Bon Ton @ Lot 10, Bukit Bintang

This branch of Bon Ton at Lot 10 is a calm hideout just a few steps away from the Bukit Bintang bustle. It's a cosy little nook with lots of warmth and soul.

Bon Ton's offerings have always been satisfying but not outstanding. The Nyonya top hats were a nice crunchy starter, even though the fillings and the chilli sauce lacked that extra oomph.

The otak-otak spring rolls with tenggiri fish paste sounded pretty interesting. It was light and addictive but maybe not as flavoursome as it should have been.

The Aglio Olio Hakka noodles with prawns seemed like a must-order, but the East-West combo ended up tasting like a typical Chinese concoction. Still all right.

The harissa-crusted lamb was probably the best dish of the evening. The meat was succulent and the mashed pumpkin was the perfect accompaniment.

We still had room for dessert, so we sprung for the chocolate toffee cream cake and the chocolate cheese cake, both served with ice cream. Sinfully scrumptious. We were reeling from sugar shock but managed to finish both.

Bon Ton

Ground Floor, Lot 10 Annexe

Tel: 2142-2287

M Circle @ Starhill

Really should have started this five years ago, but better late than never, right?

So here we go now! *Deep breath*

M Circle is Starhill's revamp of what was once Tiff's Jazz Lounge on the Explore floor. It feels sleek but slightly more impersonal. The lounge singer who used to stroll around crooning romantic ballads here seems to have vanished, replaced by a sound system that supplies upbeat mood music.

Gone too is the former menu that offered tidbits from Shook! and assorted cakes. What caught our eye on the new menu was a page of signature cocktails including this M Mojito laced with cranberry juice. The result was mellow but forgettable.

The M Olympic was a blend of Cognac and Cointreau. Isn't that more or less a Sidecar? The menu claimed this was "created for the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris in a gold medal recipe." I'm not gonna check on that. It was a strong drink but not my kind of cocktail.

We only spent about 30 minutes here, but the comfortable sofas and friendly service made it a pleasant place for hanging out before a proper dinner. Just don't expect too much from the drinks.

M Circle, 

Level 3, Starhill.

Tel: 2144-6306