Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Exquisite food @ Mandarin Grill, Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur

Back in December last year, we went to Mandarin Grill to sample dishes from their new a la carte menu. With the arrival of the new chef, Reto Weber, the whole of the starters and mains section has been revamped with his signature dishes, except for the grill items which remain the same. Most of the food here are classic French dishes with a modern twist, and focusing on the use of fresh ingredients. Apparently, the menu will be revised again in the coming months to reflect the seasonal produce that are available. 

The most beautiful piece of cod fish we have eaten in 2011.. 

I have been here once for the MIGF review . In the evening, it is dimly lit, hence perfect for a romantic dinner with your loved one. During the day, natural light floods the restaurant thanks to the ceiling-to-floor windows with a view of KLCC park too... which makes it quite cosy and rather perfect for taking food photos. Surprisingly, the restaurant was very busy during lunch hours.. many people were enjoying the 3-course set lunch which costs approx. RM100++.






We were served two types of bread - sourdough bread and sour cream onion with black pepper bread with salted butter.

We started with a refreshing cured citrus salmon (RM56) with fennel salad and lime vinaigrette. The food presentation here is very impressive, possibly owing from the fact that the chef used to work in Michelin restaurants and other five-star restaurants before joining Mandarin Grill. I like that he uses a lot of edible herbs and garnishes to prettify the dish. I am a big fan of "beautiful AND delicious food."


Bright and delightful

On the menu, it states that the restaurant endeavours to "source local and sustainable ingredients whenever possible". An example would be the smoked duck carpaccio (RM54), whereby the duck is sourced from Seremban. It is served with a mustard honey mayo, plum chutney and brioche. The combination of the slightly salty duck carpaccio and sweet plum chutney worked very well.



The white tomato cream soup (RM28) definitely got us talking. When you think about tomato soup, you instantly think that it should be red, right? But this one's white...how does he do it? Well, the chef still uses the red tomato but he clarifies it to get the white juice and then add cream to the soup. The soup is tangy and rather refreshing, served with a zucchini ricotta tortellini.



For mains, we had the smoky pepper sauce glazed beef cheek (RM88), cooked sous vide. The beef was very tender, and was served with truffled mash potatoes and root vegetables. We also noticed that they had a pan fried foie gras dish for mains (RM160), which we have been told is a whopping 150g worth of foie. Ooo la la!



My absolute favourite dish of the afternoon was the steamed black cod fish (RM98). It looks very simple but it was very delicious. The fish was very fresh and the flesh came off in flakes, just how it should be. It was served with baby spinach and a spicy sweet corn sauce.


For dessert, we had the apple tart with vanilla ice-cream which was very good. Much better than the one at The Deli's, which I find to be too thin and sticky.

Rich cheesecake topped with strawberries


And if you order a steak here, you can choose your own Laguiole  steak knife... check out the fluorescent pink, orange, green and blue ones! Steaks here are priced between RM88 (grass fed Black Angus tenderloin) to RM185 (Master Kobe Grade 10, grain fed tenderloin).


Verdict: Beautifully presented food, which were all perfectly executed. All meat are Halal certified. 

Full set of photos available to view here. 

Pork-free.

Price: Starters start from RM28, up to RM85. Mains prices range from RM64 to RM160.

Location: Mandarin Grill, Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50088 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2380 8888

GPS Coordinates: 3.155514, 101.711555

16 comments:

  1. Hmmm.. have heard mixed reviews about this place.. Hence has taken me this long to get over there... maybe one day, soon;)

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    1. The food by this new chef is good. Very light tasting and he clearly respects the ingredients. The price is on the high side, so it's definitely one to come to when we want a treat.

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  2. This is one of my favourite places to eat. The service and ambience is so fine and I love the green garden views. The set lunch is a more affordable way to try out their offerings.

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    1. Yes, we're planning to go back soon to try their set lunch. :)

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  3. I think I am falling in love with the smoked duck carpaccio:D

    I agree that the apple tart at The Deli has turned quite miserable these days and its terribly inconsistent. Every visit results in a different looking and tasting apple tart:(

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    1. After the cod, my second favorite dish from this meal was the smoked duck carpaccio. Very pretty plus it tasted really food. :)

      Have given up on ordering the apple tart at The Deli. Usually we just have the strawberry meringue now.

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  4. That cod fish sure looks beautiful! :)

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  5. wished they had other options apart from beef. my parents don't do beef, unfortunately.

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    1. For mains, they actually have lobster ravioli (RM90), lemon risotto (RM64), butternut mascarpone pithivier (RM58), the cod fish u see above, butter poached salmon fillet (RM88) and pan fried foie gras (RM160).

      For grill offering, they also have lamb chop, whole grilled chicken and seafood (king prawn or Boston lobster).

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  6. The cod fish looks really delicious. I wonder where can I find the recipe for that? It would be great to surprise my wife with a dish of this kind!
    Regards!


    --------------------
    Short Break Scotland

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    1. I dont have a recipe for it unfortunately, but I am guessing you can find this on one of the celebrity chef's websites / BBC Food website.

      The cod fish should take 8-10 minutes to steam depending on the thickness of the fish. The sauce tastes like it's been made with stock, butter, sun dried tomatoes and corn.

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  7. one word: wow! the food are all beautiful!

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    1. Yes, the chef has very good food presentation skills! I was impressed.

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  8. OMG, 150 grams of foie gras?! i wonder what's the weight of a regular-sized slab of liver though. but wow, this means that each GRAM of foie gras costs more than one ringgit. i wonder what one gram of foie gras might look like, heh. and yes, you can bet i'd order the foie gras main here someday (i hope they don't take it off the menu anytime in the next several months)! :D

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    Replies
    1. The chef said it is quite a substantial serving of foie. I am guessing the usual foie is only 80g (I guess it depends on the restaurant). I think I would be in foie heaven if I ever ordered that!

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