Food Explorer & Home Chef
EQ celebrates the festive season with amazing dining experiences, thoughtful gifts and cherished traditions. This well-established leading luxury city hotel has designed a calendar of events designed to capture the warmth and joy of this time of year, featuring lavish feasts and sumptuous banquets. The …
Good Peranakan food is not easy to come by. Happy to report that I found a perut ikan (fish stomach) dish that checked all the boxes. Sour enough to make you squint, pieces of fish that you can still make out (instead of mushy indistinguishable …
When I saw others posting about bonito hummus meshed with kotsubu natto, I knew I had to try this unlikely combo for myself. French-trained chef Joel Kirk (formerly from Coley) has teamed up with Leen’s and SAJ’s Syrian chef Ameer Azalek, with input from chef Andy Choy (Chateau Dionne) as well, to come up with the quirky, experimental Zaataru, an exciting mix of Levantine plus Japanese sensibilities. The hummus in question? Yes, it was delicious! Reminiscent of mild blue cheese, who knew this odd pairing would be so harmonious?
The Picnic set had a series of 3 dips, including eggplant, peppers, tahini, grape molasses and preserves, that came with freshly baked Levantine bread. When mixed with the grape molasses, the tahini seemed to magically evolved into a something akin to a sweetish peanutty dip. Frankly, it was hard to choose. Every single one of the dips was so good! We also had torched edamame with labneh – fragrant, nutty and creamy. Another hit on the table.
Charred cabbage with olive wasabi butter was da bomb while roasted cauliflower was mind-blowing good. Veggies will never be the same again.
Smash lamb hawawshi was similar to quesadilla – moist, textural, a flavour bomb – in between Zaataru-made bread. Every mouthful was true joy. Sirloin steak, Zaataru’s version of steak and fries, had melt-in-your-mouth tender, artfully marinated beef on fries, a worthy full-on A-course for one, or as a sharing plate.
Only two desserts are available but they are glorious! Ginger date pudding is every bit as indulgent as it looks, and Sundae baklava – nutty, rich as baklava should be, with peanut ice-cream and banana puree in the centre. To. Die. For.
Casual and vibrant, food is meant to be shared over lively conversations with friends (and family) at Zaataru. Food here is next level but even better, it’s about how everything comes together so brilliantly.
Add: 21-1, Lorong Rahim Kajai 13, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur. hp: 011-6224 5723
Double Zero Pizza arrives in the heart of Ampang with a different kind of promise: simplicity on the surface, depth at its core. A new kind of neighbourhood pizza parlour, it fuses Scandinavian minimalism with sourdough, creating a flavourful dining experience. The name, Double Zero, …
Hidden behind an orange lit small door, the stairs lead to P & V in Bangsar, KL, a secret diner helmed by Dutch chef Joeri Timmermans. Beginning his career at 14 in the Netherlands, Joeri worked at several Michelin starred restaurants, before moving to Australia …
Meraki started off by crafting in-house sauces, snacks and corporate gifting in 2020, then ventured into private dining. It has since curated exclusive menus for private and corporate events, including weddings. Now it has a physical restaurant in Section 17, PJ. The neighbourhood restaurant serves contemporary Malaysian cuisine, led by chef LC and chef Kumar, and their dishes strive to honour local ingredients and culinary heritage.
During the media review we had a run through of the menu. Starting on a whimsical note, we had a few things from the Small Plates section: Rehydrated Sultanas, Asam Boi Kyuri (pickled cucumber), Chee Kuih (steamed rice flour kuih), Coriander Slaw and Fried Egg Tofu. The sultanas (raisins) were nice and succulent, cucumber given a different taste note thanks to the asam boi, coriander slaw – not for non-fans. Egg tofu was ordinary. Chee Kuih, while common to the Chinese, was a nice introduction for other ethnic groups. Much like Korean banchan, these were lovely appetisers that paved the way to more solid offerings later.
Standalone single dishes such as Vangole Basah – a laksa spin with clams – flavourful, but we left it too long while taking pics so was kinda soggy; Chilled Somen with Prawns with ulam tempura/Asian Ponzu had unusual texture and taste; and Chicken Rice Risotto – this I really like, even though normally I’m not a fan of risotto – all were commendable, each stood on their own and were well-executed.
My faves were main courses Cured Angus Sirloin with ulam bernaise – quite different for a sauce, but in a good way, and Lamb Shoulder with yogurt – these were stellar dishes, perfect doneness, tender yet textured, well-marinated and balanced flavour. The 24-hour brine Chicken came with ulam bernaise too.
For dessert, mini tiramisu, creme caramel and vanilla parfait made a pleasant sweet end. Not bad at all, though the chefs’ strength clearly were in the main courses.
Meraki’s menu is extensive and varied, offering familiar Asian cuisine that have been tweaked by the chefs’ interpretation. Rice is available if you can’t live without a carb base. Prices are not cheap, but they don’t knock the ball outta park either. Go discover Meraki for yourself, it’s worth the adventure.
Add: Ground floor, 22A, Jalan 17/54, Section 17, Petaling Jaya. WA Only: 03-7499 3516
The Australian Food and Wine Collaboration Group came together to showcase “Taste the Wonders of Australia” in Kuala Lumpur recently. The Group, comprising Hort Innovation Australia, Dairy Australia, Meat & Livestock Australia, Seafood Industry Australia and Wine Australia, initiated a strategic, concerted effort to advance …
Professional butchery is not just about cutting meat, it is also about the butcher’s skill in deboning, portioning, creation and display of creative and practical applications, reducing wastes and increasing yields. The Ultimate Butchers Challenge was held by the Aussie Meat Academy recently at UCSI, …
One of those days, I was craving bbq meat so we paid Uncle Botak BBQ a visit. A popular station for smoky barbecued meat, it comes with a host of homemade sauces too.
The Muslim-owned resto claims to be THE place for wood-fired chicken, beef tenderloin and lamb shoulder, house-made beef meatballs and smoked duck breast. We ordered a combo platter for 4 which had all of the above and came with 4 choices of made-from-scratch sauces such as French demi-glace, French brown, fresh coriander bbq, spicy peri-peri sauce and Italian sour cream sauce.
The beef and lamb (200g each) were done just right, texture firm yet tender to the bite, juicy. Luckily, they were not drenched in BBQ sauce, (which I can’t stand) but lightly marinated, so the meat was flavourful on its own even without dipping into the sauces.
The chicken was OK, but not as tasty as the beef and lamb. Meatballs (200g) were very good, hearty and meaty, not mixed with flour like some cheap ones which are often mushy. Not sure if they made this in-house as smoked duck tasted commercial, like the kind bought in supermarket. Twas alright but not amazing.
I wouldn’t recommend the spaghetti as it was soggy, swimming in watery cream (gravy?) and soft, and not the cheesey potato wedges either as they use gooey artificial orange cream cheese instead of real cheese.
At RM128 for the platter, it’s quite worthwhile as this comes with salad and wedges as well. If you’re looking for a casual place for family or friends to gather, this place is an option.
Add: B-G, 08, Jalan SS 7/13b, SS7, Petaling Jaya. Hp: 011-1122 5563
A vegan restaurant is hard enough to come by in the Klang Valley, what more a Japanese vegan! By Age 18, located at The Five, Bukit Damansara, KL is the first branch outside Japan. The first restaurant is in Mure, Kagawa in Japan and the …