New Dinner Menu at Breadfruits, Desa Sri Hartamas: Restaurant Review

Feel-good food: Breadfruits has finally launched a full-fledged dinner menu, serving some beautifully conceived specialities – impressively ingredient-driven, with vibrant, harmonious flavours & complex, well-thought-out textures. If you’re looking for a cheerful meal to buoy your soul & nourish your body (without breaking your budget), this could be it.

Squid Salad

Available 6pm-10pm daily: Start with this squid salad, infused with Burmese influences inspired by Breadfruits’ predominantly Kachin-origin kitchen crew. The recipe sounds deceptively simple, prepared with paprika, garlic, salt & pepper, but the perfectly tender squid is pan-fried at a high heat to replicate a resplendent ‘wok hei’ smokiness. Complemented by crisp rocket leaves, cherry tomatoes, coriander & lime, it’s the ideal salad, balanced in every aspect – order this, absolutely. RM23.80.

Pork

Despite its vegetarian-bait name, Breadfruits has nurtured a meaty reputation for pork because of its bacon-filled brunches. Its new evening selection takes things to the next level – legions of customers will likely fall in love with this pork chop cooked with wild honey, apple, pear & aromatic herbs & spices (RM32.80). There’s also another pork chop that’s prepared with pesto sauce, thyme & sage, teamed with a salad of papaya & passion fruit (RM30.80), as well as double-baked pork belly with barley salad & green pea puree (RM32.80). We could stop right there, & there’d be more than enough reason to rush to Breadfruits.

Paella

Breadfruits founder Kah Kwan was motivated by a visit to Melbourne’s MoVida to come up with this menu, which reflects the kind of dynamic, can-do spirit that makes a restaurant beloved. Paella is pledged at lower-than-the-norm prices – this serving, which feeds two to three people, brims with rice tinged with turmeric & cumin, topped with spicy pork chorizo, succulent marinated chicken thigh, peas, pepper & celery for RM44.80. Breadfruits uses Japanese rice instead of Spanish bomba to keep costs affordable while maintaining reasonable standards. Risotto recipes (one with fennel & asparagus, another with prawns, basil & sun-dried tomatoes) clock in at only RM20.80-RM24.80 each because of a similar substitution of arborio rice.

For Fans of Fish

Breadfruits’ team heads out the market each morning to ensure everything you eat here is vividly fresh – fans of fish should snap up this snapper, spread with a chermoula marinade in line with a Moroccan, Libyan & Tunisian ethos, but with echoes of a Malaysian ‘ikan bakar’ twist in its grilling. The fish is juicy & ravishing in its natural flavours, paired with a pineapple salad & lightly tangy sauce – honest food, prepared with heart. RM53.80; also sufficient for two customers.

All of Breadfruits’ creations are unique in their own fashion – chicken is coupled with mushrooms from both East & West, bringing Sicily & Shanghai together on one plate (RM27.80), while beef takes on a variety of notes too, with this sirloin steak bolstered by basil pesto sauce & nutty grilled watermelon (RM48.80). We wish we had more stomach space – we’d also have loved to order Breadfruits’ new charcuterie & cheese platter (RM36.80), pork & clam stew (RM33.80) & more.

Desserts and Beverages

Wrap up with a slice of cake, washed down with Breadfruits’ detox juices & wild honey beverages; many thanks to KK & his team for hosting us here. Note: Breadfruits underwent a renovation this year – the cafe is now significantly more spacious.