Urban,
Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur City Centre,
73 Jalan Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-21419988
Business hours : noon – 2.30pm,
6.30pm – 10.30pm.
Saturdays: Opens for dinner only.
Closed on Sundays & public holidays
EACH dish at Hotel Istana’s Urban restaurant is prepared with care and painstaking hard work simply because of the team’s dedicated effort to make food taste and look good.
For the new Authentic Western Cuisine menu at Urban, chef Sharusmizal Salleh has created a typically European menu complete with the favourites such as game.
“We wanted to focus on medieval, traditional dishes heavily influenced by European and Mediterranean flavours,” he said.
The varied choices from the appetisers, main course and dessert, will leave diners wanting to try a few items.
In the appetisers list alone, one can find foie gras, Wagyu Beef Carpaccio and the White Wine Risotto.
The foie gras is served with Fuji Apple Puree, Sunny Set up Quail Egg and Juniper Berries Aged Balsamic Glaze.
Smokey on the palate, the foie gras is well matched with the taste of the sweet and sour apple puree.
The White Wine Risotto is served with tender scallops with perfectly cooked buttery risotto with just a hint of pepper.
Beef lovers will devour with the Wagyu Beef Carpaccio in no time. Each piece of wagyu beef is sliced thinly with perfection. The slices are cured with ample seasoning and the accompanying Parmesan Micro Sponge, Mustard Cream, Hon Shimeji Vinaigrette and extra virgin olive oil add to the burst of flavours in the mouth.
Diners can choose from the ala carte menu or the Urban dinner set or the Bouy Chef Specials (Gourmet specials) comprising appetiser, main course and dessert. The gourmet specials feature a selection of Prime Rib, Veal Rack, Wagyu Beef, Lobster and Seafood Platter for main course.
We were treated to the Veal Rack from the Gourmet menu which was pan seared.
The medium rare veal is juicy and well marinated and was served with seasonal vegetables.
The regular menu features delights like the seabass, smoked duck and venison Saddle.
Unlike usual Seabass preparations, chef Sharusmizal seasons the fish with grapeseed oil and salt and sears it.
Served with capers and hazelnut drizzled with chervil oil (herbs), the taste is heightened with the delicate Roma tomatoes that are sweeter.
Venison has always been a favourite and chef Sharusmizal’s venison crusted with Szechuan pepper is one of the best preparations I have eaten.
“It is always ideally paired with chestnut and with it is Port Wine Juice, a drink that is always partaken with game,” he added.
The duck is smoked in house andhe recommends a medium rare or medium doneness. Tasty in its simplicity, it is served with wilted garlic spinach and peppercorn sauce.
Dessert is another treat at Urban and the chefs have come up with an array of sweet delights for diners.
The Tahini Vanilla Apricot Parfait, a favourite among the Westerners has a sweet and sour taste that ends any meal with a smile.
Malaysian’s favourite Apple Crumble comes in a different form, the Apple Cranberry Cobbler.
The Cobbler is crumbly with a myriad of textures and the warm crumble with the mascarpone ice cream is a dream come true.
Another must try is the Urban Hugo Sphere, chef Sharusmizal’s pride. Served with a lychee and mango compote, pine nut crumble, Sable Breton and hot lime chocolate sauce, the dessert literally melts in the mouth.
Surprisingly the lime brings out the chocolate flavour and the zest does not overwhelm the dessert.
The dinner menu is priced at RM145nett while the Bouy Chef Specials is priced at RM195nett.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.