Friday, December 16, 2011

Millesime, Solaris Dutamas, Malaysia



















There are three excellent reasons to dine at Millesime - exquisite food, exceptional service and an exemplary wine cellar. With subtle signage Millesime is located indiscriminately in the petroleum offices of Solaris Dutamas and the frontage gives no indication of the glorious treasures awaiting you inside. With an experienced team of chef, maitre d' and wine consultant you are assured that food, service and beverages are all expertly taken care of in this simple but pleasant setting.

First and foremost, Millesime is about quality food. Swiss trained Chef Max Chin places a dedicated focus on sourcing only the best and freshest ingredients and creating, what he calls, Modern European cuisine with a heavy French influence. Basically he highlights the tastes and textures of the produce available and changes the menu accordingly. Most dedicated foodies know that the best thing to do when going to any restaurant is to ask the chef what he recommends for the day. Millesime refuses to serve anything but the best so you only eat what the chef suggests - no guesswork or random selection required. With much international experience, training under a two star Michelin chef and the accomplishment of being once named the youngest ever executive chef for the Sheraton you are in capable hands. Chef Chin is flexible and adaptable. He encourages feedback and describes his kitchen as a two way dining experience. He has been rightly accused of cooking with passion and heart and being fussy right down to the very last detail - even the butter has been given particular attention, especially sourced from southern France and worth every last calorie. Food presentation is uncomplicated but stylish and small portions mean you can manage the entire degustation menu with a few short breathers in between plates. Highlights from the evening I dined (and do remember the menu is based on what the best ingredients are for that week so changes often) were: the zuchinni flowers stuffed with minced chicken; the Hokkaido scallops on two succulently soft oysters sprinkled with fish eggs and; the sauted potato and onion ice cream served on creme fraiche topped with caviar and a potato chip. If this last treat captures your interest you will need to give at least five days notice and be prepared to pay 85RM ++ per serve as the caviar is a special variety flown in from France. Imagine the common way to serve caviar with potatoes or blinis and sour cream and then imagine those same flavours rearranged to create a refreshing twist on the traditional serving.

I firmly believe that every meal can be made better with perfect wine pairings. Millesime again fails to disappoint in this area. With a professional wine and spirit consultant and investor in charge, the selection of wines has been fastidiously chosen and is enough to please any connoisseur. It boasts being the only restaurant in town to serve the top five wines from Bordeaux by the glass. You can try one of these wines for 1000RM per glass without having to commit to the whole 7000RM bottle. Staff can recommend just the right wine for each course, but you're also encouraged to get up and check out the wines from the cellar yourself. Read the label, peruse and be involved in making the selection. The walls are lined with bottles ranging from 100RM to 7000RM so you can find the appropriate drop for your budget and taste.

The third reason to make a reservation is the focus on quality service. Staff are trained and led by the expert maitre d', Albert, who was voted by Singapore Tattler magazine as the most indispensable maitre d' in the Singapore restaurant scene. You can see the result of this training in all staff. Every dish from the day's menu is introduced and explained at each serving and, if appropriate, tips for how to best enjoy the dish are offered too.

If you're not ready to commit to the 220 - 280RM++ for dinner you can try the three course lunch with coffee or tea for 60RM Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri or the very popular four course lunch with wine pairings for 120RM on Wednesdays. It's also turning out to be an intimate spot for an after work drink. Between 5 -7pm Millesime serves free finger food with your drinks. These are not your average bar tidbits though - expect gourmet items such as smoked duck breast sandwiches and quality cheese platters - there are definitely no peanuts or bbq chicken wings to be found!

With the winning combination of intimate setting, fine food, excellent wine and outstanding service, Millesime is a place well worth lingering.

Millesime
G1-01-3 Menara Kencana Petroleum
Solaris Dutamas
1 Jalan Dutamas 1
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
+6 03 6211 0648
www.millesime.my

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