ON CULINARY CLOUD NINE AT NIMBUS

 

Prawn Bisque Noodles and Herbed Crusted Lamb Rack are two heavenly show-stoppers that left an indelible impression during our maiden visit to Nimbus.

Helmed by restaurateur-chef Fred Choong and his business partner Long Seh Yung, Nimbus draws a relatively young, hip crowd for its fine-dining level menus minus bank-breaking prices. At RM388+ for a four-course menu catering for two persons, it’s considered a snip compared to other atas (posh) restaurants in the Klang Valley.

Dinner started on a promising note with the house-made Almond Milk Bread wowing us with its cottony-softness. Slathered with sublime Mushroom Truffle Butter, it was a harbinger of Choong’s culinary artistry. BTW, the bread and butter are available for takeaway at RM10 each and RM45 per 100g.

For the 1^st course, the options listed in the menu included Seared Scallops with Tom Kha Emulsion, Capers and Ikura (supplementary charge of RM15), Turmeric Chicken Terrine, Salmon and Cured Yolk with Smoked Capsicum Sorbet, Prawn Paste and Fungus or the chef’s Octopus and Yam creation.

The natural sweetness of scallops was perked up by the bright, citrusy-grassy and creamy accents of Thai-inspired tom kha emulsion. Subtle bursts of capers’ tartness and salmon roe’s savouriness amped up the dish’s appeal.

Familiar Asian flavours shone through the escargot topped Turmeric Chicken Terrine. Sandwiched between thin, crisp puff pastry, we relished the playful textural combination with salted egg yolk cream.

Salmon and Cured Yolk with Smoked Capsicum Sorbet, Prawn Paste and Fungus proved Choong’s adroit ability at mixing and matching flavours and textures. A most creative French-style dish brimming with intriguing Malaysian accents especially that rojak-like sauce. Unbelievable but it worked like a charm.

Similar to the evergreen yam cake, Choong’s tantalising speciality of Octopus and Yam showed how a local favourite can be levelled up. The chef’s ingenious idea of placing grilled baby octopus atop an oblong chunk of yam pudding incorporating dried shrimps and chilli, and puffed rice crisps was excellent.

For the second course of Oyster Royale, dried oyster-infused oil and jus bestow depths of flavour to dulcet-smooth egg custard topped with herring roe. We also found a pair of plump oysters embedded within silky custard.

Riffs of Penang-style prawn mee made the Prawn Bisque Noodles (supplementary charge of RM28) a stellar crowd-pleaser in our book. Toothsome squid ink wantan noodles cooked in prawn broth made a sublime pairing with a whole grilled river prawn accentuated with zingy gochujang for this signature speciality. Slivers of pickled torch ginger flower and ikura added the finishing touches.

Choong’s personal favourite of Herbed Crusted Lamb Rack (supplementary charge of RM98) had us smitten at first bite. The medium rare lamb rack enticed us in with its juicy tenderness. Tricked up with longan jus and roasted garlic alongside potato dauphinoise, the delectable dish was something to write home about.

No less compelling was Mushroom and Artichoke Risotto with capers, sundried tomato and noisette beurre blanc (hazelnut butter sauce). The sundried tomato’s muted tangy accent tempered the creamy rich risotto whilst lightly grilled eringi mushroom gave the ensemble a slight meaty texture.

We found the Guinea Fowl Tortellini with seaweed beurre blanc, cordyceps flower and goji berries a tad underwhelming. It was still delicious but this speciality was eclipsed by earlier, more stellar offerings.

Choong is a dab hand at both savoury and sweet dishes as we soon discovered when it was time for dessert. His exquisite Sesame and Matcha creation with toasted sesame, summer berries and vanilla ice cream was refreshingly beguiling.

Exuding heavenly lusciousness, we readily succumbed to his sweet iterations of Hazelnut and Chocolate, Strawberry and Cream, and Orange Pudding. These stellar treats succeeded in lifting us up to a culinary cloud nine known as Nimbus.

For reservations, contact NIMBUS, 72G, Jalan SS 21/62, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

SIZZLING GOOD MEATS AT SEOULNAMI KOREAN BBQ

Stepping into SeoulNami is like entering a laidback, rustic beach-front eatery. Warm mellow-lighting coupled with a youthful surf’s up vibes, and wall-mounted ‘cut outs’ of food ingredients makes this pork-free Korean BBQ restaurant a convivial dining outpost among Malaysians at The Gardens Mall.

 

Owner and director Huen Su San of Beyond Korea Dining Group said: “SeoulNami opened about three years ago and has just reopened for dine-in recently. Our resident Korean chef concocts all the marinades and sauces we use at SeoulNami. The formulations are tweaked slightly to suit local palates.”

Signature Beef Platter (front) with the option of adding Korean Bone-in Short Rib (top left)

Strictly adhering to new norm SOPs, dining parties of 3-4 persons will find SeoulNami’s Signature Beef Platter (RM119) consisting of Bulgogi, Beef Rib Fingers, and Beef Belly a notable choice especially on their first visit.

This great value set comes with the option of adding in Korean Bone-in Short Rib (a la carte RM139). Should you prefer to go a la carte, the Beef Rib Fingers costs RM59, Bulgogi RM39, and streaky Beef Belly RM29.

Streaky Beef Belly

Bulgogi

Beef Rib Fingers

The nice thing about dining at SeoulNami is the helpful and efficient service team will step up and barbecue the meat without you lifting a finger – just remember to inform them of the preferred doneness for your choice of meat. When the slew of delicious morsels hit your table piping hot, you’d devour every enticing piece and find yourself replete in no time.

We also have ample opportunities to relish the textures of different cuts; and tried to decide which of the various marinated meats we prefer. In addition, sampling the meaty servings with the accompanying platter of fresh greens, raw garlic, green chillies and carrot sticks add to the experience.

Ban chan – little side dishes of radish pickles, cabbage kimchi, side salad, and steamed egg are served to accompany the meal.

Non-beef eaters may like to opt for the sweet and rich Honey Butter Chicken (RM59), a honey-butter rendition popularised by the Korean snack trend. Wrap a piece of the chicken in fresh lettuce, spike it up with the house gochujang sauce and eat it as ssam (Korean lettuce wraps).

SeoulNami’s Hot Pepper Chicken (RM59) is a hot hit among chilli fiends looking for an adrenalin rush. Concocted using the hottest chilli from the Korean province of Cheongyang and the house gochujang paste, the tongue-burning marinade makes its presence felt in the barbecued chicken pieces.

After that scorcher, the Ganjang Chicken (rm59) appears underwhelming but if you’re after a traditional Korean marinade with caramelised umami boost, this would be it. Melted cheese lava (RM19) is also available on request.

Ideal for sharing, the Signature Platter of Chicken Sampler (RM89) featuring all three flavourful marinated chicken also comes with a similar platter of greens.

Other notable items to consider include Premium Yang Galbi (RM59), marinated lamb rib and Spicy Octopus (RM39); for textural and flavour variation to your meal.

Koreans are big on rice and the Fist Rice (RM29) comes highly recommended. Available in original or spicy version, disposable gloves are provided for you to mix the warm soft rice with seaweed flakes and fragrant chicken mince, and shape into mini rice balls.

Simple but utterly delectable, we find them incredibly appealing. Both the original and spicy versions have their appeal. Talk about rice-ing to the occasion in wrapping up a Korean BBQ experience at SeoulNami.

For information and reservations, call SeoulNami Korean BBQ, tel: 03-2202 3336. Address: F-215, First Floor, The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Kuala Lumpur. Business hours: 11am – 10 pm daily