Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Spice Garden, Highlands Hotel, Genting Highlands.

Wow, it was a horrendous way uphill to Genting Highlands. After our lunch and first round of shopping in Midvalley, we took the Genting bus from Sentral. The heavy downpour didn't slow the journey but the standstill queue at the Genting Skyway was the test which can easily flare up the most patient soul. There were many tourist, mainly from China which are from tour groups causing the beeline to form till the lower floor. With the company of my 2 mates, we filled up the one and half hour wait with gossips and cock talking. Ironically, the check in First World hotel which used to have at least an hour's wait is now reduced to one and a half minute instead thanks to the kiosks check-in system.

Upon checking in, we just went straight to bed for nap before deciding on what to have for dinner. We later found out that the Be A Star Karaoke was no longer in business, the Vietnam and Mexican cuisine at the Venice walk in the middle of First World Plaza was no longer operating as well. Not fond of having fast food which is priced at least 50% extra, we decided to give the Indian cuisine a try.

Surprisingly, despite having some awards under their belt, there was only 3 or 4 tables only when we dined in throughout the night from 8:30pm onwards till 10pm.

We also discovered some momentos from famous Bollywood stars, in which I only can identify one of them - Amitabh Bacham who dined here before. Well actually these were not the main reason we dined here. We prefer something spicy for the cold weather as it was just 19 degrees that night. Furthermore, they are offering a good set deal for 2 person at RM100 with a few courses.

For drinks we can choose 2 items from a few choices of soups, mango lassi, ice lemon tea and massala tea. We choose the mushroom soup and it tasted very rich in milk/yoghurt instead of cream. Its totally different from those cream of mushroom soup you get in Western cuisine places.

While waiting for our main to arrive, we were served complimentary papadam together with assorted vegetables with mint chutney as dip. It turns out that the cucumbers and tomatoes were good as palate cleanser to the meaty affair which awaits us.

The entree - Chicken Tikka, Mutton Seekh and Fish Tikka Curry - 2 pieces each. Well we did not expect the appetiser platter to be quite huge in portion. This could be a main dish on its own and we ordered an additional ala carte serving of Tandoori Chicken. Tastewise, all were acceptable except the mutton has a faint gamey smell despite being heavily marinaded in spices and condiments.

According to the menu, its written ASSORTED BREAD. But we were given just one flavour - its garlic naan, lightly buttered and sprinkled with parsley if I'm not mistaken? The naan here has a slight chewy texture but was not too thick. One can easily go for a few slices and still go for a helping of the rice later...

And now, let the mains make their glorious entry! Clockwise from top: Assorted Vegetables with Cottage Cheese, Curry Fish, Cooked Yellow Lentils (dhall) and Mutton Rogan Josh. The curry fish is cooked with milk/yoghurt instead of coconut milk, so some might be so accustomed to this type of cooking. The lentils make good accompaniment to the naan bread but its good to eat it on its own too. The mutton is quite robust in flavour... a bit too salty to my liking. Rest assured that after this meal, it will keep you warm enough to roam the outdoor of Genting Highlands.

As mentioned earlier, the additional serving of Chicken Massala (RM26.90) wasn't really necessary. We were a bit jelak from all the carnivorous affair. The chicken meat is tender but I prefer them to grill it a bit more to give the charred ends. Now, I'm craving for the platter of vegetables just now after all this meat...

Briyani and plain basmati rice is too mainstream, so it led us to pick the Zeera Rice (Cumin Seed Rice). Its not as heavy as the briyani but it was not as plain like white rice. The cumin seeds made the rice more aromatic and complemented well with an addition of curry gravy. This dish was indeed a rare find and it was our first time trying it... and I loved it!

The meal set meal above was priced at RM100 (2pax). The total bill came to slightly more than RM150 for 3 of us, with an ala carte serving of Tandoori Chicken and Iced Lemon Tea (RM7.90) and Government Tax + Service Charge. Ambiance wise, they are far behind Tandoor Grill, Ipoh or even Pakeeze. Being long in business, I think they should refurbish their interior a bit. Well, not much complaints, since its at THIS price IN Genting. Oh, by the way, those are Shisha (assorted flavours - content imported form the UAE). Next post: more KL food! :)

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