Bunglow 37 Bangsar
Words: Monica Tindall Photos: Rich Callahan
Today we explore a new restaurant and event space in Bangsar, Bunglow 37. Housing a venue holding up to 140 pax seated and 200 standing, a restaurant, bar, lounge and eight private rooms (both smoking and non-smoking), each with their own entrance, Bunglow 37 is an all-in-one dining venue.
The 1950s building came with some classic pieces of furniture and friends have also helped source antiques that reflect the change of period. It’s a mish-mash of ornate Chinese marble furniture, rich studded-leather lounges, old records and even a judge’s table. There’s serious potential here for a museum. Perhaps, just as enticing for others, however, is a carpark with space for up to 100 cars!
Bunglow 37 Drinks Menu
A compact cocktail list is composed of a handful of classics and a few signatures. We have to try the namesake, so Bunglow 37 (RM 30) is my first pick. Dark rum, toffee nut syrup and old-time bitters make a deep, spirit-forward beverage. Hubby chooses something lighter with the Dancing Paloma (RM 30). Tequila Blanco, agave, grapefruit, tonic water and soda water makes a refreshing entrance.
Bungalow 37 also has a select wine and spirit list. Following our aperitive, we move to a bottle of Mont Rocher, Viognier, France (RM 170), which does nicely with our seafood, salad and vegetarian dishes. It offers lovely aromas of stone fruit and follows through in the palate with plentiful fruit, balanced acidity and ends with an enticingly dry finish.
Bunglow 37 Menu – Eight Course Degustation
Matching its colonial home, the restaurant has a heavy European influence with some Japanese touches coming from Chef Hafiz’s time at Cilantro and Kikubari (two highly regarded Japanese restaurants in KL). While Bunglow 37 serves lunch, tea and dinner, we opt for the eight-course tasting menu to get a feel for the range of recipes offered.
Amuse Bouche
A premium Irish oyster with wine jelly kicks off the degustation. It launches with a mild sweetness, and the plump meat fills the mouth. It takes a good couple of chews to finish off this mollusc and it exits with a hint of smokiness, earthiness and a concentrated taste of the sea.
First Course
A granny smith salad cleanses the palate with its crisp slices of green apples. Blue cheese and sherry vinaigrette add depth to the fruit flavours and a sprinkling of pine nuts provide both a buttery and crunchy texture.
Second Course
Raw salmon is seasoned with a “secret condiment” or so it says on the menu. Of course, we’re intrigued and don’t stop guessing until the mystery is revealed (but promise we won’t tell!). It’s supported by a creamy salmon mousse and toasted lavash bread to mop up the remainders. Coriander, shallots and chives freshen the top. Exceptional.
Third Course
The third-course presents, mushroom potage, a dense and velvety blend of mixed mushroom soup with a dollop of cream. Truffle oil and porcini flakes intensify the earthy profile.
Fourth Course
Local grouper is pan-seared until the skin is golden in the next course. Moist and flaky flesh is complemented by sauteed local greens, capers and crispy soybean skin. Shoyu burnt butter and a dashi foam furnish a Japanese lift.
Palate Cleanser
A sorbet of strawberry, pineapple and raisin rum is a fresh, cool combo serving its purpose to cleanse the palate.
Bunglow 37 Menu – Main Course
Main Course
I’m delighted to see grass-fed beef on the menu. Cattle grazing on their natural diet is much healthier than those in confinement forced to eat grain. There is also opportunity for variance in taste, which I prize over uniformity. At Bunglow 37, the striploin has been grilled and the short rib glazed in honeyed sriracha. Potato mash, sauteed mushrooms and beef jus complete the plate.
Pre-dessert
The pre-dessert, designed to give the palate a break between the heavy main and full-flavoured sweet, features calpis sorbet, a Japanese cultured milk sorbet accompanied by ginger flower, Earl Grey tea jelly and longan. We’re delighted to have the chefs arrive to explain the final courses of the degustation. Hearing the passion in their ideas and concreteness of their expertise adds another layer to the meal, a personal connection.
Grand Dessert
Lastly, chocolate crémeux presents the grand finale with a dense, thick, dark chocolate pudding. The perfect complement is orange tuile offering both a touch of citrus and sweetness to contrast the bitterness in the dark chocolate. Pistachios and smoked salt keep us scooping back in until… there… is… none… left.
Vegetarian Options
Although there is no need for more after the eight-course degustation at Bunglow 37, we are curious to see what the rest of the menu holds. The a la carte menu is a hearty mix of generously portioned recipes. As always, we like to check the boxes for vegetarian options, hence our request for Pesto Pasta (RM 39) and Mushroom Risotto (RM 46). The former sees al dente ribbons of linguine tossed with a house-made pesto sauce. More greens, asparagus, haricot vert and artichokes, pimp up this recipe to my veggie-loving delight. The latter also does well with maintaining a nice bite to the grain. The rice is packed with mushrooms and finished off with a low-temperature egg and grated Parmesan.
More on the Menu
We go full circle to the starters’ menu to conclude our exploration of Bunglow 37 with Flame-Torched Beef (RM 49), one of the most popular orders. Finely sliced grass-fed beef is torch-flamed until brown around the edges but still pink in the middle. A dressing of aged shoyu provides a balanced saltiness. It’s partnered with arugula, Brussels sprouts and a scattering of pine nuts. Sesame oil coats the beef. We can see why it’s a crowd-pleaser.
Bunglow 37 Review
The eight-course tasting menu at Bungalow 37 is priced at RM180+ and served daily from 6 pm to 9 pm. The portioning felt just-right, leaving us satisfied but not stuffed. As the team refine their food and beverage offerings, there seems to be much potential for this restaurant and event space in Bangsar
Reasons to visit Bunglow 37 Bangsar: a multi-functional event space; several settings to choose from for dining; plentiful parking; try the eight-course degustation to get a feel for the variety offered in the menu.
Bunglow 37
37, Jalan Abdullah, Bangsar
59000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
www.facebook.com/Bunglow37
Bunglow 37 Opening Hours
Daily
Lunch: 12 noon – 2:30 pm
Dinner: 6 pm – 10 pm
More dining options in Bangsar here and stay up-to-date with the latest gourmet and travel recommendations for Malaysia here and here.
That is one impressive house…on the outside. The private rooms are a bit gaudy for me though.
Color overload! Not just the dishes but the interior deco as well.
What an impressive restaurant where the private rooms are decorated so differently to take you away to various states of feeling. Those courses are delish with an interesting “palate cleanser.”
This place is like a movie set!
Great for Agatha Christie’s series.