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 1st
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.
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.
