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Days since my last post: 9

Hey peeps! Picture this: You're really full from a lunch or dinner appointment. Someone mentions "desserts". Your stomach immediately opens up its expandable storage space and what better way to fill it up than with a trip to Namelaka Patisserie along Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar?

Why hello there

Every corner just as Instagrammable

Photo by Isabel by TheIsabelLee

Pronounced "Na-me-la-ka" and bearing the meaning "creamy texture" in Japanaese, this newcomer to the Bangsar dessert scene serves up high quality sweets that are not like any other. In fact if you're looking for the usual suspects such as cakes, pies, and tarts, then Namelaka Patisserie is not the place for you. Instead, you'll find as you walk up the stairs beside KK Mart that you'll be entering a patisserie that serves up an interesting array of handmade artisanal desserts all made from the heart.

Such as their very first fruit collection

Photo by Tania of Sugoidays

Made of premium ingredients such as white chocolate, ganache montee (whipped chocolate ganache), fruits, and various spices for selected a few selected "fruits", these desserts are definitely meant to be a feast for both the eyes and your tummy. For starters, the cream used to create each dessert has to actually be prepared 2 days in advance and the white chocolate shell is so temperature sensitive that it would unfortunately melt in just 30 minutes. That's why Namelaka Patisserie highly suggests that you enjoy their desserts in-house, although take away orders are available but should be consumed within 30 minutes.

Green Apple, RM 19

Photo by Tania of Sugoidays

Made with chocolate, apple ganache montee, apple gel, fresh apple cubes, and dill, the Green Apple is a pick for those whose palettes are on the lighter side and are hoping for something that isn't overly cloying yet still flavourful. While I definitely didn't taste the dill as mentioned, I did enjoy the fluffiness of the namelaka cream which makes a good substitute for regular creams because it's not as oily and thick as usual desserts. I also loved the crunch of the green apples that surprisingly did not go soft in the dessert, so that's a plus point if you want something with a bite.

Orange, RM 21

Photo by Tania of Sugoidays

Next on the menu was the Orange which was made of white chocolate, orange ganache montee, orange gel, marmalade, fresh orange segment, and Timut pepper. Again - did not quite taste a lot of pepper in the Orange, but I enjoyed the citrusy touch of the fresh orange segments in this choice. While not extremely outstanding, the Orange at Namelaka Patisserie is good for those who likes just a tinge of sourness in their lives to ease the bloat from a heavy meal yet still get the natural sweetness from the fruits used for a satisfying end to your meal time.

Pear, RM 21

Photo by Tania of Sugoidays

A surprising favourite for myself, the Pear is made of white chocolate, pear ganache montee, pear gel, and fresh pear cubes. This is a personal favourite and I was quite taken aback because I'm regularly not a big fan of pears. This dessert however won me over the most for its overall refreshing-ness it boasted and I couldn't stop digging right into it. Aromatic and just slightly crunchy, the Pear is definitely something I suggest ordering if you like a dessert that hits every note just right.

Lemon, RM 23

Photo by Tania of Sugoidays

According to the founder of Namelaka Patisserie, there are 2 types of people when it comes to the Lemon at their shop - they either love it or they don't. I belong to the latter, and I was genuinely surprised at how much I couldn't bring myself to climb into the former group. Made of white chocolate, lemon ganache montee, lemon gel, lemon marmalade, fresh lemon segments, and fresh mint leaf, the Lemon definitely proved overly sour for my liking and I couldn't help but squirm after every spoonful. A brief chat with the founders revealed that they actually use a whole lemon into making each of these Lemon desserts, which would explain why it's such a shocker to your tastebuds. It's definitely good if you're looking for a wake up call at Namelaka Patisserie, but I would give this a pass when I visit next.

Passion Fruit, RM 23

Photo by Tania of Sugoidays

And finally, it's the Passion Fruit. Made with white chocolate, ginger ganache montee, passion fruit gel, and fresh passion fruits, this is also another pick from the Fruit Series that people can be divided extremely clearly by. Luckily for me, I love ginger - mostly for its wind expelling qualities, and the ginger ganache montee was an interesting touch to taste in a dessert. Slightly spicy yet mostly sweet and sour, the Passion Fruit is a nice piece to end your journey with at Namelaka Patisserie, though it should definitely be avoided if you don't like ginger in your food. Or desserts for this matter.

Good food indeed.

Do note that if you'd like, the Fruits Combo does go for RM 149 a set and you'll get all 5 Fruits of the Day. This requires a 2 day advance ordering however, mostly to ensure you'll get the freshest desserts through their extensive preparation methods.

