i've been trying to mix it up with my entries -- although i should really get all the chicago ones out of the way before they become obselete. let's start with this one and i'll have about another 3-4 left on chicago. (oh..how bittersweet.. bitter that i am no longer in chicago, sweet that i am done catching up on my chicago entries)


after one of our usual restaurant adventures around the bucktown area, we discovered the storefront company. i peeked through the windows to find an interesting dinner menu that sounded tasty that i just had to add it on my wishlist. in fact, the storefront company just received one star from michelin guide for 2013, the covered accolade to join the ranks of blackbird and takashi.

the storefront company highlights farm cuisine in a modern interpretation. from the restaurant's outer appearance, it reflected a simple, minimalist approach. as i entered the restaurant, the decor captured my heart at first glance. it  reminded me of a artist gallery in black and white sophistication yet rustic, which was very fitting for the neighborhood it was located in. 

{xy} was a tad late (again! :p) but that gave me a chance to take photos to my heart's content! i already knew what appetizer we were sharing even before i made reservations for dinner. quite honestly, it was probably the reason why i so keen on trying this place.

they started us with complimentary breads, crisps and the likes with a spread of soft butter sprinkled with pretty pink himalayan salt.

shared :: foie gras bombe | brioche crisps . onion-rhubarb relish . thyme ($9)

i loved the petite bite size presented in a simple manner. i've read a lot of rave reviews about this dish and general consensus was it is must try, which i gladly obliged since i really like foie gras. these bite size treats were creamy, rich, savory but then greeted by the softened sweet onion-rhubarb relish and brought together by the crunch of the brioche crisps. 

while it was a mouthful of delight, the foie gras mousse was light on the namesake so it lacked that punch but considering the price tag, i could not ask for more.

second :: rabbit | cauliflower . hand cut noodles . gouda . sherry ($26) 

{no longer available on menu}

i wanted to try rabbit once more because the first time i had it, it was braised so long that it lost its flavor and tasted like chicken. i was surprised when the wait staff asked me how i wanted to get the rabbit done. i looked confused for a second and tried my luck with medium -- it should be safe, right? since i live to tell the story, i suppose it is lol. 

freshly handmade pasta cooked al dente rested atop a cauliflower puree that offered a slight sweetness. the pasta sauce had a touch of sherry which is a classic pairing with the mushroom and contrasted perfectly with the cauliflower. i loved the two preparations of the rabbit - the lean meat was most likely sous-vide based on the gentle cooking which had a slightly gamey flavor and yet still moist. the dark was deep fried in a think shell of batter equally as moist. the dish worked together as a whole and thought it was rather tasty. 

second :: arctic char | sage cured pork belly . butternut squash . apple lacquer ($23)

{no longer available on the menu}

{xy}'s choice of the evening. the presentation was like artwork on a piece of blank canvas - playing off the artistic style of the dining space. i didn't taste it but from what i gathered from {xy} he is happy with his delicious decision and the crisp skin locked the moisture of the fish itself. 

as we called for our cheque (or bill, whichever you prefer calling), a well dressed staff of the restaurant came by and dropped off a complimentary chocolate macaroon each, which i thought was quite a nice gesture. :)

this was delicious and that's even after i saved mine for a couple days. i can't remember the texture or taste exactly but i remember enjoying the chocolate-y goodness :)

the storefront company was quite the gratifying experience for the taste buds but not so much for filling of the bellies. as i finished my pasta, i found myself wanting a few more bites of food because i didn't exactly feel full. {xy} felt the same way and we had to find another place for supper after dinner to fill up our unsatisfied bellies. perhaps that's the reason why you don't skip "first" course. >< regardless, the storefront company is worth to try at least once their farm to table creations, all presented in a beautiful whimsical artwork :)

the storefront company chicago | location

1941 w. north avenue,

chicago, il, 60622,
united states

i've long delayed my posts on restaurants i had in japan, simply because how my mouth waters when i think of all the yummy food i've had.  of how much i miss tokyo even though it was such a short visit. one of the biggest reason is probably that i am at lost for words because no words would do justice to my excellent dining experiences in tokyo.

on my second day in tokyo, i've planned for a sushi excursion after my attempt to go for the tuna auction at famed tsukiji market. my friend, {hr} told me not to miss a sushi breakfast while i was there. my  travel research resulted in two famous sushi houses at tsukiji market :: sushi dai {寿司大} and daiwa sushi -- two restaurants that boast to serve the freshest and best sushi in the city. it took me days to choose between the two but there were several bloggers who had given the former an edge over its counterpart.

