Element Fresh Pavilion KL – Healthy Food & Drinks

Element Fresh Pavilion KL

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Words: Kitty Noble
Photos: Rich Callahan

Amongst a sea of fast-food restaurants in Pavillion KL, Element Fresh provides a cathartic, refreshing change to the norm, offering a healthy array of delicious dishes. The light, airy space, with the glass frontage, ambient lighting, greenery, sage and mustard coloured seating, collaborate to create a general calming feel with jazzy background sounds. It very much reminds me of a hangout area in a posh gym or a fancy airport lounge.

The restaurant franchise is the number one western fusion dining brand in China, born in Shanghai 18 years ago, in a gym. The back catalogue boasts over a thousand items, but thankfully, this is pared down to a manageable selection for the Malaysian market.
With friends who are vegan, vegetarian, coeliac, dairy intolerant and varying dislikes, it’s pretty challenging to find somewhere to eat, that suits everyone’s needs, with more than one option to satisfy each one, but I feel this really could be the answer to that. It’s easy to tell that one of the partners in the restaurant is vegan, given the ample selection of options, not just your bog-standard stuffed pepper!

The key focus is on healthy, tasty food. Bravely, the restaurant opened during MCO on 22nd February 2020 and I’m sure will become a regular stomping ground for the nutrient-starved populace!

Element Fresh Juices

Terry, our host and director of the outlet, convinced us to try one of the warm fresh juices. Carrot Apple and Rosemary (RM 23) has a bright orange hue with fresh rosemary. The juice is steamed to warm it through and is surprisingly tasty with the perfume of the rosemary shining through. This would make a lovely breakfast drink too!

Green Slim (RM 18), not slime, as the deep green colour would indicate, consists of grapefruit, apple, cucumber, orange, ginger, kale and spinach. It has a freshness to it without the pondweed flavours often associated with the earthy greens, refreshing and delicious. I have a particular dislike for cucumber, which can often overpower, but really enjoyed this drink.

Element Fresh Smoothies

Avocado-Banana-Coconut (RM 22) sounded like the most awful smoothie on the menu, so thought I’d try it so I had something controversial to write about. Nope. Not a bit of it. Well-balanced, creamy and fresh, it was delicious and filling and like so much of the menu was very satisfying.

Element Fresh Vegan Menu

Not only are there vegan options, but there is also an entirely vegan menu, not so surprising when we come to learn that one of the directors is vegan.

We started off with Persian Pita Bread (RM25), which is a crispy base, spread with hummus and topped with a mouth-filling eggplant, roasted artichoke and vinaigrette. It’s a lovely, elegantly-presented, sharing starter.

Grilled Vegetable Tofu Wrap (RM 30) is simply served with a bright side salad. Grilled tofu is slathered in a pesto sauce and married with mushrooms, yellow pepper, eggplant and veggies, in a whole wheat tortilla in Romesco sauce which brings it all together. This was one of my favourite dishes, filled with yummy flavours and really is no less significant than a meaty counterpart.

Whole Wheat Penne with Portobello Mushroom and Red Pepper Sauce (RM 36) is a hearty bowl of pasta. It’s topped with a delectable, slightly pickled portobello mushroom, filled with umami and deliciousness. Another dish that even meat-eaters wouldn’t notice the lack of animal protein.

Assorted Mushroom in Soy Sauce (RM 36) blends a variety of mushrooms, in a rich, house-made sauce, which balances well with the fresh broccoli and rice.

Element Fresh Menu

Spiced Pumpkin Soup with Bread (RM 18) is a beautiful, autumnal ochre with the expected ingredients of pumpkin, potato and onion, but the surprising and thoughtful addition of kaffir lime leaves, leading to a tasty dish. This was absolutely my favourite dish of the lot, and one serving would have done for an entire meal.

Hawaiian Tuna Poke Salad (RM 38) comes in the shape of a HUGE bowl of food (you should come with an appetite). Large chunky pieces of tuna top nori seasoned jasmine and brown rice, with Asian pear, kale, cucumber wakame, grilled pepper and an ABC sauce (a kind of sweet soy) and spicy mango sauce.

