Paradox Art Cafe

Paradox Art Cafe: Round Two. Earlier entry: March 9.

Engineer-turned-chef Khay Woo seems painstaking in his preparation of Paradox's recipes, fussy for only fresh mushrooms to be sliced into this kitchen-made soup & slathering the bread with extra garlic for stronger pungency.

Woo has no formal cooking training, but is bold enough to experiment: his signature spaghetti is sauteed with oyster sauce, chicken, egg & yellow onions to create something that tastes Chinese. The pasta isn't al dente, but that might be part of Woo's master plan.

Pan-seared Aussie lamb chops with shallot mint sauce & Holland potato shoestring fries. Paradox's prices are reasonable; the mushroom soup is RM10+, most pastas cost below RM15, while even the costlier items, like this lamb, won't exceed RM30.

Forgo Kim Gary's cheese-baked rice & try Paradox's version, fried with beef & topped with a melted mix of cheddar & mozzarella cheese. We've found it a little too salty for our liking, but Woo is still tweaking the food & remains interested in customer feedback.

Comfort food, evocative of the stewed, gravy-soaked rice that one might order in a kopitiam. Paradox fries this rice with olive oil & garlic, then tops it with a braised blend of chicken, prawns & fishcakes in egg-&-corn batter. Hot & hearty, ideal for a cold, rainy night.

We're liking the music selection here too; if you haven't heard Roxy Music's "More Than This" in many years, you might get the opportunity here.

Note: despite the absence of crowds for now, Paradox's kitchen takes time to get its food ready, so be prepared to wait a bit. Not too long, but slightly longer than expected.