KIARA CAKES
Tucked away in the heart
of Mont Kiara, Kiara
Cakes is a quaint café
that offers different
varieties of artisanal
cakes, pastries, light
bites, mains and
beverages.
Adorned with rustic and
minimalist elements, the
space is painted navy
blue and white to
distinguish themselves
from other pastel and
monochromatic cafés you’ve seen. The “Kiara Cakes” neon light sign hung
on one of the walls becomes the statement piece as you enter the space.
The café can accommodate up to 45 pax. A counter filled with freshly
baked pastries greets you at the entrance.
You will find pastries such as Croissant Bread Pudding, Orange Financier,
Madeleine, Buttercake with Butterfly Pea Flower Buttercrumb, Salted Egg
Yolk Croissant and more. When you visit Kiara cakes, the homemade
cakes are a must-try. The Duck Egg Burnt Cheesecake has a creamy
texture with a hint of caramel sweetness and of course, a generous dollop
of whipped cream on the side. One of the favourites is the Lavender
Chocolate Cake with Earl Grey Buttercream that appeals to both look and
taste. The subtle flavour of lavender in the chocolate cake
complements the delicate taste of earl grey in the frosting. There are also
cakes like the Tropézienne Vanilla Cake, Strawberry Lychee Rose Cloud
Cake, a gluten-free as well as dairy-free Flourless Orange Almond Cake
and more. Since the cakes are homemade, something to note is that the
cake menu changes according to its availability. The café also has a
selection of main dishes for a more
Sri Ganapathi Mess
The secret of Sri Ganapathi Mess is no longer;
while it used to be a quiet hideout, this home-
based banana leaf restaurant has now become a
bustling hub for lovers of the South Indian staple.
Hidden past a porch that peddles pottery, this place is best visited with a
foodie friend.
The Vegetarian Meal (RM6) is laid out in this order: banana leaf, a mound of
rice, three vegetables of the day, curry (ask for crab!) and a papadam. While
rasam is typically free of charge, their flavour-filled Crab Rasam goes for
RM1.50 and it's worth every penny you pay for it. On sides, skip the frying
station and make space for the sauce-laden selections — both the Mutton
Varuval (RM10) and Chicken Varuval (RM8) pass the taste test with flying
colours.
Ambience is not their strong suit but for the spicy meal, we're glad that air-
conditioning is all-around.
FUEGO AT TROIKA SKY DINING - ONE OF THE BEST ROOFTOP RESTAURANTS
Fuego is situated on the “far end” of the Troika Sky Dining establishment, so
the walk from the elevator means you pass by and get a glimpse of many of
the other restaurants available up here. At Fuego you are however all
outdoors, although the spacious terrace is covered by a roof, so not to weather
sensitive.
We arrived at around 8.30pm for the second and later seating available, and
the terrace was really buzzing. Not an empty table in sight and a lovely mix of
South American tunes, people chatting and the sounds of the chefs working in
the open kitchen.
This is what Fuego is all about: open, friendly and vibrant vibes, dishes made to
share and talk about, open kitchen and bar to catch all the action, people
moving around and tables that are private but almost also blending together. It
is not at all calm, but it is still very relaxing. You have a fantastic and framed
panoramic view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline, with all the major landmarks
included. You’ll see both the Petronas Twin Towers, the KL Tower and so much
more.
With a late reservation we missed out on the favourite sunset views, but the
night time skyline do really look awesome from here. Then the food started
rolling in, and oh boy, here we go: first up were some dishes from the ‘Little
Plates’ section of the menu. Chips with two bowls of guacamole, one Pickled
Prawn and one Olive & Caper. Hands down some of the best guacamole we
ever had.
This was followed with a very tasty Fuego Ceviche and Torched Salmon
Ceviche, a cool and special Cauliflower Steak and and a final Fresh Corn on the
Cob with Pecorino Cheese. The last one was probably the only dish we did not
say ‘wow’ about.
Moving on to the ‘Big Plates’ we were served a really nice Spinach Hashbrown,
and a Seafood Moqueca with Snapper, Brown Clam, Mussel, Stuffed Habanero
and Brazilian Rice. Then there was also a side of mixed salad, that did not look
anything special but that tasted divine.
When the talk about desserts started we trusted the information that “they
are not that big” and picked one each. “Big” is of course subjective, but we can
at least establish that we did not need one each. But then again, they were so
good we almost managed to eat all of it anyway. Then it was really a wrap!
We can only highly recommend a visit to Fuego at Troika Sky Dining, partly for
the lovely view and the fun, relaxed and vibrant atmosphere, but mostly for
the amazing food.
