Wednesday 28 November 2007

The ultimate fine dining

I have always wanted a chance to do a review on food but never really got around doing it. Alas, my chance came today when I brought Jules to an exclusive fine dining experience to celebrate her birthday.

It was said that this place is always fully booked during weekend as it carries the reputation of having the finest steak in town. Though today is a weekday, I took no risk and already made my reservation yesterday. Upon arrival, I mentioned my name and was immediately ushered to my table, already nicely set-up for two.

After being shown the menu, we were served with bread, 2 types to be exact. One of it is called focasia and the other… well, I can’t recall. All I can say is, they are really good. I first though Italianies serves the best bread but now, the bar has been raised.
Further, the bread is served with 3 different types of butter, all nicely laid in front of us for our enjoyment. One is spicy, one is original and the other one is honey based, making it sweet. Once combined with the exotic bread, it's just absolutely delicious.
We ordered a Portobello Mushroom Salad to share. The mushrooms are really juicy, cooked to perfection and it can almost melt as soon as you place it in your mouth. We soon realised that a lot of people actually ordered this as starter. Looks like we made the right choice.
Jules had the Lamb Rack. As soon as she cut a piece and placed it in her mouth, her reaction was “mmmmmmmm”. I was like… “sure or not??” and thus she cut a piece and I gave it a try. My reaction? “mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm”… it was just so tender and was indeed, the best lamb I have ever tasted.
I had a 16oz (approximately 450g) of T-bone steak, medium. It’s very difficult to find a place where they can really cook according to your requirement but this place did it. As you cut through the meat, you can see a nice layer of pink and it was very juicy. However, it was not exactly the best I have ever tasted for this one. Nevertheless, the specialty of this place lies in the sauce, which they gave us 3 selections because I was not sure which to choose. Once the taste of the sauce blends with the steak, then I must say, it was quite good. Oh, the asparagus and the mashed potatoes came separately too. After dinner, we were just too full to order any desserts. Overall, I would say this place lived up to its reputation. I know a lot are asking for the most important element of the dinner, pricing.

Well, I must tell you that this place is not cheap at all. The wine that we had, Marques from Spain, one glass of it is more expensive than one whole bottle of wine which I am having for my wedding dinner. There is no such thing called ‘plain water’ here. You either have distilled or sparkling water. I ordered a bottle of distilled water and it was more expensive than a steak in a regular restaurant. Yes, you read that correctly.

The main course… well, all the steaks in the menu are displayed according to country of origin, weight and how long has the cow been fed, e.g. 120 days or 150 days. And they specify that these cows are fed with grass and grass only. On the average, the price of a steak is made up of 3 digits and most of it even start with the number ‘2’.

The place is Prime, Le Meriden Hotel and this is a place where you want to pamper your loved ones… to the ultimate.

57 comments:

Cutiez said...

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...... muahaaaa ~

Winn said...

looks like u 2 had a yumderful time.

they dont serve err..'normal water' when u both are seated meh? they shld lor i think..:P
nowadays har when we say we jus wan plain water the restaurant will charge 50 cents to rm1..Sigh

HI said...

No plain water eh...sounds like a French restaurant. :-p

lovie said...

The food look so yummy. You're right, it's a nice place to be pampered. =)

rainbow angeles said...

Wow... Price also "5 star" neh...

Bread & butter - very different.

And your steak... I see also lao hao sui already! (Also becos I'm hungry now)

Last but not least...

H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y ,
J U L E S !

kyh said...

looks yummy but i cant eat. maybe i'll hv that bread of urs, thanks. but eeekssss! i guess even the bread is priced 5-star! *pengsan*

Daily Nibbler said...

Looks really good. Yum!

Thanks for sharing.

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

haha pricing is indeed the only complaint..get the starwood card which gives u a buy 1 free 1 if 2 ppl dine in..

not a bad job in ur 1st time review..i must say..

n yes, bottled water is the norm, and well wine? so im guessing ur glass of wine must have been 30-40?

Purple~MushRooM said...

Hmm.. this sounds like a paid post. Haha.

Helen said...

This place is expensive.. capital E. But then since it's Jules' big day, it is important she is happy. :-)

Honest Zewt, I never thot 5* dining could be that expensive. I will not take things for granted now because in Ipoh there's a 5* former chef from 4 Seasons Hotel opening his own place. The food is superb and I still bitch the lamb rack cost RM52. :-P

missironic said...

Well, for tat kind of price i tink the food shud better b worth. Fortunately, it's worth to pay! but i guess u r rite..its a place to pamper your loved ones ultimately...

as my mom say..."gud tings are never cheap and cheap things are never gud"..well, can apply to almost anyting la tis quote..lolz..

Huei said...

i hate u!!!!

ppl post food edi makes me hungry..u added ur reaction to the food in ur mouth! mmmmmm

I WANNN!!!

heheheheh

can i wash dish for them after i dine there to pay off the bill? =P heheheheheh

LuciusMaximus said...

i never thought they would displayed the menu with all the background details of the cow. anyway thanks for sharing it with all of us. might as well give it a try one day. hope the steak and wine live up to my expectation :)

helen,
u mentioned bout the 5* chef opening his own place in ipoh? where at? whats the name?

