Cotta — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

A well-hidden gem

Weather was unbelievably hot and she searched high & low for Cotta. She almost blew her top & made a call only to be directed to a door so well-hidden inside a convenience store. Yet they were fully booked for our preferred time so we had to come back the next morning. And next morning 9am we were already standing in front of the shop, being the very first customers of the day.

It was like going into a whole new world altogether as you walked through the door upstairs. The cafe was very Instagram-able, with limited tables at the front and back. How they managed to create some sort of mezzanine floor at the shop is still a mystery.. it's so cleverly hidde. Honey, coffee and other items are available for sale at various part of the cafe.

Ivan will probably be the first to greet you with his cheerful and enthusiastic manner. He will make sure that you know his name before proceed to explain their menu - which you have to scan to view - to you. Focusing on home made Ricotta cheese which they freshly make everyday, this would be the highlight of each and every dish - they just focus on 5 and just 5 main items only, all spread with the cheese. It certainly made the difference to the dining experience, and combined quite well with every elements on the sourdough.

◾Chuck Mooris RM25 - using 6-hours slow cooked Australian beef, topped with spicy chimichurri, a delicate sous vide egg on a bed of freshly made Ricotta & homemade sourdough bread. The sonny proclaimed that this was one of the best beef sandwiches he'd ever eaten so far so it spoke volume on the quality. ◾Smoked Salmon Ricotta Toast RM26 - Norwegian smoked salmon on homemade fresh ricotta topped with a creamy soft boiled egg yolk. Garnished with nori, sesame seeds and lemon zest. It would be perfect if they include extra piece, as 2 pieces felt not enough. ◾The Prawn Special RM45 - Big juicy tiger prawns poached in a beautiful homemade tomalley broth. Garnished generously with a drizzle of Cotta's secret sauce, sousvide egg and nori. Served on a bed of Cotta's amazing freshly made Ricotta & homemade sourdough. Love the beautiful flavour of the prawns, however the texture felt like they had past their prime (still considerably bouncy and crunchy though). The addition of the crunchy tobiko egg proved to be a stroke of genius. Limited to 10 portions each day! ◾Good quality coffee to math with the good and awesome breakfast

The sourdough was probably not the best I'd tasted in terms of texture and flavour but the ricotta was spot on and the choice of ingredients were on point as well. All of us left Cotta satisfied and happy due to the overall vibes of the cafe and the team, especially Ivan. Keep up...

A small cafe, atop of a mini market. Quite hard to find cuz it's really inside mini market. Gotta go in, and climb the stairs

This is my first time having ricotta. It's pretty nice surprisingly. It's like more curdly yogurt with less sour & some saltiness.

The salmon is good. Smokey. The powdered nori/seaweed give a nice twist of taste to the ricotta, making it slightly sweet & umami.

The beef. Omg. The beef. Its tender. Flavorful. Some kick of heat. And they burnt it abit, so it has smokey, charcoally, burnt aroma, and chimichuri poured on top. The chimichuri isn't too soury as some place at times overdone with the vinegar. This is just nice, fresh coriander, garlic without overpowering flavor.

All this, when eat with ricotta creamy texture & subtle flavor, all this elements, make this dish an avalanche of deliciousness. I can't stop myself from grinning. It's so good.

U can tell, it's good food, made by someone who really cares & passionate.

Talking bout passion, the host, probably owner, he very friendly and accommodating. Like, actually making jokes while explaining the menu to us

Abit segan cuz I'm mostly an introvert who can't really be all that talkative. Just smile & laugh 😂

All in all, its a great brunch cafe with excellent food, especially the beef. But more importantly, I wish i have the same enthusiasm as the host in my daily life. To be that excited over what u do, everyday, is not something everyone can do. His passion is reflected in his great food. I still have dreams about that damn beef, it's so good.

Absolutely recommended

Update:

Went again for their gula melaka and shrimp specials.

The gula melaka tart is nothing bud absolute perfection. The filling is packed with gula melaka flavor without being too sweet. The tart has very neutral flavor, reminding me of biskut empat segi hup seng, in a good way. Its the perfect vehicles for the ooey gooey gula melaka filling. It's excellent through and through. Definitely a must try

The shrimp special got this sauce, taste like belacan. Very unique, altho i still prefer the beef toast. The shrimp alil overcooked imo. Maybe less cooking before torching it, or less torching. A little less cooking time, will make the shrimp better.taste wise &...

Cute garden-themed café selling wholesome and healthy brunch food and drinks! You are surrounded by loads of greenery in the comfort of aircon 🪴🌱.

This place specialises in fresh ricotta cheese, and if I’m not wrong most items in the menu would have ricotta cheese infused in it one way or another! Was skeptical at first because I wouldn’t say I’m a fan of ricotta cheese, but this place does it really well!!! Most important thing is that it’s VERY soft and smooth 🫕☺️

I got the fig and pear ricotta cheese on sourdough bread, drizzled with honey - and everything went soooo well together 😋👍 the bread was crusty, and had a soft and chewy texture. I took awhile to decide which item to go with because everything on the menu sounded so good 😆

The chuck mooris spaghetti was also GREAT and I loved that it came with chilli padi on the side haha, what an interesting twist!!! The spaghetti was deliciousssss. 😋 A pity I came here after a full breakfast else I would’ve ordered more food 🤩

Got the Pandan lemongrass kombucha and lemonade and both tasted great 👍😋

What made the whole experience extra unique and interesting was that the owner, Ivan, is super friendly and enthusiastic. When we first entered we were immediately greeted by him in an extremely warm and chirpy manner. I felt like a guest in his house and he was the host, haha! He walked us through the food and drink items in the menu in a super clear, animated and descriptive manner. When the food arrived he would patiently introduce to us the dishes we ordered - the ingredients used and how it’s prepared. Love it!! ❤️

His enthusiasm for the food is very inspiring and you can tell he really cares about the food and what he does. He reminds me of a sports commentator in every single way 😂

They have creative and interesting names for the food items in the menu too. All in all it was a great experience dining here - will be back when I visit...