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.

Exalted, Exotic and Local

First published in Options, The Edge Weekly Malaysia, 10 Sept 2018

Also http://www.optionstheedge.com/topic/food/food-review-entier

At Entier, uncluttered lines, marble cladding and wooden furniture provide an ambiance of contemporary classiness, with plenty of natural light from large windows looking out onto the uplifting panorama of KL City from the 41^st floor of the Alila Hotel.  

Worth Skiving off For

First published in Options, The Edge Malaysia, 13 August 2018

Food, made with passion and heart, in trendy Bangsar

The last time I met husband and wife team Wen Huey and Jon, they were running a restaurant in Puchong. They’ve since spread their wings to trendy Bangsar with a new venture, Skive.

Occupying a corner lot with outside corridor seating, it’s narrow but cheerful and friendly within, with a blue and white paint scheme and a drinks, cakes and ice cream counter occupying one side. The frontal area is given over to various house-made breads, jars of house-made curd, nut butters, cookies, takeaway sandwiches and salads, bottled drinks, with seating occupying the rest of the restaurant.

The 2nd Floor

First published in Options, The Edge Malaysia, 5 Feb 2018

http://optionstheedge.com/topic/food/food-review-2nd-floor-grub-ahong-and-friends

The self-descriptive “2^nd Floor” is actually on the 1^st floor. The restaurant is separated into cheerful, brightly-coloured outdoor seating and the cosy intimacy of a small indoor section, with a few tables and a bar to the side. The restaurant occupies one-half of the floor, the other half being a dimly-lit, partitioned off Wine Room.

GRUB

First published in Options, The Edge Malaysia, 5 Feb 2018

http://optionstheedge.com/topic/food/food-review-2nd-floor-grub-ahong-and-friends

GRUB is part self-service canteen with an uncharacteristically sophisticated menu. Ahong, the “friendly fat man” as he calls himself, says his food doesn’t conform to any particular genre. It’s Western, where French-Italian crashes into Hainanese-Western, totters into Indian and wanders to East Coast, USA, with incursions into local.   

Mismatched cutlery, drinks, napkins, ice – all self-service - and ordering at the counter drive down costs and perversely add to the rough charm and unvarnished honesty of the place.  Décor? What décor?  Plain tables and plastic chairs, uneven lighting, an open kitchen with store, air-conditioning upstairs and lots of noise.  No frills, it’s all about the grub.

There’s a wine list with corkage charged by the person. Service is quick, and the portions are generous with a slap-on presentation style.  It’s meaty, cheeky and pork-free.

Fried French Quail with Roasted Grapes (Rm9.50) is just that, but the bird’s nicely browned, juicy and meaty. Roasted Beetroot, Fresh Fruits and Feta Salad (Rm13.50) is a colourful medley for the vegetarian, sweet with honey, smooth with feta cheese and crunchy with jackfruit.

Smoked Brisket (Rm30) comprises thick chunks of beautifully just-done, tender meaty sections that come apart easily under the knife, with pickled onions and chili, potato salad, and a coconut curry gravy, but there’s no train wreck, only surprising harmony, rich, full flavours and contrasting textures.

The unconventional Lamb and Clams (Rm35) works well, with a hot sourdough roll to soak up the broth, which is neither clammy, fishy nor sheepish, and unapologetic with instant noodles and vegetables in the mix. It’s satisfying, and balanced, considering the starting proposition.

Local Seafood Bouillabaisse (Rm25) is a stew with lemony or is that tom-yum, accents, on fine pasta, with squid, clams and grilled fish, not quite your idea of a bouillabaisse, but good in spite of it.

Desserts are also promising, with a ginger-infused, creamy Taufu Fa Cheesecake (Rm12) and a densely moist, accomplished Carrot Cake (Rm10).  Inexpensive, irreverent, generous and fun, GRUB is different from anything else, and the grub’s good.

