Uptown PH Secret Garden

On Monday 31.march.2025, Raya day 1 public holiday, I seek his help to go to Starling mall because I am very curious and wanted to go find the secret garden two paths mentioned by PH in the two articles:

https://phonghongbakes.blogspot.com/2025/03/walking-off-glucose.html

https://phonghongbakes.blogspot.com/2025/02/not-so-secret-garden.html

Since it was early morning at 8 am and Starling mall only opens at 10 am, I planned to go eat brunch at Yu Yiee kopitiam damansara jaya before going to starling mall.

*** Lin Li Xiang Damansara Jaya ***

8.20 am - I ordered Sarawak laksa special regular portion with mihun MYR 18 nett. Gravy is thick and tasty 😋 luckily not that spicy.

8.01 am - the corner shop with a green signboard is Yu Yieee kopitiam and it is closed for the day so I looked around and saw this Lin Li Xiang eatery. A search online reveals that it sells Sarawak laksa so ok, eat Sarawak laksa as brunch then.

8.13 am - we sat near the entrance and this is my view of the drinks counter.

8.18 am - I ordered tomato mee special for him MYR 15.90 nett. The tomato is more sweet than sour but very appetising. The noodles are deep fried crispy noodles. Hot coffee ☕ MYR 5.50 nett.

8.21 am - two half boiled eggs MYR 3.50 nett.

8.23 am - the egg whites are kind of translucent. I wonder why.

8.31 am - my portion of tomato noodles with livers.

8.57 am - my portion of Sarawak laksa.

*** Halla Holla Damansara Jaya ***

Then I remember halla Holla is located at the far end of the same row of shops so we walked there.

9.28 am - the shop with yellow hanging sunscreens is the halla holla eatery.

9.37 am - ordered using online app:

Coconut gula melaka kouign amann MYR 10+

Almond croissant MYR 12+

One cup of hot flat white MYR 12+

I selected Columbia beans

Total MYR 39.44 nett

9.40 am - all ready to tuck in 😋 🤤 

9.43 am - my share. Very buttery and crispy pastries 😋 🤤 

9.52 am - bills from these two eateries.

With our tummies full, we took the car to park at starling mall basement carpark.

*** The Uptown Secret Garden ***

He said that the sun is too hot outside so he will stay in the mall and wait for me while I go and look for the secret garden using PH articles as the guide.

10.23 am - I exit starling mall using the exit to Uptown 7 building on ground floor which is located between Samsung shop and Dr. Hauschka shop.

10.24 am - the blue sign says to uptown 7 so I cross the car park heading to the blue sign

10.24 am - the sign says escalator down to Uptown 7 

10.25 am - after taking the escalator down, I face this row of shops with kk mart and Sik Thong Ba Dessert shops.

10.28 am - walking towards the shops and turning back to take a photo of the entrance to the escalators. I usually use this route to go into starling mall from kk mart. Use escalators and not walk steps because of the hot sun ☀️ 🌞 hehehehe 😀 😁 😂 

10.29 am - then without crossing the road to go to kk mart, I turned right to go to uptown 7 car park entrance to look for the staircase or steps going up.

10.31 am - ah, found the steps. Confirm it with the photo in PH's article. Ah, correct 😃 

10.32 am - the steps look so nice 👍 🙂 from this view, going up up up

10.33 am - a lane at the side of the building. Walk straight ahead and turn left.

10.35 am - a small field. This is the only person I saw on my way here, a security guard who looked at me suspiciously. 😂 

Following PH's articles I walked straight ahead, on and on and on, until I reached the secret garden. Then I turned left to look for the route opposite Affin Bank.

10.39 am - ah, found the steps for the route from opposite Affin Bank. Then I head back towards the secret garden.

10.41 am - checkpoint for the stage with a yellowy orangey awning. Walk alongside it to reach a horizontal covered walkway. Turned right to go to Starling mall or turned left to go to an escalator going down heading to opposite Annie 1 eatery.

10.42 am - this is the walkway and I am looking to my right at the entrance to starling mall. It is the same exit cum entrance that I used to walk to Annie 1 previously from Daiso in starling mall when Daiso was still in starling mall but I always just walk and didn't stop to smell the roses so I didn't know of the nice secret garden.

10.43 am - looking to the left is towards the escalator going down to opposite Annie 1 eatery.

10.44 am - entered starling mall, the round lighted up sign says SkyZen which I searched online says it is a wellness center with TCM, chiropractor and etc.

An enjoyable slow leisure walk about 15 minutes. Then I looked for him and we walked around starling mall in circles floor by floor thinking of what to eat before we go home.

*** Kam Kee Starling mall ***

After walking a few rounds, I suggested Kam Kee and he agreed.

11.33 am - I was very thirsty after my walk so I ordered iced ribena with lemon MYR 6.80++ because my late father bought cartons and cartons of ribena for me to drink when I was a kid so drinking iced ribena is a treat for me 😂 

He ordered iced barley lemon MYR 5.80++ and fried hor fun with beef slices in egg gravy MYR 19.80++ and I added on a fried kampung egg MYR 2.80++

11.35 am - fried hor fun with beef slices in egg gravy MYR 19.80++ and a fried kampung egg MYR 2.80++

Total MYR 40.85 nett.

