I was somehow either really lucky (or unlucky) that Crayon Burger, the place I was supposed to grab lunch at, was closed until 4 p.m. earlier today for maintenance. I was really looking forward to trying the burgers to see why that place has been the talk of the town aside from the fact that their burgers are known for their unique variety of colours.
After passing by, the one-way road gave us a little time to think about the next possible place to head to for lunch without going through any massive jams. I thought of my watch list (refer to the sidebar) and realized I have missions to fulfil. I knew that my friend Sam, who was my company for lunch today, really loves the mushroom soup at Levain. He was the one who recommended me to try it out so we decided to go there instead.
Setting
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| The entrance. |
The garden design of the entrance was really welcoming. It wasn't a full house when we stepped inside despite the full car park. I personally like the decorations and the lighting in the bakery. Also, as you enter, you can see complimentary hot and cold water on the right side - which means if you ordered hot tea and wish to get a refill, you have to do it by yourself.
As a whole, the entire bakery has a really beautiful French touch to it.
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| Proudly displaying their pastries and cakes. This bakery is known for their stone oven baking method. |
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| The view from where I was sitting at. This little area is noisy when full because it's enclosed. Sitting outside by the patio is more ideal for a quieter meal time. |
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| Their menu! The stuffs here are generally reasonably priced for a bakery in Kuala Lumpur. |
Service
I must comment on this. There are a few pros and cons to it but after summing them up, I have a neutral impression towards their service.
Pros
As we entered, we were greeted with "Welcome to Levain!" which put a smile on my face. The moment we sat down after ordering, Sam's mushroom soup came in less than a minute! My main dish came within the next minute after! I kid you not, dear readers. I have never experienced such a prompt serving time in my life. It was as if they knew I was coming and my entire dish was prepared beforehand then heated up before serving.
But, no. It was really done from scratch. The other dishes came in no time at all.
But, no. It was really done from scratch. The other dishes came in no time at all.
On the contrary ...
Cons
The reason why I chose Levain was because I wanted to see what's the fuss about their mushroom soup since there are heaps of comments talking about how amazing it is on Foursquare and also the many times Sam has told me about it before.
So I did, I ordered it. Or at least I thought I did. I only noticed an unfamiliar food in my receipt after the food arrived. Guess what he keyed in instead?
Mushroom Cream Pasta
I was not happy at first. And I was about to correct them but because it is said on fine print that I ordered Mushroom Cream Pasta, I had no other legitimate piece of evidence to back up my case. Regardless, I thought it was a blessing in disguise because my idea as a newbie food blogger is, after all, to try as many things my tummy can hold as possible. Plus, they both have mushrooms and are both creamy.
Aside from that little miscommunication, some of the workers do not speak fluent English and they are less friendly. They are, however, still fairly attentive.
What went into our tummies
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| Their famous creamy mushroom chicken soup [RM6.50] |
Sam got his mushroom soup and I managed to steal a spoonful of it. The texture of the soup is so thick and creamy it felt as if I was drinking salted cream. I couldn't really taste much of the mushroom nor chicken flavour. I still liked it, though.
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| My main dish: Seafood Aglio Olio [RM12.90] |
The amount of ingredients on this plate is spectacular. They have pieces of fish, calamari rings, baby tomatoes, two prawns and diced red, yellow and green pepper. The dish is nicely seasoned and the amount of olive oil is just nice. The pasta did not look too dry nor did it seem like it is crying for help drowning in oil. I was told that this is one of their best sellers along with the Chicken Meatball Bolognaise for the "Spaghetti" category of the menu.
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| Mushroom Cream Pasta [RM10.30] |
This is not the best I've had. Despite the texture of the cream and mushrooms being cooked well, the sauce is not tasty. It is nearly quite bland unless with the help of some salt and a good dash of pepper. I also did not particularly like the chilli by the side. It has lime in it and I thought it does not go well with the dish. Alternatively, if this dish had more cheese on it, it would be just right.
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| Beef Stew [RM25.00] |
Taste wise, I approve. You can see that they are generous with their meat for this dish. The gravy is rich in flavour but I think it's a wee bit too thick. This is just a personal preference but I also would've preferred the baguette toasted a little to add colour and to also give it that crunch when I dig into it. Other than that, I think this dish is a little towards the expensive side of the scale as compared to the other dishes on the menu.
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| I also had English breakfast tea to accompany my meal and this is the brand that they use. |
Also, these were to go so we wouldn't feel so bad leaving the place without having dessert:
Do not place your order the minute you enter. Get the red "OCCUPIED" sign from the counter and look for a table. Put the sign on your desired table and remember your table number before heading to the counter to place your order. They will not entertain you if you do not have a table number.
If you do not mind the warmth, park yourself outside for a quieter environment and to enjoy the greenery with a good cup of tea maybe.
And also, the mini croissants disappear fast according to Sam.
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| (Clockwise from top left) Choco Crunch [RM3.20], White Crunch [RM3.20] and Custard Cream Donut [RM2.80] |
I had to eat mine at home because I was way too full to have them dined in.
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| Choco Crunch: Plain chocolate, charcoal-looking bun with no cream inside. |
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| Custard Cream Donut: The custard is beautiful! |
A couple of tips
If you do not mind the warmth, park yourself outside for a quieter environment and to enjoy the greenery with a good cup of tea maybe.
And also, the mini croissants disappear fast according to Sam.
Finding your way there
I'm not an expert with roads in Kuala Lumpur but I can tell you if you see the Kuwait Embassy, you are close by. Turn into Jalan Delima before Renoma Café which is siutuated along Jalan Bukit Bintang. Avoid parking by the roadsides unless you wish to get a ticket.
Information
Address: No. 7, Jalan Delima, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
Operating days: Mondays - Sundays
Operating hours: 7.30 a.m. - 9.00 p.m.
Contact no.: +60321426611
Fax no.: +60321426615
Parking: Valet parking available @ RM2
Fax no.: +60321426615
Parking: Valet parking available @ RM2