GRUB by Ahong and Friends,

608, Jalan 17/10 Petaling Jaya 46400

Tel: 016-9232983

FB: www.facebook.com/hongmasterchef/

Business Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 6pm-10.45pm, Fridays, 12-3pm, Sat-Sun, 11.45am-2pm

Closed on Mondays

Well-Bread Sandwiches

First published in Options, The Edge Malaysia, Oct 23, 2017

Simple yet sophisticated, good, strong bread can be a thing of joy

Those of us who grew up on white, factory-made sandwich loaves can rejoice at the rise of artisanal bakeries in KL: the smell of freshly-baked bread can be invigorating.  

Good bread is much more than being about appearances. Some bakeries don’t just bake breads, they produce sandwiches as well, thus the bakery-café-restaurant.  And if you hanker after a good sandwich made with home-baked fresh bread, try these for starters:

Salsa-Teriyaki-Som Tam-Wonton

First published in Options, The Edge Malaysia, 17 July 2017

Quirky and creative food choices housed in a whimsical, colourful setting in the heart of KL

The duplex penthouse at the top of WOLO, in the midst of sleepless Bukit Bintang, hosts Mr Chew’s Chino-Latino Bar.  Be prepared to be bedazzled by the swirl of colour, textures and shapes. Floor to ceiling windows look out onto the cityscape below, a larger-than-life video of evolving light and motion.

Nostalgic Comfort

First Published in Options, The Edge Malaysia, April 3. 2017

Familiar, comfort food in an unpretentious setting in one of KL’s old, upmarket neighbourhoods.

If you want to try the Roast Duck or Chicken at Kenny Hills Bistro, go early for lunch, or reserve one for dinner, as they’re both wildly popular and only available for lunch.  I endured a leisurely wait one lunchtime.

It’s a nice place to wait, small and rather tight with space. Large exposed filament bulbs dangle from the ceiling, providing a fuzzy warm light, there are plants in planter boxes, with the rest of the space somehow squeezing in a few tables, a cramped kitchen, payment counter and dessert display. 

There’s outside seating in the corridor, and a couple of doors away is the sister establishment, Kenny Hills Bakers.  The location, in an old apartment block in lush Kenny Hills, now called Bukit Tunku, is relaxing and upmarket without being pretentious – reminders of a gentler time when KL was greener, quieter and more civil.

Rebel With A Cause

First Published in Options, The Edge Malaysia, Oct 31 2016

A hidden gem of superb cooking in a quiet suburb of Petaling Jaya

Located in a quiet corner of Petaling Jaya, Classic Rebel has the feel of a well-kept secret. It’s central and well-located, yet hidden. The fact that there’s adequate parking anytime of the day or night is itself something quite precious.

Within, dark blue walls and a black ceiling contrast with a pale floor, imparting a contemporary feel that’s both bright and modern yet soothing. There’s cushioned seating, informal bar-type seating along the glass front, regular tables and also a nook. Overall, it’s uncluttered and neat yet cosy.

The apparent simplicity of the small menu selection belies the sophistication of the food. Service is friendly and warm, with ready changes of plates and cutlery when needed. There’s nothing that points to it as being obviously South American except for a couple of dishes, yet we were to be pleasantly surprised.

Being a halal restaurant, drinks are non-alcoholic, but the mocktails (Rm15 each) were big, fruity, bright and refreshing.

Stylish and Bold

First published in Options, The Edge Malaysia, July 11, 2016

NOTE:  This restaurant has ceased operations as at August 2016

Remaking itself yet again, this restaurant returns with an adventurous yet restrained menu with a mix of culinary influences.

In its short one-year plus lifetime, Gastro Bar by Burgeon has undergone three incarnations. In the latest, it is a modern, contemporary Western restaurant.

Within, it’s a white theme with black highlights. The bar occupies the far wall, with a background of neatly arranged liquor bottles as a motif. Seating is at tables clothed in white linen with black chairs, matched by wait staff attired in black. A white ceiling echoes the marble flooring, and serving plates are in a clean white or have a contrasting black-white theme. 

Headed by chef Justin Yap, the newly transformed menu is an adventurous foray, displaying a cross-theme which borrows from various cuisine types, interpreted with a healthy dose of originality.

