High On The Good Life

I covered the members' only, casual fine dining restaurant portion of Genting Club known as LTITUDE  for The Star's Life Inspired pullout. However, since the pullout is only available in certain markets, I was not able to get a copy. For those who don't have a few thousand Ringgit to spend on membership to Genting Club, here's a look at what lies behind the zealously guarded, and politely cordoned off mirrored doors.

Ltitude forms part of the gaming, entertainment, lifestyle hub that is Genting Club.

The entire area is billed as a lifestyle experience 6000 feet in the clouds. Members can roll the dice at private tables, and eat at the games tables if they wish (and believe it or not, some DO wish). This means they miss out on what I think is the best part of Genting Club, the dining area - Ltitude Restaurant. This warm, welcoming space gets part of its glow from the many copper skillets and pots hung over the cooking stations. The restaurant features an open kitchen concept, so the cookware is actually used in the preparation of food.

The chiller is stocked with premium cured meats, from iberico to black pig hock.

This decanting cradle is made specially to pour huge bottles of champagne.

No effort was spared to make this space luxurious, so what you get is a kitchenphile's wet dream of a Josper grill, and wide preparation areas, married with marble tabletops and plush banquettes.

The kitchen is fitted out with a Josper grill, the first one of its kind in Malaysia.

The chef manning Ltitude is an old acquaintance, Casey Lim, who I interviewed for Genting's 45th anniversary recipe book. He's worked his way up from kitchen helper to Executive Sous Chef, and there is little he does not know about the local and Western kitchens. He uses this knowledge to good effect at Ltitude. I was very pleased with his amuse bouche of cured meats which he paired with truffle mousse, and Spanish paletta and parma hams.

Colourful cones of delight.

 The Japanese sashimi salad was the most stripped down of all the dishes presented that night. The objective, which was completely met, was to showcase the freshness of the ingredients which included tuna and avocado carpacchio, salmon belly, amberjack, octopus, and the freshest, most delicate of salads.

Japanese sashimi salad.

The chicken consomme with scallop ravioli was another stripped down dish, which also stood out for its freshness and impeccable preparation. The heady, fantastically clear soup was individually poured out of soup kettles for each diner at the table.

Scallop ravioli and brunoise of vegetables.

In goes the soup, and the taste buds set sail.

Personalized soup service!

Casey says that comfort food is an integral part of the menu at Ltitude, so it is not strange to find patrons requesting curry noodles or more hawker-style foods. The Taiwanese braised pork dish he served next was one of the favourites of the older clientele. While it was admittedly very well done, both in flavour, texture and serving (special commendation goes to the marvelously tangy and crisp cucumber pickle), it's not something I want served at a fine dining table. Also, I don't like braising as a style of cooking in general, so this was about the only thing I did not finish.

The Iron Egg is actually a star of this dish, as it is boiled for 24 hours to seep in the flavours.

 What I was really looking forward to turned out to be the thing that let the meal down the most. When writing for Life Inspired, The Star, I am edited by the most amazing food editor. If wine maestros are 'noses', then Julie Wong is a 'mouth'. Her sense of taste is impeccable. She knows her food, and she knows her journalistic standards. She chided me for marking the restaurant down on what I felt was the cardinal sin of not being asked how I wanted my steak. This oversight caused me to be served with the most beautiful accompanied, bad steak I have ever had. It was such a shame that I forced myself to finish the meat, just to justify the loveliness of the artistically prepared vegetables.

What was so wrong with the steak? Well, for one, there was a strip of fascia running right through it, making chewing difficult. I had no choice but to discretely spit out bits of meat and muscle. The second was, because they had assumed everyone took their steak well done, my hunk of meat was grilled to within an inch of its life. There was no redness, no juice, and very little flavour.

Everything was perfectly cooked. Except the beef.

Dessert, thankfully, saved the day. The chocolate sphere with mascarpone mousse, ice cream and warm chocolate sauce was nice to look at, pretty to see served and surprising to eat. I loved the ritual of the hot liquid being poured on, and the visualness of the melting sphere. I adore food which 'moves' on the plate, and this dessert sure did.

Poetry in motion! The chocolate sphere being melted with hot chocolate.

Aside from the movement of the food, the force was strong with this dessert. The taste, texture and the lovely dance of cold ice cream and warm chocolate and velvet cheese was gorgeous. The biggest winner was the surprising inclusion of pop rocks, that exploding candy we used to eat as kids, in the middle of the dessert. It was hidden so well, that it was totally unexpected. When the fizzing and the tingle began, I actually exclaimed aloud. I was that tickled, and that pleased. Yes, kitsch is cool with me!

The most amazing thing about the experience was that the meal we were presented with was a RM300 nett set meal! For the presentation and the quality we got, this has to rate as one of the best fine dining meals I've sampled in Malaysia. However, note that you pay a cool RM20,000 for entry into this exclusive circle, so I guess cheaper good food is one of the perks.

Whatever it was, it was one of the best nights I've had this year. Even with the thick fog we encountered as we made our way down the mountain.

Thank you Casey, for the time and care which you and your team put into this meal!

Part of the kitchen brigade who toiled for us.

Chef Casey Lim in the thick of things.

LTITUDE Restaurant & Bar
Genting Club
Genting Hotel
Gentin Highlands