Browsing through the Festival's website my mouth was drooling from all the photos and descriptive menus. However I settled on Neo Tamarind having heard of it's cool decor and good food and its well priced tasting menu.
Located next to Wisma KFC on Jalan Sultan Ismail, the restaurant was perched on top a small hill and had a real chic ambiance! It's hard to describe it in words and I wasn't able to snap any shots because the Manager wouldn't allow it.
Once we were seated we all decided on the MIGF menu and waited as our food arrived.
Bread Basket
The Charcoal Bread was really good! It had a light crisp texture and was still fluffy in the centre. The White Bread was also pretty good
Amouse Bouche: Foie Gras Mousse
The Foie Gras Mousse was velvety smooth and had a strong gamey flavor that is usually associated with it. The Balsalmic Reduction gave it a nice sweetness
Starter: Samadhi Rainbow Gnocchi, Zucchini Ribbon, Truffle Oil and Fine Herb,
and Balsamic Reduction
I was about to snap some shots of the Gnocchi when the Manager came over and told me I cannot take photos of the food. Disappointed I had to settle on describing this dish on words. The Gnocchi was beautifully presented and was perfectly cooked. The Truffle Oil gave the dish a very nice earthy flavor
Semi Raw Agent: Seared Crusted One Side Tuna Loin Sakura Mixed, Red Wine Jelly and Wasabi Foam
I managed to take shots of the remaining courses seeing that the Manager left. The Tuna Loin was lightly seared and was topped with a Red Wine Jelly. The Sakura Mixed was basically Julienned Deep Fried Taro. The Red Wine Jelly went well with the meaty texture of the Tuna and was good with the Wasabi Foam which tasted like it's made from Whipped Cream and Wasabi Paste
Hot Liquid Agent: Poached White Cod Loin in Beetroot Broth Prawns-Mascarpone, Avocado Oil, Sweet Corn Coulis and Black Ink Salt
The Beetroot gave the cod fish an earthier flavor and was really good with the Black Ink Salt and Sweet Corn Coulis.
Hot Flame Agent: Blowtorched Foie Gras, Smoked Duck Ribbon, Red Watermelon Cube
Melon-Mint Shooter, Sweet Potato Mash and Orange Salt
The Blow Torched Foie Gras had a light crisp texture and went so well with the Thinly Sliced Duck Breast. It was creative of the chef to include the palate cleanser in this course which was a Mint-Melon Shooter. It made for a beautiful plating
Hybrid Agent: Cold Seared Scallop-Habanero Fish Roe (Hokkaido) with Matcha Foam,
Grilled Wagyu Beef (MB-7) with Port Wine Glazed Portobello Terrine and Cauliflower-Mash
I never knew Green Tea would go so well with Beef. The Wagyu because it was thinly sliced was cooked well done but given the fattiness of the beef it was still very tender. The Scallop was fresh and pretty good.
Sweet Agent: Chocolate Truffle, Green Tea Doughnut, Warm Chocolate Cake with Kumquat Candied and Mocha Foam
The worse of everything we had. The Doughnut was chewy and cold. The Dark Chocolate Truffle was a little too dense in texture. The only thing I liked was the Mocha Foam which was a little too rich after a couple of spoonful. The Warm Chocolate Cake was not bad but it wasn't very moist. They might need a better pastry chef
Overall the one thing that stood out was the plating of the dishes. Everything looked beautifully presented. The food was quite good and the table service by the wait-staff was good. The manager in my opinion was confident to the point we almost took her for being cocky. Maybe I was a little upset about their "No-Photo" policy which was the first I've encountered in the places I've eaten in.
Food: 4/5
Ambiance: 4.8/5
Service: 3.5/5
Price: $$$$$ (Under USD $60 per person)
Contact Information
Address: 19 Jalan Sultan Ismail
50250 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +603-2148-3200
Web: http://www.samadhiretreats.com/
Map:
View Larger Map
No comments:
Post a Comment