Showing posts with label dip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dip. Show all posts

Sunday, February 25, 2024

CHICKITA DEBUTS IN MALAYSIA

Banking on the naturally smoky flavours of its Asian-inspired flame grilled chicken as the unique selling point, the maiden Chickita restaurant made its debut at Pavilion Damansara Heights just before Chinese New Year amidst some fanfare.
Conceived by former Park Hyatt Saigon executive chef and F&B entrepreneur Asif Mehrudeen (top pix above), Chickita first opened in Vietnam in 2019. The founder draws inspiration from his 20-year culinary journey through Southeast Asia to conceptualise Chickita, taking pride in nostalgic Asian flavours. Vibrant colours, eye-catching wall murals and trendy décor elements set a welcoming stage at Chickita, to pique the interest of diners.

According to director Charles Chan, Chickita brings to the table its flame-grilled chicken with recognisable Asian flavours appealing to local palates. “At Chickita, it’s a celebration of community and communal dining. We want to uphold the spirit of togetherness deeply ingrained in our Asian culture.”
Aside from chicken, Chickita also serves burgers, wraps, and wings – all flame-grilled to perfection. We took instant liking to the opener of Eda-Mole Dip (RM13.50), a hummus of edamame and avocado blend served with salsa and crispy tortilla.
Toasted pita triangles are the perfect companion to dunk into the mildly cheesy Signature Hot Crab Dip (RM14.50) whilst Chicken Nachos (RM14.50) with original and cheese sauces, salsa and toasted pita can be rather addictive so try to avoid overloading on them, to leave tummy room for mains.

I am all for Chickita’s concept of allowing diners to pick our preferred chicken parts. We found the different variants deliciously on-point, from the flame-grilled Quarter Chicken Leg with Rice & Salad and Quarter Chicken Breast with Yam Pop & Corn to Quarter Chicken Breast with Coleslaw & Crispy Fries and Quarter Chicken Breast with Wok Vegetable & Garlic Bread.

A quarter chicken leg or breast is RM17.50 whilst an additional two side dishes is priced at RM26.50. Chicken wings, chicken tenders, half and whole chicken are also available so peruse the menu to select your choice.

Catering to Asian tastebuds, Chickita incorporates familiar Asian ingredients for its range of signature sauces, to bring its flame-grilled chicken to piquantly flavoursome and culturally resonant level. Our first-hand experience had us settling on our own favourite sauces out of the six available.

On the mild scale, Chickita Original Sauce comprises a bright and tantalising lemongrass-infused blend whilst the Tropical sauce lends nice balance to the savoury chicken with its sweet, sour mango-citrus accents.

My palate found the moderately hot Sexy sauce with roasted red chillies on song with the grilled chicken but the Lucky 8 Asian BBQ variant also comes close as a winner, redolent with familiar spices such as star anise, cinnamon and garlic amidst the chilli taste profile.

Die-hard chilli fiends may prefer the Dynamite Spicy Hot Sauce – formulated with different chillies or Tamarita’s savoury-hot profile which is culled from a blend of tamarind, fish sauce, Asian spices and dried chillies.
Chickita also reimagines dessert by combining ice cream potong with innovative flavours like A Classic Twist (RM14), cendol popsicle with frozen coconut and pandan with green sticky rice; and Vanilla Dreams (RM14), shaved coconut and red bean popsicle with grass jelly.
For more information, call CHICKITA, tel: 03 2011 1243. Address: Lot 1.03.00, Level 1, Pavilion Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur.

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

LET’S GO MEDITERRANEAN AT MARINERO


It was a Mediterranean-style Mother’s Day celebration with Mom. The venue of choice was Marinero, a newly opened restaurant specialising in Mediterranean fare at LaLaport Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC).

The food got Mom’s stamp of approval – a good sign as she can be rather picky when it comes to non-Chinese fare. She loves the spacious dining area which is dominated by a circular bar.
 

Eye-catching wall murals depicting scenes of Mediterranean life are Insta-worthy. One corner is dedicated to a modern wine cellar with its cachet of fine wines.


To whet our appetite, we sampled crisp, battered Calamari Fritters (RM30). Served with lemon mayonnaise, the tender squid rings went down a treat. Even better was the heap of zucchini strips - that airy light batter would make any tempura master proud.

 

Mom gamely tried the Trio Dips Platter with Pita Bread (RM49) and gave it the thumbs up. Her favourite was melitzanosalata (Greek eggplant dip) but found both the hummus (chickpea purée), and tzatziki (shredded cucumber with yoghurt) agreeable when spread onto the soft triangles of lightly toasted pita bread.

 

Moroccan Lamb Kofta (RM35) made from ground lamb mixed with spices then grilled on skewers – proved to be another winsome appetiser. The house peri peri sauce bestowed a touch of fiery heat when we dabbed the kofta with it.


The only minor hiccup was the underwhelming Watermelon Salad (RM28): the crumbly bits of feta barely left an impression whilst the chunks of watermelon, too big and the sumac vinaigrette and balsamic reduction, too little. We shared the feedback with the Marinero team who promised to improve on this.



