Jake's Charbroil Steaks @ Medan Damansara, KL

Oops. Forgot to post this up - My review from the StarTwo Lifestyle section last Saturday....

The Ship, Victoria Station and Jake’s Charbroil Steaks are the three grand old dames of steakhouses in KL, in my humble opinion.

I have many fond memories of visiting these restaurants with my family when I was younger because dining here was considered a rare treat in our middle-income lives. (Of course, Coliseum would be on the list too, if you consider less formal settings.)

Somehow, through the years, the lapse between visits grew longer and longer, mostly due to my being distracted by all the new restaurants opening around town. At the back of my mind, though, I wondered if the quality of these classic steak places had held up over the years. So, when I had to entertain a friend from out of town (who really likes steak), I decided to take the opportunity to revisit Jake’s:
Outside Jake's....
While the restaurant is fairly easy to find, parking in this area at peak hours can be a hassle. There, is however, a jockey service at Jake’s for a reasonable rate of RM5, so it’s fairly convenient. Inside, the decor is quite kitschy, with the whole Wild Wild West feel running deep and all the waiters dressed according to the theme:
One of the many booth seats inside....
As for the menu, there is a wide array of different cuts and grades of beef, ranging from the affordable to the more expensive options like Wagyu, Kobe and Black Angus. Of course, there are also non-beef options like lamb, chicken and fish.

While waiting for our food, we played “Guess the Celeb” game with all the photos around our booth, noting that even our famed Malaysian Angkasawan (Astronaut) had dined here at some point:
One small step for man, one big step for Malaysia?....
Service was prompt, and we started off dinner with a selection of appetisers — the Hungarian Beef Goulash (RM 10.90++), Beef Nachos (RM 22.90++) and Potato Skins (RM 9.90++ for 2 pieces):
Cheesy beefy nachos....
Potato skins - Loaded with onions....
Hot soup....
I enjoyed the hearty soup as it had a medium consistency, with a nice meaty flavour complemented by the taste of tomatoes and spices. The crunchy nachos topped with minced beef, melted cheese and a dollop of chilli sauce were also delicious, but do be careful because the chilli is quite spicy. I like it, though, because it adds a nice kick.

As for the potato skins, they were also crunchy and almost paper thin, topped with a generous amount of cheese and loaded with cubes of capsicum, beef bacon and onions. They are nice if you like the natural sweetness of very lightly cooked onions — there were a LOT of them in each bite.

Of course, the main highlights at Jake’s are the steaks, and that night we all tried the Australian Rib Eye, 200g (RM 58.90++). This comes with sides of boiled vegetables, corn on a cob and a fluffy baked potato. You have a choice of three sauces. We chose the mushroom sauce and black pepper sauce.

So how was the steak?:
The steak is halal btw....
Well, I thought it looked really good — perfectly grilled with its seared criss-cross griddle marks. Taste-wise, it did not disappoint either, with its moist texture and nice pinkness in the middle (as we chose to have it done medium). I would have preferred if the accompanying sauces were a bit more flavourful, but they did well to complement and not overwhelm the natural flavour of the steak:
Cross section of the steak - perfectly pink!....
As for desserts, they don’t have an extensive selection. We ended up ordering almost everything they had, to share — the Cheesecake (RM12.90++), Pecan Pie (RM12.90++) and Nut Brittle (RM12.90++):
Classic cheesecake....
Moist pecan pie....
House special - nut brittle....
While the other two desserts weren’t bad, what really stood out for me was the Nut Brittle. I admit, when I saw it, I thought, “Good grief. What kind of presentation is this? Looks like broken bits of brittle carelessly thrown onto a plate!”

However, one bite of it, and I didn’t care anymore. Loved it! It was wonderfully crunchy, with a lovely salty yet sweet caramel flavour that was well balanced by the chunky cashew nut pieces. Overall, a simple dessert that will have you licking your fingers afterwards.

Ok. So the furniture and decor might be a little worse for wear, but I think the charm of Jake’s is that it is simple and straightforward, evocative of the simple joys of the past, when things seemed so much less complicated.

Anyway, just so you know: They also have a newer outlet located in Star Hill, if you want a fancier ambience.

(Link to the article on the Star website: CLICK HERE)

So it's: Friendly service, wide range of steaks and other Western food for reasonable prices BUT nothing really bad, just that the tables are a bit cramped......

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Jake's Charbroil Steaks @ Medan Damansara, KL

No. 21 Jalan Setiapuspa, Medan Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur.


