Showing posts with label Pate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pate. Show all posts

Wednesday, 26 June 2013

Mezze Lounge, Medan Damansara

‘We have been stuck in a traffic jam for at least three hours now’.

‘I know, I am starved, shall we make a make a pit stop at Mezze as it is on the way home?
‘Yeah, great idea. Let’s go’.

And that’s how we found ourselves in Mezze on a cold, rainy Friday evening craving for some warm food.


We entered Mezze to find the bar at the entrance. There is a lounge upstairs, which serves a slightly different menu compared to the bistro downstairs.

We were seated downstairs where the surrounding was pretty, cosy and fairly crowded. Patrons would be advised to make reservations.
Now, on to the main event...

BEVERAGES:

Gaj had Fresh Apple Juice (RM16).


Gaj: Nice, a thirst quencher!

Shiv had Pimms with Ginger Ale (RM17).


Shiv: Bad! Extremely watered down. The delicious spicy flavour of the Pimms liqueur was drowned out by the copious amounts of ale added. Shame that a place such as this couldn’t make a decent drink.

Kav had a Passion Fizz (RM18).


Kav: Just too sweet! I sent it back, but it came back a little diluted. =(

FOOD:

Duck and Chicken Spring Roll, signature spring rolls with roasted duck, chicken, feta and mushroom with a spicy sambal relish (RM21).


Gaj: The spring roll was tasty, I could not taste the duck, but it was a good dish nonetheless.

Shiv: Deliciously savoury and very flavourful. The mushroom and feta bits were scarce, but in their defense, the spring rolls didn’t need them, as the flavour from the meat was enough to support the entire dish.

Kav: Loved the spring roll. It was very meaty (in a good way) and had good flavour. However, would have liked it if the exterior had a little crunch!

Roasted Pork Belly, Asian style roasted pork belly and crackling served with slightly sweet and spicy garlic chili sauce (RM19).


Gaj: This is exactly like ‘siew yoke’ right down to the sauce and it was pretty darn good!

Shiv: Wowza! One of the better pork belly dishes I’ve tasted. The crackling on the meat was perfection, and the brininess of the pork was just sublime! I could have polished off the entire portion with no help. A definite MUST TRY here!

Kav: Yummy….the pork was cooked to perfection and the texture was on the money. The crunchiness and the fatty pork flavour came together to create the perfect dish.

Charcuterie Platter, Chef’s pick of week platter of fine cooked and dry cured meats, ham, sausages, home-made pâtés and terrines with condiments of pickles served with bread basket and butter (RM44 for small).



Gaj: Omg, I was in pork heaven! This was soo good, everything served was amazing – the ham, salami, pâté - soo yummylicious!

Shiv: Meat-loving me wanted to get up and do some cartwheels when this arrived. It was such a handsome platter, in all its meaty glory! Comprised of pickled vegetables and 6 different meats – pork pâté, meatloaf, pork salami, and 3 different varieties of ham, including my personal favourite, the famed Iberico ham. Everything on the platter was pure porky perfection, and each component was downright delectable on its own, and even more so when paired with the pickled vegetables and breads. Most of the bread selection was your typical run-of-the-mill types, but one particular variety was worth mentioning. Reminiscent of Indian naan, this one was soft and fluffy, and made for some pretty good comfort food (the wedges on the left-hand side most in the photo above).

Kav: For pork lovers everywhere, this one’s for you!!! I must say the selection of cold cuts was truly flawless, from the scrumptious Iberico ham to the salami, just ridiculously delicious. The accompanying pickled vegetables provided great contrast to the fatty pork. The bread served was ordinary.

Olio Bacon, pasta olio style with bacon, chili, garlic and sundried tomato (RM31).


Gaj: Definitely one of the best pastas that I have ever had! Melt-in-your-mouth goodness!

Shiv: OMG!!! This was seriously delicious and could easily qualify as THE best plate of pork pasta out there. The dish was not overly meaty, and had a well-balanced flavour with the sundried tomato and olive oil.

Kav: The hero of the night, and definitely one of the better pastas I have tried. The fatty-briny-porky flavour combined with the sweet sundried tomatoes and garlic, made for excellent flavour. The chili gave it that edge, which took this dish to the next level.

San Daniel pizza, cured ham, brie, oregano and a drizzle of olive oil (RM37).


Gaj: Probably the only dish that was short of amazing. I did not enjoy the crust, but the meat was good.

Shiv: This one was an experiment in minimalism – simplistic with the opportunity for the cured ham to shine. Unfortunately, the pizza was very dry, and the crust was tough. Would not order this again.

Kav: This dish is really not worth mentioning in my books. The crust was dry, hard and to top it off, the tomato purée used was flavourless (tasted like watered down canned tomato purée). The delicious cured ham, I believe, was wasted on the cardboard-like pizza.

DESSERTS:

Sticky Toffee Pudding, a moist sponge cake, with thick caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream (RM17).


