Soleil in DC Mall - excellent food, but is anyone home?

January 4th 2017

Aren't expectations a pain? Especially when you have a previous experience at a previous venue with previous people to compare with? I think it's best to preface this report on the new Soleil by bearing this context in mind when reading and assessing. It's always tough moving to a new gaffe and with pretty much a new team in situ. Read with caution. Yes. 

The new Soleil in DC Mall

We recently found ourselves having been set up for a dinner at the new Soleil. We knew that our old favourite would be opening in a spanking new Mall in what was being called Damansara City and had been wondering when we would get the chance to visit. It came sooner than expected in the form of a hastily rearranged IWFS Committee meeting equally hastily organised by President David to let Committee members try out the new Soleil with a view to having an event there for the members at some near future date.

Soleil entrance with the steel and glass wine cellar

Short version - overall, the food remains the quality it used to be, and if anything has improved in tongue titillation terms. Chef Evert has clearly been busy researching and has assembled a darned good team there in the kitchen. In contrast, the service appears to need large and quick attention and determine single chains of command in both food and wine service terms. There seemed to be a lot of staff on our night (perhaps stops had been pulled out in an effort to impress President David) so whilst food serving and clearing were generally swift I got a sense of an occasional lack in confidence and a bit "straight out of college" feel in the staff.  They just need a bit more time. And it was good to see that the ladies got their food first. The food prices look fair, though I did not get to see a wine list and couldn't find one on the website (which was still showing photos of the old PJ venue). I have been trying to check corkage policy and pricing and have been waiting for an email reply for seven days and counting - I went through the general email line. I then messaged through Facebook on Day Five of the Wait and got a response saying someone would reply to my email. Still waiting three days later. Hmmm.....   

Soleil Bar

At its previous venue in Section 17 PJ,  Soleil had been a default restaurant of choice pretty much since the time it had opened in 2013. Warm, quiet, with exquisite dishes and exceptional wine service, it was a destination when you needed that special place with that special person and could be confident of a superb evening. Lenglui and I have had many memorable evenings there with different friends and foodies. It was when we learned that the founding staff were moving on that slight misgivings started to rumble, and indeed in the later visits it felt that something quintessential was missing. Not that the staff were anything less than equally friendly and efficient, just that… well, Yuhei and Fendi were the heart and soul of the place and with them not there it wasn't quite… Soleil. So it goes, but we continued to patronise because Chef's Tomahawk Steak was the total business and the new staff were still some of the best in the city. Then mid 2016 we heard the Soleil was scheduled to move to the newly built DC Mall at the end of the year, which made us a bit sad - I think that despite all the corporate mantras that we all should joyfully embrace change, no one really likes it, especially when it is a favourite food place where (to steal a line from the song) everybody knew our name and were always glad we came. So we crammed in a few more Tomahawks with the Rubber Baron ahead of the move and supped our wonderful wines and hoped that the new Soleil would rise to shine as brightly as the old. Then we heard that some of the existing staff would not be joining the new place, which always give pause and raises the question "why?" Often it is transport issues - if it is a hard slog (which it is most times) to get in and out of town for work and parking for a new job compared to the existing job then people often prefer to find a new job closer to home. Maybe…  but the new is barely a mile up the road from the old, though the DC parking charges would probably make a dent in the gaji (ie wages - staff could probably get away with parking free around PJ). It had also felt that a slight hike in pricing had crept in to our later meals at the old Soleil. The Tomahawk had become a little less than competitive vis a vis other eateries offering this cut. The service aspect can often be put down to the transition and people's minds being in two places rather than just the one in which we were eating. The pricing could be the slow relentless decline of the Ringgit. It happens. Nevertheless, we were hopeful that not too much would be different in the new, and that the food and service be as good, the prices would not have gone up too much to pay the new rent, and that we would like it. Whatever, it was certainly a ballsy move by management to upgrade as they did so kudos for that. Got to hope that it all works out. 

Getting to the DC Mall entrance proved a bit roundabout. On driving there from KL, we had to do the round of the Damansara City - coming from Jalan Semantan (ie SPRINT) or Jalan Maarof, cars cannot seem turn into the Mall, though coming from PJ SPRINT seems okay (it may be that we can turn in from Semantan, but I didn't see much direction signage - will take another look next time we are in the area). Equally, the main entrance proved elusive in signage terms as did directions to the Car Park. We passed one entrance claiming Jockey Park which looked more office than Shopping Mall so we drove on. We stopped at a second entrance at which the Jockey Boys said this indeed was the entrance to the Mall and that Parking was somewhere "around the back, Encik". Okay…  Given Lenglui's continuing issues with stressing out her healing broken toes, we opted to Jockey and go up the escalator to the restaurant (Jockey was RM14 and they came to deliver the keys at the restaurant when they were closing - the car was parked right outside the escalator. Champion.) 

Table setting in Private Room One

Lenglui wandered off for some shop research and I went up the two escalators to Soleil. The new place takes up a whole corner of a floor, all shiny and open plan looking. There is an open island style bar along both the inside Restaurant and the Mall walkway and the entrance opens into a cafe style layout of chairs and tables that lead toward the kitchen. At the entrance is the Glass and Steel Prison that is the Wine Cellar, housing a lot of mostly high end Bordeaux lovelies (at least that was what was visible). High ceilings and towering steel and glass gave a modern Steampunk feel for me - bit of edge, bit of art, but ultimately lacking warmth. Perhaps there was too much space, though this was in early evening light and perhaps the dark would offer a less stark feel. 

