Here, mushroom and eggplant take centre stage as meat-substitutes and fusion cuisine forms the backbone of their menu.
Eggs
are considered sin-free and cream and cheese can be found rampantly throughout
their menu. So, vegans beware and vegetarians rejoice!
We
were served with a complimentary basket of Charcoal bread with Olive Oil and
Balsamic Vinegar.
Mien: Loved the
charcoal bread, the flavour was amazing, and toasted to perfection, crispy on
the outside, but soft in the inside!!!
Shiv: Enjoyed the earthiness
of the charcoal bread married with the pungent balsamic-olio dressing.
Splendid!
Kav: Soft and crispy
perfection!!!
Gaj: Charcoal
bread was really good, never had it with olive oil and vinegar before and was
pleasantly surprised.
As
per usual, we attempted ordering at least one item of each food ‘group’.
Type
1: SALAD
We
ordered the Burnt Butter Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Salad. It is gluten-free,
and comprises wild mushrooms, burnt butter, goat’s cheese and arugula.
(RM21.90)
Mien: Good… love
the taste of the mushrooms, and they go well with the arugula and goat’s
cheese!
Shiv: Fresh and
light, despite the generous portion of feta, and loved the buttered-mushroom
flavour. Comes highly recommended!
Kav: The
earthiness of the mushroom and spicy arugula was a pairing that I loved. The
pungent feta and the flavour of the burnt butter just took the salad to the
next level.
Gaj: The salad
was alright, enjoyed the combination of arugula and wild mushroom.
Type
2: ASIAN
We
agreed on the Eggplant Dengaku (Warning:
Contains Nuts). It was served with eggplant, miso paste, brown rice, mushroom
broth and Botanical house salad. (RM21.90)
Mien: Hmmm… the
best thing about this dish was the eggplant! Well marinated and cooked to
perfection!
Shiv: The rice was
bland and not cooked well, and although the eggplant was marinated well, the
flavour was not enough to balance out the dish. The dish was mediocre in its
entirety.
Kav: The rice was a disappointment as it was starchy
and the salad was average. However I liked the eggplant as it was cooked
through and the nutty flavour went perfectly with the eggplant. The mushroom
broth tasted very much like a miso soup except that it lacked flavour.
Gaj: I was not
impressed by this dish – did not enjoy the combination of the ingredients.
Type
3: PASTA
Mien
insisted on the Tom Yam Tempeh, which
is spaghetti aglio olio, lemongrass,
shallots, kaffir lime leaves, ginger
flower, bean sprouts, tempeh, and
chive flowers. (RM19.90)
Mien: Bland… not a
hint of spice at all, and couldn’t taste much of the tom yam flavour. However, I
loved it as there was something very bland and ‘clean’ about it. Also, I LOVE
TEMPEH!!!
Shiv: I love
tempeh, and was expecting it to carry the dish, but the pasta was so
flavour-less, and despite so many pungent ingredients, fell flat. An utter
disappointment!
Kav: I expected a
great Asian fusion pasta with a burst of spicy tom yam flavour. Sadly my senses
were dulled by a bland pasta that could not be helped even with the various
flavourful ingredients it boasts.
Gaj: This was
totally unimpressive! Absolutely bland and totally disappointing!
Type
4: DESSERT (Being sweet tooths, we greedily ordered two.)
Firstly,
Mien forced the rest of us to order the Blackforest cake. (RM12.90)
Mien: This is like
a Blackforest mousse instead of a cake - loved it!!!
Shiv: Don’t like
Blackforest cakes, and this was no exception. The cake was very dry, and there
was a chemical taste, which I suspect came from the cherry-jellied centre.
Kav: Agree with Shiv about the chemical taste
from the jelly. Not a fan.
Gaj: I do not
enjoy Blackforest cakes and this was just alright for me.
We
also ordered the Chocolate Fondant, served with vanilla ice-cream. (RM9.90)
Mien: Amazing for
chocolate lovers. Loved the ice-cream. (The thing about the B.I.G group
restaurants is that they always use good ice-cream.) I personally found it
toooo chocolate-y!
Shiv: Nice. They
did not overcook the fondant, and the gooey chocolate centre was present. The ice
cream used was of good quality, and the dish was up to par. Good to share!
Kav: Being the
chocolate fanatic that I am, the fondant was a dream to me. Melt in your mouth
goodness with excellent vanilla ice cream. Yummy!!!
Gaj: I enjoyed
this dessert, not the best that I have had, but enjoyable nonetheless.
*There are
other food ‘groups’ in the menu: Soup, Starters, Pies and Tarts, Between Bread,
and Mains. However, we did not order from those due to gastric restrictions. ;)
Verdict: WOK OFF!
PRICE: Reasonable
– as with all B.I.G group establishments.
AMBIENCE: Beautiful,
garden-like environment – there are seats outside the restaurant, so patrons
can choose to sit inside or enjoy the view of the world passing by.
SERVICE: Good – waiters
were polite and food arrived promptly.
FOOD: Unimpressive
– but, to be fair, the restaurant was fairly new when we visited. As such, may
be worthy of a second chance at a later date.
*Note:
Botanical also serves High Tea, 3pm – 6pm daily.
BOTANICAL
IF-28 &
IF-K2, 1ST FLOOR, BANGSAR VILLAGE II,
NO. 1, JALAN
TELAWI 1,
BANGSAR
BARU,
59100 KUALA
LUMPUR
Tel: +603
2201 3028
Website: http://www.thebiggroup.co/botanical/
Opening
Hours:
11am – 10pm,
daily
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