Tino's Pizza Express @ Bangsar South, Kuala Lumpur

Bangsar South is a place that has tremendously transformed in the recent years. When I used to visit this place a couple of years back, there were only a handful of eateries. Today, there are so many choices. This afternoon, we were at Bangsar South and decided to give Tony's Pizza Express a try. 

Located At The Ground Floor of Nexus Bangsar South

Very Catchy Designs

This outlet is located on the Ground Floor of Nexus Bangsar South and their business hours are 10 to 10, daily. Their concept was simple and I loved the chic designs. Service levels were excellent too and their staffs were very friendly and helpful. 

They had a good variety of pizza's and they were reasonably priced. As for the crust options, both classic and thin crust were available. Since my friend was a vegetarian, we decided to go for any one of the vegetarian pizzas and finally decided on the Margherita Pizza. 

Margherita Pizza (M) @ RM 21.90

We had initially wanted to order two pizza's but the waiter informed us that one is good for two. Luckily she did stop us as it was really huge. The Margherita Pizza comes with cherry tomatoes, grada padano, mozzarella and cheddar cheese. I found the ingredients to be good and even the bread was soft and lovely. Together, it was definitely a good one and my rating for this shall be 8/10. 

Tino's Pizza does offer some very good pizza's and the variety that is available is impressive. Their pizza's are tasty and reasonably priced. Vegetarian options are available too. If you're around Bangsar South, I would recommend giving this place a try. 

Address: Lot G-15, Nexus Bangsar South, 7, Jalan Kerinchi, 59200 Kuala Lumpur.

Business Hours: 1000 - 2200 Daily

Tappers Cafe @ Cyberjaya, Selangor

Tappers Cafe is a chain of restaurants that's quite famous and they have a number of outlets across the Klang Valley. Despite having been in the market for a number of years now, I have never tried the food at any one of their outlets thus far. Most of the time, I see their outlets to be full house and TV3's Jalan Jalan Cari Makan team had also endorsed the place. Looking at all this, we decided to drop by for dinner. 

The Outlet in Shaftsbury Square, Cyberjaya

Endorsement By The JJCM Team

They now have an outlet in Shaftsbury Square and that's quite convenient for me as it is just across the road from my office. Even at 8.00 pm, there were still a number of customers that were coming and that seemed assuring. This outlet has both indoor and outdoor seating areas. Even outdoors, there are ceiling fans installed to keep the place cool. 

They have a very impressive menu covering a range of cuisines. The only food item that I did not see there was Indian cuisine. Otherwise, they had a little of everything else. Prices were definitely steep. Not designed as a day to day restaurant. It's more like a place that you visit once in a while when you have something to celebrate. Service from the staffs were good as well. They were polite and worked efficiently. 

Iced Lemon Tea @ RM 5.50

I had plain water and my brother had this Iced Lemon Tea. RM 5.50 for a glass which wasn't even tall is considered to be quite expensive. Not only that, the drink itself was quite depressing. There was no zest in the drink and even the tea was watered down. All the hype for such quality? Now, I got a little worried as to how the food would be. Coming back to this drink, I would only give it a 6/10. 

Thai Chicken Cake @ RM 9.50

One bite and I knew that this was frozen, precooked stuff that has just been heated up. The Chicken Cake's weren't up to the mark and that sauce that they gave was very much tasteless. It was so watery that I could not even make out what it was. A disappointing starters and I'd only give this a 6/10. 

Hainanese Chicken Chop @ RM 16.50

Again, another dish that had been precooked, frozen and heated up just before serving. In fact, it must have been frozen for quite a while. Can you imagine those canned food like Chicken Curry with Potatoes and how the potatoes would be when you open the can, this was exactly like that. We could not even slice the potatoes as they were all soaked and mushy. For the price, I would say the portion was huge. No doubt about that. But the taste was so bad that it felt like torture trying to finish the dish just because were paying for it. Another disappointment! I would only give this 5/10 and that's because it was still edible. Oh, I forgot to mention that the sauce was watered down as well. Totally lacked flavours. 

