Bagstra, for Your Outdoor and Backpacking Needs

Satu hari, I stumbled across this shop when I was buying my camera (Fujifilm X30), to serve you guys better (konon wanna shoot pro food pics please haha). 

So vintage and pretty lehh!

Anyways, we saw this couple well in their 60s on the bazaar area of Jaya 33 that day and at first we were just walking there and look at the bags and we are doubting the originality of the products. Okaylah, I was quite judgemental because I thought older generations might not know much about the backpacking and outdoor trend and they are putting up a stall, how genuine can it be? But boy, I was wrong! (I didn't manage to take their pictures and of the stall :( )

After some small talk, we realized that they are actually selling genuine bags from brands like Crumpler, North Face and more! They then told us that their actual shop is located in Bandar Puteri, Puchong and it's handled by their son most of the time.

The boyfriend bought a backpack for work and I got myself a laptop sleeve and we said we will visit their actual store to buy ourselves some backpack as we are going travelling soon and we would need a proper backpack in order to fit in our stuffs for a week.

They are located on the first floor of the shop lot so you might miss them if you didn't look properly as they are quite invisible from the ground floor. They are located right above Koh Family Restaurant in Jalan Puteri 4/8 (address will be provided at the end)

The first thing you see when you walk up the stairs. I like the typography for this :D

And so, when the boyfriend is asking questions on which bag and sizes and all, I'm taking pictures of the place while avoiding to get any of them in the pictures (I like my pictures clean hahaha)

The oh-so-comfortable waiting area for the poor souls who are waiting for them who can't make up their mind.

You will be spoiled by choices on the types of bags, be it for travel, for work, backpack style or sling bag, they bring it mostly anything! I guess this is why the waiting area need to be comfortable, those who are looking to buy will be so spoiled for choices they will be there for hours!

See the pictures below if you don't trust me! 

Look at all the bags, man! Did I also mention that their bags are way cheaper than the one that's in the mall? Because their running cost is not high, they sell their bags at a cheaper rate as well, which is why we thought it was fake at first lol!

They also have a huge ass mirror for you to check yourself out, er I mean, for you to see if the bag you choose looks good on you or not :)

Here's the information if you want to go look for some awesome outdoor bags with affordable price. 

Bagstra

Please call Wilson Tan before you visit because he might be away and he's the only one looking after the shop so if he's not around, the shop will be locked. So do call him before you decide to visit.

Contact: 016 693 3810 (Wilson Tan)

Email: bagstrainfo@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bagstra

Website: www.bagstra.com

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Caffeinated

Located in the Center Court of IOI Boulevard, there's a little cafe that is placed at a corner, right behind where Pacific Coffee used to be, on the same row as Doi Chaang Coffee, called CAFFEiNATED. 

As it is hidden at the corner with some pillars blocking, it might be quite hard to notice but if you look harder, you will see something like the picture above. A bright, small yet cosy looking cafe.

The space right beside the entrance is decorated with these cage. It's so pretty.

The size of the cafe is quite small but yet, it's comfortable. Like you don't feel very cramped and all. 

Here comes the food!

Flat White (RM9)

The coffee started off tasting slightly bitter but towards the end, it has a milky end taste that took away the usual unpleasant bitterness of coffee. I am not a fan of the bitter taste at the end and I felt that this is almost the perfect cuppa for me :)

Cheese Baked Pomodoro Chicken (RM18)

This dish is similar to those Hong Kong restaurant's Baked Cheese Rice/Noodle. Below the thick layer of burnt cheese, there are minced chicken with tomato puree as the sauce with tomatoes, chopped onion & garlic and white wine with of course mozzarella cheese and dried parsley finishing.

The downside of this dish are there are not much minced chicken to be found and towards the end, the bottom of the bowl can be seen to be quite oily. However, on the positive side, the tomato puree is on the sour side, which I personally like and the amount of cheese is very generous :)

Chicken in Blankets (RM13)

The cheesy chicken sausages is wrapped in turkey ham and chicken salami and deep fried together. The ham is overcooked, thus it turned out to be quite hard as it was deep fried together with the sausage and sausage require a longer time to cook comparing to the ham. The sausage part covered with the ham looks white and uncooked as well.

I think there is a room to improve for this because despite all these, it actually tasted okay. I mean, what can possibly go wrong with cheesy sausages and hams? :)

Similarly with Frisson Coffee & Bar, they are quite proactive on social media as well. Upon posting on Instagram, they replied mentioning that they are still in the midst of learning and improving, which I think it's a very good gesture. 

I would be back another time and try out more of their food as they have an extensive menu ranging from pastas to pizzas to big breakfast and a lot more. Check them out below!

