The charcoal grill is the heart and soul of the eatery that gives many of the dishes a distinctively addictive smokiness. — Photos: Amazonas
Tucked into a corner of the capacious The Exchange TRX in Kuala Lumpur is Amazonas. The eatery occupies a cosy little perch that is bolstered by prime views of the charcoal-fuelled grills strategically positioned right next to the entrance.
The restaurant is the brainchild of Kai Zen Au, the managing director of the Kenny Hills Hospitality Group. As the group has been primarily focused on expanding the Kenny Hills Bakers footprint, this foray into Latin American territory marks a departure from the norm.
But Kai says the restaurant’s inception was the result of a series of serendipitous meetings, encounters and lucky coincidences.
It began with trips abroad where he discovered South American food and realised it was an interesting concept that wasn’t widely available in Malaysia.
Then, when he was touring The Exchange TRX, he was alerted to an opportunity to lease a prized lot, directly opposite where the new Kenny Hills Bakers TRX is. One week later, one of his ex-pastry chefs told him about a chef who was exploring the possibility of a new opportunity. And that is when everything came together.
The eatery has a cheerful vibe accentuated by plenty of lush foliage. — Amazonas
“We met up and started talking about food and ended up talking for two hours. I think personality-wise, we kind of gelled as well.
“He’s very passionate about South American food. I was like, ‘Hey, you know what? Actually there’s a space where we could do a South American restaurant. We never thought of doing one, but because that’s your core experience – there’s a site available that I know of’. That’s how this whole thing came about. It was very, very serendipitous,” says Kai.
The chef in question – Shaun Lazaroo – is now Amazonas’ head chef, a role he is perfectly suited for given that he has been cooking the vibrant, robust flavours of the region for over a decade now.
Lazaroo is very passionate about what he does and expends a lot of attention on every little detail of the menu, ensuring that everything is made from scratch and according to his exacting standards.
Lazaroo is a talented chef who is incredibly passionate about the rich, robust flavours of south America.
The restaurant’s kitchen is tethered by a Parrilla grill, an Argentinian-style grill that features meat, seafood or vegetables grilled over an open flame, imparting the ingredients with smoky flavours and heat. Lazaroo also uses half-cooked charcoal as opposed to charcoal that is fully black, as he says this imbues meat and other ingredients with more smoky nuances and notes.
To begin a meal at Amazonas, look at indulging in the Amazonas Guacamole (RM36) which features mashed avocado, fennel, orange, guajila chillies and citrus salt, served with black lime-dusted patacones (double-fried plaintain chips) and plaintain chips.
Unlike conventional guacamoles, Lazaroo believes in serving guacamole fresh as it oxidises so quickly. So here, the avocado is freshly mashed in front of you and enhanced with tomato salsa, shallots and some coriander leaves.
The result is a raucously good offering, awash in the creaminess of the avocado alongside the exuberance of lime, shallots and tomatoes. It’s the guacamole of your dreams and just when things look like they cannot possibly get any better, they do. Because the chips – most especially the black lime-dusted patacones – are fabulous on their own or as backdrops to the guacamole. Each one offers brittle, crackly, salty goodness that sits on the tongue in pleasurable ways.
The oyster ceviche features rotund, silken oysters with citrus and chillies... an outstanding combination. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star
Up next, try the Oyster Ceviche (RM62) which features Japanese Harima oysters with serrano leche de tigre, prawn oil, jalapeno and parsley oil and pickled shallots. If, like me, you’ve never had an oyster ceviche before, you’ll understand just how much you have been missing out in life. Because this is truly, astoundingly good stuff – the oyster is plump and velvety soft and has a slight salinity which is offset by the vivaciousness of the oils, shallots and jalapenos in this concoction. It’s exuberant, upbeat, lively and ultimately oh-so fabulously good.
Then there is the Scallop Crudo (RM88) which features raw scallop, egg white tiger’s milk (mostly made up of a citrus element like lime, onions, chillies and coriander leaves and in this case, eggs), white radish, avocado, parsley and jalapeno.
