7 Jan
Sage Restaurant & Wine Bar @ The Gardens, Mid Valley City
After hearing SO MUCH of good things about Sage, TWO failed attempts in securing a table for two, and getting rejected for walk-in ONCE, we were here finally (drum roll please).
We took a lift next to Isetan Departmental Store and my heart jumps, thinking that we were just a few steps away from Sage – the talk of the town. Initially, we were rather surprised to see that The Sage is tucked away at a secluded corner next to the parking lot. Once I shoved through the heavy glass door, a young lady greeted us at the door with a welcoming smile and a jovial presence. We were promptly seated near to the open kitchen where Chef Takashi and crews were busy creating superb rendition of dishes. The ambiance is perfect – classy, lush but not intimidating, with the occasional melody of glass clinging, soft whispering and sizzling at the background.
We were taking our own sweet time in reading through the one page menu. Read aloud some of the names in the menu and you’ll be condemned to a near eternity of grueling tongue twisters (Is it just me?). We settled for Sage Dinner at RM 140 nett because it offers more value for money than ala carte pricea as such: Starters at rm58, main course at RM78 and desserta at RM30. Do the math. One can opt for an additional course (Chef Special )at RM160 nett or the degustation menu at RM240 nett where advance booking is required.
Complimentary Bread. The breads were all good; crusty, warm and soft.
For starter, I chose the Feuillete of Anago with Foie Gras and Duxelles, loosely translated as puff pastry with salt-water eel, foie gras and mixture of finely chopped mushrooms, shallots and herbs. The dish offers a myriad of flavor and texture! Think crispy layers of sweet and caramelized puff pastry, soft fatty salt-water eel and velvety smooth foie gras that leaves a trail of bovine juice in your mouth. Mmmmm…
Carpaccio of Wagyu with Sesame Vinaigrette and Asparagus. He had the wafer-thin slices of raw wagyu beef served cold, seasoned with sesame vinaigrette. The wagyu slices melts on your palate like the most sublime foie gras, and leaves a rich flavor behind.
What a great start to our meal!
My choice of main is the Lightly Salted Cod with Foie Gras, Roasted in Wood Paper (not foie gras again?). The cod and foie gras are impeccably fresh, with chock full of fragrant juices. Sauces are subtle, accentuating the natural flavor of the lightly salted cod and pan seared foie gras.
Rump Steak with Carrot Puree and Anchovy Sauce goes to KampungBoy, who is a steak person. The rounder pieces of steak with pink centre are actually the medallions, a cut of from the wagyu beef type. It is succulent, tender and very very tasty. On the side, we were given the braised ox shank topped with carrot puree. It is pleasingly tender and not at all gamey.
I was not entirely blown away by the Roasted Kougyoku Apples with Vanilla Ice Cream. Immediately, my face was contorting into a frown and later found out that Kougyoku apple is a kind of very sour apple from Japan. Sorry, I’m just not a fan of all things sour.
He made a smart choice by ordering the Ricotta Souffle served with Espresso Sherbet. Light, fluffy and airy, with a barely perceptible brown crust on top, the souffle is a perfect sweet ending.
The End – Coffee/Tea ?
What can I say? It was a very satisfactory dinner, the starters and mains were beyond excellence while we think that we are going to give it a pass to the desserts the next time (wrong choices maybe, as other floggers raved about the desserts).We will definitely be going back and would highly recommend this restaurant to everyone. Ooo yes, Sage is perfect for Valentine’s Day celebration and to impress your dates as well. Reservation is a must, unless you want to try your luck and get turn down.
Sage Restaurant & Wine Bar
The Residences Level 6
The Gardens, Mid Valley City,
Lingkaran Syed Putra,
59200 KL.
Tel: 03-22681328
Email: sagekul@gardenshtlres.com
Posted by xin on January 7, 2009 at 5:30 am
wow. the whole course of dinner looks so lux. thanks for reviewing this place, will definitely mark this place down for future celebrations
[Reply]
Posted by lotsofcravings on January 7, 2009 at 6:37 am
no wine that nite? yeah was disappointed with the desserts, eventhough they are famous for desserts..
[Reply]
Posted by Irenelim on January 7, 2009 at 7:33 am
Wow, just looking at the pictures make my saliva wet my pants! They surely look really good!
[Reply]
Posted by Chin on January 7, 2009 at 10:01 am
Lovely post to match a choice restaurant!
[Reply]
Posted by email2me on January 7, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Looks so good …. must find one day go try it liao ….
~~~
[Reply]
Posted by wmw on January 7, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Looks good – a place to wine and dine!
[Reply]
Posted by jasmine on January 8, 2009 at 2:14 am
great photos! i haven’t really been thinking of heading for this place despite all the rave reviews but am slightly motivated now…
[Reply]
Posted by mimid3vils on January 9, 2009 at 4:52 am
RM 140.00 / pax? O.O
[Reply]
Posted by sharon on January 12, 2009 at 1:31 am
how much per pax?
