The Cross has the ambience for everything – a hangout for college kids, a spot for business meetings, a lunch-time joint for the nine-to-fivers, a retreat for afternoon teas, a gathering place for dinner and a platform for performing arts. With over 50 items on the menu under different categories: rice, noodles, spaghetti, snacks and drinks, Lucille and I had a difficult time making decisions!
I picked Apple Orange fruit juice as I usually pair my lunch with a refreshing, non-dairy drink. The Cross’ Junior Supervisor who accompanied us, Francis Voon or popularly known as Chairo, commented, “Our fruit juice here is purely fruit. We don’t add water and sugar.” The drink had a tangy but pleasant taste; and an aromatic orange scent. Lucille picked Aloe Vera Milk, a mix of aloe vera puree, honey and milk; which was very cooling. She also liked the chewy aloe vera chunks in the beverage.
I ordered the Stewed Pork Minced Rice. It’s a popular type of dish in Taiwan, where their head chef, Chef Pang Chen Kiat, worked before. “It’s one of our top-selling items,” said Chairo. The rice dish had finely minced pork and tiny cubes of tofu stewed in soy sauce. It was accompanied with half hardboiled egg that was simmered in the same sauce; and also thinly sliced cucumber and vegetables. The flavour was evocative of the sweet and aromatic Chinese herbal tea eggs. Lucille tried their Szechuan Chicken lunch set, which is the latest addition to their set lunch. Unlike the common spicy Szechuan Chicken at other eateries, The Cross’ version is less spicy and sweeter. “Our chef likes to lessen the spiciness and add more sweetness when it comes to spicy food, even with curry, so the curry at The Cross is a bit different from other places,” said Chairo.
We finished our lunch at 3.00pm so we decided to go for their snack menu. I had The Cross’ Dumplings, which was my favourite, a set of five steamed dumplings with generous clumps of savoury minced pork fillings; flavoured with their homemade Bolognese sauce. I also ordered their popular Mango Blended to go with my snack. It was a concoction of mango puree, evaporated milk, sugar and ice cubes; topped with black and colourful pearls and Sea Bird Nest. I enjoyed chewing on the squishy colourful pearls while the cool and sweet blend gushed down my throat.
Lucille had the Japanese Croquettes which were made with real potato mixed with minced beef. The golden bread crumb layer on the outside was crunchy while the fillings were fluffy. Its creamy and tangy taste reminded Lucille of Pringles Sour Cream & Onion. “Other places usually use pork as fillings but here, we use beef. It’s like our special thing,” said Chairo.
Lucille chose the Gone With The Wind of the flower tea variety for her tea-time beverage. Not only was the presentation picturesque (it was served in a clear teapot placed on top of an infuser) but the tea also had therapeutic properties. Gone With The Wind has a calming and cooling effect. Each tea in the variety has its own healing ingredients so speak to the waiter on which tea is suitable for your needs.
We recommend their value-for-money lunch set which comes with a dish, rice, soup, a drink and a dessert; and afternoon snack set that includes a snack and coffee/ tea. The Cross supports local arts talent by providing free venue to showcase your talent. Visit their website for event updates as there will be plenty of upcoming happenings.
Details:
Address: No. S-1-4, 1st Floor City Mall, Jalan Lintas 88300, Kota Kinabalu.
Tel: 088-487818
Web: http://thecross.biz/
Facebook: Thecross Petros
• Open from 11am to 11pm daily. Open for breakfast at 8am starting 1 Nov 2010.
• Free wi-fi
• Non-halal
• They do orders for take-away and deliver within City Mall shopping complex.
• They are available for private functions and outside catering
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