while we regretfully missed the cut for the tuna auction action, this was a perfect time to start our day with what is promised to be "the best sushi in your life" and we got there just as the clock struck 5am - it's when sushi dai opens! even though i've prepared myself for the possibility of waiting for a long time for sushi, i was taken aback when i saw a long queue outside the sushi house even before it opens at 5AM!! ><

as we waited in line, we enjoyed the sunrise and the bustling of the daily activities at the market. an hour later, we moved up the line just in front of the entrance and i thought "omg getting closer! soo close to awesome sushi"

as we walked closer and closer towards the entrance -- i began to realize why we've been in queue for almost one and a half hour to two hours now.... peering through the glass window of the entrance, petite would be an understatement when describing the size of the shop.

there is even barely any room to squeeze to get to your seats. what more to place your bags, which has to go on the high shelf behind you.

our breakfast choice was made since we had so much time in our hands, waiting :: omakase aka "trust the chef" course. the chef will select the best catches of the day on top of one of your choice to give a total of 11 pieces of nigiri sushi. additionally, sushi rolls, rolled egg and miso soup completed the meal. (¥3,900)

we finally got our seats after about two hours of waiting and by then we were starving. waiting does make the tummy go hungrier ;)



as we squeezed our way to our seats, they served us green tea and a warm towel to wipe our hands. since we know very little japanese, we just pointed at the omakase course. there were three sushi masters at work, each serving their limited number of patrons to ensure quality and a positive dining experience ^^ and our sushi chef was really friendly, making attempts to converse with us despite the language barrier.

these guys definitely know how to start with a bang! the first nigiri featured the best piece of fish you can place over perfectly cooked rice that is seasoned lightly with vinegar and salt...

THE o-toro -- the fattiest, more delicate piece found the belly of the tuna, i thought this was the perfect way to set the tone of the meal :)

a meltingly tender texture, the taste of the fish asserted itself, rich and delicately meaty without it being fishy. and i thought to myself, "so this is how o-toro is supposed to taste like" amazing!

as we were being served our second piece of nigiri, bowls of warm miso containing chunks of fish and clams in it, greeted us with a nice balance of seafood flavor and miso. even their miso soup tasted fantastic. 

next up was suzuki (sea bass). i was observing as the chef prepared the fish, with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a sprinkle of a pinch of salt before handing it over to us, telling us "no sauce". the citrus juice accentuated the taste of the fish and at the same time highlighted the freshness of the fish. 

this was followed by akagai (red clam). i thought i saw it wiggled for a second when the chef served it >< but quickly ignored it and put the whole thing into my mouth. unfortunately, i wasn't a big fan of this probably because of its rubbery texture. 

aji (horse mackerel). the chopped green onions gave a nice clean bite to the intense flavor of the meaty fish yet it was not fishy. loved it!

in the midst of our nigiri savoring, they brought out a piece of tamago (sweet egg) which was still warm and fluffy. just a right amount of sweetness.  yum!

the next piece was probably one of my favorites after the o-toro. uni (sea urchin) was an intense experience for the taste buds, but in a good way. loved loved lovedddd the concentrated taste of the sea but at the same time creamy and rich. oddly it was subtly sweet and bitter at the same time (this is hard to describe) but i absolutely loved it. one word:  mind-blowing!

maguro (tuna) made its appearance after. i've always thought that tuna has this rather fishy flavor occasionally even when it's decently fresh. but this was so extremely fresh that it was a fantastic piece of fish with lovely tuna flavor without all the fishiness. not as melt in your mouth tender as o-toro but a satisfying meaty texture.

the sushi rolls of two varieties - one of which is minced chu-toro (medium grade tuna) and cucumber while the other was salmon roe with herb. while i thoroughly enjoyed the tuna which was was fantastic accompanied by the crunch of the cucumber, the salmon roe roll imparted a bitter aftertaste (probably from the herb) which was left to be desired.

when shiraebi (baby shrimp) was served,  i was taken aback a lil by the looks of it and knowing that it was raw baby shrimp, i was somewhat reserved about eating it. since i promised myself to be adventurous, i consumed it all in one bite. it was a good thing because it was interesting texturally, melts into the rice giving a creamy mouth-feel, leaving a slight sweetness on your taste buds. 

suprisingly, another mackerel got invited to the party -- sawara (spanish mackerel). it was very similar to its counterpart in many aspects -- a lighter version of it, if you will.

omg, anago (sea eel)! its flavor was similar to unagi but texturally, it is so soft that it almost disintegrates into the rice and the finishing touch with the sweet sauce was just nice that it didn't mask the flavor of the fish itself. another favorite!

ten pieces of sushi later, it was time to make a choice for an encore piece or any kind of sushi that my heart desired. torn between two, my choice was to go for the...

