Vegetarian Restaurant Cafe Bookshop in SS2

 

Residents of SS2, PJ will be familiar with Murni Discovery, the value-for-money eatery that sees tables spilling onto sidewalks since 1999. Murni’s latest venture is something else entirely: up the stairs above Murni is M’Laboori, a modern, spacious nook with clean lines, books on wooden shelves, discreet overhead lighting and air-conditioning. It’s a bookshop cum vegetarian restaurant-café.

Otherwise worlds apart from the popular Murni restaurant downstairs, it shares the value-for-money sensibility with an eclectic and inventive vegetarian menu.  The menu, available by scanning a QR code at the tables, features stylishly-produced food served on wooden trays with shiny cutlery wrapped in paper napkins. Between ordering and the food being delivered, guests can browse the library shelves and buy books, mainly contemporary fiction novels by popular novelists, in the ilk of Steig Larsson and Dan Brown with a sprinkling of nonfiction titles.

The menu leaps from Western appetizers and soups to Pizzas, pastas, hamburgers and sandwiches to all-time local favourites such as Nasi Lemak and Curry Laksa. Drinks are equally eclectic, ranging from Western style coffees to local brews and house mixes. 

What’s striking is the pricing: soups are RM8, 8” pizzas are Rm10, the costliest sandwich is RM12, nasi lemak is Rm15.40 with the most expensive item being the Rm18 pesto pasta. There’s an underlying message of eco-friendliness, from the vegetarian menu to messages on “Going Green” and “Eco-Friendly Books” at RM15 each.

The Nyonya Curry Mee (Rm9.90) with vegetarian chicken, eggplant, tofu pok and vegetables, served in a thick curry, accompanied by sliced calamansi and sambal looked appetizing and didn’t disappoint, being hot and fresh, with good ingredients and a good satisfying punch from the thick curry. 

Similarly, Cucur Jagung (Rm5.50) was stylishly presented in a stainless-steel carrier. Couldn’t fault the portions for the price, although it was quite oily and the accompanying chili sauce was too sweet.

The Malaysian penchant for creating new drinks by mixing was celebrated from Atuk (coffee-tea) to Bapa (coffee-Milo), Cucu (Tea-milo) to Cicit (Coffee-tea-Milo). Atuk (Rm5.50, hot) was thick and hot and sweet, Malaysian style, thicker than you’d find at a hawker stall. Masala Chai Latte (Rm6.50) was milky and strong on the spices to the extent of being overdone, but you can’t fault the enthusiasm. Both drinks were hot and foamy and freshly brewed.

Tapping into modern trends of eco-friendliness, youth orientation and the coffee culture, M’Laboori is stylish and inexpensive, making for an afternoon hangout joint. You might even find out that you like reading an old-fashioned paper book.

And that odd name? Library, Laboori, get it?

M’Laboori,

55A, Jalan, Jalan SS 2/75, SS 2, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Open: 10am-10pm daily, closed on Mondays.

Tel:  03-7490 6407

https://www.facebook.com/m.laboori/