Ben's General Food Store

Ben's General Food Store: Round Two. Earlier entry: April 25.

Fittingly, the fiery color of crimson dominates this entry, reflecting our burning enthusiasm for the food at BGFS _ even this bringer of bad breath: a Tuscan summer salad of crunchy panzanella bread, capsicum, capers & basil with (hold your nose!) onions, garlic & anchovies.

We usually shun lasagna, a dish that often bears the scarlet letter of cheesy shame. But this luscious, not-overwhelmingly-tangy preparation is a nice reminder of the best moments in our mid-1990s love affair with bechamel-soaked sheets of pasta.

Roasted cod fish & pineapples with green chilli, cucumbers, tomatoes, coriander & coconut milk. Would work wonderfully with a pina colada (a less-than-subtle hint that we'd love to see cocktails surface on the menu here someday).

Moroccan lamb meatballs. Pleasantly mushy, with nary a hint of gaminess. This would partner perfectly with a Bloody Mary (or two, if you've had a bad day).

Roasted beetroot, walnuts & white beans. A terrific treat for beet-lovers, one of KL's most woefully neglected communities.

Finally, what could be redder than red wine? It's not on the menu so far, but customers can hop to Village Grocer, buy a bottle and drink it here (corkage is RM30).

Ben's General Food Store,

Bangsar Village, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2284-8790