Another week, another two or three more eateries emerge within Publika's culinary cocoon. Magenta and My Elements are both respectable entries to this mall; neither is extraordinary but both seem keen to cultivate cheerful eating experiences.
First up, Magenta. Sure, nitpickers might moan that the menu here plays it safe, but familiarity shouldn't breed culinary contempt; we'll always be thankful for well-prepared snails (RM12+), juicily grilled with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs.
A thick, house-made beef patty lays the foundation for contented chewing, building a burger (RM25+) that's nakedly basic but unashamedly so.
Taking the something-for-everyone route, Magenta offers Asian favorites to complement its pastas and pies. We revere everything about this chicken rice, blessed with fantastically smooth, free-range meat and freshly blended chilies, except its hefty RM29+ price.
Magenta is run by the Santerri bakery business, so the sweet treats are worth sampling here, including the likes of carrot-walnut cakes and blueberry cheese ones.
Terrific for a teatime tete-a-tete; we'd like to nibble this while sipping a cocktail, but Magenta stocks no liquor, not even beer.
Still, there's coffee of course; try a full-flavored Cagliari espresso (RM10+) ...
... or a latte, fulfilling for folks like us who prefer it firmly on the milky way.
Chai-spiced cold cocoa latte, a cross between a chocolate beverage and a tea-based one.
Dilmah Ceylon tea, with cute hourglasses to tell us how long to wait before slurping.
B-&-W family photos create a nice touch; can't say we love this place, but we like it enough.
A two-minute walk from Magenta: My Elements, where Italian fare constitutes the menu's core.
Broccoli soup with herbs and extra virgin olive oil. Tastes a tad too tomatoey for our preference, though for only RM10++, it's worth a try.
Beef carpaccio (RM24++), noteworthy for both moisture and flavor, but the mustard dressing might be more of a distracting liability than a delicious asset.
Stuff it! What we could recommend: My Elements' baked eggplant (RM16++), bristling with mushrooms, veggies and cheese ...
... and the capsicum (RM20++) brimming with rice, minced beef and garlic.
My Elements has a wider-than-expected wine list, so that's a plus point. Spot the decanter!
Magenta by San Terri,
G2-42, Publika Shopping Gallery, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur.
My Elements Fusion Bistro,
D4-G3-5, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur.
My Elements Fusion Bistro,
D4-G3-5, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur.
huhu....Magenta, reminds me of those CMYK terms in design. :p publika is a nice place to go for makan minum yeah.^^ thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete女飞侠: heh, i forgot to ask the folks at magenta why they chose this color for their name and walls. but it's a cool name, ya :D yeah, i think publika is worth visiting at least once a fortnight. there'll always be something tasty to try here =)
DeleteThe soup shud be called tomato n broccoli soup instead...haha =)
ReplyDeleteThey shud have drizzled a lighter mustard vinaigrette onto d carpaccio...oops :)
Chai-spiced cocoa latte? Tat I gotta try =)
Ulric: heh, i'd certainly prefer a cream of broccoli soup. and i guess the mustard sauce was too overpowering for me, though it could work with something like beef skewers instead. oh, there's also a hot version of the cocoa latte, so you can order it at the temperature of your liking =)
DeleteHot chai-spiced cocoa latte? Awesome...thanx for letting me know :D
DeleteUlric: probably a nice drink for a rainy evening
Deleteman 30 bucks for chicken rice, suddenly the chicken rice in singapore or australia for that matter doesn't feel that expensive too me anymore.
ReplyDeleteJoe: true, it's a rather eye-popping price, though to be entirely fair to them, they do include a very substantial amount of free-range chicken meat on the plate, and it's of very good quality =)
DeleteA meal with snail and chicken rice, interesting! :P
ReplyDeleteCK: heheh this might be the only restaurant in publika where we can find both snails and chicken rice on the same menu in one place =)
DeleteIt's getting quite impossible to keep up with new food in Publika these days. 24+ for a dozen escargots is quite worth it..looks like my favourite snails at Tram Car! 29+ for the chicken rice seems too much though..unless they serve like half a chicken haha
ReplyDeleteDrops of Contentment: ooh, that made me realize that i have no idea how much escargot should cost these days. but yeah, RM2+ per piece seems kinda fair, heh :D oooh, it was quite a lot of chicken piled up on that plate. definitely more than a quarter =)
Deletefunny i thought i know the restaurants in solaris dutamas at the back of my hand, but it's too hard to keep track with the speed of F&B opening in that area!
