I had lunch with my college girls yesterday. We met up after one of them attended an interview nearby Sunway, so we headed off to Empire Shopping Mall for a good hearty meal. We wanted to have lunch at the The Vanilla Place but the awkward setting in the middle of the walking passage in the mall turned us off.
Our second option brought us to El Fresco Cafe, located in Jaya Grocer. It has no fancy setting, just like a cafeteria in the middle of the grocer. It serves mainly western food with a choice of pasta, pizza, panini, chicken and steak. They even have a variety of desserts such as tiramisu, flan and pannacotta. Their beverage menu is not lacking either!
There was quite a crowd too, family, housewives who are out shopping and some office employees. It's Italian based restaurant but prepared by local Malay chef, so halal it is!
Spaghetti Agio E Olio @ RM 15 |
As usual, I ordered my all time favorite type of pasta - agio e olio. The spaghetti was boiled to perfection - al dente. Tossed in a thick coating of olive oil, herbs, garlic and some chilli flakes, there was nothing much to rave about the pasta. It was decent in taste and alright in portion but RM 15, it was a tad too expensive for something so plain.
Seashall Marina Pasta @RM 17 |
This pasta was named quite long which I don't remember at all. Taste wise, it's just plain weird. Coated in thick tomato base and a rich amount of cheese tossed in between, the combination ain't right. It was also a tad bit spicy surprisingly. It wasn't a dish that we will ever order again. Enough said.
Cafe latte |
Another mate ordered the cafe latter which was surprisingly good. It was generous in terms of coffe, I'm assuming they used illy beans from the cup which had the word illy engraved on it. It was rich but at the same time, the sweetness wasn't too overpowering, enhancing the coffee taste with a balanced sweetness.
Tiramisu @ RM 7 |
My mate ordered the tiramisu to satisfy her sweet cravings, and mine as well. Haha. For RM 7, it came in a pretty little glass that looks miserable. It was nice but not great. The tiramisu was rich in mascarpone cheese, no doubt about that as you can see from the entire cup. But tiramisu isn't tiramisu without the ladyfingers. I am guessing they soaked it in too much coffee and it became way too soggy, hence ruining the structure of the tiramisu completely. But if you love the cheese more than the sponge, then this might be something you like to have.
Overall, its a decent place. No great food or maybe I have yet to try their chicken or steak with panini, I saw many people having that, perhaps that would be their specialty. Perhaps that was a better choice. I'll be back for other food during my next round to Empire, till then, I would just suggest you to drop by if you like trying new eatery!
Rating : 2.5/5
Price : RM 15 ++
-thevanillapudding-
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