CAFFEiNATED

Address: IOI Boulevard, Jalan Kenari 5, Bandar Puchong Jaya, 47170 Puchong

Contact: 03-80805882

Opening Hours: 

Monday to Friday, 11.00am – 12.00am

Saturday, 9.00am – 12.00am

Sunday, 9.00am - 4.00pm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caffeinated.puchong?fref=ts

Instagram: http://instagram.com/caffeinated.puchong/

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MISS Coffee & Toast

Further down from Walnut Cafe & Bar but along the same row, in the same building (PFCC), Bandar Puteri Puchong,  there's another cafe called MISS Coffee & Toast. After my first visit, I went back at least another two or three more times within two weeks and here's why.

Outdoor sitting area

This is my favourite spot, you will know it by spotting my bag :P

The very first reason is the comfort level of the cafe. I have a habit of camping in cafes because I like the environment and the smell of coffee makes me energetic. And of course, I can eat/drink whenever I want to, it's like the best office in the world!

MISS Toast & Coffee has a couple of spots that are super comfortable, especially the couch area but I would usually sit near the wall cos it looks like the table by the beach (I can dream that I am at the beach k? Haha)

Look at the choice of pastries and cakes! Omnomnom

Although the ambience of the cafe is one of the important point, the food play the most important role, if the food is not good, regardless how awesome the environment is, you would of course not go back for the second time, right? 

This is what I had on my very first visit. They have me a complimentary cracker with tuna, I guess it's because I wanted waffle but they ran out of waffle and I had to change my order. I am totally fine with that but I am very grateful for that small gesture :)

I ordered Classic Waffle (RM15) and I was surprised when the portion came. I mean, I know it looked sinful on the menu but I didn't know when it came, it looked even more sinful with the huge portion. The toast is super thick with 2 huge scoop of ice cream and cream with a bowl of honey. 

The bread is crunchy at the side and soft in the centre, it my perfect type of toast. Then, I poured the honey on top of both ice cream and bread and take all 3 mixture in a mouthful and I don't think I want to eat it anyway else, the mouthful of sin taste so good I forgot what diet is hahaha.

Caffe Mocha (RM11)

Their Mocha tasted okay. It doesn't taste bad but it doesn't taste memorable either but hey, nice coffee art haha.

Fruits Waffle (RM16)

During my next visit, I finally had a taste of their waffle. I ordered fruits waffle so that I can feel slightly less guilty after my tedious gym session the night before but when I got greeted by this beauty, I once again, threw the guilt away.

The waffle is made to perfection where it's done just right with the right amount of crunchiness and it's not burnt. The flour mixture for the waffle is done pretty well as the waffle by itself taste good already. I have no complaint on the waffle and would definitely go back to try more.

Mini Toast (Set of 3 slices (RM12))

Left: Mixed Tuna Mayonnaise Spread

Middle: Scrambled Egg, Beef Bacon, Parsley

Right: Baked Cheesy Chicken Ham on Toast with Mozzarella

I'm not sure if it's only me but I taste olive oil in all 3 variations of the mini toast, which, in my opinion, does not enhance the taste of the toast. The bread is really crunchy and good but the toppings are lacking. The middle and right side toast taste way too salty and the olive oil doesn't help. The toast on the right was okay but it was not great either. I think the toast's great but they need to improve on the toppings.

Chocolate Cheesecake (I think) (RM12)

The cake has a very balance taste between chocolate and cheese and neither taste overpower each other. However, the texture is slightly hard and it somehow looks like it has been in the freezer for a couple of days. If they bring it new supply though, I would order this again.

Clockwise from top: Creamy Mushroom Soup (RM10), Caffe Mocha (RM11), Mushroom & Chicken Ham Carbonara (RM17.80)

The mushroom soup tasted fine, not too bad but not memorable either. However, the texture is quite thick and slimy (not the gross type but not pleasant either). The mushrooms in the soup was not chopped and you were given a couple of the entire piece (being a mushroom idiot, I don't know the type but it's the smaller types of mushroom).

Mocha was quite disappointing this time, it was too diluted and watery, the sides of the cups are stained and based on the look, it has been done quite half heartedly (the one in the picture has been stirred and drank :P)

The spaghetti is cooked together with green capsicum, which is not my favourite and the spaghetti tasted literally like capsicum at first few bites. It gets better after that though, overall, it tasted good but once again, it's just average good, not unique.

I think it's understandable that their main dishes are average as they are a fairly new cafe and based on the menu, everyone should understand that MISS's forte is on the Honey Toast and Waffle and they mastered these two perfectly and you will want to come back for more.

