EURO ART OF CUISINE AT D EMPIRE

Strips of smoked salmon laid out in the house Smoked Salmon Salad (RM29.90) - an appetising fresh salad of hydroponic lettuce leaves, diced green apple and beetroot, microsprouts and walnuts dressed in balsamic vinaigrette paved the way for our dining experience at D Empire, a modern European restaurant at Pavilion KL.

 

Previously located at Main Place USJ and Mont Kiara, D Empire is now soaring high at posh new premises with super-high ceiling and picture windows giving shoppers expansive views of its polished brasserie-style setting. It's a befitting stage allowing us to dine as princelings without turning us into paupers.

 

The classy, warmly lit interior may seem intimidating but upon stepping in, you'd find the timber flooring, streamlined panelling and long banquette seating along with sturdy bentwood chairs and dining table a desirable haven to dine and unwind.

After we warmed up to some of the house mocktail concoctions, Chef Dallan Tan set about preparing a feast for our sampling. A veteran with close to three decades of experience, his speciality lies in fine European cuisine from past working stints locally and abroad.

After the initial green curtain-raiser, we got to grips with a plate of piping hot stuffed Escargots Bourguignon (RM26.90, half dozen).

Bathed in a golden pool of melted butter on silky smooth mash, those moreish, succulent snails with chopped garlic and herb tasted sublime. We couldn't resist pairing them with crusty baguette pieces dunked into that luxuriant buttery sauce.

There's a timeless appeal in the Italian speciality of risotto - its rusticity and basic simplicity referencing those comforting dishes we cherish. Chef Dallan Tan displayed his well-honed culinary prowess in the Creamy Mushroom Risotto (RM32.90), artfully ensuring the plump, al dente grains burst with the delicate scent and woody nuances of button and oyster mushroom.

The chef highlighted that the menu is a work-in-progress hence he rustled up his latest Pizza Bandiera (RM28.90) for our sampling. Channelling the tricolour Italian flag through sliced roma tomatoes with fresh rocket leaves and savoury cheese shavings, the scrumptiously crisp pizza ticked all the right boxes: texture, toppings and taste for us.

For a quintessential grasp of Italian culinaria, we highly recommend savouring the Olio Bacon (RM26.90). Simply tossed in olive oil with a trinity of bird's eye chilli, flat leaf parsley and smoky beef bacon slivers, the pasta left us smitten with its bare-frill deliciousness.

A surefire crowd-pleasing choice came in the form of charbroiled and baked Chicken Whole Leg (RM29.90). It tasted way better than its ho-hum description - the deboned chicken thigh and drumstick flaunted such crispy skin and juicy meat, it had us clucking with approval. Accompanied by Mediterranean-style grilled veggies with a splash of tangy and lightly creamy caper sauce along with flavourful chicken jus, Chef Dallan Tan said  getting the right chook of a particular weight is key to the dish's making.

A drizzling of sensuous beef jus made from scratch and a smear of mustard provided the finishing touch to the grilled grass-fed Black Angus Ribeye (RM58.90). Unfortunately, we found the steak cooked to medium tottering on the brink of well-doneness which didn't cut it for those of us who preferred it medium rare.

Things soon returned to even keel when we reeled in the ship-shape speciality of Salmon Trout (RM46.90). The slab of fish had a spot-on blush pink centre; its richness amplifying the piquant accents from the accompanying spicy coulis + caper cream sauce.

Passionfruit cheesecake (RM17.90) brought sweet closure to our maiden visit to D Empire. It was a luscious yet light enough creation to see us off into the night without leaving us feeling like deadweight.

I have a feeling we'd be back in view of D Empire's winning factors: strategic location, elegant ambiance, decent food quality and reasonable pricing. Check out the Executive Set Lunch too which offers fab value for money.

For reservations at D EMPIRE ART OF CUISINE, please call tel: 03-2110 6196. The resto is located at Lot 6.33 & 6.34, Level 6, Pavilion KL, Jalan Bukit Bintang, KL.

BIR-NANA RAMA AT FIERCE

There's a new dish in town and it's Fierce! Enterprising restaurateur Herukh T.Jethwani's latest brainwave inspired him to combine his restaurant's famed Hyderabadi dum biryani with banana leaf thali to create the hybrid speciality of Bir-Nana.

Diners can choose either South Indian or North Indian Bir-Nana Set (RM20-RM26 each) comprising their choice of Biryani (vegetable, mutton or chicken; fish only on Fri), 5 vegetables of the day, rasam (spiced tamarind-based broth), chicken curry or vathal kulambu (spicy, tangy veggie stew), raita, achar, pappadam and kesari (South Indian sweetmeat made from semolina).

 

We highly recommend the Mutton Bir-Nana (RM26) as the biryani comes sealed with dough around the metal dum rim, to ensure all the enticing flavours of Fierce's trademark biryani remain intact. Once the lid is lifted, a whiff of the spices, meat and rice should leave you drooling. Trust me, the first spoonful of this sublime speciality will have you wanting more.

Fierce also serves both South and North Indian Thali (RM10 each) - a fab value-for-money rice set presented in stainless steel compartmentalised tray. Depending on whether you're going with South Indian (SI) or North Indian (NI), every thali features white rice or par-boiled rice or chapati, 5 veggies of the day (including fried bittergourd chips), chapati, sambar (SI) or dhal (NI), vathal kulambu (SI) or veg curry (NI), rasam, pappadam, salted fried chilli and kesari.

Fierce has also introduced a selection of North Indian delicacies for dinner. While we waited for the culinary team to rustle some of the house specials for our sampling, we munched on crispy Onion Pakoras (RM8). Crisp on the outside, the sweet tender rings - cooked to order from 3pm daily - helped us to work up an appetite.

From the tandoor comes one of KL's best Chicken Tandoori (RM14 for 1/4 chicken). Suffice to say our dining party had nothing but praises for the chicken which was suitably charred on the outside yet irresistibly juicy inside.

If you prefer boneless chunks of meat, the Kebab Palette (RM22) is a godsend with four different variants: Tandoori, Malai, Haryali & Kalmi to tempt you. The Malai Tikka tasted seductively rich and creamy due to its cream, cheese and cashew marinade while we relished the invigorating mint, garlic, ginger, yoghurt and spice accents of the Haryali Tikka. 

Gram flour, ginger, garlic, cashew and spices form the basis for the Kalmi Kebab, rendering the delectable meat with a profusion of palate-pleasing nuances. Similar options of prawn, fish and paneer are also available priced at RM22-RM32.

Pouffy naans pockmarked with slightly charred surfaces are deftly prepared here too. Grab a basket of Mixed Naan (RM12) to share. Besides the plain version, the assortment includes garlic, butter and coriander naans which go superbly with gravy-laden dishes.

Perfect examples of those include Orange Prawns (RM30) and the fail-safe Palak Paneer (RM20). The first has springy crustaceans bathed in lightly creamy and subtly sweet gravy but such inventiveness was eclipsed by the spinach and cottage cheese purée's bright lushness.

 

No less decadent was Butter Chicken (RM22) brimming with distinctly smoky tomato and spice overtones. Other notable specialities to consider range from skewers of tandoor-cooked Mutton Rogan Josh (RM25) and Aloo Bhindi (RM14), delightful spiced potatoes with chopped ladyfingers.

Want to wrap the meal up with something sweet? We thought the Roti Nutella worth nibbling on as one serving shared meant the calories were spread among friends. ;D

For reservations at Fierce Curry House, please call tel: 03-2202 3456 or 019-3830 945. The restaurant is located at 16, Jalan Kemuja, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.