Food Review – Albion

Over the years, food guru The Naked Chef aka Jamie Oliver and kitchen goddess Nigella Lawson have slowly but surely changed the face of British food and even the style in which it is prepared. With Jamie’s very raw and down to earth presentation style and Nigella’s food porn, their ‘advertisement’ of British cooking has helped garner interest in British food right down to our doorsteps.

Albion KL (Albion is one of the oldest names of Britain) was nominated and beat off competition from many F&B powerhouses to win the Time Out KL best independent restaurant 2010 award at the Time Out KL Food Awards 2010. This came as a surprise to many as the restaurant has been open for less than a year.

Eager to discover why they won I caught up with the owners James Grierson and Colin Yap at the awards and they graciously agreed to host celebrity food blogger Bangsar Babe aka Sue Lynn and myself to lunch on a Sunday afternoon.

156120_151073751605767_123911204322022_232133_1178920_n — The owners described Albion as a modern British restaurant and bar which has a bistro ambience

156097_151073368272472_123911204322022_232126_4519387_n — Our expectations were high...

156670_151073681605774_123911204322022_232132_1470058_n — Cosy and classy dining area on the ground floor

75188_151073558272453_123911204322022_232130_5780704_n — Chic bar on the first floor

148476_151072928272516_123911204322022_232116_6309919_n — Gently toasted buns served with butter and a sun-dried tomato dip to start with

149890_151073041605838_123911204322022_232118_7264641_n — Fuller's London Porter - RM26 - a nice drink on a hot afternoon!

155990_151073091605833_123911204322022_232119_4456148_n — Twice Baked Goat's Cheese Souffle - RM18 - the starter to our meal, this was a very interesting dish. I know not many people like goat's cheese but neither the goat's cheese flavour or smell were overwhelming. Goes well with the alfalfa (which I don't normally eat) which provides a crunchy texture, and the sauce which provides some sweetness to balance out the savoury flavours.

76708_151073228272486_123911204322022_232123_2915112_n — Sunday Roast - RM39. By the time we got to Albion there were only 3 servings left so we quickly ordered one. This is the main reason we choose a Sunday afternoon so to miss this would be unforgivable! Three generous slices of roast beef with fluffy Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes and veges on the side. All drenched in a delicious sauce made of beef drippings, proper stock and "lots of red wine". I really really liked this one!

148373_151073141605828_123911204322022_232121_6375195_n — Steak and Guinness Pudding - RM38

150081_151073268272482_123911204322022_232124_8381959_n — We initially wanted to order the Pork Belly but due to its popularity was already sold out so we settled for the Steak and Guinness Pudding. The beef was tender while the outer 'crust' really soaks up the sauce so order some extra sauce to go with this. I'm not a big vege fan but Sue Lynn commented that the veges were done just right and were still crunchy and sweet. Erm ok...whatever rocks your boat.

76941_151073311605811_123911204322022_232125_4010332_n — Iced Cranachan Parfait - RM18 - a traditional Scottish dessert made of oats and whisky (yes whisky!) topped with berry sorbet. It had me at whisky making me an instant fan. Yes you can actually taste the whisky in this dessert. I will come back for more!

76603_151072831605859_123911204322022_232114_5304477_n — Thanks for being good hosts James and Colin.

Must tries at Albion are their Sunday Roast, Roast Pork Belly, Eggs Benedict, Egg Royale, Ballotine of Chicken. The English muffins, breads and Yorkshire puddings are all make in-house and served fresh to your table.

Colin the head chef was trained in hotel and kitchen management and has been in the F&B industry for 20 years of which many were spent in guild halls and hotels in London. However he realised that many people have the misconception that British food is very bland and tasteless. With that in mind, he combines quality ingredients with good presentation and tweaked the recipes slightly to suite the Asian palate which is accustomed to stronger flavours to become what he and James call ‘modern British dining’ at Albion KL.

If you’re looking for something special on a Sunday afternoon then I fully recommend Albion. It’s a tiny piece of Britain in the heart of KL. The prices are slightly on the steep side but the quality of the food is unmistakable! It’s definitely no wonder that Albion won the Time Out KL award.

Albion is located at

31, Jalan Berangan (next to Bakita and behind Werners),

Changkat Bukit Bintang,

50200, Kuala Lumpur.

For more info or reservations can call 03-2141 9282

Find Albion on Facebook here.

http://www.albionkl.com/