Duck Kapitan with pulled duck in charcoal ravioli.
There’s always an element of the unexpected when you are seated right at the counter facing an open kitchen, waiting as your dish slowly takes shape in front of you. At Carbon, the food is centred on grilling with charcoal, finely and skilfully. Chef David Tay works with his team of five, each contributing his or her creativity to every dish.
The 10-course Exploration Menu got off to a good start with a vegetable-based Souvlaki On Raita that looked more like a mini taco, crackling at the bite. Next, a delightful crispy Crystal Prawn Arancini finished with coriander aioli and a sweet-and-sour topping with pineapple, hinting of asam laksa.
It was the nicest way to eat polenta that was the base for the seared and cubed Yellowfin Tuna and Ikura, texturally pleasing and lovely.
Yellowfin Tuna and ikura with polenta.
I’m wowed by the Hokkaido scallop as a ceviche in the avocado sauce with the lightly acidic kedongdong. It worked so well with the raw sweet scallop sandwiched between thin slices of avocado and orange segments. A dab of chilli oil added a little heat.
Then it was the Duck Kapitan which had pulled duck in charcoal ravioli with an orange burst from tobiko and grated cheese. The ravioli sat on an orange Kapitan sauce with subtle Nyonya nuances; all came together in perfect harmony, beautifully melding West with East.
Arancini with crystal prawn.
I have not had a zucchini flower for ages, and liked very much this tempura-style Zucchini Flower stuffed with babaganoush. A yoghurt crème fraiche sauce with sumac and harissa completed this rendition.
The flow of food was interrupted by a Granita of Banana and Coconut with hazelnuts and fruit, our palate cleanser, but who could pass up this delectable icy treat which teased our taste buds more than it “cleansed”?
Genmaicha ice-cream with lava cake.
Back on course, we moved on to Cod with Chimichurri Sauce which came in a claypot. The yellow gravy was hot and sour with tomatoes, onions, coriander and, surprise, bunga kantan (torch ginger flower)! And yes, we needed rice to accompany this flavourful dish, despite our mindful watching of carbs.
“It was a challenge cooking with charcoal,” says Tay as we looked forward to his Signature Aged Duck with tamarind. “I’m really proud of this duck.”
Signature Aged Duck.
It had been brined for two hours in a solution of salt, sugar, fennel, cumin, pepper and bay leaves. And then it was aged in a chiller for 25 days before being roasted over charcoal. The plump duck breast with pink meat and a crispy golden skin was sliced in front of us. The duck was juicy, luscious and superb on its own, served with green curry foam, tamarind sauce, mango chutney and a pumpkin tuille.
Nothing is one-dimensional in Tay’s books. The duck has a permanent place on the menu, and well-deserved indeed.
Souvalaki with raita.
The Signature Claypot is Tay’s business partner, Yeoh Wei Chieh’s forte. It’s a striking dish of basmati rice completely covered with chopped spring onions and a heap of stir-fried duck meat in the centre, complete with duck fat crisps and crispy cubes of yam. This was where the rest of the duck that’s not used in the earlier dish went; nothing was wasted. The fragrant rice was stirred up with a slightly sweet sauce of ginger, garlic, shallot and fruits, and had all the irresistible ingredients of a delicious claypot rice.
One dessert became two in Tay’s scheme of things. The Gemeicha Ice-Cream with lava cake and crunchy pecans and other nuts was already quite the treat, but the lovely surprise was the petit fours. There was kuih kodok with peanut butter inside, mini éclair with key lime cream and a D24 durian parcel. I loved the spurt of durian in that crispy parcel!
Priced at RM450 per guest, Tay promises no one leaves hungry! Currently, Carbon also offers a four-course Discovery Menu at RM398/2 pax.
