alexis bistro, bangsar

i realized that whenever i hang out with friends in KL, bangsar seems to be the prime choice, even though finding a parking space around telawi street area is analogous to finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

i have to admit, bangsar is a hub for foodies like me since the number of restaurants to pick from is many. my first bangsar restaurant experience since i returned was ben's general food store with {wy} and my second time was lunch at delicious with {hh} (i plan to write about delicious sometime in the future)

my third bangsar eating experience was dinner with {hr}, which brought me to alexis. there are two alexis outlets where they are walking distance apart (which doesn't make any sense to me)-- one in bangsar shopping center and the other was on telawi street. we decided on trying out the latter location since the closing hours were later than its sister restaurant in the mall.

i love the ambience at alexis - it's personal with a touch of elegance and a lot cozy. i especially love the lamp at the back of the room where it's shade is composed of personal notes and pictures, which i thought was rather cool.

one of the walls is lined with shelves resided by carbonated water bottles and the other of black and white art pieces.

{hr} and i decided to share an appetizer and an entrée because i wanted to to try a dessert since alexis is well known for their sweet treats!

appetizer :: lebanese pita bread | with hummus and baba ghanoush (RM16)

i was in the mood for hummus for some reason and i wanted to be sure to cross out baba ghanoush off the list. the pita bread was a tad try like it was on the verge of being stale. that was a bummer.

the humus could have used a splash of lemon juice for a burst of freshness and a sprinkle of salt. baba ghanoush was seasoned well but could have been a little less heavy handed on the garlic since the garlic-y flavor dominated the flavor profile. a huge put off was the olives were unpitted. i was quite excited to see black olives on the plate but when i noticed that the seeds were still intact, i quickly passed on them. overall, an okay dish but many aspects to improve on.

pizza :: gamberetto pizza | garlic prawn . oven dried tomatoes and rocket (RM34)

when the think crust pizza first arrived, i was a bit skeptical about its deliciousness. mainly because the crust looked a bit under baked and needed to be browned more on the sides. so if you are expecting a crispy thin crust pizza, you will be disappointed -- it was foldable just like a new york style pizza. however, the other aspects of the pizza made up for that flaw.

the shrimp were fresh, succulent and slightly sweet, wearing a subtle garlic flavor. they ran out of rockets (or better known as arugula), which our server was nice to check with us before they served us if we were alright with it. they replaced it with another green that had a surprisingly refreshing flavor since it was tossed in a light vinaigrette of lemon and olive oil. the sauce itself was alright - tomato-y with a tartness and a sight sweetness. i'd have preferred the addition of a few fresh herbs to give another flavor point to the sauce.my favorite part were the oven dried tomatoes which had a punch of roasted but sweet tomato flavor.

each bite were greeted with a balanced flavor profile which was yummy but i would have loved the arugula to give it a peppery balance to the tartness. loved it even with minor points to improve on.

desserts :: mixed berry meringue (RM15)

i remember reading somewhere that this was one of the top desserts to try at alexis. first bite and i thought, it's kinda a cross between a pavlova and a meringue - however it's not quite marshmallow-y or neither does it melt in the mouth or is it crispy.

if you are wondering the difference between meringue and pavlova ::

meringue consists of egg whites and sugar and should be solid throughout - dried out and without moisture, crispy and light. pavlova, on the other hand, has vinegar/cornflour or cream of tartar added -- giving it a marshmallow interior with a crunchy outer shell.

the sweetness was just enough but it lacked textural difference between the meringue and the whipped cream so it's mostly creamy. the fruits itself were alternatively sweet and tart. overall, it was an okay dessert -- not as great as i expected it to be. if i returned, it will be another dessert on my order list.

one pet peeve was that the noise level in the restaurant grew as the evening progressed, making it quite a pain to try to hold a normal conversation without having to raise my voice. however, the cozy atmosphere and the finesse the chefs at alexis showcased in the making of the gamberetto pizza might be enough to convince me for a second visit.

alexis bistro  | locations

29, jalan telawi 3, 

bangsar baru, 

59100 kuala lumpur

{yummy-ness | 3 forks out of 5 }

{worth trying | gamberetto pizza}

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