Eat Drink KL: 2ND Floor Kitchen & Bar @ Taman Tun Dr Ismail

Thursday, July 20, 2017

2ND Floor Kitchen & Bar @ Taman Tun Dr Ismail

2ND Floor has the potential to scale the ranks of TTDI's top restaurants, brought to the neighbourhood by the team behind wine lounge Private Room & cocktail bar Pawn Room, in a new partnership with German chef Gerhard Albrecht, whose nearly five decades of professional cooking have resulted in an epic career spanning three continents, royal weddings & notable hotel executive chef stints. A certified Master Chef schooled in Heidelberg & former lecturer at KDU University College, he's now funneled his experience into the kitchen of this beautifully outfitted venue where classical & contemporary European cuisine takes centre stage, borrowing inspiration not only from Albrecht's home country, but Britain, France & beyond.

Our meal kicked off on a pretty promising note, buoyed by a service team that strives to convey passion & professionalism - the smoked salmon carpaccio was irreproachable in both taste & texture, imbued with nuances of porcini oil & lemon juice for extra dimensions of flavour that proved lovely (RM23). Salads & soups struck a pleasing balance between the time-honoured & the tantalising - the house salad is a visually appealing ensemble of crisp & juicy romaine lettuce, poached egg, pork bacon, parmesan & croutons, very light & easy to enjoy (RM20). Broth enthusiasts should probably try both the barley with vegetables in chicken broth (RM11; soup for the soul) & the satisfyingly rich mushroom with thyme & crab meat (RM16).

2ND FLR's crab cakes & French-imported goose foie gras should also successfully whet the appetite, the former pan-fried & breaded with a succulent, fleshy chew, complemented by chilli jam & an orange salad (RM32), the latter perfectly seared to the right sumptuousness, cushioned with a potato-apple latke, plus sides of pickled shallots & glazed onions (RM54).

Main courses maintain 2ND FLR's philosophy of fair prices for quality fare. Our top temptations would be German-inspired offerings like the spaetzle soft egg noodles, laced with bacon & mushrooms & crowned with prawns for a decadent affair with observable flair (RM28), & the rarely seen maultasche, comprising omelette-like egg enclosed in an exterior of thin pasta dough, dotted with fried onions, bacon & sausage meat (RM25) - both are worth sampling for folks in KL who want to try something that's somewhat different. Even pan-roasted chicken is far from typical here, juicily partnered with house-made peri-peri sauce, fluffy mashed potatoes & sauteed shimeji mushrooms (RM29).

Pork is the final cornerstone of 2ND FLR's repertoire - the prized Berkshire pork makes a prominent appearance, grilled as a thick, meaty chop that seems certain to fulfill customers' carnivorous lust (RM38), while pork ribs provide an even heftier feast, sufficient for two or three patrons, slow-cooked to immaculate, peel-off-the-bone tenderness, terrifically balanced with hints of saffron, oranges & poppy seeds, with a yogurt dip for even more moistness (RM55). The new potatoes & caramelised Granny Smith apples that complete both dishes aren't afterthoughts, delicious & meticulously executed in their own right. You might be stuffed by this point, as we were, but desserts like the ginger creme brulee (RM22) & cherry jubilee (RM15) are delicate enough to down without trouble. Many thanks to 2ND FLR for having us here.

2ND Floor Kitchen & Bar
46a, Persiaran Zaaba, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 5pm-1030pm. Tel: 019-914-8832

Stay up to date: The Eat Drink KL newsletter is sent by email to subscribers every Monday; it's the Klang Valley's foremost weekly round-up of new restaurant openings, F&B promotions & other tasty tidbits. Subscribe to Eat Drink KL Weekly for free via this following link: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/5106C196432BB23D