If any restaurant in KL could be described as Chaplinesque, it might be Mulberry, thanks to portraits of the silent film star that stir a striking sense of nostalgia.
Mulberry throbs with a thriving lunch crowd, but evenings here are serene, enabling scattered tables of customers to stop & smell the truffle oil in this vegetarian-friendly spaghetti tossed with sauteed mushrooms, sugar peas & tomato confit.
From pasta to pizza, there's a something-for-everyone selection. The Santa Fe thin-crust special showcases a tasty mix of Tex-Mex flavors, with chicken, tomato salsa, avocados, sauteed onions, sour cream & cheese.
Beefing things up a bit with this Chef's Salad, comprising mesclun with beef pastrami, carrots, celeriac, Japanese cucumber, cherry tomatoes & red onions in a ginger sesame soy dressing. Always fun to find a place that serves salads worth savoring.
The rib-eye might prove too thin & tough, though the kitchen cooks this exactly medium-rare. What's terrific instead: the tangy tomato chipotle sauce & the choice of side dishes _ creamy, curried potato salad & garlic-scallion butter rice.
Mulberry's beef burger fares substantially better, featuring a patty thick with savory juices, bolstered by beef bacon, caramelized onions, melted cheddar, avocado puree & sour cream.
White & red wine are available by the glass & bottle ...
... at around RM12 a glass & RM90 per bottle.
Plenty of hard liquor; who knows if Chaplin _ never much of a drinker _ would have approved.
Mulberry opens weekdays; last orders are at about 9pm, but the kitchen may oblige latecomers.
All in all, Mulberry's not a bad hangout, offering largely enjoyable food & efficient service.
Mulberry Restaurant & Bar,
Ming Annexe (off Ming Building, near Jalan Bukit Nanas),
9, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.