KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — I kept seeing Kalamata Cafe pop up on my Instagram feed so I was curious about their food.
The restaurant menu focuses on Greek and Egyptian dishes which reflect the owner's heritage. Hence you have the classic Greek moussaka rubbing shoulders with an Egyptian classic like Koshary.
The main dishes have a few smoked meats from chicken, lamb leg and beef ribs. But vegetarians can enjoy quite a variety of meatless choices such as vegan hummus, okra baked in claypot and various pasta dishes served with vegetables.
It's pretty simple to order their food since they are on Grab. As food is cooked only upon order, a little patience is needed.
Being new to the menu, I only ordered a few dishes even though I wanted to try everything.
I narrowed it down to crowd favourites like the smoked half chicken with rice (RM36). They use a spring chicken that is smoked for three hours and it was really tasty.
There's a distinct smokiness to the meat that makes you want to keep eating it. They give you a garlic cream sauce on the side, which the chicken doesn't really need as the meat is flavourful on its own.
Since I couldn't finish the chicken in one meal, I had it the next day and it still tasted good once I heated it up.
What I really enjoyed were their falafel (RM19). This version uses fava beans that give it a lighter, fluffier texture which makes it very moreish. Dip it into hummus and pair it with the flatbread for a substantial meal. You can also order the falafel as a wrap for RM22.
The other must eat here is the moussaka. If you dine in, they serve the moussaka in a claypot. However since it's takeaway, the moussaka was packed in foil containers that you can easily heat up. There's a single portion for RM18 or a double portion for RM39.
You can choose between a vegetarian version with tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes and bell peppers, or one filled with minced beef. I tried the beef version and it was comforting with the layers of tomato sauce and béchamel sauce. Perfect food for a rainy night especially when served hot from the oven.
And if you're looking for a meatless meal, try the Koshary (RM30). It's Egyptian by origin. The portion is pretty substantial and can easily feed at least two people.
You have layers of rice and pasta topped with a mild tasting tomato sauce with brown lentils. The dish is sprinkled with chickpeas and sliced cooked onions to give it extra flavour.
Kalamata Cafe, (Above Mr Lim Restoran Korea BBQ), 5-1, Plaza Prisma Ville, Jalan 26A/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur. Open: 12pm to 12am. Tel:03-62117668. Facebook: @kalamatacafekl Instagram: @kalamata_cafe_kl
