New Rules
Does the Michelin-starred Saint Pierre live up to its reputation at W Kuala Lumpur? Emmilyn Yeoh discovers.
Housed within the trendy W Kuala Lumpur, the second outpost of Michelin-starred Saint Pierre offers a contrasting experience. An obscure entrance leads to a sleek space, dressed in mauve and taupe hues, and decked with raindrop chandeliers and golden wall screens. Sourdough bread starts the quintessential French dining experience, with my favourite Le Beurre Bordier seaweed butter, which still stops me in my tracks with its umaminess. Stylistic snacks of tomato meringue with parmesan cream, capsicum crisps with eggplant, and braised corn with kaffir lime accentuate the Asian influences for which chef-owner Emmanuel Stroobant is known. The first few plates of Aquitaine Oscietra caviar with yogurt cream over seawater jelly and Hass avocado carpaccio are delicious and texturally balanced, but it’s the sixth course—foie, pan-fried to perfection, made sweeter with poached apricot and lychee sauce— that seals the deal. Meaty Ōmi beef with buttery nori chanterelle tart, and 36-hour confit Hokkaido lamb with leek curry, continue to impress and give depth to this 12-course adventure—a spectacle for all the senses. There’s also no resisting the pre-dessert cheese cart. Forget the usual Comté and Camembert—the more complex and piquant cognac-washed Époisses and Roquefort are elegantly memorable. A-cheese-lover’-dreams-turned-gastronomic-reality that makes this experience magical and Michelin-worthy. Saint Pierre, Level 8, W Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-2732 5008. www.saintpierre.com.my