L. Table

Visiting 1 Utama can make me nostalgic for my younger years, when I often came here to polish off plates of roast chicken & lasagna at Dave's Deli, window-shop during my varsity internship & catch fine films at TGV (Good Will Hunting, Titanic, As Good As It Gets).

The mall's expansion & its current renovation have rendered parts of it unrecognizable, but we braved its maze to check out L. Table, probably the closest thing to fine dining at 1U. Note: the restaurant occupies an unlikely venue, within the confines of Lavender Bakery.

L. Table's menu is commendably ambitious. Try the chilled cucumber soup _ this thick, refreshingly tangy puree boasts a twist at the bowl's center: alcoholic herb jelly, laced with Hendrick's gin for a sensuous floral scent.

Carb alert! Lavender & orange Japanese sweet potatoes, roasted with thyme, rosemary & Himalayan rock salt. Aromatically addictive; L. Table's prices are wallet-friendly _ both the cucumber soup & the potatoes cost RM12++ each.

Black truffle tagliatelle. Smells temptingly fragrant, but tastes kinda like mushroom carbonara. Maybe our palates have been too pampered by Italian outlets elsewhere; all things considered, this pasta is enjoyably creamy but unexceptional. Still, it's only RM35++, so we can't protest.

Miso black cod (RM40++), satisfyingly sweet & succulent. What's intriguing is the accompaniment of organic quinoa (two types: black & pearl), a source of nutty, toasty graininess that nicely complements the fish & makes this recipe more memorable.

Pappardelle with duck stroganoff. Another pasta that's good but not great; everything on this plate is irreproachably prepared, but it lacks something extra to elevate the experience. Nevertheless, for RM22++, this is a cost-effective alternative to a meal at il Lido.

Cocktails seldom sold elsewhere in KL: French 75 (prosecco, gin, lemon juice, sugar) & La Rosette St Germain (elderflower liquor, sparkling wine, strawberry). Both absolutely delicious, at an astonishingly divine price: RM20++.

Batasiolo Cascine prosecco (RM25++ by the glass, RM125++ by the bottle).

Gamay Beaujolais Villages 2009. Wines by the glass cost as low as RM22++.

L.table by Lavender Bakery @ 1 Utama,

G213, Ground Floor, One Utama Shopping Center.

Tel: 03-7728-6933

Ricetaurant

Returning to Ricetaurant for grainy goodness' sake. Earlier entry: May 20.

Ricetaurant recently held a Facebook contest for fans to suggest new items for its menu. One of the shortlisted finalists: Chinese olive & seafood fried rice. Not bad, though a little more 'wok hei' & larger slices of seafood might make it better.

There are now dozens of rice dishes available here, including daily specials such as Tuesday's treat: "oyakodon," a Japanese recipe of chicken, onions & egg on rice. Soft, steaming-hot soul food, but it can seem a bit bland after a few bites.

Teochew porridge. Pales in comparison to traditional versions, since Ricetaurant is pork-free, but the condiments are still fairly flavorsome, partnering well with the super-smooth porridge.

Rice haters, never fear. Order the egg floss butter prawns instead _ absolutely addictive, despite being rather greasy.

Stir-fried chive flowers with minced chicken. Obligatory greens, surprisingly tasty.

Ricetaurant has not much in terms of dessert, so hop downstairs to Bistro42 for your sugar fix. The parade of pleasures here includes a creamy almond butter tea cake.

Crepe suzette cake, reminiscent of mille crepe, but with a citrus twist.

Customers at both Ricetaurant and Canoodling next door can order cocktails from Bistro42 downstairs: Green Tea Gimlet (gin, green tea, lemon juice) & Red Berry Blast (red wine, strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, soda water).

Ricetaurant,

Bangsar Village, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2287-1566

Maiu

Maiu offers one of the Klang Valley's best value-for-money deals for Japanese food, with an "a la carte buffet" that costs a mere RM38.80++.

The selection includes salmon, tuna, white tuna & squid sashimi, served to order.

Marinated baby octopus & tobiko salad, all tasting as decent as can be expected.

Loved the fried tofu _ crisp on the exterior, but meltingly soft within.

