Not an illusion: Surreal is Kuchai Lama’s new cafe for whimsy and wonder, complete with a memorable mural that summons the spirit of Salvador Dali.
Surreal serves up pleasant surprises like the Hotate Paitee, a playful remake of the Peranakan classic, plopped with butter-poached scallops, propped by pickled beetroot sengkuang.
While hearty-sounding pastas, risotto and rice bowls loom large on the menu, Surreal also offers a light, wholesome touch with triumphs like the Avocado Tartare, brightened with tomato salsa and balsamic vinaigrette on sourdough slices, and the Coconut Green Soup, robust with kale, apple, celery and cilantro oil.
Surreal is the sibling of Bukit Jalil’s kombucha-loving Scoby Cafe; fermentation remains in its DNA, thanks to a tangy pineapple tepache sweetened with brown sugar and cinnamon. The cafe is a late riser, opening only at noon, too late for those of us who shun caffeine after 12pm, but the taro latte with oat milk and quince cooler with mint make for a satisfying escape from reality.
