The visit to Atelier Binchotan was one that took quite a while to materialize.
To be perfectly honest, I was oblivious to the difficulty in securing seats to dine in this little hidden gem of a restaurant in Taman Desa until after the meal, so before I start, thank you Ching for securing five of us that booking a couple months ahead!
Atelier Binchotan, Taman Desa, KL
You see, Atelier Binchotan only has about a dozen or so seats arranged around a BBQ grill that’s not much bigger than your typical satay stalls. The specialty here lies within its name, Binchotan is a type of charcoal made from ubame oak from Japan. It is known for its high carbon and low ash content, making it burn hotter and longer than normal charcoal, and hence, creating a superior bbq product.
kaya toast w foie gras, mini sweet pepper
The menu at Atelier Binchotan is a simple single page affair with just slightly over a dozen choices under “food” category, similar amount of choices for drinks, and three desserts. Concentrating on what you do best is usually a better idea than providing a huge selection, isn’t it?
We started out with their famous “kaya toast” (RM 50 for 2 pieces) that’s perhaps the complete opposite of the humble Malaysian breakfast carbo that we’re used to. What you get here is shredded (frozen) foie gras on toasted brioche. A very unique take on delivering the richness of foie gras, and one that works incredibly well. You do have to chomp it down before the goose liver melts tho!
Mini sweet pepper (RM 40) is served with anchovy emulsion. I’m a fan of these pepper in pretty much any dish, and the sweetness contrasts well with the salty and the sharp & tangy taste of the accompanying sauce.
Our favorite was also the cheapest on the menu, the mini burger (RM 18). Sauce gribiche with perhaps the juiciest pork patty I’ve ever sank my teeth in, it was perfect, and I’m glad we ordered 5 of these so none of us had to share. Definitely a must order.
smoked Hokkaido scallop, octopus
Smoked Hokkaido scallop (RM 110) turned out to be one giant scallop cut into several slices alternating with fermented white asparagus. Luxurious, rich, and satisfying.
Octopus (RM 90) came with jalapeno and coriander sauce and was grilled to a texture that was just right, a simple and masterful execution. This is not at all like octopus legs you find in an average Japanese restaurant.
With the entrees covered, we moved onto the main dishes.
Marble Goby (RM 98) was three pieces of the fish that’s usually steamed in Chinese restaurant, except over here it’s grilled and served on white wine reduction, sugar pea, and ikura. Personally I thought this dish was “ok”, and the simpler steamed method perhaps retain more of marble goby’s natural texture and sweetness. Older folks will say a waste of this fish, and they’d not be completely wrong.
The pork cheek (RM 65) with burnt onion and chestnut puree, on the other hand, was a delight. Great mouth feel and a tasting profile that’s subtle and exquisite, very enjoyable.
14 days aged duck breast, dessert
Our last main was the 14 days aged duck breast (RM 70). Served with parsnip, macadamia nut, and dark chocolate. Yep, those dark bits were chocolate. Kudos to whoever that figured out the combination of duck breast and chocolates, it worked surprisingly well indeed.
For dessert, we had both types of ice cream – melon & goat cheese ice cream (RM 20 each), as well as the pistachio & blackberry tart (RM 15). I enjoyed the tart and its super light crust the most. The goat cheese ice cream is as weird as it sounds, but not in a bad way, while the melon ice cream does provide an appropriate sweet ending.
There’s a time limit on how long you could stay there due to the limited capacity, but it’ll be well after everything is served and devoured, you’ll just have to continue discussing about the food and which is the favorite dish in another location.
When do we go back again?
Address:
Atelier Binchotan
28, Jalan 2/109e, Taman Desa Business Park,
58100 Kuala Lumpur
GPS: 3.0979999, 101.6777911
Tel: 017-788 9096
Good grief! Booking months ahead! Food looks exquisite, really good.
suituapui: yes, and gotta be lucky too!
this place got michelin star or KY star?
kekeke: Don’t need to rely on any tyre company.
must be ribbed and jelly up for nice ratings
kekeke: hold up!
oops, wrong establishment
kekeke: shh.
This surely a very “expensive” meal…..
I thought those were grated cheese on the toast, hehe 😛
From your photo, I think that’s a really HUGE scallop!
Choi Yen: haha yah well you can see the prices, it’s certainly not cheap but you do get what you pay for 😀
Yeah, heard wonderful things about the food in this place but also heard about the difficulty in securing a seat here and the need to book months in advance! >_< Booking months in advance is a bit inconvenient as "things" may change over time.
eatwhateatwhere: true, so the best thing is to have friends who do the bookings. haha.
i didn’t find the food good at all. ordered all of the above except the marble goby
mediocre at best
JJ: I guess taste is after all certainly personal at the end.
Managed to get two places last Sunday. Ordered Mini Burgers, Kaya Foie Gras and Scallops for starters and Duck breast with szechuan sauce and Angus Rib eye for mains. My favorite will be the scallops which is nicely paired with pears and mini asparagus beans (?). The others are just good but not excellent and the mains portion are smallish. and last but not least, the three months prior booking is just a strategy.
2020: Sounds like a good outing wasn’t it? Yah I’m not too sure about the whole 3 months booking thing.
Satu kali cukup……gigi sakit
WIlliamtan: wallet sakit.