I don't really venture into the Bangsar South area due to the horrendous traffic at that area during after working hours. The last time I was there, it took me an hour from the Federal Highway near the GAB to The Sphere. However, I decide to brave the traffic on one Friday evening to dine at Zest Cafe due to the recommendation from Uncle Lau whom also blogs at Jadeitejade.com. He's one of my dad's school mates whom is a gemologist and he specialises in jades.
I managed to meet one of the proprietors of this place, Mr. Ong who is kind enough to explain the concept of his cafe. They are into Meditteranean-inspired cuisine. It's a different menu from what you usually have in a cafe and this place advocates a healthy menu where they use only 100% olive oil in their cooking eliminating magarine and MSG. Their food is cooked in a low salt, low cream & low sugar practice and thus many people might find the food here tasted rather different.
Mushroom Soup & Pumpkin Soup (RM5.90)
The mushroom soup is made of white button mushrooms and it's those soup which you can taste the bits of the mushrooms and it's low in cream. That explains the lack of salt & buttery texture. The pumpkin soup is made of oven roasted pumpkin and the soup is indeed silky smooth.
Chat-over Panini (RM6.90)
Slices of toasted panini bread served with pesto sauce. The sauces here are pretty interesting and it makes you explore all the 3 types of sauces.
Zest Salad (RM15.90)
It's a colourful plate of green & red leaf lettuce, grilled zucchini, aubergine and pumpkin wedges. It's tossed in a balsamic dressing and topped with medium-sized grilled prawns. The portion is quite small which is suitable for a light meal/appetiser.
Braised Oxtail (RM35)
This is a bowl of braised oxtail in brown sauce and served with a basket of toasted garlic buns. The portions are quite sufficient for one if you're having it as a main. It's a very nice dish as the oxtail are braised until tender and flavourful. The sauce makes a great dipping for the bread.
Rosemary Roast Chicken (Half Bird - RM19.50)
There's a generous amount of herbs used to roast this chicken here and it's also one of the chef's recommendation. I love the powdery texture of the potatoes and also the sauce but I find the chicken lacked tenderness. As there's less salt, and less everything else unhealthy, don't expect this dish to be salty! If you prefer more salt, just sprinkle some on your own from the salt bottle on the table.
Pan-Grilled Salmon with Lemon Capers Butter Sauce (RM35.90)
I particularly like this dish. Probably it was due to the butter sauce that paired well with the grilled salmon. I also like the textures of the apple couscous and the lemon which gives a refreshing lift to the otherwise heavy butter sauce.
Pomodoro Crusted Rack of Lamb (RM49)
The rack of lamb has a crispy outer layer and served with a vege and brown sauce. It's an interesting combination as I've never seen such sauce pairing. It's nice if you're an adventurous person but for those who preferred the traditional way of cooking, you might find this different.
Seafood Chicken Paella (RM60)
Mr. Ong asked if I like paella. Of course I love paella and I have very high expectations towards any paella dish. He recommended that I give his signature paella a try. It came piping hot in a black pan filled with slices of chicken and seafood such as prawns and clams. It's made of arborio rice and in my opinion, this rice is suitable for risotto dishes but not in a paella dish.
I know that using the Bomba or Calasparra rice would be quite expensive but honestly I find the risotto rice a bit too wet. And I like an authentic paella using saffron but this one here uses too much paprika. The owner did tell me that this is their own version of paella and it's unfair for me to benchmark it against the Spanish paella.
Medallion of Beef (RM39)
This is a beef tenderloin served with brown onion potato, vegetable and brown sauce. I wanted it to be medium but it was overcooked. It's wrapped with a layer of cheese and I find this dish very filling. Although it's a chef recommended dish, it's not Eiling's recommended dish.
Chilli Ananas (RM7.90)
This is a very interesting dessert and almost unique because it has chilli in it! This is their specialty where the pineapple is poached and served with a spiced and fruity sauce. My friends find it too bizarre for their tastebuds. Try this if you want to explore a new type of dessert.
A picture with the head chef and Mr. Ong.
This place has a very simple deco that is unpretentious and warm. The prices here are quite affordable and the bill for 6 of us came up to about RM300+ and it was very kind of Mr. Ong to extend a discount to us. They also serve breakfast and a variety of vegetarian dishes. Thanks to Uncle Lau for recommending this cafe as well!
Zest Cafe & Restaurant
Unit 1-2, 1st Floor, The Sphere,
1, Avenue 1, Bangsar South,
8, Jalan Kerinchi, 59200 Kuala Lumpur
opens daily from 8.00 am to 10.00 pm (weekdays)
10:00 am to 10:00 pm (weekends)
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