Service Window into the Kitchen

Our meeting was in one of the private rooms at the back which would also be our dinner seating. Initial impression of the room was… "cool" in ambiance terms. A bit like modern office board room with panel boards parked together that opened or closed out depending on how many were wanting to seat together. Also, oddly dark in the growing gloomy daylight which was masked by a large artsy photo print of a crystal decanter pouring what looked like Gin or water and taking over the whole back wall. And at one far end was a mirror wall - not sure what the Feng Shui folks would have to say about that, though at least it wasn't facing the door like the twin infinity circular one in the other private room. Table and chairs also felt functional rather than grand, though they were comfortable enough. The lighting was soft, with bare-bulb-on-wire style light shades and low wattage halogens. Seems that the room for us fifteen could extend to the other private room and take a total forty, though my feeling was that it might not leave much room for the waiting staff to get around with the food, water and wines. Their initial squeezing through the doorway and around the chairs was already proving a bit tight. 

But it was functional, and there were wine glasses and water on the table, so I plugged in my old Sony laptop of 12 years service and we did our meeting business.

Looking along the table...

After the meeting, we vacated the room to let the staff work their table setting magic and repaired to the reception area to sip on some fizz and relax with the squeezes and friends who would be joining. President had negotiated a special price for the five course dinner with corkage waived - goodwill is a wonderful thing. I took a brief wander to find the bathroom (note - fewer restaurants in the newer malls seem to have their own toilets; all now require you to exit and wander off to where the general tandas is located, and Soleil DC is now added to this list). On the way back, there was a promising looking Indian cuisine restaurant downstairs so I detoured to grab a look at the menu and steal a card. Going back up the escalator, Soleil had gained a slight sense of less imposing Emerald Palace feel about it. I needed to rush as everyone had seated themselves and were waiting on me to help cheer the New Year. 

On getting seated, first thing to see was the absence of tablecloths and a fairly bare setting with cloth napkins and two sets of cutlery. In fairness, there was not a lot of space on the table for much else in the way of fighting irons. There was a side plate for bread and butter which was of the same magnificent standard as previous - warm, soft crunch with that good doughy miel - the omens were good. 

The Barramundi Ceviche

First out was the Ceviche which was excellent. The Tomato Salsa and the melting pineapple crystals made for a fabulous vinaigrette with the pepper and fish juice - almost like a fish and fruit sorbet. The coldness of the ice crystal lent a pleasing contrast to the room temperature fish as well as each providing a texture counterpoint to the other. Very nice way to start indeed.

Given that I had brought two bottles of the same wine Casa Yin How Spanish Albarinho, it was decided to start with that, so as to give everyone a glass of the same. Well, and okay, though this went against my guess that the wine would be a gangbusters match with the upcoming Octopus and Paella. But no point to be too precious over these things - everyone getting a first glass of the same made sense. I would set a glass aside for the Ocky. As it turned out, the Casa Yin How fared nicely with the Ceviche, with that slightly oily consistency in the Albarinho helping to offer a velvety ripe persimmon mouthfeel and a rich chewy finish.

The Octopus and Paella was well prepared and darn tasty, with that chewy rubbery tentacle texture giving good firm bite to the well tasty rice Paella. The addition of the peppery Chorizo spiced the thing nicely and the whole ensemble blended well for a good whack in the cheeks. Though I did feel that perhaps the portion could have been slightly larger to let the whack in the mouth get matched by a similar one in the belly. 

Someone had decided to pour out the Markowitz Pinot Noir brought by The Money to go with the dish which worked beautifully. There was enough cherry and acidity to tame the fats in the food which led to a great sense of complementarity between both. The Markowitz is a wonderful wine both on its own and with most forms of food - sweetish and cherries and understated power on the finish, I have drunk this on many occasions with delight. Not sure how many The Money has left in her cellar - have to see if she is up to flogging some off. 

Incidentally, my glass of Casa Yin How was indeed magnificent with the Ocky Paella. I have found that to drink the Albarinho alone is not altogether good - it is not at its best as an aperitif or a nightcap. But with food the boy does come beautifully into focus. Its slight industrial whack got diluted by the Chorizo fats and the wine's natural acidity lifted the edge off the somewhat dry-ish oily texture of the rice (regret no photo). Good match, this one. 

The Baby Emperor

Next out was the Baby Emperor. This was one where all the various elements came together to make for a wonderful salty mouthful of tastes and textures which hit most of the buttons and bases - salt, sweet, umami, and a wonderful crispy soy sear on the fish - so, so good. For me, the genius was matching the Apple with the Shallot - we had the sourish apple against the oily sweet onion to give a weird and wonderful sweetly sour undercoat and overcoat to everything. At the same time the textures matched brilliantly. Wicked good. There was a Chablis doing the rounds to pair with it, though I can't remember if any made its way to my glass. I was very happy to see off the remains of the Marko. 

The veal came out to great fanfare, though for me it did not sadly match this entrance. Looking very good on the plate, I found it a bit chewy and somewhat of a mouthful to bite through. it tasted very good, but it seemed to be a bit of a fight to chew it. Everything else was on point - great Jus, excellent artichoke and croquettes - but for me it just felt a bit more beef than veal. But bear in mind I am not a great fan of veal, and there were no complaints from the table. There was also a bit too much of it on the plate (Ed: Whaaaat?? You complain earlier of not enough, now is too much? Aiyoooooo….) and much of mine went back to the kitchen. Too much work to eat this puppy cow. 

Doc Su and Allie Tan with the Gin pouring in the background

The Kiwi shared a bit of his specially prepared Duck. It was done well, tender and excellent quality meat. Worth to try on a return visit (also no photo - we will have to go back. David, are you reading this?).

The wines were coming out at various times and in such various orders that I think most people had decided to just go with what they preferred. A Hugel 2013 Gewurtz was doing the rounds so I opted for it. Classic Gewurtz, lovely sweet and spice and Turkish mouth. Wonderfully easy swig, this one. I have a memory of the Kiwi opening a secret Red which would turn out to come from Georgia. Impressively structured, rich in deep fruit, drinking like a well made North Italian with excellent length and full on finish. 

