Latitude 02, Le Meridien Putrajaya + Eclair Decorating

Latitude 02, located on the Lobby Level of the hotel is a great spot to catch up with your friends for some coffee or dessert. In the evenings, the cafe transforms to a bar where you may find various alcoholic beverages for sunset hour.

Together with BabySumoKids, we visited Latitude 02 for some desserts and milkshakes. It's a really nice place to chill and while the afternoon away. I love the marble topped tables, large comfortable chairs and natural lighting pouring in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The hotel arranged for a special dessert platter (marshmallows, fruit skewers, coconut tart, chocolate fudge cake and eclairs) for us to enjoy. Guests may find various cakes and eclairs in the dessert chiller and prices are reasonable. Their dark chocolate eclairs are really yummy - eclairs are one of Le Meridien's signature desserts, so do give it a try!

Daniel had the Strawberry Marshmallow milkshake while Chloe had the Banana Caramel smoothie. I need my daily juice, so I got the Detox juice (carrot, ginger, red apple). 

Not only that, the hotel also kindly arranged a special eclair decorating session for BabySumoKids. The kids love spending time in the kitchen with me at home, so this was right up their alley. They were provided with six plain eclairs, as well as condiments such as white and dark chocolate, nuts, sprinkles, and dried fruits. They had a little competition between themselves to see who decorated the best-looking eclair; they sure had a fun time.

Well done lil chefs!

If you're staying here with your family and would be interested in this activity, do contact the hotel at 03-8689 6888 to see if it can be arranged.



Opening times: 9.00am - 12.00am daily.

Location: Latitude 02, Lobby Level, Le Meridien Putrajaya, Lebuh IRC, IOI Resort City, 62502 Putrajaya, Selangor, Malaysia (located next to IOI City Mall).

Tel: 03-8689 6888

Website: http://www.lemeridienputrajaya.com

GPS Coordinates: 2.969213, 101.712596


If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or Dayre for daily updates. Thanks :)

Brasserie 25, Hotel Stripes KL

Hotel Stripes KL is the newest addition to YTL Hotel's impressive portfolio of hotels and resorts in Malaysia. The hotel is also part of the Autograph Collection Hotels (an ensemble of exclusive independent hotels by Marriott International), featuring a distinctive vibe and character with a different perspective on the local scene mixed with a bit of edgy style and adventure.

Located on Level 1 of the hotel is Brasserie 25, a French-style restaurant serving casual French cuisine. The red brick arches showcase the open kitchen while the copper sputnik chandeliers and large windows give the space a classy yet simple elegance. Diners can opt for booth-type seating for a little more privacy, whilst watching the world pass by outside.

Start your meal with a selection of cold or warm appetizers. We went for the Foie Gras Poele (RM50), featuring pan-seared foie gras. It tasted amazing - two pieces of perfectly cooked, luscious foie gras served with warm onion marmalade and spice bread.

We also had the Foie gras terrine (RM40), served with toasted brioche and homemade fig jam. Rich and smooth with a tinge of brandy, it was complemented well by the sweet fig jam.

We ordered three mains to share - the Carre D'Agneau En Croute D'Herbes (RM120) was first to arrive. I was extremely pleased when I cut into the roasted rack of lamb and was greeted by the sight of beautifully cooked, pink meat. Tender and juicy, it was a joy to savour. Furthermore, the accompanying herb, honey and mint mustard sauce was great too. Highly recommended.

The L'Entrecote De Boeuf (RM120) was presented just as a French man would expect in a brasserie in Paris - thin and with fries. The chargrilled 200 days grain fed rib eye was tender, and served with a brandy sauce, which Hubby enjoyed and devoured most of. I personally prefer a thicker cut of rib eye steak... so perhaps entrecote is not the one for me.

The Confit de Canard (RM60) is another must-have here. The duck leg confit arrived piping hot at our table, accompanied by one of our favorite smells - truffle oil. The duck leg confit was tender and moist, with a crispy skin and was served with truffle mash . A mighty fine dish.

