Saturday, January 1, 2011

Lunch @ Lafite, Shangri-la KL (Wishing everyone a Happy 2011!)

Lafite is an Institution in KL's Fine Dining Scene and is known over the years for serving some of the city's best European Cuisine. It is ironically one of the few places I have always wanted to visit but shied away because of its strict dress code. Yes I know... It's a lame excuse for not visiting a restaurant. But I never needed to wear a Suit for work and having to wear one to enjoy a meal in a tropical city such as KL is not really something I would do unless it was a really, really famous restaurant.

Anyways... recently a friend of mine told me that the Restaurant has relaxed its dress code to "Smart Casual" allowing diners to enter wearing just jeans and a polo shirt. Hearing this I made a lunch visit with my friends on Friday to check out the food!

Lafite offers a lunch set menu which gives diners the option of having two appetizers (One Hot and One Cold) with an entree or one appetizer with an entree. Both sets include a Dessert Buffet that was beautifully laid out in the center piece.

Dessert Buffet
Dessert Buffet

Assorted Breads
Assorted Breads
The Breads were served warm and I particularly liked the long Butter Brioche. It was crumbly, fluffy and had a buttery flavor.


Amuse Bouche: Pumpkin Mousse
Amuse Bouche
The Pumpkin Mousse was mild in flavor and had a really light and airy texture.


Cold Appetizer: Tuna Tartare
Tuna Tartar
The Tartare was very fresh and melts in your mouth. The Yuzu dressing had a good balance of sweet and sour with a strong sesame oil flavor. It went well with the Avocado Puree and Sliced Seaweed.


Cold Appetizer: Chilled Cucumber Soup
Chilled Cucumber Soup
The Cucumber Soup was very refreshing and reminded me of Gazpacho. It was served with a Hokkaido Scallop and Fresh Salmon. I liked the inclusion of minced cucumber which gave the soup a little texture.


Hot Appetizer: Risotto
Risotto
The Risotto was perfectly cooked with the rice having just the right amount of starchiness drawn out to make it creamy but still maintaining an Al Dente Texture in every grain. The Bolognese Sauce on top was very meaty and went well with the tomato puree. What gave it an extra depth in flavor was the White Truffle Foam. This was so good we could eat it as a main course.


Hot Appetizer: Mushroom Cappuccino
Mushroom Cappuccino
This was basically a very well made Mushroom Soup. The Mushrooms were really earthy and the use of cream did not dilute the earthy flavor of the mushrooms.


Entree #1: Barramundi
Barramundi
This was my dish. The Barramundi was well cooked and was flaked into several pieces and sandwiched between Mash Potatoes. I felt the Barramundi's mild flavor was lost to the creamy and rich flavor of the Mash Potatoes which also had another strong flavored ingredient, Shiitake Mushrooms. The Vegetable Medley of Carrots, Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes however added a lot of color and was delicious.


Entree: Braised Beef Short Rib
Braised Short Ribs
This was Kim's order and it was delicious. The Short Rib was very tender and its natural flavor was definitely well drawn out. The jus was delicious and heightened the flavor of the Short Rib.


Entree: Duck Confit
Duck Confit
This was Uncle Richard's Order. The Duck was tender but had an Asian Flavor to it based on Uncle Richard. He felt the meat was well cooked but did not appreciate the Chef's use of Asian Flavors. He strongly believes if the dish is French the chef should stick with French Ingredients and techniques.


Entree: Cod Fish
Cod Fish
This was Aunty's Cindy's order. The Cod Fish was really good. It was very soft in texture and was perfectly cooked. I only had a small bite so I can't really describe the overall flavor of the dish.


Dessert Buffet
Assorted Desserts
Dessert Buffet
Overall the desserts were a hit and miss. Favorites of mine included the Chocolate Mousse, Assorted Fruit Tarts and the Peach Cobbler. Dislikes included the Macaron's, Chocolate Covered Marshmallows and the Strawberry Eclair.


Overall the food at Lafite was excellent. Favorites of mine included the Risotto, Tuna Tartar and Braised Short Rib. If only the desserts were better this meal would have been close to perfect.

Food: 4.5/5
Service: 4.7/5
Ambiance: 4.5/5
Price: $$$ (USD $35 per person)


Contact Information
Address: Shangri-la Hotel Kuala Lumpur, 11 Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +603-2074-3900
Web:http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/kualalumpur/shangrila/dining/restaurant/lafite
Map:

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2 comments:

Bacon said...

Been 10 years since i've stepped into LaFite.

May I ask how much was the set lunch?

Kwong said...

Wow! That's been a long time! The set lunch wasn't pricey. It's around RM98- RM130 if I recall correctly pending on your choice of one or two appetizers.