? I hope you created a memorable family experience with it too. *smiles*

Three Ingredient Scones

Waking up to a plate of freshly baked scones, is my idea of a perfect breakfast. Unfortunately, I have never been able to wake up to such a treat, until now! With just three ingredients, even dear Hubby can whip up a scrumptious plate of scones without any supervision. (Getting him to agree to bake them while I sleep in, is a completely separate challenge, though!)

Three ingredients are all you need to make these beautiful scones: self raising flour, cream anddddd the secret ingredient; a can of lemonade (7-Up or Sprite). If you won't believe me, I swear I won't take offense. But please believe Monique Bowley, a former contestant of The Great Australian Bake Off. I think it is quite safe to say that she knows what it takes to bake a good scone. Here's her video which shows how simple it is to make this decadent afternoon (or perhaps morning?) treat.

Monique Bowley was a former contestant on The Great Australian Bake Off. So it's safe to say that she knows what it takes to bake a good scone.
Posted by Debrief Daily on Sunday, October 18, 2015

To try this super simple recipe, you will need the below ingredients:

• 4 cups of self-raising flour
• 300ml of whipping/thickened cream
• 1 can of lemonade (~370ml)
• (1/2 teaspoon of salt, completely optional)

Simply pour the trio of ingredients into a bowl - flour, cream followed by the can of lemonade.

Instead of using a wooden spoon, use a knife to mix everything together.

A thing to note when handling the batter, is to use a light touch when mixing the ingredients together. Use a knife, just until the ingredients are combined, then use the tips of your fingers to mix them into a dough-like consistency, making sure not to over knead.

Using a scone cutter or a cup, cut the dough into small pieces. Place them onto a lined baking tray, making sure they are lined close together. Don't worry, it will only go upwards; it will not expand sideways. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 15 minutes at 200degC.

As soon as you take them out of the oven, I guarantee that you won't be able to resist picking one up, splitting it open while still warm, filling it with butter, strawberry jam and a large dollop of cream, and popping it into your mouth. *drool* Definitely my comfort food!

A perfect scone!

Salted Egg Cronuts at Dotty's TTDI

I've heard many good things about this place, specifically for its in-house specialty, the Salted Egg Cronut (hybrid of croissant + doughnut - in case you're wondering). So last weekend we decided to give it a try. We arrived at half past three, just 30 minutes after the 3pm batch was prepared. Well just our luck, they were all sold out! Apparently it was snapped up in just minutes after the batch was ready! Their advise? Pre-order before coming. *sigh*

We decided to still give proceed with lunch. After all, we chanced upon a parking right outside the entrance and we had two hungry boys in tow. A thing that irked me slightly was the fact that we were not allowed to wait inside the cafe until a table was ready for us. On one hand, I understand that the diners inside will not be too comfortable with people crowding around the already crowded cafe. But on the other hand, trying to cajole the two boys to behave while tanning in the very hot sun by the roadside, was not easy either. I wish they could place some chairs and even a mist fan outside for the comfort of customers waiting for a table.

Zoom closer into the picture for the menu. Aiden showing off a rose clay he made at an arts and craft class.

We finally got a table just beside the door. The menu was pretty simple simple; all day breakfast, two kinds of salads, one soup, a few sandwiches and four mains! I was quite nervous about what I was going to offer Aiden the Mat Melayu for lunch. Thank god he agreed to Eggs Benedict (RM26), a dish that he has grown to love since our last trip to Red Bean Bag. And it was quite a good meal too! Will definitely order this again.

Posing cheekily with his meal; poached egg drizzled with hollandaise sauce crowned on smoked salmon, sauteed spinach and English muffin.

Eagerly cutting the poached egg, waiting for the yolk to ooze out.

Since I couldn't get my hands on the Salted Egg Cronuts, I decided to have the Salted Egg Yolk Spaghetti with Beef Bacon, sauteed with basil tomato, mushrooms and sprinkles of parmesan cheese. Hubby on the other hand, had their Baked Eggs, with lean and tender homemade beef meatballs, splashed over slow cooked tomato eggplant sauce and freshly baked sourdough bread.

