ART OF BISTRONOMY AT 2OX

LATEST UPDATE

Effective 11 May 2016, 2OX has become a pork-free restaurant. 

Pork dishes mentioned in this review are no longer in the current menu.

 

The petite powerhouse behind Maison Francaise Sainy Chun has done it again with 2OX. Her months-old bistro venture at The Row (formerly Asian Heritage Row) fits in nicely with the revitalised F&B hub, bringing the art of French bistronomy to KL.

Channelling the effortless downhome chic of French bistros with tasteful facets: pristine white tiled walls, pared-down linear décor and edgy industrial finish, 2OX is out to draw those yearning for reasonably priced French dining with its array of exquisite, rustic specialities.  

A vibrant canvas of voluptuous, carousing personas take centrestage on the feature wall while smaller, intermittent bursts of colour from framed artworks act as supporting cast. The brief bistro-style menu is ample enough to leave you in a quandary on what to choose. Francophiles will lament everything sounds tempting!

The Duck Rillettes with Pickled Gherkins (RM38) won the appetiser tussle alongside Fresh Mozzarella with Tomatoes and Jamon Ham (RM48). We love the rillettes – a traditional speciality features pork, rabbit, goose or other poultry cubed, salted and cooked in lard to tenderise the meat before it is shredded to coarse paste-like consistency.

Known in some parts of France as ‘brown jam’, our serving came with toasted baguette and housemade pickled gherkins and pearl onions, cherry tomatoes and lettuce. The inherent gaminess and richness which reminded me of moist meat floss with subtly sweet-tangy baby gherkins and pearl onions layering their distinct flavours to the spread.

For us, the day’s showstopper belonged to the unbelievably tender Josper Oven Grilled Pork Chop (RM75). My mouth still waters at the memory of the tender meat’s juicy sweetness and spot-on doneness.

 

Heeding the recommendation to sample Les Tripe with Tomato and Spicy Herbs (RM58) also paid off. If you’re a fan of offal like us, the textural symphony: spongy chewiness interjected with slippery flabby bits should hold great appeal. I mopped up every drop of the robustly sublime gravy with bread.

Dessert consists of cherished classics like Crème Brulee (RM15) and Bourguignon Pear and Vanilla Ice Cream (RM20). The former came up to par while the pieces of red wine-suffused pear in the latter was surprisingly sedate. Great if you prefer ethereally light treats that leave you humming with good vibes.

For dinner, you can enjoy a 3-course set at RM88++ per person comprising one cold or warm appetiser, one main and one dessert. Certain dishes come with additional charges so consult with the 2OX team for an ox-cellent dining experience. Pair your choice of dishes up with some wine, served by the glass at RM20-RM28 each.

For reservations, call 2OX, tel: 03-2692 2233. Address: 56G, Jalan Doraisamy, Kuala Lumpur.

A BUBBLYLICIOUS SUNDAY EASTER-VAGANZA AT EL CERDO

Cheers! It's Good Friday and I wish Jom Makan blog readers of the Christian faith a Happy Easter ahead. Meaningful occasions such as Easter is best celebrated with family, friends and loved ones...preferably over a feast of epic pork-portions of course ;p

 

To get you into the mood for this Sunday's Easter-vaganza, El Cerdo will lay out a sumptuous Bubblylicious Sunday Brunch from 12 noon to 2.30pm. As the first European eatery in KL city to give local Chinese restos a run for their porky specialities, you can expect an unrivalled 'nose to tail' eating experience - washed down with loads of bubbly, beer, soft drinks or juices.

 

For porcine fans, it'd be love at first sight (and bite) - just the Cold Appetiser Buffet (pix above) alone would warm the very cockles of your heart and leave you weeping with joy. Choice pickings worth savouring include sliced Serrano ham with honey-sweet diced rock melon, pig's head jelly, lomo (Spansish cured pork tenderloin), smoked black pepper ham, chorizo, trotter terrine, roast pork salad, pork liver pate and pork rillette amongst others.

Serrano ham is best paired with rock melon

There's plenty to go around so remember to pace yourself and enjoy the whole plethora laid out. An ample selection of fresh salad leaves, cherry and sliced tomatoes are also available to complement the charcuterie.

 

Before ordering your main course, sample the house Sausage Platter. This is especially great for sharing so you'd have a chance to taste the different types with more than enough tummy space left over for mains.

Served on a bed of potato mash and sauerkraut with mustard on the side, our dining party made quick work of the delicious sausage platter which comprised bacon-wrapped cocktail sausages and slightly bigger Thuringer, German pepper, spicy Lyonner and farmer franks. 

Keep your eyes peeled for the hearty Roasted Pork Loin - the service personnel on duty would gladly proffer thick slices of this meaty delight on request; complete with an irresistible gravy, some veges and potato on the side. In fact, we relished this so much that most of our gang returned for additional helpings.

The day's simplest dish of Pork Belly Fettucini turned out to be a limelight hogger. Suffused with a lush, savoury sauce redolent with tomato and herbs, the fork-tender pork belly chunks were a match made in heaven with the perfectly al dente pasta ribbons. Likewise, the Seafood Spaghetti is well acquitted too with a large prawn and several smaller but succulent ones.

The traditional Austrian Wiener Schnitzel (which means 'meat in a crust') is notable for the crisply breaded coating that envelopes a fillet of moist, tender pork inside. Adorned with a dollop of potato salad, any greasiness is tempered by the accompanying tart berry compote.

Another raveworthy offering that scores highly is Hickory Smoked Iberico Soft Ribs. Mind you, just the thought of that tangy-smoky-sweet sauce smothering those meltingly tender soft bone ribs is droolworthy enough. A 'must try' dish that should have you licking the plate clean.

Other tempting main dishes to pig out on include Pork Steak (pix above), Spaetzle with Cheese & Ham (pix below) and Roast Baby Back Ribs. The luscious tiers of grilled pork and mashed potato topped with fried leek slivers are superbly yummy while the spaetzle - a comforting dish of mini dough dumplings similar to gnocchi in its chewy 'QQ' texture - comes perked up with lashings of creamy tomato-cheese sauce and diced ham. My only grouse about the baby back ribs is the scant bits of meat on them ribs.

Anyway that minor hiccup disappears since there's dessert to contend with. Sweet solace can be found in Mango Tiramisu, Spanish Chocolate Cake or Assorted Homemade Ice Creams & Sorbets.

The chocoholic in me readily vouched for the sole chocolatey option. Never mind if it's slightly dry and crumbly, the deep-seated cacao accent has enough 'oomph' to ensure a lingering impression and keep you asking for more.

If you love boozy ice cream, the Rum & Raisin is simply 'da bomb'. Its closest rivals are mango and raspberry sorbet (we love both flavours' seductively fruity creaminess) while the olive oil variant seems like a quirky wild card in the whole mix. The tiramisu passed muster...despite the dessert's mild alcoholic nuance, the mango component is barely discernible.

El Cerdo's Bubblylicious Brunch is priced at RM149 ++ per person inclusive of free flowing Cava, house red & white wine, Tiger draught, soft drinks and chilled juices. Teetotalers pay RM99++ per person (soft drinks and juices included) while kids are charged at RM49++ per head (6-12 years old).

For reservations, call EL CERDO, tel: 03-2145 0511 / 013-309 4197. Address: 43 & 45, Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur