Ohla Tapas and Cocktails @ Intermark KL - The Best Spanish Fine Dining In KL

I love tapas, and cocktails too for that matter.

If I were given the choice, I would probably lean towards tapas or also known as finger food or bite sized munchies.

Food that is lady-like, effortless and can be gobbled up without looking sloppy or perhaps, plainly put - musings of a lazy person.

On this wonderful Thursday evening, I was invited to a tasting session at Ohla Tapas and Cocktails.

Ohla Tapas and Cocktails

There is only a handful of Spanish restaurants in the heart of KL that serves modern Spanish cuisine, fine dining style.

At Ohla Tapas and Cocktails, you will find an array of Spanish food, creatively crafted by their In-House chef, Toni Valero - hailing all the way from Barcelona and has quite a rep behind him, including several Michelin star restaurants.

High credentials calls for high expectations right?

While Ohla’s menu aren’t your typical everyday-Spanish-food, the chef’s choice that I sampled that night, was an absolute delight. Besides, I always struggle to stay objective when it comes to sampling exquisite goodies. I mean – who doesn’t?

The stylish outfit is not huge, with a capacity of 20 pax that will probably cater mainly to the white collared crowd who works in the office building, be it for corporate dine-in’s or a quick dinner bite, prior reservations are highly necessary. 

There was a constant flow of drinks being served throughout the night, from Vilarnau, Alvear, Cava, Moscatel, whiskey, sparklings to signature cocktails. 

Whilst Ohla is still in the midst of perfecting their drinks menu, most cocktails hovers at the Rm24 mark, alongside the standard Providence bar menu.

I had 9 different types of drinks placed in front of me at one point during the night. Indeed a lavish affair and undeniably a dining experience all on its own!

My friend had a fantastic time sipping on her Classic Whiskey Sour - great stuff, she mumbled.

As for me, I can't take one to many heavy duty stuff in one seating, especially when there's food involved. Kind-a takes my taste buds off-beat a little I realised. Hence, I'm sticking towards the light and lady-like drinks for the night. My top picks?

Batida.

A Cachaca based cocktail, with unique concoctions of cinnamon and rosemary, finished with a splash of lime. I found this to be remarkably refreshing, especially at the end of a hefty meal.  

English Breakfast.

Essentially a blend of gin and orange marmalade on a spoon, the mix was simple yet sweet, perfect for the ladies.

Ambar Chilled Beer. 

The Ambar chilled beer, a lighter version of the classic beer was a nice retreat as well.

Spanish Pickles.

Pickles that came as an appetizer to tame the taste buds. 

Mixed Salad. Rm22.00.

 

First to arrive - mixed salad with onion, apple, tomato and grapes dressing with honey and nuts vinaigrette and blue cheese.

Leaning towards the sweet side, I had a great time ploughing through the salad, nibbling on every single condiment that was in there.

The Valdeon blue cheese was the top-drawer for me, a slightly lighter version compared to the usually rich ones.   

 Spanish Cheeses. Rm25.00. 

From left: Castillo De Bayern (goat cheese), Walnuts, Queso Mahon Semicured (cow cheese), Apple cubes, Valdeon Cheese (cow and goat cheese), Quince.

A deluxe alternative to garlic bread and butter! Chef Toni showcased wine pairing with an assortment of Spanish cheese here.

I really enjoyed the Moscatel sweet wine (white). It was extremely pleasing on the tongue, especially after a dose of cheesy sour and tang. Wasn't particularly fond of the Alvear (red) nonetheless.

 Cannelloni with Mushrooms. Rm35.00. 

The roasted chicken cannelloni and mushrooms, topped with a dash of parsley oil, was a tad-off for me.

Recalling back - the chicken breast came far too overcooked, thus, was a little mushy when served. The dried trumpet mushrooms was in desperate need of seasoning also. Not sure if it was meant to be but I wasn't too fond of the dish overall.

Grilled Scallops. Rm40.00. 

 

What can go wrong with grilled scallops, you'd asked?

What I sampled was tasty - the iberico pork belly nicely grilled and the spread of zesty mashed potato underneath was a creamy delight as well, but I'd never be able to tell what's wrapped beneath - scallops?

I was really hoping for that beautiful slits of scallop, but was greeted with a mushy-like texture instead, overcooked perhaps. It was a mightily clever combination but I was left bemused.  

Mediterranean Seafood Black Rice. Rm45.00.

 

The much talked about dish at Ohla. This was my favourite part of the meal - Mediterranean black rice with baby lobster!

It really wasn't the lobster part that I loved most - it was those grains of lightly charred, squid-inked Spanish rice infused with lobster broth, which was also squid enriched - so good.
If you'd like to cut down the richness of the dish, mix the garlic sauce with the rice.

I had great joy scooping it all up - spoonful by mouthful, yet very mindful of staining my teeth. Be mindful of the squid ink! Do give your mouth a gargle of water immediately after.

Foie Gras with Truffle and Confit Egg. Rm55.00.

 

I have to tell you about the melt in the mouth sensation I had with this dish.

The elusive panfried foie gras was superbly intense and absolutely delicious. It only took two mouthful to gobble it all up.

The shaved truffle on potato puree and delicate confit-egg gave was an exquisite addition to the dish as well.

Wagyu striploin with Roasted Potatoes. Rm100.00.

 

When I saw that slab of glistening wagyu striploin served on a tile, I thought - fine flesh in all its grace! 

Cooked precisely to medium rare and served with strokes of meat sauce infused with chicken broth, this was an absolute delight - it was moist and succulent, rippled with the right amount of fats in all.

The roasted baby potatoes was a stunner also, and so did the herb mustard at the side, which did great wonders in part too.

Fabulousity aside, was it worth a hefty 100 bucks? Hm.....I shall ponder.

Vanilla and White Chocolate Soup with Black Chocolate Ice Cream. Rm25.00.

 

 

Last of the meal, we were served an ice cream dessert - dark chocolate ice cream with vanilla and white chocolate sauce.

Though I wasn't exactly tantalized by its presentation and elements, it was a great way to end dinner.

Overall Rating: 7/10. I had a great night of being fascinated with amazing Spanish delights. My favourites would have to be the Blue cheese mixed salad, Foie gras with truffle and topping the lots - the incredible Mediterranean rice. I would highly recommend the cocktails as well, splendid for happy hour or a quiet night out. 

Ohla is located at:
G-18, Ground Floor, The Intermark, 348, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur City Center, 50400, Kuala Lumpur

Located at the entrance of The Intermark, next to DOME.