If you’re wandering around Plaza Damansara and suddenly find yourself colliding into swarms of people, you’ve likely stumbled upon Huckleberry. A highly popular cafe especially for weekend brunch, you can expect to wait upwards of an hour to get a table here during weekends and holidays. We got lucky the other day with just a five-minute wait, but only because it was Chinese New Year and KL was empty.
Ambience & Amenities
Now that I’ve actually been able to go inside the restaurant without a wall of people blocking my way, I can see that Huckleberry doesn’t have that many tables. It’s no wonder that there’s always a queue. The main dining room has less than ten tables and a handful of counter seats. Big groups, of which there will always be a couple during weekend brunch, will take up the tables at the back of the room, leaving just three two-person tables in the path next to the counter.
Most guests will opt to sit on Huckleberry’s pleasant side patio. There are about six more tables out here that look out onto a lightly trafficked alley. This area is decorated with brightly coloured flowers (of the real and fake variety) and has cushioned bench seats. There are also some tables out on the front patio, but these would be my last choice. People queuing for the restaurant will be crowding around, in addition to everyone passing through. Both patios are covered by awnings in case of rain.
The toilets are down the corridor that is to the left of the main counter. There are two rooms, one for each gender, with a pretty mosaic motif inside. The women’s had a sitting toilet that was well stocked with toilet paper and soap, but the paper towels did not get replenished in the two hours we spent here.
Menu
Huckleberry’s menu is massive. There are separate breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, each with exclusive items that are not on the other menus. Thankfully, Huckleberry does not believe in wasting time, so instead of having to shoo the waiter for the third time because you still haven’t decided what you want to eat, guests simply order at the counter whenever they’re ready.
Click on menu pictures to enlarge
The food is halal, but Huckleberry has an extensive drink menu to make your brunch gathering more boisterous. The number of alcoholic options rivals that of some bars with cocktails, wines, beer, spirits and even champagne. Filtered water is free and comes in a rather small jug.
Don’t forget to take a peek at what’s at the counter, which will have anything you could want to fill in the edges after your meal. Next to the register are pastries. First will be sweet pastries like cinnamon rolls and turnovers, and the cabinet next to it will stock savoury options like bagels and sausage rolls. A little further is a very good selection of Huckleberry’s cakes. There are cupcakes, loaf cakes, pies, classic layer cakes and many more. On the back wall are fresh-baked loaves of bread available for purchase to take home.
Food
The Red Velvet Juice (RM14.90) had a beety undertone but was mostly sweet watermelon before finishing with the grassiness of the celery. The Pineapple & Coconut Juice (RM9.50) was much more simple. There was more emphasis on the coconut flavour, with little balls of coconut flesh swirling around the drink.
The Prime Rib Ciabatta (RM30) was assembled to give the impression that it’s so overflowing with beef that it’s spilling out, but in reality, it’s a fair amount of meat that’s just piled on one side. The prime rib was tender, separating easily when bitten into. The caramelised onions were sweeter than I’ve tasted in other sandwiches. For a place that sells fresh loaves on-site, the ciabatta was surprisingly bad. It had an unappetizing mealy texture that could not be hidden with smears of creamy mayo. The fries exceeded our expectations. They were fat but remained very crispy. Even though I am a ketchup fiend, these fries were so good that we didn’t even bother putting any condiments on them.
Both of us love a big meaty sandwich, so we were skeptical about ordering the vegetarian Artichoke Spinach Sandwich (RM20.90), but it just sounded too interesting to pass up. This turned out to be the best thing that we ate. Imagine the finest artichoke dip you’ve ever had but dolloped into a sandwich. Rich and buttery, the creamy artichoke was not runny at all and did not drip out. It was served on hard, crusty bread that provided a nice crunchy texture to counter the soft nature of everything else. Grilled cheese sandwich aficionados will love this – it’s the same idea but packed with vegetables. The side salad was basic with lettuce and plum tomatoes, but it was topped with a curious sweet wasabi dressing.
Saturday Worthy?
The menu items are more expensive than they need to be, but much of it seems to have a little something extra to make it unique. If you’re trying a new diet like paleo or keto, Huckleberry will have more options than most. The cakes and pastries are quite reasonably priced, and coming here for coffee and a snack would cost less than at other upscale cafes. If it weren’t so busy all the time, I would certainly return to Huckleberry to try more of their food. However, I abhor waiting for an hour just to eat somewhere and can likely only come back on an auspicious day such as this. If you want to get in here without a ridiculous wait, you should try our strategy of visiting during a holiday when many people are out of the city.
Price for 2 Pax: RM87.35
Red Velvet Juice: RM14.90
Pineapple & Coconut Juice: RM9.50
Artichoke Spinach Sandwich: RM20.90
Prime Rib Ciabatta: RM30.00
10% Service: RM7.53
6% SST: RM4.52
HuckleBerry
Address: Lot 2G & 4G Plaza Damansara, Jalan Medan Setia 2, Damansara Heights, 50490 Kuala Lumpur
Opening Hours: Daily, 7:30am – 12am
Alcohol Served: Yes
