Look up Nosh in the dictionary and you’ll find this:

Noun: Food
Verb: Eat food enthusiastically or greedily.
Synonym: Food – chow – grub

The above best describes me, a terrific nosh-er. :D

The brainchild of Ann Lee and Judith Sakata, NOSH is the newest outlet to open along Telawi 3 in Bangsar, and it already boasts a steady clientele.

I liked the look and feel of NOSH. It was brightly lit and airy, and the interior was simple yet tasteful. Straightforward, just the way I like it to be. I’ve never been a fine-dining-eight-types-of-cutlery girl to begin with.

The Feta Tomato Salad (RM23) was uncomplicated. This simple assemblage of rocket leaves, fresh roma tomatoes, celery and feta cheese with balsamic dressing hit all the right notes. Crisp, light and summer-like, I felt my senses awaken with every bite.

Some people cringe at the thought of spinach soup, but I somewhat enjoy it. NOSH’s soup of the week (RM16) was the cream of spinach with a twist. Dig into the soup and you will find a few pieces of fried beef tortellini.

The tortellini contained a filling of braised beef cheek, while the soup had bits of crushed roasted peanuts for crunch and aroma. I know my mum will approve. Maybe not the tortellini, but I’ll happily eat that for her.

rif and I were really into the Pollo Nel Curry (RM22), or simply called chicken curry pasta. This clever fusion of Asian and Italian flavours boasted homemade strozzapreti (pasta strands), cooked with carrots, potatoes and curry chicken pieces.

I liked that the pasta was cooked al dente, so it still had a good bite. rif said this tasted like a spicy curry-carbonara. Genius combo!

I got to sample the grilled salmon roulade and pistachio encrusted rack of lamb in mole sauce, two main courses from NOSH’s soon to be available Christmas Menu (available from 15 – 26 December, from RM80++ onwards). Both were delicious; I couldn’t decide which I enjoyed better.

The salmon roulade (RM80 – The Classic Christmas set) was filled with cream cheese and cooked in a light infusion of earl grey tea. Presentation was lovely – this was almost too pretty to eat.

The salmon was justly cooked, and the centre was moist and well flavoured. I also enjoyed the basil pesto potato mash; fluffy and aromatic from the herbs.

My first experience with mole sauce was also my last experience. That was six years ago at a restaurant in Damansara Heights. But get it right like NOSH, and you’ll have a repeat customer in me. The lamb rack (RM110 – The Fab Christmas set) was beautifully tender, while the spicy chocolate-y sauce paired well with the meat.

I especially liked the pistachio crust, which gave the dish a nice, contrasting texture. The roasted loaded potato is rave worthy. Mashed with a generous amount bacon, cream and cheese, it was comfort food that screams a perfect Christmas.

For desserts, the Crème Caramel (RM13) was as decadent as it looked. I rarely come across crème caramels done right, but this was so good.

There was a good amount of vanilla bean in the caramel, which was topped with a brandy crunch, tangy fruits and cream for balance. Not too sweet, with a tart finish.

The Strawberry Jubilee (RM22) was a pretty composition of strawberry compote, fresh berries, vanilla ice cream and a zest of kirsch. This tangy-sweet combo sat well with rif, who happily lapped up more than his fair share. I only realised this by the time I finished my crème caramel.

But the show stealer was definitely the Valrhona Heaven, a steal at RM32. A masterpiece of molten chocolate cake, tart au chocolat and divine chocolate ice cream with chocolate crumble.

The molten chocolate cake was of just the perfect runniness in the middle, while the chocolate tart was dark and sexy. Seriously, if I had to seduce a man, I’d feed him the tart. With Cristal.

The chocolate ice cream was creamy, adequately rich and not too sweet. Simple, compared to the other two, but good in its own way.

On a whole, I was really impressed with the food at NOSH. Mainly because it was simple food, done well. I call it hearty, comfort food with a twist. I’m already planning my next visit for brunch!

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Ambiance: 7/10
Price: 6.5/10
Food: 7.5/10 (pork free)
Verdict: Good, hearty food served with a twist. Prices are also fairly reasonable.

NOSH
No. 7 Jalan Telawi 3,
Bangsar Baru,
59100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2201 3548
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://nosh.my/