The Point Bar and Dining Room: Gamed to be the trendsetter in Damansara Heights

(Editor's note: This is a non-halal establishment)

The emergence of The Point Bar and Dining Room on the street of Jalan Kasah, Damansara Heights had the town buzzing with interest when it opened over a month ago. This eatery – occupying the first and second floor of a shoplot – combines the chill-out vibes of a bar (complete with high tables and chairs, as well as a DJ stand) together with a refined approach to dining.

Heading the kitchens of The Point is a talented and ambitious young chef, whose career as a chef has taken him overseas to Melbourne and back. Despite his shy nature, Chef Bryan Tan can be spotted often making his rounds from table to table, flashing a dimpled smile as he enquires after his patrons’ experience with his food. The input he receives will then be channelled into the improvements of his menu, a task he has been entrusted with by the restaurant’s owners, Valerie Ong and Ng Hui Jean.

At the moment, the menu at The Point is divided into tapas, brunch, entrée, main courses and side dishes. The tapas selections here are portioned just enough for one to nibble on while nursing a cocktail on the side. The eatery’s signature Scotch eggs dish is a memorable bite indeed. Well-done half-boiled eggs are wrapped with a layer of minced pork and bacon and served with chilli caramel sauce. The runny yolk that oozes out of the minced pork and bacon ‘shell’ certainly gives the dish an extra oomph of flavour.

This writer’s favourite is actually the soft shell crab roll, a satisfying and well-executed tapas selection that showcases Chef Bryan’s talent. Deep fried soft shell crab is sandwiched in a bun and drizzled with generous helping of Sriracha mayonnaise. Best eaten together with the fluffy bun, this is one dish you might not want to attempt while on a first date, as it can get messy.

While waiting for the kitchens to send over your mains, do treat yourself to some excellent cocktails here, especially the caffeine-rich espresso martini. Once in awhile, you might even be lucky to have The Point’s owner Valerie herself whipping out the cocktails on her own and we can assure you she is certainly skilled at it. There are also plenty of premium champagne and wine selections here for the discerning. Chef Bryan then further explained that he also considered the flavours of the food in detail to ensure it pairs well with the expansive selections of alcoholic beverages offered at The Point.

There is also a diverse range of Japanese whisky and sake here; the latter, which Chef Bryan highly recommends to be paired with the ginger cured hiramasa kingfish with prawn remoulade, kaffir lime and wanton crisps. For Japanese whisky, he suggests that we pair it with a serving of seared sea scallops. Hokkaido scallops are topped with Chinese sausage (lap cheong) crumbs for an interesting texture combination. These succulent scallops sit atop a mound of Asian coleslaw, made with kailan and cabbage, and smears of sweet cauliflowers puree. For an extra kick in flavour, Chef Bryan drizzled the scallops in yakitori sauce to give it a salty taste to balance the freshness of the puree.

Look no further than Chef Bryan’s miso marinated lamb rack with grilled eggplant, pumpkin puree, crumbed croquette and tonkotsu sauce as proof of his talent. The lamb rack is noticeably tender and gelatinous in texture and absorbs the miso marinade well. To give the dish dimension, he also prepared a side dish of croquette made from lamb shank (drier in texture than the lamb rack) and topped with bonito flakes. He also applied his skills to his seared Black Angus beef with pan-fried asparagus, sweet potato puree, lotus root chips and yuzukusho sauce.

There are no desserts to date at The Point as it is more focused on hearty, savoury food at the moment, but do order some sweet cocktails or sake to indulge if you wish. Don't miss out on the eatery’s brunch menu available from 11.30am to 2.00pm either. The Point’s poached eggs with jamon ham, truffle hollandaise, asparagus and English muffins and buttermilk waffles with vanilla ice cream and fruit toppings are great favourites among the regular patrons, we hear.

The Point Bar & Dining Room, First & Second Floor, No. 122, Jalan Kasah, Damansara Heights, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: +603-2011-8008

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