Taste: 6
Ambience : 6
Service : 6
Price** : RM 85++ per person
Parking: OK

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-2141 5290
Opening Hours:
Mon to Sat: Lunch 12noon - 3pm, Dinner 6pm - 11pm,
Sun: Dinner only 6.30pm - 10pm

(They also have an outlet in Starhill, 03-2148 1398, Mon-Sun: 12noon to 1am)

NO PORK SERVED

MAP:

View Larger Map


OTHER REVIEWS:
- Cumi dan Ciki
- Malaysia Food, Travel & Tourism
- Masak-Masak
- Karma Eats


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Jake's Charbroil Steaks, Steak house, Medan Damansara, Damansara Heights, Bukit Damansara, KL, Kuala Lumpur

Restoren Orchard View Yong Tau Foo @ Ampang Baru

Simple, comforting food on a moody day...

Is it a bit morbid to start off a food post talking about death?
(Hope you don't mind)

My (paternal) grandparents passed away when I was still young (10, I think?). Sadly, my recollections of them are hazy (save for a few vivid memories of when they saved me from the wrath of my mother's rotan lashings for whatever it was she thought I did wrong at the time).

Anyway, every year, around Cheng Beng (Ancestors Day?) we make the trip down to the Nirwana Memorial Park in Semenyih to pay our respects, and on the way back we'll have either dim sum or Yong Tau Foo (YTF) for lunch.

This year, the choice was to go for YTF at the pretty established Orchard View in the Ampang Baru area:
Outside Orchard View....
It's a case of YTF vs YTF showdown here, with this restaurant located right next to another established YTF restaurant (Restoren Foong Foong). My mum prefers Orchard View because it also serves loads of other dishes, so we went there instead.

It's just a simple coffeeshop setting inside, nothing fancy but it's comfortable enough:
Inside the restaurant....
The friendly waitress told us that their salt baked chicken and paper wrapped chicken are really popular but we decided to try the Assam Fish (RM 7 per fish):
Sour spicy fish....
... and the Too Car Or Chor (Pig Trotter Black Vinegar) (RM 15):
Pork legs....
Hmmmm, looking back: I guess we were feeling like sour food that day? :)

I felt that the fish was slightly overcooked, but otherwise the sour and spicy sauce was very appetising, and would have gone great with some rice.
(You can order some rice separately, but I didn't feel like having a heavy lunch)

The pork was also pretty yummy with its fairly tender meat and wobbly fatty bits. The sauce may be a bit too sour for some though, but my mum and dad really liked it.
(They even ta pau-ed some for later)

They have all the usual YTF selection**, all priced at a reasonable RM 0.90 per piece:
(** White tofu, Brown tofu, brinjal, ladies fingers, chillis, bittergourd, fishballs, sui kow, fuu chok, etc)
Here's our YTF selection....
Some more fried YTF....
Overall, the YTF were all nice enough - tender texture, a decent size for the price (unlike the sometimes tiny and more expensive YTF in the main PJ/ KL area). While it was relatively mild in flavor, I really appreciated that I did NOT have an MSG attack later.

I could not resist ordering the Fu Chook Yee Mai (Barley with Beancurd Sheets) (RM 2.50 per bowl) that the waitress said was freshly made that morning:
(Even though I was already very full)
Simple dessert....
Yummy!
This is a simple but it hit all the right spots - slightly creamy texture (from the dissolved beancurd sheets, I think) mixed with the aroma of the barley and the moist pieces of gingko made for a very comforting end to the meal.
(Bonus is that it is not too sweet!)

So, it's: Simple coffeeshop setting, serves Yong Tau Foo + fairly wide variety of other side dishes, friendly service BUT nothing really bad except that it's a bit far away for me.....

Summary Information:
Restoren Orchard View Yong Tau Foo @ Ampang Baru, Selangor

Opening Hours: 8am till 5pm daily (Closed on alternate Wednesdays)
Phone: +603-4291 7808
Address: 621, Jalan Merdeka, Ampang Baru, 68000 Selangor
(Note: They used to be in another location and moved here a few years ago)

Map: (Below)

NOT HALAL

MAP:

View Larger Map

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Lynda's Foodlogue - Places & Food We Ate
- tankiasu
- Have Perut Will Makan
- ^(oo)^ ~CutE PiGGyBiE~ ^(oo)^

TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, Island Holiday, Langkawi Island, Pulau Langkawi, Restoran Langkawi Sunshine, Chinese

Indicinelive! 3 @ KLPAC

Frenetic but bite size servings of humor! :)....

