Not many know that Nadodi, located off Jalan Yap Kwan Seng in Kuala Lumpur offers a fine dining experience like no other with a menu centred around exquisite Indian cuisine, more specifically, Southern Indian.
At an exclusive tasting dinner held sometime earlier this year, a refined 11-course menu called the 11-Mile Journey priced at RM460++ per person, featured a stream of mouth-watering Southern Indian delights, paired with wine and champagne.
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The Salon served that night was a creation of Aime Salon, from the region of Côte des Blancs.
Wine from Salon is always of a single harvest, single cru, single grape variety and of the best vintage. Hence the resulting flavour is perfectly balanced and among the most sought after.
A neighbour of Salon, Delamotte too is from Côte des Blancs and sources its grapes from the same region. Delamotte produces non-vintage Brut, Blanc de Blancs and Rosé.
Three exquisitely prepared starters to kick off the night was the Cone, Manga and Pillow – interesting names with equally interesting and exciting flavours.
The Cone was essentially a sambar and onion chutney, while Mangamade was a fusion of mango patchadi and pistachios. Pillow was a delicate serving of beetroot and cheese – too heavenly to describe, to be honest.
The presentation of each dish was mind-blowing to say the least but what reminded one that these were not works of art, was the undeniable underlying tones of Indian flavours that tickled one’s tastebuds mischievously.
The Cone had a spicy note to it, while Manga playfully balanced sweet with nutty. The Pillow’s richness of cheese, often found in Indian cuisine, rounded out the earthiness of the beet to perfection.
Delamotte Blanc de Blancs non-vintage was served with these, a delicate wine with a subtle fruity and floral character.
Shell Shock was Hokkaido scallop lazing in a sea of sodhi (coconut milk curry), an unfamiliar mix of tastes for sure, but a combination that was memorable all the same.
The Tiano & Noreno Malbec 2010 Magnum, with less than 800 bottles left in the world, was the choice for this dish.
The wine was full-bodied with a delicate acidity and a touch of French elegance. It turned out to be the favourite of the night.
Go Bananas, one of the more iconic dishes at Nadodi, is a fascinating creation made with the stem, fruit and flower of the banana tree.
Salon Le Mesni 2006, a champagne with a clear, aromatic and well-balanced flavour, was the perfect pairing.
Heads Up, a seafood dish with coral trout, head curry espuma, and lemon flat rice required a quick stir and scooping up of the mix to truly enjoy the contrasting textures of creamy curry and crunchy rice.
Crab’s Day Out is Nadodi’s play with Alaskan crab meat with rasam (you should be familiar with this spicy soup served at banana leaf rice shops). Not quite as exquisite as the others, although its acidity was certainly welcoming after a stream of rich and creamy dishes.
As a palette cleanser, guests were served a sorbet made from Delamotte Rose NV – you can’t get more luxurious than that.
Then came Peek-A-Boo, the lobster dish of the night. Lobster ishtu (Kerala-style potato with coconut milk) with dry coconut. The lobster was cooked ever so lightly so that it retained its sweet and natural taste.
Wrapped in a delicate casing of finely-sliced scallop that formed almost a skin, Peek-A-Boo was hands down the most outstanding dish of the night.
Billy – the red meat offering of the night, consisted of pepper-crusted lamb with drumstick (moringa, not chicken drumstick…) curry.
The lamb was perfectly cooked, with the peppery crust seasoned how it should be.
Nomads Globe, our main for the day consisted of country chicken briyani and egg plant in a peanut masala gravy. A competent dish on its own, but one that perhaps was not as superior in taste compared to the two preceding it.
Overall the experience was certainly memorable, with good food, great wine and champagne and a refined fine-dining setting that elevated the night’s cuisine.
Check out diineout.com for more of exclusive champagne and wine pairings such as these.
Nadodi
Lot 183, Jalan Mayang,
Off Jalan Yap Kwan Seng
50450 Kuala Lumpur
GPS: 3.160381, 101.711203
Tel: 017 367 0200
This article first appeared in kyspeaks.com