Review: SOULed OUT, Bangsar South

I wasn't aware that SOULed OUT gave birth to its 3rd baby at Bangsar South recently until I received the invitation to the review :D It has been ages since I last dined at SOULed OUT at Hartamas as I it's somewhat out of the way since my mum's office moved to Paramount Garden in PJ.

This franchise of SOULed OUT started its business mid of this year. As it's a franchise, approximately 70% of the menu items are the same as per the Desa Sri Hartamas outlet.

SOULed OUT Bangsar South

Located at Nexus Bangsar South, this place is surely a 'happening' one. I haven't been to this area for ages! Much has changed. I feel like some hermit that just came out of my shell...hahaha...*I love staying home & cooking my own meals where possible*

Since I was sorta early & there's a traffic light right outside Nexus, I managed to wind down my window to snap 2 shots of the restaurant from afar/inside the car :P

This outlet of SOULed OUT has a slightly different look & feel, yet maintaining the very 'soul' of the brand name. It's certainly more spacious, more casual/relaxed & more contemporary as well. It claims to be "As Good As A Hug", so sit back & enjoy the good food, music, drinks & friendly service :)

Loads of tables/chairs & the bar is well 'stocked'

As I was the 'earliest' to arrive (to my greatest surprise since I drove from Cyberjaya office!), I had much 'free time' to walk around & snap photos of the place ;)

Keke..."Media People"...kelakarnya...

Love the wall of scribbles & photos!

Some of their latest promotions

The "B.M.W." promotion is really worth having: RM10.00/glass of beer/mojito/wine from 3-7pm (usual price is RM28.00/glass)!

"Directory"/Menu

Extensive variety of cuisines, Asian & Western :D

Media Review Menu
For this review, we had a selection of their best-sellers & favorites. Ah, brings back memories from my 1st review at Souled Out Hartamas!

Each of us had at least one of their mojitos. I had the Lychee Mojito & I enjoyed it!

Lychee Mojito (RM28.00/glass)
A fragrant blend of rum, lychee liqueur, lychee, mint leaves and lime
I haven't had alcohol for a very long time & since I was early that evening, I ceased the opportunity for the B.M.W. promotion for the RM10.00 mojito. It's a slightly smaller glass compared to the usual price per serving, but not that huge a difference compared to the price difference ;) I enjoyed the refreshing & fruity lychee mojito! *yums*

Lychee Mojito, Mango Mojito & Asam Boi Mojito (RM28.00/glass) 
Mango: The perfume of fresh mango and mango syrup diffuses into this mix
of rum, mint leaves and lime
Asam Boi: A Malaysian twist with the addition of asam boi syrup to rum,
mint syrup, mint leaves and lime

Classic Mojito & Lychee Mojito (RM28.00/glass)
Classic: A sublime mix of rum, lime and mint leave (RM19.00/glass during happy hours)

Classic Margarita (RM26.00/glass)
The classic balance of tequila, triple sec and fresh lime juice

 

Lychee Martini (RM28.00/glass)
Vodka, lychee liqueur, lychee fruit, fresh lime juice, a mingling of flavours
that showcases the floral aroma of lychees

 

Appetizer: Summertime Salad (RM23.00/serving)

Grilled seafood, orange segments, alfalfa sprouts drizzled with home made vinaigrette

This was my favorite appetizer! I love the smokiness from the grilled seafood, coupled with the juicy bits of fresh oranges & tangy vinaigrette *lip-smacking*

Appetizer: Deep Fried Calamari (RM23.00/serving)

Crispy and crunchy squid rings in a secret batter recipe

My next favorite for the night were these deep fried calamari! Who can resist crispy, fried squid rings? :D The flavor was just nice, but I found it a tad oily. Otherwise, it was perfect (if the batter was dry & crispy)! The squids' texture were slightly chewy yet tender...oolala...

Appetizer: Mango Prawn Salad (RM23.00/serving)

Succulent prawns, plump mangoes,avocado slices, in a zesty dressing

I'm not a great fan of prawns lately...no idea why. I think the episode of fresh/raw prawns at a Japanese restaurant in Singapore gave me a fright that scarred my life :P I blew up in some allergic reaction almost instantly after popping that prawn into my mouth! Nevertheless, I enjoy the sweetness of the mangoes & the silky-smooth avocados. I just found the dressing slightly too sweet for my liking. A little bit more of zest would do the trick to balance the flavors ;)

Appetizer: Cheese Nachos (RM20.00/serving)

Layers of crispy corn chips, baked with cheese, jalapeno peppers and Mexican salsa

I think this simple dish could be further improved. The texture of the nachos were somehow 'off'. It wasn't light & crispy as I wished it to be. The load of cheese was nice, but I would prefer more salsa & sour cream to accompany the load of cheesy nachos.

Appetizer: Beef & Chicken Satay 12s (RM18.00/serving)

Choice of beef / chicken / mixed, accompanied by condiments with delicious peanut gravy

I guess I'm a die-hard fan of street/road-side stalls & satays are probably best served by the road-side stalls' uncles. I found the portion of satay served to us that evening slightly dry & over-cooked. A bit more fat & shorter cooking time may do the trick.

For the mains, I shall provide my review according to my personal preference, just to share my humble opinion & feedback with all of you :D

 

Mains: Soft Shell Crab Pasta (RM25.00/serving)

East meets West with the inclusion of curry leaves and chilli flakes

This was no doubt the champion although it wasn't listed as the best-seller on the menu. I LOVED the crispy soft shell crab with the slightly "fired up" (spicy) creamy sauce. The fragrance of the curry leaves sure balances & ties the whole dish together. It reminded me of the time I cooked the same style of pasta (without the soft shell crab) in Kuantan a month ago. *yums*

Mains: Duck & Sundried Tomato Pasta (RM26.00/serving)
Strips of cured duck breast sauteed with sundried tomatoes make for a flavourful meal
I can somewhat conclude that the "pasta chefs" at SOULed OUT Bangsar South are "on-target" for their pasta dishes! This is yet another amazing pasta dish! I'm now inspired to 'copy' this at home...hehe..what's not to love when there's aromatic duck, sundried tomatoes & some fresh rockets?