11.46 am - the remaining portion is this much. I thought of just eating the egg and two beef slices and walked away from the Hor fun and gravy but after one mouthful of horfun and gravy, I find that it is very tasty and my tummy could accommodate them so I just kept on drinking the gravy and swallowing the Hor fun until the plate is squeaky clean. 😋 Therefore my food on this day is completed at 12 noon.

Morning 43.70

Next morning 43.95

Only up by 250 g because I ate a lot of carb as in hor fun, pastries and egg gravy 😄 

*** The End ***

20percent off TK Bakery

On Saturday 12.oct.2024, TK Bakery promotion of 20% store wide so we went there to buy pastries, bread and cakes. While there, we ate breakfast at Yitcha kaw kaw Sri Petaling which is located  opposite TK Bakery.

*** TK Bakery 20% off everything ***

9.14 am - I bought 12 pastries, 2 packs of bread and 1 loaf of cake.

Summary of bill after 20% off in MYR:

1. Traditional Hainan Bread 3.44

Should be hand tear bread which I ate all in one sitting

2. 6 coffee choc chip buns in a pack 5.44

3. 1 butter egg tart 2.56 which I ate and thinks it taste strongly of lard 

4. 2 lard egg tarts 2.40 each

5. 2 black sesame egg tarts 2.88 each

6. 1 Kaya puff 2.48 which is very sweet

7. 2 chicken floss lotus pastries 2.80 each

8. 2 salted egg yolk lotus pastries 3.60 each 

9. 1 crotart 5.44 which I ate on same day, it has a layer of chewy mochi underneath the egg tart custard fillings.

10. Pandan Kaya cake loaf 12.48 original price 15.60

Total MYR 58 nett

With this receipt, there is a 20% off discount valid for one month from this date.

*** Yitcha Kaw Kaw Sri Petaling ***

8.40 am - I went to queue at TK Bakery and he ordered the food and ate them before I got there so these food are my portion.

No breakfast sets on weekends so the price:

1. Double thin sliced Kaya butter toast MYR 5.50++

2. 2 soft boiled village chicken eggs MYR 3.60++

3. Nam Yee pork nasi lemak MYR 15.90++

4. One Large hot cham drink MYR 4.80++

Total MYR 34.55 nett

Morning 43.55

Next morning 44.15

Ate too much carbs so retained lots of water

*** The End ***

Maison Des Pains

Tuesday 9.nov.21 is his day so he went over at 10 am and stayed there till 5 pm.

6.22 pm - delicious pastries that fav kid gave him. Fav kid received two boxes from friends so gave one box to him.

6.19 pm - These pastries are from Maison Des Pains. I have read about this famous pastry shop in Publika shopping center and Tropicana Gardens but didn't get around to buying from them. Can order from the Publika branch using the url below:

https://publika.maisondespains.my/en_MY/

6.26 pm - cross section.  Clockwise starting from top right corner:

1. Pistachio cherry financier - MYR 6

2. Blueberry cream cheese tart - MYR 12

3. Dark chocolate tart - MYR 12

4. Creme Patisserie Peach tart - MYR 14

All 4 taste extremely good.

6.35 pm - I asked him to eat the peach, blueberries and the inner fillings of the dark chocolate tart which is dark chocolate. I ate the base of the peach tart, the blueberry tart and a bit of the chocolate toppings and quarter of the financier. The remaining parts are kept in the fridge.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financier_(cake)

Wiki says:

"financier (formerly known as a visitandine) is a small French almond cake, flavoured with beurre noisette, usually baked in a small mold. Light and moist with a crisp, eggshell-like exterior, the traditional financier also contains egg whites, flour, and powdered sugar. The molds are usually small rectangular loaves similar in size to petits fours."

6.26 pm - pistachio toppings with cherry jam fillings.

12.15 noon - my portion of pork yee Mee bought from sweet Heng the previous day for brunch, followed by a rose peach cone and broad beans snack.

6.31 pm - our shared dinner of Hakka zhar yuk rice bought from Lucky Alley the previous day. I like to eat these wood ear fungus 木耳 because it is soft but sometimes a bit crunchy.

10.30 am - ordered food from ICC Pudu and delivered directly to 4 of them.

4.20 pm - goodbye

Ikea pastries again

Plain butter croissants at MYR 2.90 nett each. Affordable and tastes good.

Kaya puff at MYR 2 nett. My friend prefers the local kaya puff pastry crust.

Maple Pecan Pastry at MYR 3.90 nett each. The maple syrup is a bit too sweet for me but that is to be expected.

Raisin cream cheese pastry at MYR 3.90 nett. Quite nice.

Whenever I go to Ikea Cheras adjacent to MyTown Mall, it is a must to buy pastries from Ikea because they are affordable and tasty.

Ikea Cafe

Light breakfast for two. 

MYR 10.40 nett only.

Ikea Cafe - Clean and tidy - adjacent to MyTown Mall.

Too many delicious pastries.

Price is reasonable too.

The local bakeries do not have maple pecan pastries so we are happy to see them here as they are one of our favourite pastry.

Ikea has only one design for the CNY 2019 ang pow packet unlike last year's ang pow packets that have 3 different pictures at the back of the envelope.