Dessert was…   my note says "odd". It was a very good mix of tastes and textures, and way less sweet than I expected from the visual. It was good but…  somehow not quite "dessert". Maybe it was Chef's challenge to the expectations of sweetness by the general foodie. Certainly worked from that perspective if so. I didn't eat it all. 

The very not sweet Dessert

We would finish off with a Sauternes which would prove delightful. Clean and sweet, crunchy and crisp, not too bold but with lively and lovely chewy dancing in the cheeks and on the tongue. One of those where all the elements balanced nicely and made for a charming end to the evening. 

Service was a bit….  not the standard I have come to expect from Soleil. Odd little lapses which seemed to suggest that the waiting staff have not quite been trained up enough and as a result are not yet quite as refined as previous. Either this and/or they were confused by the presence of a General Manager helping on the floor and wondering whose orders they should follow - their Boss, his Boss, or someone else stalking around who looked like they might be another Boss. There was one occasion where one waiter was laying our cutlery and two minutes later another was coming round taking it off. This was then followed by a third coming back to lay it out again. And all three pretty much doing this particular round all at the same time. Felt a bit blur, though as said it is well early days and the new staff need time to embed and gain confidence in both themselves and their new surroundings and compadres. Nothing that clear lines of communication and command can sort out. In contrast, the wine service was not bad. President David had determined a wine theme of "Old World" and the wines brought were in the end quite broad and challenging given the food. Our Sommelier had been given some initial direction as to what wines to pour and when, but when the sequence seemed to evaporate, he was sussed enough to bring everything and ask which of the available wines we preferred with the dish before us. Some lovely wines on show, though I didn't get much in the way of photos thereof. Hope the Kiwi did. 

Doc Stephen and Doc Su Kim. You sit opposite me, you get a photo in the blog. Yes.

Would I go back? Not immediately, though probably soon enough. Whilst Chef Evert is clearly still on form, the floor staff need to settle in and proper lines of reporting need to be nailed down. There is also a warmth and a soul that have yet to get established at the new venue. I got a sense of professional friendliness seeping in rather than the efficient warmth that was Soleil in the heydey of Fendi and Yuhei. 

Also (as said) the ambience needs adjusting for me - bit too open and bright and shiny with all the glass and steel and lacking a warmth in which to relax and chill. And feeling a bit more cafe than restaurant Maybe I'm getting old and this bar and cafe style is what the young folks want or is what is felt necessary to compete with the other eateries in the Mall. Fair enough. But then it will be a different Soleil and I will need to adjust and be romanced sufficiently to embrace it as a continuing favoured destination rather than the present fond memory of how it used to be. 

But it is the lack of communication with me that I find a bit troubling. Feels like the lights are on but it doesn't seem like there is anyone home. This is a Serious Fail. Come on, guys - Communication is KEY. You surely got to respond to us punters, yes? If you can't respond, then just SAY you can't and say that you will when you can. But silence? And no follow up? Aiyo...... 

It seems Soleil does a Chef Table degustation which Lenglui is keen to try at some time. Though her getting stiffed for RM50 for a glass of pre-prandial house white will need a darn good reason to go there. Might have to go teetotal. Alamak…

Even more alamak - Lenglui advises that she heard anecdotally that corkage is apparently now RM120 per bottle. This naturally assumes that she heard right (and I have only ever known Lenglui to hear wrong on a rare occasion). Seems also that wines can be bought at Soleil but if consumed at the Restaurant then the RM120 also gets added. Which feels a bit ouch. Actually, it feels a LOT ouch. Will DEFINITELY be teetotal if this be the case. Will let everyone know when Soleil confirms. 

NB Soleil has now confirmed, corkage for BYO is RM100 not RM120 - buy at the restaurant, the premium effectively becomes RM85 - see next posting.

PS - Also hearing a whisper that Cilantro has increased their corkage. Possibly a trend is forming - squeeze the wealthy for wanting to enjoy their luxury booze at a restaurant. Not for long, boys, not for long - my money is on chefs doing more pop ups at people's houses. Rent the chef rather than pay for the restaurant and sup your own booze with friends whilst chef prepares the delights and the maid serves. Or rent the restaurant and bring your own food, chef and booze. Watch this space.

The second Private Dining Room. With Infinity Mirror.
Facing the door. Good Feng Shui? Hmmmmm.... 

Soleil Restaurant

DC Mall Plaza DC, 

Lot 7 & 8, 

Jalan Damanlela, 

Damansara Town Centre, 

50490 Damansara City, 

Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Hours - Weekday 10am to 10.30pm, Weekend 9am to 10.30pm

Telephone +603 2011 8261; +6012 612 5989

email enquiries@soleil.my

www.soleil.my

MENU

BARAMUNDI CEVICHE

Pequillo Pepper, Tomato Salsa, Coconut, Pineapple Crystals

GRILLED FREMANTLE OCTOPUS

Paella, Turkey Chorizo, Black Garlic Aioli

SLOW COOKED BABY EMPEROR

Baked Apple, Shallot Jus, Sake Cream, Fennel Chlorophyll

VEAL TENDERLOIN

Jerusalem Artichoke, Sweet Corn Croquettes, Foie Gras

ESPRESSO MOUSSE

Caramel Cremeux, Tonka Ice Cream, Dark Chocolate

IWFS Lafite - Cuisine Haut, Service Naut…

Lafite entrance

June 25th 2015 Kuala Lumpur

For the first event of the new IWFS Year, President David wanted to start with a grand bang and pick a venue that would set a tone of IWFS members enjoying eating and drinking well and being merry together. So it was that Lafite got selected to host the dinner. He had challenged Chef de Cuisine Jean-Philippe Guiard to prepare a menu with "memories of Escoffier" and had also asked Maitre D' and Sommelier Benjamin Pons to choose the wines from our IWFS Cellar to pair. Response to the members' notice was swift and enthusiastic, and following some discussion it was decided to increase numbers to absorb the waiting list of members keen to attend. In the end, 59 members confirmed.

