What: NOSH, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar
When: June 2013
Food: fusion
Rating: 8/10
Poor NOSH, so wonderful yet so misunderstood.
“People compare us to Delicious or Alexis,” explains Ann, one half of the
female duo who own and run the lovely Bangsar restaurant NOSH. “But we’re quite
different.”
She is being humble – NOSH is a
different league altogether, offering a select menu without a single sloppy
option. Anything you order is created with care and attention, to the highest
quality possible, and then presented as one would a prize pony. No churning
out, no microwaving, no shop bought sauces or dash of MSG – NOSH is the real
deal, combining well-thought out meals with a down-to-earth feel (and prices).
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| Simple decor makes the area feel spacious and light |
Fusion is the best way to describe the
edibles at the 8-month-old eatery, but this is fusion in its most honest form.
“When I was living in London,” explains culinary powerhouse Ann, “I missed my
Asian food but couldn’t get all the ingredients I needed, so I used to just
cook my own creations with what I could find.”
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| The select menu can still have something for everyone |
She brings this best-of-both-worlds
approach to NOSH nibbles, so expect healthier versions of Asian meals and more exotic
versions of European ones.
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| Simple salads done with effortless ease |
There are, however, some unfiddled-with
classics, such as the starter of Feta and Tomato Salad (RM23), which is large
enough for a main course for a light eater and deceives with its simplicity.
Bountiful leaves of rocket lay upon sliced
tomatoes and crumbly feta, the freshness of the ingredients given the merest
tangy touch from a well-judged homemade vinaigrette and a few forkfuls was
enough to show us why this was a popular order.
Main courses are either pasta or
meat-based, and while the menu is fairly brief, there is a good selection and
it is supplemented by a choice of monthly specials, many of which found their
way into my belly.
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| Chicken Mezzaluna - lovely inside and out |
First up from the June specials was the
Chicken Mezzaluna (RM38), which will probably spoil pasta for you from now on.
Most of NOSH’s pastas are handmade, and this winning version was stuffed with
meaty nuggets of chicken and carrot before being daubed in a lovely, warming
sauce of bell peppers and green peas.
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| The stuffing has a firmness that offsets the soft pasta casings |
Comforting yet impressive, no oil oozed
from the sauce and no pasta piece was anything but silky soft to ensure that
this was something of a showcase for the standard of pasta a la NOSH. (“I actually can’t eat pasta anywhere else now,” Ann
confessed, “I just can’t find the same quality!”)
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| Stuffed Crab and Spaghetti: looks good, tastes better |
Another pasta choice for June is the
Stuffed Crab and Spaghetti (RM36), which looks dazzling and tastes like the
stringy strands wandered into Malaysia and fell in love with Asian spices. The
crab meat nestles inside the shell and is breaded over to add a crunchy topping
to the tender flakes, while the spaghetti strands were loaded with peppers,
sun-dried tomatoes, chillis, and spices, a wash of curry flavour coming through
as we slurped and swallowed.
The Curried Lamb Shank (RM41) – another
June jubilance – is probably the food equivalent of an expat. The meaty lamb
shank journeyed to Malaysia and threw off the shackles of mint sauce and mash
for the wonders of spicy curry. As large in size as it is in taste, the hunk of
meat is cooked for half a day to fulfil that falling-off-the-bone requirement,
and topped with crunchy gremolata for a lemony zing.
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| Curried Lamb Shank is a true East-meets-West winner |
In a bid to make the dish less heavy – “I
try and make things healthy here,” explains Ann – mashed pots are switched for
sliced cabbage and ginger, which balances the richness with nutrition and a
little exoticness.
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| Oooooooo yes |
Stepping away from the specials, Ann was
eager for us to taste two of the most popular meals from the normal menu. First
up was the crowd-pleasing Salmon with Lemon Capers (RM34), looking as good as
its predecessors and matching them in terms of portion generosity.
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| Salmon with Lemon Capers - reliable order, delivered with style |
A large strip of salmon balanced on crisp
roasted potatoes in a delicate dashing of creamy yet sourish lemon caper sauce.
