The Pressroom, Bangsar Shopping Centre: Back to Celebrate

Ever since my last visit, which I didn't had anything to eat,  I've been saving for the right occasion to come back to The Pressroom. The opportunity finally came when McCutie offered to threat treat some close friends and me [thanks Ah Pa] to dinner to celebrate a good news at work. I've moved up the ladder and it's a good enough enough to splurge at this new Anglo-French restaurant.

I love the interior here. I love how the shinny finish of the copper-painted walls, etched glass and reflective brass ceilings meets with the natural wood surfaces in the flooring and furniture. It is a stark contrast yet a perfect balance of bling and casualness at the same time. The Pressroom models itself after a vintage European brasserie complemented by art-nouveau inspired motifs. It may be too opulent for my own style, I still like what I see here.


a. Selections of soup, b. the Chef's Tasting Menu

We started off the evening with the Chef's Tasting Plate (RM36.00 for two), which consisted of Smocked Duck with Asparagus & Balsamic, Vegetable Lasagna, Chicken Bacon Roll and Fried Breaded Camembert with Orange Gel. Chiselstone and I thought this would be a great way to taste a few appetizers at one go, but were deeply disappointed with the selection. They were bland and uninspiring. Sighs.  We felt really let down by it. Luckily on the other side of the table, Ivan and Lis both scored better with their soup. Ivan ordered the French Onion Soup (RM18.00) which was a nice balance of saltiness in the onion stock, while Lis had a refreshing bowlful of Cold Tomato Soup (RM20.00) and it was a perfect way to battle the humid evening

There was a long break between our courses, guess they were living up to their French dining reputation or they were just, what's the word again...slow? OK maybe, under-staffed would have been a better choice of word. But either way, we still had to wait alongside with everybody else in the dining room. And to answer Ivan's curiosity if The Pressroom would be one of those obliging restaurants who'd go all out to make your dining experience a special one and make something outside of their regular menu - my answer is 'No'. I don't think they can even keep up with the orders from the menu at this point.


c. Braised Wagyu Cheeks; d. Double Lamb Chop; e. Lobster Risotto; f. Grilled Seabass; g. Pineapple Tarte Tatin; h. Cappuccino Cheesecake


Our mains finally arrived and I was glad to see all the pretty dishes laid out in front of us. My order of Lobster Risotto with Saffron and Seafood Provençal (RM52.00) was exquisite. Finally, I thought, this is why people raved about the place. It tasted very different from the one I had at Favola earlier in the week. Here, the risotto tasted more like paella (could it be the La Bodega's influence?) cooked with a handful of saffron. Yes, a HANDful, 'cause it was that fragrant. Since we're on the subject of risotto, I might as well tell you about Chiselstone's fine Braised Wagyu Cheeks with Turnip Risotto (RM36.00). If there was a value-for-money marked dish on the menu, this would definitely be it. Not only do you get cuts of melt-in-your-mouth of meat but the risotto was excellent! Addictive in fact. Shit, I'm addicted to carbs again. But this was worth breaking the diet for.

The rest of my dinner party had the Roast Free-Range Chicken with Lyonnaises Potato (RM30.00), Double Lamb Chop with 'Bubble & Squeak' (RM45.00) and Grilled Seabass with Ratatouille (RM35.00). And judging from their faces, they were quite happy with their selections too.

While food was yummy and all, the only downside would probably be the portion sizes. Lets just say that they weren't as big as the plates they came in. I know that's not saying much, but take the risotto for instance, it was nothing but more than 10-spoonfuls. But I guess that's why they term it Fine Dining eh?

We decided to filled up our stomachs and shared some desserts (every selection is RM16.00 each) to go with our coffee. Since the Pineapple Tarte Tatin has been all I've been hearing about, it was definitely on the order list. The caramelized slices of juicy and tangy pineapple were very well made and was nicely paired with the vanilla ice cream. However I was shocked beyond belief that the puff pastry base that came with it was as tough as a cow's hide! Can one of my favourite bakers enlightened me what has possible gone wrong? It had the potential to be such a good dessert. Sighs. Our other dessert orders were the gelatinous Cappuccino Cheesecake with Berrie Coulis and Crepe Suzette, which didn't really impressed either.

While I may fault a thing or two about this place, I'd have to admit that I did enjoyed myself and was satisfied with the dinner. I'll definitely make my way back here, at least to try the other mains. And of course, the company of my dearest made the evening even more splendid, especially that wonderful surprise gift from McCutie which really put a huge smile on my face. Merci beaucoup. Watch out world, there's a new DSLR artist in town. LOL!

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THE PRESSROOM
G110 Ground Floor,
Bangsar Shopping Centre,
285 Jalan Maarof,
Bukit Damansara, 59000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 - 2095 8098

Special Thanks: Some pictures courtesy of Chiselstone.net