It was with these notions in mind that entrepreneur Jay Ong and two of his business partners decided to start Zukkini last August. Their stylish Oasis Ara Damansara restaurant offers delectable Australian-style brunches with Asian twists.
“Malaysians have always loved the brunch concept, so we wanted to do that. But there are so many places doing this lately, so we needed something a bit different, and we decided to do Australian-style brunch meals with Asian influences, leaning more towards Japanese and Korean,” Ong told FMT Lifestyle.
The talented chefs here also serve up a large variety of lunch and dinner options. “We want to give people a nice, almost fine-dining experience, with food that’s stylishly presented but still affordable. So we offer Australasian brunch, lunch and more,” he added.
Zukkini has a friendly, relaxed ambiance: the first thing one notices upon stepping foot inside is its lush greenery. Shrubs and bright blossoms sprout from a specially landscaped row in the centre of the restaurant, alongside tall trees that stretch to the heavens.
Emerald vines climb up and down some of the walls. According to Ong, this is to draw diners as close to nature as possible, invoking a garden-like atmosphere that’s perfect for an “Australian brunch”.
Now, curious readers might be wondering: where did his restaurant’s name come from? “I knew you were going to ask that – everyone does,” Ong said with a laugh.
The venue’s name and concept were inspired by a café in Bali, he revealed. Named Zucchini, it similarly specialised in Australian-style brunches.
Unfortunately, that establishment has since shut down because of the pandemic. Perhaps Zukkini is its spiritual successor?
On a side note: if you aren’t a fan of zucchini, no worries. It is a main character in the cast of ingredients here, but the menu also has many dishes without this particular squash vegetable.
Everything in this restaurant is pork-free, and the menu options depend on the time of day. Brunch (9am-3pm) sees delectable fare such as avocado on toast and the triumphant-sounding Zukkini Champion Breakfast.
For something exotic, try the fluffy and fulsome Japanese Scrambled Eggs, nicely accompanied by salmon slices and roasted rice.
The lunch menu (11.30am-6pm) features popular options such as the Zukkini nasi kerabu and the seared rigatoni duck pasta.
Another good choice is the pulled beef burger, which features braised strips of meat immersed in Zukkini’s unique BBQ sauce, topped with an avalanche of rich Grana Padano cheese, and accompanied with slices of zucchini, spring onion and coriander.
This also comes with a serving of very crispy purple sweet potato fries. Yum!
For dinner visitors (6pm onwards), FMT Lifestyle’s top choice is Jay’s Truffle Ponzu Capellini. It perfectly exemplifies Zukkini’s unique blend of cuisines: a scrumptious cold dish blending stringy pasta and truffle oil with classic eastern ingredients such as Japanese octopus, seared tuna, bonito and mentaiko.
Also make sure to stop by Zukkini’s cake corner. Showcasing at least 10 delectable cake and pastry options every day, it’s no wonder Ong likes calling it the “Table of Happiness”.
The red velvet cake here is delightfully creamy, while their most popular flavour, the onde-onde, is absolutely scrumptious.
Ong also shared that they have recently released Zukkini coffee tumblers, which allow diners to enjoy cheaper coffee refills, and are even planning a second outlet soon. He invites anybody who loves good food to stop by for a bite.
“If you love brunch, check us out! We’re definitely different from the rest,” he concluded.
Learn more about Zukkini on Facebook and Instagram.
Zukkini
R07, Ground Floor,
Jalan PJU 1A/7, Oasis Ara Damansara,
47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Business hours: 9am-10pm daily