Sunday, July 29, 2007

Kokopelli Travellers Bistro, PJ

KokopelliJalan Bukit in PJ was a favourite haunt for me during my university days as it was within walking distance from the university, and I could find cheap and tasty food there. Usually, when I had a craving for char siew pao (barbequed pork bun), I'd quickly call one of the more-than-willing fellas to accompany me to Jalan Bukit where we'd get our pork fix before trudging back to our residential college.


Naturally, when I heard that a bungalow along Jalan Bukit had been converted into a restaurant, I had to find out more about this place and whether or not it deserved to invade my memories with so much pomp.


accents at Kokopelli Accents at Kokopelli
accents at Kokopelli Accents at Kokopelli Accents at Kokopelli
Interior of Kokopelli Interior of Kokopelli


It wasn't difficult to find an occasion to dine. It was Barbie's last day at the office; Malaysians love to celebrate all occasions with food, and despite the fact that a farewell wasn't really a celebration, it was still a reason to get together to dine as a family (which we had become over the years).


It was a cheerful sight indeed. A glass facade fronted the old bungalow, with warm lights greeting the guests. There were lots of pretty accents, from glass beads to chandeliers to fresh blooms to quirky tealight holders, obviously a female touch, which made the place look cozy and inviting.


Grilled Sirloin Steak Ribeye Steak
Grilled Salmon New Zealand Lamb


Kokopelli serves both local and western cuisine. From the unpretentious char koay teow and lou shue fun to grilled steaks and pastas, there seemed to be something for everyone. Prices were very reasonable too. The local dishes were priced at RM8.90, while the most expensive steak was priced at RM38.90. The grills (pics above), according to my Makan kaki, were pretty good and flavourful. The Ribeye Steak (RM38.90) and Sirloin Steak (RM35.90) were medium done, but I thought they were still a little overcooked. The vegetables on the side, other than the grilled aubergine, were sparsely distributed among the dishes. I didn't get to try the baked potato, unfortunately, but it looked yummy with scattered chopped beef bacon (at least, that's what it looked like). The grilled New Zealand lamb (RM20.90) was a substantial portion, while the grilled salmon (RM32.90) was more suitable for a person with a smaller appetite.


Lamb Shank


The braised lamb shank (RM29.90) was served in a rich sauce which I found a little too sweet. The texture of the meat was tender, and the flavour of the meat came through despite the generous serving of the sauce. It was served on a bed of mashed potatoes which was milky and creamy.


Char Koay Teow Pistachio and Chocolate Cakes at Kokopelli


We had heard so much about the Char Koay Teow (RM8.90) so we ordered a plate to share. I must say that I had set extremely high expectations for the CKT and even if I had lowered my expectations, I'd still have been sorely disappointed. How many ways can a CKT go wrong? It was soggy and greasy (see traces of oil at the bottom of the plate) and very spicy. Unlike good CKTs where the flavours blend in seamlessly, here the spiciness of the dish overpowered the rest of the ingredients. I was also unable to taste the egg in the dish, although I could certainly see bits of it.


The dessert selection was rather modest. We picked two out of the three choices. Everyone agreed that the chocolate cake was better than the pistachio cake, and I suppose at RM6.50 each, I can't expect too much.


Accents at KokopelliOverall, I'd say that the restaurant is worth a second visit. I'd come back just for the ambience alone.


Also check out:


Kokopelli Travellers Bistro
No 6, Jalan Bukit, Section 11/2,
PJ.

Tel: 03-7956 7505/019-267 6667 (Ariff)

Reservations recommended.

26 comments:

Argus Lou said...

Ooo... I love the details of your photography -- this time, of the decor bits.

(Hey, I'm first again! Yahoooo...)

I'm still a bit 'drunk' from last night's pot luck party - had Thai papaya salad, Thai fried chicken, Austrian chicken salad, sushi in boxes (unrolled); cucumber raita & coriander chutney & red currant baked cheese cake (made by my other half); and biryani basmati rice, turmeric panfried fish & onion-tomato-chilli Argussimo and yin-yang muffins (by me).

Lyrical Lemongrass said...

Hey Argus!

I'm getting a little crazy over photography! lol.

Your potluck sounds very international!! Will I get to see photographs soon? Everything sound so delicious! Not bad, your other half cooks too??? (Bald Eagle...you paying attention?!?!)

boo_licious said...

That was quick! The place looks so pretty, will give it a try when the hype dies down as it's now packed with people after the read the NST write up last week.

Kenny Mah said...

