Opened in May this year, Cerdito Restaurant is a full-service restaurant right smack in the middle of Puchong Jaya. In an area that’s brimming with casual cafes, kopitiams and noisy Chinese “tai-chow” kinda restaurants, Cerdito stands out with its prominent facade in a corner lot. Stepping into the restaurant, I was pleasantly taken aback with its sleek modern interior design with its elegant and welcoming at the same time.
The clean classic lines of its contemporary design forms the perfect backdrop for full service dining and private chef table dining – two services which Cerdito is proud of. Cerdito’s menu is crafted to showcase its Spanish-inspired fusion cuisine featuring Iberico pork as its mainstay.
As many would know, Iberico pork comes from the black Iberian pig commonly raised in Spain and Portugal. Their special diet and the specific processes of rearing these pigs have resulted in the special texture and flavours of the prized pork.
While we waited for the Iberico pork dishes to be served, we kept our hunger at bay with some appetizers, soup and salad.
Chef’s Special Appetizers – deep-fried prawns, grilled eringgyi, harissa chicken skewers, baby octopus…
The Grilled King Oyster (Eringgyi) Mushrooms (RM15) are uniquely delicious with toppings of garlic, cocoa soil and a good drizzle of balsamic vinegar!
These were followed by…
Wild Mushroom Cappuccino with truffle tea foam (RM18)
Smoked Duck Salad (RM22) – smoked duck breast, orange segments, citrus vinaigrette
Then, the array of Iberico porky goodness took turns to delight us. It started with the Iberico Pork Sticks (RM30) served with pineapple salsa. Thick cuts of well-marinated pork slices were nicely charred at the sides and these practically melted in the mouth with its delicious tenderness!
Next came the Grilled Iberico Short Rack (RM70) with grilled pumpkin and baba ganoush (mashed brinjals with sesame). Unfortunately it was overcooked and when we highlighted this to the crew, it was replaced with another serving which was grilled perfectly. With a slightly pink centre, the meat was juicy and tender to the cut – bravo!
A must-order item here is their Slab of Iberico Ribs (RM110 full rack/RM40 per single serving) with Asian slaw and patatas bravas. Diners can opt to have the full or half slab. The ribs were scrumptious, having been marinated with an excellent mixture of spices, herbs and sauces before being grilled. We just had to dig in with bare fingers as that’s the ultimate way of enjoying those tasty ribs.
At this point, the crew brought out a serving of the chef’s special for that evening – Braised Iberico Ribs (RM45) in a Chinese herbal soup, a milder version of the local Bak Kut Teh. The tender cabbage leaves enhanced the sweetness of the broth and it was something which we lapped everything up.
To round off the Iberico Pork feast, we checked out Cerdito’s Black Pig Burger (RM45) with steak fries and tomato chutney. Some may be a bit intimidated by the huge slab of pork belly sandwiched between the bun. Personally I found it a bit too fatty although the tender texture and flavours were impeccable. Perhaps you can request for a leaner cut when ordering and depending on availability, that would be a better option!
The Iberico Pulled Pork Sandwich (RM45) was a lighter version. The generous portion pulled pork laced with sweet and tangy BBQ sauce topped with some ebikko was perfect with the fluffy mantou which had also been lightly toasted for that added crisp at the sides.
Besides Iberico pork, the menu does feature chicken, fish and lamb. Their Salt Bush Lamb Shank with mashed potatoes and lamb jus was bursting with robust flavours and tender enough to fall off the bone.
Desserts were a bit limited at the moment but what’s available were pretty good, especially their Tiramisu and Belgium Dark Chocolate Semi Freddo. The tiramisu had good lashings of kahlua and that scored a lot of points in my desserts checklist.
Tiramisu
Belgium Dark Chocolate Semi Freddo
The House-made Lemon Tart is worth a try with its 3 toppings of butter crumbs, shallot ice-cream and cocoa soil!
We love their refreshing mocktails too (RM15 each): Cucumber Lemonade and Fiery Float above…
Spicy Peach Fizz & Kiwi Mojiteh
Cerdito Restaurant is a good dining option if you are looking for a good porky feast in a bit more upscaled eatery among the foodie haunts of Puchong Jaya.
CERDITO RESTAURANT
G-11 Kompleks Kenari
Jalan Kenari 19A
Bandar Puchong Jaya
47100 Puchong
Selangor
Tel: 03-8082-7118/017-380-8989
email: [email protected]
Open:
Tuesday-Thursday: 1200-2200
Friday: 1200-2300
Saturday-Sunday: 1100-2300
Closed on Monday