Friday, March 13, 2009

Cuisine Studio @ Tropicana

Cosy French restaurant tucked in a corner of Tropicana....

DISCLAIMER: I lost the receipt so prices are just a stab in the dark of what I roughly remember.
(Sorry.....)

I had been meaning to check out Cuisine Studio for the longest time but more than a year passed before we ventured to this cosy little French restaurant (opened and run by French chefs) in the Tropicana Golf Club:
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Inside, there is a small(-ish) area for dining, some specialty products (gourmet sausages, home made jams, etc) and a larger section next door where they hold their cooking classes:
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Inside Cuisine Studio.....

That night we started off with the Mussels, cooked with sea water (?) and white wine (about RM 45++):
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I heart mussels.....

Wah. So fresh.
(But not cheap lorrr)
According to the wait staff, fresh batches of mussels are flown in every Thursday from New Zealand. They were undoubtably fresh, but I found that the broth of sea water (?) and white wine was a little too salty for my taste buds. Overall, Ok.

Next up, the Escargot (about RM 25++):
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Go, go escargot!.....

Yum. The escargot wasn't super tender (which I have been told, is a sign that the are probably freshly prepared and not the canned variety) but the sauce was delicious - tasty, yet not too overpowering.

As for the mains, we tried 3 of their specialties - The Braised Lamb Shank (about RM 50++), the Duck Cassoulet (about RM 60++) and the Spicy Sausage Pasta (about RM 30++):
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Clockwise from top: Braised Lamb Shank, Duck Cassoulet and Spicy Sausage Pasta.....

- Lamb Shank: This was my favourite for the night. A tender, lovingly braised hunk of lamb smothered in a delicious yet delicate sauce which complemented the flavour of the lamb very well. *drool*
- Duck Cassoulet: Ok - simple flavours, tender duck served with pieces of home made sausage and a heap of stewed beans (May be a bad thing, if you don't like beans though)
- Spicy Sausage Pasta: Not bad - it's a great dish to choose if you feel like having some unpretentious comfort food. Al dente pasta, coated with a chunky tomato based sauce and a generous amount of home made sausages.

So, it's: Cosy, unpretentious restaurant-specialty store-cooking school with yummy, fresh, lovingly prepared classic French dishes BUT slightly limited menu and a little expensive (for the normal layperson like me, so it's more of a special occasion place)...


Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Cuisine Studio @ Palm New Wing, Tropicana Golf & Country Club

Taste: 7
Ambience : 6
Service : 6
Price** : RM80/++
Parking: OK (but if there’s a wedding/ function going on then good luck to you)
** Approximation - Per person, 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-7805 3088
Opening Hours: 11am - 10pm


NO PORK SERVED




OTHER REVIEWS:
- Masak-Masak
- Food 4 Thot
- Eat Drink KL


TAGS: , , , , , , , , , ,

18 comments:

  1. yeah, i think u hit the nail on the head ... this is one of those places where you can count on the food to be hearty, delicious and wholesome. only two minuses that i can think of: it's relatively out of the way for many of us, and it doesn't offer that quintessential french ingredient: pork! :D

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  2. all i remember is this: you could TAASSTTEE the Tender Loving Care that went into the preparation of the food!!

    the song "yummy yummy yummy, i got love in my tummy" comes to mind =)

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  3. price is a bit expensive hor.. but at least you found the food good!

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  4. to Sean:
    Yeah man... if they had pork, it would be the bomb! :)
    (*lol* Strange how "out of the way" is so relative, isn't it? It's actually quite convenient for me)

    to j:
    Siao charr boh. You've got a soundtrack in your head? Haha...

    But yeah! Could definately taste the TLC in the food there... :) :)

    to CUMI & CIKI:
    Definately my wallet was hurting a lot after paying though... :( :( :(
    (But you're right, luckily the food was nice. If not, I would have been so upset! Haha... )

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  5. Yummmm lamb :-)

    ps - this place IS expensive!

