O So Green

The frontage of Organic Goes Chic.

12 April 2011 – I was preparing for lunch at American Chilli’s at Empire Shopping Gallery, when I decided I should not be spending so much on eating out. The best way to cull cost was to go local, and I just happened to pass Organic Goes Chic. I liked the simplicity of the menu, so in we popped. 

It’s not too fancy a place, but effort was made in terms of ID. I liked the rolled up magazines on the shelf above the dining booths. 

While I did not like the fact that calling it ‘filtered water’ gave the joint cause to sell water at RM1, I was glad that they even had water. It is appalling how most places are starting to simply refuse to serve H20 as a service!

Seaweed Salad Roll.

I ordered the Seaweed Salad Roll (RM8.90) and Inari Mango Salad (RM5.90) as appetizers. I really liked the first one. It was so fresh and crisp and clean, and you know it was made to order because the seaweed was still crunchy and brittle. Kit said the red cabbage, carrot, cucumber, iceberg lettuce and vegetarian flakes combination was just bland, but I found it very light and ‘real’, with a whole new dimension added with the dipping sauce. I have no idea what it was, but it was great, and I can understand why someone would order an extra bowl of it for 50 sen. 

Inari Mango Salad.

The Inari Mango Salad was sharp and tangy in contrast to the Seaweed Roll. There were three Inari (Japanese sweet pressed beancurd skins) pockets filled with mango, carrot and red chilli, served cold. There was a nice amount of heat from the chillies, but nothing overwhelming, and a lot of lime, which made me think of Knorr’s lime powder. Still, there still was a tangible flavour balance, with the sweet from the Inari complementing the sour of the lime and the spiciness from the chillies evening it all out. The red and green coral lettuce was also gobbled up. After all, it’s supposed to be organic!

Petai Fried Rice.

Kit said the Petai Fried Rice with brown rice was just right for him. The RM12.90 dish was served with four belinjau crackers, some naked (meaning undressed) coleslaw, and a halve of lime. The lime is key to pulling this dish together. I tasted it without and it was so-so, but the acidity made the chilli less obvious and made the nuttiness of the brown rice come through better. 

Lasagna With Bread.

The Lasagne With Bread (RM10.90) was just ill-named, Kit proclaimed, but we both agreed it was very good. There were no pasta layers, but the base was wrapped in popiah-like skin. There was just a dollop of cheese on top, and the rest look gunky and congealed, but was actually a good re-invention of meat and tomato sauce using mushrooms and vegetarian mock meat or gluten. It looks like a small portion, but it is very filling, and it can get a little sickening after too much of it. The slightly sweet toasted bread slices help balance the richness a bit. 

The restaurant prides itself on using tableware and kitchen cutting boards made out of natural rice fibre. They also say their cutlery is organic, but it looks like stainless steel to me.

I was not sure if it was a fully vegan restaurant, because I did see mention of fish on the menu, but after checking the menu and the cutesy nutrition information label which proclaimed 0 artificial colour, flavouring, preservatives and MSG, and 100% vegetables, I figured it was indeed vegetarian. The server confirmed it. I think it is a great way not to put people off vegetarian cuisine. 

This has been one of the most satisfying vegetarian and organic meals I have had in a long while. I have no doubt that I’ll be back. Even if I do have to pay for water.