Hit & Mrs @ Kurau, Bangsar: Part II

Hit & Mrs: Part Two. Earlier entry: November 29.

BIG on flavor: Brie, soy & barley _ throw them together, they taste terrific!

Rock melon soup with port wine. A liquor lover's dream made liquid, cold & refreshing.

 Sumptuous things come in threes: scallops, super-soft potato confit & smoky paprika.

Lamb, peas & barley, another three-dimensional flight of gastronomic fancy. Every component complements each other really, really well.

This one is out of this world: chicken receives the royal treatment, more succulent than most, with a one-of-a-kind "trufflondaise," like hollandaise sauce abundantly aromatic with black truffles, cushioned with quinoa. 

Finishing with a flourish: ultra-creamy lemon custard with raspberries. 

Even tiramisu is served impressively here, with mixed berry sabayon. 

Peanut butter alert! It's peanut butter ice cream, rich & flavor-packed, with thick chocolate.

 Cocktails here are excellent. Ramos Fizz (gin, lime, lemon, sugar, cream, egg white, orange blossom water, vanilla, soda).

Waterloo (gin, campari, watermelon, simple syrup, lemon). 

Luis Filipe Edwards Reserva Camenere, RM24++ by the glass. 

Hit & Mrs by The BIG Group,

15, Lorong Kurau, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2282-3571

Hit & Mrs @ Bangsar

It's a hit! The BIG Group's Hit & Mrs opened at Bangsar this week, instantly becoming one of the best in The BIG Group's repository of restaurants.

This two-level eatery & lounge will lure many to Lorong Kurau, thanks to the promise of ambitious fare served in a striking setting.

The surface level comprises up to twelve tables, while the upper floor has sections evocative of Ipoh's Burps & Giggles (Seksan's Sekeping influence looms large).

The lounge is like the antithesis of Tate, less sleek but more idiosyncratic, with a P. Ramlee vintage corner inundated with tunes Saloma would sing.

What about the food? From the time the multi-grain bread with super-soft butter surfaces, customers will be in the safest of hands.

The mastermind behind this amuse bouche of watermelon, goat's cheese, basil & olive oil is Mashad, a Malaysian who recently returned after seven years working in establishments in Portugal, Germany, Austria, Denmark & Switzerland.

Salmon with horseradish cream & celery. Here's how Hit & Mrs works: the menu is meant to change everyday; customers can order a la carte dishes, or have an eight-course tasting meal for roughly RM175++ per person.

Mashad's cross-continental training becomes evident in recipes like this foie gras parfait, practically akin to gelato, with brioche & cranberry jam.

Double the foie, double the fun: Liver paired with peanut butter crumbs (!) & raspberry jam.

Cod fish with brown butter & chestnut cream. Hit & Mrs tries to be inventive; for the risks it takes, for the out-of-the-box cooking that it supplies, it's well worth supporting.

Aussie tenderloin with BBQ gnocchi & onion toffee. Hit & Mrs (be alert, it's Hit, not Hits) currently opens only for dinner, but closes Mondays.

For sharing, this spiced-up Sangria could satisfy four.

Fino Intro (fino sherry, sweet vermouth, maraschino cherry, angostura bitter, lemon twist).

Weekend brunches are expected to be unveiled soon. We'll be here (someday)!

From Plan B to Ben's, Botanical to Shucked, BIG's experiments have sometimes worked & sometimes needed work; this one nails the target right off the bat.

Much of the charm might be derived from this location, smack amid shop lots where being fashionable has never been paramount.

Hit & Mrs has faced obstacles; four of Mashad's kitchen crew left even before the opening, but in spite of those troubles, a terrific evening can be had here.

Hit & Mrs,
15, Lorong Kurau, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2282-3571

TableTalk @ Taman Tun

Food lovers in Taman Tun Dr Ismail are talking this month about TableTalk, one of this neighborhood's cheeriest cafes for dawn-to-dusk dining.

Sunny Eggs Benedict (RM12.50+), nicely executed, to welcome early birds starting 7:30 a.m.

Breakfast dishes remain available through 5 p.m. daily, so this French toast (RM7.50+) can serve as both brunch offering & teatime treat.

Fans of fruits will likely love this lovely-looking salad (RM18++), sweetly riddled with rock melon, berries, rose granita, baked meringue & honey-lemon dressing. 

Prawn souffle (RM18+), fluffy & flavorful, with chili sauce that packs a spicy sting.

Not everything here's a bona fide smash; the salmon tortilla cones (RM22+) are bountiful with smoked fish, dill, cucumber & creme fraiche, becoming a nice bargain for the price, but this somehow comes across as blandly doughy.

Too-starchy chowder, with scallops & lobster meat. Still, its RM18+ cost won't cripple the wallet.

Save space for a sweet finish: we'd recommend the crunchy, saffron-infused meringue (RM18+).

Also pretty interesting: shortbread sandwiched with mascarpone & mixed berries (RM18+).

Wine is sold by both glass & bottle. Not a wide range, but well-chosen.

With last orders at 10:30 p.m., there's no excuse to miss out on a meal at TableTalk.

Table Talk TTDI (same row as D'Legends Bar),

4, Jalan Datuk Sulaiman, Taman Tun Dr Ismail.

Tel: 03-7733-7718