DID you know a signature dish on Bröom’s cafe menu is named “Proudly Malaysian”? The chef and owner, Ryan Wong, came up with this name as he brought his favourite flavours together from the north to the south of Peninsular Malaysia on a single plate.
The 33-year-old Le Cordon Bleu graduate from London opened his restaurant in 2020 describing it as his “Covid baby.”
“Initially, we had a draft menu with more western influences but we slowly turned more local” revealed Ryan, who created all the dishes, including vegan options on the menu.
The name “Proudly Malaysian” appeared initially on the menu of his first outlet, Bröom Artisan Bakery at Taman Paramount (opened in May 2021), and subsequently, it was featured on Bröom Bukit Bintang’s menu. He also owns The Bröomery in Bukit Bintang, which is the wholesale arm of Bröom. When asked about its name, Ryan explained, “The last item we reach for at the end of our shift is a broom to do cleaning. It’s also the time to reflect on what we have done, what went right or wrong, what could have been done better today, and what we look forward to tomorrow.”
“The name Bröom is actually more about a ‘time of reflection’ than the broom itself,“ Ryan added.
His second outlet, Bröom Bukit Bintang, opened in January 2023 and occupies a 100-year-old pre-war heritage building once used as a hostel and was left barren for a couple of years before it was turned into a brightly lit, Instagram-worthy space.
“We really like the building because it’s full of character, and so we decided not to touch anything outside. We kept the original facade, windows, vintage paint, the floor tiles and the slightly crumbling moulding on the pillars,” said Ryan.
As you walk through the entrance, you’ll pass a tempting pastry counter with freshly-made croissants, and a “sourdough wall” that may stop you in your tracks.
The entire two-storey cafe has creative design features on concrete walls, curved walls, and hidden pockets of space, intentionally created as a surprise.
“We wanted to a different experience for our customers besides providing a different space, and we wanted more seating options to accommodate much larger groups of family and friends. During the designing process, we thought of how we could get customers to explore and discover little nooks and crannies of the place, along with all the little quirks of the building. We made the layout, both exploratory and functional.”
The focus of the restaurant with its in-house bakery was to cater to brunch or lunch crowds.
A variety of food
“Our Proudly Malaysian is a play on Nasi Kerabu, but we try to bring in different flavours of Malaysia. Malay, Chinese, and Indian come together on one plate. The flavours are familiar yet a little different,” says Ryan about his signature dish that features Penang style achar and otak-otak, rendang from central Malaysia, ulam rice from the north, and crackers from East Malaysia.
Prawny Kid is yet another popular dish. “It’s our version of curry laksa, which has more lemak.” It’s simple and classic, but jazzed up with giant tiger prawns to bring out more flavours,” said Ryan about his creation.
The curry was rich and delectable with thick coconut cream, fresh prawns, shredded chicken, an aromatic spice blend, and spicy chilli, which was a pleasure to the tastebuds.
Since the laksa is served in a big portion, sharing is recommended.
Ryan also created a savoury croissant called Telur Sambal Udang, which has a cheddar scramble in a flaky, buttery toasted croissant, served with green sambal mayonnaise; a must-try item here! Plant-based diners will be happy to know the restaurant serves vegan options such as a Mushroom Rice Bowl, Kaarage Tofu Salad, and Smashed Avocado.
“In essence, it’s almost like a Poke Bowl, but instead of fish, we replace it with soy-glazed mushrooms. It’s packed with flavours,” said Ryan of his Mushroom Rice Bowl.
The Karaage Tofu Salad was colourful and beautiful to look at. The double-fried soy-marinated kaarage tofu was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and simply irresistible.
To complete our meal, a perfectly-balanced lemon tart with lemon curd, meringue and a sweet crust was served as a delightful finish!
If you are a croissant lover, Ryan recommended trying the Portobello Mushroom Croissant and their accidental invention, Honey Sea Salt using Sarawak rainforest honey, which went on to become Bröom’s signature pastry.
As for beverages, Coffacado, inspired by Vietnamese Al Bukat with avocado and espresso, and OJ Simpson, a fresh orange topped with espresso are crowd favourites. We also suggest trying the rich hot chocolate – a perfect indulgence.
Bröom Bukit Bintang
-> Address: 4, Jalan Sin Chew Kee, Bukit Bintang, 50150 Kuala Lumpur
-> Opening hours: Wednesday – Monday (8:30am to 5:30pm) closed on Tuesdays
