NOBU KUALA LUMPUR'S SWANKY NEW HOME AT FOUR SEASONS PLACE

A more accessible location with expansive views of the verdant KLCC park and water fountain heralds the ‘homecoming’ of Nobu Kuala Lumpur to the Four Seasons Place Kuala Lumpur.

Having called the Menara 3 Petronas home in the last six years, the swanky new Nobu Kuala Lumpur now flaunts an all-new Sake Room, a state-of-the-art kitchen and several light-filled private dining rooms designed to elevate the dining experience.

According to General Manager of Nobu Kuala Lumpur, Gopi Kanala, the restaurant can seat up to 200 guests but following new norm SOP guidelines, it can seat 130-140 guests comfortably. “Situated in the city’s lifestyle hub means our emphasis on the experiential aspects includes being more child-friendly.”

 

Conceived as an experiential haven for both connoisseurs and newbies, the 12-seater Sake Room will set the stage for immersive food and sake matching experiences; counting among its drawcard a sake from Hokusetsu, Japan that's brewed exclusively for the Nobu Group.

“We have three private dining rooms with a total capacity of 60 persons for small and medium scale events,” says Gopi. “Thanks to our accessible location, and new and improved features, Nobu KL will be the ideal venue for both private and corporate events.”

Over at the impressive state-of-the-art kitchen outfitted with Malaysia’s first and most advanced exhaust system, Executive Chef Philip Leong and his team prepare Nobu’s renowned Japanese-Peruvian specialities for guests to enjoy. Complementing their culinary efforts is Head Sushi Chef Chico and his team over at the Sushi Bar who will have their hands full handcrafting sushi to order.

Cocktails and mocktails should be part and parcel of your gastronomic experience at Nobu KL. The inventive and extensive drinks list especially the cocktails are not to be missed; just seek the friendly resident Bar Captain for recommendations to suit your tastebuds.

Our media preview opened with a sampling platter of Oysters with Nobu Sauces, Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno and Sashimi Salad with Matsuhisa Dressing.

Served with yuzu and lemon juice, and a dot of Peruvian chilli paste, the plump Japanese oyster was utterly sublime. A baby green peach then cleansed our palate with its fragrant, juicy sweetness.

Then we savoured yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno, served tiradito-style; a typical Peruvian way of anointing slices of raw fish with drizzled yuzu soy sauce. Sliced jalapeno and fresh coriander added heat and herbaceous finish to round off the fish's succulence.

Conceived as a salad of sorts, the sashimi salad featured tuna tataki wrapped in red leaf lettuce with Matsuhisa dressing (chopped onion, shoyu & black pepper). Rich and flavourful, the whole ensemble primed the palate in eager anticipation for the subsequent courses.

Should you be keen to pair the sashimi courses with a cocktail, try the highly recommended Seasons in the Sun – a “Summer” concoction of Hokusetsu Junmai ‘Sado No Shu’, GH Mumm Grand Cordon, Elderflower Syrup and Calpis.

 

We were reminded of the arrival of spring and sakura season when the dainty servings of Foie Gras with Yuzu Marmalade on Sakura Monaka appeared. Adorned with micro greens, the heavenly morsels of seared goose liver and yuzu marmalade were enticingly presented on airy-light sakura-shape wafer shells.

The high point was the Nobu Style Sushi selection especially it included kohada (gizzard shad) – a delicious, subtly briny and vinegar-marinated silver-skinned fish, kanpachi (yellowtail) with coriander, Japanese baby snapper with wasabi salsa and tender scallop with spiced herb.

As expected, the signature Black Cod Miso left us in rapturous delight with its savoury-sweet symphony and sensuously ethereal texture. Any residual richness was tempered by the accompaniments of pickled ginger stem and candied apricot on the side.

Served medium rare, the on-point Angus Beef Tenderloin Truffle Teriyaki proved Nobu Kuala Lumpur’s readiness in cutting a swathe in the city’s dining scene.

