The Daily Grind, Bangsar Village

May 17, 2008 at 11:09 am · Filed under Eating Out, Food

Now with a name like the Daily Grind, one is bound to think of work, no? But the less than tempting name hides a gourmet burger diner where meat patties are made fresh daily. And since meat is ground on the premise daily, that would explain the name eh?

The first thing I noticed upon entering is how cosy the place seems. The red bricks, wooden seats, painted posters, handwritten specials on blackboards to the floorboards. I love it all, even the quirky lightbulbs on the walls. The place is never quite bustling with crowds when I have visited so I always get to choose a prime seat of my choice.

Upon examining the menu, I’m quite amazed with how they have transformed the burger, what used to be just a meat patty sandwiched between the top & bottom half of a bun. Here we are talking about the most unlikely combinations yet they sounded utterly delicious. For a moment, I couldn’t make up my mind as I wanted it all. In the end I succumbed and chose according to my favourite ingredients. Lol.

As I twirled the sauce bottles with my fingers, the word “homemade” caught my eye. Does the feeling of wonder never cease while dining here? The ketchup was essentially a smooth puree of fresh tomatoes, resembling the essence of a rich tomato sauce for one’s pasta whilst the chilli was a good mix of ground chillies and god knows what. But it was good, and addictive. I found myself reaching for more of my fries, the chunky cut type to dip in.

As soon as I saw “Corn Cakes”, I knew I had to have them. Made with whole corn kernels, these babies are nicely browned so that are crisp on the outside yet so creamy and buttery on the inside. I would have prefer them a tad firmer, but that’s just me.

This is the Salmon Soup with Sour cream and herbed croutons. Smooth and thick, it doesn’t taste fishy for those who are worried it may.

Apart from burgers, this place also serve other dishes and my friend decided to go with the Southern fried chicken with mash, corn bread & onion gravy. I tried bits of the mash and it was silky smooth and so yummy! The corn bread was ok, bit dry in my opinion.

As I am a huge fan of avocados, i ended up choosing the Chermoula Avocado Madness as I envisioned big glops of avocado puree on top the chicken patty. The description reads “Zing marinated, grilled, smooth avocado creamed patty covered in hot salsa”. As Chermoula is a common marinade using herbs, garlic, olive oil, lemon etc in Moroccan cooking, that would explain the “zing” part of the marination. It did give the meat patty a savoury and slightly tangy twist. The blend of the creamy avocado and salsa with the juicy meat was in one word, perfect. The buns were buttered well, which were a godsend when you’re dealing with fillings like these.

On another visit, I tried the Japanese Yodel Burger, whose description read “lush porcini mushrooms and portobello tempura, all lovingly layered with a creamy fondue sauce”. The looks of the burger when it arrived was not as enticing as I hoped, and I personally felt that there was not enough mushrooms to go around to go with that big, juicy beef patty. the beef patty was cooked to perfection as my request, the hint of pink in the patty, juices locked in.

Overall, this is indeed a gourmet burger place as they even have one with foie gras! As such, expect higher than usual prices for the burgers. But considering the creativity in the menu, the freshness of the ingredients etc, it’s a worthwhile splurge.

The Daily Grind
LG8, Lower Ground Floor,
Bangsar Village, 1 Jalan Telawi,
1, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur

other reviews;
– lyrical lemongrass
– beetrice’s reviews

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