 |
| Cappuccino |
Nosh, Brunching in Bangsar
Words by Craig J Selby
Photos by The Yum List (Monica Tindall)
The art of brunch? Yes, Iām beginning to really enjoy brunch these days, especially with the huge number of cool cafes and restaurants popping up, offing some really contemporary and enjoyable cuisine. Brunch for me is a combination of breakfast and lunch, although in reality it really is just a long weekend lunch. But I like the idea of combining elements of a great breakfast with that of a great lunch, then spending hours slowly enjoying it, with some great conversation as well.
I was recently invited to Nosh, a quirky restaurant in popular Bangsar, fast gaining a reputation for excellent innovative fare. I had high expectations ā Iāve seen the reviews ā and I am so happy that these were exceeded through my experience.
Our host for brunch was Noshās delightful and charismatic owner, Judith. Truly a person with a passion for food, she was also excellent company over brunch, telling some hilarious stories from her hotel days, and sharing a few culinary secrets with us too. Iād go back for the food, or the company, any day.
Noshās environment is very pleasant ā with wide windows opening onto one of the Telawiās, fans breezing cool air down on the diners, and air cons keeping the inner sanctum of the restaurant cool. We had a table close to the window ā just close enough for a bit of people watching, but far enough away to still enjoy our conversation without interruption.
We were treated to some delightful cakes and desserts at the end of our brunch, but Iām so excited about them that Iām placing them first. As part of Noshās celebration of Ramadan, they have gone for a āMalaysian Flavoursā dessert offering, cooking up some real local favourites, with a twist of course. Part of that twist being flavour, the rest being presentation.
The Pandan Delicio is exactly as its name suggests. Delicious pandan cake ā light fluffy chiffon sponge infused with coconut milk, topped with a rich palm sugar icing ā this was a great start to our desserts. Presented nicely too ā the cake looked like something out of a five star hotel ā although, no surprise here, as our host was from that industry anyway. Cakes are certainly āher thingā.
 |
| Pandan Delicio RM16 |
The Mango Brulee, cooked with cardamom and kaffir lime leaves offered a distinctively different, yet highly pleasurable taste. It was very creamy, and overall had a mild savoury flavour to it. The burnt sugar crust just made it though ā crispy, sweet, and delectable!
 |
| Mango Creme Brulee RM18 |
The Brunch Crumble, a homemade mixed fruit crumble also gave us a good talking point. Strong on flavour and texture, with a well-balanced blend of cinnamon and spice. Unfortunately between three people, this was woofed up far too quickly, and we were left contemplating ordering a second helping. However, in the search for great food, we opted to keep trying other items.
 |
| The Brunch Crumble RM19 |
Noshās Bubur Cacar Panna Cotta also went down very well. A creamy coconut cream panna cotta, served with yam, sweet potato, sago and gula Melaka was also a highlight. To me, it was like two desserts in one ā a traditional Italian styled pannacotta, combined with my favourite sago gula Melaka. Defined tastes for sure, but well worth exploring, especially if you enjoy unique but definitely appropriate combinations.
 |
| Bubu Cacar Pana Cotta RM17 |
Termed on the menu, Carrot Cake the Nosh way; this carrot cake had distinctive appeal. The cake itself was great, but what made it stand out was the twist ā the typical cream cheese icing was made into a cream cheese ice cream ā and it really did taste the part! Decorated with a carrot twill ā a bright sunny representation ā and tasting good too, the cake was plated over a zig zag coulis reduction of carrot and raisin. Judithās explanation ā āevery part of a dish must have a taste functionā, and yes, it was well worth tasting.
 |
| Carrot Walnut Cake RM18 |
Now, letās bring on the main courses. Keeping in mind it was brunch, and there were three of us, I think we did an awesome job of exploring Noshās new menu items.
Scrambled eggs is a breakfast favourite, and works well in an all-day breakfast. The Nosh interpretation gives us gently scrambled eggs, light to the taste, but infused with fresh rocket. The addition of rocket leaves (imported from France, I must add) creates a great pepperiness to the eggs, but also mixes up the textures a little bit. A definite must try for newbies.
 |
| Scrambled French Salad |
Next out was the chicken curry. Served in a carved bread cube, this dish looked great, smelled great, and tasted even better. The curry had a dry yet creamy, mildly spicy flavour to it ā punctuated with black pepper and fresh curry leaves. The bread cubes are made especially for Nosh from a local bakery ā and was an exceptional compliment to the curry. For myself, I just loved soaking up the remaining curry sauce with chunks of bread. Heaven!
 |
| Curry Roti RM28 |
Typically brunch menuās offer a āBig Breakfastā. There was no deviation from the offering here at Nosh, but the presentation certainly made its point. Termed The Big Breakfast, this was really a giant hamburger ā juice ground beef and bacon patty topped with mushrooms, melted cheese, and a sunny side up egg, accompanied by dill pickles and a toasted burger bun. A great combination of flavours, bringing together a real traditional big breakfast plate, all into a burger. The patty was so mouth-watering, it was difficult to let me comrades share it with me.
 |
| The Big Breakfast RM32 |
Our final instalment for cooked food was Steak and Chips. Nicely grilled, the steak was a great-value item that packed flavour. Will definitely be back for that ā although, perhaps not after eating so many other dishes.
 |
| Steak and Chips RM32 |
An hour or so of conversation later, an exploration of Noshās tea and coffee selection, we had regained our composure, settled our stomachs from being extremely full to āmanageable enough to head to the carā, and off we were. Yes, Yum List material for sure ā we hope you enjoyed Nosh as much as we did.
Reason to visit: all of the desserts, great value for quality food
NOSH
7 Jalan Telawi 3
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
+6 03 2201 3548
 |
| Map to Nosh |
Oooo…the Big Breakfast!!!! Drool! Drool!
Wow,
The food looks amazing and the presentation is stunning!!!
Wow,
The food looks amazing and the presentation is stunning!!!
"Spending hours slowly enjoying it, with some great conversation as well" I love that sentence and wish every meal could be like that š
The Bubur Cacar Panna Cotta is such an interesting fusion!
Served with gula Melaka?
Read so much about this place already…. By the way, brunch is my favourite!
The Bubu Cacar Pana Cotta is special, good presentation.
Greetings,
Filip