To herald its return, a decadent creation of Nobu Cheesecake with Raspberry Cream on Sesame Crumble, accompanied by a delightfully refreshing scoop of Yuzu Strawberry Sorbet seemed most befitting to wrap up our meal on a sweet note.

For reservations at Nobu Kuala Lumpur, call tel: 03 2380 0028 or WhatsApp: +6 019 389 5085. ADDRESS: L4A-05, Level 4A Shoppes at Four Season Place, 145 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. 

CELEBRATION OF NEW BEGINNINGS AT LE MEI

If there’s a dish to soup up the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration, the excellent Shunde Style Traditional Shredded Fish Soup by Le Mei’s Chinese Executive Chef Lim Kian Meng will be the hottest choice.

Similar to a hearty bisque, the creamy white broth enhanced with fine slivers of wood ear fungus, snake gourd and carrot is to-die-for. Shredded seabass amps up its lush sweetness with crumbs of the deepfried fish give it a subtle crunchy finish.

This stellar speciality is one of the many show-stoppers featured in Le Mei’s three CNY menus: Wealth & Fortune Set RM3,388, Everlasting Prosperity Set RM2,388 and Spring & Happiness Set RM1,688 per table of 10 persons; available now until February 8. 

The customary Yee Sang (from RM50 upwards depending on variant and portion size) with salmon is par for the course. Personally, I find the salad platter a tad too sweet but it’s a minor hiccup easily remedied by reducing the sauce. Overall, the ingredients jive together well enough.

Pix courtesy of Chasingfooddreams.com

Chef Lim’s two decades of culinary experience from past stints in Macao, Russia and locally stands him in good stead. Gastronomic proof of his culinary prowess is apparent when you savour the Stewed Sea Cucumber with Free Range Chicken and Black Truffle in Claypot.

His judicious inclusion of black truffle paste prior to serving transforms a downhome offering into a raveworthy speciality. The discernibly musky scent of truffle coupled with the milieu of big, robust flavours from the toothsome, juicy chicken and plump mushrooms make this a divine dish to remember.

 

Wok-fried Scallops with Asparagus and Fresh Mushroom in XO Sauce maintains the impressive streak. Sweet and tender, the scallops imbued with a dash of the zingy house XO sauce will surely tantalise the tastebuds and get the thumbs up. 

Inspired by Hong Kong’s famed pei fung thong (typhoon shelter) style of preparation, the Fried Lamb Racks with Crispy Garlic and Chilli follow a similar approach. According to Chef Lim, the lamb is marinated with herb juice prior to being battered for frying. We find the blush pink lamb deliciously juicy; the crisp fried garlic and chilli bits setting the palate alight with bursts of flavourful piquancy.

 

Dense and firm, the meat of the Sabah Giant Grouper Steamed with Premium Soy Sauce is a winsome, classic way to ensure the pricey fish (loong da'rn in Chinese) fulfills the sumptuous and auspicious quotient for the festive table. 

Mindful of today’s health-conscious clientele, Le Mei serves Fried Organic Brown Rice with Seafood and Tobiko. Tiny Hong Kong dried shrimps, dices of fish, prawns and a generous topping of tobiko make the fried mixture of brown and white rice a surefire crowd-pleaser.

The sweet-ender of Pan-fried Glutinous Rice Cake is not your average nian gao. Dim sum chef Yau Fong Peng uses pheen thong (flat brown blocks of unrefined cane sugar) to ensure the festive CNY cake is lighter, less sweet and sticky.  Each slice is seared to give it a brown crust and amplify the caramel flavour. You can’t ask for a better way to welcome the Year of the Rat in 2020.

Picture courtesy of Le Meridien Putrajaya

For reservations, please call LE MEI, tel: 03-8689 6888/

6847/6868. Address: Lobby Level, Le Meridien Putrajaya, Lebuh IRC, IOI Resort City, Putrajaya, Sepang