Evonne was excited to bring us to De A Mano in Kluang, a Western cuisine private chef place our mutual friend Sarah recently discovered. Sarah celebrated her birthday here and she loves the food and experience at De A Mano.
De A Mano is in an old shoplot and there was no signboard.
Look out for 21 Jalan Ismail. It's right next door to Ismail Old Street Cafe.
The space inside was quite large, furnishings were simple, decor was eclectic but rustic and chic.
The centre pieces were - and rightly so - the open kitchen, bar, and dining table 🕺
De A Mano is the passion project of husband and wife team, Western cuisine chef Ming and pastry chef Jie Yin. De A Mano means handmade in Spanish - at De A Mano every dish is lovingly handcrafted by Ming and Jie Yin.
We were roaming all over the restaurant taking pictures 🤭 Once we settled down, the amuse bouche was served which kept us seated 😬
It's pulled pork bruschetta, soft fine slivers of savoury pork on crunchy toasted bread.
Appetiser was handmade sourdough and seaweed butter.
The rich savoury seaweed butter was simply delicious. The seaweed gave the savoury butter a subtle layer of herby taste.
Chef Ming quietly focussed getting our appetiser ready.
Fresh Hokkaido scallop. Soft umami savoury briny scallop and sweetish sauce brightened up with gently zesty fresh citrus juices.
Chef Ming explained and answered questions on each dish we were served.
I had the NZ baby lamb rack herb crumbed, done medium (my request). The meat was moist, soft, and very subtly gamey. Next time I'll try it medium rare.
I like the torched white sweet corn. Wish there was more 😝
The rest of the party chose other mains.
Aussie grain fed Angus sirloin.
New Zealand Ora king salmon. Chef Ming peeled off the salmon skin, fried it to a crisp and served it with the pan seared salmon steak.
Evvone had the silver cod fish papillote. Silver cod steak with wai san (Chinese yam), Shimeji mushroom, etc baked en papillote style i.e. wrapped in paper. The juicy flaky soft white flesh was served dressed with chopped leek sautéed with butter, a sprig of thyme and dash of white wine.
Mandarin strawberry sorbet palate cleanser.
Seafood marinara sauce with handmade spaghetti pasta. The pasta was done a little soft in line with local clientele preference. (Can request al dente if you prefer.) I love the crunchy and umami sweet taste of the meaty torched prawn.
Lemon meringue tart with jasmine jelly by chef Jie Yin
Hazelnut chocolate truffle.
De A Mano pricing during our trip (Jul 2023).
My thanks to buddies Evonne and Sarah for showing us your lovely hometown. Evonne and Sarah are passionate about cooking and baking. They are the authours of award winning book Asian Pies.
💡I am thinking to myself about how celebrating an important day like a birthday or anniversary can be done in a memorable yet affordable way like a day trip to Kluang of eating and sightseeing, culminating in a special dinner at De A Mano. I am sure chef Jie Yin can bake a special cake for the birthday boy or girl. Stay a night at Talula Hill Farm Resort. Evonne can advise you on such a special day - you can reach her on Facebook 👈 click
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