Roost Kuala Lumpur – Farm to Fork Dining, Bangsar
Words: Stephen Reid
Photos: Ivan Chong
Roost Kuala Lumpur is a leafy perch for those who take their food seriously but not themselves. It is a place where farm-to-fork dining meets fine-dining finesse in a refreshingly relaxed setting.
Directly opposite the Bangsar Village 2, a bright yellow and turquoise doorway beckons guests upwards. Ascending the charming staircase, playful bird footprints dance alongside the restaurant’s name, ‘Roost’ Kuala Lumpur, on the risers. Large windows offer a unique perspective, placing diners at eye level with the lush treetops outside. During our visit, we even spotted a black crow perched on a branch, observing the restaurant’s goings-on, a fitting sight given the name.
A sheltered outdoor dining area, enveloped by verdant trees and cascading Boston ferns, provides a shaded retreat for those who enjoy fresh air. Here, ample ceiling fans ensure a comfortable temperature. Inside, the kitchen at Roost takes centre stage, thrusting into the middle of the restaurant, allowing guests to witness the meticulous preparation and high hygiene standards firsthand. A gleaming Italian La Cimbali espresso machine stands proudly at the far end. The interior decor leans into a rustic, nature-inspired theme, featuring vintage furniture, murals, and simple wooden tables and chairs.
Roost’s menu immediately suggests a Modern European culinary experience, thoughtfully accented with Nordic influences and a strong commitment to the “farm-to-fork” philosophy. This approach signals a dedication to high-quality, fresh ingredients, sourced with a preference for local producers.
Time certainly flies. Monica was surprised that The Yum List last visited Roost in April 2017, when she was impressed by its ability to offer a tranquil and relaxed atmosphere alongside quality, contemporary European cuisine, uniquely emphasising a farm-to-fork concept with locally sourced ingredients. We were therefore keen to see what changes there had been since then.
Among the more recent developments was the arrival of Head Chef Timothy Wang, who joined a little over two months ago. He has taken his time to familiarise himself with the menu. He is now beginning to infuse his own creative touches, making subtle adjustments while retaining beloved dishes that loyal customers would be sad to see go. While Roost offers a more casual dining concept, Chef Tim leverages his fine-dining skills, jokingly admitting he no longer needs his specially imported chef’s tweezers as much for plating. However, he still brings an artistic flair to presentation.
Roost Kuala Lumpur Menu
Craft Beer
Since we last visited, our host Adham drew our attention to the new chilled display case containing a wide selection of craft beers which, while previously available, have now become a bigger part of the beverage selection available at Roost, and an area where they try and keep prices down, in partnership with MY Beer. Our waiter, Marlon, brought a couple for us to try, both served in chilled frosted glasses. Firstly, a Japanese Nest Beer I.P.A. (RM 35) in a cute little bottle with a red owl logo, a rich malted flavour balanced with floral notes, and a slight bitterness from the premium hops. We followed with a can of ‘Jeng’ I.P.A (RM 35) from the Young Master Brewery in Hong Kong, the name ‘Jeng’ is a Cantonese slang term expressing positivity, and a nod to its intended all-day drinkability. It certainly hit the spot and quenched our thirst.
Drinks Menu
For those preferring an alcohol-free option, we recommend the range of kombucha. They are made locally by a student who started the business to help with his fees and living expenses, supporting him as he goes through college. They usually have a range of about five different flavours, and Monica and I had not seen these eye-catching bottles before. As fans of kombucha, we were eager to try it. Firstly, we tried the Passionfruit Chrysanthemum (RM 18) blend, a floral and tangy combination. In contrast, the Dragonfruit Turmeric (RM 18) was a visually appealing drink infused with earthy, subtly spicy notes.
Roost Kuala Lumpur Wine List
Roost KL has a stablemate in Unwined wine bar, focusing on natural and low-intervention wines. This partnership provides a distinct advantage, as their wines are imported directly, bypassing intermediaries, often translating to unique and more reasonably priced selections. Adam confided that these were not exclusively natural wines but were still ‘low intervention’ as he’s noticed a reduction of interest in natural wines, which, deserved or not, have a reputation for having slightly funky flavours and nose. Here, the emphasis is on low or minimal intervention but not too challenging for customers who may not be familiar with natural wines.
We started with a sparkling wine, the Cherubini Sui Generis Brut Nature (RM 270 per bottle), an elegant and complex classic method sparkling wine hailing from the Lombardy region of Italy. Crafted from 100% Chardonnay, this “pas dosé” (Brut Nature) expression offers a delightfully dry and crisp palate with virtually no residual sugar. It had fine bubbles and a vibrant apple, pear, and almond bouquet. The wine undergoes a minimum of 36 months ageing on lees, contributing to its creamy texture and a decisive, clean finish that beautifully balances exotic fruit notes, making it a polished yet playful and utterly drinkable fizz.
The Tenuta Fornace “Settenani (RM 210 per bottle) features old-vine Riesling, hailing from the Oltrepò Pavese region and crafted with organic and biodynamic principles. This unfined and unfiltered wine offers fresh aromas of citrus fruits, aromatic herbs, and delicate floral notes. It had a firm, lively acidity and a persistent finish on the palate, making it a good companion to the lean fish like the seabass we would enjoy later. The whimsical name “Settenani,” meaning “Seven Dwarfs,” is reflected in its distinctive, eye-catching label.
Adam suggested the Château de la Selve Petit Rouge (RM 210), a vibrant, organic red from France’s Ardèche region to partner our duck and lamb. Blending Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah it offers a lively expression of sun-ripened berries and wild herbs. With juicy fruit, soft tannins, and a gentle touch of spice, it’s an easy-drinking wine equally suited to a casual dinner or an al fresco lunch. Crafted with minimal intervention and rooted in biodynamic principles, Petit Rouge is a joyful bottle that delivers far more character than its modest label might suggest.
