Grilled slipper lobster topped with laksa sauce makes for a very successful pairing. — Photos: ART CHEN/The Star
On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, Ignis KL is packed to the rafters. The cheerful, foliage-dotted eatery occupies a cosy corner in Bangsar South’s The Sphere and is obviously a crowd favourite among office dwellers in the neighbourhood.
The eatery’s unique brand of Asian-influenced food incorporates European techniques and the use of a custom-built charcoal grill and is the brainchild of group executive chef Lroy Lim and head chef Desmond Chong.
Lim’s fondness for grilled food dates back to his childhood days where he recalls always being the odd one out in his family.
“In my family, everyone likes to have steamboat for Chinese New Year, Christmas – you name it lah. So every time they have steamboat, I will start a barbecue on the side! I just really love grilled food so that is how I came up with the concept of Ignis but with our own identity,” he explains.
Chong has developed a menu that is interesting and highlights the eatery’s efforts to use as much local ingredients as possible.
That identity solidified when Lim hand-picked his former colleague Chong to be the head chef of the restaurant. Chong is the son of a char kway teow hawker who grew up loving the melting pot of flavours in Malaysian cuisine.
“My dad sells char kway teow and two of my uncles are chefs and I grew up always disturbing my grandmother in the kitchen. So that really spurred my passion for cooking,” says Chong.
Chong has spent his entire eight-year career based in Malaysia, something that has ultimately given him the perfect background and homegrown experience to forge the Asian-centric charcoal-grilled cuisine that Lim had envisioned.
At Ignis, the focus is on single ingredients – whether that is vegetables, seafood, meat or even desserts. Most of the meals are given the smoking hot treatment i.e. grilled over charcoal fire, although there are some options that do without it.
Chong says this is the first time he has experimented with open fire before but having spent months honing his craft, he says confidently “I am now the master of the fire.”
The eatery occupies a charming corner with a view of the tree-lined street outside. — ART CHEN/The Star
The restaurant also has a strong focus on local ingredients. Vegetables like pumpkin and cauliflower are sourced from the eatery’s own farm in Pahang while seafood like slipper lobster and sting ray have been brought in from Kuantan. Even the duck used at the eatery is sourced from a farm in Penang.
“Actually it is fun to use local ingredients – we just have to present it nicely. Ultimately, it shows that Malaysia has a lot of good produce and good farms as well,” says Chong.
To start your meal here, try the Cauliflower with Coffee Sauce, Gremolata and Parmesan (RM25). This is a primer to Chong’s charcoal grilling abilities and showcases the slight char and light smokiness that permeates every fibre and molecule of the cauliflower which still retains a firm, focused bite. The coffee sauce is very understated but the parmesan adds a pleasant cheesy countenance to this surprisingly enticing meal.
The cauliflower has been grilled to perfection and still retains a solid bite with a musky, smoky exterior giving it an edge.
Up next, have a go at another vegetable-forward offering in the form of the Sweet Corn with Shio Kombu and Citrus Sauce (RM32). This is a meal that looks so deceptively simple that you’ll be hard pressed to figure out how quickly it seduces and bewitches you. The corn is very, very sweet and each kernel has a light smoke and toast to it that adds a bit of smoulder to the meal. The citrus sauce is addictively good and provides a zesty, tangy balance to the dish.
From the seafood options, definitely try the Slipper Lobster with Pucuk Manis and Laksa Sauce (RM101). The lobster has been lightly torched so it retains a bit of char and fire, but the flesh within is incredibly tender and supple with nuanced aquatic qualities and a touch of natural sweetness. The laksa sauce is oh-so-good and offers great local flavours that complement the lobster like a marriage made in heaven.
The sweet corn is a revelatory dish that features smoke and sweetness in each mouthful.
Of the meats on offer, look at indulging in the Beef Slider with Balsamic Onion and Pickled Red Cabbage (RM36). Here, you will discover a very successful slider indeed, where the beef has a fabulous char on its outer carapace which segues into juicy pink meat inside. The pickled red cabbage adds a lively, acerbic quotient to the dish while the balsamic onion offers gentle crunch. It’s a simple meal but done very well.
Up next, dig into a carnivorous delight in the form of the Lamb Loin with Spicy Mango Relish and Creamy Mint Sauce (RM127). The lamb loin is the absolute star of this show and delights from the very first mouthful, revealing a thoughtfully delicate char on the skin that gives it crackle, rusticity and edge, but then melds into meat that is moist to the touch and packed with flavour. The seasoning is also spot-on here and honestly, the other accoutrements on the side don’t even need to be there, because this lamb steals the show from the get-go.
Meat-lovers will fall for the charms of the lamb loin, which has a wonderful smoky crust that lends itself to juicy, succulent meat inside.
The eatery also has an extensive range of desserts given the charcoal grilled treatment, including grilled grapes, grilled mochi and smoked mulberries!
If you’re a traditionalist though, you’ll love the house favourite Smores with Altara Dark Chocolate and Coffee Marshmallow (RM8). This American classic offers a sensational, ridiculously good denouement to the meal, with gooey, fluffy marshmallow, a rich wedge of chocolate and the crisp cracker to bring it all together. Be forewarned that addiction is guaranteed with this one.
Cap your meal with a lubricant of choice – Ignis has an assortment of cocktails, wines, sake, beer and other intoxicants to tempt those looking for a tipple or two. If you’re after something merry and festive, opt for the Sakepolitan (RM42) which incorporates sake, cranberry, Cointreau and lime in what proves to fruity, fresh drink that successfully amps up the fun factor on your meal.
The torched smores are spectacularly good and feature pillowy soft marshmallows, decadent chocolate and crisp crackers.
Moving forward, Chong says he hopes to introduce a tasting menu at the eatery that give him the opportunity to flex his culinary abilities to more discerning guests.
“I am working on the menu now. It will be a six-course chef’s table meal that will highlight our philosophy of local ingredients fused with Western techniques – with some heat added, of course!” says Chong, smiling.
Ignis KL
G-02A, Ground Level
The Sphere
No 1, Avenue 1
Bangsar South
Jalan Kerinchi
59200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 012 343 9566
Open daily: 11.30am to 3pm; 6pm to 10pm
