A hidden gem of superb
cooking in a quiet suburb of Petaling Jaya
Located in a quiet corner of Petaling Jaya, Classic Rebel
has the feel of a well-kept secret. It’s central and well-located, yet hidden.
The fact that there’s adequate parking anytime of the day or night is itself
something quite precious.
Within, dark blue walls and a black ceiling contrast with a
pale floor, imparting a contemporary feel that’s both bright and modern yet
soothing. There’s cushioned seating, informal bar-type seating along the glass
front, regular tables and also a nook. Overall, it’s uncluttered and neat yet
cosy.
The apparent simplicity of the small menu selection belies
the sophistication of the food. Service is friendly and warm, with ready
changes of plates and cutlery when needed. There’s nothing that points to it as
being obviously South American except for a couple of dishes, yet we were to be
pleasantly surprised.
Being a halal restaurant, drinks are non-alcoholic, but the
mocktails (Rm15 each) were big, fruity, bright and refreshing.
Setting the tone, the Guacamole (Rm18) was perky, with
crisp, salted chips and a dip that was lively and had zing, with mellow
undertones, thanks to the addition of chili padi to the avocado-lime-onion-tomato
combination.
No less of a pleasant surprise were the Escabeches (Rm20
each), prettily presented on wood platters. The Red Snapper, a combination of
hash browns, thin pieces of fish barely cooked by lime juice, salsa, avocado
cream and lime juice was a delightful combination, light and cheerful, thanks
to the combination of fresh ingredients.
The teasingly translucent prawns of the sweet and tender, set off by fennel and thin slices of
black fungus, hash browns and avocado cream with a zesty tiger’s milk – the
citrus marinade for curing the prawns.
Intrigued by the food, we were further surprised by the
simply-named Burnt Leek (Rm25), a big piece of grilled, soft leek with prawns
and spring onions in a creamy sauce, which elicited “Umms” of appreciation for
its soothingly smoky, buttery flavor, which went particularly well with the
fresh-tasting leek and the tender and barely cooked prawns.
The Aglio Olio (Rm25) seemed almost colourless after the
bright appetisers, but it was excellent, pasta with a good bite, scattered
seafood, and given some spark by a pebre sauce. A squeeze of lemon enlivened
the whole thing, enough to make you think of standing up for a lively samba.
We all looked up when 500g of Short Ribs (Rm75) arrived at
the table, because it looked absolutely awesome, like something from a cooking
magazine cover. Four muscular chunks of glistening meat on the bone, simply
oozing flavor, and served with a cranberry-orange chutney. Sure enough, the meat slid off the bone, and
was so tender as to be teased apart with a fork. Taste-wise, it was sublime: sweet, meaty and smoky, superbly complemented
by the chutney.
No less impressive, a half-kilo of Lamb Shoulder (Rm85) was
a dark mass of glazed meat with a protruding bone, served on a wooden platter
with a brown sauce of thyme lamb jus.
Heftier, with more bite, the lamb shoulder was spectacular in its own
way, coming away in big meaty chunks, a carnivore’s version of heaven, with the
lamb jus further adding onto the meaty flavor.
Even the complement of Burnt Cauliflower (Rm15) was
excellent, tender florets of cauliflower rendered smoky and fragrant and offset
with cold yoghurt.
We had barely any room left for dessert, but bravely
soldiered on with a thick wedge of Walnut-banana cake (Rm15), a nicely balanced
cake, slightly sweet, slightly dense, and better with a stronger banana flavor,
but fresh nevertheless. The Citrusy
Cinnamon Dust Churros (Rm15) were almost smoking hot when served on a wooden
platter with some dark chocolate sauce. With a crispy, crunchy, exterior with a
good bite, the churros were wickedly good with the chocolate sauce, and almost
irresistible for a guilty bite or two.
The food at Classic Rebel was something of a revelation,
cooked with obvious passion and flair. Indeed Chef Sharul Wahid is not South
American, but Malaysian, and an old hand in the food business. The food was lively, bright and flavourful, a
reminder that one of the great pleasures of life is enjoying great food. Modest in demeanour, the restaurant is a flavor
bomb waiting to be discovered.
Classic
Rebel,
6, Lorong
Universiti B,
Section 16,
46350
Petaling Jaya.
Business
Hours: 11am-11pm daily, 3pm-11pm Fridays, Closed on Mondays.
Tel: +60 3-7932 4524
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