Kotakotak Cafe at Glenmarie, Shah Alam: Review

Two friendly Malaysian sisters & their collaborators have created this lovely-looking new cafe that showcases intriguing ideas.

The Menu Teems with Tempting Twists

The menu teems with tempting twists: You’ll find Eggs Atlantic reinterpreted with corn-&-potato fritters to replace the traditional muffins – RM9 for the smaller, appetiser-sized serving above or RM17 for a full portion. Jaffles – Australia’s toasted sandwiches – are available with a trending-in-Malaysia filling of ‘pisang cheese’ (RM5.90). Fun flourishes that illustrate wit & inventiveness – though our caveat is that while we genuinely admire Kotakotak’s drive to be distinctive, some of these recipes might still need more tinkering to truly shine; many of them missed a beat or two in executing their balance of flavours & textures.

Meat Matters

Meat matters: The 12-hour-braised pulled lamb proved significantly gamier than expected, partnered with a slightly mushy & flat-tasting salad of couscous, barley & yoghurt (RM14). The chicken burger, with a parsley-&-parmesan-crusted thigh patty, fried egg, Asian slaw, spiced aioli & kitchen-made U.S. potato fries (RM12), sounded like pure pleasure on paper (it’s assuredly more ambitious than the average burger), but the components couldn’t coalesce into a compelling, cohesive whole.

For Vegetarians

Still, it’s worth visiting Kotakotak to explore its efforts – vegetarians will be taken care of; we favour the complex, colourful stack of smashed pumpkin, sweet potatoes, crispy potato skin, mashed potatoes & tempeh with chilli basil oil squirts (RM11) over the unnecessarily sweet hummus layered with fried pastry skin, berries & pistachios (RM17.50). The coffee is well-prepared.