It's been awhile since I've last been so confused. Yes - confused. No - not only me. Yes - the restaurant owners too maybe.
Viv's Boutique Cafe & Restaurant
"Where is it?" my friend asked.
"There", I pointed at the black and the then glowing signboard.
"Is this a crab and seafood restaurant?" my friend asked again while peering through the windscreen.
"No. It's a cafe. But now that you mentioned, it does looks a bit like Capricorn, that club in KL", I added.
We parked and stepped out of the car feeling tad puzzled already. Things just get more confusing after that.
Upon stepping into the restaurant, I was torn between sitting on the left, or on the right. It felt as though the restaurant has been split into two sections - high tea or casual dining. Our instinct told us to go for the tables, since there will be a fair share of slicing and scooping. We chose a small table at the side.
Despite that, the ambiance here felt cozy and classy - cushioned seats with some European influence everywhere. I wasn't a fan of the lounge music playing at the background however, too bar-like for food like these.
Lemon Ginger Mint Tea (Rm9). Viv's Signature Blend (Rm13).
Smoked Marinated Salmon. Rm18.50.
Smoked salmon with green apple and tomato salsa mix with mango citrus dressing. I felt that there were too much sour elements in this. Swap one with a sweeter green perhaps?
Surf And Turf Noodle. Rm24.
White jade noodles with curry prawns and sirloin beef, tossed in teriyaki and sesame broth. The noodles were great, it had a nice bouncy texture to it. But the beef came extremely chewy and the broth - way too salty.
House Chicken Cajun. Rm23.90.
Oven roasted chicken served with mashed potato and sauteed vegetables, in pomodoro and special barbecue sauce. The chicken was delicious, however, again, with the sauce, it made the dish salty.
Overall Rating: 6/10. The first mouthful was great; the second mouthful was good; then it goes downhill after that. What gave all the brownie points away - it was all majorly salty - not in the beginning but more towards the end. Don't get me wrong, the core ingredients were mostly done right, though what probably needs major tweaking is the broth or sauce concoctions. Perhaps the sandwiches and lighter-eats sound like a better idea here.
That said, the menu came surprisingly affordable - throwing off many potential diners I presume, thinking that prices would be exorbitant from the interior. After all of that, I'm still not a huge fan of the interior - the split personality. I'm still confused.
Viv's is located at:
Address: 16, Jalan Wan Kadir 1, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 KL.
Phone: 03-77337911 / 017-4970795
Opening Hours: 10.30am - 11pm (Weekday) 9am - 11pm (Weekend)
Equally confusing is Jekyll & Hyde. With a name like that, I was really hoping for a meal along the lines of Charlie Chaplin One City Mall.
Expectations - good Western food with a flair of its own. We tried out some of their signature dishes that evening.
Duck Cigar (Rm15). Grilled Chicken Salad & Guacamole (Rm22).
Duck Confit (Rm32). Butter Fish (Rm32). BBQ Pork Ribs (Rm32).
Overall Rating: 6/10. Keeping it brief, food was, in fact, pretty well prepared, especially the Hickory Smoked Flavored BBQ Ribs and Duck Confit - the duck meat had a nice chew to it, served with carrot puree and apricot sauce. Those fried onion strands are to die for! But what I thought was lacking - heart. Like what my friend mentioned - soulless food - that is far from being hearty and comforting. Imagine this - structured brick walls, dark and mahogany-toned furnishings, dimly-lit lights and dining amidst a close-to-empty restaurant. I was seated on a metal framed chair for a good 2 hours and it was pouring outside - I felt cold, very cold.
Jekyll & Hyde is located at:
Address: G19, Empire Damansara, Damansara Perdana, Jalan PJU 8/8, Damansara Perdana, 47820 Petaling Jaya.
Opening Hours: 11am - 11pm Daily. Closed Mondays.
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