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)

It's Sunday again! This week was busy as usual. So much I want to blog about but so little time.

If only I spent 15 minutes to prepare an entire blog post, that would be great! JOY.

But no, I take more time that that as I not only edit ALL the photographs to perfection, I also write the article with conviction and ensure in-depth detail.

I really do, and it takes a hell lot of time! Grrr.

But sometimes I wished I didn't. Le sigh!

I think you can tell by now (after 7 years!) that I'm not the sort of blogger who posts up a few photos and several sentences and call it a blog post.

Since when has blogging ever comprised copy-pasted facts and a stock image?

Quality control has always been the key! 

But I do realize I must stop this "perfectionist" attitude from hindering my efficiency & timeliness

It may be my strength, but it can also be my weakness! 

So I just drew up a near-impossible schedule this morning to make the rest of my December even busier.

It's a challenge.

Far-fetched or not, I gave myself incredibly tigjt deadlines to meet everyday in order to clear off all my back log of 30 blog posts!  I can, I must!

In the meantime, my kitty can keep me company all curled up on my lap

while I slave away on the keyboards 

Have you noticed that we are more inclined to be productive and things actually do get done if there is a target, a goal or a dream ahead of us?

If there's none, well, instead of procrastinating, set yourself those deadlines to push yourself!

It's the same principle I apply for my gym workout routines.

If I get complacent, I'll stop taking it seriously and then there will be no point, no drive, no motivation anymore

Moral of the story? If there is no push, there will be no results 

Anyway, here's what I've been up to this week.

Attended the launch of NIVEA's Pure & Natural range at Delicious! Even Kate Middleton uses them

So glad to bump into Nadia, it's been a while  She was the MC for the afternoon too

*full blog post soon!*

Thursday night being serenaded by Vince Chong during the Merry Guinness christmas dinner

at Dirty Nelly's @ Life Centre by Guinness Malaysia

*full blog post will be published on Christmas day!*

My Friday coordinate comprised earthy and neutral shades!

Jessicat wears : Corduroy cropped jacket in brown by Voir | White Paris graphic tank top by TopShop |

Grey denims by TopShop | Metal feather necklace a gift from Konzy |

Buckled leather heels in brown by Pedro | Armbag in white by Seed

Attended the launch of the iPhone 5 in Malaysia on Friday morning

Made lunch! Organic Durum Wholewheat Spaghetti with Haricot Beans, Mushrooms

and lots of freshly chopped garlic, onions & oregano 

Grabbed some dessert at one of my favorite places – Circus KL @ Pavilion KL

Had a Lez 3 Chocolat (it's a special… off the menu!) Thanks Ralph!  It was delicious

Noms & chilltimes with Ralph, Louise & Konzy. Love yall! 

Chilling at The Pressroom Bistro @ Pavilion KL

Konzy had something called Fancy Sencha Tea while I had Bellagio Hot Chocolate

I loved my Hot Chocolate by Bellagio! None of that watered down crap or typical Cadbury sachets

This was rich, thick and the aroma was amazing  The Fancy Sencha Tea? Well, it was good but we didn't find anything too fancy about it… as its name suggested 

Had a lunchdate with Konzy at Teppanyaki Express @ Food Republic, Pavilion KL

He had a Sliced Lamb set (bottom left) with Squids for the sides

while I had Salmon Fish set (top left) with Mushrooms

I've never had teppanyaki made right in front of me with an iron griddle by our own designated chef!

Both our sets came with rice, clear raddish soup, beansprouts and green leafy vegetables 

I loved it. T'was a new experience & a hearty meal! Thanks Konzy  Definitely recommended 

Had a healthy lunch yesterday at O'Briens Irish Sandwich Bar @ The Curve!

I've recommended this joint before in previous editions of The Sunday Times.

Konzy had his usual fave Big Club Sandwich (above) while I tried something new today, the Chicken Slice, Swiss & Guacamole (below). This is one of our choices if we're feeling healthy!

Here's my current song of the week by the way 

Do take a listen to my current fave dubstep track that's been on loop on my iPod all week!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vLFnx2udp0

Might wanna check 'em out 

Before I go, I have some good news to share. I will be roadtripping and making my final drive to Penang with my trusty ol' white Kelisa to make the switch this Wednesday.

Switch? Yes, the switch to my brand new dream car.

It arrived my home in Penang last week and I'm coming for it! 

If you're following me on Twitter, you would already know what ride it will be.

A bright red 1.6CC Ford Fiesta Hatchback Sports Edition that cost a whopping RM86K!

Probably not expensive for some of you rich kids on the block but it is, to me 

Looks like I'll be eating bread and water every month when its time for me to pay the installments haha.

Oh and, I've also paid off all my credit card debts of 2012!

