Antipodean, Mid Valley by OpenSnap

"WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST/LUNCH/DINNER?"

Is definitely one of the most commonly asked question by Malaysians.

Open Snap is an app which can solve this dilemma faced by us Malaysians.

One can easily find their prospective meal place by choosing the type of meal they are craving for (eg: Chinese, Western, Indian, Italian..) One can also find top-rated restaurant located nearby them through OpenSnap! 

Through OpenSnap, I get to know what's the best seller/signature at the place I'm dining in based on user's review. I find OpenSnap rather convenient as vital information such as opening hours & price range of the restaurant are easily obtained using OpenSnap.

And I get to browse through the photos of the food item uploaded by users, which ease the selection of food for me a lot!

Thanks to OpenSnap, I get a first-hand experience of OpenSnap at Antipodean Mid Valley.

Antipodean, a name most Kiwi-Style Breakfast Fans would know by heart. 

Antipodean is a New Zealand/Australian style cafe specialising in all-day breakfasts & coffe. Antipodean has three branches in KL, Bangsar Telawi, Menara Tan & Tan & Mid Valley. 

The Mid Valley's branch is a little hard to locate. It is located at the walkway between The Gardens Mall & Mid Valley. Only El Fresco sitting is available here, which might get a little too warm during day time.

The Mid Valley branch, like any other Antipodean branch, has no "book-size" menu. Just a giant chalk board on the wall for customers' reference.

 Mochachino RM10

Cappuccino RM10

Kick-started our meal with salad which features a wonderful medley of colours.

Buffalo Mozarella Salad RM24
Sliced tomatoes topped with feta cheese and herbs, served with Olive Oil and Walnuts. A simple yet well-executed dish.

Nicoise/Greek Salad RM18
Tuna, Chopped Tomatoes, Green Beans, Boiled Potatoes, Hard-Boiled Eggs & Olive, tossed in vinaigrette & vinegar.

The sourish yet aromatic taste of vinegar certainly kick-started my appetite! Love how this dish incorporates different textures and taste, crunchy french bean, soft yet starchy boiled potatoes, sweet chopped tomatoes, sourish olive...a wonderful contrast of flavours.

 Egg Marlborough with Salmon RM24

Toasted Rye Bread topped with Greens, Smoked Salmon and two perfectly Poached Eggs. Served with Hollandaise Sauce and a side of greens with Olive Oil + Vinaigrette

Perfectly poached eggs, with the yolk still runny when we poked it.

Creamy egg yolk, paired up with the creamy Hollandaise sauce and savoury smoked salmon . Each bite leaves my taste buds begging for more.

 Pumpkin Sage Feta Pasta RM18
Pasta cooked with creamy cubes of Pumpkin & Sage, topped with Feta Cheese.
First time trying a pasta dish at Antipodean and I'm definitely sold! Never thought a place specializing in breakfast could serve such a great pasta dish. Each pasta was coated well with Olive Oil +herbs and seasoning, which goes really well with the creamy feta cheese and pumpkin.
Only qualm was the teeny portion.

Grilled Chicken with Tomatoes, Green Beans & Balsmaic RM20
Chicken grilled till tender & succulent, marinated to perfection , on a bed of Chopped Tomatoes & French Beans, Each bite was packed with a punch of flavours, with a hint of aromatic vinaigrette. The aromatic taste of vinaigrette lingers at my taste buds after a bite, which leaves me craving for more!

 Lime Infused Lamb Kebab with Golden Couscous RM24
Chunks of tender lamb grilled on a skewer, which delivers an aromatic BBQ taste infused with a lemon-y tinge of sourness with each bite, served with couscous, griled tomatoes & greens on the side

 Avocado on Toast with Grilled Tomato & Bacon RM18

Toasted Rye Bread spread with Avocado, topped with grilled tomatoes & bacon.
Being a big fan of avocado, this is definitely one of my favourite dish from Antipodean. I love how the creaminess of the avocado goes so well with the crispy bacon & juicy tomato.

 Asparagus Wrapped in Bacon with Scrambled Eggs RM20
Antipodean's scrambled eggs never failed to impress- creamy with the right consistency & texture, the perfect match for their toasted rye bread. Served with a side of asparagus to mellow the guilty pleasure, and a savoury slice of bacon to spice thing up a little.

