*This article features a halal restaurant
Located in the heart of KL, a cosy unassuming restaurant sits between rows of buildings in Jalan Panggong. The exterior of the restaurant is simple with a touch of traditional nostalgia as seen by the wooden details of the entrance.
We made the mistake of coming right during lunch hour on a Saturday (this was before Ramadan) which meant that we had to jot our names down and wait. But it all worked out in our favour because it gave us the chance to explore the area behind the shop lots and take a lot of Insta-worthy pictures!
The wait took less than half an hour and the service was relatively quick considering that the whole restaurant was full. But not to worry, the seating arrangements were spaced out well enough that we had our privacy while eating.
Their menu had an interesting range, from local delights like nasi lemak and mee goreng to lighter food such as toasts and buns. After a good 20 minutes and a lot of “Wow this looks good, oh wait, this one looks good too,” we finally decided on the following:
- Luckin Kopi Kaw Cold RM5.50
- Luckin Cham Cold RM5.50
- Salted Egg Rice – Chicken RM13.50
- Luckin Sizzling Chicken Rice RM18.90
- ABC RM8.90
Honestly, the drinks themselves deserve a whole article on their own – it was so good that I could probably write a poem about it. The Luckin Kopi Kaw Cold was refreshing and rich, with a slightly bitter aftertaste (but in the best way). I don’t know how they did it, but they managed to find the perfect balance of milky but not too milky. And despite the ice melting, it maintained its rich caramelised taste throughout the meal. As a broke uni student, nothing beats affordable yet good quality caffeine! :’)
As for the Luckin Cham Cold, I personally did not enjoy the first sip but after a while it grew on me. It was the perfect blend between tea and coffee, two of the best tastes in one! And to top it all off, our Ipoh-born photographer approves of their cham, going as far as to say that it was almost on par with Ipoh’s cham! (That’s when you know it’s good good).
The Salted Egg Chicken Rice looked good in the menu pictures, but tasted even better than it looks. Don’t let the small portion fool you, it turned out to be very filling that we had a food coma afterwards. The chicken maintained the familiar crispiness and tenderness of fried chicken, but without being dry or oily. Even the sauce is good, not too thick, not too salty with just a hint of chilli to compliment its milky flavour.
Personally, the Luckin Sizzling Chicken Rice was the star of the show. It was served raw on a hot plate and a waiter came every once in a while to flip the chicken to ensure that it was thoroughly cooked (so that my lack of culinary skills would not be the end of me). With a mixture of corn, chicken, thick gravy, blocks of butter and rice over a banana leaf, this meal was both visually pleasing and incredibly delicious. Every ingredient complimented each other such as how the corn added texture to the soft tender chicken. Thankfully, they were also very generous with their portions because I could not get enough of it!
Unfortunately every great establishment has their flaws, and this came in the form of their ABC. For full disclosure, we are not huge ABC fans but we’ve tasted a few good ones in our lifetime. Don’t get me wrong, the ABC was still pretty good and I think those with a sweet tooth will enjoy this. If you’re adventurous with your desserts and your taste buds are looking for something new, this could be for you. It was served with an interesting combination of lychee, black jelly, peanuts, orange skin, red bean and corn which made it very visually appealing. Although the ingredients did not seamlessly blend with each other, the sweet shaved ice bandung syrup was refreshingly good to cleanse our taste palates after the heavy yet satisfying meals.
Considering the restaurant is only a 5-minute walk from the Pasar Seni LRT, the location is quite convenient. We would definitely recommend this place to any person looking for an innovative local restaurant. We confidently dub this restaurant as MONCH- APPROVED!
Food: 9/10
Ambience: 7/10
Price: 7.5/10
Accessibility: 8.5/10
Service 8/10
Address: 14, Jalan Panggong, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan
Written by Natasha Maya
Photos by Jerry Foong
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