PUCHONG, Oct 24 — Few things inspire a more incredulous mixture of scoffing and disbelief in certain segments of our urban population — my fellow PJ residents included — than suggesting a jaunt out to Puchong in search of good, for lack of a better word, “Western” food.
“What? Puchong? No way!” is a common response, and even the more diplomatic approaches try to string together as many excuses as possible.
Traffic, parking and distance are often cited as concerns; however, these might as well apply to any town in the Klang Valley.
Let’s be honest with ourselves.
Beneath it all, there’s an underlying assumption, a barely concealed sneer that tacitly dismisses Puchong and all the ‘Western’ restaurants in it.
I’ll admit, I’ve been guilty of this exact line of thinking.
But I recently found myself confronting those preconceptions when faced with a plate of rolled and roasted pork belly that was, frankly, awesome.
It wasn’t exactly porchetta, but the interior of the fatty, tender meat carried a deeply savoury underbelly of rosemary, fennel and garlic, sweetened by a touch of golden sultanas.
It’s no wonder the raisin pork roulade (RM32) is a signature at Bistro Monologue, a cafe-restaurant in Bandar Bukit Puchong.
Bistro Monologue has been around for six years, serving pastries, cakes and coffee as well as a comforting brand of “Western” cooking.
Think chicken chop, bangers and mash, burgers and pasta.
On most weekends, the stage at the back of the restaurant comes alive with “live” music, featuring jazz, Cantopop, classic rock and the occasional open mic jam.
The space wears its love for music on its sleeve, from the soundproofed ceiling to the posters lining the walls, featuring blues greats like Howlin’ Wolf and jazz icons like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.
Even on a night without any performance lined up, the restaurant filled up nicely with young families.
Most ordered the roulade, which comes with smooth but slightly gummy mashed potatoes best eaten with the bowl of gravy on the side.
The same goes for the bangers and mash (RM25.90), which arrives with two Italian herbed sausages and what at first looks like far too much gravy, though it soon proves to be just enough.
The gravy itself is a thin, savoury affair.
It lacks the rich, silky character of more luxurious butter-mounted sauces, a difference reflected clearly in the price.
But what the food may lack in finesse, it more than makes up for in flavour.
The meatball bolognese (RM24.90 for pork) is no rustic nonna’s ragù alla bolognese; there’s spaghetti instead of fresh tagliatelle, the meat sauce is aggressively tomatoey, and the dusting of crumbly Parmesan snow is a far cry from freshly grated.
Yet it’s thoroughly enjoyable, with five pork meatballs heavily seasoned with herbs and plenty of fat.
And why can’t it be?
Spaghetti bolognese or bangers and mash aren’t exactly high-concept cooking, yet we instinctively assume an elevated treatment would make them better.
Even the classic tiramisu (RM19.90) is rich, creamy and well-soaked with coffee, though the mascarpone is a little denser than I’d like, more like a light cheesecake than true tiramisu.
There’s no reason this sort of food can’t be made to a price point and still be done well, and Bistro Monologue proves exactly that.
Bistro Monologue
16, Jalan BP 7/11,
Bandar Bukit Puchong, Puchong.
Open daily, 9am-9.30pm. Open till 11.55pm Wednesday to Saturday, and 10pm on Sunday.
Tel: 019-352 9980
Facebook: Bistro Monologue
Instagram: @bistromonologue
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
* Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and self-deprecating attempts at humour.
