Before patrons even reach the stage of perusing the menu, they’re seduced by Vin’s ambience and décor, which is a feast of rich earth tones, plush textures and a highly sophisticated ambience. Its post-modern, exposed brick walls; ornate, marble-topped long bar; soothing, moody lighting; and collection of inviting, deep-brown leather chairs, ottomans and banquettes create the perfect balance of traditional, old world refinement and edgy, modern minimalism. It’s a great stage and platter for Vin’s spotlight-stealing food and wines, which have won rave reviews from gourmet diners as well as critics from far and wide.

Named after enterprising proprietor and hands-on manager Navin Karu (a word which also, conveniently, means ‘wine’ in French), Vin’s is helmed by a trio of head honchos (which includes Head Chefs Shamini and Vic), who painstakingly craft and tinker with Vin’s menu of expertly-prepared epicurean dishes and carefully-chosen wines, which span cuisines, styles, continents and time periods.

Vin, Shamini and Vic speak animatedly and eloquently of Vin’s 2016 menu, which is an eclectic mix of brand new dishes, as well as its greatest gastronomic hits since its opening six years ago. What’s most striking about the full list of appetizers and main courses, desserts and beverages is their almost uncategorizable, outside-of-the-box uniqueness – a distinction which has allowed the ‘rebel’ restaurant to carve a niche for itself in the local F&B industry.

The food

My grand gastronomic jaunt began with a Tapas Starter of freshly-baked whole meal bread accompanied by a harem of bewitching dips and spreads. The smorgasbord took me on a journey from sweet and savoury to tart and tangy, and included truffle butter, organic feta cheese, sundried tomato, freshly crushed avocado and roasted walnuts. A personal favorite was the Smoked Duck Breast paired with Caramelized Onion Compote (a marriage of soul mates); and the Brandy Prawn Bruschetta, which was superb both in flavour and texture.

Still in Starter territory, my taste buds also acquainted themselves with the novel Sea Prawn and Chili Cream Pizza. Flown in fresh from Sabah, the not-your-run-of-the-mill White Sea Prawns were luxuriously embellished with crushed chilies, onions and cayenne and topped with melted Italian mozzarella. The dish’s slight sass of spiciness, paired beautifully with the prawns’ firm texture and mouthwatering juiciness, proved to be the perfect merger of Asian and Italian culinary influences, lounging on thin-crusted slices of bread.

Onto the realm of main courses, and I began with Vin’s Lamb Cutlets with Pommery Garlic Mustard, which was a sensation to my aesthetics as well as palate. Flown in fresh from New Zealand and prepared on a grill in a way that ensured the fat seared perfectly into the meat, the lamb was a burst of uniquely rich and intense flavours, and a surprisingly crispy texture. Plated with roasted asparagus, mushroom peppercorn gravy, and glazed baby potatoes, this was a gastronomic knock-out. Before I could even get off the floor, the restaurant’s Bourbon Beef Ribs – a must-order for all self-respecting meat lovers – delivered another magnificent blow. Marbled to perfection, braised with myriad spices and soaked in Jack Daniels, the meat was tender and sheer awesomeness, and offered a universe of delightful flavours.

If you have a bucket list, reach for it now and write: “Must try Vin’s Provincial Ling Cod”. A truly unique Vin’s creation, this dish makes you want to change OMG to ‘OMC’. Featuring cod also flown in fresh from New Zealand, the toothsome, supple fish was accessorized with Mexican chipotle creamy sauce, olives and pinch potatoes, and was a magnificent melange of creaminess, spiciness and tanginess. Also sensational was Vin’s Crushed Chicken Habanero, comprising cuts of seared chicken reposing on a bed of leaves, cherry tomatoes and cashews.

For Vin’s playful, and slightly cheeky take on local cuisine (with a dash of European whimsy), dig into its signature Fried Penang Noodles, which is apparently one of the more challenging dishes to conjure up. The stuff of legends, this mamak-inspired masterpiece stars noodles doused with Vin’s special “mee mamak sauce”, and beautifully adorned with sautéed prawns, vegetables cucur, crushed peanuts, onions, coriander, eggs, soy sauce and squeezed lime dressing. Far from having been just thrown together, the ingredients were cooked in a high-pressure wok, which allowed the egg and soy sauce to emulsify with the noodles – and the effect on the palate is almost unspeakably lovely.

Rounding out our stroll through Vin’s mains delights was a provocative, modern play on the traditional aglio olio – the Crab Romesco Linguine, a magical concoction of Sri Lankan Crab claw meat, Romesco sauce, vodka and a mob of additional choice ingredients which wreaked havoc on my palate and left me craving for more.

The drinks

As its name suggests, not-so-subtly, Vin’s is an epicenter not just of fine cuisine, but fine beverages as well. The restaurant’s waterfall of top-notch thirst quenchers includes an array of cocktails which perk up the soggiest of souls. The Tommy Margarita is a mountain honey-enriched twist on the beloved classic, which expertly walks the tightrope of sweet and sour; the Strawberry Flirt is a sexy tango between tequila and freshly-blended Korean strawberries; and The Lychee Martini is a flirtatiously sweet and sassy stunner. But if you’re in the spirit for stronger spirits, then knock-back one of Vin’s house specialties – the Rum and freshly-blended Pina Colada, a gorgeous, flavoursome brew which I found rich enough to be a spectacular liquid meal all its own.

As for Vin’s bevy of storied desserts – you’ll have to wait for FMT’s second serving of our in-depth review of the remarkable restaurant (and which will prove that “heaven is a ‘plate’ on earth”).

Vin’s
No. 6 Lorong Datuk Sulaiman 1,
Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000, KL
Operating hours: 4pm to 2am
Tel: 012 200 2119
Website: www.vins.my