Food Explorer & Home Chef
I’ve been to quite a few Tiger Food Festivals in the last few years and I must say this year’s was quite happening! Some 10,000 guests flocked to 1U Shopping Mall, PJ from Sept 5-8 for the Tiger Crystal Food Festival which has become a …
Yun House, the Michelin selected restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur. played host to a brand new menu of bold flavours, creatively crafted by Chef Jimmy Wong and his talented team. With colourful garnishes and innovative plating, pushing the boundaries of Cantonese fine dining, …
Deep inside Kota Damansara, PJ is a row of factory lots. We weren’t even sure if we were at the right place until we saw the words Carbon emblazoned across a grey building. Chef David Tay greeted us outside and took us through an amazing 10-course Exploration menu at RM450. Having cut his teeth at Singapore establishments, David returned in 2023 to partner Yeoh Wei Chieh and bought their own place to set up shop.
David has one clear principle – that no customer leaves hungry. We were truly stuffed and stunned at the finesse and creativity of the dishes, many that centred around his love for burning chacoal hence the name Carbon.
The Exploration menu started with:
*Souvlaki raita – sort of like a mini vegetarian taco with shell that had a good crunch to the bite.
*Crystal prawns Arancini – stuffed Italian rice balls, with an Asian twist of sweet and sour pineapple topping that reminded one of laksa.
*Yellow fin tuna polenta – Polenta doesn’t always come out well but as a base for the tuna, it was excellent play of textures, the smooth fish against the grain.
*Hokkaido Scallop with kedondong juice – one of the top votes from me. Delivered raw as ceviche in between slices of avocado, the juice of the usually sharp and sour kedondong somehow tasted sweet juxtaposed against the seafood. Nicely done.
*Duck kapitan – Not usually a fan of ravioli, this one I would order a full plate as a meal. Pulled duck filled the inside of the charcoal pasta skin of the ravioli, littered with tobiko, sitting pretty in kapitan gravy. Another well-executed dish.
*Zucchini flower eggplant – stuffed with babaganosh with yogurt creme fraiche sauce and sumac and harissa. Familiar yet different.
*Cod Chimmicuri – Not just another fish dish, this was prepared in a claypot with a hot and slightly sour gravy that had tomato, coriander, onions and torch flower (bunga kantan). So good, i t should not be eaten on its own – so of course, we had a bit of rice to absorb the delish gravy.
*Signature roasted duck breast tamarind – this was the piece de resistance, finely turned in the grill before us for hours, yet tasting juicy, moist, full of intense flavour. Possibly of the best roasted duck i’ve had.
*Signature claypot rice with duck – nothing is wasted, as small bits of the duck go into this rice ensemble that emitted a nice char and fragrance of being cooked in clay, a distinct specialty by Yeoh. As much as Carbon is deemed a Western fine dine resto, this dish is as Chinese as it comes, and one of the house favourites as guests almost always, says David, asks for this. One mouthful and it’s easy to see why.
*Dessert was genmaicha ice cream with Lava cake plus a special surprise of durian parcel, key lime éclair kodok with peanut butter.
Carbon also has a 4-course discovery menu for RM398 for 2 pax.
Thank you for hosting, Carbon! It was an amazing meal like no other!
Add: 7, Jalan Pekaka 8/1D, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya. Hp: 012-988 7219
This is one instance where you can’t judge the resto by the building. A nondescript, almost drab office building in Brickfields, hides a lovely glasshouse on its rooftop. Spacious and bright, in the day it lets in a brilliant play of sunlight and in the …
It’s been years since I’ve stepped into Avenue K in Kuala Lumpur and I had no idea the top floor was such an attractive haunt for exotic food. Feliz, probably the only Peruvian restaurant around town, is headed by chef Franco Aldana who’s bent on …
Tiramisu anyone? By that, I mean latte – something in between a cake and a drink. Even looks like a tiramisu in a glass, except that you dive through layers of mascapone to get to the coffee. Nice, but too sweet for me. I preferred the Cantaloupe Yuzu which was light and refreshing.
