Stepped into Rimba & Rusa, a newly opened cafe in Sunway Nexis Kota Damansara, we felt closer to the nature, yet not entirely. The name rimba, which means forest in english does tell something about the environment, judging from the countless pots of green plants, at almost every corner of Rimba & Rusa, both inside and outside.
Opened by the team behind Wondermilk, the pioneer of designer cupcakes in PJ and KL since 2000, Rimba & Rusa Cafe undoubtedly holds a strong background of the know-how in getting successful in competitive F&B business.
Differ from the concept of Wondermilk Cafe in Damansara uptown, Publika, IOI City Mall or Citta Mall which is more cupcake + milk oriented (*though they have dishes like salad, pasta, sandwiches, and burger) , Rimba & Rusa seems trying to walk out from the shadow of Wondermilk to become a more well-rounded cafe that places all-day dining into priority.
Hence, cupcakes will not be the highlight here, but a wide variety of selections ideal from brunch till dinner, or merely teatime visit pleasure. Rimba & Rusa Menu consists mostly Western, with a twist of modern fusion by incorporating Mediterranean, Portugese, Vietnamese, Italian and local favourites to call for some gimmick level, drawing attention of food enthusiasts to drop by at Rimba & Rusa for a try.
Rimba & Rusa cafe is a heavily decorated dining space, thoughtfully designed to establish more than a just a cafe or restaurant. Photographers, Instagramers, cafe hoppers will be glad with their impressive design, not exactly grandeur but manage to generate a “WOW, it’s pretty” expression once pushing the door in.
Charming for its tiffany blue and white theme, light bulb lamps hanging from high ceilings, wooden table tops with metal legs, hexagon floor tiles patterns, ample of ornaments adorning the wall, Rimba & Rusa cafe certainly does good in creating a welcoming, eye-pleasing interior.
Ceiling to floor French window gets the plus point, allowing natural lights to flow through in the morning. Semi two floors dining area, where the upper section is equipped with mini children playground. Besides general dining, we find Rimba & Rusa cafe a good place ideal for celebrations parties or private gatherings.
Cake counter is promising, lining up delectable desserts such as sticky caramel pudding (RM13), creme brulee rasberry panna cotta (RM16), bread and butter pudding (RM17), forest berries frangipane tart (RM17), choco crunch moist chocolate cake (RM12), apple custard tart with ice cream (RM17) and more.
Bread & Breakfast is available from 8am till 3pm, listing full American big breakfast, egg benedict, poached egg with smoked salmon on toast, baked eggs with chickpeas and toast, French toast and pancakes in one page. Salads and small bites are available all day. From 12noon onwards, expect delicious choices including 250g ribeye grass-fed steak with Bernaise sauce (RM65), pineapple roasted baby chicken (RM29), tamarind pan seared trout (RM34), Rice Porridge (RM21) and smoky grilled glazed ribs (RM73), just to name a few.
Portugese Baked Eggs rm18
Checking out Portugese Baked Eggs with much hope, which put together a bed of napolitana sauce covering chickpeas, capsicum, topped with two eggs and baked. Served with toasted bread. Not exactly the combination we like, ordering just because we feel like having baked eggs.
Sadly, the baked egg from Rimba & Rusa fall short of flavours, bland overall. Perhaps additional pinch of salt or pepper can get it better, and replacing capsicum with sun dried tomato may deliver a sharper, contrasting taste to this dish.
Lemon Curd Pancake RM19
Rimba & Rusa Lemon Curd Pancake lives up to our liking for its fluffy texture enveloping with refreshing lemony hint from Rimba & Rusa homemade lemon curd. Dressed with a scoop of berries compote for appetizing tanginess.
Goes well with maple syrup. Summergirl accidentally forked up mint leave with pancake and to her surprise, the concoction come to a good match. A rather filling dish, and taste quite one-dimensional as you bite in continuously.
Rimba & Rusa serves a good list of beverage menu, from whopping expensive blended milk shake made with fresh milk & Haagen Dazs ice cream, freshly squeeze fruit juice, well-loved espresso base coffee, latte, cappuccino, chocolate and more.
We had our first try with their famous Kopi Cap Rusa by Wondermilk, which they proudly claim ” pasti deerlicious” (confirm tasty). Priced at RM15 for a lovely bottle, available in hot or cold. This Cap Rusa Kopi doesn’t disappoint, creamy, milky, tangled with caramel sweetness in every sip. Not too bad.
Comments: Rimba & Rusa cafe definitely gets 9/10 for the environment, but food wise, it is just average. Worth visiting for their ambience. For future visits, we will mostly skip their savoury dishes and goes straight for desserts, milkshake.
Photography: Summerkid
Write Up: Summergirl
Address:
Rimba & Rusa by Wondermilk
D-GF-01, Sunway Nexis,
Kota Damansara,
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
Opening Hours:
Tues to Sun (8am – 11pm)
Friday (4pm – 11pm)
Closed on every Monday.
Contact: 03-6151 3022
Website: http://www.rimbarusa.com/
NOTE: Sunway Nexis offers FREE parking till 30th September 2015. May be changed according to the management decision. So far, there is just two cafes seen in Sunway Nexis, which is Rimba & Rusa cafe and Rail Canteen next to it, selling local delicacies like nasi lemak, egg & toast, curry mee, etc..
