Sage Restaurant, The Gardens (Visit #3)

The Unc is back in Malaysia for a short break! Having read so much about my favorite restaurant in KL, Sage, it was only a matter of time before I took him there.

The restaurant was relatively quiet in comparison to my previous few visits here. We were led to our table by the window where we made our menu choices and received our complimentary free drink. I have heard that Chef Daniel has taken over from Chef Takeshi at Sage and was looking forward to trying out his menu creations.

For starter, we both had the Panache of seafood with capers, olive and wasabi. I could definitely feel the Japanese influence in this beautiful starter which included a variety of seafood such as tuna, prawn, hamachi, mackarel and squid. I relished every bite of sashimi, dipped in a subtle wasabi sauce and accompanied by the slightly salty capers and olives. A very simple dish but cleverly put together to create a wonderful tasting and looking dish.

I knew I made an excellent choice as soon as my main course arrived, Grilled Tai Fish with Scallop and Mentaiko Roe. The sight of 3 juicy scallops was already enough to make this dish a winner. Biting into the juicy scallop, it confirmed my earlier thoughts; the scallops have been lightly seared so it was still juicy to the bite and really sweet. Tai, also known as sea bream, is considered a good luck fish in Japan as it rhymes with the word 'medetai' (auspicious). Mentaiko roe on the other hand is marinated roe of pollock. The fish, flaky and sweet, goes amazingly well with the spicy, flavourful mentaiko. Even the vegetables (sugar snap peas, kailan and green beans) were cooked beautifully, retaining its crunchiness and sweetness. Possibly the best main course I've had at Sage! It was so good I soaked up all the mentaiko sauce with bread.. yummmm.

Naturally the star dish gets to be in the spotlight twice!

The Unc had the Pate en croute of Quail with Foie Gras and Natural Jus. The quail has been made into a pate and baked in a crust. The foie gras is encased within the centre of the quail pate. As he cut though the light and flaky crust, he was rewarded with smooth, flavoursome pate of quail. The foie gras was the highlight of the dish, creamy and silky. Although he enjoyed his main very much, he admitted that mine was by far more superior after I kindly offered him some scallops!

To finish, we both had the White Chocolate Ice Souffle with Berries and Almond Tuile. I misread the menu initially, thinking I was ordering a souffle, then as I read the menu again, I realised it was ice souffle. However, we were not disappointed, as a gorgeous looking dessert appeared before us. The ice souffle was divine; extremely creamy and smooth in texture, resembling rich vanilla ice-cream. The almond tuile, light and crunchy was yummy with the ice souffle.

Verdict: Chef Daniel is one smart chef. His menu is cleverly conceived, simplistic yet delivering in flavour and aesthetically pleasing. A very worthy replacement for Chef Takeshi. He's also so friendly/polite, I don't know him personally, but everytime I looked in his direction and smiled, he would bow back in acknowledgment.

The Unc enjoyed his first experience in Sage tremendously! Now I need to convince Hubby to take me here for the degustation menu..


Service: Immaculate.

Price: RM100 for lunch menu. I was a little disappointed that I only get 10% discount now with my Gardens Club card :-(

Location: Sage Restaurant & Wine Bar, The Gardens Residences, Level 6, The Gardens, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur. (Tel:03-22681328)

Opening hours: Lunch:Monday to Friday 12.00pm to 2.00pm; Dinner:Monday to Saturday 6.00pm to 10.30pm. Closed on Sunday.