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

Citrus Café and Restaurant, Bangsar Village 2, Kuala Lumpur

Having covered a number of eateries at Bangsar Village 1 and 2, we decided to try one that we’ve not covered previously, and made our way to Citrus Café and Restaurant located on the second floor of Bangsar Village 2 (a few doors away from Starbucks). 

The ambience of Citrus is one that is eclectic, modern, and fresh, and the waiters are pleasant and very informative (more on that later).

We started our meal by placing an order of  Citrus Nasi Goreng Kampung served with chicken or beef rendang, fried egg, keropok and sambal belacan (RM14.90). As all four of us don’t eat beef, we opted for the chicken instead.

Gaj: The rendang and sambal belacan were really tasty, but the rice itself was not well-flavoured.

Kav: Dislike the nasi goreng. However, the rendang was delicious and the sambal was to die for. The fish keropok was one of the better ones I’ve tried in recent times.

Mien: The rice was too mushy and not flavoured well. However the rendang helped the dish by leaps and bounds, as it was not too coconut-y and there was a ‘kick’ to it.

Shiv: OMG!!! The sambal belacan was savoury perfection, and the rendang chicken was very fresh and pleasantly pungent. Not overly impressed by the rice though, as it was overcooked and bland.

After much discussion, we decided to try one of their pizza’s, but couldn’t quite decide between the Medley of Mushroom Pizza (RM19.90) and Salmon Pizza with Smoked Salmon, Asparagus, Capers and Red Onions (RM23.90). Fortunately, our waiter came to the rescue and informed us that we could split the pizza into 2 parts - half and half, which we gladly opted for (RM23.90).

Gaj: The mushroom pizza was sweet. Dislike. The salmon one on the other hand was mediocre.

Kav: Salmon pizza was ok, but it tasted like something I could have prepared at home. The mushroom pizza was not savoury enough, and the chicken was too dried out. Didn’t like it.

Mien: Preferred the mushroom pizza to the salmon one, as I liked the flavour from the mushrooms. The salmon, although fresh, did not wow me as it was very plain.

Shiv: The cheese-ladened salmon pizza was pleasantly flavoured (although they could have been more generous with the capers). Was not overly impressed with the mushroom medley, as it was slightly sweet.

Being pasta-lovers, we obviously had to try one of Citrus’s many pasta options, and as such, decided to go with their Tiger Prawn Linguini Special, pasta with tiger prawns and eggplant (RM25.90).

Gaj: The pasta had a creamy flavour to it - wasn’t the best pasta I’ve tried, though the freshness of the prawns must be credited for. Tasted almost like an Indian pasta.

Kav: The pasta sauce used was too heavy, and the dish tasted starchy. Did not like the Asian influence in the pasta. Will not order it again.

Mien: Not a fan, as it had a creaminess to it. However, there was something interesting about it – must have been the Asian flavouring.

Shiv: Initially I thought it was mediocre, but as I went on eating it, the flavours of the dish really came through, and it was uniquely delicious. I suspect the thoroughly cooked eggplant had something to do with the creaminess of the dish, which I had no issue with. Polished this one off the plate.

As usual, our bottomless pits were still yearning for more food, and we thought of sampling their cheesy nachos with olives, cherry tomatoes, etc, but again, our kind waiter advised us against it, as the nachos are supposedly not the most popular dish at Citrus.  

Instead, he suggested that we try the Lamb Biryani, which is aromatic rice cooked with lamb chunks and spices and served with papadum and daalca (RM23.90). 

 *All four heads nod in unison, in agreement to his suggestion*

Gaj: AMAZEBALLS! The rice was very delicious. Daalca was mediocre, and the lamb, although flavoured well, could have been cooked longer.

Kav: The rice was fragrant and the spices made the biryani yummy. True to the authentic Pakistani biryani, as one of the chefs at Citrus is of Pakistan origin. However, the lamb was tough, tsk tsk.

Mien: Love the accompanying raita (yogurt salad) as it was sour and flavoured well. The rice was tasty and spiced adequately. I was satisfied with the lamb as it didn’t taste gamey.

Shiv: Best dish of the night. The rice was truly aromatic and well-flavoured, and the accompanying yogurt condiment was fresh. The lamb however could have been more tender (they should learn tenderisation techniques from Middle-Eastern chefs!)

Verdict: WOK ON!

 

PRICE: Reasonable (RM97.45 for four dishes).

AMBIENCE: Contemporary and fresh.

SERVICE: Excellent, the waiters were polite, informative and honest.

FOOD: Highly recommend the Asian dishes (but be prepared to drink copious amounts of water, post meal).

CITRUS CAFÉ AND RESTAURANT

2F25A, SECOND FLOOR

BANGSAR VILLAGE 2

NO 1, JALAN TELAWI 1,

BANGSAR BARU

59100 KUALA LUMPUR

Tel: +603 2287 9560

Opening Hours:

10AM – 10PM daily

Flavours Kitchen, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur

Flavours is an eatery  that opened recently in Bangsar Baru by Mohd Nadzri Redzuawan, a.k.a Chef Riz (Chef Wan's son). Flavours boasts a fusion of local and western cuisine.

For starters, we had Deep Fried Wontons. The minced chicken, prawns and turnip were wrapped in wonton skin served with tartar sauce and honey mustard (RM15).

Shiv: Rather mediocre, tasted like any other wonton.

Kav: The crust was really crispy. It was not bad.

Mien: Will not order it again.

Gaj: The deep fried wontons were tasty and the honey mustard sauce was surprisingly nice.

Gaj had RIZ’s Nasi Briyani with lamb, which is Johor Famous Nasi served with Nasi Dalcha (Indian curry rice), Acar Buah (Fruit Acar) and Papadom (RM30).

Shiv: The only disappointment of the night, though it came highly recommended.

Kav: Mediocre! Lamb was unpleasantly sweet.

Mien: There was too much cardamom flavouring - too overwhelming!

Gaj: The rice and dalcha were nice, however, the lamb gravy was sweet.

We then had Salmon, a Pan Seared Salmon Fillet, Potato Purée, Puttanesca, with seasonal vegetable (RM42). *Gaj missed out on trying this dish.*

Shiv: The salmon was fresh and the flavour of the dish was impeccable.

Kav: Generally, not a fan of cooked salmon, however, loved the puttanesca that came with the dish.

Mien: Surprisingly out this world. The puttanesca sauce as not sweet and had a nice sourness to it.

Next up was the Nasi Goreng Kampung, a wok-fried jasmine rice with sambal belacan (shrimp paste), kangkung (morning glory), crispy anchovies, served with ayam kampong (free range chicken)/beef, chicken satay and keropok ikan (fish crackers), where the free range chicken was chosen (RM20).

Shiv: For someone who is not a big fan of rice, I truly enjoyed this, and would definitely come back for more. Malaysia on a plate!

Kav: One of the best nasi goreng kampung's that I have tried! The ikan bilis were crispy, satay was tender, and the egg was cooked just right - runny. Loved the sambal that accompanied it and the rice was flavoured to perfection. My only complaint was that the prawns were not fresh.

Mien: I'm not one to order a rice dish usually, but this was really really good.

Gaj: The nasi goreng was yummy-licious!

Verdict: WOK ON!

PRICE: Reasonable.

AMBIENCE: Pleasant, clean and modern.

SERVICE: Good, the waiters were polite.

FOOD: Really good, definitely worth another visit.

FLAVOURS KITCHEN

51G,JALAN TELAWI

BANGSAR BARU

KUALA LUMPUR