La Cocina’s Spandian touch
For years, La Cocina, at Taipain, USJ 10, Subang Jaya, was the place to be to if you wanted to enjoy great Spanish food with a great view from its upper terrace.
However, the restaurant recently moved a few blocks away from its original corner lot and now has an even better view of Taipan and the sunset.
My friend Matt Chung, who runs the Subang Jaya community website and Subang Jaya and USJ Food Discovery Facebook group, and I had the pleasure of watching the evening sun while we spoke to Jeganathan Letchumanan, the restaurant owner and Head Chef, and his wife, Zarmila Muniandy.
How the ‘Spandian’ restaurant came to be
Jeganathan’s passion for Spanish cuisine developed during his time working on luxury cruise lines in the 1980s. During his seafaring days, he travelled extensively around Europe, particularly Spain.
It was in Spain where he got to taste the country’s many culinary delights, especially paella. Jeganathan, who received his culinary training in Switzerland and was a chef in Toronto, Canada, fell in love with Spain’s many culinary delights.
“As an Asian, I’ve always been a rice lover, so discovering that Spain also celebrates rice as a staple was intriguing. Unlike the rest of Europe, where bread dominates, Spain stands out with paella as its national dish,” said Jeganathan.
He also found it interesting was Spain’s dining culture. Spaniards, like many Asians, eat late, with life buzzing well past 10 p.m.
“These connections made Spain feel uniquely special to me,” he said.
He believed that that Malaysians, being rice eaters, would really appreciate Spanish food, especially the paella.
“I told myself that if I quit working on the ship one day, and return to Malaysia, I’ll open a Spanish restaurant.”
So, in 2001, La Cocina (“The Kitchen” in Spanish) was born. It survived many, many ups and downs, especially during the pandemic when many restaurants took a hit.
A ‘Spandian’ touch
The restaurant has evolved from purely Spanish to a fusion of Spanish and Indian cuisines (with a touch of Italian thrown in), referred playfully by Jeganathan as “Spandian”.
Jeganathan felt that he couldn’t focus solely on Spanish cuisine for years.
Tastes were changing, and he’d like to attract a younger crowd. People were also asking for pizza, a bit of Italian, and some Indian food.
“In fact, at every event I catered, guests would specifically request Indian dishes, raving about how amazing the food was. They’d say, ‘You should really add Indian food to your menu!'”
At first, he was hesitant to do so, but he eventually decided to blend the two.
“And that’s how we became Spandian’,” he said, chuckling.
Emphasis on quality ingredients
Jeganathan and Matthew at La Cocina’s wine room. Jeganathan is also a sommelier and wine connoisseur.
Another distinct quality of the restaurant is its emphasis on making many ingredients from scratch.
For example, the Indian spices are ground fresh from “Ground Zero,” not using pre-packaged powders.
The paneer is made in-house from good quality milk.
Pizza dough and sauce are also made in-house.
You get the idea.
And if its bought, it is of high quality. For example, the squid ink used for their paella and pasta is imported from Japan, chosen for its quality, freshness and lack of “fishiness”, despite being expensive.
For one, Jeganathan is especially proud of the Josper grill that sits at the restaurant’s outdoor balcony.
The Josper oven is a high-end Spanish grill famously used by Michelin-star chefs.
Yes, it’s expensive—Jeganathan hints that he spent five figures to import it, but “it’s worth every sen.”.
“As a Spanish restaurant, I wanted something authentic and exceptional. This oven is the ‘Rolls-Royce of charcoal grills,’ and for good reason. Its advanced combustion technology locks in heat, sealing meat juices while cooking faster. The result? Unbelievably tender, flavorful dishes,” he said.
Fun fact: Firing up the grill requires 10-15 kg of charcoal.
(The restaurant only fires up the Josper grill on select days. Whe we spoke to Jeganathan, it was Thursday to Sunday, but do check with the restaurant to be sure.)
The grill serves up Spanish specialties like octopus, lamb, chicken chop, squid, and premium beef.
Jeganathan also made an effort to tailor the menu according to customer preferences. For example, Spanish cuisine die-hards would notice that with the paella, the rice isn’t cooked al dante like traditional Spanish paella, but are fully cooked.
Initially, the paella was cooked the traditional Spanish way, but his customers complained that the rice was not “fully cooked”.
“So I made sure that the rice is fully cooked. Sometimes we have to listen to what, what the customer wants,” he said.
Softer varieties of bread were also chosen over traditional hard baguettes based on the restaurant’s customer preference.
Some notable menu items
- Spanish tapas: there are traditional tapas and also some with a slight fusion twist.
- Tacos (fish and chicken), inspired by the chef’s travels to Mexico.
- North Indian style tandoori dishes (chicken pahadi, chicken tandoori) are available, and is made in a tandoor oven.
- Lots of vegetarian dishes are available, “much larger than in many other restaurants”, says Jeganathan.
- Italian dishes like pizza and pasta are offered, catering to family groups and wider preferences.
- Unique pasta dishes include saffron linguine and squid ink pasta.
- Desserts include Spanish churros and crema catalana, as well as non-Spanish options like chocolate brownie and house-made ice creams.
- Tea time specials (Saturday and Sunday, 2-6 PM) focus on specific Indian delicacies like kat vada and momos.
You can have a look at their menu here at their website.
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