An afternoon in the cosy corner of Nooks @ Plaza Damas 3, Hartamas!

Sunday came a-calling, and what better way to spend the last day of the weekend than to unwind with some delicious bites in the neighbourhood?

Not too long ago, I received an invitation for a food tasting/review session at Nooks by Baker Dave, a cosy restaurant tucked at a delightful corner in Plaza Damas 3, Hartamas.

Naturally, I brought along my better half to experience the afternoon with me.

Arrived at Nooks in less than 10 minutes; locating it wasn’t a problem at all! 

I was half prepared to get lost in the carpark or run into difficulty searching for Nooks.

But the moment I exited the carpark, it was Nook’s right in front of me!

Strategic spot, may I add? 🙂

Love how they used crates as a table and exposed planks for its façade.

The exterior already gave me a warm and inviting feeling. 

 Saw this signage at the door. What a way to be prepared and make us feel welcome! 🙂

The moment you enter, you will definitely not miss a display of cupcakes greeting you at the front door. They’re all so beautifully and creatively decorated! 

Adorable, no?

Baker Dave himself, as the name suggests, is a baker by profession.

He specializes in customized 3D cakes for birthdays, weddings or any special occasions. I am definitely going to order my birthday cake from him this year – you will see why at the end of this post! 😛

The interior by Nooks by Baker Dave was filled with colour, quirkiness and bright hues!

I immediately felt comfortable as I took my seat, as there were many different kinds of seating to fit the varied preferences of their patrons.

 Can’t say how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE their simple, colourful decor  & shelves!

 If I wasn’t conducting a food review of the entire menu,

this comfy armchair will definitely be my spot!

We were first served with a cold glass of Honey Lime Juice.

This reminds me of the ones my family used to make for me back home.

Nostalgia, nostalgia…

Honey Lime Juice

Their homemade drink also includes he use of rock sugar & sliced lime.

Good for sore throats & relieves headaches, that’s for sure!

Next, we were served an appetizer that I recognize, from being served all the canapés whilst at events. It’s not in the menu, mind you!

Maybe Baker Dave was in a good mood that afternoon. 😛

Carrot & Cucumber sticks dipped in honey mustard!

 Served in a wine glass, interesting concept!

My kind of a healthy snack – aka yummy rabbit food LOL

Once we were done with the appetizers and got more or less settled in, Baker Dave made his appearance and welcomed us with a little opening speech. 

Nooks by Baker Dave features a full menu of moderately priced comfort food of breakfast, sandwiches, pasta, rice, and brewed coffee, along with cakes and buns that are baked from scratch.

 Baker Dave thanking us for making our way here and

explained a little about the concept behind the food & pastries they serve.

He also shared that all items are prepared, baked and cooked at the premise itself.

The fusion food here are all inspired by travel and mom’s home-cooked food, with his own very special twist. 

The fact that we were going to review the full menu, made Baker Dave thought of serving us a smaller portion of every meal first, and then flashing out all the meals in its actual size when we were done with it.

I found this to be a fantastic idea, with a foresight that we would be full to the brim and unable to finish our meals, had he give us the full size instead.

 First, we reviewed the Nooks Breakfast.

Nooks Breakfast (actual size)

This had two Eggrolls with Turkey Ham, Cheese, Chicken Sausage + a slice of toasted bread of the day with butter & jam.

All breads and buns are baked in the kitchen and alternated between wholemeal, black sesame, wholemeal flaxseed and multigrain and contain wholesome wholemeal flour without additives and preservatives.

Being a very breakfast person, I enjoyed this simple yet hearty breakfast meal a lot!

Next was also a breakfast meal. Two adorable ‘burger’ buns!

It was the Nooks Duo!

Tuna Mayo & Scrambled Egg on two soft buns with cucumber & tomato

Soft fluffy buns with sesame seeds on top – who could resist? 😀

The stuffing was so tasty – when asked which was my favourite, I couldn’t choose!

We’re done with the breakfast meals!

That’s buddies Jen & Max with the boyfie and I, along with Baker Dave himself.

It’s time for our lunch meals. Prepare your stomachs! 

 This isn’t any ordinary carbonara…

Nooks Spicy Carbonara!

I’m glad the level of spiciness wasn’t too extreme for me. 

