bakery – Eris Goes To

Irresistibly Fluffy Bomboloni — Sugar and I, Subang Jaya

November 23, 2021November 22, 2021Posted in FoodTagged bakery, bomboloni, cafe, cafe review, cakes, dessert, dining, eating, Featured, food, Italian cuisine, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, restaurant review, Subang Jaya, Sugar and I, sweetsLeave a comment

It was just another day, mindlessly scrolling on social media.

And then I saw it. A post on bombolonis.

They looked sublime. I had to have them.

A bit of Googling later, and the Moo and I were on our way to Subang, to get some scrumptious bombolonis from Sugar and I.

To the uninitiated, bombolonis are Italian stuffed doughnuts, bursting with filling and fried to golden perfection. The outside is usually dusted with granulated sugar, giving them the appearance of a soft, powdery ball. It may sound simple, but I can assure you that they taste absolutely divine — at least to anyone with a sweet tooth.

Sugar and I was founded by a pair of siblings, who started baking as a hobby before pursuing it full time. Bombolonis are their signature, but they carry all sorts of desserts, from swirly cinnamon rolls and mouthwatering cakes, to airy Japanese cream puffs.

20211119_135948 — Cakes in a myriad of flavours, including Vanilla Burnt Cheesecake, Ferrero Roche, Walnut Carrot and Salted Caramel Burnt Cheesecake. Each slice goes for between RM10 to RM14.90.

Sugar and I boasts a brightly lit space with a cheerful, whimsical interior. I especially like the floor tiles!

At the moment, Sugar and I only does takeaways and delivery.

Moo loves cinnamon rolls, so I got one for her and stole a bite. The texture is a bit firmer than the ones you get from Cinnabon, but it tastes good all the same.

Of course, the stars of the show were the bombolonis. They’re fluffy, and when you press them they kind of ‘bounce’ back like a baby’s cheek. Cue cute aggression, or as the saying goes in Malay: ehhh gerammmmnyaaa.

I got a box of 10 — six which I gave to my aunt, and four we kept for ourselves. The doughnuts come in five flavours: Nutella, Niko Neko Matcha, Cookie Monster, Lotus Biscoff and Strawberry Custard. The Nutella is their signature, but I didn’t get that for my own box because I’m not a big fan of Nutella (blasphemy, I know!)

20211119_150606 — If you don’t pinch your bomboloni, are you even eating it right? jk.

I ended up trying two flavours; the Cookie Monster and the Strawberry Custard. If you like gooey, chocolatey goodness, I recommend the former. I was surprised at the sheer amount of filling in the doughnut. I come from the JCo / Big Apple doughnut generation (back in the late 2000s to early 2010s, when there was a doughnut craze in Malaysia), and I’ve seen how the fillings became less and less through the years — so it was nice to finally sink my teeth into a real stuffed doughnut that isn’t 3/4 bread.

I made the mistake of putting the bombolonis in the fridge for after-dinner dessert. The Strawberry Custard kind of hardened a little lol. The taste was still superb though — not too sweet, with just the right amount of milky and eggy — and again, lots and lots of filling. Since the pastries are freshly baked, I think it’s best if they’re enjoyed on the day itself (easy to do coz you won’t be able to stop at just one. lol).

20211119_145837 — Got coffee as well. I like the glass bottle, very decanter-esque.

Overall, I was thrilled with my bombolonis — and will definitely make a return visit when I’m able to (Subang isn’t that far from Puchong, but yours truly is an old lady and doesn’t have much energy to travel these days). If you want to get them delivered, they’re available on beepit. Prices are reasonable.

SUGAR AND I

110, Jalan SS14/1, Ss 14, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor

Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 11AM – 7PM. Closed Mondays.

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PS: I hope you liked this post! Please consider supporting my blog via my Patreon, so I can make more. Or buy me a cup of coffee on Paypal @erisgoesto.

FoTD: Yau Char Gwai – How The Chinese Breadstick Got Its Unusual Name

June 30, 2019Posted in FoodTagged bakery, Chinese, Chinese food, Featured, food, fun food fact, Malaysia, pastry2 Comments

Hey guys!

You know how people have OOTD (outfit of the day) posts to show off their coordi and style? Not a fashionista, so I thought it’d be a great idea to do an FoTD – Food of The Day – series instead, where I post about interesting food items and the stories behind them!

