Max Western Dining
Max Dining Lot no 32 Jalan Jati
Tel: 03-2142 9745
I’ve been a friend of Max Chins’ gastronomic work for some time, mainly via his self-named restaurant Max! Kitchen and Dining, a lovely place that sat on Tengkat Tong Shin near Changkat Bukit Bintang. There Max built up a steady clientele for fine dining in an improbable area for such a premise. While Sao Yam is there and brings in a good level crowd, the mamak stalls and backpacker hostels were not good company and as of a few months ago, Max! Kitchen and Dining was no more. One of my favourite neighbourhood restaurants was gone.
Well, not exactly as I’ve recently found out. Max has moved the whole operation to a new locale, into the former Munchhaus, re-branding it as Max Western Dining and taking over the interesting, almost unusual situation whereby a restaurant is located in a furniture showroom. It’s in a … challenging to find location and while I knew that the food would deliver I openly wondered on how this would pan out. Scepticism is an occupational hazard.
I’m glad to report that the new Max Western Dining works, very much so. The iHaus furniture of European woods and modernism lends well to creating a cool ambience and the living room and segregated areas like the wine tasting room, terrace and private rooms play well together. So far so good.
As for the food, excellent. The Roasted Beet Salad with warm Haloumi Cheese and Granhill Apple Vinaigrette was terrific as was the main of Seared Seas Scallops on Grilled Provencale Vegetable with baby Octopus ragout , Olives and Lobster Oil. The service was sweet and prompt, all and all Max Dining picks up where Max! Kitchen left off and with time, may even do better. SAM COLEMAN
Engka Portobello
32 Jalan Changkat Bukit Bintang
50200 KL
Tel: 03–2144 7323
When a new restaurant opens on Changkat Bukit Bintang you can rely on me to be in there within a month of opening. And, Changkat being Changkat, I don’t usually have to wait very long for new arrivals.
Engka Portobello takes over the old shop-lot that was home to New Moghul House (an old favourite) and is apparently under the same management as Gypsy Bar across the road. By the name and the rustic, countryside inspired décor and nameplate, I was expecting (and hoping) for KL’s first genuinely mushroom-dedicated restaurant. In fact, there seemed to be more passion for pork than focus on fungus.
Not that that was bad. They do pork very well. And the mushrooms complimented meals well. I personally would just rather have seen more dishes led by the versatile and yet humble ‘shroom. Maybe a risotto or pasta dish where mushrooms truly dominated without the need to rely on a meat that is already far too over-exposed on this stretch as it is. There are plenty of halal-observing expats too, after all.
Still, that was a mere recommendation from the backdrop of a very, very good meal. The brushettas were clean, crisp and well prepared. Likewise the salads (the Serrano ham is a treat). We tried the sausages: great. The chicken fillet (marvelous texture and terrific sauce) served with light mash, brie-d mushrooms and pancetta was also lovely. And the pork knuckle was, like all the dishes, actually, huge and dished up long before it had the chance to dry out. I guess when you can work with pork this well, it makes sense to put it at the centre of your menu.
As they’re still quite fresh, they’re really pushing the offers at the moment. There was a very tempting (only refused on the grounds of wanting to have enough room and sobriety to appreciate the rest of the menu) beer and bucket of beer deal on during my visit, so keep your eyes out for those.
