The dark wood-panelled interior of Grill 582 in Best Western Premier Dua Sentral exudes an air of old-world classic luxury and also serves as a perfect setting for the bright glass-panelled kitchen in the restaurant. As we sat at our table facing the simple uncluttered kitchen, our eyes were riveted to the goings-on inside that kitchen, helmed by the petite Chef Siti Arini Darsom. We were there to check out the special “Flavours of Australia” promotion that’s currently on in Grill 582, until end of this month.
Grill 582’s signature Garlic Bun
Chef Siti’s specially crafted 6-course set menu, complemented with a selection of fine Australian wines, is offered in conjunction with the food festival organized by the Australian Trade Commission with the aim of promoting Australia’s food and beverage products.
Kicking off the dinner, we were served an appetizer: Port Lincoln Green Mussels and Scallop on Green Pea Puree and Beef Chorizo Oil. This was paired with the delightfully light and fresh Sauvignon Blanc, Shaw & Smith, Adelaide Hills 2011. The crisp grassy and fruity notes of this white wine complemented the sweetish pea puree which coated the morsels of succulent scallop and mussels in a most becoming way.
Sauvignon Blanc, Shaw & Smith, Adelaide Hills 2011
According to Chef Siti, the natural sweetness of the puree came from the simple blend of quality green peas and butter only, no other ingredient was added and certainly no sugar!
Having whetted our appetites, we waited eagerly for the Australian Lamb Cutlet with Pepperade and Goat Cheese. The bold deep red Shiraz, DB Family Selection 2009 from South East Australia was well suited for the flavourful lamb cutlet as it was not overtly spicy. The medium flavours of berries and hints of spices were pleasant on the palate and balanced the perfectly-grilled lamb cutlet topped with chopped peppers and melted goat cheese.
Shiraz, DB Family Selection 2009 from South East Australia
Instead of the usual citrussy sorbet, Chef Siti’s Dark Chocolate and Chilli Sorbet served as a unique palate cleanser. The velvety dark chocolate spiced up with chilli did a good job of clearing our tastebuds in anticipation of the next course.
Northern Territory Salt Water Barramundi with Chips and Malt Vinegar was next and this was paired with Chardonnay, Cooper Crossing 2011. The medium-bodied fruity white with light oaky hints went well with the crispy-skinned slice of pan-fried barramundi. We love dipping the chunky chips in malt vinegar which gave the hot chips a nice burst of flavour.
Chardonnay, Cooper Crossing 2011
As the wait staff poured us the Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Evans & Tate, Gnangara from Western Australia, we were served the Grilled “Mulwarra” Black Angus Ribeye with Slow Roasted Grapes & Confit of Fennel. The dark medium-bodied wine had notes of berries with a mild spicy hint of oak – just nice for red meats.
We got to choose our steak knives!
The ribeye was nicely seared on the outside while the inside still maintained a nice pink juicy texture. I enjoyed the steak but found the roasted grapes (great presentation, by the way) too tongue-curling sour for my liking. Chef Siti explained this was probably due to the grapes being soaked in the balsamic vinegar way too long.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Evans & Tate, Gnangara from Western Australia
Dessert was a simple Pavlova with Chantilly Cream and Fresh Passion Fruit, followed by Coffee/Tea and a piece of buttery Anzac Biscuit.
The “Flavours of Australia” meal is priced at RM300 per person with wine pairing and RM180 per person without wine pairing. There’re still a couple of weeks to go before the promotion ends on 30 June 2013, so catch it while you can.
Chef Siti Arini Darsom
Grill 582
Best Western Premier Dua Sentral
8 Jalan Tun Sambanthan
50470 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2272-8888
GPS: N 3o 08 159’ E 101’ 41.565’
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.bestwesternmalaysia.com