 Banana Bread with Cheese & Honey RM12
The Banana Bread was moist, like how a good banana bread should be. However, I thought that the banana bread could make do without the honey as the addition of honey made the dessert a little too sweet on my opinion.

 Carrot Cake RM8
A little too dry to my liking.

Balinese Plate Cake RM8
Moist & dense balinese-style date cake. Loved this cake the most among the three desserts we tried (but I find it tad sweet!)

Overall Verdict: Pretty good all-day breakfast & pasta.  Attentive & wonderful services.

Antipodean
Lot GE-011A, Ground Floor,

Mid Valley Megamall 

59200 Kuala Lumpur

Business Hours:

Monday-Sundays 7.30am-11pm

Website: http://www.antipodeancoffee.com/v2/

For more information about OpenSnap, visit

http://www.opensnap.com/en/klangvalley/about

https://www.facebook.com/OpenSnapMY

Titi Eco Farm Resort,Negeri Sembilan

Last week, me and my friend were invited by Locatedat to experience a unique & relaxing 2 day 1 night retreat at Titi Eco Farm Reosrt, the first organic resort farm in Malaysia.

Titi Eco Farm is located about 2 hours drive from KL. Titi Eco Farm is a retreat perfect for those who want a peace of mind, body and soul as it is located far away from the hustle and bustle of the busy city life. Situated at 1000 feet above sea level, the air at Titi Eco Farm is fresher, cleaner and cooler.

The nearest town, Kuala Klawang, is located 12km away. Do plan your travel early as mobile signal here is weak (strongest signal Celcom & DiGi), hence limited usage of mobile data and GPS.

Once we step out of the car, we were greeted by the friendly staffs, peaceful sound of bird chirping and fresh crisp country side air.

We were awestruck by the lush greenery at Eco Titi Farm which was surrounded by mountains, trees, flowers and a breathe-taking view.

The dining area, surrounded by greens, accompanied with the peaceful sound of bird chirping & cool breeze.

A gazebo overlooking the lush greenary below.

There are three types of accommodation available at Titi Eco Farm- Semi-D , Long House & Energy Garden. We stayed at the Semi-D which are built on a slope overlooking a lotus pond below.

The little chalet we stayed in.

Our room was a simple & clean double room which comes with an attached bathroom. All rooms do not have air-conds but only ceiling fan, but fret not, as you can open the balcony sliding door (which is netted to prevent those pesky mosquitoes from entering!) to allow the fresh, cooling breeze into the room.

The shower comes with heater. It is recommended to use their organic shampoo to prevent pollution caused by the chemicals in commercial shampoos. Bring your own towels as it is not provided. Hair-dryer can be requested from the lobby.

Titi Eco Farm is the first solar-powered resort in Malaysia, Titi Eco Farm advocates among its guests to practise the 3Rs of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

The view from our bed. Wake up to the beautiful lush green scenery.

Picturesque view from our balcony.

After checking into the hotel room we decided to explore around the farm compound. Titi Eco Farm is so much larger than I thought! Titi Eco Farm covers up to 40 arches of land which houses their organic vegetables farm, fruits garden, herbs garden, fish ponds, poultry farm and recreational area!

Bubble Zone! 

Entrance to Energy Garden.

Meditating/yoga stones at the Energy Garden

Vegetables farm.

Observation Platform

The rabbits there are well-kept, well-fed and well-groomed. The rabbits hopped happily towards our direction when they see us, hoping that we'd brought food for them. The rabbits have sufficient space to move about and more-than enough food!

Spotted these little ones hiding under their burrows! 

And in conjunction to the year of the goat - Titi Eco Farm brought in three happy goats (which leaped happily towards us in hoping for food too!)

We were really glad to see the animals are keep in such a good condition (albeit them being a little too greedy for food!). The animal pent does not reek of unpleasant smell and the animals seemed genuine happy!

As the sun set in, the air gets colder and we hear a loud bell ring, which indicates that dinner is ready.

At Titi Eco Farm, whatever is harvested on that day gets put on the table for for dinner/lunch. There is no fixed menu here. Everything is home grown on the farm. Even their chicken and fish is breed on ground!

