Aglow at Agrain: Wholesome nourishment shines in a fresh, fulfilling form at Mid Valley City's sleek new hub for vibrantly cheerful meals.
These lush bowls and luscious platters go beyond the grain, showcasing oven-baked protein - from chicken thigh and breast (relying on locally sourced chilled meat) to beef stew and salmon - complemented by Cameron Highlands vegetables in a cornucopia of minimum-oil cooking styles, including Szechuan-spiced eggplant, honey-glazed carrots, garlicky cauliflower, marinated cherry tomatoes, herb-roasted potatoes, curried pumpkin and much, much more.
Mix and match your flesh and fibre with bases such as buckwheat soba, cauliflower rice, baby spinach, pasta, and the top recommendation, ecoBrown rice, cultivated in northern peninsular Malaysia, retaining more of the nutritious bran, vitamins and minerals than regular white rice.
Even the dressings successfully balance a sense of fun with a sensibility of wellness, including soy-lime-cilantro, basil pesto, rosemary olive oil, butter yogurt, green curry and salted egg yolk. Each flavoursome sauce, served in a separate container, is kitchen-prepared, free of MSG and chemicals.
Ultimately, the variety is wide enough that you could conceivably have lunch at Agrain every day for a week and still savour a completely new personalised ensemble of ingredients each time - a reviving change from the typical mixed-rice options for workday sustenance.
This large bowl, assembled to order, comprised a double dose of protein: Portuguese-inspired piri-piri chicken breast and crispy-skinned salmon, heartily blanketing a bed of brown rice, bolstered by an onsen egg, some spicy edamame and eggplant for an edge of heat, plus shredded nori, crunchy garlic and soy-lime-cilantro sauce for extra zing and zest.
Every element is well-portioned - a meal with indulgent textures that's nonetheless thoroughly guilt-free. Regardless of your preferences, each available ingredient synergises well with each other to create a unique combination; each bite is meant to leave you wanting more and to encourage the imagination for other surprising possibilities and combinations. A deliciously far cry from the rabbit-food salads that many might link to healthy eating.
Preset bowls are also available, the ideal introduction to Agrain if you're in a hurry. Possibilities include the BBQ Chicken Rice, Japanese Soba Bowl and Lemon Dill Spinach Salad - each bowl ranges in cost from RM13.90 to RM22.90. The menu is expected to evolve every few months, so regulars will consistently be rewarded with new choices.
Quality food is made for pairing with quality beverages, including fruit and vegetable cold-pressed juices (RM8) and house-made tea (RM3). A bottle of Mint Limeade is a rejuvenating counterpoint to the current heatwave.
Looking ultra-chic, this is KL's third Agrain, following similar healthy-lifestyle outlets in Menara Hap Seng and The Intermark, brought to customers by the HALE F&B brand, which regularly caters and delivers meals for individuals and corporate clients. Three more Agrain outposts are expected in the year ahead.
Many thanks to Agrain for having us. Selected photos above are courtesy of Agrain.
Agrain by HALE
Suite G.01, Lobby, Ground Floor, The Gardens North Tower, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, 59200 Kuala Lumpur.
Note: Agrain is specifically in The Gardens North Tower, right outside of The Gardens Mall. Enter Robinsons at the Ground Floor; towards your right, walk through Coffee Club and you will see Agrain on your left.
Monday-Friday
Breakfast: 8.30am-10.30am
Lunch: 11.00am-3.30pm
Dinner: 5.30pm-8.30pm
Saturday-Sunday and weekends
Lunch: 11.00am-3.00pm
