Run-up To Kuala Lumpur Restaurant Week

This is going to be one of the best things to happen on the Malaysian food scene this year! The inaugural Kuala Lumpur Restaurant Week will run from October 4-11 2013 and promises to give lots of bang for very little buck.

A bit of history on Restaurant Week: it began in New York in 1992. Targeted to lunch diners, it was designed to introduce new restaurants to people by enticing them to try out a special menu which was priced much lower, or offered more than the usual. It was run only over the lunch period at first, because lunch crowds were smaller than dinner crowds, and the finite amount of time allowed for lunch ensured there would be a quicker turnover for dinner. Over time the idea caught on and New York Restaurant Week began to happen twice a year, in winter and summer. In 2013 the lunch menus for all participating restaurants were fixed at US$25 for lunch and US$38 for dinner. If you've ever tried to dine in an upscale restaurant in New York, you'll know this is a steal, because the nett price usually includes an appetizer, main and dessert.

Kuala Lumpur's first Restaurant Week will not follow the exact price format, meaning that different restaurants will offer different set menu prices for both lunch and dinner. However, what remains is the soul of the idea, which is to get people excited about new places, new dishes and new flavours.

There are 45 restaurants participating in the inaugural Kuala Lumpur Restaurant Week and they cover a gamut of tastes, styles, traditions and atmospheres. These include La Risata (I love this chain, having dined at their outlets in Ampang and Damansara since the Nineties), Rama V, Tanzini (located in Malaysia's first fully green-certified hotel, G Tower, it is worth the trip just to enjoy the architecture and design), Bijan, Daily Grind (possibly the mother of all gourmet burger joints, though halal), Gobo, Chinoz On The Park, Cibo and Hakka Republic (amazing Chinese cuisine!). For a full listing, check out http://klrestaurantweek.com/restaurants/.

At a preview event a selected group of restaurants were invited to showcase part of their menus with tasting portions which made up a full lunch. Held in the ballroom of Parkroyal Kuala Lumpur, the event was a feast of both eyes and taste buds, with participating restaurants showcasing their menus in really creative ways. Even those restaurants not included in the final menu presented for review made an effort to make their food look super palatable.

Si Chuan Dou Hua: double-boiled toadstool morel, mini superior shark's fin

We were presented with dishes from nine of the 45 participating restaurants. Our starter was an East Meets West trio. Si Chuan Dou Hua at Parkroyal Kuala Lumpur offered up a double-boiled toadstool morel, mini superior shark's fin (yeah, I know, I know, WHO serves shark's fin anymore?!) with fish maw and dry scallops in young coconut. It was an excellent way to begin. The soup was very fragrant, with a clear, sweetness from the infused coconut. The fungi was soft, the scallops perfectly shredded. A hit all round the table.

Hakka Republic: marinated tuna tartare.

The marinated tuna tartare with green tea, cold soba and Japanese citrus dressing from Hakka Republic was too salty, but the flavours were good.

Cibo: prawn melanzana baba ghanouj

The chickpea mousse and tahina dip, prawn melanzana baba ghanouj from Cibo Ristorante Italiano, Holiday Villa Hotel, Subang was well spiced, aromatic and vary flavourful, but it tasted more Arabic than Italian.

Tanzini: pan-seared barramundi.

There were three mains, and the glutton in me rejoiced. Tanzini, GTower Hotel offered a pan-seared barramundi which was fresh, with a crisp skin and really refreshing capsicum puree.

Gobo: seared Wagyu striploin.

The seared Wagyu striploin from Gobo Upstairs Lounge & Grill, Trader's Hotel Kuala Lumpur was delish, perfectly done, with a rich, fragrant, creamy carrot cumin puree and baby vegetables.

Chinoz: Slow cooked Australian lamb shoulder.

Chinoz's slow cooked Australian lamb shoulder with asparagus, sweet potato mash (which tasted like pumpkin) and cumin sauce was also good, being perfectly cooked.

I have always believed desserts should be big, for the largesse and the bounty. And this time I was right! Because the desserts were so small, they lacked flavour and presence. The cannoli from La Risata was a pale shadow of itself. Having had full portions (and more than one of them) at the restaurant, I can vouch that they taste much better in their normal size, when the pastry and ricotta cream balance each other out, as opposed to fighting for prominence.

Fa Ying: sticky rice with jackfruit.

The jackfruit with sticky rich from Fa Ying by Rama V was aromatic and presented in the right way - that being with the glutinous rice served with a little salt as well as sugar, but again, it felt small. I also wished for a larger portion of the pralinosa semifreddo from T@ste 6, Swiss Garden Hotel & Residences, Kuala Lumpur, which was the best of the desserts.

T@ste 6: pralinosa semifreddo.

Shortcomings aside, the good outweighed the poor by far, and I am delighted that the Average Joe will be able to enjoy some new food experiences with these menus and selections.

If you are interested to eat your way around Kuala Lumpur, you need to log on to the official Kuala Lumpur Restaurant Week site for reservations as there are only limited number of set meals per meal, per outlet each day. Lunch sets range from RM20, RM38 and RM58 nett. Dinner begins at RM50, RM78 and RM98.

A booking fee of RM2 is charged for reservations. Click on each restaurant's name to view the menu and reserve seats. For more information, enquiry@klrestaurantweek.com or ring +603 2202 2289.