Living Food & After Ate

A study in contrasts: two eateries opened this week on Jalan Tun Razak _ just a 15-minute walk from each other but offering food on opposite ends of the gastronomic spectrum.


First up, Living Food at Menara Tan & Tan. Despite its simple, somewhat sterile look, this cafe feels like one of KL's most innovative purveyors of health food, using intriguing ingredients to construct recipes that placate the palate & boost the body.

Noodles? Nope, it's zucchini, sliced into slivers & slathered with three spectacular sauces _ cashew, sun-dried tomato & tahini. Creamy yet springy, with tasting notes that somersault between pasty-nutty & salty-tangy, this vegetable is very rarely so enjoyable.

Move over, meat burgers; Living Food's signature patties of dehydrated mushrooms & seeds, sandwiched in tomatoes, guacamole & sprouts, are a herbivore's fantasy come true, fertile with feisty, force-of-nature flavors.

The cafe's business hours (8am-6pm weekdays & 10am-3pm Saturdays) make it tough for many to eat here, but takeaways are an option. Sealed in a paper bag, this Japanese-inspired salad of cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots & seaweed with wasabi tamari dressing no longer looks appetizing after some time, but it still tastes more wholesome than KFC's coleslaw.

Next, After Ate at The Intermark. The status update hit like a sugar rush _ at 5:34pm Tuesday, The BIG Group announced to its 2,000-plus Facebook followers that it had opened a "dessert lounge where sweet dreams come true."

The word spread faster than ants attack a picnic: After Ate _ which replaces T Forty Two at the Intermark stable of Tate & Estate _ is branded as a "playground for the ladies," promising the fairer sex that they can sip bubbly here while savoring saccharine sensations.

The most devilish of desserts: inspired by Snickers, the list of components on this plate speaks sinfully for itself. Gooey caramel mousse. Salted peanuts. Peanut chocolate cracker. And oh yeah, BIG's own milk chocolate ice cream. Heck, it's better than a Snickers bar.

Meringue chunks, fruits, fresh cream & orange jelly, with a quenelle of raspberry sorbet. Would work wonderfully with champagne, but After Ate currently serves bubbly only by the bottle. And since this was lunch, we were forced to resist the promotion of two bottles of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin for RM380++.

Wrapping up with nutrition-packed smoothies at Living Food _ thicker than anticipated & nowhere as disgusting as they sound. On the left: a blend of dragon fruit, banana, purple cabbage & chia; on the right: leafy greens, orange, pineapple, ginger & lemon.

There's more to come: both Living Food & After Ate will have new neighbors within weeks. At Menara Tan & Tan, Antipodean from Bangsar is launching a branch here soon (coffee!). And at The Intermark, expect The BIG Group to establish EST _ potentially a meat-lovers' paradise _ after the Lunar New Year.

Living Food Bistro Cafe,

Menara Tan & Tan, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2181-2778

After Ate @ The Intermark,

Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2161-4160

Bunga Kantan @ Bangsar

Bunga Kantan has replaced Rice Cafe at Lorong Maarof, but fans of Malaysian fare shouldn't fret; there's no lack of familiar, fulfilling food here.

In honor of Rice Cafe, we only tried the rice platters at Bunga Kantan. Our recommendation: Nasi dagang ikan tongkol, nicely priced at RM4.50. The firm, fragrant rice was flawless, well complemented by creamy fish 'gulai.'

Nasi goreng petai (RM7). Not bad, but not brilliant; petai lovers might be soothed by the hearty heap of stinky beans, though the rice itself tasted run-of-the-mill.

Need more rice? Drive five minutes to Jalan Maarof's Italian Tomato for a rustic risotto (RM25++), flooded with the earthiness of shiitake & button mushrooms.

Need even more rice? Drive another five minutes to Bangsar Village, where Garibaldi whips up perhaps the city's priciest risotto _ a saffron one with braised veal cheek for RM98++.

Garibaldi's risotto with pigeon ragu, walnuts & red wine sauce is as rich as imaginable, though also not cheap at RM83++. But there it is: a tour of the grainy goodness that Bangsar giveth.

'Tis still the season to be jolly! Complimentary panettone from Garibaldi.

Booze isn't available at Bunga Kantan. So drink up at Garibaldi (or Italian Tomato).

Restoran Bunga Kantan (RBK),

98, Lorong Maarof, Bangsar Park, Kuala Lumpur.

Open daily 7:30am-10pm.

Italian Tomato

Replacing Gaja on Jalan Maarof, Italian Tomato might look like a lackluster eatery _ despite its memorable name _ but the hits outnumber the misses on its wide-ranging menu.

