FOOD takeaways and delivery have become an accepted lifestyle, even though restaurants are now open for dining in.

We were pleasantly surprised at the variety of cuisines offered by food entrepreneurs who have set up base at Cookhouse in Glo Damansara. They span the spectrum from Malay to Korean, western with a local twist, to plant-based (vegetarian) fare and baked goods.

Cookhouse is a gleaming new ready-to-use facility, covering 10,000 sq ft, equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for Asian and western cooking, bakery and pastry, on-site cafe, beverage lab and private kitchen studios.

It’s a cloud kitchen, a shared kitchen, a co-working space, an events venue and a community club all in one. It’s an ideal set-up for those embarking on a food business and do not have the funds for a start-up that involves outfitting a restaurant and kitchen, paying rent and other miscellaneous costs.

Takeaways are the order of the day here, but Cookhouse will be open for dining-in within the next few weeks.

We have tasted the offerings of seven halal food businesses here: The Bold Chef, Chef Dave’s PB Kitchen, Mobster Lobster by Mad Chef, Warung Wok, Bengbeng Sourdough, Baps The Name and Wanna Banana.

The Bold Chef

Freshly made pasta with bold flavours is Chef James’ signature. I loved the Scampi Scandal (RM23.90) that brought to mind our local prawn noodles (har meen). Fresh tagliatelle is finished in an umami-laden prawn broth with cherry tomatoes and prawns.

Vongole is usually clams cooked in olive oil with garlic, parsley and a splash of wine, then with pasta added. But Chef James’ non-alcoholic version, named Clamed-Up (RM23.90), has spaghetti tossed with clams, garlic, some cili padi and showered with grated cured egg yolk.

There’s a punchy kick from the cili padi, savoury touch from the egg yolk and briny flavours from the meaty clams.

Spaghetti alla Rendangese (RM18.90) speaks for itself in the rich, aromatic sauce of rendang-style minced chicken slow cooked in spices and herbs, caramelised coconut and gula Melaka.

Yes, it goes very well with fresh spaghetti. All the pasta dishes come with a side of garlic bread.

Mobster Lobster by Mad Chef

Canadian lobster is the focus of “Mad Chef” Fhaizal, who slides generous chunks of lobster meat tossed in home-made mayonnaise or in his signature sambal sauce into hot, toasted brioche.

I’m all for Malaysian flavours, and the hot, flavourful sambal sauce goes deliciously well with the sweet and succulent lobster. The buttery, flaky brioche was so good with it, too. The Sambal Lobster Roll is RM101, but then meat from the whole claw is in it. It’s a satisfying lobster treat for two.

The Classic Lobster Roll (RM93) is filled with lobster meat combined with mayonnaise, chopped celery and scallions for texture and flavour. There’s also a rich and creamy Lobster Bisque (RM25) from Mobster Lobster. You can order a brioche loaf (RM9) to go with it.

Chef Dave’s PB Kitchen

Getting healthy with plant-based meals is PB Kitchen’s mission, so Chef Dave took traditional Malaysian recipes and turned them into vegan dishes. Evidently, he did a good job of it as he gets from 100 to 200 orders a day!

I thought putting glass noodles into his Nyonya Laksa (RM21) was a brilliant touch, as the noodles soaked in the flavours of the tasty curry. The noodles were topped with julienned cucumber, Thai basil, chilli and calamansi. The lemak curry had eggplant, long beans, tempeh and tofu puffs in it, and sambal taucu on the side.

Nasi Kerabu Ala Veg (RM21) presented blue pea flower rice with grilled eggplant, tofu, tempeh, assorted ulam and krisik, served with kuah tumis. It had all the requisite flavours and textures to excite your palate.

Burger Bakar Percik (RM18) has a grilled patty made with soy, barley and beetroot. The percik sauce brings it together.

You could order the food at www.cookhouse.com.my/orderonlinetddi for Cookhouse TDDI, Level 1, Glo Damansara, Jalan Damansara, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Contact: +6014 6131 686. – October 9, 2021.

Next week: Warung Wok, Bengbeng Sourdough, Baps The Name and Wanna Banana.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.