G3 Kitchen and Bar, Bangsar Baru

From the previous owners of Telawi Street Bistro comes G3 Kitchen and Bar, a more recent culinary endeavour which boasts a wide selection of food, including but not limited to, Mediterranean, Italian, and English.

If you head there before 3.00pm during weekends, you may fancy yourselves a magnificent morning meal from the wide variety of interesting and delicious sounding food items from their special weekend-only breakfast menu.

Let’s not waste time and head straight to the food…

1)  Pan-fried Potatoes with Mushrooms and Onions (RM10).

Mien: I liked the simplicity of dish. The perfect combination of onions, garlic and herbs was all that was needed.

Shiv: Delicious! Savoury and light, this was a good way to start the meal. Would have preferred if they had used a different variety of mushrooms, but the dish was tasty all the same.

Kav: Nicely done! The sweet onion, with the combination of earthy mushrooms and potatoes, was really delicious.

Gaj: I enjoyed this dish, very simple but tasty, good option for vegetarians.

2)  Salami Pizza, with Chicken Salami, Spicy Lamb Sausage, Mushroom, Tomatoes, Olives and Basil (RM27).

Mien: The pizza was good although not the best I have tasted. The crust was done well and the toppings were a good combination.

Shiv: Had a nice meaty flavour and the crust was done well, but the scarcity of lamb sausages was a bit of a disappointment. Thank god for the salami though, as it supported the pizza well.

Kav: Pizza was average. They could have been more generous with the sausages and olives.

Gaj: Could have been more generous with the sausage, but it was still good nonetheless.

3)  Crabmeat and Tuna Spaghetti, Olio style (RM23).

Mien: VILE! I think the recipe for this pasta: cooked spaghetti, canned tuna and crabmeat, olive oil, salt, pepper, dried Italian herbs; just mix the ingredients all together then serve!!!

Shiv: The tuna was dried out, and the olio was severely under-flavoured. Even the little crab used could not save this dish. I’m sorry, but a dish like this is unacceptable anywhere, much less in a place of this nature. Shame!

Kav: Really?!?!?! Could you actually get away with serving a dish like this in a restaurant??? You don’t need a chef to open a can of tuna and dump it onto some poorly- flavoured spaghetti – a three year old could do that.

Gaj: Really really bad! The dish was so dry, it felt like eating pasta that was refrigerated.

4)  Spicy Clam & Prawns Spaghetti with Olive Oil (RM26).

As we do not fancy clams, we opted for more prawns to replace the clams.

Mien: Another let-down. Not much flavouring at all! Plain bland!

Shiv: Unfortunately, we had little luck with pastas on this occasion, as this one was terrible as well. The prawns were mushy (an indication of staleness) and there was a glaring absence of the seafood flavour that is so fondly found in gamberi pastas usually.

Kav: I believe this chef has not got a clue when it comes to pastas. There were hardly any ingredients, and to top it off, the pasta was poorly seasoned. What a waste of some good prawns.

Gaj: Such a big let-down! You would think an olio gamberi pasta would be fairly easy to get right, but this was such a lacklustre pasta.

5)  Chocolate Pumpkin Cake (RM9)

Mien: Surprisingly delicious!!!!

Shiv: A true palate pleaser, this was the best dish of the night! The pumpkin cake was moist and very moreish and coupled with the vanilla ice cream, this dessert was just divine. I could come back here just for this! =)

Kav: This cake saved the day, or rather my taste buds. Truly scrumptious, as the cake was moist, not overly sweet and the ice-cream just elevated the dessert to the next level. YUM!!!

Gaj: This cake was really good! Yummy!

6)  Coconut Tart (RM9)

Mien: Hmm… I love anything coconut... but this was a let-down!!!

Shiv: I am NOT a fan of coconut desserts, and this did little to change my stance on the matter. It was dry and had an unpleasant texture, although the nuts added much-needed crunch and flavour.

Kav: Way too dry!!! Dislike!!!

Gaj: I am game for most things coconut, but this was just bad! Some funky flavour was going on in there!

7)  Red Velvet Cake (RM9)

Mien: This was a good rendition of this classic favourite. However, I found it a bit too creamy! Cream lovers... this is your paradise!

