ben's general food store

i've been back in malaysia for almost a month now -- between searching for a job, adapting myself to the weather, catching up with friends and eating a ton of food, i've barely had time to do my research the food scene in malaysia. i've been getting my usual the local dishes but i was also excited to try the new food trends sprouting all over malaysia. one of the first ones i tried was ben's general food store in bangsar village, one of the many restaurants under the B.I.G. family.

{wy} suggested earlier during the week since i wasn't sure which are the places to try (gotta get started on my food research in malaysia!) it was a sunday afternoon and bangsar was bustling with people. the same was with ben's general food store but it was a good thing that we managed to get a seat without having to wait too long.



i loved the decor -- cozy, inviting and somewhat rustic with a touch of vintage. the main hues were black and white on wood cladding the walls as well as wooden furniture. a couple of recipes fill the blackboard space around the restaurant..






there is also patio dining but considering how warm and humid the weather is usually in malaysia, i'd prefer staying in the inside (hail to the air conditioning!). for those who are wifi starved such as i am until i get my unlimited internet (yum!), they have it! ^^ i think you may need to request the password from the wait staff.



the menu was quite extensive ranging from salads and pastas to deli items and pizzas. {wy} and i kept looking at each other, trying to see what the other person was going to order... lol.

shake 'em buns :: lamb burger | served with fries and coleslaw (RM24)


as i looked through the menu, i realized i kept picking out things with lamb...lamb shank pie...lamb meatballs.. and then finally the lamb burger which was what i had my heart set on. i was quite surprised that they didn't ask me about what doneness that i wanted.


it came well done with excellent grill marks. could have done with more crust on both sides of the patty. the gamey flavor was rather light, probably masked by just enough seasoning and good punch of herbs and spices rooted in the mediterranean style . it was flavorful and juicy -- which was a great job since they managed to lock all the juices despite cooking it all the way through. the bread was soft and could have used a bit of a toasting in the oven for textural difference.. and the arugula lends a subtle bitter flavor but fresh touch coupled with the tartness from the sauce. but overall an enjoyable burger and i'd order it a second time..


i can't say the same for the sides..the coleslaw was overdressed and i wished it was chilled. the fries were neither all that crispy except for a couple -- but it definitely needed salt.



hot deli items :: b.i.g. lasagna | served with side salad (RM23.90)



it was quite the generous serving of lasagna -- {wy} was craving for lasagna and b.i.g. lasagna was chosen. i had a small bite and thought the sauce could use some more fresh herbs and extra cheese but overall a decent lasagna. {wy} seemed pretty happy with it but it got too much as she tried to finish the whole lasagna.


{wy}'s dish comes with a side salad. she ordered the marinated button mushrooms & barley but instead they served her scorched sweet corn & crabmeat with frisee, lime and mayo. it's somewhat a good thing since as soon as she asked for mushroom salad as her side salad, she laughed and admitted that she wasn't a fan of barley lol. which was probably why we didn't ask them to take it back in exchange for the salad we ordered.


i absolutely love sweet corn. {wy} offered to share her salad which i gratefully tasted. fully expecting it to be sweet, the corn lacked in that aspect -- almost flat in flavor which was disappointing. the crabmeat was scarce. the dressing was almost right. i'd give the salad an okay. i do, however, think that it's great that any salads on their menu is fair game which is a plus and you don't just end up with a garden/tossed salad with a generic vinaigrette.

ben's general food store is one of the many popular restaurants under ben's independent grocer.  extensive menu of classic favorites but it definitely has room for improvement. the ingredients are pretty fresh which is the base for awesome dishes waiting to happen. not amazing but alright..




btw, i'm testing out a new rating system under {yummy worthy?} section for my restaurant entries similar to yelp -- rating places from 1-5 (1 being the worst and 5 the best) based on overall impression including service, presentation, technique execution and mostly on flavors being the most significant. bgfs will be the first to wear this rating system




disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.


p.s. starting my japan series soon and blog entries might be postponed since i will be traveling the next two weeks. but please anticipate my new entries soon :)