| Dining with A View | Cantaloupe @ Troika Sky Dining.

Situated on the 24th floor of the Norman Foster building, The Troika, Troika Sky Dining offers 3 different concepts; Strato (Italian restaurant), Claret (Wine Bar) and Cantaloupe (French restaurant). Run by Chef Christian Bauer himself, who was also the man behind Frangipani, presents an array of exquisite dishes that promises a fine dining experience like no other. 

Amazed by the hallway from Claret to Cantaloupe that instantly lights up one's mood.

Dining in Cantaloupe also allows fellow patrons to enjoy the stunning panoramic view of the city's skyline. Despite being located in the hustle and bustle of the big city of Kuala Lumpur, the atmosphere within the restaurant was rather quiet and relaxing, allowing one to enjoy the food.

With its top-notch service, hats off to the friendly staffs.

Thus,

Let's start off with our complimentary starters that include;

Three different type of breads - plain, garlic and squid ink served with unsalted butter and three types of salt. 

Japanese cucumber with black pepper meringue leaving a refreshing unique taste.

Our appetizers were;

Caviar

Oscietra caviar, soy panna cotta, lemon tapioca, soy cured salmon carpaccio and hendricks jelly.

Scallop

Chorizo dusted scallop, caramelized onion slices, wild seasonal mushroom, parsley foam, bacon and ancho chili oil.

The scallop was really fresh and cooked to perfection. I really love the combination of the scallop and the caramelized onion.

Lobster

Noisette butter poached nova scotia lobster, pickles, new zealand spinach, crisp fried beef tendon and green chartreuse emulsion.

This was the highlight of all the appetizers for me. I enjoyed every bite of this fresh, succulent lobster and the sauce was incredibly tasty. But i didn't like the foam tho.

Our main courses were;

Beef Tenderloin from their Summer Truffles menu. 

Feel free to check out their Summer Truffles menu from their page.

Filet Mignon

Flash fried red wine marinated filet mignon, slow cooked vegetables, porcini mushrooms and parsley noodles.

Chicken

Half a chicken; the breast brined, seared and served with green olive tapenade, the skin as a crisp, the leg boned, rolled and stuffed with liver mousse, the gizzard confit fried crisp.

This dish is beautifully made to every detail. 

I'm glad that the boyf enjoyed his meal very much.

=)

Duck

Orange and jupiter marinated duck breast, smoked duck quinoa, stewed brussels sprouts, spiced cranberry sauce.

I personally find the meat slightly tough. Or maybe i am not a fan of ducks.

Confit Cod

Confit cod fillet, stewed savoy cabbage, fried spatzle, beetroot glaze and dill crème fraiche mousse.

The fish is slowly cooked to keep it moist. Despite a rather fishy smell, but the taste were just fine. The cream was a tad too creamy, tho. Nonetheless, fish is fresh.

Salmon Rossini

Rare cooked salmon pave, braised oxtail, beef jus, pan seared foie gras escalope.

Salmon were cooked to perfection (not overly cooked, but just nice to keep the flesh moist and flaky), and needless to say the foie gras was simply delicious. I can ensure you that every bite will bring you to cloud nine. Indeed the combination was stunning.

Last but not least, desserts;

Tiramisu that was brought over from the Italian restaurant next door.

Not as beautiful as it seems.

Cheese cake on the other hand was a pleasant one. The cheese cake was rich yet light, and the combination with the kumquat caramel ice cream was very smart. Indeed a perfect sweet ending to our scrumptious meal.

Not to forget,

Off-menu mocktails (L-raspberry and R- green apple) recommended by the staffs and boy, they are so refreshing! Dining here at Cantaloupe definitely gives you an exclusive experience as everything will be tailored to meet your needs and wants.

All in all,

although it was a bit upsetting on the unavailability of certain dishes due to its overwhelming responses, but rest assured, you know their food will definitely blow you away when you have the chef who personally came to the table just to have a word or two. =)

Such comforting meals with lovely companions are always the bomb! Sweet, sweet indulgence.

Cantaloupe @ The Troika

Level 23A Tower B,

The Troika,

19 Persiaran KLCC,

50450 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2162 0886

'Like' their Facebook page here to find out more!

Menu and pricing can be found here.

Till then,

great day ahead, lovelies!

With love,

Sue.

Food Review | The Steakhouse @ Changkat, Bukit Bintang.

The Steakhouse KL, is like a hidden gem situated along the happening street of Changkat Bukit Bintang. Adjacent to The Whisky Bar, The Steakhouse is yet another latest establishment by Werner Kuhn, who also owns several restaurants on the same street like Dining in The Dark, Werner's on Changkat and El Cerdo to name a few.

Upon entering the 40-seater steak joint, we were greeted with a rather romantic and cosy ambiance.

As we get ourselves comfortable and scanning through the menus, I awed looking at their wide selections of liquors, wines and exceptionally long list of whisky picks from highlands, lowlands and what not. There are over 275 labels from around the world for you to choose from.

