Thirty8 & Poolside @ Grand Hyatt

Returning to the Grand Hyatt's Thirty8 and checking out the hotel's Poolside restaurant.
Earlier entry on Thirty8: August 27, 2012.

First up, Thirty8: Stale notions of complimentary bread and butter fly out the window, substituted at Grand Hyatt's sterling signature establishment with crunchy pita and creamy chicken liver pate that combine to rouse the appetite remarkably.

Beef, Part One: Steak tartare, beautifully presented, red and raw.

Beef, Part Two: Australian Black Angus rib-eye. We requested it rare; it emerged impeccable. Every bite supplied blissful succulence.

Thirty8's chocolate cake comes with a flourish, sealed with dry ice for visual flair.

Hot chocolate is poured into the center of a layered cake that supplies both melt-in-the-mouth and crisp textures. Served with caramelized banana ice cream.

From Thirty8, take the elevator to the hotel's second floor to reach the Poolside restaurant.

This alfresco eatery has nice views too, offering a brief escape from the city, within the city.

Salads are the way to go here; try the Nicoise, comprising all the crucial components of tuna, eggs, green beans, black olives, shallots, anchovies and tomatoes. 

Grilled chicken with mixed leaves and cherry tomatoes in lemon dressing. Hearty enough to be a whole meal, not heavy enough to cause a food coma.

Poolside's fries warrant praise for their crunchy-outside, hot-and-moist-within perfection.

Champagne, rose, red and white, served crisp and cool.

Entry on Grand Hyatt's other eatery: JP Teres (August 29).

Poolside @ Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur

Thirty8 @ Grand Hyatt

Poolside

Thirty8

Poolside

Thirty8

Poolside @ Grand Hyatt

Thirty8,

Grand Hyatt Hotel, Jalan Pinang, Kuala Lumpur.

Circus @ Pavilion

Returning to the Circus. Earlier entry: Sept. 13, 2012.

Straight from New York, Hudson Valley foie gras, partnered with grapefruit and Chardonnay-poached pear. Pricey at RM69++, but probably not unfairly so.

Wild mushroom agnolotti with mascarpone and truffle sauce. Kinda on the mushy side.

Pan-seared veal cutlets with lemon sauce, a sink-our-teeth-into-this carnivorous treat.

Sliders, Circus has got 'em. Choosing chicken? Comes with melted Swiss cheese or blue.

Beef is better though: try the Wagyu with aged cheddar, cornichons and spicy tomato relish, or a simpler sirloin with caramelized onions and remoulade.

Cocktails are where Circus shines; this is one of KL's best places to indulge in booze.

The cocktail list lets folks choose beverages based on their mood (naughty? tense? sociable?). We opted for "Cool," a mix of vodka, blue curacao, sugar syrup and orange bitters, poured in an ice-cold martini glass.

An apple cocktail a day keeps the blues away. Here's one with egg white: Apple Cart (calvados, cointreau, lemon juice, egg white, sugar syrup).

And one with egg yolk: Mercenaries Black Tot Flip (rum, pedro ximenez, cinnamon, syrup).

Spicing things up: Fuego Manzana #2 (tequila, apple liquor, lime juice, sugar syrup, apple, chili).

Honeysuckle Daiquiri (rum, honey water, lime juice).

Circus,
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2141-6151

Brunch @ Pressroom Pavilion

Returning to The Press Room's latest Pavilion outpost, this time for brunch.

Earlier entries on The Press Room @ Pavilion: Sept. 11 and Sept. 15, 2012.

Available 9am-5:30pm everyday: Eggs Hemingway, or call 'em Eggs Atlantic or Eggs Royale (RM20++). Poached pleasure with smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce on English muffin.

The Pressroom's omelets come with smoked haddock (RM25++), but the restaurant ran out of the fish by early evening on a recent weekend. Substituted it with a chicken-and-egg conundrum that proved nice enough.

Ending the eggs trilogy with a croque madame (RM25++) that meets expectations, more or less.

Yolk-phobic customers can sample simple slices of The Pressroom's signature sourdough toast, partnered with Bonne Maman preserve and Lescure butter (RM18++).

Can't call it a brilliant brunch without something strong to sip: Chartreuse liquor, with an alcohol content of up to 55 percent, made by French monks using 132 (!) herbal extracts.

Grey Goose Dirty Martini and Tanqueray 10 Dry Martini.

The Pressroom,

Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.

Sunday Brunch @ DV Bukit Damansara

Returning to Bukit Damansara's DV, this time for its Sunday semi-buffet, sparkling-booze brunch.

Earlier entry on DV Ristorante Pizzeria's a la carte menu: Sept. 20, 2012.

Three-hour feasts start 11:30 a.m. every Sunday at this friendly neighborhood Italian eatery that's fast winning a following for its reliable food and service.

Leap out of bed and head here in T-shirts, shorts and slippers; the easy-going vibe that makes DV so welcoming in the evening is even more prevalent for brunch.

A host of healthy-looking light bites take center stage on DV's counter.

On a recent Sunday, we encountered the likes of eggplant parmigiana, chicken-and-bean salad, grilled veggies and zucchini stuffed with turkey ham and cheese.

Toss a cool salad together, then try DV's warm, tangy minestrone.

Sufficient seafood, from prawns to baby octopus braised in tomato sauce.

Bruschetta, beef skewers, watercress with walnuts and smoked salmon: the spread isn't fancy, but everything's well thought-out and well worth nibbling here.

Folks can pay RM70+ for the semi-buffet, which includes an Aperol Spritz cocktail or soft drink.

Add an extra RM80+ for a free flow of prosecco and red and white wines, all very nice.

The starters are of the eat-all-you-can variety, but the brunch main courses are order-once.

Our mains: full plates of risotto and substantial portions of chicken scallopine with polenta and prawns with pesto and parmesan (each customer gets all of these) ...

... plus wonderfully braised beef cheek, which makes the RM70+ brunch cost a very fair bargain. Our word to the wise: save space for these mains.

Gorgonzola, asiago and grana padano populate the cheese section.

Desserts are limited; still satisfactory but not the stars of this brunch.

Solid fruit selection, including plump strawberries, grapes, kiwi and dragon fruit.

DV Ristorante Pizzeria,
77 Jalan Setiabakti, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.
Same row as Decanter
Tel: 03-2098-2001