Breakfast at Antipodean

The word was familiar. I had seen it used before. But I had not the faintest idea which it meant. Checking my Macbook dictionary, Antipodean generally refers to the inhabitants of Australia and New Zealand. It is commonly used by people of the northern hemisphere. It is from the word "Antipode" which means the direct opposite of something (pole and antipode). To people in Europe and America, the southern countries of Australia and New Zealand are antipodes. Thus the Aussies and Kiwis are Antipodeans.

Antipodean is also a small chic restaurant in the swanky area of Bangsar. It is located along Jalan Telawi 2, which is right in the middle of this KL action scene. We went there for a morning meal at the prompting of SP who liked the breakfasts and coffee there. 

We found the place to be very pleasant. The furnishings were tastefully simple and the staffs were friendly. They have a large counter and kitchen at the back. The dining area was not that big and tables spilled outside to the five-foot walkway. But they very considerately arranged the tables so that there was still a unhindered passage-way for pedestrians. 

They even have a kid play room where they have toys neatly arranged (unreal) and a television set.

We asked for a menu. There wasn't any. Everything they had to offer was chalk written on the wall. Which was kind of inconvenient for we were seated at a table where we could not easily see the wall. We had to get off our seats and stepped back before we could read the long list. And if we needed time to decide on our choice, it imposed additional annoyance not only to ourselves but to other diners in the restaurant.

The choices were aplenty. They had nearly 20 different breakfasts plus some very interesting lunches and dinners like the Kiwi lamb burger (I have never tasted lamb burger before - sure would like to try) and Burmese chicken salad. But we were there for breakfast and it was breakfast we had. 

This was the Big Breakfast. It came with scrambled egg, mushroom, a slice of toasted brown bread, a small piece of hash brown and a choice of bacon or beef sausage. I opted for the bacon. The name given to it - Big Breakfast - was somewhat of a misnomer, for it was not that big. The serving of bacon was definitely inadequate. There were only 3 miserable slices - enough to tease my palate, not enough to sate it. The hash brown was also very meagre. And the toast - only one slice. But the scrambled egg and mushroom was generous; perhaps a little too much. The overall flavor was good. I specially like the scrambled egg. It was excellently prepared - great taste and nice texture. The bacon was delicious. They were lightly fried thick slices of lean meat. More, more!

I think I would had enjoyed this croissant with bacon and scrambled egg more. To start with, the serving of bacon was a lot more generous. And it had some nice fresh salad too.

The All-Day Breakfast was another delightful dish. There were the same scrambled egg and toast, a good serving of baked beans, grilled tomatoes and a choice of pork, beef or chicken sausage. The sausage was really very good. Unless you detest baked beans, I would recommend this to the Big Breakfast.

If you prefer a sweet breakfast, this serving of pancakes would perhaps be great. It was served with some fruits (banana, grapes, strawberries, etc) and a cup of butterscotch. I had a taste of the pancake. It was very well done. It had a nice soft texture and the flavor was excellent.

The Antipodean serves very good coffee. I enjoyed my normal long black. My wife's latte was more elaborately prepared.

They even do kopi-luwak. Luwak is the acclaimed Indonesian coffee that is the most expensive in the world. It is made from un-digested coffee beans extracted from the excrements of civet cats (musang). I have read so much about it but have yet to give it a try. At 40 bucks per shot, perhaps next time.

Breakfast at the Antipodean was good but not a wow. But I think we will return. There are a number of things I saw on the wall that interest me. And the luwak... For this, I will need some inspiration to pamper myself.