The flesh was pinky perfect, and the accompanying roasted vegetables betrayed
not a drop of oil – healthy but hearty, and seriously satisfying.
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| Roasted Percik redefines the Kelantan classic |
“Now this dish has a story,” Ann told me as
the Roasted Percik (RM29) came out of the kitchen looking better than Daniel
Craig in a swimsuit. Ann remembers an ayam
percik (Kelantanese grilled chicken) eaten in childhood that so delighted
and enthralled her that she drove herself wild, many years later, trawling the
markets in a bid to find something that could match the taste.
Eventually, she decided to try and make it
herself, and after months of R&D and excessive portions of percik, she can watch us eating the NOSH
version with a satisfied smile. “This is it,” she says, “this is perfect.”
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| A tangy salad and saffron couscous hide beneath |
A generous hunk of chicken is roasted and
then grilled to retain juices and tenderness, while the gushing sweet richness
of the sauce seems to sing with flavours and spices, being filling and
indulgent without any of the greasy guilt from a mamak stall version. A spicy
and tangy salad offers some nutrients while the herb-laden saffron cous cous is
a much lighter (and lovelier) companion than rice.
Main courses may be large, but desserts are
skipped at your peril, and for a restaurant with such a select savoury menu, it
is telling that there are 20 sweet things to choose from to end your meal. 20!
And all of them are made from scratch and sound ridiculously good (pavlovas,
crème brulee, panacotta, ice cream…). Something to do with the other co-owner
being a pastry chef…
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| Valrhona Heaven, never a truer word |
Surely the empress of the whole choice –
and a Must for anyone who likes chocolate – is the Valrhona Heaven (RM32).
Never was the word “heaven” used as an understatement. Never was chocolate so
winningly presented and creatively broken down into textures and temperatures
and subtly different flavours, yet coming back together for a mind-blowing
mouthful of edible paradise.
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| Chocolate ice cream melting into chocolate crumble |
And this coming from someone who isn’t a
huge eater of chocolate! Let’s analyse the facts: chocolate ice cream on sweet
and crunchy chocolate crumble is topped with a sticky brandy snap, while a
chocolate pastry case is filled with chocolate mixture and topped with a slinky
dark chocolate sauce.
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| Chocolate Tart - firm pastry, oozy sauce; ideal bad-day treat |
And there, keeping the peace between two
extravagantly dazzling creations, is a molten chocolate cake that conceals
oozing chocolate fondant inside its dark yet spongy shell and comes topped with
Chantilly cream and a white chocolate.
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| That is what you call Heaven... |
I have no words. Imagine how good it could
possible taste…then multiply by six.
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| Chocolate Trinity and a pot of tea |
Hot drinks are the only way to recover from
such a burst of comforting, indulgent brilliance, and the tea selection was
where I headed (RM10 for a refillable pot). There are Illy coffees for those
needing a caffeine buzz, but my companion couldn’t resist the Chocolate Trinity
(RM14), a thick and rich combination of dark, white, and malt chocolate with
maple syrup and frothed milk.
Alcohol drinkers can indulge too – choose from
creative or traditional cocktails, liquors and wines (only RM15nett for a glass
of house wine) that can be enjoyed at 20% off each day from 2pm-7pm. The softie
beverages are equally enjoyable and creative: Honey Suckle (RM9) was a fresh
and zippy combination of passionfruit puree, orange juice, honey, and ginger
ale that kept me company when I first arrived.
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| Tangy, refreshing Honey Suckle |
You can well imagine that I walked out of
NOSH feeling full, but I also felt unexpectedly happy and comforted – like I’d
been given a big warm hug of goodness from someone in a stylish yet cosy silk
jumper. Creative but comforting, high-quality but affordable; NOSH seems to
defy the cuisine genres because, at its heart, it just strives to serve the
best food it can for a price people are happy to pay.
Seek it out and you will not be
disappointed.
NOSH
7 Jalan Telawi 3
Bangsar
59100 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
03.2201 3548
Open: Tuesday-Thursday 2pm-11pm, Friday
2pm-12am, Weekends 10am-11pm (closed Mondays)
Pork-free