Creative Balance

First published in Options, The Edge Malaysia on July 18, 2016

Providing creative dishes in a fuss-free and quietly accomplished manner

Well established in the Jalan Batai enclave, Sitka serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a Tasting Menu on Fridays and Saturday. The restaurant started with lunches only, slowly extending the menu to dinner and tasting menus. Upstairs is the more private Sitka Studio, which only serves a Tasting menu with a philosophy of local sourcing and foraging.

Like the spruce tree that provides the title inspiration, the décor is simple to the point of starkness, without being cold. Bare cement surfaces, wooden floor, exposed ceiling wiring, black table-tops and a wall graphic with the spartan lines of tree trunks, are lit with the warmth of exposed filament bulbs.  It’s clean-cut, honest, unfussy, and intimately welcoming, with only a few tables.

We found the food to be original without being deliberately so, with clean presentations, making for a sense of quiet accomplishment with little flair and gesture, where the whole often exceeds the sum of the parts.

Upscale and Trendy

First Published in Options, The Edge, 20 June 2016

This trendy and stylish restaurant serving Western food in an upmarket neighbourhood strikes all the right notes.

The glass door with the sign declaring “Life is better upstairs” leads upstairs to Bobo, laid out in a cool, contemporary style with an upscale feel from tables covered in white tablecloths, folded cloth napkins and gleaming tableware.  Prints lining the walls, classic wooden chairs, and wooden flooring complete the look.  Curtains section off a cosy sitting area with a sliding glass door to the outside balcony providing relief for smokers.

At the top of the stairs, a sliding door, disguised as a wooden partition leads to the music lounge one floor up, with live music every night.

Not Crying Wolf

First published in Options, The Edge, June 13, 2016

Update:  This restaurant has now closed permanently

An unusual combination of casual ambiance and a sophisticated menu

Mr Wolf is sited in a quiet section of Petaling Jaya, seemingly a little out of place in the neighbourhood. Parking during the day is impossible, but on a weekend night, you’re spoilt for choice as the neighbouring shoplots are mainly occupied by offices.

The place is airy, light, and no-frills but comfortable, with a pale faux wood floor matched by pale wood tables and chairs, and red highlights, notably three hanging chairs in a corner. There’s a bar upstairs, dimly-lit and smoky, with the TV tuned to F1 racing, in contrast to the bright mood downstairs.

The menu is a single page with a selection of dishes, desserts and sides, with separate menus for bar food and drinks. Although it claims to be an Asian fusion restaurant, there’s little Asian influence in the heavily Western-themed menu, sectioned into four - Seafood, Meat, Poultry and Pastas, with pork dishes inexplicably listed under “Poultry”.  There are no separate sections for Starters and Mains, so the portion sizes are not apparent, as we discovered.

Inspired Western-Japanese

First published in Options, The Edge, 22 May 2016

Western-Japanese cuisine, rediscovered.

In a neighbourhood of coffee shops and car workshops, we walked upstairs into the unexpectedly sophisticated setting of Sion Dining.  A wine cellar and a long bar usher the way into the small darkened dining area, with ceiling to floor shimmering curtains, spotlights falling on tables with high-backed seating, and pictures of sultry Marilyn Monroe on the walls.  The mood is one of relaxed confidence.

The restaurant specializes in yoshoku cuisine, Japanese food inspired by Western cuisine. It arose in the mid-19^th century during the Meiji period in Japan.  While Japanese pasta and Hamburg steak are obviously Western inspired, what we often consider Japanese, such as tonkatsu and Japanese curry, are also part of yoshoku.

A glass window looks into the brightly-lit kitchen from the restaurant.  The chef, Masamichi Shiomi, is remarkably youthful-looking for someone who was the personal cook for the Japanese ambassadors to Papua New Guinea, Australia and Indonesia.  The menu is thick, with pictures and pithy quotes, but the affable restaurant manager, Seal, helped with recommendations.

A Taste of Spain

First published in Options, The Edge, on Feb 6, 2016

From tapas to churros, Spanish cuisine finds a home in a Kuala Lumpur suburb

Despite being hidden in the ground floor of The Signature Suites and Studios, on a Saturday night, Marta’s Kitchen is full, with diners who have not made a reservation having to wait for a table. The space is not large, comprising an indoor dining area opening out onto a spacious and quiet terrace, but families, friends and couples occupy light aluminium chairs at simple, black-topped tables.

