Food Review – Fresca Mexican Kitchen & Bar at Avenue K

[Review]

Most of you who follow this site would know that I normally review the more high-end dining establishments in the Klang Valley and beyond as part of my “romantic dining spots” series which I have had for a couple of years now. However with the market being so soft and the price of everything increasing due to the weak ringgit, now everyone will have so much disposable income to go to high-end establishments that often.

So where do you go if you want to bring your partner out for a date night yet not burn a huge hole in your pocket? Well there’s Fresca at Avenue K has been around for a while now however I’ve never gone around to trying it (although I have been to Dolly Dim Sum which is its sister outlet) therefore when the nice folks of Fresca invited me over I jumped at the opportunity.

Fresca, which means “fresh” or “cool”, serves Mexican food with fare that is unlike most Western food establishments in the city thus would make for a more memorable date night, somewhere other than that Italian restaurant or that steakhouse that you keep going to.

 

A couple of shots of mezcal to help us unwind after a long day.

As well as some ice-cold Corono Extra! When you go to a Mexican restaurant you definitely need to have some Mexican beer! Nothing like an ice cold beer to wash away all the day’s stress and Corono Extra’s are very refreshing especially with a wedge of lime!

Now on to the food. Fresca serves a variety of “Botanas”, small appetiser plates which are essentially the Mexican version of tapas. These are very suitable for sharing amongst friends and family and you can order a few to try before the mains. Or if you’re having a date night, why not just go solely on botanas (and desserts of course) and forego the mains?

 

Ensenada-style Fish Tacos – RM24.00

Flour tortillas with beer-battered fish and homemade coleslaw originating from Ensenada, Baja California

The combination of the crispy fish and the tangy slaw made this a very appetising starter indeed! If you can take spicy food, don’t forget the chili on the side which gives a nice kick!

Prawn Tacos – RM26.00

Flour tortillas with sautéed prawns, garlic and diced Jalapeno Chiles

Oh she really liked this one, and I agree as this was another appetising starter albeit with more fresh flavours this time.

 

Mushroom Tostadas – RM21.00

Two crispy fried yellow corn tortillas with enoki and shitake mushrooms, cream sauce, topped with poblano chili peppers

This was my favourite starter as I love mushrooms! It was like a mushroom bruschetta except that it’s on a fried taco! Lovely, creamy and well-balanced with a kick from the chili peppers, making two (2) pieces definitely inadequate! Order a whole portion just for yourself.

 

Jalapeno Poppers – RM19.00

Breadcrumb-coated Jalapeno Chiles stuffed with melted cheese and minced beef, served with a sweet mango chipotle salsa.

Oh yeah! This was heaven for someone who likes spicy food like myself! The heat was somewhat tempered by the melted cheese and beef inside, and the sweet salsa on the side, but I do recommend having this one with an ice-cold Corona Extra! Pairs perfectly with beer!

  

Fish Ceviche – RM32.00

Raw snapper cured in lime juice – a delicious and refreshing delicacy that contains chilis found along the coastlines of Mexico. 

She really like this as she thought it was a good pairing of the avocados with the ceviche. I like the fact that the ceviche was spicy and you’ll never know when a little bomb will go off in your mouth! 

 

Tortilla chips with:

Chile Con Carne – RM22.00

Spicy ground beef, black beans and various chilis, topped with melted cheese

Chile Con Queso – RM22.00

Melted Monterey Jack cheese with Jalapeno and bell peppers, enhanced in red wine

Guacamole – RM23.00

Comes from the Aztec translation of ‘Guac’ meaning avocado, and ‘Mole’ meaning sauce

Pico de gallo  – RM16.00

Classic Mexican salsa with chunky fresh tomatoes, onions, coriander and a dash of chili

My favourite out of the lot would definitely be the Chile Con Queso as it was cheesy and spicy at the same time. Feel free to order different sides to go with your tortilla chips especially if you go in a larger group. This one is a must order dish if you’re having happy hours at Fresca!

 

 

Now on to the mains.

 

Seafood Fajitas – RM48.00

Fajitas are a mainstay of traditional Mexican/ Tex-Mex cuisines, and the fajitas at Fresca are served with guacamole, pico de gallo and a special chipotle cream sauce

You get to choose your meat from a choice of chicken/ beef tenderloin / seafood / chicken & beef.

We opted for seafood which proved to be an inspired choice! Fresh juicy seafood served on a sizzling plate and smothered in cheese! This was definitely the best fajitas that I’ve ever had! The special chipotle cream sauce was great to go along with it, with tangy and spicy flavours that balances it out the richness of the cheese.

 

Carne Asada – Mexican steak platter – RM62.00

Grilled premium Australian tenderloin “a la Tampiquena” with onions, red rice, enchiladas verdes and refried beans. This popular style of preparing the steak plate dates back to Tampico 1939

The generous portion of beef is great for steak lovers like me! This by itself was enough to fill me up. Do ensure to tell your server the doneness that you prefer. I suggest medium rare if you want to enjoy a juicy and tender steak. What interested me about this dish was the selection of sides that came with it – definitely not the ordinary steamed veges and baked potato.

 

Churros with chocolate & cajeta – RM18.00

Now everyone I know loves churros but at Fresca you have the option of having your churros with Cajeta which is a goat’s milk caramel popular in Mexico. It has a slightly tangy flavour however rest assured that it’s supposed to taste like that and the milk hasn’t gone bad or something. It helps to balance our the sweetness and richness of the chocolate, enhancing your churros experience. A must order dessert here!

 

Apple Enchiladas – RM17.00

Warm apple pie filling rolled in flour tortilla served with homemade vanilla ice-cream

A Mexican variation of a beloved dessert. A nice and heartwarming end to the meal.

 

Fresca also has a very unique non-alcoholic drink called the Hibiscus Agua Frescas priced at RM9.20

It is a cranberry flavoured drink made from dried hibiscus flowers – rich in vitamin C and minerals

Agua Frecas (Fresh Water) is a very common street/ marketplace drink in Mexico. It is very refreshing, light and not overly sweet, making it a good accompaniment to spicy foods.

 

Classic Margarita served on the rocks (right) or frozen (left) – RM28 per glass, RM95 per pitcher

(also comes in a variety of flavours – mango, raspberry, pineapple, jalapeno)

Fresca also has beer of tap or bottled, sangria, cocktails and spirits and Happy Hours are from 4.00pm to 8.00pm on weekdays and all day on weekends. If you’re already at Avenue K at 5.00pm on a weekday, having worked down the road, I’d suggest you just head over to Fresca, call up a buddy or two that works nearby, order some drinks and botanas and watch everyone stuck in the jam trying to head home.

 

 

Overall I find Fresca a nice addition to the F&B dining scene in Kuala Lumpur. Certainly food that is not so mainstream coupled with a cosy ambience at night and a good view of the surroundings during the day. Suitable for more casual date nights with prices that won’t break the bank!

 

Fresca @ Avenue-K is located at:

G9 & G9A,Ground Floor,
Avenue K,
Jalan Ampang,
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours

Monday – Thursday: 11am – 11pm

Friday – Saturday: 11am – Late

Sunday: 11am – 11pm

Telephone: 603-2201-2893

Website: http://www.fresca.com.my/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frescabar

  

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