Chicken Parmigiana @ RM 16.50

Another similar dish but this one was even worse. It had not even been heated up properly. Can you see those clotted cheese that looks like worms on the chicken? That's because it has not melted down totally and that means the chicken wasn't perfectly heated up as well. I just had a little to satisfy my hunger and left the rest. I would give this a 3/10 only. 

Fried Banana Fritters with Ice Cream @ RM 8.50

Another similar dish as well. The bananas tasted old, definitely prefried and even the ice cream seemed like old stock. It's either old stock or a very cheap commercial brand. Either way, another big no from me and I would give this a 5/10 as well. 

We have so many franchises in Malaysia and I have never come across food that's so stale tasting in any one of them. Each and every food item that we tried seemed like it was cooked a long time back, kept frozen and reheated prior to serving. Though this is a common practice across all franchises to maintain the same taste across it's outlets, this one was just off. And that too premium prices. I truly wonder how the TV3's Jalan Jalan Cari Makan Team had endorsed them unless the issue is only with this outlet in Cyberjaya. Either way, I doubt I would come back again.,

Address: P1-08, Shaftsbury Square, Lot 2350, Cyber 6, Persiaran Multimedia, 

                63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 0930 - 2100 Daily

Pezzo @ Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur

One of the new outlets to open up in NU Sentral Mall is Pezzo, a pizza chain that hails from Singapore and is slowly expanding it's foot print in Malaysia. I believe they have a strong presence in East Malaysia and having been successful there, they are slowly penetrating the market here in West Malaysia. 

The Kiosk in NU Sentral Mall

They do have a full fledged outlet in 1 Utama but I have never gotten a chance to try the pizza yet. This outlet in NU Sentral Mall is just a kiosk located not too far away from the escalator that connects this mall with KL Sentral. As it was the rush hour with commuters heading back home after work, the place was buzzing with customers. The queue was rather long but the guys manning the counter were extremely efficient. They must have been very well trained to handle large crowd. It took them about a minute or two to handle each customer and that's super efficient.

Prices & Promotions

Good Variety of Pizza

Prices were clearly displayed on the screen and again right beside each and every pizza. Another good thing is the clear indication of the ingredients. Weather it was chicken, lamb or beef, every pizza had the narration as well as symbols which made it easier to identify them. For example for a person who does not consume beef like me, all I had to do was look at those pictures and choose accordingly. I did not have to strain my eyes and try reading the smaller prints beside each one of those pizzas. This also did cut down a lot of enquiry time that customers would have had assuming these labels were not there. All pizza's are baked on site and that guarantees it's freshness. They have two series, Carnival and Gala and these are priced at RM 7.90 and RM 8.90 each and that's the price per slice. In case you're wondering, the slices are huge. They are definitely bigger than an adult male's palm. 

Individual Packaging

Being a kiosk, there is no dine in facilities here and it's all takeaways. That being said, they have these beautiful triangular cartons to individually pack those pizza slices. Very innovative concept and practical too. 

Very Veggie Pizza @ RM 7.90 per Slice

This Very Veggie Pizza is made using onions, mushrooms, green peppers and pineapples and topped using Cheddar Cheese & Mozzarella Cheese. This one comes under the Carnival series and it is priced at RM 7.90 . It was a lovely mix if ingredients and the pineapples gave it a sweet aftertaste to the cheesy base. Definitely a good one and I would rate this at 8/10 .

Ultralicious Salted Egg Pizza @ RM 8.90

This Ultralicious Salted Egg Pizza was heavenly. Made using salted eggs, Mozzarella Cheese. Turkey Ham, Turkey Bacon and Mayonnaise, this was one of those in the Gala series and was priced at RM 8.90 per slice. Totally worth the price paid. You actually get salted eggs and cheese oozing out with each bite. Being a fan of both of those items, I totally loved it. Fans of salted egg must not miss this. This deserves a perfect score of 10/10. 

Cheese Cheese Pizza @ RM 7.90

A simple pizza loaded with Mozzarella and Feta Cheese and would definitely be a delight to cheese lovers. Another one in their Carnival series and this too was priced at RM 7.90 per slice. Unlike the earlier one, this has a thick and solid layer of cheese and so you don't get the hot melted cheese oozing out. Taste wise, it was good and I would give this a 8/10. 

