TIFA by Angie - Private Kitchen & Tapas — Restaurant in Petaling Jaya

Tried this place to celebrate a birthday due to the positive reviews and recommendations. Was sorely disappointed by the actual experience.

Made a reservation for 6 pax. Restaurant’s concept: curated menu based on budget. The use of the word ‘curate’ was really a stretch. The menu is based on a fixed ‘signature’ (limited) menu, put together by the chef based on budget (ours was RM600 (excluding alcohol) - which we thought would be sufficient for a decent experience).

Starters: 2 small plates of pate with bread for sharing, 3 small tins of clams (small sardine tins with some clams placed in each) for sharing, and a plate of 2 garlic prawns (individual plates).

Mains: 3 chicken pot pies for sharing, containing 2-3 cubes of chicken each, not marinated (some of ours even had bones and cartilage on them still). Sauce is full of cream and nothing much else. Size- typical of restaurants (which is usually served for 1 pax).

Next course: “upsized” pasta with cream and cheese (individual plates), topped with some ebiko and some 2-3 small slices of smoked chicken. Not every plate had chicken, and some of our noodles were uncooked (we know what al dente is - this was just raw). The dish is just filled with cream and cheese and nothing much else to “make us full”. This was over and above the creamy chicken pot pie we had earlier. Chorizo was on the menu, but the chef informed us that it was no good that day and substituted it with ebiko.

Desserts: Black Forest, citrus cheese cake and tiramisu. Dessert was unimpressive - dry sponge, hard mousse, etc. Staff reiterated they gave us 6 plates instead of 3 (what they originally intended) to ensure we were full.

Overall experience: Terrible. They were effectively feeding us carbs and cream to fill us up, especially towards the second half of the meal after we commented about the portions. Taste-wise, everything was bland. Protein was basically non-existent. When we highlighted these, we were told by the chef that it was due to the budget we provided.

Personally, the quality and quantity of the food we received is not worth the price paid. There are better European restaurants in KL that offer significantly better value. Wine was decent, which was the only thing...

Love the food very much. Perfectly cooked by the proprietor herself. Angie Liew is friendly and her hospitality is top-notched. You can let her know what you would like to eat and she will cook it for you to perfection. We tried chicken liver pate with sourdough bread, excellent ! A must have. Salmon with broccoli and baked pumpkin was superb. Pasta with daily fresh prawns and squid rings was truly amazing. The prawns especially. Very fresh, naturally sweet and juicy. We tried her baked muscles with garlic and herbs as well as warm chicken salad with small bites of mangoes and tomatoes. Brilliant combination ! Pleasant environment to hang out with family and friends. No, I'm not a paid reviewer. Just my humble honest opinion. Will go there again...

Edit: This was a review of the restaurant when Chef Angie was in charge. The quality may have changed since her departure so dine at your own discretion.

Perhaps one of the most delightful and delectable restaurant I’ve ever been to in Malaysia. The food and wines were scrumptious, so full of flavours and impeccably presented. The pate was mind-blowing and unexpectedly sublime, definitely the creme dela crème of the restaurant.

However, I would posit that Chef Angie is the highlight and the star of the restaurant. Her infectious energy, personality and aura makes dining here a stellar experience. She was also generous to provide me the pate as a takeaway gift. All in all, a truly marvellous restaurant with an equally...