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would not be the first to judge the rather new food establishment “Wrong Place”
as just a gimmicky name. Similarly, you would not be the first to realise that it
is anything but just a gimmicky name, but rather an establishment that serves
to challenge misconceptions and to uphold the phrase, “Do not judge a book by
its cover”. Wrong Place you will realize
is anything but the wrong place to be in.
This
is, if not the first to embody the indie-rustic vibe that the new wave of cafés
along Carpenter Street is known for. What does set it apart is the ever
changing and evolving nature of its look and feel. It should not be a surprise
if you notice something different around you in this diner of sorts from new
chairs, furniture in different locations, and different artwork from when you
made your last visit.
This
constant change here reflects the personality of owner Ivan Chen who believes that sometimes, a different path to your
destination does not mean that it is wrong. Changing and using different routes
make getting to the destination exciting and fresh. In this manner, different
and ever changing styles keeps your dining experience exciting and fresh as
well.
Similar
to its décor, the food has also gone through a few specials and changes since
its inception, and the ones that are sampled in this article were recommended
for its originality in relation to food that is served in other restaurants.
We’ll
begin with a signature drink, the Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie. It is
worth noting that you would be foolish to underestimate what RM8 could get you
here, considering the fact that at that price in some cafés, RM8 could get you
only a simple black coffee at best. If you are having a meal here, it would be
wise to share it if you do not have a big appetite.
Why
would you need a big appetite one might wonder? This Smoothie is thick. But in
a good way. You would be hard pressed to find a drink elsewhere with flavours
as authentic as these, with the goodness of savoury peanut butter and sweet
banana just hitting you in the taste buds. Again, this is a good thing. There
are of course other choices as well, and I am sure they carry flavours as
authentic as this one.
Their
food menu as you will come to notice is a pretty interesting mix of local and
western diner and street food. Once again, throw away your ideas of a
conceptualised café/diner/restaurant out the window. This is the wrong place
for that kind of idea. Instead, you will notice quality throughout but for an
example of uncommon Kuching food, we’ll be going through a few recommended
items. These items will come with an À la carte
choice or with either an addition of salad or fries for an extra RM2.
While the fries are fairly standard but the salad is rather
lacklustre being a mixture of pale and purple lettuce and a couple onions while
being squirted over with some dressing. It’s nothing to sing about, but for RM2
you do get what you pay for in terms of a low cost way of getting something
fresh on your plate.
The Mary Lamb Rose Stew is a hot dog of sorts that is a long bun topped
with stewed lamb, carrots, potatoes, onions and some lettuce. The lamb is
scented and flavoured well with the rosemary that it is stewed in, till juicy
and sliced to bite sized chunks for easy eating.
The through stewing process brings out the sweetness of the onions and the carrots in the lamb and rosemary stew, making the filling even more luscious. The bun, however, doesn’t do much to add flavour and is not dense enough to
comfortably hold the stew.
The Chili Dawg is another interesting menu item as it takes your
conventional hot dog and tops it off with a Chilli Con Carne of sorts (minus
the heat) and beef Bolognese. The flavour is slightly sweet and sour from the
tomato and the mince is still moist and fatty, which is adds well to the plump
sausage hidden beneath. The bun is similar to the Mary Lamb Rose Stew, but as
it does not hold as much filling as the former, it does a good job in holding
in everything in.
Although obviously inspired by the traditional Chilli Dog, its biggest
difference is how messy the Chilli is, which is not at all. It’s neatly
arranged and in three uniformed scoops which makes for easier eating and
sharing, if that’s what you’re into. That is of course if you don’t devour it
before dividing it for your friends to try.
The last item we’ll be talking about is the Veggie Burger. Unique in the
fact that it actually is a burger as this sandwich has a patty, but unlike most
patties, this patty does not consist of meat.
The blend of shitake, tofu, long beans and carrots that are coated in
panko makes up this patty of sorts. The tofu provides a soft body while the
long beans and carrots provide savoury and sweet flavours respectively. It is
also a delight to have the panko provide a light crisp. The patty sandwiched
between two soft buns makes for a delicious vegetarian meal.
The Wrong Place overall is a delightful place to have a meal if you like
being surprised by a delicious assortment of food. The concept may change from
time to time here, but the goal will always be to provide the best meal
possible.
The Wrong Place is open Daily from 12:00pm to 12:00am except on Fridays
when it is open from 2:00pm to 12:00am.
For more information, you may head over to their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/wrongplace.carpenterst/info?tab=page_info or their website at http://www.wrongplace.webs.com/
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