Gold Medal For Kokopelli!

It's been a Ramadhan of wonderful homecooked meals for us this year, and for that I say, HURRAH! : ) And yes, I made a conscious decision to stay away from those decadent buka puasa buffets that have reached preposterous proportions. BUT I've also had some nice buka meals with friends and family at some choice locations. And one VERY memorable place is Kokopelli Travellers Bistro. (For location details click HERE)

So, where do I begin? OK, the restaurant is actually located at an old bungalow and was set up by an established and well-respected artiste couple. And by artiste, I mean they're in the arts and are not some washed-up Drama Minggu Ini actors. You actually get to admire some of their works hung up in the joint.

The owners Ariff and Soraya are also well-travelled people and this is evident in the tastefully European decor of Kokopelli. You don't get a sense of trying-too-hard, although the music was switched on a tad too loud for my liking the both times I was there.

OK, now for the food... And instantly I'm smiling just thinking about it. I mean, sincerely speaking, it was just THAT memorable. I was there with a few colleagues on the first visit and we ordered quite a few things on the menu and tried them all. I must say there was not a single misstep. The portions were generous, the twists in the dishes simply genius and it was all prepared with loads of tlc (trust me, I will know the difference).

We started things off with the french onion soup, a brilliant concoction of, er, stuff, and also a pizza. They were right on the money.

We were already in "sedap siot!" mode when the mains arrived. We had the club burger, sirloin steak sandwich, lamb shank and chili short ribs. I know, meat overload! But be prepared to drool...

The club burger

The sirloin steak sandwich

Lamb shank

Chili short ribs

The piece de resistance for me was the chili short ribs, cooked to tender perfection and slightly spicy to make it a surefire repeat order. Meanwhile, the burger was simply juicy and exteremly satisfying, as was the steak sandwich. I wouldn't change a single thing about these dishes. At least for now :)

The joint also serves local food and one of its more famous dishes is the good 'ol kuew teow. Which we ordered after everything else on the table was completely wiped out. The verdict? "Sedap siot!" as most of us put it eloquently. Seriously, it's really good, although it might be a tad spicy for some.

But I'm not done yet! Sorry I don't have a picture to show, but you MUST try the creme brule for dessert.  This just totally sealed the deal for me. Overall, a gold-medal of a meal it was with the perfect ambiance and great company. And yes, I will definitely be back...