Namelaka's Party Cake, RM 220

To be released

As a special yet-to-be-released preview, the founder of Namelaka Patisserie also let us in on the Namelaka Party Cake that they plan to introduce in the coming days. Made of the same ingredients as the Fruits Series, these little pops come in the flavours mentioned above - just in different shapes. They feature 25 pre-cut pieces so nobody has to be assigned to the "cake cutting" job during parties, everyone just grabs a piece and marvel at the taste of the dessert. Do bear in mind however that this is a product yet to be released, so if you're truly interested then perhaps you could drop them a message on their Facebook page.

And now the drinks!

Photo by Isabel of TheIsabelLee

But of course, what good would a dessert shop be without the appearance of unique drinks to wash down all the sweets right? Seen above is the Lychee Passionfruit Mojito and the Butterfly Pea Lemonade, both of which are priced at RM 13 each. While they sure do look pretty, I found that the mojito could have been a little less sweet and the lemonade needed a bit more lemony zing. Maybe it's best to order it with the Lemon dessert so you get just the right amount of citrusy kick? Meh, why don't you ask my shark about it on her Instagram account @IAMWINNIETHESHARK

One of those days

Photo by Tania of Sugoidays

As an overall, Namelaka Patisserie is a place that's filled with various surprises - from its unsuspecting desserts to the drinks they whip up and the hipsterifically Instagrammable space. For those who are looking out for their shop, it's located right above KK Mart along Jalan Telawi 2 and facing the side profile of Devi's Corner. Parking in the area may be scarce, so it's best to carpool or take a public transport if you want to have an enjoyable time here rather than rounding the area with your blood pressure on an all time high.

And with that, I wish to thank the tireless team at Namelaka Patisserie for the enjoyable review experience, and I'd definitely hope to see greater improvements in the desserts in the future. Disclaimer: This blog post was written after a review session by invitation only, but it has not affected my opinions in any way. I don't kid with food.

Days since my last post: 6

A whole week of 2019 has since passed in a blink of an eye, and perhaps my resolution for the year too has left with it. In fact, I've done nothing but eat, drink, and be merry the entire week so when I said I wanted to lose weight this year - I must have absolutely be out of my mind. But you see, someone out there in Malaysia clearly knows that everyone makes resolutions for the year and forgets all about them, so they've come up with a month-long campaign to get you motivated and to get you going for year!

And that is Guardian Malaysia's Ready, Set, Glow campaign!

In a collaborative effort with Joanna Soh, Asia's No. 1 fitness YouTuber, Guardian Malaysia has since created a series of videos incorporating simple workout routines that everyone can practice in their everyday lives. In fact, these videos were especially created to fit into the lifestyle of all Malaysians so you won't have an excuse not to exercise in 2019.

Look familiar?

In fact it doesn't matter if you're stuck in traffic, waiting for your food to cook in the kitchen, or just dreading your work day in the office - Joanna and Guardian Malaysia will have a video set for you! To catch these videos, all you got to do is to head over to Guardian Malaysia's Facebook page here and Join The Glow Squad to see them all. You'll even get weekly checklists to keep you motivated and moving so you'll be one step closer to your 2019 beauty and fitness goal!

Joanna Soh, Asia's No 1 Fitness Youtuber and Wong Vai Chi, Head of Marketing and Promotions, Guardian Health and Beauty Sdn Bhd at the launch of Ready, Set, Glow Campaign

So what say you? Are you geared to Ready, Set, Glow? Then let's go with Joanna Soh and Guardian Malaysia for a 2019 you absolutely won't forget!

Days since my last post: 2

As with tradition, you get a wrap up and you get a good start! Good being kind of relative, I mean it's supposed to be good but we all know it's the same story on a different day. But hey, new year new you, no?

How you doin' 2019

As with last year, I think I ought to keep my resolutions short and simple because I foresee turbulent times ahead. This could be the year we're making moves. This could be the year we're staying put. And I guess either way, this could be the year for anything and everything to make their mark anyway! So in 2019, let's try...

TO SPEND MORE FAMILY TIME

I'm not changing this for rather obvious reasons - I may be shifting to a new home with my other half in 2019. With that possibly set in the 2nd half of the year, I would like 2019 to continue being a year I can dedicate time to be with my parents because this will be where my heart always is. Home with my old ones in our torn and tattered pajamas, laughing away at some random movie my dad probably found on TV. Life just doesn't get any better.

