By Aiman Azri
From baby lobsters made into bisques to flash-fried squid and freshly grilled salmon, the newly launched Nice Catch at Pavilion shopping mall is now cruising full steam ahead with its range of premium fare from across the seven seas. We took a dip into the menu here recently and surfaced with a rewarding meal filled with fins, tentacles and claws.
Let’s start with the Lobster Bisque (RM 23), a rich and creamy soup that relies on blanched baby lobsters and blended shells for its base, which takes one and half hours to prepare, before being served with a lobster tail, sprinkled with shrimp roe, for a broth that’s pleasurably decadent in both flavour and texture.
If you like soups, it’s also worth ordering the Wild Mushroom Crema (RM 17), which combines a quartet of shiitake, eryngii, button and oyster mushrooms with fresh pesto oil and crispy enoki to create a velvety soup with a slight crunch.
Before we plunge into the rest of the seafood, there’s always space for a salad first: Go green with the Garden Crisp Salad (RM 17), bringing together oak leaf lettuce, Swiss chard, mizuna, red coral lettuce and plump cherry tomatoes, tossed with its own signature grapefruit dressing. It’s a little spicy, as there is some cili padi hidden inside.
Seafood starters emerge next, both suitable for whetting the appetite: The Golden Squid & Salsa (RM 27) features flash-fried Korean squid with ginger and dried chillies over onion rings with basil leaves, ideal for sharing and snacking. If you’re searching for a chic-looking opening course, check out the Crispy Prawn Cocktail (RM 17), showcasing plump and tender hand-battered prawns, resting on a bed of greens and cherry tomatoes, dripping with ginger soy sauce for extra nuance.
When it comes to mains, the restaurant’s pride and joy is Nice Catch’s Spicy Seafood Feast (RM 159, but price varies on seafood used). Our giant pot contained a beautiful Canadian Lobster slathered with Hot and Spicy Lemongrass sauce, fuelled by bird’s eye chilli from Vietnam. It’s exquisitely sharp and spicy, with a sauce that’s so tasty, you could enthusiastically eat it on its own. Still, it comes with fluffy fried mantou to lap up any remaining sauce.
Other options include something for everyone, from the indulgent creaminess of the Cheesy Seafood Bake with Corn Dodgers (RM 55; well-portioned chunks of Norwegian salmon, Korean squid and zucchini baked in house-made tomato coulis, topped with mozzarella cheese) to the irresistible crispness of the Battered Fish & Friends (RM 55 for a golden-fried grouper fillet, partnered with prawns, chips, salad and a grapefruit tartar sauce) and pure simplicity of the Classic Grilled Catch of the Day (RM 55; Norwegian salmon that practically melts in the mouth, with mustard dill and garlic soy sauces - this is usually served with sautéed zucchini and cherry tomatoes, but we skipped both since we were stuffed by this point of the tasting). It’s worth noting that Nice Catch pours plenty of effort into its sauces, made in the kitchen with thoughtfulness and a twist or two.
For folks not into seafood, it’s OK to stay on dry land here with the Grilled Paprika Chicken (RM 30) - relatively juicy chicken breast that’s been marinated for 24 hours, then grilled and basted with your choice of sauce, mustard dill or ginger soy. It’s served with fragrant salsa rice, sautéed zucchini and cherry tomatoes for a complete meal.
There’s dessert too to wrap up the Nice Catch experience - try the Crunchy Cookies & Berry Parfait (RM 19), a lush, pure-vanilla soft serve with mixed berry compote, finished with chocolate chip cookies for an enjoyable medley of flavours, textures and temperatures.
Coolers kept us well-hydrated: The Botanical Passion (RM 13) is a tall glass of Earl Grey tea infused with Thai basil leaves, while the photogenic Minty Cool (RM 13) oozes style with its refreshing blend of Chamomile tea, Mojito coulis, muddled mint leaves and slivers of crunchy cucumber.
Many thanks to Nice Catch for having us here.
Nice Catch,
1.18.02, Level 1, Pavilion, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. Daily, 10am-10pm.