For mains, we highly recommend Moroccan Lamb Shank (RM95) with Apricot Cous Cous (the other option is Biryani Rice). The fall-off-the-bone tender lamb shank was scrumptious; its rich meaty flavours nicely soaked up by the fine cous cous studded with dried apricots. Smooth, thick Greek yoghurt sprinkled with pomegranate seeds enhanced the dish further.

 


Infused with saffron, the Seafood Paella (RM99) came laden with mussels, squid, fish and tiger prawns in addition to red capsicum and peas. What we missed from this deliciously comforting speciality is socarrat, that layer of slightly scorched, crusty rice at the bottom of the pan.


Our meal wrapped up on a high note thanks to the excellent Chocolate Fondant (RM28). Served with a scoop of chocolate gelato, chocolate crumbs and some fresh berries, we were stoked when molten chocolate actually flowed out once we cut into the cake. Few places do this dessert well so kudos to the resto team for pulling this off.

 


A round of buttery phyllo pastry, chopped pistachios and juicy berries crowned with luscious Vanilla Gelato (RM25) proved a tad indulgent but this sublime treat is shareable when you embark on a Mediterranean culinary “cruise” at Marinero.

For reservations at Marinero Mediterranean Dining & Bar, call 012 673 0046 or visit: https://marinerokl.my/

Address: Gourmet Street of BBCC, Lot G-49,50,77, Ground Floor, Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport, Jalan Hang Tuah, Kuala Lumpur. Business hours: 1130 am to 11pm; weekends until 12midnight

 

Thursday, August 17, 2017

PERUVIAN CHICKEN A HOT HIT AT BRASARIA



The best testament of how original a particular type of food is when the country’s native citizens show up to eat it. So imagine how chuffed Carmen Loo – owner of Brasaria restaurant was when Peruvian customers showed up to enjoy Pollo a La Brasa, Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken at Brasaria recently.


Opened in February this year, Brasaria has steadily won plaudits for its delicious charcoal-grilled chicken. According to Carmen, the restaurant uses chickens from a halal-certified supplier. The chooks are marinated for 24 hours with the house Peruvian-style marinade.



“We use fresh, locally sourced chillies, coriander, mint and jalapeños among others in our preparation,” said Carmen. “In Peru, Pollo a La Brasa is a popular street-food dish found at almost every corner. The rotisserie grilled chicken is usually served with rice or fries and grilled vegetables.”

 


In sync with this casual, simple food approach, the owners have kept Brasaria’s interior uncluttered and functional. At the entrance, a whimsical Ilama replica ‘greets’ diners while solid blocks of colour accents evoke vibrant vibes inside.



The straightforward menu proffers grilled chicken in quarter, half or whole servings. Our dining party opted for El Jefe ‘The Boss’ (RM45.90 whole chicken a la carte, RM60.90 whole chicken with large green salad & 2 sides).



We wolfed down the delectable Peruvian chicken within minutes and thoroughly enjoyed every bite of the tender, juicy chicken. For variation in flavour, dip chunks of the meat into the house Aji Mild and Aji Hot sauces. Made using different amounts of aji amarillo peppers with coriander, garlic, vinegar and mayonnaise, some preferred the milder creamy green dip while others went wild over the feisty hot version. There is also fruity BBQ Peruano sauce.



“Most Peruvians will supplement their chicken feast with rice or potato fries and grilled veggies,” explained Carmen. “Our customers prefer the Latin Trio (RM5).” We soon discovered why − the slightly charred sweet potato, plantain and pineapple had such homespun appeal, it was easy to succumb to their basic, comforting taste.



I was also partial to Elote (RM5), grilled corn cob slathered with aji sauce, chilli powder and cheese. The buttery and fragrant Brasaria Rice – Peruvian yellow rice with raisins (RM5) was heartily satisfying. Ditto for the addictive Salchipapas (RM5), deep-fried French Fries (RM5) with strips of fried chicken frankfurters and a choice of house sauces.



Grilled Vegetable (RM5) comprising eggplant, zucchini, carrot and capsicum dices tossed in a piquant sauce made a complementary side to the overall equation.



Pasta lovers may like to sample El Tallarines (RM14.90). A typical spaghetti dish tossed in Peruvian pesto with shredded roast chicken and a sprinkling of cheese, it won the day thanks to the dish’s fresh herbaceous and nutty-savoury accents.



After that stellar line-up, we reckon El Sanguche ‘The Sandwich’ (RM14.90) paled by comparison. Okay, the soft roll filled with hand-pulled chicken with mixed greens, aji sauce and salsa criollo was decent enough but was nothing to write home about.



Since no dessert was available that day, we made do with Agua Fresca (RM5), a refreshing drink made with fresh fruit of the day as the palate refresher.



For reservations, call Brasaria, tel: 03-7627 4626. Address: D-59-G, Block D, Jaya One, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.


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