Food, film & friends form the foundation of The Gastro Project, unveiled in Section 17 this week to offer a hangout that's somehow both elegant & economical.
Portraits of ultra-cool Bogart, Nicholson & Depp peer over diners' shoulders at The Gastro Project's ground-floor space; upstairs, a work-in-progress bar will soon start screening movies (we're crossing our fingers for a Maggie Smith marathon!).
Comfort food with tiny twists steal the show: pies stuffed with lamb & apricot, pizzas topped with sausages, baked beans & eggs, plus steaks paired with avocado bearnaise.
Roasted tomatoes filled with minced lamb. Prices here won't break the bank, with most starters capped at RM15++, pastas at RM20++ & pizzas at RM25++.
Pumpkin ravioli. Portions feel fair; a three-course meal should suffice for most customers.
Chocolate balls with rum-cocoa sauce (RM15++). Flavor-wise, whatever we ordered was OK; reasonably well-executed, without serious flaws that warrant nitpicking.
Cocktails may be the true star here; love the AC Martini, mysteriously described on the menu as a mix of butterscotch, dark rum & "something else." That turned out to be apple with burnt sugar, making this a cool concoction that tastes like Apple Crumble.
Most cocktails cost only RM15++: the very nice Hmmmm (midori, dark rum, fresh strawberries, brown sugar, almonds) & Bellini (sparkling wine, peach puree, peach liquor).
The Gastro Project promises a different flavor of infused vodka daily; we had mango this time, but pandan, vanilla, orange & raspberry will be next.
All in all, TGP's a cheerful spot that may become a favorite for some. Worth keeping tabs on this.
The Gastro Project opens 11am through late, except Mondays.
The Gastro Project (TGP) @ Section 17,
Jalan 17/56, Petaling Jaya (same row as Decanter, behind Bistro a Table)
You like Maggie? I've loved her since "The prime of Miss Jean Brodie" - she won an Oscar for that, I think and the theme song too. Was in Form 6, I think when it was screened here.
ReplyDeleteSuituapui: ooh, i've only ever watched that movie on dvd, and it was bit 'old-fashioned,' but it can be quite fascinating to watch films made decades ago. i'm currently loving maggie smith in her tv role on 'downton abbey' :D
DeleteI never know about this restaurant..
ReplyDeletekinda near to my place .. next time I will check it out..
Simple Person: it's not bad. quite a relaxed atmosphere, good for family and friends. a nice addition to this neighborhood =)
DeleteVery reasonable prices...and avocado bearnaise...hmmmmm! =)
ReplyDeleteUlric: yeah, yay for fair prices. avocado bearnaise sauce does sound intriguing, and for liquor lovers, there's also an alternative of whiskey bourbon bbq sauce to accompany the steak =)
DeleteI take both with the steaks...hehe =)
DeleteUlric: that'd be a smart move, i think! :D
DeleteSo many new places opening up in that neck of the woods... still haven't been to any of them :P
ReplyDeleteLifeasacynic: oh yeah, Section 17 is steadily become quite a foodie paradise! maybe you can do some cafe-hopping here sometime =)
DeleteSo little food? Or there is part 2 coming? hehehe.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't had Italian food for awhile. Maybe can have some ravioli for dinner tonight? :P
CK: part two maybe next month :D ya, I also haven't had much Italian food recently. If you visit this restaurant, I think maybe you will order their crab meat aglio olio pasta with chili flakes (also RM20) :D
DeleteI like that area. And this place looks sunny! If they have WIFI I might just spend some quiet time here :)
ReplyDeleteRebecca: ooo, I'm guessing that if they don't have wi-fi just yet, they will have it soon, since every self- respecting cafe and restaurant these days should provide that facility for customers, heh. Ya, lots of light here during the daytime, and it's nice that it's open all day long, even between lunchtime and dinner. Though parking is a problem during office hours =)
DeleteNew place? I like the interior..
ReplyDeleteMelissa: yeah, I'm a film buff, so I really like the photos that they've chosen to adorn the walls =)
DeleteThe movie theme is cute! It's all about Johnny Depp and Helen Mirren though...not together. The food sounds reasonable too. Its good to find somewhere like this in PJ amid the sea of stalls and durian eateries!
ReplyDeleteYouHadYourLunch: heheh, i hope to see a peter o'toole poster on the walls here someday. yeah, it's a nice hook, classy and not corny :D and ya, speaking as someone who's not really a fan of durians, i echo your sentiments! =)
DeleteThe cocktails are affordable! Which is a bad thing...because I often get carried away. :P
ReplyDeleteBangsar-Babe: heheh, i know the feeling. one cocktail is rarely enough (and neither is two or three sometimes) :D
DeleteWe drove pass this place on Tuesday but didn't quite make out the name. Prices are certainly reasonable...would love to head in for a a meal once my voice returns.
ReplyDeleteMissyblurkit: yeah, i think it'd be a nice suburban neighborhood to chill out after work. i hope it does well (and i hope your voice returns soon!) :D
DeleteThey do have WIFI Rebecca.
ReplyDeleteAsha: thanks for confirming that! =)
DeleteSo you can go there and spend some quiet time with a cup of their fabulous coffee amongst other things
ReplyDeleteAsha: sounds like a good idea. i haven't tried their coffee yet, but will think about it =)
Deletefriend opened this place :) haven't been myself, but can't wait to watch football on the 100+ inch projector screen
ReplyDeleteDiz: that would be quite a big deal for sports lovers! :D
Delete