Tucked into a corner of the capacious The Exchange TRX in Kuala Lumpur is Amazonas. The eatery occupies a cosy little perch that is bolstered by prime views of the charcoal-fuelled grills strategically positioned right next to the entrance. The restaurant is the brainchild of Kai Zen Au, the managing director of the Kenny Hills Hospitality Group.
As the group has been primarily focused on expanding the Kenny Hills Bakers footprint, this foray into Latin American territory marks a departure from the norm. But Kai says the restaurant’s inception was the result of a series of serendipitous meetings, encounters and lucky coincidences. It began with trips abroad where he discovered South American food and realised it was an interesting concept that wasn’t widely available in Malaysia.
Then, when he was touring The Exchange TRX, he was alerted to an opportunity to lease a prized lot, directly opposite where the new Kenny Hills Bakers TRX is. One week later, one of his ex-pastry chefs told him about a chef who was exploring the possibility of a new opportunity. And that is when everything came together.
The eatery has a cheerful vibe accentuated by plenty of lush foliage. — Amazonas “We met up and started talking about food and ended up talking for two hours. I think personality-wise, we kind of gelled as well.
“He’s very passionate about South American food. I was like, ‘Hey, you know what? Actually there’s a space where we could do a South American restaurant. We n.