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  6. to Julian Si:
    Yup. But at least the food is good, right? :)
    (So it's worth a visit for a special occasion...)

    to quanton:
    Awww... thanks. :)
    (Appreciate the comment, however simple)

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  7. hallo hallo dearie...tis me..
    you've been blogging since 2005!!!!! wah, bow bow bow...nice meeting u!

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  8. to FBB:
    Harlow! :) :)
    Yeah... somehow been blogging for 3+years already - it's all passed like a blink of an eye tho...
    (Eh, apa ni? - don't bow la... Make me blush only)

    Anyway, was really nice meeting you too.
    (BTW, I'm waiting for invites to your Macallan + cake party)

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  9. This is my first time leaving a comment on a blog. Don't be fool by 'French Restaurant', yes, it is runned by a French guy, but do you guys know, he was a student from a local college here in KL under a more senior French Chef. It is not that French after all...

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  10. This restaurant's owner runs a French professional cooking school in KL. Students' work of the final products were being sold in Cuisine Studio, as well as Urban Picnic. Ask me how I know, because I attended one of the classes there before, and was seen my product being sold in thier restaurant the next day!! Went to talk to the owner about it and he didn't see anything wrong with it!!?? Some of the desserts, were actually students' work and could have been kept in the freezer for some time.
    So, please think twice the next time you order their dessert!!

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  11. to anonymous and Blinki:Oh dear. Really? :(

    Well, chef's background/ desserts aside, the food is still good (albeit expensive)... so I'll take your advice and avoid the desserts.
    Thanks! :)

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  12. I agreed with u about their food, yes it is no doubt good, and not cheap. Imagine paying RM2k to attend a session (2days) of the class, which already covered the cost of the ingredients into making these products, and sell it to the general public to make $$ (free labour - students who paid a fee; cost of ingredients = zero), where is the business ethics of this restaurant owner??
    Also, their staff are not being treated well too, one or two resignation every month since Jan '09 until now, and it is not ending...there will be another staff quitting in June. Why?
    Check around the prices of goods they sell before you make a purchase, way too expensive...valhrona choc, a marked up of 50% from the supplier's price.

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  13. Hi know Blinki,
    She is the type going around and creating trouble. Everywhere, she goes she is making noise. May be she is too free. I attended a cooking class with her. A dissaster. She is bitching about everybody and telling stories. Have a rest and sex baby.

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  14. I know Blinki, I attended a cooking class with her. She has a problem and go bitching around about everybody. She has been banned from all cooking workshop. Stingy like nobody business. During our class she was grabbing all the food for her. Have rest and sex baby.

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  15. I know Blinki. I attended cooking workshop with her. She is now blacklisted in all cooking workshop in Malaysia. We know why she is rich now. She grabs all food she can for her during cooking workshop and do not leave anything from the other. She is wanted for all University in Malaysia to become a lab cas study.
    To free lah. have sex and rest baby

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  16. to anonymous:
    You have left 3 similar comments,... but I didn't want to delete because on the other hand, they are all slightly different.

    Anyway, thanks for the comment. I don't know Blinki (or this drama, but anyway)...

    You take care too. :)

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  17. To all,

    Dont bother goind to this restaurant, had a terrible experience with the owner :( a real snob, well, what can one expect from a french??!!

    Looking at the comments, I felt so sorry for blinki, whoever this person is, I can identified the feelings of being cheated.

    John & Anonymous soumd like the chef/owner trying to protect the name of the restaurant, take a look at the time,
    11 September, 2009 19:05,
    11 September, 2009 19:12,
    11 September, 2009 23:22.

    What a coincidence that 3 participants leaving a relatively similar comments at the same time and they sound the same tone?!

    Blinki,
    There are so many eastern cooking you could learn in Malaysia, why go for the french? After all, they are not that fantastic.

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  18. To new anonymous:
    Hmmmm well the food tastes pretty good, as I remember. It's sad if it's all the other factors which ruin it, because it's an essential part of the whole night out/ dining experience.

    ReplyDelete

Appreciate your thoughts, opinions and feedback. :)