Ignis Kuala Lumpur — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

Ignis is an European wood fire grill restaurant with an Asian touch which I'd been meaning to visit for the longest time. What could be better than bringing the better half there for the very first time on our anniversary?

Reservation was made two weeks prior and with a bottle of Bordeaux on the right, a bottle of natural sweet wine on the left.. which technically left me no hand to hold hers 😅 we proceed to dine in the restaurant that uses stone and wood + warm lightings within to provide the warmth and comfortable ambience.

◾Spiced Lamb Shoulder RM40 with Pickled Jicama, Charred Pineapple, Homemade Curry Peanut Sauce.. alas, our starter for the evening failed to excite the palate. For one the meat was a tad too rough; and it would be better if the curry peanut sauce was more. ◾Kombu Cured Snapper RM50 with Pickled Radish, Chili Garlic Crisps, Hoisin Sauce, Dill. The chilly garlic crisps reminiscent XO sauce gave the crunchy & spicy element while the pickled radish cut down the greasiness. Commendable effort but the dish wasn't exciting on the taste bud either. ◾Charred Mixed Greens RM26 with Lei Cha Puree, Parmesan, Balsamic, Parsley Oil... Smoky, crunchy and aromatic, the greens blended well with the herbal taste of lei Cha and the slightly sharp, nuttiness from parmesan. ◾7-Days Aged Duck Crown RM115 for half portion was the saving grace of the evening. The skin made kruk-kruk sound upon chewing and the meat was sufficiently juicy and flavourful. Each piece was a bliss especially with the red wine I brought along. ◾Miso Panna Cotta RM24 with Pear Sorbet, Oat Tuile, Asian Pear - a blend of sweet & savoury was made even sweeter with the Klein Constantia and we finished everything.

With (almost) everything in the menu gets flame treatment over wood fire or charcoal grill; expect aromatic charred smokiness in the dishes.

Note: Free corkage for BYO...

Nice ambience with a modern, minimalistic interior. Service was great although staffs may be still a little inexperienced when it comes to explaining menu but it was a good effort on their part.

Complimentary amuse bouche, the tart was really refreshing and delicious. Foie gras toast is similar to what Atelier Binchotan & Jus serves, except instead of Kaya it was a Berry compote. The brioche was light and fluffy. Very ordinary dish probably could use some other element. The capellini is a must order. Cooked Al dente, you could really taste the seafood flavours in the rich broth and the wood fire grilled prawn was fresh, cooked perfectly with a subtle smoky taste. I’m usually not a huge fan of prawns but I enjoyed this. Beef slider was good but I’ve had better, juicier ones. Loved the chicken wings, seasoned perfectly and the coconut pandan sauce goes with it so well. Please don’t expect chicken wings to have a lot of meat because wings just don’t. The spiced lamb skewer was tender however had a pretty strong lamb taste so if you don’t like it you should not order. I liked the flat bread though. But it was a ordinary dish as well. Panna cotta is a must order! It melts in the mouth and it’s super yummy. I like that they separate the sugar cause I don’t like too sweet things.

Portions are pretty decent and reasonably priced. There are many places out there serving small portions with higher price tags. For Bangsar, it is super reasonable. It’s more of a casual fusion dining, it’s not a fine dining place so level your expectations.

I saw many comments unhappy about the RM10 unlimited still water, I have no issues with that. But just a suggestion maybe you can serve normal water by glass instead and charge RM 1/2 and carry bottled still water like Acqua Panna for those who want.

If you’re thinking of trying, it is worth trying. And I would...

We always try new places in KL with my wife and kid, and so far, this is one of the best we have visited. There is only one issue I will highlight at the end of this review, but overall, it was very good.

The food is excellent, the staff is kind, and the corner where this restaurant is located doesn’t even feel like KL—it feels like somewhere nicer, though I can’t quite place it, but it’s very nice.

My critique would be to please include a kids’ menu. It could be anything non-spicy for kids—pasta, chicken rice, chicken noodles, etc. We always want to come back, but the lack of kids’ options keeps us from doing so. Please don’t underestimate families with kids.

When it comes to steak, we generally try Japanese/Korean BBQ restaurants, so we didn’t try the steak here and I won’t comment on it. We chose, I think, the majority of small plates and sides.

The cold capellini is a must—definitely order it. The tiger prawns are delicious. The chicken skewer is also nice, but I would prefer it in a Middle Eastern style. It lacks toppings; it’s just grilled chicken without any seasoning, but still nice.

The drinks are not too sweet (the OG Punch is really nice). The desserts are also very nice and not overly sweet, which we prefer.

We wanted to try all the sides and small plates, but couldn’t finish everything. We paid RM464 for the meal with my wife and kid (we wanted to try many dishes, which is why it cost that much).

Please add guacamole and a kids’ menu—that would be my only request. Other than that, I definitely...