Benjy Cafe at E-Tiara Subang Jaya: Review

Subang Jaya’s residents may have warm memories of Ben & Nick’s, a casual diner that opened at the E-Tiara Apartments in 2007. The outlet was initially founded by a couple who named it after their two sons; eight years later, the torch is passed to a new generation, as Ben has taken over the restaurant & renamed it Benjy, while preserving his parents’ reputation for serving enjoyable Western fare at fair prices. Following a modest revamp to freshen the venue, this remains a cosy, welcoming eatery – the ideal neighbourhood destination for comfort food, prepared with plenty of thought & heart to deliver satisfying flavours.

Salads

Salads form the first pillar of the menu: You can mix & match a choice of topping (grilled shrimp, smoked salmon or Cajun chicken) with a dressing (orange vinaigrette, balsamic-garlic vinaigrette or mint yoghurt) to create your own personalised salad. Our hearty salad was loaded with shrimp (fresh & springy) & a kitchen-made vinaigrette of orange juice & honey that proved to be tasty companions for the base of crisp romaine lettuce, lollo rosso, cherry tomatoes, fruits, olives, crushed nuts & mint leaves that are cultivated here at Benjy. RM22; a recommended starter for sharing, filled with punchy, resonant flavours.

Pastas

Pastas are also available for customisation – select a sauce (Cajun comes recommended, for a rich creaminess that’s tempered with hints of spice, but you can also try other options like Carbonara) & then a topping (we chose the tender chunks of chicken breast for RM20, while others might prefer their pasta with pan-fried Norwegian salmon, beef bacon, minced beef or button mushrooms). Benjy does justice to its spaghetti, which surfaces steaming-hot & firm to the bite, with robust nuances.

The Specials

Benjy is big on specials: If you visit this week, you might find mussels cooked with white wine sauce, a savoury recipe that features lots of meaty, artfully arranged molluscs for only RM25 nett. But our favourite special here is the New Zealand hake (RM39), a fish that’s beautifully baked at Benjy, supplying a succulent, buttery flakiness, accompanied by heaps of perfectly crisp fries & crunchy veggies – it’s a main course that we hope will stay put on Benjy’s permanent repertoire.

Deal-hunters, take note: On most days, Benjy’s Australian sirloin steak costs RM45, but on Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays, you can have it for RM35, & add RM12 for an optional glass of red wine (usually RM15). But no matter what day you’re here, you can count on a sweet finish with the apple crumble & ice cream (RM9; a recipe of Ben’s mom) or the warm brownie (RM9; deeply decadent despite being gluten-free, built with dark chocolate & almond flour). Many thanks to Benjy for having us here.