For artisanal gastronomy, go NATIVE

It’s Christmas time again. After the long periods of lockdown due to the global pandemic, we are thankfully, able to travel and meet up with family and friends.

 

Chef Shangkar [Centre], Michael [2nd from 
Left] and Maher [Right] with my
friends and I at NATIVE

As invitations to meet and dine came pouring in, I was delighted to hear from my foodie friends who thought that we should gather for a pre-Christmas dinner.

 

You see, Shirley and KK had stumbled upon this restaurant in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah and after dining there, they returned for yet another meal experience.

 

They had discovered something which they felt strongly, should be shared with me, so I had the privilege to be invited along for their third visit to NATIVE.

 

The very name of the restaurant portrayed something rustic and indigenous.

 

Facade of NATIVE restaurant at
Taman Ungku Tun Aminah

I do appreciate how traditional ingredients are being used in modern cooking techniques, so I did not hesitate to accept their invite for an epicurean experience.

 

From its façade, the street signboard gave nothing away.

 

A peek through its glass walls told me that this was a boutique restaurant, designed with limited but comfortable seating, wrapped in an intimate ambience, probably due to the play of light and shadows from the low-hung lamps.

 

While we stayed home to stay safe during the lockdowns, many enterprising young Malaysians who left the country to seek their fortunes abroad, had made their way back to apply their skills and talents here.

 

Among them were NATIVE co-founders, Michael J and Chef Shangkar, who share a common interest in the culinary arts, particularly in creating recipes that used old and traditional products like herbs and spices, and presenting them in new ways.

 

A section of the boutique restaurant

Armed with a wealth of experience garnered from working closely with Michelin Star chefs, they are pooling their experience and expertise to do something exciting in the culinary scene here.

 

Some 12 months had gone into researching and developing recipes that uses a blend of quality local fresh produce with spices sourced from Sri Lanka and Indonesia, to create a cuisine that uniquely showcases our Asian identity.

 

Recently when NATIVE opened to serve diners, it was word-of-mouth and the use of social media that sparked off interest in this restaurant because diners were keen to share, not only the menu of fine food and beverage but also about their pleasant dining experiences.

 

Each dish is served from a
portable folding table

We know that connoisseurs of good food are not deterred by travel distances especially when the dining experience was better than good, so it was no surprise that NATIVE had been serving repeat customers who came from all across the city.

 

“When the food is good, people will not hesitate to travel for it,” said Michael who was determined to give diners what they deserved in this post-pandemic era.

 

While NATIVE prefers to serve a small menu, they are certainly BIG on applying great attention to detail.

 

They are seeking the right meat cuts and the freshest ingredients and then preparing each item in various processes like sous-vide, dehydrating and reducing before combining and presenting each dish in a menu of modern cuisine with a native twist.

 

A cold soup of Chilled Papaya
with Lemongrass Jelly

“It’s all about the dining experience,” declared the affable Michael who delighted in presenting each dining course in meticulous detail so that diners could better appreciate what they were about to taste.

 

At NATIVE, the staff would serve each course from a portable folding table, set up unobtrusively close to our table. When they observed a pause in our conversation, Michael would let us know that the next course in our meal was ready to be served.

 

When all the platters were placed in front of us, Michael would describe the ingredients and preparation processes with such a flourish that it would set our mouths watering and our hearts longing to dig into the dish.

 

Our five-course Christmas dinner comprised an Appetizer of Shrimp Salsa, made with fresh de-shelled Tiger Prawns topped with a dollop of dry-chilli paste, resting on a bed of minced Golden Century Pear, Cranberries, Capsicum and tangy Vinaigrette.

 

An Entree of Kapel'lini, angel-hair pasta

Then a refreshing cold soup of Chilled Papaya with threads of Lemongrass jelly, which Michael said, tasted best when the jelly threads were eaten along with the soup. (And he was right.)

 

This was followed by an Entrée of Kapel’lini, created with angel-hair pasta tossed in Black and White Truffle and topped with Trout Roe and Herring Caviar.

 

The aroma of the truffle oil was evident with every bite and while it was a weird sensation as the roe popped in my mouth, it was both an explosive and tasty experience.

 

Roasted Bone-in Chicken Leg

To clean our palate, the Granular served was a tiny cup of slowly melting ice chips spiced with a mix of fresh peppermint, star anise, ground cinnamon from Sri Lanka, cumin powder and grated peppercorns.

 

While it’s refreshing shade of blue was reminiscent of a mouth freshener, I decided to leave the ice chips and instead, took elegant sips of the refreshing drink to prepare myself to savour the main course.

 

The three meat choices in this menu were roasted Bone-In Chicken Leg, grilled King Salmon or Beef Short Rib cooked in the sous-vide method.

 

Grilled King Salmon

The oh-so-tender and juicy Chicken glazed with Plum sauce rested on a tasty bed of a mix of rolled oats, hard-boiled egg and avocado, with a side of Prune Compote and garnished with a slice of fresh fig.

 

This serving of a grilled salmon steak certainly lived up to its name, King Salmon, not only by its generous portion but because it was crispy on the outside and still juicy on the inside.

 

Served with a splash of spicy sauce reminiscent of Assam Pedas gravy, it was a perfect pairing of salmon steak savoured with a spicy flavour.

 

The fragrance that accompanied the beef short rib was distinctly familiar.

 

Beef Short Rib

This was because it was prepared in NATIVE’s own Rendang recipe for a pulled-meat texture to savour with a small portion of long-grained Basmati rice mixed with desiccated coconut, steamed in rich cream.

 

To end the meal sweetly, a dessert dubbed Forest, was served.

 

The gold flakes that waved from the top of the Chilli Ice-Cream beckoned so I had to start with it. Next to it, the Berries Compote on a bed of Soil was topped with pieces of Micro Sponge and Ricotta.

 

Later when Michael introduced us to Chef Shangkar, their faces were wreathed in smiles… probably because each time our plates left the table, they were empty.

 

This was a clear sign that they were doing something right.

 

A creative dessert dubbed, Forest

I was delighted to learn that reservations for their Christmas Menu over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, priced at just RM140 per person, were almost full.

 

It was good to know that after this season, some items from this menu will be available from their All-Day Dining Menu. In addition, NATIVE also serves an Executive Lunch. For more info, visit website: http://nativerestaurant.asia/

 

NATIVE is located at No. 26, Jalan Pendekar 13, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, 81300 Skudai, Johor. Open for lunch from 12pm to 2.30pm, and for dinner from 6pm to 9.30pm. Closed on Mondays. No pork or lard are used in these premises.

 

To avoid disappointment, please make reservations by calling Tel: +607 – 550 2647 or email to: dine@nativerestaurant.asia