Two friendly Malaysian sisters & their collaborators have created this lovely-looking new cafe that showcases intriguing ideas.
The menu teems with tempting twists: You'll find Eggs Atlantic reinterpreted with corn-&-potato fritters to replace the traditional muffins - RM9 for the smaller, appetiser-sized serving above or RM17 for a full portion. Jaffles - Australia's toasted sandwiches - are available with a trending-in-Malaysia filling of 'pisang cheese' (RM5.90). Fun flourishes that illustrate wit & inventiveness - though our caveat is that while we genuinely admire Kotakotak's drive to be distinctive, some of these recipes might still need more tinkering to truly shine; many of them missed a beat or two in executing their balance of flavours & textures.
Meat matters: The 12-hour-braised pulled lamb proved significantly gamier than expected, partnered with a slightly mushy & flat-tasting salad of couscous, barley & yoghurt (RM14). The chicken burger, with a parsley-&-parmesan-crusted thigh patty, fried egg, Asian slaw, spiced aioli & kitchen-made U.S. potato fries (RM12), sounded like pure pleasure on paper (it's assuredly more ambitious than the average burger), but the components couldn't coalesce into a compelling, cohesive whole.
Still, it's worth visiting Kotakotak to explore its efforts - vegetarians will be taken care of; we favour the complex, colourful stack of smashed pumpkin, sweet potatoes, crispy potato skin, mashed potatoes & tempeh with chilli basil oil squirts (RM11) over the unnecessarily sweet hummus layered with fried pastry skin, berries & pistachios (RM17.50). The coffee is well-prepared.
Kotakotak Cafe
8 Jalan Presiden F U1/F Accentra Glenmarie Seksyen U1, 40150 Shah Alam
Generally open Tuesday - Sunday, 8am-7pm. For Ramadan, open for lunch & dinner through 930pm
Tel: 03-5569-0459
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