Kota Kinabalu fine dining - my first observations

KOTA KINABALU RESTAURANTS
reviews - May 2008

@mosphere
27th floor, Menara Tun Mustapha, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

12 years ago, at the occasion of my wedding, a group of my wine-loving guests scoured KK for wine. We found only compound brandy to satisfy our thirst. The situation has certainly changed dramatically with, at least, FOUR major wine distributors established here. The range of wine has also expanded with choices from New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, France, Spain and Italy, besides the current favourite Australian wines. It is also not simply regional choices but also some depth of quality on the shelves.

Despite numerous visits to this city, I have never found time to explore the restaurants at the "top"-end of the market. The comfort food of local restaurants with their reasonable prices for super fresh seafood, were too good to ignore. Alas, one's stomach can accept so much food at any one time.

This time, however, is different. It was my wife's birthday and a lack of lunchtime companions that spurred me to propose lunch at @mosphere. This is the literally the stratospheric restaurant of Kota Kinabalu. Located on the 27th floor of Menara Tun Mustapha, it is the highest restaurant in town. The newly installed revolving platform allow diners a 360 degree view of the outside scenery throughout an hour of dining experience.

The wait staff showed graciousness that comes naturally among the people of Sabah. Table service was technically good, but for a restaurant aiming to be top-class, lacks several minor points. The cheaper paper serviettes were used instead of linen. The breads could be better selected rather than simply plain or sesame seeded rolls, likely bought in, too. Wine glasses were simply glass. My hightened expectations dropped a few notches.

The lunchtime set menu was a significant price variation from the ala carte, at RM38 for a 3-course meal. My wife opted for the set of Salad Greens, poached fish and dessert. I decided to give the ala carte a chance to impress me.

The Salad Greens was simply that ........... greens. The poached fish was a firm-fleshed fish that arrived hard and overdone. Dessert was the saving grace and nicely presented.

My starter was Breaded Brie Cheese ............. which was simply fingers of hard Brie, breaded and deep-fried. The plate was 6 cheese fingers dressed with a bed of greens and served with a fruit-based salsa that looked like tomato ketchup. It tasted better than ketchup but I did not feel that it enhanced the Brie in any way.

My main course was Duck risotto cooked in the same consistency as the one that Gordon Ramsay slammed on the chest of a contestant in an episode of Hell's Kitchen. At a 45 degree angle, the risotto did not move a single millimeter. But the rice used was certainly Alborio because the waiter showed me a 500gm packet of Italian Alborio as evidence. I guess the cook lacked practice if the restaurant only buys 500gm packs of rice.

Two red wines by-the-glass is offered ............... both Merlots. I opted for the Chilean Cono Sur rather than drink Eaglehawk.

I declined dessert and shared my wife's.

The total bill came to about RM175.