Experience Something Else: Kita Food Festival

Experience Something Else: Kita Food Festival

Words: Tim Jay
Photos: Monica Tindall

There are a lot of big things happening downtown, near Petaling Street. Post-pandemic almost seems like an oxymoron when discussing the revival of this area in Kuala Lumpur. Cafes, bars, restaurants, speakeasies and boutique hotels appear weekly.

This includes Else Retreats, a boutique hotel and burgeoning cultural hub that opened in 2022. One of two restaurants within, The Raw Kitchen Hall, was host to the Kita Food Festival and its collaboration dinner. The dining area is urban and casual-chic, accentuating once-in-a-lifetime dining collaborations with some of the region’s rising culinary stars.

Three chefs were showcased for the five-course collaboration dinner: Chef Jun Wong from Else Yellow Fin Horse; Chef Cristian Encina, PICA in Ubud, Bali; and Chef Leong Chee Mun of Else, Raw Kitchen Hall.

It is an exciting experience to have three distinct personalities, and food perceptions presented simultaneously. We enjoyed the meal, but it left us wanting more – some interaction with the chefs to understand their recipes and hear their perspectives on creating a six-hand menu.

Snacks

The event began with a series of snacks from each chef. Chef Jun presented the TTT, aka Thin Tomato Tart (V). A compressed puff pastry with shallot confit, tomato jam and perilla dust. Perilla is a herb used in medicine to help prevent fish and crab poisoning. I wonder if Jun was being a bit playful as the other two chefs presented prawns and a tuna tartare. I particularly like the condensed tomato flavour in the jam. Prawn Causa, one of my favourite Peruvian starters, was presented in an elegant manner by Chef Cristian. It is a cold potato cake, avocado, tomatoes, olive emulsion and salsa criolla with an attractive balance of flavours and textures. And Chef Leong, offered a Tuna Tartare containing avocado foam, rice paper, pickled chilli, mint. The collection was nice and neutral – meaning none of the flavours competed or overpowered any item on the plate.

Appetizers

The appetizers were hosted by Chef Cristian and Chef Leong. The first was a signature recipe from the menu at PICA, Coconut Milk Ceviche, white fish, burnt crispy quinoa, shallots, coriander, cucumbers, lemongrass and chilli. The fish had been cut into nicely-sized cubes, making it easy to chew. The quinoa added some aromatics and complexity to the otherwise fresh and fragrant plate.

Pad kra pao, or stir-fried chicken with holy basil, is arguably the most revered and widely eaten dish by travellers visiting Thailand. The Pad Kra Pao Croquette was made with Thai basil vinaigrette, pickled chilli and coriander. I loved the risk and creativity involved. Don’t get me wrong, it tasted great! However, I am still confused about how the inside of the croquette was so creamy and saucy while the outside held crisp and dry – another reason we were eager to have time with the chefs.

Main Courses

The main course was larger than I anticipated. That would be thanks to Chef Cristian and what was classified as “condiments.” While I might call them “sides” due to their generous portion, they were still delicious. Ribeye Wagyu MB5/6 was beautifully cooked. The Peruvian chimichurri was a brilliant green paste. The parsley and the slight acidity cut through the fatty meat. Potatoes with a creamy caper dressing were my favourite. However, a very close second was the broccolini with almonds, lemon, ginger and chilli. A nice salad highlighted the Japanese influence in South America. The ginger dressing was remarkably similar to the ones served in many sushi or teppanyaki restaurants.

Chef Jun prepared Charcoal Grilled Squid, smoked buah keluak and charred okra. This plate was both gluten-free and dairy-free. It was my first experience with the cyanide-filled indigenous nut – buah keluak. I am still determining if I liked it. It was truly unique, and I am so glad I could experience it. Mon said chef Jun’s preparation allowed diners to truly understand the flavour of the jungle fruit – a hint of dark chocolate, earthiness, a little bitterness, and some resemblances to black olive tapenade. She said often, it’s with some type of gravy, or the oil has been extracted, but rarely is it presented in its pure state. The squid had a texture like velvet. It was soft and succulent.

To Conclude

Chef Leong transitioned us from savouries to sweets with cucumber apple granita, yuzu jelly and mint. The burst of citrus from the yuzu and the bitterness from fresh flowers paired so well with the apples. It truly worked as promised. My palate was cleansed and fresh.

Chef Jun’s Dessert was both dairy and egg free. Cashew Curd, Burnt Citrus, and Honeycomb with grapefruit and orange were simply impressive. I don’t have a sweet tooth, but the char on the grapefruit and the chewy texture of the honeycomb was what I personally look forward to at the end of the meal. The cashew curd is a mystery I want to solve. It is so hard to believe that silk texture was dairy-free. Maybe Chef Jun will share her secret? Then again, it is sometimes better to appreciate and enjoy the mystery.

More on the Kita Food Festival here and stay up-to-date on the latest gourmet and travel happenings around Malaysia here and here.