I had to head to Bangsar South today for a short meeting with a client. By the time that was over with, it was lunch hour. So, I took a short walk around the vicinity, to check out the available options. Agrain caught my eye simply because of the number of people queing up at the entrance.

Sure, some of the folks working in the area are back in town but it is still quieter than usual. Most restaurants and cafes are still empty, business obviously isn’t back to normal. So, imagine my surprise when there was a que here. I decided to walk over and ‘kepo’ for a bit. Most of them were opting for ‘take-away’ as oppose to dining in, understandably.

Whether ‘take-away’ or dining in, the method for ordering is still the same. You’d need to fill up a form by ticking the items you are interested in. It is all about ‘BYOB’ here – Build Your Own Bowl. So, firstly, you’d have to pick the size of your bowl. Next, you pick the filling.

They also require you to provide the usual details necessary during the MCO period – name, contact number, temperature through the scanning of the QR Code provided.

*** Word of advise, depending on the time of your visit, it may get really hot outside. So, the smart thing to do is to sort out the QR Code thingy first. Once that is done, you can then take the order form, sit down comfortably within an air conditioned space and fill it up. I overlooked this crucial detail, which meant that I filled up the order form first and then got the QR Code done. I started sweating like crazy halfway through the process and started to stink. Uggh!

It was all pretty easy. When you’ve filled up the order form, proceed to the counter to make payment. Your order number will be evident on your receipt. Wait around till your order is called to signify that it is ready for pickup. Whether you are dining in or taking away, the method of preparation for the meals are the same. They place the meal in a paper box and then seal it with a cling wrap before passing it to the customer.

PETIT Bowl (Fragrant brown rice + lemongrass chicken thigh + spicy eggplant + onsen egg + fish skin flakes + butter masala) , 13.90 ringgit

Food was good, I liked it. The combination I picked for my Petit bowl was awesome. The brown rice was soft and dense. The butter masala acted as a gravy, it was thick and flavorful. The onsen egg was a perfect addition to this dish. While the outer part resembled a poached egg, it was the yolk that made a difference. Here, the yolk was smooth like butter, with a creamy texture. I liked it. The lemongrass chicken was nice. When eaten on its own, the lemongrass taste is somewhat evident. Having it with the rice and the other items tend to tone down the flavor. I’ve got no complains though. It didn’t reduce the yumminess of the dish as a whole. The fish skin flakes provided some crunchiness to the dish. The effect was similar to that of the ‘kacang’ in a nasi lemak. Yea, it was nice but hardly enough. I only wished they added more. The spicy eggplant, I liked. I am very satisfied with what I ordered and I would definitely be back for more.