Table 23 is located in the middle of a quieter road away from the mad chaos of Changkat Bukit Bintang. The eateries along this road, Jalan Mesui, seem more comfortable and definitely more inviting than those on the main touristy belt.
We were at Table 23 for dinner and while waiting for our food, we took time to take in the cosy charm of the place. Personal gifts and deco items of the owner are displayed in a cabinet, some of which are conversational pieces. got the feeling that Table 23 caters mainly to their regulars – hordes of office workers during lunch and the loyal patrons who drop by for dinner when things are a bit more settled. People who come by Table 23 seem to have time for an unhurried dinner over a glass or two of the restaurant’s hand-picked old and new world wines. There were quite a few diners who were there relaxing over pre-dinner cocktails and perhaps the attraction was the range of interesting gin concoctions on the drinks menu.
Such beautiful bottles!
Table 23’s owner, Sherlene Siew is all set to introduce her favourite gins from all over the world. The menu lists an impressive collection of gins from Britain, Scotland, Germany, Belgium, Australia and Japan – you can have these with premium tonics from the extensive selection or go for the repertoire of exotic cocktails created by their bar crew. The gin selections are really interesting – take the British Cotsworld Dry Gin with elements of juniper, orange peel, liquorice, elderflower and bitter almonds or the Japanese Ki No Bi with exotic flavours of Yuzu lemon, Hinoki wood chips, bamboo leaves, red perilla, green sansho and Gyokuro tea – just two examples and there are many more!
Cocktails: RM30++ with Bombay Sapphire Gin…
Gin Ginger
Pink Crushed
With Chef Hari helming the kitchen of Table 23, we were in for some treats. His vast culinary experience over the years, in restaurants and hotels across the region stood him in good stead, particularly as Chef Hari loves to experiment with ingredients and techniques to come up with new creations regularly. His Poached Salmon was done sou vide style with coriander seeds rendering the fish with tender juicy flavours and delicate aromas beneath the pan-fried crispy skin.
Coriander Poached Salmon (RM38)
As someone who appreciates her beef grilled over high flames, Chef Hari’s rendition of Slow-cooked Short Ribs would not be my usual order. However, I was told this was one of the chef’s signature dishes so I was game to try it. The fork-tender beef was served with a stack of beautifully-done crunchy onion rings and a generous portion of stir-fried vegetables and potatoes. It’s a hearty wholesome serving for sure and if you love braised meats, this is one dish that should not be missed.
Slow-cooked Short Ribs (RM45)
With his Indian heritage, Chef Hari did an excellent mutton varuval and we had this topped on a thin-crust pizza with gooey cheese. It’s good honest food and something I’d definitely order again as that varuval really packed a delightful punch. You can even have that with toast under their “Snack” menu!
Mutton Varuval Pizza
The Hainanese Chicken Chop is actually in the lunch menu but we couldn’t resist giving it a try. Chef Hari’s version was definitely very different from the authentic Hainanese chicken chop – the sauce was much thicker and didn’t have the requisite flavours but the chicken thigh was well-marinated and tasty.
Hainanese Chicken Chop
Chef Hari’s creativity came into play in his desserts. His tiramisu was steamed in a Chinese bamboo basket and the velvety textures and flavours were pretty amazing. The piping hot tiramisu was really addictive but do take your time savouring it.
The fragrant Cinnamon Tuile we had was not on the menu yet as it was a new item dreamed up by Chef Hari. The prettily rolled-up delicate tuile was served on top of a piece of moist pineapple butter cake which we couldn’t have enough of! I almost wanted to ask for an extra piece!
Steamed Tiramisu (RM18)
Cinnamon Tuile (RM18)
If you are in the vicinity, grab some local favourites for lunch at Table 23 – Kimchi Fried Rice, Claypot Chi Kut Teh, Curry Laksa and Char Kway Teow are some of the crowd’s favourites.
TABLE 23
23 Jalan Mesui
50200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2141-0023
email: [email protected]
*Pork-free