Bo All Day Dining @ The Linc KL

The Linc KL is probably one of the most instagrammable malls in KL though this two-storey mall isn't quite a shopping mall like others but one influenced by art and art installations with a few home-grown stores for retail experience.

Of course, we (my sisters-in-law and I) made prior arrangements to be here for the same purpose...to take photos of some of these instagram-worthy spots.  Once we did our requisite walkabout and photo-taking, it was time for lunch and my sister-in-law suggested this place (a place that she and her husband had eaten in before).

This place is referred to by many names...Bo & Banker, Bo All Day Dining, Bo Dining, B + B (or BNB).  I can understand the B + B moniker since they have Bo & Banker, Bricks & Barrels (ipoh) and the soon to be launched, Box & Butterfly.  But I think I'll go with the name of Bo All Day Dining @ The Linc KL (since it's on the menu, it's on Google and it's the most commonly used one by other food blogs).

The menu offers a range of starters for sharing, soups, salads, burgers & sandwiches, wood-fired pizzas, western mains, Asian favourites, desserts, breakfast & brunch specials, set lunch specials and tea time delights, so there are more than enough choices to keep everyone happy.

Besides their a la carte menu, set lunch specials are also offered on weekdays from 11am - 3pm and, on that particular day, we had 5 choices to choose from.  The set lunch special comes at RM28 (for 2 courses, beverage & main) and RM35 (for 3 courses, beverage, main & dessert).

And because it was listed in the menu as 2 or 3 courses (they should have said 3 or 4 courses), we were oblivious of the fine print that also mentioned that a deli salad (with unlimited refills) was included until much later...when our main course arrived and the server reminded us (probably after noticing that we didn't help ourselves to the salad).  On that day, we could have our fill of three...coleslaw, cous cous salad and mixed lettuce with a choice of Thousand Island or their house sauce from the deli counter.

Our first pick was the Rotisserie Quarter Roast Chicken (since it was their signature dish + my sis-in-law also highly recommended it), brined and air-dried for 24 hours before being slow-roasted in their French-made Rotisol rotisserie oven.  Unfortunately, it was sold out. I guess I'll have to try this another day then. Their Rotisserie Roast Chicken can be ordered a la carte as well (RM28 for quarter, RM42 for half & RM75 for a whole chicken).

So we settled for their Seafood Aglio Olio Supreme instead @ RM28 with fresh tiger prawns, clams, mussels, squid and bird's eye chillies (this dish is also available a la carte at RM42 with probably more seafood and a bigger portion?).

There was quite a generous serving of seafood though the prawns tasted like the frozen kind with an overly crunchy texture but devoid of sweetness of sea prawns + the clams could be fresher.  I also didn't detect any bird's eye chillies but the red chilli flakes were sufficient to bring some heat that's required of an aglio olio. The pasta was cooked just right, al dente without being too oily.  Overall, the dish was pleasant enough.

We were curious about the Wagyu Fat Char Kway Teow @ RM28 and picked that for our next dish.  This was wok-fried flat noodles with wagyu beef fat and grilled tiger prawns served with sauteed bok choy, fish crackers, shredded carrot and chillies + a dried chilli sambal (RM36 if ordered a la carte).  There was only one tiger prawn (though it was quite huge) and this one was at least of the fresh kind with a firm texture.

The wok-fried flat noodles weren't particularly outstanding but biting into the wagyu beef fat was a bit off-putting as they came in rather large pieces and some pieces weren't all that crispy.  I initially thought the wagyu beef fat would be more fatty beef but it actually turned out to be just fat only (much like chee yau char, only this one is not from the oink-oink but from the moo-moo).  Perhaps if it had been fried crispier and cut smaller (like pork lard crisps), it would have turned out better.  It definitely needed a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of the dried chilli sambal to cut through all that fattiness.

As the rest of the set lunch specials didn't interest us, we went with an a la carte order of Pan-Seared Red Snapper @ RM48 with lemon olive oil mash, poached pears and a citrus salad laced with a refreshing mayo-like sauce.

I was taken aback by just how huge the fillet was when it arrived, certainly well worth the price paid.  At first bite, it was the acidity and freshness of the whole dish that made it truly stand out for me.  The snapper fillet was fresh, tender and flaky...and the skin was perfectly crispy with a tangy hint of freshly grated lemon zest and (what looked like) chimichurri sauce on top.

The citrus salad of grapefruit, lemon and poached pears with radicchio and pea sprouts gave it the desired crunch and zesty flavours.  Even the potato mash tasted tangy because of the lemon olive oil.  It made the whole dish that much lighter and more appetising.  Just don't eat the whole piece of lemon like it's a piece of fruit (as the sourness will make you cringe) but cut a small piece of it and eat it together with a bit of fish and mash for a tasty, well balanced bite.

My Ice Latte (drinkable) & Ice Lemon Tea (from the set lunch)

With my tummy full, I can't very well end my post without showing you the photos I took of the The Linc. After all, it was the many beautifully taken shots of the greenery and artistic value of the place I saw on blogs that first tempted me to visit the place, so here are some of the shots I took (but you might want to check out better photos of them here, here and here) since my phone camera is ciplak and I suck at photography.

One of the two most instagrammable spots is definitely the majestic old tree that was retained to take centre stage with the mall design built around it.

#1 - Majestic-looking Tree

This tall, grand tree sprouting from the centre of the mall certainly gives you a sense of tranquility and nature just standing amongst the greenery.

The other much talked about instagram-worthy spot would be the colourful art installation of paper doves in rainbow colours hanging from the skylight.

#2 - Rainbow Paper Doves

There are more than 40,000 folded paper doves in 40 colours, it seems.

It's even more beautiful when natural sunlight streams down in the afternoons.


#3 - Rainbow Staircase

Besides the rainbow colours of the paper doves, there's also the rainbow-coloured steps ready for you to strike your best post...standing up or seated down. ^_*

#4 - Luna Lana Light Bulbs

As you stroll through the mall, unique artwork in the form of wall murals painted in vibrant colours emerge beckoning you to pause a moment and take a snapshot.

#5 - Flora & Fauna Mural with 3-D Butterflies

#6 - The Gift of Trees.....what a wonderful gift to us all :)

#7 - Hornbill

#8 - (Proboscis) Monkey & Leopard (or is that a Cheetah?) ^_~

#9 - Octopus (in disguise) & Wooden Hut

Whether it's artwork or greenery, you can find influences of that too in the eateries at this mall, notably in De.Wan 1958 by Chef Wan, Bo All Day Dining and Bean Brothers to name a few.

#10 - Bo All Day Dining

My Personal Opinion

Its beautiful interior and classy ambience invites you to come and linger to savour reasonably-priced western mains and Asian favourites, some of which should please.  Luckily, we chose the 2-course set lunch (since the dessert on that day, bread pudding, wasn't something we fancied) which actually turned out to be a 3-course lunch (with the refillable salad).  This was very filling and really good value at RM28!  Count yourself lucky (if you happen to work around the area) as you can feast on such great value set lunch specials. ^_~

But, most of all, it's the attraction and charm of a little tropical oasis in the heart of KL, within a non-crowded mall with a quiet ambience, that makes it the perfect destination for those who want to relax and take a stroll in a non-hectic mall.

I'm sure I'll be back since there are quite a few potential food options to explore in this mall.

Bo All Day Dining

Lot 1-10 & 1-11 The Linc

No 360 Jalan Tun Razak

50400 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 017-211 2842