Ulam. Pickled papaya served on herbs and mint leaves, topped with passion fruit. A unique, sourish-sweet dish to open up our appetite.

Papaya

Stir-fried bitter groud

Kangkung

Stir-Fried Ladies Fingers

As all the crops at Titi Eco Farm are free of pesticides and chemicals, hence the natural sweetness of the fruits and vegetables served here are evident.

The stir-fried vegetables are also cooked with minimal oil and no MSG, but yet the dishes tasted so good and flavourful! We certainly had a filling and guilt-free meal.

We ended our meal with a very unique aloe vera dessert drink. Sweetness was just nice, and the chewy texture of Aloe Vera dessert was really addictive!

After dinner, we sat around the open field area of Titi Eco Farm star-gazing. As Titi Eco Farm is far away from any major city, there is minimal light pollution so we can see the stars clearly. Unfortunately the cloud started moving in so we couldn't see any stars after that.

There's not much to do around at night time at Titi Eco Farm so do bring a book or some board/card games along. There are plenty of nice chilling spot here at Titi Eco Farm, where one can unwind and read his favourite book, accompanied by the chilly cool breeze. Do bring along a jacket as it gets quite cold in the middle of the night.

The second morning, We woke up before the dawn breaks to catch the sunrise. Unfortunately, there were too much clouds and mist around so we couldn't see anything. 

The cloud of mist, blanketing the green forest, exuding a mysterious vibe.

We played a round of frisbee at their large open field until the bell rings, implying breakfast is ready.

Our unique feast!

Green Milo. A healthy breakfast drink made out of 5 different types of vegetables.

Guava and Hibiscus. No, the hibiscus is not a decoration or garnish. It is actually edible! My first time having flowers for breakfast! The flower tasted like, well, flower. A hint of sweetness and leafy green. Not bad actually.

Organic homemade sesame bread, served with green milo spread and Roselle Jam. I really like the green milo spread, it tasted like peanut butter!

Healthy Fried Rice with minimal oil. I liked this dish a lot and I couldn't help it but to have a second and third helping! No guilty feeling after that !

Steamed Tapioca. Probably one of the sweetest I've tasted!

Tapioca Mochi

And not forgetting my cup of joe. Yes, their coffee is made from their home-grown organic coffee bean too!

After breakfast, we went on a one and a half hour tour around the farm led by the owner, Mr Lim & his Daughter-in-law. Mr Lim knowns the name of each plant by heart, as he explained with utmost enthusiasm about his farm, the plants here, how we got started and so much more!

They were kind enough to borrow us these straw hats as it gets really hot when the sun is out! 

Tea plantation.

Kacang panjang. As the farm here is pesticides-free, we can eat the vegies right out of the stem!

Some sweet tasting plant which unfortunately I can't recall the name.

Another edible flower. Also known as the natural viagra LOL!

Fish farm & chicken coop. Couldn't manage to snap a photo of the chickens as they were too fast! The chickens here are free to roam around the farm.

Pineapples

Aloe Vera Plant

Organic Coffee Bean

Sesame plant

Pumpkin plant.

All the plantation in Titi Eco Farm are cultivated without chemical fertilizers or chemical pesticides. Titi Eco Farm practices crop rotation to ensure the fertility of their soil. In-farm organic compost are produced as their natural fertilizer.

At the end of the tour, we reached a pond where there is three methods of crossing:
1. Through this hanging bridge

2. Swing across like Tarzan

or 3. just walk at the side of the lake.

Our final meal at Titi Eco Farm before heading back

Salad

Papaya

Stir-fried spinach

Pan-fried sweet potatoes. My favourite dish at Titi Eco Farm! It tasted just like french fries but it is a lot more healthier! 

Chicken dish.

Steamed fish.

And a ginormous custard apple as dessert. Love the creamy texture of the custard apple!

Before you head back, check out the mini market at Titi Eco Farm selling home-grown organic fruits and vegetables as well as organic products like the green milo powder and roselle jam.

Spotted a little yellow bird before we head back. Already missing the fresh air, lush greenery and delicious organic food there! I will definitely pay a visit to Titi Eco Farm Resort one day :)

For more information, visit

http://www.titieco.com.my/

And visit

http://my.locatedat.com/popular-cities/

to find out about more places like this :)