We've fallen hook, line & sinker for seafood specialist Bait, which surfaced this week in Telawi, becoming a big fish in Bangsar's pond of palate-pleasuring practitioners.
O Oysters, come & walk with us! With apologies to Lewis Carroll, we might not be walruses, but we're nonetheless infatuated with the briny brilliance of these freshly shucked Dutch Creuses & Northwestern Irish Pacific mollusks (RM8++ each, minimum order of six).
Seared tiger prawns, sliced mangoes & coriander leaves, a sweetly succulent salad (RM24++) that's far from shrimp-sized for flavor. We'd be delighted to discover prawns like these lurking behind every rock, no matter what their proverbial agenda might be.
We hesitated about ordering the soft-shell crab with cucumber, orange wedges & chili mayo (RM23++). But who knew a recipe that sounds so run-of-the-mill could taste so remarkable? Mighty meaty crustaceans, complemented creatively with citric pulpiness.
Happy as a clam: Steamed little-neck ones (RM16++) with bacon, garlic, thyme & white wine.
Deep-fried baby calamari with salted egg, black pepper & lime tarragon aioli (RM25+). Crisply addictive, but some Chinese eateries still do this better.
For beer buffs: Lager-steamed mussels with mustard, chorizo slices & oregano (RM25++).
Finally, we wade into fishier waters: thumbs up for the butter-poached salmon (RM30++), though it might be an acquired taste, the aqua-equivalent of steak prepared rare.
