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| Delicious food, cool ambience |
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Published:
The Star / Eating Out |
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Date:
October 5, 2006 |
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AFFORDABLE yet hearty and home-cooked sumptuous meals - these are the strengths and selling
power of a restaurant that aims to survive the competitive food business.
"This is what our venue is all about," said Gail Forster, owner of Mojo Restaurant and Bar.
"It's a cool place where people can get great food and don't feel intimidated to come in," she said.
The two-storey restaurant, located along the row of beautifully refurbished, classic shoplots
at Asian Heritage Row in Kuala Lumpur, opened about a year ago.
The birth stemmed from the idea for a place to indulge in great food that is value-for-money
within a hip atmosphere where people can party.
Sleek furnishings against mahogany-coloured walls and plush sofas add cosy vibes to this place.
The signature sphere-shaped glass panelling in pink inscribed with the words "Mojo" and the
shadowy curves of the female body lend an additional sensual appeal and aura.
Dainty tables with high stools line in a row, in the middle of the restaurant give guests
a hangout area for them to relax at while enjoying their drinks.
Upstairs is dedicated to American and British pool tables, a haven for pool lovers!
"Prior to opening, we were asking ourselves - so now we've got great food, great service,
what more can we offer to guests?
"That's how we came up with the concept for a pool area," said Forster.
The idea, she said, was derived from what she and her husband saw in London - a successful
and mega huge pool lounge concept, where the founders transformed pool into a fad.
"Malaysians like playing pool, and people want entertainment to a certain degree.
"So besides the pool tables, we bring in deejays to spin music and we have our own live
resident band to perform several nights a week.
"People like to party and we wanted to offer something different, which nobody else in
the street does," said Forster, adding that her restaurant has the full entertainment
license for live music.
"It's a place where people like to be seen and yet not too expensive to be at!"
The name Mojo, she said, dates back to more than 100 years.
"Mojo" means lucky charm, placed in a lucky bag to bring out positive vibes.
"We thought it was a lovely name. It's an Austin Powers connotation, which I think is sexy.
"Something like 'get your mojo workin'," said Forster, who was previously a company
shareholder with various bars and restaurants in Bangsar and Damansara.
Mojo serves a range of Asian and Western dishes. For appetisers, the Prawn Cocktail
is recommended.
It has fresh Norwegian prawns layered with julienne crispy lettuce drizzled with the
in-house cocktail sauce, and served with buttered brown bread.
The Mojo Crispy Duck has duck slices served with plum sauce and chilli oil, alongside
a basket of piping hot homemade pancake wraps.
"The duck is first braised with herbs, before being deep-fried and de-boned while the
plum sauce and pancake wraps are made by our kitchen chefs from scratch," said Forster,
hinting on the restaurant's emphasis for homemade ingredients.
She said the Western dish of Lamb Shank is a must-try.
The meat is braised till tender and is then served with rustic roasted vegetables,
roast garlic, and mashed potato.
For something Asian, the fragrant Claypot Chicken Rice and Curry Laksa with homemade
sambal are highly recommended.
Forster said one of Mojo's forte is the wide selection of wines with more than 60
labels available, all handpicked by her.
"It irks me to know that some restaurants are marking their price up by 200% the cost.
"At Mojo, guests can be assured of great selections at sensible prices so everyone can enjoy wine."
The Rich Chocolate Cake was served for dessert.
This homemade chocolate cake is made from imported Belgian chocolate served with vanilla ice cream.
This month, the restaurant is offering a three-course dinner with unlimited wine and
filtered coffee for a price of RM128nett per person.
This offer is available daily from 6pm to 9pm.
For reservations, call Catherine (012-263 1996) or Suzan (019-365 7888).
MOJO RESTAURANT & BAR, Asian Heritage Row, 42 Jalan Doraisamy, KL (Tel: 03-2697 7999).
Business hours: Mon-Fri, noon-2am; Weekends, 4pm-2am.
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