KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 — “Not a cafe”. It’s a recurring motif running through Et Cetera, and they’re not shy about it either.
It’s printed clearly on the front door, and the menu reminds you once more when you order.
Since opening in December 2022, the restaurant has been described as a cafe in every bit of coverage it’s received. While the label may not have been entirely inaccurate then, the latest menu is a statement of intent, marking the restaurant’s evolution to more ambitious cooking.
Et Cetera is the second venture between founders Sean Sue and Neo Shun Zheng, who also founded the now-defunct Restart by Slō in Kota Damansara.
It featured a cafe-like menu with fresh pasta, cold brew, craft beer, and kombucha by Sue’s home-based brand, Slō.
After closing that location in late 2022, they reopened a few months later as Et Cetera in Aurora Place, Bukit Jalil.
While pasta remained a focus, the inclusion of dainty amuse-bouche-like snacks and larger mains hinted at more refined cooking from Chef Neo, who was part of the opening team at the award-winning Eat and Cook.
The latest menu emphasises sharing plates and charcoal-grilled dishes, while a short selection of pasta remains, featuring mostly crowd favourites.
The menu also introduces pork, notably in the charcuterie and clay pot rice sections.
A concise wine list — including an easy-drinking Chenin blanc from Perdeberg Cellar served by the glass (RM30) — and a cocktail program underscore the restaurant’s evolution, even as the decor straddles the line between cafe and restaurant.
One of four starters on the menu, the grilled white corn ribs (RM22) come with a turmeric glaze and shavings of Grana Padano. Variations of corn ribs have become increasingly popular in contemporary restaurants like this — they’re less daunting than a whole cob and can deliver more flavour per square inch of corn.
Here, the turmeric played a supporting role to the natural sweetness of white corn, while the cheese added a generous layer of finger-licking savouriness.
Described as a staple of the restaurant, grilled cabbage (RM26) sees a wedge of lightly charred cabbage laid on a bed of hummus and drizzled with housemade chilli oil.
Sweet, smoky and crunchy, it was a delight to hack off bites of cabbage and generously smear them in hummus and chilli oil — a standout dish.
Cacio é pepperoni (RM40) is Et Cetera’s riff on the Roman classic cacio e pepe, though it’s best enjoyed on its own terms.
Wide sheets of perfectly cooked fresh pappardelle are coated in a cheesy, creamy sauce infused with the flavour of beef pepperoni, which was also finely diced and scattered throughout.
While it’s not as peppery as traditional cacio e pepe, the salty, slightly spicy flavour of the pepperoni carries the dish.
Fresh pappardelle also features in their classic carbonara (RM45), which stays largely true to convention despite the unconventional choice of pasta.
Crispy, fatty bits of guanciale (salt-cured pork jowl) dot the bowl, while its rendered fat forms the basis of the properly emulsified sauce made with egg yolks and heaps of Grana Padano. It’s plenty creamy — without a drop of cream.
The most impressive dish of the night was undoubtedly the miso butterflied sea bream (RM70). When done well, I think grilled fish is one of the most satisfying ways to enjoy said protein, especially when it’s a clean-tasting, somewhat meaty fish like sea bream.
The skin was lightly charred, the flesh perfectly cooked, and the sauce — my word, the sauce — was outstanding. The savoury punch of miso made it resemble something of a fortified beurre blanc — buttery, slightly sweet and well worth licking the plate clean.
Also from the grill section of the menu is the seven-day-aged Rhode Island chicken (RM85). One order is half a bird, which came grilled and carved in a pool of its juices.
The lone length of garnish was a curious choice, as was the overly verdant ginger scallion pesto that didn’t complement the chicken.
The bird was moist, but not in a wet, falling apart way that grilled chicken can sometimes be. To be clear, this is a good thing.
Instead, the flesh was almost taut, making each bite off the bone a succulent experience. However, it was a bit light on the salt, which left the charred notes tasting bitter and slightly unpleasant.
The meal concluded with the duck leg rice (RM98), featuring a 14-day-aged Cherry Valley duck leg, kai lan, pickled cucumber, and bonito flakes, all served in a clay pot meant for two.
The rice, flavoured with bonito-infused soy sauce, was the ideal carb-heavy finish, rewarding us with layer upon layer of savoury notes punctuated by the occasional pickle.
Et Cetera Restaurant
B-1-12, Aurora Place, Plaza Bukit Jalil, 1, Persiaran Jalil 1, Bandar Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Open daily, 12-5pm, 6-10pm. Closed on Wednesday.
Tel: 011-3905 2650
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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