TO LOSE WEIGHT

Yes, let's walk down the typical resolution route of losing weight! But hey, I'm at my heaviest in life and I think this should be the year I need to start watching it as I'm stepping into my late 20s. I'm coupling this with the fact that once we move, I would have unlimited access to the condominium's gym and pool so hopefully something works out well for me. In fact if all else fails, I'd still have the boxing game on the Nintendo Switch...right?

TO PICK UP ON JAPANESE 3.0

And here we go again! I'm just going to put this here in hopes that my Japan trip in May will make me do something about my already broken Japanese in 2019. Will I do this? I'd really hope so, seeing as that there is a language school rather close to my office right now. Then maybe for once during my wrap up by the end of the year, I can finally say I've learned something this year.

TO LOG MONTHLY LIFE UPDATES ON THE BLOG

Some time through 2018, I didn't know what I was doing anymore. Life either became too busy or too mundane to remember, and I just felt like the entire year had passed me by. I came to realize that I had nothing to truly look back on because I just didn't see it important enough to jot it down somewhere? But does it matter? Maybe yes, maybe not. I'm just thinking it would be nice to just see it again someday, so hopefully I can make that happen come this year. In fact, this would make the blog what it used to actually be right? A little space that people used to liken to as a diary instead of a marketing space. We'll see.

TO PREPARE A HOME TOGETHER

Because it's just something that sounds so exciting right now. To have our own humble abode and realize that this is what it's like to be married. When we have our mini disagreements on the colours of the walls, or whether or not the sofa should be put at a certain direction, I think 2019 will hold rather trying times for my other half and I. Hopefully though, when it all comes together and we sit down one night looking at the home we've built, we will realize it's all worth it.

There we go! 5 resolutions, 2 almost impossible and 3 that I'd have to really work on. What do you think holds for you in 2019?

Days since my last post: 15

And so that's it - another year, another wrap up. Looking back, 2018 became a year filled with unexpected changes where I had to continuously fight to find my footing. For starters, I lost ground with jobs this year and couldn't seem to find contentment in the things I did. I'm glad that come the end of the year became a time when I felt a little more stable, or perhaps it was just that it's something I'm more familiar with. I definitely hope to stay put now and get comfortable because if there's something nobody has ever told you, it's that switching jobs is a tough job on its own. Touche.

But you know, that's just life and its uncertainties. You win some and you lose some, and yet you stride on year after year anyway! With that, let's step into the time machine and look back at what I wanted in the beginning of the year and see if I've struck gold with them after all:

TO TRAVEL WITH MY PARENTS

Penang in May

Ipoh in August

Hatyai in November

Aha! A hit! In fact, this became a 3-time hit for the year because I got to sneak in several weekend trips to be with them. These trips reminded me of how they weren't quite getting younger, and of the good old times when I would love to smother my father with a pillow because of his snores. These trips have been ever so memorable, and I know I'll cherish these moments for a long time to come.

TO PICK UP ON JAPANESE

This, sadly did not materialize. Instead, it became a "buy plane tickets to Japan" kind of resolution because that's exactly what my other half and I did. Really looking forward to our travels in the middle of 2019, but that would probably mean this is a resolution I have to once again keep on the list for next year. It's been here for 3 years, will I finally complete it soon or will it forever be a resolution? Who knows?

TO DO UP OUR HOME

The house rectification team marking dirty walls for the developers

Nope. In 2018, I learned that there are lots of things that comes with buying a new development. This includes waiting for your keys, waiting for rectifications, getting your blood boiling over rectifications...and a lot more waiting. On the week of Christmas, we finally got the rectifications done after months and months of asking for updates so perhaps in 2019, this would be a better resolution to look at.

TO VLOG A TRIP

This was shown in my previous blog post too!

After a whole lot of reminders from Tania to really make this come true, I did it. I have to admit that I actually had lots of fun doing it, though remembering to take videos is sometimes such a chore. Moreover, walking around the streets and taking videos feels like such a dangerous feat as an overall but it was definitely a lot of fun. Will I try another? Well maybe, but let's see how that goes.

TO BE HAPPY

Meet Winnie the shark!

Now, what did I truly want with this resolution in the beginning of the year? Was it that I was stuck in that unhappy job I was in, or was it that I was generally very tired of 2017? Because joke's on me, 2018 was a far more tiring journey as an overall. I never expected so many changes in a single year - from learning new skills to meeting new people and then going on that repetitive cycle overall. But was I happy in 2018? Am I happy as we're doing this write up? Yes.

Because why not?

Thanks, 2018. You've taught me a lot. And maybe in 2019 I wouldn't make the same mistakes. Maybe.

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