Ben & Nick's Diner @ Subang Jaya

Since I left my previous company, weekday lunches with rif have become rare. Last week however, I had an assignment in Subang and he was in Glenmarie – close enough for the both of us to meet up. We initially wanted to eat at Skewers, but sadly, they don’t open for lunch anymore. We hopped over to Ben & Nick’s Diner instead.

Iced Lemon Tea (RM3.90)

Nestled at the corner of E-Tiara Service Apartments, the diner felt a bit too small for comfort. It didn’t help that the place was hot (borderline stuffy), as the air-conditioning wasn’t working at its best. The cheesy garlic bread (RM4.90) was decent but hardly rave-worthy. I would have preferred the baguette to have a softer centre; this was crusty all over.

I wanted to order the lamb shank, but decided against it as it might be too heavy for lunch. My fettuccine carbonara (RM15.90) came with beef bacon and finely shredded Parmesan. For a pork-free version, this was pretty good. The gravy had the right amount of cream and was thick enough to coat the pasta nicely.

rif’s chicken chop came with a side of mashed potato, coleslaw and homemade gravy. While the chicken was tender and well seasoned, I found this dish ordinary. For the RM14.90 price tag, portion was fairly decent.

Desserts can either make or break my day — ask rif about that. The apple crumble (RM7.90) came with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. My mum tells me all the time that microwaved food isn’t good for health and I somehow agree with her. That’s just me being paranoid. I avoid anything ‘zapped’ in the microwave. rif however, has no problem with this and even uses the microwave to boil water! I think he’s digging his own grave though. I didn’t eat the apple crumble and was pretty upset because he told me it was delicious.

The food was a reflection of the diner – simple, cosy and unpretentious. Service was attentive enough but you might have to wait a bit longer for your food if the place is packed. The kitchen looks small.