Why I love 'Beautiful Boxer'

One of my favorite Asian films of all time is actually ‘Beautiful Boxer’. The movie evolved around a young man who is a talented kickboxer and also happens to have woman soul. There are many reason why I love this movie. Not just that it is actually an inspiration, a real life story that tells you that you are what you are and the best person to be is yourself. This has been my own motto for quite some times but I don’t think I’ve reached Nong Toom states yet.

As I mentioned, there are several things that I love about this movie and some of them are the actual story behind the movie itself. So here are some of those reasons.

La Manila Original - Midvalley KL

Ambience : 5 (Coffee shop style)
Food : 8 - Braised chicken with rice
Service : 5
Price : RM4.50 - Coffee

When I go to a place that have a name of a particular city, I would assume that it would be a place with a signature food, meaning La Manila would have have something from Manila,right?

But its not in their menu, so I assume its just a name.

I ordered braised chicken with rice & freshly brewed coffee. The waiter is courteous enough but could do better. Though I feel it have the same standard we could expect from a normal Chinese coffee shop. Its not bad but having a coffee shop in Midvalley should have top up their standard a little bit.

The food comes quick.

After eating a few bad chicken for a few time, tasting fresh chicken meat seems like heaven. Braised chicken would usually tasted like it had lived in the fridge for far too long. But La Manila chicken tasted fresh. The sauce was good though nothing distinct, the soup taste nice too and the rice had some really good aroma to it. So basically food was great.

However, the moment I put my spoon down the waitress whisked my food away. Actually they thought they are doing me a favor but for someone who likes to play with foods...I was taken by surprise.

Then again, they did asked first so I could've have said something but I didn't.

Guess the fault is not all theirs.

Ambience is like a coffee shop. If I'm not in Mid Valley I would have thought I just stumbled upon into those more 'elegant' chinese coffee shop.

And uniform could be done better. Apart from the T-Shirt there are lack of conformity. From jeans to croc sandals to sneakers.

Again it cross my mind of a Chinese coffee shop. Hey, I've nothing against coffee shop but this is suppose to be La Manila in Mid Valley, KL. Won't you agree if the standard should rise a bit?

My suggestions is to increase the service part. Food was great so I still would recommend others to go there.

Toast Box - Mid Valley KL

Arriving at the North Court Entrance of Mid Valley KL, I'm teased with the aroma of old style coffee. So I decided to drop off and get myself some coffee at the source of the aroma; Toast Box.

And made my first mistake...ordered Laksa.

To really enjoyed Toast Box I should've ordered coffee with some bread toast but instead I ordered Laksa; the noodles with curry & rich coconut gravy. I've never liked Laksa & have no idea why I ordered it.

Oh yes...I was hungry. And there are no food apart from the seemingly cold Nasi Lemak & bread toast which I don't consider good enough for lunch.

Well, after I ordered I went off & find myself a nice spot in a myriad of hardwood furnitures that gives a melancholy rustic feelings. Which I like, by the way.

The coffee is good. Thick texture and not so sweet. Aroma preserved. Nicely prepared. But the laksa...well to put it nicely, quite a taste that I'm never going to order it ever again. The coconut gravy was too thick overriding the actual laksa taste. The noodle are almost non existent and the prawn has been dead for quite a while. I think I took around five spoonful or less before I push the whole bowl off.

So, I thought, hey what the heck...I'm being negative. So I ordered the set with Honey Toast, another black coffee and eggs. To my amusement (and a tad bit disappointed) the coffee arrived with milk, thick honey toast and the eggs was forgotten. I got it later. Oh well...

The waiter apologized courteously as he delivered my eggs and my bills. I paid. Then he came back saying that my bill was cheaper and he apologized again. I'm not sure whether I should be happy with his honesty or feel bad that he doesn't seem to know his job well.

And he didn't come back with my receipt.

The second coffee is as good as the first. Nicely done. But the other food needs some improvement.

Toast should be served hot not cold, eggs should be piping hot not lukewarm and scrap the laksa.

All and all its a good place to sit, drink coffee and read a book. But I would not recommend my friends to order anything else.