Baby Sumo Birthday Week #3: Lunch @ Prime, Le Meridien KL

Been a while since we had lunch at Prime KL, so we chose this as our last stop for my birthday week. For lunch, other than their a la carte menu, they also do a value-for-money Business Set Lunch (RM75 for 2-courses and RM92 for 3-courses) or Rush Hour 2-course express set lunch for RM70. The set lunch menu changes every 2 weeks.

Originally, I wanted to order my favorite Master Kobe oyster blade steak from their a la carte but I was swayed by the choices on the Business Set Lunch. So, set lunch it is this time.

Fantastic complimentary bread to start with 3 types of butter

The restaurant was very busy during lunch time, but we still managed to get a table in one of the private booths in the restaurant. To start, I ordered the Tian of Apple and Celery, Jumbo Crab with Coriander Lemon Prawn with Guacamole, Cress Mix and Crispy Tuile. Firstly, love the exquisite presentation of this dish. A light and appetizing dish, love the combination of flavours and textures. I enjoyed eating this very much too. And yup, no crab shells this time ;)

Hubby chose the Truffle Scented Coddle Egg, Grilled Brioche and Rocket Salad Lemon Dressing.

For mains, there was a choice of either salmon, beef rump stew or tenderloin steak. Obviously, we both went for the steak - an 8oz Charcoal Grilled Beef Mignon, served with Beef Cheek Croquette, Crusted Vegetables Tian and Truffle Jus. One arrived slightly charred on the outside... well, how did they know that was how my Hubby likes his steak? The perks of being a regular..... or just lucky. LOL! The steaks were cooked to a beautiful medium, very very juicy and delicious indeed.

And then, the waitresses appeared with balloons and a birthday platter and also sang "Happy Birthday". What a lovely, wonderful surprise. Hubby has secretly arranged for "Happy Birthday" to be written on my dessert but kudos to the team for making the extra effort.

Fudge brownie with vanilla ice cream - Hubby's dessert

Complimentary birthday slice for moi, the birthday girl

Thank you Hubby for the birthday treat once again!

Pork-free.

Opening times: Monday to Friday: 12.00pm to 2.30pm (Lunch); Monday to Sunday: 6.30pm to 11.00pm (Dinner)

Service: Excellent.

Price: RM75 for 2-courses and RM92 for 3-courses. No SPG discounts for set lunch.

Location: Prime Steak Restaurant, 5th Floor, Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur, 2 Jalan Stesen Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.


Tel: 03- 2263 7555

GPS Coordinates: 3.135685, 101.686524

Website: http://www.lemeridiendining.com.my

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PSA: Bintang The Bear Charity Campaign with Starwood KL Hotels

Starwood Hotels in Kuala Lumpur are teaming up in a joint effort to raise funds to financially support local children born with congenital heart defects. The initiative first mooted by Lé Meridien Kuala Lumpur saw great success in its first year in 2013. This year, four Starwood hotels in KL, Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral, The Westin Kuala Lumpur, Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur and Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur will coordinate efforts to raise funds for this worthy cause this Christmas.

Founded in 1996, ‘A heart for a heart’ charity programme was set up by Gleneagles Hospital to help children with critical congenital heart defects, who needed urgent financial aid due to limited financial means, and undergo corrective surgery at the Gleneagles Cardiac centre. This also enables children in critical condition from being on the waiting list.

Each hotel is selling “Bintang” the Bear soft toys, priced at RM50 each. The bears all feature four distinctive T-shirt designs reflecting the unique characteristics of the four brands and hotels. All proceeds from our “Bintang the Bear” Christmas Charity effort will be channeled to Gleneagles Hospital.

To learn more about the “Bintang the Bear” Christmas charity campaign, please approach the hotel associates at the respective hotels’ front desks or call the hotels directly at:

· Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral: +603 2723 1188
· Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur: +603 2263 7888
· Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur: +603 2717 9900
· The Westin Kuala Lumpur: +603 2731 8333




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Baby Sumo Birthday Week #2: Rakuzen Japanese Restaurant @ Publika, KL

The birthday celebration continues.... and since both my kids love Japanese food, we visited Rakuzen in Publika. Rakuzen has been around for many years, but this is actually our first time visiting, although we do visit their sister restaurant, Kita No Zen in The Gardens Mall on a weekly basis.

The restaurant is pretty spacious, and we were seated in one of the booths. Service is fast and efficient. Similar to Kita No Zen, they offer a la carte menu as well as set lunches. There are around 20 set lunches to choose from, and with the set lunches, you get miso soup, chawanmushi, pickles, appetizer and fresh fruits for dessert. Really good value for money.