The freshness of everything shined through, with a complexity of flavours, to satisfy the hungriest of tummies. So large was the portion, after three of us digging in, there was enough for me to take home for lunch the following day. A testament to its freshness, the greens were still bright and fresh and the dish as delightful as the day before.

Garden Grilled Salad (RM 30) is another enormous plate of a kaleidoscope of fresh veggies, with a hard-boiled egg. A simple yet satisfyingly scrummy salad.

Element Fresh Cobb Salad (RM 36) is a huge example of your typical salad with generous portions of grilled chicken breast, cheddar, avocado, hardboiled eggs, beef bacon and lettuce served with a thousand island dressing. This was easily enough for two people.

Element Fresh Desserts

Although the overall theme is that of healthy, tasty options, Element Fresh refrains from piety and offers some unctuous desserts to round off the meal. Everything in moderation, right?

Homemade Rice Pudding (RM 18) is made with jasmine rice steamed in milk with vanilla-infused cream. It’s topped with velvety salted caramel and served with a smattering of dehydrated cranberries. This is a beautiful, creamy pud, which is not overly sweetened and makes me slightly nostalgic for good old Blighty.

Cocoa-Nut Crème Brulee (RM 16) is a crafty departure from the standard sweet, using coconut rather than egg, with a slightly bouncier texture than your typical crème brulee. As the name suggests, cacao is added, to give a hint of chocolate flavour, again, without being cloyingly sweet. As a bit of a crème brulee snob, Rich happily polished it off, in short order.

Element Fresh Cocktails

Besides a whole list of healthful juices and smoothies, Element Fresh in Pavilion has a compact wine and cocktail list. Garden Gin and Tonic (RM 36) is a melange of Beefeater gin, pink grapefruit, rose liqueur, tonic, strawberry and rosemary. With a big mouthful of flowers, this would easily be at home at a lawn picnic in England. Whilst typically we share everything, after Mon had one sip, I did find myself polishing it off. The pours are generous, without being watered down, so ensure you’re not driving after one or two of these!

Rum Old Fashioned (RM 42) was a more spirit-forward mix. Havana seven years rum, Grand Marnier, Cointreau, aromatics bitters and cherry was a firm nod to a rum the classic.

Citrus Burst (RM 23), a warm none alcoholic punch, is served in a French press, combining black tea, calamansi, lime, orange, ginger, Korean pomelo jam, fresh mint, rosemary and hibiscus rounded with a little honey. It’s the perfect digestif to a filling but a healthy dining experience.

Element Fresh Pavilion

We were invited to have a look around the vast kitchen, which takes up a whopping 35% of the floor space and were very impressed at the spotless cleanliness and attention to detail. Having a cheffing background, I’m fully aware of the mad chaos that goes on behind those closed doors, but the calm order of the front-of-house was equally reflected there too.

The Element Fresh staff were truly passionate and inviting, clearly proud (and rightly so) of the brand that they work for. Further emphasising their dedication to a healthy, active lifestyle, step into the restaurant at any time showing your 10k+ steps on your device, and they will give you a FREE juice, with no obligation to purchase anything at all.

Furthermore, if the enormous portions get the better of you, or you need to take away, the packaging is thoughtful and as minimally wasteful as possible with compostable boxes taken away in paper bags. As regular readers know, this is something very close to the hearts of me and Monica. A big tick from us!!

Reasons to visit Element Fresh Pavilion KL: smug feeling of healthy eating; delicious and plentiful options; great variety for all dietary needs; did I mention the HUGE portions?; relaxed and soothing setting.

Element Fresh Pavilion KL
Lot C3.03, Level 3, Pavilion KL
55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
+6 03 2110 5661
www.facebook.com/MYElementFresh

Element Fresh Opening Hours
Mon-Thurs: 8 am – 10 pm
Fri-Sun: 8 am – midnight

Find more healthy eating spots here and stay up to date with the latest culinary happenings around Malaysia here and here.