Whitewashed walls and modern decor gives it a hygienic and pristine look
Stepping into Suka Sucre Bistro through its sliding door, one could not help but feel right at home, thanks to its cosy, inviting atmosphere. There are delightful cakes and pastries in a glass display at one end of the space with pretty light fixtures setting the right ambience. The entire bistro is decorated with knick-knacks that instantly remind you of some cafes in Paris that you might have visited or at least seen in movies. The furniture is modern and comfortable while the staff is courteous and accommodating.
Located in Wisma Ryu, Taman Pertama, Cheras, SukaSucre Bistro is owned by the acclaimed singer, actor and chef, Fazley Yaakob. After years in the local entertainment industry, Fazley decided to take a short break to attend a culinary degree course at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Paris. With the skills that he acquired, he then returned and went on to win Celebrity MasterChef Malaysia Season 1 back in 2012.
“I was raised in Negeri Sembilan and studied in Paris, at LeCordon Bleu. I wanted to marry these two worlds with SukaSucre Bistro which is why I decided to go with the theme ‘From Rembau to Paris’. To be able to create beautiful food for those that love eating it is a dream come true for me,” explains Fazley.
From Rembau to Paris
The menu has a very wide selection of dishes, mostly originating from Negeri Sembilan but elevated with haute cuisine touches. The appetiser selections, for instance, consist of fried chicken wings with spicy Minang-style dip (Balado Wings), meatballs with French-style tomato sauce (Bakso with Ratatouille Sauce) and fern shoot salad with fried soft-shell crab (Soft-shell Crab Pucuk Paku) among others.
The Soft Shell Crab Pucuk Paku is Fazley’s grandmother’s original recipe. The salad is made with a flavourful mixture of red chillies, belacan (shrimp paste), lime juice, sugar and salt. It is served with softshell crabs, lemongrass croutons and wild mushroom cream. The unusual combination of soft-shell crab and fern shoot work surprisingly well together, giving the dish a crunchy texture while the sauce adds spiciness to the dish.
On The Menu
The pasta menus are mostly revamps of local dishes like rendang and sambal. The aglio olio pasta is served with original ‘sambal Minang’ and smoked beef. There is also a local traditional soup dish called soto that has its original rice cube replaced with spaghetti. But the most highly recommended pasta dish at SukaSucre Bistro has got to be the spaghetti with smoked beef and creamy turmeric sauce (Pasta Daging Salai Lemak Cili Api). The yellow turmeric sauce is aplenty, as the spaghetti is drenched in it. The colour might throw you off at first but you will forget all about it once you give it a taste. Just like most of other Negeri Sembilan dishes, the SukaSucre’s remake of this traditional favourite is quite spicy but you can request for milder flavours.
The Pasta Dagin Salai Lemak Cili Api is flavourful and aesthetically pleasing
Aside from the pasta, SukaSucre Bistro menu also includes a pizza selection like the Rendang Pizza and Heavy Duty Meat Pizza along with rice dishes like ‘nasi lemak’ and French butter rice. All the cakes and desserts that you immediately see as you enter the restaurant are all available from the menu as well. From Crème Brûlée and Panna Cotta to macaron and cakes, a delightful dessert is a must after savouring all the spicy dishes earlier on. The Fleur de Pavlova is highly recommended. The pavlova is served with sweet and sour strawberry and mango sauce along with cold ice-cream. It is perfect for sharing or you can just have all of it to yourself if you prefer to.
For those from the other side of the city, you are in luck because Fazley is working on a second Suka Sucre Bistro outlet in Sri Hartamas Kuala Lumpur. While waiting for it to open, there is always the main outlet in Cheras that you can visit. The long drive and braving the heavy traffic is totally worth it once you’ve tried the tastefully crafted dishes that marry both international and local flavours.
