馬來甘榜炒飯 Nasi Goreng Kampung @ Essence Cafe Pj Phileo Damamsara

5 July.2022 Lunch

 @ Essence Cafe Pj Phileo Damamsara (click here to Google Map)

108, Block A, Phileo Damansara 1, Jalan 16/11, Seksyen 16, 46350 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

GPS Location: 3°07'39.7"N 101°38'34.1"E 

馬來甘榜炒飯 Nasi Goreng Kampung rm$9.80 👍👍👍😋😋😋 8/10

Total bill: rm$9.80
Budget: rm$10 - rm$30++
Payment: Cash  
Cuisine: Malaysian and Western cooking 

Pork free: NO Pork, Chicken

Alcohol free: No Alcohol in menu

Air-Conditioning in Restaurant: Yes

Internet Wifi speed: N/A  

Digital Nomad Work-friendly Café: No

Electrical outlets for Digital Device: No

Free Drinking Water: Yes

Menu prices: Net 

Order & Delivery: FoodPanda

On-line Delivery Service: Not sure

Indoor Seating tables: 4 tables (4ppl/table), 3 tables (2ppl/table), 3 Sofas (2-6ppl) 

Outdoor Seating: No 

Drive Through: No

Take away : Yes

Dine-in: Yes (Breakfast, Lunch, to Dinner)

Happy Hour: N/A

Parking: Private Parking

Photos taken using: Samsung Note 8
Thoughts: 4th visit to Essence Cafe, and the 1st time here was July 6, 2019 for the same 馬來甘榜炒飯 Kampong Fried Rice, and still at the same rice of rm$9.80 after 3 years! From bread and coffee breakfast meals, to 炸蝦餅 cucur udang, 炒粿條 char koay teow, and western 意大利面 spaghettis, 漢堡 burgers and variety of 西式 western grills. 

Pj Phileo Damamsara's "Essence Cafe" is less than 100m from Phileo Damansara MRT station. The half-shop lot Café is a halal eatery offering Malaysian and Western cuisines. I think it used to only open for business from 10am but today early breakfast now starts at 8am BUT there offer the same menu as the first visit 3 years ago and at the same price. 

Today's lunch is a rm$9.80 "馬來甘榜炒飯" with the Malay style 雞蛋炒飯 fried rice with eggs, 胡蘿蔔塊 carrot cubes, 長豆 long beans, 洋蔥 onions, 鳳尾魚 anchovies, and I think some 雞塊 chicken cubes etc fried with 咸醬油 salted soya sauce and 黑胡椒 black pepper, topped with a 煎雞蛋 fried egg. On the side are 印度炸薄饼 papadam, 番茄和黃瓜片 tomato and cucumber slices plus super spicy 小青辣椒 bird's eye chili. Hot and cold beverages are available but customer also get a bottle of drinking water (FREE)!

Nasi goreng kampung is a traditional 甘榜炒飯 nasi goreng kampung (countryside-style fried rice) variety not just popular in Malaysia, but it's also popular in Singapore and Indonesia.

Food today: 8 / 10 👍👍👍😋😋😋

Price: 8 / 10 👍👍👍
Value for Money: 8 / 10 👍👍👍
Service: 8 / 10 👍👍👍
Ambiance: 6.5 / 10 👍
Parking: 3 / 10 😐😐😐 (Expensive parking)
LRT/MRT/BRT/MTR Transport:  8.5 / 10 👍👍👍 (<100m+ from Phileo LRT station) 

Website: not found
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kafeessence/
Telephone: +603-7624 1914  
Operation hours: 08:00am - 09:00pm (Monday to Friday)

馬來甘榜炒飯 Nasi Goreng Kampung rm$9.80

 

The Menu

  

The Café

@ Essence Cafe Pj Phileo Damamsara

 