Hubby went for the salmon sashimi zen (RM23) which came with the standard plate of 7 fresh, luscious slices of sashimi.

My kids favorite - saba teriyaki. We love the fatty belly part - so yummy when grilled, almost melt-in-the-mouth. Saba teriyaki zen (RM23).

I went for the Sake oyaki zen (RM30), which is something I cannot get at KNZ - essentially this is a chirashi topped with 3 types of salmon - thick slices of salmon sashimi, salmon belly as well as ikura (popping delicious salmon roe). Totally satisfying!

Thanks Hubby yet again for the birthday lunch!

Please visit their website for full list of restaurant locations and opening times.


Opening times: 12.00pm - 3.00 & 6.00pm - 11.00pm daily.

Price: Reasonable.

Location: Rakuzen, No. 6, Lvl G2, Publika, Solaris Dutamas, 1 Jalan Dutamas 1, 50480 KL (near MPH entrance).

Tel: 03-6411 0822


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Baby Sumo Birthday Week #1: Cilantro Restaurant, KL

Every year for my birthday, Hubby would spoil me to a few nice meals in the run up to the actual day. The first venue that we picked was Cilantro KL, having had many nice meals here in the past.

Every Fridays, they do a 4-course lunch for RM150 nett, which includes a glass of Prosecco as well as coffee/tea. And of course, not to be missed here is their amazing truffle butter... don't be shy and slather on your bread. You could always ask for another and they would happily oblige ;)

The amazing truffle butter

To start, we had the Cold Capellini with Hirame and Aosanori. This was my favorite dish of the afternoon - loved its simplicity yet bursting with umami flavours. The delicate fish was topped with some kickass wasabi and crunchy seaweed. Fantastic!

The second course is a warm starter, Nipah Crab with Piment d'Espelette Soufflé. I wasn't too impressed with this dish, especially since the souffle was tiny and looked deflated, and I found not one, but three pieces of crab shell in my plate. Certainly not acceptable for a fine dining restaurant.

For mains, I had the Grilled Angus Beef with Mushrooms while Hubby went for the French Pigeon with Foie Gras. I enjoyed the grilled beef, very nicely cooked, but next to the grilled beef there was also a piece of braised beef (not sure which part) but it was tough and felt a bit out of place. I would have been happier if it wasn't there. Hubby's main course was good and a nice change since it's not everyday that he gets to eat French pigeon.

Dessert was also a non-event for us, Roasted Apple with Caramel Ice Cream and Tuile. All I got from eating the ice cream was a burnt aftertaste (we've had their caramel ice cream before and it definitely doesn't taste like this). Hardly exciting.

So, we ended up going to The Deli (also in Micasa Hotel and operated by Cilantro kitchen) and ordered a strawberry meringue with vanilla ice cream. A sure-winner, this definitely perked our moods up again.

Thanks Hubby for the birthday treat!


Opening times: Lunch - available on Fridays only. (12.00pm -2.00pm). Dinner - Monday to Saturday (6.00pm - 10.30pm). Closed on Sundays.

Service: Good.

Price: RM150 nett per person inclusive of glass of Prosecco

Location: Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar, MiCasa All Suite Hotel, 368-B Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-2179 8082

Website: http://www.cilantrokl.com/ (Lunch menus updated weekly)

GPS Coordinates: 3.162273,101.719548



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Lunch @ Sage Restaurant & Wine Bar, The Gardens Residences, KL

Always a pleasure to dine at Sage KL;)

We love coming to Sage when we're doing our daytime dating. The ambiance is lovely, service is good and food is always exceptional. I like how Chef Daniel always comes out to greet us with a warm smile. I like how his food tastes - simple but always delivers.

Just like our starter of hiramasa with shaved black truffle and soy vinaigrette. It looks deceptively simple but it tastes so good. All throughout the first course, Hubby keeps going "mmm mmmmm" with approval. My fav course of the afternoon.

Tranche of Hiramasa with Shaved Black Truffle and Soy Vinaigrette

We always go for two appetizers when we lunch here, because frankly it's just too hard deciding which one to go for. Love the smoked duck breast with foie gras, served with fig and date chutney. You know what they say, "good things come in small packages".

The set lunch at Sage is now priced at RM120 nett (formerly RM100), but you will notice that they now serve Wagyu (marbling 5, I'v been told) beef for lunch instead of Angus. All the more reasons to love the steaks here, richer in taste and more melt-in-the-mouth.

Two way preparation of Wagyu beef with Yuzukoshou and Chasseur sauce

Perfectly cooked!

