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CHEF Kanesh Kumar of Saffron Mediterranean Bistro might not have been to the Mediterranean, but his Mediterranean cuisines are nothing short of remarkable.
The secret behind his culinary skills lies in the many recipe books he reads.
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Enticing: Cassata Napolitana is an Italian dessert of two layers of icecream on a pastry base.
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“I travel through books,” he said, referring to his collection of Cordon Bleu and Auguste Escoffier’s cookery books.
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The 32-year-old with 13 years of kitchen experience favours Mediterranean fare for its exoticism.
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“It involves usage of many different spices to create the distinctive taste,” he said.
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In a recent dinner with Signforce COO (operations) IZ Melvin, whose company owns and manages the restaurant, we feasted on cuisines inspired by fares from Italy, Spain, France, Morocco and Greece.
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The eatery has now adopted a bistro concept after being relocated from Bangsar to Solaris in Mont Kiara.
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It is a branch of the Saffron restaurant in the Tanjung Rhu Resort in Langkawi.
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Rich flavour: Amaretto Freddo contains almond extract
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Melvin pointed out that the food served in the bistro is still the same, sans the fine dining environment and exclusivity.
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We nibbled on the Focaccia bread after dipping it in the sauce of the various tapas — Gambas al Velenciana (Tiger prawns cooked in spicy tomato sauce), Pollo de Batera (sauteed chicken in olive oil with garlic, parsley and butter), Champinnones al Ajillo (sauteed button mushrooms in olive oil with garlic, parsley and butter) and Berenjenas al Andalusia (eggplant cooked in spicy Andalusian sauce).
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“Olive oil is widely used in Mediterranean cooking so it’s a healthy diet,” Melvin said.
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While Cream of Wild Mushroom is available in most restaurants, the one at Saffron is worth a try.
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“I use a few types of mushrooms, including morels, abalone and shitake in the soup as they go very well with each other. After sauteing the mushrooms, I puree them for thick consistency,” Kumar said.
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The Morrocan Harira, on the other hand, is a spicy Moroccon soup with vegetable, beans and minced lamb.
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Healthy: Morrocan Harira is a spicy Moroccon soup with vegetable, beans and minced lamb.
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From the Fish & Seafood section, Cod with Pimentoes was served.
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The Spanish dish consisted of a thick slab of panfried cod fish with zucchini, bell peppers and asparagus served with roasted pimentos sauce and sweet potatoes.
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Al Fruiti de Mare and Moroccan Lamb Shank were other main courses that we enjoyed.
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The former, which is seafood pasta, was smothered with flavourful roma tomato sauce, prawns, mussels, scallops.
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“The sauce is made from scratch every time an order is made. I use roma tomatoes, chicken stock, mirepoix and herbs to make the sauce,” Kumar said.
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Served with garlic mashed potato, grilled jumbo asparagus and kalamata olive, the Moroccan Lamb Shank is a hearty choice.
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“The shank was braised for six hours in assorted Arabic spices such as cumin, cinammon, fennel, paprika and saffron.
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“I saute the garlic and add it to the mashed potato to make it aromatic,” the chef said.
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To complete the gastronomic experience, do try Cassata Napolitana — Italian dessert consists of two layers of ice-cream on a pastry base — and Tiramisu.
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The portion is big enough to be shared between two and three people.
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Coffee lovers should also give the outlet’s special iced coffee a try, Amaretto Freddo and Amaretto Espresso.
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Liquid spice extracts, like vanilla, cinammon and almond are added in the freshly=brewed coffee for extra flavours.
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For this festive season, Saffron Mediterranean Bistro provides Christmas menu at RM65++ and New Year menu at RM85++.
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