 And the indulgence begins;

2012 Serres Rioja Tempranillo and white wine from Italy to blend with our main courses.

Some had Yamazaki Whisky which was rather strong but definitely worth the try.

Complimentary Focaccia bread with Wild Mushroom Soup.

The mushroom soup was quite tasty despite a tad watery but nonetheless, it goes really well with the bread.

Then came along our starters that were highly recommended;

Delicately presented Shrimp Cocktail. 

Besides the 3 huge prawns that were hanging on the side of the glass, there was a generous amount of smaller prawns inside the glass. I actually enjoyed this starter very much as the prawns were fresh. Mouth-watering indeed.

Panfried Duck Foie Gras 

with fine bean and orange segments.

To be honest, it was my first time tasting foie gras. Been wanting to try this long ago but the idea was taken aback after knowing how food was shoved down the throat of ducks and geese just to fatten their livers. But let's put that aside, the foie gras was actually amazingly delicious, very rich in taste and undoubtedly yummy for a first timer like me. 

Escargot.

Baked snails with garlic herb butter.

Escargot on the other hand was just alright for me as i don't really fancy snails (partly because i personally find it expensive and obviously it is very rare to get good ones around). But i really appreciate how it was baked to perfection with the garlic herb butter giving such unforgettable aroma and succulent. 

Oyster Rockefeller

A famous dish with spinach, fine herbs and pernod.

The toppings are in crumble-like form but I personally prefer the one below this though;

Fresh Live Oysters On Ice with Shallot-Wine Vinaigrette.

I would say,

LIVE OYSTERS OVER OTHER SEAFOOD ANY TIME! 

Imported from Ireland, the oysters were definitely very fresh and i. can. never. have. enough.

Tempted even by looking at it now.

*salivates*

The highlight of this restaurant is obviously for their steaks. What is a steakhouse for if its not for their steaks right? Heh.

Beefs are imported from Australia and patrons have the choice of either the Chilled Australian Grain Fed or the Aged Black Angus with 5 different cuts to choose from - Medallion, Tenderloin, T-bone, Rib-Eye and Striploin.

Have your pick of preferred sauces - Black Pepper, Mushroom, Red Wine, BBQ and Bearnaise and as well as your choice of potato - French Fries, Mashed Potato or Sauteed Potatoes.

I personally love the Red Wine sauce among all.

Unfortunately, i could not take beef tho i must say the meat itself seemed so tempting just by looking at it. It seemed so tender and juicy. But i had no choice but to opt for non-beef dishes such as;

New Zealand Lamb Chop.

I personally find the meat a little too lean and dry but luckily the Red Wine sauce compliments it really well. 

Grilled Black Cod Fish.

Serve with parsley, potato, mushroom and creamy wasabi pesto sauce.

The cod fish is imported from Alaska / Norway. This boneless fillet is definitely fresh, flaky but lean and tender and i must say that the creamy wasabi pesto sauce is really extraordinary. It does not have much wasabi taste instead i find it palatable and very appetizing.

Just a lil' extra information; Do you know that cod fish has one of the lowest calories, high in protein and abundance of omega 3? Yay! =D

Last but not least, a sweet ending to our scrumptious dinner;

Belgium Chocolate Fondue.
I love how they use dark chocolate and belgium chocolates are always best to be used in fondue.

Homemade Mango Sherbet and Chocolate Ice Cream.
Really good as the texture was really smooth.

Andreas Special.

white chocolate ice cream, milky chocolate mousse, chocolate crumble, banana in passion fruit and pear in red wine.

Previously i mentioned in a blog post for El Cerdo stating that i did not like this dessert but surprisingly, it was good! So i'm taking my words back, as this Andreas Special is really special. It is indeed a combination of everything great.

Baked Cheese Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream.
I did not really enjoy this one as i find the texture of the cake ain't moist and cheezy enough.

Classic Italian Tiramisu.
I am here to say that they serve the best tiramisu in town! Surprisingly the mango sauce really did go well with the tiramisu and it was not so much of mangoey taste and it is also to actually lessen the bitterness of the espresso powder. This is definitely the highlight among the desserts. =)

No doubt that we had a great time and thank you for the invitations as we had such a memorable dining experience.

[Pork-free]
The Steakhouse
44, Changkat Bukit Bintang,
Bukit Bintang, KL.
Tel: 02-2144 2268
Website: http://steakhousekl.com/

On a side note,they will be having a Whisky Tasting Night on the 23rd of July 2013. If you're interested, feel free to click here.

Have a great week ahead, dears!

P/S: Previous post about El Cerdo can be found here. =)

Love, 

Sue.

Garibaldi Italian Restaurant & Bar @ Bangsar Village.

Thinking of an exquisite dining experience with authentic Italian food cooked by authentic Italian chefs themselves? Garibaldi is the way to go! Not to be confused with GariBar tho (situated on the ground floor of the two floors outlet), as it serves only snacks and light bites. Something that is more casual and chillaxing.

