A new era has emerged for La Casa: After six years at Desa Park City, the respected restaurant recently moved to Solaris Dutamas following a severe rent increase, with another branch expected to be launched nearby in Mont Kiara within two months.
La Casa occupies a strategic position in front of Publika's outdoor square; its menu is extensive, but we'll begin our exploration with the brunch menu, bursting with distinctive temptations, such as a single-pan serving of olive-laced duck pate, beef sausage (can be substituted with chicken), fried eggs, roasted potatoes & cherry tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms & toast. RM32++.
Here's what makes La Casa worth recommending: The restaurant painstakingly makes its own pate, sausages & even bread (focaccia, croissants, baguettes, brioches & more) at its Bandar Manjalara central kitchen. The result is fresh-tasting food with honest & reasonably robust flavours, heartily executed by a team that takes its cooking seriously.
We'd eagerly wake up early for the chunky duck pate alone, but there's some more surprising components in La Casa's 14-item brunch selection: Fluffy, pesto-tinged gnocchi (constructed with U.S. potatoes), pretty much as satisfactory as any we'd find in KL's full-fledged Italian eateries, partnered with savoury sausages that supply a rather rustic bite, a rocket salad, plus La Casa's pleasurably runny rendition of eggs en cocotte. RM26++.
Yearning for baked eggs? Not a problem: La Casa serves a chicken-&-egg version, with soft yolks & hot, melted cheese blanketing a layer beneath of Mexican-inspired pulled chicken & baked beans. RM20++.
La Casa's spicy-tangy, broth-like interpretation of beef hash typically comes with fried eggs (RM22++), though if the kitchen isn't too busy, poached could be possible. The rest of the brunch menu (available 10am through at least 2pm) comprises the likes of waffles & pancakes; pizza, pasta & a wealth of main courses including oxtail stew & duck confit are available during other hours.
Have a sweet tooth? Indulgences galore, from macarons to lemon tarts, line the front showcase, all baked by La Casa's team.
Extremely few cafes in KL offer the Mont Blanc dessert of pureed chestnuts & whipped cream. La Casa is one.
Sesame Noir (RM13++), a memorable creation, with sesame sponge, white chocolate mousse, milk chocolate ganache & black sesame cream, plus a framboisier (RM13++) that's well-measured in taste & texture.
Coffee enthusiasts have a compelling reason to check out La Casa: This cafe is one of only several that obtain beans exclusively roasted by Japanese maestro Kato San. A Central American theme prevails for this blend.
Affogato? Absolutely. Especially since even the vanilla ice cream is made at La Casa.
Thinking of tea? Try The Natural Tea Company's fragrant lavender flavour (or apricot peach, or raspberry razzle).
Wondering about wine? That'll be available soon (beer already is). Many thanks to the team at La Casa for hosting this lunch.
La Casa
A4-G2-7, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur
Tues-Fri, 11am-10pm; Sat-Sun, 10am-10pm. Tel: 03-6211-8875
Check out the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favourites, featuring 100 recommended restaurants for July-September 2014, including more than 20 new entries for this quarter.
This eBook is available to read or download at this link: http://eatdrinkkl.publ.com/2014C
Link expires Sept 30, 2014; see blog entries after that date for new link.
Stay up to date: The Eat Drink KL newsletter is sent by email to subscribers every Monday; it's the Klang Valley's foremost weekly round-up of new restaurant openings (even before they're featured on this blog), F&B promotions & other tasty tidbits.
Subscribe to Eat Drink KL Weekly for free via this following link:
Note to subscribers on Gmail: The newsletter will be in the Promotions folder of your inbox.
Sausages to sambal. Muffins to marshmallows. Peanut butter to mango chutney. Cornflake ice cream to honey aloe yogurt. Lavender-laced lemonades to lychee-&-guava juices.
Eat Drink KL: Small Businesses, Huge Flavours is the first eBook to help customers navigate the diversity of independent F&B entrepreneurs who bake & boil in their own kitchens, offering some of Malaysia's finest, most fascinating food products.
