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Nutmeg |
Nutmeg, All Day Breakfast and Brunch, Bangsar
Village II
Photos by The Yum List
Words by Kirsten Durward
Nutmeg is a very versatile spice, used in both Western and Eastern cookery, enhancing savoury and sweet dishes alike. The eclectic menu at the spice’s namesake restaurant in Bangsar Village II echoes this versatility. The ‘All Day Breakfast’ section features daybreak options from around the world; Lunch and Dinner packs a punch with generous homestyle bistro dishes, and for the lighter eater a delectable range of sandwiches and salads are offered.
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| Nutmeg Furniture |
Recycled wood tables; warm browns with cool greys manage to transform a basic mall setting into something welcoming and chic. Colourful boards promote the food temptations while light glitters through a beautiful recycled window feature from an indoor ‘terrace’ that gives a casual swing to the place. Magazines are scattered around and people are happily hanging out, reading and surfing the web with their coffee and food.
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| Nutmeg |
Co-owner William tells us that his concept is ‘home’ and he makes as much as possible himself to control the textures and flavours. ‘I’m a home cook and I like to eat it,’ he says. ‘If I don’t like to eat it then it does not go on the menu.’ Fair enough! We haven’t tasted anything yet but William’s described the whole menu so well that we are practically salivating; Monica at the thought of Salted Beef (silverside) which she usually has to bring back from Oz in a suitcase, and me at finding a restaurant here that makes its own Gravlax!
The signature dish is the Nutmeg Big Breakfast but William suggests that we just try parts of it because we’ve so much on our plate tee hee. It’s a good job we are hungry, as items start to arrive thick and fast. First ‘proper’ potato hash browns, don’t expect a grated deep fried waffle potato here. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, our fingers quickly whip back for more. What I think are fried cheese cubes turn out to be deep fried mac ‘n ‘ cheese with a sweet chilli relish… Crunchy and squidgy! We imagine these a child’s favourite. ‘ Can you get any more decadent?’ asks Mon. Hashed Potatoes RM6++, Fried Mac and Cheese RM6 ++
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| Nutmeg Big Breakfast Items – Lamb Sausages, Deep Fried Mac and Cheese Balls, Hash Potatoes |
Apparently you can, in the form of Nutmeg’s signature ‘Croissantwich.’ Incredibly light and creamy scrambled egg is heaped onto moist smooth and smoky gravlax atop a buttery croissant. The sweet dressing on the shiny, herby salad gives a fresh contrast to this insane combination. I have to stop eating it, however, as my attention is drawn by homemade lamb sausages and their accompanying spicy mint chutney. The sausage is rustic and chunky as we break it open we can see, smell and taste all the fresh ingredients. Yummy. Nutmeg Gravlax Croissant-wich RM26 ++, Spicy Lamb Sausages RM9 ++
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| Nutmeg Gravlax Croissant-wich |
Butterscotch Brioche Banana French toast is from the sweeter side of the breakfast menu. Can I just say, unless you are starving darling, this giant portion will serve as a sharing dish. It’s dense and buttery homemade brioche with a beautifully crunchy caramalised outer. Stop me eating more, please! Brioche French Toast RM16++
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| French Toast |
Luckily I have a fruity Nutmeg Cold Tea Punch to refresh my greedy mouth. It’s not very tea-ish but I love the refreshing mixed fruit with orange segments throughout. Nutmeg Mixed Fruit Tea RM 9++
Monica’s home comfort food has arrived, a great slab of New Zealand Beef having been cured in a spice blend for ten days then cooked sous vide for ten hours at low temperature, proves to be meltingly tender. Any Aussie will be trekking across town for this plate. It slips down a trickling treat with the homemade sauerkraut and more-ish mango chutney. In fact we mop up the chutney with so much gusto that brings back a taster plate, which we eagerly dive into, vying for tastes. Rich fig, dense walnut and pear, sourish rosella, soft smooth peach, a lightly spiced mango and pineapple and our favourite; spicy paprika slices. We demand that these are bottled and sold for take home, just chuckles. Salted Beef and Cabbage RM25 ++
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| Salted Beef |
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| Chutneys |
The tasting plate of Gravlax is twinkling and tempting me to dive my fork right into it’s glistening layers. I think this is the only place in KL to do Gravlax so I am eager to taste. First mouthful is the ‘Original’, smoothly marinaded in rosemary oil for a clean smooth fish with an under-note of hot mustard. An instant yum for me! Next comes smoked paprika, designed for those who like a smoked salmon flavor. And then the most creative slice; slightly pinkish in hue. Beetroot gives the colour, sweetness and slightly earthy tones, while lemon grass refreshes and lightens so you hardly taste the fish at all. ‘Wow!’ breathes Mon. Gravlax Sampler Platter RM28++
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| Gravalax Sample Platter |
