White Sand Cafe @ Empire Damansara
Took over the space previously occupied by Tous Le Jous, White Sand Cafe is a new kid on the block setting foot in Empire Damansara merely 3 months ago.
Not much changes on the layout of the interior but I was immediately riveted to the display shelves filled with decorative jars with plenty of Santorini inspired mini blue and white wooden and clay houses once I stepped into the cafe.
The cafe boasts a simple bright white theme furnished with white furniture and French door panels. This place certainly has the feel of spaciousness with lots of room between tables.
Another dining area across the walkway is presented in a totally different setting, stirring up a rustic appearance with exposed brick walls, vintage leather sofas, dark wooden elements and a huge chandelier. The communal table and a large book cabinet in light wooden tone cleverly blended into the design and exudes a pleasing relaxed vibe.
The outdoor seats are equally inviting. One can choose to sit at the walkway of both indoor dining area or the laid back garden seats surrounded by greenery and water feature at the back of the cafe.
White Sand cafe offers a good variety of beverages such as coffee, latte, teas, fresh juices and their specialty mocktails.
Rosemary Whisper, Spiced Mojito & Coconut on White Sand (RM13.90 each)
The full-fledged food menu features a mishmash of Western, Chinese and Malay dishes. There are also a selection of light bites, baked goods, cakes and fruit yogurt if you want some light food.
Fried Lemongrass Wings (RM15.90 for 3pcs)
We all thought those chicken wings were over-fried at first glance but when we had a bite we knew they weren’t. Marinated with lemongrass and other spices, the fried chicken wings had utterly crunchy outer with a strong flavors that we Malaysians’ taste bud are fond of.
Hot Hot Chicken Boxing (RM15.90 for 5pcs)
True to its name, these chicken drumettes were coated with spicy Korean chili sauce that pack a fiery punch to the palate.
Grilled Mushroom Tartine with Egg & Avocado (RM22.90)
White Sand Cafe serves All Day Breakfast with options such as Egg Benedict, White Sand Breakfast, Spinach and Mushroom Sandwich, Bruschetta Vegetarian, French Toast with Mixed Berries and our choice of Grilled Mushroom Tartine with Egg & Avocado.
The open-faced sandwich with pesto spread was topped with grilled cherry tomatoes and mushroom, avocado slices and crowned with a nicely done poached egg. Pricked the egg and let the runny egg yolk combines with all the elements as well as the balsamic sauce drizzles. Flavors and textures were certainly multi-dimensional and satisfying.
Grilled Salmon Steak (RM26.90)
The grilled Salmon was lightly seasoned and showcased the original flavor of the fish. However it was fully cooked rendering a rather dry texture, luckily the lemon cream sauce compensated the dryness of the fish, and also provide flavours to the blanched French beans.
There are good selection of dishes infused with local and oriental flavours such as Tom Yum pasta, Ayam Percik Butter Rice, Sweet and Sour Fish/Chicken Butter Rice and Vegetarian Spring Rolls, just to name a few.
Pandan Satay Chicken with Nasi Himpit (RM19.90)
Marinated with the similar spices with the Fried Chicken Wings, the flavors of the chicken leg was spot on with additional subtle Pandan aroma. Texture wise, the chicken leg fried to perfection with crunchy skin and moist tender flesh. I especially enjoyed the crispy bits of the spices clung on the chicken skin, so yum! Served with Nasi Himpit, tomato salsa and peanut sauce which complemented the meat very well.
Tom Yum with Shrimps (RM22.90)
Pasta dishes come with choices of Fettuccine, fusilli or linguini. The pasta was prepared with a right balance of hotness and sourness, every strand was evenly coated with pungent Tom Yum sauce. One can also opt for vegetarian version which priced at RM17.90.
Ginger & Spices with Baked Fish (RM19.90)
Another oriental flavor infused pasta dish we had was this Ginger and Spices fusilli studded with minced garlic, ginger, chili flakes and mushrooms. Flavor was lighter if compared with the previous pasta but well executed. You may add on baked chicken (RM20.90) or have it vegetarian (RM17.90)
Stone Pot Shrimp (RM26.90)
I didn’t expect to get such a good version of claypot noodles at a modern cafe. Laden bountifully with shrimps, mushrooms, bean curd, cabbage and fried bean curn sheet, the noodles submerged in fiery Tom Yum broth had a intense heat, sourness and perfumes with lemongrass and kaffir leaves. Choice of noodles: Yee Mee, vermicelli or glass noodles.
Caramel Crêpe Cake (RM12.90)
Peanut Torte (RM12.90)
Oreo Crêpe Cake (RM12.90)
Call me bias, I love everything with caramel 😛 My vote went to the Caramel Crepe Cake for it melt-in-your mouth texture with delectable caramel sweetness.
Baked Croissants (from RM4.90 upwards)
Choices include plain, salted egg yolk, peanut butter, chocolate, almond and stuffed croissant.
Verdict: A well worth checking out cafe in this area with extensive menu that can please your western or oriental palate.
White Sand Cafe
I love the book cabinet <3
And also the hot pot shrimp 🙂
San Yi Ting, 我也是 🙂 每个爱书的人都梦想有这样的一个书柜~~
Their decorations is indeed quite unique.
Food also looks presentable, desserts especially =)
Hayley, the decor is the appetizer before savouring the food 😛
Oh, I see I have two reviews on the same place in my blogroll today! 😉 Looks like the interior has not changed much from the previous tenant. Lots of hearty dishes to choose from here and all affordably priced at around RM25. Those fried chicken looks exactly like ayam berempah 🙂
Kris, ya, to me it is ayam berempah 😛
Ahh… so they don’t serve sand here?
Ken, maybe the kitchen team not as creative as you, should you suggest how they can serve the sand? In what form for example? LOL
所以还是保留了TLJ基本的墙面设计,手指滑下来只有甜品让我停住视线,我最近真的很需要甜品来冲缓一下我的盲忙莽!!
Eugein, 年尾大家都应该很忙,如果吃些甜的能暂时让你放松紧绷的情绪,那就去吧!
What a coincidence! I walked pass this outlet last night but ate at the Boat Noodles as they have new flavours in their menu. I saw a number of people looking inside from the glass windows and I didn’t realise they had taken over Tous Le Jous. It looked very cozy to sit and chat for hours with friends.
TM, TLJ had ceased operation on May and the leng zai Korean ambassador has been replaced by that beautiful White Sand mural of my 1st photo in this post 😛