[Reply]
Posted by kampungboycitygal on January 12, 2009 at 1:41 am
xin: yes..a place that we can only afford once in a while, ie special occassions
joe: nah..was too kiam siap for that lol..it was a let down though, was expecting something better
irene: yeah look as gd as ur clothing piece
foodpoi: and i bet ur team can order everything in the menu
wmw: yes yes, at a price :p
jasmine: becoz it comes from the layman’s mouth ? lol
mimidevils, sharon: yes its rm140 nett
chin: tq..haha actually my surname is chin too
[Reply]
Posted by jason on January 12, 2009 at 4:40 am
I see that your new toy serves you well here
[Reply]
Posted by LY Tai on January 12, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Great Food and Great couple!!! ???????
Tai
[Reply]
Posted by eiling on January 13, 2009 at 1:31 am
Wow.. this looks like the perfect place for indulging in good food and wine. Is there a smoking area or private rooms?
[Reply]
Posted by kampungboycitygal on January 13, 2009 at 3:29 pm
jason: hehe so fun to play with
lytai: haha thx a lot man
eiling: if i recall it correctly, i din see any private room / smoking area. maybe you could dial up n ask? they have very extensive wine selection n im pretty sure that u’ll like it
[Reply]
Posted by eiling on January 14, 2009 at 5:41 am
ok thanks!
[Reply]
Posted by YilingL on January 14, 2009 at 7:43 am
Wow. Looks really awesome! I think the choices you and kampung boy made would be what I would order too! Beef & foie gras, temptations *drools*
[Reply]
Posted by ai peng on January 28, 2009 at 5:40 am
hi just wondering, is Sage’s chef formerly from Cilantro?
Thanks.
[Reply]
Posted by gen.u.ine.ness on February 3, 2009 at 11:40 am
very nice review.
The food looks good although the repetition of ingredients (and something as glaring as foie gras) should never happen.
Also no Amuse bouche with ur 3 course?
[Reply]
Posted by Kok Weng on February 11, 2009 at 5:52 am
I like the rump steak
Looks juicy… *drools*
Nice place. Thanks WZ.
[Reply]
Posted by Win on November 9, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Given the above review, we decided to give this place a try. Unfortunately nothing came close to the expectations granted the comments. Firstly accessibility to the restaurant is poor as there is no parking available in the Garden’s residences, the restaurant’s location is in isolation and almost out of civilization. The food served was below mediocre and VERY much over-rated. I have tasted plenty of far more superior dining options in KL and this surely isn’t one of them. However, pricing is reasonable and may suggest for the reason of the poor tasting. To conclude our meal, we waited 30 minutes for our dessert which was not all that impressive and definitely not worth the long wait. The worse of it all was that we found out the reason as to why the restaurant was so well known to be perpetually “fully booked”. Fifteen minutes prior to our arrival, we made a reservation (requesting for a bigger table) and were informed that the restaurant was fully booked. Upon arrival there were many empty tables, unoccupied and some even unmade. Upon checking with the staff, we found out otherwise whereby there never were reservations made for these tables. So go figure on all the good reviews we’ve heard…
[Reply]
kampungboycitygal Reply:
November 10th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Win, sorry to hear about your bad experience. reviews from friends and family have been good, so far. do agree that the place is hidden so we always park our car at the gardens, take the elevator next to isetan and go straight up to 6th floor. it’s easier that way.
i can’t comment much on their consistency because i’ve only been there once. or maybe French-Japanese nouvelle cuisines is not everyone’s cup of tea? but i do feel for you, the let down and the frustration.
[Reply]
Posted by james tan on November 12, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Win, why don’t you share with us what are the far more superior dining options in KL so that we can give them a go?
I won’t comment on the food as everyone has different taste buds, but accessibility to a restaurant definitely isn’t a criteria for good dining. There are many eateries in Malaysia which are hidden, difficult to find, or have no signage even when you can find the area. Some of these places have unique and wonderful food. As for Sage, I actually found it with relative ease.
[Reply]
Posted by TummyRumble on December 14, 2009 at 12:33 am
Nice review on Sage. Their menu is ever changing. I just did a review on it as well if you’re interested to have a look =)
http://tummy-rumble.blogspot.com/2009/12/dinner-at-sage-restaurant-wine-bar.html
[Reply]
Posted by TummyRumble on December 14, 2009 at 12:39 am
As Win said above, Sage said they’re fully booked when people still tend to see lots of empty tables around.. I seem to notice this everytime I go there. But I think its so that their number of cooks and waiters can cope with the number of diners there to ensure everyone gets good service and not wait too long for food.
TummyRumble´s last blog ..Dinner at Sage Restaurant & Wine Bar @ The Garden Residences (6th floor), Kuala Lumpur
[Reply]
Posted by Valentine’s Day Dining Guide 2010 Part I – The Luxe | KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL on February 1, 2010 at 10:08 am
[...] Sage Where (is it): The Residences Level 6, The Gardens, Mid Valley City. Tel: 03-22681328 Why (here): It was a very satisfactory dinner, the starters and mains were beyond excellence while we think that we are going to give it a pass to the desserts the next time (wrong choices maybe, as other floggers raved about the desserts).We will definitely be going back and would highly recommend this restaurant to everyone. Ooo yes, Sage is perfect for Valentine’s Day celebration and to impress your dates as well. Reservation is a must, unless you want to try your luck and get turn down. [...]
Posted by 5 Restaurants in KL to Celebrate Valentine's Day | KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL on February 1, 2012 at 12:47 pm
[...] #3 Sage Restaurant & Wine Bar [...]