It
was a Mediterranean-style Mother’s Day celebration with Mom. The venue of
choice was Marinero, a newly opened restaurant specialising in Mediterranean
fare at LaLaport Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC).
The
food got Mom’s stamp of approval – a good sign as she can be rather picky when
it comes to non-Chinese fare. She loves the spacious dining area which is
dominated by a circular bar.
Eye-catching
wall murals depicting scenes of Mediterranean life are Insta-worthy. One corner
is dedicated to a modern wine cellar with its cachet of fine wines.
To
whet our appetite, we sampled crisp, battered Calamari Fritters (RM30). Served
with lemon mayonnaise, the tender squid rings went down a treat. Even better was
the heap of zucchini strips - that airy light batter would make any tempura
master proud.
Mom gamely
tried the Trio Dips Platter with Pita Bread (RM49) and gave it the thumbs up. Her
favourite was melitzanosalata (Greek eggplant dip) but found both the hummus (chickpea
purée), and tzatziki (shredded cucumber with yoghurt) agreeable when spread onto the soft
triangles of lightly toasted pita bread.
Moroccan
Lamb Kofta (RM35) made from ground lamb mixed with spices then grilled on skewers – proved
to be another winsome appetiser. The house peri peri sauce bestowed a touch of fiery heat when we dabbed the kofta with it.
The only minor hiccup was the underwhelming Watermelon Salad (RM28): the crumbly bits of feta barely
left an impression whilst the chunks of watermelon, too big and the sumac vinaigrette
and balsamic reduction, too little. We shared the feedback with the
Marinero team who promised to improve on this.
For
mains, we highly recommend Moroccan Lamb Shank (RM95) with Apricot Cous Cous (the
other option is Biryani Rice). The fall-off-the-bone tender lamb shank was scrumptious; its rich meaty flavours nicely soaked up by the fine cous cous studded
with dried apricots. Smooth, thick Greek yoghurt sprinkled with
pomegranate seeds enhanced the dish further.
Infused
with saffron, the Seafood Paella (RM99) came laden with mussels, squid, fish
and tiger prawns in addition to red capsicum and peas. What we missed from
this deliciously comforting speciality is socarrat, that layer of slightly
scorched, crusty rice at the bottom of the pan.
Our
meal wrapped up on a high note thanks to the excellent Chocolate Fondant (RM28).
Served with a scoop of chocolate gelato, chocolate crumbs and some fresh
berries, we were stoked when molten chocolate actually flowed out once we cut
into the cake. Few places do this dessert well so kudos to the resto team for pulling
this off.
A
round of buttery phyllo pastry, chopped pistachios and juicy berries crowned
with luscious Vanilla Gelato (RM25) proved a tad indulgent but this
sublime treat is shareable when you embark on a Mediterranean culinary “cruise”
at Marinero.
For reservations at Marinero Mediterranean Dining & Bar, call 012 673 0046 or visit: https://marinerokl.my/
Address: Gourmet Street of BBCC, Lot
G-49,50,77, Ground Floor, Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport, Jalan Hang Tuah, Kuala
Lumpur. Business hours: 1130
am to 11pm; weekends until 12midnight
