Starbucks, Menara Binjai

There are several branches of Starbucks around my office but requires some walking. So the nearest branch to me opened on 12 November 2014. It's just a stone throw away and the environment is great for hanging out or getting my work done.

Their display of cakes are so neat and its rich colours made me want to eat them all.

Spacious, brightly lit and quiet environment you usually don't find in Starbucks.

My usual Mocha Frappuccino.

Starbucks Menara Binjai (Beside CIMB Bank)

Europe Highlights: Germany

 I did not do much research on Germany prior to going there. I just know they have the best pork knuckle and it is the birthplace of Black Forest Cake or Black Forest Gâteau to the Brits. So I was kind of just following around the group. I find the air in Germany excellent and environment is well taken care of.

We didn't go to many places just the most touristy ones. It doesn't matter as it's my first time there and I have plans to go back there so I'm sort of just surveying all the places that I went. Everywhere is just so beautiful I can't take my eyes off for even a second!

Heidelberg Castle standing tall and strong amongst the forest. It was a sunny day and thanks to that, photos are captured beautifully without too much effort for an amateur like me.

Pastel colours are my favourite! I was totally swooned by these rows of buildings! Too bad we were short of time if not I would've sat down and sipped some espresso. It'd be perfect in such weather and view!

Every famous buildings I visit were under maintenance huh including the Cologne Cathedral above. I find old buildings very very appealing. Something about their rustic appearance which exudes melancholy which I love. It's pure artistic architecture!

Beautifully carved. The details will make you stop and stare in awe. I can't imagine the time and effort the people poured in to get everything done. It's just magnificent.

Sunny day is good because it was starting to get really cold. The only time when I appreciate some sunlight.

It's finally meal time! It was a hint at the beginning on what food I'm going to blog about. Did you guessed it right at first? Okay, probably nobody guessed but yeah you get the point. First up, Pork Knuckle! What I love about German Pork Knuckle is definitely its crispy skin and the smelly 'pork' smell usually present in local pork? Null! The size was too big for a relatively small eater like me but I did manage to finish most of it because it was THAT good.

Germany is also famous with their Oktoberfest and surely there'll be alcohol fused in their food. The Black Forest Cake I had was infused with rum. A thin slice surely wasn't enough. It was mind blowing I tell you! Delicious inside out!

You can find both the Pork Knuckle and Black Forest Cake I had at Café & Brauhaus Zur Mühle. It's located upstairs Drubba Shopping.

After a hefty meal, a walk along Europe's signature cobblestone floor is a must. Definitely not high heel friendly but my boot was made for walking so no problemo.

Café & Brauhaus Zur Mühle

Europe Highlights: France

I admit that I'm not the most hardworking blogger but I try okay, I try. I'm going to blog about my trip to Europe this time. Firstly, I'd like to thank my mom for being the best travel mate one could ever wished for. We took care of each other and both are always snapping pictures. There were almost a thousand pictures in total but I'll just upload those I like the most.

First up, Paris, France. Everywhere is just so beautiful and dreamy. It's like your're walking in heaven. Paris is suitable for people who are there mainly to relax or shop. In terms of tourist attractions, I find it not as exciting as I expected it to be. Thank goodness the weather is excellent during our whole journey.

Road signs right outside Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).

 I always thought Asia's traffic is the worst in the world but Paris proved otherwise. People will not budge for you and will stick as near as the car in front of them as possible. Cars could be turning left, right, u-turn anywhere. Quite chaotic.

When you walk, remember that you should be on your right. I made that mistake and the locals were staring at me.

When I was there, the Arc de Triomphe was under maintenance but they did leave a part of it for photographing purposes I guess. I really like how Europeans preserve their historic monuments or buildings instead of demolishing them. It's something the Malaysian government should learn from.

Of course the Eiffel Tower deserve a shot or two at least. Well, I took tons but this is the best shot. It was taken when I was on a cruise along River Seine. The structure is really beautiful if you look up from the bottom of the tower.

It wasn't a very relaxing tour this time so I could only manage to buy some Macarons from Pierre Herme Galleries Lafayette Haussman. The BEST flavour is definitely the ROSE macaron and Chocolate Praline macaron. I'm still craving for it so so much after coming back here. I regretted not buying more when I went to London afterwards.

In Paris, eat all the Escargots you can! The escargot I tried was cooked and soaked in herbs. It was the bomb guys! After you've finished it, make sure to dip your complimentary baguette with its leftover herbs in olive oil. Escargot à la Bourguignone, 7,60€. I had this dish in Le Panorama.
Walking on a quiet street. Their air is generally good and temperature was excellent! I love it when it's cooling especially when we have blazing sun all year long. The breeze was just so comfortable.

