The Geeks will inherit SS2; one of this month's most intriguing F&B openings in PJ is Gee & Geek, conceived by a band of childhood buddies who studied together in SMK Taman SEA & have reunited to run a restaurant less than 500 metres from their alma mater.
Gee & Geek is the first contemporary cafe on a street that's better known for kopitiams & hawker stalls. Its young team - mostly born in the early 1990s, when we were wrapping up high school - has imbued this place with a sense of inventive fun that extends from the posters on the wall to the nicknames for the beverages.
The food selection evolves throughout the day & is respectably more ambitious than expected; if you're visiting after 5pm, order the pork belly confit, convincingly succulent & well-partnered with grilled pineapple carpaccio (RM25 nett). While chicken & seafood may not be missing from the menu, it's pork that steals the show here.
Many of the kitchen's offerings could be described as Asian-accented; expect, say, a lemongrass dressing to be drizzled into the Nicoise salad. But for full-fledged Oriental-Indochinese, we like these fried mantou buns, brimming with tender pork slices & tangy papaya-mango som tam with peanuts. A finger-lickin' tasty treat for RM16.
And while this one might seem like a ploy to please fans of carbonara-style pastas, Gee & Geek goes the extra mile by reputedly curing & smoking its own bacon, the best thing on this plate (followed closely by the poached egg, of course). RM22.
If you're into pork burgers, Gee & Geek's is well worth trying - the handmade patty, blanketed with a fried egg & cheese, is thick & deliciously seasoned for a savoury juiciness. The bun seems less notable, but the entire ensemble is still fully capable of satisfaction. RM20 (add RM2 for kitchen-made sweet potato crisps).
Only one dessert was available when we visited, but it was a good one - a creamy deconstruction of a cheesecake, the scoops of cheesy filling looking a little like gelato, with crumbly & fruity accompaniments spread across the plate. RM15.
Playfulness permeates the drinks too, mostly named after superheroes - Thor is a fresh lemonade to 'hammer your thirst' (in the words of Gee & Geek's menu), while Spider-Man is dubbed 'a fresh spin on watermelon juice, unmasked with a minty aftertaste.' We pursued the sole villainous choice - the Green Goblin (RM9), with guava, lemon juice, basil & kaffir lime leaves.
The coffee's pleasant, a bit of a lighter roast than the norm. All in all, Gee & Geek has potential, ranking among 2015's more promising independent cafes so far. It serves brunch too - expect everything from Big Breakfasts to Greek yoghurt parfaits. Get your geek on!
Gee & Geek
46, Jalan SS2/4a, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Daily, 10am-10pm. Tel: 03-7496-5907
Note: Closed throughout Chinese New Year, Feb 16-22. Will reopen Feb. 23.
Note: Closed throughout Chinese New Year, Feb 16-22. Will reopen Feb. 23.
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