Shiv: One of the finest red velvet cakes around! The cake was super moist, dense and not overwhelmingly creamy. They manage to strike a very good balance between the chocolate and lemon flavour notes. Highly recommended!

Kav: Delicious, however, there should have been more cake than cream. Nevertheless, I loved the cake as it was moist and yummy.

Gaj: Love the red velvet cake!!!! =) Super yummy!

8)  Carrot Cake (RM9)

Mien: Another delicious classic, but the chocolate pumpkin wins hands down!

Shiv: Good, but not great. The lemon cream cheese frosting was delicious, but the cake was slightly less moist than I would have enjoyed. I would have also preferred nuts instead of raisins, but overall, not a shoddy attempt.

Kav: This cake was good, but not great. Loved the icing on the cake, as it was not too sweet.

Gaj: Not a big fan of raisins in my cakes, walnuts would have been a better alternative. Having said that, it was pretty good!

Verdict: WOK ON!

PRICE: Affordable. RM141.50 for 1 appetiser, 3 mains and 4 desserts (4pax).

AMBIENCE: Cosy and unique, with a rather extensive rack of food items on display on one wall of the restaurant. There is an outside dining area available with a view of the popular Telawi 3 street.

SERVICE: Good. The manager was quite willing to accommodate changes to certain ingredients in particular dishes, but, it’ll be nice if they would consider serving hot drinking water, and not limit you to the likes of Esprit, San Pellegrino or Aqua Panna.

FOOD: Almost an even number of hits and misses, however, the desserts and pizza will keep us coming back for more. =)

G3 KITCHEN AND BAR

19, JALAN TELAWI 3,

BANGSAR BARU,

59100 KUALA LUMPUR

Tel: +603 2282 8019

Opening Hours:

10am till late, daily.

The Talk Restaurant and Bar, Bangsar Baru

The Talk is an establishment that has been in Bangsar for a very very long time. Though widely known for being a watering hole, it does serve a wide spread of Japanese dishes.

Having not had Japanese food in a long time, we decided to give this old girl a try.

Ocha – Japanese Green Tea (RM12 per refillable pot)

Dish #1: Agedashi Tofu (RM8)

Deep fried bean curd with light sauce.

Kav: Not great. Didn’t have much of the skin layer I love.

Gaj: The dish was just alright. I felt like the quantity of sauce provided was not enough for the tofu.

Shiv: A far cry from being memorable. The sauce was mediocre in flavour and the tofu skin was lacking the crispy texture that is typically desired in this dish.

Dish #2: Assortment of Makis:

Unagi Maki (RM16 for 4 pieces)

Reverse Salmon Avocado Maki (RM12 for 4 pieces)

Reverse Soft Shell Crab Maki (RM16 for 4 pieces)

*We ordered three individual maki dishes and NOT an assortment, however when it was served, they were served in two platters of 5 pieces each. The waiter did not explain which maki was served in which platter and to be honest, we did not quite know what we were eating.

As there were only a total of 10 pieces, while it clearly stated 4 pieces each in the menu, we summoned the waiter and chef, who eventually gave us another serving of the reverse soft shell crab maki.

Kav: Did not realise that they were different makis until it was too late. I believe the soft shell crab had a stale-oil taste to it. I liked the unagi maki the best although it was not great.

Gaj: To be quite honest, I could not clearly identify between the three makis served. The one that stood out was the unagi maki. I could not taste much salmon in the reverse salmon avocado maki and the soft shell crab was a tad rancid.

Shiv: The unagi maki was quite delicious – the eel flesh was bouncy and very flavourful. But, unfortunately, the rest was a waste of time. The salmon-avocado filling could not support the maki as it was way too heavy on the starch, and the soft shell crab maki was horribly rancid. This was a real disaster, in terms of both service and taste!

Dish #3: Hand Rolls

Each of us had a different hand roll each:

Kav – Crab Roll, crispy fried soft shell crab, fish roe, cucumber and mayo (RM9).

Kav: Was a tad rancid… BAD!!!

Gaj – Salmon Skin Roll, salmon/salmon skin, fish roe, cucumber, mayo, avocado and salad (RM6).

