Metro

Monday October 1, 2007

Dig into authentic European fare

By JADE CHAN
jade@thestar.com.my
Photos by KAMAL SELLEHUDDIN

TUCKED in a corner of SS18, Subang Jaya, is a cosy and unassuming restaurant that features some unique European-style dishes on its menu.

Opened in June 2004, TJ Haus Restaurant is, quite simply, named after its owners and good friends – Thomas Kepler, 36, and Jeffery Tan, 44.

“We offer authentic European food here, because we have an authentic German chef,” said Tan with a laugh.

Cold starter: The Carpaccio dish features thinly sliced chilled beef tenderloin with salad and balsamic vinegar, topped with pumpkin seeds and parmesan cheese.
“It’s a homely, casual affair at our restaurant. We get a lot of family and couple crowds here, most of whom come from the neighbouring areas.”

Tan, a Penangite who studied hotel management in Switzerland, met Kepler, a chef with 15 years’ experience in cooking European, German, Spanish, French and Italian cuisine, through the latter’s cousin.

TJ Haus is a dream come true for Tan and Kepler, as they had both dreamed of owning a restaurant.

Cosy: TJ Haus Restaurant offers authentic European food, served in a homely, casual ambience.
“We serve good food at reasonable prices, and try not to price each dish above RM30. One reason we’re able to offer such prices is that we’re located on the upper floor of a shop lot, not on the ground floor,” said Tan, who attends to diners while Kepler oversees the kitchen.

Some of TJ Haus’ house specialities are its Crispy Duck (German Style), Lamb Shank, Viennese Style Chicken and Madagaskar Ribeye Steak.

For starters, Tan recommended the Pumpkin Cream Soup and Carpaccio – a dish of thinly sliced chilled beef tenderloin with salad and balsamic vinegar, topped with pumpkin seeds and parmesan cheese.

Those who want to sink their teeth into something meatier can try the Madagaskar Ribeye Steak, served with roasted potatoes and seasoned vegetables then topped with pepper sauce, or Lamb Shank in barbecue sauce served with the now familiar ratatouille (a stewed vegetable dish made famous by the Pixar movie of the same name).

House of Thomas and Jeffery: Kepler with one of the restaurant’s house specialities – Crispy Duck (German Style).
“Ratatouille is a Mediterranean dish, which we prepare using diced capsicum, onions and aubergine, and sauté with tomato sauce. It is served with the lamb shank that has been braised for about two hours to ensure the meat is tender,” said Kepler.

Alternatively, there are the poultry-based main courses like Crispy Duck (German Style) and Viennese Style Chicken – a dish of breadcrumbed chicken breast in thick mushroom sauce, served with mashed potatoes and salad.

“Our Crispy Duck dish is unique because the duck is stuffed with sliced apples and oranges before it is roasted in the oven. Hence, the meat is flavoured with a sweet, tangy taste, with a slight bitterness from the orange,” said Kepler.

House of Thomas and Jeffery: Kepler with one of the restaurant’s house specialities – Crispy Duck (German Style).
“The grilled half duck is topped with brown orange sauce and served with boiled potatoes and red cabbage which has been marinated overnight with vinegar, sugar, cinnamon and shredded apples.”

For more European dishes, diners can opt for the Spanish Paella, Cordon Bleu Chicken with seafood and cheese stuffing with curried cream sauce, Spaghetti Con Scampi or Hungarian Devilled Gulasch – a hot and spicy beef gulasch served with noodles.

If you still have room for dessert, choose from Homemade Cheesecake, Mango Sorbet, Chocolate Mousse or Bavarian Cream.

  • TJ HAUS RESTAURANT, 27A, Jalan SS18/1B, 47500 Subang Jaya (Tel: 03-5636 4508). Business hours: Daily; lunch (11am-2pm), dinner (6pm-11pm). Closed on 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month. Pork-free.

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