Haagen Dazs (Affogato)

Haagen Dazs
website: http://www.haagen-dazs.com/

Everybody knows that Haagen-Dazz is a good place for franchise icecream and i also saw that they use illy (italian brand which rates as good in Thailand. but what i know from someone, he told me that in Europe or Italy, illy is not that good as it is here.)

I dreamed of Brunetti Coffee Affogato (promise that i will do the blog about Brunetti in Melbourne). Brunetti served Affogato in a martini glass, 3 small scoops of vanilla icecream, top with whipped cream and a little jug of espresso!

While here, they served one big scoope of vanilla icecream with flake of chocolates and a shot of espresso in a coffee cup with 2 waffles.

Start pouring!

Look how concentrate i am with coffee pouring...more, more, more!

Finish pouring. Icecream started to melt and you can help it by stirring more. The combination is perfect! Hot espresso with cold icecream...

After You

After You
2F La Villa
356 Soi Phaholyothin 6
Phaholyothin Road, Samsennai,
Phyathai, Bangkok
Tel: 02-613-0597

For those who love cookbook, May Made Cookbooks could be one of your cookbooks at home and now May has her dream come true, owning two cute cafes, one at Thonglor and one at Phaholyothin.
Give you menu first.

I went there for two times, first time alone and second time with a friend.
Start with Cafe Latte. Quite good for me. Nice milk froth and i'm kind of a big fan of 'serving coffee in bowl' style...bowl de cafe latte...

Shibuya Honey Toast; Toast with salty butter serve with vanilla ice-cream, whipped cream, and of course, honey!

I think this dish is originated from Japan, for i saw this couple times on Japanese TV show. Quite good to share with friends. But as i ordered this one when i went there on my first time, alone, it is too much for one to finish it all!

With honey, yum!

and i also ordered cafe latte on that day, lol! (you may guess that the first photo of lattes was taken by my friend, with the professional camera!)

Another dish, Panna Cotta!

Think is quite different from original Panna Cotta. They served this one with grated-freezing berry sauce. It's refreshing but the sauce is a bit too sweet for me and i prefer the original panna cotta.

Give you the photo of the shop from the outside and they also have the seats outside the shop, which i prefer :)

Overall, it's a good place to sit down, relax with a novel or chat with friends. nice coffee and nice dessert!!!

Grossi Trottoria II

Grossi Trattoria & Wine Bar
Intercontinental Bangkok
973 Ploenchit Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
T. 66 2 656 0444
E grossi@ihgbangkok.com
http://grossitrattoriabangkok.grossi.com.au/grossi-trattoria.aspx

I went back to Grossi again for lunch and found out that they found my blog and feel a bit unhappy about this :( sorry for that, i didn't mean to do so...just wanna share my thought on the food. However, the food got improvement! so i think i need to do another blog for this.

This time i ordered TORTELLINI DI ANATRA -Duck and mushroom tortellini, intense duck jus, caramelized pear which is so good. I love the tortellini, duck and mushroom inside is on my like; feel like it's my comfort food but the caramalized pear is a bit sweeter than my like (just my opinion! but the overall is still so good).

After tortellini, i had rose sorbet and pannacotta and followed with latte as usual, which were good as always. i do really love rose sorbet here, so i got more information on gelato that they do their own gelato daily and have various interesting flavours.

Mocha Cupcakes with Caramel Swiss Buttercream

From Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

I got the idea of these cute little cupcakes with buttercream kiss from Little Cupcakes for they do both normal size and this small size. And i'm so lucky that i can find the small paper liner here in Bangkok!

I did match the mocha cupcake with caramel butter cream myself. On Martha's book, she matched it with 'seven-minute frosting' which is kind of meringue frosting.

another thing, i did adjust the recipe for a bit, change sour cream to milk, for i didn't have sour cream at home on that day and it turned out ok.

Mocha Cupcakes
2 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-raising), sifted
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs at room tempature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk at room temparature (if you want to use Martha's recipe, use 1/2 cup sour cream instead.
3/4 cup freshly brewed espresso
1 tablespoon instant coffee (actually Martha said 'instant espresso coffee' but i didn't have, so i just used normal instant coffee.)

1. preheat oven to 325F and line the muffin tray (you can use normal size or mini size like i did) with paper liners.

2. sift together cake flour and cocoa powder.

3. with electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter until smooth and light. Add brown sugar and eggs, beat untill fluffy. Add vanilla, baking soda, and salt; beat to combine thoroughly.

4. reduce speed to low. add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk (or sour cream), and beating until just combined after each. mix together brewed espresso and instant coffee (or espresso powder); add to batter, and beat until smooth.

5. devide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a cake taster inserted in centers comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool.