Cheese lovers will appreciate the great selection of artisanal cheeses on offer here. The waiter came out with a selection of six cheeses on a tray, from the famed Jean-Yves Bordier. The characteristics of each cheese was explained to us, and we were given the option of choosing any of the cheeses to sample (Les Fromages Fermiers RM50 for 100g of cheese). The cheese all had a distinctive taste (and smell!) - my favorite was the fruity Comte AOP (18 months) while Hubby enjoyed the Fourme d'Ambert AOP from Auvergne best, which had a rich and creamy texture.

A specially prepared cheese platter 

Open for lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. (12pm-10pm daily)

Service: Excellent.

Location: Brasserie 25, Hotel Stripes KL, 25 Jalan Kamunting, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Valet parking available for RM10)

Tel: 03-2038 0000

Website: http://www.stripeskl.com/dining.html

GPS Coordinates: 3.157295, 101.700384



If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or Dayre for daily updates. Thanks :)

UMAC House, PJ - Banana Leaf Rice

A couple of weekends ago, we visited UMAC House - which stands for University of Malaya Academic Club - for some banana leaf rice with our friend, PT. Diners can choose to dine in their al fresco dining area or air-conditioned rooms in this old colonial bungalow. We opted for the former, since there was an awning, lots of fans and tall, lush green trees to shade us from the sun and keep us cool.

As soon as we were seated, three banana leaves were swiftly placed before us. The banana leaf rice costs RM6 per person here, and comes with 4 types of vegetables, your choice of curry, rasam, rice (parboiled/white rice), and papadoms. I was disappointed when I saw that they didn't have cabbage during our visit as this was one of the reasons which tempted me to visit:( Nevertheless, the vegetable dishes served to us were decent. We all had the parboiled rice, and I chose mutton and crab curry to go over the rice, which tasted nice and flavourful. The papadums were crisp and the rasam (though a bit watery) was tangy and did its job.

We also ordered some side dishes to try. We were excited to see deep fried brinjal in batter (RM3), but they turned out to be disappointing and soggy. The deep fried bittergourd (RM3) fared a little better as it was crispier. We arrived at the restaurant shortly after they opened, so surely these should taste freshest now?

We also had the mutton varuval (RM7), which was tasty enough but portion was small and quite boney. PT came a couple of months back and she said the portion back then was much bigger. We also had the baby squid (sotong) (RM8) cooked in a sambal sauce, which was good.

Verdict: Prices here are fair, works out to be around RM16 per person. Food is OK, could be better. Nice ambiance and ample parking space. 



Opening times: 11.00am to 3.30pm daily.

Price: Total bill RM47 for 3 pax, inclusive drinks.

Location: University of Malaya Academic Club (UMAC House), 1, Jalan 12/5, 46200 Petaling Jaya.

Tel: Tel:012-952 1822

Website: https://www.facebook.com/UMAC-House-1640890466195256

GPS Coordinates: 3.117171, 101.648838 (Waze: UMAC House)

If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or Dayre for daily updates. Thanks :)

Dim Sum @ Le Mei, Le Meridien Putrajaya

Having dim sum with the family is one of my favorite ways to spend the weekend - the smiles on our children's faces as they enjoy their favorite dim sum is simply priceless.

Recently, we checked out the dim sum offerings at Le Mei at Le Meridien Putrajaya and we thoroughly enjoyed it! The Dim Sum Menu is available daily from 12pm until 2.30pm, and includes steamed, premium steamed, deep fried, premium deep fried, congee, baked, and rice rolls. You can view the menu here.

Dine in a five-star environment with excellent service and enjoy dim sum made with finesse.  

Start your meal with one of the signature items, the Oven-baked bun with barbecued chicken (RM19). The baked bun had a crisp, golden exterior while staying fluffy on the inside. The crust is slightly sweet and paired well with the savoury, meaty filling.