Among the three varieties that I tasted this evening, I definitely loved the Ultralicious Salted Egg Pizza as it was marvelous and had all my favourite ingredients. The other two were good too, no doubt about that. If you happen to be in NU Sentral or KL Sentral and was looking for a quick bite, this would definitely be a very suitable place. They are definitely some value for money pizzas. 

Address: NU Sentral Mall, No. 201, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields, 

                 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1000 - 2200 Daily

Hot Pizza @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

Craving for some pizza? Why not try something different instead of the usual chains. Hot Pizza is one of it's kind pizza that is located along Jalan U1, Taman Universiti, Tanjung Malim. Typically it is another franchise as well but they operate from a stall. I believe they have a number of stalls located throughout Malaysia and this one is the most recent one that has been opened. Calling themnselves Pizza Jalanan or Street Pizza, they have slowly started to build a good customer base here in Tanjung Malim. 

The Stall In Taman Universiti

Their Menu

Despite being a rainy day, there were so many customers that were waiting for their orders. Being just a stall, most people tend to do takeaways. However, there are some tables in the open if you wish to have it there. Since it was a rainy day, it was all takeaways. As far as the variety is concerned, they have six variety of pizzas and they are Mixed Pizza, Chicken Pizza, Beef Pizza, Seafood Pizza, Chicken Pepperoni Pizza and Beef Pepperoni Pizza and they come in three sizes; small, regular and family size. It's also great that they have listed the ingredients of each and every pizza on their menu. This is helpful for people like me who do not consume beef. 

Beautiful Cartons

What impressed me further was their carton boxes. I thought they would typically have a very simple packaging but no, they had these lovely pizza cartons for each pizza size. That's really taking this street pizza to the next level. Practically, it was the entire family that was playing a role at this stall. The son was looking after the oven and yes, they actually had a gas oven there. The daughters were making the pizza's themselves, carefully placing the ingredients based on their training. And the best part was that hygiene was optimum. I have not seen such hygiene being practiced even in some of those famous pizza chains in Malaysia. Very impressive! The parents were handling the packaging and the cash. Typically that kept the entire family busy. Another thing that I had thought initially was that they would be using some frozen pizzas and no, each item was made from scratch and that's amazing for a street cart business. It guarantees that you get fresh pizza's but on the flip side, the waiting time can be around 20 minutes. I felt that that was worth the wait. 

Chicken Pepperoni Pizza (Regular) @ RM 12.90

Before speaking on the pizza's itself, I must say that I was very pleased with the pizza sizes. The small was slightly smaller than the personal pizza that you get at the famous chains. The regular was exactly the same and the family pizza was really huge. It was as big as the extra large that you get in those famous pizza chains. So, it's surely worth every penny. Coming back to their pizza, this Chicken Pepperoni Pizza looked and tasted really great. The ingredients were Chicken Pepperoni, Chicken chunks, Cheese, Pineapples, Onions, Mushrooms, Oregano and Capsicum, and it was so good. You could actually taste the chicken chunks and chicken pepperoni unlike the ones that you get at those big names. And look at the amount of cheese used, and this wasn't even the extra cheese version which is available as well. Extremely happy with this one and I would rate this at 9/10. 

Seafood Pizza (Regular) @ RM 11.90

Their Seafood Pizza was another extremely good one. The topping comprises of Tuna, Crabstick, Cheese, Pineapples, Onions, Mushrooms, Capsicum and Oregano. With each bite, you could taste a thick layer of tuna at the base. The crabstick and pineapples truly lifted the taste and that extra topping complimented so well with the base ingredients. Truly an awesome one and I would give this a 9/10. 

Chicken Pizza (Small) @ RM 5.90

Compared to the other two, this Chicken Pizza was a little more simple. Made with Chicken chunks, Pineapples, Onions, Mushrooms, Cheese, Capsicum and Oregano, this would be ideal for one who prefers a pizza that's a little less in calories. Despite being limited ingredients wise, it still did taste good and just like the earlier ones, you could actually taste the chicken meat. This, I would rate it at 8/10. 

