vkeong loves good food, travel and photography!
Bangsar
Opus Bistro Italian Restaurant @ Jalan Bangkung, Bangsar
Dec 19th
One of my best meals recently was had at Opus Bistro, an Italian restaurant at the Bangkung Row, Bangsar. This simple yet slick ‘neighborhood restaurant’ is certainly more than what it appears to be and everything was perfect from appetizier to soup and entrees. Just one visit was enough for me to place it at the top of my favorite Western restaurants to go.
But of course good food does not come cheap, which is why you will also appreciate Opus’ reasonably priced menu as another great reason to visit. Most appetizers are below RM30, except for the premiums like foie gras (RM60). If you are looking forward to try many different appetizers and don’t mind sharing then Opus’ Special Seafood Antipasti Platter is the best choice. Priced at RM45 for a platter, it comes with the best of Opus’ seafood including grilled scallops and tiger prawns, clams in white wine sauce and calamari ripieni (squid stuffed with risotto rice in tomato sauce).
Honestly, this impressed me so much. Besides the beautiful presentation, the array of flavors on the platter is amazingly wonderful and it sends your taste buds into euphoria, making one feel excited about the dishes to follow. And as expected, all the seafood is as fresh as will get and I especially loved the squid and clams.
Spice Garden Express Indian Restaurant @ Bangsar
Jun 26th
Bangsar has a quite a number of Indian restaurants to explore and one of them is Spice Garden Express. The first branch actually openend in Genting Highlands in 2003 and they have 4 branches in Klang Valley now. We came here based on the recommendation of our Indian collegue who is also the same guy who brought us to Anjappar. The menu is quite extensive and so is the variety, as Spice Garden serves Northern and Southern Indian food and Middle Eastern cuisine as well.
Lamb Seekh Kebab @ RM11.90 – the texture is a bit dry but still manage to taste quite good.
Chutneys and mint sauce.
The Garlic Naan @ RM3.90/pc is wonderful, tastes fresh from the oven with a fragrant and buttery crisp. We had this together with the kebab earlier, great for mopping up the gravies too.
The Loaf Bakery & Cafe @ Bangsar Village 2
Apr 21st
You don’t need me to tell you that The Loaf, the gourmet bakery and pastry restaurant owned by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is expensive. There are a few outlets that serve full a la carte lunch and dinner menu so you could enjoy the breads and pastries in-restaurant if you wish. I was at the Bangsar Village 2 branch not long ago and found the food to be generally good and prepared with quality ingredients. And since this is a bakery cum cafe themed restaurant, expect a lot of bread to appear in the dishes.
For example, the Creamy Mushroom Soup @ RM18 is served in a big hollow bun. It is noteworthy that Truffle oil is added into the soup for a slightly earthy aroma, which also explains the expensive price tag.
I really liked the Smoked Salmon Croissant (RM16.80) It is light, flaky but not overly flaky to the extent of not being able to hold itself together. The moist and nutty Norwegian smoked salmon slices are the perfect filling while the shaved parmesan cheese topping is ingenious to bring out the former’s flavor.
Anjappar Authentic Chettinad Restaurant @ Bangsar
Mar 28th
A sudden craving for Biryani (Biriyani, Briyani or Beriani, however you spell it) brought me to Anjappar at Bangsar, a restaurant originating from Chennai that specializes in Chettinad cuisine. Chettinad cuisine is known for heavy use of spices, making it one of the most aromatic in India. And apparently, Anjappar also serves the best Mutton Biryani around according to my Indian colleagues. Well, they should know best.
Unlike our local version of Nasi Briyani that comes in individual claypots, the Biryani here is served traditionally in small steel pots. Cooling red onion Raita (Indian yogury salad) and spicy chicken curry gravy are the usual accompaniments.
