Eat Drink KL: So Moreish, Mont Kiara

Sunday, September 22, 2019

So Moreish, Mont Kiara

So Moreish lives up to its name, thanks to the talents of its kitchen commander Johnny Kyaw, one of KL's most persistently passionate bakers. We first met Johnny nearly five years ago when he was part of the founding team at Kenny Hills Bakers, but by then, he had already been head baker at Solaris Dutamas' Craft Bakers since 2011. After almost a decade at respected bakeries, Johnny continues to impress by toiling unceasingly to refine his skills, pursuing increasingly better ingredients and techniques that make every encounter with his work so moreish indeed.

At Mont Kiara's latest bakery-cafe, a rewarding brunch can be relished with the Lava Eggs, lovingly boiled for six minutes (instead of vinegar-poached) for a lovely purity of eggy flavour and soft, creamy textures, heaped with chickpeas and cheddar atop a toasted brioche (RM18), and the Omega Toast, the alpha of egg-with-toast recipes, showcasing a golden kampung egg at the core of an oven-toasted brioche that's slightly sugary, beautifully buttery and compellingly crisp (RM15).

A chicken-or-egg dilemma might confront customers making their first orders. The solution: Have both - the omelette is layered with not only three kinds of mushrooms (portobello, oyster and button) but three cheeses (Emmental, Parmesan and cheddar), served steaming-hot, as thick as a Spanish omelette, oozing with gooey goodness within (RM23), while the free-range chicken leg is brined for 48 hours before reaching the oven for succulent roasting, made a balanced meal with a full salad on the side (RM28). Both are rounded out with 36-hour sourdough toasts, baked fresh daily (Johnny himself has a gluten intolerance, so he tries to ensure his bread won't leave customers feeling bloated). Much of the cooked food is conscientiously seasoned too, with chicken stock prepared in-house, sea salt and Himalayan salt.

Pizzas have long been one of Johnny's primary pleasures, so try So Moreish's version of the classic Margherita (RM28 with regular mozzarella, but it's worth adding RM15 for the more decadent burrata), 12 inches of a spelt sourdough for sharing, completed with a house-blended tomato sauce and fresh basil leaves plucked from the cafe's own garden outside on a yeasty thin crust with a hardier bite. Alternatively, lighter pastries are also available, paired with a flat white featuring soy milk (RM12).

So Moreish with Johnny
C-OG-03, Aman Walk, Jalan Kiara 2, Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur. Open Mon, Wed-Fri, 7am-5pm; weekends, 830am-630pm. Tel: 03-6211-6261

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com