Acme Bar & Coffee, better known as ABC opened its doors for business in December 2011 in The Troika. Early this month, I finally made my way there to try out their food. One of the most striking things about this place is the interior design / decor. It has a raw industrial vibe to it, high ceilings and lots of natural light pouring in, thanks to the floor to ceiling glass walls - very modern yet casual at the same time, I like.
I thought that the name may have something to do with Roadrunner but nope, Acme actually means “the best” in Greek.
Welcome to ABC
Nice feel to the place
The owners created another facade within the restaurant space, if you look up, you will see a shop front design with windows, sidewalk as well as street lighting. Very cool.
Pipes never looked cooler
For lunch, diners can choose to have the 3-course set lunch for RM49++. There is a different menu for each day of the week and the menu will be changed once a month. The a la carte menu is also available, both for lunch and dinner. There are pots and pans, soups and salads, breakfast/brunch items, pasta, Western mains, Asian and desserts. For drinks, they have classic cocktails, premium beers as well as the exclusive Tea Forte teas. Every Sunday, there is a Sunday Brunch buffet for RM99++.
We sampled some items from their a la carte menu and they were good. We'll probably come back to try their lunch one day and also Sunday brunch when we feel like indulging.
The pots and pans item are all served in Staub pans or a clear jar. For me, this is a nice touch since Staub is a cool designer brand when it comes to cookware. The concept mimics the Spanish tapas, but in larger portions - I would say they are good for 2-3 persons to share if you want just a small sampler of each.
One of the things I love eating from our local Chinese restaurant is salted egg yolk squid, unfortunately that place closed down so I've not been getting my fix for a while. So, when the salted egg yolk chicken strips (RM15) arrived at our table, I was very happy. Even happier when I took a bite and it was delicious. The chicken pieces were tender, evenly coated with salted egg yolk with addition of curry leaves and some cili padi.
The super creamy salt cod brandade (RM19) is as its name suggest - super creamy and slightly salty. People who do order this should not complain that it's salty... they already told us it was going to be salty right. Btw, we liked it.. it reminded us of a fish pie, with its layers of mash potatoes, Gruyere cheese and cod fish. I googled salt fish when I was writing this, and it looks just like the chinese salted fish (ham yu).
Our favourite pan is the mozzarella "burrata" and tomatoes (RM29). We have recently discovered burrata and liked it so much that we always order this if we see it on the menu. Very simple preparation with fresh basil and sake marinated cherry tomatoes and sliced fresh tomatoes but it really works. Simple yet bursting with flavours. And aren't the colours just beautiful?
They have a section in the menu called "Too Late for Breakfast" which is available from 11am to 6pm daily. So if you're a late riser but still would like to have "brunch" when you wake up, you know where to go. We tried the mushrooms and poached egg on toast (RM23) and it was so yummy. The eggs were runny and went superbly with the grilled mushrooms.
Perfectly cooked eggs
For mains, we tried the Grilled Grass Fed Tenderloin (RM79) which was served with fries, soy sesame marinade, rocket mustard sauce and a very delicious honey roasted carrots. We felt the rocket mustard sauce was a little unnecessary as it tasted good enough with the soy sesame marinade, I guess it's because we're used to eating our steaks "naked" or just a little gravy. The meat was tender but I think what we enjoyed most was the carrots.
The roasted dover sole (RM37) was served with artichokes, fried lettuce, capers and confit lemon so there is definitely a sourish tinge to the sauce. The fish was nicely cooked and the sauce was pretty appetizing.
Fresh orchid
Bar
The Italian coffee maker, Bezzera
Desserts here
Coconut Bounty Cake
Cempedak cake
Desserts here comprise of cakes which are displayed at the drinks bar. We tried the cempedak cake (RM15) since I have heard so much about it. I have to say it was very nice (me being a cempedak fruit lover as well), it is definitely one of the more pungent Asian fruits around but not stinky like a durian. The sponge cake was moist, and I really love the taste of the creamy cempedak. It has a thin layer of pistachio nut coating on the outside.
Have you ever seen a more adorable tea bag than this? In the shape of a pyramid with a tea leaf as its tip, Tea Forte teas are by the product designer, Peter Hewitt. We tried the African Solstice (caffeine-free, antioxidant rich rooibos herb blended with berries, blossoms and sweet vanilla) and coco truffle (chocolate brew with fennel, licorice, and cardamom). What a lovely way to end the meal.
Tea Forte Pyramid Infuser Teas (RM17)
Prettiest tea
ABC ABC ABC
Solanum mammosum plant (also known as nipple fruit, cow's udder)
Lots of quirky touches, here and there
Upstairs there is a private dining area which can be hired for private events or parties.
ABC
View of KLCC from the restaurant
Verdict: The food here is competently prepared, especially the unique cempedak cake, salt egg yolk chicken strips and burrata which left a lasting impression. I think this is a great place for hanging out with your friends as it has a very nice ambiance with Jazz music in the background (they play my fav Jazz artist, Jamie Cullum ;) )
Full set of photos available to view here.
