Cross-Legged, Kota Damansara

The deal: RM8 for RM16 cash voucher for food and drinks at Cross-Legged.

What we got:

Upon stepping into Cross-legged, we were greeted by a very cheery lady. That gave us a pretty good first impression of the place--until we saw the menu, that is. While the prices weren't what you'd call exorbitant, I was taken aback by how much the price of the menu items have increased compared to the menu provided by the deal site--from RM15 to RM20 for a plate of pasta? Talk about a 33% increase! 

We had considered giving their broccoli prawn soup a try, but scraped that idea in view of the price increment. 

 Lemongrass chicken pasta (RM20)

Cream chicken potato pasta (RM20)

While we've got to give them props for being inventive and choosing to dish up pasta that isn't your typical aglio olio/bolognese/carbonara, we though both pastas were only decent bordering on average. It got slightly cloying towards the end, truth be told.

French toast (RM13)

The French toast, however, was a different story. Topped with sliced sausages and diced tomatoes, and drizzled with a bit of maple syrup, it was both light and fluffy--a delight when eaten warm. Cross-legged's version of this generally simple dish was unlike any other I've tried. Despite it not being a main course, the French toast was hands-down my favourite order.

All in all, Cross-legged is a decent place to visit; a cosy cafe with nice hostesses, but we felt the more than marginal jump in prices may come as a surprise to those who'd visited the cafe only a month before.

Tax: None.

How much we paid: RM29

NBrew, Mid Valley Megamall

The deal: RM10 for RM20 cash voucher for gelatos, yoghurts and specialty pasta at NBrew.

What we got:

Gula melaka avocado gelato (small: RM9) and cempedak gelato (regular: RM10.90)

Liquid nitrogen ice-cream was a newly-introduced concept in Malaysia, with several stores popping up last year selling this alone. While not an entirely new product, merely gelato made in a different way, I couldn't help but be intrigued by the interesting method of preparation, and was left wondering what a liquid nitrogen ice-cream/gelato tastes like (although I keep telling myself it really wouldn't taste much different).

I've read (invited?) reviews raving about the gula melaka avocado, which is why I opted for this flavour, but in all honesty, I thought it was kinda meh. Avocados are great in salads, sure, but not so much in gelato. The cempedak gelato fared better in terms of taste; it smelt and tasted good, and I'm glad we took two scoops of this instead of the avocado one.

Would I say liquid nitrogen ice-cream/gelato in general is a must-try? Not really. It's not crazily different from your usual ice-cream or gelato, but if like me you've some sort of curiousity that won't be satiated until you try it, go ahead. After all, it doesn't hurt to try something (sort of) new.

Tax: None.

How much we paid: RM10

Ayami Korean Chicken BBQ, 10 Boulevard

The deal: Korean dak galbi meal for 2 people for RM38

What we got:

Dak galbi for 2 (RM44) with an add-on of fried rice (RM7, not pictured)

  

Ah, our virgin taste of dak galbi. Having not had Korean food in a long while, it couldn't have come at a better time. 

The deal entitled us to two servings of dak galbi (chicken meat, cabbage, pumpkin, sweet potato and rice cake) with a choice of accompaniment and a choice of soup. We chose fried rice and sun dubu jigye, a Korean-style soup with beancurd, clams, prawns and vegetables. 

Sun dubu jigye (RM15)

While we have no prior dak galbi experience to compare the food with, we thought the dish tasted pretty good. The chicken was flavourful and not overcooked, and the vegetables and rice cakes provided crunch and variety to the dish. The fried rice, which was cooked after, was decent. My partner also enjoyed the soup (I couldn't taste it as distinctly as my tongue was overwhelmed by the stronger-tasting kimchi), although it wasn't spicy like what Wiki says it should be. 

Banchan

What I'd really like to rave about, however, goes beyond the food--it's the amazing service at Ayami. Despite arriving an hour to closing (which is not very much time considering dak galbi takes a while to cook), the staff did not turn us away. They made sure the food was cooked sufficiently and did not rush us when we ate. When asked if they could increase the spiciness, they obliged and the owner--so we suspect--came out to personally add the chilli paste, at no extra charge. One of the things that surprised us most was how they refilled our banchan without us having to ask for it, even when it was already ten minutes to closing and they have pretty much cleaned/packed up the rest of the restaurant. 

Throughout the meal, we were pretty awed at the level of service given. We have encountered horrible attitude before when dining with vouchers, with some establishments treating voucher users like second-class customers; cutting corners by serving minuscule portions of cold, crappy dishes and looking to add charges wherever they could. With good service such a rarity here in Malaysia, the fact that we were treated so hospitably despite using vouchers was a very pleasant surprise indeed. 

Great first impression,  Ayami; here's hoping you continue to thrive.

Tax: Service charge of 10% (included in the deal)

How much we paid: RM38

Menya Musashi, The Intermark

The deal: RM20 for RM40 cash voucher for food and drinks at Menya Musashi.

What we got:

Note: Prices are estimates because the menu we got at the restaurant differ from the one shown online, and since it's been awhile I can't recall how much it was exactly

White Musashi ramen (RM24)

Black Musashi ramen (RM24)

The white and black Musashi ramen came with 2 pieces of chashu, one ajitama (flavoured egg), spring onion and black fungus, along with a dollop of white and black paste, respectively. The white soup base was lighter in taste compared to the black soup base, although it was by no means bland. Both were distinct in its own way, with none better than the other--it was all a matter of preference. I picked the black soup while my partner went with the white, only because I was captivated by the colour of the broth.

We also added one ajitama (RM2), in addition to the one we already had in our ramen. Comparing this with Ippudo's, I thought Menya Musashi's flavoured egg was better executed. It was perfectly half-runny and went so well with the ramen.

Gyoza (RM14)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the price of the gyoza increased quite a bit from the menu provided when I bought the deal. From 6 pieces for RM10 to 4 pieces for...RM14? We thought that was a bit steep. No complaints on the fillings, though; the gyozas were adequately stuffed with meat and leek.

For drinks we had the macha milk (RM5), which was forgettable. 

Tax: Service charge of 10% and government tax of 6%.

What we paid: RM40.05