I'm now debt free because I'd hate to carry any debts over to another year. Woohoooooo!

This is how my bank account looks now. Depleted 

Hang in there! I'll work even harder and be more prudent to get you fat and healthy again!

So if you owe anyone anything to anyone, make sure you pay them all off before the new year! 

Wouldn't you rather start your 2013 clean? You have two weeks… The clock is ticking.

On that note, always be prudent and have a lovely week ahead, dearest readers! 

Much love,

Jessicat

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

The Sunday Times is a weekly series; published every Sunday night to recap the highlights of my week, capture what piques my interest and to briefly highlight my recommendations for to-go and to-eat places!

Some of the photos in this edition are posted instantly on my Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr & Facebook

Do follow to get instant updates and pretty photos of the sights & sounds all around me!

I know I skipped last weekend's edition of The Sunday Times!

Actually, don't ask me why. I don't know either.

I shall mull two weeks motherload of photos/updates for you, aight?

Better late than never teehee!

Spent some lonely cuddletimes with my favourite boy 

Gave in to the Instagram craze!

Several people have been bugging me to get on Instagram for a while now… and I thought, hey why not?

Follow me on Instagram at – thejessicat

Stormed my kitchen up to make dinner again! 

Butter-Cereal Prawn & Black Pepper Scrambled Eggs with Tofu & Spinach on a Saturday night

Celebrated my country's Independence Day on the 31st August!

Full blogpost – here *click*

Got a tad nerdy & intellectual for several days

Been preparing for an article about contemporary Malaysian culture!

Off on an airplane to Penang Island courtesy of Heineken!

An epic mini-rave is underway 

Touched down in Penang to attend the Heineken Progressive Tour at 32 Mansion @ Penang

Full blogpost soon! 

I just had to justify myself LOL

Had English breakfast with mom in Dome Cafe @ Gurney Plaza, Penang!

I'd recommend the Eggs Benedict 

Day out in the city : Pavilion KL with buddies Jean-Baptiste & Nestor!

Took the cable car up to Genting Highlands with 'em magician boys after that!

J'ai passé un très bon moment  

Outfit of the day in Genting Highlands!

Watched Superstars of Magic 2 four times! Yup, FOUR TIMES.

Too good to only catch it once  Made wonderful friends there, the cast & crew were an amazing bunch!

Learnt some magic under the tutorledge of two fabulous cardicians

You know who you both are. Much love & gratitude! 

Made a snack at home  Do I smell something healthy?

Fresh lettuce, red corals, wild rocket leaves, butter hearts, radicchio,

red oakleaves with watermelon chunks, oregano & thousand island!

Hit the gym again! Did my usual routine and a 5KM track-run 

Had a bout of a rather dreadful emotional turmoil & lost my appetite for 4 days.

Stayed in bed. Refused to get out. Wallowed in depression. But yeah, tried to smile for the camera anyhow LOL

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx6deVzKeKQ&feature=player_detailpage

Song of the week 

Picked up the pieces, put on a smile and buried my misery six feet under

Question is : How can you forget someone who gave you so much to remember?

Just got back from a satisfying dinner! I recommend the Chicken & Lamb Mixed Royal Kebab with Saffron Rice

A cosy & VERY reasonably priced Middle Eastern place : Saffron Cafe & Restaurant in Damansara Perdana! 

Well, that's what's I've buzzing with during past fortnight, apart from the emotional rollercoaster ride.

It's rather personal, don't ask  But what didn't kill me, made me stronger!

… overcome the tears & attempt the next stride with a smile 

This week, I am thankful for :

1) The immediate people around me 

2) The lessons in life which I learnt the hard way. 

Have a great seven days ahead dear readers 

Much love,

Jessicat 

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

The Sunday Times is a new once-a-week series; published every Sunday night to recap the highlights of my week, capture what piques my interest and to share recommendations for to-go places and to-eats throughout the week

Some of the photos in this edition are posted instantly on my Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr & Facebook as it happens.

So follow me to get instant updates and pretty photos of the sights & sounds all around!

After 2 years of not meeting up, Violet and I were glad to *finally* see each other again!

We were both in Melbourne at that time so it was perfect for a catch-up sesh

Violet and I 🙂

We didn't know where to go at first cos we were practically gushing when we saw each other!

I was happy to see her again! After walking around aimlessly for a bit, we went to Koko Black

What could be better than catching up over glorious, glorious chocolate?

The hardcore chocolate lover was simply delighted! *beams* 

James was there to join us as well! 🙂

We chatted for hours and talked about old times and what we're going and where we should go next when we meet again. So much to do together, so little time!

