Metro

Friday September 26, 2008

Dining in caves is the latest novelty concept in town

By THO XIN YI


DESPITE the sleek appearance of The Cave Couple Cafe & Restaurant, the unique restaurant with a man-made rock formation at the entrance, holds a secret.

As we walked through the shaded sliding glass door, we were ushered into a different world with a rough and rocky interior.

The ambience of the restaurant befits the name with uneven walls and dim lights.

Acquired taste: The Baked Fish with Sea Salt — a whole fish covered in a thick layer of sea salt.

However, all is not dark and eerie with soft curtains at the entrance of each cave that serves as a dining room ensuring some level of privacy.

We settled down in one of the big caves (which could house five to six persons comfortably) and the restaurant’s general manager Amelia Ho explained the story behind the concept.

“The sculpture you see outside is a fairy chimney, found in Cappadocia, Turkey,” she said.

Privacy ensured: Each dining room is designed to resemble a cave with curtains at the entrance.

Fairy chimneys are peculiar rock formation with cone-shaped caps of hard rock on pinnacles of softer rock.

The restaurant’s owner was fascinated by the Anatolian Houses €” a cave hotel €” during his stay in Cappadocia, when he returned, he opened The Cave.

The restaurant houses 76 two-seater caves, two medium ones (for two couples), two big ones as well as an open area catering for events.

Tempting: (Clockwise from top left) Chocolate Brownie, Tiramisu and Strawberry Cheesecake.

The partition concept is especially ideal for couples looking for private dining. Each cave is equipped with a table bell for diners to summon the waiters for orders and bills.

Topping the list of the eatery’s extensive menu were some Turkish delights under the Cold & Hot Meze category, such as Lamb Kofta and Chickpea Puree.

Western Cuisine Department head chef Frederick Kho told us the selection of lamb to make the kofta is essential €” it must contain 30% of fat.

“We mix the minced meat with Middle Eastern spices, chopped onion and garlic, as well as roasted cashew nuts. The kofta is then coated with mint yoghurt,” he said.

As for the Chickpea Puree, Kho said the peas were boiled and blended then mixed with tahini, a kind of white sesame paste and lemon juice.

Enticing: (Clockwise from bottom) Japanese-Thai Styled Fried Fish, Seafood Combo and Tofu, Chef’s Special Lala Soup, Chicken Wings, and Lamb Ribs Spicy Curry

When served, the puree was topped with fava beans (sauteed wth onion and red chili flakes, olive oil and lemon oil) and accompanied by Lebanese bread and baguette.

The restaurant also offers a wide range of Western and Chinese cuisine, either ala carte or set meals.

We were served Caesar Salad with Thinly Sliced Smoked Chicken and Shaved Cheese, Wild Mushroom Puree Scented with Henshimeji Mushroom Ragout and Angel Aglio-Oglio with Baked Mushroom and Smoked Salmon.

From the Chinese menu, Ho recommended Japanese-Thai Styled Fried Fish, Baked Fish with Sea Salt, Chef’s Special Lala Soup, Seafood Combo and Tofu, Gold Yam and Bak Choy, Lamb’s Ribs Spicy Curry.

The Baked Fish with Sea Salt was an interesting dish €” a whole fish was stuffed with ingredients like garlic and lemon grass before covered in a thick layer of sea salt and sent into an oven.

The fishy smell was eliminated wheareas the freshness of the seafood was retained.

Another unique dish is the Gold Yam and Bak Choy, where stalks of crunchy bak choy are covered in smooth yam paste.

Ho pointed out that the Lamb’s Ribs Spicy Curry served with fried mini bun is a cross between Chinese and Indian curry.

“We marinated the ribs with curry spices for one day before braising them. It goes very well with rice and buns,” she said.

Dessert lovers could look forward to the sinfully rich Tiramisu, Strawberry Cheesecake, Chocolate Brownie and Chocolate Pudding.

The Tiramisu at The Cave is served with a shot of strawberry sauce for a refreshing change, to cut down the strong coffee liqour flavour on the palate.

  • THE CAVE COUPLE CAFE & RESTAURANT, 16 & 18, Jalan SS2/61, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. (Tel: 03-7873 9888/9698, Fax: 03-7873 0698). Business hours: 11am-1am (Mon-Thu & Sun), 11am-2am (Fri & Sat). Pork-free.

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