Review: The Cream & Fudge Factory @ Suria KLCC

Ever since I've stopped working in the corporate world, I hardly ever step my foot in the golden triangle :p We took a trip to Suria KLCC in early April just cause Capt'n Hook want to check something there. As we walk about, seems like there are a lot of changes that happened the past few months. Some shops have swapped lots, some have gone and in their place, stood new shiny stores.



One of which is The Cream & Fudge Factory which replaced The Lawn. I've heard the buzz from Jason and was curious since we're big on ice creams, moreover there seems to be quite a lot of people crowding round the kiosk, so it has to be good eh? Anyway this chain started off in Thailand by Global Franchise Architects, a member of Synergia One, owned by renowned Mouawad family.

Capt'n Hook took BoiBoi to grab a seat while I went to the counter to check what they're offering. Managed to get a couple of menus for the boys to browse through. After we have decided on our 2 orders, I went to the counter to order a Banana Chocolate (RM12.90 for one scoop creation) and Rocky Road (RM12.90 for one scoop creation). I opted for our orders to sit on a waffle bowl rather than cone since we're sharing them. I proceed to pay at the cashier and went back to the counter to take a peek even though the cashier mentioned that they'll send over to our table.

What they did at the counter was to scoop the ice cream into this cold plate and mix in the ingredients based on your choices or order. 2 spatulas are used to mix them all up before scooping into cones or bowls before handed over to customers. So I went back to our table and waited for our order.



After about 6-8 minutes later, our order came looking like this...



Did you spot something that is not there?

Yup, you've got it correct... where are our waffle bowls??? I checked my receipt, well just to ensure I did order the correct stuff and yes indeed, the receipt did indicate waffle bowls. Since I sat next to the cashier, I brought the ice creams to her and ask what happen to our waffle bowls? She apologetically told me they have ran out of bowls and she muttered under her breath that those who are taking orders should inform customers about it! She got hold of someone else to see to me and this person explained that it was weekend and they have too many orders that they can't keep up in making the waffle bowls!

OK I know they're new but not like a few days old. If they have been in operation for a few weeks, they should know that weekends traffic tend to be higher hence would have to prepare more than projected. Either that or just tell customers that they have run out of bowls and just sell the ice cream without waffle bowls or cones which actually cost lesser than RM12.90 (RM9.50 one scoop with one mix).

It's not that I'm petty but if I've ordered something on the menu that include one essential item, then they better have the item on it, otherwise you tell your customer that you've run out of waffle bowls and replace it with something or refund the difference in price. Don't just dump the ice cream on the table and walk off!!!

After some "table thumping" :p [actually I was just trying to dramatised the whole post, no table was broken in the process :o)], they finally took our ice cream away to "fix" it.

And so they came back looking like this... much better eh?? Well, I hope they did not "spit" on our ice cream :o) though. Sighhh anyway the ice cream have melted and they just dump onto the cold plate to freeze them up and place onto the waffle bowls. So in the process, mixed in the decorative pieces as well. Looked kinda unappealing, very disappointed. Could have just place some toppings to make up for what happened, but no!



As for the ice cream, it really doesn't live up to the fuss, or could it be due to our experience that we don't find the ice cream as great? They were bold enough to claim they have the creamiest ice cream on earth but seriously, not in my humble opinion.



It's really sad that the country have the tallest, biggest, best in something but yet our customer service level is still lagging far behind especially in the service industry. Operators and managers should buck up  and work on this, otherwise it will leave an unpleasant sour taste.


The Cream & Fudge Factory
Lot K23B, 2nd Floor
Suria KLCC
Kuala Lumpur
Facebook of the Malaysian chapter

Steamed Pork with Egg

Please excuse me with this pockmarked egg dish with deep river valley running through it. The dish got overheated! This is actually one of my childhood favourite - Steamed Pork with Egg.

I've actually forgotten about this dish until recently when I was at my parents' place, my mom made this for my BoiBoi albeit using chicken meat instead. So I've asked her how to go about it and here goes another guesstimation dish again...