You know how big a fan I am of your writing, but this time. This time. Your photos. Your pictures into another world. Take my breath away. I want to be there. Such beauty. Elegance. A life not so ordinary. More than less. And yes. Sometimes less is more.

*sighs*

Argus Lou said...

Hey, Lyrical! No pictures -- coz felt pressurised the moment the first doorbell rang. ^_^ My appetizer of a cooked prawn lying next to a slice of avocado piped with mayonnaise on a wasabe chip was not yet ready. Nice colours but no time/forgot to photograph, aiya!

Austrian teacher ate 5 Singaporean curry puffs - incredibly hungry after a long hike!

Oh ja, the hot Weisswurst bakes plumcake, apple marzipan cake and cheesecake, makes great tiramisu and cooks German dishes such as Koenigsberger Klopse (anchovied meatballs in tangy caper sauce) and German potato soup, and Indian raitas and chutneys.
Bald Eagle, are you reading?! ;-)

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear that you are looking another of your makan member.

Great settings and delicious looking food.

backStreetGluttons said...

aahh that shank ...perfecto with dark Spanish wine and
...cool woom---nnn
da something on lips one

Lyrical Lemongrass said...

boo:

yeah, it was quite crowded the night that I visited. I suppose food quality suffers too. I am still perplexed about the CKT.

Kenny Mah:

How poetic! And thanks for the overflowing compliments, dear. Coming from you, it means a lot. Ok lah ok lah, i take u there one day, k. :-)

Argus:

Everything sounds so...hmmm....lyrical! You certainly have a way with words and descriptions!

Your hot weisswurst will put many men (and women!) to shame! Having said that, my Bald Eagle can make a mean cuppa coffee...don't pray pray, k!! :-P

the cooking ninja:

Thanks. But she'll only be about 7km away, so not to bad lor. :-)

team bsg:

I guess the shank does look kinda sexy. :-P

Xiu Long Bao said...

Too bad ur CKT wasn't that good :(
Maybe the std dropped abit on busy weekend?

Lyrical Lemongrass said...

Xiu Long Bao:

Or maybe someone else prepared the CKT. :-( What bad luck, huh?

Anonymous said...

Nice decor and ambience. Now you really became a food journalist eh? Too bad the CKT wasn't up to your expectation.

sc said...

hmmm, seems like this the place that lotsa people are trying out lately. worth a visit? food first, ambience second for me though...

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

aiyoh..too ckt or not to ckt now ar..

wmw said...

Precious Pea, her friend and I has a funny incident with the CKT, will blog on that later. Yes, do love the ambiance.

Lyrical Lemongrass said...

jason:

food journalist?? lol. since when? hehe.

sc:

I guess you have to decide for yourself. All of us have different tastes, after all!

nipples:

hehe....that is the question indeed, but if I were you, I'd go there for the other dishes, not the CKT.

wmw:

Cool. Will korek da story from Precious Pea when she's online next!

Ginger said...

wahhhh.. im craving for steaks right now....

link my foodblog at http://feastmalaysia.blogspot.com/

teckiee said...

wahhh I feel very "bersemangat" to "berkoko-pelli" right now

Lyrical Lemongrass said...

ginger:

I hope you satisfy your cravings soon! :-)

teckiee:

"berkokopelli", eh? Wonder what that means? Kokopelli is the fertility deity, after all. ;-)

Unknown said...

ur right with the female touch..i love chandeliers..awwwwwwwwww

Lyrical Lemongrass said...

kampungboycitygal:

yeah...someone put in some effort into the decor.

MeiyeN said...

omg... very nice pics!!!! would really love to drop by here soon.. :D

Lyrical Lemongrass said...

meiyen:

Thanks! I hope you get to try this place soon. Very pretty decor.

Precious Pea said...

I like this place, so cozy! Ohhh...you should look at our CKT, we asked for extra spicy and it came in bright red colour. LOL!

Sweettooth said...

Hi! I've linked ur blog thru my entry of the same cafe. hope u don't mind!

Gard said...

Hi Meena. Lamb shanks is one of my favourites and I make it at home a couple of times a year. The meat gets sooooo tender when you boil it for a couple of hours :-)

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

Lyrical Lemongrass said...

precious sista:

hehe. I can't wait to see your post on Kokopelli!

sweettooth:

of course I don't mind. :-) Will check it out after this. :-)

gard:

Hiya Gard!! This reminds me of all that lovely food you cooked for us when we visited you in Norway! We still tell our friends about the whale meat. :-P