Last week, I hopped over to KLPAC to catch the latest staging of Indicinelive 3.

What is it?
(Don't worry, please read on - I won't be leaking out any spoilers, trust me...)

It's a collection of comedic skits written by an ensemble** group of writers and performed by an ensemble** cast of actors.
(** If I'm not wrong, they are all not professionals in those lines, just normal workers, like you and me, who have a passion for acting/ writing)
Indicinelive! 3 Official Poster...
This is actually their 3rd year running, and I can see why it's been so successful - they pick topics that are local in flavor, very current*** and parody it to Heck, succesfully!
:D
(*** Ranging from Mat Rempits to the recent Valentines' Day argument to our beloved Malaysian politicians and with bits from Inception too!)

Admittedly, not everything was perfect as there were a few "*shrug* Meh. Ok lah.." moments.

Don't worry though: There were more than enough laugh out loud moments to make it more than worth the ticket price. On top of that, the energy of the cast was just infectious as they zipped around from sketch to sketch:
(They are really talented - can sing, act and dance, very entertaining, just like Bollywood stars)

One of the many funny scenes - Mat Rempits with their Minah Rempits VS. The Malaysian Police...
WARNING: Only go if you have an open mind about politics, race and religion. If you are the kind of uptight person who is not able to laugh at yourself/ look at the lighter side of things then probably this is not the show for you.

In short (IMHO):
Worth a watch - may not be perfect but it's definitely a really good effort. :)


Here are the details of the show:
INDICINELIVE! 3:
(Recommended for mature audience aged 18 and above only)

Executive Producer: Dato’ Faridah Merican
Artistic Director: Joe Hasham OAM
Director: Kelvin Wong
Writers: Patrick Lee, Erna Mahyuni, Adriana Nordin Manan, Nina Shah, Freddy Tan, Tung Jit Yang and Amir Yunos

Synopsis:
... Step aside SNL, Little Britain and MADtv! Premiering in 2010, INDICINELIVE! (in-dee-SEE-nee-live-!) is klpac’s sketch comedy premise, parodying the ofttimes insane society that we live in. Featuring an ensemble of serious comic writers and players every episode, INDICINELIVE! features familiar characters in even more familiar situations, with musical numbers thrown in too! INDICINELIVE! is, essentially, a generous serving of how we see the world in fun-sized pieces.

Cast:
(In alphabetical order! To be fair....)
- Actors: Siti Farrah Abdullah, Sani Zainal Abidin, Shirin Jauhari, Oliver Johanan, Uihua, Freddy Tan and Tung Jit Yang.
- Supported by: Ivan Chan Atienza, Banun Atina Idris, Calvin Tan, Iskandar Zulkarnain and Amir Yunos


Venue: KL Peforming Arts Centre (KLPAC)
(Sentul Park, Jalan Strachan (off Jalan Ipoh), 51100 Kuala Lumpur.)

Ticket Price:
- RM33, or RM23 (Students & the Disabled)

Dates: 6 – 10, 12 – 17 April 2010 (No performance on 11 April 2010)
Time: 8.30pm

Ticket info:
- go to KLPAC, or
- call +603-40479000.
If you want more details, here is the KLPAC official website.

Also: INDICINELIVE! does DELICIOUS!
They will be making appearances at DELICIOUS Cafe throughout March, April and May 2010. Check out their Facebook Page for more details.


Hope you like it! :)
J

PS/ NINA, you are awesome! Ganbatte!


OTHER REVIEWS:
- A new chapter of my life…
- The Good, The Bad And The Plain Old Lazy
- Dusty Hawk: Broken Mirror


TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Musical, PJLA, Taming Of The Shrew Bollywood Caberet, Shakespeare, PJ Live Arts Center, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

Hard Copy

A new medium :)....

Hmmmm.
So how do I do this? Well, I guess I'll just come out and say it? :)
I've been published in the Star today (StarTwo section).
(Click here to see the article on The Star website)

It was interesting and kinda challenging to have to adjust my writing format to fit a newspaper column, but I do hope that it turned out ok.
(What do you think? Tell me if you've read it)


Not trying to be boastful/ sombong but just trying to document and enjoy this new experience,
J the Chocoholic

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

Sunday Roast Lunch @ Ritz Carlton Hotel, KL

Classy and yummy way to spend your Sunday :) ....

