I still remember the first time I stepped into SOULed OUT when they opened in Mont Kiara, way back in 1996. I remember that little restaurant was perched on a small slope in that housing area. I had met Michele Kwok and Fred Choo on a holiday trip earlier and when they started this cafe, we were invited to check it out. From that humble cafe, SOULed OUT has flourished and is a very popular venue for folks in the Mont Kiara/Sri Hartamas area and of course its popularity has spread much much further ever since.
Fast forward to 2014 … Fred and Michele decided that it’s time to revamp the premise. Started in mid September and at a cost of RM2 million, the metamorphosized facade of SOULed OUT was revealed after 3 months. Now known as a “gastrobar”, the face-lifted SOULed OUT was opened just before Christmas. Aahhh…so much excitement!
I was there for their Whimsical Christmas party. And I was wowed by its transformation. Gone is the old awning, in place now is an impressive new skyline which extends 30 feet up. A gigantic Big-Ass Fan (it’s really big!) swirls among graphic cut-out clouds on the ceiling. When the party started, the “clouds” were lit up in rainbow colours.
Splashes of colours are everywhere, from the walls to the staircase to the bar – the place has been transformed into one big party of colours and space. Lots of fun has been injected into the design too. For example, there’s a feature wall at the back with graffiti of 3 chimpanzees – a favourite Instagram spot. A swirl of purple swaths the bar which now seems to be the hotspot on the ground level.
A dine-out or chill-out session at SOULed OUT has always been a warm and pleasant one. That part about it being “as good as a hug” has not changed. The crew is still as friendly and energetic as ever and we always look forward to the dance performance they do every night for the guests. Of course at the Whimsical Christmas party, we got to enjoy a more elaborate performance and it’s easy to spot that they have so much fun doing it. That speaks a lot about their dedication and love for the job. Fred and Michele certainly has a great outfit going on there.
Food is always decent at SOULed OUT and I must say they have been pretty consistent all this time. With such a wide selection coming from their Indian, Chinese, Western and fusion categories, I had never had any complaint on my favourites there, like their Fried Tofu Puffs and Sake San Pizza.
Their Whimsical Christmas menu was a hodge podge of firm favourites (like satay and fried calamari) and a few new or borrowed dishes (like the gorgeous Baked Seabass which I was told was from Tujo). I hope they’ll keep that seabass dish here.
That gorgeous Baked Seabass (baked seabass fillet with parmesan crust, fava beans with sage, sundried tomato mashed potato & caper sauce)
Summertime Salad
Fried Calamari
Fried Prawns
Chicken and Beef Satay
Kris Kringle Beef Tenderloin – chilled Australian tenderloin, sundried tomato mashed potato,saute’ed watercress, mushrooms in white wine jus
Lamb Chops
Smoked Herb crusted Premium Roast Beef, butter vegetables, roasted herbs baby potatoes
Because it was Christmas, I had Roast Turkey too!
Tiramisu (millicrepe style)
And of course, lots of mojitos and martinis!
I heard the New Year party was even more “canggih” with lots of fireworks and fun. Well, there’s always fun at SOULed OUT and I think that’s the magic which has kept this gastrobar going strong for the past 18 years and for many years to come. Hey, I can’t wait for the next party there!
SOULed OUT Sri Harts
20 Jalan 30/70A
Desa Sri Hartamas
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2300 1955/012-200 1955/017-296 1955 (reservations)
03 2300 1929 (general)
Fax : 03-2300-1989
email: [email protected]
website: souledout.com.my
Operational Hours:
Mondays – Fridays
Noon till 3pm, 5pm till closing