Orchids are pretty...

I am always a bit antipathetic to the Shangri-La and its outlets. Elsewhere I have commented on what I have seen as a decline in the service it offers. At one time, Lafite service used to be World Class but not so over the last few years (though I recognise my understanding of service has increased in the past few years given some Michelin experiences - see other posts). A recent visit showed some promise in reviving the halcyon days of superior service and it was hoped that in this outing this renaissance would be seen to have continued. It has to be said that the Lafite oozes class - the ambience is swish corporate though romantic enough for proposals. Most would give their eye teeth to be privileged enough to have just one evening there - the fact that I have had many is not lost on me, though I do feel that one should receive fair value for the expenditure involved. It costs a lot and an assessment of whether the experience is worth it needs to be made. 

Barry Shaw and Edna Tan

Driving into town at 7pm proved quite seamless for a Puasa evening and we got into Lafite on the 7.30pm dot. There is a timeslot which, if you catch it right, you can ride a gap in the traffic right into town. Puasa means that the Muslim population are looking for somewhere to break the day's fast, and would all be in the hotels or at the stalls by 7pm and sat down ahead of the sunset ready to buka. So. Though finding a parking space took almost as long as the drive in - all floors were full as was the spillover into the neighbouring UBN Tower. We got lucky - someone seemed to be having trouble parking and while we waited for him to get it right he left. Zipped in before friend behind could zip in and steal it. I'm a great believer in that we should look for the best in people, but car parks always show our true nature, n'est-ce pas? 

Chris Chew and Sanjeev

Everyone was crowded into the small reception bar and quaffing the zippy Duval-Leroy Rose and making lots of noise. It was a bit cramped though no-one seemed to mind too much and were happy clinking glasses and enjoying the jostling. The downside was that refills from staff proved impossible since they could not get through the crowd. This is where rugby training comes in and one can bob and weave ones way through the scrum to the man with the bottle. The Rose felt a bit sharp and in need of a canape to soften its edge, but it soon got replaced with a Pol Roger which was belter - cold crisp bubbles popping in the mouth and with a delightful throat ripping, thirst slaking finish. Just the thing for a sore throat and a perfect way to break the thirst.

Li Dong and Pitt Lee

Everyone got the call to seat and moved into the dining room. The tables had been set Chinese style round rather than Western style long which made for a more visible seating arrangement. Though occasionally one is not really able to engage with friends across the other side of the table. So it goes. The restaurant had basically been given over to IWFS for the night which made for nice space between tables and ensuing sense of distance. The Lafite ambience is refined, with small halogen spots dimly lighting on main areas - these proved a bit warm when shining on the bejacketed men and those with ties must have been a bit heated. But a quick turn up of the aircon always can solve a temperature issue. 

Lafite Restaurant

Brief speech from President David before breaking the bread on the table and the Foie Gras was out. Bread was very good and necessary to soak up the bubbles and make way for the entree. The 2010 Rieussec was poured and I could hear the Kiwi somewhere screaming "infanticide" but it was the only Sauteurnes we had in the cellar so out it had to come on suggestion of Sommelier Ben. And quite right too - Sauteurnes and FG is the perfect pairing of crunchy sweet wine with mushy gunky throat coating Foie Gras. 

The Rieussec was full peach and apple syrup infused with enough alcohol to render the whole with a crispy drinkability on its own.  

The Foie Gras

The Foie Gras was lovely - that sweet intestinal smooth pate feel inside the cheeks with the red wine jelly giving a gelatin undercurrent. The Brioche was a bit on the fluffy side but firm enough to underpin the whole - I generally prefer my carbo a bit crisper. Balsamic reduction was two dots on the plate which was not really enough to do anything. The combo was nice enough, a sweet gooey chew all slippy and sloppy and coating the roof of the mouth and giving that oily pasted feel across the tongue and cheeks. The perfect foil for the cleansing quality of the darling Rieussec to come in and scrape everything clean and clear. Must be how the drains feel after a good swoosh with the Clorox and Dettol. 

Creamy Oyster and Haddock Soup

Decks got swiftly cleared and on came the white, a Sauvignon from old faithful Alois Lagerder. We've been quaffing wines from this winemaker across a good couple of years with the IWFS. They often surprise wonderfully on the upside and tonight they kept that record brilliantly intact. Initially a bit acidic on the throat, it showed its chops as a superb food wine when paired with the soup. Traditionally, no wine pairs well with soup, but the Lagerder did a sterling job, giving good fruit and dry stone minerality to counter the cream and puree. Clean and clear as a razor, it felt like drinking spring water from a flint stream - light, even texture and leaving a feeling of somehow being cleansed, as if the throat had just got baptised. Very good comments on the Sauvignon from the table and praised as a very good find, though it did need the food. 

The soup itself was a lovely creamy slurp leading to a textured creamy kiss on the inside of the cheeks. The little dab of pepper was a good suggestion and brought the cream to life. Vegetables not overcooked, lending a firm crunch to the cream. Supposedly a poached oyster somewhere in the mix, I don't remember swallowing one. I might omit the haddock next time, it gave a somewhat chewy feel to the soup. Or perhaps that was the oyster.

