New series of yummy desserts at Lemon Tree Restaurant, Johor Bahru

The Sweet Moment dessert corner (N1.49135 E103.76201) is located in Lemon Tree Restaurant, Taman Melodies. The dessert corner is running by a young man - Mr Kevin Sio who provide many choices of dessert which suitable to all dessert lover in Johor Bahru.

I was fortunate enough being invited for the desserts sampling session on one of the evening, appreciated. You can view through the environment of the Lemon Tree restaurant from my previous post. The Sweet Moment corner is situated in their new expansion wing next door. The area is cozy and comfort to dine in. I like the retro ambience very much.

Before the series of desserts present on our table, we ordered a pizza to filled up the empty stomach before the desserts...

Apologies for forgot the name of the pizza, but it was cheesy, crunchy on the edge and delicious!

After the pizza, where everyone can't wait to see and taste of the desserts...Kevin Sio presented the first dessert of the evening - Matcha Tiramisu.

Matcha Tiramisu

An utterly unique and delicious blend of flavors :-
- a layer of cheese cream,
- with a matcha powder -
- lady finger which dipped into sweet sake
- and a thin layer of chocolate cake at the bottom.

Before we can finish enjoy the tiramisu, another attractive dessert presented on the table - Mousse Au Chocolate.

Mousse Au Chocolate

I said, this was a creative chocolate cake I ever taste! (even I'm not a dessert lover)
It had 4 different layer provided with 4 total different textures, you will be surprise in one of the unique layer which cannot described by words, you have to taste it yourself. The vanilla ice cream was just nice on the sugar level, not overly sweet.

Mousse Au Chocolate

The third - Chili Padi Sorbet. (bird eye chili)

A lemon base sorbet mixed with slight taste of chili padi spiciness. I bet you can't imagine the taste even, the sorbet was not spicy at all, but with a humble chili padi flavor which will appear before the ice dissolve. Surprise!
You have a try it at least once, if you are a true dessert lover!

Chili padi sorbet from the Sweet Moment

Forth - Chocolate cubes

Chocolate cubes

This plate of dessert served with a chocolate brownie in cube shape, a scope of vanilla ice scream (with some almonds) and a teaspoon of vanilla.

The chocolate brownie

The vanilla

Before we can grab the chocolate cube, the vanilla has to pour slowly on to it. The taste went well with both of it.

The excited moment...

The enjoyment of having the dessert was fabulous!

Beside the desserts above, The Sweet Moment also has other type of desserts available in the restaurant. All are serve with the healthy sugar level to comply with today taste, suitable from children to the seniors customers.

The Lemon Tree Restaurant is a nice place for lunch and dinner, even for a quick bite! I like the comfort environment with the friendly staffs, not to forget the humble boss - Mr Jeffery Bong. Most important, and everyone concern about it...is the bottom line - reasonable prices (I rather called it 'friendly prices').

The team on the evening

Specially thanks for Mr Kevin Sio (in black shirt) with his Art of Masterpiece! And appreciated for Mr Jeffery Bong (with checker T) who given this opportunity for us to enjoy the new series of dessert in Sweet Moment.

Sweet Moment Dessert Corner of

- Lemon Tree Restaurant
18, Jalan Bedara,
Taman Melodies, Johor Bahru.
Tel : +607-335 5688
Business hour : 12pm - 11pm (Close on Monday)
GPS Coordinates : N1.49135 E103.76201
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/KEV.SweetMoment

Location map of Sweet Moment of Lemon Tree Restaurant at Melodies Garden, Johor Bahru.

Jewish Heritage Europe launches monthly Newsletter

Door to the orthodox synagogue in Presov, Slovakia

By Ruth Ellen Gruber

Jewish Heritage Europe -- the web site that I coordinate -- has just launched a monthly newsletter! The first edition came this week and contains a description of the web site's features as well as highlights from our regular almost-daily news feed.

JHE is an expanding web portal to news, information and resources concerning Jewish monuments and heritage sites all over Europe. A project of the Rothschild Foundation (Hanadiv) Europe, we foster communication and information exchange regarding projects, initiatives and other developments: restoration, funding, projects, best-practices, advisory services and more.

Our newsfeed is updated almost daily, and by now, with well over 500 posts, it represents a major searchable database of information on the contemporary status of Jewish built heritage in Europe.

Please take a look -- and subscribe and share!
 
Click here to see the Newsletter

Balagan Cafe in Florence is Back for the Summer

by Ruth Ellen Gruber

Going to Florence this summer? Well, Balagan Cafe is back -- the weekly open house/garden party on the tree-shaded grounds of the city's magnificent synagogue.

Just about every Thursday evening through August, the Jewish community invites the public for what they call an "apericena" -- a combination aperitivo drink and cena, or dinner -- with kosher food, wine and fancy cocktails.