;

As we were brought upstairs and right into the room, we were greeted with this stunning sunflower that instantly light up our mood. (or maybe just me alone haha!)

Pardon me that i have to print screen this photo from their website just to give you an idea about how their room looks like. Heeee. If you're in a large group and would like some personal time together, book your reservation earlier. Nonetheless, tables outside the room get to enjoy views that are overlooking the busy night life in Bangsar.

As soon as we've placed our orders (took some time to actually digest the almost-impossible-to-pronounce names of the dishes and we have to resort to the details written instead), we were served with bread sticks on a base of red-coloured course salt and freshly baked Focaccia.

Something that will not be missed in any Italian restaurant. Just dip it in the olive oil with balsamic vinegar and start nibbling. It works magically in opens up your appetite. Or how i usually call it, having a more sensitive taste buds to savour the other dishes later on.

Along came more starters;

Trust me, i have no idea what is this called but from as much as this tiny brain of mine could remember, it tastes like tomato purée mixed with some sour&spicy ingredients. Clearly i do not have 'chef-like' taste buds but yea, it was not so much to my liking.

Recommended by the waiter himself, Antipasto Italiano - RM 48 is apparently the most preferred starters among the customers. I have to say that i really enjoy this as all 6 starters compliment each other so well. Also, i've found my love for Rocket Salad lately as not many could take that extreme fresh 'greenerish' taste. If that make any sense haha!

Then came our mains;

Ravioli - RM 48

Veal Ravioli with Porcini Mushrooms Cream Sauce

It was my first time ordering / tasting ravioli and i must say that the raviolis were cooked to perfection; it was not too hard and the dough were not too thick either. I really enjoy the mushroom cream sauce as it was amazingly tasty. As much of a glutton i am, six pieces of ravioli is impossible to fill this tummy of mine. I can proudly say that i could easily finish at least 3 to 4 plates of this! That shows how much love i have for this dish. Teehee. Highly recommendable if you're a big fan of pasta and you're opting for something else besides the usual spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine and what not.

Cappone - RM 65

Roasted Boneless Chicken Stuffed with Chestnut and Ricotta, serve with Foie Gras Sauce and Sauté Spinach.

I don't think many would appreciate the texture of the chicken even though the taste was rather rich and tasty. The texture is like eating many pieces of chicken liver in one mouth. Definitely not much to boyf's liking as he exchanged his main with me but the sauté spinach was commendable. Full stop.

Other dishes were basically risottos, spaghetti and linguine which they really enjoyed.

Last but not least;

A-must-have!

Garibaldi's Signature Tiramisu - RM 25

Can restaurants stop serving tiramisu so that i can order other desserts on the menu? Haha. It was classic, but i didn't like the raspberries and blueberries. Too sour! 

...........

All in all, it was another great dining experience.

Ratings: 8.5/10

The only issue that could be highlighted here is some main dishes were actually served after an hour or more. Not a good idea to keep the customers waiting for that long but still, thumbs up to the waiter who was willing to explain everything that we asked!

..................

Garibaldi Italian Restaurant and Bar

Lot10 & G22, Bangsar Village I,

Jalan Telawi 1,

59100 Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2282 3456

Website: www.garibaldi.com.my

Like them on Facebook here!

With love,

Sue.

Sands SkyPark Infinity Pool @ Marina Bay Sands.

I'm on my very LAST semester break.

I don't know if i should be happy.

Mixed feelings, indeed.

New chapter of life will be starting real soon; the working life.

Yeah, it's not like a big deal anyway. 

Everyone faces it. 

The only difference is who loves their job and who doesn't. 

I hope mine's ain't that bad, tho i'm quite sceptical about the upcoming internshit. Hmm.

Anyways,

this is a long overdue post.

Which i'd promised much, much earlier.

And so, my mind decided to wander a lil' to the one of the best memories i had in 2012.

It was all because i spent it with the entire family.

=)

The 150-metre infinity-edged swimming pool located 57 storeys above the ground.

"Crowning the three hotel towers of Marina Bay Sands at 200 metres in the sky, the Sands SkyPark stretches longer than the Eiffel Tower when laid down".

It was all about

FREEDOM. RELAXATION. FUN. HAPPY.

It was the time where nothing seems to matter.

Being stress-free and carefree is probably the best feeling one could ever had. =)

Wish to be there right now.

And oh, they had their very own photographer there as well to take awesome photos for you where you can collect after a few hours.

Could not recall how much tho teehee.

Last but not least,

Love this shot! ❤

=)

..........................

P/S:

Access to the Garden and Infinity Pool is for hotel guests only. 

However, Sands SkyPark Observation Deck is open to public.

Admission Fee;

Adults: $20

Children (2-12 years): $14

Senior Citizens (above 55 years): $17

Tickets available at Marina Bay Sands, Ticketing Counter at Hotel Lobby Tower 3.

With love,

Sue.