Last week for unknown reasons, I had an intense craving for Chinese breadsticks, known locally among the Cantonese-speaking population in Malaysia as yau char gwai. Literally translated, the name means ‘ oil fried ghost’, or ‘a ghost/devil fried in oil’. Legend has it that in the Song dynasty, an evil couple, jealous of a well-loved general, colluded with the enemy to frame him. The general was executed, much to the anger of the citizens. They protested by creating two human-shaped pieces of dough joined in the middle to represent the couple, frying the pastry in hot oil as if done to the traitorous couple.

What I like about yau char gwai is its simplicity – the sticks are made from dough and a bit of salt and sugar for seasoning, but typically do not have a lot of flavour. They are crispy on the outside and airy and porous on the inside, making them great for dipping and as an accompaniment to drinks and soups, such as bak kut teh (meat in a herbal soup), soya bean, porridge, coffee and even Milo. They are also cheap and filling; the above two pieces cost only RM3 (0.73 USD).

Yau Char Kwai can be found in many regions, in particular China and Southeast Asia. i goes by other names, such as youtiao (Mandarin Chinese), Cha Kway (Cambodia), Bicho (Philippines), Cakwe (Indonesia), E Kwa Kway (Myanmar), Pathongko (Thailand) and dầu cháo quẩy (Vietnam).

Creative Cakes, Bread and Pastries @ Moonlight Cake House, Bandar Puchong Jaya

January 25, 2016May 2, 2020Posted in FoodTagged bakery, baking, bread, cafe, cake, food, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Moonlight Cake House, pastries, Puchong, restaurant review5 Comments

It’s not often my mum beats me to finding out about new eateries in the neighbourhood, so when she suggested Moonlight Cake House in Bandar Puchong Jaya to get some sweets and bakes, I was curious (apparently she found out about the shop through a special cake her friends ordered.. but we’ll get to that in a bit.) 🙂

The outlet was massive, spanning across three units and separated into two floors. The ground floor was a bakery, and upstairs was a cafe serving Western food. The smell of warm, freshly baked bread filled the air, causing my stomach to rumble the instant I walked into its cool, air conditioned interior. The beautiful pastries on display were like something out of the Japanese anime Yakitate. There were so many varieties!

Cutesy fondant dolls. I like the shitty one badumtsh

Colourful macarons – a box of nine costs RM27+.

So many varieties of bread and ingredient pairings, both savoury and sweet. Idk what ‘Saha’ is, but it looked like it had some sweet, custardy filling.

Wolfberry walnut and ‘Europe bun’.

In this part of Asia, people rarely eat bread but it’s a trend that is slowly changing, especially with cafes and bakeries like these that are bringing in fancy breads – not the everyday brown, white or wheat loaves.

Honey walnut.

Black Sesame Cream Cheese Walnut buns – they looked so fluffy. Who knew bread could be this attractive?

There was also a section for pastries – croissants, curry chicken puffs, spring onion pizza (below), blueberry danishes, chocolate and egg tarts, etc.

Not to mention cookies, sweets, biscuits and chocolates.

Pretty cakes of all shapes and sizes entice visitors near the cashier. They were a bit on the pricey side though (RM60 and above).

“Snow White”, shaped like a red apple.

Individual cakes going for RM9.50 ++

….and this is the special cake I mentioned earlier! Durian cake, shaped like the king of fruits itself – it looked so lifelike! My mum’s friends bought one for a birthday celebration and she saw photos of it on Whatsapp, which was why she knew about the place. I’d love to try this for my birthday, but it’s a long ways away and there aren’t any occasions to celebrate lol.

More pretty cakes. I’d imagine the kids (and even adults) would love the colourful and fun designs. Reminds me of that TV show I loved to watch in high school called Cake Boss, where they make customised cakes for special occasions. Baking is truly an art of its own. 🙂

A cake of a Chinese deity, Guan Dai, riding a horse. Yes, it is a cake. Impressive, no?

Rilakumma Star Wars Cake is adorbs.

The shop also sells stuff like homemade kaya (coconut jam)…

Fruit, coffee, cheese and vanilla rolls…

As well as freshly sandwiches and wraps for those on the go.

With so many varieties to choose from, we agonised over the display counters trying to decide what to buy. In the end I got a Marble Cake (above) (RM5.80). The squares of bread were fluffy and soft, sweet with a hint of chocolate. Tasty bread, by all means.