印尼干牛肉炒飯 Nasi Goreng Dendeng @ Essence Cafe PJ Phileo Damansara

16.07.2020 Lunch
Day 121 MCO 行動管制領 Covid-19 Day 37 RecoveryMCO Dine-in food
@ Essence Cafe PJ Phileo Damansara (click here to Google Map)
Suite 108, Block A, Phileo Damansara 1, Seksyen 16, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
GPS Location: 3°07'39.7"N 101°38'34.1"E
印尼干牛肉炒飯 Nasi Goreng Dendeng rm$15.60 👍👍👍😋😋 7.5/10
Total bill: rm$14.35 (8% Promotion)
Budget: MYR$15 - rm$20+
Payment method: Cash, T&G Card, Credit Card
Cuisine: Western and Local/Asian
Highlights: opens early, Halal, Air-conditioning, Self-service (Order & Pay)
Parking: Private parking
Public Transport: 2 minutes from Phileo Damansara LRT station (SBK line)
Thoughts: There were 2 visits to Essence Cafe last year,
13.03.2019 ..炒粿條 Char Koay Teow rm$7 
06.03.2019 ..马来干榜炒饭 Kampong Fried Rice rm$9.80
Highly recommend the "马来干榜炒饭 Kampong Fried Rice" which is the Cafe's signature dish. For lunch, the owner recommended an Indonesian cuisine of "印尼干牛肉炒飯 Nasi Goreng Dendeng"! "Dendeng or 干牛肉" refers to thinly sliced dried meat in Indonesian cuisine, said to be originated from West Sumatra. The dry beef meat is preserved through a mixture of sugar and spices and dried via a frying process. The creation of dendeng is commonly credited to the Minangkabau people, and their earliest dendeng was made from beef (mutton and chicken dendeng are also available); in the old days, the dendeng are dried so it would be preserved for days and could be taken along with them when they traveled. It is still a popular dish in West Sumatra where it is originated and in Malaysia is especially in Negeri Sembilan where the decendants of Minangkabau people still resides.
The dish offered at Essence Cafe comes with the Dendeng in a steamy hot claypot, with rice and on the side are salted egg, some vegetables and keropok; very satisfying! The set comes with hot or cold tea, at rm$15.60 or discount of 8% if paid through the QR code. The menu ordering can be self-service via QR code on each table which goes with 8% discount for all their Main dishes, and payment can be maid via T&G card. 
Essence Cafe takes up half a shop lot (in front), from the entrance it is one narrow row of tables while further inside at the back are maybe more comfortable seating area. Prices of food are from rm$7 - rm$33++ with 31 items ranging from Western to Local/Asian cuisines, with all-day breakfast as well.
Food today: 7.5 / 10 👍👍👍😋😋
Service: 7 / 10 👍👍
Price: 6 / 10 👍😋
Value for Money: 6.5 / 10 👍👍😋
Ambiance: 6.5 / 10 👍👍
Parking: 4 / 10 😐😐
Public Transport: 7 / 10 👍👍
Telephone: +603-7931 9881
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KafeEssence/
Operating hours: 10:30am - 06:00pm

印尼干牛肉炒飯 Nasi Goreng Dendeng rm$15.60

The Menu

The Cafe

Ordering via QR code (8% Discount on Main Menu items)

@ Essence Cafe PJ Phileo Damansara

 

炒粿條 Char Koay Teow @ Essence Cafe at PJ Phileo Damansara 1

13.03.2019 Lunch
@ Essence Cafe at PJ Phileo Damansara 1 (click here to Google Map)
108, Block A, Phileo Damansara 1, Jalan 16/11, Seksyen 16, 46350 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
GPS Location: 3°07'39.7"N 101°38'34.0"E
炒粿條 Char Koay Teow rm$7 🤔🤔 5/10
Budget: MYR$10-rm$20
Cuisine: Local & Western
Highlights: Air-Conditioned, Pork free, free Water, Wifi
Parking: Private Parking
Thoughts: Sampled the "马来干榜炒饭 Kampong Fried Rice" on March 6th 2019, nice! But the 炒粿條 Char Koay Teow was very very very spicy (not the restaurant fault but stated on the menu), but its really too spicy for me and too oily as well. Definitely not for me. The plate also came with 2 prawns (unplucked), so the shells all over the plate! 
But with 33 dishes to choose from for lunch, I can be here for some other items in the menu (except the Char Koay Teow)! 
Rating: 5 / 10 🤔🤔
Telephone: +603-7931 9881
Operating hours: 11:00am - 09:00pm (Mon-Fri)
Operating hours: 11:00am - 04:00pm (Sat)

炒粿條 Char Koay Teow rm$7

The Menu

The Interior

@ Essence Cafe at PJ Phileo Damansara 1