This time, we found ourselves returning to Hartamas, after a relatively long period of absence, with intentions of visiting Hud Café. We decided to have lunch here for several reasons. Firstly, it was with hopes that we’d be having a yummy, hearty, filling meal and secondly, the visit was in conjunction with their new menu launch. Their new offerings will officially be available to public from the 20th of March onwards. Lucky us though that we were invited – we get to taste and ‘hantam’ the food before you guys do 🙂 Hud Café offer a variety of dishes focusing mainly on three particular cuisine – Western, Mexican and Middle Eastern.

Parking: The Hartamas Shopping Center and Plaza Damas is connected. If you guys are familiar with the area, then I suppose it doesn’t matter which basement carpark you park at. However, if you are like me – rarely hang out in the area, then it is best if you park in Plaza Damas, not the basement carpark but the one that allows you to park by the shop lots. If you are using Waze, leave it on even after you’ve enter the car park because it will lead you right to Hud Cafe’s doorstep and then, you can conveniently park where it suits you.

The eatery is generally quieter during the day with the momentum picking up after working hours, especially when nearing dinner time. The place is brightly lit due to the glass panels all around, it brings in that much needed natural light. Well spread out, you can pick and choose your personal corner depending on what you are in the mood for. Whether you are visiting solo or simply in need of a quiet spot for a lunch business meeting, a get-together? Yea, there are quiet corners and open seatings to fulfill your needs.

There is WIFI here and so, between this, the food, quiet ambiance .. it is a good place to also get some work done.

Customer service was good. They were attentive and helpful. When suggestions were needed, they were quick to throw in options. I liked the fact that they did not linger around once orders were taken. They kindda left us to our own devices pretty much .. we managed to get some work done in between waiting for our dishes to arrive.

Starter: Arabic Mezza Platter

This dish comprises of a serving of chickpea hummus, eggplant mutable and couscous, with a side of bread. I liked it, quite a lot actually. Honestly, I kindda forgot all about the bread. I was too busy eating the hummus and the accompanying sides by itself. I ain’t joking. Just like how I’d scoop up a spoonful of Nutella from the tub and enjoy licking on its chocolatty goodness by itself , it was the same thing here. A spoonful of each on its own was yummyyyy.

The Hummus, it was all smooth and oily, a gooey lump of yumminess. The Mutable was similar in texture but slightly different in taste, equally as delicious though. This may not be everyones’ cup of tea but it certainly was mine. It is one of those things I can eat and eat till I get bored.

Chicken Mandi

The Chicken Mandi is basically a traditional Yemeni dish. This dish, I enjoyed because it was rather similar to the local indian briyani I indulge in from time to time. A lil dryer perhaps but similar in terms of the spices used and its taste. The long grain rice was flavorful and the big piece of juicy chicken thigh was awesome. Tender and moist it was, the meat literally falls off with ease as you cut into it. The dish comes with a side of vegetable soup and tomato gravy. A yummy dish overall.

Sizzling Fajitas

This was the Mexican option we went for. A generous portion of grilled chicken meat with bell pepper, tomatoes and a nice spread of gooey cheese. It was nicely seasoned and good enough to have on its own or you can choose to have it accompanied with bread, rice or fries as these are the available sides with the dish.

Matcha Bubble Tea

If you are a fan of Matcha, then you’d love this drink. From top to bottom, matcha is pretty much what you’d taste. So yes, it lives up to its name and not in an overwhelming way. The Bubble here isn’t the usual ‘pearls’ that you’d come across normally. For instance, with Tealive and other bubble tea specialty shops, the pearls are usually starchy and chewy. In contrast, the ones here are more jelly-like. Still chewy but not as starchy. I liked it, something different it was. The drink overall wasn’t too sweet, the taste of matcha was just right and the pearls were a nice addition.

Virgin Mojito

This is an awesome drink to have especially on a hot day. As this is an alcohol free café, you do not have to worry about getting tipsy during the day, lol. What it was is a refreshing lemonade with a peppermint twist. Between the taste of lemon and peppermint, the mojito of flavors.

Burp! I had a nice time here and left with a filling, satisfied tummy. Thanks to Kishen Sreedharan and the Hud Café team for having us 🙂