May 26, 2022

Feeling cheesey at Cotta KL

Hidden away above a mini market, Cotta KL is like a speakeasy bar but with ricotta cheese on the menu. The 3 key staples here are the Classic Ricotta Toast (RM18), Smoked Salmon Ricotta Toast (RM26) and Chuck Mooris (RM25). The Classic consists of a slice of housemade sourdough with ricotta cheese, walnuts and imported honey drizzled on top. Simple and lip-smacking good, the walnuts give a nice crunch and add texture to face off with the velvety cheese and chewy bread.

A nice savoury appeal balanced with the creamy richness of the ricotta – you get this straight off the locally smoked Norwegian salmon on a bed of ricotta, topped with nori flakes, lemon zest and a sous vide egg completes the ensemble. Clearly, much thought has been given to how the flavours come together in harmony on the palate. The runny, gooey egg provides a fitting blanket to ensure a moist mouthful.

Chuck is about a six-hour slow-cooked Australian beef brisket that’s charred with a blow-torch just before serving for that smoky fragrance. Laced with homemade chimichurri and topped with sous vide egg, the clever pairing with ricotta on sourdough should make the carnivore sigh in happiness.

Also worth mentioning is the Prawn Special, limited to just 10 servings a day. Other dessert options include the Ricotta Cream Cheese Apple Pie. At this stage, one is inclined to think that almost anything can go with the fluffy ricotta. The cheese is also sold by itself by the jars at Cotta KL and there are other foodstuff on sale as well. Cotta KL also serves their own lemonade cheekily called Sorry Anwar, along with kombucha and coffee, and there are pies as well though I recommend sticking to the ricotta choices.

Owner Ivan Chong makes the cheese himself, perfected over the course of 2 lockdowns. Three different kinds of milk are used to make the ricotta while lemons give the acidity to stabilise the whey. Prices are not exactly to be sniffed at here for just an open-faced sandwich. But you’re paying for a passion product, homemade minus the commercialising and artfully put together to tease the taste buds. That possibly should is worth the extra ringgit.

After his company dealing with merchandising and licensing rights for Ultraman characters wound up, no thanks to the MCO, Ivan dived head on into the food biz, concentrating on his cafe and perfecting his ricotta cheese. Drop by the cosy Cotta for a chat with Ivan to find out why. He’s quite a character too.