Gaj: AMAZEBALLS! It was soo good that we recommended it to the patrons sitting next to our table. The marriage of sponge cake, caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream was nothing short of amazing! *Drools*

Shiv: Tasted like a dream!!! The sponge cake lived up to its description and was truly moist. The thick caramel sauce did NOT overwhelm the entire dessert as it sometimes can. One of the best sticky toffee puddings’ I’ve tried. I could come back here just for this.

Kav: I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. Initially, I was not too keen on a sponge cake dessert as it is really hard to get sponge cake desserts right (they tend to be a little dry). But boy was I glad to have been persuaded into ordering this dessert…it was soft, fluffy and nowhere near being dry. To my surprise, the sticky toffee pudding and caramel sauce was not too sweet. Loves!!!

Chocolate Royale Cake (RM18)


Gaj: The cake was good, not too chocolate-y which can be cloying.

Shiv: Good, but not great. The cake was rich without being overwhelmingly chocolate-y. However, they could improve slightly on the texture of the cake, as it was not very moist.

Kav: I liked it, but I did not love it!!!




Verdict: WOK ON!

PRICE: Expensive – the total bill came up to RM 269.10 for 7 dishes and 3 drinks (3pax).

AMBIENCE: Cosy and comfortable – there is a lounge and bar upstairs (food offerings are from a separate menu) with a laid back vibe, where musicians and bands perform live on certain nights. The downstairs area is suitable for dining patrons and families with kids.

SERVICE: Good – the staff was knowledgeable and happy to help.

FOOD: Very good – the meat was of good quality, fresh and prepared very very well. Will definitely visit this place again.

MEZZE, BISTRO AND WINE
NO 132, JALAN KASAH,
MEDAN DAMANSARA, 50490,
KUALA LUMPUR

Tel: 03 -20950122
Website: www.mezze.my

Opening Hours:
Monday – Thursday:
Bistro – 3pm to 1am
Lounge – 4pm to 1am
Friday – Saturdays:
Bistro – 12pm to 1am
Lounge – 4pm to 1am
Closed on Sundays

Thursday, 21 March 2013

La Vie En Rose, Jalan Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur

A dilapidated residential bungalow with an inconvenient entrance requiring an acute U-turn and a climb up a steep slope, abandoned for 15 years, transformed into a charming restaurant, with a gorgeous view of the Petronas Twin Towers.


La Vie En Rose, owned by a Toulouse native, Jean Michel Fraisse, is a fine dining restaurant which is a great place for a date.


For you single Sex-in-the-City-type girls, who just want a night out with AMAZING food, this restaurant has another plus point... the easy-on-the-eyes manager… ;-)
Sorry straight boys!!! 



Now on to the ‘la nourriture’

We were served with a complimentary basket of bread and Chicken Pâté.




Shiv: Amazing! My first time trying CHICKEN pâté and it was so good. It was seasoned very well and the pungent liver taste was not present. The bread was ordinary – nothing to shout about.

Kav: My first time as well, and it was just sublime. One of the best pate’s I have tried surprisingly, as you would expect chicken pate to be less rich in flavour. However, this was buttery and creamy and had immense flavour.

Mien: Hate chicken liver, and hated this! However, there was not much of the chicken liver taste as it was spiced well. There was a very distinct clove or aniseed taste. The bread basket was my saviour!!

We ordered the Crème brûlée au foie gras, brioche toastee [Foie gras crème brûlée with toasted brioche] (RM29).


Shiv: Not for the faint of heart. The crème brûlée idea was stretched a tad too far – caramel and foie gras DO NOT pair well. However, the foie gras itself was sublime and I loved the texture of the brioche.

Kav: How do I put this delicately??? Well, dessert arrived a tad too early for me. The caramel was just disgusting with the fatty foie gras. The brioche, however, was soft and the brown crust gave it a smoky flavour, which was lovely. The French and their pastries...hmmm.

Mien: Not a fan one bit. I am not a fan of livers and hence my disdain. However, the brioche... oh my days... so good... felt like I was in France.

Next item we ordered was the special of the day – Tuna cooked two-ways with White Sauce. (RM70). It was served with truffle mashed potato and Ratatouille.



Shiv: The tuna was too tantalising! The accompanying sauce was flavoured to perfection and the truffle mashed potato was divine. The ratatouille provided a nice earthy balance to the other strong flavours. #HighlyRecommended

Kav: OMG… the tuna was cooked to perfection. It was seared perfectly on the outside, while remaining pink on the inside. It was just melt in your mouth goodness and to be honest, it did not require any flavouring as the fish was so fresh and full of flavour. The accompanying sauce was creamy and the sourness from the tomatoes made for a perfect sauce. Ratatouille was good!