Gaj: The hand roll was alright, not the best that I have had. The salmon was lacking in taste and flavour.

Shiv – Unagi Kyuri Roll, BBQ eel and cucumber (RM9).

Shiv: This place knows how to prepare and serve eel, as most dishes containing eel were pleasant. Loved my unagi temaki, as the eel was so fresh, succulent and ample.

Dish #4: Teppanyaki Cod Fish (RM33)

Pan-fried fillet of cod with garlic/teriyaki sauce. (We opted for the former)

Kav: The best dish we had. The cod was flaky and fresh…’twas just yummy. Although the sauce was too sweet, it had good flavour and went well with the fish.

Gaj: This dish was probably the saving grace of the night! The cod was fresh and the sauce was perfect! Very very good!

Shiv: Despite the garlic sauce being sweet, the preparation was simply genius, as the marriage of cod and garlic was sublime. Also, they served us a very generous portion of fish, considering the price we paid for it. Good bargain!

Dish #5: Salmon Sashimi (RM28 for 6 pieces)

Kav: The worst ever!!! Tasteless, stale and just cut too thick!!!

Gaj: The sashimi was not fresh and slices were too thick. Very disappointing!

Shiv: This dish was yet another testimony to the lack of thought given to food preparation at The Talk. Either the chef had despicable knife skills, or he/she couldn’t really be bothered to pay any attention to detail. The ‘slabs’ of salmon served could have been forgiven if they were fresh at least, but sadly, no luck there either.

Dish #6: Garlic Fried Rice (RM8)

Kav: WOW!!! I am a tough critique when it comes to fried rice, as I absolutely adore it. I must say this one was just too good. The pungent garlic flavour and the wok hei just made for a crazy good flavour!!! Could return here just for this dish!!!

Gaj: The fried rice was done well, the garlic flavour was very pronounced and it was tasty!

Shiv: Who knew that a humble bowl of fried rice could be done so well. Kudos to this place for getting the savoury flavour absolutely on the money! The taste of the egg chunks, along with the wok hei of the fried rice was seriously delicious. Many a Chinese restaurant could learn a thing or two on how to prepare this dish from The Talk. #HighlyRecommended

Verdict: WOK OFF!

PRICE: Expensive – RM182.10 for a pot of refillable green tea and 10 food items (3pax).

AMBIENCE: Modern and clean – a karaoke lounge, shisha bar and liquor bar adorn the place for adventurous souls who long to belt it out or those who just want an after work  place to chill.

SERVICE: Bad – waiters did not understand our orders/requests and they did not know the differences between the various food items in the menu. They were also not prompt, despite the fact that the restaurant wasn’t busy.

FOOD: Bad - unauthentic and mostly unsavoury Japanese food. The salmon was not fresh (cardinal error!) and most dishes were sub-par in terms of taste. Not worth the price paid!

THE TALK RESTAURANT AND BAR

22, JALAN TELAWI 3

BANGSAR BARU

59100, KUALA LUMPUR

TEL: 03 -2284 3242

Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf, Bangsar Village I, Kuala Lumpur

Being pork lovers, we didn’t have to huff and puff our way to Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf at Bangsar Village 1, tucked neatly outside Village Grocer.

As its name suggests, the menu boasts primarily of pork, so if pork is your thing, read ON!

There’s a pretty cozy waiting area, adorned with a sofa and posters. Patrons can opt to dine in the outdoors too, there are wooden furnitures and it can be quite fun if the weather is not too hot.

Let the indulgence begin…

For starters, we had Garlic Roast Pork, sautéed with oriental sauces till caramelised (RM15).

Shiv: Good flavour, and the meat was tender and moist. Plus points for not being overly sweet too!

Kav: Really good. Love the fact that it was not too sweet, like most other places. The garlic flavour was just perfection with the pork!!!

Gaj: This was definitely the best dish of the night! The pork melted in my mouth and the accompanying sauce was sooo good. I was all up for seconds!

For salads, we ordered Grilled Pork Salad, with avocado and garden greens tossed in balsamic vinaigrette dressing (RM22).

