Change has come to KL Hilton, where Senses, one of our top restaurant recommendations, was replaced this month by Graze, which offers classic European recipes.
It's a bit sad though to see Senses vanish; it could take some time to become accustomed to Graze, which sports a distinctively different, consummately casual look.
Graze's menu takes fewer risks than Senses', but the food remains beautifully prepared & brilliantly palate-pampering. Worthy of plate licking.
Fresh meat & seafood are the highlights here: these 300 triumphant grams of a veal T-bone steak, served with chunky hand-cut fries & bearnaise sauce, should satiate the most ravenous medium-sized carnivore.
It's meat at its juiciest, promising full-bodied, full-blooded pleasure in every bite.
Back to basics with pure meat & potatoes, plain ol' protein & carbs (with fibrous veggies thrown into the mix): Slow-cooked Dorper lamb shoulder & grilled rack (the latter's more succulent) with parsley mashed potatoes.
Graze's bouillabaisse boasts a lighter-than-expected touch, delicately sweet in flavor but full of fleshy lobster, sea bream & snapper.
Savor the shellfish stew with some toasted baguette & rouille.
Audrey Chin, a former junior sous chef at Senses, heads a remarkable kitchen here. We loved every bite of everything, even the side salad.
Popping the bubbly. To be sure, Graze's booze is expensive, with nearly no wines below RM200.
The Hilton must have had its reasons to turn Senses into Graze. We can't help preferring the former, partly because we had numerous excellent experiences there, stretching back to the Kelly Brennan era (remember that cheerful chef?). Still, Graze is top-notch in its own right.
Graze,
Kuala Lumpur Hilton.
Open daily for lunch & dinner.