Mien: The tuna was oh my days... AMBROSIAL. It was not overdone... still moist and not too dry! The marriage of the sauce and the tuna was delightful! The truffle mashed potato.... JUST HEAVENLY! The ratatouille didn’t fail to impress as well… :-)

Next up, Cuisse de canard confite, purée aux truffes et sauce acidulée [Duck leg confit with truffled mashed potato, sweet and sour sauce] (RM49).



Shiv: Too good! The duck confit was superbly savoury and again, the truffle mash was an excellent starch source to soak up the deliciously briny duck juice. Loved this one to bits!

Kav: Duck, again, cooked to perfection as it was moist and fell off the bone. Loved the sauce as it was salty and had a buttery flavour to it. The balsamic reduction drizzle was a good contrast. The truffle mash was officially the best mash I have ever tasted, so creamy and the earthiness of the truffle coming together nicely.

Mien: Too gamey. Dislike!

Moving on to Poulet fermier cuit a basse
température, sauce aux morilles [Slow-cooked free range chicken, morel sauce] (RM58).



Shiv: Usually, I would never order a chicken main in a restaurant such as this, but boy am I glad we did. The chicken pieces were really tender and juicy, with an herb-y edge. Loved the pungency of the morel sauce too.

Kav: The chicken was moist, cooked perfectly, and the accompanying sauce was savoury, salty and flavoured well. The sauce carried that underlying earthy flavour provided by the morel mushrooms. The perfect marriage.

Mien: The chicken was done well, not dry. The morel... sooooo delicious! Loved this dish!

Dessert time!!!

First up: Profiteroles, sauce au chocolat et caramel [Profiteroles with chocolate and caramel sauce] (RM22).
The profiteroles were stuffed with Bourbon vanilla ice cream!


Shiv: Another French delight – La Vie En Rose hit the spot with their version. The profiterole dough was done well, and paired oh-so-beautifully with the chocolate caramel sauce. They could do no wrong with this dessert – a MUST HAVE here!

Kav: Decadence at its heights! This dessert should be illegal, that’s how good it was. The chocolate sauce was not overly sweet and the bourbon ice cream… oh, how I yearn to have some more!!! The nuts were crunchy and went perfectly with the entire dish.

Mien: DELICIOUS! The ice cream, chocolate, caramel, profiterole... a perfect combination!

Next: Tarte Tatin [Traditional upside-down French apple tart, Bourbon vanilla ice cream] (RM22).


Shiv: What a downer. I have never tasted such bad apple pie in my life! McDonalds makes better apple pies than this place!

Kav: Remind me never to order the French version of apple pie again!!! So so so bad… I mean, I don’t even know where to begin…Grrr…Wish I had eaten this before the profiteroles!!! How about we just leave apple pies to the American’s?

Mien: I prefer the American apple pie! This tasted like mashed cooked apples for babies... NO NO!

Due to our dissatisfaction, we ordered ANOTHER dessert.

Finally: Mousse de café et biscuit moelleux au chocolat, crème au chocolat blanc et expresso [Coffee mousse cake with soft chocolate biscuit, white chocolate and expresso custard] (RM22).


Shiv: Nice, strong coffee flavour which paired well with the creamy texture of the mousse cake and custard. Quite pleasant indeed.

Kav: The mousse cake was just alright, although it paired well with the creamy custard. Nothing to shout about.

Mien: Not a fan! Preferred the version served at Nathalie’s Gourmet Studio.

What is a French experience without some French wine.

We had the:
1)  Brouilly, Domaine La Citadelle, 2011 (RM30 per glass)


Shiv: A nice wine to start with. Easy to drink and paired well with the appetisers.

Mien: Medium bodied. It was light. Loved it.

2)  Les Vignes D’Oc, Pays d’Oc, 2011 (RM30 per glass)

Shiv: Heavier and not as good as the first one but pleasant on the palate nevertheless.

Mien: Hmm... I preferred the first wine. This one had a funky taste to it!

Kav was a teetotaller for the night, so she had a hot chocolate. This was on the house as the manager forgot her order and brought it late. Sorry guys, we forgot to check the price on this.


Kav: Loved the chocolate as it was not sweet and it was rich and chocolate-y, just the way I like it.


Verdict: WOK ON!

PRICE: Expensive (RM454.70 for 7 dishes and 4 glasses of wine – 3pax).

AMBIENCE: Appears slightly unfinished, but unassumingly romantic and an amazing view from certain angles, or if you sit closer to the outside portion of the restaurant.

SERVICE: Very good. The French manager that attended to us was as attentive as he was attractive. *wink wink*

FOOD: One of the best French restaurants in KL, serving authentic French cuisine.

LA VIE EN ROSE
39, JALAN RAJA CHULAN,
50200 KUALA LUMPUR

Tel: +603 2078 3883

Opening Hours:
Tue – Fri: 12.00pm – 2.30pm; 6.30pm – 10.30pm 
Sat – Sun: 9.30am – 2.30pm; 6.30pm – 10.30pm