the pressroom

5:12 AM sians 0 Comments

as mentioned in my past entry, last sunday's dinner was with my friends from church whom i have not met for years.. venue of choice: the pressroom in bangsar. no, we weren't interviewed at a press conference or anything, it is actually a pretty hip restaurant in bangsar. i forgot to bring my camera this time so i have to use my words to describe the restaurant without boring you with details. lol.

the decor is modern contemporary highlighting shades of grey, black and white as the prominent color palatte which appealed to me a whole lot. classy, i thought. they offer a variety of cuisine that ranges from american to french to some dishes from italy. there were fish dishes, a few varieties of risotto, lamb shank, foie gras and even different steak cuts to name some of the foods offered on their menu.  i was torn between the risotto with chanterelle mushrooms and the duck confit but what caught my attention was duck confit. (i am not quite sure what is my fascination with duck confit ever since i had it at province but i just had to try it)

as most would say you would eat with your eyes first before your mouth and this restaurant takes that into account with great importance. the food presentation was fancy and i wanted to sink my teeth into my yummy looking duck confit with sauteed cepe and rosti potatoes (RM32) i had to find out what cepe is and it is actually a type of mushroom (arguably one of the best mushrooms similar to chanterelle, morel and field mushrooms). rosti potatoes is what i would describe as a thin layer of hashbrowns fried into a shape of a pancake. the whole dish was served with a drizzle of balsamic reduction around the plate. the balsamic reduction kinda made the dish come together but i wish there were more of it. the duck was crispy of the outside but sadly some parts of it were a lil dry and was not as tender as i hoped it would be. cepe was a nice touch and it did have a comfort feel to it. i overall did like the dish but it did have some small rooms for improvements.

these are what my friends order and their comment on their food.
josiah| lamb shank. he enjoyed his meal although he did think it was not worth the RM38.
melissa & kebin| both of them ordered a grilled salmon dish. they both seem to enjoy their dish and it did look appetizing.
aidan| fish of the day. can't remember what the fish was but he thought it was more effort than he would have preferred to put in with the bones and head and tail and everything. think he said it was pretty good.
(pictures would have made these description so much better)

since a majority of them ordered fish dishes, they ordered a bottle of pinor grigio (RM125) to which they seem to enjoy with their meal. i didn't drink any since i don't do well with alcohol. josiah had a glass at first but quickly decided to order a glass of beer since the wine didn't go too well with the dish he ordered.

just like any mid to high end restaurants, the portions offered were decent sized for some (imo) but small for others. the price ranges from RM28 for some fish and risotto dishes to RM90+ for a steak.


for desserts, josiah loves the creme brulee at the pressroom and was adamant about ordering it. melissa joined in the party by ordering a nutty dessert called amandine that has the combination of pistachio, hazelnut and almond ice cream topped with whipped cream. chopped nuts and butternut sauce. the rest passed on ordering desserts but had a bite or two to taste the two desserts. i thought the creme brulee was okay - had a nice caramalized crust but the cream flavor wasn't a favorite of mine. the ice cream was also alright but then i only had a very small bite so it might not have done the dessert justice. desserts were priced at RM16.

i love love the ambience - it reminded me of being in a cozy apartment with friends, sipping our drinks and chatting comfortably. the staff were very patient as we sat there and talked for a very long time even when it was nearing their closing time. we were the last customers there while they patiently waited for us to leave as they cleaned up the rest of the restaurant. i would return to the pressroom to hang out with friends for a couple of drinks or desserts mainly for the ambience. food comes close as the second reason of returning if you are willing to pay quite handsomely for it.

disclaimer this is written based on my personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.

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