KUALA LUMPUR, March 1 — Peruvian cuisine has yet to really have its day in the sun in Kuala Lumpur.
Few places go beyond ceviche and a pisco sour, with most settling on delivering a haphazard Latin American experience — which some places take even further by clumsily bundling Spanish and Mexican elements to produce a disjointed Latin-Hispanic fusion.
But fusion need not be a derisive term. Peru has a wealth of culinary diversity thanks to influences from all over the world: empanadas were introduced by the Spanish during the colonial era; Chinese immigration in the late 19th and early 20th century gave rise to dishes like arroz chaufa and lomo saltado; and Japanese immigration resulted in the birth of Nikkei cuisine, the influence of which can be seen in tiradito and even some modern preparations of ceviche.
Only a few weeks old, Feliz is located on the fourth floor of Avenue K. Inside, a vibrant mosaic seems to be the running motif for the tiles, while a bright red fixture sits above the bar at the long end of the dining room.
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It’s another venture by the Cinnamon Group, which has a portfolio boasting Aliyaa, Nadodi and a host of other restaurants and bars in the city.
The menu — which I’ve been informed will be slightly tweaked — describes itself as having “nods to Japanese techniques and Latin American grilling”.
Inside the dining area at Feliz.
The sign at the front, as seen from the nearest lifts.
In addition to staples like ceviche and tiradito, the inclusion of tacacho — a classic Peruvian breakfast of mashed and roasted plantains — piqued my interest.
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Elsewhere, a dish of grilled beef tenderloin and potato Robuchon featuring a saltado reduction felt like a pricey, albeit tasty-sounding version of lomo saltado.
Sometimes, the Japanese influence in Nikkei dishes is immediately apparent, as in the case of Tiradito de Pulpo y Palta (RM99).
Raw seafood is sliced sashimi-style before being topped with a sauce and served, unlike ceviche which is traditionally cubed and cured.
Tiradito de Pulpo y Palta is a refreshing start to the meal.
Here, the slices of octopus and avocado have a soft and slippery mouthfeel, rounded out by a delectably tart sauce that’s bright orange.
Next in the series of small bites was a riff on tacacho, which is most commonly served with cecina and chorizo.
With their Tacacho Chalacos (RM29), Feliz takes what is usually a ball of roasted and mashed plantains and instead fries it into something of a fritter, topped with a small helping of ceviche.
Tacacho Chalacos deviates from the traditional version, but is still delicious.
It’s a refreshing take on the breakfast staple, with the crunchy, fluffy and slightly sweet plantain mixture acting as the perfect foil for the cool, crisp and acidic ceviche.
The actual ceviche on the menu, however, comprises tuna, shrimp and leche de tigre spiked with wasabi (RM45).
Tuna is by no means traditional, but the punch of the wasabi was just enough to get the citrus and heat of the marinating liquid to match up to the fish’s robust flavour.
Ceviche at Feliz comes with a wasabi-spiked ‘leche de tigre’.
However, I was less keen on the whole, intact shrimp, which I felt detracted from the desired textural experience when one eats ceviche. Slivers of cooked sweet potato were a nice touch and a pleasant nod to how ceviche is typically served in Peru.
Arroz Meloso de Chipotle (RM49) is described as “Feliz’s signature rice dish”, and is served with bits of broccoli, mushrooms and corn — a traditional staple of Peruvian cuisine.
Meloso refers to the cooking doneness of the rice, which is meant to sit between dry (as in paella) and brothy (as in caldoso).
Arroz Meloso de Chipotle is superb all around.
To this end I can only describe it as executed to perfection; it was rich, creamy and reminiscent of risotto, but far more unctuous.
Atun Sellado (RM89) was a wonderful dish of seared tuna perched on a bed of quinoa — a staple grain in Peru — cooked to utter perfection and drenched in a savoury, meaty glaze.
Atun Sellado features some quite delicious quinoa.
It is undeniably one of the best preparations of quinoa I’ve had in a while, and the quinoa crisp is the cherry on top.
To say Feliz is breaking new ground for Peruvian cuisine in Kuala Lumpur probably isn’t right, but the promise this restaurant shows in its menu and dishes makes it hard not to look forward to what is to come.
Feliz
L4-05, Level 4, Avenue K, 156, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur
Open daily, 12-10pm
Tel: 011-1771 7742
Instagram:@feliz_kl
Website: @feliz.restaurant
*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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