Alive & Brewing in JB: a review of Art 52 Coffee Johor Bahru, Malasyia-CLOSED! :(

We Brew Seriously! 

Art 52 Coffee JB

Just like the sign says these guys are serious about their coffee! 

Barista Owner Ang Yee Siang and Stella Teo are brewing up top shelf stuff in Johor Bahru.  Outshining many a shop across the border in Singapore and in capital KL.

Since I rarely read or follow instructions I kept pushing, pulling or sliding the entrance door only to notice that I needed to "RING" to get in. Thats what you get when you keep looking at your phone.

my shadow

Definitely a place for coffee lovers!!!  

The shop serves as an art gallery on the first and second floors. On the second floor hidden behind a door is a real "hole in the wall" cafe.

Did I say HOLE IN THE WALL? 

Today they had single origin Ehtiopian, Sidamo.  He took about three tries to get the perfect pull for my first shot. He tasted each one and did not seem satisfied until the third one. I really appreciate the attention to detail. The result was a very good strong citrus notes with a floral finish. As every espresso drinker knows there is nothing better than your first cup. 

Upon ordering my second one the barista offered to tweak the coffee slightly for me. My second cup was even more enjoyable than the first. This very rarely happens for me. The second cup had longer finish and initial floral notes before a strong lemon finish. 

My second cup!

The Art Gallery!

Have not tried other places in JB but all I can say is the coffee scene in JB is alive & brewing!

Location: Art 52 Coffee,  #52 Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, Johor Bahru 

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/art52coffee

instagram: @art52coffee

Sweet Ecstasy Burger : Jupiter Street, Bel Air, Makati, Philippines

The BAD- there is no Air-Conditioning, which may seem acceptable on a cool evening, but on the day that I visited, the forecast was for over 40˚C so it was sweltering HOT! 

The Good - the burgers are made to order here so be prepared to wait! Read the posters, take a selfie or have a milkshake because it will take time. 

 
The Anatomy of the SWEET ECSTASY Burger!

X-marks the spot!

I ordered a Cheeseburger with caramelised onions and about 20 minutes later this is what I got. She ain't pretty but what I got was pure ecstasy. The brioche bun was toasted perfectly, soft on the outside and crusty on the inside, with a thin layer of butter or beef lard? Then a layer of classic American cheddar slightly melted, a crisp lettuce leaf, the patty was all beef and only seasoned with salt & pepper. It has a great crust and they must keep a higher than usual fat to beef ratio because it was oh so juicy. Followed by their special ecstasy sauce. 

The Skinny: Get your ecstasy fix now! It's cheap and it's hot! Currently the best value for money burger in the metropolis. 




Missed out on the Adult Shakes will have to try this on my next trip here.

Sweet Ecstasy Restaurant- 
10 Jupiter Street, Barangay Bel Air, Makati, Philippines

Operating Hours: Monday -Sunday 11AM to 12 Midnight

Twitter-https://twitter.com/sweetXmanila

Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/SweetXManila/info?tab=overview

Instagram-https://instagram.com/sweetxmanila/

one note samba : Locavore Kitchen x Drinks Kapitolyo, Pasig, Philippines

 ONE NOTE SAMBA…& its fat, fat, fat

The Great.. an ambitious MO-FI (modern filipino) restaurant, farm to table, organic food and mid priced.  

The Good.. Modern industrial design and good  MO-FI food presentation.

The not so good.. read on…

The dishes we ordered were all recommended by our server… who also very oddly asked us to sign the order slip to confirm our order.

Sisig Sausage

While one expects to get a relatively fatty sausage when one orders a "Sisig" sausage, this was fat wurst (no pun intended) laden with fat, stuffed with fat and garnished with fat. Great if you love fat. Otherwise, the highlight of the dish was the Sweet Potato chips.  

Gising Gising

This dish was the best of the lot, good use of local organic vegetables sigarilyas (winged bean), french beans, shallots, garlic and coconut milk. One would think that a restaurant that would expose organic ingredients would make the effort to use fresh coconut milk for this dish but this was not to be so on this day.  The use of fresh coconut milk coupled with a bit of spice and  citrus would make this dish perfect.

Sisig Fried Oysters

The fried oysters seemed fresh and were sufficiently moist and plump underneath the batter, the sisig lacked the crunch and missed the acid to off-set the heavy handed fatty gravy. Again pet peeve but the gravy tasted like industrial demi-glace (not a good sign). I can even tell you the brand ;)… 

Sizzling Sinigang

This was the one dish that I had very high expectations for but was seriously disappointed, same note on heavy handed fatty gravy as above with the addition of instant sinigang mix from the same company that shall not be named. 

Boneless Lechon Belly

Any dish that places Cebu before lechon sets the bar high. After  all, the great Anthony Bourdain in 2009 claimed Cebu Lechon as the greatest pork ever.  The dish presentation is also stunning and pictures very well. So this dish again over promised and under delivered. The pinakurat (coconut vinegar) & bagoong (fermented fish) sauce did not hold up to the overbearing stoutness of the pork. The skin also missed the signature crunch of a lechon. The meat also had an overbearing medicinal taste.. star anise? 

Turon Con Leche

The puff pastry was crisp and delightful, the leche flan was more of a pastry cream. Not bad... 

The Skinny: 

Props for spearheading MODERN FILIPINO dining, I so wanted this experience to work out and tell the world that MO-FI = LOCAVORE & this is the best place to experience it. 
But I am NOT quite ready to do that yet. 

Ho hum till the next one.

website: http://www.locavore.ph
Facebook :https://www.facebook.com/pages/Locavore-Kitchen-Drinks/400958036723741

My Man-Cave:The John Barbers, Legaspi Village, Makati Philippines

Welcome to my man cave..

When I was about 4 years old, my father and I would have this every second Saturday ritual. He would take me to the Majestic Barbershop on UN Avenue just around the corner from the old Shelbourne Hotel. If I was lucky (or well behaved) he would even take me to watch a movie. So that did not happen that often. Oddly, I got more excitement about our  bi-weekly treks to the barbers than I would the movies. During my childhood, it was my own time with him where I had him all to myself.

There is something very nostalgic about visiting a barber that spells old world wonder. I remember my father telling me that our Majestic Barber (I forget his name) was the same barber that cut my grandfather's, my father's and my hair. Many years later after Majestic closed down, I would visit the same barber at another place in Makati.

Well, it's a brave new world and and we are seeing the resurgence of old school barbershops. The design is done in an art deco look with a heavy use of dark stained wood and stainless steel elements. The place could double as a Pan-Am airline lounge. 

For me, it hits all the marks with a few bonuses added in like Free Wifi !! 

The Chairs

Each chair has USB ports and power outlets for charging your electronic devices. The mirror has a built-in LCD TV with cable.

Old school tools (aside from the remote)

Massage/Nap room

Shower room

Vitrines

How barbaric???

I suppose in a few years someone will read this and think "how barbaric"? But for the moment this is as good as it gets, my perfect man-cave, I will be there every chance I get. 

Did I mention free wifi?

Located in the Sommerset Hotel, 112 Aguirre Street, Legaspi Village Makati City

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