Most of us remembered chef Toni from his Ohla Tapas (now closed) days but he doesn’t just stop there. Boasts of stints in stints in London and Barcelona, including Michelin star establishments like El Cellar de Cane Roca (El Cellar) and Mugaritz, chef Toni partnered with Tricia Kandiah to bring us Coquo, a fun and casual restaurant that serve creative modern cuisine.
Coquo means “I Cook” in Latin and their vision is simple – to cook good food using locally sourced ingredients from Pulau Ketam, Cameron Highlands, a little farm on the hill and etc.
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Once we stepped into the restaurant, we were being attracted to the black and white Banksy-inspired mural by Thomas Powell, featuring a food fight between greats such asLouis Pasteur, Audrey Hepburn, Joan Roca and Andoni Luis Aduriz (of El Celler de Can Roca and Mugaritz).
The highlight of Coquo is the open kitchen, where patrons get to see Chef Valero and his team in action.
From 6th to 9th of June, Coquo is featuring a Special Menu that costs RM 188++ per pax.
Mixed Salad, duck ham, pickle radish, anise vinaigrette
The home made picked radishes were cured for one day before being marinated in an infusion of extra virgin olive oil, with a mix of lemon, oramge, rosemary, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, star anise & cinnamon. Even the local duck ham is cured in house for more than a month! The flavours are well balanced. Salty pulls against sweet; the tang of acid tempers the fattiness of oil.
Roasted eggplant, smoke dry fish, garlic baby spinach leaf, sambal oil
Sourced from A Little Farm On The Hill @ Janda Baik, the eggplant has got great textures and flavours. The smoked dry fish from Pulau Ketam gave some briny flavours to the dish too.
Sea bream, lemongrass bouillabaisse, laksa caviar
The sea bream from Pulau Ketam was cooked to perfection – lovely crispy skin and moist flesh. Love the bouillabaisse infused with lemongrass flavour too, very refreshing. Chef Toni also includes caviar made with the Sarawak Laksa broth into the dish.
Roasted pumpkin ice cream, tropical fruit macedonia, homemade goat milk yogurt
Roasted pumpkin is a first for me, and Coquo’s version is made without any sugar – 100% natural sweetness. The little fruit macedonia spheres is made with different tropical fruits such as mango, rambutan, coconut and etc. Love this refreshing dessert so much, what a perfect combination!
We also tried some items from their ala carte menu such as this Confit Mushrooms (RM27) dish.
The mushrooms duxelles were cooked for hours using sous vide method and grilled – ensuring a nice and crisp exterior and extremely juicy interior. Covered with an 63 degree soft boiled egg and milk skin blanket and topped with dry mushrooms, toasted pine nuts and pea sprouts, it is truly an unique dish.
Prawn Carpaccio – RM38
Chef Toni’s Prawn Carpaccio is his reinterpretation of Sarawak laksa, one of his favourite Malaysian dishes. The translucent looking prawn carpaccio seeped in laksa spiced oil were fresh and sweet tasting. You are suppose to eat it with rice crackers seasoned with prawn powder and topping that with some laksa caviar.
Curry Leaf Ice Cream – RM22
The curry leaf ice cream made with curry leaves, cream, milk, sugar and eggs has an intense flavour! What a great combination with the sweet strawberry slices spiked with Szechuan pepper which leave a mild sensation on the tongue. I really love the desserts here at Coquo, including the pumpkin ice cream dish that we had early. Really good!
Coquo offers a new modern dining experience for those who seek to enjoy food at reasonable prices (tapas dishes here starts from RM 20+) without compromising taste and quality. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who would enjoy a great modern dining experience.
Coquo Restaurant and Wine Bar
D1-G4-6, Solaris Dutamas (Publika),
Mont Kiara Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: 03-6211 2822
Opening Hours: 6pm – 12am (CLOSED ON MONDAY)
