Accessible French food
Kara restaurant & desserts aims to make rustic-style French food that everyone can enjoy.
SECRETED in an upstairs lot in the densely-packed rows of shoplots in Kota Damansara, Selangor, is Kara Restaurant & Desserts. Run by classically-trained pianist Brandon Wong and some of his friends, the idea for the eatery was sparked after Wong returned from studying music in the United States.
“I worked in the front-of-house at my friend’s restaurant in the US and loved how I got to interact with so many people. It’s different from being a performer, which is quite a solitary experience,” he says.
That initial seed of interest bloomed into Kara, a full-blown restaurant with a focus on French-influenced food, devised by a Parisian consultant chef.
To begin your meal here, try the escargots in garlic herb butter (RM34). Essentially a take on the classic snail dish slathered in butter, this one sees snails drenched in butter and couched in little pockets slotted in the middle of homemade choux pastry. It’s an interesting idea, one that combines the velvety textures of the escargot against crumbly pastry, yielding buttery, flavour-packed mouthfuls.
The prawn bisque with saffron (RM18) is made using prawn shells that have been cooked for hours to extract maximum flavour. The resulting broth has deep aquatic flavours, although it is perhaps a touch too salty.
From the mains, the seabass fillet with almonds and capers on ratatouille (RM48) is a fairly safe choice. The fish is a tad limp but this is offset by lovely crispy skin while the ratatouille offers a richly layered, tomato-ey contrast.
The lamb rack with Provencal herbs (RM68) is mundane and doesn’t really leave a lingering impression but this is quickly rectified by the ribeye steak with blue cheese sauce (RM58). The steak is cooked to medium rare
perfection and is satisfyingly juicy and tender. The blue cheese smeared on top is a nice touch, and lends the meat a salty flavour overlay.
Wong says he and his team are planning to focus more on desserts in the future, and this is reflected in the eatery’s crack brulee (RM18), which is essentially a bowl of crème brulee covered with a golden gauze-like dome made out of spun sugar. You will first have to crack the armour around the dessert before digging in. It’s a bit of visual theatre that is quite enjoyable, especially as the crème brulee proves oh-so satisfyingly good.
If you’re after something else to satiate your sweet tooth, the chocolate mousse (RM20) will do nicely. The mousse is suitably light and airy with dense chocolatey flavours and a pleasant bitter aftertaste (the eatery uses Malaysian dark chocolate).
Wong says his main aim with Kara is to change people’s perceptions of traditional French food.
“People have this perception that French food is very delicate and small. But here, we are doing more home-style French food that everyone can eat,” he says.
Kara Restaurant & Desserts
A-05-01, Sunway Giza Mall
2, Jalan PJU 5/14
Kota Damansara
47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Tel: 016-357 9213
Open Wednesday to Monday: 11.30am to 3pm; 6pm to 10.30pm the chocolate mousse is rich and velvety soft.