B.I.G Ben's Independent Grocers, Solaris Dutamas, Malaysia

Not your usual supermarket entrance.  Yep, you can get live Christmas trees.

Botanical, my favourite section - fresh produce - and you can't get any fresher than picking your own hydroponic lettuce!

Bloom - live florist.

Fun, friendly guys in the Bay seafood section - all ready to recommend a fish.

 Aussie butcher - grass fed beef  - yay!

 Gourmet and spice section.

 True gourmet products! Pop a cob of corn!

Take a rest with a bite to eat at Ben's General Food Store.

Coffee... mmm.... AND Koko Black chocolate from Australia (famous chocolatier)!

 Magazine for tea time?

 Christmas turkeys!

Love the S.Wine section :-)  Non - halal of course.

Busy in the bakery.

Grocery shopping is no longer a chore but a very pleasurable activity at B.I.G Ben's Independent Grocers in Publika, Solaris Dutamas.  BIG caters to both your gourmet and regular grocery shopping needs. The design of the place makes shopping a delight. With wide isles and artfully crafted and cleverly named sections such as Botanical for fresh produce, S. Wine for non- halal products and the Barn Butchers for all of your carnivorous needs, you feel happy just strolling around browsing rather than the usual market rush to get the job over with. Besides a mind boggling range of gourmet products, there is also Ben's General Food Store where you can grab a bite to eat, Plan B for coffee, and soon to be opened a tea shop, a non-halal cafe and a chocolate bar. Wander, shop, have some lunch. Wander, shop, have a nibble. Wander, shop, finish with coffee and chocolate. Grocery shopping has become an event worth getting up for. The Plan B section will soon be roasting their own coffee on site. I'm quite the fuss when it comes to coffee and I wasn't expecting to be wowed at this spot as the brew served at Ben's in KLCC and Plan B in Bangsar is not quite strong enough for the addict that I am. The barista at Plan B in BIG though whipped me up such a delicious flat white that I will have to consider revisiting the other outlets to reevaluate. So, how much do you pay for wide isles and an enjoyable consumer experience? Well, there are a lot of expensive speciality gourmet products, but you would pay the same for those items anywhere in KL (if they were available elsewhere). There is though, also a range of regular groceries at regular prices. As for the food outlets I thought they were comparable to any other place of similar quality in KL. For me, turning what was previously just a chore to check off the task list into something I look forward to is worth a little extra.

BIG

Ben's Independent Grocers
Publika Solaris Dutamas
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia

Damas Sweets, Ampang Point, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Damas Sweets is managed by a lovely Syrian man and his boys who bake all of the goodies on site. With at least 20 different types of Syrian pastries it's hard to choose just one. Who said you had to do that anyway? I've happily sampled at least ten. I'm a fan of nuts, dates and most things sweet and sticky so the sparrow's nest - syrupy noodles of pastry wrapped around pistachios to look like a nest - quickly won over my taste buds. The tamrieh made with almonds, cashews, pistachios, dates and chocolate is equally as good. Actually I love this type of dessert so it's hard to pick out just a couple to highlight. Friends found the creamy ghrayibah and the baklava fingers to be their favourites. The sweets are cut into small pieces so you an easily try a few in one sitting. Taste testing before you buy is encouraged and the cafe set up invites you to stay a while enjoying your treats with a hot beverage. Hand made wooden gift boxes and decorative plate arrangements make a great gift and they also cater for functions. Theoretically these sweets will last a couple of months in the refrigerator, but strangely enough they've never lasted more than a few days in my house (for reasons having more to do with a sweet tooth than an expiry date). Damas Sweets is located in a side street outside of Ampang Point, same street as HSBC and opposite Nasi Kandar Pelita. Two shops down is the Persian grocery store so you can satisfy your Mid East cravings all in one stop.

Damas Sweets

Open 11am - 11pm, 7 days

12 Jalan Mamanda 5

Ampang Point

68000 Ampang

Selangor, Malaysia

(Opposite HSBC Bank)

+6 03 4266 4646

The Origin, Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Origin, the latest vegetarian restaurant in town, could possibly be the best thing to hit Ampang this year. A fully vegetarian menu is the highlight with lots of organic ingredients, no genetically modified products, a focus on locally sourced produce and of course no MSG. A mishmash of Asian dishes are featured - Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese and Nonya flavours all make an appearance. Being a family run business, many of the recipes are traditional favourites coming from grandma herself (who has been vegetarian for more than 30 years). You cannot go wrong with any of the dishes on offer - all showcase colourful, flavourful, wonderous combinations of grains, nuts, fruits, legumes and vegetables. As no garlic or onion is used in any dish it's hard to believe that everything can be so tasty! The list would encompass just about the entire menu if I were to note everything that I liked here. So, to keep it short, do not leave this place without trying the pumpkin tofu with Thai passionfruit sauce, organic seasonal leafy greens with ginger and goji berries and the seaweed wrapped tofu with nyonya assam sauce (grandma's recipe!). Even the kids can be satisfied with dishes such as soya nuggets and cheesy broccoli rice.  Word must be spreading quickly as The Origin already has a decent lunch time crowd. Weekdays, set lunches start from 9.90RM and include a drink and dessert and the most expensive items on the menu don't go much above 20RM. Even though it has just opened (11/11/11) there seem to be very few kinks to be ironed out. The owner says they look to expand the menu though it all appears to be just right to me. The feel of the place is peaceful and happy and the owner glows with health and happiness. A sure attestation that she is doing something (or many things) right.

The Origin Restaurant & Café

No. 8  Jalan 1/67B (Off Jalan Mengkudu)

54540 Ampang  (Besides Ampang Grocers and Brussels Beer Cafe)

Tel : 03 – 4253 5388,   012-3789415,    016-2913000
Coordinate:   N03⁰ 09.469’ E101⁰ 44.854’

Open Tuesday - Sunday
12noon - 3pm & 6pm - 10pm