KEN HUNTS FOOD: Up and Above European Cuisine @ Cantonment Road, Pulau Tikus, Penang.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Up and Above European Cuisine @ Cantonment Road, Pulau Tikus, Penang.

A new kid in town- Up and Above European Cuisine has secretly opened a couple weeks back. The name "Up and Above" surely did not give us much hints, little did we know that our visit signs us up for an extraordinary gastronomic journey, though the interior decor suggests otherwise. Housed in one of the shop houses along Cantonment Road, the classy-sophisticated setting is surely misleading, stepping into the restaurant makes you think that you are actually walking into a fine-dining restaurant with hefty prices but in actual fact, Up and Above European Cuisine targets upper-middle price range... affordable luxury-kind of quality and experience. The restaurant even introduces Set Lunch at unbeatable price... from a bargain price of Rm 17. If you like being stuffed with mostly good things at a romantic-joint without putting a dent on the wallet, this is your venue.

Many Thanks to Up and Above European Cuisine for hosting us that evening.

[Amuse Bouche] 60 Degree Soft Cook Organic Egg (Rm 16)

[Amuse Bouche] Seared Hokkaido Scallop (Rm 26)

Chef Thomas teased our palates with his own creation of Amuse Bouche; 60-Degree Soft Cook Organic Egg was an earnest but complex dish, it may appear in the deceivingly simple form of Soft Boiled Egg but the flavors were bold. The Chicken juice and King Oyster Mushrooms were the game-changer. The former one introduced the salty-meaty essence to the Egg while the latter one imparted a soothing and gentle earthiness to the dish. We literally wanted to mop everything on the plate using the bread. Description for the voluptuous Hokkaido Scallop is unnecessary... the photo speaks for itself.

Mushroom Soup (Rm 17)

Prawn & Prosciutto Ham Salad (Rm 33)

Smoked Duck Salad (Rm 25)

Whetting up the appetite- a series of Starters, Mushroom Soup was most earthy and the texture was fine and smooth but probably a tad too smooth to my liking. Yours truly would prefer it with small chunks of meaty Mushroom. Moving on to Salads, Smoked Duck Salad sure left us with a deep impression. The aesthetic marriage between succulent Smoked Duck Breast, savory-cheesy Feta Cheese, tangy Orange and refreshing Greens was most appetizing and refreshing. The thick cut of Smoked Salmon was commendable, for its meaty and juicy texture.

Seared Artisanal Smoked Salmon (Rm 58)

It was a magical moment when the server dished out Seared Artisanal Smoked Salmon... as he uncovered the dish... smoke flowed out and we were caught in a whiff of smokey redolence. Veil lifted and the dish presented itself in a charming manner... featuring their home-made Smoked Salmon, caramelized Apple and covered in Vanilla Cream Foam. The texture was how a classic cured fish could get- soft and mushy but beautifully imbued with a delightful smokey fragrance. To be frank, it can be quite addictive... and we'd recommend enjoying the dish with a glass of chilled White Wine.

Braised Australian Beef Brisket (Rm 68)

Chef Thomas' Braised Australian Beef Brisket was remarkable. Each serving of the dish sees approximately 150 grams of meat, every single piece was spot-on seasoned and braised till fork tender. Minimal effort was required to slit through the meat and we were deeply impressed with the well-thought of flavors and dimension. The chunks of meat were served on a bed of creamed Pumpkin, doused over Beef juice, the texture and flavor got elevated by the brilliantly added Onion Chip which introduced a sleek, sweet and smokey essence to the dish. I would personally prefer cuts with more fats... for the melt-in-the-mouth sensation; an exceptional dish nevertheless.

Sous Vide Flavorful Herb Chicken (Rm 30)

Poultry lovers would be amazed to see two beautifully caramelized Sous Vide Chicken Thigh meat being presented with an artsy touch. The Chicken possessed a juicy and tender texture... like most Sous Vided meat does but Chef Thomas played a nice twist by caramelizing the Chicken Skin with premium Butter and thus, giving the fowl an irresistible aroma. The Mashed Potato and Chicken juice were boldly seasoned... to go with the meat. The bite could not be more satisfying, the flavor lingers in the mouth for quite some time and for the portion given, we did not feel short-change.

Tarte Tatin (front/ Rm 18) and Raspberry Mousse Cake with Fruit (Rm 28)

No meal is complete without an order of sweet treat, we put a complete full stop to our meal by having their Tarte Tatin and Raspberry Mousse Cake. Tarte Tatin had an Apple Tart heavily spiced with Cinnamon and a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream with Almond Tuile, the texture was a little dry for the Tart and the Apple-element could be stronger. The Raspberry Mousse Cake was perhaps, better but if you are a chocolate person who loves chocolaty cake, this might not be your slice of cake.