The Malaysian Insider, 23 May 2009

Indulge is such a pretty restaurant, don't you think?

MAY 23 – I like the lemony colours and comfortable seating of Indulge, a new restaurant in The Tropicana City Mall in Petaling Jaya. I like its menu even better. It’s fine dining but not at those five-star prices.

So indulge, for instance, in a premium-grade grain-fed tenderloin that is just a grade below wagyu at only RM49. That’s what we did. There was a choice of red wine sauce, mushroom or pepper sauce.

We took the first and loved it with the steak which had good marbling, though not as much as a wagyu. Later, chef Pele Kuah (obviously a football fan, but boyish and diminutive compared to the legend) explained to me about his beurre blanc sauce reduced with red wine together with thyme and shallots. The beef was excellent, so was the sauce, and we asked for a bigger helping of it.

We had a choice of potatoes too, so it was a creamy and delicious gratin potatoes. Pele has honed his art at places like Mandarin Oriental and The Renaissance Hotel, so it shows.

Duo of lamb is highly recommended if you are a fan of lamb.

My friend Fay (of Oriental Cravings, 1-Utama) had highly recommended the Duo of Lamb, which was orange lamb goulash and grilled lamb rack. The goulash sat in a ring of mashed potato, with tender chunks of lamb done in a mirepoix with beef jus and orange juice. So you have this intense gravy with citrusy hints, rosemary and thyme running into smooth potato mash. You could also taste a small portion of roasted lamb rack, for a more meaty take.

This smoked salmon dish comes with a surprising vodka cream salad.

I also liked the mix of vegetables on the platter, snow peas, shimeji mushrooms and cauliflower, sautéed with garlic.

The fine tone of our dinner had been set with two appetizers: the Melon Salad and Smoked Salmon with Vodka Cream Salad, the style of which you would expect in a five-star hotel restaurant. There were small rock melon and watermelon balls lined up in a row, drizzled with balsamic dressing, then a clever combination of rocket, chopped apple, lychee, sliced pineapple and grapes, together with walnuts. You taste sweet, tart and bitter, which works very well.

I like anything with alcohol, and I just learnt from a health expert that I must have the enzymes to tolerate it well. So the Smoked Salmon with Vodka Cream was just my thing (as was my choice of red wine sauce!). The chef himself likes to drink vodka, so he put some in the sour cream and he filled it in the smoked salmon rosettes. "Eating is like music; there must be harmony," said Pele. "Sour is leading here, then salty, and the sweetness comes from vodka and the finishing with sugar."

The soft shell crab salad is absolutely yummy.

It was exactly that. The vodka cream filled my mouth as I took a bite of the slightly salty salmon; I tasted lemony flavour in the cream, and there was the burst of saltiness from black caviar.

The Softshell Crab with Honeycream had papaya relish atop the salad. The honeycream was yum with the deep fried crab.

The beef tenderloin with red wine sauce and gratin potatoes is a classy dish that looks as good as it tastes.

My eyes followed the bulging Indulge Burger with sautéed mushrooms and caramelised onion as it was brought to the next table. I looked it up on the menu: it was a steal at RM12!

The Chocolate Fondant with hot melted chocolate oozing out is superb. The Vanilla Mint Créme Brulee is smooth and light. I have to say the desserts are underpriced for the quality you get. There are plans for a flambé cart where you can get your crepe suzette done tableside.

There is a high-tea set that should appeal to women. It gives you scones with cream and jam preserve, cheesecake and sandwiches, for RM30.

Other main courses include Duck Confit with Wild Rocket Salad, potato puree and red wine glaze, Miso Gratinated Cod with Lemongrass Foam, wasabi mash and sautéed Asian greens, Chicken Chop a la Plancha in Tongkatsu Broth, and Slow Braised Lamb Shank with Garlic Mash and glazed vegetables. Pele highly recommends his Bell Pepper Risotto, and the classic pasta carbonara in a “silky cream sauce” which he finishes with egg.

There are also Asian main courses like Yoghurt Chicken Vindaloo with brown rice and coriander chutney, Lamb Curry with brown rice and pickled vegetables, and Green Curry Chicken with brown rice.

Indulge is at L1-12, Tropicana City Mall, 3 Jalan SS20/27, Petaling Jaya (Tel: 03-7710-6112). You can also approach it via a new flyover from Damansara Kim if you are coming from that direction.