Fonduta (RM24++). The Italian equivalent of Swiss cheese fondue, but made of Fontina cow's milk cheese whipped with egg yolk, milk & butter. Its flavor is mushroomy though muted; the true pleasure of this broth lies in its lascivious texture _ creamy but somehow almost frothy.

Chicken liver pate (RM16++) with a double-whammy of garlic _ raw cloves sticking out of the meat paste & infused into crostini on the side. A thick, rustic-tasting spread, worthy of praise.

Potato gnocchi & prawns sauteed in herb butter (RM22++ for a starter-sized portion). A textbook recipe, simple but satisfyingly done. The dumplings were neither stodgy nor mushy.

Wood-fired roasted beef ribs in red wine reduction (RM40++). Yep, Italian Tomato boasts a wood-fire oven, utilizing it to prepare everything from pizzas to pumpkin soup & lamb shank. This epic slab of meat is meant for priapic appetites _ rip into it, chew loudly & grunt.

Itching for more Italian? Only a 15-minute drive away, there's Verona Trattoria at Section 17.

Earlier entry on Verona Trattoria: December 29, 2011.

Snack attack: Deep-fried mushrooms _ not magic ones but surprisingly plump, especially considering they're of the button variety. Crisp on the outside, oozing with earthy juices within.

Minestrone, bristling with kidney beans, onions, celery, carrots, tomatoes & chopped penne. This soup might come out of the kitchen super-fast, scarcely five minutes after the order is placed. But it'll likely taste reassuringly fresh & homemade.

Deep-fried mozzarella cheese. A safe prediction: customers who start munching on this gooey goodness won't be able to stop till every piece is gobbled up.

Desserts, however, are a disappointment at Verona Trattoria: the zabaione _ a custard made with eggs & marsala wine _ is way too watery here, topped unhelpfully with blueberry gelato. The traditional tiramisu is supposed to contain marsala too, but tastes bereft of booze.

Wine isn't available so far at Verona Trattoria, but since there's no corkage charge for now, customers can buy a few bottles nearby at Cold Storage in Jaya One & bring them over.

There's lots of liquor though at Italian Tomato; the Sangria & Caipirinha are intriguingly executed _ blended & served in wine glasses. Alas, the Sangria is sickly sweet, blighted by a concentrated mango puree that overpowers everything else.

Wine is the less risky option at Italian Tomato. Service is briskly professional but impersonal.

Italian Tomato @ Bangsar,

61, Jalan Maarof, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

Verona Trattoria @ Section 17 PJ,

Jalan 17/54, Petaling Jaya.

Tel: 03-7960-2890

Peter Hoe Beyond

A Chinatown shopping hot spot on the Lee Rubber Building's second floor, with a comfy corner where customers can rest their feet & replenish their energy with tasty treats.

Quiches & pies dominate Peter Hoe's display counter, but we insisted on the seafood spaghetti, a special of the day on the cafe's blackboard menu. This simple, WYSIWYG pleasure won't win major awards, but it's hearty & well-prepared.

Cherry cheesecake, topped with the sweetest, juiciest fruit. We like!

Carrot & walnut cake. Its texture was kinda mushy, but the flavor was fine.

Lemon juice. Wine is also available, but only by the bottle.

After eating, check out Peter Hoe's wares, including furniture, linen & jewelry. It's like a fantastic flea market, with everything except fleas.

Break out the piggy bank! 'Tis (still) the season to be shopping.

Peter Hoe Beyond,

Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, Kuala Lumpur.

Open through 7 p.m. daily.

The Mix

Here at The Mix, the Klang Valley's sexiest lounge singer ever can be spotted belting out everything from The Stylistics' "You Are Everything" to the Plain White T's "Rhythm of Love." Look for the red tie.

The food at this Holiday Inn Glenmarie outlet comprises East-meets-West recipes. Try the light, flavorsome prawn salad, laced with kiwi fruit & coconut for a creative flourish & a strategically positioned bread stick for a phallic finish.

The cocktail selection is also seductive. We liked the Spicy Sangria (brandy, white wine, red chili, sprite) & Purple Cosmopolitan, made with grape juice instead of cranberry,

Not excited by live entertainment? Head to the hotel's Glen Lounge, which overlooks a sprawling golf course (though the view outside the terrace is shrouded in darkness at night).

ABC (amaretto, baileys, cognac) & Peach Margarita.

The Mix & Glen Lounge,

Holiday Inn Glenmarie, Shah Alam.