Caramel Buttercream (makes 4 cups)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
4 large egg whites
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. combine 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and the water in a heavy saucepan. Heat over medium, stir occationally until sugar is dissolved. cook until the mixture is very dark ember. remove from heat; add cream in a steady stream (the mixture will be spatter), stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth and combine, let cool.

2. with electric mixter on medium-high speed, cream butter until pale and fluffy. in the heatproof bowl of a standing electric mixer, combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the egg whites. set bowl over a pan of simmering water; whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved.

3. attach bowl of egg white mixture to the whisk attachment. starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, mix until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. continue whisking until egg mixture is fluffy and glossy and completely cool, about 10 minutes. reduce speed to medium-low. add beaten butter, about 1/4 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. mix in vanilla.

4. switch to the paddle attachment, with mixer on medium-low speed, very slowly pour in caramel; beat until caramel is fully incorporated.

Lord Stow's Bakery

Lord Stow's Bakery
1 Rua Do Tassara, Coloane,
Town Square, Macau
Opening hours: 7.00 a.m. - 10.00 p.m. (early close on Wed at 6.00 p.m.)

Lord Stow's Cafe
Largo Do Matadouro,
Coloane Village, Macau
Opening hours: 10.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m.

Lord Stow's Garden Cafe
Rua da Cordoaria, 105, Edf.,
Coloane, Coloane Village, Macau
Opening hours: 10.30 a.m. - 7.00 p.m.

http://www.lordstow.com/

Before I went to Macau (for food only!!!), I did my research and everywhere I read, they all said, it's a must to go to Lord Stow's Bakery!!!

To go to Lord Stow's bakery, you have to take a bus for about half an hour from Senado Square. (you can ask the visitor center there which bus you have to take to go to Coloane Village.

Get off the bus when you see the cupid garden!!!

For your information, Coloane was the the location of one famous Korean Serie (sorry that i can't remember the name) and Lord Stow's Bakery was one of the places here in that Serie. So, it's kind of the famous place now, for lots of people come here to visit Lord Stow's Bakery and the church.

This is the original shop, full of people. some just come here for take away and have the taxi wait for them.

This is the latest shop at Coloane, Lord Stow's Garden Cafe, it locates near the cupid garden.

I chose to sit at Lord Stow's Cafe.

We ordered Ice Lemon Tea for drink, just normal.

Here they are!!! egg tarts!!!

In case the first photos of egg tarts does not tempt enough, i also took the photo after my few first bite to let you see inside and make you envy me!!! LOL.

It was creamy with crispy and fluffy puff pastry! Best egg tart ever! There is no words to descript it, but i agree that it's a must to visit Lord Stow's Bakery if you have a chance to go to Macau!

Ok, before I end this blog, let spoil you for a bit, LOL, before i went back to the city, i stopped at the original shop for the take away (yes, take them back to Bangkok!). I did buy 7 boxs, 6 tarts each, not all for myself, but for my relatives and we kept only 1 box at home. After my dad tasted it, he just realized what he missed, LOL, for at first he though i was too crazy on food and too crazy for taking a bus just for egg tarts...but after he ate it, he told me that next time i have to take him to the shop!!! haha

Grossi Trattoria

Grossi Trattoria & Wine Bar
Intercontinental Bangkok
973 Ploenchit Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
T. 66 2 656 0444
E grossi@ihgbangkok.com
http://grossitrattoriabangkok.grossi.com.au/grossi-trattoria.aspx

For melbournian, I think you know Grossi Florentino on Bourke Street. Good news for Bangkok foodies, they decided to joint with Intercontinental Hotel and open the new restaurant here!!!

I went there with my family, for i want to try if the food is good or not.

see the bread first, just normal. But my mom fel in love with olives here, and she asked for refill, LOL. For the olive oil, also just normal.
Carpaccio di Manzo (raw beef, hot beef broth, peas, parsley): Seriously, i just realized that the liquid part is 'hot beef broth' when i typed the menu here for 1) the broth was not hot 2) the taste was similar to balsamic vinegar rather than broth. In my opinion, i think it will be better without the broth. The beef and other part were good. And they should add cheese as it is always good accompany with carpaccio.

Next plate was Fettuccine con Ragu di Vitello in Bianco (Handcut fettuccine, braised veal, white wine, cream and herbs): I know that Grossi is good at pasta, so we decided to order one pasta and one pizza, for my brother is pizza big fan. The waitress tried to make me order the bolognese fettuccine as it's the special pasta of the day. but this menu was so tempting, so i ignored her suggestion and order this one, haha.

The pasta is good but it was a bit too salty. (already informed the chef today, LOL) but the fettuccine was good, as they used the freshly made one. I think it's because they just open the shop and it will be improve soon :)

The pizza we ordered is Magahrita (Tomato, mozzarella cheese, oregano): Before we ordered, me and my brother thought that it will be fresh tomato and fresh cheese one, so we were a bit disappoint when it was the baked one.

