Kaarla / Oumi is the latest concept by the 1-Group and for those who are familiar, they also own 1-Altitude and Botanico. Sitting on the 51st floor of CapitaSpring, it has a nice view of the CBD and one that is suitable for date nights or business events. While their sister restaurant Oumi has been getting more attention, Kaarla feels like the shy sibling which was lesser spoken of. So we made a visit for dinner one day

The cozy area for drinks and chats

and the main dining area for food

The place was pretty crowded but they had a good amount of staff at your service

Damper $8 per piece

Macadamia, Quandong, Lardo

Starting with a homemade bread, you can taste the light macadamia cream on the sourdough bread, though I find the bread a little too sour for me. So probably not something I would order again

Seasonal Marron $100

We were introduced their special for the night, which was a freshwater crayfish that looked so huge. The Marron took quite awhile and for a moment, we thought they had forgotten about it. Succulent, fresh and sweet, it was a delight as we savour the protein. The flavour profile stood out on its own and we were glad to try it

Salt Cured Kangaroo $32

Which was one of their popular dishes. Very tender kangaroo slices, which tasted like beef/deer meat. Cured by Kaarla themselves, the flavour was just right though some people might not really be a fan of kangaroo meat

Octopus $32

Leek, Bob, Muntries

Lightly grilled octopus which was tender to bite. There was a natural sweetness to it, and having these octopus with some fresh greens gave a nice balance to the texture

Western Prawns $36

Geraldton Wax, Native Tamarind

Oh wow, these prawns were delicious. The prawns themselves were good and having them with the tamarind gave a little kick which overall was a really good dish

Murray Cod $62

Fermented Fennel Juice, Bitter Leaves, Carrot

I enjoyed the cod too, and the presentation helped. The texture of the cod was smooth and the fish was just really nicely done

Aged King Island Beef (1kg) $210

Braised Onions, Garden Salsa Verde, Kampot Pepper

We ordered medium rare, but found it a little too rare. It was a pity. Else, it would probably be a good beef dish

And the free greens that came along which was completely ignored

Cabbage cooked Under Coal w Black Garlic, Lime Leaf $16

Definitely something different. The addition of the black garlic gave some surprise, and not something I came across often. The flavour profile was actually decent, and you could give this a try

Pumpkin w Goat’s Feta, Pumpkin Seed Miso $18

Hands down, the table’s favourite. We never knew pumpkin can taste this good. Charred on the outside, you could taste the smokiness as you enjoyed each bite and the pumpkin, was sweet and really well cooked

Baby Potato w Koa Butter $15

Well, just some potatoes to keep you full

Single Origin Chocolate $25

Oabika Foam, Santarem 65% Sorbet, Coca Nib Tuile, Micro Praline, Sherry-Soaked Muntries

Wood Fired Pineapple Shoyu Icecream $22

Miso Crumble, Marinated Pineapple

Arden Grown Tigernut Icecream $25

Tigernut Nougatine, White Chitose Corn, Calamansi Jelly, Poached Oranges

The desserts were decent, though not very memorable. Our favourite was the chocolate but it was definitely a sweet ending to the meal

Thoroughly surprised by the quality here, cos places under 1-Group are usually hit and misses and more so misses. So I was glad Kaarla exceeded my expectations. Personally find that their seafood dishes are better, I would definitely go back for them

Kaarla

88 Market St, #51-02, CapitaSpring

S(048948)