Dining in a freshly opened restaurant is always an exciting prospect, full of both anticipation and curiosity. We recently checked out one of Kuala Lumpur’s newer establishments, CHARR, purposely visiting with little idea of what to expect.
Over time, cooking over fire has enabled the creation of shared meals, fostering social bonds and the development of complex social structures. CHARR celebrates this tradition with the kitchen fires being central to the restaurant. These fires are used to prepare the dishes, but they also provide sensory stimulus to guests who can lift their heads from their phones to watch the theatre unfolding in the kitchen.
In our experience, the restaurants which have an open kitchen, in full view of diners, tend to turn out excellent food. Over the years, we’ve found virtually no notable exceptions to this little rule, so as we took
our seats at CHARR, our gaze was surprisingly not trained on the stellar 47th-floor views of the city, but rather the fully open kitchen with its two woodburning cooking stations – both fully ablaze in anticipation of the dinner rush. Diners can choose a table inside, or outside in what we’d call a semi-al fresco dining space, in that it’s not fully open, but definitely leans towards more of an outdoor experience.
We arrived a bit early in the evening, but before long, the dining room had pretty much filled up, and we couldn’t help but notice that the diners on hand, at least on that particular Friday night, trended quite young. This could be because it’s still a new restaurant, and younger patrons may be more adventurous and eager to try the city’s latest culinary offerings. That said, we noticed all manner of patrons, whether couples who were clearly on dates or groups of friends in sizes anywhere from two to six! When we dined, most people in CHARR were busily engaged in social interaction either with fellow diners or their circle of global social media contacts.
Diners at CHARR can choose from either a set ‘degustation’ menu or the à la carte menu. The set menu intrigued us as diners can tell their server (and ours was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable) where their budget aligns most comfortably with the prices on offer. When we dined, the choices were RM250 and RM350. We can report, based on our own experience, that the menu will reflect very good value for whatever price you choose.
We indulged in a procession of dishes delivered and explained with professionalism and a smile. Indeed, throughout the leisurely meal, the service was superb. Servers had a good understanding of the menu and the whole concept of the restaurant, and we were particularly impressed with the wine service.
We started with a few light bites to whet the appetite. Pommes Anna with herbs, crema and smoked trout roe is the kitchen’s interpretation of a French classic of crisped layered potato accompanied by crisped potato layers complemented by nutty brown butter, herb-infused crema, and topped with smoked trout roe.
Following this, the deboned chicken wings with pad kra pao and fermented hot sauce offered spiciness, along with a crispy texture from the caramelized chicken skin. We also placed an extra order from the regular menu for the Barbacoa Lamb Tacos (RM24). Very, very nice… and keep in mind, everything is cooked by fire, either in what amounts to a wood-fired broiler or a blazing-hot wood-fired oven.
Next up was the burnt onion with smoked stracciatella (soft Italian cheese) and chimichurri (spicy South American sauce), topped with lightly smoked trout roe was a celebration of onion sweetness, the creaminess of the cheese, and the spiciness of the sauce.
Following this, we savoured the Wagyu beef tongue prepared with harissa yoghurt and served on a mini naan with a sunnyside-up quail egg on top. And if that wasn’t indulgent enough, the next dish was an incredible seared foie gras, placed atop a nice brioche along with the chef’s take on pandan kaya, and topped with an egg yolk jam and served with a bit of soya salt. Simply outstanding, both in its creativity (bringing in a bit of a local Malaysian touch) and its flavour.
Another dish that reads simplistically on the menu, much like the burnt onion, was also quite complex in its flavour profile. Cameron Highlandsgrown white corn is prepared with fermented jalapeño, spices and Parmigiano Reggiano. The fire-kissed corn was crunchy and flavoursome with the other ingredients adding the spiciness that many crave in their food.
As we got to the mains, each of us was able to choose from four selections. We opted for the Sanchoku Wagyu MB7 with smoked shallots and beef jus, and a Smoked Duck Breast with rosemary apple. Though both were tasty, our clear favourite was the Aussie Wagyu. The other options on the menu included a whole spring chicken and the ‘catch of the day’ for those who prefer seafood.
Dessert choices included a dark chocolate Lava Tart and a Choux Craquelin with pineapple. We ordered one each, and much like the mains, a clear winner quickly emerged. Chocolate lovers will of course exult in the rich tart (with its curious smoked vanilla ice cream, which was if nothing else a real conversation piece), but we gravitated towards the choux, that wondrous light French pastry delight, lashed with tropical flavours and a nice airy creme. It was a fine finish to a truly enjoyable and engaging firecentred meal.
As for the beverages, CHARR offers a fairly comprehensive drinks menu. The Fat Boy Pale Ale captured our attention and provided an essential relaxant after negotiating Kuala Lumpur’s stressful early Friday evening traffic. Brewed under license by the Heart of Darkness in Vietnam, this pale ale is, according to the labelling, a tropical fusion of Malaysian fruits including mango, citrus, pine, passionfruit, and lime.
The very presentable wine list provides brief tasting notes on some 30 wines (red, white, rosé, and sparkling). They are listed by name only, but the fact that their country of origin is not listed may frustrate some.
A range of cocktails is presented, too, and we enjoyed the Piña Taka (RM40), an elegant rum-based cocktail boasting melon, lime, and pineapple flavours. We also very much liked the presentation of drinking water in a glass CHARRbranded water bottle… a very nice and eco-friendly touch to what was a thoroughly enjoyable dining experience, and one we can enthusiastically recommend.
CHARR Dining
The Manor Serviced Residence, KLCC, 47-3A, The Manor 3 Persiaran Stonor, City Centre 50450 Kuala Lumpur
Reservations required (open for dinner, Wednesday through Sunday)
Tel: 017-894 5447
Social Media: https://www. instagram.com/charrdining
