D K L E

Cafe Chef Wan: Delivering a Travelogue of the World

January 23, 2021


The culinary world according to Chef Wan: You might know Chef Wan mainly for his Malaysian recipes, from Ayam Badam Pudina Istimewa to Daging Puteri Manis. But his passion for food transcends borders, represented in his newest restaurant, Cafe Chef Wan in KL East Mall.

At a time when even travel to KL East is barred for some of us, Cafe Chef Wan brings a world's worth of cooking to our living rooms. Its delivery menu shows off a different side of the chef to discover - here's your chance to taste Chef Wan's interpretations of everything from Italian pizza and pasta to Spanish paella, French salade nicoise to Moroccan chicken tagine, Jamaican-spiced fish to Sri Lankan croquettes.

Order from Cafe Chef Wan at cafechefwan.my and enjoy a 20% discount throughout the MCO period for delivery or takeaway - use the promo code CCWMCO20

We love how Cafe Chef Wan's recipes are packed, with ingredients thoughtfully separated to keep everything at its prime. This lets us put together the final simple steps on our own - a touch of playful plating that families with kids will particularly appreciate.

The Compressed Watermelon Salad perks up the palate nicely, with chunks of the juicy fruit neatly compressed with lime zest, assembled with a wholesome ensemble of roasted beetroot, arugula, feta cheese, walnuts and balsamic glaze (RM26). A captivating collage of vibrant colours and fresh flavours, lovely for a light meal on its own.

Similarly, the 48-hour sous-vide Australian beef cheeks turn into a beautifully appetising main course, its terrifically tender, full-bodied meat balanced with truffled mash, caramelised mushrooms, root vegetables and beef jus, the perfect illustration of a modern bistro dish (RM56).

Beyond this, Cafe Chef Wan's crab quiche and chicken pot pie also sound comfortingly hearty, while the Chee Cheong Fan Lasagna should be a creative East-meets-West concoction - there's plenty to try on the menu.

Another display of distinctiveness is the Sambal Seafood Pizza, determinedly different from run-of-the-mill sambal-flavoured pizzas.

The seafood exceeds expectations, with plenty of whole, fresh prawns instead of tiny, long-frozen shrimp, plus fish, squid, Venus clams and blue baby mussels that blanket nearly the entire pizza.

But the secret is in the sambal, which tastes rich and robust, true to tradition, bringing a spicy punch to the pizza while pairing well with the mozzarella base on a thin-crust 12-incher that three can share (RM62).

Cafe Chef Wan hasn't forgotten about local delights - the menu also explores Asia, though sometimes taking surprising routes. Chef Wan's rendition of Hokkien Mee (RM26) is impressive for how gorgeously it captures the sultry, savoury satisfaction of this KL street-food favourite - smooth noodles saturated and slicked up in a caramel-dark braise, with prawns and crunchy croutons, rounded out with sambal belacan, capable of rivalling most of the city's top Hokkien Mee destinations.

All in all, Cafe Chef Wan is a noteworthy addition to the chef's stable of restaurants, which includes the popular De.Wan 1958 by Chef Wan at The LINC KL. Like De.Wan, a sweet finish is recommended here, with the elegantly aromatic Musang King Cheesecake (RM28) headlining an alluring list that includes Sweet Potato Flan, Tart Cherry Clafoutis and Traditional Apple Pie.

Order from Cafe Chef Wan at cafechefwan.my and enjoy a 20% discount throughout the MCO period for delivery or takeaway - use the promo code CCWMCO20


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