Review: Coast by Kayra

Taking a beloved standard like Indian cuisine – in this case, Kerala-influenced – and making it fresh and unique is a challenge that requires a creative touch, and we were on hand to experience it recently. The newly opened Coast, sister restaurant to the popular Michelin-selected Kayra restaurant at Bangsar Village, is located in The Starhill in Bukit Bintang, and offers a more seafood-themed approach to Keralan cuisine.

The aesthetics of the restaurant are incredibly appealing, the teal and seafoam colour palette – along with a lovely front-and-centre water feature – all subtly communicating the seafood theme. Whoever was responsible for the interior design at Coast deserves praise, because it’s beautifully done.

We also liked Coast’s approach to sourcing plenty of its foods locally, with seafood coming from the seas and shores of Selangor, Perak, Sabah, Kedah, and Pahang. Not all of the food at Coast arrives from Malaysia, but a lot of it does, and that’s a good thing.

Their à la carte menu is spectacular, and we loved its presentation, offering both visual appeal and helpful descriptions of dishes that, for many diners, won’t be familiar. We opted for the Discovery Menu (RM220), a curated set menu that had us trusting the meal to the chef. It was a good decision, with the only possible drawback being that we were completely stuffed when we left!

Mini Prawn Appams and Crab Rasam Shooters

The standard menu offers six courses, and we upgraded it to seven with a starter of Coastal Spiced Oysters (RM40) that were among the freshest (and coldest) imaginable, festooned with herbs, calamansi, and green chilli, along with granita, kokum tamarind, and curry leaf. The burst of freshness was supported by a complex evolution of spices and flavours that served as a fine introduction to the meal.

A procession of no less than four incredible appetisers followed, including a Dahi Puri crabmeat and crab rasam shooter – we were directed to take a bite of the crispy crab dumpling, then a shot of the warm crab rasam ‘soup’ – truly amazing. The creativity was already starting to shine. The Mini Appam was next, a healthy three- or four-bite fermented rice ‘pancake’ with a tiger prawn as its star attraction. It was superb, but the next dish was even more captivating.

The Dosa Taco was presented in the familiar taco style, but that’s where the similarities ended. The shell, made from rice and lentil, had a perfect texture – firm, yet soft – filled to overflowing with delectable grilled spiced fish, crispy sev (made from chickpea flour and seasoned with chilli powder, cayenne, turmeric, and more), and a homemade sour cream. This one is also available à la carte and is highly recommended.

Finally, the Charcoal Squid dish arrived, along with caramelised onions, curry leaves, and crispy fried fish skin. Finished with anchovy chamandhi and topped with a homemade mint sauce, this was a flawless and flavour-packed finale – but only to the starters!

Next up was the main course, and for this, diners can choose between the Meen Pollichathu, Prawn Moilee, or Malabar Lamb Biryani. The first is a banana leaf-wrapped red snapper fillet, grilled with a spicy masala sauce, along with a fruit and nut-laden biryani… truly a spectacular dish. The prawn option features large sea tiger prawns in a mouthwatering curry made with first-press coconut milk, and is served with a duck egg appam on the side. This dish is also incredible. Meat lovers, meanwhile, should opt for the flavoursome slow-cooked lamb leg with a delightful blend of Malabar flavours, accompanied by long-grain basmati, fried onions, green apple raita, and a contrasty mango pickle.

Mouthwater flavours and textures abound at Coast

There’s a choice of excellent signature desserts on the Discovery Menu, as well, but we’ll leave that as a surprise. Suffice it say we loved and highly recommend Coast, and encourage you to give it a go anytime you’re in the Bukit Bintang area. Prices are very reasonable, there’s a terrific selection of beverages (including wines and spirits), excellent vegetarian options are offered, and if you’re around at lunchtime, there’s even a nice Executive Lunch set menu, too. We can’t wait to return!