Deep fried prawn dumplings are a must-have for us whenever we have dim sum. The prawn dumplings with wasabi dressing (RM25) was crispy, with plump, fresh prawns.

Chloe loves rice rolls, and the Rice rolls filled with shrimp and yellow chives (RM15) definitely gets our approval. Smooth, silky cheong fun filled with juicy prawns, served with a delicious spicy and fragrant sauce. They also offer a fresh scallop version here.

Xiao long bao gets a luxurious touch here at Le Mei. The Shanghai mini dumplings (RM17) are topped with black truffle paste for a heady aroma.

One of my favorites here - the Steamed scallop with baby abalone dumplings (RM28). Beautiful and tasty too! The popping tobiko adds a nice texture and color to the dumplings.

A siew mai like no other, the Chicken and shrimp dumplings filled with mushroom (RM17) is topped with tobiko as well as bonito flakes, for the extra umami kick.

Another premium steamed dim sum item that we tried is the Steamed shrimp dumplings with black pepper seared foie gras (RM28). Unfortunately the foie gras was a little lost in this creation as the portion was a little small. Nevertheless, the prawn was fresh with a bouncy texture.

My darling enjoying her dim sum lunch

We wrapped up our dim sum lunch nicely with two desserts - the Chilled golden mango with sago and pomelo, topped with vanilla ice cream (RM21) and the salted egg ice cream with red bean paste (RM6).

SPG members receive 20% discount  when dining at Le Mei.


Opening times: Mon- Fri 12.00pm to 2.30pm; Sat, Sun and PH 11.00am - 2.30pm; Dinner 6.30pm - 10.30pm daily.

Pork-free.

Location: Le Mei, Le Meridien Putrajaya, Lebuh IRC, IOI Resort City, 62502 Putrajaya, Sepang, Malaysia (located next to IOI City Mall).

Tel: 03-8689 6888

Website: http://www.lemeridienputrajaya.com

GPS Coordinates: 2.969213, 101.712596


If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or Dayre for daily updates. Thanks :)

Restaurant Vietnam Jie, Cheras, Selangor

Last weekend, we revisited Restoran Vietnam Jie as Hubby was craving for banh mi. We arrived slightly after 12pm and the restaurant was already busy.

I was happy to see pho on their menu this time... yay! Without hesitation, I ordered this for myself. My bowl of pho bo (RM14.90) came with beef slices, tendon and tripe, along with Thai basil, beansprouts and lime/chilli on the side. I like that some of the beef slices were still slightly pink when it arrived. The soup was hearty, sweet, flavorful and delicious! It was a very generous portion too.

There is also new banh mi on the menu - banh mi thap cam trung (RM11.90) - very similar to the one Hubby had here the last time, plus an additional fried egg. The baguette is excellent - crisp, airy and light (best in KL I would say), which really does make a big difference to the whole dish. They  also sell the baguette only for RM2.50, I'm thinking of getting some next time to make sandwiches at home. :)

We also tried the Vietnamese spring roll (goi cuon tom thit - RM11.60). Each portion comes with four pieces of spring roll filled with vermicelli, prawn and thin slices of pork. Fresh and yummy!

Hubby with his iced coffee (RM8.90)

 Stole a picture from our neighbouring table - they were having the hotpot.

You can read about our previous visit here.

Opening times: 12pm to 12am. Closed on first Mondays of the month only.

Price: Total bill RM47.30 Cash only.

Location: Restoran Vietnam Jie, 15, Jalan Tun Perak 2, Taman Tun Perak, 43200 Cheras, Selangor. (Street parking available. WAZE to Jie Vietnam Restaurant or Pro One Badminton Centre)

Tel: 010-240 2222

Website: https://www.facebook.com/jievietnam/

GPS Coordinates: 3.062813, 101.757736



If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or Dayre for daily updates.. Thanks :)