Mains: Mutton Varuval (RM27.00/serving)

Tender mutton cubes cooked in spices

I love, love, love mutton *bleats*. The mutton varuval here were tender, juicy & perfectly marinated with spices. The mint sauce complimented the mutton pieces oh-so-well!

Mains: Butter Chicken (RM24.00/serving)

Boneless chicken cooked in a creamy, tangy butter sauce

Butter chicken is one of my favorite Northern Indian dishes & it's just amazing to find SOULed OUT Bangsar South's kitchen team doing SO well with their butter chicken dish! Smooth, silky, creamy & well-spiced gravy with tender chicken breasts...wah, SUPER DUPER NICE!

Mains: Pad Thai (RM16.00/serving)

Rice noodles tossed with prawns, squid, beansprouts, coriander, groundnuts and SOULed OUT's pad thai sauce

I'm not a huge fan of pad thai, but I have to admit that this was good! With sufficient "wok hei" & groundnuts, this dish is a winner!

Mains: Pan Seared Grouper (RM29.00/serving)

Grilled grouper fish fillet over mixed Cajun pasta, topped with roasted sliced cherry tomato, zucchini ribbons and pepper

I was actually recommended this dish by one of the waiters, but I felt that this wasn't the best main dish for the evening. I didn't find it very spectacular in taste & texture as the grouper was slightly over-cooked that it has lost its moisture :( I like eating fish, but I'm VERY particular with how it's cooked. This one was slightly disappointing.

Mains: Lamb Shank (RM39.00/serving)

Slow cooked to perfection. Surrounded by home made garlic mashed potatoes and chunky vegetables

This was one HUGE lamb shank! It's certainly not for 1 person. In fact, it could feed 2-3 persons + a dog will love to have the remains/bones as well! :D I loved the garlic mashed potatoes, but the lamb, which was supposed to be the star of the dish didn't shine. Chef didn't cook it long enough :( Good lamb shank is supposed to fall of the bones instead of us having to "saw"/cut through the meat. This was slightly too dry for my liking as well. Give me a more juicy lamb shank with gravy + garlic bread!

I was totally stuffed by the time we completed the appetizers & mains that having dessert was almost like a force-feeding for me. I could die happy, I think. Food coma.

Dessert: Lava Cake (RM15.00/serving)

Warm, moist chocolate cake in praline sauce and cashew nuts, topped with Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream

This was my favorite dessert for the evening although there wasn't much of a lava since the cool ice-cream caused the chocolate inside to harden...hahaha. But who doesn't like chocolate? Chocolate + vanilla ice-cream + strawberries are the perfect combination!

Cola Float with Haagan Dazs Ice-Cream (RM16.00/glass)

VERY different from what you'll get elsewhere. It's SO good to have the all-time-favorite Coca Cola with Haagan Dazs ice-cream (choice of vanilla/ chocolate/ strawberry/ rum & raisin flavor)!

Dessert: Tropical Pavlova (RM12.00/serving)

A meringue that’s crispy on the bite, chewy on the inside with a coconut cream filling and tropical fruit garnish

I didn't get to try this, but it looks SO pretty. Thumbs up for presentation!

Dessert: Gula Melaka Jackfruit Cheesecake (RM12.00/serving)

A deliciously exotic combination, light, fluffy and melts in your mouth

This was my least favorite, actually. It was WAY too sweet that it started to feel cloying. The texture of the cheesecake was slightly too dry that it was crumbly (to me, cheesecakes are supposed to be soft yet firm) & the gula Melaka, although gave it a different level of fragrance, caused the dessert to be soggy. The jackfruit didn't feel like part of the dish to me. It was like an "Oh hello...welcome to join the party...?" *confused* I told Fanny that this dessert could probably taste nicer if the gula Melaka was made into a light, crunchy brittle, sprinkled on top of the soft cheesecake....mmm....it would have been better, eh?

To end the night on a happier tone, we were "highly entertained" with the "performance" of the Rainbow Shooters! It's a pretty intriguing performance :D Chemistry, my favorite! What caused the change of colors in the cocktail? *wonders*

Rainbow Shooters 6s (RM90.00/serving)

Grenadine syrup, mango juice, orange juice, vodka, blue curacao, pretty yet potent

Check it out...pour some sort of alcohol into the glass...

As he poured out, different colors came about! *eyes sparkled in delight*

The girls got to enjoy the shooters!
I had the yellow one! Felt like something pineapple & mango to me...hahaha...alcohol overload for PerutBesi this evening...*gulp*

SOULed OUT Bangsar South is indeed a great place for a good meal, drinks & chit-chat. It's spacious enough that you won't find yourself having to shout to have a conversation amidst the moderately loud music & hey, if you're there during "happy hours", your drinks will be cheaper as well! *lol*

Map to SOULed OUT Bangsar South

View Souledout Bangsar South in a larger map

SOULed OUT, Bangsar South
Nexus Bangsar South
7 Jalan Kerinchi
59200 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia.
Tel: (+603) 2242 3308/ (+6013) 613 1663
Business hours: Noon - closing daily (past midnight)
URL: http://www.soulsociety.com.my/sobs/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/souledoutbangsarsouth
Email: burp@souledout.com.my


As good as a hug *ahhh...*,