Eatomo Publika, Sri Hartamas | Malaysian Food Review
Eatomo is an Asian/Californian seafood fusion restaurant that has been in Kuala Lumpur since late 2016. From its origins in the residential neighbourhood of Taman Desa, Eatomo has grown to 3 locations across KL, including a spot in Solaris Dutamas Publika (better known as just “Publika”).
This is a simple food review of lunch at Eatomo Publika, which is an Eatomo branch that opened in 2017. A way for me to keep a record of where I’ve been, what the food was like (and whether it deserves a return visit).
I hope you find this helpful, whether it’s your first time at Eatomo or Publika, or if you’re just looking for a place to eat near the Kuala Lumpur High Court!
TL;DR Come dine at Eatomo Publika if you are:
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Table of Contents
About Publika Solaris Dutamas
A quick introduction for the uninitiated:
Publika Solaris is located in the well-to-do neighbourhood of Sri Hartamas. I won’t bore you with the nitty-gritty details, but here are some quick facts:
- Publika is a sprawling mid to upscale shopping mall with a major focus on restaurants, pubs and niche/hipster craft shops. There are also many offices and residences in the area;
- There is plenty of carpark space beneath Publika but it is an absolute maze. I never know where I’ll end up emerging because I don’t go often enough; it’s so confusing. To make things easier, just get a Grab here and save yourself the hassle of remembering where you parked;
- Publika is a mini lawyer haven. There are many, many legal firms based here so if you ever bump into someone dressed in black and white during lunch hour, chances are high that they’re a lawyer who just returned from a stint at the KL High Court. In case you didn’t know, the High Court is literally up the hill from Publika, some 10 minutes away;
- Publika has a supermarket called BIG. BIG is considered one of the more posh groceries in Kuala Lumpur and it’s a good way to figure out what kind of mall you’re visiting in KL – if BIG is present, then the mall is posh. That’s how I see it, anyway.
Review of Eatomo Publika @ Sri Hartamas
Eatomo Publika is located along the road beside the main Publika building. You can park your car along the road outside for Eatomo but these are all valet parking spaces so it would cost you a bomb.
We chose to sit outside because there is no network inside. This seating choice was vital because we were there for… Harry Potter Wizards United. 😳 But let’s talk about that later.
Sit outside Eatomo Publika if we want access to your mobile network. There is terrible/little reception if you’re seated inside.
Once seated, we were given the menus & an order sheet that we needed to complete ourselves.
There was the normal menu, which is pricey and full of seafood oriented options. E.g. poke bowl, mentaiko-seared bowl, as well as fresh, grilled and fried seafood and seafood hotpot (which goes from Spicy cajun Louisiana-style to Belgian Cream Curry and Thai Coconut Chilli. Talk about range!).
You can check out Eatomo’s menu here.
However, Eatomo Publika runs a lunch set special from 12 – 3pm on weekdays and it’s a great deal! For the cost of a poke bowl from the normal menu, you get a soup + salad + side dish of the day + drink.
The choices included the dish I wanted so of course, that’s exactly what I ordered.
The order took around 10 minutes to come.
Then again, it was a really quiet day and I could only see one other table being served.
The iced matcha drink came in a huge glass.
This is what a set lunch looks like! Everything comes in a tray.
The Eatomo California Poke bowl came laden with cubes of salmon, tuna and butterfish, drenched in mayonnaise above a large bowl of rice and salad.
Personally, I thought it was an average poke bowl; I’m a far bigger fan of The Fish Bowl in Pavillion. This is not something I would pay for again, given a choice.
The use of mayonnaise took away my enthusiasm for the dish because surely for this price, you could’ve come up with a more ‘unique’ seasoning? It also rather defeats the intention of having poke bowl as a “eat clean” effort. The addition of guacamole was pretty nice, however, despite its very small portion.
The salad was also very simple, and the soup, while nice, was rather salty. The side dish was Japanese omelette (tamagoyaki), which was alright.
All in all, I would rate this as being rather average.
