Portugal Vino @ Urban Hotel Istana

On last week Friday, I had the honour to be invited by Mr.W for a wine tasting at URBAN - the newly renovated western & Mediterranean restaurant at Hotel Istana. It was a Portugese night where we would be drinking wines from the Portugal vineyards. It was my first time to Hotel Istana although I have many times passed by this hotel along Jalan Raja Chulan. The service was excellent from the minute I stepped into the lobby. A lady escorted me right into the restaurant.

As the name sounds URBAN, I do expect the restaurant to be urban and nothing like Lafite. It was after all quite modern and the mix and match of reds, orange and egg yolk yellow was a very nice blend. The orange usually make people more hungry and hence the use of orange hues in this restaurant. My theory was right as I asked the manager - Roy. He too was a very nice and friendly manager.

We started the night drinking Varanda do Conde 2007 Vinho Verde. It is a portugese white wine. As I am not a white person, I don't know how to appreciate it but I do know that it tasted good. It was smooth, infused with nectarine flavors and hint of citrus. I was quite surprised that many "ang mohs" attended this wine dinner and I would say 80% of the guests that night were males. There were less than 10 females which of course is good news to me. Less people more share.

Hand Shredded Chicken Roll
It has cucumber with sichuan pepper marinade, whipped citrus, miso cashew sauce and prawn & green mango salad ceviche. This went with the Varanda de Conde 2007.

Poudre Douche Cured South Australian Tuna
It came with petite grapes (very sweet), spicy carrot pickles, egg yolk confit, Haricot Vert, Smoky Anchovies and red wine veal stock reduction. The dish looked like food served on a granite tile!

This dish was paired with Perequita Reserva 2005 Tinto. This wine has a grapefruit, cinnamon and citrus note. I don't really like it. I did not eat the carrot pickle as the vinegar will kill the taste and after that you won't be able to taste the wine.

Whole Roasted Stuffed Quail
It has mozzarella, sage and onion farce, served with baby red & yellow beetroots, stewed sweet chard, raspberry gastrique and truffle creme.

We had a glass of Fonte Mouro Reserva 2004 Tinto. This wine has got a very strong tannin which was quite okay but also not my cup of tea. The quail was actually very very very small,(notice how I must emphasize the word small) because it's almost the size of a grade A egg. I suspect that it must have been a free range poultry as it was very tough. I only had a few bites of it.

Slow cooked grain fed beef
Topped with seared foie gras, brown butter puree, coffee, yam wafers, brussels sprout and chestnut hash with mustard date juice.

Did you just read foie gras?!! My favourite foie gras?!! Gosh, the only thing I finished eating on that plate was the foie gras! This dish was paired with Quinta das Baceladas 2004 Tinto. I quite liked this bottle as it has less tannin than the previous wine.

That was not the end. Nothing is complete without dessert. Thus we were served Dark Chocolate Ganache caramelized pineapple, white sesame, white chococlate powder, spiced tuiles and coconut parsley ice-cream. It was my first time tasting this type of ice-cream. It doesn't taste like parsley at all - thank god! It was just okay as I don't really like the chocolate. Desserts will always go with a sweet wine and thus we had a glass of Moscatel Roxo 1998. It tasted like the icewine from Canada - sweet and fruited. After that, we were asked whether we would like to have a cuppa or tea. I had tea and it came with a cookie with the word URBAN piped with chocolate and two sugar sticks. I love the cup and saucer - it was so artistic!

If you think that's all, you're wrong. We were given a tiny box made of tin containing 2 pieces of chocolate each.

It was a great night as I enjoyed meeting new people and trying new food. Mr.W did warn me earlier that this dinner is going to be an adventurous one. Well, I'll never decline any adventure! That's why URBAN is tagged as a place for molecular gastronomic food. Although I find these dishes creative and enticing, I can't help but to feel that it's not going to be my favourite. I guess I'll still come back for the experience but not for my personal indulgence or comfort food.

I met these 3 wonderful Japanese ladies whom were seated next to me. They are Reiko, Miyako and Miki. Not only they were friendly and nice, they all loved dancing. Miyako, the one standing next to me is a belly dancer and she does Muy Thai and maybe pole-dancing soon! As for Miki, the one in blue does Tango. wow.. impressive. We will be keeping in touch and maybe do some belly dancing and tango together some time.

The wines we had that night weren't too expensive. It's just around RM70-90 a bottle. However, I still heart Xisto 2004 when it comes to Portugal wine! I really have to thank Mr.W as he paid for the dinner. The bill is around RM250 per person. I don't think it's that expensive considering the chance to try so many new dishes and wines. After that night, I still like my French wines.