Max @ iHaus, Bukit Bintang

On my birthday this year, Hubby treated me to lunch at Max @ iHaus. I chose this restaurant after reading some good reviews online.

The restaurant was surprisingly easy to find, there were lots of banner/signs directing us to the restaurant. There were ample parking spaces, and by ample, I mean we had the whole parking lot to choose a space from as we were the only customers there that afternoon. Definitely no complains from me, as the service was immaculate.

Dining area

The choice was easy. We both chose the 5-course degustation menu, leaving the choice of food to the chef. All the dishes were chosen from the a la carte menu but we didn't know which was picked until it arrived... other than the main course, which we had to choose ourselves. We like the element of surprise that you get from degustation menus. With the Max degustation menu, a glass of Italian Prosecco is included.

Cherry blossom

While waiting for our food to arrive, we took the opportunity to wander around the restaurant, which featured some high end German interior furnitures and kitchen cabinets. The red sofa by the entrance is very comfortable. All the furniture here are for sale but they all come with a very expensive price tag. Nice to look out, nice to sit on, but luckily not considered sold when you sit on it!

We were served some fresh bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar before our food arrived.

Food service was prompt. First to be served was the Crisp Haloumi Cheese with roasted Beetroot, fresh lettuce and cherry tomatoes, toasted sunflower seeds, topped with some roasted green peppers and drizzled with a raspberry Vinaigrette. I already like the food presentation here! The food is delicious too, this dish is very fresh and a clever combination of flavours. (RM28)

Second to arrive was the Salad Nicoise, a specialty from the Cote D'Azur region of France, originating and named after the city of Nice. Two slices of lightly seared, almost rare tuna loin rested on a bed of fresh rocket leaves, steamed French beans, cherry tomatoes, pepper salsa, quail eggs, and Spanish White Anchovies. It is said that the "Perfect Salade niçoise should have the salty robustness of the French coast and should shout the loud flavours of the area, the sort of thing you tuck into with the sun in the your eyes and salt on your lips."The tuna definitely dominated the dish (in a good way!) and the slight saltiness of the anchovies went very well with the salad. (RM38)

Next, comes the Matelote of Codfish Fillet in Cabernet Jus with roasted shallots, field mushroom and topped with asparagus and taragon. The cod flesh was moist and flaky, and goes really well with the field mushrooms and asparagus (which still had a very nice crunch to it). (RM58)

For main, I chose the Shiraz Braised Wagyu Beef Cheeks, served with couscous, mushrooms, sauteed sugar snap peas and a red wine sauce. A spot-on choice, the beef cheeks was soft and flavoursome. Much better than the one I had at Third Floor Restaurant. (RM65)

Hubby chose the Greenland Halibut Fillet on a crab meat gratinee and brocollini. Although the a la carte menu indicates that this dish has saffron triangoli pasta, do not be surprised if you do not see any pasta. You are not going blind. There isn't any. We asked, and was informed that the pasta does not feature in the degustation menu version. Maybe the chef deemed it to be too "heavy" after we've just had 3 courses. Anyway, the fish was nicely cooked and the sauce was creamy and lovely. (RM65)

For me, the best dish of the day was the dessert, Chocolate Souffle served with coffee ice-cream, topped with a physalis and a fruit salad. I was delighted, as souffle is one of my favorite desserts and what are the chances that we would be served souffle today. So delicious, I savoured every last bit of the souffle and ice-cream.

This is definitely the best birthday lunch I've had since being back in Malaysia. Very relaxed setting. I can't wait to come back and dine here again.

Great for special ocassions! For more information and a location map, please visit the iHaus website. Or join their Facebook fan page for the latest promotions and events.

*Prices indicated are what you pay if you order that particular dish from the a la carte menu.


Service: Excellent!

Comfort: As we were the only customers, we were sat in a little cosy corner ("The Kitchen area"), which was very discreet. So I could take as many pictures of food as I liked without having people think I was mad! Free wifi available here, ask your waiter for the password.

Price: Degustation menu RM120+. If you do the maths, the degustation menu is well worth the money.

Food: I love pretty and tasty food, and this restaurant definitely hit all the right notes.

Location: Max @ iHaus, Lot No.32, Jalan Jati, Off Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel: 03-2142 9720

GPS coordinates: N 3.14642, E 101.71961