IT has been mostly Love @ First Bite on our three visits to this neighbourhood cafe in Taman Tun Dr Ismail.

The first time was to have the nasi dagang Kelantan with ikan tenggiri curry with egg, ayam percik and pickled vegetables. It was the special of the day and it sold out fast.

We could tell why as the fish curry was delicious, as was the ayam percik. The flavours were balanced without tipping over in sweetness, and the curry was mildly hot and aromatic.

I liked it that a meaty piece of tenggiri took the place of the usual ikan tongkol in the nasi dagang (RM16.80).

Love @ First Bite is a spacious, pleasant cafe amid the gardens at Kiara Park Condominium. It has been here for the past three years, having moved in from a long stay in a shoplot in the housing estate.

On our most recent visit there, asam pedas oxtail was the day’s special. We love oxtail and meaty chunks of it were embraced in a dark, zesty gravy with fragrant lifts from daun kesum, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, bunga kantan, ginger and turmeric in the spice paste.

The sweetness of gula melaka adds richness and blunts the sour in the asam. The oxtail asam pedas (RM19.80) comes with ladies’ fingers with sambal belacan and pilaf rice.

It does a yummy meehoon Siam (RM9.80), fried in a special tomyam paste with prawns, fish cake, beansprouts and chives. A squeeze of lime adds a piquant lift to the noodles.

We also enjoyed the spicy fried kway teow with prawns, fish cake, beansprouts and chives (RM9.80).

The nyonya curry chicken with rice (RM15.80) stood out too for the mellow, creamy and aromatic curry, cooked with a ground paste of ginger, chilli, lengkuas, turmeric and coriander seeds, and scented with kaffir lime leaf.

We liked the side serving of acar too.

A serving of juicy chicken satay with a lightly sweet and spicy peanut sauce, confirms this is the place to be for local favourites.

Love @ First Bite, which is helmed by two Muslim chefs, is not just about local dishes. It also offers a western menu of salads and soups, pasta and main dishes like chicken parmigiana (RM18.80), fish ‘n’ chips (RM19.80), chicken chop (RM16.80) and the juicy lucy burger, a cheese-stuffed Australian beef patty (RM22.80).

We could tell why the chicken parmigiana is so popular here. The boneless chicken leg is crusty, cheesy and luscious.

The chicken is breaded, topped with chopped onion, tomato and mozzarella and grilled under the salamander. It is sprinkled with parmesan and served on a base sauce of tomato coulis together with french fries.

Love @ First Bite has some delightful desserts too. An instant hit with us was the snow ice: mango, durian or passion fruit.

On a previous visit we thought the durian snow ice (RM14.80), with blobs of durian and juicy yoghurt balls, was divine.

We chose mango (RM10.80) this time. The superfine, cottony ice with fruit made a perfect dessert, especially on a hot day.

The cafe also offers onde onde cake, Thai coconut cake, macadamia salted cheesecake and other cakes on different days.

On the savoury side, there are chicken and mushroom pies, which are a meal in themselves.

Other specials of the day include nasi ulam, nasi kerabu, nyonya nasi lemak, banana leaf rice and nasi biryani.

It is advisable to call and book them as they usually sell out fast.

A feast to look out for here is the nasi tumpeng, which comes in a dulang for four persons at RM150 (excluding the dulang).

On it are nasi kunyit, udang harimau gerang asam, ayam balado hijau, siakap bakar Bali, daging berlada, terung kukus, tauhu-tempe cili kicap, telur masin, ulam and sambal macang.

However, it needs at least four orders before it’s available.

Love @ First Bite is at Kiara Park Condo, Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Call 03-7733-6602, Whatsapp 012-219-1235. It opens from 9am to 9pm. – November 28, 2020.

* 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.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.