CANTELOUPE,
Troika Sky Dining,
Level 23A, Tower A,
The Troika,
19 Persiaran KLCC, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2162 0886
Business hours: Noon to 2pm (Monday to Friday),
7pm to 10.30pm, daily.
ARTISTIC impressions on a plate is what you get at Troika Sky Dining as they make dining a memorable experience.
Executive chef and director Christian Bauer believes in giving diners a gastronomic adventure and entices them to return because “the experience is worth the journey”.
“We want to be in the forefront of dining and for me, the criteria with Fuego, Strato or Canteloupe is, ‘would I drive all the way from Petaling Jaya to eat that’. We want people to remember our food,” said Bauer, who is quite the magician when it comes to teasing and pleasing the palate.
Canteloupe is a modern European destination in the heart of the city.
Here, in this modern European destination in the heart of the city and within walking distance to the Petronas Twin Towers, meals are to be relished as the kitchen team churns out fresh and innovative ideas on level 23A.
This I experienced over dinner at Canteloupe when the new menu was presented.
Unlike its bulkier predecessor, dishes are spelled out on a cream-coloured A3 sized paper.
What I liked more was that I could now spend a couple of minutes reading through the 24 items listed without having to turn a page.
In fact, Canteloupe’s offering seems to reach out to more people as diners will have a rough idea what to expect at the end of the bill.
A five-course meal is priced at RM250, eight courses are tagged at RM360 and if you opt for 10 courses, dig in a little deeper for RM450.
For certain dishes, surcharges of RM30 or RM50 apply as indicated on the menu.
With executive sous chef Mohd Amin Saidin preparing dinner, I named the Oyster Risotto, Caviar Almond Panna Cotta, Lobster Curry, Duck Confit and Milk Chocolate as my choices.
Dinner started off with a trio of amuse-bouche to occupy our time while the chefs tended to our orders. An interesting edible plastic ravioli with pine nut, garlic and edible flower finished off with Parmesan foam made for a startling opener as the combination of ingredients was not only toothsome but extraordinary.
The macaron with duck bacon and Parmesan shaves and the last amuse-gueule of foie gras, maple syrup and apple foam certainly raised our anticipation as we waited to indulge in our dishes.
The Oyster Risotto, still warm when served, is a rich yet simple rendition with Tsarskaya oyster, lemon, Parmesan, beurre noisette, arborio rice and egg yolk foam in its making.
I was curious to taste the Caviar Almond Panna Cotta because of my liking for panna cotta.
Caviar Almond Panna Cotta revealed an off-white custard with a luxurious layer of Oscietra caviar, tasty Parmesan crisp and edible flower.
Once the lid which covered the bowl was lifted, woody accents of hickory smoke hit the senses and an off-white custard with a luxurious layer of Oscietra caviar, tasty Parmesan crisp and edible flower came into view.
Reminiscent of the Japanese chawan mushi, this savoury version made with milk is indulgent with almond, maple syrup and konbu stock.
Following Troika Sky Dining director Eddie Chew’s advise, I was happy with my choice of Lobster Curry. On a square plate, the grilled lobster, poached lobster, red curry, grape fruit pearls, mayonnaise, lobster jus, lobster mousse and squid ink crouton came together in a perfect marriage of flavours.
The lobster is prepared poached, grilled and as a mousse, while the curry dots are made from red curry paste, galangal and lobster jus, the mixture of which is flambed with brandy.
The Lobster Curry is prepared poached, grilled and as a mousse, while the curry dots are made from red curry paste, galangal and lobster jus, the mixture of which is flambed with brandy.
To cleanse the palate, diners have a choice of spicy or sour sorbet and I opted for the former, Canteloupe’s version of Bloody Mary sherbet.
The mixture of celery, tomato and hot sauce proved to be interesting with the spiciness settling at the back of my tongue.
The Duck Confit with mashed potato, mustard sauce and crispy potato was spot on.
A slightly salty flavour, Bauer said Canteloupe’s version was similar to how duck confit is prepared in France.
“Duck confit has to be salty but here, people are not used to it being over salty,” he said, adding that Dijon, English powder and grain mustard were necessary for the pungent but delightful mustard sauce that balanced off any extreme flavours.
Expecting dessert to be a pretty dish, I stared into a bowl of whitish snow that looked like cereal.
Employing the use of molecular gastronomy, Milk Chocolate with hazelnut cremeux, oven-baked financier, frozen brandy and milk foam is a treat that leaves you enjoying every bit.
The best part about this refreshingly cold dessert is that it allows you to sin.
This is the writer’s personal observation and not an endorsement of StarMetro.
