Take Eat Easy Gastrocafe @ Sunway Velocity

I read about this newly opened cafe and since I had something to do at the mall, we decided to eat here after we were done....at Take Eat Easy @ Sunway Velocity.

This (a-little-over-a-month-old) gastrocafe is situated at the outdoor area of the shopping mall next to a Chinese mixed rice shop.  They have two other outlets in Wisma Fiamma (Bandar Menjalara) and Pearl Shopping Gallery (Old Klang Road).  The menu is so extensive, from local favourites to western food to Asian cuisine, there's something for everyone be it breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or just snacking in-between.

What I wasn't expecting was for the place to be so dark when I stepped in based on the bright photos I saw on a blog.  So, the photos taken didn't turn out all that well (and the bright light stand on the table didn't help).

Anyway, since it was quite late by the time we were done, I decided to order a snack platter to share...the Fritto Misto Platter @ RM69.  I had to use a photo editor to 'tweak' my photos to make it look brighter and, at least, visible...though not necessarily better! :'(

Is this a bit better?  Since we were only ordering one dish for sharing, it had to be a fully-loaded platter with a bit of everything and this came with 10 different snacks.  Let me break down for you what was on this platter.

Golden Mushrooms (the shape of it looked like shimeji mushrooms only these were much bigger in size). These were bread-crumbed for crispiness but remained juicy.

Breaded Shrimps - again, nothing to fault, they were fresh and crunchy shrimps...and Whitebait Fish - this was one of my favourites as they were super crispy and addictive to eat.  Great with a squeeze of that charred lemon! ^.^

Mini Crabs - These weren't even visible until we dug into the bed of whitebait and found them hidden beneath.  You'd feel for this mini crabs (with their lives cut short)...for just a second....and then it's quickly forgotten as you continuously munch on these crunchy little delights dipped in a tangy chilli sauce.

Beef & Chicken Satay (2 sticks each) - the meat was lean and fairly tender, proving to be satisfying dipped in the tasty, chunky satay sauce.

Chicken Sausages - these tasted like any commercially-prepared sausages, maybe a tad tastier and fairly enjoyable dipped in the cocktail sauce.

Sauteed Eggplant in Plancha Sauce - this was my other favourite on the platter with softened eggplant in (what I believe) is a creamy roasted red pepper and tomato sauce with a pinch of spiciness (probably from paprika or cayenne) and a bit of nutty flavour.

Chicken Cubes in Parsley & Butter Sauce - this tasted almost like a chicken and mushroom cream soup, with a strong hint of black pepper, except this one had tender chicken cubes in it.  It had a thick consistency which made it a good vehicle for dipping the crispy garlic toast in.

Cajun Fries - The menu said cajun fries but I think they forgot to sprinkle the cajun seasoning.  These tasted like just plain fries.

Cucumber Sticks & some Salad Leaves - thin Japanese cucumber sticks and salad to offer a tiny amount of respite from all the fried food?  Kekeke! ;D

Accompanied by Sauces/Dips - there were four...a satay sauce, a Thai-style chilli dip (but not as sweet) with a good amount of heat and freshness from the lime juice (my favourite dip), a cocktail (or Thousand Island) sauce that's great with the fried stuff and a final one that I didn't like (some kind of mustard dip, I think).

In the end, the platter managed to feed two people (fully) but may also be ideal for three persons as snacks with a beer, cocktail or juice in hand.  It's also a platter that's bound to appeal to the young.

For drinks, there was the refreshing Royal Lady @ RM15, a fresh concoction of orange juice, passion fruit, white peach, lemon and sprite topped with a slice of orange and some crunchy pomegranate seeds.

I went for their freshly squeezed juice served in a gimmicky light bulb shaped bottle...the Tropical @ RM16 consisting of mango, honeydew, kiwi and guava.  The all-natural juice tasted pure and thick kept cold in an icy bath which didn't dilute the juice.

You can take the bottle home with you, so I asked for a bag to put it in (in case I drop it enroute to the car) only to be pleasantly surprised when told that they'd give me a new one to take home....how nice (and here I thought I was going to bring home the one I drank from..hehe)!

My new-but-doesn't-light-up bulb...sadly, this one didn't have the cafe's name imprinted on it! :'(

The place is so dark I think it's more suitable for young couples (on a date!)....if you come during dinner time. They even provide a light on the table which you can switch off for a more intimate setting! ^_*  There's even the availability of charging sites at tableside for electrical gadgets which the younger crowd will certainly appreciate.  Maybe the place is not as child-&-elderly-friendly because of the dark ambience and high chairs.

My Personal Opinion

I'm always happy to see more western additions to the dining options at Sunway Velocity.

Even though I've tried only one dish, the variety offered me a glimpse of what they're capable of and, based on that, I'm sure I'll be returning to try more although I may not be too thrilled with the darker-than-norm atmosphere (for family "makan") but that shouldn't be an issue during the day.

You can certainly chill, relax and TakeItEasy.....at Take Eat Easy! ^_~

Take Eat Easy Gastrocafe
Lot V03-01-02 Lingkaran SV
Sunway Velocity Mall
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2710 6020