Pages

Tuesday, 24 March 2020

Bo All Day Dining @ The Linc KL

It has been a week since the Movement Control Order was enforced in an effort to stem out the deadly Covid-19 virus that has engulfed the world.  All of us are looking forward to the MCO being lifted so that we can get back some normalcy in our lives.  But as days pass without a significant drop in cases, the possibility of the MCO being lifted seems remote.  Chances are we'd probably see an extension of the dreaded MCO. Looks like I (and my family) have to endure more of my cooking!  I miss dining out...haiz! :'( 

So, let's reminisce what it felt like eating out...which seems like a distant past now.  We were at Bo All Day Dining @ The Linc KL...not recently (of course) but during the Christmas period with family members for a celebration of some sort.  I thought I wasn't going to write about this dining experience since I've already written a post on the place before...but the rather encouraging pageviews for the earlier post made me change my mind and convinced me otherwise.

When we were given the menu for our orders, we realised it wasn't their usual menu but a condensed one.  I guess the restaurant went with a condensed menu to limit the choices to allow the kitchen to focus on less dishes to better manage the crowd of diners expected over the super busy Christmas & New Year period. Some restaurants do that, so it's best to check before you head out to a restaurant during such periods...but it was too late for us, we came in three separate cars and we had already paid parking fees x 3...and were already seated at their signature 'bird cage' dining table by then. >_<

Since this was my sister-in-law's treat, I'm not exactly sure about the prices (as I also can't remember some of them) + some of the dishes on their condensed menu also showcased a different pricing for the festive period.  So, the prices you see here are taken off their menu in their Facebook which may not necessarily be the correct prices on that day.

Let's begin with the Truffle Fries @ RM22 (festive price was RM33 if I remembered correctly) with a light sprinkle of truffle shavings and topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese.  This was one expensive fries just because of the truffle shavings (which looked like finely crushed seaweed!) but it was so scant you can hardly taste truffles at all.

The first time I was here I really wanted to try their signature roast chicken but it was sold out.  I wasn't going to miss out on their signature dish this time.  We ordered the Bo's Signature Rotisserie Roast Chicken @ RM75 (festive price was something like RM89 or RM98).  A whole chicken ideally can feed up to four smallish eaters but two with a ferrocious appetite can also devour it easily.

I suppose the increased pricing is warranted for this dish since it came with four sides instead of the usual two deli side salads.  There were thick-cut fries and an orecchiette (or sea shell-shaped) pasta with apples and little cubes of feta cheese (which I thought were tofu cubes initially) tossed in mayo.

There was also a coleslaw of fresh greens of purple cabbage, carrot, arugula & salad leaves and white rice with a sprinkle of fried shallots on top.

For the sauces, there were chicken jus (in the little pitcher), basil mint pestogarlic aioli and a final one that tasted like mushroom sauce.

Their roast chicken, supposedly brined and air dried for 24 hours before being slow roasted in their rotisserie oven, was tender though not particularly outstanding in taste.  You need to eat it with the chicken jus for a tastier bite.

The Smoked Duck Spaghetti @ RM34 had tender, smoked duck slices with sun-dried tomatoes, caramelised onions and fresh arugula.  The flavour of this one was quite nice and the the fresh arugula was a welcome addition to provide some freshness to the dish.

The Beef Ragu Pasta @ RM32 was ok with bits of beef in a classic tomato sauce.  The spiral-shaped pasta, like fusilli (not tagliatelle as per their menu), was the perfect vehicle to trap the meat sauce in its grooves. What's with the thick slices of grana padano? >_<  Shouldn't they be thin savings of cheese for a better bite? My sister-in-law left them on the plate.

The Jamaican Jerk Chicken Pizza @ RM35 was supposed to have Jamaican jerk flavours of sweet and spicy Caribbean sauce with jerk chicken, onion, red and green capsicum, coriander and mozzarella but it tasted like an ordinary tomato-based pizza and the toppings were a bit scant.  It did come with a nice char on the pizza though since they're cooked in a wood-fired oven.  I think, because this was served last, it got cold before we got to it, so it was the least appreciated dish of all.

I remember liking the Pan-Seared Red Snapper on an earlier visit, so I chose the Jerk Spiced Malabar Red Snapper @ RM48 (RM53 festive price, this price I remembered clearly as it was my dish.  It was served with some spice-tinged, lightly roasted vegetables of broccoli, cauliflower, okra and cloud ear fungus.

