Ben's Bangsar Shopping Centre — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

Ben's at Bangsar Shopping Centre has all the makings of a great dining experience: a cosy atmosphere, friendly staff, and a menu that promises a fusion of East-meets-West delights. We arrived to find a restaurant quieter than a library on a Thursday night, but with a warm and welcoming ambience that made us feel at home. With more staff than customers, the service was prompt and attentive, making us feel important on a slow day.

The menu reads like a culinary adventure, but the journey is a bit of a bumpy ride. We started with the potato wedges, which were crispy and well-cooked—definitely a high point. The accompanying sauces were a nice touch, making this starter a solid win.

The fish and "chops" (read: chips) that followed were disappointingly average. The fish seemed to have taken a detour through the frozen food section, and the fries were thin and lifeless. If Ben wants to do fish and chips justice, he needs to go big with chunky chips and freshly battered fish. The tartar sauce and coleslaw, however, were tasty and well-prepared, providing a glimmer of hope in an otherwise bland dish.

The confit duck was a real letdown. The portion was scant, and the pasta had clearly been cooked hours in advance, left to wallow in oil before being reheated. It was as lifeless as a deflated balloon, lacking flavour and texture.

The drinks were another disappointment, lacking the sweetness and punch I was looking forward to. As for the "sticky toffee pudding," it was more of a dry sponge with toffee sauce, missing the rich, moist indulgence that makes this dessert a favourite.

This was my second visit to one of the restaurants within the Ben's restaurant chain, and while I'm not sure who Ben is, he might need to spend a little more time in the kitchen or spend some time tasting his own food, and making some changes. The overall experience was average at best, with the potential for greatness overshadowed by mediocre execution. It’s puzzling how such simple dishes can be made so forgettable. A real shame.

Date of...

Went to Ben's at BSC today. When we about to sit at our usual table outside, were told the section was closed. I asked one of the staff since there's no sign "Section Close' and the main door to the outside tables was widely opened. The answer given was rather dissapopinted......" We don't have enough staff, so the section is closed".

First - If the section is close, kindly put "Section Close" . If Mc D or KFC can do, I don't see any reason why Ben's can't.

Second - Just close the main doors to the closed section. Rather than running to your customer and insult him or her by saying "we don't have enough staff" when we about to sit.

Third - When asking about the feedback form so I can lodge a formal complain, the staff then told me that I can sit at my usual table outside if I wish to do so. I thought the section is closed?

Fourth - After I refuse and insist on lodging the report, the staff came with one blank A4 size paper.

Fifth - If any restaurant doesn't have enoght staff, it has nothing to do with the customer. Same goes to the menu.....ie - "We don't have it today as we don't have the ingeredient" ( just for example ).

Ben's is one of my family's favourite restaurant. Now I must say, it is 'used to be' my family's favourite...

As usual this kind of boutique cafes has a lovely ambience and nice set up. The staffs is attentive and nice. But my main purpose is for the food, for a clean dining and smoking free area. Instead i can smell smokes from cigarettes, means someone is smoking. Put that aside i am hungry and wanna give it a try. I was craving for a chicken chop that fine evening with a trust that Ben’s will deliver the best, along with what will my kids order. Well I was very disappointed with it. Instead of having in mind the mushroom or brown sauce with my chicken chop it came smothered with a tomato sauce kind of gravy. I gave it a taste and true enough it taste just like the tomato ketchup from the bottle. Sweet and sour and thick blanketing my whole chop. The price is not cheap either for such a dish coming from a supposedly reputable ‘Ben’s’ restaurant /cafes? Hope you change your recipe for the chicken chop or don’t bother to jot it down in your menu. Also please put the soft shell crab in scramble egg, as what the menu stated for your soft shell rice menu. We can’t even see any crab 🦀 in it or even taste...