Ben's there, done that

The portion in the centre could have been bigger (Apple iPhone 4s)

“How I wished there were rocket leaves in my salad,” my friend’s wife lamented about her crispy soft shell crab salad. From her facial expression, my friend could tell that she was not relishing her meal too much. Not only that the basil and coriander leaves overbearing, the crispy soft shell crab did not live up to its name too.


My friend who has started dieting at the beginning of the month is now slowly getting the habit of eating light and healthy food. So it’s no surprise that he asked for grilled calamari on Asian greens (that’s two salads in a row for lunch) at Ben's KLCC. 

The calamari salad was very spicy. Don't know whether it's the sliced chili or the dressing... (Apple iPhone 4s)

Ben's took over the retail lot from the always crowded California Pizza Kitchen about a year ago. In a direct contrast to CPK where its dining area was bright, airy and spacious, he could not help to notice that the interior of the replacement restaurant was dark and claustrophobic. 

Potted plants and bicycle to complete the look... (Apple iPhone 4s)

Modelled after a kampung house, the furnitures, fitments and finishings were exactly meant to reflect that no-frills and utilitarian style. But the excessive use of things black and minimal lighting transformed the dining area dungeon-like, save for the tiny illumination diffused by the equally small pendant lamp atop each table, whose design was reminiscent of the old kitchen light. 


While researching for this post, I was shocked to read that Suria KLCC described the restaurant as being modelled after a Manhattan townhouse. Surely they can't be referring to the exterior because there wasn't much to begin with. It is after all a retail lot within a mall. So I guess it should be about the interior. If that's the case, what's the retro bicycle doing there?

The green papaya was appetizing (Apple iPhone 4s)

Snubbing his all-time favourite Pad Thai was no mean feat and I’d take off my hat to him for that. Not just that, he told me that he's also forgone another favorite in chicken caesar salad. I asked him what's going on. 

"I was smitten by the Vietnamese salad at The Yogi Tree," was his short answer. 

And with that I take it that he's referring to how good Asian salad could actually be. (read post here)

The calamari salad was very, very spicy but he could not tell where the taste emanated from. Yes, there were sliced chillies mingling with the greens but not that significant for it to seize control of the palate. Garlic and coriander, which were the main ingredients of the dressing should not be that hot either. That was something to think about for the man wearing the tall white hat...

Grilled calamari as the title of the dish was a bit deceptive. My friend was half expecting tentacles covered in burnt batter but they were really just barbecued squids. Hey, let's rename it to grilled squid on Asian greens then! The array of veggies on the plate was simply staggering. Amongst those that he could list out were red cabbage, onions, carrots, cucumber, green beans, basil leaves, coriander and oh yeah, chopped peanuts. 


The presence of the green papaya (in other words, the picked kind or young fruit) added the much needed breadth and balance, complementing an otherwise bland salad. Also, the chef had experimented successfully by throwing in measured chunks of lychees, allowing the occasional sweetness to seep through.

"They were conversation ideas," his wife was referring to the stack of cards on the table. Neatly indexed, the other pile were recipes of select item from the menu. The talking points ranged from the geeky 'what's your favorite food with eggs?' to the philosophical 'is it better to be really good at only one thing, or be mediocre at a few?' It's a noble way of trying to people to talk again, instead of finger-surfing on their mobile devices.


He said he would probably make a comeback.