...O-TORO! screw trying other things for variety, that first piece i had was phenomenal - reason enough for a repeat performance! (the other i was contemplating was the uni)

the marbling of this fish is even more beautiful than my first piece. this was absolutely the perfect way to begin AND end the meal with.  

this is definitely a MUST if you are in tokyo. bear in mind that the menu is seasonal depending on the catch of the season for the freshest ingredients! oh, and most importantly, it's cash only so make sure you have enough yen in your pocket :)

sushi dai was probably one of the best sushi meals that i've had yet. as the source is a mere walk away from the restaurant, you can always bet on them serving only the freshest ingredients. but what sets them apart is the mastery of the chefs in preparing the fish and seafood in addition to their finesse in seasoning each sushi with such accuracy that i didn't even need any additional soy sauce. in fact, it highlighted them even more making this such an outstanding dining experience..

one word of advise: don't even think about it (even with the hordes of people waiting for their turn for a magical meal -- there is a reason for that wait!) and just go! 

sushi dai | location

5-2-1 tsukiji, chuo-ku, tokyo
(located inside tsukiji market)

phone : + 81 3-3547-6797
hours : 5 am to 2pm
access :: tokyo metro station - 5 minute walk
toei subway tsukiji shio - 3 minute walk 

disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.

with a name such as three little pigs {& the big bad wolf}, you can pretty much guess who the main star here is : BACON! one of my food mantras is "like butter, everything is better with bacon"

i was introduced to this place about a month ago when my childhoold friends decided on this place for a brunch date. it so happens to be {ml}'s cousin's restaurant, which i thought was pretty cool. located in bangsar village one -- actually correction :: attached to mall, i had to ask the information counter to find out that it is outside of the mall, to the right as you exit the main entrance.

the awesome part was, i got coupons for free coffee with any purchase of an entree at three little pigs at the information counter. i suppose everything happens for a yummy reason ;) since my first visit, i have returned for a second time (when i actually took photos) with a dish in mind but {wy} beat me to it since she wanted the same dish and i had to choose between variety and desire. lol.

there are two entrances to this place, one as mentioned and the other is located somewhere in cold storage if you can find the mystical, magical door ;) hehe. 

one cool concept of this place is that it transforms at night :: 

when the sun goes down and the three little pigs go home, the big bad wolf comes out to play!

i read from a couple of blogs that the restaurant sheds it's sheep's clothing and wine racks appear at night, not visible during the day. 

the decor of the place took a more minimalist approach, perhaps to accommodate the concept they have for the restaurant.  most of the restaurant is clad in a grey hue with warm white and brown and the occasional punch of pink items. there are three dining sections one of which is the outdoor dining (which i will try to avoid esp in the hot and humid weather that is malaysia..lol). the combination of rustic and modern contemporary decor fills up the restaurant.

serving a mix of new american brunch favorites and italian cuisine, the menu is still expanding -- occasionally offering specials. since i missed out on pictures from my first visit, the dishes that i've tried then shall be summarized at the end of the entry :)

every girl loves a deal, especially when it comes to food for me ^^ a free coffee -- and not just any coffee, it ranges from latte, mocha, to americano and long black. since i had four coupons to share with my friends, {wy} graciously offered me her free cup of coffee to satisfy my caffeine love. and because she doesn't like coffee.

if you are wondering, the offer only lasted till the end of last year.. but i just checked on their facebook for this month of january, they are offering a free cookie with any purchase on their menu! if it was like any cookie they offered samples of that day, i think you'd love the chewy and chocolate-y goodness of it. i  actually contemplated asking for a second sample.

drinks :: cafe latte & cafe mocha

typically i would list down the price of these drinks but since i got them complimentary with the order of an entree, i've forgotten the price.  >< i think the range was about rm 7-9. i honestly didn't expect much from free coffees but these were surprisingly good. 

the foam art on the latte was weak but the taste made up for it. a good amount of foam, good quality espresso which was brewed quite nicely, displaying an underlying bitterness, which is what you want from a latte. definitely better than starbucks but doesn't beat my top two lattes that i love.

