Jarrod & Rawlins – Grilled Pork Loin Fillet

I was supposed to be trying out their brunch menu, but sadly realised that on weekdays, the menu had only 4 selections, and Egg Benedict is only served on weekends. So I opted to try their set lunch menu (Monday – Thurs after 12pm), at a price of RM 21 (Approx SGD 8.50 / EUR 5.20)

The starter course of salad was so-so, and their dessert was nothing much to shout about either. So I’ve decided to just share my thoughts on my main dish – Grilled Pork Loin Fillet.

The meat was a bit dry, but the portion was just nice. I loved the sliced baked potatoes and the sauce, couldn’t really tell what it was made of, but at least it went well with the meat. The rocket salad leaves as a garnish was just lovely too, giving it a bit of a bitterness taste to it. But in comparison with the Lamb Shank I had at The Norse Bar & Bistro I had last week, it really just barely meets my expectations.  

Final verdict: 6/10

Location: No. 32-M, Jalan Medan Setia 2, Plaza Damansara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur.

    

Ben’s – Moroccan Lamb Pie & Red Velvet Cake

 

I patronize Ben’s quite frequently when I’m at Pavilion, since it’s one of the few decent Western Restaurants with a nice ambiance at reasonable prices. My personal favourites are its House Salads, Portobello Mushroom Burger (the pesto sauce is amazing), Beef Bolognese Spaghetti, and PESTO Spaghetti (I really love their pesto sauce :p).

So that day, I wanted to try their dessert, and a friend of mine had their Lamb Pie.

Many of you should know I’m a sucker for desserts, and their long list of desserts to choose from was really tempting. So for my first time,  I chose my favourite – Red Velvet cake (RM11.90 / SGD 4.8 / EUR 3).

I can only say I wanted to cry =((  It was the worst Red Velvet cake I’ve ever had!

You can’t taste the chocolate at all, except for that miserable layer of chocolate sauce.

The cream cheese was over-powering! And it wasn’t soft enough, it was like a chunk of butter. *cries

I’ve never been this disappointed in a dessert ever. Let’s hope their other desserts aren’t as horrible.

Final verdict: 3/10

Then came the Moroccan Lamb Pie (RM 29.90 / SGD 12 / EUR 7.5). I thought that the pie stuffing would have the Moroccan sauce in it, but fortunately, it was just the meat and the sauce was separately placed on the side, which is a good idea, as some might not want it too spicy.

At first glance it seemed normal, but once you cut into the pie, you’d realize how soft the crust is, hence the very messy photo :p

The meat was nicely cooked, tender but not too soft, and the crust was light and not too filling. I loved how it was accompanied by the small house salad (so I don’t have to order a large one) too. I’d say the sauce had a combination of BBQ, Tomato, and Tabasco, giving it a sweet, spicy and tangy taste; but I enjoyed the pie even without the sauce =)) Next time I’ll try their Chunky Chicken Mushroom Pie.

Final verdict: 7.5/10

Location: KLCC, Pavilion, Bangsar Shopping Center, Publika Solaris Dutamas & Gurney Paragon.

    

My Burger Lab – A+ Burger

When you think of burgers, I bet McD, Burger King and Carl’s Junior are the few names that pop up.

Depending on my mood, I personally love all 3 fast food chain burgers. McD for Mc. Spicy/Fillet-o-Fish, Mushroom burger from Burger King and if I’m craving for a LARGE burger, I’ll go for Carl’s Junior.

So that day, I was craving for burgers, but I wanted to find something special. Thanks to my lovely new friend, I found out about the charcoal burger in SS2.

We have been warned that there will be a long queue, even if you reached there at 5pm when they open (it’s open till 10.15pm). But that didn’t stop us from trying it out.

Lucky for us, the queue to order wasn’t long, but waiting for the burger was a bit.

The restaurant is actually located in a residential area, literally across a stretch of terrace houses. However, the crowd was mostly youngsters, making you feel as though you’re in a college campus diner. It’s a really small restaurant with endless long tables, making the place really crowded; the strong greasy smell in the air from the open kitchen doesn’t help eliminate the stuffiness of it either.

The service there was pretty good, there’s someone to assist you in ordering your burger if you’re a first timer. The girl was nice enough to recommend the A+ for beef lovers, and Spicy Hawaiian Chicken for chicken lovers. Since it was my first time, I went for the A+ recommendation. 

You can choose to add on fries and drinks (free refill) for an additional RM6 to make it a set, so based on their menu, a set burger would cost around RM20 – 30 (Approx SGD 8 – 12/ EUR 5 – 7.5). I would say it’s pretty expensive judging from where it is located, I mean come on, this is shopping mall prices for god’s sake.

So after a 15 minute wait, our number was called (self-service) and we finally got the savor the famous “Black burger”. 

The bun was soft and sweet (usually charcoal buns are sweet), the beef was nice and juicy, you can actually taste the caramelized onions and the sauce had a tinge of garlic to it, the cheese was just nice. I would say it wasn’t bad at all. 

The fries were a bit too salty for my liking, but they were generous with their rosemary spices and it was crispy. What I liked about it all was that it had a home-made taste to it, unlike the commercially prepared burgers by the fast food chain. 

I was trying to figure out what the orange sauce was made of, but I could only taste the garlic, and perhaps some mayonnaise; but I think that is what makes it unique. Next time, I'll try their Beautiful Mess, it has an egg to it, just how I like it =)) 

Final verdict: 7/10

Location: No. 14, Jalan 21/22, Seapark, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.