Apart from fried chicken, Table & Apron is famous for its sourdough bread and open-faced sandwiches too. (Photo credit: Table & Apron)
Those of us who grew up on white, factory-made sandwich loaves can rejoice at the rise of artisanal bakeries in Kuala Lumpur. Stalls selling home-baked breads have even popped up in informal street markets, showing just how much eating habits have changed.
Some newer, less traditional bakeries have developed a certain panache, with eye-catching displays of golden-brown hues, grain-coated crusts and turgid loaves, but not every pretty face has the substance to back up its looks. Good bread is much more than just having a good appearance.
Some bakeries don’t just bake breads — they produce sandwiches as well, thus the bakery-café-restaurant. And if you are hankering after a good sandwich made with home-baked fresh bread, try these for starters:
Table and Apron
This neighbourhood restaurant serves fusion food — a little bit of this and a little bit of that. It is the sort of genteel place for friends to meet over a cup of coffee and catch up on the week’s gossip. It also makes bread, turning out fresh sourdough daily, with honey-oat and apple sourdough on weekends. The finished product looks gorgeous, brown and crusty in a tight loaf.
An open-faced sandwich we tried was the Smoked Mackerel Pate (RM19). A tight ball of smoked mackerel and cheese highlighted the apple sourdough, which had a fairly loose texture with large air pockets. It was a trifle dry on its own, with a hint of apple and a crusty rind. Another was the Pork Rillettes (RM18) on sourdough, which proved an excellent combination, with the sourdough having a hard crust and being of medium density.
This is the most photogenic of the restaurants featured here, with a wide range of other items on the menu, good coffee and presentations with flair. Its sourdough forms a good base for its imaginative, appealing open-faced sandwiches.
Der Backmeister
This German bakery imports all its ingredients from Germany, even the wheat flour. A big glass panel allows guests to look into the bakery, which turns out fresh breads and pastries daily, eschewing preservatives and premixes and “following traditional recipes”. The smell of fresh bread and coffee permeate the interior, which has wooden benches and tables, and a long counter with a wooden bread rack behind. The restaurant builds its menu around the breads.
The Bratwurst (RM12) is a simple, meat sausage with white bun, mustard and slaw. The bun was toasted to a crusty golden brown on the outside, and had a satisfying, dense texture and rounded flavour to accompany the succulent, tasty bratwurst.
The multigrain bread for the Chicken Pesto Sandwich (RM18) had presence. It was not a thing that you would mindlessly chew — this one makes you pause, look and say, “Hey what’s this?” Robust and earthy, it was not at all stodgy and had a hint of moistness and aroma.
Specialising in breads and sandwiches, this is the place for a filling, no-frills, no-pretence, authentic German-style sandwich, without having to fly to Germany. The breads are spectacularly good.
Kenny Hills Bakers
This small shop is located in an old block of apartments in a lush residential area of Kuala Lumpur. It takes baking seriously, turning out a variety of pastries and organic artisan breads daily. It is usually overflowing with customers huddled in the tight quarters indoors or on the veranda outdoors, or waiting for their takeaway. Besides coffee, the menu features hand-tossed sourdough pizzas, all-day brunch and gourmet sandwiches served on organic-flour baguettes or croissants.
The Turkey Ham and Gruyere Cheese Croissant (RM19) was big and rotund. It was fluffy yet substantial enough not to be another pretty, flaky, oily, airy thing that collapses at first bite. It made for a good lunch with a ribbon of lettuce, a slice of cheese and ham.
The Pine-Nut Pesto Chicken (RM21) was served in a healthy-sized baguette section on request. Warm and crusty, with a good, firm texture, the fresh bread packed a wallop, with a thick chicken pesto filling. A basic baguette isn’t often this good.
The place was cramped but charming in a rustic manner. It focuses on baking breads and pastries with a strong artisanal flavour and good, solid offerings, including a selection of good bread and sizeable sandwiches.
Table and Apron, 23, Jalan SS20/1, PJ. 03 7733 4000/[email protected]. www.tableandapron.my. Tues-Sun, 11.30am to 4pm; 6pm to 10pm
Der Backmeister, 40, Persiaran Za’aba, TTDI, KL. 03 2856 0613. www.derbackmeister.com. Tues-Sun, 8am-7pm.
Kenny Hill Bakers, 1.1B, Taman Tunku, Off Langgak Tunku, KL. 03 6206 4111. Daily, 8am-7pm.