The pizza was just so so. much better than lots of place but still far away from +39. Think I have to order only pasta on my next visit.

Dessert time!!! we decided to order two desserts (that why we ordered only three savoury dishes, LOL, well-planned)

First one is Panna Cotta, Insalata di Bosco (Vanilla panna cotta, berry salad, rose sorbet): I love this one!!! Panna Cotta was soft and creamy and I love rose sorbet (even other persons who joined my dinner hate it, so i ate it all, LOL). The smell of rose was so great.

The other one is Crespelle con Banana (Crepes, caramalized banana, chocolate, butterscotch icecream): This one was also good, actually, it was the safe choice, how can it be wrong with chocolate and banana? plus, butterscotch...it was good (but the rose sorbet got all my attention, so i didn't have this one much)

The best of the night, cafe latte!

Another photo. Maybe the milk frost on top is for macchiato? for macchiato means mark.

Best Latte in Thailand for now!!! for the milk frost was better than other place i found! I was so happy and the waitress saw it, so she came back to our table to ask if the coffee was good and my answer was YESSS!!!

Today i went there again to have latte there for breakfast. First i went there on 10 a.m. as they said on the website that they open at that time, the waitress told me the opening time was 10.30, so i went to the nearby building for shopping, haha. Then, i came back on 10.40 and met with maitre d'. he told me that the shop would open on 11, so i told him that one of his staff told me it's 10! Maybe he can see the disappoint on my face, so he told me if i want just coffee, he can do it for me as the kitchen was not ready at that time. So, i ordered latte and croissant (i think the croissant was from yesterday :P). we talked over the counter for few mins, then he decided to join my breakfast and we had great conversation, from restaurant, to coffee, to food ingredient in Thailand, etc...etc. and when i told him to give me the bill, he told that it was on the house, for he enjoyed our breakfast, haha. So, i think the next time i will bring jasper coffee and ask him to do nice milk frost and nice espresso shot from Jasper coffee for my latte!

Summer

Summer
199 Soi Sukhumvit 49 (Promsri), Sukhumvit Road,
Klongton Nua Sub-district, Wattana District,
Bangkok 10110 Thailand

Spring Tel: 66 2 392 2747-8
Summer Tel: 66 2 392 2757
Fax: 66 2 392 2746

Website: http://www.springnsummer.com/

Opening time: Spring 11.30 a.m.-2.30 p.m. and 6.00 p.m. -11.00 p.m.
Summer noon-midnight
Winter 7.00 p.m.-midnight

First of all, before you read my post, please go to visit their website to experience the beauty of the restaurant first. The restaurant itself is so fantastic but I can't get the good photos to show you its beauty, and I think their website show its beauty just as the way it is.

The way I found this restaurant is so memorable. My dad drove pass this restaurant (to my favorite Taiwanese hot pot shop) when the owner still decorated the house and it was so stunning so I started to find out what this place would be but can't find any details. We kept drove pass it (for Taiwanese hot pot, of course, LOL) and one day that we drove pass it again, it became a restaurant!!!

This restaurant composes of 3 parts; spring, summer, and winter. Spring is the part of Dining room. Their food is Thai Fusion food and it is so fantastic. (The owner took cooking course at Le Cordon Bleu, Thailand. Before this, he was the famous actor in Thailand and also artist. He created all menu in this restaurant.) Summer is the chocolate bar and Winter is the bar located in the lawn in front of Spring and Summer; they put the big bean bag pillows with the tiny table on the lawn and we can sit there and look at the star (perrrrfect for winter!).

I went to Summer (as my lunch, LOL) for I missed their Molten Chocolate Cake and nice coffee.

This was the view from my window. The lawn you saw in this picture is the place that Winter bar located.

The small kitchen here, for they served many menu baking at the shop just before serving, like my molten chocolate cake, warm chocolate chip cookie in a cup with icecream (called Cup C) and souffle (new menu, i saw it on my table and you can see it on the next picture, they have mascapone one and chocolate one. will try next time)

This is what I came for. The name is Better than Sex. I'm serious!!! I can't order it by the full name, so I (and others) always call it as BTS (and they also state this abbreviation on their menu, LOL.) Actually, it is freshly baked molten chocolate cake served with whipped cream and chocolate flavor cream.

My first bite, the lava was coming!

If the lava in previous picture is not enough for you, I have another one, LOL. This was after my second bite...look at the lava. For me, this is the best molten chocolate cake in Bangkok! Soft, tender, using good chocolate, nice cream...what else you want more here (maybe vanilla icecream? LOL)

Drink to help me survive from Thailand Summer (April is the hottest month in Thailand), Frozen Cappuchino. Quite good, not too sweet. Normally, I ordered hot drink here but I need ice one for summer...their cafe latte was also good. and i found another tempting drink, hot chocolate with kualua, must be good...don't you think?