Pick & Brew @ 1 Utama

How did you spend your Sunday??? I had a great one. Kick started it off by picking SY up and headed to Jaya 33 for BC. It was my first time teaching again (replacing Kevin) after my surgery and I really enjoyed it. At the very least, I now know that my fitness level is good enough to last one whole class and perhaps a li’ll bit more. :p

After that, the both of us headed to 1 Utama as we had already bought movie tickets for Escape From Huang Shi starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Chow Yuen Fatt, Michelle Yeoh and Radha Mitchell. Based on a true story, it tells the tale of an inexperienced English reporter, George Hogg during the dreadful times of the Japanese invasion of China. From a reporter, Hogg gradually played the role of father and teacher to a group of 60 orphans in Huang Shi. As the Japanese army marched closer to Huang Shi, Hogg decided to relocate everyone to Shandan through the Silk Road. A 600 miles journey (mostly on foot) … depicting the bravery and steely determination of Hogg and the children as they battled the harsh elements of Mother Nature and much more. Brilliant cinematography overall … just something one would expect from a USD40 million production.

This time around, we also had the opportunity to have our lunch in Pick & Brew. Wonderful atmosphere for a relaxing meal and service was excellent (though a waiter … probably new at his job mixed up my coffee order). It's located between the Old and New wing of the complex (a couple of shoplots away from Wong Kok Char Chan Teng).

Foodwise, nothing short of YUMMILICIOUS!!! Upon being seated on really comfy grey sofa chairs, we were served with some complimentary baguette and olive bread. It went well with the dip of virgin olive oil and sour vinegar ala Itallianies style.

We started off with some warm chicken served on a bed of mixed lettuce, sweet apples and other garden vegs. Do take note that it’s big enough a portion for two ya. The chicken was juicy and succulent. Pairing it with the crunchy greens, it gives the tastebuds a very tasty sensation indeed. SY decided to go local and had their nasi kerabu while I had their oven baked oats and almond crusted snapper served with boiled potatoes and cherry tomatoes. Our beverages consisted of iced fruit tea and iced black tea with soda. The iced fruit tea had a generous amount of tiny diced apples mixed in which was ultimately very refreshing (perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon) while the black tea was infused with a dash of soda to give it that zesty aftertaste.

The snapper was well cooked, the fish was very fresh and I thoroughly enjoyed its tasty texture. The sauce drizzled on the side complimented the dish perfectly while the spiced tomato puree worked well to excite the appetite. The nasi kerabu did not dissapoint either. The rice was unlike the traditional ones I usually have, can't really put my finger on it but the spice tasted different ... a good kinda different nevertheless. Served with a sizeable piece of chicken chop, it was a dish well presented and kept the pallet oh-so-happy too. Oh and the prawn crackers was a nice touch to remind one of kampung familiarity.

Halfway through her meal, SY noticed that the chicken chop on her nasi kerabu wasn’t well cooked enough, so we sent it back to the kitchen to be re-heated. Moments later, her meal came back satisfactory and the management insisted that we choose a slice of cake (on the house of course) as a token of their earnest apology. Being nice people, we definitely do not want to deny them their sincerity and hence, a rich creamy slice of blueberry cheesecake was served. Hahaha. But seriously, it's this kind of welcoming service that keep the customers coming back.

You simply must have one of their gourmet coffees there. Wide selections of coffee beans from all over the world are available here and Pick & Brew are master connoisseurs at mixing and blending them together to produce any taste to cater for coffee lovers. They also separate their coffees in terms of mild, medium and strong for customers to make a better judgment when ordering their favourite brew.

I went for Prominence … a blend of dunno-what coffee beans (sorry la … don’t remember already) that gives off a hint of bitter dark chocolate. When the coffee was poured out of its Italian moka pot into my cup, the aroma radiated was simply deliciously sublime. Good coffee makes this blogger happy. :D

Oh and I also signed up as their member for a fee of RM10. This will entitle me to collect Beanie points for future benefits and redemptions.

Me give this place a double thumbs up!!! Shall be back in the near future to sample the rest of their menu.