Haven Café

November 2011

The mention of organic greens – arugula, rocket, iceberg, lettuce – all in the same plate sometimes yields a common reaction: ‘Are you a cow?’ Blame it on the balsamic dressing – we just can’t refuse a good salad. Sparge some olive oil, throw in a handful of Portobello mushroom chunks, and we’ll call it a meal. Haven did it even better – they enlivened our crisp salad with chopped almond flakes for a nutty crunch. Simply refreshing.

But of course, that’s not all we had. Imagine waking up to the comforting smell of pancakes and roasted coffee. Grilled chicken sausages on a hot pan – skin mildly blistered but moist on the inside. Turkey bacon – although inferior to pork in terms of flavour, fat, texture and calories – emanates a smoky waft nevertheless. The fruit processor is purring, secreting freshly-squeezed juice. What if you can savour all these in the comfort of a homey setting? Maybe a place where the sun pervades the glass windows and reflects on your sparkling cutlery? A restaurant you can trust to serve wholesome breakfasts with free-range eggs, grass-fed beef and organic legumes with a glass of slow-pressed orange juice on the side? Haven, tucked away in a tranquil single-storey house, is your answer. And just so you know, they do breakfast all day.

Don’t be deluded that everyone wakes up late on a Sunday because Haven is perpetually jammed with diners hankering for a nutritious brekkie or that smooth latte dished out from the Real and Wholesome (RAW) kiosk. In other words, come early. Dine outside facing the lawn if the weather isn’t harsh. Or, snuggle up around the wooden tables indoors and muse upon the shedload of organic goods at the Little Green Planet grocery mart.

This orderly co-op next to the café lured us in with its freshly-spritzed vegetables, fruits, dairies, glutenfree goods, baby products and a cornucopia of health supplements. In fact, grocery essentials like sauce, cereals, grains and juices here are just as good as the overpriced varieties you’ll find at gourmet stores. Only more salubrious. We munched on beetroot chips (the packet says ‘No Nasties Added’. Clever, indeed) while waiting for our order, which disappointingly took rather long to come. Our meal was only served after the second bag of chips. And the chef had forgotten to include cherry tomatoes in our salad.

Finical, you may call us but we believe that a good breakfast charts the mood for the rest of the day. On the bright side, Haven, although halal, is as delightful a place for breakfast or lunch as for a dinner feast of grilled lamb shoulder. In fact, there’s an organic spa you can indulge in if you like. Perhaps, perk up the bare walls a bit and hasten the service. Then, we shall be back for desserts. Kong Wai Yeng

Awards

Haven was shortlisted in the Best Healthy Eating/Vegetarian Restaurant of the Time Out KL Food Awards 2011. Our food awards are 100% voted for by the people of KL. This way, we guarantee that popularity and consistent performance is rewarded.