A TOAST TO THE GOLDEN YEARS

Wow, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® is older than me! It was first brewed in Southern California in 1963 so the franchise marked its 50^th anniversary this April. In Malaysia, the franchise is in now into its 15th year with 50 outlets opened nationwide.

I bet few of you knew that it's also the oldest and largest family-owned specialty coffee and tea retailer in the United States. Steeped in tradition, the company prides itself on sourcing and providing a diverse selection of the highest-quality coffee and tea based on long-standing collaborations with the finest private coffee farms and tea estates around the world. 

Wong Wei I, marketing exec of CBTL Malaysia briefing us on new products & promos

“As we celebrate this milestone for our company, we want take this opportunity to truly celebrate and thank our dedicated customers and fans who have been so loyal in their support throughout our 50 year history,” says President Mel Elias. 

“The 50^th anniversary celebrates the spirit of our heritage, our passion with fans—old and new—as we look ahead to continued growth for the brand and future innovations. We are dedicated to further our one-on-one relationships with growers around the world and are constantly challenging ourselves to come up with innovative new beverages at the forefront of coffee and tea culture, as is evident by our  single serve beverage systems.”

 

We were effusively invited to sample some of the CBTL's new menu items at a recent celebration held at the latest concept outlet in Taman Tun Dr Ismail. 

 

 

 

If you want gourmet coffee at home, the CBTL Single Serve Beverage Machine makes a nifty gadget to own. Take your pick from Americano, Contata or Kadi models that can brew up espresso, coffee, tea or chocolate drinks. Buy it in June and you'd get RM50 off and 50 free capsules.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® will commemorate its 50^th anniversary with special in-store new beverages - Rocky Road and Birthday Cake and special promotions until end June 2013, including:

§   50^th Anniversary Open House on the last Monday of June, from 2-6 p.m. Enjoy The Original Mocha/Vanilla Ice Blended® drinks at 50% off. 

Fresh lettuce topped with chicken bacon bits, poppy seeds, juicy mandarin orange wedges, almond flakes, drizzled with lime juice, olive oil and onion vinaigrette make up the Poppy Citrus Salad (RM18.00). We like its refreshing and light accents on the palate.

There is an Oriental spin to the Chinese Chicken Salad (RM18.00) which has fresh lettuce topped with fried vermicelli strands, chicken breast, Chinese cornflakes, almond flakes and sesame seeds drenched in sweet and sour sauce. Equally tempting albeit a tad sweet for my liking.

If you like pesto and pasta, you'd like the Pesto Farfalle (RM14.50) - a dish of bow-tie pasta tossed with basil walnut pesto, grilled mixed capsicums, mushrooms and pinenuts. Its rich, nutty flavour scented with the fresh basil aroma will induce you to finish it with gusto.

 

 Minced chicken, hearty tomato sauce and lots of cheese dominate in the Chicken Lasagne (RM16.50) while tender turkey slices and poached egg with melted cheddar with a choice of Panini or Ciabatta bread and fresh side salad make the Egg Club Sandwich (RM18.50) my favourite for the afternoon.

Less indulgent but just as tasty is the Turkey & Melted Cheddar Cheese Sandwich (RM16.50) - a classic combination that has turkey ham and melted cheddar cheese on crusty Ciabatta bread.  

The Pesto Chutney Zucchini Burger (RM15.50) turned out to be a nice, delectable surprise. 
We all gave thumbs up to the irresistible  zucchini & Parmesan cheese patty laced with pineapple chutney and basil walnut pesto that came in a soft Vienna bun and some cranberry salad.

Having a party? The Deluxe Canape Party Pack (RM58.00/pack of 20 pcs) will go down a real treat with four savoury nibbles: crisp “vol-au-vent” with salmon cheese mousse and smoked salmon topping; mini ciabatta with savory herb cheese and avocado; fresh-baked pita stuffed tuna mayo and mini baguette with light egg mayo.

Meanwhile, the Sweet Pickings Party Pack (RM58.00/pack of 20 pcs) offers bite-sized coffee eclairs, brownies, praline puffs, fruit tartlets and white-chocolate raspberry cake.

New cakes on the block include a rich, chocolate-coffee infused Mocha Cheesecake (RM9.50/slice; RM88 whole) and Hummingbird Cake (RM8.90/slice; RM85 whole) - an enticingly light sponge cake enriched with crunchy walnuts, bananas, coconut flakes and chocolate chips topped with decadent butter icing.

 Look out also for the new range of bottled tea in different flavours - you can select from carbonated or non-carbonated versions as well as a wide range of commemorative tumblers, mugs and plush teddies to mark the historic milestone.

