KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 — At Copaa KL, you’ll find yourself struggling to attach a specific cuisine to the food — this is a good thing.
You’ll find familiar flavours presented in unfamiliar ways (ulam raja chimichurri, anyone?) paired with wines that are really under the radar.
Such as wines from Hubert de Boüard, the co-owner of Château Angelus, which carry the same expertise and passion in those bottles without the exorbitant price. A Hubert de Boüard Merlot is RM183, which is easily shared among three to four people.
A lifelong passion for food and wine drove owner and operator Jon Chew to open his own restaurant after many years in the fitness industry with Les Mills.
He is completely self-taught in every aspect: Creating dishes, curating the wine collection and even doing the decor himself.
To start, the pucuk paku salad (RM28) with mandarin orange is dressed in a bunga kantan-infused vinaigrette and topped with kerisik flakes.
Malaysians will find almost every element in this dish familiar, but the combination of sour, sweet and nutty notes with the crunchy pucuk paku makes for a winning combination.
The pumpkin chips (RM20) here make for a really addictive snack. They are so dangerously delicious and really quite habit forming, you’ll find yourself demolishing a bowl in little to no time.
The grilled squid (RM48) is complemented by an “ulamchurri”, with ulam raja being used in place of parsley in a traditional chimichurri.
Ulam raja also makes an appearance in the salmon pesto pasta (RM48), being used in place of basil, bringing a completely different dimension to the conventional pesto. It’s much stronger tasting than sweet Italian basil, which balances out the rich, fatty salmon.
The lamb rack (RM198) is where Chew really shows off his chops: The Kinross Station Hampshire Down lamb is marinated with house-made cili padi miso and five spice powder, dressed in homemade soy and paired with sautéed portobello and kacang botol.
The gaminess of the lamb is mellowed out by the five spice and the miso, while the kacang botol makes for a satisfying crunch amidst the tender and meaty bites of lamb and mushroom.
I highly suggest choosing a bottle of wine to go with your meal here. Enter the cellar and you’ll find the wines helpfully sorted by taste profile.
A little plus is that unlike standard restaurant practice, Copaa KL charges a flat markup on each bottle as opposed to a percentage, keeping the wines at an accessible price point.
To find Copaa KL, look for the entryway in the middle of the two shop lots taken by Itsumo. Inside, you can take the lift to the first floor where you’ll reach the restaurant.
Copaa KL
38-1, Jalan 24/70a, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur
Open Monday to Saturday 5pm-12am; Closed on Sunday
Tel: 017-272 8971
Facebook: @copaa.kl
Instagram: @copaa.kl
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