Ampersand by Culinary Rebels, Damansara Uptown [CLOSED]

The cafe-craze-frenzy-wave seems to be never ending in the Klang Valley. Damansara folks have been experiencing a fluctuation of new cafes mushrooming in every nook and cranny of their neighbourhood, it is so hard to catch on the wave!

The first floor of the corner lot of one of the busies street in Damansara Utama (same row as the famous Village Park Nasi Lemak!) which used to house Ecole P, a elementary school themed cafe, has now re-branded into Ampersand by Culinary Rebels, a restaurant/dive bar that specializes in the perfect marriage of East & West cuisine.

Lemongrass Lychee Tea RM10

Lychee Cooler RM10

Latte RM10

American-style breakfast is always associated to cafes. Whereas Banana Leaf Rice, is always associated to Banana Leaf Rice Restaurants. Don't walk into Ampersand expecting your typical cafe food staple -  Ampersand arranged a perfect marriage between American-style breakfast and banana leaf, as their brunch menu features a unique, built-to-share, western style brunch with a touch of local taste:

Note: Brunch is served only on weekends.

Banana Leaf Breakfast 4 pax RM60 | 2pax RM35

Scrambled eggs, crispy grilled bacon, tomato relish, mixed mushroom, hashbrown, double cooked potatoes, German bratswurts, lebanese bread

Western-styled breakfast food, dished out in front of you one by one: potatoes, mushrooms, eggs...etc.- just like when you're having a banana leaf rice meal. The Banana Leaf Breakfast was certainly a breakfast fit for a king - all the typical western breakfast staple, with a local touch! Appealing to the eyes and stomach, and a fresh respite for cafe-hoppers Instagram feed which is usually saturated with your typical brunch dishes.

Monster Breakfast RM99

Scrambled Eggs, BBQ Pork Ribs, Char Siew Pork Belly, Bacon, German Bratwurst, Hashbrown, Lebanese Bread

An up-scaled and meatier version of Banana Leaf Breakfast. The name Monster said it all - the serving size is fit to feed a monster! 

The ribs were cooked to tender perfection - the meat flaked off effortlessly from the bones. The meat served at Ampersand leans towards the sweeter side though. Being a fan of  the sweet + savoury combo, I thought the ribs were a great addition alongside with the savoury German Bratwurst and scrambled eggs which were done right.

It's a WRAP! 2 pax RM44

Tortilla, Pulled BBQ Ribs, Char Siew Pork Belly, Egg, Pickled Cucumber, Greens, Raita, Mango Sauce, Salsa

Construct your own wrap by mixing and matching with your favourite ingredients! We were spoilt with three different types of sauces ranging from the savoury Raita (a type of Chutney) to the sweet Salsa and Mango sauce which was on the other end of the sourish spectrum.

I prefer the lean, Pulled BBQ Ribs over the Char Siew Pork Belly as I find the pork belly tad fatty - I am not such a big fan of fats so the high ratio of fats to lean meat of the Char Siew Pork Belly wasn't exactly my cup of tea. But nevertheless, it is all up to preferences.

The Sinful French 2 pax RM28 | 2-4 pax RM40
French Toast, Bacon, Brulee Banana, Blueberries, Strawberries, Peanut Butter Sauce & Gula Melaka

So sinful but so good. Fluffy french toast, with a sweetness just right, paired up with the perfectly caramalized banana and bacon for a touch of savoury.

I loved the Peanut Butter Sauce as it was not too cloying and provided a subtle hint of nutty aromatic, though my friends preferred if it packed with more peanut-ty taste.

Done with the brunch, and off we go to the mains! Unlike the brunch dishes, the mains are available daily, all day long, weekdays & weekends.

