Kanteen has an intriguing selection of food, but it’s just another run-of-the-mill brunch spot.
Kanteen is yet another Mont Kiara brunch spot located at the base of the Mont Kiara Banyan condominium. It is open to all and requires no sign-ins or registrations at the condo to eat here.
Ambience & Amenities
I love a patio as much as the next person, but the patio at Kanteen is pretty crummy. The ugly view of the cars parked so tightly in the lot screens out Jalan Kiara, which is hardly worth looking at to begin with. Also, the fans that the restaurant has set up out there are seemingly at industrial levels. Even though we were sitting at the park tables a fair distance away, my hair was still being whipped around my head every ten seconds when the fan passed over our table. It was so annoying that we eventually moved inside.
The interior has a completely monochrome colour scheme with all of the walls and ceiling painted a bold black. The tables and chairs are in matching dark wood, and there are four cubist booths set into the far wall. The ordering station shines like a beacon in this jet black room, its bright fluorescent lights supplying most of the illumination.
Right next to the entrance doors is a corner with tumbler bottles and portable coffee cups for sale. On the other side of the glowing ordering station, there is a counter with a washing up sink. There were soap and napkins provided to dry your hands with.
Kanteen does not have a toilet within its walls, but is instead located outside. When you exit the main cafe doors, turn right. Just past the Porto Romano entrance, you will see the nook with the washroom signage. The door on the left is Kanteen’s toilet, and inside are two rooms. One room contains a urinal and the other has a sitting toilet. Soap was available at the one sink to wash up at.
Menu
The Kanteen menu has been vastly truncated from what it once was. The menu is now a single sheet of food. Their best-sellers are still on here, but there are some new additions. Cakes are not on the menu. They’re at the counter and fridge by the ordering station.
Click on menu pictures to enlarge
Kanteen used to serve alcohol, but it looks like they’ve struck that from their menu as well. Water is free and self-serve next to the handwashing sink. The glasses are small, but now Kanteen provides large water jugs that guests can fill and take to their table.
Food
I don’t know what more we were expecting of the Onion Bagel (RM13). The menu clearly states that it’s cheese and tomato, and that’s all there was in this bagel. I thought the bagel was nice, but Mark said that the density wasn’t right. Since this was such a small dish, we got some French Fries with Salt & Vinegar (RM15). The fries were similarly underwhelming – a bowl of shoestring fries with a shot glass of white vinegar on the side.
The Classic Char Kuey Teow (RM20) was much more satisfying. Even though I got the basic “classic” version, there were three big prawns in the mix, along with lots of fish cake slices. The noodles didn’t have any char, but they were nice and chewy, not gummy and broken apart. The serving size is small for RM20, and I was only full after eating about half of the french fries that we also ordered.
Saturday Worthy?
Now that I’ve seen that Kanteen makes a decent Char Kuey Teow, I’ll be returning here much more often. The streamlined menu is an improvement, but the food is still expensive for what it is.
Price for 2 Pax: RM48.00
Onion Bagel: RM13.00
Char Kuey Teow Classic: RM20.00
Salt & Vinegar Chips: RM15.00
Kanteen
Address: Mont Kiara Banyan Condominium (ground level), Lot GF2, No 28, Jalan Kiara, Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Sunday to Thursday: 8am – 9pm
Friday & Saturday: 8am – 10pm
Alcohol Served: Yes
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