This is perfect for anyone who fancies a little extra ‘boomz’ in their meals.

Deliciously rich like Carbonaras should be, this dish has its own spicy cream sauce paired with chicken ham & shitake mushroom, cheese and oh that yummy egg yolk. Sure to perk you up.

If you thought that was unique, our next lunch meal was a rarer find!

Nooks Sesame Vegetarian Chicken Pasta

Vegetarian Chicken, Carrot, Shitake Mushroom, Sweet Pease in Roasted Sesame Sauce

For my vegetarian readers, you’re in luck! 

Nooks also features a vegetarian pasta meal with soy/tofu made to look like chicken slices.

Despite not being vegetarian, I truly enjoyed this dish. The roasted sesame sauce paired perfectly with sliced carrots, shitake mushrooms and sweet peas was so fragrant – definitely giving this meal a good bang for your buck.

 The next meal serves to appease local Malaysian palates.

Nooks Rendang Chicken with Rice

This meals takes the cake, with its freshly prepared homemade spices blended to make the perfect chicken rendang with rice served with sunny side up egg.

It was certainly spicy for me, looks like i have to level up! 😛

Needless to say, it wasn’t spicy for him at all!

Speaking of unique dishes, check this one out.

Ever heard of pumpkin cooked in chicken curry? 

 Nooks Pumpkin Chicken Curry with Hardboiled Eggs & Rice

I’ve never tasted something quite like that before.

Their golden pumpkin was gloriously simmered with homemade Belacan curry and tender chicken breast. One of my faves right here!

Our final meal was a huge burger. 

By then, moo and I were already so satiated with the rest of their mouthwatering bites that we were BOTH unable to finish ONE burger!

 Nooks Signature Burger

Being all for non-processed food, I’m so glad that everything is homemade/prepared in-house!  Even their burger’s chicken patty was!

Drizzled with barbeque sauce, with a slice of cheddar cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and mayo sandwiched with two wholemeal buns, this burger was, safe to say one of the ‘healthier’ versions of burgers. (Fries? What fries?) 😛

Check out the burgers I had a while back in SS15 here if you are interested in more burgers.

Baker Dave had me a cup of flat white too. Yay!

How could I ever say no to my fave cuppa? 

Their cuppa was roasted by Lighthouse coffee roasters, and boasts a medium bodied blend of Central American & African coffees.

Def loving its caramel-like sweetness with a hint of nutty attributes!

 We were ushered to the alfresco area for some mingling and

chit-chatting with Baker Dave and the rest of his guests.

 The team prepared some cute props too! We had fun with that, haha!

Just when we thought that concludes our afternoon soiree, Baker Dave placed two notoriously sinful looking desserts.

My, my… would you take a look at those goodies! 

Left: Ultimate Chocolate | Right: Mango Cheesecake

Triple layers of dark chocolate mousse, chocolate fudge & chocolate cake

Creamy cheese with Belgium mango puree

I cannot express how smitten I am with both these delicacies. They were to die for!

The Ultimate Chocolate consisted of triple layers of dark chocolate mousse, chocolate fudge and chocolate cake. It was so soft and rich, and every bite melted in my mouth.

Now… this was the cake that I was referring to, in the beginning of this review that I wanted for my birthday! 😉

 The Mango Cheesecake was so soft and creamy, with strong hints of its Belgium mango puree. The mango tasted so rich and moderately sweet, almost reminding me of durian!

 Just as our wonderful gastronomic arvo came to an end,

Baker Dave again, surprised us with two gift-wrapped presents!

Inside, were bumblebee cupcakes, a ceramic speaker-mug which amplifies music playing from your phone, and almond biscotties.

Looks like Santa came early, disguised as a baker this year! 😀

 Thank you, Baker Dave, your team of chefs and PR/Events rep buddy Jen,

who made our afternoon a fun one to remember.

We definitely had a ball of a time!

Can’t wait to be back real soon. 🙂

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For more information or book a seat/order a cake by Nooks by Baker Dave:

LIKE them on Facebook: Nooks byBakerDave

FOLLOW them on Instagram: @NooksbyBakerDave

Contact them on the phone: +603-62117686

Drop by their address: Plaza Damas 3, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

(Opening hours: 8am – 7pm)