Sharon said...

wow so how much did you spend :D

Lingzie said...

congrats on your first food review, zewt! :P and what an entry!!
the steak looks HUUUUGE!!! mouth watering, saliva dripping and tummy rumbling oredi!

Anonymous said...

Your T steak doesn't look that appetizing from the photo. It looked slightly over burnt & juice had drained off from the edges(maling it slightly tougher). That's the problem with most steak cookers around. Many years ago, I had my best T-bone steak (you know where?)in Australia & out of a country pub. You would not believe this, in fact they only sold food as 'side-kick' & main promotion is beer, of course. After that experience, I won't pay that kind of price for a steak.

Azlan Zed said...

you make me starving and now only 11:25 am. huhu. nice pampering, i might say. :)

ahjohn said...

man, with the amount you spend, your salary must be X amount multiply by 30 days minimum.

That is the average calculation of a person speding pattern. (assuming that all savings = all spending)

Hmmmmm... that is about 7k? tell me if I AM WRONG!

:: Nicole.F :: said...

wow! russ HAS to try out their steak then :) hmmmm... maybe it's time we pamper ourselves for our belated 1st year anniversary :P~

pssssssst, so how much was the bill? heheheh..

lynn-w said...

wah...really like those in the movies/series!

so nicely presented!!! i am speechless d!!

mayb next time got to bring me there too! hahaha...

Anonymous said...

in this case...

those who can, do and those who can't, drools.

ClaudiaMom said...

Happy Birthday to your darling, make me feel so hungry again after my dim sum lunch, cant wait for a good dinner.

Jacss said...

hapy belated b'day to yr honey!

for a moment, i thot u said that italianies in 1U...not that i know it's that 'FINE'....oops rupa-rupanya LeMeridien (that gave me the answer!!)

and my eyes rolled up side down reading yr 3 digit price of the steak.....eh, yr gf very lucky ooh!!

so, how to break this std in time to come huh??

Jun said...

haha din know there's a flogger in u waiting to be heard ;p oh and of cors the cows are fed grass and grass only, or else they'd even be more pricey if they were fed beer, like their kobe cousins...

frostee said...

Fine dining to the core eh? Am sure she appreciates the pamperin'

Keep it up dude and don't lose steam on it. Last thing you want to hear from your other half after 4 years of marriage and 2 kids... "Why you don't take me out to fine dine these days like we did last time?!"

Ops! *faints

ManaL said...

Zewt, the things u do to your beloved girl/fiancee/future wife....I love fine dining too....but most of all, it had to be at a right ambience, right mood, good company and with ample credit to afford it. U just dont pay the food only, but u also pay the hotel, the surroundings and the highly paid, possibly imported chefs.

Otherwise, i'd go for those regular restos serving those steaks/chicken chops at a far more reasonable price and its surrounding isnt an eyesore.

PS: I picked up the phone and made a reservation at a 5* hotel soon after i read this article of yours!

zewt said...

maegen - hmmmmmmm go try.

winn - nope... only distilled water aka mineral water and sparkling water... all with killer price.

Hooi Imm - hello there. well, this place is just purely steak. guess they just want to rip us off.

lovie - absolutely. must try once nonetheless.

angel - go and try... you will like it. once in a year... ok wan la.

kyh - well, you can have the salad. it was nice. :)

zewt said...

Daily Nibbler - it's my pleasure to share.

constant craver joe - yup, you guessed right. and one glass there in prime is 40... one of the cheapest already.

purple mushroom - i wish they will pay me with another meal.

Helen - well, not all 5* places are that expensive, this one is just exceptional. just skip next door to hilton, and you can get very very very good japanese buffet for about 100+ per person.

missironic - hahahaha.... well, you should really try this place one day. highly recommended.

Huei - hahahahaha... wanna know the bill? take a guess.

zewt said...

Lucius Maximus - you should bro... once in a lifetime of just a place to celebrate a very special occassion. it's worth it. hope helen answers u.

Sharon - hmmm... take a guess.

lingzie - thanks. steak is too huge... i couldnt finish it! gasp! hahahahaha....

william wang - hello there. yeah, the edge, mainly fats are slightly burnt but not the meat though. you must tell me this place where u had the best steak. :)

alan zed - hahaha... did you go to the nearest mamak to hantam a maggi goreng?

ahjohn - wrong... the bill ended up must more expensive than that haha...

Anonymous said...

Lucky you! At least the food taste great so it's worth it that you gotta pay that much. I once had Rm1,000 dinner and it was forgettable - the taste.

The mash potatoes and veges serve separately? That is french style.

zewt said...

:: Nicole :: - yup... must go with russ, i am very sure he will like it if he is a red meat eater. the bill? take a guess hehe...

l y n n w e i - you gotta ask your special one to bring you there hehehe...

anon @ 2.04pm - hahaha... that was quite a quote... quite a quote.