Mix in some cornflour and grounded white pepper into minced pork or chicken. If you have a salty palate, you can add a dash of soy sauce. Set aside. In a bowl, crack in 2 eggs and 1 salted egg. If you really like salted egg yolk, you can add in one more salted egg, just the yolk and omit the whites. Mash the salted egg yolk a little then beat lightly taking care not to create foam. Otherwise the surface won't look pretty. Mix in the meat evenly and pour into a heatproof plate. Steam on low heat for about 10-12 mins.

As easy as that and the reason why mine turned out pockmarked was because I've used my electric steamer that don't allow me to control the heat. So I guess the next time, I cannot be so lazy then.

Chili's Grill & Bar Global Culinary Roadshow

I was invited by Chili's Grill & Bar recently to attend a culinary roadshow showcasing Chili's American Southwest flavours and recipes. Well, I was there late as I had a meeting to attend, hence had missed out the opportunity to catch Michael Winkelman cooking up the latest flavour introduced - Honey Chipotle Sauce which was used in Crispy Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers.

Anyhow, I was on time though to taste out the Crispy Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers hah! I also got to taste the ever popular Mojito, minus the rum of course (pssst cos it was still before noon :p). Perfect to quench my thirst running in the hot morning from one end to the other end of MidValley Megamall.



As I dug in, I tasted the sweetness of the honey followed by a bit of fire that came from the chipotle (smoked chilli pepper). I usually order the Chicken Crispers and with this sauce for this dish, it gave the crispy chicken a total make over.



Since I was there towards the tail end of the event, after most of the members of the media left, I got the full attention from Dave Anderson, COO of TAS Leisure, the franchise holder of Chili's Grill & Bar in Malaysia. I've mentioned that it's funny that we frequent Chili's but yet I do not have a single blog post :p Dave did asked why and my reply was "Who doesn't know Chili's and the delicious food they serve?" plus I added there are always queue at the entrance! In a jest Dave laughed questioning is it a good or a bad thing lol.

Dave asked me one important question - does the food served looked the same as shown in the menu! In my honest reply, I said they're quite close, totally unlike some fast food chain *chuckle*. Seems like it annoyed him to the bit if the food served at Chili's does not look the same as the visuals. Way to go Chilli's!

Michael was on his way out to check another outlet before flying out the next day to his next destination of this roadshow. Michael resides in UK but he travels frequently to this part as he oversees the business development for Europe, Middle East, North Africa and Asia.

It has been great meeting the people behind Chili's and what say you... to feature a proper blog post on our favourite stuffs on Chili's menu?

Thanks to Chili's Grill & Bar via Creative Geckos for the invite.


Click here for Chili's Grill & Bar locations

Stir-Fried Bitter Gourd with Eggs

If you love bitter gourd (fu kua in Cantonese) like me, you would definitely love this dish. This is actually a stir-fry and not an omelette since the amount of eggs are much lesser.

Halved a medium sized bitter gourd and remove the seeds with a spoon. Then slice them across into thin strips. Sprinkle some salt all over and rub them well to ensure they're coated evenly. I read somewhere that by doing this, it will remove some of the bitterness away, well  I can't really verify this. Let it sit for about 15-20 minutes before washing off the salt and drain away excess water in a colander.

Heat up a wok and pour in some oil. Chuck in some chopped garlic and put in the bitter gourd once garlic is fragrant. Fry the gourd till it changes to a slightly darker colour or soften (I prefer mine to be slightly firm). You may sprinkle some water but not much to help with the cooking process. Season with salt and some black pepper.

Next, pour in 2 eggs that have been beaten lightly. Let eggs set a bit before stir frying. Keep frying till the eggs are cooked through. Dish up and serve with rice.





I'm submitting this for Muhibbah Malaysian Monday blog event. This event is the brainchild of  Shaz (Test With A Skewer) and Suresh (3 Hungry Tummies). Read more here.

