Botanical, Bangsar Village II, Kuala Lumpur (Round 2)

As stated earlier, we would give Botanical another chance, and here it is:
(P.S Click here for our first review: Botanical (Round 1))

1)  Vietnamese Salad – green apples, cucumber, cellophane noodles, jicama, shallots, bean sprouts, Thai basil and peanut dressing. This dish is gluten-free and contains nuts. (RM19.90)

Mien: Very refreshing. Loved the peanut-y-ness of this dish with the Thai basil. Would definitely order again!

Shiv: Reminiscent of a good Thai kerabu – it was fresh and crunchy. The ingredients were aplenty and nutritious. An intestine-healthy option, especially for the gluten-sensitive.

Kav: Very fresh and the nuts gave it that crunch that I love!!!

2)  Portobello Mushroom Burger – served with French fries and side salad. (RM21.90)

Mien: Tasted like a meat burger! Really really good and meaty! Botanical knows how to turn carnivores into herbivores!

Shiv: Wow! An amazing vegetarian alternative to the old favourite, the Portobello patty was super juicy and flavourful, and the whole burger just oozed a succulent savoury kick. Will certainly give the conventional burger a run for its money.

Kav: You would never expect this of a vegetarian burger. It felt like I was eating a meat burger. The earthiness of the mushroom flavoured the burger perfectly. Favourite dish here!!!

3)  Spinach & Ricotta Crepes Gratin – spinach, ricotta, herbs, buckwheat crepes, tomato & buffalo mozzarella gratin. (RM25.90)

Mien: Tasty... however, it was toooooo filling! Overwhelmingly cheese-y! One would taste very little of the other ingredients but a WHOLE load of cheese!

Shiv: Good, but in a sinfully-cheesy-artery-clogging way. Think lasagne meets parmigiana. The spinach-ricotta combo was genius, but the flavouring of the entire dish was overwhelmed by the cloying mozzarella-ricotta pairing. May have been wiser to share between more people.

Kav: First mouth, verdict - excellent but a little sweet.

Second mouth, verdict - okay but very sweet.

Third mouth, verdict - OMG CHEESE CHEESE CHEESE… so freaking cloying!!!

Fourth mouth, verdict - choking on cheese… somebody call 911!!!

Verdict: WOK ON!

PRICE: Reasonably priced for healthy, tasty food! Total = RM78.55 for 3 dishes.

AMBIENCE: Modern, fresh, clean and tastefully decorated with al fresco dining option available, albeit still in the middle of a mall.

SERVICE: Good. Food arrived promptly, and our waiter was pleasant and efficient.

FOOD: We gave them a second chance and we were impressed! We’ll be back to try out some of the other dishes from their extensive menu.

*Note: Botanical also serves High Tea, 3pm – 6pm daily.

BOTANICAL

IF-28 & IF-K2, 1^ST 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

Last order: 9.30pm

Annalakshmi, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur

If you are in the mood for a cultural and spiritual experience, and craving for some good old vegetarian food, then there could not be a better place to visit than Annalakshmi in Brickfields.

This restaurant is situated inside the Temple of Fine Arts, a school of arts, offering a variety of cultural arts classes, such as classical music and Bharathanatyam (Indian Classical Dance).

This explains the spiritual and ethnic interior deco of the place which added to its unique charm.

We had the buffet lunch (RM12), as the ala carte menu is only available from 6.30pm onwards. The buffet lunch is very similar to a banana leaf meal, except that it is self-service and is served on a silver platter rather than on a banana leaf.

The buffet comes with plain white rice and pulav (seasoned rice).

 *You can also request for chappati from the volunteer waiters as it is also inclusive in the lunch buffet.*

Kav: I decided to go with the pulav rice which was fragrant and well flavoured. It went well with the dishes served.

Shiv: The pulav rice was tasty on its own but to savour the other dishes, I suggest having white rice.

There were four different types of soup / gravy accompanying the meal, Rasam, which is a soup made with various spices, Sambar, a lentil soup which contains vegetables and spices, Dhall, similar to sambar, except that it is thicker and contains chickpeas, and Brinjal Tomato Kulambhu, which is a vegetable curry.

Clockwise from top left: Rasam, Sambar, Brinjal Tomato Kulambhu, Dhall

Kav: The Rasam was very poorly flavoured. The Sambar was delicious, and the Kulambhu tasted like it was home-made, EXCELLENT! The Dhall was mediocre.

Shiv: The Kulambhu was superb, reminded me of my Amamah’s  Venthiya Kulambhu (grandmother’s onion curry). The other three were very ordinary.

There were four different vegetables served:

Mix Greens Saute

Left to right: Mixed Greens Saute, Vegetable Kadai

Kav: This tasted just like a Chinese pak choy preparation. I was pleasantly surprised!

Shiv: Good on its own, but didn’t blend well with the other Indian dishes.

Vegetable Kadai (type of deep cooking pot used in Indian cooking)

Kav: Very ordinary!

Shiv: I enjoyed this vege. The spices flavoured it well.

Tomato Paal Curry (Tomato Coconut Milk Curry)

Left to right: Tomato Paal Curry, Mixed Yam Hot Curry

Kav: I disliked this dish as it was too creamy and a bit too sweet for my taste.

Shiv: Was not a big fan of this dish as the coconut milk was toooooooooooooooooo overwhelming!

Mixed Yam Hot Curry

Kav: Oooooooooooooooooooh… this was SUPERB! Was savoury and the spices flavoured the yam perfectly!

Shiv: The best vege of the day! It was so good that I had second helpings!

The set also came with mini- vadai (savoury south Indian lentil doughnut).

Kav: Was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and was served PIPING hot! Was truly a treat to my senses! Couldn’t have enough of it.

Shiv: ONE OF THE BEST VADAIS I HAVE TASTED! I could go back to Annalakhsmi JUST for their vadais.

Dessert was also a part of the meal and this time it was Kesari (Semolina Pudding).

Kav: The kesari was vile!

Shiv: It was cloyingly sweet and sickeningly ghee-ladened!

There was a variety of condiments to choose from, such as Raita (Yogurt Salad), Deep Fried Dry Chilli, Podi (Chickpea Powder) and Ghee, Yogurt, Papadom, Mint Chutney, and Uruga (Pickles).

Clockwise from top left: Yogurt, Podi, Uruga, Mint Chutney, Deep Fried Dry Chilli

Kav: Raita was SWEET! Very disappointing. I mixed the podi with the ghee and ate it with rice, delicious! Their popadom was something to shout about as it was strongly flavoured with spices. YUMMY!

Shiv: I expected the raita to be sour, but to my disappointment it was sweet! I am a podi lover and as such I heaped the podi and ghee on my plate. The spicy popadom was to die for!

Verdict: WOK ON!

PRICE: Very reasonable, and remember it is all in the name of charity!

AMBIENCE: Calm, peaceful and very cultured. The female volunteers were all clad in traditional Indian sarees while the male volunteers were in traditional Kurtas, adding to the cultural feel.

SERVICE: Good. The waiters were volunteers from various backgrounds.

FOOD: Excellent. Definitely worth revisiting.

*The lunch buffet selection varies daily. You can also opt for Kaveri (South Indian Set Meal), Narmatha (North Indian Set Meal), Thairu Saatham (Yogurt Rice Meal) or Sambar Saatham (Lentil Soup Rice Meal).*

ANNALAKSHMI

116 JALAN BERHALA, BRICKFIELDS,

50470 KUALA LUMPUR

Tel: +603 2272 3799

Opening Hours:

11.30am – 3.00pm

6.30pm – 9.30pm

Open daily except Mondays