POKOK KL Cafe — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

My colleagues and I (group of 9) had lunch at Pokok on 7 Feb.

We saw their special yeesang on the menu for CNY and thought we'd order it since it was CNY that weekend. For the price we paid (RM58), the portion is pathetic. Never mind the portion, they didn't give us any chopsticks to "lou"! When we asked for it, they said they do not have chopsticks 🤦🏻‍♀️

We also asked for the yeesang to be served first but our request was ignored. One drink order was also missed out.

(side observation: upon our arrival, we saw 3 drinks sitting at the kitchen counter. after we placed our order and were waiting for our order to be served, the 3 drinks were still there! only a while after that the drinks were served to the table! poor customers must have waited a long time and was served drinks that have sat there for at least 15-20 mins).

The salmon berempah nasi lemak didn’t include sambal udang (unlike what’s shown in their 28 Jan Instagram post). When a staff came to explain, she just said that was a “surf and turf menu for Ramadan”. Ramadan menu posted on 28 Jan?? She didn’t even continue to communicate further, just left without giving us a chance to query further.

When we were ordering our drinks, the server informed us they were out of normal milk and they only had oatmilk. So we just agreed with oatmilk. But the bill came and we saw that we were charged RM4 for oatmilk! The staff didn’t even mention the additional charge when we placed the order!

Some of us did not order drinks but the staff who was taking our order asked if we wanted iced or warm water. This question obviously came as an offer and we all thought it was on the house. Nope, we were charged RM1 each glass 🤦🏻‍♀️

There were at least 5 staff serving customers that day, but they were all so inexperienced and unable to attend to customers simple enquiries. Can’t even articulate the dishes they are serving.

Best part about this horrible experience? I shared my feedback with the Cafe via Instagram and was given an explanation on all above the following day (8 Feb). I was also offered some pastries as a compensation for our bad experience (which is unnecessary but a nice thought). Today is 13 Feb and no sign of pastries, nor any response from the F&B Manager who got in touch with me.

UPDATE 15 FEB: "F&B Manager" finally replied me after a week and apologised as my message was lost amongst his many messages and was away for personal issues. I am very irritated by this level of service because I didn't even ask for any compensation in the first place but I had to be the one to highlight this ADDITIONAL shortcoming from their team. So ya.. they can keep...

Since its opening in 2018, 𝗣𝗼𝗸𝗼𝗸 𝗞𝗟 has become a reputable cafe spot in Klang Valley due to its glasshouse design and variety of Southeast-Asian and Western dishes. Situated within Mahsa University, the cafe, reflecting its name as ‘tree’ in Malay, dwells on a grass patch with both indoor and outdoor seating offering natural light for a comfy atmosphere.

Besides an all-day brunch menu, diners can also order mains, sides, desserts and beverages from coffee to fruit juices. As part of its localised menu offerings, the 𝗡𝗮𝘀𝗶 𝗟𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗸 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 and 𝗔𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗡𝘆𝗼𝗻𝘆𝗮 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝘀𝗮 take on the traditional with stronger flavours and a stylistic presentation. The platter comes with the usual coconut rice and condiments, a choice between ayam berempah or beef rendang, kangkung and slices of hard boiled egg. The chicken thigh is tender and spiced well with a slight crispy texture. As for the laksa, it takes on a modernised twist with more chewy noodles, shredded cucumber, tiger prawns and tofu puffs all in a creamy coconut broth. With a squeeze of lime on the side, the dish feels hearty with a light spicy kick that doesn’t overshadow the flavours.

Aside from these, the cafe also dabbles in western cuisine, showing their deftness in the 𝗣𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝗻 and simple sides like 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀. The salmon portion is sizable for sharing, fresh and creamy, albeit a little dry due to its doneness. But where it lacks it makes up for in the croquette, a harmonious blend of potato, cauliflower and broccoli. Even for the side of fluffy fries topped with shaved parmesan, this simple-looking dish strikes a perfect balance between the umami and savoury.

As for desserts, diners can pick from permanent menu items like pancakes and brownies to seasonal selections of cakes. The 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗰𝗮𝗸𝗲 is light and clean tasting, an even ratio of strawberries to cream with every bite. The 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗸𝗲, however, is time-sensitive in that it is best consumed immediately upon serving to get the best texture and aroma. Being left out for a while makes the cake more clumpy and one-dimensional in taste.

To round off the meal, diners can opt for the variety of non-caffeinated fruit-based drinks. From the 𝗢𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 juice to 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁 & 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗼 𝗦𝗺𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗲 and 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻, 𝗟𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗲 & 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗲, each beverage exudes freshness and complementary flavours, the perfect refreshments away from a humid day. The 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 fizz lost out as it was full of syrup and more artificial in flavour. Nonetheless the fruit blends this cafe has concocted fit well into the overall theming and are certainly...

Pokok is located in MAHSA avenue. We parked at the opposite building of Pokok which is a paid-parking lot. You need to cross the road and walk along the path that is landscaped with green plants that look like an aisle. Idk how to explain this, sorry. We were welcomed by the team warmly. The team was quick and very helpful. The waiter explained very well on the menu we enquiry.

Pokok KL is a glasshouse concept with an open kitchen and bar space, it blends well with the greens around the area. I love the natural surroundings with lot of trees. It was a great first time experience to dine at Pokok KL cause it has great ambience with the natural lighting utilized brilliantly. They even utilized the cooling effect of evaporation by spraying water on the roof which can effectively lower the temperature of the glasshouse. This approach can be a sustainable and cost-effective way to reduce heat absorption, especially during hot weather.

They have a variety of food and drink to choose from brunch, mains, sides, sweets and beverages. My friends and I ordered classic pokok’s fish and chips, chili pesto pasta with added grilled chicken, seafood aglio olio pasta, lychee mint tea and nutella latte.

This is very subjective, but to me, the fish & chips were 9/10. I love how they make the fish succulent, battered and fried perfectly in golden brown color. The batter is not too thick so it is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The fries have a slightly salty taste and rich potatoey flavor. The salad is fresh and the tartar sauce really complements the fish and chips.

The chili pesto pasta is 8/10, it has a bright and vibrant green color. The pesto coats the pasta evenly, and it has a herby flavor with a slight nuttiness. The interesting part is, it suits my taste because it has a spicy flavor that slightly covers the nuttiness and garlic flavor. The added grilled chicken is somehow lack of the smoky and charred flavor, maybe it was not grilled but pan-fried? I’m not sure. Seafood aglio olio pasta is 7/10. I don’t have any detailed explanation since I only asked my friend who ate it.

The drinks? The iced nutella latte is 7.5/10. It doesn’t taste too sweet, the latte has a strong coffee flavor but not overly bitter. The milk and nutella gives a creamy and hazelnutty flavor that balance the taste of the coffee. When I mix the whipping cream with the nutella latte, it really blends well, taste creamy and balance the flavors. Lychee mint tea? 6/10 maybe? It doesn’t really taste minty but still okay.

Ok dah penat lah. Thank you...