Lai Po Heen at Mandarin Oriental Welcomes Chef Thomas Fong from Doha
April 24th, 2024
When Toni Valero Ruiz launched the kitchen of Ohla in August 2013, he instantly established himself as a talent to watch. Nearly two years later, his determination to remain in KL & bring the best of Spain to this city marks Toni as a chef to cherish.
‘Honest’ is the word that both Toni & Ohla’s sommelier extraordinaire Gustavo Arriaga rely on most often when describing the ethos that fuels their fare, which includes creamed cauliflower soup with crumbs of Bellota Iberico ham & pan-fried onions (crafted with a resonant purity of ingredients, teased out with subtlety & restraint) & piquillo peppers stuffed with salted cod fish brandade, served with a sprout salad & parsley oil (combined with a clear recognition of how to make flavours & textures sing).
These recipes form the current afternoon selection that Ohla started offering this year – it’s the ideal business lunch menu, showcasing flair & finesse in a setting that straddles the line between formal & relaxed. Executives seeking wholesome creations will be thrilled with platters of charcoal-grilled vegetables with Romesco sauce & artichoke-crowned rice in a creamy stock. The provenance of the produce is key – irrepressibly fragrant Spanish red peppers & tomatoes for the Romesco sauce & irresistibly juicy Spanish artichokes for the Bomba rice, which bears the certified firmness of Valencia’s Albufera variety.
Our favourites are the meat specialities – can’t go wrong with the comfort-food stew of Iberico pork belly & suckling pig cooked with chickpeas & pork jus, made even more indulgent with sous-vide egg, or the most satisfying duck leg confit we’ve savoured in years, fleshy & flavoursome, with potatoes prepared in duck fat & Mediterranean herbs. Toni’s mantra is that everything at Ohla must be exactly what he’d be proud to serve back home in Spain; we’re convinced that he succeeds in that responsibility.
Wine makes every lunch better – Gustavo will help you discover a compellingly selected Spanish range, such as crisp DO Jumilla beauties from the south-eastern Murcia region. Don’t skip the Spanish-inflected cocktails either – there’s everything from a Rebujito made with sherry to a Kir Royale with Cava to surprising off-menu concoctions that’ll linger long in the memory.
Ohla
G-18, Ground Floor, The Intermark, Jalan Tun Razak
Mon-Fri, lunch & dinner; Saturday, dinner
Tel: 012- 663-2651
Find: Contact details and map for Ohla
See Also: Ohla Tapas Bar at The Intermark, Tun Razak: Restaurant Review