Antipodean Cafe, Bangsar
1 Oct 2011
It is said that if you stand and wait in Piccadilly Circus in London for seven minutes you are bound to meet someone that you know. The same can be said of Antipodean in Bangsar is, in my experience.
Its popularity is incredible. In a handful of weeks, Antipodean had grabbed brunchers and lunchers from next-door La Bodega, where many of the tables that used to throng on a weekend morning, now sit empty. Yet, in recent times, La Bodega has seen a mini-revival. Business at Antipodean remains busy, in fact busier than ever, and La Bodega is beginning to take the overspill of people unable to get a table at the new place in town.
Antipodean deserves every bit of its enormous success and popularity. As an Australian, I am used to suburban restaurants where the food is hearty, flavoursome, arrives quickly to your table and served with a smile. Our brunch culture seems to only really exist in Australia. Or at least, it did … until now.
My Australian friends all talk with excited pride about an outlet like Antipodean opening here. But it isn’t only Aussies that are enjoying it. Or expatriates (although a significant part of the audience are certainly international in origin). Indeed, such is the universality of its appeal, that the chances are you are reading this thinking “Oh, yes, Antipodean. We ate there last week.” What I can guarantee you will also be thinking after that first thought is “…it was excellent.”
The breakfast is a great way to introduce yourself to the fare. The Big Breakfast is generous and consistently good, with homemade beef, pork or chicken sausages and fresh ingredients used throughout. The bacon deserves special mention as it is the piece de la resistance in this majestic day-starter.
The lunch menu also merits close investigation. The array of burgers and salads and light meals are better than pretty much anywhere in town and that’s not a claim I make lightly. I haven’t worked my way through all of them yet but all the ones I have tried have been satisfying and further reinforce my opinion that when you discover a place like Antipodean it makes you wonder why no other restaurant in Malaysia has, A, tried this concept before; and B, attempted to mimic it.
On point B I suspect it will only be a matter of time, but until then, Antipodean reigns supreme and is one of the most exciting food openings of 2011. I recommend going at your earliest convenience … just book ahead.
Details
Address: 20 Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur
Telephone: 03 22820411
Website: http://www.antipodeancoffee.com/