*We were initially served the Roast Pork Salad with garden greens and walnuts, drizzled with honey mustard dressing.  We had a few bites of this before we realized that it was the wrong salad. We sent it back and they subsequently served us the supposed Grilled Pork Salad, but without the avocado. Once again, it was sent back and finally returned with the avocado.

Shiv: An obvious sign of teething problems, as the kitchen staff couldn’t put together a decent bowl of salad. The dressing was not what was stated on the menu, and the entire dish ended up tasting a tad sweet yet bland. The only saving grace here was the pork.

Kav: What a waste of some good ingredients… Salad was below average and even the pork could not save this dish from failing. To top it off, it returned with the same honey mustard dressing (hate this dressing!!!) which was not stated in the menu. Shame!!!

Gaj: I did not taste the difference in flavour between the Grilled Pork Salad and the Roast Pork Salad. I could not taste the balsamic dressing, instead it tasted quite strongly of the honey mustard dressing. On hindsight, it tasted a lot like the house salad served with the burger (continue reading below). Regardless, it was very bland and very bad!

We couldn’t visit a porky establishment and not have a pork burger. We decided to try the Mighty Pork Burger, juicy pork patty, cheese, tomato, greens, fried egg, herbed mayo sauce, served with chips and house salad (RM24).

Shiv: The patty had a strong porky flavour (in a good way) and the topping of egg was genius, I thought. Enjoyed it, however, it is certainly not (and far from being) the best pork burger in town.

Kav: The patty was savoury and juicy. Sadly, the other elements failed to enhance the burger to the next level. The egg, I thought, masked the delicious patty and overall, the burger was mediocre.

Gaj: The patty was good, very good. I did not enjoy the egg in the burger, as it overpowered the patty and added an egg-y taste to the burger. Was an alright burger for me – was NOT jumping for joy! :-(

The name of the next dish was too enticing for us to give it a miss. Presenting the Alien Invasion, long-legged spaghettis cooked creamy style complete with button mushrooms and sausage (RM26).

Shiv: Not too heavy handed on the usage of cream, and the flavour of the button mushrooms along with the pork sausages infused the sauce well. As a non-enthusiast of creamy pastas, this one was not too shoddy.

Kav: Have never enjoyed cream based pasta and this one was no different from any other. The pork sausages were yummy though.

Gaj: The pasta was just alright, I am not a big fan of creamy pastas and this did nothing to change my mind. The cheese made the dish a tad salty.

Next up, we decided to try another pasta, Grilled Pork Pesto, spaghetti cooked in our homemade pesto, topped with chunks of grilled pork (RM23).

Shiv: Did not hit all the right notes that pesto pastas usually do. The flavour of the pork wasn’t enough to carry this dish, and a bland, almost insipid dish resulted. On a side note, both pastas were done al dente.

Kav: I am a tough critic when it comes to pesto pasta as I love the earthy basil flavour and therefore it’s one of my favourite kinds of pastas. Nowadays, almost every other restaurant serves pesto and sadly most of them never get it right. This one was no different as the flavour of the pesto was dull and just not up to mark. The pork was a little chunky and did not do the dish any favours.

Gaj: I was waiting in anticipation for this dish as it combined my two favorite things, pesto and pork. I was sorely disappointed as the pesto was too flat and the pork could not carry the dish on its own. I felt like they should have added pine nuts for a zing!

Verdict: WOK OFF!

PRICE: Reasonable.

AMBIENCE: Cozy and comfortable, with the option of outdoor dining.

SERVICE: Bad. The waiters got our order wrong more than once. However, the establishment was relatively new when we visited and we are not sure if these were merely teething problems.

FOOD: Below par. Most of the dishes were disappointing and it felt like there was a general lack of quality in the ingredients. A lot more thought should be given in making the end product taste better.

THREE LITTLE PIGS AND THE BIG BAD WOLF
LOT G1A, GROUND FLOOR, BANGSAR VILLAGE 1
JALAN TELAWI SATU, BANGSAR BARU
59100 KUALA LUMPUR

Tel: 603-2283-2270
Website: www.facebook.com/PigsAndWolf

Opening Hours:

Daily, 10am to 10pm