While many vegetarian restaurants in town prepares their food based on the local tastebuds and are usually cater to the lower to middle class range, Kechara Oasis brought vegetarian dishes a notch up the scale. The newbie in Jaya One, PJ serves vegetarian dishes with a touch of Tibetan, Chinese, Vietnamese and Nepali in a fine dining concept.
Oh, and before I forget, “Tashi Delek” everyone! That is an auspicious greeting in Tibetan :)
CK and me were there 2 months ago with KampungBoyCityGal, Ivy Ai Wei and VKeong (finally able to meet up with Vkeong in person!) upon invitation from Kechara Oasis’ management. After we were ushered into a private VIP dining room, we were served the exotic Tibetan Butter Tea (RM 12.80 per litre) which is kept warm in a flask. Also known as “pho cha”, Tibetan drink the tea to provide energy and to warm their body in high altitude. We were warned beforehand that we might find the tea too exotic for our tastebuds but surprisingly, we found it to be very acceptable. The tea was smooth, buttery and a little bit salty at the same time. Best to have it while it’s still warm or the greasiness might get to you when it’s cooled.
5 Mandala of Prosperity (RM 58 for small, top left) is a platter of skewered BBQ “pork”, butter mushrooms, “luncheon meat” and stir fried snow peas with lily bulbs. The BBQ “pork” were rather good. The Kechara Salad (RM 38 for regular portion) taste very similar like the Chinese “yee sang”, Vietnamese Spring Rolls (RM 13.80) and YuXiang Eggplant (RM 20). The eggplant with minced mock meat and bean paste was quite good and flavourful but IMHO (in my honest opinion), it’s rather pricey.
I personally like the Tibetan Vegetable Momo (RM 21), which were firstly steamed, then pan fried till golden. The skin wasn’t that thick despite its appearance. The filling was rather bland but juicy. Try dipping them into the accompanied chilli oil.
Everyone loved the Golden Pocket with Broccoli (RM 20, top pic) as the filling was juicy and flavourful; the Fish Head Meehoon (RM 20) was cooked in a healthier way by substitute vinegar with sour plum. I don’t quite like it as they also add in preserved vegetables in it. The level of sourness is adjustable upon request.
Another crowd pleaser dish, Kechara Oasis’ Fried Chicken (RM 17) was a delight in every bite. The texture and taste replicates the real stuff very well and if I’m to be blindfolded, I don’t think I could tell it’s vegetarian. Kudos to the chef for the great job!
Their vegetarian dessert were pretty impressive too. A simple one such as this Red Bean Banana Roll (RM 10) is perfect for those who wanted something not too sweet. The red bean layer compliments the banana slices very well.
And lastly, some Crystal Fruit Dessert (RM 10). The rest find it tastes like custard inside but I think it’s made of mug bean (green bean).
Overall, I find the dishes were rather okay, with some hit and misses but a refreshing new concept apart from the usual local-influenced vegetarian fare. The price might be on the high side, but considering that the profits goes to Kechara House and Kechara Soup Kitchen (a charity community programme dedicated to provide food and medical care to the homeless folk in Klang Valley), I think it’s worth every cents you paid.
Kechara Oasis New Age Vegetarian Cuisine
Unit 19-LG1, Level B1, Block D Jaya One,
No. 72A, Jalan University,
46200 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor.
Tel: 03-7968 1818
Fax: 03-7968 8118
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