Since it opened in February 2010, the contemporary and chic Mandarin Grill at Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur has been entrancing guests with its range of culinary delights conjured by Chef Reto Webber. Chef de Cuisine, Reto Webber recently revamped the menu, injecting new ideas and flavours, using the freshest and highest quality of ingredients imported from around the world.
We had a glimpse recently of what’s in store in the new menu at Mandarin Grill. Before I start on the dinner proper, special accolade must be given to the platter of fresh breads that’s served (and replenished repeatedly) with butter and cream cheese to help ease any hunger pangs. The problem was those oven-fresh warm buns were so good that we kept munching on them and had to forcefully restrain ourselves after the second bun just so that we reserve our stomachs for the dinner courses later. It didn’t help that the excellent Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc further teased our appetite prior to dinner.
For starters, we tried two items: Pan-seared River Prawns with Spring Vegetables Salad & Paprika Dressing (RM65) and Black Angus Beef Carpaccio (RM70). The prawns were very fresh and seared perfectly rendering the texture at just the right succulence and oozing with sweet marine juices.
Paper-thin slices of beef were laid out like a pink carpet on the plate with Saute’ed Wood Mushrooms enclosed in a potato ring and Parmesan shavings strewn all over – beautiful plating.
Opting for a lighter mains, I had the Halibut “Saltimbocca” (RM148) which was served with a few slices of smoked duck, sage, braised lentils and saffron jus. I like the delicate flavour of the springy tender halibut and on the other side of the plate, the smokey earthy aroma of the duck gave an interesting contrast on my palate.
DL can never resist a lamb dish if ever there’s one on the menu so he was mighty happy to go for the Organic Lamb Two Ways (RM165). With their tantalizing pink centres, DL ate his lamb with great relish, aided by the pretty tortellini sitting on celeriac puree and Balinese Pepper Sauce.
12-Hour Braised Pure Angus Beef Short Rib (RM135)
My dessert was the Granny Smith Apple Tart. I was a bit taken aback initially with its huge size and was afraid I could not finish it. But then it was so good that I had no problem polishing it off. The pastry is very light, the apples were slightly tart and even with some fraiche icecream and tangy berries sauce, the dessert proves to be a great hit.
Chocolate lovers will love the Dark Chocolate Sphere. A chocolate ball is served on a plate together with yoghurt sorbet, almond crumble and passionfruit. Warm chocolate sauce is then poured onto the ball which will slowly melt and cave in to reveal a “surprise” filling!
We ended this delectable dinner with some of Mandarin Oriental’s signature Petite Fours over cups of camomile tea.
There are plenty more to try from Chef Weber’s new menu: starters like Grilled Monkfish cooked in beef Chorizo sauce, Marbled Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Crispy Duck Breast, Alaska King Crab Cake or how about the Salmon Degustation? Other main courses to check out are Tortellini Pasta “Provencal”, Seven Vegetables Risotto, Atlantic Cod or the 12-Hour Braised Pure Angus Beef Ribs.
Starters and soups are priced from RM32++ to RM180++ while main courses are between RM68++ to RM285++ per dish. Desserts are from RM18++ to RM56++ per order.
For dining reservations, please call 603-2380-8888 or email [email protected]
Website: www.mandarinoriental.com