An ‘Ultime’ dining experience

With a name like Ultime (pronounced as oul-tim), an obvious play on the word ‘ultimate’, this newly opened restaurant is poised to be the next crowd puller in KL city. Officially opened to the public since early March, Ultime boasts a full fledge kitchen capable of serving 80 guests at any one time. Located smack in the centre of town just 5 minutes away from the bustling Changkat area and strategically accessible via Jalan Sultan Ismail and Bukit Bintang, it might well give the other establishments in the area a run for their money.

As you enter through the lift into the boudoir lobby, the consummate Instagrammer will definitely find this stop worthy of a post. The East Casual Dining is more casual, great for business lunches or meet-ups, while the patio-dining cocktail area tempts one to linger and chat while admiring the city skyline. For more formal affairs, there’s the West Formal Dining, and VIP rooms. Ultime also has a full on Luxe Wine Room, full fledged bar as well as a special set up known as the Chef’s Dining Table where you can watch the chef prepare your meal and chat with him about ingredients if you so fancy.

At the heart of every notable restaurant is the kitchen. Helmed by Executive Chef Shirosan and Head Chef Azan, Ultime offers European fusion cuisine with a twist on Asian nuances.

“What’s fundamental is our attitude and discipline in ensuring the food is always the freshest and the best quality to satisfy our guests,” said chef Shiro Oonishi.

A specially curated menu was designed for this review: First up was our bread and butters, and what a delight this was. Bread never had it so good as we were served an assortment of lovely freshly made loaves, ranging from sour dough to tomato bread and Country bread. Even better was the choice of creamy, rich French Brittany butters – pesto garlic, porcini mushroom, charcoal truffle, salted – made by the chef himself. Before we even got going on lunch we had already stuffed ourselves silly.

Amuse Bouche was paired with GH Mumm Grand Cordon: Miso Waffle, Croque Madame and Sea Foie Gras. Trout roe and chantily cream went easily in one delightful pop; uni and truffle upped the ante on croque madame while monk fish with ponzu sauce was a commendable approach to conventional foie gras.

The meal proper kicked off proper with Herring fish and beetroot salad – prettily layered with different textures, colours and tastes – paired with Clarendelle Blanc 2016. This was a decent set up with the cold starter, accentuating the combined flavours of the dish that had a bit of mushy, a bit of bite and the slightest crunch all in one mouthful.

Langoustine with cold soba gave us all something to fiddle with – looked intimidating but there’s really not that much meat in this crustacean. The natural sweetness of this Norway lobster came through nicely though the soba was on the soggy side and didn’t stand out for me. This was paired with The Hilt Chardonnay 2017, which I confess, was more memorable.

For the main course, there was a choice of Aging Smoked Duck accompanied by Zhao Wei’s Chateau Monlot Fronsac or or Aging Halibut paired with Rimapere Sauvignon Blanc 2017. The acclaimed actress bought the winery in 2011 and went on to buy 3 other chateaus in her bid to expand her vineyard holdings. A dry, smooth and velvety red with strong black berry notes, the Chateau Monlot Fronsac is said to have great aging potential. Offering a nice balance of floral and spice, this is easier to drink than other complex French wines. The moist duck meat that came with gravy had the slightest hint of pink and a firm texture, and retained the light smokiness and marinate on the fringes. For someone not usually keen on reds, I really enjoyed this pairing. Aging Halibut was good too, though I did not choose this main course. Stole some from my neighbouring diner!

Dessert was Napoleon Mille Feuille (pic) and Crazy Hazelnut milk chocolate. I found this a bit on the sweet side but liked the play of textures, layering of soft cream in between crisp biscuit. But that’s relative as those with a sweet tooth might find this lacking.

The cocktail programme is seasonal in nature whereby a new cocktail list is developed every quarter so that guests are fettered with a refreshing drinking experience. The very first cocktail menu is inspired by the Spice Route. This menu shares ingredients, flavours and culture that spans the historical spice trade between the West and East.

Ultime offers Lunch Degustation from RM120, Elite Lunch Degustation from RM260; and Dinner Degustation from RM390, Elite Dinner Degustation from RM650. The wine pairings range from 2 glasses onwards, charges depending on the number of glasses.

Add: Level 3A, Menara Noble Land, Kuala Lumpur. Available for reservations via www.ultime.com.my or call 03-2704 0988 l 012-858 8016