But unfortunately, all of us have busy schedules plus the fact that I live pretty far from the city! 🙁

Girls doing what we do best 😛

Thanks for the photo dearie! 😀

After our teatime, we went outside for some air and to do a lil shopping.

Also, it's sometimes really cool to have a guy who is into photography tagging along while we do girly stuff or whatever we do. 😛 So I passed James my camera to help me take a few shots!

Hence, we get to actually have candid shots while walking or talking to each other LOL

Thanks for helping us take candids, James 😀

T'was an awesome day catching up with them but alas, something fairly tragic happened!!

I was wearing the new pair of boots which I bought yesterday, and since I've never wore boots before (we hardly ever wear boots in Malaysia) I didn't know we needed to wear socks or stockings or something similar.

So I was badly cut and bled from above my heels. A blister somehow managed to appear in less than an hour and it hurt to the max  

pic courtesy of Violet

Hmph. And this is why I hate wearing new shoes 🙁

Thankfully, they took me to the nearest footwear section and I bought a pair of flip-flops

I also had some band-aids with me (fortunately!) and poor me had to limp back home.

—————————————————–

Our next outing wasn't as tragic as the first one, though. Phew!

We met up at Pancake Parlour this time :D

Before our food arrived!

It was funny how we actually ended up choosing what to eat.

Both of us wanted to suggest Pancake Parlour, but didn't think that the other would want to eat that. But eventually, we both found out that the both of us had Pancake Parlour in mind! @__@

So, Pancake Parlour it is! 😀

I've always been a pancake fan. If you've been a long-time reader, yall would know that if there was any pancake outlet in front of me, I'd hit it. No matter what!

The flooring reminded me of checkerboards!

I liked the interior decor as well!

Don't know why, but ambience plays a part in how much I'd enjoy myself in a restaurant

Perhaps I'm not exactly a minimalist, that's why. I like elaborate or even artsy decorations 😉

While waiting for food!

Since I'm an avid fan of traditional stacks with maple syrup, I ordered that and something savory

Violet had some Pancake Spanakopita while James opted for Blueberry Pancakes!

In the end I was so full I couldn't finish 'em!

Had a great time with them, as I did the previous outing.

Cheers to more catch up sessions the next time I'm up in Melbourne! 😀

Camwhoring against some pretty Pancake Parlour backgrounds

Love their pop art-ish concept!

Yay for good times and good food! 😀

Whilst I was still in Aussie, I remember making one fine trip up to the city to meet up a friend.

A friend that I knew since college days in Penang. Alexis and I were feeling Italian that afternoon.

But she was occupied earlier, so I spent sometime in Spiga on the comfy couch by myself while waiting

Had my fave iced chocolate drink to accompany me while I blog

The plans changed and instead of meeting up in Melbourne Central, we decided to head up to Lygon Street.

That's where Italian food comes in abundance! Best part was, she lives just across the road from there.

So off I went to visit her. Yes, I walked all the way to her house.

Couldn't be bothered to catch a tram (I never buy Metcards!) and I love walking so that explains it 🙂

Walked past the State Library of Victoria so I had to grab a picture!

Had a random stranger take it for me 😛 Thank God he didn't run away with my camera LOL

If he does, I'll karate chop him to ham slices 

A very impressive library! Don't know why all the students love sitting on the grass studying in the sun

Prolly because it's always chilly everywhere.

Hung out at Alexis' house for a bit and then off we went for dindins!

Lygon Street by day

Lygon Street by night

We were there for quite a bit!

Heaps and heaps to catch up and talk about :)

We decided on Toto's Pizza House with her recommendation!

Alexis and I when our pizza arrived!

Oh and about the man? I'll tell you later 😉

We shared Chicken Carbonara Fettucine with Avocados

and a medium sized pizza! (I forgot what flavour/toppings)

The pizza looked delicious… appetizing indeed!

Some greedy snapshots of me busy nomming the pizza!

Yikes! The cheese was so springy . Best while it's still hot!

Okay, I'll tell you about that man now.

We finished dinner chitchatting and when we were just about to adjourn, he tapped me on the shoulder and said :

Nice to know you girls are from Malaysia. I've visited Malaysia once and it was beautiful

I'm going there to visit again I love the food there… I know KL, your capital city….

you're both Chinese Malaysian, then you should be able to speak Hokkien,

since you both are from Penang, 

you also have three main races… *continues rambling on

 

 

And he continued "responding" to whatever Alexis and I's were speaking of in our earlier conversation.

Good grief. Looks like he was listening to us all the while! >__<"

 

Left Lygon Street to head back home

I'm in the middle of the road!!

 

And back at Alexis' crib. Her residential area had a really pretty garden, especially when lit up!

Okay! Time to sleep.

Goodnight! I miss you, Australia. See you in 60 days!