Hello!.... :)
Just to give you a head's up, this is an invited review:
(Here are my usual disclaimers)
1) I have not been paid to write this, but neither have I paid a cent for my meal,
2) I will still be as objective as possible re. the food/ restaurant, and
3) If I go back to the restaurant incognito and find that the food/service is horribly different from this experience, I will amend my ratings here...

To be completely honest, I've grown to hate buffets.

Why?
Buffets tend to be a bit manic (so many hungry/ greedy/ annoying people), and lot of "traps" hidden within (food that looks good but doesn't taste nice).

What a world of difference the Sunday Roast Lunch at the KL Ritz Carlton is though! :)

- Relaxing. Be serenaded by the talented 3 piece band, playing the classics as well some as jazzed up top 40 songs:
Fly me to the mooooon....
- Comfortable. Classic dining room that is fairly small but does not at all feel cramped - well spaced, sophisticated yet cosy with lots of natural light pouring through the windows:
Classic setting, very proper and English :)....
- And most importantly, FOCUSED. The buffet area is not very big (pretty much just 3x of the table pictured below), but everything I tried that day was delicious:
Part of the buffet....
(Some of the) APPETIZERS:
Note: Of course there's more than what I've listed below, but these are the food that stood out to me. :)

- Fresh, juicy Baby Lobsters, Octopus, Prawns and Oysters. You can eat them just like that, or drizzled with any of the selection of condiments available:
Mini Pyramid of naked Crustaceans....
More crustaceans :)....
- Gravlax. YUMS. A classic Scandinavian preparation of raw salmon cured in salt, sugar, and dill. Wonderfully moist and flavorful from the herbs, without being too salty:
Really liked this....
- Wide array of Cheeses, from the mild for beginners like me, to more pungeant selections that you can pair with the various crackers and fruits:
Many to choose from....

MAINS:
- THE Roast Beef: The main star of the day. :) Not just any beef, it's an aged Black Angus that has been roasted to perfection:
Slab of succulent meat....
The Chef will carve up the beef according to your preference (eg. Side bits if you like it Well Done and more to the middle if you prefer Medium doneness) and plate it up with some addictively carb-licious Yorkshire pudding, drizzled with a thick bone marrow jus:
Expert carving....
Look at it! - Perfectly pink:
My plate of beef....
- There's also Roast Lamb available. Just ask any of the friendly wait staff and they'll bring it to you. Tender and tasty without the noxious gamey taste that so many fear. Tasted even better when eaten with the mint sauce:
Baaaaaa....

DESSERT:
- Macarons. These seem to be the new food craze in KL and you'll definitely be spoilt for choice there. It was a bit too sweet for my tastebuds, but the texture was crunchy enough:
A rainbow of macaroons....
- Peanut Butter Cookies. I fell head over heels in love with these simple, crumbly, salty yet sweet cookies:
(I was very tempted to stash some in my bag at the end of the lunch. *grin*)
Inspired the Cookie Monster in me....
- Wide array of chocolaty desserts. Cakes, truffles, bon bons, and even a chocolate fountain!:
They were all delicious!:)....
- Loved the pretty Candied Crab Apples, crunchy and tart:
Glistening like a jewel....
- Mr Macallan and friends. Unfortunately this is not part of the buffet, but I was amazed by the selection they had (over 40 types of whiskey, I'm told):
A good way to wind down on a Sunday....
I had such a delicious, WONDERFUL time that day, hosted by the ever so charming Mr Oliver Ellington**. It was definitely worth every calorie. :)
(** He is also a knight in shining armour ready to save the day at the drop of a hat, btw - good work with that chair, Ollie!)

The Sunday Roast is served between 11.30am and 3.00pm every Sunday in The Lobby Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur and is priced at MYR 130++ per person.

For enquiries, please call The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur at 03-2142 8000 or email dining_concierge@ritzcarlton.com.my.

Summary Sheet:

Sunday Roast Lunch @ Ritz Carlton Hotel, KL

The Lobby Lounge, Ground Floor, The Ritz-Carlton, 168, Jalan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur

Telephone No.: 03-2142 8000
Parking: OK

Opening Hours:
(For this buffet) Every Sunday, 11.30 - 3pm
Price: RM 130++ per person

NO PORK SERVED

MAP:

View Larger Map

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Eat Your Heart Out
- a lil' fat monkey
- Lots Of Cravings
- aly's wonderland
- Cumi dan Ciki

TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Ritz Carlton Hotel and Residences, Sri Hartamas, PJ, Bukit Bintang, Buffet, KL, Kuala Lumpur

Ben's @ Pavilion, KL

Out of the ashes of the Carat Club rises Ben's :) ....

