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With Mama Carrie ravenous and I famished from the early breakfast, we diverted from the original destination - a good twenty-minute drive away - and landed at Chef Low Organic Kitchen, a haunt we once frequented whenever we were in the vicinity. I still remember but vaguely the area when Chef Low Organic Kitchen took residence; it was awkwardly serene with less than a handful of shops taking the same gamble.
That was at least five years ago when it was under a different ownership and look at how prosperous the place is now! There are more retail tenants, especially the ones dabbling in the food and beverage arena and just weeks ago, a meatball restaurant opened its door to the public at the adjacent block, as reviewed by Sean at Eat Drink KL.
Mind you, this is a meat-free and egg-free restaurant.
Anyone in the mood for some crackers?
One is greeted by a reading section the moment s/he enters; to the left, there is a built-in bookshelf with Chinese and English reading materials for the bored diner. Towards the right is a tiered shelf with the merchandise such as tidbits and organic oats for purchase. The drinks and dessert section are next to the cashier with the refrigerated deli case being the divider; lining the kitchen counter-top is a tray of shot glasses for their house specialty and a basket of goodies. Ceiling-to-floor windows act as the natural source of light, illuminating the restaurant with brightness from the front and back on melting, scorching afternoons. The furniture in the seating space is placed in such a way that it accommodates everyone on a busy day yet it does not obstruct the service flow at all.
Seaweed Roll (RM 7.90): wrapped with raw julienned purple cabbage and carrot in nori (or laver in English-speaking countries) and served separately with mayonnaise
There is nothing like raw vegetables to begin a meal as it prepares the stomach to accept the heavier parts of the meal - such as the main course and desserts. There is a light coating of mayonnaise on the nori layer, complimenting well with the fresh aroma. As you bite into the roll, you can hear the crunch with each subsequent mouthful with the flavor continuing to emanate and mingle with the taste buds.
I caught myself leaning forward and sniffing it, imitating the four-legged brother with my eyes closed; I was instantly brought back to the time when I was collecting chestnuts and the Carries sampled a couple of bites from the ripe ones in a New Zealand farm years ago.
Jade Roll (RM 16.90): deep-fried, rolled fu chuk (bean curd sheets) with seaweed and topped with pineapple cubes; sauce includes orange juice, chili slices and chili oil
This is one of the specialties for Chef Low Organic Restaurant - being one of the most popular dishes as well. The bursting fragrance gently penetrates into the taste buds when you gnaw into it, laying the foundation for the sauce to coat the palate. The strong taste of bean curd as well as the carrot and celery sticks wrapped inside attempts to balance the numerous elements found in the dish. The pineapple cubes provides a sweet tang to it, careful not to overpower the subtle yet scented sauce.
Considering that most deep-fried dishes contain excessive oil, this dish will not leave you feeling like you consumed a bottle of cooking oil - or at least that's how I felt. You won't find yourself downing glasses after glasses of the accompanying drink that you may have ordered.
It's not something that I'll sink my teeth into often, though.
Fruit Tea (RM 16.90): as the name suggests, it is a fruit blend with thinly sliced green and red apples, orange juice, passion fruit and lemon with lemon slices
Like the Jade Roll, this is one of the restaurant's best-selling items. A quick look around illustrated that most of the diners ordered this and some even went to the extent of going for seconds. The similar acidity of the fruits revolves with each other; none of which are competing to stand out as it seeks to satiate the diner's thirst in pleasure. It invigorates the body as it swims down the throat and replenishes the body of the nutrients it needs, specifically Vitamin C.
I have tasted their coffee during my first visit there and hands down, I'll recommend this fruit tea instead to all of the diners, future and current alike. Be sure to inform the waitress that you don't want extra sugar or honey to be added.
Cheese Cake (RM 9.90): cream cheese and cream with graham/digestive biscuits
I can't believe that the cheesecake is sweeter now than before; not only is the sugary filling terribly tough to digest, it felt like my teeth were about to be attacked by the nasty saccharine. The addition of the chocolate and strawberry syrup may have increased the level of presentation to beautify the dish, but taste wise, it became a tragedy. It was supposed to be a shared dessert between Mama Carrie and I; she could only sustain for a couple of bites before she surrendered, forcing me to polish the plate.
Maybe if the baker had gone slow on the sugar and chose a sugarless digestive biscuit as the crust or perhaps allowed the sugared crust to be the only source of the sucrose for this dish, it'd have been a better confectionery experience for myself and Mama Carrie.
If you're particular about exceeding your daily sugar quota, don't have this for dessert.
There were definitely hits and misses about the dishes that we ordered, especially the aforementioned cheese cake. Service wise, it is swift, but be forewarned that the waiting period can be lengthy during the peak lunch (starts from noon until around 1.30pm) and dinner hours (starts from 7pm onwards) - especially if the crowd suddenly begins to swell without any warning. Taste wise, it satisfies both the palate of the commercial crowd and health-conscious customers.
Name: Chef Low Organic Kitchen
Address: C-G-43, Block Camilia,
10 Boulevard, Lebuhraya Sprint,
PJU 6A,
Kampung Sungai Kayu Ara,
47600 Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-77257154
Business Hours: Tue - Sun: 10.30am to 9.30pm
