Simplyd @ Avenue K KL - Inconsistent

My boss came up to me one morning, passed me a flyer and said, "Sharon, you have to take a look at this".

When it comes to new restaurants, I'm always the go-to person. I'm sure many of you food bloggers can relate. Like an intrigued foodie, I enjoy visiting new eateries, especially if it came highly recommended.

There I was on Friday peak lunch hour, grinning from ear-to-ear, waiting in line for a table at Simply d.

Simplyd

So is it Sim-pleed or Simply-d? Whatever.

The name is exactly what it means. Simply d is a simpler version of Delicious Cafe, serving more affordable and lighter dishes, in a much more Western-Malaysian fusion menu.

There were mass distribution of flyers for its opening - the very one that my boss passed me that morning. Usually I would briefly glanced through then toss it out, but what I really liked about Simplyd's flyer - it is also the menu. Great! Lets keep it simple guys.

The place is small no doubt, occupying barely half a shop lot, but people here don't stay long. You see, we really can't afford it - one hour lunch time and that's as long as it gets.

One thing that needs to be fixed immediately though, is the air ventilation. Be prepared to walk-out of the restaurant with a hair full of smoke. I would recommend you to leave your jackets and coats at the office. 

Being strategically located at a corner shop lot, right next to H&M and steps away from the entrance of the KLCC train station, eventually attracted hordes of white-collared people scurrying over on the very first day - including myself and my colleagues, a few days later that is.

Apparently having face palms are the in-thing nowadays.

Our food came in a jiff - just in time after the table has been cleared. Take note that things could get a little messy during lunch time however.

So, value for money, great location, prompt service but more importantly - the food. Did the food live up to the backing of Delicious Cafe's standards though?

Cesars Salad. Rm11.

My friend had to pick out all the bacon bits after finding out that it was beef bacon and gave it all to me. They could've easily stated that in the menu. Withal, the bowl of greens was good and came in a big and hearty portion.

Carbonara. Rm14.

Easily one of the better carbonara versions I've had in awhile. Don't be cheated by the orange plastic bowl!

The linguine was done al dente, the sauce not-too-creamy and not-too-savory, the turkey bacon bits gave it a tasty chew, the soft boil tea egg was prefectly oozed and the slices of cheddar added a nice twang. A little tweak - it really didn't need that much sauce. 

Grilled Chicken Sandwich. Rm12.50.

The chicken sandwich came with a chunk of grilled chicken, turkey bacon the usual salads, on a nicely toasted bread. This was delicious but on the contrary, it could have been better with some sauces. Barbecue?

Chicken Avocado & Pine Nut Wrap. Rm12.

The chicken avocado wrap was equally enjoyable. The combination had a pesto-like texture with tonnes of flavors and greens inside. I also liked the idea of serving it with tapioca chips rather than fries.

Cappuccino (Rm9.50). Latte (Rm9.50). Lemonade w Thai Mango Lychee (Rm6).

For me, the coffee prices here does not justify the quality being served. A friend ordered cappuccino and the other ordered a latte - both tasted identical. Put bluntly, perhaps a little machine-like too.

Ice Cream of the Day. Rm3.

The ice cream flavor of the day was Raspberry or Passion fruit. Both has sorbet-like textures and was all in all, a great dessert treat. However, having in a cone was a bad idea, it was leaking everywhere half way through.

Overall Rating: 7.5 6.5 /10. Simplyd is doing everything right - for now at least. Considering the similarities of ingredients being used in Delicious Cafe and here, the food here exceeds expectations for the price paid. You have to try the Carbonara. That said, coffee prices here are a little over the top and also reiterating from the above, air ventilation needs to be better. Towards the end of our meal, we walked out stinking like we've just had Korean barbecue. Talking about Korean restaurants, there's one at the same level, called A Smile of Korea MISO.

Simplyd is currently running a 30% off total bill promotion for the time being. My tab came up to about a little less than 15 bucks for a main, drink and dessert. To top that, they offer delivery services. For corporates around the area, this is an added bonus. There is another two branches - Tropicana City Mall and Nu Sentral. Simplyd, I would definitely return.

Revisited again in October: Ordered the same Carbonara that I was raving about above and it tasted drastically different and clearly not as good as before - a common case of inconsistent food. The lemonade that came with my set meal was equally disappointing and on the verge of tasting like water. Despite that, my friend did enjoyed her vegan wrap - at least someone's happy walking out the shop. 

Simplyd is located at:
Address: Concourse Level - LOT C-16A, 156, Jalan Ampang, 50450, Kuala Lumpur
Phone: 2181 7995
Email: simplydakc@delicious.com.my
Opening Hours: Daily 8am - 10pm

Corner shop lot, right next to H&M and steps away from the entrance of the KLCC train station.