KUALA LUMPUR, Apr 14 — The chilled watermelon, cut into delicate cubes, has a sweetness that feels both familiar and refreshing. Mint leaves weave through the fruit, releasing their cool aroma.
Pomegranate seeds, like tiny jewels, burst intermittently. Grapes contribute a firmer sweetness, while nutty quinoa provide a surprising texture that elevates the dish. The feta, slightly crumbly and salty, cuts through the medley of flavours.
The Coco Deli in Taman OUG, KL — Picture by CK Lim
This is the Mediterranean Watermelon Salad, served at The Coco Deli in Taman OUG. A collection of contrasting elements, sure, each playing its own tune on the plate, yet also harmonising somehow.
What an introduction to the rest of their menu.
It is our first time at The Coco Deli. After a coffee stop next door at The Hub, we wandered in at that in-between hour when breakfast had already passed, but lunch had not yet fully taken hold.
Our timing proved serendipitous. Before long, the café filled, reservations securing nearly every table as the afternoon began to unfold.
Back to that watermelon salad; strange how it reminds of us of a Thai classic, pla haeng taengmo.
Traditionally, that dish pairs watermelon with dried fish floss and fried shallots, creating a collision of sweet, salty, and aromatic flavours that feel both unexpected and natural.
At The Coco Deli, however, the fish floss is replaced with feta, its lactic tang cutting through the sweetness, and the shallots are swapped for mint and grains. This version, although less intense, works wonderfully too.
We love how the sharpness of the feta counteracts the sweetness of the watermelon. While its Thai cousin revels in stronger flavours, this Mediterranean interpretation is more measured and its edges softened.
Grilled Black Pepper Beef Tenderloin & Baby Potatoes — Picture by CK Lim
Following the salad, we share The Coco Deli’s Grilled Black Pepper Beef Tenderloin with Baby Potatoes.
Thickly sliced tenderloin, cooked to a perfect medium rare, are surprisingly tender and charred just enough to impart a grilled flavour. The roasted baby potatoes, their skins blistered and crisp, complement the beef.
But the true highlight has to be the chimichurri. Vibrant and herbaceous, it cuts through the richness of the meat, adding a much needed acidity that brightens the entire dish.
The inclusion of chimichurri evokes memories of traditional parrilla restaurants in Buenos Aires, where asado or grilled meats are often paired with these bold sauces. Oh, to live — and eat — the way the gauchos did!
Unwrapping the parcel — Picture by CK Lim
Next came a paper parcel where half the fun is in the unwrapping, if you ask us. This is the Baked Seafood Spaghetti, a dish that recalls French style fish en papillote.
The prawns, still in their shells, retain a juicy sweetness, their flavour seeping into the surrounding cream sauce, which remains velvety without becoming overwhelming.
Truth be told, the pasta itself could benefit from a touch more bite, particularly those who favour a firmer al dente.
Baked Seafood Spaghetti — Picture by CK Lim
One of our party remarked that it reminded them of Singaporean Hokkien Mee, and it’s easy to understand the comparison: both dishes revolve around noodles deep in seafood flavour.
Here, however, the broth is thickened with dairy and then baked, transforming it into a more full-bodied dish. Don’t waste a single drop.
Other offerings on the menu suggest that the kitchen is strongly influenced by Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, filtered through a local sensibility.
The Fennel & Herbs salad, with raisins, sumac and za’atar, for instance, offers a bright, aniseed-tinged complexity punctuated by sweet and sour notes.
The Salted Egg Corn Ribs, dusted with sumac and paired with tzatziki, sound like a playful collision of South-east Asian fervour and Greek coolness.
Salted Caramel Flourless Chocolate Cake — Picture by CK Lim
Which makes it interesting, then, that for dessert, our server recommended a far more neutral (geographically speaking, that is) slice of Salted Caramel Flourless Chocolate Cake.
More dense than decadent, the gluten-free cake’s dark chocolate base is offset by a warm salted caramel sauce. The sweetness of the caramel, with its hint of salt, provides a necessary counterpoint to the cake’s intensity.
Despite the globe-trotting menu, The Coco Deli emphasises comfort food rather than fussy indulgence. What a delight though, to taste the world in every bite!
The Coco Deli
63, Jalan Hujan Rahmat 3,
Taman Overseas Union, KL.
Open daily 11am-3pm, 6-10pm
Phone: 07-211 4846
IG: https://www.instagram.com/thecocodeli.co/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/thecocodeli/
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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