Plan B, Midvalley

Time jump back to 2 weekend ago. Leaving my friend's  house in Kota Kemuning and a delectable breakfast of Char Siew, I will be practically spending my whole afternoon in Midvalley before the wedding dinner later at night. Dated 2 friends out to maximize the time of my trip here. I decided to try out this "new" place in Midvalley, which is situated at the ground floor of the extreme end which share the same corner as TopShop. Apparently, Plan B has other outlets in other parts in the Klang valley, namely Bangsar Village. Can anybody tell me izit Plan B linked to Ben's of KLCC and Publika?

 The cosy environment has the warm lighting and the wooden furniture to thank. Even the bar/food preparation counter uses a somehow homely kitchen like cabinets. A very good place for chit chatting over tea but the tables might be a bit too small if everyone in the round table for four decided to order their main course. Skyjuice is free of charge and they broke the norm by serving you an individual semi opaque bottle which resembles the bottles inside chemical laboratories. =p

 The selection of espresso here can suit your every taste bud and preference. Different beans with the likes of Guatemala Antigua Los Volcanes, Brazil Rio Verde Yellow Bourbon and other regions like Ethiopia will surely appease coffee aficionado. Velvety, light bodied, rounded acidity, intense aroma, syrupy and sweetness to the tongue: these terms will be familiar to coffee lovers while reading the description of the different beans available here.

 Next step, pick your preferred brewing method: Pour Over, French Press or Siphon. A shot of premium expresso. One shot will cost you around RM12-14.

 Done with their specialty coffee, now lets move on a take a review of the food. My friend ordered the Smoked Salmon Sandwich (around RM20 if I remember correctly). The bread was somehow dry to my liking but as you bite on, you will get to taste the alfafa-like green sprouts and lettuce on top of the salmon slices. Would prefer the bread to be lightly buttered rather than being bland and dry like that, though the version here do not incorporate a slice of cheese. The bread is a bit thick and dry and somehow failed to create a winning combination with the thin slices of smoked salmon. This sandwich is served with a side of leafy salad and mixed chips (combination of 3 different roots -  tapioca/cassava sweet potato and taro/yam chips)

The Prime Beef Pie is somehow bigger in size than expected. Encased inside a puff pastry is the filling of beef stew/dry oxtail soup like ingredients - chunky but yet chewy/hard cubes of beef, carrots and onions. The flavour is indeed very robust and the the puff pastry is not enough to accompany the filling. You will need to rely on the greens which is lightly flavoured with honey/maple syrup with a citrus tinge to act as a palate cleanser. Its not a bad dish, just a bit too heavy on taste for my liking.

Me and my friend did not order anything heavy but the portions of the pie and sandwiches but we were kinda full for desserts. Nevertheless, we decided to push our limits after being mesmerized with the beauty of the desserts and cakes here. I personally have a sweet tooth and a fondness for artistic desserts which is pleasing to the eye. I mean, look at the selection here, how could one resist rite?

 Another picture of the cakes available. That is why from the start, I would say this place is great for teatime. Price of the cake might be slightly above the average but you wont be finding most of the cakes here in ordinary cafe, or Secret Recipe alike.

Wanting to do a complete review, I opted to try their coffee, not their premium ones but I made a conventional pick, The Capuccino (RM8). Tastewise, it was just above average. Maybe the frothed milk should be of piping hot temperature, else the combination will turn up just slightly hotter than lukewarm. And, the barrista need to be more competently trained in coffee art. Failed attempt here. =/

 This KL trip, I plan to go to Whisk in Empire, Subang to try their Red Velvet Cake but only to have plans changed to try the Mille Crepe in Jalan Kuchai Lama. Again the plans didn't worked out but I am back to square one with a slice of Red Velvet Cake (RM11) in Plan B. I am very curious about the hype of Red Velvet Cake. To me its just vanilla-coffee sponge cake which I believe its steam-baked with cream cheese icing frosting. The red colour is normally naturally obtained from the juice of beet root. Coming back to the taste of Red Velvet Cake, I find it to be really ordinary. At least for the one in Plan B. My friend who has been tasting a few version in the Klang Valley said the ones in Whisk and another personal fave of hers in Just Heavenly cafe is way better than this. Okay, I will give Red Velvet Cake a benefit of my doubt on the next trip should I happen to be around these 2 recommended places.

This is the Rocky Road Slice (RM5), compared to its elder sibling, The Rocky Road Cake (RM12). The base is like dry brownies, with toppings of marshmallow, cherries drizzled with melted chocolate. Very sweet indeed though I love sweet desserts. Really meant for sharing. A slice can be divided to 6 pieces and yet we still can finish it all. 2 smalls slices were more than enough for me. The total bill came to around RM80+ for 2 person, perhaps this is quite standard weekend lunch price for KL-ites...