Rack of Veal

The rack of veal had come from the kitchen for a showing to the diners before being carted back for cutting. It came out soon after, though it would prove a good five minute wait for the fish to make the same journey to the table. We waited politely for four of these minutes and got instructed by the fish eaters to begin. The veal itself was pretty good - well cooked and good tender meat, not unlike the Charolais Beef we have eaten in Beaune but way more tender. And pretty tasteless, actually - not a lot of anything in the mouth from the meat. But then arguably that is the point - the meat is the tasteless texture around which all other tastes and flavours orbit to let them shine. And in this sense the veal was a success - the tastes were magnificent. The mashed potato was a bit reminiscent of Robuchon in Monte Carlo - creamy dreamy and luscious with the red wine gravy (claimed to be Morel sauce - whatever, it tasted like wine reduction). Very good rich French cuisine here. Though the asparagus was cooked to the point of limp. Which prompted some table comments about liking it firm and the associations this had with other things of length and degrees of firmness. I had no idea what they were talking about.

Veal with Asparagus

For whatever was the main of choice, both the Marsannay and Lynch Bages were poured so that each member got the paired wine and a glass of the other. Suggestion from Sommelier was to save some of either for the dessert. Hmmm. The Marsannay is an old friend from Pork Luck Club dinners with Dave Chan so we knew what to expect. Indeed, it was fine and frisky, though on this showing a bit fierce in the mouth - kind of like a black cherry with a curry puff bite on the cheek. Medium texture, lovely mouthfeel, good grippy finish. In contrast, the Lynch Bages was a bit disappointing - bit thin and light in the mouth, traditional Pauillac bramble and blackcurrrant terroir nose, nice tannins but a hint of tart on the finish. Not much fruit to make it really pleasant to drink nor I feel to sustain it through the years. Somewhat austere, though still approachable, but not an immediately friendly wine. Dare I say, perhaps a bit ordinary - neither lean, nor full, nor…   anything.  It was a good enough match with the food, though nothing to loudly shout about - the reduction tamed whatever tannin was there and made the wine slightly more drinkable. But slightly more ordinary at the same time. Not something I would pay a large sum to drink again. But then that's why we try them now, to see if there's anything worth raving about. Not today. Sorry. Didn't get this one at all. For the first time at an IWFS dinner I left wine in the glass. Couldn't drink it.

When the fish did finally make it to the tables, there was a silence as diners took in the visual display. The poor thing looked like it had been hacked with the cleaver and just plopped on the plate. It did not look classy. It was also apparently a bit cold.  I wonder whether the kitchen was under pressure to get the food out and perhaps the finesse got pushed to the margin as a result. 

The Turbot. Yes.

And there was a lot of noise at the fact that the Turbot had not been deboned - it was sat there, all bones visible, looking kind of like a rack of fish ribs. The fish was tasty after Lenglui asked for and got some salt and pepper. Chunky flakes which rolled off the bone and sweet chew and bite. Though the bones got to her and she could not continue with it. I finished it off and was indeed soon spitting out bones like I was at the Overseas with a Soon Hock Yee. It was hard, messy work to eat and I think this was what members were railing at. Some suggested it might have been better had the fish been filleted and simply seasoned with salt and seared. Well, and perhaps, but Chef had his reasons for this style and maybe should be judged on those rather than what a personal preference might indicate. I wonder if the real point is that bone spitting is acceptable at a Chinese restaurant but not so at the Lafite. Which seems a very fair point - we'll happily bone spit in many places; however one cannot be seen to be so doing at the Lafite, n'est-ce pas? But the fish I finished off was beautifully cooked. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Don't remember much about the side bits. 

Pairing with the Marsannay made sense, though the Turbot rocked with the remains of the white. The Marsannay got slightly flattened by the fish, though not so much that it died in the mouth. The dark cherry gave a cute pop to the fish which was firm enough to stand up to it. Fair match. Can't remember if I sipped the Lynch Bages with the Turbot. Probably. No notes. 

Dessert

Dessert was a Praline, Chocolate and Cherry Revised Black Forest. With some lovely milky ice cream. Not entirely sure what the name of the dish meant. Someone suggested deconstructed Black Forest, though perhaps unconstructed might have closer. Chef had a range of makings on the plate leaving diners to dip in or mash the lot together and consume the resulting goo ensemble. It was nicely not sweet and the ice cream was lovely, but really needed some carbo - in this, there was a bit of some crepe pancake-like thing on the plate which had that rubber taste and texture of day old roti canai. All was needed was a crisp light wafer which would have brought it all together. Notwithstanding the suggestion to keep some of the red wine with the dessert, it didn't work for me - praline and chocolate killed it off. Perhaps he was referring to keeping the Sauteurnes, but even here it would have died - whiskey can pair with chocolate, and coffee would also have done the trick but rarely will a sticky sweet Dessert wine pair well with chocolate and ice cream. Incidentally, coffee was not included in the dinner, though on leaving I did see a couple of cups on tables - which left me to wonder who would be paying for them?

So….  overall I felt Chef did very well… except for the fish. Kitchen did quite well… except for the fish. There seemed to be a major delay with the fish coming out to the tables. Staff did pretty well with the food serving and clearing. The wine service felt pretty poor, both in amounts and attitudes. Someone commented that the wine pouring felt a bit thin - though I think the wine wasn't getting to the other tables and the waiters were getting waylaid by the sweet talking chuggers and getting refills. Indeed, one sweet talker on our table who was joking in Bahasa with the wine waiter got a major refill when his two glasses were still more than half full and the wine waiter walked away leaving other glasses on the table empty. Not good. In fact, quite bad and nowhere near the standard one would expect of a restaurant of Lafite standing. 

Bachan Singh, Brian, and Jag Singh

But this is the old problem - train them up and they leave for better pay elsewhere; don't train them and give your customers the raw end of the service stick. There is a clear need for some serious training or supervision to be given to the wine waiters here on getting wine out to the far tables and not just letting themselves get bullied by the sweet talking chuggers. Either that or closer supervision by IWFS WIne people, but then you can't enjoy the dinner. Not sure how to handle this one...

