Walking around Changkat Bukit Bintang on a leisurely evening & stopping here & there, starting with 51 Restaurant (named for its address on this street).
"Salmon Roti Canai" (RM15 before taxes), juicy fish wrapped in doughy parcels & topped with creamy dill sauce. Fun finger food.
"Origami barramundi" (RM15), basically the Asian sea bass cooked with mushrooms in paper. Comes out delicate & relatively fresh-tasting.
More fish, this time breaded & stuffed with tomato salsa in soft flour tacos (RM15).
Need real meat? Try 51's signature sliders (also RM15, underscoring the affordability of these small plates); mini-burgers with grilled beef, lettuce, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onion compote ...
... & the secret ingredient that makes these memorable: fried quail eggs. Gotta love 'em.
Wine's available by both bottle & glass, but try the cocktails instead.
Espresso chili martini, with the double-kick of both an espresso shot & cili padi to spice up this concoction of Absolut vodka & gomme syrup.
Choc Martini with a delicious surprise; the menu says this contains Absolut, choc liquor & Bailey's, but there's something extra: honeycomb chocolate candy.
Fewer than fifty meters from 51, there's Black Forest, run by the people who operate El Cerdo, The Steakhouse, The Whisky Bar & Dining In The Dark.
Black Forest is the latest attempt to carve a longer-lasting restaurant at this address, which once belonged to El Cerdito in 2009 followed by The Bier Bar only last year.
What hasn't changed: It's still all about the hog here. Start with Black Forest's cold-cuts platter of rilettes, pork liver pate, salami & pig head jelly.
For a change from crispy pork knuckles: Berliner Eisbein, the northern-German-style recipe that's cured & boiled instead, for a more thoroughly succulent chew.
Black Forest is right beside El Cerdo; patrons can try ordering food from next door if both restaurants aren't too busy. Here's something from El Cerdo: So what lies beneath this lid?
It's a cataplana sumptuously brimming with seafood, chorizo & Iberico ham.
Hot, flavorsome nourishment; a prime example of why the El Cerdo brand is so enduring.
Service sparkles too; the team here knows & loves the food.
Speaking of the permanency of F&B establishments, it's strange to see that The Establishment nearby on Jalan Mesui is gone, replaced recently by Nagaba.
The decor remains the same, while the menu looks like an undistinguished mix of pub grub. The drinks seem OK though, based on our order of "Liquid Cocaine" (champagne, vodka, red bull, for RM35 nett).
This restaurant is available for bookings under TABLEAPP, which enables customers to make instant reservations at Malaysia's top restaurants, while saving time and money in the process. Reserve your table at this restaurant by clicking here.
51 Restaurant & Bar,
Ground Floor, Radius International Hotel, Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.
Open 5pm onwards, except Mondays.
Black Forest,
47, Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.
Open 4pm through late, daily.
Nagaba,
31, Jalan Mesui, Off Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.
The Oct.-Dec. inaugural edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favorites is now available in an eBook for free, convenient reading on computers, tablets & smartphones. It comprises reviews & information for 100 pretty nice eateries that span various locations, cuisines & budgets.
Please click here: http://eatdrinkkl.publ.com/Eat-Drink-KL-100-Favorites-Oct-Dec-2013
This link expires Dec. 31, 2013; see blog entries after that date for new link
47, Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.
Open 4pm through late, daily.
Nagaba,
31, Jalan Mesui, Off Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.
The Oct.-Dec. inaugural edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favorites is now available in an eBook for free, convenient reading on computers, tablets & smartphones. It comprises reviews & information for 100 pretty nice eateries that span various locations, cuisines & budgets.
Please click here: http://eatdrinkkl.publ.com/Eat-Drink-KL-100-Favorites-Oct-Dec-2013
This link expires Dec. 31, 2013; see blog entries after that date for new link
