Diet Cafe, Cheras Business Centre, Kuala Lumpur

On Pancake Day (8th March 2011), I was craving for some pancakes but was too lazy to go shopping for blueberries, strawberries and maple syrup for the topping hence I suggested to The Unc that we pay a visit to Diet Cafe since I knew they served pancakes there.

Lovely pancakes from Diet Cafe

Diet Cafe, which stands for Do I Eat Today is modeled as a home-style Aussie cafe serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Nestled in Cheras Business Centre, it was somewhere we have never ventured before, and if not for Boolicious's post, we might not have discovered this eatery.

We managed to get a parking space right outside the cafe since we arrived way before lunchtime. The cafe was cosy and homely. As we were the first customers, service was pleasant and quick.

Quaint and cosy

There are 4 pages in the menu dedicated to drinks alone, but we stuck to a simple order of ginger ale and orange juice.

Ginger ale (RM4)

Chilled orange juice (RM8)

When I first read about this place, I had the misconception that they serve diet food because of the name it chose to adopt. However, the food here is far from resembling any kind of diet food.

We ordered a few dishes to share. First up was the Homemade Pancakes (RM8) . The pancakes were delicious and the addition of fresh fruits such as kiwi, strawberries, watermelon and orange segments added a splash of colour. A drizzle of maple syrup finished off this dish. I wouldn't have minded if the pancakes came with some whipped cream too... it would have been perfect. For the price we paid and portion size, I would say that the pancakes are good value for money.

Diet Cafe has quite an extensive menu, serving gourmet sandwiches, all day brunch on weekends (til 2pm on weekdays), soup and salads, burgers, steaks. Well, almost everything you could think of finding in a Western restaurant / cafe. We decided to pick a pasta dish and a risotto to share.

We chose the Fettucini in Pesto Sauce (RM12), topped with Parmesan cheese. It was good, although the pesto could have used a little more seasoning and it was a tad too oily. There goes our diet out the window.. excuse the pun. There is also a seafood option for RM26.

Our favorite of the day was the Mushroom Risotto served with a Parmesan Cracker (RM18). This was the last dish to arrive due to the long cooking time. The risotto was rich and creamy, with very generous amounts of mushrooms. I loved it. For the labourious process it takes to make a risotto, the price is very reasonable. The portion is also very generous, I would have struggled to finish this on my own.

We had wanted to try some desserts, but we were way too stuffed by the time we finished the risotto.

Verdict: I enjoyed my meal at Diet Cafe and certainly found the dishes good value for money. Definitely warrants a return visit for the good food and location.

Free wifi, although it wasn't working when we were there.

Opening times: 8am to 12 midnight daily.

Price: Reasonable. Total bill was RM55.

Location: Diet Cafe, 27 Jalan 3/101C, Cheras Business Centre, 56100 Kuala Lumpur. (near Taman Cheras / Yulek)

Tel: 03-91301700.

Website: http://www.dietcafe.com.my/

GPS Coordinates: 3.099713, 101.739326

Tong Sui @ Jalan Dr Krishnan, Seremban

Tong sui, literally meaning "sugar water" is a Cantonese dessert and can refer to hot or cold sweet soup. There is a stall in Jalan Dr Krishnan (opposite Eu Yan Sang) which sells very good tong sui. We have been frequenting this shop since I was in my teens (a long time ago!). We observed that the business has now changed hands to the previous owner's son. This stall only operates at night, and a few tables will be set up at the sidewalks or you could take away the desserts. That evening, there were 3 types of desserts available. We ordered all 3 for takeaway.

The hong dao sui (red bean soup) here has always been my mum's favorite. With generous amounts of red bean and the right consistency, this is a sure winner.

I am usually not a big fan of fah sang wu (peanut soup), however I found the one that we ate that evening very pleasant. It was aromatic, smooth, creamy and thick. Just like eating peanut butter!

This I like - the fu chuk yi mai (beancurd sheets and barley soup) has always been one of my favorites. Not too sweet, you will find gingko, barley, beancurd sheet pieces, and a quail's egg in your bowl. This is suitable for those who prefer their dessert soup light and not too creamy.

Opening times: Evenings only, from 8pm (I think). Off days not fixed.

Price: RM1.50 per pack.

Location: Stall opposite Eu Yan Sang / next to Kee Mei Siew Pow, Jalan Dr Krishnan, 70000 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan.

GPS Coordinates: 2.727479, 101.937536