Pavilions

Sheraton Imperial's lounge is perfectly peaceful during the day, but don't come here after 9pm, since that's when a raucous live band makes conversation impossible.

Pavilions serves finger food that's slightly more creative than expected _ though that excludes these packets of peanuts & honey almonds.

Skip the oysters; they completely lacked the sweetness and succulence associated with truly good ones. These were likely brought over from the hotel's buffet restaurant. Served here with baby cress wholemeal sandwiches.

Corn chips with guacamole & tomato salsa. Forgettable.

Honey-glazed chicken wings stuffed with sticky rice & mushrooms. Nicely done; the meat would have been tender and juicy enough on its own, but the rice made it texturally interesting, while the earthy mushrooms boosted the flavor a few notches.

Duck & sweet potato curry puffs. More stuffing and less crust might improve this (even though the filling tasted bland and not as unique as it sounded). The plus point is that these seemed healthier and less greasy than regular curry puffs.

Minced prawn & scallop skewers. A chunky, meaty treat of fresh-tasting seafood. Accompanied by 'wasabi lotion' that packed a powerful punch.

During happy hours, it's buy one, free one for glasses of the house wine.

Imperial Martini & Lychee On A Stick (bombay sapphire, lychee, wild strawberries).

Banana Margarita & Spicy Madagascar Margarita. Cocktails here are worthwhile.

Pavilions Lounge,

Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

La Suisse

Despite having stood the test of time, La Suisse has seen better days _ the signs of fading are clear, though the most troubling aspect is the absence of customers for dinner.

True, the food here won't win any awards, but service is brisk, the setting is calm and the menu contains enough choices to warrant repeat visits.

Pumpkin soup. Not bad, but not the creamiest or most aromatic in town.

A generous portion of white asparagus with hollandaise sauce. Thick and tender.

Cheese Malakow (deep-fried Swiss cheese). Quite addictive; the batter was crisp and not oily at all, while the cheese stuffing was piping-hot and gooey.

Raclette. Basically melted cheese. Could have been more flavorful and creamier.

Scallops with saffron sauce & caviar. Another surprisingly hearty serving. The scallops were plump and juicy, making up for the nonexistent scent of saffron.

Poached halibut with gruyere cheese. Healthy, but a bit too bland, since the milky sauce was very mild-tasting. The fish itself was moist but unmemorable.

Pan-fried rainbow trout. Nicely deboned; the coating of almond added a nuttiness that complemented this succulent fish perfectly.

Zurich-style veal with rosti. Drenched in an overpoweringly salty sauce.

Hot red wine cherries with vanilla ice cream. The cherries coulda been sweeter.

Grand Marnier iced souffle. Tasted like regular vanilla ice cream, frankly.

La Suisse,

Plaza Damansara.

Lobby

Ignore the unimaginative name. If you want Thai food that extends beyond green curries and tom yam soup, then Lobby is a worthwhile visit.

I-san pork sausages. Slightly sourish, but absolutely addictive.

Duck confit with herb gravy & black fungus. Reasonably juicy, though it tasted like something that could be microwaved at home.

Whole pork rib with paneang sauce & egg rice cake. The meat could've been more tender, but the serving was hearty and the sauce was flavorful. Reasonably priced at 24 ringgit.

Barramundi fillet steamed with lime & chillies. Fresh and moist, not too spicy.

Jacob's Creek Chardonnay & Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon.

Thai's Land cocktail (vodka, red wine, orange juice) & orange juice.

Lobby,

One Residency, Jalan Nagasari.

The Club

A lofty restaurant, though the food here has earthbound aspirations.

The Club shares G City Club Hotel's 28th-floor penthouse with Bridge Bar and Tanzini. Its furnishing is made of wood from sustainable sources, with timber decks carved from rice husks.

For review of Bridge Bar, click: July 26. For Tanzini, click: August 10 & August 13.

Steamed organic barramundi salad. Ideal for health-conscious diners. The fish was succulent and not bland at all, while the salad leaves were fresh and crunchy.

Grilled squid & chorizo salad with sugar snap peas. This one, though, was forgettable.

Phad Khee Mao (fried spaghetti with prawns, mussels, octopus, garlic slices, herb sauce & red bird's eye chili). Not bad at all; a generous mix of flavorsome ingredients, though it wasn't as fiery as most Thai recipes.

Lamb Massaman curry with steamed white rice. Tender chunks of meat in a rich, thick curry that went perfectly with the super-fragrant rice.

Desserts seem slightly more creative than the savory fare here. We gobbled every sweet, creamy bite of the hazelnut praline mousse with vanilla bourbon & coconut ice cream, and even proceeded to lick our spoons clean.

Cheese cake with mascarpone cream & mango coulis. Marvelously light.

Amarena cherry & lavender ice cream. A chilled-out conclusion.

Lotsa booze is available, from a satisfactory range of wines...

... to hard liquor and bubbly.

The Club,

G City Club Hotel,

G Tower, Jalan Tun Razak.