Talent Lounge at PJ Trade Center: Restaurant Review

Talent rises to the top: Launched this past month at Damansara Perdana, Talent Lounge is a place that’s difficult to define but easy to recommend, thanks to its cool concept, welcoming setting, friendly people & satisfying food.

By day, Talent Lounge, owned by a Malaysian family that runs recruitment & training services, supplies a calm, comfortable space for professionals, complete with workstations for rent & a meeting room, striking a balance between being business-like & casual.

But Talent Lounge also nurtures an artistic side, turning part of this cavernous hall into a gallery that exhibits the work of local artists. When night falls, live music is also featured (once a month, for a start). So essentially, it’s an event venue with lots of facilities.

Food is what we’re focused on here; on that note, Talent Lounge’s cafe delivers, with Sarawak-born chef Shaik Rhyszard (formerly of Mukha) commanding a kitchen that specializes in nutritious favorites tackled with skill.

Smoked Salmon & Quinoa

Combo of smoked salmon & quinoa (RM23).

All-Day Breakfast

Other potential highlights on the all-day-breakfast menu include pancakes & French toast (customers can choose a savory version with beef bacon & mozzarella cheese or a sweet sensation with honey & homemade jam).

These baked eggs (RM18), creamy with ratatouille & coupled with rye bread, proved a very pleasant breakfast, exactly the kind of food that helps to boost our spirits.

Poached eggs with alfalfa sprouts & hollandaise sauce over spinach (RM18), also pure pleasure.

Snacks & Other Mains

Snacks include what’s simply & deceptively labeled ‘chicken wings’ (RM12) on the menu. What emerges is more interesting, glazed in stickiness with an unexpected kick (it’s mustard!) & with crispy breadcrumbs for extra texture. Sandwiches, pastas, burgers & meat & fish mains are also available; it’s a full-on, something-for-everyone menu.

Desserts

Desserts come courtesy of independent baker Butter.Fly; the chocolate pecan tart (RM13 per slice) makes for an ideal finish to this meal. Crowd-pleasing choices like red velvets, carrot cakes & banoffee pies are offered too.