This is a smooth, silken operator whose triumph is in the way all the different textures and flavours co-mingle like an old married couple. The scallop for instance has a velvety quality that means it virtually slides down your gullet unaided by mastication. This is accentuated by the acerbic quality of the pickled radish, the slight hint of heat from the jalapeno and the citrus elements in the tiger’s milk, which adds effervescence and dynamism to the dish.
The scallop crudo is an instant hit that serves up a rich medley of flavours and textures. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star
From the salads, look to the wonders of the Trio de Maiz (RM36) which pays homage to the humble corn in the form of locally sourced sugarcane white corn, purple corn and pearl corn, buoyed by lime, chilli and pimento. Here, the corn is sauteed over high heat with lime and sugar and then popped in the oven. This triumvirate would be interesting on its own but its success is anchored by the presence of the deep-fried corn nuts added to the mix.
Overall, this is a smoky, peaty offering that accentuates the starchy, sweet components of each corn while adding pops of textural contrast, courtesy of the crunchy corn nuts.
Perhaps one of the sleeper hits on the menu is the Mexican Prawn Esquites (RM42) which features prawn, creamy corn lime, Manchego with fried tortilla chips on the side. Here, a mound of smoked corn enhanced with Cotija (aged Mexican cheese) is topped with poached prawns in what proves to be a combination that will instantly evoke greed, lust and many other of the seven deadly sins.
The corn has a smoky, almost blistered quality to it that permeates throughout every kernel and the cheese adds a touch of opulence to this mixture. The prawns meanwhile provide fleshy, voluptuous sweetness that is the icing on this oh-so delicious cake.
Putting three different corn varieties together doesn’t exactly sound like a fun food foray, but trust me, this is the real deal. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star
For more meaty offerings, look to the charcoal-fired steaks and a lesser-known cut like the Dry-Aged Wagyu MB6-7 Picanha (RM200), which has been dry-aged for 20 days. The beef is grilled to medium rare perfection and then table-smoked on arrival.
On the side, you can opt for sauces in the form of pineapple habanero salsa, chimichurri rojo or even a gooseberry and cherry tomato salsa.
The beef is fabulously good – a sublime outer crust gives way to startlingly tender, melt-in-the-mouth slices of bovine goodness. It’s a simple, fuss-free offering that highlights the attributes of really superlative meat that you can easily eat on your own, although if you’re angling for a sauce with a difference, the pineapple habanero delivers a spectacularly tangy, fiery counterpoint to the meal.
Another carnivorous offering worth savouring is the Patagonian Lamb Ribs (RM180). The rack of lamb has been marinated with Guajillo chillies (specially sourced from South America) and a whole lot of spices then left to braise for three hours. The lamb is then grilled and topped with a garlic and honey glaze.
The dry-aged steak features tenderly succulent meat with a lovely outer crust.
There is meat and then there is this spun silk beauty, whose intoxicating appeal and allure lies in its that is delicate, refined and so gilded in goodness, it is in rarefied, exalted company.
End your meal on a sweet note with the Churros de Amazonas (RM35) which is essentially fried choux sticks with cinnamon sugar served with dark chocolate sauce. This is a wonderfully satisfying ending to a wonderfully satisfying meal. The churros are hot and dusted with sugar and this doughy goodness can be dipped into the pool of warm melted chocolate that swims across the edge of the receptacle. Lap it up because this is addictive stuff!
Amazonas is already off to a great start but Kai says there are no plans to expand the brand’s footprint anytime soon, as he doesn’t want to dilute the qualities that make the restaurant so special.
“This is a standalone restaurant brand. I think with this kind of restaurant – you lose the novelty if you have too many,” he says.
Amazonas
PL09 & L04.03, Park Level
The Exchange TRX
55188 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 017-930 4880
Open daily: 11am to 10.30pm
