A Hidden Gem

With the recent number of cafes and restaurants sprouting up like mushrooms in the Klang Valley, it isn't always that you stumble across something nice. Well, I stumbled upon a hidden gem in Taipan, USJ the other night that I just have to share! The family had eaten there twice and kept raving about the freshness of the food and its generous portions so I had to give it a try myself!

It's called the Big Boy cafe and it's a clean, cheery little family-run establishment. The little vases of orchids on each table add a certain whimsical charm. Big Boy has a pretty extensive menu of both local and Western food, complete with pictures of some of the food and at rather decent prices.

They even have their own coasters! And best of all, a free flow of water is provided throughout your meal at no extra charge. Quite hard to find this trait nowadays. Most places insist on selling only mineral water at exorbitant prices. Service for both the food and water refills was very fast and efficient. But on to the food!

Bro decided to give the lagsane a try. We were all pleasantly surprised at the size of the lagsane when it came. It was a huge, generous slice that filled up the big plate. Some cafes I've eaten in give you only half of that portion above! It was sufficiently cheesy and well baked. Each lagsane sheet was generously filled with minced beef and every bite till the last had a nice combination of beef and pasta.

Dad tried the chicken chop. Sorry for the camera phone picture quality. It was a generous sized chicken fillet, smothered in a slightly spicy but delicious black pepper sauce. I tried some and it was really good, tender cuts of chicken that went really well with the sauce.

I wasn't too hungry so I opted for the fried calamari rings. It came with a very interesting black-bean sauce. This was indeed a good choice as the calamari was wonderfully fresh and perfectly cooked, unlike some rubbery versions out there. The batter coating it was deliciously crispy and not at all soggy and the sauce added a certain East-West fusion to the appetiser dish.

It's a pleasant little place with lots of mirrors and nice Renaissance pictures on the wall. What struck us was the high quality and freshness of their food. They offer wines (list on the pink slips on every table), quality Twinnings tea and even Segafredo gourmet coffee! Every dish of theirs is cooked with very fresh ingredients and prices are pretty reasonable.

My family had on a previous visit tried their Seafood Pasta which was really fresh and generous with their seafood. Seafood's one of the best ways to test how fresh the ingredients are and Big Boy did pass with flying colours! That's one dish I've gotta try next!

Big Boy's located in the new row of shophouses in Taipan, behind True Fitness gym.