Salted Egg Yolk Spaghetti with Beef Bacon (RM29).

Baked Eggs (RM22).

In my opinion, the Salted Egg Yolk Spaghetti was just okay, mainly as I couldn't really taste the salted egg yolk. If you are able to ignore that factor, then it is really quite tasty, close to the taste of my favourite Soft Shell Crab pasta at Ben's.

Hubby's Baked Eggs was quite good. The runny eggplant sauce mixed with the warm baked eggs had a really rich taste. I loved dipping the lightly toasted, crispy, soft and fluffy sourdough bread into the sauce. I literally wiped the plate clean! The meatballs were delicious too. Although I wish they would exclude the baked beans. I am definitely not a fan of baked beans, but that is just my personal preference so please do not be put off by this.

As for drinks, Hubby chose to have the Salted Caramel Latte, while I decided to be adventurous and order coffee! Yes, I don't drink coffee, but I decided to make an exception for the Doughnut Affogato. I guess I am such a sucker for doughnuts that I was willing to have coffee!

Coffee art.

Salted Caramel Latte (RM13).

How exactly do you have the Doughnut Affogato? I was a bit puzzled when they placed my order on the table. A huge doughnut in a bowl, topped with a scoop of ice-cream, a spoonful of ice-cream, and what seemed to be some sort of coffee mixture and milk in two separate tiny jugs. No instructions were provided, so we decided to just experiment and poured the milk and then the coffee onto the doughnut.

Doughnut Affogato (RM14).

Is this how you eat (or issit drink) the Doughnut Affogato??

My take on it? The doughnut became soggy, soaked with latte and soon the ice-cream started melting... into one terrible mess. The ice-cream also made the latte cold very quickly. I didn't know how to drink it, as no straws were provided. Should I scoop the latte into my mouth using the spoon then? Or pick up the bowl and bring it to my lips? The doughnut was also too tough to cut easily with the spoon provided. In the end, I asked for a separate plate, cut the doughnut using a knife and enjoyed it on its own. Left the ice-cream swimming in the latte until it all melted. Definitely not ordering this one again!

We tried ordering the Sweet Potato Fries for Ian, but they were sold out. So we had the Truffle Fries instead. It was really really good! Huge portion too, padanlah dengan harga, RM14.

Ian enjoying the Truffle Fries.

An array of yummy desserts.

I wasn't really quite ready to give up on my quest for their Salted Egg Cronuts, so the very next day, I called in and placed a pre-order. At RM11 each, the minimum order is 6 pieces. I chose to order the 4pm batch, so right after work I made a detour before heading home to pick them up. If you want to do something similar, use the below as a guide for choosing your desired slot.

Salted Egg Cronut batch guide.

Four pieces in a box.

Fresh out of the box.

To get the most out of your cronut, pre-heat your oven to 200degC. Place the cronut in the oven for a few minutes. Take it out, and enjoy!

Two cronuts in the oven, one for me, one for Hubby. No sharing!

Don't let the pictures above fool you, the cronut is quite sizable. I totally understand now, why people would actually queue and wait for this. The cronut is thick, and drizzled with a good dose of salted egg yolk. The texture of the cronut is excellent; crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. The thin layers that make up the cronut are beautiful, the insides filled with liquefied salted egg yolk too. As soon as you cut into one, you can see the egg yolk oozing out onto your plate. The taste is quite interesting to the palate; savoury and sweet all at the same time. Such a sinful delight!

Rich and creamy... *drool*

Verdict? Food is acceptable, but the Salted Egg Cronuts are the real crowd puller. Will we go again? Considering that the cafe is always full house, I'll stick to the pre-orders for now.

Dotty's, TTDI

20, Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 2, 

Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 

60000 Kuala Lumpur

T: 03-77334233

F: https://www.facebook.com/mydottys/
Open 8am-6pm daily, closed Tuesdays