X-Rated by the Magician RM36
German Pork Belly (approx 350g) marinated with char siew sauce, served with their in-house special tofu puree and peanut butter mustard

The pork belly was perfectly marinated with a fat to lean meat ratio that was just nice. I absolutely loved their tofu puree and peanut butter mustard. As I sunk my teeth into the meat, my taste buds immerse in the flavourful sweet marinate of the pork belly, which was mellowed down by the creamy tofu puree, and a hint of aromatic nutty taste from the peanut butter mustard - somehow all just came together oh-so-perfectly.

Rebellion by Ray RM36
German Pork Belly (approx 350g), Traffic Light sauce: Chimichurri, Spiced Pine-Mango Chutney, & Capsicum Berry Sauce, Flashed Fried Cherry Tomato, Salad and Crunchy Capers

The Traffic Light Sauce was the star of the dish - why Traffic Light? Because the colours of the sauces (Red:Capsicum Berry Sauce , Yellow: Mango Chutney & Green: Chimichurri).
The meat was tad tough and dry to eat on its own on my opinion. But once paired with the sauce, it turned out fine.

Overall, Ampersand has a unique East meet West menu. Personal recommendation would be X-Rated and The Sinful French.

Ampersand by Culinary Rebels
19A Jalan SS21/37,
Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya

Business Hours:
Weekdays: 11am-3pm ; 5pm-11pm
Weekends: 10am-3pm ; 5pm-11pm
Closed on Wenesdays

Contact Number: 03-77329711
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ampersandbyculinaryrebels/

Huckleberry Food & Fare, Damansara Heights

"Another new cafe?" , my thought when a friend and I walked pass Huckleberry Food & Fare before it opened its door to the public. Little did I know that Huckleberry Food & Fare is now my favourite cafe, that serves really good coffee, awesome sandwiches, heavenly desserts & wholesome homemade breads, all to my liking.

The opening of Huckleberry Food & Fare at Damansara Heights has stirred up quite a buzz on social media sites ever since it opened its door to the public about two weeks ago. There were endless posts of their breads and coffees & beautiful tiles on Instagram & Facebook!

Occupying two units of the shoplots along Jalan Medan Setia 2 (Same row as Bandits Coffee Bar, Aria Italian Dining, The Humble Chef & many more cafes...) , Huckleberry is run by the same team behind Kuala Lumpur's successful Mezze Bistro which is located just around the corner.

Shantini Sabapathy, the Culinary Director of Huckleberry, collaborates closely with Executive Chef, Yves Renou, who overseas the Mezze kitchen since 2011, to ensure a consistently high standard of ever-changing menu that uses seasonal menu here at Huckleberry.

The name of Huckleberry Food & Fare is inspired from the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Walk into the shop and you'll be greeted with warm smiles and the fresh aroma of baked goods. All artisan goods are made lovingly on site, using the best & freshest ingredients.

The beautiful display of cakes & cupcakes

One would certainly fall in love with the simple yet classic Australian-inspired interior. Seating space is rather limited as half of it's compound is dedicated to the kitchen staffs and bakers (they have a very impressive kitchen & oven!), so do come early to beat the crazy brunch crowd! Huckleberry opens as early as 7.30am daily except for Tuesdays so set your alarms! The early bird gets the worm :)

One can see the Master Baker of Huckleberry, Christopher Gros ,who leads the artisanal baker & has over 22 years of experience in classic French bread & pastries, baking in action with Huckleberry's really cool one-of-a-kind 120 square feet size Bongard Omega2 Artisanal Oven, which is clear from all passer-by on the walkway outside of Huckleberry.

Red Velvet RM11.90

Beetroot, Red Apple, Carrot & Celery

Contrary to the actual "Red Velvet", the Red Velvet juice served here is certainly one of the healthiest drink one will ever come across. No sugar or coloring were added into this drink.

Fluorentie
Made from Orange Peel & rich Valhorna Chocolate. A sourish & refreshing granola-like snack.

Cappuccino RM8.90
Huckleberry Food & Fare tales a "tree-to-cup" approach, dealing directly with plantations owner to produce its signature Sumtran Gayo coffee. Beans are roasted by DeGayo Roasters.