ClaudiaMom - :).... you should go try one day. and i should ask for commission from them haha.

Jacss - hmmm... so i set the benchmark eh? well, my fiance is not a spendsthrift type so she wouldn mind heading back to a regular restaurant next time :)

Jun - hmmm... well, at least they are not fed with some processed food right? kobe... i must try that one day.

F.O.N @ frostee - hahahaha... hmmm... i think that day will come regardless.

Manal - i think ambience is important when here is an occassion. if it's a normal meal, i think i am fine with anything. so how was your meal?

gina - 1000 with forgettable taste? wow... that is a bummer... french style? hmmm... didnt know that.

Anonymous said...

wow the food looks damn delicious... too bad i cant have any of those at least for the next 94 days!!

Jace said...

a bottle of distilled water more expensive than a normal steak? *faint*

how much how much? The bill!

Sharon said...

hmm i'd say... 400?

Miss Gill said...

I love those shots! The food is photogenic as it is expensive.
Nice blog, and pictures. Its a good review. :)

Jonathan Chu said...

I'm... hungry

rainbow angeles said...

At least RM500??

Oh yeah, I'm sure I'd love it! :P

WY said...

zewt, mind sharing what s the final cost of a good dinner for 2?

:) you can PM me on my blog, if you don't want to share it here.

not that i can afford it now. :P

THANKS!

Suit Lin said...

ROAR, thats the high life man, thanks for reminding me of my life time mission to marry a rich noble man. :P:P

*hops off to resume mission* XD

me said...

the food also prob tasted better without 5 kids screaming in your ears.

missironic said...

Ok, shall try it when I've got lots of extra money to spend. lolz..Or, I have some nice people to belanja me...I need to find my 'victim'! ahahahahaa...

Anonymous said...

actually, this place is quite reasonable if you have the starwood card where 1 person eats for free (so 50% discount if only 2 of you go). Plus, you can ask for warm water and it's free. My wife and i frequent this place a lot because the portabello mushroom salad is just wonderful. And their wagyu beef is just to die for! you must try!

may said...

why the pictures look so dark geh...

*turns off the lights*
*steals some lamb*

zewt said...

evelyn - well, i am sure u will recover fully and be able to enjoy them soon.

Jace - yup... i didnt know it until i saw the bill. the bill... hehe... guess la.

Sharon - more than that.

Mandeep Gill - hi there... just took it with my normal canon digital camera. glad you like it.

Jon Chu - let's go makan.

angel - about there la.

zewt said...

rational thinker - well... ok lah... more than 400 but less than 500 hahaha... and i am sure u can afford it.

Suit Lin - hahaha... what is in that resume?

me - you dont have 5 kids yet right? so can still enjoy it.

missironic - no need victim, i am sure u can afford it... just dont do it often.

meat-eater - ok... you just made me wanna go there again... i shal wait for my bonus first.

may - ahahaha... run ... run!

missironic said...

Hmm..ok..on my next birthday then! I got abt 9mths to collect money. lolz..

Suit Lin said...

ehes, resume as in continue mission :P

you mmg corporate-fy your vocab di :P:P

zewt said...

missironic - hahaha... 9 months... 1 day 1 ringgit... more than enough lor.

Suit Lin - ahhh... i see... words are always confusing. "mmg"?

baggie said...

*faints*

Seaqueen said...

A food review. At last. I was wondering when you would start. Not bad. Luckily I just had my lunch if not my stomach would be rumbling away as I read this.

missironic said...

Ok...I'll set up the tong tong for "kutipan derma untuk missironic makan 'beautiful price' dinner " hahahahaa...:P

zewt said...

Calvin's wife - wake up wake up... ask calvin to bring you.

seaqueen - hahaha... i went to another restaurant which i wanna review... but i forgot to take pictures.

missironic - good luck! :)

sharlydia said...

went there with hubby to celebrate our first wedding anniversary in june...not too bad at all, and i like the ambience there...

william (wN) Ng | Remaining Humble said...

Dear Zewt,

Thank you for the food review on Prime Restaurant Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur. It is great to see another blogger who have tried dining here.

It is a coincident that I am doing my internship in Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur as well in the Latest Recipe Restaurant, formerly known as One On One Restaurant (opened on 29th November 2007) - few steps away from Prime Restaurant.

I hope you had an enjoyable moment with Jules during the dinner and if you do drop by the hotel again, I do hope to meet you one day.

Cheers,
William Ng
Blog: http://humblerboy.blogspot.com
MSN: wnka@hotmail.com

zewt said...

sharlydia - i can tell your husband is doing very well in his career.

william ng - hi there and welcome to AZAIG. oh.. what does that restauran of yours have to offer? i am always game for another good meal :)

william (wN) Ng | Remaining Humble said...

Dear Zewt,

There is a media review in my blog on the Latest Recipe Restaurant. I do hope to hear from you soon.

Cheers,

William Ng
Blog: http://humblerboy.blogspot.com
MSN: wnka@hotmail.com

zewt said...

william ng - yeah, i checked that out already.