Roots Bangsar – Modern Meatless Fusion Restaurant – Vegan & Vegetarian, Bangsar
Words: Stephen Reid
Photos: Monica Tindall
Here at The Yum List, we like to highlight several dishes on restaurant menus to help vegetarian and vegan readers navigate what can be, at times, limited dining options. That being said, things have greatly improved since I was a vegetarian in the UK in the 1990s. Back then, I was lucky to find any meat-free options, let alone an abundance of delicious recipes. Even if not wholly meat-free, most restaurants now have several dishes catering to plant-based diners.
Not only is it now much more accessible to dine out and find tasty and nutritious vegan and vegetarian options, but many more meat-free establishments are also entering the mainstream.
The very latest such business to enter the scene is Roots in Bangsar, which opened its doors for the first time on August 28, 2024. Although this location is brand new, the original business began trading in Johor Barhu a little over two years ago. Formed by proprietors Ian and his brother, he told us that his family have been vegetarian his whole life, and he related a similar struggle to the one I described above. Unlike myself, who took the easier path back to eating meat, Ian and his brother decided actually to do something about it.
By this stage, they had already had a thriving bakery business and started introducing a limited selection of vegetarian meals. When these dishes proved popular, they gradually increased their range before taking the plunge and opening the Original Roots Bistro in Hotel Vistaria at Mount Austin in Johor Baru two years ago.
As this business is now established and successful, the brothers decided to bring their cuisine to Kuala Lumpur. After looking for a suitable site, they opened on a great corner lot in Bangsar.
As it’s a new business, Ian said some customers have struggled to find it on Grab and Google Maps. “Roots” is not to be confused with “Roost,” which is at the other end of the street. He’s currently working on this, but as it’s right across the street from Alliance Islamic Bank, Jalan Telawi, in Bangsar, you can’t miss it if you pop that into Google Maps or the Grab app. The restaurant has a bright modern facade, located prominently on a corner plot with a giant orange ‘R’ logo containing a single leaf as the only indication that this is a ‘meatless’ restaurant.
Unlike the vegetarian restaurants I encountered in the UK in the 1990s, which always seemed to have decor leaning into shabby chic mismatched chairs and Hessian wallpaper and with a feint whiff of cabbage, Roots is bright, breezy, sleek and modern. The walls are painted a denim blue and burnt orange, and the chairs and wall light panels are wickerwork, which softens the look and adds warmth. Along one side of the restaurant, there is a long wooden framed glass display case and counter filled with delicious-looking bread, focaccia and croissants made with dough prepared by Ian’s brother, as well as some vegan cakes bought from a local supplier. Also on display is their non-dairy ice cream made from oat milk; we quickly sampled a spoonful of their coffee variety made with their blend of coffee made by a local supplier called Woke. Delicious!
Additional seating is available upstairs, where Ian proudly pointed out a large mural reaching from floor to ceiling depicting a grandfather or elderly uncle and a small boy sitting amongst the roots and under the branches of a magnificent tree, the couple caught sharing a humourous moment, both laughing and with smiling faces. The inspiration for this mural shows the importance of older generations passing down wisdom and knowledge to the younger generation. In this case, perhaps it’s recipes and healthy eating tips being passed down.
The upstairs space has seating for around 40 people. It is decorated similarly to the downstairs space, with comfortable chairs upholstered in burgundy and brown leather around wooden table tops. Two private dining rooms lead off from the main space, which have a slightly more elegant feel with the addition of marble table tops and modern glass chandeliers. These rooms, one seating ten people and one seating eight, may be reserved for private events subject to a minimum spend, which can be negotiated with the team. If you’re planning an event, give one of the team a call to discuss, and they would be delighted to assist.
Roots Bangsar Menu & Prices
The Roots Bangsar menu is a well-produced glossy affair. It clearly indicates the contents of each dish and possible allergens. Most dishes are accompanied by mouth-watering photographs, which may help you choose. There is an extensive range of salads, Malaysian and Asian favourites, pizzas, pasta, and burgers. The menu is also available online.
Main Courses
The first dish, Signature Laksa Angel Hair (RM 22), is one of the best-selling dishes at both Roots in KL and Johor Bahru. Instead of the traditional thicker yellow noodles, finer ‘angel hair’ pasta has been used. The sambal used in this dish packs a punch, so proceed with caution if you’re not used to fiery flavours. Laksa has been my favourite comfort food since I started living in Malaysia. This variation may be meatless, but it retains all the flavour and comfort my palate often craves when I have been away from Malaysia for too long.
We followed this with the Five Cheese Pizza (RM 45/ 9″ | RM 59/ 13″). Prepare for cheese sweats! Ian’s brother and his team started their original sourdough culture to make their bread in Johor Barhu way back in 2016. They have recently started using it in the dough for their pizza crust, which is fermented for at least 36 hours. From feedback, their customers said they appreciated the texture and flavour, making it one of their most popular dishes.
