Upper Deck: Round Two. Earlier entry: August 11.
Wrapping up our look at Upper Deck's inaugural set menu, here's a decadent appetizer: cappellacci stuffed with creamy butternut squash, topped with sea urchin & Avruga caviar. We nearly never use the word "orgasmic" to describe food, but if forced to, we'd point to this dish.
Smoked duck consomme, cooked with duck fat, complemented by ox tongue ravioli, chives & black trumpet mushrooms. The soup tasted intriguingly like bak kut teh (!) _ delightfully delicious. Loved the ravioli too, filled with flavorsome morsels of meat.
The only misfire here: oven-roasted yellow tail with braised kohlrabi in fennel broth. The hamachi tasted a tad too fishy to recommend.
Lamb rack, with a granola bar crust for a sweetly crunchy twist. Note the shrewdly assembled accompaniments, underscoring an eye for detail: forest mushroom soil, spiced peach chutney, caramelized onion tarte tartin & baby vegetable nicoise. If you're craving lamb, come here.
Slow-roasted 1824 tenderloin & cheek with Zinfandel reduction, rainbow carrots & swede puree. Magnificent meat, smooth to slice through, with deep, bold flavors. One of the most satisfying steaks we've had, rivaling the best of Prime & Mandarin Grill.
As with before, desserts here are workmanlike compared to the earlier courses.
But though these look like buffet table cakes, they're discernibly fresher & creamier.
Prosecco, to sip as a cover version of Joni Mitchell's "River" wafts in the background.
Campogrande Orvieto Classico DOC (Umbria, Italy) & Brancott Montana Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand).
Graham's Fine Tawny port wine, for a sweet finish.
Upper Deck @ Tanzini,
Level 29, G Tower, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2168-1899
