GO THE WHOLE NINE YARDS AT BROLLY

Nine. That’s the magic number for Brolly’s experiential F&B concepts – all under one roof umbrella as in ‘brolly’. Geddit?

It’s another ‘giant’ step for TY Ooi and her biz partners who rocked the local F&B scene with Crab Factory in SS2. The multi-concept resto inside Menara Felda is a petrol head’s wet dream; a vintage garage of sorts with shiny tire rims adorning private dining room doors, an old car suspended upside down above the pool table and repurposed automobile parts: truck tires, petrol pumps, side and rear view car mirrors put to pragmatic uses as sinks, taps and vanity mirrors.

 

Bits and pieces of Americana e.g. licence plates, old vinyl records and a foosball table reminiscent of the Happy Days and Grease era evoke a decidedly rock & roll atmosphere to the set-up. But what about the food?

Pix courtesy of Brolly

Suffice to say, you’d better brace yourself to go the whole nine yards at Brolly. Even the heartiest appetites are known to wave the white flag after attempting to sample everything Brolly has to throw at them. The extensive menu is a compilation of TY’s fondest food memories that made up her travails as a restaurateur thus far. 

WANNA BE STARTERS SOMETHING

Moley's Oyster Bar is TY’s tribute to her own Aussie oyster odyssey where the diving enthusiast recalls plucking and shucking sea-fresh oysters to savour. Now she wants diners to replicate that experience with imported French  Fine de Claire No2 Oysters (RM144 for 1 dozen) and Irish Kelly's Gigas No4 Oysters (RM96 for 1 doz). Plump and meaty with deep-sea nuances, the molluscs are best enjoyed au naturel or with a squeeze of lemon juice.

SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES

Let’s face it, the only kind of smoke nobody minds getting into their eyes is the type arising from a good barbecue. At Brolly, the Aussie barbie meets the Asian ‘bakar’ at Ember & Bara. Get down and dirty with BBQ Small Yabbies (RM60 per kilo)…the lil’ critters yield faintly smoky chunks of sweet meat once you get the hang of shelling them.

Otherwise, beef, lamb, seafood and vege options are also available. Beefy choices include Chilled Sirloin (single portion with Old Fashioned BBQ Coffee Sauce, RM34),  Chilled Ribeye (single portion with Tarty Tropicana Sauce, RM60) and  Chilled Tenderloin (single portion with Old Fashioned BBQ Coffee Sauce, RM 70).

I’d vouch for the succulently tender Spring Chicken (single portion with  Classic Chamalla Sauce, RM45) with the Lamb Frenched Rack (single portion with Old Fashioned BBQ Spicy Chocolate, RM120) coming in a close second.

Local tastebuds would enjoy the grilled Meat Crabs with E&B Sambal Sauce (RM65) or chunky Tomato Tango Sauce. Alternatively, sample Prawns in Fragrant Tamarind Coconut Sauce (RM25) or Fish of the Day (RM50) perked up with E&B Sambal Sauce. 

 

Balance all that seafood with Grilled Watermelon & Pineapple Minty Salad (RM15), Grilled Caesar Salad (RM15) or Spinach & Feta Melon Salad (RM15).

DRINKING LA VIDA LOCA

 

At this point, you should order glasses of Beergarita (RM30) – a high spirited concoction of beer and margarita with housemade syrups to wash those nibbles down. Whipped up by Brolly’s resident mixologists at the Bang Bang Baller Bar house in a converted school bus, the drinks menu is as colourful and varied as the food menu. 

vari.EAT.y – THE SPICE OF LIFE

For gangs of friends and cliques of colleagues, snacks and finger food for sharing are aplenty. My personal fave includes Calamari Tentacles (RM18) and Prawn Popcorn (RM23) – addictive morsels that grow on you with each bite.

The impressive Onion Flower (RM18) is excellent too. Cut and deep-fried in crisp batter coating, the huge Aussie onion looks a flower in bloom with a delicate sweetness to boot.

 

Stick to your ribs Kushiyaki (3 skewers per serving) veers between the esoteric  

Chicken Softbone  (RM9) and Chicken Hearts (RM9) to more sedate Seafood Tofu (RM9), Spring Onions (RM9) and Quail Eggs (RM9).

 

 

Soup for the soul here comes in a hearty albeit mildly spiced Short Ribs Soup (RM35) while Cajun Escargots (RM24) or Garlic Escargots (RM24) bring some snob appeal to the overall repertoire.

HERE COME THE WINGS AGAIN

More tasty temptation take flight via My Wing Man. The bold, pungently flavoured Chicken Wings with Cencaluk (RM18) dominate in this instance, far eclipsing the tamer Chicken Wings with Tomato Tango (RM18).

IT’S RAINING MAINS

Of course, Brolly’s deluge of great eats also cover Crab Factory offerings and Louisiana-style classics such as Fried Prawns Po'Boy (RM22), Fried Softshell Crabs Po'Boy (RM22) and Pulled Beef Brisket Po'Boy (RM18). The crusty baguette, submarine sandwich (traditionally packed with a choice of fried seafood, chicken or roast beef) has been given the stamp of approval from guests who hailed from that Southern state in the US.

 

Expect to land a load of crabs in this section: the Brown Crab (RM19 per 100gm) weighing in at 1.3kg (RM247) is smothered in medium spicy Jamba Jamba Sauce; the uniquely

shaped Spanner Crab (RM19 per 100gm, 1.25kg - RM 237.50) in Garlic Butter Sauce and a 1.4kg Spanner Crab (RM266) in medium spicy Signature Southern Bang Sauce. Bag Buddies (RM19 per 100gm) to boost your intake may include Button Mushroom (RM8.90) and Garlic Bread (RM8.90).

BIG ON JAPAN

Rice fiends would love Raksaksa Mirai for Japanese karē raisu (curry rice). Viable and wallet-friendly as a quick, filling lunch, plump for Tori Garlic Mayo (RM23), fried breaded chicken with curry sauce and rice (RM2.50).

Other delectable variations served are Hotate (Scallop) Eryngii Omelette (RM24) with curry sauce and Garlic Shallot Rice (2.50), and  Salmon Katsu (RM25) in Coconut Curry Sauce.                       

NOVE9 TWEAKS       

Pizzas gain fresh pizzazz at Nove9 with inventive guises, resulting in the green (spinach) base Lambogarlic (RM26) and a delightful West meets East permutation of Thai Beef Guava Salad (RM28). Purists who prefer to keep it simple will enjoy the supremely cheesy Quattro Formaggi (RM28).

SWEETS FOR MY SWEET

When it comes to Sweet Endings, succumb to a wickedly indulgent portion of Chunky Peanut Butter Granola (RM16). Lighter but no less decadent is Creme Brulee (RM16). Should you decide to share, opt for Grilled Montel Banana Parcel (RM16) for ample satisfaction minus the calorific guilt.

For reservations, call BROLLY, tel: 03-2181-4122. Address: Ground Floor, Menara Felda Platinum Park, Persiaran KLCC, Kuala Lumpur