Namoo on the Park – Korean Dessert Cafe and Bistro @ Publika

I’ll be heading to Urbano eFresco as the owner has invited me several times to sample the food. With Ramadhan coming to a close, I’ve finally almost finished all my Ramadhan reviews & now able to focus on other outlets. The Craft Bakers outlet you see below offers remarkable artisan breads freshly baked everyday. Check out their range HERE.

Now right opposite Craft Bakers and Urbano eFresco is Namoo on the Park. A cute name and an even quirkier cafe, Namoo caught my attention with its Rice Burger and cakes.

BELOW: Quirky decor and whimsical touches around the cafe tugged at the corners of my mouth.

I don’t have much of an artistic eye, but I can’t help smiling and appreciate the efforts made into the decor of this quaint cafe.

Even the napkin has a message! And yes, the hook came in useful for my bags. 🙂

Like I said, I came for the Rice Burger and cakes, but I ended up falling in love with the cafe as a whole. These classic shutterbugs are such a beauty!

Comics, books and magazines lined the shelves. I consider this place perfect to chill with some Korean desserts while idling the leisure weekend away.

Here’s another cosy corner, put together to depict a homely feel.

I couldn’t resist a picture. After all it does look like a set-up for a photoshoot right? 🙂

That’s Namoo’s artsy side. Now what about its culinary prowess?

Well, you’re about to find out. There were a big group of us that day thus we got to sample a wide variety of Namoo’s menu.

I started with this Yuzu Smoothie, RM12.90. It was wonderfully refreshing and I could even feel the gritty bits of the Yuzu zest on my tongue as I slurped it down.

I came for the Rice Beef Burger and nothing could deter me from my mission, though the Bulgogi Burger came close! In the end I was glad I stuck to my choice. 😀

Namoo Rice Beef Burger. RM23.90. 

Namoo Bulgogi Burger. RM19.90.

I felt that the Bulgogi Burger was a tad sweet but that’s bulgogi for you. We agreed that it’s worth its price, and substantial for a medium-appetite eater.

On the other hand, my Rice Burger was delicious! I asked for medium-rare and it came out pink and moist, exactly how I like my burgers.

I agree that the rice cakes were a bit thick but one can always opt to leave it aside. The whole ensemble came stacked with cheese, egg and vegetables, in addition to a side salad and wedges.

The rice burger certainly fared better than the Seafood and Ribs Soup set – RM22.90.

This set came with a bowl of rice and pickles on the side. My gripe with this was the miserable ingredients in the soup. All there were submerged in the soup was 2 bony ribs, one prawn and one squid. While the broth was tasty, it certainly wasn’t worth the price!

BELOW: Accompanying the sad soup – Korean rice plus chewy and nutty and the pickles.

Melissa, a big kimchi soup fan expectantly ordered the Kimchi Soup set.

She pronounced it satisfactory and I tentatively took a sip. Hhmmm..not bad. I would say the kim chi soup has the flavour right. There was supposed to be beef in it and Melissa confirmed that there were, albeit rather tiny bits.

The other 2 girls ordered the Bulgogi and Kim chi to swap between them.

Below: Bulgogi Beef Taco (RM19.90) – Korean marinated beef, mixed vegetables and sliced onion, rolled in a warm tortilla flat bread.

Kim Chi Bulgogi Beef Taco (RM19.90) – Also with beef and with additional kim chi.

I got a small sample of each, since I’m the food blogger 😛

The only major dissimilarity was probably the inclusive of kim chi in the Kim Chi Bulgogi versus the plain Bulgogi one.
Below: Left – Kim Chi , RIGHT: Bulgogi.

Too full for desserts and not wanting to waste the trip since I was already in Publika, I packed home the 2 famous cakes – Pumpkin Tofu Cake and Sweet Potato Cake at RM9.90 each.

Unfortunately the Pumpkin Tofu Cake was spoilt, as it had a funny sourish taste when I ate it a few hours later for tea. I had immediately kept it in the fridge the moment I reached my office so it couldn’t be an error on my end. A quick check with the outlet revealed that the cake has indeed gone bad as there was an oversight in the kitchen. No problem, they said, be back for another slice on them.

Oh cool, I’ll be back anyways soon to try their iced desserts such as the Korean “ais-kacang” aka king’s bing soo. There’s so much more of other desserts that I want to sample as well; the chocolate cake, carrot cake and those sticky Korean cakes; all which are made in-house.

Below: My Sweet Potato Cake – essentially mashed sweet potatoes made in a cake form. I won’t order this again but it was good to try at least once right? Hey, I’m not saying it’s bad, but it’s well.. sweet potato mash.

I’ll stay away from the mains for now, as the Seafood & Ribs as well as the Kim Chi Soup doesn’t justify its price. A return visit is in the works, and it’s solely for the burgers and desserts! :DD

Namoo on the Park – Korean Dessert Cafe and Bistro 

Publika, Level G3, Lot 4A , Solaris Dutamas
No.1 , Jalan Dutamas 1 , 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Mon – Sun:11:00 am-10:00 pm