Delirium at Menara Manulife, Damansara Heights: Review

A new venue by the New Zealanders behind KL’s Antipodean cafes, Delirium is certain to attract an outpouring of attention in the months ahead. Its spacious setting in Menara Manulife boasts an appealing appearance, its menu showcases thoughtfully priced temptations with admirable ambitions, & its affable service team makes an appreciable effort to please.

The Lunch Menu

We ordered three diverse dishes off Delirium’s lunch menu – each had its merits but could have been better executed. The orzo short-cut pasta with mushrooms & cheese (RM22) was a little watery, while the reinterpretation of the Reuben sandwich (RM20) was a mixed-bag surprise; we enjoyed the warm rye bread but the filling tasted like regular roast beef instead of cured.

The tacos (RM20), meanwhile, comprised a stuffing of very salty & oily meat that overwhelmed the lifeless veggies – a guilty treat to be gobbled down in a hurry, paired perhaps with the opposite of an indulgence: a vanilla protein shake with Vegemite (RM15), targeting gym-goers at Fitness First nearby. Note that the cafe offers two menus, one starting lunchtime, after an earlier breakfast selection of salmon kedgeree, shiitake mushroom porridge, zucchini fritters with poached eggs & bagels with avocado spread. The kitchen is supposed to run till 6:45pm weekdays, but on one Tuesday, it was nearly closed by 5:30pm.