Eclectic flavours from a seasoned chef
Symphony by Chef Jo showcases the breadth of experience and eclectic leanings of MasterChef Malaysia judge Johari Edrus.
THE first thing that is likely to strike you about Symphony By Chef Jo is the sheer size of the place, which occupies three lots and is sprawling and cavernous. A walk through the restaurant will take you through different dining spaces, some with padded booths, others with beautiful wooden high tables and chairs, and areas that simply have regular (but equally charming) wooden tables and chairs. At the centre of the eatery is a large open kitchen, where you can see the chefs in action.
While the restaurant’s size is impressive, it is the warmth and hospitality you get from the place that really makes it special. And at Symphony By Chef Jo, that warmth exudes in spades from chef-owner Johari Edrus.
Johari is probably best known for being the stern-faced judge on
MasterChef Malaysia. Diners at the restaurant, however, will discover a whole new side to the man, who after a career spanning 44 years (mostly spent climbing the ladder in the hotel industry in Switzerland, Malaysia and China), finally has a restaurant to call his own.
“Most chefs dream of having their own restaurant, but not every chef can have a restaurant. To run a restaurant, you must be an entrepreneur. I feel that it is time for me to settle down and have the restaurant that I’ve always dreamt of,” says Johari.
Because of his fame, Johari says he does get a fair amount of people coming to the eatery just to seek him out, which is why he makes it a point to be at the restaurant all day long.
“I met one family who came here all the way from Johor for lunch one Saturday. I asked them, ‘Did you come here for a wedding or special occasion?” And they said, ‘No, we just came here to see you and taste your food!’” he says, laughing.
With Symphony, Johari aims to offer an eclectic menu that offers diners something new and interesting. Because he is a perfectionist, he also strives to make everything from scratch, from the complimentary popcorn to the pizza dough and gelato.
“This is an eclectic restaurant, I don’t like fusion, because fusion has no roots of the cuisine, whereas eclectic might have an Italian or French base. I always believe in doing something different, I don’t want to follow what others are doing,” he says.
The menu is expansive and trawls from all over the world, but you would do well to start your meal with the lemongrass & kaffir lime tisane (RM28) which is essentially a fragrant seafood broth, accentuated by toppings like crispy cod and scallops, chives and fried shallots. The clear broth is beautiful – a sharp, aromatic offering that is a little akin to tom yum, but with more clarity of flavour. It’s the sort of soup that nourishes your soul on weary, bone-chilling days when something hot is called for.
Then there is the cleverly-termed dirty laundry (RM45) which features lamb chops encrusted in rice flour,
deep-fried and then hung from launchops are deliciously crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Of the three dipping sauces served on the side, the curry mayonher naise (the other two are tartar sauce and mint sauce) is a standout and melds remarkably well with the lamb. The mussel masak lemak (RM45) Johari’s childhood. uses Chilean mussels gus, an addition that was and inspired split-gill fungus by “The reason I put that (on the menu) is because when I was a small boy in my kampung, there was a rubber tree estate next to my ustaz’s house. Every time the trees were felled, you would see this fungus growing on the fallen trunks, so we used to collect it. Now, I source it from an organic farm. The floret is bigger and chewier,” he says.
The resulting meal is good. The only slight downside is the masak lemak gravy, which is a little thin.
The eatery also serves a whole host of house-made long, rectangular pizzas called pitzaals. Of these, try the crispy chicken marmite (RM35) which combines crispy fried chicken with marmite chilli, pineapples, onions and mozzarella over a cream base. This is wickedly yummy comfort food – the chicken offers familiar flavours and the pizza is spot-on – not too thick or thin, with just the right amount of bite, chew and crackle.
While many of the meals at Symphony smack of originality and creativity, nothing stands out as much as the spicy chocolate seafood pasta (RM58), which as Johari says, “people either love or hate”. In this instance, while the amalgamation of chocolate juxtaposed against spicy Korean gojuchang paste offers an interesting flavour dimension, it’s not necessarily an easy one to embrace.
The chocolate flavours are just a smidgen too much and this tips the meal into confusing territory, although equally, it speaks wonders about Johari’s commitment to be daring to be different.
End your meal with the sweet memories tapai (RM18) which combines sweet fermented sticky rice with house-made vanilla gelato (made with Italian milk). The chefs at the restaurant actually learnt how to make the tapai from Johari’s aunt, who hails from Terengganu. This is one of Symphony’s star offerings, an unsung hero that has been nailed to perfection, yielding perfectly fermented, lightly sweet rice against a fantastic gelato. If you only eat one thing at Symphony, eat this!
Drinks are also a highlight at Symphony, as the outlet has its own roasted coffee blend and even makes nitro coffee (RM16.90), a strong, caffeine-laced affair perfect for coffee addicts. You could also try the latte ice (RM15.90) which is furnished in a takeaway bag and has coffee notes that swim in undercurrents, rather than strong waves.
Ultimately, Johari says while the restaurant represents his ultimate dream come true, he is careful to avoid the pitfalls of getting too comfortable in the job. At 63, he is wise enough to know that this is a crucial mistake too many chefs make.
“I seldom get any complaints here – most of the time, I get compliments, but I still have to watch out because I cannot get complacent. In MasterChef, after contestants finish their test, I always say, ‘Jangan selesa’. So I too will never get too comfortable – my feet are still on the ground,” he says, flashing his signature warm smile.