Lai Po Heen at Mandarin Oriental Welcomes Chef Thomas Fong from Doha
April 24th, 2024
Baa humbug? Launching in time for Christmas, this new venue owned by Malaysian chef Beljian Neo & two of his friends showcases some interesting ideas that make it worth visiting – even though we wish the trio hadn’t resorted to a name that’s too similar to that of a popular Melbourne cafe.
There’s a lot on the ambitious menu, so let’s plough straight into it: Start with a savoury-sweet Liege waffle, heaped with a mountain of (deep breath!) beef bacon, smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, spinach, tomatoes, basil & kitchen-made apple chutney with raisins (RM18). Too much? Each individual component is enjoyably well-prepared, though a clearer focus might leave a more lasting impression instead of an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink strategy.
Equally eccentric: Crispy mochi waffle (!) crowned with green tea gelato, beetroot sauce, pumpkin seeds, black sesame & almond biscotti. RM14; we have mixed feelings about this. We respect how the kitchen experiments with offbeat twists, but the waffle base comes out plasticky-rubbery. Still, with some fine-tuning, this won’t be the black sheep of the menu here.
Here’s one that sounds potentially sensational on paper: Potato puree seasoned with whole grain mustard, tossed in a jar with Granny Smith apples, grapes, beef bacon, lettuce, chives & egg. RM10; comfortingly creamy in texture, but the rich sweetness of the fruits clashes with the powerfully tangy mustard. In this case, less would likely be more.
It’s not all negative news – far from it. We’d happily recommend the button mushrooms stuffed with herb-laced feta cheese & blueberry-tinged mascarpone (RM13), a fun way to breathe fresh & flavoursome life into a mushroom recipe, illustrating how Neo’s kitchen makes more effort than most.
We also like the baked escargots with a thick mix of herb garlic butter, blue cheese & cream, plus toasted garlic bread sticks. RM17; somewhat on the high-sodium side, but customers who read menu descriptions carefully enough should foresee that.
Jellyfish salad with poached egg, avocado, almonds & sesame dressing (RM26). The serving portions & quality of ingredients for 3 Bags Full’s dishes are consistently satisfying. But while we favour salads that put poached eggs & avocado on one plate, & we like Japanese influences, this might not be the most cohesively conceived recipe.
Sizzling prawns with chicken floss & garlic butter milk (RM25) – Oriental flavours seize centre stage for this. We should reiterate: 3 Bags Full is a cafe that warrants a visit (in our case, we made two trips here). Its hard work in trying to offer something different deserves encouragement – but further tweaking would make some of these recipes more successful.
In the end, you can’t really go wrong with juicy flame-grilled sausages in a meaty trinity of lamb, chicken & beef. RM19.
Also a pleasure: Moist house-made brownie, served sizzling at the table, complemented by roasted walnuts, double choc gelato (from Gelatomio) & a rich, smooth peanut butter sauce. At RM13, 3 Bags Full can’t be accused of over-charging.
The hot-cold interplay persists with brioche bread & banana pudding topped with Nutella gelato (RM15). One more plus point: 3 Bags Full has a front-of-house service team that’s friendly & tries to oblige whenever possible. Thanks for the warm smiles.
Coffee is taken seriously here: 3 Bags Full gets its beans from Johor’s W Espresso Sporting Club by Monsta Cafe.
From ‘burning caramel’ lattes to lavender lattes (RM10), there is no lack of caffeine-loving choices at 3 Bags Full, a name that we hope to hear many positive things about in the months ahead.
3 Bags Full
38, Jalan PJU 5/10, Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03 6150 2831