The birth of this new gastrolounge, swathed in sexy shadows, heralds virgin territory for the busy birds & bees of the BIG Group.
Estate at The Intermark blends a bevy of influences into one establishment; if Ben's, La Bodega & The Library engaged in a ménage à trois, this might be the offspring _ a love child that inherits its parents' best traits (yes, all three of them, genetically impossible as that may seem).
Estate's forte is British pub grub, hooking customers up with everything from fish & chips to roast beef & Yorkshire pudding. But there's also haute cuisine, embodied in the sensual embrace of truffle-poached egg with Parmigiano-Reggiano & mushrooms on soft polenta (RM29.90++).
For even more carbs & cholesterol, this starter of egg & pillow-soft melted cheese on a bed of thick, toasty bread sprinkled with truffle oil (RM19.90++) might serve as culinary foreplay to set pulses racing and libidos roaring.
Earthiness assured: pizza voluptuously topped with sauteed wild mushrooms, mascarpone & truffle oil (RM35.90++). The truffle oil component could be more potent, but this is nevertheless nicely emblematic of BIG's "cendawan tumbuh lepas hujan" approach to opening eateries.
Working up a sweat in our truffle triathlon with these smoldering-hot fries (RM15.90++), impregnated with the perfume of truffles. Estate's prices are steep _ but justifiably so _ compared to most of its BIG siblings. A three-course meal here can easily exceed RM100.
Cheeseburger with shoestring fries, arugula & white balsamic dressing (RM79.90++). The inside of the Wagyu 5 patty was excellent, with lovably luscious hand-cut beef. But both the patty & sesame bun suffered from an excessively charred flavor on the outside.
Beer butt chicken (RM79.90++), with an open can of beer stuffed into the fowl's behind while it's being roasted, resulting in monumentally mouthwatering meat that makes us thankful that not all forms of posterior penetration are criminalized.
The chicken is chopped up for convenient consumption & partnered with duck fat roasted potatoes, gravy & bread sauce. This raunchy recipe is also available at Huck's Cafe in Bangsar.
Be tickled pink by this tangy twist on the strawberry sundae, featuring a fresh strawberry salad topped with raspberry granita, strawberry & lychee sorbets & rose meringue.
Sticky date pudding with homemade vanilla ice cream & toffee sauce. Warm comfort _ moist but not stodgy, sweetly flavored but not sickeningly sugary.
Bathing in the afterglow of a Cranswick Lakefield Cabernet Merlot. Alas, only one red wine is offered, a stark contrast to Estate's exhaustive beer list.
Cocktails are unavailable at Estate, so customers have to head next door to Tate for a climactic concoction like this classic Aviation (tanqueray 10 gin, maraschino liquor, lemon juice).
For fans of live music, Estate will likely have bands performing here starting at 9pm, Wednesdays through Saturdays. At other times, expect to hear the likes of Florence + The Machine blasting on the speakers.
All things considered, a sultry hangout for a swinging night out.
P.S. BIG is still sowing more wild oats at The Intermark, with at least two more outlets that offer interesting concepts to open in this building. Next month: EST.
Estate,
The Intermark, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.
