SPOTTING a brand new look, Sage Restaurant and Wine Bar located on the sixth floor of The Gardens Residences Kuala Lumpur is quite a stunning space.
The location is quite tricky, especially for a first-timer like yours truly but it has the advantage of being an intimate dining space, away from the crowded malls below.
Not only that it offers romantic ambience for lovebirds, but also an ideal place for a cosier catch-up session with close friends.
The mellow evening mood of the bluish-lighting, jazzy background music as well as scenic views of the city are definitely plus points to the minimal elegant set up.
Its sprawling avant-garde dining hall can sit 60 diners comfortably with the social distancing observed, while still leaving enough breathing room in between.
For those looking for a more private space, there are private dining rooms that can accommodate up to 14 persons.
Sage offers a French and Japanese cuisine menu, specially prepared by the talented Chef Don, who has over 18 years of culinary experience.
Staying grounded in the art of French culinary tradition, his mantra to exquisite dishes are simple - incredibly fresh ingredients!
Most of the ingredients used in the dishes are imported and a premium selection by the chef himself.
He also created the seasonal menu to ease guests, and this evening, my friends and I have selected the Craftsman Menu, which is a four course dining experience.
THE APPETISERS
Kicking off the night, my friends and I are served with the first course - a selection of either Hokkaido Tuna Tartare with Uni and Yaki Nori or a plate of Cold Somen with Braised Abalone and Dashi. Four of us select the two to try.
The former dish is a fresh pick if you love raw tuna sashimi cut in small cubes, but not mushy at all. It is drenched with flavourful creamy sauce, served with a delicate portion of sea-urchin from Hokkaido which gives it a salty umami taste as well as a crispy Yaki Nori seaweed.
Always fond of fresh sashimi, I really enjoy this dish. I personally love the fancy plating and the portion is not too extravagant too which won't leave a fishy after-taste.
The cold somen on the other hand is quite a simple dish using some kind of pasta, very thin almost like angel-hair which is served with braised abalone and dashi to give the dish an umami flavour. You can also request to add Kaluga caviar on top with an additional RM88 per 5 gram.
For the second appetiser, my friend chooses the Confit of Muscovy Duck Leg with Foie Gras and Braised Endive.
A classic French preparation, the duck legs are cured overnight before it is gently oven-cooked in low heat to give it a tender and silky texture.
It is served with duck liver and a bitter leafed vegetable cooked originally with red wine, however this evening, Chef Don prepared it with chicken juice.
Not a fan of neither duck, nor foie gras, I opt for the second choice which is the Alaskan King Crab which has been steamed perfectly and served with Pan Seared Kuruma Ebi and Nishiki Rice.
It is quite a unique and flavourful dish, a twist to the poke bowl. The crab is finely steamed and served with Japanese rice which has a sticky texture, and drenched in Chef's signature sauce.
THE STAR DISH
While waiting for the main dish, we are served with refreshing and citrusy sorbet made of raspberry, to clean our palate before the next dish comes.
For mains, there are three selections of either lobster, fish or beef.
The lobster sounds fantastic especially if you enjoy seafood and pasta. The Entuvee of Maine Lobster are served with Pomodoro Pasta and Parmesan Cheese, a creamy tomato cheese-based sauce which has a distinguished intense taste as the sauce has been fermented.
It is kept in the chiller and left premature for a week before it is served for cooking.
For the fish, the Chef has prepared Roasted Wild Turbot with Caviar and ikura Beurre Blanc Sauce. However, instead of using white wine, Chef uses anchovies to give the creamy sauce a sweet and salty taste.
After having seafood choices all the way, my pick for the main dish is definitely the Grilled Wagyu Forestiere, which is simply the star of the evening.
It is perfectly cooked medium, which is a perfect doneness for a wagyu steak. It gives the juicy, almost melt in mouth texture and the wild mushroom sauce gives it a little kick to the whole dish.
FAST FACTS
Sage Restaurant & Wine Bar
Level 6, The Gardens Residences, The Gardens Mall, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, 59200 Kuala Lumpur
TEL 03-2268 1328 / WhatsApp 016-775 7160
EMAIL sage.fnbghr@stgiles-hotels.com
WEBSITE www.sagekl.com
HOURS Lunch noon-3pm (Mon-Fri) and Dinner 6pm-11pm (Mon-Sat)
EAT Sage is a French and Japanese fusion cuisine restaurant offering crafted menus by Chef Don John using premium and imported ingredients. The menu is seasonal, so check out the website for more details.
PICK The main courses obviously - Grilled Wagyu Forestiere is definitely the star of the menu, but I would highly recommend the Entuvee of Maine Lobster with Pomodoro Pasta and Parmesan Cheese.
PAY The set menu is priced at RM180 to RM358 per person. You can pick from the selected set menu which has been crafted by Chef Don of either a three, four or five course menu.
MOOD Intimate and romantic, with high ceiling windows overlooking the city as well as dimly-lit bluish-coloured lighting in the evening time.
SERVICE Friendly service, relaxed and an inviting ambience. The restaurant is unusually located at the Residences building, so it's not too crowded.
I SAY The food is not only the highlight of the night, but also the atmosphere of the very stunning set up of the restaurant. It gives me the romantic feeling, and is the perfect choice for a quiet and intimate dinner with your loved ones.