Roost Kuala Lumpur Food Menu
We kicked things off with the Prawn Toasts (RM 36), a menu staple for five years. These toasts arrived with homemade sriracha aioli, made from chillies and garlic, and finished with tobiko and chives. These were the best prawn toasts I’d ever tasted; they were more akin to a luxurious, deep-filled sandwich made with brioche bread that had then been toasted, rather than the typically stingy amount of prawn spread often found elsewhere. They were simply amazing.
The Beetroot Salad (RM 26) featured local beetroots, salt-baked to concentrate their earthy flavour, served with local greens, frisée, spinach, toasted walnuts, and a honey truffle dressing. As a big fan of beetroot, especially locally grown varieties, I would have liked their flavour to dominate more, as they were slightly overshadowed by the truffle in the dressing. However, the greens were fresh and locally grown, and the walnuts added a lovely crunch, pairing wonderfully with the beetroot.
The Corn Ribs (RM 32) were a popular dish made from local white corn from the Cameron Highlands. The corn is cut into rib shapes, deep-fried, and finished with togarashi, cumin chilli, and lime. I have been a massive fan of the deliciously sweet white Japanese corn grown in the Cameron Highlands ever since I first encountered it a few years ago, and if I see it on a menu, I always make sure to order it. These delicious little ‘ribs’ of corn were no exception, and I could easily have polished off a whole plate myself.
It is always a delightful surprise when a talented chef takes a humble vegetable and gives it the star treatment, making it a dish that can even outshine more expensive proteins on the menu. Chef Timothy has rolled out the red carpet for the Charred Cabbage (RM 32). Made from Beijing cabbage, this dish is charred and then slow-roasted with butter until tender, translucent, and slightly sweet. The fact that this dish is probably equal parts cabbage and butter might assuage any questions about why a side dish of cabbage was not priced in the single digits, but trust me, after eating this cabbage, you will always wonder why it does not taste so good anywhere else.
Main Courses
The first of our main courses was the Sea Bass (RM 78). The sea bass is aged for two days and then cooked on the barbecue. It was served with brown butter sabayon (a warm, rich sauce made with egg yolks and brown butter), pickled daikon radish, chopped capers, and basil oil. The delightfully crisp skin contrasted with the silky brown butter sabayon.
The Duck Breast (RM 72) was a dish where Chef Timothy’s fine dining training and experience shone through. Locally sourced ducks are smaller and much less fatty than their European counterparts, requiring much more careful handling. It is a skill to achieve crispy skin, as customers prefer, without drying out the tender flesh. Chef Timothy has perfected this skill by trying various recipes over six weeks, during which time he cooked almost nothing else for his family. It was worth all the hard work. This dish featured local duck, aged for 10 days to enhance its flavour. It was served with a smooth mandarin carrot puree, roasted fennel, and a tart citrus jus.
From Australia, Monica gave her approval to the Lamb Loin (RM 72). This Mediterranean-inspired dish featured loin that had been brined, barbecued to render the fat, and then finished in the oven, served with chickpea puree, green olive tapenade, and a honey mustard jus. While one of the few dishes on the menu where the main ingredient wasn’t sourced locally, the quality of this lamb, living up to the reputation for delicious lamb from her homeland, proved moist and flavourful.
Desserts
For dessert, we tried the Calamansi Tart (RM 32). Chef Timothy wanted a citrus tart on the menu, although I am not the biggest fan of desserts. I find it hard to pass up a good lemon tart. Even if I do not order my own (something that invariably causes conflict as my fork reaches across a table to ‘try just one bite’ from a friend’s plate), there is something about that tangy sourness that goes so well at the end of a meal, especially one that contained quite rich proteins like lamb and duck as ours had. Chef Timothy wanted to introduce a local ingredient, the slightly more delicately flavoured calamansi, and it was an inspired decision. The pastry was super crisp and had a delicate crumb as my fork reached for ‘just one bite!’.
Artisanal Coffee
The perfect companion to a delicious citrus tart is always coffee. After hearing that Roost had an award-winning barista, Marlon, who had also poured our craft beers earlier, we had to not only check out their coffee but also his barista skills. The coffee, a “Kopenhagen” blend roasted in Sweden, combines 70% Brazilian Rancho Grand beans with 30% Ethiopian Buku Sayisa. Soon, we had a dancing unicorn and a beautiful tulip picked out in white milk foam in a couple of flat white coffees. The coffee tasted as good as it looked and had award-winning looks. Oat and Soy Milks are also available for an extra charge of RM 3.
Roost KL Review
Roost offers a delightful escape from the city’s hustle, providing a welcoming and homely atmosphere. The commitment to fresh, locally sourced ingredients shines through in every dish, from the inventive starters to the expertly prepared main courses. Chef Timothy Wang’s fine-dining background elevates the culinary experience, even in this more casual setting. The thoughtful attention to detail, from the unique interior design to the friendly service and accessible drink prices, makes Roost KL a truly special place.
Reasons to visit Roost Kuala Lumpur: the exceptional Prawn Toasts, the unexpectedly delicious Charred Cabbage and crispy-skinned Duck Breast are must-tries; commitment to fresh, locally sourced ingredients ensures vibrant and flavourful dishes; excellent coffee; cost-conscious craft beers and minimal intervention wines.
Roost Kuala Lumpur – Farm to Fork European Dining
69-1 Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru
59100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Link to Roost Kuala Lumpur on Google Maps
+6 03 2201 1710
www.roostkl.com
*Covered parking in Bangsar Village I & II. Limited street parking.
**Vegetarian options
***Pork-free
Roost Kuala Lumpur Opening Hours
Daily: 12 – 11:30 pm
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