Overall, I am very happy with this place. The pizza's were great, reasonably priced and they serve you with a smile. Now I understand why there is such a crowd at this stall. I am very certain that they would continue to maintain their standards and this I can see from the way they were operating. Every step was based on protocols and the training that they had been given. In a matter of months, I am sure that these guys would be doing very well. Keep up the great work guys!

Address: Jalan U1, Taman Universiti, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1600 - 2200 Sunday - Friday

                             Closed on Saturdays

Telephone: +6012 516 1573 

Domino's Pizza @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

Domino's Pizza Tanjung Malim has been around for more than a year now and till date, I have never visited them. Of course, I have tried their pizza's in Kuala Lumpur but somehow, due to the parking problems around this outlet in Taman Anggerik Desa, I have always avoided this place. Out of the blues, my Dad suggested pizza for dinner and after my very bad experience with Pizza Hut Tanjung Malim, I literally dreaded going there and came here instead. After all, the place seems crowded all the time and so, the service levels should be good I assume. 

The Outlet in Taman Anggerik Desa, Tanjung Malim

Mostly Takeaways

Continuous Flow Of Customers

Fortunately, I managed to get a bay near the Old Town White Coffee and that too, because the place had closed down. Assuming it was still open, then I would have had to go around in circles looking for a place to park. The outlet was very nicely designed. Ground Floor was more for those waiting to collect their orders and most people who dined in, preferred to be seated on the 1st Floor. There was quite a decent crowd and I was glad that they gave a 15 minutes guarantee or else a free Pizza should the wait be longer than that. That sounded sufficiently convincing. 

My Pizza's Ready

Promotion Prices

Gift Voucher Due To The Delay

Gift Voucher Due To The Delay

I had ordered a number of personal pan pizza's and was surprised to see that they were running a promotion for RM 5.90 each. That is an extremely good deal. No wonder the place was packed with customers. Unfortunately this evening, my wait time exceeded the 15 minute standard wait time and upon collection of my orders, I was given a voucher for a free Pizza with a 30 day validity. Honestly, I never expected this as my wait time was probably just minutes above the 15 minute usual wait time but was thankful that they honoured their word. I remember waiting in Pizza Hut for almost 2 hours without a single apology. Domino's are surely miles ahead of Pizza Hut when it comes to customer satisfaction. Time to enjoy the pizza's instead.

Flaming Tuna Pizza

One of those spicy pizza's that came with a generous topping of tuna and other ingredients. Perfectly balanced and tasted great. Very suitable for those that love spicy pizza's. The amount of tuna added was also just right. Too much of it would have been tasting fishy. Enjoyed it!

Chicken Pepperoni Pizza

This one was one that all of us loved!!! The Chicken Pepperoni cuts were of the right size and they blended perfectly well with the base sauces. Too thin of a cut would have been a situation where the base sauce would have taken over taste wise. Here, they had ensured perfect cuts in terms of thickness to allow both the sauce and the chicken pepperoni to stand out. A good preparation.

Seafood Delight Pizza

A great one!!! Though the base ingredients were seafood, it didn't taste similar to the Tuna one that we tried earlier. It had it's own unique taste and tasted distinctively different when compared to the earlier one. A must try for seafood lovers!!!

Aloha Chicken Pizza

Chicken, pineapple and cheese..... can this combination go wrong? It was sweet, sour, creamy and a total burst of flavours with each bite. One that I would highly recommend.

Tried Their Cinnastix

Cinnastix With Cream

This was one of their desert items and the main ingredient was cinnamon. A very unique taste and those with a sweet tooth would definitely love this. For those who do not enjoy sweet items too much, then I would recommend skipping this item. 

Banana Kaya Desert

I am not one who enjoys sweet items but this was just awesome. Was it sweet? Not really. In fact, it tasted more like kaya with banana. If you love Kaya, then this is a must try. I would highly recommend this. 

For the four of us, this was a little too much of a meal but hey, it's okay to feast once in a while. Not that we are having pizza's daily. Taste wise, they were all unique in their own way with literally not much oil being used and the promotions were just fantastic. I guess I would be visiting them more often after this. After all, I have a  free pizza waiting for me right. 

Address: No. 4, PT 2415, Taman Anggerik Desa, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1030 - 2300 Daily

Telephone: 1300 888 333

Website: https://www.dominos.com.my/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DominosMY