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2014-07-30
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one sunday morning, i was sitting in a quaint restaurant, enjoying a similar affability and ambiance that i remembered. for proud co-owners of the kitchen table restaurant & bakery, marcus and mei wan, it was their passion and dream of opening a restaurant coming into fruition.both the chef and baker were completely in their element as former was expediting at the open kitchen while the staff was putting together the sunday brunch menu dishes and the latter was brewing lattes and cappuccinos at
coffee :: latte (rm 9) adorned with coffee art, the latte smelled promising as the comforting familiar whiffs of the coffee emanates its way to a pleasant start to my brunch. as much as the aroma was lovely, the latte was alright with sharp bitter endnotes - not quite the best but not bad.
sunday brunch :: chamomile french toast crunch, cornflakes, macerated strawberries, gula melaka syrup (rm 19) two pieces of thick cut toast (brioche, perhaps?) soaked in the egg-milk mixture infused with chamomile (it maybe that i tasted the addition of buttermilk too), caramelized in butter in a pan. the chamomile introduced itself at the first bite but quickly disappeared in the crowd of the other ingredients. but a few bites in and i think it needed more time in the pan to cook the center and to give it its crispy edges i desired.
it was a mark of ingenuity with the sprinkle of cornflakes for crunch although i wouldn't mind another small handful for more texture contrast. more than that, my favorite part was the bruleed sugar on the top side of the toast for additional crunch and pleasant caramelized sweetness of the sugar that contrasted the lightly tangy cream that was akin to mascarpone. i loved the twist with the use of gula melaka syrup to complete the french toast which exemplified the kitchen table restaurant's infusion of local ingredients in their menu. it was crunchy vs soft and tangy vs sweet done almost right. almost since i would have loved additional syrup to elevate the sweetness.
sunday brunch :: soft egg, streaky bacon, tomato jam, watercress & sourdough (rm 19) the base: sourdough slathered with excellent tomato jam, both made from scratch.
the bacon, perfectly cooked soft eggs and watercress salad were cushioned graciously. once again, the tomato jam stole the show (although i have to say the smoky, salty and crispy thick cut bacon came in as a very, very close second) with its sweetness weaving through the tartness of the tomatoes. partnering with the balanced flavor profile was the fresh crispness of watercress tossed in a light lemon vinaigrette. to top it off, the golden richness of the yolk coated each bite-fuls of sweet, salty, smoky and citrus-y herbaceous flavors to bring it to a full circle. a delicious ode to the classic breakfast favorite. the kitchen table restaurant & bakery's food philosophy was evidently reiterated in their creations, rooted in their respect and love for each ingredient in their new american approach infused with local ingredients. short conversations with marcus and mei wan hinted that the brunch/lunch/dinner spread may be expanded over time but kept to a single page menu with the possibility of seasonal menus. in fact, my second session at the restaurant is in the planning, and this time for lunch/dinner. i can't wait.
for full post and more photos: http://sians.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-kitchen-table-restaurant-brunch.html
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