Anchored by the elemental power of fire, Mandarin Grill at the Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur features Chef de Cuisine Sherine Lim’s gastronomy with a modern interpretations of traditional smokey grill flavours. mylifestylenews writes.
While enjoying the stunning views of the lush KLCC park, Mandarin Grill at the Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur is a hidden surprise in the heart of the city’s hustle and bustle.
Turning right into the dining room you are suddenly met with an airy voluminous space with plenty of windows offering views over the surrounding KLCC precinct. With high ceilings, the room gives you space to breathe and relax.
There are mirrored pillars reflecting on the part tiled floor and part carpet, a glass walled wine cellar at the entrance that separates the Mandarin Grill from the MO Bar and some potted foliage plants. We had no idea what to expect as the interior is incredibly elegant and is inspired by the foliage of the adjacent park. An elegant and striking juxtaposition of materials are used to create a sophisticated dining space with a foliage wall, contrasting a signature hanging wood leaf lighting against a feature brick tile and mosaic wall with a statement metal mirror artwork piece that is evidently more decorative than practical.
You get to dine on proper beautifully upholstered soft velvet aquamarine armchairs echoed in the ceiling’s carpeting and tables are kept well away from each other to give privacy and the luxury of space. The clothed tabletops are kept very simple for a blend of elegance and comfort to allow the food to speak for itself. Farina greeted us and seated us down in the middle of the main dining room with a proper manner.
Under the new culinary direction of Chef de Cusine, Sherine Lim who leverages charcoal-driven techniques such as Josper and Konro grill, the Singaporean Chef who trained at the legendary Joël Robuchon in Singapore enjoys playing around with modern European techniques with the energy of live-fire cooking philosophy by drawing out the depth and complexity in a cerebration of indigenous Malaysian ingredients and brought to the table with a modern interpretation of traditional grill flavours.
The menu has some classic creations that are done well with not a lot of fuss in presentation and the food arrived at our choices sooner than we expected. Proceedings kicked off with a home-made warm milk bun with artisanal osmanthus butter and elderflower dust together with smoked duck olive just to pique the taste buds and we found we had eaten the bread in no time as it was so delicious....ah, the simple things in life!
The menu has some classic creations that are done well with not a lot of fuss in presentation and the food arrived at our choices sooner than we expected. Proceedings kicked off with a home-made warm milk bun with artisanal osmanthus butter and elderflower dust together with smoked duck olive just to pique the taste buds and we found we had eaten the bread in no time as it was so delicious....ah, the simple things in life!
A taster of various morsels soon arrived that had our taste buds going into overdrive: scallop and cucumber tartlet, beef tartare and watermelon gazpacho. Needless to say that each was beautifully presented with flavours to be savoured.
<Heirloom Tomato>
This came in a well composed colourful presentation with such a fresh flavoured salad that was given a twist with the cardamon, apple sorbet and sharp sour plum vinaigrette dressing offerings the yin and yang kick to it of a simple refreshing salad well done.
<Sher Wagyu Black Label Sirloin> - Grain Fed 400 Days, 8-9 Marble Score
A delectable wagyu sirloin cooked medium-rare with a grainy texture that was quite flavoursome, served with charred scallion and corn salsa with puff grain on the side. The beef was not as tender as we expected but enjoyable nonetheless. The Josper grilled asparagus was nicely al dente harmonized with the creamy mashed potato and the puff grain which added a nice crunchy texture. The local pepper sauce was delicious while not incredibly strong or pungent, but just enough bite without being overpowering. Naturally, for such an eponymous restaurant wine aficionados are well catered for with an extensive wine list of premium wines to complete the dining experience. We opted for a bottle of 2019 Fox Creek Short Row McLaren Vale Shiraz from South Australia which was full bodied and just the right tannin balance with a rich blackberry and cherry notes on the palate, showing maturity with softened freshness of chocolate, licorice and spice.
<Soybean Glazed Red Snapper>
The red snapper was presented on a large silver rimmed show plate sat on a bed of fennel kalamata compote. The fish tasted a little bit tough as we had to use a little effort to slice rather than it falling apart at the touch of a knife. The tangy mojo verde was a fresh citrusy melange of flavours with chilli lime fish floss on the palate without being overtly strong and really complimented the fish.
<Black Forest>
The presentation had us guessing until we started to dive into this essentially a deconstructed black forest cake with a large slither of raspberry chocolate sat atop the raspberry sorbet below the not so silky chocolate cremieux, dark but not too moist sponge cake on a base of watery Chantilly cream. It was not a great dessert as it did not have that signature element from each ingredient without one distinctive voice and it was also too sweet for our liking.
The presentation had us guessing until we started to dive into this essentially a deconstructed black forest cake with a large slither of raspberry chocolate sat atop the raspberry sorbet below the not so silky chocolate cremieux, dark but not too moist sponge cake on a base of watery Chantilly cream. It was not a great dessert as it did not have that signature element from each ingredient without one distinctive voice and it was also too sweet for our liking.
The evening was quite enjoyable despite the two mains were not as outstanding as we anticipated, although the quality of the produce and the effort of the inventive culinary are crafted to delight our senses were not to be questioned.for a taste of gourmet flair. Service was exceptional, thanks to Farina’s attentiveness and the flow of the evening was nicely judged as we felt totally relaxed and soaked up the elegant ambience in the heart of bustling Kuala Lumpur.
Tried & Tested:
Location: 5/5
Design & Decor: 4.5/5
Food & Beverage: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Value For Money: 4/5
Experience: 4.5/5
Location: 5/5
Design & Decor: 4.5/5
Food & Beverage: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Value For Money: 4/5
Experience: 4.5/5
Mandarin Grill at Mandrarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur
Kuala lumpur City Centre,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +6 03 2330 8798
Reviews are based on actual day of visit and experience. mylifestylenews reserves the right of final decision in case of any disputes. All images are photographed by mylifestylenews team without any photoshop enhancement and are the property owned by mylifestylenews unless otherwise stated.
No comments:
Post a Comment