Cafe ETC — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

first off, i want to say that five stars is an EXTREME understatement for this wonderful cafe. i came here for valentine’s day at about 5pm. the cafe is located very near to the pasar seni station, just less than 3 mins walk. there’s no parking space as it is roadside, so i advise take lrt or mrt to come here. upon entering, me and my partner were greeted and guided to a table. my partner ordered the supreme lamb burger with a lemonade and i ordered the smoked duck aglio olio with a lychee mojito. it’s halal, non alcoholic and no pork sold here. the smoked duck had me tearing up. the juiciest, flavorful, small chunks of duck was cooked to absolute perfection. the pasta itself without the duck isn’t too oily and had a lot of flavor on its own. the lamb burger was a big portion and damn good. the meat wasn’t dry, very juicy, well seasoned. came with a side of curly fries that would put fast food establishments in tears. it was the perfectly crispy and seasoned fries that were still soft inside so it wasn’t too crunchy. the cafe’s ambience itself was very nice and relaxing. the decor was kinda half-done which gave a very cool vibe. nice to take pics also. they played a lot of shiloh dynasty and korean rnb. staff were nice and friendly, don’t bother you but very attentive. and finally, the bill. for two drinks and two well-portioned meals, the bill came up to rm54. get this, guys; NO TAX ! no service charge or service tax at all. very rare to find places like these. i’d say the price fits well with the meals as they left us full till the next day. no space for dessert even. although the dessert options there were quite interesting, may come back for desserts next time. overall, absolutely love this cafe. 10/10 food, 10/10 price, 10/10...

No frills decor, interior is kept minimal and even their menu has seen better days. If you want some fancy instagrammable cafes, ETC is not for you. What draws the crowd is the food. Affordable and delectable food admist its cosy environment. We enjoyed every bit of our food experience there.

I ordered the smoked duck aglio olio. The symphony of flavours was derived from the smoked duck, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions. The pasta paired very well with the smoked duck. A little less salty on the cured meat would be perfect. My husband requested for the cheesy omelette with waffle. The crispy waffle, which was just nice for one portion, came together with maple syrup and a dollop of butter. The omelette was soft and creamy. The cheese inside did not taste overwhelming. A serving of fresh salad completed the presentation of the dish.

We could not leave the cafe without trying their signature burnt cheesecake. It didnt disappoint at all. Creamy with a slight tanginess.

Look out for the iconic Sri Mahamariamman Temple if you wish to know the location of ETC. The cafe is just across the street. Lunch crowd can be rather daunting if you are rushing for time but their service...

Personally my favourite cafe in KL up till now.

The mix berries smoothie used real ingredients and definitely does not have the taste of cough syrup like other shops. The coffee beans used is quite good as well, able to taste a hint of citrus in their cappuccino. They do collaborate with niko neko to provide matcha and houjicha latte options, which are equally good.

The spaghetti pomodoro has strong taste of tomato while the spaghetti carbonara (chicken ham) has a milky with cheese flavour (won't feel bored after eating the whole plate), with the smoked duck aglio olio was not too oily, which is great.

MUST TRY: Salted egg chicken chop one of the best!!! The salted egg sauce was very fragrant but not too overpowering and the chicken, JUICY!!! The salad sides was generous with premium ingredients: strawberry, honeydew, papaya...

Will definitely revisit on my next return to KL, with this quality at this price point, it's considered very affordable. Do take note to come at off-peak hours as it's packed...