The old B&W family photos hanging on one of the walls are a good indication that Magenta is indeed a family run restaurant. Its minimalist decor with highlights of magenta color is classy and inviting alright but unfortunately we felt most of the food we had fell short of expectations.
Familiar Western dishes dominate the menu which also contains a tiny selection of Asian favorites such as Thai fried rice. The owners seem to have soft spot for Hainanese food too, as Hainan style Chicken Rice and Chicken Chop are also available.
Mango Prawn Cocktail @ RM16. The sweet and succulent prawns are enjoyable but the mango bits are tasteless and do not add any real flavor.
Oxtail Stew with Red Wine Reduction @ RM30, highly recommended by the waiter. I have no qualms about the oxtail, which has a wonderful beefy flavor and nicely cooked to a tender texture. I just wished the sauce had a little more seasoning to it.
I wonder why is it so difficult to get a decent Hainanese Chicken Chop nowadays, they just don’t taste like back in the old days anymore. The Magenta Chicken Chop @ RM29 is a bad attempt at recreating this nostalgic dish – uninspiring, bland tasting sauce and soggy fried chicken. Maybe we should have ordered the Chicken Rice instead.
Signature Pistachio Cake @ RM12 – way too spongy to be recommended and seriously lacking in pistachio flavor too.
Dilmah Jasmine Green Tea @ RM6, comes with a tea timer to ensure your cuppa is brewed correctly.
Cappuccino @ RM12
Overall it was an unconvincing meal and with so many restaurants to choose from within Publika, I think Magenta will find it hard to compete with the rest in both quality and price.
MagentaLot G2-42, Publika Shopping Gallery
Jalan Dutamas 1, Solaris Dutamas
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Look so special…
I like your blog a lot, but am wondering whether your opinion and your blog are out to kill businesses and kill jobs?
You went there and you ordered. If you didn’t like it, go to the management and tell them. You can’t just write in a negative way. I find that most bloggers today are behaving like GOD.
Restaurant owners will be fearful of you!
I am not be related to Magenta. I wrote this because I think it’s very unfair to the business owner. I have not been to Magenta.
There are many blogs out there giving positive reviews to Magenta, so can I say they are out there to promote bad restaurants? I can’t right? Because it is your personal opinion hence a blog. I am not running a magazine or newspaper here, I am not obliged to write only good stuff
I think there should be a balance of opinions in the blogosphere, I can’t possibly say they are good when they are in actual fact not, it is misleading to my readers.
Anyway, if you read my post carefully again, not everything I said was negative.
vkeong, I’ve been following your blog for quite a while now and fully appreciate your frank opinion. Truth is, there are just too many ‘invited reviews’ where bloggers eat for free and are obliged / paid to say only nice things even when the food is below par. This really compromises the integrity of the blog & blogger.
Bloggers in the US are required to make “clear and conspicuous” disclosures if they write a restaurant review after having been treated to a meal there.
(The penalty for flouting this rule in blogs or postings in social media is a fine of US$11,000).
Keep up the good work. A lot of us do appreciate you saying things as it is.
Thanks for your kind comment. I stopped accepting invitational meals since 2-3 years ago but I do write advertorials, which I will only post if the food is up to par. I had to reject a few advertorials because not all are worth recommending, even if it is a paid review.
If don’t like something, go tell the management?
Next visit get spit in your cappuchino… :)
hey man, I just checked your burgers section and there was no myBurgerLab there. You should really go there one day man.
Here’s a link for their FB page.
http://www.facebook.com/myBurgerLab?fref=ts
If you wanna know about it’s reputation… well, have you seen customers queuing in line before opening hours at its entrance just to make sure they get in before they sell out?
This is one of those places.
the reputation you mentioned is one of the reasons I have not been there yet. I hate queuing
thanks for the recommendation anyway :)
[…] wall reminds me of Magenta. Ughh, bad […]
Honest food posts are lacking these days. Keep up the good work. I have been to Magenta and I share the same sentiment as you. Magenta has to do something about their food and price!
Good review. I almost thought that Malaysian food bloggers have all sold their souls to restaurant owners for a free meal. Magenta started out with a great concept, but beyond the plush decor, is a land of barren taste. To the above reviewer named Wong NU why the hate? If you really are not related to Magenta perhaps you could’ve been a little more objective. Reviews are personal opinions after all. It just that finding unbiased ones on Malaysian food blogs is as rare as diamonds in the sewer.
I am the owner and chef of Magenta Restaurant in Kuching Sarawak. I am not in any way involved in this restaurant despite queries from my customers who thought I have open a branch in KL. Magenta in Kuching has been opened for business for 12 years and recently moved from our old venue, an old peranakan wooden house to the Old Courthouse in the centre of the city. We have appeared in numerous magazines, documentaries of various languages including Passage to Malaysia on Astro’s TLC channel , SBC and some Taiwan TV programme and was the winner of Tourism Malaysia Most Innovative Fusion Restaurant!
What I find rather amusing is that I have same name, signature magenta colours and YES even the Magenta name is in the same font and style opening up in KL Nothing stops anyone from using that name as it is not copyrighted nor trademarked..but anyone who wants to name a restaurant and find a name for it should Google it first to see if it is taken in their country, if they really insist on using the same name due to a lack of ideas for a better name than at least try to change the fonts. But alas it is a free country!!
As a Chef and restaurateur I have made it a point never to comment on anyone’s food as I believe in the saying “Another man’s meat is another man’s poison!”
I totally appreciate all reviews, GOOD or Bad reviews of my own restaurants Magenta Restaurant and Magna Carta Cafe as sometime we need to be aware of what our customer think of us and our food so we can improve or change if the feedback is honest and helpful.
I have never given free food nor ask for a “friendly and complimentary review” from anyone or magazine. I have turn away a well known high society magazine The Malaysian Tattler as they wanted and demanded assorted food and drinks to be photographed for the article in their magazine. My answer was…”so sorry I am not able to do that as I am busy on that particular night. I f you so wish you came come in as my customer and be most welcome to photograph what ever you ordered!” The lady was shocked and said “But we are The Tattler…you do know and heard of us right?” Than she was the subject of a Chef wrath…” Yes..it s that pretentious, glam high society magazine rite?..that you see usually in hairdressers and toilets which most people don t pick up unless there is nothing else to flick through rite?” And that was that…never did I hear from them again ! Phew!!
Oh Ya..feel free to google “Magenta Restaurant Malaysia” and be amused with all the independent reviews..Good AND Bad.