Background
The July Enak! lunch outing was held at Bread of Life (BoL) Corner in Petaling Jaya.
Our hosts, Keats Markandu and Santhi Moine, diligently scoured numerous Klang Valley eateries for weeks, before finally settling on BoL Corner due to its central location, varied menu, soothing ambience, and on-site parking facilities.
BoL is a charming Community Service café, manned almost entirely by volunteers and two paid staff, with a strong ethos on No Wastage and Sustainable Local Sourcing. Food is carefully prepared to order, with the balance (if any) distributed to nearby charity homes.
The café is well-known for the varieties of bread they bake (on-site), as well as their exotic local pickles, jams and cookies.
Tucked away in an unassuming building opposite the University Hospital Emergency entrance, BoL Corner is a great spot for hospital staff, patients and anyone in the vicinity to enjoy a healthy, tasty and affordable meal.
The July Enak! Outing
The Enak! Luncheon was well attended by almost 30 MCG members and guests, grouped around three tables.
I attended this event as the invited guest of our host, Mrs. Keats Markandu. Frankly, I felt rather nervous about joining this group outing, as I did not know anything about the MCG, or anyone other than Keats and her husband Mr. Ravi Markandu.
By some fortuitous chance, I was seated in-between Santhi Moine (Lunch co-host) and Corinne Siebert (Enak! co-convenor), who wasted no time in making me feel welcome and filling me in on MCG events and activities.
While waiting for the food to be served, Santhi Moine addressed the group, providing a brief run-down on BoL’s history, culture and philosophy. We were then introduced to BoL staff and volunteers namely the chef du jour, the floor manager and servers – the very staff who prepared and later served our meal.
The food was served in simple white crockery, accompanied by large jugs of water, refreshingly flavoured with slices of lemon.
The lunch menu offered both vegetarian and non-veg options that had been ordered beforehand. Our starter, Mince Chicken Wrapped in Lettuce, provided just the right blend of taste, colour, crunch, flavour and lightness that set the tone for the rest of the meal.
The main course of Thai Yellow Chicken Curry & Mango Salad served with Thai rice, was tasty, filling, and chock-a-block with chicken and all sorts of vegetables. In keeping with the No Waste policy, servers took the time to individually ask guests to select their preferred rice portions (either small or medium).
For dessert we were served Butterscotch Mini-Muffins, paired with mango slices – a sweet, satisfying note on which to end our meal.
In between courses, Enak! Convenor Rosemary Chin, updated the group on upcoming MCG dates and events. She continued with a vote of thanks (and goodies) for our Lunch Hosts and helpers, followed by a Quiz question that I happened to answer correctly, and for which I was handsomely rewarded with a lovely momento – not bad at all, for someone who had started out the event feeling nervous.
To conclude, I found the lunch setting, menu and offering to be pleasing, tasteful and thoroughly enjoyable. What struck me more was the warmth and friendliness extended by MCG members and guests, and I look forward to attending future Enak! outings.
My grateful thanks to MCG, for affording me this opportunity to share my thoughts, and record my appreciation. Bon Appetit!
Write up by Enak Guest,
Susheela Nadarajah