Opening times: Sun-Thurs 11am - 12pm; Fri-Sat 11am - 1am
Service: Good.
Price: Reasonable.
Location: Acme Bar & Coffee, Ground Floor, The Troika, 19 Persiaran KLCC, 50450 Kuala Lumpur. (same row as Intercontinental Hotel)
Tel: 03- 2162 2288
Website: http://www.acmebarcoffee.com
GPS Coordinates: 3.158363, 101.718228
Ooo la laa... love the raw industrial vibe!! looks like the foods really good too:) felt my stomach leap at seeing the salted egg yolk chicken strips!!
ReplyDeleteWe should go together again soon. I really love this place.. it's gorgeous.
DeleteAn interesting place! The mozzarella burrata caught my eyes. The location seems pretty easy to find - a plus point. :)
ReplyDeleteSo far there's not much in the building, so parking is very easy too. You should go, I think you will love the decor.
DeleteNice place, I'm looking forward to going back soon.
ReplyDeleteWhen? ;)
Deleteinteresting internal design. Looks like a very cozy place for gathering or quiet dating session :D
ReplyDeleteOh yes, it's one of the nicest looking restaurants I've been to in KL.
DeleteWow, love the pipes! Can't believe I didn't see that when we were there. I do like the food here and service is good although waiters can be a little confused. Your description of the salted yolk chicken strips is enough to make me want to make a second visit soon :) -Wendy
ReplyDeleteHehe I walked all around the restaurant and soaked up all the tiny details. It's so nice in here.
DeleteNice place and good food. KIV! Oh timely to see the poached eggs and mushroom sandwich! I am going to have this for lunch today! Thanks dear.
ReplyDeletePoached eggs and mushroom combination is magical. Hope u enjoyed yr lunch yesterday ;)
DeleteNever expect to see salted egg dishes here ~.~
ReplyDeleteThey also serve some Asian stuff here too, so there is definitely a little fusion stuff going on.
DeleteThey play Coralie Clement, my favorite artiste. Hehe.
ReplyDeleteI should have tried the cempedak cake! Argh. Unlikely to return to there now. :(
Maybe on yr next trip home.
Deleteburrata is becoming a hit in KL! over the six months or so, it's been on the menu at bistro a table, trattoria il porcellino, nero vivo and acme! cheesy delight, heheh :D
ReplyDeleteOH yes, we always order it when we see it on the menu now. Hubby loves this much better than mozzarella as it's creamier.
Deletewow it really looks like one of 'The Best' coffee house :) so many tempting food!
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YES! The ambience is great.
Deleteheard so much about this place... have to try this soon... food, music & ambience looks fab! love that cute cow's udder plant... nice touch.. :0)
ReplyDeleteHehe yes, I recently discovered that plant too during CNY, saw it here and couldn't resist taking pics. You will love this place, there's so much to try and so much to photograph.
DeleteI love the decor and ambiance, too! And the food looks excellent! Looks like a great spot to dine :)
ReplyDeleteI think almost everyone who's been here loves the look of the place.
DeleteU captured the restaurant character and mood really well! This place inspire me, kl needs more of it!
ReplyDeleteThank u ;) I can't wait to go back there (when I can find the time).
Deletelove ABC. food is generally good except for a few complains that i read which i believed happened over teh recent long CNY hols. the decors are amazing and am not surprised as one of the partners is actually an ID.
ReplyDeleteThis place is really hard NOT to love. The ID is amazing, so cleverly thought out.
DeleteThere are so many nice cafes in KL & this is certainly one of them!
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The place is cool but the food is disappointing, our tenderloins are burnt & taste bitter and the chef said it's meant that way...
ReplyDeleteWent for breakfast this morning - I have eaten in over 50 countries so looking for good food - not the fanciest place in town - simply good food, what it says on the menu. The outcome - was simply terrible. Supposed to open at 09:30 which to me means you can walk in and sit down - not the case. Ordered a freshly squeezed orange and pineapple as I noticed staff freshly squeezing a pile of fruit. From where I sat, I could see the juice being made and noticed the glass being topped up with juice out of a packet - end result, the most bland of juices. I ordered the smashed avocado on toast: at about 40 minutes after sitting (I was third person to enter the restaurant) my breakfast arrived - eggs cold, the homemade bread was that, bread and not toast as described, the eggs were covered in a Benedictine style sauce (not on menu and not what I wanted). I called the waiter and he told me the eggs were cold because they were sitting on avocado! I suggested it was the skill of the chef to keep the eggs hot / warm. He said he would get the chef to fix it. Five minutes later, the same standard of meal arrived - prepared cold poached eggs (not long enough to cook the eggs and prepare the meal again!). A well cooked poached egg is the key to a great breakfast (watch the 100 foot Journey with Helen Mirren - only joking). Really, it was simply inedible and I will not be going back or recommending ABC - I will be discouraging people I know from going.
ReplyDelete