I've never been to Nathalie's Gourmet Studio at Solaris Dutamas despite its raving reviews and its famed macarons but I was glad that I get to try Nathalie's 2nd outlet here in Menara Taipan, replacing High Tide, the previous fine-dining restaurant. It must have been due to the poor visibility of the restaurant that leads to poor patronage as this place is not as bright and lively like Menara Hap Seng which lies opposite the road.
Though the menu looked thick, it has only a page on ala carte, another page on 2 different set menu choices (RM150 & RM165) and then 1 page dedicated to its degustation (RM220) and a few pages on beverages. Haha...
Initially I wanted to try their set menu, comprising of 4 courses but the one that I was interested in has mismatched courses resulting in the starter and mains having foie gras as their main ingredient. I think 2 courses with foie gras is indeed too overwhelming to the palate.
Though the menu looked thick, it has only a page on ala carte, another page on 2 different set menu choices (RM150 & RM165) and then 1 page dedicated to its degustation (RM220) and a few pages on beverages. Haha...
Initially I wanted to try their set menu, comprising of 4 courses but the one that I was interested in has mismatched courses resulting in the starter and mains having foie gras as their main ingredient. I think 2 courses with foie gras is indeed too overwhelming to the palate.
Thus, I resort to ordering ala carte. For starters, I ordered a Scallops in Soup and Carpacio with Spring Vegetables (RM40). The scallops carpacio are raw and arranged neatly in bowl. Then, a waiter will pour the soup into the bowl, with all the other ingredients immersed in the warm soup. This will cook the scallops carpacio indirectly but at the same time, you can still taste the freshness and tender texture of the scallops. The sundried tomatoes is quite a good compliment to the soup.
My dining companion ordered a Two Salmon Tartar (RM34). And I managed to taste his dish as well. I prefer this to a steak tartar. The salmon tartar was mixed with a layer of French Green Lentil Salad and finished off with an orange reduction. The rocket leaves give the salmon tartar a more robust taste and at the same time it feels a little citrusy. Definitely an appetising start to a meal.
To go with our dinner, wine is almost a must. Friend wanted to drink Burgundy and I volunteered to pick the bottle. I was eyeing the Gevrey Chambertin and my favourite Chambolle Musigny but too bad none is available that day. The sommelier recommended that I give this Demessey Mercurey 1st Cru Clos L'Eveque 2009. I was rather sceptical as it was 2009 and I thought it might be a little too young to drink. This is my 1st encounter with Mercurey and apparently it is a small village producing predominantly red wines from the Pinot Noir grape variety, and a small quantity of white wines from Chardonnay.
On the palate, it was rather tight at first but gradually opens up after a while. There's some woody aromas and lots of blackberries and raspberries coupled with a balanced mouthfeel. It's velvety, light-bodied and best served around 16 degrees celcius. At RM300 a bottle, I felt it was a little expensive. However, if you want to bring your own bottle, they would allow it on a 1 for 1 basis where you have to buy a bottle to get your corkage waived. That's very reasobnable.
On the palate, it was rather tight at first but gradually opens up after a while. There's some woody aromas and lots of blackberries and raspberries coupled with a balanced mouthfeel. It's velvety, light-bodied and best served around 16 degrees celcius. At RM300 a bottle, I felt it was a little expensive. However, if you want to bring your own bottle, they would allow it on a 1 for 1 basis where you have to buy a bottle to get your corkage waived. That's very reasobnable.
For mains, my friend had the Turkey New Age (RM68) that comes with foie gras and porcini stuffing, and served with truffle celeriac puree and foie gras juice. From the look of the dish, it looks like there's quite a bit going on in there. The ingredients are very rich and the portion is just right.
I didn't know what to order and a staff recommended me to try their Blue Lobster and Crab Linguines (RM95) as it is their best-seller. Ok, I'll be adventurous and try it. When the dish came, I kind of have a small shock as the dish looked so messy from the presentation. I understand that this might spun from the chef's creativity but the mains looked lost in the midst of all the sauces. I felt that there were too much sauce and the dish is a little too salty. The lobster was a little too dry as well and the linguine is soft. This didn't really tickle my palate despite all expensive ingredients. However, I did enjoy snacking on the fava beans aka broad beans.
My friend asked me if there is room for dessert. I felt full but I insist on a sweet ending to a meal because it's my first time here and I should really give their desserts a try. While the Mini Saint Honore is not available on the ala carte menu, I was told that I can order it eventhough it's in the set menu. The creampuffs have a caramelised layer and they are all in miniatures. I love the dessert which came with vanilla ice-cream. And the decoration, don't they look like tadpoles with a long tail? But my friend thinks they looked like sperms. Hmm...
Our dinner here costs almost RM700. Looking at what we have ordered, I think it was a little too pricey. But no doubt there were some really good dishes and maybe 1 or two misses. I also heard that Nathalie will only be in this kitchen for dinner and for lunch, she'll be at the other outlet at Solaris Dutamas. The service was good and it's indeed a stellar dinner.
Our dinner here costs almost RM700. Looking at what we have ordered, I think it was a little too pricey. But no doubt there were some really good dishes and maybe 1 or two misses. I also heard that Nathalie will only be in this kitchen for dinner and for lunch, she'll be at the other outlet at Solaris Dutamas. The service was good and it's indeed a stellar dinner.
Cuisine Gourmet by Nathalie
Ground Floor, Menara Taipan,
Jalan Punchak (off Jalan P. Ramlee),
50250 Kuala Lumpur.
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