The Red Beanbag

Date of Visit?  Saturday, 1st of August, 2015

Where is it? Block A4 1st Floor A4-1-08, Publika, Jalan Dutamas 1, Solaris Dutamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Style? The Red Beanbag describes itself as "a modern contemporary Australian-inspired café" (from their Facebook page). Basically that translates to 'western' and fusion food. 

Dog Friendly? Pets are allowed to sit outside on the patio with their owners. No water or treats provided for pets. 

Poppie's Review - 

We arrived at the Red Beanbag around eleven o'clock. This may not have been the best idea as it was prime brunch time. There was a line, but the staff were friendly and gave us a card that said "cappuccino", they told us that it would be about a twenty minute wait and that they would call out when our table was ready. 

We had heard a lot about the Red Beanbag online. It is mentioned on a lot of websites as a great place for my humans and I to hangout together and get some great brunch. 

Unfortunately, we were rather let down by the atmosphere of the place. Firstly, pet owners should note that Publika is not itself very pet friendly, so if you are walking from the car park to the Red Beanbag it is better to come prepared with your pet carrier. Secondly, the Red Beanbag itself is a busy and buzzing place which attracts a wide range of people, maybe we were just unlucky, but there were some patrons of the restaurant who were quite rude to us and not dog friendly. This was upsetting for us because we didn't feel welcome after coming all the way to Publika because the Red Beanbag is "dog friendly". Adding to this was the proximity of the seating - as the tables were quite close together my humans felt that they needed to keep me on a very short leash. 

After twenty minutes we were seated. We had a look at the menu - it was interesting and varied. However, the Red Beanbag is pork free, which was a surprise to us as we were looking forward to some juicy bacon and sausages. Never the less, we ordered two coffees and two of the recommended dishes - 1. Benedict III 2. Signature Baked Eggs. 

The coffee was very nice - smooth, rice and well poured. 

Benedict III - Beef bacon / Turkey Ham served with kale, sautéed mushrooms, roasted garlic butter portobello mushrooms, on a bed of fluffy french toast, drizzled with hollandaise sauce and served with two poached eggs (RM26)

~ If you are a fan of eggs benedict this is certainly a dish to try. The savoury french toast gave a lovely texture and absorbed the egg yolk well, while the kale and mushrooms were delicious additions and really complemented the dish. The hollandaise sauce was rich and well balanced with just enough tang. We chose to have the beef bacon with this dish and I must say that it was the nicest beef bacon that I have had thus far, it was moist and tender, but it was still beef bacon. 

Signature Baked Eggs - 2 eggs cracked in a bowl of lamb, chicken and beef bratwurst topped with mozzarella cheese and baked to perfection. Served with sourdough toast. (RM22)

~ This dish was a huge disappointment, I am not sure why it is a recommendation. Somehow we were imagining big, juicy bratwurst, eggs with runny, rich yolks and a light sprinkling of stringy mozzarella. However, the 'bratwurst' where chopped up in a small terracotta dish - there certainly wasn't three whole bratwurst in there! The eggs were over cooked and it was smothered in cheese - in fact it was mostly cheese! Not really what you expect for twenty-two ringgit. Moreover, the sausages themselves tasted cheap and processed, not like the lovely homemade bratwurst you would find in Australia. 

Unfortunately, we didn't feel like trying anymore as we were quite conscious of the people leering at our table expectantly.  

The staff were very efficient and pleasant, but not very attentive. We had to call them over to order drinks and then food and then for the bill (but to be fair it was very busy and the food was served very quickly). 

So, what is the verdict on the Red Beanbag? 

The coffee is good and chef can certainly cook. The menu is interesting and diverse. Don't get the baked eggs - I don't think they have a very good sausage supplier! Benedict III is certainly a winner and the Atlantic would be another one to try.

Don't expect puppy love from the staff or other customers. I was missing all the love and belly rubs I normally get when I go out! This is a restaurant which is more dog tolerant than dog friendly. In the end, for us, it wasn't really worth the half-an-hour drive there, but if you are in the neighbourhood and you like the look of the menu then give it a try. 

Thank you for reading my blog! 

For more news and reviews about dog friendly restaurants, hotels and activities in KL and around Malaysia check out my Instagram @poppiethebulldog and Facebook page www.facebook.com/poppiekaur