A gustatory diversion
into imaginative renderings of crepes with a variety of fillings
“No strangers … only friends we haven’t met” proclaims the
sign on the wall above the painting of a gentlemanly bear holding hands with his
foxy lady friend. And that sets the
theme for the friendly service at Strangers at Forty7, an outlet started in
mid-2014 that has crepes as its central theme. It continues a trend in culinary
experimentation that has seen independent eateries offering burgers, pies and
latterly, waffles prepared in non-traditional ways. What these experiments seem
to share in common is youthful enthusiasm and the desire to produce something
original, and Strangers at Forty7 is no exception in these respects.
While Sean Ooi and Vincent Lee labour in the kitchen, the
face of the restaurant is Lim Sing Yi, the barista whose card identifies her as
a “co-founder” with the other two. As
with a modern eatery catering to a youthful crowd, coffee and cakes are de rigeur, with a décor that conforms to
contemporary sensibilities. Bare cement
walls, grey tiled floor, flat-black ceiling, a counter to the side and wooden
tables and chairs scattered about provide the cosy yet cheerful ambiance for a
social meal with friends. Spotlights and
decorative exposed filament bulbs hang overhead, with a wide glass window
providing natural lighting and a view of trees opposite the road.
The menu offers half a dozen crepes with savoury fillings
and another half a dozen sweet crepe creations.
An attempt to provide something for every taste sees crepes with
fillings for seafood, chicken, vegetarian and beef in the savoury section, with
four varieties of crepes: chilli-flakes, wholemeal, savoury and herbed. The variety of sweet crepes provides an
excuse for dessert, or teatime accompaniments with a selection of fruit juices,
tea and coffee.
I had lunch there with friends, and we ordered a variety of
crepes for sharing. Crepes are thin
pancakes originating from France, where they are served in a variety of
ways.
Our first order, the Shore to Please (Rm21.50) was a light
meal with a savoury crepe folded over cooked spinach, roasted cherry tomatoes,
caramelized onion, squid in batter and Cajun tiger prawns, with the surprise but not unwelcome addition
of salted egg yolk in the mix to provide a local flavor. The crepe was thin enough to provide
substance without being overly doughy or overwhelming the dish. The well-selected ingredients made for a
balanced and harmonious whole while the salted egg yolk was a clever stroke
that gave character to the dish.
The vegetarian Lethal Shrooms (Rm19.50) impressed with its
smooth blend of herbed crepe folded over a mix of mushroom types: Portobello,
shimeji, baby king oyster, with mixed vegetables: spinach and tomato relish,
the whole lot topped by a poached egg and drizzled over with a balsamic
reduction. The combination was moist and
soft within, with a soothing, mild mushroom flavor, and the varied textures of
the different mushroom types, alternating between the baby-smoothness of
shimeji and the stronger texture of Portobello.
Overall, it was delicately nuanced and pleasing in a way that that
no-one could find fault with it.
The BBC (Rm23) was a big breakfast all over again, presented
as a colourful medley of colours and tastes: a nicely-browned, crispy hash
brown with a slice of smoked chicken ham, chunks of chicken chorizo sausage,
wholemeal crepes, a sunny side up egg, sautéed Portobello mushrooms, spinach
and roasted cherry tomatoes, served with a side of baked beans and caramelized
onions. Rich, full flavours and the variety
of textures and tastes distinguished this dish.
The selection of ingredients demonstrated a level of experimentation,
because the end result was substantial, with a good variety of flavours.
Not Your Local Beef (Rm24) presented the interesting
proposition of brawny steak partnered with the delicacy of crepe. The chunk of Australian striploin was cooked
the way we had ordered it: bright pink on the inside, grilled to a delicious
dark brown outside. The supporting
ensemble comprised wholemeal crepe, a thick sour cream mayo slaw with olives
and tomato relish, and a couple of breaded onion rings for a touch of
macho. A hint of smoky flavor from
barbeque sauce, a helping of shredded slaw, a chunk of muscular beef and a
section of wholemeal crepe made for a satisfying mouthful. The beef was moist and tender, and played
well with the complex mix of supporting ingredients.
Finally, we had to try one of the sweet crepes, and settled
on Go Bananas! (Rm13). Here was a
crowd-pleaser, a scoop of vanilla ice-cream crowning a roll of sweet crepe
wrapped around caramelized bananas, dressed in a thick chocolate peanut spread,
sprinkled over with chunky crushed peanuts, and the whole treated to a swirl of
colourful raspberry coulis. Indulgent
and nostalgic, it reminded me of chocolaty ice-cream shakes, banana splits with
multicoloured ice-creams and peanut butter sandwiches all at once, childhood
memories of long-gone ice-cream parlours dredged up unbidden by the combination
of sweet cold flavours, all wrapped in the goodness of a thin crepe.
Strangers at Forty7 provides simple, wholesome dishes with
an earnestness that’s hard to fault: the crepe interpretations are well
executed with a good mix of fresh ingredients and the care exercised by the
kitchen is evident in the bright presentations.
The service is friendly and responsive and this is a great place to unwind
and linger with friends over good, reasonably-priced food and coffee at any
time of the day. It felt unhurried, even
though there was a crowd. Parking does
pose a challenge, even on weekends. The restaurant, on the same row as Kanna’s
Curry House and The Humbe Pie, is easy to find: it’s number Forty-Seven on the
block.
Strangers at
Forty7
47, Jalan 17/45, Seksyen 17, 46400 Petaling
Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Open daily from 10am to 11pm
except Tuesdays
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strangersat47
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