ALLO by The Owls Cafe at Arte Mont Kiara

I finally made my way to Arte. There was lots of hype surrounding this development a while back, thanks to its grandiose design and style. It looked fancy, all right. With its predominantly white and gold, European themed design and big pillars, I understand the fascination and hype. It’s different, certainly not something I come by regularly. To some, it may scream elegance and to others, a tad pretentious. I was too busy being fascinated by it all that I forgot to snap some photos. Sorry ☹ Plenty of pictures available online though in case you are curious.

Anyways, my main reason for heading to Arte was to give Allo a try. Allo by Owls Café, the latest addition here. If you are a foodie, you’d easily recognize Owls Café. Among other things, they are known for their waffle offerings, both sweet and savoury. I’ve personally been to two of their outlets (in Bukit Jalil and Section 17, PJ (now closed)) and can recall having a good time there. As I had a work meet at Publika, this was a convenient spot to have lunch after as it was less than 10 minutes away from one another.

Parking: Parking was easy. I’ve read several reviews online indicating difficulty in acquiring parking. I had no such problem. As soon as I arrived at ARTE lobby, I drove passed it and headed into the basement carpark available. I managed to get a spot as soon as I entered and it was conveniently located on the Ground floor, where the shops were located. The parking rates were reasonable too. First hour, RM 3 and subsequent hours RM 2, was fair and affordable.

The cafe looked nice. I appreciated the fact that ALLO looked liked a cafe as oppose to an extension of the overall grandeur of Arte. It occupies two levels. Most people end up sitting on the ground floor. However, if you prefer more privacy, the top floor would be ideal.

Blue Butterfly Pea Nasi Lemak, RM 28

This dish was pretty yummy. The large chicken thigh piece, which was supposedly chicken rendang, was delicious. Flavorful meat that literally falls off the bone, tender and juicy. The blue pea rice while being aesthetically pleasing, tastewise was a tad underwhelming. The taste of coconut milk used was little perhaps, it was not as evident as one would expect with a nasi lemak. The rice aside, the rest of the ingredients on the plate was pretty good. The sambal was different from usual. Compared to others, the sambal here was thick and spicy. It had more of a belacan texture. Unusually lumpy but I liked it. Mixing all ingredients on the plate made up a tasty plate of nasi lemak.

Chicken & Waffle, RM 28

I wasn’t feeling this dish. I’ve had several chicken waffles over the years and I’ve always been a fan but this one here, there was something missing. Several other tables ordered it and they all seemed like they were enjoying it…. so, the problem may just be me, huh? It felt like there was a lack of connection between the waffle and chicken? Usually, having the waffle with maple syrup / honey and chicken would equate a good mix of sweet and savory. Here, it tasted better when eaten separately. The garlic fried chicken was delicious. Eaten on its own, it was simply divine. Boneless juicy meatballs. Having it with the waffle simply muted down its awesomeness. To me, it tasted better eaten separately. The waffle with maple syrup was basically a simple, classic waffle. It did satisfy my waffle craving.