5 days ago
Cafe Bistrot David's chef cooks what he likes – his own 'boundary-less' cuisine
AT 2.30pm on a random Thursday afternoon, Cafe Bistrot David in Kuala Lumpur's Taman Tun Dr Ismail is swollen with diners. The eatery is meant to close for a break at 4pm and yet by 3.59pm, people were still there.
No one seems to want to leave and it is clear that chef-owner David Chin has conjured up a little slice of magic with this eatery.
But then again, Chin himself is no ordinary culinary wannabe. His Midas touch stretches all the way back to his eponymous Dave's Deli – a Klang Valley household name – and the roast chicken that was his claim to fame way back in 1989.
When he was in his late 50s – with his children Darren (now a Michelin-starred chef) and Brian (who runs Dave's Deli and Cafe Bistrot David) firmly established in the restaurant industry – Chin decided to hang up his apron and retire.
It was a well-deserved retirement. Except it didn't last very long.
At 73, Chin says he now cooks whatever he feels like and calls his cuisine 'boundary-less'. — Cafe Bistrot David
'I retired and I wanted to travel the world. And I did all that, as well as opened a kopitiam in Kuala Kubu Baru that was only open on Sundays.
'And then I got bored ... totally bored. I had done whatever I wanted to do and I was spending my days watching TV. And I remember my son Darren telling me, 'Get off your butt and do something'. He said he would help me,' recalls Chin.
He and Darren opened Cafe Bistrot David one month before the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thankfully, the restaurant proved popular from its opening day and even through those turbulent times, Chin and his team emerged unscathed.
David Chin and his son Darren opened Cafe Bistrot David one month before the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic. — Cafe Bistrot David
These days, with the restaurant firmly entrenched as a popular dining spot, Chin, now 73, says he cooks much better than he ever did before because he simply doesn't need anyone's validation.
'I think it's been good for me in the sense that at this age, rather than just concentrating on a cuisine, I prefer to be more open-minded and cook whatever I fancy.
'And I keep telling people I really don't care any more. I only care to cook to satisfy my guests, so I am constantly on the lookout for their reactions,' he says.
Chin recently introduced new additions to the menu, following a trip to Europe with Darren, where his culinary curiosity was inspired by a number of things that he ate.
The Cantabrian anchovies on brioche toast make for an excellent start to a meal here. — Photos: ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star
Begin your meal with a new starter in the form of Cantabrian Anchovies on Toast (RM22 for two).
Here, white Cantabrian pickled anchovies are layered over toasted brioche slices with a smattering of mustard cream sandwiched in between.
This is a light, layered offering that hinges on multiple textural and flavour compositions, from the crunchiness of the bread to the aquatic depths of the anchovies and the astringency of the mustard.
It all comes together beautifully on the palate, like a symphonic orchestra with different instruments colluding to make sensational music.
The Spanish tuna belly with tomatoes was inspired by a dish that David enjoyed in Spain.
Then there is the Spanish Yellow Fin Tuna Belly & Tomatoes (RM68) which is based on a dish Chin ate in Spain that left him very impressed.
His version features Spanish tuna belly, Australian olive oil, local tomatoes and pickled Spanish chillies called piparasa.
This fresh, fishy concoction is light and rides on sea-faring waters while still being harboured to land, courtesy of the tomatoes in this configuration.
It's an interesting and ultimately delicious exploration of how disparity can sometimes yield unity and in this case, result in a sunny dish bathed in a Mediterranean glow.
Char-grilled baby squid and squid ink rice will take diners on a wondrous underwater odyssey.
Another new item is the Local Baby Squid Charcoal Grilled with Black Rice (RM68).
Here, local baby squid is grilled over charcoal and topped with glugs of olive oil, some potatoes and a touch of balsamic vinegar.
As Chin already has a squid ink paella on the menu, he decided to do a variation of this, by adding a squid ink rice cooked in seafood stock.
The squid is the undisputed heavyweight of this equation and as cephalopods go, this one is a dream.
Lightly charred on the surface while still retaining bounce, pliancy and a decided spring in its step, the oceanic flavours of this sea creature bloom with each mouthful.
Lest you think the rice is an ancillary character designed to seek comfort in the shadows, let it be known that this is a dish that could hog the limelight – if it wanted to.
Each spoonful of rice reveals grains soaked in rich aquatic flavours and rounded off with an utterly addictive crispy crust.
The souffle cheese omelette is a slow burner whose charms creep up on you. — Cafe Bistrot David
If you're after something off-the-beaten track, try the Souffle Cheese Omelette with Smoked Kurau Fish (RM78).
The dish has its roots in The Savoy London's historic twice-baked cheese souffle with smoked haddock created for early 20th century British writer Arnold Bennett.
In Chin's incarnation, a layer of egg is half-cooked on the stove and finished off in the oven, then topped with smoked local kurau fish, parmesan cheese, a layer of batter and egg white and Gruyere cheese – all of which are popped in the oven till the souffle rises. This is then topped with a pure butter emulsion.
The result is less decadent than the original which is a creamy, dreamy vixen. Here, temptation lurks more subtly, offering a fluffy egginess interspersed between fishy nuances and cheesy redolence.
It's not the kind of thing you might think you'll like, but like a sly, beguiling mistress with charm flowing out of her pores, you'll find yourself first entranced and subsequently converted nevertheless.
David's roast chicken boasts a lovely golden brown skin that then segues into juicy flesh within. — Cafe Bistrot David
End the savoury part of your meal with a nod to nostalgia and a return to familiarity with Chin's Roast Chicken with Tarragon Sauce (RM88).
The chicken here is a free-range bird from Bukit Mertajam, Penang, that has simply been seasoned with salt and pepper and served with a tarragon and Dijon mustard sauce.
The chicken itself is a burnished beauty with golden-brown skin that succumbs to juicy meat within.
The flesh is slightly tough because it's kampung chicken but the natural flavours of the meat really come through and this is accentuated by the tarragon sauce, which adds acidity to the overall dish.
If you'd like to enhance your roast, look at pimping it up with a host of sides in the form of Chitose Cherry Tomatoes (RM18) or Piquillos (RM28). The former is Cameron Highland tomatoes that have been cured in a Korean plum extract and grilled.
The result is sweet, sweet tomatoes with jammy, plummy notes running through its core infrastructure.
The piquillos meanwhile are marinated Spanish red peppers that are very luscious and glide through the palate like silk.
End your meal with the eatery's bewitching sticky date pudding.
Don't leave without sampling the Sticky Date Pudding (RM38), which is based on Chin's 20- year-old recipe and features a warm, molten pudding drizzled with a rich butter-based sauce and topped with whipped cream.
The pudding is sweet with a caramel undertone and has a hedonistic indulgent quality – you'll find it hard to stop eating.
Although he should realistically contemplate retiring soon, Chin is not keen to start resting yet. In fact, he will soon be opening a ramen shop in KL with his younger son, Brian.
'That's going to be another exciting project for this 73-year-old man. But honestly, all of this just keeps me going – that's one of the reasons why I came out of retirement,' he says, laughing. Address: 135, Jalan Aminuddin Baki, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur Open Wednesday to Monday: noon to 4pm; 6pm to 10pm