An off-menu dessert for us - French Chocolate Fondant with Earl Grey Tea Ice Cream

And that is why Sage is still my favorite restaurant in KL.

Pork-free.

For their weekly lunch menu, click here. Full a la carte menu here.

Dress code: Smart casual.

Opening hours: Lunch:Monday to Friday 12.00pm to 2.00pm; Dinner:Monday to Saturday 6.00pm to 10.30pm. Closed on Sunday.

Price: RM120 nett per person for 3-course lunch.

Location: Sage Restaurant & Wine Bar, The Gardens Residences, Level 6, The Gardens, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2268 1328

*Children below the age of 6 are not allowed in the restaurant.



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Matsumi Japanese Restaurant, Hamburg, Germany

Recently, we made a trip to the port city of Hamburg for a short trip. After a quick search, we stumbled upon Matsumi, a Japanese restaurant nearby the places we were visiting for the day. Matsumi serves set lunches at reasonable prices, so it is a good way to sample their offerings without spending a fortune.

Una-don. Beautifully grilled eel served over rice. 

Entrance to the restaurant

Tables are small but well-suited to the customer base, mostly groups of 2 or small families. They also have tatami rooms that seat bigger groups of 10-14 pax.

Pickled vegetables as an appetiser

The bar area where the chef dishes out the sushi.

Shake-Teri-Don. Grilled salmon served on rice with vegetables and a miso soup. Fish was beautifully cooked and vegetables had a good bite to them.

The eel was soft and flavoursome, and the dish also comes with a miso soup.

After a meal, you can take a stroll along the Botanical Gardens aka Planten un Blomen. It is a beautiful garden with various flowers from all around the world. Well worth a visit for the plant lovers.

Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday; Lunch 12.00 pm - 2.30pm, Dinner 6.30 pm- 11.00pm. Sundays and Mondays closed. Open on public holidays from 6.30pm

Price: 32€ for two persons.

Location: Matsumi, Colonnaden 96, 1st Floor, 20354 Hamburg, Germany

Tel: +49 040- 34 31 25

Website: http://www.matsumi.de/


*This is a guest post by The Unc.



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Kaiseki @ Fukuya Japanese Restaurant, Jalan Delima, KL

I can't believe that after all these years, I have not taken Hubby to Fukuya Japanese Restaurant in Jalan Delima for their kaiseki lunch. He's had a good meal at Fukuya KLIA and I myself have eaten in this restaurant a few times and enjoyed it, so I was confident that he would love it as much as I did.

Fantastic kaiseki meal at Fukuya KL :)

Since we made a last minute reservation, we were seated at the sushi bar since the restaurant is fully booked. It sure is good to see this restaurant doing so well!

Fukuya's specialty is the Kaiseki menu which consists of fresh seasonal ingredients (air-flown fresh from Japan twice a week) paired with artistic presentation. The food is prepared according to the strictest traditional methods. The mini kaiseki, served at lunch is priced at RM65++ per person and consists of an appetizer, soup, sashimi, grilled dish, simmered dish, fried dish, shokuji and dessert. It is served course by course, though at times, it came out a little too quick for our liking.

A kaiseki meal sure is a feast for the eyes and palate. Even though I've eaten the kaiseki here a few times, I still feel impressed every time the dishes come out. Like this appetizer - WOW is the word to describe it. In the centre is their signature uni (sea urchin) tofu, surrounded by other delicious bites such as fried fish, eggplant, salmon roll and grilled scallop.

Ah sashimi, my favorite course - thick, fresh slices of salmon, tuna and hamachi (yellowtail). More please :)

Premium chawanmushi - so so smooth, delightful to savour.

Grilled cod with mayo sauce- so happy that today's fish is cod. Topped with the mayo sauce, it was moist and flavourful. I really enjoyed this!

These came out together - crispy tempura, wrapped in shiso in a light batter, miso soup, simmered chicken with radish, and rice with salmon flakes.

Loved this! 

Sushi bar action

Fresh melon for dessert

It was a great lunch for sure, this certainly will not be the last time we'll be visiting Fukuya :)

Opening times: Monday to Saturday; Lunch 12.00 pm - 2.30pm, Dinner 6.30 pm- 10.30pm. Sundays 6.00pm - 10.00pm.

Price: RM65++ for mini kaiseki, available Mondays to Saturdays.

Location: Fukuya Japanese Restaurant, No 9 Jalan Delima, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (next to Levain Boulangerie and behind the Indonesian Embassy)

Tel: 03-2144 1022

Website: http://www.fukuya.com.my/

GPS Coordinates: 3.145626, 101.72061

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