Would love to come back for more bread and cakes, although they are on the pricier side (prices average RM3+ and above, usual bakeries sell for RM2+) and maybe try out their cafe someday. 🙂

*The original Moonlight Cake House opened in Johor and has several cafes in the state. KL has two in Sri Petaling and Damansara and now,Puchong.

MOONLIGHT CAKE HOUSE

G02, G03, G04, Kompleks Kenari,

Jalan Kenari 19, Bandar Puchong Jaya,

47100 Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia

Phone:+60 16-733 1222

Hours: 8AM–2AM

Tous Les Jour Bistro, Empire Subang Jaya

October 22, 2015October 22, 2015Posted in FoodTagged bakery, dining, eating, food, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tous Les Jour3 Comments

I hadn’t had the chance to meet up with ex-colleagues since I left my last job, so we decided to hangout and have dinner at Empire Shopping Gallery in Subang Jaya. It’s a relatively high-end neighbourhood mall so the options for food weren’t super.

We settled for Tous Les Jour, which is a bistro-cum-bakery, accessible from the mall’s outdoor terrace. The front part of the place is a bakery while the back is a dining area. The brand is from Korea and has classy-looking outlets in a few countries.

K’s iced lemon juice. Cold, refreshing and sour.

N had a cheeseburger, which had a beef patty with melted cheese on one bun, and loads of vege on the other. Also came served with potato wedges.

I had the chicken ham and cheese panini. It was quite disappointing, as the bread was not warm enough, resulting in cold, salty blocks of unmelted cheese. The butter on the bread had soaked into it and made it an oily mess, while the edges were still floury. Poor quality for the price.

Y enjoyed her Eggs Benedict though. Had a bit and thought it needed more seasoning.

Overall, the price was not worth it for the taste. They have other items like pizza and pastas, but I don’t think I’ll be making a return trip soon. D:

Tous Les Jour

Jalan SS16/1, Lot GK08,

Ground Floor, Empire Shopping Gallery, Subang

Ming Xiang Tai Bakery, Penang

November 23, 2014May 12, 2016Posted in Food, Malaysia, TravelTagged Asian, bakery, baking, Chinese, culture, eating, food, heritage, Malaysia, Ming Xiang Tai, pastries, Penang, travelLeave a comment

SITTING on a corner of Victoria Street on Penang Island is Ming Xiang Tai, a famous bakery and pastry shop with over 30+ years of history. The original shop is along Burmah Road, and though this one is a branch outlet, it is no less popular. Just outside is a quaint mural of a boy and a girl reaching out of a window as they attempt to get some goodies from a wicker basket at the back of a (real)bicycle.

The shop is housed in an old double storey shoplot. The wooden decor gives it a rustic, old-world charm.

We entered to the lovely smells of pastries fresh out of the oven – enough to send us into an uncontrollable mouthwatering, even though we just had breakfast! Cute little baked goodies sat on a tin tray, their glossy, glazed surfaces shiny and golden, radiating heat.

Chinese pastries sat behind glass displays, and a long line of customers was already snaking to the front counter as people pointed out the morsels they wanted. In the background, boxes of packed goodies lined the wooden shelves, while proud posters proclaimed the house specialties.

One of the staff delicately brushing the pastries to give it a golden sheen.

Unbaked goods waiting for the furnace to roar them to life.

There is a cramped space behind with wooden chairs and tables, where patrons can sit and rest.

Fluffy white pau (buns) waiting to be put into the steamer.

Bamboo shutters painted over with promotional wordings and pictures provide shade from the glaring Penang sun, keeping the interior of the shoplot cool.

The place is famous for its egg tarts. They also carry crispy yam puffs, siewpau (barbecued pork buns), pandan salted egg pastry and wedding cookies (lou por beng). The egg tart was absolutely delicious, with a nice, flaky outer pastry and soft, gooey egg custard center. The custard had just the right sweetness to go along with the slightly salty pastry, which, as you can see, was delicately done in many layers. Quite messy to eat, but oh-so-good.They used to be called ‘Trishaw Egg Tarts’ because back in the days, they were peddled on trishaws.

Keep an eye out for some cute landmarks around the area, such as the pink tank replica with cats on it directly across the street from Ming Xiang Tai.

Ming Xiang Tai Pastry Shop
26 Gat Lebuh Armenian
10200 Georgetown,
Penang, Malaysia

Original shop:
133 Jalan Burma
10050 Georgetown
Penang

Tel: 04-227 9880
Opening Hours: 8am-11pm