Next up, the view of Paris from the Eiffel Tower. So breathtaking! The wind is very chilly up here so prepare to "equip" yourself before going up. A first timer like me will uncontrollably keep staring and not move even a bit for minutes.

The river you see on the picture below is the famed River Seine.

Below are some of the buildings we saw during the hour of River Seine cruise.

LewisGene, Solaris Mont Kiara

I frequent Publika, Solaris Dutamas like a lot I'm not even kidding. I used to go there every 2-3 days but lately it's been once a week. Oddly, I've been to even several cafes in Sri Hartamas but never really set my foot in Solaris Mont Kiara / SohoKL. I was at a meeting on Sunday and decided to visit the LewisGene because I was curious with all the hype.

The food that we ordered. They have an extensive list of waffles they serve. You'll probably get spoiled of choices like us. The 2 things they specialize in? Waffles and coffee. Oh, the waffles you see in the picture are two different flavours. 

The entrance with a chandelier hanging above. The design of the cafe is slightly crowded but rest assured that their seats are comfortable enough for you to have long talks. Most of the staff are Filipinos and are friendly.

The menu board reminds me of my primary school times. Though it's quite a common sight in most of the cafes. The waffle menu is exactly on top of where I sat. You can't see it from here so you might have to sit on the left section upon entering or you could just stand and read like us. There are so many waffles, from fruit to coffee.

My Cappuccino comes in a cute cow cup and 2 almond biscottis. Everything spells fun here from its decoration, design to their cups. My cup of Cap was great! The temperature was just right plus the milk and coffee balanced each other well. It's so full that I almost spilled it when I took my first sip.

My friend ordered their Mocha. It comes in their signature design / coffee art. The cup of Mocha comes with 2 soft heart-shaped marshmallow.
We wanted to picture the marshmallow sitting elegantly on top of the coffee but alas it was a failure. I present to you the sinking marshmallow.

Mocha + Cappuccino.

Our snack time became meal time. We didn't expect the portion of their waffles to be so big. We ordered Chocolate Chip Waffle and Mocha Waffle. Do you see the difference? We definitely didn't. We didn't care and just ate it. I loved the texture of the waffle. They are dense, warm and crispy. They came with 2 sticks of wafer, 2 scoops of ice cream, a piece of chocolate chip cookie and drizzle of chocolate sauce.

There are many ad stands and chalk boards along the way up to their cafe.

Parking is a headache here so if you don't mind paying a few extra RM, head over to SohoKL for underground parking.

Direction: LewisGene
Facebook: LewisGene

Obanhmi, 1Utama & Black Canyon Coffee, Aeon Maluri

This year, sandwiches receive a lot of love from Malaysians. Particularly Viet sammich, Banh Mi. As you have noticed, many Vietnamese restaurants serving Banh Mi are sprouting around PJ area. I chanced upon Obanhmi while looking for food in 1 Utama. They were newly opened and I was sick so no oily or spicy food. The best bet? A healthy sandwich packed with veggies and some protein.  

My O'Teriyaki! In case you're a regular at their Uptown branch, it's the same as O'ga. I love love love the cilantro / coriander in the sandwich. It actually boosts the taste of everything else. I'm new to Viet sandwich so I'm up for more of other varieties. 

T's Pho (dry). He didn't like it and said it was bland. I tried a spoonful of it and concurred with his comment. The only ting that stood out was the smell of the cilantro. Well, if it's not obvious enough.

See that chilli sauce? It's Sriracha Chilli Sauce. Do have some with your sandwich because it's the best decision ever!

When in doubt, choose Thai food. I love all sorts of food but nothing trumps food from the land of smiles! I love Thai food since I was little also my first time having spicy food. I know how to cook authentic Thai food so I know which is good which isn't and Black Canyon Coffee certainly holds one of the top spots. 

I was having flu so no iced drinks but no spicy food? No way! There were 3 of us so we ordered Set C / Set 3 which is just nice for small eaters like us.

Fried egg with minced chicken. Very spicy but it was good! Most importantly is its yol was RUNNY! I covered my rice with it and it was yum.

Rather plain vegetables but I found it good as well. Not salty and not overcooked.

Highlight of the meal, Tom Yum! When I'm lazy to travel to get the best Tom Yum in KL in Mid Valley (guess which restaurant. It's easy), I'll pop by here. Spicy enough to tingle my taste buds yet still maintain its authenticity. No fake flavourings here.

Where do you usually get your tom yum cravings fixed?