Simple Ways With Avocados

As promised, here are some items I did with the avocados presented to me during A Taste of Australian Avocado event. We were given some recipe booklets and I've gotten the ideas to prepare some snacks and salads. Do check out the wealth of recipes in Australian Avocado.

I did a Tuna and Avocado Sandwich which is so simple to assemble. I've buttered 2 slices of wholemeal bread before spreading some tuna spread on one slice. Next, slice up the avocados and place on top of the tuna spread. Sprinkle freshly grounded black pepper and place the other slice of bread over. As easy as 1-2-3. You could actually put on some cheese and grill this sandwich as well.



Next, I've made an open sandwich of Eggs and Avocado. For one serving, just hard boil an egg. Once it's cooled down, cubed the egg. Then cubed up half an avocado. Mix the egg and avocado with some mayonnaise, I've used Japanese mayo for more eggy goodness. Season with some salt and black pepper to taste. Spread mixture on buttered bread or toast or even crackers. Crazy goodness here. Loved the creamy avocado combination with egg.



I've assembled this Grilled Chicken Salad which was great for a complete meal of its own. All I did was grill half a piece of chicken breast rubbed with some olive oil, salt and black pepper. Sliced chicken up after letting it to cool down for 10 minutes. Then I shred some carrot and Japanese cucumber with a vegetable peeler; cut tomato into wedges and slice up half an avocado. In a small bowl, whisk some extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, a little whole grain mustard, seasoned with salt and black pepper till well blended. Toss all ingredients in a big bowl together with some lettuce. To serve, place salad on a bowl and topped with sliced chicken breast.



Another way of serving a salad of similar ingredients as above is to cubed them up and drizzle in extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and seasoned with salt and black pepper. Toss and serve. As easy as that.



So there you go on my lazy-woman way of serving up delicious and nutritious avocados.

A Taste of Australian Avocados

"Hello", the avocado beacons as I entered the foyer of the lecture theatre of Berjaya University College of Hospitality. The avocados on display looked so fresh and inviting and it's no wonder since I was invited for this A Taste of Australian Avocados event by Agri-Science Queensland in partnership with The Avocado Export Company and brought in via Euro-Atlantic, the importer of hass and shepard avocados.

The event was kicked off and Jodie Campbell was introduced to us. Campbell has more than 2o years in research, development, extension and marketing in Australian and International Horticulture. She gave us and introduction on avocados, benefits and uses of avocados, guiding us on how to select good quality avocados to choosing the right ripeness.



There's always a misconception of avocados being very fattening and it's not helping when the Chinese calls it "ngaw yau gor" (butter fruit). Not sure why it's named in such but I think it's because of the texture of avocado is similar to butter. Do note that avocados are densed in nutrients which is rich in vitamin C, E, K, folic acid and potassium. They are low in sugar and salt-free. They have antioxidant, anti-viral and anti-bacteria properties which helps to lower cholesterol. Best of all, avocados contained mono-unsaturated fats to maintain a healthy weight! Do head to Australian Avocado for the detailed health benefits.



We were taught not to simply poke on the avocado with our fingers to check for it's ripeness. One can check the colour chart or by placing the whole avocado on our palm and just squeeze gently to check for firmness as demonstrated by PureGlutton in the photo below.



Next we have Chef Malcolm of Berjaya University College of Hospitality demonstrating to us on how to prepare Avocado Zimbabui, a very simple dish of beef bacon with avocado served with smoked salmon.



Chef Malcolm showed how to remove the peel from avocado and how to slice them for this dish.



We got to sample some avocado inspired dishes prepared by the university college ranging from avocado  salsa dip, salad, pasta, Avocado Zimbabui and guess what... rainbow coloured macarons filled with avocado cream as filling!



We were presented with a fruit basket that of course contained avocados and some other fruits imported by Euro-Atlantic. I will post up some of the ideas on what I did with the fruits and avocado in my next post.

Thanks to Scribe Media for the invite to an afternoon of very educational introduction on avocados.

May You Be Well And Happy This Wesak Day

Wishing all Buddhist a joyful and peaceful Wesak.