KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 — The newest (spot) on the block in Lucky Garden, Bangsar comes courtesy of Teng Wee Jeh and Sandra Samad, the husband and wife duo behind Suria KLCC’s Chinoz on the Park which ran for close to 25 years, and later Chinta by Chinoz, located nearby on Jalan Kemuja.
Known as The Spot by Chinoz, their latest opening marks the return of the café-style fare that Chinoz came to be known for since 1993 when they first opened in Bangsar’s Jalan Telawi 3, including laksa, a range of pizzas and a house-cured salt beef sandwich.
Where there was once a long, narrow, empty strip of land in front of TMC supermarket now stands an oblong white building with exposed bricks on some walls.
Near the tip of the long end, a tree rises from the patio, poking through the roof towards the heavens.
Inside, you’ll find the cosy space far more spacious than initially thought, achieved through a combination of high, sweeping ceilings and small tables thoughtfully positioned along the walls.
A long communal table makes its presence felt in front of the counter, and the tall windows mean there’s no shortage of sunlight to bask in.
The lone “Malaysian” item on the menu, Laksa Lemak (RM23) features angel hair pasta instead of the usual rice noodles — a nod to the laksa served back in Chinoz.
The result is a more toothsome, or al dente if you will, bite that’s more than welcome.
The broth is a deep, intense red and so thick, it almost feels wrong to call it that.
Rich, creamy and not particularly spicy, it is as complex as it is flavourful, built on the back of components like belacan, buah keras and bunga kantan.
Slivers of cucumber, fried tofu pok and slices of chicken round out the rest of the bowl’s contents.
Next was the house-cured Salt Beef Sandwich (RM33).
A dish straight out of Chinoz’s book, this delectable sandwich was a masterclass in ratios.
There was the perfect amount of each component: wads of succulent and savoury salt beef with just enough fat, crunchy and tangy slices of pickle, and just a suggestion of mustard spread on both slices of toasted rye.
On the side was a mountain of fries that was delightful too.
The Chicken + Mushroom Pie (RM29) was delicious, with the buttery, flaky pastry sporting gorgeous hues of caramelised brown that give way to the — let’s face it — sort of pale grey creamy filling.
Grey as they may be, these morsels of chicken and mushrooms were far from bland, supported by liberal splashes of brown gravy that leave plenty for you and your fork to try and mop up.
To be fair, The Spot isn’t reinventing the wheel with their pizzas, nor do they have a certificate from the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana with a very exacting list of house rules to boot — both of which have their place — but they do make some good, simple pizzas.
The Queen Margherita (RM32) comes topped with fresh basil and semi-dried tomatoes over a layer of proper tomato sauce that’s far from sugary sweet, oozing mozzarella as you pull a slice off.
The dough itself is on the lighter side, with a gentle rise at the edge of the crust and retaining some integrity to more or less hold itself upright. It’s just a good old pizza. Simple as.
More good old, simple things come in the form of a nostalgia trip through dessert.
I can vaguely remember the last time I ate a banana split; I must’ve been about 10 and struggling with the times tables.
I’m no longer 10 and still I struggle with the times tables, but I’m happy to report that a scoop each of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream, a banana, peeled and halved and topped with a few blueberries still does the trick.
It’s still a timeless classic — and the Banana Split (RM25) here shot me back into primary school, one nostalgia-laden scoop at a time.
The Spot by Chinoz
Jalan Ara (in front of TMC), Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur
Open daily, 10am-10pm
Tel: 03-2201 6422
Instagram: @thespot.by.chinoz
*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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