Last night I went to Marta's Kitchen in Desa Sri Hartamas for dinner. I adore Spanish food and we were a group of five so tapas & paella seemed a logical choice.
We were also very, very hungry, having driven for over an hour to get there (that's a story for another day!) so we unashamedly ordered enough to feed a small army...
Pan-fried shrimp with chilli, garlic and extra virgin olive oil: a classic combination cooked to perfection. I loved the fact that the shrimp wasn't too big as I often find that the very large kinds can be overly meaty and tough.
Good calamari is hard to come by - typically, it's either too chewy or the batter is overly dense. Marta's Kitchen, however, certainly delivered. The squid was sliced generously but not too thickly; the batter was light and crunchy; the aioli was creamy and sufficiently garlicky. It was so good that we ordered two portions!
The empanadas were also a triumph, particularly because the pastry was so flaky and buttery. They were a bit like fancy curry/tuna puffs!
Moving away from seafood, there were a lot of meaty dishes available for the carnivores out there, such as…
These melt-in-the-mouth meatballs! To be honest, I've never been a huge fan of meatballs, but these were genuinely one of the most uh-mazing things I've ever eaten. They were so tender, so flavourful, and were perfectly complemented by the intensity of the tomato sauce. I cannot recommend these enough.
These crispy porky slices were a masterpiece too. Breaded pork sirloin stuffed with Iberico ham and melted cheese, they fulfilled my craving for crispy, meaty, tender goodness.
Croquetas stuffed with ham and oozy béchamel sauce - need I say more?!
A gorgeous platter topped with generous ribbons of Iberico ham was another favourite. It stood out because of its simplicity, and the saltiness of the pork was not overwhelming as it was sliced so thinly.
There were also plenty of tapas suitable for vegetarians.
Creamy hummus on bread slathered with olive oil.
Salad with blue cheese and walnuts.
Thinly sliced Manchego cheese with a grape reduction, which was the same sort of consistency as balsamic vinegar. This was honestly phenomenal. The saltiness of the cheese paired so well with the sweetness of the reduction - I had to physically restrain myself from ordering another portion!
The traditional tortilla de patatas - I've chosen a close-up shot just so you can see the semi-oozy centre! I've never been a huge fan of potatoes, but I must admit the fluffiness of this omelette was something special.
As you can imagine, we were absolutely stuffed by the time we were done with the tapas but we couldn't go to Marta's Kitchen and not have some paella, so we decided to order a small portion of their Valencian Paella.
It did not disappoint. The small pieces of chicken were tender, the seafood was flavourful and the rice had a hint of crunch to it.
And since I take the view that everyone has (or should have) a separate "dessert stomach" (!) I insisted we order some churros.
A couple of my mates had them plain; I am a chocolate fiend so had to go for the Valhrona chocolate sauce accompaniment. I must admit that though they were nice and crunchy on the outside, I thought they were a tad too doughy inside. Perhaps that's just me being picky though.
In terms of ambiance, the restaurant has glass doors which separate the indoor area from the outdoor terrace. We'd called earlier to reserve a table indoors, but last night they opened those doors and seated us in the middle - in other words, one side of the table was technically seated outside while the side was indoors. Given the weather at this time of year, we were boiling by the end of the night, but then again that's just a matter of personal preference.
The service could be improved though. There were a couple of waiters who repeatedly forgot our orders - I remember we had to ask for a glass of ice three times! To be fair, however, there were a few other members of staff who were extremely friendly and accommodation. Marta herself came to our table at the end of our meal to check that everything was okay which we felt was a really nice touch.
Overall, I would thoroughly recommend Marta's Kitchen simply because of the impeccable food. It is high-quality, honest, tasty fare and I would not hesitate to go back again.
Rating: 9/10 (because of the heat and the service!)
Marta's Kitchen - The Signature, Jalan Sri Hartamas 22, Desa Sri Hartamas, KL - +60364110832 - Closed on Mondays
The empanadas were also a triumph, particularly because the pastry was so flaky and buttery. They were a bit like fancy curry/tuna puffs!
Moving away from seafood, there were a lot of meaty dishes available for the carnivores out there, such as…
These melt-in-the-mouth meatballs! To be honest, I've never been a huge fan of meatballs, but these were genuinely one of the most uh-mazing things I've ever eaten. They were so tender, so flavourful, and were perfectly complemented by the intensity of the tomato sauce. I cannot recommend these enough.
These crispy porky slices were a masterpiece too. Breaded pork sirloin stuffed with Iberico ham and melted cheese, they fulfilled my craving for crispy, meaty, tender goodness.
Croquetas stuffed with ham and oozy béchamel sauce - need I say more?!
A gorgeous platter topped with generous ribbons of Iberico ham was another favourite. It stood out because of its simplicity, and the saltiness of the pork was not overwhelming as it was sliced so thinly.
There were also plenty of tapas suitable for vegetarians.
Creamy hummus on bread slathered with olive oil.
Salad with blue cheese and walnuts.
Thinly sliced Manchego cheese with a grape reduction, which was the same sort of consistency as balsamic vinegar. This was honestly phenomenal. The saltiness of the cheese paired so well with the sweetness of the reduction - I had to physically restrain myself from ordering another portion!
The traditional tortilla de patatas - I've chosen a close-up shot just so you can see the semi-oozy centre! I've never been a huge fan of potatoes, but I must admit the fluffiness of this omelette was something special.
As you can imagine, we were absolutely stuffed by the time we were done with the tapas but we couldn't go to Marta's Kitchen and not have some paella, so we decided to order a small portion of their Valencian Paella.
It did not disappoint. The small pieces of chicken were tender, the seafood was flavourful and the rice had a hint of crunch to it.
And since I take the view that everyone has (or should have) a separate "dessert stomach" (!) I insisted we order some churros.
A couple of my mates had them plain; I am a chocolate fiend so had to go for the Valhrona chocolate sauce accompaniment. I must admit that though they were nice and crunchy on the outside, I thought they were a tad too doughy inside. Perhaps that's just me being picky though.
In terms of ambiance, the restaurant has glass doors which separate the indoor area from the outdoor terrace. We'd called earlier to reserve a table indoors, but last night they opened those doors and seated us in the middle - in other words, one side of the table was technically seated outside while the side was indoors. Given the weather at this time of year, we were boiling by the end of the night, but then again that's just a matter of personal preference.
The service could be improved though. There were a couple of waiters who repeatedly forgot our orders - I remember we had to ask for a glass of ice three times! To be fair, however, there were a few other members of staff who were extremely friendly and accommodation. Marta herself came to our table at the end of our meal to check that everything was okay which we felt was a really nice touch.
Overall, I would thoroughly recommend Marta's Kitchen simply because of the impeccable food. It is high-quality, honest, tasty fare and I would not hesitate to go back again.
Rating: 9/10 (because of the heat and the service!)
Marta's Kitchen - The Signature, Jalan Sri Hartamas 22, Desa Sri Hartamas, KL - +60364110832 - Closed on Mondays
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