Jan and Barry Shaw

So…  my hoped-for renaissance in the service at the Lafite does not seem to have taken place. As said, the restaurant still exudes great ambience and class, though for me some of the Wine Waiting staff fell down a bit on the night. One or two felt - unrefined. And possibly over-friendly. And very young, all of them. Part of me suspects that the experienced staff had once again been seconded to the Ballroom where a major function was taking place. And thoughts flew back to June 2013 and a disastrous IWFS dinner in the Sarawak room for 80 members from across the globe with an Annual Dinner going on in the main ballroom. On the business level, this is great for the Shangri-La; on my level I always seem to end up feeling disappointed. 

Do I expect too much? I think that when paying RM350 for food I have a reasonable expectation of an evening of professional level service with food at the standard of a fine dining establishment. Service wise, I didn't feel I got it - again. I got better service at a Chinese shopping mall restaurant for one quarter of what was paid for the Shang (see the recent post on the Grand Imperial). I recognise that my service expecations have increased as a result of my exposure to some excellent service at restaurants around the world. But seriously, if Lafite is still claiming to be KL's best in service terms, it is way, way behind Sage and Cilantro and Soleil. Be interesting to see how they match up to regional neighbours in Hong Kong, Singapore and (from what I am hearing) Bangkok. Perhaps the simple truth is that they think they can handle numbers when in fact they can't. Would probably be a different experience for a quiet dinner with an unstressed kitchen. 

On this showing, I would prefer not go back though I expect I will have to at some future occasion. I'd rather save the money and spend it in Paris. Or Singapore. Or Hong Kong. Seems also the hotel is now completely pork free, even the Shang Palace. So it goes. At least the parking after 7pm now seems standard, though a RM12 whack still compares to RM3 in the Wisma Lim Foo Yong around the corner and up the road. Someone could probably could do a good valet park business at the Shang by driving and parking at the LFY. Wouldn't be surprised if someone already is…  Malaysia boleh!!

The Menu

Chef Jean-Philippe

Aperitif

Duval-Leroy Rose de Saignee Brut NV

***

Duck Liver Terrine and Red Wine Jelly, Warm Homemade Brioche and Balsamic Reduction 

La Terrine de Foie Gras et Gelée de Vin Rouge, Brioche Tiède et Réduction de Balsamique 

Château Rieussec, 2010, Sauternes, France 

*** 

Creamy Oyster and Haddock Soup, Poached Oyster and Spring Vegetables 

La Crème d’Huître et Haddock, Huître Pochée et Légumes Primeurs 

Domaine Alois Lageder Sauvignon 2011

*** 

Roasted Rack of Veal, White Asparagus, Light Potato Cream and Morel Sauce 

Le Carré de Veau Rôti, Asperges Blanches, Crème de Pomme de Terre et Sauce Morille 

Château Lynch-Bages, 2008, Pauillac, France 

Or 

Roasted Turbot, Braised Onion Puree, Onion Leaves, Porcini, Red Wine and Beef Jus, Poached White Asparagus 

Le Tronçon de Turbot Poêlé, Soubise d’Oignons Braisés, Feuilles d’Oignon, Cèpes, Asperge Blanche Pochée et Sauce Vin Rouge 

Domaine Charles Audoin Marsannay La Charme aux Pretres, 2011, Burgundy, France 

*** 

Praliné, Chocolate and Cherry Revised Black Forest 

La Forêt Noire au Praliné, Chocolat et Cerise

The wines

The Wines

Duval-Leroy Rose de Saignee Brut NV

Fruit driven crisp clean and refreshing, aromas of strawberry and cherry, concentrated and with seething and scintillating bubbles that lead to a racing finish.

Château Rieussec, 2010, Sauternes, France 

A classic combination, Foie Gras and Sweet wine, which has a good complimentarity. Still in its infancy, those who recall it from our President’s dinner will relish making its re-acquaintance with its natural food pairing.

Alois Lagerder, 2011, Sauvignon, France 

Four years in bottle should have nicely mellowed this Sauvignon from the Alto Adige region near the border with Italy. Should pair well with the complex combination of Oyster and Smoked Haddock and provide some mouth texture relief after the Sauteurnes.

Château Lynch-Bages, 2008, Pauillac, France 

As with the 2009, not an easy year for Bordeaux. Notwithstanding, this classic Bordeaux from the Pauillac region should be a very good combination with the delicate Veal and the Morel sauce. 

Domaine Charles Audoin Marsannay La Charme aux Pretres, 2011, Burgundy, France 

Ben suggests to slightly chill this “charming” Cote de Nuits Pinot Noir so as to bring a light freshness to this meaty fish. D’accord!!

Thanks to Jan Shaw for most of the photographs in this post.

YOU'RE THE TOP! Marini's On 57

Amazing view of the Twin Towers from Marini's

Lenglui and I always look forward to the Amante della Cucina Italiana dinners. This informal group of foodies focus on Italian cuisine in Kuala Lumpur and the evenings generally get quite rowdy and laughter filled. They look to fix dinners at KL's Italian Restaurants for members and generally succeed extremely well. 

We had been itching to try Marini's on 57 for almost a year but for some reason the timings weren't quite right. Lenglui had found that Chef Federico Michieletto (whom we had first encountered during his time at Pietro Restaurant) was head chef. So it was with delight that we received the email saying that the next Amante dinner would be hosted there July 9th. Naturally, we signed up pretty quickly. 

Named after owner and operator Marini Modesto who built his name in KL on a chain of tasty pizza restaurants, it is located on the 57th floor of the third Petronas Tower at KLCC. Unless you know how to get there, the entrance is a bit hidden. The store staff at the Suria all know where it is though, and you basically pass Chanel on your right and head for the corner to the left. There you will see curtains and a smiling bouncer type gentleman who escorts you to the elevator. In less than twenty seconds you are whisked to the 57th floor where Marini's is located. 