If the red snapper fillets were indeed marinated in jerk spices, it was hardly noticeable but the fish texture was still very tender and flaky.  The sauce (which I believe was some kind of a turmeric-infused cream sauce based on the colour) ended up to be the star component which brought the whole dish together as the sauce was commendable.  The dish I ordered turned out to be my favourite of the night (and luckily so since three of us chose the same dish).

My Personal Opinion

I'm glad I finally got to try their signature rotisserie chicken which turned out satisfyingly tender, decently juicy though not particularly outstanding.  I was hoping for a bit more charring on the skin to bring out its smoky flavour and the chicken needed the chicken jus to bring out its flavour as it was under-seasoned.

But the two red snapper dishes (I had on both visits) are probably the ones I wouldn't mind having again, one for its fresh and citrusy flavours, the other for its bright, appealing sauce.

The gorgeous interior is undeniable, possibly even a little intimate, with great spots for photos, but it can be a little cold, so make sure you dress suitably for this purpose.

Bo All Day Dining
Lot 1-10 & 1-11 The Linc
No 360 Jalan Tun Razak
50400 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 017-211 2842

10 comments:

  1. I really like how the Bo's Signature Rotisserie Roast Chicken is served with fries, pasta salad, rice, coleslaw, chicken jus and three types of sauces. I can just imagine me and my partner sitting through that for dinner! Unfortunately for me, he is not into trying new restaurants especially those in KL. I guess I will have to convince my brother to take me. Incidentally, today I cooked a beef ragu. You might see it in my post tomorrow hah..hah...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yup, I read that post of yours on beef ragu. Thumbs up to you to still do recipes that require more 'work' during the MCO.

      Their signature roast chicken is built ideally for the two of you...your brother and you, I mean, two with ferocious appetites for half a chicken each + sides...wuahahahaha! ;D

      Delete
  2. ooo, you got the special birdcage table, heheh! i'd choose that table if the restaurant wasn't busy :) i'm a fan of tagliatelle but not fusilli - so that change-up might not be the happiest surprise for me! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I'm not a fan of 'funny shaped' pastas myself...prefer flat ones like tagliatelle, linguine & fettuccini anytime.

      The restaurant was busy but we got the birdcage table coz it was large enough to accommodate our party of 3 families...heheh! ;)

      Delete
  3. Just as you have guessed correctly, the MCO has been extended for another 2 wonderFOOL weeks! I only worry that I might sink into depressions like the 2nd day of MCO which was all in my mind. I realized that I needed to exercise badly like a drug fix. Lolol

    I love the ambiance of the restaurant you dined with the bird cages! I may also be from Penang like PH's dahling but I am very adventurous who would drive for many miles to eat anything fanciful.

    I must say that I am attracted to the overall food presentation esp using the rectangular plates and saucers in various shapes. I think I inherited the keen eyes for the right plates and bowls to be used for different occasions. I am keeping my mother's prized Kangsai dinner set and antique tea sets which the late Sultanah Kedah Tuanku Bahiyah had drank once. Someday I will dig them out to blog OK.

    I have bookmarked this place to eat when the MCO is over. I would like to try the Red Snapper Fillets! Most impotantky I like a place like this with cozy ambiance that allows me laze for hours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I'm pretty sure the place is conducive enough for you to laze around for hours. ^_~ I would sure like to see what your mother's Kangsai dinner sets look like, so do dig them out and blog about them. It's great that you're keeping her prized possessions.

      This is the first time I hear of someone referring to needing exercise like needing a drug...haha! I suppose that's good if you can't live without it...the exercise, I mean. :D Better get used to the MCO, it may be around longer than we like, maybe even till end of April...yikes! >_<

      Delete
  4. The price of the same food was charged higher just because of the festive season? I don't think i can accept this, unless the restaurant give complimetary wines or desserts, that's different story~

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not sure if the slightly higher food prices were due to some changes in the food served (since I've not eaten them before). Some I may not have gotten the prices correct (so don't take my word for it), some were at similar prices and some were 'packaged' slightly differently (with different or more side dishes) like the rotisserie chicken (this I know coz the usual one came with only two sides), so I think that's ok.

      Delete
  5. I miss the ability to just pay money and have food deliver to my table!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now still can...via food delivery....to your gate! ;) I miss the food...period....where I can eat it there and then piping hot. I'm one of those who like their food served really hot! ^_~

      Delete