Long Black RM6.90
Huckleberry uses the award-winning Synesso Cyncra coffee machine, which is hand-crafted in Seattle!

There are almost 25 varities of hand-crafted crusty gourmet bread, baked fresh daily, here at Huckleberry. Huckleberry Food & Fare's signature bread is the Miche Sourdough range, while others include is the classic multigrain, organic meteil from a house-blend of organic lour and rye sourdough starter, the beautifully braided challah bread as well as general crowd pleasers- farmer's bread, wholemeal and rye- served fresh and lovingly from the oven.

From Left: Milk Bread, Multigrain Bread & Miche Sourdough Walnut & Raisin. Served with Raw Organic Honey, Lescure Butter, Homemade Mango, Banana & Honey Jam & Homemade Papaya, Ginger & Honey Jam

I loved how light & fluffy the milk bread were. Miche Sourdough Walnut & Raisin was definitely my favourite- crusty on the outside, soft and chewy inside, with walnut & juicy raisins embedded in the bread to give it an extra crunch & a sweeter note.

The homemade jam that goes with the bread were really lovely too. I especially loved the Papaya, Ginger & Honey Jam , despite not being a big fan of the papaya fruit itself.

Superfood Salad
Romaine, Baby Spinach, Rockets, Beetroots, Japanese Cucumber, Mango cubes, Pomegranate, Cherry Tomatoes, Broccoli, Quinoa, Avocado topped with Raw Organic Honey, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, nuts & seeds

"wow" is certainly an understatement for this dense bowl of salad. Packed with an array of colours, nutrients, texture and taste, which all complements one another perfectly. Perfect for a meal on its own, or a platter to share with a group of friends.

Chili Cheese Toast with Fried Eggs RM13.90
Slice of toast grilled with bechamel , spring onion, green chilies and sambal and topped with a sunny side up.

A very satisfying & comforting dish, with a unique touch of Malaysia. The toast was topped generously with cheese and topped with a fried egg which the yolk is still runny.

Smoked Duck Bacon and Egg Pasta RM25.90
Spaghetti cooked till El Dente, topped with smoked duck bacon & a perfectly poached egg. Yes, you heard it right,

Mix the yolk well with the pasta and you'll get a creamy pasta, with the right amount of spice & herbs seasoning.

Salt Beef Sammie with Rye Caraway Bread with sides of gherkins
Made from perfectly brined slow-cooked beef brisket, sanwiched in between house-baked rye carway bread and generously filled with homemade pickled gherkins and English mustard.
It's been a while since I had such a good sandwich, I must say. The savoury beef was tender and there was a hint of spiciness from the mustard. Recommended!

Banana French Toast RM24.90
Thick slice of brioche bread dipped in a rich vanilla custard scented with nutmeg & cinnamon, cooked in butter to brown perfection. Topped with raw organic honey OR house made apple syrup, walnuts & caramelized bananas

Soft and fluffy, with a contrasting crunch from the walnuts & sweetness from the banana and honey.

And last but not least, the dessert platter!

Strawberry Lemoncurd cake

Eclair- Coffee Marshmallow

Eclair- Vanilla Twix

Apple Turnovers
Caramelized apple folded in a flaky, buttery yet non-greasy pastry puff.
The Apple Turnovers served at Huckleberry will put other apple puffs/tarts to shame!

Vanilla Slice
The most heavenly dessert here at Huckleberry. A must-try. No one should leave Huckleberry without trying this heavenly piece of Vanilla Slice.

The driving force behind Huckleberry.

Verdict: Huckleberry Food & Fare have to be on everyone's to-try list. Really good food, great coffee, warm hospitality by the passionate team behind it.

Huckleberry Food & Fare
2G and 4G Medan Setia 2,
Plaza Damansara, Damansara Heights,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Business Hours:
7.30am-6pm Wednesdays-Mondays
Closed on Tuesdays

Contact Number: 03-2098-7933
Email: finn@huckleberry.my
Website: http://huckleberry.my/about-us/