On top of that delicious crispy sourdough crust is quite an astonishing amount of cheese. The five types used are Mozzarella, Parmesan, Emmental, Brie, and a slight amount of blue cheese. It’s a lot of cheese, so it’s definitely one for cheese lovers out there.
The fusion elements of Roots Bangsar’s menu are perhaps best exemplified by their Signature Nasi Lemak Risotto (RM 32). This may be a polarising dish for some, but Ian assured us it is one of their more popular dishes. It fully embraces the fusion aspect of the menu at Roots. Whilst some may question the wisdom of combining Asian spices and flavours into such a quintessentially Italian dish, I suspect many more would blanch at the thought of making it a pale shade of blue. Blue is one of those colours that we don’t usually associate with a savoury dish. Blueberry cheesecake, yes, a slushy or Gatorade from 7-11, no problem, but blue risotto?! It certainly looks like a pretty and well-presented dish. Once you get past the idea of blue rice, the colour is all-natural, from the inclusion of pea flowers, which don’t impart any flavour. What imparts flavour is a pretty fiery chilli sambal and crunchy crisp peanuts.
Still distracted by the delicate blue colouring, I think Monica wasn’t expecting this dish to have such a fiery chilli kick. I thought I saw her eyes water for a moment. Still, as quickly as it arrived, the heat is dissipated by the creamy risotto rice cooked in creamy, soothing coconut milk, assisted by shards of cooling cucumber and the fact that it is topped by a wonderful soft-boiled egg, the gooey golden yolk oozing over the dish as soon as it is broken into. Despite its cool blue shade, this risotto packs a spicy punch.
When I first moved to Asia, I was visiting Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay, passing some food stalls. My Malaysian friend took off like he always did when the option of eating became a possibility. When I shouted after him to enquire where he was going, he shouted back, ‘To get carrot cake!’ When he came back, I was clutching two cups of coffee from another stall. Confusion reigned for a moment. Then he explained that for Asians, carrot cake is a savoury fried noodle dish and not a frosted sponge cake. To prevent confusion, at Roots, this dish has been renamed Homemade Deep Fried Radish Cake with Fried Egg (RM 15), as they use daikon or white radishes rather than carrots in its preparation. It’s a tasty and filling dish with a house-made chilli sauce. Incidentally, a frosted sweet sponge Carrot Cake is also available at Roots. It’s vegan and sourced from a local supplier, and although we didn’t sample it today, I think it would be perfect with a cup of coffee.
Returning to Italian-inspired menu items, we tried a duo of pasta dishes the next day. Firstly, homemade Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli with Pesto (RM 35). This fresh house-made pasta would make a perfect and quite a filling lunch. The pasta was rolled thinly, each pocket surrounding an earthy, slightly fibrous fresh spinach filling.
The second pasta was the Homemade Truffle Alfredo Tortellini with Morel (RM 39). It is packed with five types of mushrooms, including morels, king oysters, Brazil mushrooms and shaved truffles. They’re coated in a creamy Alfredo sauce, made by emulsifying butter, parmesan cheese and a little of the starchy water from cooking the pasta. This was a hearty and flavoursome dish.
Moving onto a selection from one of the Asian dishes on the menu, we sampled the Vegetarian Orh-Luak (RM 20), a vegetarian variation of the famous oyster scrambled egg recipe. At Roots, instead of oysters, they use straw mushrooms to make a dish with a taste and texture remarkably similar to one made with natural oysters.
Drinks Menu & Prices
Roots Bangsar offers several drink options, including juices, mocktails, tea and coffee, and fermented beverages. We sampled the Tepache (RM 16), made with the fermented scraps and cores of pineapples. This product aligns with The Yum List’s dislike of waste, using the entire fruit rather than discarding so much. It also has probiotic properties, said to be good for gut health. A suitable alternative to alcoholic cocktails, it’s refreshing and slightly effervescent.
Four Kombucha (RM 18) flavours are available at Roots Bangsar, produced by a local supplier for the restaurant. We think the best kind is unpasteurised, keeping the symbiotic yeasts and bacteria that provide the health benefits alive. Such is the case with those at Roots, with Orange Pear, Lychee Rose varieties, Crysanthamum and Honey Lemongrass varieties available.
Roots Bangsar Review
A new vegetarian restaurant in KL is something to be celebrated not only by vegetarians but also by flexitarians (those who still eat meat but are cutting down on their consumption) and everyone else. The food at Roots Bangsar is tasty and well-prepared. It has a range of textures, so carnivores may not even notice that the dishes are ‘meatless’. The setting is bright and modern, and we found the service warm, friendly, and attentive. Roots is a happy addition to the Bangsar food scene.
Reasons to visit Roots Bangsar: chic setting and happy vibe; must try the Signature Laksa Angel Hair, Five Cheese Pizza, hand-made pasta dishes and give the Nasi Lemak Risotto a go!
Roots Bangsar – Vegan & Vegetarian Restaurant
1 Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
+6 012 374 5742
Link to Roots Bangsar on Google Maps
@roots_malaysia rootsbistro.my
Roots Bangsar Opening Hours
Daily: 11 am – 10 pm
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