A Better Plan B

Great ID is always one of The Big Group's strong points.

After three bad food experiences in a row at Plan B, Paradigm Mall, and a so-so experience at Hit & Mrs, I was a bit loathe to add to the coffers of The Big Group. All credit to foodie founder Benjamin Yong, but I'd rather buy my own produce and cook at home if the soft shelled crab in my Thai salad comes out feeling as if it went through an Ayurvedic oil bath, or the quinoa is fried so hard that it puts me at risk of losing a veneer.

Deli counters... delish!

Wood and galvanised iron: nice.

Still, Ben's General Food Store was the choice of my editor at HungryGoWhere Malaysia. So I acquiesced, but ordered only a Gorgeous Geisha tea (RM8) and left the ordering to the Ed. She took my recommendation for the Mexicana eggs (RM22)  over the Americana and also ordered the Banana Chocolate Mascapone french toast to share.

A cup of tea and thou... Gorgeous Geisha served with honey.

The tea was good, I liked the mix of botanicals, though I would have preferred it served in a pot. I did not use the honey, but it was a decent one, and there was quite a lot of it for just one cup of liquid.

Mexicana eggs: very South of the Border.

The eggs were surprisingly good. I'm a sucker for jalapeno and guacamole, so the pairing was a good one for me. The richness of the avocado complemented the runny yellow yolks, while the bite of the jalapenos and crunch of the red peppers (capsicum) gave the rich mouthful some balancing notes of heaty sour and sweetness. The accompanying bread was a tad too light to be golden, but the slices were thick and crisped just right, making it a good marriage of textures.

Carb decadence! Banana chocolate French toast.

There was nothing traditionally French Toasty about the banana chocolate and mascapone french toast. There was very little evidence of the humble bread slices dipped in egg wash, and thank goodness for that. This version is the grown-up's kind of toastie; a thick slice of brioche crisped to airy lightness at the crust, but still deep and moist on the inside. Sliced bananas are heaped on a dollop of creamy cheese and drizzled with a lovely chocolate syrup. It's a gut buster for sure, but so, so sweet and comforting. The tea made it perfect, with the fattiness of the chocolate bringing out the sharp red berries of the tea.

Comparing breakfast to breakfast, Ben's General serves up better fare to Plan B. Even if the items vary, the standard of preparation is better here, and I have a feeling so is the consistency.

With one latte and one coffee milkshake, the bill came up to RM71 before tax.

Ben's General Food Store
G17-G18 Ground Floor
Bangsar Village 1
1 Jalan Telawi Satu
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur