Welcome to the neighbourhood: Petaling Street's latest destination is an ambitious amalgam of a tranquil restaurant called Chocha Foodstore & an upcoming wine lounge, coffee bar, co-working space, newsagent & bicycle rental shop, initiated by the MentahMatter design firm, with a raw, almost unvarnished authenticity shored up by charming embellishments (check out the lovely, leafy courtyard), squeezed into yet another former brothel on the same street as smash hits Merchant's Lane & PS150.
Chocha's affable creators, Shin Chang & his team, put their own personal spin on regional comfort cooking, promising capably executed platters of soul food that speak of Asian inspirations & ingredients; commence with this comfortingly nourishing bowl of steamed barley & rice, topped with tender pan-seared duck breast & flavoured with duck fat, respectably complemented by nitamago, crispy dried shrimp & local ulam cultivated in Chocha's sun-soaked courtyard (RM25).
Can't stop snacking: Cincalok fried chicken, its savoury succulence, complete with the unmistakable flavour of fermented shrimp sauce, balanced by a fresh summer salsa of tomatoes & pineapples, plus thick, kitchen-made tomato chutney (RM25).
Chocha produces its own hand-pulled flat noodles, meant to evoke pan mee, for several pasta-like permutations with a twist, such as this one blanketed with rich ulam pesto, charred capsicums, semi-dried tomatoes, peanuts & sesame seeds (RM20).
Fans of vegetables will have a field day with this trio of tasty salads: 'Curryflower,' comprising crumbed cauliflowers with curry leaves, kesom & shallots; Indonesian-style terong belado, with eggplant & Thai basil in a suitably spicy sambal; & cucumber in an aromatic cumin vinaigrette (RM15 each).
There's only one dessert in Chocha's soft-launch selection, but it leaves an impression: A green-hued reinterpretation of creme brulee, tinged gently with ulam raja & Thai basil, sprinkled with honeycomb candy that simulates the brulee's crunch (RM15).
Chocha is Hakka for sit & drink - the tea culture is alive & well here, with steaming-hot pots of Aged Fujian Shui Hsien from Mount Wuyi (RM18; served with chestnuts) & other representatives of the dark or scented classifications. You'll also find cold-brewed tea - Taiwanese Dong Ding Oolong & Yunnan Black Tea with osmanthus flowers & star anise (RM16 per bottle).
Chocha Foodstore
156, Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur. Tues-Sun, 11am-9pm.
The Eat Drink KL mobile app is now available, connecting restaurants & customers to promote a positive spirit of community.
Every restaurant on this app rewards users with a 6 percent discount, instantly & conveniently, everyday, all day long.
In return, users share photos of their experiences at these eateries, creating a new community of restaurant lovers.
For every transaction, at least RM0.10 will be channelled to a charity of the month.
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, 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 may be in the Promotions folder of your inbox.
Check out the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favourites, with 100 recommended restaurants for July-September 2016. This eBook is available to read or download at this link: http://issuu.com/eatdrinkkl/docs/ebook
Buckle your seatbelts: Eat Drink KL is partnering with Uber to take restaurant lovers on new adventures across KL & Selangor!
If you haven't used Uber yet, it's time to begin! For new users, just follow the steps below to redeem free rides:
1. Download the Uber app from the App Store, Play Store or Windows Store - and register your Uber account.
2. Apply the code EATDRINKKL as your first promotional code & you'll receive 2 Free Rides worth RM30 each.
3. Request a ride through the app and ride for free to any destination (with two ride values of up to RM30 each).
