Cafe-cum-bakery hits right notes with hearty food, flavours

Good food doesn’t need to be complicated, and this lusciously juicy pork burger with caramelised onions hits all the right buttons. – The Malaysian Insider pic, September 28, 2015.Cafes are becoming a dime-a-dozen in the Klang Valley, becoming almost as commonplace as the ubiquitous neighbourhood mamak. But it’s still a rare find to stumble upon a cafe which strikes just the right balance of looking good and also serving up hearty, tasty food.

Red Kettle first opened its doors in the Bukit Desa residential area off Jalan Klang Lama earlier this year, and has become a popular stop for both residents nearby, and food lovers from afar.

Its decor is simple and clean, and a workbench for breads and pastries greets diners as they enter. Its menu lists a selection of warm Western- and Asian-inspired foods, and great coffee and desserts to top it all off.Rice lovers will be extremely satisfied with this dish, where the spices of the chicken are full and robust, but not too overwhelming. We only wish it came with some extra condiments to add to the texture and flavours on the plate. – The Malaysian Insider pic, September 28, 2015.

We decided to try the pork burger, a house specialty, and topped it up with extra caramelised onions (RM19.50). The thick burger patty was well seasoned and cooked medium so it was just slightly pink in the middle and juicy throughout.

The burger was quite a hefty serving, and came with cheese, lots of fresh vegetables and of course, the crowning glory of sweet caramelised onions. The flavours all came together just perfectly.

We were also wowed by the chicken bakar and rice (RM20), which was a variation of satay/percik chicken. An entire chicken leg was barbequed and doused in a thick, sweetish-sourish gravy which really brought out the slightly woody aroma from the meat.

Once again, the meat was evidently marinated for a good length of time, as the chicken flesh was just bursting with flavour. Two chilli dipping sauces worked very well with the chicken, too.

Our only grouse was the dish came served with just a few sticks of cucumber and a serving of white rice. It somehow lacked an extra condiment or two, and we figured either a serving of “achar” vegetables or maybe even a hard-boiled egg would have just perfected the entire dish.

It somehow lacked an extra condiment or two, and we figured either a serving of “achar” vegetables or maybe even a hard-boiled egg would have just perfected the entire dish.

There’s a wide selection of freshly baked breads and pastries to have with your coffee, or to take away. – The Malaysian Insider pic, September 28, 2015.The old school chicken chop (RM18) was a slight let-down after the first two wins. While the chicken was well seasoned and deep-fried to be perfectly crispy, the accompanying sauce was a little too starchy for our liking.

The side of potato wedges were a nice touch, but didn’t do much to elevate this dish up from being merely satisfactory.

For dessert, we decided to go for the carrot cake (RM9.90 a slice). While we thought it was a rather small serving, the punch of flavour and delightfully moist yet fluffy texture more than made up for the dismal size.

The cream cheese frosting was light and did not overpower the lovely spices in the cake, which had little bits of cashew nuts.

Red Kettle is one of those cafes you’ll find yourselves going back to on those days when you want a place where you know the food is dependably good, and service is great. They also have a great list of Vietnamese drip coffees and cakes to warrant spending your afternoon teatime there. – September 28, 2015.

Red Kettle | Add: 37, Jalan bukit Desa 5, Taman Bukit Desa, 58100 Kuala Lumpur | Tel: 03-79880801 | Opening hours: 12noon - 1.00pm from Mondays to Fridays, 9am-10pm on Saturdays, closed on Sundays | GPS coordinates: 3.110825, 101.685934 | Non-halal

* All of The Malaysian Insider food reviews are incognito and reflect the personal opinions of our merry band of foodies. If you know of any restaurant serving awesome grub, share it with the rest of the world and drop us a line with details at [email protected].