Marmalade opened a few years ago in the Mont Kiara area (in between the Coffee Bean and the Baskin Robbins), and has since then garnered a following from the inhabitants of the posh area with its cosy, homey environment and healthy food choices.
(Oh, I find it very sweet that they have sectioned off a part of their interior as a play area for kids - nice!)
We started off our meal with the Mushroom Bruschetta.....
(Before I make any comments, I think I'll start off with this Disclaimer : The food here is supposed to be "healthy" so with that, it will naturally be less tasty then its greasier/ saltier/ more calorific cousins at other eateries)
The bread was for a lack of a better word: hard. Thankfully, the mushrooms were tasty - lightly seasoned, panfried with herbs and sprinkled with a dose of healthy alfalfa for good measure.
For the mains, we had the Chicken Pie, Ham and Mushroom Quiche, Beef Lasagne and Chicken Stew....
The pie was ok - there were generous amounts of chunky chicken in the filling but unfortunately, the texture was pretty dry. I found the highlight of the dish to be the creamy mash potatoes. The beef lasagne was better - meaty and flavourful although it was a little dry on the edges due to over-cooking.
Next up, the Chicken Stew came with generous amounts of meat and vegetables (as well as two pieces of the abovementioned hard bread). Still, I found the consistency a bit too runny (more of a soup then a stew, really) and the texture of the chicken was stringy and dry.
(With that, I'm not very convinced that it is worth the RM16 price tag)
However, the Beef Stew comes highly recommended by Boo_licious and Boon (who is a regular there), so I'll take it that it's nicer than the Chicken Stew. The quiche was also only "ok" - better than most quiches found around town and amply filled with mushrooms and ham... Still, taste-wise, it didn't rock my world.
Other than the above, I have (on another occasion) tried the Pesto, Mushroom and Pine Nuts wrap here... That was actually really nice, served with a side of salad.
(I'd recommend that rather than any of the other foods pictured above)
(There are also a variety of interesting salads to choose from - haven't tried any but have heard that they are nice)
For dessert we chose the Chocolate Brownie Ala Mode and the Bread and Butter Pudding:
The Bread and Butter Pudding was pretty good - hot, moist and not too sweet, with smatterings of raisins and orange, paired off well with the vanilla ice cream.
The chocolate brownie was lacklustre though. I found it rather dry and overall, uneventful.
(As much as I'm a chocoholic - I'd probably just order the Bread and Butter Pudding for dessert the next time I go to Marmalade)
[ BEGIN EDIT ]
If you passed by the main Mont Kiara area and noticed that Marmalade is missing from it's spot near the Baskin Robbins/ Coffee Bean- Do not fret!
It has not closed down... but has relocated to inside Plaza Mont Kiara (ie. that tall office building which is just across the road from its original location). Have not tested out the food there yet but so far, have not heard any complaints.
(So, let's conclude that the food continues to be decent - not great, but fairly reasonable for the taste and price charged)
[ END EDIT ]
So it's: Homey, comfortable setting with a cute section for children, healthy range of food BUT hits and misses on the menu and rather expensive drinks.
Marmalade @ Mont Kiara
Ambience : 7
Service : 6
Price** : RM 36/++ per person
Parking: Ok + FREE!
** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-6201 1743
Opening Hours: 11.00am - 10.30pm
TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Hartamas, Mont Kiara, Marmalade, Cafe, KL, Kuala Lumpur