Returning to Troika Sky Dining's Cantaloupe. Earlier entry: January 2.
Smoked duck wafer with raspberry coulis & maple syrup foam, a knockout of a sweet-sour-salty amuse bouche that wallops the taste buds in a wondrous way.
Oyster recipes have been Cantaloupe exec chef Chris Bauer's forte since his time at Frangipani; these Fine de Claire ones with marinated anchovy cream boast a luscious brininess, surprisingly paired with the vegetarian-pleasing flavor of cucumber jelly & Japanese cucumber.
Chorizo-dusted scallop with caramelized onions, wild seasonal mushrooms, parsley foam & ancho chili oil. At RM75++, this starter signals that meals at Cantaloupe won't come cheap, but the sum total of the food, setting & service here makes the cost feel worthwhile.
One for fans of fowl: a thick, creamy slab of 24-hour-cooked pigeon, chicken & foie gras terrine, with pigeon jus ganache, Waldorf salad & roasted chestnuts (RM85++).
Lobster bisque with rosemary herb foam & tomato jelly. An experimental concoction, not formally on the menu so far, but it more than deserves to be.
One of Cantaloupe mastermind Eddie Chew's favorites: Peekytoe crab & toasted oat "carbonara," with applewood-smoked duck breast, winter truffles & Brussels sprout leaves.
Pan-roasted gurnard (RM85++), topping a croquette that bursts open with savory bouillabaisse, accompanied by olives, ratatouille & red wine sauce.
Noisette butter-poached Nova Scotia lobster (RM95++) with (deep breath!) globe artichokes, heirloom carrots, New Zealand spinach, crisp-fried beef tendon & green chartreuse emulsion.
A bovine brotherhood, flooded with sink-your-teeth-into-this flavor, offering complementary textures, one cheeky, the other steakish: pot-au-feu beef cheek terrine with warm beef jelly & 'japonaise' sauce, plus roasted Wagyu sirloin pave. RM145++.
Tea-infused ice cubes with kaffir lime foam. Even the palate cleansers here are ingenious.
Keeping the doctor away: Apple crumble with apple juice sphere, poached & dried green apples, cinnamon & aniseed milk foam, with burnt butter ice cream (RM45++).
Off-menu, but this could be the most pleasurable dessert we've had so far in 2013: Roast pineapples with egg pina colada cream, coconut sorbet, Szechuan pepper foam & candied nuts. Beautiful flavors, this is the one we'll remember best from this meal.
Evidence that chocolate sometimes truly is better than sex: Guanaja choc ganache with crisp meringue, plus Manjari choc aerobar with mint meringue 'flottante.'
As folks begin to flock to Cantaloupe, the bar has been raised high for other fine-dining restaurants that'll open this year. We look forward to further enthralling expeditions here.
Next up for Troika Sky Dining: Italian kitchen Strato, expected by month's end, & possibly an Argentinean alfresco asado-style outlet in mid-2013.
Cantaloupe @ Troika Sky Dining,
Level 23A, Tower B, The Troika, Persiaran KLCC, Lorong Binjai, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2162-0886