Upon saying that, here's their information so you can find your way here :)

PS: I notice that the some of the items' price on their menu differs from the actual bill, so do ensure you get clarifications (I notice mine after I have gone home)

MISS Coffee & Toast

Address: Puchong Financial Corporate Centre, 47100, Puchong

Contact: 019-389 3909 / 03-8066 3747

Opening Hours: 

Monday - Thursday, 9am - 12am

Friday - Sunday, 9am - 1am

Facebook: MISS Coffee & Toast

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Kai Zen Japanese Restaurant

I'm a huge fan of Japanese food. Everywhere I go, if I was thrown the question of 'what to eat?', my mind can probably only think of Japanese! Of course I don't always get it my way when I am around with people because, well let's face it, I can have Japanese food every meal, everyday, and I won't get bored of it. That's how extreme I can go, so you can now imagine my boyfriend's and friends fear when they leave the decision to me. If it's not Japanese, it's most likely Korean or cafes (especially during brunch for the coffee and brunch set cos I can't wake up for breakfast on weekend).

All these also means, when I am alone, regardless on a working or non working day, I will most likely land myself in a Japanese restaurant or some hipster cafe so I can steal Wi-Fi while feeding my phone with pictures of coffee with pretty art and my brunch set that mostly consists of scrambled eggs. Hahaha. 

Okaylah, to be honest, I am not an expert in food critics. I am very choosy when it comes to the type of food I eat or I don't eat (anchovies, salted fish, celery.. the list goes on) but I am not very fussy with food itself because I am a glutton and I mostly just wallop everything. However, emerging from the island of food, Penang, my demand in food has a certain standard and I definitely can tell if it's good or not. The review that I am about to give is based on my personal opinion. You can be your own judge and share with me your opinion if you think otherwise. Hehe, I very friendly one..

On Labour Day, my parents and relatives from Penang came over to KL for a visit and of course, to Genting, their second home. Before meeting them in Subang, I went for brunch in my favourite neighbourhood Japanese restaurant, Kai Zen in Bandar Puteri. The price is reasonable and the food, despite not being awesome, it's acceptably good.

This time around, instead of ordering set rice like how I usually do, I have decided to order a lot of smaller bite size sushis and stuffs.

Mini Chawanmushi (RM4.90)

This is a must order every time I am here, or any Japanese restaurant in general. I am not sure if it's normal to have a chunk of broccoli in a chawanmushi because I have not seen it anywhere else, but I like do like the combination and find it amusing.

Salmon Avocado Sushi (RM10.90)

I have tried this a couple of this here and the quality of the sushi remains. The mayonnaise on top of the avocado is just right for the size of the sushi where you can just plop everything in your mouth. It is almost similar to the Salmon Avocado sushi in Sushi Zanmai hehe.

Atsuyaki Tamago (RM8.00)

This is also only of my must order when I go to a Japanese restaurant. I have tried really good ones and I have also tried tamago that is tasteless. This one, does not disappoint. I can taste the rich flavour of the egg. It's not the best, but it does the deal!

Soft Shell Crab Temaki (RM4.90)

My first time having this in this restaurant and it is not as appetizing as how I anticipated. The taste of the soft shell crab is mostly covered but somewhat the taste of flour and the texture is quite flaky as well. The crab and vegetables are only on the surface of the temaki and more than half of the seaweed is stuffed with rice, which again, is not appealing.

Salmon Sashimi (RM10.90)

Look at how thick a single slice of mouth-watering salmon sashimi is! I am always very afraid of salmon not being fresh as it is always a hit and miss in Japanese food chain (where I mostly frequent) but this place has a consistency of giving me my fresh salmon so I never miss one ordering of salmon when I am there.

I didn't manage to take a personal picture of this one food but if you look at the bottom left, I actually ordered a Salmon Onigiri (RM5).

I was happy when I saw that onigiri was on the menu and ordered it right away. I was excited when I it arrives as it's only RM5 but the size did not disappoint. However, one bit into the onigiri changed my mind. The rice did not stick together and fell apart as I took the first bite, it was also a bit dry and it makes it hard to swallow. The salmon in the onigiri is so little that you might just not notice it so you are basically nomming on vinegar rice only.

Overall, I would say that it is a really good neighbourhood Japanese place where one can just drive 15 minutes to get there and do not have to dress up (note the slipper). When you crave for it, all you need to do is grab your wallet and car keys and off you go to a city of the princesses (Bandar Puteri, geddit? Haha. Lame, I know) where you will come across a small humble Japanese restaurant in between the shop lots. 

Kai Zen Japanese Restaurant

Address: 30, Jalan Puteri 2/4, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia

Phone:+60 3-8063 5118

Opening Hours: Daily, 11.30am - 2.30pm (Lunch), 6pm - 10pm (Dinner)