Marini's on 57 interior

Half of our Amante group were already seated and we welcomed Datuk and Datin back from seven weeks overseas travelling. A welcome and unexpected glass of Prosecco greeted us, which was found to be slighly unbalanced on the wrong side of sweet but pleasant nonetheless. We had brought our Italian house red Le Volte 2010 Chianti and a spicy Sicilian Barrua 2005 for the occasion. Normal corkage at Marini is RM100 per bottle but organiser Jing had used her massive charm to persuade the management to give us free corkage on the second bottle. Which meant we simply HAD to open it. Yes. Now I understand why buy one free one is so powerful a marketing tool. 

The restaurant itself is long and felt a bit dark, but on reflection necessarily so since too much light would take away from the incredible view we get of the north side of KL City. As we arrived the sun was in the final stages of setting and we sat down to the gloaming dusk to watch the night come to life. This is the premium that you pay to dine at Marini's. And for me it is worth most of the extra ringgit one pays for the privilege. I have been blessed to have sat in a few rooftop restaurants around the world and watched the sun set on those various cities with a glass of something. But when it's your own (or at least the one that has adopted you) there's more of a connection. It becomes personal; this is your town that you're seeing, and it's one heck of a town. Or at least it is when there's no haze or rain, as was the case on our visit. Couple that with no nose bleed or altitude ear pop sickness from our rapid ascent into the heavens and things were looking good.

Amante della Cucina Italiana

All duly arrived and photos were taken and Chef Federico came out to say hello and introduce the starters. Chef continues to be a fantastic supporter of our Amanti della Cucina Italiana group and a cursory look at the menu he had prepared for us showed he was yet again pulling out the stops. As said, we first experienced Chef at his preivous gig at Pietro's through the Amanti and were most impressed with his clean and refined home style of cooking yet with clear leanings toward the fine end of dining. Hopefully Marini's would clearly give him the licence and resources needed to take this to the next level. 

Our menu had been colour printed on frosted paper in the black and red master colours of the Marini's restaurant, nicely complementing the uniforms of all the staff. On reflection, perhaps this colour scheme was a shade too bold, but it melted into the dark ambiance of the restaurant and became a backdrop rather than an influence. 

The service was very good throughout the night. Only faults would be a dropped fork at the start and a slight mix up on the cutlery placing (out to in, I was wondering why I had a spoon to eat the Lobster when I figured it was for the following Pappardelle) but no one else seemed to notice or bother too much so I guess best to just let it pass. 

Ricotta, Zucchini e Vin cotto

The Ricotta was very good - nice and light creamy crumbly with the zucchini lending an acetic quality, I guess from being quickly sauteed in some balsamic reduction. Champion with a chunk of bread.

Goose, Duck Salami with Shallot 

The salami was brilliant, especially the goose - more delicate in taste and texture than its traditional porcine brother, it retained that unmistakeable salami combo of cured meat and fat that we in the West have loved since childhood. The pickled Shallots lent a nice onion crunch and zip and the pan toasted sweet brioche was genius, giving a sweet carbo undercurrent to the meat. Wonderfully filling, this is a perfect option for those in this nation who are not able to take the pork. Could happily have ate this all night, but then I am a salami monster - one of the most perfect foods on the planet. Whilst it went well with our Chianti, it would have been a good match with a nice glass of something bubbly to clean the fatty salt gunk from the tongue and throat. Bread and water had to do and well it did. Most of the plates got cleared, though I reluctantly felt a need to leave a few slices. There was a lot of food yet to come. 

And come it did and what a belter the Blue lobster and Burrata with Cream Form proved to be. Sweet crisp and crunchily good lobster blended masterfully with the creamy burrata, with the rind offering a slightly different texture to contrast the flesh. The sweet chew on the meat was delightfully endless, whilst a splash of olive oil on the plate lent a necessary and welcome cut to the cheese. Given its colour, I'm guessing that Chef added some pureed lobster to the Cream Form, so the colours on the plate had a harmony. The cream form was magnificent, giving the lobster and cheese that milky bite to bring the burrata to perfect texture and taste. Contender for dish of the night. 

Blue lobster and Burrata with Cream Form

Well, it was until the Pappardelle ai Piccione made its way to the table. It must be said that pigeon is not something that has loomed large in my gastronomic adventures. When it makes an appearance on a plate, my standard reaction is "why?" I've never got what pigeon is supposed to be about. Texturally snuzz, bland tasting and rarely much of it - well, it is a small bird, yes? Now thanks to Chef Federico, I think I understand it somewhat better. Tonight's pigeon felt as if it had been treated as a game bird and hung for a while to give it that hint of what can only be called "gamey". It's like fermented eggs and aged cheese - the hanging gives the meat an element of taste that makes it less of a bland experience. Which was what I got from this bird - a light taste that was not oppressive in the mouth and showing great balance. Presenting it Ragout style with simple mushroom gravy style sauce lightly seasoned let the gamey element come through beautifully. Close your eyes and you were transported to a countryside farm in the Veneto. Paired with a freshly made long flat papardelle pasta, this was a real authentic taste of Italian soul food at its best - filling, tasty and satisfying. I think there was a bit of Chef Federico's own soul in this one. I cleared the plate and sopped up the sauce with the bread remains. Perfecto and so, so good. 

Pigeon ragut, Papardelle and Barolo Wine

Our 2010 Le Volte had gone very nicely with the food to date - solid and workmanlike, smoother tannins than previous bottles but still bold and tasty with good fruit, pepper and spice. But in order to take advantage of the corkage deal we had to crack the 2005 Barrua. How could we not? Actually, if thought had been given, we could have shared corkage with others on the table who had also brought wines and saved the bottle. But we were not thinking clearly. Wine and great food will do that to you. As it was, the Barrua had a lovely balance of fruit, tannin, alcohol and acidity. Dried fruits on the nose with prunes and raisins, and a plum jammy sweet mouth with a clean lingering finish. We passed a glass to Chef who looked somewhat stressed and in need of a reviver. The restaurant is clearly doing well, with about 90% full on the night. 

