Impiana Hotel KLCC,
13, Jalan Pinang, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2147 1111
Business hours: 6.00pm to 2.00am
Dinner is served from 6.00pm to 10.30pm.
WALKING into the swanky Cedar on 15 at Impiana Hotel KLCC, one is mesmerised by the breathtaking view of the Petronas Twin Towers.
The restaurant’s name is derived from cedar wood, which is used to bake its pizza, and the fact that it is on the 15th floor of the hotel.
Cedar on 15, which is one of the few rooftop restaurants in Kuala Lumpur, comprises a spacious show kitchen, a private dining room, a bar and a dining area that can seat up to 60 diners.
The dish changes every day and on the evening of the food review, we were served an amuse bouche which was scallops served with jalapeno tomato salsa and tamarind.
Executive chef Helmut Lamberger said the tangy dish was to enhance taste buds for the main course. Well, it certainly did!
As a starter, we were served Tartar of Scallops. Looking like a salad dish at first sight, the lemon-marinated scallops were mixed with seasoning and parsnips topped with basil jelly.
Lamberger was particular in using the freshest and healthiest ingredients and this definitely felt healthy!
Fusion of tastes: The Beef Carpaccios one of the dishes that the chef had incorporated a bit of Austrian taste.
The chef from Austria tries his best to accommodate Malaysian taste buds.
A second starter, the Beef Carpaccio is probably the best example.
The beef tenderloin was rolled and thinly sliced and served with pan-fried mushrooms, Parmesan and rocket lettuce on the side.
Spread together with Burrata cheese, it offers a fusion of tastes, including a spicy tang.
Alongside the starter, we were served a selection of breads.
Instead of serving unsalted butter that you would normally get at fine dining restaurants, Cedar on 15 serves bread with a choice of cherry tomato or parsley butter spread.
While both sounded exotic, the taste did not. I would choose the unsalted butter anytime so I could taste the bread better.
No meal is complete without a bowl of soup. The signature Cream of Topin Ambour soup was made of Jerusalem artichoke and served with grilled Portobello mushrooms.
I have never tried Jerusalem artichoke before but the soup surprisingly tasted like potato chips.
Crispy and sweet: The Pumpkin Seed Crusted Black Cod is fried to a perfection,crispy on the outside and soft in the inside.
According to Lamberger, the sweetness came from the artichoke as no sugar was added to the soup.
Once the dishes were cleared, we were served the main course. The must-have was the chef’s signature Pumpkin Seed Crusted Black Cod — a pan-fried cod served with mushroom tomato chutney and fennel mousse.
Fried to perfection, the cod was soft and practically melted in my mouth. The pumpkin seed made every bite crunchy and sweet.
For meat lovers, a must-try is the Black Angus Tasmania, a beef tenderloin steak served with onion and sugar that was left to slow-cook for two to three hours, resulting in a sweet addition to the tender and juicy meat.
After polishing off the main courses, we were treated to two desserts — Chocolate Seduction and Short Crust Lemon Tart.
Chocolate Seduction was an ensemble of dark mousse, white ganache and sacher tart.
Soft and rich, it was the kind of dessert that you should avoid but could not help but to be seduced.
If you are a risk taker and an adventurous foodie, you have to try the lemon tart.
It was mildly shocking to experience spiciness after the first bite of sweet and sour. I love the initial sensation but what came afterwards left my tongue feeling like I had bitten into chilli.
We washed down the calories with Malaysian Pride, a mocktail mix of mint leaves, lime, Monin hibiscus and soda. A sweet concoction, the drink was minty and refreshing, a perfect ending to dinner.
Cedar on 15 is the perfect place if you want to have a relaxing fine dining experience with your loved ones or to celebrate an important date.
Enjoy being serenaded by the band during dinner and adjourn to the chill-out bar after that to enjoy the hot and famous music spinned by the female resident DJs.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
