7ATENINE,
Ascott Kuala Lumpur,
9, Jalan Pinang, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2162 7789
Business hours: noon-3.00pm (Mon to Fri),
4.30pm-2am, everyday. Closed on Sunday.
THERE is always anticipation when invited for a meal but dining on a menu tailor made for a special event, heightens the expectation because a lot of thought goes into creating an outstanding meal.
With hunger pangs slowly setting in, the Soft Shell Crab Popsicle, Foie Gras Nigiri and Mini Sheeksh Lamb Burger arriving to our table, rather promptly after the photography session was a welcome sight.
This was the Christmas Eve menu at 7atenine and I looked back and forth at the menu to check on what else was in store for the night so I could pace myself, slowly.
However, when your tastebuds find favour to a particular flavour, the will to resist slowly succumbs to the call of what is tempting on the table.
Out of the tapas trio, the Foie Gras Nigiri stood out for its delightful taste as the citrus tang and tartness of fruit complemented the creamy foie gras elegantly.
To keep the diner reaching out for more, sous chef Kamarul Karnan had cleverly included kumquat reduction and berries to liven up the bite-sized sushi and this dish, was my absolute favourite of the night.
The adorable lamb burgers are to be relished. I felt these mini delights would do well on the ala carte menu because women could easily eat them while maintaining their composure without mustard and ketchup dripping down the chin.
An elegant dish: The Braised Wagyu Fillet with winter truffle emulsion,savoy cabbage and Rose juice.I was happy to see the Pan Seared Barramundi being served for dinner because of my preference for it.
With its crispy skin nicely flavoured and the meat, smooth and silky, the dish was a complete winner for its pairing with kelp dust, champagne foam, slow poached passion apple and zucchini puree.
The bed of apples with a tiny bit of passion fruit rounded up the taste of the fish, offering a balanced taste of sweet, sour and tangy.
The apples, chef Kamarul said lose their sourness to give way to the fruit’s sweet essence, once they had been poached with thyme syrup and reduced, while the aromatic passion fruit was absolutely charming with the overall dish.
The Roasted Bronze Turkey Leg with pinenut and spinach farce, mixberry glaze and wasabi risotto, is not your normal turkey fare but has been delicately plated to wow its audience.
Yummy-licious: The Rhubarb Cheesecake and Homemade Fruit Cake.The turkey meat wrapped in beef bacon was extraordinarily good as the saltiness from the beef pumped up the turkey meat.
As the night went on, I realised the menu was made for serious diners, so it is advisable to go hungry to the restaurant as the next dish up was the Braised Wagyu Fillet with winter truffle emulsion, savoy cabbage and Rose jus.
Enhanced with cherry tomatoes and dressed up with a single sprig of thyme, the wagyu which was braised for four hours broke off easily with a fork and was so tasty.
The winter truffle emulsion prepared with cream and truffle extract was not too strong, and did not obliterate the sharp taste of the savoy cabbage.
Instead, the sauce, cabbage and Rose jus were in sync and just right for the tender beef.
After a generous serving of appetisers and three main course items, there was absolutely no room for dessert.
Well, it is best to give the stomach a rest as dessert should not be given a miss.
There is Rhubarb Cheesecake and Homemade Fruit Cake to complete your 7atenine Christmas experience and both will leave you wishing you could befriend the chef and ask him for some to take home.
Chef Kamarul said rhubarb was not often used in cheesecakes but it was boiled in syrup till soft to infuse a sweet and tart essence in the cake.
The warm Bourbon vanilla, drenched on to the fruit cake brings on a snug and comfy feeling.
The five-course set dinner with a glass of bubbly is priced at RM157 nett per person.
While you enjoy dinner, watch out for the ‘Victoria’s Secret’ angels as they give a twist of unconventional to the night.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.