5 fear-factor dishes to brave in KL and Selangor

Not for the squeamish: From cricket carbonara to raw chicken carpaccio, here are some daring dishes to thrill and terrify.

1. Cricket carbonara curry pasta at Gastro Bar, By Burgeon

This week, Petaling Jaya’s Gastro Bar, By Burgeon launches the first dish in what it calls an exploratory menu – one ambitiously unique recipe will be showcased each week alongside the regular a la carte selection. From June 7 to 12, it’s a bug’s life at this inventive restaurant, with curried crickets in carbonara pasta for intrepid customers. Insects have been described as the protein of tomorrow, so get a head start on the future right now.

Address: 8 & 10, Jalan BM 1/2, Taman Bukit Mayang Emas, Selangor
Read review: Gastro Bar By Burgeon
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2. Raw chicken carpaccio and pork liver sashimi at Maruhi Sakaba

The slick-slimy slivers of raw chicken might teeter too close to uncooked for some customers, but they taste terrific _ like raw tuna, but with a more delicate flavour and chewier bite. Meanwhile, the pork liver sashimi is full-flavoured in an offal – not awful – way, muscular in texture. You’ll also find pork intestine sashimi if you want more.

Address: 6A, Faber Plaza, Jalan Desa Jaya, Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur
Find: Contact details and map for Maruhi Sakaba

3. Sizzling pork ears at Laguna Mabuhay

This terrifically authentic Filipino restaurant serves the traditional favourite of ‘sisig,’ a super-addictive sizzling recipe of pork ears and jowl, cooked with calamansi and chilies, flooded with egg for extra flavour. If you can stomach this, you may be stunned to find yourself actually enjoying it immensely.

Address: 3, Jalan Gereja, Kuala Lumpur
Read review: Laguna Mabuhay Philippine Restaurant
Find: Contact details and map for Laguna Mabuhay

4. Ox lung, tripe and tongue bao by Coolinary Ronins

The Coolinary Ronins are a collective of current and former restaurateurs, chefs and baristas who are available to cater for events and pop-up kitchens. They are people after our own heart – they adore offal too, and their fetishes are unmasked in the dim sum basket of bao-styled steamed mantao stuffed with ox tripe, tongue, lung and meat in Chinese soy sauce (nicknamed ‘bovine harakiri’).

Address: The Great Beer Bar on Fridays and Saturdays at 86 Jalan SS 21/62, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Read review: Coolinary Ronins Pop-Up
Find: Contact details and map for Coolinary Ronins

5. Steamed silkworm pupae at Chi Mac Bistro

Steamed silkworm pupae, known as ‘beondegi,’ are the highlight at Solaris Mont Kiara’s Chi Mac Korean bistro – the light, delicate crunch of the skin yields to the squishy-juicy squirt of the pupa’s core, with a flavour that’s earthy-nutty, a bit like briny canned peas with a wet, woody odour.

Address: J -OG-15 Soho KL Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur.
Read review: Chi Mac Bistro
Find: Contact details and map for Chi Mac Bistro