Pokok was a pleasant surprise. This is one of those cafes that we keep putting off visiting because it is located conveniently close to where we work and reside. We were saving it for when there is an emergency like haze, heavy rain, ‘darurat’ of any kind ? .. when going further than necessary isn’t advised.

This time, the emergency was that we literally had less than an hour to spare before having to head back to work. There were several option and to decide, we usually check reviews and ratings online. When it came to Pokok, it was 850 voters with an average of 4.1/5. For an eatery that had been operating for just a year, the numbers are exceptionally high and don’t get me started on the reviews, the ravings go on and on. If this isn’t is a reflection of how well liked/loved Pokok is, then what is, right? So, we all kindda mutually agreed to have lunch here. Intrigued we were, yes definitely.

Many bloggers and social media enthusiast often refer to Pokok as ‘instagrammable’ – which I agree, totally. It was aesthetically pleasing. I usually pass by MAHSA to head into University Malaya (UM) and I can honestly say that the outside is not a reflection of the inside. It simply is made up of a couple of buildings – from the outside but inside, especially where Pokok is located, is beautifully done. It was surrounded by greens, it had a calming and relaxing vibe. Pokok on the inside was warm and cozy, bustling with activities.

Keep in mind that here, you do not simply walk in and sit at the first empty table you see. Nope. There is a host here – a filipino? lady if I am not mistaken. You head on over to her and let her know the number of people expected and she will sit you accordingly.

Parking was easy. There are plenty available inside MAHSA itself. At every corner, there is a security guard stationed, if you are not familiar with the area, I suggest you ask the guards which spot is best to park at, as I did. They are friendly and helpful, no stress at all. We were parked there for an hour, at a cost of 2 ringgit. Touch n Go friendly. If there isn’t parking available on the inside, worry not as there is an open car park just outside MAHSA.

Nasi Lemak Platter, 18 ringgit + Chili Padi Pesto Pasta, 25 ringgit + Truffle Mushroom Soup, 15 ringgit

PSX_20191019_110442 — *Nasi Lemak Platter*

PSX_20191019_110917 — *Chili Padi Pesto Pasta*

PSX_20191019_111503 — *Truffle Mushroom Soup*

The serving size here sure is big, the portions are generous.

The Truffle Mushroom Soup was da’ bomb. If you loveeeeeee truffle oil like I do, I’m sure you’d agree with me that the use of truffle oil in literally anything is beyond awesome. This mushroom soup is no different. It is the distinct truffle aroma that hits you first before anything else and once you start digging in, the flavors are real good. As mentioned above, the portion size is big. The soup isn’t served in a small bowl, nope. You’d get thick, condensed soup in a medium sized bowl, served with 2 pieces of bread on the side. This could literally be a main meal by itself because it will fill you up. Yummy!

The Nasi Lemak Platter came in a generous portion too and at an affordable price of 18 ringgit. In many other establishments like this, cafes … they usually charge way more for something smaller in portion size. Here, you get a nice, large meaty piece of chicken thigh and kangkung in addition to the regular ingredients that comes with Nasi Lemak. It was delicious and filling. By the time I was done, I was stuffed. Burp!

As soon as we saw ‘Chili Padi Pesto Pasta’ , my friend went all ‘cray-cray.’ He lovessss anything with pesto in it and it was no surprise that he went for this dish. What fascinated the rest of us though was that this dish came with 3 options in terms of spiciness – mild, spicy and pedas giler. He went for spicy as oppose to pedas giler because he was worried that the extra heat may overpower the taste of pesto. With spicy, you’d be able to taste a lil heat – enough to give you a taste of it but not to an extent whereby your forehead starts to sweat. The Pesto Pasta by itself does not come with meat. It was the noodles with plenty of pesto and mushroom. So, we decided to add on the Grilled Chicken option, which was a good addition to the dish overall. Yummm! Just like the other dishes, we enjoyed this one too.

Pokok is certainly worth a return. As Arnold says in Terminator ” I’ll be back.” … Lol.