Get Your ‘Iftar Bangsar-wan’ This Ramadan Somewhere In Knowhere, Bangsar [Review]
Instead of Ramadhan Bazaars, you can opt to dine in or takeaway their ‘Iftar Bangsar-wan’ menu for Ramadan at this fancy place in Bangsar.
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Ramadan is just around the corner. And with that, a lot of F&B businesses are promoting their specialised menu to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan. This place is no different.
Nestled in the shop lots of Bangsar, among all those eateries, and just along Jalan Maarof, lies a four-year-old eatery called ‘Knowhere’.
(Credit: Melissa Suraya Ismail / TRP)
With unique decorations (keyholes from multiple universes) centred around the concept of Marvel Universe’s Knowhere, at first glance, the place looks like a site for enjoying alcoholic drinks only. But it’s actually more than that.
This year, following the arrival of Ramadan, Knowhere is catering its menu with the concept of Ramadan Bazaar but with a twist of a professional and ‘atas’ touch. They call it their “Iftar Bangsar-wan”, see the pun there? A nobleman’s dish in Bangsar. I quite like it.
Excited to see their Bazaar Ramadan themed menu, especially the Semilang Lemak Podeh and Churros Keria, I decided to accept their invite and try out these mouth-watering menus.
The Taste Test
They have six ala carte dishes ranging from Ayam Golek to Roti John with different prices. You can pick any of your choices but you can also try them all with your family or friends.
Thanks to the manager (Ainul Akmal), sous chef (Chef Faiz Muizudin) and their wonderful and professional team, I was greeted with a ‘bangsawan‘ feast here.
Roti John Bendahara
The concept of this dish is inspired by our mundane but a crowd’s favourite, Roti John. The twist is that instead of minced beef, the dish is starred by a succulent flank steak, topped on some spread caramelized onions and capsicums on a piece of crunchy toasted bread. Accompanied by a malaysian-ized thousand island and some salad, this dish is surprisingly my ultimate favourite among all.
The steak is properly seasoned and pairs well with the toast and caramelized ingredients. It surely is a good appetizer to start with.
(Credit: Melissa Suraya Ismail / TRP)
Bangalore Shawarma
Next is the Bangalore Shawarma with chicken varuval or dry chicken curry. Also known as the Kebab which is usually sold at Ramadan bazaars, the bread is filled with lettuce, dry chicken curry and some mayonnaise dressing on top. They are accompanied by a side salad and plum chutney dip.
For me, this dish is quite okay if you love chicken curry with bread. I especially love the taste of the sweet tantalizing plum chutney, as it pairs well with the herbal and rich flavour of the chicken curry.
Ayam Golek Raja
This dish is called the Ayam Golek Raja because hey, it’s a whole chicken! Fit to feast the kings. It’s paired off with some ulam, thousand island dip and the star dip of them all, the rich Asam sauce condiment from ‘Daging Harimau Menangis‘. The chicken is roasted with a balance of savoury and smoky taste and it goes nicely with the dip.
(Credit: Melissa Suraya Ismail / TRP)
Sembilang Lemak Podeh
This is my second favourite dish of them all. If you love Masak Lemak as I do, you wouldn’t want to miss this. Cooked to perfection, this dish features a big and fresh Sembilang fish (Eeltail catfish), picked carefully by the chefs just for this special menu. The fish is served in a very rich Masak Lemak broth that’ll just leave you craving for more. This is an absolute star meal that I really recommend.
A good thing to note, the main dishes like Ayam Golek Raja and Sembilang Lemak Podeh needs to be ordered one or two days in advance so the team can prepare the dishes perfectly.
Murtabak Mahkota
Like every other Bazaar Ramadan food, they also have Murtabak, but with a different twist. This murtabak is filled with chewy bits of lamb cooked in a curry-like filling, enveloped by a type of roti that mimics the roti canai. It is served with a ‘salsa dhal’ and pickled onions for the condiments.
The murtabak itself was very fulfilling to me and I like it when it’s paired with the special pickled onions recipe that the chef improvised.
(Credit: Melissa Suraya Ismail / TRP)
Churros Keria
I have wonderful expectations for this one. Because it’s churros and Kuih Keria, all in one go. The churros are made from the ingredients of our local Kuih Keria, and served with a side of grated coconut and brown sugar (gula melaka) syrup.
The Kuih Keria taste is definitely there and eating it with grated coconut and gula melaka syrup makes quite a good combination. The churros tasted quite chewy as most churros are but I recommend eating this quickly right after it is served as it may get cold and a bit hard.
Other Additions
If you want to try other dishes than the Iftar Bangsar-wan menu, you can have the Sago Gula Melaka and Kim’s Chia-Me-Up drink.
The Sago Gula Melaka is a heavenly dessert with soft Sago drenched in super-rich and creamy coconut milk. It’s a good balance between sweet and salty and it goes tremendously well with their handmade Pandan Gelato with Nata De Coco hints.
(Credit: Melissa Suraya Ismail / TRP)
I wanted to try their most recommended drink and the restaurant manager, Ainul Akmal or Ken, suggested me this drink called Kim’s Chia-Me-Up. It’s a rejuvenating concoction of pineapple, passion fruit, citric acid and chia seed, topped with a dry pineapple flake. It’s sweet and refreshing.
The Verdict
So I tasted the food. Did I enjoy it?
The Food
Most of their delicacies are really good and you will love this rendition of Bazaar Ramadan food. My key stars are the Roti John Bendahara and Sembilang Lemak Podeh. Definitely try those if you’re into steaks and Masak Lemak.
(Credit: Melissa Suraya Ismail / TRP)
Even though they serve alcohol on the side, their food is actually pork-free, alcohol-free, locally sourced from halal ingredients and most of the chefs there are Muslims too. They also have a lot of non-alcoholic drinks you can enjoy like their juices, mocktails, soft drinks and more.
The Ambience
The atmosphere of the place is superb as you’ll feel like dining in a luxury dining space accompanied by their friendly and professional staff. There’s also a little secluded space at the back that’ll make you feel like dining in another universe, perfect with their multiverse concept.
All in All
The whole shebang for the Ramadan menu costs around RM270+- for a total of 4 people, without the drinks and rice. You can order the plain rice or ‘nasi minyak’ with additional charges but I bet you wouldn’t need it as the six dishes themselves are fulfilling enough. But, since we’re Malaysians, we just can’t live without our ‘nasi’, right?
Furthermore, the dishes are actually ala carte, so you can pick which ones you want for your iftar or break fast. They are available for dine-in, takeaways and also deliveries.
If you like bazaar food with a twist of ‘atas’ flavours, do check this restaurant out, you wouldn’t regret it.
Knowhere is definitely somewhere you must go.
Operating Hours: 11 am – 12 am
Address: 50 Jalan Maarof, Bangsar 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Price: Price starts from RM22.80 to a max of RM76.80 for ala carte dishes on the menu
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