Darn.
:(

I had always wanted to dine at the Carat Club... but now, it's too late as it has joined the League of Dead Restaurants.
(It's not easy to open and maintain a successful restaurant in KL)

Anyway, with each passing (of a restaurant), there comes the opportunity for the birth of something new, in this case a restaurant called Ben's:
Outside Ben's, on the 6th Floor of Pavilion....
I liked the restaurant decor - simple, modern yet cosy with its wooden finishings contrasted with its bright neon yellow feature walls:
(It is also dimly lit enough to be a good date night restaurant - just that it is fairly packed and can be noisy)
Looking into the restaurant....
The menu is really extensive, almost mind boggling, as there are a lot of different pastas, sandwiches, snacks and desserts to choose from, as well as a few heavier, meaty dishes and Asian fare.

It took a while for us to decide but after poring through the menu, we decided to start off the night with something relatively exotic, the Ox Tongue Salad (RM 19.90++):
Moist tongue....
The fresh greens, pickled onions and simple chunks of potatoes tossed with a light cream sauce (and a bit of mustard, I think) were excellent. It tasted carby, savoury yet piquant - wholesome food at its best...

However, while the accompanying slices of ox tongue were very tender, it also had a slight gamey taste that may put off people who are sensitive to this.
(Case in point: I liked it, but my dining companion said "YUCK"...)

For our mains, we had the Crabmeat Puttanesca (RM 23.90++):
My pasta....
.. and the Basil Pesto Spaghettini (RM 18.90++) with added Chargrilled Chicken (RM 6++):
His pasta....
First thing to note is that the pasta servings here are kinda LARGE. I think we could have shared one pasta between the 2 of us to make it part of a "just nice" 3 course meal.
(Vs. stuffing ourselves silly that day - Was SO full after that...)

Anyway, between these 2 pastas, I much preferred the Crabmeat Puttanesca with its flavorful tomato based sauce, bits of juicy crabmeat and capers. Still, it's not that the Pesto Spaghettini was bad, just that it was a little bit too heavy/ oily and the fragrance of the basil in the pesto was a bit too delicate.

For dessert, we decided to share the Chocolate Truffle Torte (RM 10.90++):
Boo :(....
OK. To be fair: Maybe they were just having a bad day, because according to the nice waiter (when I tried giving feedback) - this cake is one of their most popular orders. Anyway, when I tasted it, I was a little let down as it had a slight flour-y aftertaste, gummy texture and was kinda hard.
:(

How hard?

Well, you can poke a fork in, waggle it around and it will still completely maintain its shape:
(Here. See - here's a photo of my cheeky friend waggling the cake around in front of my face)
Chunky cake....
Overall, I enjoyed dinner and spotted a couple of dishes (wagyu beef pie!) that I wanna go back and try....
(I suspect they need to take some time to weed out the not so yummy stuff in their menu though)

Anyway, thanks to Mr G the Workaholic Social Butterfly for taking time out of his busy BUSY work and social calender to have dinner with me :P
He's shy?....

So it's: Nice modern yet cosy ambience, friendly service, good range of western and Asian food for reasonable prices (considering its in a high end mall) BUT nothing really bad, just that there are a few hits and misses on the menu......

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Ben's @ Pavilion, KL

6.11.00 & E.6.11.00, 6th Floor, Pavilion Shopping Mall, 168 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur

Taste: 6
Ambience : 7
Service : 6
Price** : RM 55++ per person
Parking: OK

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
Telephone No.: 03-2141 5290
Opening Hours: 11am - 10pm
Official Website: Click here :)

NO PORK SERVED

MAP:

View Larger Map

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Eat Drink KL
- Cumi dan Ciki
- KY Speaks
- sushitalks
- Chocolate Cats & All Things Strange

TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Ben's by BIG, Australian, Pavilion Shopping Centre, KL, Kuala Lumpur

Island Escape

Photo heavy post on a recent trip to Langkawi with friends....

Just a relaxing (non-food) post, inspired by a recent trip to the Langkawi (Taj Hotel Rebak Island Resort)...
:)

Are you feeling gloomy? Maybe it's time to fly away:
Zoom zoom....

Quickly - Jump into your getaway boat and zoom off into the horizon:
Making waves along the way....

