Dot’s Café – Kristang Cuisine, Subang Jaya
Words: Joanna Florento
Photos: Han Sen Hau
When we stepped into Dot’s Café, we immediately felt happy memories made tangible. The kitchen is a loving homage to Chef Brandon Rodrigues’ grandma Dorothy, with its menu evoking childhood nostalgia and the comfort of family with a forward-facing stamp of innovation.
Charming domed windows invite plenty of natural sunlight to the cosy corners carefully arranged to inspire connection over heartfelt bites and intimate conversation. The café opened its doors two months ago, catering primarily to families in the neighbourhood and bringing them innovative, lovingly prepared cuisine. Having made a name for himself in fine dining, Chef Brandon wanted to intentionally focus on food from his childhood to honour his heritage, connect with his roots, and bring diners along on the journey. He expertly brings traditional Kristang (Malacca Portuguese) flavours to the table, elevating them with his refined knowledge of the kitchen and presentation skills.
Dot’s Café Menu & Prices
Salads & Appetizers
We started with the Smoked Duck Seybak Salad (RM 25), featuring tender slices of smoked duck, garnishing a romaine salad with edible flowers, pickled berries, and a sweet and spicy chilli sauce. The berries added an unexpected element of sweetness that pleasantly offset the smoky flavour of the duck. Afterwards, we dug into the Black Pepper Brinjals (RM 18), strips of roasted eggplant glazed with soy sauce and drizzled with black pepper. The eggplant was cooked so well that it was almost creamy, and the soy sauce and black pepper gave each bite a nice kick. This dish was so delicious that I (quite frankly) thought about it for the rest of the afternoon.
Main Menu
We then turned our attention (and our forks) to the Chicken Curry Debal (RM 23), nicknamed “devil’s curry” due to its formidable combination of chillies, mustard seeds, and vinegar to bring out the flavour of the chicken and potatoes. Although I was initially intimidated by the presence of spice, I was pleasantly surprised by how palatable it was due to the unexpected balance of flavour with heat. Waiting in the wings was the Pong Teh Chicken (RM 23), delivering a dose of comfort with its mushroom base but elevated by its fermented soybean sauce and visually arresting combination of sugar snap peas and pearl onions garnishing the traditional chicken and potatoes.
Next, we tried the Beef Ambilek (RM 24), which featured tangy, seasoned corned beef with similar pearl onions and sugar snap peas embellishments. Its complex profile showed a hint of spice that intensified with every bite, for which the surprising sweetness of the pearl onions provided a temporary respite. The fragrant and soft pandan basmati rice both tempered the spiciness and provided another concrete example of a familiar favourite enhanced by Chef Brandon’s creativity.
The Portuguese Baked Fish (RM 24.80) then made its smoky entrance, presented beautifully under a small glass dome on a black plate that released a small cloud of fragrant smoke when lifted. Chef Brandon enhanced the traditional baked seabass of the Portuguese settlement in his native Malacca with homemade otak otak, lime juice and mango salsa. Despite this innovative flair, he preserved an element of tradition by cooking the seabass on charcoal, which naturally infuses it with a tempting smokiness. The seabass was very tender and yielded to my knife easily, while the homemade otak otak provided an original and appetising twist.
We then twirled our forks around the pasta creations. The Papa Aru’s Fish Curry Pasta (RM 29) was another showstopper, with pan-seared seabass served atop a bed of fettuccine, pickled onions, and fresh herbs, all saturated with signature fish curry sauce. The sauce was mouthwateringly creamy, with a hint of coconut and a slight kick of spice, and infused with mango acar to honour Chef Brandon’s grandfather’s legacy. This was another dish wherein Chef Brandon’s love for his family radiates with every bite.
Desserts
Dot’s Café’s dessert offerings ended our meal with both familiarity and surprise. The Pandan Coconut Pana Cotta (RM 21) featured deliciously soft pandan-infused panna cotta topped with gula Melaka sago and a cool scoop of vanilla ice cream. To do this dessert proper justice, you have to dig through all of the layers to incorporate everything into a single bite.
Finally, we tried the intriguing Mango Ants Passion Fruit (RM 22). Yes, you read right! Ants! Layers of mango passionfruit sorbet interwoven with asam boi, mango jelly and fresh mango slices were dotted with weaver ants as special guests. The weaver ants are the same ones that live in mango trees and pack a surprisingly mild, citrusy flavour from careful pickling. This dish is an adventurous palate cleanser but can be enjoyed any time. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the citrusy taste of the ants balanced out the fresh sweetness of different forms of mango. It’s definitely a must-try!
Drinks Menu
Throughout the meal, we were well-fed but also well-watered. Dot’s Café offers a pretty array of drinks that each tell a story from Chef Brandon’s heritage. The Coconut Island (RM 14) is a creamy concoction featuring orange and pineapple juice with fresh coconut, garnished with a small umbrella to whisk diners away to its namesake. The San Juang (RM 15) pays homage to St. John’s yearly festival in June wherein families wear green, go to church, and light candles to honour St. John. The drink itself has a vibrant green hue from its homemade pandan juice, layered atop fresh mango juice that infuses it with a pop of bright orange. Gula Melaka syrup is provided on the side so you can sweeten it to your liking. Meanwhile, the Jinkli Nona (RM 14) is a deep cherry red from its composition of cherry and lime bitters. It’s a festive beverage cut with fizziness and slight acidity. It has a natural sweetness that lingers on your tongue pleasantly and is complemented by a small cherry balanced on the rim of the glass. Finally, we tried the Lambong (RM 13), a delightful combination of ginger beer, fresh mint, and mango juice that pays homage to Grandma Dot herself. She loves mangoes and the colour yellow, resembles a famous actress, and “lambong” also means “to throw” – all of these tidbits combine to create the Lambong drink, a combo of bright yellow, sweet mango, and fizzy ginger that leaves a kick as cheeky a young actress’ wink.
Dot’s Café Review
During our visit, Chef Brandon shared that he came to love cooking in a roundabout way. Though not initially drawn to it, he grew more interested while watching cooking shows with his mother and grandmother as he cooled off after football practice. What better way to honour their influence than preserving these memories and recipes in Dot’s Café?
I loved my time at Dot’s Café and found myself feeling a bit sad when the meal came to an end! Everything on the menu is clearly a labour of love; you can taste the sentiment in every bite. It was wonderful to listen to Chef Brandon’s stories about how he conceptualised each menu item to echo his love for his family and his desire to represent his heritage through meticulously prepared and beautifully plated dishes while still telling a compelling story.
Reasons to visit Dot’s Café: Delicious Kristang cuisine that is artfully designed and plated, heartwarming stories from Chef Brandon and his family, and a beautiful open setting with cosy nooks accentuated by warm wooden accents, vibrant plants, and plenty of natural light.
Dot’s Café
20a, Jalan USJ 4/1, USJ 4, 47600 Subang Jaya, Selangor
Dot’s Café on Google Maps
@dot’s_subang, +60172907925
*Street parking
**No pork or alcohol
***Several vegetarian options are available
Dot’s Café Opening Hours
Monday: Closed
Tuesday – Saturday: 11 am – 4 pm & 6 pm – 10 pm
Sunday: 11 am – 4 pm
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