Wednesday, 19 December 2012

Botanical, Bangsar Village II, Kuala Lumpur

Another one of the B.I.G Group’s restaurants is Botanical. Situated in the heart of Bangsar Village 2, it is an all VEGETARIAN cafĂ© (as the name suggests).


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

Opening Hours:
11am – 10pm, daily
Last order: 9.30pm

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