Soft-shell crab maki. Not stuffed with too much rice, thankfully.

Prawn sashimi. Yep, all the basic dishes in Japanese cuisine are available, except eel.

Skewered green pepper & beef, freshly prepared. Order as many times as you like.

Soft-shell crab & surimi tempura, crisp and not overly oily.

Tempura moriawase, with reasonably juicy prawns as the highlight.

Small fish: shishamo.

Big fish: saba. This buffet is available at Maiu's Damansara Perdana & Sri Petaling branches.

Crispy chicken katsu with raw egg dip. Banish those salmonella poisoning fears.

More chicken & egg, this one steamed with rice. Marvelously moreish.

Green tea ice cream & wasabi ice cream (way too much wasabi in this one!).

Maiu,

The Place, Damansara Perdana.

Tel: 03-7729-0015

Saint's

Back to Saint's for another round of haggis. Earlier entry: September 13.

From Scotland: fried haggis balls. A brilliant offal-based snack, brimming with rich, meaty flavor. Who knew that sheep lungs could be tastier than pork liver?

Speaking of pork. ... from Ireland: succulent sausages with colcannon, a simple but satisfying blend of mashed potatoes & cabbage.

And from the former British colony of Malaysia: Malaccan pork satay. Yay!

Saint's be praised, booze is abundant here, including lots of wine. Beringer California White Zinfandel & Stone Cellars Merlot.

Nice names: Mount Gay rum & Polish Zubrowka Bison Grass vodka.

Saint's Bar & Kitchen,

Red Carpet Avenue, Encorp Strand,

Jalan PJU5/22, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya.

Mandarin Cake Shop

Qu'ils mangent de la brioche! The Mandarin Oriental's outpost in KL now has a cake shop, following in the footsteps of its Hong Kong hotel.

Check out the beautifully designed (and brilliantly delicious) marble cheesecake, wrapped in white chocolate & blanketed with berries. A sprinkling of gold dust makes it even more magical.

Hand-crafted chocolate truffles, jasmine & mango-flavored, featuring a rich cocoa taste.

Macarons. All the regular varieties, from raspberry & orange to chocolate & coffee. Recommended for customers who prefer their macarons creamy instead of airy.

Orange turron. A Spanish confection that boasts a bittersweet smoothness.

Mascarpone strawberry crumble. So addictive; the perfect use of mascarpone in dessert. Sensuously soft and milky, tinged with sugary berries and topped with crunchy crumbs.

To wash it all down, cocktails from Lounge on the Park: Golden Bulleit Manhattan (Bulleit Bourbon, Red Vermouth, Bitters, Golden Cherry) & Guava Cosmo (Grey Goose Vodka, Fresh Lime, Pink Guava, Cranberry).

Mandarin Cake Shop,

Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

Flame

Flame: Round Three. Earlier entries: April 26 & June 17.

Amuse bouche of salmon sashimi with tobiko, for a fresh start.

Barbecued eel with shiso, cucumber & wasabi. Another Japanese-inspired creation; a complicated recipe, but it tasted indistinguishable from the unagi teriyaki at most sushi outlets.

Moving from the Land of the Rising Sun to the country of pasta: saffron risotto with prawns, calamari, salmon & cod fish. Service here is pleasant and practical; knowing that we planned to share our food, the staff separated all our orders neatly into two plates without us having to ask.

Wood-fire grilled portobello mushrooms with garlic, shallots, rocket & pesto. Can mushrooms be labled as melt-in-the-mouth? Yes, thanks to a terrific topping of mushy olive tapenade.

King prawns with cream cheese tortellini. These meaty crustaceans would be satisfying on their own, but order this for the tortellini, stuffed within the perimeters of the prawns and deliciously enhanced by hazelnut butter & raisins.

Spaghetti with Wagyu beef bolognese & parmesan cheese. Sounded like decadence redefined, but the meat was overwhelmed by the tangy sauce, making this similar to regular bolognese.

Redvale Inheritance Shiraz Cabernet (2009, Southeastern Australia).

Flame Restaurant @ KLGCC,

Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, Off Jalan Bukit Kiara.

Tel: 03-2093-7668