Roasted Veal Tenderloin with Summer Truffle Puree and Roasted Tomatoes with Smoked Duck

And the food kept coming. Some of the table were flagging at this point, but a quick stand and walk up and down the restaurant helped clear a bit of space in the system. By way of introduction here, it should be said that Chef's Veal Tenderloin at the Pietro was legend. We had it one time with the Amanti and it was gorgeous - great texture, and milky meat that just evaporated in the mouth. Tonight's was even better. Done rare with a salt crust in a cream truffle sauce, it had that slight raw firmness that was textural heaven. Total wow. In contrast, the duck had been shredded and somehow packed into a poached tomato to create an amazing juicy sweet and slighly sour tomato bite with a salty crisp duck crunch. Most interesting combination of tongue tickling tastes with this one. Not quite total wow, but still wow. 

I might have a question as to pairing the tenderloin and the duck on the same plate, but possibly Chef was looking to showcase his talents to his Amante. In a fine dining context, they can clearly be separated for degustation and wine pairing purposes. The veal was absolutely stellar. 

SELEZIONE DI FORMAGGI

And so were the cheeses that came out. We had three on the main plate - the hard Bagoss made from skimmed cow milk, the hard Pecorino made from ewe's milk and the soft goat milk Caprini, all of which seem to originate in the Langhe region in the Piedmonte. All of these were fabulous in their different ways, especially the milky sour Caprini with some toasted brioche. But the cheese star was the Barolo Cheese. This semi firm mixed milk cheese is aged like wine in oak barrels and then pressed with fresh Nebbiolo grape husks. As a result, the wine flavours seep into the cheese to produce an amazingly rich and brilliantly complex taste that went gangbusters with our Barrua. Seems the origin of this cheese was a happy accident as a result of hiding the cheese in a wine barrel to prevent it from being stolen and then forgetting about it until its discovery some months later. As a result, it became legend. It was an absolute stormer - a full rich sweetly chewy and sour salty assault on the back of the tongue and cheeks. A wonderful and totally new experience that gives a whole new meaning to a cheese and wine tasting. Brilliant. 

Cotton Candy

The desserts of a massively sugary Cotton Candy and a somewhat texturally heavy Chef's Grandma Cake (as he called it) were nice enough and we tasted out of courtesy for Chef. But we were all hugely full and it was very difficult to follow the cheese with these desserts. Either one or the other would have been enough but maybe not both. That aside, somehow the dessert didn't quite match up to the standard set by the preceding dishes. As said, the cake was a bit on the heavy side when something lighter might have been more palatable. Having said that, had our preceding dishes been lighter then a heavier dessert would have made sense. Will have to try the Grandma cake in a different context. 

Traditional Pie with Pine Nuts and Cream Pasticcera

And then came the chocolates. Oh my lord, the chocolates. Delightful looking little dainties being offered and suggested according to guest  preferences, these were a stunning end to the night. Chef suggested one of the soft dark brown plain creations should be tasted with a little olive oil and salt. Unbelievably, it totally worked with the salt freshening the tastebuds and the oil coating the throat to let the tongue taste the full chocolate without any gunky residue. Another totally new experience. Double brilliant. 

In sum, one of those totally amazing dining nights full of fantastic food and amazing new taste experiences. No complaints whatsoever about food quality, preparation, presentation or temperature - everything was excellent. Service was very good - clean, quietly efficient, unobtrusive. One staffer had even learnt my name - don't know how he found it. Everyone at our table was pretty quiet at the end of the night, probably too full to do anything else except sit replete with full belly and contemplate life above the streets of our twinkling city below. Chef certainly pulled out many stops for us on the night, yet was still able to manage a room full of paying guests. He remains hugely supportive of the society - a very special Amico dell' Amante - and should be commended as such.

Chef Federico's skills have clearly grown. Being in command of a restaurant with the clout and organisation of Modesto behind it, I guess he has been freed up to experiment with and command the best ingredients for his creations. He creates brilliantly tasting dishes that satisfy and excite.  All the other cities in the Pacific Rim seem to have a chef with a Michelin star and it's way about time that Kuala Lumpur joined that particualr fraternity. Is Chef Federico in that frame? From what I have seen of Michelin graded chefs, he is probably a little too paisano to satisfy the nobs. Michelin seems to require innovative refinement in preparation and presentation, chefs who take the culinary arts to other levels. But then what does Michelin know? Chef Federico has superb culinary chops and is already a star. It doesn't get much better. Just close your eyes to the prices and enjoy the food and the view. Totally the top.

View from Marini's on 57 overlooking Kuala Lumpur

MENU PER AMANTI DELLA CUCINA ITALIANA

Menu  per amanti della cucina  italiana

SCAPECE DI ZUCCHINI RICOTTA CON VIN COTTO

Ricotta , Zucchini e Vin cotto

SALAME D'OCA E ANATRA

Goose, Duck Salami with Shallot  Agro Dolce Pan Brioche

ARAGOSTA CON BURRATA

Blue lobster and Burrata with Cream Form

PAPPARDELLE AI PICCIONI

Pigeon ragut , Papardelle and Barolo Wine

VITELLO AROGOSTA CON PATATE ESTIVE

Roasted Veal Tenderloin with Summer Truffle Puree and Roasted Tomatoes  with Smoked Duck

SELEZIONE DI FORMAGGI

Langhe Cheese, BagosS DOP, Pecorino DOP, Caprini DOP

ZUCCHERO FILATO

Cotton Candy

TORTA DELLA NONNA

Traditional Pie with Pine Nuts and Cream Pasticcera

CIOCCOLATINI

Fine Selection of home-made Chocolate