In addition to the edibles and libations, each night programs concerts, talks, performances or other events, not to mention stands selling books, CDs and souvenirs.

Click here to see the full program.

The first edition of the Cafe was a big hit last summer -- with hundreds of people attending each week. They included members of the Jewish community but also many members of the mainstream public.

As I wrote last November in an article for The Forward:

Each Café featured music, lectures, discussions, performances and other events. There were free guided tours of the synagogue and stands selling books, CDs, Judaica and Balagan Café T-shirts depicting a full moon over the synagogue dome. Performers and featured participants included nationally known figures such as the rock singer Raiz, the Tzadik label klezmer jazz clarinetist Gabriele Coen, and the architect Massimiliano Fuksas, who designed, among other things, the Peres Peace House in Israel.
Meanwhile, food stands sold kosher meals and kosher wine to crowds eager to sample couscous, baked eggplant, beans with cumin and harissa, spicy chickpeas, Roman-style sweet and sour zucchini and other specialties. One evening saw a “competition” between Sephardic and Ashkenazic cooking; another featured a lesson in challah-making.
[...]
About 300 people turned up for the first Café in early June — most of them Jewish community members and their friends. But each week the numbers grew, thanks to enthusiastic local media coverage as well as word of mouth.
“It conquered the city,” journalist Fulvio Paloscia wrote in La Repubblica. By the summer’s last Café, on Aug. 29 — where I was featured in a public conversation ... about Jewish culture and mainstream society — the event drew 800 people. Crowds milled about the garden and listened to two concerts, one by a klezmer band and one by Sephardic singer Evelina Meghnagi. They also mobbed the food stand, where some 450 kosher meals were sold.

Dabinlo 打甂炉 steamboat restaurant at Taman Gaya, Johor Bahru.

The Dabinlo Steamboat Restaurant 打甂炉 (N1.56867 E103.80215) is located along Jalan Sasa 5 of Taman Gaya. The restaurant started operation about 2 months ago and drew a good crowd every evening.  
Dabinlo Steamboat created the new concept for steamboat lover within the nearby area, where the whole restaurant is fully air-conditioning, clean and comfort environment. (you can view from the photos below)

Dabinlo Steamboat Restaurant

The steamboat restaurant has a outdoor and indoor dining area...the clean and tidy setting really impressive!

The outdoor dining area of Dabinlo steamboat restaurant

Follow by the air-conditioning indoor dining area...

The indoor dining area of Dabinlo steamboat restaurant

Every diners have to choose their favorite sauces themselves at the counter. There are bird eyes chili, homemade chili sauce, sambal belacan, garlic and my favorite - peanut sesame sauce.

The counter for the sauces

The raw foods were served on our table pretty fast even it was full house on that evening, impressed with their services. The restaurant provide 3 types of soup which are chicken, tomyam and we chose the herbal soup.

The minimum order for every table will be the 2 persons set (RM38.80) which include the yellow noodles, vermicelli, eggs, veggie, tomatoes, taufu, fish, prawns, dumplings and many more...

The standard serving for 2 persons steamboat dinner

The standard serving for 2 persons steamboat dinner (the other angle view)

We did some side order beside the main serving...

The beef slices

The pork slices

The smoke duck

The special Korean vermicelli 

We like the herbal soup very much!
Especially cooked with all the fresh meats and ingredients, it was yummy! But remember 'not to' throw in the yellow noodles at the initial stage, the noodles will make the soup salty and might not suitable to everyone.
The friendly boss did advise us to enjoy the beef and the pork with their recommended peanut sesame sauce, oh...which was delicious!

Previously, we usually have our steamboat dinner during the raining evening because of the 'heat', but now...with the fully air-conditioning and relax environment by Dabinlo, I guess we can have it whenever we want!

The unique logo by Dabinlo Steamboat restaurant

We had a nice steamboat dinner and a total new experience within the popular steamboat restaurant in Johor Bahru. Worth for the price with the fresh foods and the friendly service.

The parking area can be quite challenging during the time from 7pm - 8.30pm, because there are many restaurants around the same area...visit as early as possible to avoid the inconvenience.

Do drop by the newly open restaurant if you are looking for good environment for steamboat dinner, the address and contact number stated below (map included)

Dabinlo Steamboat Restaurant 打甂炉火锅

23, Jalan Sasa 5,

Taman Gaya, Ulu Tiram,

Johor Bahru.

Contact number : +607-8634560

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dabinlo-Steamboat/398663740273631

Business hour : 5pm - 11pm
(they'll serve lunch in the near future)

Rest day : alternate Monday

GPS coordinates : N1.56867 E103.80215

Location map of Da Bin Lo Steamboat Restaurant at Taman Gaya