As we enter this festive final fortnight of 2015, Nobu Club Lounge deserves consideration as a top venue for a fun night out - open mainly Fridays & Saturdays on the same floor as Nobu's main restaurant, the lounge nails all the necessary elements, from distinctive food to delicious cocktails, plus sterling service & a sumptuous setting with a 56th-floor perspective of the city.
If you like the restaurant, you should enjoy the lounge, which focuses on bar bites that include petite servings of Nobu signatures, excellent for sharing & snacking throughout the evening. Can't go wrong with the Nobu Tacos (RM15 per piece), which pack a punch of flavour in each delicate mouthful, brimming with succulent scallops, salmon, tuna, lobster or king crab.
Nobu's array of seafood is always a highlight, partnered with equally fresh vegetables & herbs to memorably combine the bounty of the sea & the harvest of the land. The selection of wholesome-tasting recipes spans everything from toro tartare with caviar to yellowtail with spicy ponzu, smoked salmon on crispy rice to lobster ceviche with quinoa to Nobu's classic cod fish on butter lettuce. Several of these dishes will be served as canapes for Nobu Club Lounge's New Year's Eve celebrations - while awaiting the midnight fireworks, customers can enjoy a canape station that showcases eight specialities including sushi. A RM300 entry fee entitles customers to the canapes; alternatively, the night's beverage packages also include the canape sets.
But even if you're here on regular Fridays & Saturdays, there's still an abundance to admire & appreciate; Nobu's interpretation of pub grub proves enjoyably inventive, with deluxe sliders comprising juicy Wagyu beef patties with truffle aioli & 'umami ketchup' sandwiched memorably in tofu buns instead of bread (RM65), equally umami-rich chicken wings that had us licking our lips & fingers (RM35) & fish & chips, presented Nobu-style with shrewdly chosen ingredients & condiments (RM50).
Desserts supply more than a few surprises as well - the Natsuno Fruit Pearls (RM45) is an invigorating medley of fruit syrup spheres made with lychee, guava & blood oranges, heaped with granita, diced pears, mangoes, poured over with a chilled rice soup for a lovely combination of tastes & textures. We were also captivated by the Cheese Dome (RM35), which features luscious cheese ice cream ball with a centre of fresh raspberries, raspbery soda foam & rose jelly on a cushion of crispy rice.
Veteran bartender Ash executes a compellingly complex diversity of drinks with flair & finesse, relying on top-flight components for thoughtful cocktails. Happy Hours will fly by, with options like Nobu's own fruit-infused sake (the variety includes peach, passion fruit, dragon fruit, pineapple & blood orange, RM21.45++ each). You'll find not only a wide repertoire exclusive to Nobu (we especially like the Nobu Shochu Dragon, a thick, terrific temptation with Nobu shochu, elderflower cordial & dragon fruit puree, though every cocktail is worth trying, with ingredients like yuzu juice for a rounded balance of flavour & super-fresh garnishes) but also a series of recreated classics like the brilliant Bloody Margarita (smooth to the sip, powered by tequila, red wine syrup, yuzu & blood orange), the Ocha Chamomile Martini (ocha chamomile-infused Tanqueray 10 gin, cointreau, calamansi & egg white), Calamansi Shiso Mule (junmai sake, shiso leaves, ginger ale), Suntory Sidecar (Suntory whisky, Grand Marnier, yuzu juice) & more - it's a treat exploring these concoctions. Many thanks to the Nobu team for having us here.
Nobu Club Lounge
Level 56, Menara 3 Petronas, KLCC Kuala Lumpur. Lounge opens 6pm through late, Fri-Sat. Tel: 03-2164-5084
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