Fresh, sweet prawns atop the quinoa added to the overall flavours which were so subtly Nyonya. The leafy salad at the side also included a kadok leaf dipped in tempura batter and fried, which was unusual.
I have been to Opika twice since it started, and all these fine innovative touches to the dishes on the menu are the work of two young chefs who have just graduated from Taylors. I was impressed.
We also had a Chicken Confit with Wild Honey, Sweet Mashed Potato and Roasted Pineapple Sauce. Its free-range chicken slow cooked for four hours. It is presented on mashed sweet potato, studded with cherry tomatoes. It is finished with the pineapple sauce, with some of the diced fruit in it. The meat fell off the bone in the chicken thigh, and its light salted, complex flavours were nicely balanced with the lightly sweet sauce, the sweet potato mash and the sour tang from the cucumber salsa at the side.
Its a colourful salad with croutons tossed with a balsamic vinegar dressing for the set. The Swedish meatballs with beef gravy and cranberry sauce were flavourful and deeply satisfying. They were perfect with creamy mashed potato. All the servings of food are generously supported with vegetables with the meatballs there were cauliflower, carrot and zucchini
On a previous lunch here, we had the Scallops with Mango Wasabi Sauce, Beef and Wild Mushroom Ragout in Walnut Pastry Shell, Walnut Cream and Mushrooms and the Nasi Ulam with Percik Chicken.
In the first dish, there were three plump scallops with a crust of black pepper, nori and sesame on a lemongrass skewer, together with salad and tomato salsa. Though I liked the dark, spiced crust, and the wasabi mango sauce, the naturally sweet scallops were over-salted and we told the management about it. Im happy that on our next visit, the flavouring was just right. Portuguese sea salt is used in the cooking, and Himalayan rock salt is used in the water to clean the vegetables.
The Nasi Ulam had all the requisite herb flavours and aromas though the percik chicken was a little salty and this has also been noted by Nicole Ho, the assistant manager who came round asking for comments.
The menu is set to expand when the restaurant officia! lly open s on March 23. Expect a pan-seared tuna salad, and wild cod, for example, and more vegetarian dishes.
There are more choices for dessert on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the moment. When we were there last Friday, we tried the Green Tea Adzuki Roll (RM8), which was delicate and exquisite, layered with cream and adzuki bean paste.
The Apple Cake with Walnut Crumble with vanilla ice cream (RM12) was rustic by comparison, chunky with apple and just nicely sweet.
Other desserts include Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce, Revised Black Forest Cake with Dark Organic Chocolate and Prune Cheesecake.
Opikas main courses are from RM28 to RM35; the quinoa salad is RM20, the scallops RM30.
When its fully opened, Opika is also going to be a well-stocked organic market, which supports sustainable farming and fishing. There will be fish and seafood, organic fruits and vegetables and free-range chicken from a farm in Pahang. All the dishes on the menu are cooked with ingredients from the organic shop.
* Opika, which is pork-free, is located at 105/106 LG Old Wing, 1 Utama in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya (Tel: 03-7732-2581).
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