Acme Bar & Coffee

Returning ASAP to Acme @ the Troika, this time for tapas.

Earlier entry on Acme: December 2, 2011.

Seared tuna escabeche with red & green capsicum. Acme took its time to launch, pushing back its opening several times. The result: very few noticeable teething troubles _ none for the food. Everything comes out fast & fresh.

These look like ordinary curry puffs until you tear them open; the warm, buttery pastry is filled to bursting with richly savory, creamy chili con carne.

Whitebait with artichoke, garlic & lime. Flawlessly prepared; the mini fish fritters are juicy enough that we wouldn't mind eating an entire tray of them.

Grilled zucchini with oregano & ricotta in Acme's own tomato sauce. An Italian-inspired offering that makes zucchini worthwhile, thanks to the fluffy cheese & fragrantly sweet sauce.

Salt cod brandade. Skip the Subway sandwich, pack this home instead & devour it with some crusty bread for the most satisfying midnight snack ever.

Cauliflower with toasted pistachios, thickened yogurt & pomegranate seeds. Individually, each component might prove unmemorable, but together, they encapsulate Acme's penchant for putting extra effort into every recipe.

Minted peas with toasted almonds, garlic & yogurt. Would work effortlessly with everything from fish & chips to honey-baked chicken. Won't steal the limelight, since it's a true team player.

Green chilies, salt-fried in the style of Spain's northwestern Padron. Have a pitcher of water on standby; these babies are fiery, as one of us found out, much to his red-faced, choked-up regret.

Salted egg yolk fried chicken strips. As addictive as any bar snack; the taste of the yolk coating is subtle but discernible, handing these an unbeatable advantage over mere McNuggets.

Roasted carrots with honey, sherry vinegar & cumin garlic yogurt. Banish all fear of mushy, overcooked carrots; the beta-carotene bearers here are brimming with crunch & flavor.

Got coffee? Take it black, in cute A, B & C cups.

Dom Plageoles Mauzac Nature bubbly, Gaillac.

Dom Pellehaut Harmonie de Gascogne, VDP Cotes de Gascogne.

Photos snapped during the calm before the evening storm. Acme comes alive when the sun sets.

Acme has only been operating for dinner (plus a trial-run Sunday brunch) since its public launch last week, but it's finally expanding its hours today, December 5. Doors will open at 11am, with all-day dining through midnight. Be kind to the hardworking service team.

Acme Bar & Coffee,

ABC @ The Troika, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2162-2288