The Apartment Downtown @ KLCC

Downtown Manhattan has a vibe that’s difficult to articulate, let alone imitate. Renovated waterfronts, dynamic panorama are adjectives that come to mind.

At night, diners could sit back and relax over a glass of bubbly with a scenic lake view

And while the newly refurbished “The Apartment Downtown”, located in KLCC, is hardly the same as downtown Manhattan, it does have a lot going for it in terms of a cool waterfront (over looking the musical fountain and KLCC park) as well as a dynamic panorama, the KL city skyline.

Yes indeed, The Apartment Downtown has recently unveiled a new look, menu and cocktail & champagne bar. Featuring a European- Asian fusion menu, the restaurant is definitely sporting a more swanky yet casual vibe these days. Open for lunch and dinner, this place serves hearty mains, but also does social platters for those who don’t want anything too heavy.

Pumpkin Soup with Coconut Sambal– RM15.90

A lovely creamy Pumpkin soup flavoured with a spicy coconut sambal and fresh lime. It had an unusual spicy and sour kick at the end, which actually worked. Too often pumpkin soup is just monochromatic without much excitement. This one was nice.

Silky Scallops & Tofu – RM39.90

Next came, 4 shiny Scallops and roe baked with tofu, topped with soy-wasabi butter. Didn’t really care much for these because they were overcooked, tiny and bland. What’s more the tofu added to the blandness. Had the Chef forgotten to season his food?

Tofu and bland scallop, not the best combo.

Korean Sticky Fried Chicken– RM25.90

I can see why folks might fall for these tender chicken drumlets, coated in a sweet & spicy Korean sauce with chopped salted peanuts. They were crispy and fresh. However, some might find the sweet sauce cloyingly so.

Moroccan Beef Burger – RM36.90

This was my favourite for the night. An easy to eat portion of Moroccan spiced patty on toasted brioche bun stacked with tomato relish, beef bacon, arugula, tomato, portobello mushroom with a drizzle of mayonnaise and house crème fraiche, served with sweet potatoes a side. Probably too small for some, but it was just right for me. And in case you’re wondering, no the beef in the burger isn’t from Morocco, just the herbs, spices and style of it, we were told. What exactly a Moroccan burger tastes like though, I’m not really sure. They did however, over cook our burger which we weren’t too thrilled about – asked for medium rare but got it almost well done.

The burger – tried to eat it in a ladylike fashion but failed miserably!

Greek Style Lamb Cutlets– RM70.90

Well at least they got the doneness of our New Zealand lamb right. Served with Greek yogurt, crumbed eggplant and roasted cherry tomatoes, these arrived a juicy medium rare.

enough blood in this one to make us happy

Loved the breadcrumbed eggplant – crispy on the outside, and soft melt in your mouth aubergine on the inside!

Salt and Pepper Scallop Linguini RM45.90

Again, not impressed with the overcooked Scallops in the Linguine with prawns, crispy beef bacon, sautéed broccoli and red capsicum with chilli flakes. I think this restaurant should just stick to meats and leave the seafood well alone.

White & Dark Chocolate Trifle – RM16.90

A super sweet, thick and stodgy double layered white and dark chocolate mousse with chocolate shavings ended dinner on a sweet note. We had wines by the glass too – whites were the De Martino Estate Chardonnay and the Babich Hawkes Bay Sauvignon Blanc. While the reds were the Jules Cabernet Sauvignon and the Lucky Country Estate Shiraz.