KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — Welcome to Taman Midah.

You’re highly likely to bump into various car repair shops here. Or maybe a Chinese kopitiam and nasi kandar place.

But if you look closely, you will find Barrio 66 Kitchen & Bar, located right opposite the Taman Midah MRT station.

It beckons with a banner proclaiming they serve Latin American food. Like its name, "barrio” or neighbourhood in Spanish, it serves those who live around here.

It’s hard to just pigeon hole the food served here as Latin American only, as Spain and Jamaica are also represented.

And there’s also pizza and pasta, familiar favourites for everyone, especially for young children.

One may dismiss it as a place just dabbling in a different cuisine to attract diners.

However, what you will find is that this neighbourhood joint has tremendous pulling power as every item we sampled was stellar, trumping more slick places with fancy interiors in the city centre.

Your fun starts by mixing the various cuisines. Mexican tacos with Spanish paella? Anything is possible here.

Taco lovers will be clapping their hands in glee with their selection.

Chili Con Carne Tacos (RM28 for two tacos) came with a generous heap of the comforting minced beef mixed with kidney beans and tomatoes that had a little spicy kick.

As you eat the crispy taco shell layered with wheat tortilla slowly, you will get the crunch from lettuce with a kick from the salsa.

Unlike at other places, they layer the taco shell with shredded lettuce and cheese first and heap the filling on top. Other choices in the menu include mushroom, chipotle chicken and tiger prawns.

Not everyone is a fan of the crunchy tacos, hence there’s their Craft Tacos selection which uses toasted wheat tortillas.

This version is packed with ingredients, whether it’s pulled lamb shank, battered perch, tequila lime prawns, jerk chicken breast or skirt steak.

Entrana (RM36 for two tacos) had perfectly cooked skirt steak while a jalapeno aioli gave it a zingy taste, making it a taco I would happily order again.

Familiar Tex-Mex dishes like burritos, fajitas and nachos can also be found here.

As the Paella Valenciana (RM70 for two persons) takes about 30 minutes to cook, you can also order a variety of tapas.

If you wish to keep to the Spanish theme, there’s classic small bites like Patatas Bravas, Berenjenas and Salchichas, all served in clay dishes.

Try the Spanish Clay Sizzlers. It’s basically olive oil flavoured with chopped garlic and parsley, with a choice of your ingredient from mushrooms, chicken breast or tiger prawns.

The amount of oil bubbling away may scare you but once you start dipping the toasted bread inside it with the mix of mushrooms (RM24), you may end up mopping up more as the garlic makes it super addictive.

Albondigas (RM28) or lamb meatballs cooked in tomato sofrito is a comforting nibble that requires another basket of bread.

The texture of the meatballs is on point with a softness that indicates it’s all handmade. There’s a spicy or non spicy version too, depending on how brave you are with heat.

It’s time for the centrepiece, the Paella Valenciana. It arrives in a hot pan, where every inch of it is covered with an assortment of seafood. There’s prawns, mussels, clams, salmon, calamari and peas.

Once you push aside all that, underneath is the golden yellow treasure of the saffron rice.

The rice is soft and packed with rich seafood flavours, thanks to their homemade broth. While the socarrat (the crispy layer of rice at the bottom of a paella pan) isn’t so evident for the entire bottom of the pan, there’s burnt bits at the edges and a few grains at the bottom, which I was scraping out.

If you don’t have time to wait for the paella, the menu also features two Brazilian rice dishes.

For the Salmon Moqueca (RM48), it sounds simple but the flavours of a creamy coconut stew combine well with the fluffy cilantro lime rice.

There’s also cubes of garlic herbed potatoes with fluffy insides and crusty exterior that one will be fighting for. Crunchy plantain crisps are also served on the side.

There’s also a Bobo De Camarao, a variation of the first dish using prawns and pairedt with roasted sweet potatoes.

Or go for the array of meat dishes like various steaks, lamb shank or jerk chicken served either whole or half portions, if you’re sharing.

Don’t leave without ordering their awesome Pistachio Tres Leche (RM16). It’s probably the best rendition in the Klang Valley of this milk cake.

The airy, light pistachio sponge cake is served swimming in three types of milk and crowned with soft whipped cream. Savour its lightness for a sweet ending here.

If you’re not a fan of this dessert, there’s Dulce De Leche Tiramisu (RM18), Churros or Mango Panna Cotta.

The tiramisu is pretty good with its layers of coffee and alcohol soaked sponge fingers, mascarpone and dulce de leche.

One downer is the lack of parking, if you’re there for lunch. Dinnertime seems easier since the neighbouring businesses are closed.

There’s a multi-storey car park around the corner for the MRT, if you don’t mind a jaunt to work off the calories. Alternatively, take the MRT.

Barrio 66 Kitchen & Bar, 66, Jalan Midah 1, Taman Midah, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. Open daily: 11am to 10pm. Tel: 011-3334 7166. Instagram: @barrio66midah Facebook:@barrio66midah

* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

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