The Olive Tree, Menara Hap Seng

It’s not often that we come across buffet lunch priced below RM30. This afternoon I had lunch at one of such places. RM25 for an eat-all-you-can meal at Olive Tree. If you go in a larger group, the price per head comes down – RM60 nett for 3 pax….and on weekends children below the age of 8 eat for free!

The spread isn’t huge but it is sufficient for a very decent and satisfying meal!

  

Address:  Ground Floor

Menara Hap seng

Tel : +603 2031 7887

Master, Visa and Amex accepted.

Xenri D’Garden Japanese Cuisine, Menara Hap Seng

 

I’ve heard a lot about this place but have never been there. Apparently they have another outlet in Wisma Elken on Old Klang Road as well as 2 other outlets, one each in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong and Nanjing Road, Shanghai.

Locating this outlet requires some effort. You need to go to the second floor of the building where you will see a little garden, which I would say is ‘shared’ by Hakka Republic, Elegant Inn (previously reviewed) and Xenri D’Garden. Trust me – it’s a beautiful sight.

As I walked in I could feel a sense of serenity and calmness. I chose a table beside the water which are bubbling out of little basins….and I really felt very comfortable.

As I was alone, I looked through the set lunch menu. Prices start at RM24 all the way to RM70 for what is known as an executive lunch set.

I settled for the RM50 set known as Tokubetsu Bento. (Please note that ocha a.k.a green tea  is charged at RM3 per cup and is refillable at no extra charge). The sashimi was excellent – fresh, but I wish they were more generous with the wasabi. Well, that could be because I simply love to douse my sashimi in lots of wasabi…but for the ‘average’ sashimi eater, I think the wasabi should be enough.

The salmon was also fresh and well marinated and cooked. It was absolutely lovely! And did I say tell you about the lettuce and tomatoes? All fresh & juicy.

The tempura was done to perfection and I really liked the taste of it. Once again all the ingredients including the prawns were fresh.

The 2 pieces of tofu were tasty, and not soggy. The chawan mushi had a generous amount of mushrooms and the miso soup had lots of seaweed in it.

 

Overall it was a very pleasant meal and I especially love the fact that great effort has been put in to making the bento a joy for the eyes and stomach! And I can still hear the sound of the bubbling water til now!

Address: Lot No 2-04 Second Floor

Podium Block of Menara Hap Seng

Jalan P. Ramlee

50250 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : +603 2078 6688

Mastercard, Visa and Amex accepted

Trattoria, Menara Hap Seng

The name of this place says it all – it is an Italian eating establishment that isn’t very formal…..well, I hope you get what I mean.

A look at the menu tells me that ala-carte is a little too expensive for me (considering I haven’t got my salary for this month yet), so I had a close look at the set menu.

There are many sets available ranging from pasta to pizzas and of course sandwiches – all sets costing from RM19.90 to less than RM25.

My choice - Set C Panini : Club Sandwich pork bacon, chicken, lettuce, tomato and egg. Comes with french fries, a soft drink (choice of diet coke or ice lemon tea), soup or salad , and a tiny tiramisu.

This is the soup – it looked plain and boring yet was very tasty. You scoop how ever much you would like …….er….subject to a limit which is of course as much as the bowl could hold!

Club sandwich –I can easily label this as modest yet plentiful. It was a beauty to my eyes and a feast for my tummy. Love it! The pieces of bacon were done to perfection and every bite of this sandwich left me yearning for more…and with that I ate up all the sandwiches …and the fries too (even though I have never been a fan of french fries)

Overall, I would say I love the ambience as it gives you the feeling that you are dining alfresco, but then again you are not exposed to the elements as this place is covered..well, if I have confused you, then do drop by Trattoria and try the various set lunches they have.

Address : Menara Hap Seng

Jalan P. Ramlee

50450 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : +603 2022 0460

Credit cards accepted

Elegant Inn, Kuala Lumpur

I’ve always loved (and I am still a huge fan of) dim sum. So on a rainy Friday afternoon I end up at Elegant Inn reknowned for their Hong Kong cuisine. The menu says – Dim Sum with a Touch of the Heart and after the sumptuous meal I must say yes, indeed it touched not only my heart, but it has also left a very lasting impression on me too.

These are some of the food I had :-

Siew long pao – RM9.20 for 4. Juicy pao –well, one of the best I’ve had so far!

Siew mai with fish roe RM8.40 for a basket of 4 – I really liked this as it not only looked good, but taste good too

Barbecued meat bun RM7.50 – it may not look good, but it was very delicious.

This is watercress dumpling – with such a name I had expected it to be a ‘vegetarian dish’ but it turned out to be something like the normal dumplings but with watercress taking the place of chives.

This looks like cucur udang but it is actually fried oysters – unique!

Sweet & sour fish slices – the fish was very fresh & the succulent pieces of meat were very appetising.

Stir fried kai lan – nothing to shout about…just to please mum as she has repeatedly said that I need to have more greens!

Fried rice – slightly bland & boring to the eye too.

Don’t be fooled by the ‘clear’ soup you see here. It’s actually pig stomach soup. They put in lots of chicken and pig stomach (and black pepper too!)  to boil this soup. Every drop of this soup tells me that a lot of effort has been put into it..and of course it evident from the taste. Absolutely perfect!

Elegant Inn Hong Kong Cuisine 

2.01, 2nd Floor, Podium Block

 Menara Hap Seng

 Jalan P.Ramlee

 50250 Kuala Lumpur

 Tel:   +6 03-20709399     

Opening hours : Mon-Sat 12pm-2.30pm & 6pm-10.30pm, Sundays & KL Holidays 10.30am-2.30pm & 6pm-10.30pm

Accepts Visa & Mastercard, Amex