Thursday, September 12, 2019

Mandarin Grill at Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur: New Concept, New Chef, New Menu

Mandarin Grill, the signature restaurant in Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur recently underwent a month-long renovation and reopened with a refreshed interior and a brand new Italian grill concept.

Taking full advantage of the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking KLCC Park, the facelift showcases botanical elements in its interior, using light green and turquoise colours as an extension of the lush greenery, bringing the outdoors indoors. With a seating capacity of up to 76 guests, the opulent restaurant features a private dining room and a semi-private dining area that can accommodate up to 12 guests, making it an ideal venue for casual meals and special celebrations.




Helming the culinary team at Mandarin Grill is newly appointed Chef de Cuisine Luigi Stinga, who hails from Naples, Campania in Italy. His culinary journey features multiple roles at renowned Michelin-starred restaurants in Italy such as 1-Michelin star I Salotti and L’Accanto; 2-Michelin star Don Alfonso, Quattro Passi and Il Pellicano; and 3-Michelin star Piazzo Duomo. Prior to joining Mandarin Grill, Stinga worked in 2-Michelin star restaurant Seta in Mandarin Oriental, Milan where he was mentored by Antonio Guida; one of the most celebrated chefs in Italy.



Through his new menu, Stinga hopes to bring exceptional Italian cuisine with a modern approach to discerning guests in Kuala Lumpur. The menu includes some of his signature dishes such as Ravioli Di Baccalá (ravioli with dried salted cod fish, potatoes and oregano), Patate E Prosecco (potatoes with leek and caviar), Spaghetto All’ Astice (spaghetti with romanesco, Boston lobster and bottarga), Agnello E Peperoni (lamb with red pepper, polenta and lamb jus), as well as Tiramisù.

We had the pleasure of sampling the Degustation Menu (RM388, plus RM188 for wine pairing), which features some of Chef Stinga's best and favourite dishes. To start, our server brings us warm, crusty bread served with Ardoino extra virgin olive oil from Italy.

The Variazione di Funghi features six types of mushrooms, including porcini, shimeji, king oyster, oyster, trumpet and button mushrooms, prepared and served in numerous forms. I enjoyed the deep, earthy flavours of this dish, as well as the many different textures of mushrooms.




We both love a good risotto, and the Risotto alla Parmigiana was exactly that. Every spoonful was creamy and full of flavour, with al dente grains of rice and an intense eggplant tomato creme created out of Chef Stinga's love for the classic eggplant parmigiana.




My favourite dish of the afternoon was Chef Stinga's signature, the Ravioli di baccala. The handmade pasta pockets are filled with baccala (dried salted cod fish), and then topped with potato foam and breadcrumbs with parsley. Delicately delicious!




Meanwhile, Hubby loved the Pesce del giorno all'acqua pazza, aka fish of the day. Chef Stinga tells us that he tries to use locally sourced fish whenever possible and that afternoon, he served us a nice snapper fillet. The pan seared snapper is elevated with a beautiful sauce made from a simple combination of tomato, oil, capers and garlic. So yummeh!





For main course, Chef Stinga presents the Agnello e peperoni, lamb loin cooked sous vide for 20 minutes at 64°C and then seared to finish. The beautifully pink lamb was nice and tender and is served with red pepper stuffed with bulgur as well as creamy herb polenta and lamb jus.





And finally for dessert, we had the spectacular Variazione di cioccolato, which utilises two types of chocolate - Valrhona and single origin chocolate locally sourced from Pahang. This rich chocolate dessert is nicely balanced by the smooth vanilla sauce.  Absolutely exquisite!








For weekday lunch, a Set Lunch Menu is available for RM158 per person (3-courses) and RM178 per person (4-courses). The a la carte menu is available for both lunch and dinner, as well as a degustation menu at dinner.

For more information or reservations, please call +60 (3) 2330 8798 or email mokul-mogrillbar@mohg.com.


Mandarin Grill is open daily for lunch, 12pm to 2.30pm and dinner, 6.30pm to 10.30pm.

Pork-free.

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

Tel: 03-2330 8798


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2 comments:

  1. That's one handsome Italian!!! LOL!!! Food looks equally gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Please give me all the steak!!

    ReplyDelete

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