Caning’s eyes are popping at the huge portion of lasagna that oozes lusciously in front of us. I promise you most people would need to take half home but after Mon and I finish tasting Caning happily scoffs the lot. I promise you he would have licked the bowl if he could have. It’s deep dish with plenty of luscious red sauce on top. The clean light taste comes from the half lamb, half beef filling, smothered in a creamy béchamel, and crisped with cheddar, which may not be traditional but is my personal favourite for pasta. Canings eye’s roll up as he exhales ‘This …. Is …. The…. Best!’ Lasagne RM23++
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| Lasagne |
I think to myself – it’s comfort food – it’s where you want to come on a wet Wednesday, to be warmed and welcomed. This thought is punctuated by the arrival of a frothy hot chocolate, coated up the glass with a pure plain chocolate. The smooth taste is delicious and not sugary but slightly confuses us until William explains that it is blended with a homemade hazelnut puree. Ooh an upmarket warm Nutella, can this day get any better? We glance over and see another customer receiving one, which she cups her hands around and smiles broadly to herself. It’s more than heart warming to see a simple drink give simple pleasure. Hot Chocolate RM10 ++ (worth stopping in for)
Monica is also happy with her latte, which is made from Brazilian Santos beans that are locally roasted to ensure freshness. I’m intrigued by the 3D coffee art, something I’ve never seen before. Hmmm… well people seem to like it, we’re assured it’s asked for repeatedly. Café Latte RM10 ++
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| Hot Chocolate, 3D Coffee, Iced Tea |
It’s onto dessert, which we’ve been angling for since we walked past the cake cooler on our way in. Papaya cake was made for Merdeka day but has become so popular it remains as a staple. It’s very moist and buttery, textured with crumbled peanut and cashew. The papaya curd filling boosts the intensity of flavor in this light ‘national’ cake. Selection of House Made Cakes RM12++
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| Papaya Cake |
A lemon steamed pudding arrives with a zingy passionfruit and lemon fruit curd that pings me right back to childhood. Monica too, if the speed of her spoon is anything to go by! Lemon Pudding RM13++
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| Steamed Lemon Pudding |
The highlight of the day though, that I practically refuse to share is the Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding. Hazelnut praline is combined with eggs, cream and dark chocolate baked on a chocolate biscuit base before being topped with a chocolate mirror glaze. It’s chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate, which is everything a good dessert should be. The flavour is intense, the texture is firm and smooth, just perfect with its sticky top and crumbly base. I concede defeat. No more please! Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding RM 13++
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| Chocolate Tart |
Nutmeg is a pork free establishment All Day Breakfast Menu from 9:30 am until 10 pm Lunch and Dinner Menu from 11:30 am until 10 pm Discount before 11:30 am for Celebrity Fitness members
Reasons to visit: good café style portions, homemade gravlax, decadent chocolate delights
Nutmeg
UGF-28A
Bangsar Village II,
Bangsar Village II,
2 Jalan Telawi 1, Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
+6 03 2201 3663
The French Toast looks something different from what i had….. and the papaya cake looks interesting. Never would have thought of papaya in the making of any cakes, would definitely love to try that out 😀
those are some good looking food, nutmeg is a bit of a Penang speciality, and I'm from Penang 😀
Oooooo…gorgeous! Love the scrambled egg on the croissant – so nice and creamy, just the way I like it! Slurpssss!!!!! The lasagne looks awesome too!
Today May,21 i walked in with my friend by welcome from the NUTMEG crew. So we order one set of lunch which included one fish soup, spicy tuna spaghetti, a carrot cake plus another side order which is two more poach eggs.
After the soup was serving, the main course which is spaghetti serving. While we eating I found out one short (hair) so I wonder to ignore it, but later one I found out another more. So I invite waiter to ask what was this two little (hair) was.. The waiter was taking my spaghetti away; I think should be asking the chef from kitchen. Then he come out said, the chef also no idea what was it. First they just simply remove two of the (hair) away.
So I was thinking should I continue my food or I should left it, then I found out another longer about 3cm long (hair). So I decided to ask another waiter for it. She just walk away and said try to find it out for me. But later, she come out said:” so sorry” the chef decided to FOC us this spaghetti.
Then we thought that we can continue our dessert which is carrot cake, and our side orders which we ordering. About half an hour to go, they never serve us or walk toward us. Just let us sitting there by ourselves. I was wondering how come my food didn’t be serving anymore but others? Then we ask for our order, they just direct replied:’’ we didn’t have any side order!’
We was so hungry & mad because we sitting there just for a soup and half of the spaghetti with (hairs). Even they said we don’t need to pay, but they never ask whether we need other order? or should they exchange another food for us. But kicking us out of the Nutmeg restaurant. I have go through all the comment of this restaurant only I decided to walk in, but whose know this is so awful lunch & worst experience that we had for today in Nutmeg , Bangsar Village.
Eww! Hairs in the food might have had me running in the other direction. It sounds as though you were very polite and a lot more patient than I might have been. What a shame the service staff let you down.