the mocha was a lot sweeter and quite a strong chocolate flavor that somewhat masked the espresso flavor. my verdict would be it is pretty good but {wy} was a fan of it although she doesn't like coffee. 

brekkies :: eggs benedict | two poached eggs with crispy pork bacon on toasted bread (rm 18)

{tyl} ordered this classic preparation of the benedict. i didn't taste it but from what i remembered my first visit where i ordered another rendition of the eggs benedict, the eggs royale, the bread could do a bit more toasting and the chewy texture threw me off - almost made me question the freshness of the bread. the poached eggs were done just perfectly with the yolk oozing its golden richness to the rest of the components. the bacon could have been slightly crisper but {tyl}'s verdict was "okay". 

spaghettis :: the wolf's favorite | creamy spaghetti with smoked pork bacon and button mushrooms, topped with a poached egg and crispy bacon bits (rm27)

{wy} and i wanted to order this dish. i had planned for this since my first visit >< and yet.. sigh. i had to pass on it because i wanted needed variety.

i mean what is there to not like about this dish?

mushrooms - love it. bacon - LURRRRVEEEEE it!! and that's bacon times two! crowned with a poached egg - yum! they should probably have a warning label that says "heart attack waiting to happen" (let's be honest here!) but if you are gonna do bacon, you gotta go all the way, the right way! 

simply put, it's carbonara with a smokey-and-poached egg twist - and without the hunk of cheese. the pork bacon lent a smokiness and saltiness to the dish and the crispy bits offered textural difference that the dish needed. pasta was cooked al dente. what surprised me was the fact, despite it being bacon heavy, the pasta needed a touch of salt and a pinch of freshly cracked black pepper probably wouldn't hurt.  

before you dig in, you gotta cut into the poached egg to accentuate the creaminess and richness of the dish. unfortunately, the cook/chef today overpoached the egg slightly :( which irks me a little. my first visit here saw all the eggs successfully poached  so i was a tad disappointed.

despite it being creamy (in a good way) which might have someone end up feeling full quite quickly, {wy} said that it wasn't the case for this one. but it was quite greasy when she got to her last bite, with the oil glistening at the bottom of the plate. i'd say it's a perfect dish for those who love bacon to bits and are not fans of green because there isn't any!

spaghettis and oven baked specialties :: baked meatlovers penne | homemade meatball, honey baked ham and pork bacon in traditional tomato sauce topped with mozzarella cheese (rm27)

i am not so much a meatlover but i was curious to see how well they would execute this dish. and i'm not saying that the combination of bacon, melted mozzarella cheese on top of tart and savory tomato sauce with a meatball didn't have a hand at swaying me! i loved the melty cheese on top blanketed the al dente penne. the strong flavors of both meats rendered the dish a little too salty which subdued the other subtle flavors of the tomato sauce which was tart - which ironically cut through the meatiness and the richness of this oven baked specialty.

the meatball was moist, made from pork and i would have enjoyed a dash of fresh herbs in it. while the dish overall was still quite tasty in flavor considering i finished the whole damn thing >< my mind can't help but wonder what could have been with the wolf's favorite.

the other dishes i've tasted here but failed to capture in film (*facepalm*). 

o1 . i am so hungry i could eat a wolf (rm 28) :: quite a variety of different things on a plate but i remember {kl} loved the sausages the most and liked the overall dish. 

o2 . eggs royale (rm 19) :: eggs benedict without the bacon but with smoked salmon - similar experience with the chewy bread - the hint of lemon in the hollandaise sauce helped cut through the smoked salmon that was slightly too fishy for my liking.

o3. spiced wedges (rm 9) :: some of them fried to perfection where the outside was crispy and the inside were soft, sprinkled with salt and paprika. {yk} wasn't sure about the sour cream as a dipping sauce but ended up liking it over the sweet chilli sauce.  

o4. caramel chocolate cake :: rich, moist chocolate cake and deep, fudgy chocolate goodness for the frosting. quite honestly, this cake could have done without the caramel since the caramel kinda took away from it.

while i didn't take much food pictures, but i managed to capture good times i had with friends from my first visit :)

while i am still searching for the best brunch place that offers new american favorites, three little pigs {and the big bad wolf} is one of the contenders for delicious brunch options. while there are some work to be done but i think the flavors of the dishes are heading in the right direction.

three little pigs {& the big bad wolf}  | location

lot g1a, ground floor, bangsar village 1
jalan telawi satu, bangsar baru

59100 kuala lumpur
phone : 603- 22832270
hours : 10 am to 10pm 

disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.