Exotically Local

First published in Options, The Edge, February 20, 2016

Local, yet exotic, this Asian-French fusion restaurant pays tribute to local cuisine with polish and flair.

Vanilla Sky, presumably named after the movie, has an unusual restaurant concept, pairing French cuisine with Asian, and especially Sarawak food, likely the result of a French chef and an owner from Sarawak.

Inside, the restaurant carries tokens of its native roots, with an international twist. A Martaban jar graces the distant serving counter, on both yellow side walls are hung art pieces carrying mixed themes, including bright original paintings by the restaurant owner.  Rustic wooden tables with a worn look, wooden flooring, side lighting and natural light from the glass window front conspire towards a cosy, nookish feel.  In a dim corner, wooden carvings of dream creatures line the floor beneath posters of American pop icons, and yes, Elvis and Jim Morrison are represented.

At first glance, the menu appears conventional, until you look more closely to see the embedded Asian influences and dishes.

Full Throttle

First published in Options, The Edge, January 23, 2016

For a reminder that life doesn’t come in half-sizes.

Occupying a corner lot, Two Sons Bistro exudes a contemporary vibe with an open plan design. The far wall and one side is a series of windows, with the other side occupied by the open kitchen behind a long counter.

Two things stand out in the menu – mussels and clams, and steaks, with starters, pastas and mains in between.   The service was cheerful and almost too quick, with all our orders – starters and mains - arriving at the same time. 

A Worthwhile Find

First Published in Options, The Edge, December 12, 2015

Update: This restaurant has since closed. The proprietors have opened a new restaurant in Bangsar, called Skive. 

Dedication, passion and talent aren’t ingredients easily encountered in a restaurant

It was the rather compelling story of surgeon-turned-restaurateur Wen Huey Lau and her partner Jonathan Han Chet Ng, which drew me to Porcupine Place.  Curtailing a medical profession for a culinary one surely merits a gastronomic investigation.

Unremarkable in setup, Porcupine Place is a cosy, modern restaurant, one of many which have sprung up in the Klang Valley.  Unfinished wooden tabletops, unfussy black chairs, brick wall facings, posters on walls and easy music make for a homely, cluttered feel. However, not many restaurants bake their own bread, pastries and cakes, make their own pasta, ice-cream and turn out curd daily.

The menu is eclectic, Western-based, with original interpretations, everything from All Day Breakfasts to Set Lunches to the usual parade of pastas, meats, starters, and a small selection of wines and beverages.

Dining in Style

First Published in The Edge, Options, Oct 23, 2015

Style is nothing without substance, and fortunately for diners, that’s not the case here.

The all-white setting, from floors, pillars to ceiling, with the stark outlines of slim-line furniture, establish the sense of style. Long lines on either side naturally draw the eye to the open kitchen at the back. On one side, the counter displays jewel-like desserts in a multitude of colours and shapes. On the other are oysters in ice and the irregular shapes of breads. 

Not quite quiet elegance, nor gilt bling-bling, Palazzo Viva stakes a claim to clean lines, spaciousness, and long perspectives. Style is evident, orchestrated in the décor, heavy grey stone bowls for soups, thin slabs of gray stone and wood slabs for food presentation, plain white plates, to elaborate, if slightly fussy food plating.

Besides breakfast and lunch offerings, there are daily specials and the assortment of starters, soups and mains. 

Light and Breezy

First Published in Options, The Edge, September 28, 2015

A place for a tasty respite from shopping

Away from the frenetic foot traffic of the Pavilion shopping mall, Quivo presents a lush interior, with herringbone patterned tiled floor, and petal-like overhead lights casting a warm glow over the small and cosy interior.  A cake counter displays a tempting selection of cakes, while a serving counter occupies a corner, directly accessing the kitchen.

Part of the extensive Valiram lifestyle group, entry to the restaurant is via the Kate Spade shop from the Mall, or from the Connection linkage which leads to the KLCC elevated walkway.