That said, the fluffy Japanese Tamago omelette with seared mentaiko sauce is not bad. It was lukewarm when it came out but very flavoursome. It also looks pretty decent for the picture!
Niantic’s Harry Potter Wizards United
Does anyone remember (or still play) Pokemon Go? That crazy augmented reality game that had global masses turning up and walking around to “catch ‘em all”?
In case you didn’t know, the same company that came up with Pokemon Go, Niantic, released a Harry Potter version known as Harry Potter Wizards Unite.
Many elements remain the same although its realisation differs, e.g. you’re capturing magical captures/Harry Potter and other notable figures from the wizarding world, as opposed to Pokemons. And you also collect potions to that give you special powers as opposed to Pokeballs.
But the overall concept is simple and apart from brewing potions, collecting ingredients & fighting “traces”, you need to go to certain places to access special sites, e.g. the greenhouses, inns (for power) and fortress (to fight).
Anyone who has ever played Pokemon Go / Wizards Unite will know what a pain it is to find a place with all the special sites we want in one spot.
And if you’ve ever played these games in Kuala Lumpur, you will know that Publika is a prime location to do just that.
Just look at that!! An absolute treasure trove of inns, glasshouses and fortresses. We got hit by this the moment we turned into the carpark. The fight starts now!
So if nothing else, you might want to come to Eatomo during lunchtime (and community events) to catch ‘em all!
Be warned: You might find yourself stuck here for hours.
But if you come with a group of like-minded friends… you’re guaranteed the most collaborative/sociable anti-social lunch ever! 😅
Verdict on Eatomo Publika
Cost: $$
I would come here for the lunch set if the main dishes appeal to you or don’t come at all. If you would like to try the other more unusual dishes, then be prepared to spend.
If you’re a Pokemon Go/Wizards Unite fan, make sure you sit outside to play.
But honestly, all the inns/fortresses you could want is easily accessible from most of the restaurants in Publika so I would wander around more. There are plenty of other restaurants to check out!
FAQs
Is Eatomo halal?
Yes. The majority of the dishes served are seafood based, but they do sell alcohol (beer and wine).
Where else can I try Eatomo apart from Publika?
Eatomo Food Co operates three Eatomo branches across Kuala Lumpur:
| Eatomo Branch | Location & Details | Remarks |
Eatomo Bangsar Opened in 2018 | 21 Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur Phone: 03-22023280 Hours: Daily 12pm-10:30pm | Bangsar is a posh, Millennial-centric, hipster neighbour that is a draw for many Malaysians. The biggest drawback is that it’s always a fight to get a car park space. Sometimes, the fight just isn’t worth it. |
Eatomo Publika Opened in 2017 | A2-G2-06 Solaris Dutamas, 1 Jalan Dutamas 1, 50480 Kuala Lumpur Phone: 03-28561280 Hours: Daily 12pm-10:30pm | As mentioned above, Publika is a giant shopping mall/office/residential area. It’s easy to get lost here eating and exploring the myriad quaint shops that are open. The groceries in BIG are interesting to browse through too as many of the items sold are imported! You never know what you’ll find. |
Taman Desa Opened in 2016 | 11-1-1 Jalan 3/109F, Taman Danau Desa, 58100 Kuala Lumpur Phone: 03-23031608 Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 11:45am-10pm Closed on Monday | Taman Desa is a lovely, quiet residential neighbourhood in southwest Kuala Lumpur. |
Does Eatomo do delivery?
It sure does! All 3 Eatomo outlets do delivery although there may be an additional RM 5 delivery charge.
Conclusion
If you liked this review or want to bookmark this place to try out yourself (everyone’s taste buds are different, after all!), don’t forget to pin!
And let me know in the comments below if this is the kind of post you’re interested in reading more of. 🙂
For ideas of other places to eat in KL, check out:
- Sin Kiew Yee Shin Kee Beef Noodles – authentic, 3rd generation store selling one of the best beef noodles in town near Chinatown / Petaling Street
- Pier 12 Seafood Tavern @ Old Malaya – for some good old pasta/seafood
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