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed that all of us stay strong. There's just too many restaurant feeding so few mouths.
Augustdiners: yeah, but these days, quite a few of the more recent openings at publika are mediocre eateries. i'd definitely rate silverspoon as one of publika's better restaurants, and i'm hoping that you guys stay strong too! =)
DeleteLoving Publika more and more as the days go by except for the rather painful parking woes. But the food offerings surely makes up for everything:D
ReplyDeleteMissyblurkit: yeah, i'm willing to endure a five-minute drive through publika's parking lot for the promise of good food after that. and heh, it's still better than the parking at bigger malls like mid valley and 1 utama :D
DeleteAnother new restaurant! You know last time I absolutely detested eating snails! But I don't remember since when (must have been the recent 1-2 years), I had my first taste of snails and they were not so bad. Haha.. I think I'm beginning to develop a new kind of attraction towards them :P
ReplyDeleteIamthewitch: an attraction toward snails! heheh. but ya, i think they're kinda fun to eat. the process of getting them out of their shells. and the pleasantly chewy texture. i only eat snails a few times a year, but i usually enjoy it :D
Deletegood news for us for more restaurant...
ReplyDeleteThe beef burger looks yummy and thick patties...
Simple Person: yeah, it's always great to have many choices for food =) and ya, the burger fulfilled my cravings for a juicy patty :D
DeleteHmmm.... the chicken rice dish seems a bit odd in that set-up...and RM30 for that, hehe!
ReplyDeletePureglutton: heh, all the components were separated on the plate. but yeah, i think it would be better if they lowered the price to RM20-something, even if they have to reduce the portion of the chicken slightly =)
DeleteI love chicken rice but will balk at paying even RM20! It does look good, though.
ReplyDeleteFootfringe: heheh, for great chicken rice (or great nasi lemak at that), i guess i'd be willing to go up to RM20-something. i wonder how much nasi lemak costs at madam kwan these days :D
DeleteRM30 for chicken rice? Tell me this is not inflation, is jus an error on the menu...
ReplyDeleteSmitten By Food: i think it's the use of top-notch free-range chicken, which is pricier than regular chicken =)
DeletePass me the blueberry cheese tart!! ^_^
ReplyDeleteMelissa: great choice! made with real blueberries for the jam :D
DeleteI'm definitely choosing the burger over the chicken rice. The max I'd pay for chicken rice is RM15...and that's in Madam Kwan. :P
ReplyDeleteBangsar-Babe: heh, it's a good burger, can probably be shared by two light eaters. yeah, i'm not sure many customers would order the chicken rice here, but at any rate, it's quite tasty, heh :D
DeletePublika is really a good place!! so many cafe/restaurant with good environment and food!
ReplyDeleteJean: oh yeah, it's hard to imagine KL without publika now :D
DeleteOh the hourglass that comes with the tea is really cute!
ReplyDeleteBaby Sumo: the hourglasses are quite cool! we're supposed to use them to determine how strong we want our tea to be :D
DeleteVeggies just come to life when you stuff 'em! I need to try the eggplant one....yum. Publika just keeps spawning more great eateries!
ReplyDeleteYouHadYourLunch: you speak the truth! i tried a zucchini stuffed with turkey ham and cheese recently, and it was so nice! will be on the lookout for other varieties :D heh, here's to publika! long may it thrive =)
DeleteThis place has my serves my fav version of hot choc!
ReplyDeleteYukiko: i guess the chai spice adds a nice flavor to it :D
Deletelooks like this publika is really buzzing with restaurants and cafe. I seldom go to Publika because I find that their parking is really confusing and I have to park at the same spot everytime to ensure I don't lose my car. haha
ReplyDeleteEiling: oh yeah, i was definitely confused the first several times at solaris dutamas/publika too, but it gets better after awhile. nowadays i definitely know where to park, heh :D
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