 

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MOM'S THE WORD

Three heartwarming anecdotes about their mothers earned Stephanie Lim May Ling, Siti Ainin Sophia Mohd Azman and Stephanie Lim Sook Beng great prizes from Neubodi in conjunction with the brand's Facebook contest, “My Mother, My Support” held in conjunction with Mother's Day.



They were invited to an intimate Afternoon Tea Delight Session at Botanical with Nadine Ann Thomas, Sue Lynn Tiong and Parveen K. Brar who also had their bosom buddies and mothers in tow.
 

An exquisite Afternoon English Tea tray stacked with scrumptious bite-sized sweets and savories accompanied by freshly brewed English tea set the mood for the intimate gathering.

Each winner then shared hilarious and touching memories of picking out their first bra with their respective mothers. Neubodi rewarded the winners with personalised fitting sessions and complimentary brassiere sets in time for Mother's Day.

The Bra-education session also covered interesting issues such as knowing what a proper fit means, developing the right inner self confidence and the importance of creating a proper and stronger self- image by Ms Estee Ong, a notable bra fitting expert and General Manager of Neubodi in Malaysia, and Ms Wendy Liew, owner of the Image Creator and certified image consultant.

Estee shared that “When a woman wears the right cup, right size, and right fit, she will definitely encounter a life changing experience resulting in better posture with centered breasts and a defined silhouette. She is a confident woman, who loves her body.”



Estee then presented the winners with their prizes and gave them tips on how to care for the brassieres. “Every woman needs to have a minimum of three good brassieres in their wardrobe, one to wear, one to wash and one to rest. This will help extend the lifespan of the brassiere. When you care for your brassiere, the brassiere will care for your breasts,” she said.


Guests present at the event then enjoyed personalized fitting sessions and went home with a complimentary brassiere set and a set of Neubodi’s vintage mugs after the fun filled afternoon came to an end.

For more information about Neubodi’s personalized fitting session, please visit http://facebook.com/neubodi.

MEXICAN HAVEN TURNS ONE

Colourful serapes, sombreros, paper marche balls and Mexican flags decked the rustic interior of Fresca Mexican Kitchen & Bar to mark the restaurant's 1st Anniversary celebrations on 11 May 2013.

Local media members were treated to typical Mexican fare at the pre-celebratory bash after Mexican Deputy Head of Mission, Mrs. Lourdes Sosa Marquez (Charge d’Affaires, a.i.) spoke about the wondrous attractions, vibrant Mexican heritage and culture that await visitors. 

Fun facts about Mexico:

• It's 5 times the size of Malaysia with tropical to desert climate

• The country in Americas with most number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites - 31 sites and 8 elements in the Intangible Cultural Heritage list

Executive Chef BB also demonstrated how to whip up a classic Guacamole while enterprising owner Jan Lim passed around ingredients fresh and dried chillies such as ancho, pasilla, poblanos and jalapenos, and tomatillo for us to take a closer look.

Tortilla chips with the chef's chunky Guacamole soon got us chomping at the bit for more. Interestingly, the chips were thinner and smoother than commercially produced ones and tasted way better. Especially when it's laden with the creamy avocado dip.

The sienna hued Sopa de Tortilla looked deceptively thick and unctuous but in reality was surprisingly light on the palate; its tanginess rounded off by a dollop of crumbly cheese that was added to it prior to serving.

Then delectable servings of Tacos Alambre (warm, fluffy soft corn tortillas filled with grilled beef and poblano chilli) and Sopes de Frijol (Mexican street snack of corn flour pastry discs topped with tomato salsa) warmed our hearts and tummies. 

Camarones al Ajillo (tiger prawns with guajillo chilli and garlic) bestowed an unexpected albeit welcomed sweetness to these moreish bites.

Representatives from the Mexican Embassy, members of the Latin American community and Fresca’s regular guests were invited to Fresca's fiesta-style party on the following night.

It was a befitting bash for Fresca; proof that Tex-Mex fajitas, quesadillas and burritos as well as more traditional Mexican delicacies such as ceviche, sopes and carne asada have a following in KL. 

The Fresca also rustles up some of the best margaritas in town, either frozen or on the rocks. Classy cocktails - Fresca Colada and Cinco de Mayo, a drink named after the famous Mexican holiday, and non-alcoholic Mexican coolers known as “agua frescas” are equally popular among their patrons.

Fresca Mexican Kitchen & Bar Lot G242A (Ground floor) The Gardens Mall, Midvalley 03-2201 2893 Opening hours: Sunday – Thursday: 11am – 11pm Friday – Saturday: 11am – Late