This and a bunch of other snazzy drinks, light pastries and trendy breakfast choices await at Kyomo Kohi at New Ocean World Fine Food City, Petaling Jaya. I confess I was expecting another run-of-the-mill cafe food which usually don’t rate high on taste. Was pleasantly surprised at the good quality of food and the very decent prices here.
While waiting for the main dishes, we munched on battered sweet potato that was a nice light starter. A bit on the sweet side but I guess you could tell them to hold back on the honey drizzle so that you can control that yourself.
For mains, we tried the Gyukatsu Don that had a fairly large piece of coated wagyu that came in a set with potato salad, greens, miso soup and tonkatsu and curry sauces. The beef was still nicely tender and juicy which went well with the sauces, and together with the sides, it was a hefty meal for one.
Salmon Ochazuke Yuzu Spice had soup in a teapot to be poured over rice. Comfort food that resonates with many, I sometimes cook this at home too when I am bereft of ideas and it always wins.
Personally, I quite detest Japanese Curry but for once, the one at Kyomo was really quite nice, and NOT SWEET. Something I would order again.
The fluffy pancakes came in a set of 4 with cream and jam for just RM20 while the Brioche Blossom with Salmon was a good balance of toast, greens and protein. We also tried the triangular scone though I am not a fan as I found it a bit dry. The others enjoyed this.
Not your typical Japanese resto, the decor provides a zen-like calmness – miminalist with neutral shades. Turns out Kyomo is quite a nice place to hang out for a cuppa too as coffee quality is good and the ambience inviting enough for friends to chat the afternoon away. Can be a bit dangerous on the pocket, as the longer you stay, the more tempted you are to order more!
Add: L1 – 01, Level 1, New Ocean World Fine Food City, 15, Jalan 19/1, Seksyen 19, Petaling Jaya. Call: 012-9882534
Does your wine taste cheap? The fault may lie with your stemware rather than your wine. Over the last two years, Artisan Blue which offers exclusive private RIEDEL glass wine tasting experiences in Malaysia, has been educating wine connoisseurs on how the design of a …
Get a load of the fat and rich marbling seen in a raw slab of meat! That’s Kobe for you! Did you know that only 10,000 heads of cattle are produced as Kobe Beef by Japan each year, and only 10 are imported into Malaysia? …
Nestled in a cozy residence in Kuala Lumpur is a private dining experience that brings you to Spain. Chef Gabriel Bonnin who is the head chef at Artisan’s Playground by Cookhouse, also runs Verbena, a private dining enclave in Damansara Heights. Dinner usually involves a ‘cooking class’ where guests get front row seats in the kitchen and watch the preparation firsthand.
For our interview, Chef prepared a few dishes to give us a taste of what a full 4 course meal would be like. We started with homemade brioche with foie gras and caviar. Loved the rich creaminess of the foie gras enhanced by caviar, tempered with the fragrant brioche.
We moved on to scallop ceviche which had a subtle smokiness of cherry wood.
And the sou vided octopus – an amazing party in the mouth, fusing the earthy olive taste from the tapenade with miso mayo, alleviating the tender octopus.
The perfectly done lamb came on an unusual bed of red lentils salad with curry.
Flavours were all on point, and opened our eyes to a different facet of Spanish food beyond paella. A meal at Verbena costs RM390, But more than that, it’s a curated affair that promises to be quite special. Verbena also caters to private events where you can have a Spanish buffet for around RM200. For reservations, drop a message to IG @verbena.kl on its FB page.
Normally I’ll go straight into the food, but I can’t help gushing about the gorgeous decor at Sarastro KL by Milennihm at Tribeca serviced hotel! Hidden behind a set of bookshelves at the Millenium Lounge, Sarastro opens up to an almost vintage looking dining room …