Making fine dining accessible

Lobster Pasta.

At Joon Dining, it’s quite possible to lunch like a prince with just RM50! The whole idea is to make fine dining more accessible and educate diners on the art of food and wine pairing.

You get a choice of five different starters for set lunch, to pair with one of five main courses and a dessert. Our party of five decided to go for all five different options, in our bid to try everything on the set lunch menu.

Mushroom Cappucino.

The foamy Mushroom Cappuccino proved most memorable. The sublime truffle oil-scented broth was soul-satisfying, accompanied by a wafer-thin slice of crisp sourdough melba toast.

Coming in a close second was the Baby Octopus al ajillo style (cooked in garlic). Tossed with a heap of shredded lettuce, purple cabbage and chunks of pomelo sacs, the refreshingly tangy salad topped with crisp garlic and chilli flakes got our thumbs up.

Baby Octopus al aljillo style.

Duck gizzard was put to good use by chef Tyrell Joon for his special Sautéed Wild Mushroom with Duck Gizzard and Balsamic Crème. We enjoyed the gizzard’s firm, chewy texture in contrast with the custardy soft onsen egg and tender fungi. Crusty toast pieces added extra textural dimension to the rustic, earthy ensemble.

Pani Puri (fried semolina-wheat dough balls) was filled with diced salmon, compressed apple and ginger ponzu dressing for a different approach to the conventional Indian appetiser. The crunchy balls scored highly with us, and we wished there was more to go around.

Pani Puri filled with salmon bits.

Vegetarians and health-conscious diners may prefer the Roasted Cauliflower with salted egg gribiche (French cold egg sauce), pumpkin seeds and sultanas. Joon tweaked the gribiche by replacing regular egg yolks with salted egg yolks, emulsifying it with oil and mustard, then adding chopped chervil to finish.

A fleeting burst of the Sichuan peppercorns’ tongue-tingling heat whetted our appetite for the Mala Mongolian Lamb Ragout. The delectably juicy chunks of lamb, mixed with some radish and deep-fried lotus root crisps, tasted even better when eaten with the mini mantou buns that were crisp on the outside yet soft inside.

Joon’s penchant for ageing meat came to the fore in his offering of Free Range Dry Aged Chicken Confit with Tajin Lyonnaise Potatoes and Sweet Corn Veloute. According to him, the ageing process tenderised the meat, intensifying its flavour. The sweet, creamy smooth velouté together with the caramelised onion and fried baby potatoes proved winsome too, ramping up the dish’s deliciousness.

Free Range Dry Aged Chicken Confit.

The supplementary charge of RM18 for the Lobster Pasta was a real steal. Accentuated with mellow spicy-sour kimchi, we had a gala time extracting the sweet meat from the whole wild-caught spiny lobster to complement the fresh handmade pasta. Instead of wine, Joon used tuak along with chilli and garlic to flavour his famed Vongole Pasta. We made quick work of the palate-pleasing pasta which had soaked up the natural sea-sweetness of the bountiful Borneon clams.

For a supplementary charge of RM28, the Super Seafood Paella netted us a notable bounty of clams, prawns and half a lobster (depending on the mixed catch of the day) amid a lush serving of rice rendered with tomato cream and sweet basil aioli.

From the a la carte line-up, we reeled in Broiled Izumidai with Ulam Raja Parmesan Espuma and Choy Poh Popcorn (RM58). The melding of the parmesan’s umami richness and the local herb’s distinct grassy nuance dialled up the allure of the sweet white Nile tilapia flesh, though we felt the tiny bits of preserved radish “popcorn” made a negligible difference and unnecessary.

Broiled Izumidai with Ulam Raja Parmesan Espuma.

Dessert was Lemon Cheese Curd Tart. While it was decent, it was an underwhelming finish to an otherwise promising lunch.

The lunch set is priced at RM48+ per person for three courses and RM60+ per person for four courses. (Bread is considered the first course.)