Make an escape into your hideaway home:
Loved the hotel villas we stayed in! Wished my house is this nice....

... but don't get too tempted by its comforts:
The room interior was nice too - very comfortable....

Find a spot on the beach, under the clear blue skies:
Sunny days are a beach holiday essential :)....

Time to RELAX! Sitting around, doing nothing is such a rare bliss:
BLISS....

When the sun starts to wane, enjoy the quiet moments, the tranquility:
The beautiful marina next to the island resort....

Savour the last lingering rays of the sun, before it takes a rest for the night:
Sunsets - always beautiful....

I love beach holidays.
.. and this was one that felt very long overdue - Really enjoyed taking the time off (just a long weekend) with friends to enjoy the wonderfulness of doing nothing** by the beach.
(** By doing nothing, what I really mean is: chit chatting, eating, drinking and relaxing to our hearts' content)


Slightly more tan,
J

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal

Sage @ The Gardens Residences, KL

I finally visited the Android's Temple of Love....

I had heard so much about Sage, one of the venerable Android's favourite lunch spots, his Temple of LURVE: The doorway to the Temple of Love....
Indeed the environment inside was calm and tranquil with an air of grace (but somehow, still without feeling pompous or too "atas"): Casual yet classy ambience inside....
Like it's "sister" restaurant, Cilantro, Sage has a fusion Japanese-French set lunch menu which changes every week, expertly prepared by their Chef Daniel.

However, unlike Cilantro, the lunch menu is available from Monday to Friday (instead of just Fridays), at a lower price of RM 100 nett (instead of RM 150 nett) and does NOT come served with a glass of Kir Royale. Anyway, while waiting for the food to arrive, I attacked the bread and truffle SEAWEED** butter:
(** As corrected by a certain illustrious Android. LOL at self. No wonder I thought "Hmmm. Why the black truffle bits kinda salty and not enough aroma wan?" - because it WASN'T truffle. /FAIL)
Freshly baked bread with truffle butter = happiness....
Strange - although it was nice, it wasn't nearly as creamy and to die for as the truffle butter that I had tried in Cilantro.
(Still, no complaints, really. It was good truffle butter)

For my starter, I chose the Consomme of Hokkaido Scallops with Shiitake and Wakame Broth:
Simple but lovely dish....
Perfect! The scallops had been thinly sliced (but not too thin, so there's still adequate bite) and were ever so fresh, with a lovely natural sweetness permeating through. That, accentuated by the umami flavours of the warm broth had me happily enjoying the juicy mix till my plate was completely clean.

Next, for my main I had the Two Way Preparation of Duck with Foie Gras and Daikon: Fairly delicious duck....
The Duck Confit and seared duck breast were tender but not quite falling off the bone. Still, I found it nice as the flavour of the savoury duck meat and rich foie gras against the crisp flavour of the daikon radish was well balanced.

For dessert, I had the Green Tea Bavarois with Azuki Beans and Milk Ice Cream:
Light dessert....
Such a simple combination but well executed, with the smooth and creamy bavarois (which is sort of like panna cotta I guess?) delicately flavoured with green tea and accentuated by the light ice cream and sweet azuki beans.
(Of course I would have preferred something chocolatey but this was a nice, relatively less sinful and light way to end the meal)

This post is (sorry) a little delayed so you can't try out this exact menu right now... but do check the Sage website for details on what's currently available.

So it's: Classy yet unpretentious ambience, lovely food (although the starter was much better than the main), friendly and knowledgeable staff BUT again, *sigh* it's not very cheap, is it? :(....

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Sage @ The Gardens Residences, KL

The Gardens Residences, 6th Floor, The Gardens, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur

Taste: 8
Ambience : 7
Service : 8
Price** : RM 100 per person (for this lunch)
Parking: OK
Website: Click HERE

** Discover Lunch set - 3 course meal and Coffee/Tea

Telephone No.: 03-2268 1188
Opening Hours:
Lunch (Mon to Fri) - 12noon till 2pm
Dinner (Mon to Sat) - 6pm till 10.30pm (Closed on Sundays)

NO PORK SERVED

MAP:
View Larger Map

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Paranoid Android
- Cumi Dan Ciki
- A Whiff of Lemongrass
- Lots of Cravings
- Babe in the City - KL

TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Sage, Fine Dining, Midvalley Gardens, The Gardens Residences, Chef Daniel, Fusion French Japanese, KL, Kuala Lumpur