A Fusion Dining Experience in Beautiful Seclusion ... SUKA Bar and Restaurant

Mention Changkat Bukit Bintang and the vision of an animated stretch of road imbued with diverse entertainment and food and beverage outlets will conjure in mind. 

Often referred as Changkat by both locals and tourists alike, the road, which is connected to the exciting street food enclave of Jalan Alor, is often bursting with sights and sounds. In short, it is one of the many roads with its own soul.

While all the sights and sounds blaring from the clubs can be tad distracting, especially for those who are seeking for intimacy, SUKA Bar and Restaurant provides you seclusion; a relaxed ambiance with an array of good food and great music. 

Located at the ground floor of Parkroyal Residence, Jalan Nagasari, SUKA or literally translated as “Like” in Malay, has been in operation since the last five years. 

Set in a contemporary interior that marries the contrasting dark and light, SUKA epitomises the modern façade of Malaysian gastronomy whilst subsequently, befitting its food and beverage repertoire that is made up of delectable fusion dishes. If you were travelling from Jalan Bukit Bintang, it is not hard to locate the restaurant as it is located exactly near Lorong Ceylon, opposite Istana Hotel. 

Peruse through the menu and any serious food connoisseurs will be delighted by the plenty of delicious dishes available for you to choose from — local dishes prepared by the SUKA chef in a unique way; appetite-whetting western fares meticulously prepared with care and in-depth technique; soups to warm the heart; sumptuous appetisers that will tease your hunger and tantalising desserts to put a sweet ending to your gastronomic experience.

Recently, I was fortunate to be invited by SUKA management to experience SUKA dining experience, first hand. To start off the experience, I started with a bowl of French onion soup gratinèe. 

Slightly thin in texture but with adequate amount of onions, the hearty soup was a perfect choice to warm me up due to the heavy pouring rain that evening. 

It also came with a garlic bread that is generously spread with a dollop of delicious garlic butter, which I used to soak in the remainder of the soup. 

Following suit is SUKA’s signature appetiser, the SUKA peanut butter roasted chicken salad. A dish that fuses that tastes of Asia and the West, the salad has a good balance of sweet, spicy and tart. The tartness came from the use of fresh lime or lemon in the dressing while the adequate use of chilies and sugar provided the sweet and spicy taste profile. 

Under the fresh greens was a generous portion of sliced roasted chicken that has been basted with peanut butter. Cooked to perfection, the chicken slices were tender. Yet, the nutty peanut butter flavour did not overpower the overall taste of the chicken. 

In fact, the peanut butter purveyed crispiness to the chicken’s skin, making it so tantalising to the palate. If you wished to skip the mains, then sticking to the salad is a good choice as it could be a main course in its own right. 

Perusing through the menu again, I have to admit that as a food lover, I was obviously spoiled by choices. Be it local, western or fusion, the fares were too good to refused. As a last resort, I chose to have wood oven seafood pizza called Pescata instead. 

While I was waiting for my pizza to come, piping hot and straight from the oven, the patrons were serenaded by a three-piece band, rendering old time and current hits on the stage. 

Finally, the pizza arrived and I immediately sunk my teeth into it. Boasting a generous diameter of 12 inches in circumference, the pizza is richly laden with luxurious toppings such as scallops on shell, calamari and prawns, peppered with traditional Italian herbs. The seafood was cooked to perfection with its natural juices intact and the tomato sauce base was moist. 

Furthermore, the pizza is also based with a thin crust and a generous coat of tomato sauce — a lavish treat for true blue pizza lovers. 

Being large in size, the pizza was very satiating and by the time I reached the last slice, my stomach sent me a mental note telling me that there was no space left for dessert. 

However, should I spared at least a tiny space inside my stomach, I would have ordered the ice cream served with banana flambe, which is a classic favourite but interpreted in SUKA’s distinctive way. 

For those who want to end their evening with good nightcaps, why don’t you pop a bottle of wine with your friends and watch the evening gone by, or better still, ask the waiters about the available cocktails and SUKA bartenders will be happy to concoct refreshing cocktails for you. 

Now that Valentine’s Day is around the corner, rest assured SUKA will be the perfect place for you and your significant other to dine, cherish and reminisce the lovely moments together.  

Million thanks to the management of SUKA restaurant and Mr Lan Mansor for hosting my intimate yet pleasurable dining experience at SUKA.

*Photos by me.

SUKA Bar and Restaurant - Parkroyal Residency, Jalan Nagasari, 50200 Kuala Lumpur.