Taking in more than the sights

The otak-otak dumpling is a unique dish for its tasty filling. — Photos: CHAN TAK KONG/The Star

ADMIRING the sunset over the horizon as evening dawns in Petaling Jaya is one of the bonuses you get when dining at Malt and Leaf restaurant at The Roof in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya.

Glass with dark brown wooden panels surrounding the restaurant gives it a roomy feel.

The bar, which is a prominent feature here, showcases a splendid range of single malt whiskies and cigars, giving the restaurant a luxurious ambience with soothing music in the background.

Restaurant operations manager Leo S. Patrick said the rooftop restaurant recently underwent renovations.

“The restaurant was set up three years ago and we replaced the old items and decor to give it a modern look.

“We serve fusion food with emphasis on Western cuisine,” he said.

For starters, we had Italian-inspired Escargots A La Bourguignonne baked with aromatic herb butter.

Extracting the snails from the shell was easy, with the creamy butter and herb giving it a rich flavour.

 

The Chicken Cordon Bleu stuffed with turkey ham and cheese is a hearty main course.  

 

We were then served dumplings that I found rather unique.

These little morsels of goodness were filled with chunks of otak-otak instead of the common stuffing of minced chicken.

The dumpling, deep-fried until golden brown, was crispy and proved to be an enjoyable difference.

Diners have a wide variety of meat items to choose from for their mains.

Be it the well-seasoned Black Angus Grain-fed Ribeye or Braised Lamb Shank, both were perfectly done.

The salt and pepper marinated beef, sprinkled with meringue dust to give it a hint of sweetness, was served with a side of spicy potato wedges.

Squid Ink Spaghetti sauteed in olive oil, garlic and chilli, topped with mussels, squid and prawns.  

Although it was a simple dish with medium doneness recommended for the meat, the way it was prepared made all the difference.

The tender lamb shank with its distinctive aroma due to the Moroccan spices used was something we thoroughly enjoyed.

Served with garlic mash and grilled asparagus arranged on top of the lamb, the meat fell off the bone easily and was simply mouthwatering.

Those not keen on meat, can opt for the Signature Baked Salmon.

This grilled speciality is served with a special house batter, tomato basket, Romesco sauce and pumpkin mash.

Another dish to relish is the Chicken Cordon Bleu stuffed with turkey ham and cheese.

Pasta lovers might want to give the Squid Ink Spaghetti a try.

Braised Lamb Shank with Moroccan spices served with garlic mash and grilled asparagus. 

Sautéed in olive oil, garlic and chilli, the spaghetti was generously topped with mussels, squid and prawns.

For something Asian, the restaurant serves sang har mee in the form of the Imperial Seafood Noodles with soft shell king prawns, seared scallops and squid with crispy fried noodles in rich egg gravy.

The presentation was interesting with crispy noodles shaped into a dome, and the gravy poured over it.

An order was placed for the chocolate lava cake which took 20 minutes to bake, but it was worth the wait.

Hot chocolate from within flowed out upon cutting the cake and this was a sinful indulgence when eaten with vanilla ice cream.

THE MALT & LEAF @ The Roof, 1, First Avenue, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. (Tel: [phone]) Business hours: 5pm to 1am (Sunday to Thursday), 5pm to 1.30am (Friday and Saturday). Pork-free.

This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.