Nestled in the quieter area of KL, lies a bright blue restaurant. Not to be confused with Mamasan Restaurant which serves meals with a Southeast Asian influence, PapaSan Canteen is a brand new eatery in Kuchai Lama with Japanese fusion cuisine.
The interior of the café is pretty simple with long wooden tables and stools, as well as white bricks and slabs of wood adorning the walls. Overall, the space itself is quiet enough for you to complete some work here. Best part is, if you figured that the space was inviting, the good food would be a second valid reason for you to stay too.
Start your meal off with the Dragon Maki, which is also ideal as an appetiser. Enjoy the fresh flavours of mango mixed in with savoury from the fried prawn and chewy from the sushi rice. This dish is priced at RM18.
For something warm and comforting, the Asari Clam Miso Soup is a good dish to have. Its taste is similar to clam chowder, but without the creamy texture. It is light and flavourful and if you enjoy a little extra kick, leave a note with the waitstaff to have it spicy too. Enjoy this dish for RM23.
There’s nothing quite as comforting as fried chicken. PapaSan Canteen’s twist to it is bite-sized garlic fried chicken mixed in with a good amount of mayonnaise. The tender, creamy chicken is a complete delight to have and you can have it as a standalone dish sans any rice or noodles.
Every restaurant has their own signature dishes. PapaSan Canteen’s would be the Signature Chirashi which is made out of salmon aburi, crab stick, cucumber, tobiko and topped off with thinly sliced foie gras. For only RM24, you can enjoy a French twist on a Japanese dish.
Bili-Bara-Don is a Chirashi bowl with sushi rice, salmon chunks, cucumber, tamago, radish, and tabiko fish roe. It comes with a slice of lime for some added zest and it’ll leave you with a refreshing aftertaste. This would be a healthier option to have and it is priced at RM24.
The Omu Curry Rice is a protein-packed meal and it comes with a generous portion of omelette, fried chicken and Japanese curry. This dish is priced at RM18.
The American classic hotdog is part of PapaSan Canteen’s light snacks menu. The Chicken Sausage Hotdog (RM16) and Beef Sausage Hotdog (RM18) both comes with a side of fries and the hotdog itself is topped off with bonito flakes, seaweed and pickles. That’s PapaSan Canteen’s way of adding Japanese influence to their Western dishes.
Meanwhile, their Carbonara Spaghetti gets a Japanese upgrade too, with a Teriyaki Mackerel saba fish. The teriyaki flavour interestingly goes well with the carbonara sauce and this Italian-Japanese dish is priced at RM20.
Besides the main meal dishes, PapaSan Canteen also serves cold-brew tea which is high in antioxidants and good for you. Flavours include Japanese Sencha, Iron Goddess Tea Oolong, Big Red Robe Oolong, Aged Oolong Tea and Yunnan Black Tea. The teas range between RM12-RM18.
Papasan Canteen
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-10pm. (Closed on Mondays)
Address: No. 17-G, Jalan 1/114, Off Jalan Kuchai Lama, Kuala Lumpur
Website: Papasan Canteen
Tel: 03-7972 7883
Feature Image Credit: Eat Drink KL, alex.bearbear
