[Non-halal] Have you tried Hakka lei cha pasta? San Lou Pasta Bar 叁楼 is a hidden gem in Kelana Jaya serving handmade pasta with Chinese cooking influences.
We found out about this place thanks to the wonderful recommendation by Eat Lokal.
[Dec 2023 UPDATE: We visited San Lou in Dec to check out their Christmas menu. Updates below]
San Lou Pasta Bar 叁楼 in Kelana Jaya
Located on the third floor of Menara Infiniti in Kelana Jaya, this humble pasta bar operates in a small space with only four tables available inside the restaurant.
Dining here can be a personable experience as San Lou 叁楼 is only operated by a couple – chef Stephen who cooks, and Jessica who manages the front of the house.
Given the limited tables, reservations are highly recommended especially on the weekends.
Although we did not make any reservations, Jessica was kind enough to open a table for us outside for alfresco dining. Thankfully, the weather was quite cool that evening, so we didn’t mind it at all.
Lovely service at San Lou Pasta Bar 叁楼
Jessica was one of the most personable and hospitable people we’ve encountered for dinner service.
We really enjoyed her detailed explanations of every dish, and how she went out of her way to make us (and other diners) feel comfortable.
San Lou serves homemade pasta with Chinese influence
With over 10 years of experience in the industry, Chef Stephen has cut his teeth by working in Basilico and Manhattan Bar in Singapore.
Stephen makes his own pasta here – which includes the tagliatelle which is used for three dishes.
The specialty pasta served here with an Asian twist are the Hakka Lei Cha, Chilli Crab, and Earl Grey Smoke Soba.
However, Stephen also does classic Italian dishes such as the Tuscan Pork Jowl (Bucatini tossed with pulled pork jowl and grated 24-month Grana Padana) and Carbonara (tagliatelle tossed with raw egg yolks, and accentuated with Pencetta).
Starting off well with the Eggplant Parmigiana
San Lou offers a decent selection of antipasti – but we settled on the Naughty Eggplant Parmigiana (RM20).
This dish is an interesting take on the classic Italian Parmigiana as they are served as balls (reminding us of arancini) with eggplant, basil, and cheese wrapped in panko skin.
These were done very well as the panko skin was crispy, and the eggplant was cooked to a lovely soft texture, with a nice umami hit from the Grand Padano Cheese. The marinara sauce just had the right amount of tanginess.
Lei Cha pasta is lovely
The Hakka Lei Cha (RM25) pasta here was a highlight for us. It is sort of an Asian take on Italian pesto, if we may say so.
First, the handmade tagliatelle was cooked perfectly for a nice al-dente texture.
The lei cha gravy was really fragrant with just the right amount of minty bite, and crunchiness from the nuts. The gravy is complimented by the soft tanginess of sun-dried tomatoes and preserved radish (choy poh), with bits of fried tofu for extra texture.
This was a fusion dish made well – as it really exemplifies the nuances of authentic Hakka lei cha through an Italian pasta dish.
Chilli Crab
As for the Chilli Crab pasta (RM35), we liked that chef Stephen did not just toss some pasta in instant Chilli Crab sauce and call it a day.
Instead, the gravy was very nuanced as it was made from scratch – with the right balance of sweetness and savouriness you’ll associate with the classic seafood dish. The soft-shell crab that came with it had a good crunch and we liked the addition of mantou on the plate.
Ming did find the gravy a bit too rich at first – and we really appreciated that Stephen was able to adjust the flavours to suit our palate.
Dec 2023 visit – Lemon Yuzu Prawn and Burrata Tomato Salad
We checked out San Lou Pasta Bar in Dec to check out their Christmas special menu.
For starters this round, we tried the Lemon Yuzu Prawn (RM24). We enjoyed the crispy wonton skin containing a medley of flavours from prawns, yuzu kosho, lemon zest and vegetables. All the elements worked well together.
A special for its Christmas menu is the Burrata Tomato Salad (RM38). The burrata was adequately creamy and blended well with the shaved tomato ice on top.
Our favourite new item on the menu is the Seafood Risotto (RM46). Cooked with a generous amount of Parmesan and butter, the risotto was rich and creamy with enough savouriness from the fish broth base.
However, chef Stephen had a secret ingredient to add acidity to cut through the heaviness.
The fusion theme continues as chef uses the Chinese-style of braising to cook the Kambing Stew Rigatoni (RM33).
Braised for four hours with Asian spices – the lamb chunks are fork-tender with earthy flavours that reminded us of Malay-Indian lamb stews. This is balanced with pomegranate seeds and a Parmesan crisp for that requisite touch of Italia.
Summary
We love small businesses like San Lou Pasta Bar, and we can see Stephen go far given his ingenuity in crafting such interesting dishes, and Jessica’s amazing hospitality. We’ll return for the Carbonara and Tuscan Pork Jowl next.
San Lou Pasta Bar
Address: No. 3-3, Menara Infiniti, Jalan SS 6/3a, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Hours: 4.30 pm-10.30 pm (Closed on Wednesday)
Phone: 011-1092 0938
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