Humble British Cuisine In The Heart Of Bangsar
British Invasion!
No longer dull, boring, and bland. British cuisine has come a long way
A new eatery is in town!
And one of our writers checked them out.
British cuisine has evolved over the years. Where it was once bland and boring, the 90s saw the rise of celebrity chefs, the use of organic produce, and much tastier, creative food.
S+I, located at Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar, is the creation of husband and wife team Simon Stevens and Intan Yusoff.
Stevens, who hails from Bristol England, used to be the head chef at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Bath. Yusoff has a strong background in Marketing and Promotions. Their mission? To serve up authentic British comfort food. Which they do, so, so well.
At Ease
You won’t miss the Red Phone Booth outside the restaurant
The first thing that you will notice as you walk up to the restaurant is the red phone box outside.
Read that again. A. Red. Phone. Box.
It doesn’t work, of course. Not that I tried it, that would have been silly …
Walking in the restaurant immediately puts you at ease. There is nothing over-the-top in here. The word ‘rustic’ is used a lot when describing restaurants, but here, it actually fits. The gorgeous brick walls are adorned with pictures of all things British, my favourite being the iconic image of The Beatles crossing Abbey Road, and it just feels very homely and relaxed.
I was greeted warmly and led to our table. Each table has, as standard condiments, a bottle each of chilli and tomato sauce, a bottle of HP sauce, and a bottle of Malt vinegar. For those who are not in the know, the British love to douse their chips in vinegar, for that extra bit of flavour.
Getting Roasted
Half a roast chicken, carrots, roasted potatoes and red cabbage for a perfect day
A tradition in the UK is to have a Sunday Roast on a … well … Sunday, and Stevens has brought that over here. There is a choice of chicken or beef, with all the trimmings.
You will need to make a booking and pre-order, as the kitchen needs to know how much of each to prepare.
I had gone for the chicken, so all I had to do was order a drink. There is quite a good selection of drinks to choose from. Wine, beer, cider, soft drinks, and coffee.
I opted for a Magnus cider and settled down to wait for my food, chomping on my popcorn which is served for you too munch on while you wait.
To be honest, I could have happily just have had that. It was slightly salty, slightly spicy (chilli flakes), and delicious.
I looked around and saw people diving into their food, which is always a good sign. Then my chicken roast arrived. And what a dish it was.
The plate was piled high with food, oh glorious food. Half a roast chicken, carrots, roasted potatoes and red cabbage. Served with a sauceboat of gravy and a ramekin of cauliflower and broccoli.
Yorkshire pudding. Gastro heaven!
The chicken was absolutely gorgeous. Tender, well seasoned, and melt-off-the bone. The potatoes, perfectly roasted with a bit of a crunch. Carrots, delicious. And the red cabbage. I need to talk about this red cabbage.
When I had my first taste of it, I was assailed by the flavours. It was fruity! Chef had used star anise, cinnamon and … Ribena! That crazy, wonderful man had used Ribena to cook with!
Sweet Ending
Who can resist such a temptation? S+I Fruit Crumble
I won’t lie. I devoured the food. By the time I was done, the only things that were left were the bones. It was that good.
As my plate was cleared away, and I sat there like a beached whale, one thought entered my head. “Do I have room for dessert?” Of course, I did! I have to mention that I have a sweet tooth, and desserts are often the best part of the meal for me.
I chose the Fruit Crumble with a scoop of butter pecan ice cream. This proved to be an excellent choice. Served in a ramekin, this is everything that you could ever want in a crumble.
Chunky pieces of fruit. Delicious, crunchy crumble. Every mouthful that I took was a careful balance of crumble and ice cream.
Not overly sweet, this, surprisingly, wasn’t as heavy as I thought it would be. I did, however, have to move my belt to a looser notch.
What Do You Fancy?
Fish & Chips – Ginger beer-battered fillet of cod, chips, chilli, and mint mushy peas
Don’t worry if a roast is not your thing. The menu here has a pretty impressive selection of British favs which should keep you happy.
The appetisers feature classics like the Classic British Prawn Cocktail and Spicy Chicken Wings.
For the main course, you have burgers, Ploughmans Lunch (selection of meats, cheese, bread, sausage rolls, onions and pickles) and, of course, Fish & Chips (Ginger beer-battered fillet of cod, chips, chilli, and mint mushy peas).
It should be noted that they serve proper chips here, thick-cut ones, not French Fries. There is also a selection of pies and mash, and sandwiches, which should keep your palate happy.
The dishes are a homage to Chef Simon’s heritage, and he does them with passion and love.
Check them out. You will not regret it.
