Review: Ficelle Boulangerie Patisserie, Danau Business Center

How are you guys coping with 2012? So far, things are okay here with a few nasty bits here and there, as usual. I do not expect life to be a bed of roses. Oh well... 

Anyway, I decided to show you guys what acne acupuncture is like. Well, this is my rather plain looking self, at the mercy of silver needles. Not sure how I managed to snap a picture of myself with needles embedded deep in my wrists...

Acupuncture

I bet it scared the shit out of everyone but, no worries, it is not the needles on the face that hurts. It is those on the wrists and legs - they don't really hurt that much, just an ant's bite. Oh, and if you are considering acne acupuncture, be prepare to face the fact that the needles will be placed deeper and deeper as the acupuncture course progresses.

Don't worry about any scarring. So far, I have not experienced any. The day after my acupuncture session, I even went out with A, who I have not met for a few months. Trust me, a few months feels like eons for people who are close to you. :)

Only outdoor seating - the bakery is located indoor

 A decided to bring me to Ficelle. Initially, I was not too sure where that was. I actually got it confused with RT pastry house! A then told me that Ficelle is also managed by the company that runs Levain. This explains the similarities in terms of food and confectionary in both eateries.

However, there were a few differences between both establishments. First, Levain offers much more choice in terms of ala carte dishes and baked goodies. Second, Ficelle is much cheaper than Levain. I think it is because Levain is located in the heart of KL and therefore, rent is more expensive? Thirdly, there is only outdoor seating in Ficelle. Fourth, Ficelle emphasizes more on self-service.

While it seems that Levain has more perks, I actually prefer Ficelle over Levain. I felt that the former is much quieter than the latter. This makes Ficelle a very good place to catch up with friends compared to Levain, which is constantly bursting with people!!!

Seafood pasta 

A ordered seafood pasta. It was cooked to al dente and surprisingly, still decent to eat even if it's cold. We actually spent quite a lot of our time chatting till the point we forgotten to consume our food!

The prawns were quite huge and there was enough seafood to keep one happy. There was a nice balance of ingredients and noodles. Taste wise, it was not too salty and had a nice kick from chili flakes and lemon.

A also had mushroom soup. A enjoyed it immensely. She commented that it was filled with lots of mushroom. Indeed it was, which made it very chunky. I had a sip of it as well. The soup was very velvety in terms of texture and quite addictive.

Bonus? If you're into buttery and creamy soups, this is totally for you. :)

Roasted Chicken Salad (RM 6.50)

Since I am on a mission to reduce my calorie intake, I had the roasted chicken salad. The dressing comprised of soy and sesame oil with a pinch of garlic in it. It was pungent but pretty light when tossed with the medley of greens and bits of roast chicken. Although I find the addition of parmesan bits a bit annoying, the salad was actually quite pleasant to have. However, I do wish that the roasted chicken be on the warmer side.

Assorted macarons (Rm 3.30 per pop) - I had the 72 percent Ghana dark chocolate, durian and Triple Chocolate

For desserts, we had one macaron each. A picked the Dark Chocolate macaron. She loved the taste. I picked the durian macaron, which was slightly expensive than the rest. The durian macaron tasted like real durians. Moreover, it was not too sweet.

It's a bit sticky to touch 

Texture wise, it was actually kinda sticky to touch. The surface had this wet feel to it. Not sure what went wrong...

A bit moist but not completely. :)

On the inside, it looked pretty decent. Some parts were dry but towards the ganache layer, the meringue pieces were pretty wet.

Since the taste was very good, I did not mind it too much. If Nathalie's Gourmet studio made something like this, maybe I would scream blasphemy. Hehehe.



A and I bought other baked goods too. She tapau-ed the following:

Mushroom on baguette

Caramelized nuts danish

I, on the other hand, tapau-ed a Burdock Root bun, a Walnut bread, the triple chocolate macaron that I did not consume and a chocolate brioche for my parents.

The burdock root bun was on the spicy side. I guess it was probably due to the nature of the burdock root. The walnut bread was great as always. The only thing that my family did not enjoy is the chocolate brioche. It was a little too sweet and the chocolate tastes a bit off!

Thanks for the company, A

On the whole, there are slight misses but I would still return to Ficelle as it is actually nice spot (better than Levain!) to bring your friends out to have reasonably priced food without compromising your palette. :)



Little things: 


-Ambience: Pretty quiet. Place is temperate.

-Service: Mostly self-service.

-Portions: Reasonable but can be small if you have a large "tank"

-Budget: Dishes range from RM to 10. Baked goods cost around RM 2-4. Drinks are quite expensive. I had one Iced Earl Grey with lemon. Costs me RM 6!!!

-More information: Click here.